Ya Gotta Dig A Little Deeper!

Whuddup!!!

Hows it goin, y,all???  Doin’ good?  Stayin’ classy?  I know you is.  Keep up the good work. 

       

This week was SUPER fast once again!  We lost Wednesday at Zone Conference and we lost more than half of Friday and Saturday doing Baptismal Interviews in other areas.  Blessing?  For sure!!!!  Tiring?  Even more for sure!!!!

       

I feel like I have such little time to work these days.  I keep hearing about friends getting home from their Missions and stuff and I hit a year and six months on Saturday soooooooo . . . Well it just kinda makes me nervous.  Time passes so dang quickly.  I feel like I can’t stay on my feet completely we have so much to do.  Our Ward is progressing, everyone is becoming stronger it seems like.  Our Zone is progressing, taking difficult situations and learning and Baptizing more every time.  It’s awesome but dang!!!  Real Growth is exhausting!!!  There is so much to do . . . The Kingdom of God is growing so quickly . . . I feel like I can’t keep up with the growth completely!!!  I don’t know how Bishops and Stake Presidents and other leaders do it . . .

           

I just feel like time is running out for me.  I know I still have a while but every week passes in the blink of an eye and before I know it I am in front of the computer writing another letter to you all . . . LOTS TO DO!!!!

         

The Lord is blessing us a LOT with our little time we have to work.  We met a woman named Jane last Sunday that went to church yesterday and LOVED it.  She is one of those super Elect that the Lord is talkin’ about in the Scriptures.  She took her nephew to church as well and we are working with her Sister, Vania.  Not much is missin’ for her . . . Just needs to recognize the answers she has already received.  Last Sunday, she had been praying for some new way to learn more about the Scriptures and that was the day that we showed up.  It was an area where we NEVER work too.  Super cool  =)  The Lord just kinda took us there!!!

         

Another member also took two of his friends to church and we are working with them  =) 

           

Victor that went to church last week . . . We weren’t able to contact him  =/  His phone is always off or out of the area so we aren’t sure exactly what we are going to do just yet.

           

Our Zone finished this week with Six Baptisms which puts us with a need for 33 more to reach our goal.  Challenging?  #FASHODO  Possible?  #FASHODO!!!!  (Sorry if that doesn’t make sense.  Fa sho do means "for sure".  We can’t all be gangsters I guess). 

         

All in all it was a solid week!  Lots to improve!  Lots to learn!  I love it!!!!

         

Be good, be safe, thanks for always writing  =)  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

WHADDUP

IM A DEAD MAN WALKIN IN #CIVILWARS

HEY!!!!

How’s it goin?  Whuddup?  How’s the turkey? People here don’t celebrate Thanksgiving so that’s a total bummer  =(   BUT I will have about 70 more after this one, I hope  =)

       

This week was a rough one but a good one!  We tried doin’ things a little differently and it just didn’t go quite as planned, but . . . That’s pretty dang normal on the Mission . . . Haha.  Lots of plans, and they rarely come through!!  We tried searching out less-actives with a list a member gave us and that was an epic fail . . . People are always changing the number of their house or just painting over it so it’s almost impossible to find addresses . . . Super Legit.  I LOVE IT.  #JK  But really, that didn’t go well.  We actually had a TON of difficulties this week in finding new people.  Up until last night we had marked no Baptisms and made no new investigators.  It was terrible!!!  Just lots of weird reasons why things didn’t go quite as planned, but life goes on because . . .

We Baptized Thayna, Neide and Gilmara this last week!!!!  We weren’t really sure how it was all going to play out because they travel a little bit . . . But they all had the desire to be Baptized together this week so we got it done!  It was a HUGE blessing.  The Lord is seriously helpin’ us out SO much here.  It’s absolutely incredible!!!

       

We were really nervous because we didn’t have anyone set to go to church on Sunday so we prayed a ton for some sort of miracle and . . . Whaddya know!  A member brought her friend to church!  We are set up to visit him this next week.  His name his Victor and he’s 20.  Super chill and down to Earth.  SUCH A HUGE BLESSING.

         

These days are days I have to work hard to remember why my last time in this area was difficult.  I complained a lot last time.  I was weak and tired.  The Lord put me here, I believe, because he wants me to remember what I learned and don’t let the same stuff get me down a second time.  Pretty interesting but I love it.  The Lord works in so many strange ways and I learn SO much every day  =)

         

Our Zone Baptized seven people this last week!!!  That put us at the last week of the month with 21 Baptisms!  We broke the record for the last year but last September or October this Zone Baptized 35, so . . . That’s the goal to beat.  Our months are based on Sundays, so this next week counts as December already.  December will have 5 weeks so I’m excited to see what miracles our Zone can pull out.  We can do it!  Who’s on the Lords side who!!?!?!?!?  TABULEIRO!!!

         

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe.  We have a meeting on Wednesday, so I am hoping to receive lots of letters!  LOVE YOU!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Hold Up!!!

Zona Tabuleiro

A Week of Miracles!!!

Dallas says I gotta step up my game on the home stretch (although I consider the home stretch the last four or five months), so I promise to try to be better in my emails . . .

Hot diggidy dang!  It was a tiring week!!!  We are seeing soooo many miracles here!  I learned something this week.  I think little things I do cause me to be distracted.  Little jokes and songs and stuff like that and so I think sometimes I’m not quite as close to the Spirit as I should be . . . 

The Mission is basically just a huge repentance process. . . Haha.  I learned this week a lot about "line upon line, precept upon precept".  Let me preach a little bit.

     

I think it’s funny how people complain how they want some answer to some great question but they don’t even study the basics.  We want to know the biggest, bestest secrets that exist, but we don’t care to push through 2nd Nephi and REALLY try to understand Isaiah’s prophecies.  The Lord can’t give us more knowledge or blessings until we show that we are ready and worthy to receive more.  I can’t gain a greater knowledge of the Gospel until I search more and until I am more obedient.  If the Lord sees that I can’t be obedient to little things, why would he give me some calling where I have to be more obedient than I am capable of being?  So, in order to receive greater blessings, we have to be ready to make greater sacrifices.  We have to be willing to change.  Even the little things.  "If the Savior stood beside me would I do/say the things I do/say?"  We have so much that the Lord expects of us, but he won’t ask us to do something knowing that we will fail and then our condemnation will be greater.  The Lord has to trust us.  And we have to help him do that.

       

That was my lesson this week  =)

       

This week, we met a family of five.  Adrian and Celia are the parents and Izabel is the daughter.  I will focus on these three because the others aren’t of Baptismal age.  Adrian and Celia lost their house . . . Today.  But when we started teaching them, Adrian got a job out of nowhere and a new house to rent.  #BLESSINGSOFTHEGOSPEL  Ever since they started trying to stop smoking, they have started receiving lots of blessings like that.  They want to be Baptized A LOT and went to church on Sunday, but they need to get married and Celias record to work and all that is in Ceará, another state so it might take a while.  Family SUPER legit and they make us feel special because they just look at us and listen to us as if we were the greatest blessing that they have ever received . . . I LOVE THEM!!!!  Pray for the marriage to go through soon okay?

     

A woman named Neide also went to church with her daughter, Gilamara, and they want to be Baptized this Saturday.  They even are gonna come back from Gilmara’s school early on Thursday just so that we can prepare them more for their Baptism  =)

     

João Victor (the kid we Baptized two weeks ago) has a little brother named Diego who went to church who wants to be Baptized this Saturday as well  =)

       

A woman in our ward and neighbor of all the people previously mentioned has a daughter named Thayna that is going to be Baptized this Saturday as well!

       

There is another kid that lives on that same street named Micon.  He wants to be Baptized this Saturday as well!

Basically, we might have five or six Baptisms this next week!!!  So pray for all of them okay???

     

Our Zone finished this week with six Baptisms which puts us at nine in the month . . . Still not enough but we are improving!!!  Our Zone is getting more excited and really looking for those ELECTS more now.  I think that is one of our biggest problems.  Working with people who don’t progress.  So we talked a lot about that in our Zone Meeting.  I think it helped a lot.  Don’t waste time with people who want nothing!  Seek the ELECT!!!!

       

Well, I gotta go.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe, write lots.  Pray for my investigators and my ZONE!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Whuddup!!!!!

Elder Reneer, Thales, Joao Victor, and Elder Jensen

Herro Herro.

Family and Friends,

#TABULEIROROUNDTWO 

I was transferred as we all know.  But what you all didn’t know is that . . . President put me right back in my last Zone as Zone Leader!!!!  It was reeeeeally weird and the first time that I didn’t really know how to react at Transfers . . . Haha.  At first I was pretty disappointed . . . I’m not gonna lie.  "Dang. Tabuleiro again?"  My last time here wasn’t very positive so I was super nervous.  But then I realized something . . . I have the chance to redeem myself in a certain way.  My attitude here was pretty bad last time.  I think I had very little faith and complained because of our difficulties in the area and the Zone.  I feel like I grew SO much in Aracaju South and I’m excited to be able to use that experience here to try again. 

     

President Gonzaga saw me after Transfers and said, "I don’t know why you need to go back there.  I was lookin’ at all the Zones and thinkin’ I could put you anywhere but I only really felt good with you in Tabuleiro again.  I think you need to finish your time there.  You have something to do."  So I have some sort of great purpose here!  Hope I can figure it out soon  =)

   

My new companion is Elder Reneer who is an American from Nebraska #FirstNebraskanInMyLife  He is super chill and is already helpin’ me out a ton.  Super focused and serious but likes to joke around as well.  He actually is from my original group before I changed my date to leave early, so I only have about six more weeks on the Mission than he does.  Pretty legit dude  =)

   

Our Zone started off this month with only three Baptisms . . . Two of which were of me and my companion.  We Baptized two kids called Thales and João Victor.  I got here and they were kinda "nehhhh", but when they realized they could be Baptized together and that their families would be there watching they decided to do it  =)  Our Zone needs to get goin’ . . .  Our Zone made a combined goal of 35 Baptisms in November, but if we Baptize three a week that will not happen . . . I think we forget very easily about the goals me make.  We make goals and then forget to REEEEALLY focus and get it done.  What are goals for if we just forget all about them?  That doesn’t make much sense at all . . . I think we can all improve on that.  Both on the Mission and off the Mission.  We can change  =)

     

This week . . . We saw a drunk guy with his baby girl in his arms listening to music and dancing and teaching her how to use a taser . . .  #IDidntKnowWhatToSay  #AwkwardMomentOfTheWeek

     

Well . . . Pray lots for me!!!  I love you all!  Write me lots.  Stay classy!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Bishop's`Family in Atalaia . . . Best family EVER!!!!

TRANSFERS!!!!!!!

SO . . .

I was transferred  =(  I’m happy, but sad at the same time.  I feel like I grew and learned so much here in Aracaju Sul . . . I stayed almost five months here!!!  I can’t BELIEVE how time flew by!!!!  Nuts!!!  My Bishop gave me the nicest complement ever yesterday . . . I almost cried.  He said (in broken English), "My family really like you.  I’m going to pray that you aren’t transferred"  =(((((  I’m gonna miss this place so dang much!!!!  So many awesome people here . . . But it looks like I’m headed back to Alagoas.  Exactly where, I do not know . . . I will find out on Tuesday  =)

         

Brida, a friend of the Bishop’s family was Baptized this last week.  It was awesome  =)  Piter . . . I don’t really understand why, but he left on Saturday night and wasn’t Baptized . . . He said he would go to church on Sunday and be Baptized afterward, but didn’t show up.  So I don’t really know what that is all about.  Lima was traveling so he didn’t go to church this week  =\  Life goes on!  #SÓBATIZA!!!!!!!!

         

A TON of people in my Zone were transferred . . . Even Elder White, but it looks like he is going to stay in Sergipe.  Don’t know why he got transferred.  Feel kinda bad for him cuz he cleaned our house so dang much and then has to leave . . . Hahaha . . . Maybe they are going to put Sisters here?  Who knows . . . Should be interesting!!!

         

I don’t have too much to fill ya in on cuz all the things we did this week, I won’t be following up on anymore . . . I learned so much here!!!  And worked so dang hard!!!  I feel ALMOST satisfied.  But I know that I could have done better and done more.  Our Zone finished this month with only 7 Baptisms . . . That’s a total downer . . .  But sometimes it’s good to fall just to show that we can get up again.  "Gettin on my knees puts me back on my feet again"  #JonnyLang

         

I sure do love you all!!!!  Stay classy.  Write me lots.  LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

WHUDDUP!!!!!!!!!!

"Works are temporary . . . The benefits are . . . PERMANENT!"

Howdy Hey Howdy Hey!

Family,

We were so close to Baptizing this week!!!  Then the Ward decided to have like a million activities and Bishop couldn’t go.  The girl wanted to be Baptized by our Bishop so we decided to hold out until this next week . . . #CURSES.  Life goes on though, huh  =)

       

Piter went to church again and is super pumped for his Baptism this week as well  =)  Good kid! Got deported from Italy but . . . He’s doin’ a lot better now.  #Gospel  #SpiritChanger

       

We actually met a lot of cool people this week, but not many went to church.  Only a man named Lima and Piter showed up to church which was frustrating but still a blessing so I will definitely take it  =)

     

I learned something interesting this week . . . We have rules as Missionaries not only to protect us BUT ALSO to protect our image as Missionaries.  The moment someone starts to see us as just goofy young kids, it will be impossible to teach them.  We lose that Spirit of teaching.  That "Missionary Spirit" that everyone talks about is much more real than I thought.  I think Missionaries get shocked on their return home simply because that Spirit leaves.  But it’s not the SPIRIT’S fault.  It’s because we start focusing on things, maybe not even BAD things, that don’t TRULY invite the Spirit . . . Makes me kinda nervous to go home actually . . . Haha . . . Life is so tiring, but SO simple and focused here!  Good lesson!

       

Our Zone Baptized ONE person this week  =(  Everyone is kinda just . . . Poopy at the moment.  We are tryin’ hard to excite everyone, but we are in the middle of a very large battle!  I really hope we can pull it together in this last week before Transfers . . . The week before Transfers is generally when people give up the most so we gotta pull out a miracle here!  #PRAYFORUS

         

I love you all so much!!!!  Be good, be safe!!  Write me lots!!!  PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Aracaju!

Baptism of Rafael and Tainah   =)

Our District

Elders Roberto and Jensen

Home Sweet Home

Howdy Hey!

Zona Aracaju Sul  =)

#BATISMOS!!!!!!!!

Family, Friends and Wookies,

We Baptized Rafael and Tainah this week!!!  Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!  That was an awesome Baptism . . . Rafael was cryin’ and when I asked him why he said he felt sorry for not having been Baptized sooner.  He said, "I should have done this with my wife and kids when I had the chance.  All I can do now is try to be an example and help my future wife to have this truth."  Rafael is a fricken stud . . . I love that kid.  He was so ready.  How lucky am I that I got to be the person to meet him?  I got to be the person sent out to teach him?  And Tainah?  She is SO smart. She understands everything!!!  I just feel blessed this week.  It was a tough week but it gave such a great result in the end . . . God must love me very very much  =)

     

E . . .  =(  Unfortunately, she is kinda crazy and doesn’t want to accept the Book of Mormon out of nowhere . . . It was funny because the day before I had the feeling that this was going to happen.  So when it happened it was much easier to just let it go.  I feel bad because she is having difficulties in her life and won’t change.  She thinks that continuing in the same path is going to help her . . . Didn’t someone say that that is the definition of insanity?  Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?  #Awkward...

       

Elder White is great and I sincerely believe that we have success because he is so devoted and focused.  He’s a good freakin’ kid.

This week we had a random blessing.  A kid in the Ward brought his friend to church and we marked his Baptism . . . A girl that has wanted to be Baptized for a loooong time wasn’t able to because her dad is crazy and wouldn’t let her but . . . He got sent to jail . . . #AwkwardBlessings  So we are going to Baptize her!  Woo hoo!  The boy is Piter (Like Peeta from Hunger Games #SWAG) and the girl is Brida.  If all goes as planned, we will Baptize Brida and her little brother Rian this week  =)

         

The Zone finished this week with only two Baptisms which were of me and my companion . . . I think everyone is getting that "oh Im going to be transferred" feeling so they are slowin’ down a tooooon.  It’s frustrating.  I feel it in myself and I fight against it every day so I know that others are feeling it too . . . But how big of hypocrites would we be to teach "Endure to the end" and not be able to do it ourselves?  Just gotta keep on goin  =)

         

Transfers are on the 29^th . . . I imagine that I will be transferred because I will have about three transfers and a half out here . . .

         

That’s about what I got for now.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe, hit me up soon =)  LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen