My dearest family, February
24, 2014
Let me answer your
questions right now so I don't forget: I did get my package! We ate the M&M's
for comp study last week and I'm testing out the warmers this week (there is
supposed to be another polar vortex this week). Thank you Angela and Tim for
taking time out of your very busy schedules to write me a sentence in your own
hand writing. It was much appreciated. Also, you can address letters
as "Sister Afton Jensen" or "Afton Jensen". It doesn't
really make a difference. If people tamper with my mail, I can sue them. Just
kidding. I don't think Jesus would do that....
Last Monday was CRAZY.
My trainers warned me that the first Preparation Day in the field is the most
stressful and I think that jinxed the day for us. We started off as usual going
to the library to write our emails and it was PACKED so we got kicked off early
from the computers. I didn't get to finish writing my email and the only other
place to use computers is the Family History Center at the church 25 minutes
away. We decided to go do our grocery shopping while we were still in our area,
run home and then go to the church to finish our emails. Well, while we
were at the grocery story. a man told us that a storm was coming. Awesome. When
we left the store, the wind was picking up and snowflakes were starting to
fall. When we left our apartment, they were really starting to fall. By the
time we got to church, there was about an inch of snow on the ground.
Thankfully, the FHC was open and we finished writing our emails and started our
drive back home. I was in charge of the phone last Monday and about
halfway home I realized that I no longer had the phone in my possession.
Sisters, we need to turn around. I felt awful. I'm pretty sure we were all
praying that we would find the phone. Thankfully we saw the phone lying
facedown in two inches of snow. We figured that I had put the phone in my
lap and used my skirt as a catapult to launch it off my lap when I got out of
the car at the church. Everything was hunky-dory. OR SO WE THOUGHT. We got
home and again I realized, "Sister Jensen, you are in charge of
the phone today. Where did you put the phone?" Cue sinking feeling in
my stomach. We looked all over the car and couldn't find it. Then it dawned on
us: When we were driving home, ice had been forming on our windshield wipers
making it really hard to see through all the snow that decided to grace us with
its presence. I, being the co-pilot and having seen my dad do this a
thousand times on snowy roads, told my companion that at the next red
light, I would quickly get out of the car and flick the windshield wipers the
get the ice off of them. What I didn't remember and sadly didn't learn from my
experience 30 minutes earlier, was that the phone was in my lap again
and when I got out of the car quickly to flick the wipers.... And that
is the story of how I lost the phone on my first transfer. Can you
say "green"? We even went back later that evening to look for the
phone but a policeman told us that it wasn't smart to be looking through
snowbanks at 8:30 at night in dark clothing. Go figure that
one. Thankfully my companions laughed it off, our neighbor let
us use her phone for calls the next two nights and we got a new phone at
Zone Conference.
Speaking of which, we
had a powerful Zone Conference this past week. President Hess talked about
"The Parable of the 10 Virgins" and related it to our spiritual
preparedness and how we can help other people gather oil for their lamps. He
told us that we can't give people the oil from our lamps. It takes
years of going to church, family home evenings, scripture study,
temple attendance, service and so many other small and simple things to
have the stores of oil that will prepare us for the Second
Coming. I've thought about it a lot this past week, especially when we've
been door knocking. Every time someone turns us down, I want to just yell,
"You don't know what you're turning down! You need what we have to
offer!" People need the oil that the Gospel brings. Are we
doing all that we can to put oil in our lamps? Are we helping other people put
oil in their lamps? We can't expect that when the Savior comes that we can just
run out and fit years of church attendance, scripture study and service into
our lamps. We need to do those things now. We also talked about being a
"master talker" versus a "master teacher". The difference
is that one relies on his own knowledge and the other knows where his power
lies. Think about that one for a while. ;)
The mission is hard, I
will admit it. I know plenty of people told me before I left that it would
be the hardest thing you ever do. I understand why. I would really advise
anyone planning to go on a mission to get a FIRM testimony of Joseph Smith as a
prophet of God. If Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet then this isn't the one and
only true church. He didn't translate the Book of Mormon by the gift and power
of God. He didn't restore the priesthood authority to the earth that allowed us
to partake of ordinances that are essential to making it back to Heavenly
Father and for families to be together forever. If Joseph Smith wasn't a
prophet, Heavenly Father isn't the same today, yesterday and forever. If
Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet, then I am wasting my time. BUT if he
is a prophet, well, then I am doing the work the God would have me do. If
Joseph Smith was a prophet, then God loves His children because through
Joseph Smith, the way back to our Heavenly Father has been restored. It is only
through the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we can make it back to our Heavenly
Father. God wants all of us to be there and He called a prophet to
help us make it back to Him. Joseph Smith was a man called and qualified
by God to restore the fullness of the everlasting gospel to
the earth.
I am grateful for
all that my mission is helping me learn. I am weirdly grateful
for all of those people who tell me I'm wasting my time and who tell
me that what I have is not of great worth because I now see that what I have is
of great worth. I am blessed to have what I have.
Have a wonderful week!
Thank you so much for your letters, love and support!
Sister
Jensen
