Dear Family, April
28, 2104
First, before I forget
(and I always do) I got my Easter package! I'm pretty sure that Sister Mortensen got enough candy
to supply us until Halloween but I really appreciate having a little stash in
my desk. Thank you so much for the package! It brightened my Easter. :)
Weeks are FLYING. Can
you believe that transfer calls are this Friday?? I can't believe that this
transfer is already done! The last transfer felt like an ETERNITY but I loved
this transfer. Sister Harris thinks that I will get transferred but I am kind
of hoping that I don't because missionary work in Rockford is finally getting
fun! Working with Sister Harris and Sister Mortensen has been a tremendous
blessing! We had a lot of our key indicators up from last week. We now have
THREE new investigators and we got quite a few referrals from the members that
we need to check up on. We have seen so many miracles through contacting and
through the members. We have seen an outpouring of love from our members
(probably because our stake president is really pushing for member missionary
work) and they are making a critical difference in The Work. I feel so blessed
to be here in Rockford in the Grand Rapids Ward in the Grand Rapids Stake!
With all the success
that we've been having, Satan is working and boy, is he WORKIN'. Before my
mission, Prideful Afton thought that bashing with people would be fun and of
course when Prideful Afton bashes with them and they see the infallible logic
and they will want to be converted. Ehn, wrongo-bongo. I will be SO HAPPY if
for the rest of my mission I never get bashed again. Usually once a week, we
knock into someone who has a beef and tries to bash and we end up dismissing
ourselves. This past week, within five days we got bashed four times. HARD.
Twice, we were in tears afterwards. After one night in particular, I remarked
to my companions, "I may not have mashed potatoes thrown at my head like
the sister in Elder Holland's talk but I will have had my fair share of 'verbal
mashed potatoes' thrown at me by the end of my mission." We met with a
member recently and he told us that the Atonement is absolutely essential to be
a missionary not just because we're weak and we fall short and need to repent
but because we need the strength of the Atonement everyday. We have the ability
to pray and say, "Heavenly Father, what that person said to me today
really hurt me. It made me angry and sad. Please give me the strength of the
Atonement to have increased love for them and please take away these feelings
from my heart." I have never leaned so much of the strength of Jesus
Christ as I have on my mission. Truly it is through the grace of Jesus Christ
that we can even be missionaries. We've been listening to "His Grace is
Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox as a companionship and I love what he says,
"Elder Bruce C. Hafen has written, 'The Savior’s gift of grace to us is
not necessarily limited in time to ‘after’ all we can do. We may receive his
grace before, during and after the time when we expend our own efforts.' So
grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted.
Rather, it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the
tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel." I know that it
is because of the grace of Jesus Christ that I can do what I do day in and day
out. What a blessing.
Let's end on a happy
note. We felt impressed to see Sister H. this week. Sister H. is a
convert of about three years. She is as black as they come and we love her to
death. We asked her about her conversion story and we asked her how she felt
about Jesus Christ and she told us, "We think we ain't worthy but he says
'you is' and that means a lot." I couldn't have said it any better! Sister
H.'s granddaughter who isn't a member (yet) was there as well. I pulled out
my planner to look at something and saw that we had put down a goal to get a
member -present lesson that day. I saw that and the thought came,"The granddaughter could be that member-present lesson." So we taught her a lesson! And we
have a return appointment with her for this Wednesday! God has been so good to
us this week!
I really love being a
missionary! I don't know if I could have said that a month ago but I am
beginning to see the incredible happiness that comes from participating in the
Work of the Lord. Heavenly Father can truly make our weaknesses strengths and
He can help us become even more than we imagined we could be. We are so blessed
and I hope you see that everyday.
Stay safe and have a
fantastic week!
Sister Jensen (the
Michiganary)
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