Monday, December 22, 2014

Christmas Just Three Days Away! 12.22.14

SO Family,

ARE YOU EXCITED?? Because I AM EXCITED!!!! My companions and I were talking about the concept of time yesterday and I said to Sister Fehlman, "Remember when I said that Christmas was only 95 days away? Doesn't that feel like I said that three weeks ago??" I can't believe how much time has flown! 

I have been looking forward to Christmas for awhile but I have been doing my best not to think about it. But you can't really help this week when you're doing weekly planning and every day has something to do with Christmas! Today was a crazy day of sending off packages (I paid for two day shipping, sorry if it doesn't get there in time!) and running to different stores for last minute things. Tomorrow is our Half-Mission Christmas Training and guess who's making 25 bags of gingerbread house frosting? The correct answers are the STLs. Helloooo, 12 pounds of powder sugar.... Tomorrow is also our branch Christmas Open House at the church (and we're in charge of that...) and the day after that is a Christmas Eve lunch with a member of the branch and an awesome evening with members in one of the family wards. AND THEN it's CHRISTMAS!! We're going to have brunch with another family in the family ward, call our families, and then have dinner at another member's house. It's going to be a wonderful week, that's quite certain.

But let's focus for a second on this past week. We found a new investigator!!! His name is John and he's from India. And the coolest thing about John is that he's already Christian!! I have talked to so many Indians on campus and they're usually Hindu. But John is Christian and he already has a firm faith in Jesus Christ. We invited him to read 3 Nephi 11 and he read that PLUS a good portion of it, including 2 Nephi 2. He texted us and said that he had some doubts about the Book of Mormon which naturally is a little worrisome to us. The next day we felt prompted to stop by his apartment and we were able to resolve his concerns. We invited him to pray about the Book of Mormon and he says that he hasn't received an answer yet but he will keep praying about it. We're trying to meet with him before he leaves for a vacation. I think John has some great potential and I am extremely hopeful that he will accept a baptismal date soon!

Campus has been pretty dead which is both good and bad. Good, in that we pounce on anyone we see, and bad, because we don't have a lot of people to talk to. It's hard to find effective finding activities because at the moment nothing is not very effective. And with the elders working the same area, the members that are here have probably been asked a hundred times by now if we can teach their roommates who are home or if they know of anyone we can share a message with. But we go out and we talk to everyone we can. :) Last week as we were knocking some doors, it was really cold and windy and for a second I saw myself almost a year ago knocking in Rockford. It was a bittersweet moment.

I got the packages from "the CA Relations" and "Jayden, Kylie, and the Stephs". :) We found a three foot tree in our coat closet and we've been putting our gifts around it. It's looking really homey about now. I think we're all looking forward to Christmas morning. :)

So real fast, I want to tell you the COOLEST experience last week that taught me a couple lessons. For our Half-Mission Training, they're putting together a Christmas talent show and because of a couple very strong hints in my patriarchal blessing, I felt like I needed to sign up for a talent. Well, I'm a selfish person (remember last week?) and I like instrumental Christmas music (I was spoiled to have a musical mother who plays beautiful Christmas music) so I started praying that Heavenly Father would help me find a violinist that I could accompany. I prayed, and thought, and felt prompted to call a companionship in our zone. I called, no such luck. I was kind of bummed. But then a day later, the zone leaders called and asked me what I was playing for my piano solo.  And then Elder Schmutz throws out, "Just so you know, I've been telling people in the zone to call you if they need an accompanist. Sister Baham is looking for someone to accompany her on the violin...." I almost dropped the phone. I totally forgot that Sister Baham played the violin!! Answer to prayer!! So I immediately called her and rearranged our tradeoff with them so she could come here and practice with me for a bit at the end of our tradeoff. But Sister Baham didn't have a violin and the one person she thought had a violin hadn't called her back. I thought we could borrow one from a member here but she was leaving for BYU so that was out. Well, we traded off and came back home with Sister Baham and no violin. We were sitting down for nightly planning when a member of the branch called us back. I had left him a message the day before asking if he had any Christmas music that I could borrow for a musical number. This is how the conversation went:

S. Fehlman: Well, that would be great if we could borrow some music, thanks. 
Matthew: No problem, is there anything else I can do for you?
S. Fehlman (jokingly): Well, if you happen to know anyone with a violin hahaha.....
Matthew: I have a violin.
WHAT. Sister Jensen falls out of chair and does a happy dance.
S. Fehlman: WHAT?? No way!!!
Matthew: Yeah, I played for eight years. When do you need it?

I had NO IDEA when I called Matthew a day earlier that he even played the violin!! And here he was in our hour of need, calling us back (at exactly the right time) to not only let us borrow his Christmas music but his violin as well! I may have started crying or something. I was BLOWN. AWAY. The timing was way too perfect. Every need was met. Heavenly Father is just TOO. GOOD. He is always answering my silly prayers (like the time I prayed for something interesting to write about in my journal) and He can make the seemingly impossible possible.

We are so blessed to have the gospel. I am really grateful for all the good that has come into my life because of the birth of our Savior. It is truly because of Him that I can have hope and peace in this life. He makes me strong no matter how weak I am. I have hope through His Atonement and healing in times of sorrow and pain. Because of Him, I will be with my family forever. It truly is a miracle and the greatest act of love that Heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to live, atone, die, and be resurrected so that we can live again. I love my Savior with all of my heart and I will always be indebted to Him.  

Wow, this email turned out long. Hope you don't mind. I figure most of you are on break and would have time to read it. ;)

I look forward to talking to you this Thursday! I'll probably call around 11 am your time (give or take) and I will be able to talk for 35-40 minutes. I am really looking forward to the best Christmas ever!

Wishin' y'all a blessed Christmas,
Sister Jensen

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