Week Three

Can you guys believe that it has almost been 3 WEEKS!!!!!!! The time has just flown by. I really feel like I got here yesterday. It is just crazy.(and I will probably write something to this effect every week until that changes it seems like)

Thank you so much for the packages everyone! I was so happy to have a little bit of home with me. The cookies were delicious. Elder Weaver and other Elders thank you. But so me and couple other missionaries in my district have decided to have a vegan- febuary. So we are not eating meat, or dairy products. (any animal products) --there is a Sister in our district that has strict eating restrictions so we feel like it is healthy for us and make her feel more comfortable. I'm excited. Today was day one and I already feel detoxified! Ha. We'll see how long it lasts. : ) So if you are going to send treats send me a mint zone bar or something that I can convince myself that it stays within the bounds of our diet. Ha.

My shirts came the day I wrote to you about them, so that good. And thank you mom for sending me that info on sending in my pants---You are the best....but seriously you are. I tell everyone that here. And they believe me. (trust me...you quote SNL)

Okay.....so this week has been really good. If you didn't already know, Sundays are the best at the MTC they are so spiritual and there are just meetings and singing and just everything you want for Sunday...except a nap : ) But so our district decided that we were going to practice a rendition of Ye Elders of Israel and perform it in sacrament meeting. Which we did. But we also auditioned to sing in the Sunday Devotional for the MTC. We did that too. It was really great. It was beautiful. One sister that we have is fantastic on the piano and she played a beautiful accompaniment for two verses and then we had a powerful last verse A Capella. I loved doing it. It was a little intimidating though to perform in front of the entire MTC. But so that moment set the stage for a wonderful meeting and a great spiritual experience for me. After the meeting we watched the "Joseph Smith" movie (every Sunday night there are options of LDS films/talks that you can watch). For some reason that night I just felt so overwhelmingly loved by my Heavenly Father. I was filled to the brim with a love of the gospel and of this sacred work that I have the opportunity to participate in. It was a great night.

I love you all. I am doing just great. I am going to try and send some pictures home this week so get excited to see the infamous Elder Weaver and I at work.

I love you so much. All of you.

Elder Jensen

Week Two

It is crazy how time flies here! I really feel like I got here yesterday, but when I think about writing you that email a week ago, it seems like an eternity. I guess that is just one of the blessings of God: He allows us passage through time in His way so that we can accomplish His work. My heart is smiling. It seems to be doing that all the time here, there are just so many things to be happy about. At any moment that I dwell on something that has the potential to put me down....ALL the amazing things in my life overcome that moment of unhappiness.

So Mom wanted to know about the food. It is fine. Nothing to complain about. There are usually three choices of meals. Salads. Grill. Entree. Salads are where I'm always at....but they dont even begin to compare with yours Mom. OH!! It hurts to think about your cooking! ...Eternal perspective, eternal perspective, eternal perspective.......okay I'm good. They feed us so much though, I always feel like im full. Yep. not once have I been hungry since I have been here.

Dear Elder works great. I get your letters and I love it!! I can read my letters everyday but I just cant respond until Tues.

So I was walking through the cafeteria on Wed and all of a sudden I hear this Elder Jensen!! Ian Spendlove runs over and gives me this huge hug. "Thats from your Daddy!" I have seen him and Josh around. They are great guys.

This whole week we have been practicing Lesson 1: The Restoration. In english. So we do all the lessons in English, 4 weeks. Then we do them all in spanish, 4 weeks. But we are learning and practicing in spanish the whole time. It is really great, we practice contacting people in Spanish and make fools of ourselves with the native speakers and it is just fun. It is kind of hard though because you want to do all you can in spanish for the sake of learning, but as of right now the spirit still talks in english for us. So we have to work on english teaching and learning, and slowly adjust to doing the same in spanish, because the Spirit is what it is all about. He is the deciding factor. Joseph Smith said that it would be the same to baptize a bag of sand than to baptize a man by water and not fire. That is how crucial the Spirit is. He opens the hearts of those we teach so that our testimonies can touch them through his promptings. He does this to ME everyday.

Se amo todos!!!!

First Week

Hello everyone! I love you all!

So the first week has been really great. The schedule was a lot different from the normalweekly shedule with a lot of group meetings and a concentrated theme of our purpose as missionaries. Today and every tuesday is Preparation day, so this is when I will be able to read and respond to your emails--and we only get 30 min a week on the computer, so forgive me for my writing style but my time is precious--. Our usual schedule is waking up at 6:30, personal study, breakfast, gym, class time, lunch, class time, dinner, class time..... I know its a lot of class time. But we do spanish and preach my gospel and it really all goes together in a great way. So in my district(my class) there are 12 missionaries and they are all great. 3 are serving in guatemala, 2 in tuscon Arizona, 2 in california, 1 in new York, 2 in Provo and me and Elder weaver are going to Honduras together! And we are all speaking Spanish. It is really great. they all have great testimonies and I love having so many different personalities and perspectives of the gospel. You can see how each of us have our own specific part of the gospel that we love and have a testimony of and always draw everything back to that. Its great. So our class is an intermediate class, so everyone has a little experience with spanish...but not 7 years like me...so there is a lot of review and there is a lot that I get to work on in solidifying my communication. My first sunday was really great. We meet as a branch which includes maybe 5 or 6 districts. Everything is in spanish except for the main talk by one of the presidency.

Elder Weaver is from Cedar City and he is just great. He is humble and submissive to the gospel and the spirit. He is always trying to be better and to an extent beats himself up for the little things....like being 10 minutes early...sometimes that isnt good enough.:) But I like it because he is striving for exactness which is what I need. I have found that it is such a blessing to have a companion, I am always learning new things about people and about myself.

I am adjusting well, I do better everyday, and today is the best day yet. I am having a blast. I wish I has time to tell you more but I will write and tell you more. I love you all and I want each of you to recognize the blessings that our Heavenly father bestows upon us, because there are so so many every single day.

Se amo,

Elder Jensen

He's Off To Serve!

Hey guys, Its Austin's big sis Nicole. While Austin is out serving in Honduras he put me in charge of updating his blog. I will just be posting tidbits of his emails and pictures to let you all in on his progress and well being. He loves you all and hopes this blog finds you healthy and happy!

Austin sent his first email the night he arrived at the MTC. He sounds great! Here is what he said...

Hello Everyone!!! First day accomplished. Check. And guess what? I'm still breathing. They introduced us to our companions and set up all our information with the MTC and then we had an Orientation and some beginning group classes. Dinner was great, I have already seen five guys I know. My comp is Elder Weaver. He is great!! He is from Cedar City and I had to ask him three times where he was from because he such such a strong lisp.(hold your tongue and say Cedar City). I love him so much already!

I am tired and a little emotionally worn but I am on my way to bed and cant wait to sleep. Know that I am more confident than ever that this is what the Lord wants me to do. My testimony has already been strengthened greatly. I love you all.

Elder Jensen

I hope they call me on a mission........to Honduras!

"You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Honduras Comayaguela Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 24 months..."

My mission is in the central highlands of Honduras. It is up in the mountains and very rural. Here goes nothing.