July 22, 2013

Dear Pops,

I am so very glad that you are being blessed. It must be a difficult thing to have so many projects and so little time. I´m sure you can handle it though you are the man :) this week has been good and i will tell the story to you. Thank goodness for copy paste.

So my zone leaders came to do a division but i was already decided that i would stay home. So one of them took my companion to work. They wandered around trying to find the people i had planned to visit. They called me all the time asking for directions. So as they arrive at our first appointment they started talking to the kids and asked some questions about who had been to church etc. So then one of the girls said that she had been and that she had liked it. He asked her what stopped her from being baptized. She said her Dad. So they got permission interviewed her and that was that. There was also another girl there her sister i think who always really liked us and is very innocent. I didnt think she needed to be baptized but she expressed interest and was interviewed as well. She passed she understands the difference between good and bad. So as the day wore on they called me more times and told me that the baptism would be that night at seven. When the hour came i got dressed and went over. I let my companion batptize even though he was kind of nervous about it since he doesnt speak very well yet. The first one ,Carla who is completely normal, was like a dream. She went down and came up with no complaints at all. Jessica ,the other one, was another story. Haha poor girl was afraid of the water. She descended the steps ever so slowly holding onto the walls. One step at a time she came. We offered her much encouragement and nice words. Finally she grabbed onto the railing and wouldnt let go. She stepped into the water determined to be baptized but afraid of falling. So after some contemplation on our part we decided that she would have to hold onto my companions shoulders and he would have to go in with her. We got her to do that after some fussing and my companion said the prayer. He grabbed her by the shoulders kicked her legs out from under her and fell into the water. Sploosh! We all thought that she would kick and scream like no other. However contrary to all our beliefs she arose with the biggest smile on her face like she had recieved the best present ever. The meeting was very good we had a few members there for support. My companion unfortunately did not have a change of garments and was soaking wet for the rest of the meeting. We visited them at home. Their grandmother who attended the baptism and signed the form said that Jessica used to get really mad and would hit things all the time. Since she was baptized she apparently has been an angel. It really was a cool thing to hear. Sunday they were confirmed and Carla sang with the young women in a special music number.

I feel good about our ward now. I am starting to really get the ball rolling on my end and am trying to show the ward that i am doing my part. Thank you very much for your prayers. My greenie is doing well. He is a very apt learner and has a lot of potential. Since he served in the states with a former AP as a companion he has lots of great ideas and a very good perspective as to what the mission should be like. He has helped me get out of the relaxed rut i was in since my last companion lost the drive to work because he knew he was leaving. Thank you so much for you prayers and God bless your work.

Love Elder Jensen