Through the third transfer :)

HELLO MI BONITA FAMILIA!!!

     First off, Happy Happy Anniversary to the greatest parents ever! I can't say I completely remembered (I'm sorry), but luckily Pressy reminded me! hahaha I've been thinking all day about how Ashy is going to call! Man, I'm so jealous! I sure hope we can figure something out at Christmas so that we can all talk together for a little bit! How is she? I can't believe she's already out of the MTC! That went quick! Now were going to have two Hermana Jorgensen out in the real world! I'm so excited for her to begin her new adventure!

     Well, this week here has been a little bit challenging to say the least. It started out okay in the beginning of the week. We finally got to go over and talk to Lucy and she had been doing pretty good with reading her scriptures and praying. She was reading about Lehi's vision about the tree of life. We showed her a picture and compared it to her life and how she is on the journey to the tree and holding onto the rod. She really liked it. I then felt prompted that we needed to share the law of chastity. It went really well and she seemed to understand everything. She said, "Well, it looks like we'll be getting married then." We knew it wasn't going to be an easy route, but we were excited that she felt that way. It all went down hill when we texted her the next day.  We were going to go visit her that night and she said that she didn't know why we wanted to come anymore if she couldn't be baptized. We were completely confused. It was like a night and day difference. We asked what had happened and she said that her "husband" doesn't want to get married right now. We asked if we could come up and talk to her (since she just lives upstairs from us) and this whole week she has just been dodging us. She keeps making up all these excuses about how she hasn't had anytime this week. It's so sad because I know that she knows the Book of Mormon is true and she was so excited to get baptized. We have just been wanting to see her and talk to her in person to see how she is feeling and what's really going on. It's just such a hard situation because her "husband" is so sick, like he's literally dying. Anyway, needless to say, it's been a little bit of a hard week.

     We don't really have any super solid investigators right now. We are in the process of finding new people to teach. We have been talking to many people, but we haven't had too many that have actually accepted a return visit. It's incredible how many people (including members of our ward) want to talk about everything but the gospel when we come over! At times, I feel like they think we are counselors and we get to hear way way way too much about everyone's personal lives. My companion and I are just trying to step forward and have faith that God is preparing those for us to teach. We are trying new ideas to find people. This week we went and visited Lawanda. I don't know if I've ever told you guys about her. She's a recent convert, her and her daughter (who's 12). Hermana Thorne and I use to go visit them a lot. We haven't been able to for the last little while because she is always so so busy with work. We finally got to go see them this week though and it was so great! I love their family so much! She's a single mom with 5 kids. She told us she is going to be quitting her job and is going to start working on her GED so they'll be able to come to church now hopefully! She has a 9 year old son named Mikey and we are hopefully going to be able to start working with him because he hasn't been baptized yet and wants to be!

     So, this week I've been thinking a lot about goals. Let's just say I've been having some 1/3 of the way done with the mission breakdowns! I've been thinking about all the things I've learned and how much I've grown and I have just really been focusing on setting goals for the next year or so because I know if I don't, this time will just pass me by too quick and I'll come to the end with regrets. One of the things that I really want to work on is developing Christ-like attributes. Sister Wuebkes and I have been talking all week about our many goals and trying to make plans on how we can accomplish them. Often times I feel like the end goal is so far out of reach that I just don't even start, but as I've broken it down to transfers (6 weeks) and days, they seem a lot more attainable. Well, I'm sorry this email was kind of everywhere and not too exciting. Please, please, please pray for Hermana Wuebkes and I that we can find those that Heavenly Father has prepared! I love you all so very much! Have such a wonderful week! XOXOXO

Con Amor, 

           tu hermanita jorgensen 

Searching, Hoping, and Waiting

June 3, 2013

HELLO MY DEAR SWEET FAMILY! :)     

     Well, let's see..... quite honestly, this week was a little bit slow. It has been a little hard because we have to keep dropping a lot of our investigators because they aren't progressing or quite honestly are just a little bit crazy and not really all the way there.  Then we've also had a few drop us, so all in all our only really solid investigator right now is Miss Lucy. And we aren't exactly sure what's going on with her right now. We went to her appointment on Saturday night and we knocked on the door but she didn't answer. It was wierd because we had just seen her three hours earlier and she said she was going to be ready and expecting us. We tried to call her and she didn't answer. Late that night she texted us and told us she got a new number and asked who was going to be taking her to church. Sunday morning we went upstairs at like 10 to tell her about her ride but she wouldn't answer again. So we texted her and then she told us she wouldn't be going because she needed some time to think and read the Book of Mormon and close other things with her church. We were freaking out, so nervous but later found out that she's upset about a misunderstanding she has had with someone she really cares about. She texted us, "I am reading my book and no smoking. Love you.". So we are hoping all is okay with her. We hopefully are going to see her tonight. I just love her so much and I know that she really does want to make changes in her life. Last week she told us she had to tell many of her friends who she use to smoke and drink with that she will no longer be doing any of that and that she probably wouldn't even be able to hang out with them anymore. I'm so proud of her! She has already progressed so much! Her baptismal date is on June 22nd, but I don't know if she'll be able to actually be ready by that date or if we'll have to change it. The tricky thing is that her "husband" (they are just common law married) is very very sick. He has had lung cancer for 10 years and I guess also has thyroid cancer. He is bed ridden and literally just looks like he is melting away. It's so sad! So we have to still talk to her about how they need to get married but it is just such a wierd situation. We were planning on teaching her the law of chastity on Saturday night but since that fell through we are going to do it this week. Cross our fingers!

     We have been trying other methods of finding people to teach by reaching out to less actives in our ward. This week we went and visited the Imes family (an older couple). They were so wonderful! Reminded me of being around grandparents! The reason they are inactive is because he was offended by a bishop in the past. He is pretty stubborn, but he did promise us he would read from the Book of Mormon before we come back. When he promised us that, his wife's eyes widened in complete shock! She said he is a man of his word and that they haven't read in a very long time. We are hoping they will at least start with the Book of Mormon because it really is the key to conversion. We tried to go visit another less active lady but she forgot about our appointment and was at work. Her grandkids answered the door though and so we ended up staying for about an hour and taught the about the Restoration. We talked about the Book of Mormon and all five of them were like , "Can I have a copy of that book?". We were like of course you can, nobody ever usually asks like that when we explain the Book of Mormon. They were so wonderful and we are hopefully meeting with all of them again tomorrow and will reset an appointment with their grandma (who is less active) for Friday.

     Sunday was such an incredible day. It began with Debra (one of the Elders sweet converts) being confirmed, and then VICTOR BLESSED THE SACRAMENT, and John (our neighbor who the other Hermanas taught and was baptized) passed the sacrament. It was so COOL to see all three of them taking such big steps in their progression towards the Lord! I was so so happy for each of them and just couldn't keep the tears in during sacrament meeting. I was a little bit emotional on Sunday, all day. Who knows why, at times it was because I was just flooded with the spirit, and then other times I was just so sad and confused about Lucy who I just love so much, and then I missed you guys, and it just kept going like that all day yesterday. But, my time is up and I'm sorry it wasn't as long today. I sure do love you guys though! Don't worry about me, I'm doing good. I have learned more deeply what it means to humble yourself and trust in the Lord. Because we have been in a little bit of a teaching "drought", it has forced me to turn even more to my Heavenly Father for His guidance and direction in this work, His work. I know that Heavenly Father is so mindful of His children. I am so grateful for prayer, it has definitely got me through my mission thus far and I know it will only continue to. Sure do love you guys.... to the moon and back! XOXOXO

con amor,

              Hermana Jorgensen (the first :) )