It's my birthday, can you believe it?

November 25,2013

My dearest fam and friends,

Boy am I one blessed girl! You guys are the best! I could feel your love yesterday! I seriously had such a wonderful birthday! I was spoiled rotten here! It started the night before when Brother Kesler brought me flowers and a card. Then, the next morning, Sister Stevenson brought the most delicious chocolate bunt cake I've ever tasted! That night we had dinner with the MacDonalds, Burchs and Wheelers (3 of my 5 top fams in this ward). Dad, you would definitely have approved of the party, over 20 people and full of fun. I felt like I was at Sunday dinner with the fam. All of these people have become my mission families. I love them to pieces! So, it was more of like a birthday weekend and it ended just a few hours ago after Sister Sommer and I went and got pedicures with Sister Stevenson and then the Stevensons took us out for Thai food. I was completely spoiled, end of story! I have met some of the greatest people on the mission.

As for the rest of the week, Sister Sommer was sick for about three of the days and the jail has been pretty slow, so in the beginning of the week I was going nuts because I felt like we weren't doing much. It picked up a little bit more at the end though.

Miracles of the week:

- Sister Sommer and I had a lesson with Lhaylla on Wednesday about baptism, the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. At the end of the lesson, we invited her to be baptized and she said, "of course!" (in a no duh kind of way). This girl is the definition of prepared. We are hoping she'll be able to get baptized in the next month but they are still checking with the program so we will have to see. I just want to know now, but this is teaching me patience! We also watched the Testaments with her on Saturday in Portuguese. Never thought I'd be doing that on the mission!

- Two miracles happened on Saturday night at the jail. The elders in our ward brought their investigator Steven and his daughter Audrey to the jail and we got to take them through. The spirit was so strong, and at the end, we were all sitting facing the jail, and the elders asked Steven if he knew Joseph Smith was a prophet and Steven said yes. They then invited him to be baptized and he said yes! :)

- Also on Saturday, we got a chat from a girl named Tina. I don't even think I've told you guys about chat. So, for 2 hours of our 6 hour shift we get to make phone calls and answer chats from people who get on mormon.org. It's actually pretty cool. Sometimes we get people who just come on messing around, but other times we get people who are awesome like Tina. So, Tina's family has been meeting with missionaries. Her parents aren't really interested but she knows it's true and came on to chat to find out more. How prepared is she! We only got to chat with her for a little bit but we got her email and were going to start emailing her. She is going to try and talk to her family this week and express to them how she feels about the church. Were excited to keep in contact with her.

- Lastly, the Burchs, their son, his girlfriend, his friend, and his friend's daughter all came to church on Sunday! Lisa was beaming! She loved having her family with her. They are all visiting from Wisconsin for Thanksgiving, so they'll be here all week. Their son is a member but his girlfriend and friend aren't. They came to the MacDonald's last night and we shared a message there and Lisa wants us to come over this week.

Well, I love you all so much! I'm so grateful for your love and support. I feel it a few thousand miles away. Have a wonderful week! Happy Thanksgiving! XOXOX

love always,

         Hermana Jorgensen

1. Here was the start of my wonderful birthday! Bro and Sis Kesler dropped these off Saturday night. How sweet are they?! I love them!

2. Then Sis Stevenson made me this delicious chocolate bunt cake :) So yummy!

1. Alma made me a cake! I love this boy! We went to the MacDonalds for dinner/ a little bday party. The Burchs and the Wheelers (our ward mission leader who I love) came too.

2. John and Lisa :)

Then, we had a little party at the very end of the day with all the sister I live with! Yes mom, we used all the bday stuff you sent me :)

Staying positive and patient!!

November 18, 2013

My dearest fam and friends,

      Oh my goodness my Jules is home!!!! She looks so beautiful and happy! Seeing pictures of her come down the escalator is so surreal. It really feels like it was just a few months ago that we dropped her off at the MTC and now she's home. I can't believe it! I think it has helped that we've served a good portion of our missions together,because time on the mission just flies by. I cannot wait to see her! Send her my love please! Oh, and also can you send me a copy of her homecoming talk too:) And yours too dad, I'm sure it will be great!

    

     Well, let's see, another week has come and gone and I'm staying here in Liberty again. I am so happy! Transfers were on Thursday and I was thinking there was about a 50 percent chance I could stay or go. I was thinking I might stay because I'm training and that would allow me to finish training Sister Sommer or that I could easily leave because I've already been here 3 transfers. My prayers the past few weeks started off with, " Heavenly Father, please let me stay here one more transfer, I feel that my work here isn't done" and then they turned into, "wherever you want me to go, I'll go". By the time transfers came, I can honestly say I was okay with whatever the Lord wanted me to do, but I am very happy to still be here! There is work to be done here, Lhaylla needs to get baptized, Mercedes needs to get to the temple, and the Burchs need to be more solid. These are our big focuses this transfer!

     Anyways, we had a wonderful lesson with Lhaylla this week. We talked about faith, repentance, and a little bit about baptism. We had planned on teaching a lot more, but the spirit guided us to know at what pace we needed to go for her. I just love the spirit! I love that only through the spirit can we truly know what our investigators need and how we should teach them. We also had a two good lessons with the Burchs this week. We talked about spiritual goals and their conversion stories. It is incredible to see the light in their eyes as they talked about how they came to know that the church is true. They do know it! Lisa's goal right now is to get to the temple and she wants John to hold the priesthood. She said she was going to go whether he went with her or not. She is determined! John isn't completely there yet but he is getting there and he will get there. We want them to progress together so it's a goal they have together and it doesn't tear them apart like it did before. One thing Sister Sommer and I want to try and focus on this transfer, is helping everyone that we are working with consistently be reading from the Book of Mormon. From now until Christmas, we are reading one chapter from the Book of Mormon each day with the Burchs starting from the very beginning. So far we are one for one! :)

    This week I've learned a bazillion different lessons, as I do every single week in the mission. I am learning the importance of patience, to be patient with myself, my companion, and those we are working with (including ward leaders). I have also learned, to never pray for patience or humility ever again! haha I have also learned that I never want to be flaky. We have so many people set appointments with us and then only so many actually are there and it gets frustrating but then comes in the patience, right. Lastly, mom you would be so proud, I am learning to be positive. This is something I have been trying to work on the entire mission, and I finally think it's coming along. I believe it's largely due to the fact that I had the lovely Sister Rackham as my companion for two transfers. She is probably the most positive person I know and she definitely rubbed off on me. It is a choice to look at things positively and I am consciously trying to make that choice. Sister Sommer and I review and focus on what went well everyday instead of the many things that fell through and didn't work out the way we planned. As we've been doing this, I have noticed an increase of energy to wake up and do it all over again the next morning. Every morning I wake up and say, "....I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare His word among His people, that they might have everlasting life." (3 Nephi 5:13) It helps remind me that this is why I'm here and why I'm awake at 6:30 every single morning! I love my Savior. I know that He lives and that this is His work!

love always,

           Hermana Jorgensen

Still in Jail and loving it :)

November 12,2013

My dearest fam and friends….

My goodness, I have so much I want to write about this week but we really don't have very much time because we went to Kansas City this morning for one of the sister's birthdays. Speaking of birthdays, happy happy birthday to dad and Gabby Gabby!

     So, I have wonderful news, we invited Darla to be baptized and she said yes! :) I really don't know if I've told you too much about her, but we have been meeting with her for about three weeks. She use to meet with missionaries before and then moved. Our elders in our ward tracted into her and referred her to us. There are still many things we need to help her work through, but we are so excited for her!

     We also took Lhaylla (the foreign exchange student from Brazil) to the Visitor Center in Independence this week and she LOVED it! We went through a presentation there called God's Plan, which is all about families and the temple and Lhaylla was in tears by the end of it. At the end, the sisters that were taking us through asked her if she had ever thought about baptism before. At first when they asked, I was thinking oh shoot because her host family doesn't want us to push it on her too fast, but I actually think it was a really good thing they asked her. It was the perfect place because she was feeling the spirit and her heart was touched. She said that she has thought about it but probably wouldn't be able to get baptized until she went back to Brazil because of regulations with her program. We had already talked to her host parents though and they said they think she can with her parents permission, so who knows, we'll see. All I know is if she doesn't get baptized here, she will in Brazil when she gets home, which will be the end of May or beginning of June! Guess how perfect that is, I get home the beginning of June! We could make a trip out of it! ;) I'm kind of kidding, but seriously, how cool would that be!?

     One of the biggest tender mercies we saw this week was on Saturday. JOHN BURCH PRAYED!!! We have been inviting him to pray pretty much the entire time we've been working with him. He kept saying he wasn't ready, because he knew if he did that Heavenly Father would tell him it was time for him to come back to church. Yes, he is kind of a stubborn one and I love it! So, on Saturday we went over to their house and watched the Testaments and afterwards we shared our thoughts about the movies. Lisa talked about how one of the characters was such an example of being steady and enduring to the end and how that is how she wants to be. She also leaned over to John and said, "How cool would it be if you held the Melchizedek Priesthood?!". This woman is so so ready. She's all in. Anyways, at the end of the lesson, we asked how their prayers were going and Lisa said she was doing great but John said he still hadn't prayed. This time though, he said that he knows he needs to start praying soon because their family really needs it. We asked him who he would want to say the closing prayer and as he was trying to decide I told him he needed to say it. Lisa, Sister Sommer, and I all bowed our heads and just waited for him and then he prayed! :) Oh happy day! You have no idea how happy I was. I wish I could describe. I really don't think I have been this happy ever. We left and as I was driving home, tears were streaming down my face. Pure joy! I love these two so much, like so so so much. I know that I was called to come here for them. They came to church again this week and even stayed for two hours which is an improvement! They are on their way to the temple in only a matter of time! It has been such an incredible experience to be able to watch them progress these past 3 months. Their hearts have softened and changed. I know this is because of our Savior. He has the power to heal and mend broken hearts.

     I love my Savior and know that He lives. I know that He is at the head of this work and that these tender mercies come from Him and our Father in Heaven. Look for the tender mercies our Heavenly Father gives you this week! I love you all so very much! XOXOX

love always:

              Hermana Jorgensen

Oh and p.s. please give Jules a big squeeze for me! I sure do love that girl! Make sure to take lots of pics so I can see her! Who am I kidding, between Jody and Heidi we are sure to have some! :) haha LOVE YOU GUYS!

Tender Mercies

November 5, 2013

My Dearest Fam Bam and Friends,

So, it being the month of November, a month of gratitude, I am trying to record in my journal everyday, the tender mercies of the Lord. I know this is something I should be doing everyday anyway, but let's just say I haven't been the best at it. It has been so neat at the end of each night to review the day and see the miracles and positive things that happened. It has really helped me to feel better as I do this work.

One of the incredible tender mercies this week happened last Wednesday. We had an appointment with a girl named Lhaylla. Lhaylla is seriously so cool. She's from Brazil (Rio) and is living with an awesome family in our ward as a foreign exchange student. Gotta love foreign exchange students! She already does family prayer and scripture study every night, goes to church and young women activities during the week, and even goes to early morning seminary everyday! Isn't that incredible!? We've gone up and talked to her from time to time at church and have shared a message with her when we went over for dinner at their house but, finally we were able to actually set an official appointment with her. We talked all about the Restoration and Book of Mormon and through the whole lesson, her comments were just astonishing. Here's just a few things she said.....

"I know the reason I have come here is to find the truth."

Through out the whole lesson she kept saying, "this just all makes sense".

"When I read the Book of Mormon, darkness is replaced by light."

"The Book of Mormon is answering questions I could never have answered."

Talk about probably the most golden person I have ever met on the mission! This girl is a serious truth seeker and it has been so neat to see how the Lord has prepared her and led her here. About a year ago she stopped going to church with her mom because she didn't feel that the things they were teaching were right. She and her 3 older sisters have been searching for truth and her sisters have all joined different churches in the last few months, but Lhaylla still hadn't found anything before she came here. Of course there are a few loop holes we still have to figure out, like if her program will even allow it (the Gales, the family she's living with thinks it's fine) and then we need permission from her parents because she isn't 18 yet, but if all works out, she seems very ready. And, I guess if she can't get baptized here, we can just give her a good foundation here and then she can go back to Rio (where there are tons of members) and get baptized. Pray for her though!

Next tender mercy of the week, the Burch's came to church all on their own! You have no idea how big of a deal this is. In the beginning, it was like pulling teeth to try to get them to come and now they just want to! Oh happy day! We hadn't seen them in over a week because they had family in town, but then we called them on Saturday night to see how they were doing and they said, "We'll see you at church tomorrow!" Made my whole day! They only came for sacrament because John was in a lot of pain (he broke his back a few years ago and wasn't suppose to be able to walk again). At the end of sacrament meeting, Lisa turned to John and asked if he wanted a blessing and he said yes! This is such a huge step! So, Bro Kesler and an Elder in our ward gave him a blessing. It was such a beautiful blessing and addressed a lot of things John is struggling with spiritually too. Hearing that blessing was such a testimony to me again of how aware our Father in Heaven is of each of His children. Last but not least, last night they went to the Maddens (who are originally from Wisconsin and are also converts) to watch the Packer game! YES! Did they win by the way?? This made me so happy because we have been trying to find them more fellowship in the ward. So, now they know the MacDonalds, Keslers, and Maddens, how great is that!

Wow, I feel like this email is longer than usual, but one last experience I had this week. Yesterday, Sister Sommer and I had a lesson with a couple who is a part of a Restoration group. We met them last week tracting and they said we could come back on Monday. It was really neat preparing a lesson for them because we had to teach in a whole different way. We didn't have to focus so much on Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, but on temples, authority, etc. Let's just say we get in there and from minute one we could tell their hearts weren't ready. Pretty much the entire time all they did was bash the church and they talked to us about church history like we had never heard it before. Anyway, I don't want to dwell on the lesson so much as I want to talk about what Heavenly Father taught me in that lesson. Often times as a missionary, you worry about if you have the spirit with you or if you're feeling the spirit, and I learned last night that I have gotten so use to feeling the spirit 24/7. There have only been two times in my mission where I couldn't feel the spirit, the lesson Sis. Rackham and I had with Andrea a few months back, and last night. Well, I guess I should say I could feel it when I bore my testimony, but not during the lesson. Sister Sommer and I pretty much cried during the car ride home, partly because we were just so frustrated, but mostly because we were sad for them, sad that they were so lost and confused. I am so grateful for the spirit and so very grateful to know without a shadow of a doubt that this is Christ's church in its fullness. This is the real deal, I know it. Love you guys mucho! Make it a great week! Dad have such a wonderful birthday! XOXOX

love always,

            Hermana Jorgensen

 Look whos names I found where we ate lunch in Adam-ondi-ahmen. They had a wall with all the missionaries names who had ever served there so I looked for the Petersons and there they were!

 Overlooking the valley of Adam-ondi-ahmen 

1. The sisters at the jail on preachers rock in Adam-ondi-ahmen.

2. Far West!