Windows of Heaven

Howdy,

We had a ton of random miracles this week! Woo! The other day we got a referral from church headquarters. I called the number and talked to the guy. We set up an appointment and went over on Saturday. So it turns out that this guy sent in his info to get a Book of Mormon. We got in with him and taught him a little more about it. He loved it! It was such a good lesson. He came to church the next day and during sacrament meeting he asked me if he could pay tithing..... Oh mylanta, best day of my life! "Hermano, no tiene que hacerlo." "Hermana Jorgensen, quiero hacerlo." Translation: "You don't have to do it if you don't want to! Hermana Jorgensen, I want to do it." Where did this man come from?! Later in the meeting, the bishop talked about tithing which was so inspired. He talked about how tithing isn't a question of money, rather it's a question of faith. I personally have never had a really cool experience with tithing, but I have seen so many people here receive incredible blessings from just giving the Lord 10% of everything he has given them. This is my testimony that the Lord has so many blessings waiting for us. It's our choice if we want to receive them.

We also had a lesson with a less active the other day that has been having a really hard time going to church. She is the only member of the church in her family that is living in the states. She is continuing to go to church with her old pastor that is also her boss. So that's another difficult thing. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation about the three kingdoms of glory. We taught her of the members of the Godhead that can dwell in each glory. We then taught her that families can live together in happiness in the Celestial kingdom. I shared with her my testimony of families. I have a family that was sealed in the temple and if I am faithful to Heavenly Father and keep my covenants that I have made, I can live with them in bliss forever. I obviously got choked up... Being away from everyone hasn't been easy. But I will see them soon enough and I get to be with them throughout the eternities. I realized in that moment that I'm one of the luckiest people on the earth. I wanted this girl to realize she can have that if she just tries a little harder and gets a little closer to her Heavenly Father. God has so many blessings that are waiting. It's a shame that we don't always realize that. We let excuses get in the way and forget the promises of our loving Father.

I know that God lives. I witness His hand everyday in missionary work. I know that Christ died for me. I recognize the effects everyday in my struggles and hardships as well as in the struggles and hardships of others. I know that the Holy Ghost can dwell in us. I hear his quiet promptings everyday in all things.

Con todo mi amor, Hermana Jorgensen

Bendiciones

Last night we had tours around the temple and I saw a less active family that I was teaching while I was in my last area. The husband hadn't been to church in 10 years and finally came back while I was there. So last night they ran up to me and told me that the husband is now a ward missionary and is going through the temple next month! It was so happy. Lots of times the blessings just take awhile. For real. 

We moved up a baptismal date with Jesus to this coming week! We are so happy he finally decided to get baptized earlier. He's so ready. 

So Hermana S is leaving tomorrow. I'm so sad! She's the best. Hermana McC and I are sticking together which will be sweet. 

This week I read a lot in Mosiah about King Benjamin. It was perfect for going into General Conference in the next few weeks. I read this verse and was reminded of what we learn in conference and how we can be edified. 

Mosiah 5:7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

We will learn of Christ and take more fully upon us HIS name. 

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen 

*side note from Melissa:I usually take out the names that McKenna puts in her letters and replace it with just the first initial of their name...but when she said Jesus is getting baptized this week, I just had to leave it in.*

The Body and the Blood

We are continuing teaching our recent convert's husband. On Saturday night we had a lesson about the plan of salvation with them. He had a lot of good questions about life and everything. At the end of the lesson we extended a baptismal date for October and he accepted! We are stoked to complete this family. Last night we had a family home evening with them and a really cool family in the ward. We talked about temples and marriage. The gospel is really bringing them closer together and helping their marriage problems. I'm so excited for them.

We shared a message with quite a few people this week about church attendance and why it's important. Obviously the central purpose of church is to take the sacrament. In Matthew 26 it talks about Christ suffering in the garden of Gethsemani as well as instituting the sacrament. It's much prettier in Spanish but it will do in English. 

36 ¶Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Christ takes a few apostles with him and asks them to just stay there and wait for him. He then goes and begins to take on the sins of the whole world. He asks the Father if it cannot be done another way. He is in so much pain, but he forgets his own cares and turns his will to the Father's.

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

The apostles, his friends, couldn't even stay awake and support him. Not even for an hour. This pattern happens two other times. How would you feel if you were an apostle and Christ asked you why you couldn't just stay up for him. You could support him and remember him for that one hour. It's the same with us. Why can't we just go for that one hour and remember him and be grateful for all that he did that night in Gethsemane? Why are we so prone to trust in the flesh rather than in God? As we take the time to really think during the sacrament about this crucial moment in history, we will become closer to our Master. I know that Christ lived, suffered, and died for me. He is my example as well as my Brother. I want to do all that I can to let others know of Him. Next Sunday remember Him. Prepare yourself throughout the week to partake of His flesh and His blood. Change your perspective on the Atonement, and you will change your life.

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen

Eye brow trimmin'

Hola,

On Sunday we were driving and saw a little tiny old lady that always walks up and down the street everyday. Hermana Sumsion and I have wanted to talk to her forever so we stopped the car and creepily followed her..... So we thought she spoke Spanish, but ended up being Filipino. She only speaks a little bit of English so it was a little
hard to communicate. We ended up just talking about God's love for her and promised we would bring her a Book of Mormon in her language. I often feel a lot of love for the people we talk to and come into contact with, but this time it was even more. I felt a huge portion of God's love for this random woman I hadn't talked to before. She was so grateful and so humble and hung on to our every word. I love her.

Our investigators are doing well. We have a few really solid people that are getting baptized in the next coming weeks. I'm really excited about that. We are wanting to get more progressing (reading, coming to church, praying, etc.). To do that we have been working with the part member families in the ward. Our ward as a zone is to find or complete a family by the end of October. There is a member here that was baptized about 8 years ago and has been waiting since then for his wife to be baptized. She reads, comes to church, etc but for some reason won't be baptized. It's really hard for the Hermano because he knows how happy she will be. So we fasted with him on Sunday. I know that we will see a change in her soon and that she will want to follow on the covenant path.

We had the most beautiful lesson the other day with a new investigator. It was the kind of lesson every missionary dreams about. We taught this woman and her daughter about Christ establishing his church with the power and that with that power our families can be together forever (I hope it sounded better than that haha). Both of them immediately started crying and telling us they were so grateful that they finally found this knowledge. It was bomb.

On a side note our little friend from English class gave us eggs from his chickens this week. I thought of dad when that happened.

Another side note: one of the elders in our district asked me to trim his eyebrows. So I did.

Paz y bendiciones, Hermana Jorgensen