Why am I not Hispanic?

Buenas tardes,

On Monday our investigator's friend made us some alligator! That was one of the highlights.

M, our golden investigator, came to church! She had never been before and loved it! The members did a fantastic job at making her feel welcome. We taught her some of the plan of salvation this week. She has terrific questions and loves to learn. It's amazing! She reads the Book of Mormon everyday and loves it. We are going to finish teaching her the last part of the plan of salvation and we will set a baptismal date hopefully for April! She is so prepared and excited to receive the gospel.

C, our other awesome investigator, is doing really well. He is also reading the Book of Mormon everyday and comes to church every week. He has felt a little uneasy recently about being baptized soon but we had lunch with a member family in the ward  and they explained to him that this is his chance to follow Christ. He feels a lot better about it now. He fasted this weekend and said it was an awesome experience! We are going to set a baptismal date with him as well!

The Gascas had us over for Sunday dinner again and made us another feast of meat and guacamole. Why am I not Hispanic?

I had the privilege of teaching the atonement to quite a few people this week and also had some experiences that taught me more about it. I've always loved this scripture because it describes so beautifully all of the ways that the atonement heals us:

Mosiah 14:2-5
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out
of dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see
him there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted
with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised,
and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.

I know that Christ died for me. It doesn't matter what we are going through, he suffered and died for every single struggle, pain, weakness, hardship, etc. that we experience. I've never felt the power of the atonement so strongly in my life. It truly gives me strength and has changed me.

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen

McKenna with Hermana Galvan who McKenna says is hilarious and teaches the missionaries how to do family history

Oro

We received the most golden referral this week! A member from the English ward had us meet up with his neighbor. We had our first lesson with her on Tuesday and it was amazing! The two of them had already
spoken about the Book of Mormon and a few other things about the church. She had already started reading before we even met her! At the end when we bore our testimonies she said she feels the same way when she reads. She is unbelievable prepared. We seriously cannot believe it. I know we will see many more miracles with her in the coming weeks.

We now have the opportunity to do family history for an hour every week. I've been super lucky to find a few names that need all of their temple work done. It has really turned my heart to my ancestors. I really can feel them anxiously waiting.

Zone conference was this week. I got to speak a little bit on the Book of Mormon and we learned how to teach the restoration as the Master does. President Mortensen showed us a little bit of the history of the "stick of Joseph." 

It is so important to read everyday.

"If we would avoid adopting the evils of the world, we must pursue a
course which will daily feed our minds with and call them back to the
things of the Spirit. I know of no better way to do this than by daily
reading the Book of Mormon." -Marion G. Romney

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen

H Town

Hey,

Yesterday Marco invited us to his church. I really enjoyed learning how they worship and feel the spirit. Not to mention the band rocked! I really liked a few things that the pastor said about our relationship with Christ. After we went to the Gascas and ate the most meat I have ever had in my life.

I got to FaceTime Paty and Miriam, two of my recent converts from H6! There's seriously no other thing that brings me more joy than to see how happy they've become. Paty even carries her gospel principles book around in her car! I was reading the next morning in Helaman 10 and I read about Nephi recording the power to seal.
Verse 7: Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal
on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among
this people.

This year Paty and Alfredo will go into the temple and be sealed as a family. I can't think of anything that could make me happier than that.

Well, it's been a really good week. The weather is beautiful, we have seen a lot of miracles, we have been receiving so many referrals from members, and the ward is improving a lot. It's good to be in Houston.

Con amor, hermana Jorgensen

Go Broncos?

It was a great week in Houston! Hugo was baptized on Saturday and received the Holy Ghost on Sunday. His baptism was really beautiful and I think it pumped the ward up because they haven't been able to experience that for awhile. The hermana that gave the talk on the Holy Ghost shared a scripture that I really loved.

Ether 12:41 And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.

We all must seek him. It didn't end at our baptism, that was only the beginning! Our never ending goal is exaltation and the only way to enter is through Christ our Savior.

We had the coolest restoration lesson yesterday with a new family from Venezuela. When he was little, the hermano met missionaries in his country. I'm positive God was preparing his mind for now. He had perfect questions, it blew my mind! He was super excited about the Book of Mormon and living prophets.

The Lord truly has been preparing his children in the Woodlands. We are teaching a lot of families and it has been an answer to many of my prayers.

We don't associate with a whole lot of Americans so we didn't even know the super bowl happened until it was over... Go Broncos?

Just a quote of the week from the one and only Hermana Homer: "Is it illegal to name your child a curse word?"

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen

Ebola in Houston

New transfer, new companion. I'm with Hermana Homer now! She's from Riverton Utah  and she's hilarious. The other night we were talking a little bit about the ward mission leader. His name is Evodio. Hermana Homer thought I said Ebolo so I told her that yes, his name is Ebola. "Does he know what that means or do you think we need to tell him?" She was so concerned about it. I changed his name in the phone and she thought that was his name for a whole day and randomly in the middle of a dinner appointment she looked at me and said, "his name is not Ebola..." It doesn't sound very funny at all but it was probably one of the funniest moments of my mission. So, laugh. 

So we went to teach a potential and we go up to the door. This mariachi music was blasting so loud. The door was open and this Hispanic lady was inside with her back turned to the door. I knocked and knocked but she wouldn't turn around... We even yelled! It was like a solid minute and a half and I felt so awkward that we ran away.  It's been such a fun, awkward week.

Hugo is on second Nephi! He will be getting baptized this week and told us that he craves reading the Book of Mormon.

President Nelson came to Houston! On Saturday he spoke to the three Houston missions. We all got to shake his hand. It's so surreal being in the presence of an apostle. It doesn't feel real! All the speakers talked a lot about the worth of souls. I realized that I truly don't know how precious they are in the sight of God. I've been thinking
about it a lot this week and realized how I can come to know their worth. It starts with reading the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon explains the atonement more thoroughly and beautifully than any other novel or literature on earth. It is the only way we can come to know of the infinite blessings and power of the atonement. Through an understanding of Christ's and God's gift to us, we will be able to understand our own worth and in turn, the worth of all other souls. President Nelson also came to the Spanish stake I am serving in. He, as well as President Mortensen spoke about temples and the family. President Mortensen explained something very profound. He said that the greatest blessing a family could ever receive would be to teach a neighbor or friend about the gospel in their home. It has far reaching effects. President Nelson focused a lot on the temple and how families are blessed through the sacred work that we do there. He said, "salvation is a personal matter, exaltation is a family matter." I was so humbled that I had the blessing of hearing him speak twice.

Saturday night Hermana Homer and I were taking about how lucky we are to be born under the covenant, in good families, in the states, etc. We are some of the luckiest people in the world. We talked about the great responsibility we have and will have for the rest of our lives. It's kind of daunting but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

Hermana Jorgensen