La semana santa

¡Feliz Pascua!

I can't believe this was my second Easter in the mission field!

On Wednesday President Mortensen came to a meeting we have each week with our High Councilman. We've been trying to build up our ward recently and asked him if he would come and help us out in the meeting. He talked a little about the sacrament and I would like to share a few things that he said. He spoke of missing sacrament meeting even just one week can darken our mind and impair our judgement. The sabbath day has been spoken on very frequently by apostles and prophets in the last few months and years. President Mortensen said it is a way that we can maintain peace and hope while the world continues to fall. With bombings and other current events, we have a way to receive protection from the Lord. We will find it in taking the sacrament every week. Our minds will be illuminated and we will be able to carry the spirit with us all throughout the week.

M is now being baptized on April 9th! She is so lovely! Yesterday during church she took my planner and wrote "gracias por existir."- thank you for existing. She is so sweet and has given me a huge testimony that God really does know us individually.

Recently the Texas Houston Mission has worked a ton in family history work. The mission president has received multiple calls from around the world including from Family Search to inquire what we have been doing with genealogy. The mission as well as a few really smart members put together a five module course to teach family history. On Thursday we received a training on how to teach it. It's amazing how much family history can turn our hearts. My experience in the temple last week truly has turned mine, both to my ancestors and to the Lord. I've never felt the spirit in such a way as I did last Wednesday in the temple.

Friday night I got to eat dinner with a recent convert from my very first ward. He ended up moving to another mission, but has been struggling lately so he came up to the Woodlands. It was great to see him and to hear how much the church means in his life. He works on the bishop's storehouse regularly and attends baptisms for the dead as often as he can.

Saturday night we went to the general women's conference. I got to see Hermana McCurdy (my "daughter") as well as a few other hermanas I loved serving with. Hermana McCurdy hits her 9 month mark this week. It feels like I just trained her! Where has the time gone? It was the best women's conference I've ever been to! Everyone spoke on service and love. I especially loved Neill F Marriott's talk on edifying the Kingdom of God. As women and disciples of Jesus Christ our first role is to build his kingdom. One way we can do that is to become like the Master. I loved that Sister Marriott asked herself, "how would Christ respond?" I've been asking myself that quite a bit the past two days. Christ left a legacy of service and love and we shall do the same. It's not easy but it's possible!

I hope that everyone enjoyed Easter! I was far away from my family but I felt them close. I got to spend the afternoon with one of my favorite families in the Woodlands. This Spring, my testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ has been strengthened like never before. I am eternally grateful for His infinite love. I know that earthly
limitations will only be with us for a short time, and on that great day when the Savior comes, we will all rise again and be united with those that we love.

Mosiah 16:6-8
And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to
come as though they had already come, there could have been no
redemption.
And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of
death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should
have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and
the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen

I Stand All Amazed

Hello!

M is doing great as always! She told her family about her baptism and they are so supportive of it. It was one of her biggest worries and it is now all taken care of. She is so amazing and intelligent!

On Wednesday we went to the temple and I brought my very first family name ever! I got to do her baptism, confirmation, initiatory, endowment, and sealing to parents, all in a row! It was an incredible experience for me. I had never done sealings but the spirit in that room was one of the sweetest I've ever felt. The temple is a sacred place and I always feel peace there that comes from God.

We had the greatest miracle happen yesterday: we received a call Saturday night from a recent convert in our ward. She told us about her cousin that is new in town and wants to come to church. So we made a few calls and arrangements and got her to church yesterday morning. She ended up loving it and we set up an appointment for a few hours after church. We taught her the restoration and throughout we discovered that she was about to be baptized a few months ago in California but she had to move to Texas just a week later so it didn't work out. She had been searching for the church again but it was proving to be a little difficult and then she finally moved from Dallas to Houston and found us! We felt inspired in the lesson to invite her to be baptized on April 23rd. She is all for it and super excited. It was so amazing! I've never had the opportunity until now to set a baptismal date in the first lesson. The hand of the Lord is so great.

We are also teaching another little family. The mother is a recent convert but is the only member. Her son is eight and she wanted us to help prepare him to be baptized. We are trying to also focus on the father who is not a member either. We've been teaching them for a few weeks. A really humble and sweet family. You can feel the love in their home. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and it turns out the father and son have already been reading each night! They take turns reading verse by verse. So cute.

Yesterday my companion and I got to teach Relief Society. We taught on the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I learned a lot while preparing for the lesson and got some practical experience while knocking doors. We've been trying to use the church's Easter initiative as much as possible. It speaks of the resurrection of the Lord and that through him we can find new life. It has brought us in contact with a lot of interesting people. One woman we contacted said we could come back another day because she didn't have much time, but as we said bye and were walking away she opened up and began to explain that her husband had just died a few days previously. We had a really great discussion with her and I realized how important the knowledge we have is of the atonement and resurrection. I began using this question in contacting, "how can the resurrection benefit you in your life?" Many people don't know how to respond, I wouldn't either! We must take advantage of the gift we have that is the gospel and share it with all those that surround us. I know that my Redeemer died, but he also lives.

"I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen

Sweatin' to the Oldies

On Tuesday... WE SET A BAPTISMAL DATE WITH M! She is the greatest! She listens to general conference talks every morning and is making her way right along in her reading of the Book of Mormon. She always tells us how the gospel had brought so much peace into her life! We are so stoked for April 16th :)

We went to Special Angles and all of them forgot who Hermana Homer was so they kept introducing themselves to her. It was hilarious! The rest of the time we played Connect Four, Uno, and Candy Land. Then they worked out to "Sweatin' to the Oldies with Richard Simmons."

We kind of dropped C this week. Or rather, he dropped us. I'm still confused about it. But the nice thing is that he is continuing to come to church.

On Wednesday everyone in our English class brought food from all of Latin America! It was so fun and the people we teach are so special and fun. We have a blast teaching them. We had our second lesson with H from English class this week. We taught him the restoration and it went so well. He has so many great questions and learns very quickly.

On Sunday three little adorable Hispanic kids decided to sit by us. It was pretty fun!

Over the past few months I've been able to do family history for an hour a week. I've found a few names and on Wednesday I get to do a name in the temple. I will be able to do everything from her baptism to her endowment!

We were in a laundromat the other day and a man started asking us about what we do as missionaries. The conclusion of the discussion was this: "Take a day off for yourselves. Go to a club, God won't be mad at you."

This week in ward council we talked a lot how to strengthen the ward. One of the women spoke about how when we see and feel the happiness of the gospel, we must reach behind us and take others with us.
Luke 22:32 and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Even those that were baptized at eight years old have experienced some kind of conversion to Christ in our lives. We are under covenant to find and teach all those we can about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

HE is the only way.

Hermana Jorgensen

Long Live the Woodlands

Transfers are here once again! Time is flying. Hermana Homer and I will be together for another transfer in the Woodlands!

M is doing so well! She came to a baptism this week as well as a women's conference. She's on fire and reading the Book of Mormon everyday!

On Tuesday we had a leadership meeting and President Mortensen shared a passage in the New Testament that I love. John 15:1-8. My favorite verse was 5
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do
nothing.

It reminded me of Ammon in Alma 26:12 

Yea, I know that I am nothing;
as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but
I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea,
behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which
we will praise his name forever.

I truly am nothing without Christ. Through Him we have been seeing so many miracles. As I abide in Him and His word, I know I will have success in bringing others unto Christ.

We found an investigator through English class and he said he would like to meet with us. He said he said he has a good life but he feels a hole in the spiritual side of things and says that he thinks we can fill it. We started teaching him and are super excited to see how it goes.

This Thursday Sister Carole M Stevens and Bonnie L Oscarson came to Houston and gave a special training to all the sister missionaries. I have been so lucky to be on the presence of a ton of general authorities lately. I can't believe it! They talked a bunch about the worth of souls which is always a good reminder. I think it's hard for
everyone to begin to comprehend the love of God but it's so important.

I got to see my recent convert P this week! It was so special. We got to pick up her daughter E from the bus stop. It was the highlight of my week.

Con amor, Hermana Jorgensen