Tender Mercies

My dear family and friends,
I'm afraid this will be a short letter today, as it's been only 4 days since I last wrote and there isn't much new to report. For anyone concerned Zr. Whittington has made a quick recovery from the craziness of last week. We still don't know what the root problem is, but the doctors are working on it and for now we're just taking it easy while continuing with the good work. :)
Other than the usual teaching and finding, there have not been many great events - but it has been a week of tender mercies and small miracles! To share just a few...
Dudley has been having trouble getting to church and other activities because it is very difficult between his back pain and the cold weather. However, a member invited him to their house for dinner this week. We were hoping and praying that he would come, but he didn't give a solid commitment... and then the day of the appointment, it was unusually warm and very sunny! Such a beautiful day, he had no excuse and came and had a wonderful time at the member's house. Seriously, member involvement makes such a difference and I am so grateful for a God who can help us out a little with the weather. :)
The next day was also great weather, but an appointment fell through and we were stuck with an hour or two of knocking doors. We were all disappointed about the turn of events but then this ladybug landed on me and didn't leave for like an hour and a half! We named him Jeroen. Also, this group of like 4 neighborhood kids came and followed us for a while as we were knocking doors, pretending to be in a battle with empty water guns. They were super cute and after Sis. Manning gave them stickers they were our best friends. :)
Well, I must go but as a parting thought, please remember to find your own tender mercies! They are sprinkled all throughout our lives. This week I was reading a conference talk entitled "It is better to look up." It's about optimism and looking to heaven for answers and peace, and it was wonderful! I know that God is always waiting right there to help us, and has given us already everything we need if we will only see it.
Love you all!

-Zuster Jensen :)

Me & my friend Jeroen + artsy nametag. You`re welcome. :)

Birthdays and hospitals and quests, oh my!!

My dear family and friends,

Well, as you have probably noticed I am emailing a day late again. This week was great, but one of the craziest on my mission so far! Perhaps I'll list the events in order of craziness...
First, I have now ridden in another Dutch ambulance, which makes the second in my life- both while on my mission! Zr. Whittington has a couple of crazy health problems, and last Thursday while we were riding our bikes she suddenly felt light-headed and out of breath, so she stepped off her bike and Zr. Manning and I went over to help. Then Zr. Whitting started hyperventilating and didn't stop for 4 1/2 hours... it was a little crazy. It wasn't true hyperventilation because the oxygen and other gas levels in her blood were actually normal, but she was breathing rapidly and was conscious but not really responsive for that long. I am again impressed by the kindness of the Dutch people- when she first started bystanders stopped to help, and after the first 20 mintues when we couldn't get her to snap out of it someone called an ambulance. The medical professionals tried giving her minor sedatives, but she is extremely resistant to them so really we just had to wait in our in the emergency room. Funny parts of this story: 1) she's ok now, which is most important, 2) she was really funny when she became responsive again but was still under the influence of sedatives, and 3) Zr. Manning and I recognized one of the doctors in the ER from when we were there last transfer with Zr. Reeder. Haha, I think we've spent too much time there! :)
The next crazy part was on Sunday, when President called us after church and told us that we needed to go around and collect medical records from all the hospitals Zr. Whittington has been to in the Netherlands and then get to the mission home as soon as possible so that she could stay there for a few days and figure out all this medical stuff. So, we went home and had my birthday dinner (we tried to make spaghetti and browned butter, but we couldn't find mizithra cheese so we guessed on some Dutch cheese... turns out it was really soft and not at all similar. It was still pretty good though!) and then we packed super quick and took a 2 hour train to Breda, where we crashed for the night with some sisters there. Then we left early the next morning on our quest, although it turns out to obtain medical records here you have to fill out forms and mail them in so after visiting several hospitals we ended up all going home anyway. Whether Zr. Whittington will still be staying in the mission home for a few days in the future remains to be seen.
In other news, which will be quick since this has become a saga, we had exchanges this week which were great, our apartment sink is not draining so we did dishes in a bucket last night, and I'm now 20!! Haha I promise amidst all the craziness, I did have a wonderful birthday. Thanks for all the good wishes from everyone and thanks to my family for the packages, I will make good use of the sweaters and hot chocolate! ;) It's funny, I think at home I would be freaking out about being so old, but all I really wanted for my birthday was my investigator to come to church and the emails from my family I get every week anyway. I know that Lord helps us, even as we see our weakness and feel as though we can't overcome them, if we're doing our best He is working inside us to turn us into selfless followers of Him, including changing even our very desires. We must all truly become converted to him, and then help others along the way. In fact, something I've been thinking about the last couple of weeks as Zr. Whittington (a convert with a pretty dramatic story) and I (a life-long member) have both borne testimony to our investigators; lifelong members should share their conversion story as often as converts. When you think about it, we all have one - and each is as personal and valuable as another's. Share your testimony with somebody this week, and take a moment to recognize just how much Christ has done, can do and will do for you!
Love you all!!
-Zuster Jensen

P.S. My next preparation day is this Saterday (our time), so expect my next email then! Sorry it´s so crazy... I guess the craziness needs to continue for just a little while. :)

Comps made this-during my shower as we rise at same time, haha:)

Bday dinner and cake, haha we only had 14 candles in the flat :)

Surprise visit!

Dear family and friends,
What a week! It has been busy and a little crazy, but also super good!
On Wednesday I went to work with the Breda zusters on exchanges. Since we are a threesome in Maastricht, I ended up working as a threesome with both of them for the day. It was good, we did pretty normal missionary stuff. We were knocking doors and there was one old lady who was not interested at all, but since it was raining she let us in and gave us tea and cookies. :) As we walked in she said, "I think Jesus would be proud of me for doing this." Haha, how sweet! Seriously though, I was thankful for this woman and her Christlike heart, that she would let us in despite her lack of interest and save us from the shower of hail that happened while we were inside her house. :)
The next day was Zone Training! It was super awesome as they always are, with great inspiration and reminders about how we can be better missionaries/ people. I also played the piano for a musical number, and was once again blessed like with the ward Christmas party since it went pretty well despite about no time to practice. :)
Yesterday I got a surprise visit from Brother Beste from the home ward!! That was super crazy. It was such a weird moment when I was in church before the meeting started and all of a sudden he walks around the corner... My mind couldn't compute the mix of "home" and "mission" and the first thing I said ended up being, "What are you doing in Europe??" Haha! However, it was great to see him and have that taste of home. Don't worry, I'm not homesick now - although, you guys are pretty great so of course I miss you a little bit. Just a tiny. :)
I must wrap up, so here's a quick spiritual thought: I have been thinking this week about the story of David and Goliath. Of course we all know that through the power of God, David was able to slay the giant; but I also find it interesting that David came prepared with five smooth stones. Although for David it only took one stone, sometimes in facing our problems we must be prepared with several different ways of solving the problem so that, should the first solution not work, we have others ready to try. I believe that this is a true principle and hope to apply it in my life as well as with our investigators. I would encourage you all to do the same in your lives. Have the faith to face your problems with optimism, do your part and prepare, and then go in with courage and with the Spirit. Those "giants" don't have a chance!

Love you all!
Zuster Jensen

Kirsten & Nathan Beste--surprise! :)

Pic 1/2: Sorry they're dark and from different angles, but we thought this was super funny. It's a studio to buy stuff for kitchens, but the phrase means "Let your feeling speak," which is basically what we tell people to do about the Book of Mormon and accepting the Gospel. :D

Artsy shot of Zuster Manning and sugar waffles. Yum! :)

A Threesome for Transfer Three :)

Dear family and friends,
Welcome to transfer three! Some time plays tricks on my and tries to pretend I'm never going home... but then sometimes it says, "Just kidding! You're already almost 1/4 done with your mission!" What?? Silly time. :P
Anyway, I love being in a threesome again! There's just sometime about 3 humans blocking the entire bicycle lane as you ride down the road that makes you feel super powerful and ready to convert the entire city. This threesome definitely has a different feel than the last one, but both are good! Zuster Whittington is amazing. She has only been a member for a couple of years, and her family is very against her being a part of the church. It's a little weird for me being a member my whole life and almost my entire extended family being members, hearing about her experiences and perceptions. However, she has a strong testimony and her story and that testimony are really blessing our investigators going through similar trials. I can't wait to see how this all plays out over this transfer!
Well, one miracle that I can already tell you about is that one of our investigators, Dudley, has a baptismal date!! This is the same Dudley who was in the hospital a few weeks ago because of medical issues + alcohol abuse. The hospital got him sobered up and we've been meeting with him since then. We had an awesome lesson with him last night. A member, Brother Poli was there and we talked about the Holy Ghost/ the Armor of God. By the end, Dudley said, "God can do anything." And we were like, "Yeah He can! Dudley, do you think He can help you prepare for baptism?" And then Dudley said yes. :) So, we pulled out his calendar! At first he was like, how about next Saturday? Haha we had to explain to him that we should probably give a little more time to come back to church and quit smoking/drinking completely, but we set a date for 22 Feb!! :D
I don't really have anything else to report, but I would just like to say that missionary work, to borrow a phrase from Zuster Manning, is "the bomb.com." Haha, or maybe the BoM (Book of Mormon)! Seriously though, I am SO grateful for the restored gospel in this dispensation, and everything that it entails. It's just true, guys. Read the book, pray to the Father, live the commandments, see the blessings in your life and throughout eternity. It's that simple.
I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! :)

-Zuster Jensen

Vending machine hamburger

Dinner with Dudley :)

Snow day! :D

Can't think of a fun title for this email, so imagine there is one. ;)

Dear family and friends,

First of all, transfer calls came again last night! I can't believe we are already almost to transfer 3 in the field... but to quell the suspense, I am staying in Maastricht with Zr. Manning AND we are getting a third zuster again! I've been bitten by the threesome bug! It's Zr. Whittington who came in the transfer before us. I've only met her once, but we are excited to work with her and I'm happy to be working in Maastricht for at least 6 more weeks! :)

On Thursday we had exchanges so I worked in Maastricht for the day with Zr. Jaramillo, from Aruba. She's wonderful, so loving! As I've worked with a couple different companions now as well as done 3 exchanges, I have been reminded that no matter what your expectations, no companion is a bad companion. Everyone is so different, but I have loved and felt comfortable working with everyone so far, even if it was only for a few hours. Missions are great! :)

On Friday we went to Belgium again, this time to pick up the finished verblijving card (I don't know what it is in English, but basically it means I can live in Belgium legally if I'm ever transferred there). Fun times!

Yesterday we taught the lesson in relief society. It was the second lesson in the Ezra Taft Benson manual, over prayer. What an awesome lesson! We thoroughly enjoyed preparing and teaching it, and I would encourage you all to read through it if you weren't taught it in your own wards. I especially loved this quote from President Benson: "If we would advance in holiness—increase in favor with God—nothing can take the place of prayer. And so I adjure you to give prayer—daily prayer—secret prayer—a foremost place in your lives. Let no day pass without it. Communion with the Almighty has been a source of strength, inspiration, and enlightenment to men and women through the world’s history who have shaped the destinies of individuals and nations for good." What an amazing promise about such a simple thing! Prayer is personal and costs only time, but it is God's appointed way for increasing our spiritual growth and providing us with inspiration and other blessings. Don't forget to pray! I also loved the following poem quoted in the manual:

"I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know, God answers prayer.
I know that He has given His Word,
Which tells me prayer is always heard,
And will be answered, soon or late.
And so I pray and calmly wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought;
But leave my prayers with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own,
Assured that He will grant my quest,
Or send some answer far more blest."

I know that this is true. God hears and answers prayers, always in His own timing and in His own way, which is always the way that will bring us the most blessings. :D

-Zuster Jensen

Back to two & herring!

My dear family and friends,
What a week! To begin with, I know you've all been waiting for it... I finally tried herring! To be honest, I didn't have much of a choice since we went to a Dutch member's house for dinner on Mondayand they surprised us with the experience. To be even more honest, it wasn't that bad! At least, the taste wasn't. The texture was a bit hard to get over, but I didn't die so all is well. Attached are some pictures for your enjoyment. :D
On Tuesday we had a wonderful district meeting as well as a wonderful last evening with Zuster Reeder. On Wednesday we said goodbye to her as she is done with her mission! She was definitely an amazing first companion in the field, and I will miss working with her. However, I'm exciting for her to restart her life at home. After leaving Zuster Reeder at the train station with another zuster also going home, we met with a new investigator named Willem. He is this super nice older man who is so exciting to learn about God from us, and he calls us his "engeltjes," which means "little angels." :) It definitely brightened my day to see him after the sadness of leaving Zuster Reeder!
I don't have much else to report from the rest of the week, except that Zuster Manning and I are still surviving! It's harder for sure, but we have been pleasantly surprised by how well we have been able to communicate with people. The Lord helps with every detail in our lives, and the work is the same whether you're only a transfer in or have 18 months under your belt. :)
I want to share a quick spiritual thought with y'all from the aforementioned wonderful district meeting. The district leaders always ask if we have any questions or concerns, and someone asked how we keep the feeling of a spiritual experience with us. As a district the ideas we came up with were: pray always, remind yourself of other spiritual experiences, count your blessings, dare to do something more, keep a study journal, smile, think of others, find something every day to humble yourself, and share your testimony often. Hopefully these help anyone with the same question back home.
For the actual meeting we were talking about progression and self-improvement, and how we should leave ourselves better in the evening than when we find ourselves in the morning. This is an awesome way to motivate yourself daily! Another thought from the meeting was that "the years know much that the days never know." I know that this is true. Sometimes it is difficult to do better daily, since we see little improvement and sometimes setbacks. But as I look back over my life or even just the last couple of years, and I can see the changes in myself and goals fulfilled that I know have made me a better person. I can also see that I still have a long way to go, but I know that with the Lord's help I can get there. And you can too! :)

Much love,
Zuster Jensen

Maastricht this morning :)

Herring! :P

Gelukkig Nieuwe Jaar!!

Dear friends and family,
Welkom tot 2015!! I can't believe it's here already, but this year seems to be very promising and I hope that it is a great one for you all! We all have a chance to set new goals as we lay the old year to rest and begin a new one. And man, do the people of the Netherlands know how to begin a new year! One New Year's Eve we had to be in a 4:00 pm, so we spent the time just getting to know each other better, taking naps, and making yummy food. :) However, it was not so calm outside! The whole day you would hear random bangs as people set off fireworks all over the city. And we're talking about the kind of fireworks that go up high in the sky that are illegal to do yourself in the United States. The space between the bangs increased as the day went on, and then at midnight it just goes crazy! We didn't have the best view from our apartment window, but even in just the sky we could see there were four or five different sets of fireworks, and they just keep going for like an hour! We poked our heads out of the apartment window, and with the constant loud bangs and smoke/firework smell drifting through the air, it felt almost like there was a war on! Crazy! :)
On Friday we had interviews with President and Zuster Robinson. They really are wonderful, and they work so hard for the benefit of us as missionaries and for the people in the Netherlands and Belgium. I'm exciting to continue working under their direction until they go home this July.
That's about all of the news for this week, although I hope to have exciting things to report next week with our investigators! We'll be meeting this week with several people who have been out of town for the holidays, and well as several potential investigators we met recently. Maastricht is ready for some miracles!
As a quick spiritual thought, I would just like to testify of the power of a happiness. This week has had challenging moments, but also wonderful moments as laughter, service, and sharing between companions, members, investigators, and others have brought people closer together. God's plan really is a plan of happiness, and as we find, keep, and share that feeling, the work of Salvation becomes a joyous work that others see and want to participate in. Perhaps that was a bit scatterbrained, for which I apologize; but I really am grateful for God's plan and for the happiness we can find in this life and its effects. Make your own goals for this year to more fully realize God's happiness in your life!
I love you all so much!

-Zuster Jensen