A classic week in Victorville

So it was the standard 105 degrees out pretty much all week except for Saturday and Sunday when it was 97 and like 50-60% Humidity... which is super rare here in the desert. It is " Monsoon season" here in California... which I think means kinda cloudy with a few sprinkles here and there for a few days...

Anyway the work has been going good! We have found success in the evenings when it is cooler and people are out walking around. We also have received a lot of referrals so we have been trying to contact those people. We have a lot of return appointments which is awesome!

This week! We were able to teach Damyeune again and he is progressing really well... sadly we have to pass him off to another set of elders because he doesn't live in our area. Also sadly he wasn't able to come to church because his aunt came and took him and his mom to a different church to prove to them that he will go to hell if he joins our church hahah. After that he sent us a huge text explaining why he loves the mormon church! It was super cool. He has even hit a new stage in progression. The return and report stage. We give him a reading assignments and such almost daily. When he has read it he will text us back what he learned or what it meant to him! It is so cool to see how God prepares people!

Also working with Damyeune has made me appreciate role models who aren't afraid to be bold. Damyeune has had two (his English teacher and his Karate Sensei) huge roll models in his life who are Mormon and both have helped him come closer to God and Jesus Christ and have willingly taught him the gospel when asked! So cool!

Well thats it this week!

Love

Elder Jensen

 PS. .... yeah nope the fire we reported didn't get big enough to make the news... well maybe if every fire makes the news it did... but based on how frequently the sirens go off I doubt it... we see houses that have been burnt all the time... it is super sad.

There have been two fires raging close... i mean Canada close ...to us. One is actually really close and inside the mission boundaries... close to an area of a couple missionaries out in the middle of nowhere... but where I am is fine... the air is fine... but some days it is still pretty smokey out!

Into the Silverlakes Ward!

Alrighty so like a lot happened this week... but first I have to tell you about something I forgot last week.

So last week in Ranchero ward... right before we left we had the pleasure of attending the baptism of the eight year old daughter of a less active family that we were working with. We played ball with the older boys and had been teaching the family. It was super cool to see her baptized. It was definitely a spiritual and testimony building experience for the family... Hopefully I have pictures of it next week.

This week was super busy and hot... like 42 degrees... way to hot... and we didn't have our car because some other elders crashed theirs and so they had ours so we were on bike the whole time....

So Tuesday we taught a super awesome lesson with a new investigator... turns out he is golden... he approached a member of our ward ( who was his high school teacher) and asked if he could learn more about our church. So we get to teach him... as we start teaching about the Book of Mormon he's like " yah didn't Moronee show it to Joseph Smith?" needless to say we were floored. he came to church on Sunday and we taught him again after. He has a baptismal date of July 17. so that was super exciting!!

Friday evening we were headed to a lesson with our super solid investigator Carlos (more about him in  a second) and we see this fire in the bushes... surrounded by other dry and dead bushes.... in a desert ditch... like 30 feet a way from some houses.... in the 40 degree-45 mile an hour wind weather...so our member calls 911 and reports it... lucky the wind was blowing away from most of the bushes so it wasn't spreading toward the houses very fast... anyway Fire department comes and puts it out... and that is the story of how we were with a member who saved all of Victorville hahah

So Carlos was actually baptized on Saturday! It was awesome! He is an amazing guy! He was found like 2 months ago and was taught very fast and was ready for baptism! He is the kindest guy... and all he says is "I need to work on my anger" hahah he doesn't have an angry bone in his body! It was a great day as it was me and Elder Roberson's first baptisms on our missions! yay!

So yup love you all! and hope you all are well!

Love

Elder Jensen

PS. so the pics are a fire selfie... after it was mostly out and Carlos at the baptism... Carlos is mexican, ... in case you hadn't put that together yet, but he speaks only English.

Into Victorville!

So transfer day... I am in Victorville now... it's really close to Hesperia.... I am talking like Utah Valley style of close together...my new companion is Elder Roberson.   He is from Spokane, Washington.   He is pretty cool!

My last week in the Ranchero Ward was pretty good!... Sushi, pumpkin rolls, poutine... so much food...so fattening hahah

We were able to teach Warren one last time before I left. It was really good and we definitely were able to clear up some questions about what the Book of Mormon really is. It is sad to have to leave him now that he is actually reading and praying.

Sorry I don't have anymore Mcdonalds people stories... but it is always an adventure. I am sure I will have some more stories to come!

Love

Elder Jensen

Last weeks letter than I forgot to post....

So this week and transfer really has gone by way to fast! It feels like nothing has happened  and it only been a day or two but really so much has!

We went on exchanges this week with our District leader. I was in his area with him and we had an amazing day! it was super cool... we did some unplanned service for an investigator lady. Her parents were coming over so she wanted to clear out her living room and rearrange so that it looked nicer cuz it was filled with boxes and stuff. It was super cool because we were actually able to see the results of our service ( normally you are just looking at so sand that you raked)

Sadly I have no more info on our McDonalds friends.... sorry we haven't seen them... but we are always looking for them.

We unintentionally started a new finding technique... talking to people under bushes.....yup cuz that the hangout place i guess... we have done it a few times now... once with two guys one was 3 quarters of the way through a bottle of Patron ( he was plastered) and the other started reading the pamphlet we gave him right there in front of us ( no one does that). after he read 4 page out loud he mentioned that he like it cuz it have any condemnation in it. That got me thinking about how Gods Gospel isn't built to destroy us or send us to hell but to save us and make us happy! as little condemnation as possible!

LOve yall

Keep it fresh!

Elder Jensen