Monday, March 27, 2017

Area: Harrisonville, MOCompanion: Elder Cope

Email address:  kenneth.jensen@myldsmail.net  

Mailing Address:
Elder Kenneth Jensen
Missouri Independence Mission
517 W Walnut St
Independence, MO 64050

This week has been pretty fun. I got another companion, the 3rd in 3 weeks. My new companion's name is Elder Cope. He is from St. George, Utah and has been out for about 21 months, so he has lots of experience.  I was transferred to the Harrisonville Ward in the Kansas City Stake. The area seems pretty sweet and I am excited to be here. Before I left Ottawa we were able to have some amazing experiences teaching people and sharing what we know to be true. 

Once I got to Harrisonville we have been trying to build our teaching pool. We do have a few investigators on baptismal date but they are all out of town for a few weeks. So that will be cool when they come back. The ward just got a new ward mission leader this week so we will be breaking him in, but he has only been off his mission for 4 or 5 years so he still is super missionary minded. I think I am going to like the Harrisonville ward. The people seem great and my companion is super fun.  When I got into the new apartment I looked in the pantry and we have about 25 bags of peanut butter M&Ms - so that's nice.




Thank you all for the support that I have received. I know the church is true and the church is true no matter where you go.

Make it a good one,
Elder Jensen



Saturday, March 18, 2017

Area: Ottawa, KSCompanions: Elder Timmreck and Elder Jeffery
 
Email address:  kenneth.jensen@myldsmail.net  
 
Mailing Address:
Elder Kenneth Jensen
Missouri Independence Mission
517 W Walnut St
Independence, MO 64050

Alright, so this week was interesting. First off Elder Timmreck returned home on Saturday and I stayed in Ottawa and received a new companion. His name is Elder Jeffery. He is from Utah, likes fishing, is 6 foot 7 inches, and speaks Spanish. Lots of people say we look like brothers.

So closer to the beginning of the week had a huge storm come through and it actually turned into a tornado closer to Kansas City. The church sent our "Helping Hands" to help clean up. I took some videos but the wind was blowing so hard you can hardly hear me. It was actually kinda hard to stay flat on your feet because of the wind.

We helped a member do some renovations to his house. It is super run down and the member is usually away with the National Guard or on business trips. So it's not taken care of very well and is kinda falling apart. We put up some sheet rock and installed a tile ceiling. I learned to make sure your ladder is in a good spot before you climb on to it. To put the sheet rock in I had to stand on a ladder and hold the sheet rock in just the right place above my head and Elder Timmreck was trying to use a 2x4 to steady the other side while the member screwed it in. So after I set the ladder and was already on the ladder with the sheet rock above me, I realized that the ladder was not directly underneath me. I had to wrap my leg around the ladder and lean way out to hold the sheet rock just in the right place.  It felt like I was going to tip over and I definitely got my work out for that day. I hope you can imagine me doing this, I'm sure it was graceful. Probably like a baby giraffe trying to stand up for the first time.

On Thursday we had a Zone Conference which was a really awesome spiritual meeting that lasted from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. So it was long, but really good.

This week we have been able to teach some amazing people who have been so prepared for the gospel. The Ottawa ward is really good for less active work as well. So we have been in contact with some people who don't go to church that often but most still have a very strong testimony that the church is true.

Thank you all for everything you do. Missions are amazing, the church is true.
(My Hick accent is only growing stronger)

Thank you!
Elder Jensen

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Area: Ottawa, KSCompanion: Elder Timmreck
 
Email address:  kenneth.jensen@myldsmail.net  
 
Mailing Address:
Elder Kenneth Jensen
Missouri Independence Mission
517 W Walnut St
Independence, MO 64050

Well last week I mentioned that my companion had been struggling. So we went to the temple on Tuesday and he has done a lot of praying and has decided that it is time for him to go home. We will be finding out today what day he will be leaving this week. So by the end of the week I will have a new companion or I might get moved to a new area. It will be an interesting week to say the least. 

The highlight for this week was the ward council had asked us to contact a lady named Twyla. She had previously met with missionaries in the past and they wanted us to go check on her. So we did and right as she answered the door she said "I have so many questions!" She asked amazing questions about God, the Holy Ghost, the Book of Mormon, Prophets and more. They all led perfectly into the restoration. So we pretty much taught her all of the restoration just by answering her questions. At the end she asked "Well how can I know for myself that this is true?" Which was awesome! She is so prepared and we were able to meet with her again on Saturday and she said that she has been praying a lot and really feels like this could be the church for her. She has so much faith. We have another appointment this week and she has offered to have us over for dinner this week as well.

Being a missionary gives us such an amazing opportunity to get to know people in a setting that no one else really gets to see. It is a privilege to get to meet the humble and meek in the world and watch the gospel turn them from good people into faithful saints, truly "the salt of the earth".

Thank you all for the support that you guys have given me. I definitely would not be the person I am today if it was not for you.

Make it a good one,
Elder Jensen