A Pretty Decent Week

April 23, 2018

This was a pretty decent week. 

In regards to teaching and stuff: We didn't get to do too much of it. We're working on that one. José, our physically-tiny, but spiritually gargantuan investigator continues to do well. Unfortunately, we've had to put off the baptismal date for now because he has to do a period of community service for some legal reason (don't worry, he didn't kill anybody or anything like that) before he can be baptized. In order to be baptized, one must be living in harmony with all of the commandments of the Lord, including obeying and honoring the law, so this will just take a little patience. José is still trucking, though. He's a prime example of how the Gospel really can change lives for the better. I'll get back to that thought later, but for now, let's talk about the week!

On Monday we had a very unexpected but very good reconnection with an old investigator named José. You happen upon that name quite frequently over here. He's a younger guy that was in our teaching records who unexpectedly stopped talking with the missionaries a couple months ago. We were out doing our Preparation Day stuff (the day's activity was shopping. I scored some new khakis because my old trusty pair got all hole-y) when we suddenly got a message from him asking us to explain the Plan of Salvation! A very good WhatsApp-based conversation ensued and continued on throughout the whole week. The dude has a lot of really good questions but lives way in the heck out of Dodge, so we're seeing how we could meet with him face to face--or at least, screen to screen.

Tuesday consisted of district meeting, lunch with a nice elderly couple that always makes the same random soup and salad, and SERVICE. All four of us rode with a member to Úbeda to help María José manage and assemble her entire arsenal of IKEA furniture. I've gotta hand it to the Swedish: They know how to do low-effort, wordless-instructioned furniture assembly the right way. It was another good afternoon of technical physical labor. I made a shoe cabinet.

The only big thing of Wednesday was the Panda Express orange chicken beautifully crafted by my dear companion Elder Bushman. The dude killed it. Well, the second batch. The first batch tasted like fire. We're not entirely sure what happened there...

We met with José on Thursday and got everything figured out mentioned in the first paragraph of this email. He really wants to be baptized and is taking all of what we teach to heart. It's awesome.

Friday was kinda fun. Elder Bushman and I bussed down to Málaga, then hopped on a train to Fuengirola to do stuff to renew my residency. I was able to meet up with a handful of people from my group!...Forgot to take pictures, though. Whoops. After getting my picture taken and rescanning my fingers at the police station, I hung out at the mission office for a bit. It's a happening place. After a quick Taco Bell stop (the lady put my name down as "Hemsa"...almost Jensen) in Málaga, we traveled alll the way back to Jaén and got back just in time for the day to end.

Sunday was a good day. We were going to give the lesson in the Priesthood block of church, but a member of the stake presidency was there and did a Priesthood/Relief Society combined lesson, so we didn't need to anymore! On top of that, President Andersen was also there passing through, so we had our interviews with him as Sunday School went on. He's a good guy, to say the least.

Sunday dinner.

The sewing kit is out.

So yeah! It was a pretty decent week.

Going back on what I was talking about earlier, the Gospel changes and improves lives. As we live as the Lord would have us, temporal byproducts accrue steadily and slowly until we look back and realize that not only have we become more spiritually elevated, but physically and mentally uplifted as well. Desires become more productive, days become more active, and a lasting, positive change takes root; step by step we are purified and polished in every aspect of our lives as we follow the commandments of the Lord and heed the words of His latter-day prophets. I know this is true as I've seen it come to pass in my own life and the lives of those I visit, teach, and serve. Perfection isn't achievable in this life, but if we choose the right, it will be a whole lot easier to reach it in the next.

I wish a good week on all your houses.

Elder Jensen :)