¡The Elder Jensen "Bautigena" Tour 2018!

July 30, 2018

...so yeah, not entirely sure how, but I completely botched that countdown last week. I definitely have more than six months left after the first week of August. In fact, it is that first week of September in which I will have six months left in the mission. And I won't have even hit a year and a half until the third week of September. It was a little embarrassing discovering that slip up, not gonna lie. 😅

Moving on!

We had an interesting week. Once again, not much happened in regards to the progress of the area. Things have slowed to a crawl and it's getting hard to shake, but we're still going. During weekly planning we decided to lighten up on teaching Ángel on account of recognizing that missionaries kind of forced the gospel on him and it seems that he really is just trying to be nice by going to stuff that we invite him to. If I haven't written about him before, Ángel is a man who just randomly showed up to our advanced English group one day. He likes the beach, music lyrics from the 80s, speaks a a good bit of French, and is practically fluent in English. The other elders decided to start trying to teach him, and then their area closed, so he was passed on to us. He's a great component of our English classes and a friend to the missionaries, but in regards to being someone wanting to learn about the Church, he doesn't seem all too interested. We'll have to see.

A lot of time was spent on a bus toward the end of the week. We, for a very random and unexpected reason, had to go to Los Alcázares on Thursday to have a baptismal interview with an investigator of the zone leaders in the other district. I was really confused when they called and asked me to do that. At first they were saying, "Because you've never done a baptismal interview before and we want you to have the opportunity to have that spiritual experience." When I explained that I had already done one last transfer and that I was set up for two more that weekend, they were a little more honest. Evidently, the current district leader of the zone leaders is too darn guapo and always has the attention of the young women of the ward, including this 16 year-old who is preparing for baptism, so they needed an unfamiliar face like mine to carry out the interview to maintain a more spiritual environment. *sigh* I'm ugly and I'm proud.

A baptismal interview is an interesting experience. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's an interview that consists of some questions that clear up whether or not the person who wants to get baptized is ready to take that step. It confirms that the candidate has a testimony, that he/she knows about the key doctrines and practices of the Church and is willing to follow them, and that his/her sins have been fully repented of. That's a pretty basic description.  I interviewed a 16 year-old girl, a 41 year-old man, and a girl who is almost 11. Each interview was a different experience, but all of them were spiritually uplifting.

On Saturday we bussed up to Torrevieja so I could conduct two more baptismal interviews with people that are being taught by the elders up there. Torrevieja is only a thirty-minute drive away, but the only bus route that passes by takes well over two hours just to arrive there, so our day was pretty much spent on that endeavor. It went well. I met with the husband of a recent convert and their daughter who have both been learning about the church and taught by the missionaries. We had the interviews on their porch. By the time we bussed back to Cartagena and walked back to our apartment from the bus station, it was 10:45 pm. We started that little journey at 12:45 pm.

On the bright side, everyone passed their interviews! One has already been baptized and the other two will be baptized in a couple of days. I don't believe I've written about this before either, but with the focus on baptism that has been set, the rallying cry for the Cartagena zone has become "Bautigena", hence the title. This week I was just roaming the countryside helping further the work of my fellow Bautiginians...Bautigena! 

(The pun and mindset behind all of that makes me cringe, but it's better to just have fun with it and be overly-hyped than to be cynical.)

Blood moon from lunar eclipse ft. Mars.

Typical Cartagena street.

When four people show up to ward activity.

Anywho, here is a little spiritual insight:

Looking in Ether 4 in the Book of Mormon, we learn that Moroni was commanded by the Lord to hide up the writings of the Brother of Jared. In verses 6 and 7, the Lord proclaims that "they [the records] shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. And in that day they shall exercise faith in me...even as the brother of Jared did...then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations." While looking into the faith of the brother of Jared, I happened upon a quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that points out the childlike faith that was shown by this ancient prophet when he presented sixteen stones before the Lord, offered his solution, and said, "Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this."

Regarding this statement, Elder Holland said, "Surely God...feels something very striking in the childlike innocence and fervor of this man's faith...Perhaps there is no more powerful, single line of faith spoken by man in scripture. It is almost as if he is encouraging God, emboldening him, reassuring him. However uncertain the prophet is about his own ability, he has no uncertainty about God's power." 

It's no wonder that the brother of Jared had no difficulty parting the veil and witnessing the very being of Jehovah with such pure faith! That being said, I would like to make an observation regarding the fulfillment of the prophecy set forth by the Lord.

It's already been established that the brother of Jared was a man of pure faith (insomuch that he beheld the spiritual Being of the pre-mortal Christ and could literally move mountains), which sets a fairly high standard for the fulfillment of the prophecy that stated that his records would be hidden until a man of equivalent faith were to come. For centuries, no man--in any circumstance that we know of--fulfilled this commandment of the Lord to the extent that He intended it to be fulfilled. That is, until a young man inspired by scripture and the Holy Spirit was moved to act in earnest prayer, nothing doubting. Joseph Smith Jr. was the man with faith enough to receive a personal visit from the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father; to witness the bodies of flesh and bone of those supreme celestial Beings; to have manifest unto him the things which the brother of Jared saw, even all the revelations of He who is the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are.

Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet called of God to restore His church in this last and great dispensation of the fullness of times. This is a fact that I cannot deny. If I could deny it, I wouldn't be out here.

Alrighty, I've written a lot. I think I'll end things here. As always, I'm grateful for your prayers and support and hope that this week is absolutely marvelous for those of you who are reading this, and those aren't reading this as well. 

Marvelous weeks all around!

Elder Jensen :)

P.S. Mom! Happy belated birthday! 😄 I'm glad to hear that Dad nailed the cake. If it makes you feel any better, I thought you were turning 49 this year... :D

I reaally appreciated your email this week. Very informative. Very fun. I could never forget the cartoon with the lizard and armadillo sharing their fresh tortillas and special salsa.

Thank you for taking care of, well, everything. You're a champ. I love you very much.