😊 Hola Familia & Amigos!!
This is Kyle's Mom giving you a little update from Elder Jensen...
This past Sunday he was told that he was staying put in Rosarito where he had been for only 1 transfer (6 wks), BUT then on Tuesday night (after transfers were all done) Kyle's Mission President still felt like there needed to be some more changes and so Elder Jensen got a call from the Mission President who said he wanted Kyle to go back to Mexicali, but to a different area within that city. He'll cover two different wards as well, Justo Sierra & Robledo wards (or branches?). So within 12hrs of time, Kyle had packed his bags, said good-bye to Rosarito, good-bye to Elder Hernadez & then got on a bus to ride the 120 miles to his new area. A little crazy, uh?! His new companion is Elder Spainhower, who is from Ogden, UT & who only has a few months left of his mission in total. Elder Jensen & Elder Spainhower will be Zone Leaders together in this area, which is another big change for Kyle and a great responsibility, but one he is willing to take on and embrace full heartedly!
Kyle said the 'miracles' & 'blessings' started almost as soon as he stepped off the bus in Mexicali...the Missionaries were given some money to get some food after the long bus ride, so after putting Kyle's bags in their apartment, they went out to get some food. While out, 2 different people stopped to talk to the "Mormon Missionaries!" The first person they met in this area was Hermano Lopez... As the missionaries were walking to go get lunch, Hermano Lopez said "Hey Elders!" getting their attention and then he said to them "I'm Mormon too!" He proceeded to explain that he was from Virginia, but was down visiting his family and he wanted the Elders to come meet them and teach them about the gospel while he was here. Kyle and his companion set up a time to go meet with his family about an hour from right then (after they got some food). Then while in line to get their food, a lady said "Hey Elders! Can I pay for your lunch?" And after Kyle & his companion said "Oh, no. That's not necessary" she said something like "I'm Mormon too!" "I want to do this for you!" She further explained that she hadn't been to church in a while and didn't feel "worthy" to go to church, but did believe in Christ. The Elders assured Hermana Mara that she WAS "worthy" to come to church. Meaning, no one is perfect, we all make mistakes, and that's why we all need to learn about the atonement, we can come to church to learn more, and then choose to make better choices in the future. They shared a scripture with Mara (& her daughter who was about 10 yrs old) about how Christ is always there to help us overcome our mistakes and that He wants us to come back to him ALWAYS! Hermana Mara then agreed that she would start coming back to church and that she wanted to bring her daughter so she could learn more too. After the Elder's long day was done, they knew God had led them to that food place at that particular time! Many small, but mighty miracles happened all day long and even throughout that first week! They met several more people that were interested to learn about the Gospel of Christ and have the missionaries teach them. Kyle & his companion are excited that they were able to talk to so many new individuals & families this week. All these people want to improve their lives, or their family's lives and be more Christlike! ...Many Mighty Miracles DO happen!!
Interesting Fact...Kyle can now call himself his own "Barber" Lol! With a mirror or two, Kyle cut his own hair this week. A fun trick, uh? ...and I must say, He does look quite dapper!! Great job Kyle!
We hope this email finds you ALL Well & Happy! Kyle will hopefully be able to send out emails from this area, but since he is a good 45 min. away from a church building with internet, it may be more "occasional" than "frequent." Lol! But he wants you all to know that he is doing WELL and is HAPPY! 😊 He enjoys this service that he is doing right now in his life...he loves to teach the gospel of Christ to people around him and he loves bringing families together and seeing the JOY that they have with one another!
❤ Best Wishes to you ALL and ALWAYS!!
from Elder Jensen
(via Madre Jensen)
Here's a little "Food for Thought"...
I like Parables & I like Chocolate!! So when I recently found the "Parable of the Chocolate Chip" I thought of Elder Jensen and his companion, and ALL the other missionaries out there! Actually this parable can be for ALL of US too...
The Parable, or story, explains how the Nestle Toll House "Chocolate Chip" came to be, and then explained that we can be like the Choc. Chip...as Missionaries, as members of Christ's church or followers of Christ, we can stand out and not "melt" under the pressures of the world and do what the world does - especially if those things are contrary to Christ's teachings. Under pressure, the Choc. Chip holds its shape (morals & beliefs) and then they share that sweet knowledge of Christ with those around them or those they meet along the road of life. I'm paraphrasing the parable or story a lot, but it's a fun & YUMMY idea to internalize! It encourages us to...Be you. Be different. Be better. Be the chocolate chip!
Here's the whole story or Parable I found...
The Birth of the Chocolate Chip (excerpt from Be the Chocolate Chip by Jen Brewer)
In 1930, Ruth Wakefield and her husband owned an inn outside of Wakefield, Massachusetts. Built in 1709, the old house was used as a rest stop for travelers to change their horses, pay their tolls, and get something to eat, earning it the name, "The Toll House Inn." The Wakefields kept the tradition of providing travelers with rest and good food through the Great Depression.
Ruth Wakefield was well known for her baking, and often made Butter Drop Do Cookies. Her recipe required baker's chocolate, which melted completely, producing a chocolate cookie. One day in 1937, as she began making the cookies, she realized that she was out of baker's chocolate, but happened to have a Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bar on hand. She chopped it into chunks and put it into the batter, expecting it to melt and disappear into the cookie, producing the familiar chocolate cookie for which she had grown famous.
To her surprise, the chocolate chunks did not disappear, but held their individual shape, producing a creamy texture and a fabulous new taste for the entire cookie.
These new cookies became incredibly popular. Nestle bought the rights to the recipe and in 1939 introduced the Nestle Toll House Real Semi Sweet Chocolate Morsels. The traditional "Chocolate Chip Cookie" was born!
The most popular cookie of all time came about all because a bit of chocolate held its ground and didn't melt when the heat was on.
You, too, can be the chocolate chip. Satan knows your potential. He is constantly trying to mix you into the world and get you to lose your individual worth. Satan knows how to turn up the heat. He thinks that if he does his job well you will melt under the pressure, get lost in the crowd, and lose your understanding of who you really are: a child of God.
He will try to make you think that you can only feel good about yourself if you become part of the world and do what "everyone else" is doing. But you can be like the wonderful chocolate chip. Christ talks about you in the Doctrine and Covenants 132:16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."
You can be the chocolate chip. You can choose to be "in the cookie, but not of the cookie." Just as the chocolate chip made the cookie better by retaining its true nature, you can make the world better by retaining your true nature as a follower of Christ. You don't have to be something or someone else. You don't have to melt into the crowd; you can be the chocolate chip! You will get noticed for being different. You will stand out. That is what makes all the difference, and is what makes a chocolate chip cookie so great. What good would it be without the chocolate chips? ~~~ Be you. Be different. Be better. Be the chocolate chip!
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