Hola mi familia!
Wow things are so sweet here! I will admit that last week was a little rough for me just with everything here being out of control and missing you guys, but now that they keep us busy every second of the day there is not time to do anything but just love it! I remember reading in dad's sacred mission journal that they just cram the language down your throat and that has been my experience so far too! We have already memorized the first vision in spanish, church is in spanish, we are always supposed to pray in spanish, and our teachers only speak spanish! It is crazy but I am actually catching on pretty well. We go around and "contact" people in spanish, so I contact the missionaries that have been here several weeks, and they all think I have been here longer than them! Every time I tell them I have only been here una semana they are so shocked! This last Sunday was fast Sunday of course, but not only did I sport the much coveted Fast Sunday Tie, but I broke her in with my first testimony en espanol! I also remember before getting here that I thought I needed special ties to match my suit and each pair of pants, I have since learned that any tie matches any outfit. Since I wear my same suit everyday, I have to spice it up by wearing different ties. I haven't had to repeat yet, and I still have a couple beauties up my sleeve for the next week or so.
You guys prepared me really well for all of this. Those glasses were the best thing you ever could have bought me. I can barely see the board without them. Thank you so much for all the packages! I loved getting that book and all those pictures. I have also started sharing my goods more with my district because I have really started to like them.... I was maybe a little too quick to judge. The guys in my room (Elder Decker, Drussel, and Gubler) are so sweet! I am so glad to be in my room because the other one blows! They like don't even talk in there. Unfortunately, Elder Nauahi is in that room because he is a stud!
I have a couple more favors to ask...
1. velocity facewash... donde esta?
2. how can I send pictures home?
3. you never told me the things I was promised in my missionary setting apart... I have written all that I can remember, so I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss any.
4. In the back of my scriptures that I left in my room, on the last page of Moroni I have written all the dates that I have read the Book of Mormon... could you email those to me just so I can have them.
5. Most importantly, just keep the Dear Elders coming! I love hearing from all of you! Everyone in my district is so jealous!
Thank you all so much for everything. The packages are so sweet! The Quist's sent me a beautiful valentines day surprise. It consisted of delicious chocolate chip cookies, heart cookies, homemade bread, jam, and a spicy love note. Trevor kissed all over the heart card, John said "Hi Tyson." and Tyler told me he cant wait to see me next week! Ha they are so classy! Peg and Olivia are my only real support! But tell them thanks so much for me! Also, I wanted to thank grandma and grandpa, nana, and everyone else for helping fund my mission. I love them all and they are so sweet! I also wanted to thank grandma and grandpa for the mini hymn book they gave me when I got baptised. I don't know if they even remember giving that too me but I use it all the time here! They are the best! I also recentely found Alexis' surprise note in my scriptures! Thank you! That was just the best! I kept searching all of my other luggage for notes from the rest of the family, but they must have hid them a little better. I will not give up searching!
I had some sweet experiences this week. First, I ran in to Scott Stevens little brother. He lives on my floor and reminds me so much of Scott! It was crazy running in to him. I also met up with all the elders here from MC. There are like 15 of us, so we took some pictures. Now I see Chase and TG all the time!
Elder Decker and I also had our first TRC experience. Our first task was to meet a person in the park and talk with them for 15 minutes about the church and set up an appointment.... Elder Decker didn't say one word so I carried the team... Dang greenies! Then we taught the first lesson for 30 minutes in english! Elder Decker and I requested the most difficult investigator.. that was a mistake. She didn't even make sense! She didn't believe in the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, or anything. I am so glad I am not going to Taiwan! Dad, I don't know how you did that! I kept trying to cater to her needs and talk about those things, but Elder Decker kept trying to move on in the lesson and teach about Joseph Smith which she was clearly not ready for. It was a neat experience though. She had a hard time accepting everything, so I just bore testimony of it all and how it has blessed my life, and it was just so sweet for me.
My other experience may not make you as proud, but I learned a lot. Ha in my defense, we are in our class rooms for like 10 hours a day. In there, we have a mini basketball that we use for playing spanish vocabulary games. Unfortunately, my district will often get distracted and shoot around at other times. I am always the one that sits out and tells them not to, but when they do I just go out and study in the hall. Well last night I gave in and shot with them because it had been such a long day. 5 minutes later, our branch president walks in to meet us for the first time. Right when he walked in, I had the ball in my hands and was about to shoot! OF COURSE! He took the ball from me and corrected my behavior... not a good first impression. Later that night, he came into our builiding to meet everyone. I apologized and told him that the ball was our teachers and it was there for our learning, but that he did catch us messing around. I was so tempted to lie to him and tell him we were playing a spanish game at the time, but I didn't. He apologized too and gave the ball back. He said he was so proud of me. he said the only way he would be disappointed in me is if he couldn't trust me, but he says now he knows he can trust me with everything. It was way sweet and I learned me lesson. i would explain better, but time is out.
i love you all so much!
Elder Jergensen
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