Hello World!
This week had its ups and downs, but overall it is always a blessing to do the Lord's will (or at least strive to)!
We taught a wonderful part-member family! It's amazing the example and influence one person can be. The 20 year old son was the one that helped the family come to church! We set a baptismal date with their 10 year old son and are going to see them again tonight! They all have made decisions they are not proud of, but I know that the power of the gospel and Christ's Atonement will be able to help them heal and get rid of the guilt that is wearing them down.
We have met several less active members this week and they each have different stories and reasons for not coming to church, but none of those reasons are significant when compared with the blessings of the Atonement and living the commandments. If we think of all our reasons for not coming to church (too early, busy, tired, we were offended, don't want a calling, etc) and then compare them to the blessings for coming; (the Holy Spirit being with us, a rest from the world, showing God we love him, peace, joy, learning the gospel, being supported by others with testimonies, etc) and then think of the ultimate blessing-- ETERNAL LIFE-- nothing else can be more important than having that!
Saturday night I was thinking of all the effort and hassle and work that goes into helping people come to church, and of course into my head popped the thought, "Is it really worth all this work?" Thankfully I didn't entertain that thought but dismissed it and prayed to Heavenly Father before going to sleep. The next day as I went to meetings before church and then church itself, that thought from the night before was answered. Yes it is worth it. It was answered in the peace I felt at church and the happiness for people that came. That day I saw the blessings of having my faith strengthened by coming to church. It was one of many experiences that have built my faith and testimony that we should honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy!
On Saturday we helped 3 people move. One was an active member, one a less active/ part member family and the third were some people moving into our apartment. We saw them moving in and it was just 2 adults and a child trying to move in lots of stuff so we stopped and helped them for about an hour and a half. They seem like good people. The child is 14 but has autism. After we were done helping, the mother told us that her son can tell when people are honest and good people and she said it was a big sign to her that we were true people because her son talked to us and liked us. They offered us money but we declined and instead they are going to have us over for pizza sometime. We thought this was a perfect compromise and plan on giving them or watching the Finding Faith in Christ video with them.
Overall a great week of serving many people!
Sister Lila Jenson
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Last Transfer
Dear Family and Friends,
So my last transfer as a missionary begins. I am staying in Lawton and I am excited for all the wonderful things that will happen! We had 17 less active members at church and we hope to help many of them become fully active and help them keep all of their baptismal covenants!
We invited 5 people to be baptized on Saturday and Sunday and they all said yes! Some have a fair bit to go before they are ready and able to keep all of God's commandments, but I know that it is possible! We have found several people to teach and we are excited by the stories we are hearing from members as they are reaching out to their friends!
Yesterday we watched the video "Finding Faith in Christ" with a mother and her two kids, 8 and 12. Throughout the movie I could feel the Spirit pretty strong and it all culminated when after the movie we asked the 12 year old how he felt. "I don't know how to describe it but I feel good inside." The Spirit was so strong and we testified that that was the Spirit and that it was telling him that what the video showed was true and the Christ is our Savior. We invited the two kids to be baptized and it was awesome! Inviting people to be baptized is the best ever! Later that evening we got to speak to the youth in the ward and talk with them about being a missionary at a fireside. I wouldn't give up being a missionary for anything! I have had so many wonderful experiences and have seen the changes in who I am! For anyone considering a mission, I would say, Do it!!! You won't ever regret it!
Thanks to all of you for the letters and prayers!
Love,
Sister Lila Jenson
So my last transfer as a missionary begins. I am staying in Lawton and I am excited for all the wonderful things that will happen! We had 17 less active members at church and we hope to help many of them become fully active and help them keep all of their baptismal covenants!
We invited 5 people to be baptized on Saturday and Sunday and they all said yes! Some have a fair bit to go before they are ready and able to keep all of God's commandments, but I know that it is possible! We have found several people to teach and we are excited by the stories we are hearing from members as they are reaching out to their friends!
Thanks to all of you for the letters and prayers!
Love,
Sister Lila Jenson
Monday, January 9, 2012
Everything is connected
Howdy!
We had 13 less actives at church yesterday!!! And there is another couple that we are graduating to active status (in our book) as of this Sunday. This week as we went through the ward roster we picked out a lady to go see. We stopped by in the evening one night and she didn't answer. Then a few days later after an appointment fell through we decided to check on some less-active members in her area and we biked past her house. We decided to stop by and she opened the door right up! (Because of her screen she could see out but we couldn't see in.)
We talked with her and she wants her children to come back to church and has a testimony it seems, but hasn't been to church in a long time. She's in her 70's and is going into surgery for her hand today. So we arranged to see her again on Thursday and invited another sister in the RS of similar age to go with us. The RS sister we brought with us had lots of connections with this sister and they were able to connect and hopefully start the beginning of a friendship. We had a wonderful visit and the less-active sister shared her testimony of the restoration and of her conversion. We invited her to church and she promised to be there. AND SHE CAME!!! Despite a lot of trouble with her neck she came and the Bishop talked with her and gave her a priesthood blessing to prepare her for her hand surgery.
The Bishop is very happy to see several less-active families coming back! I'm sure the 11:30am time is helping too. (We used to meet at 9am.) The key is to strengthen everyone's faith enough so that when it switches back we won't lose them. We also have started reporting to the RS presidency every week the less active sisters that we visit and they count it as visiting teaching and it helps them know who is willing to have Visiting Teachers and who we can help fellowship as a ward.
We are really excited for the baptism next Sunday of a 9year we have been teaching. His mother is a really sweet lady and has been coming back to church. Teaching him I've come up with a few more ways to teach the different lessons. For example we made a matching game to pair pictures and words for the different principles and people, like baptism, tithing, Jesus Christ, prophets, priesthood, etc. We also had fun teaching tithing as a math lesson since he loves math.
President Taylor challenged all the missionaries to read the Book of Mormon again by the end of March and look for 50 different questions that he gave us. He also asked us to pray every day before we read and ask Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true and then to look for the answer as we read it. He told us to loop around from where we are now.
I'm currently in Ether and before I never really enjoyed reading Ether because I felt it was just a story of lots of people rebelling and killing each other. But as I have been reading and looking for the questions that Pres. Taylor posted I have seen how many wonderful things are contained in Ether. One favorite verse that I found shares one reason why we need the Book of Mormon. Ether 8:26 "Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no more power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved." Throughout this chapter he talks of secret combinations and gangs that destroyed both his people and the people he writes about and that he is pleading with us not to allow those things in our society. I am grateful for all the bad examples both in life and in the scriptures that we can see and learn from!
We got to teach the Sunday School lesson on Sunday because the normal teacher (our ward mission leader) was out of town. It was on Spiritual Gifts and at first we didn't really know what to share. But as we pondered it we saw how connected this lesson was to the Atonement. It is the Atonement that not only overcomes sin, death and pain, but also exalts us. It is through the Spirit that we are prompted and it is the Spirit that sanctifies us! Developing these spiritual gifts are a way that we use the exalting power of the Atonement and take a few more baby steps on the path to Exaltation (becoming like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ).
During the lesson we also had a great discussion also about how we can help others on this road of discipleship. We stressed that we have to develop our own faith before we can strengthen that of others. I have found that Christ's parable about the beam and the moat to be soooooooo true! As a missionary I see people that are trying to get other people to come to church or to learn about the gospel, but yet they themselves are not going to church or living what Christ teaches. And then they are surprised why they are not able to help their friends and family. But if we are developing our own faith and have the Spirit with us, it is then that others can feel the Holy Ghost and can be influenced by him.
I am so grateful for all the lessons that I am learning. I know that Jesus Christ and His atonement are connected to everything. So often I feel that as humans we forcibly separate things that are connected. I have a testimony know that everything we do in life is connected to Jesus Christ and his gospel. No matter how mundane or temporal we think it is, it is all connected! I know that Jesus Christ came and fulfilled his Father's Plan and through him we can be saved and exalted.
God loves us, every one!
Sister Lila Jenson
We had 13 less actives at church yesterday!!! And there is another couple that we are graduating to active status (in our book) as of this Sunday. This week as we went through the ward roster we picked out a lady to go see. We stopped by in the evening one night and she didn't answer. Then a few days later after an appointment fell through we decided to check on some less-active members in her area and we biked past her house. We decided to stop by and she opened the door right up! (Because of her screen she could see out but we couldn't see in.)
We talked with her and she wants her children to come back to church and has a testimony it seems, but hasn't been to church in a long time. She's in her 70's and is going into surgery for her hand today. So we arranged to see her again on Thursday and invited another sister in the RS of similar age to go with us. The RS sister we brought with us had lots of connections with this sister and they were able to connect and hopefully start the beginning of a friendship. We had a wonderful visit and the less-active sister shared her testimony of the restoration and of her conversion. We invited her to church and she promised to be there. AND SHE CAME!!! Despite a lot of trouble with her neck she came and the Bishop talked with her and gave her a priesthood blessing to prepare her for her hand surgery.
The Bishop is very happy to see several less-active families coming back! I'm sure the 11:30am time is helping too. (We used to meet at 9am.) The key is to strengthen everyone's faith enough so that when it switches back we won't lose them. We also have started reporting to the RS presidency every week the less active sisters that we visit and they count it as visiting teaching and it helps them know who is willing to have Visiting Teachers and who we can help fellowship as a ward.
We are really excited for the baptism next Sunday of a 9year we have been teaching. His mother is a really sweet lady and has been coming back to church. Teaching him I've come up with a few more ways to teach the different lessons. For example we made a matching game to pair pictures and words for the different principles and people, like baptism, tithing, Jesus Christ, prophets, priesthood, etc. We also had fun teaching tithing as a math lesson since he loves math.
President Taylor challenged all the missionaries to read the Book of Mormon again by the end of March and look for 50 different questions that he gave us. He also asked us to pray every day before we read and ask Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true and then to look for the answer as we read it. He told us to loop around from where we are now.
I'm currently in Ether and before I never really enjoyed reading Ether because I felt it was just a story of lots of people rebelling and killing each other. But as I have been reading and looking for the questions that Pres. Taylor posted I have seen how many wonderful things are contained in Ether. One favorite verse that I found shares one reason why we need the Book of Mormon. Ether 8:26 "Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no more power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved." Throughout this chapter he talks of secret combinations and gangs that destroyed both his people and the people he writes about and that he is pleading with us not to allow those things in our society. I am grateful for all the bad examples both in life and in the scriptures that we can see and learn from!
We got to teach the Sunday School lesson on Sunday because the normal teacher (our ward mission leader) was out of town. It was on Spiritual Gifts and at first we didn't really know what to share. But as we pondered it we saw how connected this lesson was to the Atonement. It is the Atonement that not only overcomes sin, death and pain, but also exalts us. It is through the Spirit that we are prompted and it is the Spirit that sanctifies us! Developing these spiritual gifts are a way that we use the exalting power of the Atonement and take a few more baby steps on the path to Exaltation (becoming like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ).
During the lesson we also had a great discussion also about how we can help others on this road of discipleship. We stressed that we have to develop our own faith before we can strengthen that of others. I have found that Christ's parable about the beam and the moat to be soooooooo true! As a missionary I see people that are trying to get other people to come to church or to learn about the gospel, but yet they themselves are not going to church or living what Christ teaches. And then they are surprised why they are not able to help their friends and family. But if we are developing our own faith and have the Spirit with us, it is then that others can feel the Holy Ghost and can be influenced by him.
I am so grateful for all the lessons that I am learning. I know that Jesus Christ and His atonement are connected to everything. So often I feel that as humans we forcibly separate things that are connected. I have a testimony know that everything we do in life is connected to Jesus Christ and his gospel. No matter how mundane or temporal we think it is, it is all connected! I know that Jesus Christ came and fulfilled his Father's Plan and through him we can be saved and exalted.
God loves us, every one!
Sister Lila Jenson
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Joy of Finding the Lost Sheep
I realized that I haven’t been writing many “typical” missionary stories for my blog, so here are a few short stories from the last few weeks.
(I try not to include their real names or too many details because I know this is going on a blog, and the internet is a big place and I want to maintain people's privacy)
We were on Fort Sill (a US Army base) to have dinner with some of the members that live there and afterwards we decided to check on some less-active members that supposedly lived there. We did and after several not being home, or not answering the door, and getting lost once, we knocked on yet another door. A cute young couple with one child answered and let us in! They shared their stories with us--apparently they didn't know that their church records were here, but thankfully some membership clerk had sent them to our ward, so we were able to find them. They shared their concerns and we testified and promised blessings:
• he could be a powerful priesthood holder in his home, and
• she could feel the peace and happiness that she had felt as a youth, and
• they could still reach for a temple marriage.
They both have a testimony of Joseph Smith and we built on that and their desires to teach their son the things they know and have learned. We invited them to come to church and left them with a Joy to the World DVD. They said maybe, and over the course of the week I had almost forgotten about them. Then Sunday morning came and we were sitting in Sacrament meeting and I saw them through the open chapel door at the back. I am so grateful they came because that shows their faith was sufficient to take action! Despite the fact that they have many steps to go they took the first one!!! We are so hopeful for them and excited to see what we can do to build their faith and strengthen their desire to live the gospel! It is always a miracle to be the person that finds people and invites them back!
We are trying to find everyone in our ward. We have hundreds of people that no one knows who they are or they are still here and we are "going out in the desert to seek the lost sheep." Unfortunately it's not 1 in 100; it's more like 60 or 70 in 100. So far in the last 2 weeks we have documented around 45 people that have moved out and we don't know where they are. So they are now truly lost and I pray that other missionaries will be able to find them and request their records. Because we don't know where they are, we have no way to help them. But in the midst of this jungle of less-active members we have found several who are prepared to come back! Every less-active member that comes back has said to us that they have been thinking about coming back to church recently. I know that God's influence is working in their lives behind the scenes and in ways that none of us can know.
We found a lovely couple a little over a month ago who have been sealed in the temple and have served in the church but because who knows why, when they moved here to Oklahoma 3 years ago they drifted away and haven't been to church since. We showed up on their door on a Saturday afternoon and they invited us in and bore testimony and we could just feel the Spirit so tangibly. We could sense that they knew the gospel and had been prepared by the Lord for us to be there that day. They have come to church ever since and recently talked to the bishop about paying tithing and getting new temple recommends. They also have an inactive daughter and a son-in-law who is not a member that we hope to help as well.
So there are two stories. More will follow, especially when biking-- crazy funny things happen when we bike!
Love,
Sister Lila Jenson
(I try not to include their real names or too many details because I know this is going on a blog, and the internet is a big place and I want to maintain people's privacy)
We were on Fort Sill (a US Army base) to have dinner with some of the members that live there and afterwards we decided to check on some less-active members that supposedly lived there. We did and after several not being home, or not answering the door, and getting lost once, we knocked on yet another door. A cute young couple with one child answered and let us in! They shared their stories with us--apparently they didn't know that their church records were here, but thankfully some membership clerk had sent them to our ward, so we were able to find them. They shared their concerns and we testified and promised blessings:
• he could be a powerful priesthood holder in his home, and
• she could feel the peace and happiness that she had felt as a youth, and
• they could still reach for a temple marriage.
They both have a testimony of Joseph Smith and we built on that and their desires to teach their son the things they know and have learned. We invited them to come to church and left them with a Joy to the World DVD. They said maybe, and over the course of the week I had almost forgotten about them. Then Sunday morning came and we were sitting in Sacrament meeting and I saw them through the open chapel door at the back. I am so grateful they came because that shows their faith was sufficient to take action! Despite the fact that they have many steps to go they took the first one!!! We are so hopeful for them and excited to see what we can do to build their faith and strengthen their desire to live the gospel! It is always a miracle to be the person that finds people and invites them back!
We are trying to find everyone in our ward. We have hundreds of people that no one knows who they are or they are still here and we are "going out in the desert to seek the lost sheep." Unfortunately it's not 1 in 100; it's more like 60 or 70 in 100. So far in the last 2 weeks we have documented around 45 people that have moved out and we don't know where they are. So they are now truly lost and I pray that other missionaries will be able to find them and request their records. Because we don't know where they are, we have no way to help them. But in the midst of this jungle of less-active members we have found several who are prepared to come back! Every less-active member that comes back has said to us that they have been thinking about coming back to church recently. I know that God's influence is working in their lives behind the scenes and in ways that none of us can know.
We found a lovely couple a little over a month ago who have been sealed in the temple and have served in the church but because who knows why, when they moved here to Oklahoma 3 years ago they drifted away and haven't been to church since. We showed up on their door on a Saturday afternoon and they invited us in and bore testimony and we could just feel the Spirit so tangibly. We could sense that they knew the gospel and had been prepared by the Lord for us to be there that day. They have come to church ever since and recently talked to the bishop about paying tithing and getting new temple recommends. They also have an inactive daughter and a son-in-law who is not a member that we hope to help as well.
So there are two stories. More will follow, especially when biking-- crazy funny things happen when we bike!
Love,
Sister Lila Jenson
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! This is a wonderful time of the year! I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer and it is only through Him that I can receive a remission of my sins and the grace/power to keep going! I hope everyone who reads this will think about the gift they can give to Jesus Christ in their own lives. My gift to Christ is that I am going to try harder to not fear man more than God.
In the last weeks I have been considering how to be bolder. I'm not a bold or direct person (at all!), but I am seeing that being bold and direct is super important for missionary work. I realize now that I should have been bolder with a lot of people in my last two areas. I should have told them the consequences of their actions and helped them to see what was truly going on. Many times throughout my mission I have been frustrated by how people don't see how important the gospel is. But I realize now that I should have just told them, instead of being frustrated later that they don't get it. Especially with those who have already made covenants and promises to God.
In the last few months I have seen the importance of being bold, but I haven't known how to be bold. I started studying the words of Christ and some of the prophets and how they were bold and direct.
Here are some of my conclusions on how to be bold:
• Teach about both the blessings of the gospel and the consequences of sin (3 Nephi 9, 11, Enos 1:23, 1 Nephi 15:33-36)
• Use the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:3, Alma 11:34-37)
• Be direct
• Follow the Spirit (Jacob 2:7, 2 Nephi 1:26-27)
• Hold people accountable to their commitments (1 Nephi 3:15-21)
• Teach "why" we live the gospel (1 Nephi 3:15-21)
• Ask them, as Christ would, to repent, rise up, and be better (Matt.5, 2 Nephi 1:21-23)
• Be confident in being a representative of Christ (Mosiah 2:9-10, Words of Mormon 1:17)
• Be consistent and follow-up (Jarom 1:12)
As a missionary, I could visit with people and chat with them all day long and help them feel important, etc, but if I don't tell the truth (and in some cases call them to repentance) then my time as a missionary would be wasted. As was said in Revelations 3:19, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore and repent."
I'm not saying that we should rebuke our friends or siblings, but when we are in a place where we are responsible for others, especially when we are called to help them spiritually, we should follow the Spirit and not shy away from being bold with people. I am not a bold person but I am working on truly becoming a disciple of Christ in all my actions. I know that the Lord will support me in becoming more like Him.
I know there are consequences for sin. Sin truly pulls us down. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing we can do in this life. If we want to be with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ then we had better show them that we are humble and willing to follow them. Because it is only through that that we will be able to learn all that we need to know to become like them.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love, Sister Lila Jenson
In the last weeks I have been considering how to be bolder. I'm not a bold or direct person (at all!), but I am seeing that being bold and direct is super important for missionary work. I realize now that I should have been bolder with a lot of people in my last two areas. I should have told them the consequences of their actions and helped them to see what was truly going on. Many times throughout my mission I have been frustrated by how people don't see how important the gospel is. But I realize now that I should have just told them, instead of being frustrated later that they don't get it. Especially with those who have already made covenants and promises to God.
In the last few months I have seen the importance of being bold, but I haven't known how to be bold. I started studying the words of Christ and some of the prophets and how they were bold and direct.
Here are some of my conclusions on how to be bold:
• Teach about both the blessings of the gospel and the consequences of sin (3 Nephi 9, 11, Enos 1:23, 1 Nephi 15:33-36)
• Use the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:3, Alma 11:34-37)
• Be direct
• Follow the Spirit (Jacob 2:7, 2 Nephi 1:26-27)
• Hold people accountable to their commitments (1 Nephi 3:15-21)
• Teach "why" we live the gospel (1 Nephi 3:15-21)
• Ask them, as Christ would, to repent, rise up, and be better (Matt.5, 2 Nephi 1:21-23)
• Be confident in being a representative of Christ (Mosiah 2:9-10, Words of Mormon 1:17)
• Be consistent and follow-up (Jarom 1:12)
As a missionary, I could visit with people and chat with them all day long and help them feel important, etc, but if I don't tell the truth (and in some cases call them to repentance) then my time as a missionary would be wasted. As was said in Revelations 3:19, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore and repent."
I'm not saying that we should rebuke our friends or siblings, but when we are in a place where we are responsible for others, especially when we are called to help them spiritually, we should follow the Spirit and not shy away from being bold with people. I am not a bold person but I am working on truly becoming a disciple of Christ in all my actions. I know that the Lord will support me in becoming more like Him.
I know there are consequences for sin. Sin truly pulls us down. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important thing we can do in this life. If we want to be with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ then we had better show them that we are humble and willing to follow them. Because it is only through that that we will be able to learn all that we need to know to become like them.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love, Sister Lila Jenson
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