August 8, 2022-Pics!

 

July 25, 2022- Maybe I'll just pull a Joseph Smith!

Olá tudo alguem!! 

This week flew by once again!! And now it's Monday again! And we got transfer news and we get to stay together here and will be receiving one more sister and we are so hyped!!! 

So this week was amazing, had an amazing family night with our friend on date, Sandro and all the boys in our neighborhood and it was amazing. Such a mixture of emotions. But it was amazing and so fun to help them all have fun together. On Tuesday we went up to Atalaia and got poured on which was the most amazing thing. My favorite blessing from mother nature. :) Then had another house check here in Fogo which was fun. passed once again, no worries mom. :) 

Had some bomb lessons with all our friends here and so excited for all of them!!! 

Had another noite familiar in another area called Djeu and it was soo good. Some of our friends that weren't home earlier came and had some amazinnggg thoughts to share! And another noite familiar the next day in another area in the mountains. The best. Got feed an entire meal and then got sent home with an entire loaf of bread. We are too blessed here. :))) hahah 
Once again had a fire activity at the church with all our friends and then english class again!! 

Just want to share how grateful I am for this amazing work and the happiness we get to feel because of it. I know Christ is with us every step of the way and in the details of our lives. I am just filled with gratitude for everything!! I hope you all have a fantastic week and look for the blessings from God in your everyday lives. He is there, in the details, and loves us more than we can imagine. 

Love you all!!! Ate logo!!! :) (and we tried to take more pics... kkk enjoy) 

Sister Jensen ♡♡♡ 

July 18, 2022-worst sickness as a missionary, but ven that can't stop us!

 So to start off, this week has been crazy, the first reason is because believe it or not I got sick again!! and this time it was the worst cause I LOST MY VOICE!!! for those that know me this is horrendous because first of all, I LOVE to talk, second on the mission you literally are talking 24/7 so I have had to learn a lot more patience and just nod my head and whisper in response. BUT a huge shoutout to my amazing comp who has basically had to talk and teach alone for these past couple days as the most I can get out is a whisper of a testimony at the end. She is literally the best and I wouldn't be able to do this without her. Well, I'll give a little bit of a weekly summary! 

We have had a bajillion family nights here and it has been literally the funnest and really helping unite our ward a lot more. 

We had a bomb lesson with an entire family in Djeu, which I think was the first entire non-member family I have taught here in Cabo Verde. Parents married, with 6 kids that all lived there. It was amazing and they were so smart it was awesome!! 

Then I got strangely cold in Djeu because of a little wind when the sun went away, and then felt a little off all night... and then that night took my temp and had a 102 fever and felt way sick. and that's where it all went downhill. hahaha the next day I woke up and felt like I had covid again.. so we watched district council on zoom, and then went to get tested just in case. Just cause my whole body literally ached and hurt... but tested negative so all is well!!! and we chatted with all the people at the hospital and met some more less actives, and some new people for our english class. Then the next day we had our ward activity where I was dragged into playing soccer with the youth there and ended up talking a lot again where my voice started leaving. Then since then, it has been completely lost... and still have not been able to find it. ahah but our activity went really well with a ton of people!!! and we're getting good footage for our video that's in the works about the sabbath day. And our english class that night also went way better than first time, and turns out our new bestie here Jeison is a beast at english with a perfect accent and everything. He's awesome and has come to church now 2 times and a couple family nights with us. We're super excited for him and he is so mature it's adorable. We show up at his house and he goes to shower really quick after playing soccer than walks out like 5 minutes later and tells us sisters to stop chatting with his mom outside but come in and sit down with him. hahhaha he's awesome!!! We also sent him to run back to the church with the keys Saturday night to give to the elders and he was so willing to run back with the keys and back just for us!!! Love our little rapazes here! they're amazing. and he and Sandro are like besties now which is awesome. 

Also my friend from Praia, Christopher, that I was teaching went to America but got baptized this Sunday and I got to watch the zoom which was amazing and so fun!!! He's amazing and is gonna be such a strong member that will help so many others!!! que alegria :) 

ANDD HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY BENJAMIN!!! can't believe I have now missed 2 of your birthdays.. but next one we'll party :) 

and finally chopped off my hair!! :) so it's way healthier now and I 10/10 recommend Sis. Berhan as a hair stylist... even at 10 at night kkkkkkk

 

I already knew this but this week I was reminded that God has a sense of humor for sure and that there is opposition in all things. We might be fighting on the Lord's team and he's fighting with us too, but the opponent is too. And sometimes that means that we get to learn new lessons that week. I love this work so much and my Savior. and scripture for this week is gonna have to be... 

D&C 35:8 "For I am God, and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe on my name."

God is a God of miracles and He is ready to help us with HIS power as long as we show our faith in Him. 

Love you all and He does too!!! Believe in His name and look for the miracles that will come. Have a fantastic week!!! 

Sister Jensen <3 

And the randomest photos for this week... sorry!!! I'll take more this week :) 

July 11, 2022-"The only independence we should be looking for is independence from sin!"

 

Oii kumode?!?! Happy late fourth of July!! And happy independence day Cabo verde! (July 5) :))) 

My title comes from our new homie Loui, who has an American store down the street who has the coolest English from Boston and so much wisdom and hilarious quotes. And gives us ice cream or watermelon every time we pass. :) we're pretty close I guess hahaha

Wow, so much has happened and so many miracles!! We are grinding it out here and our area is starting to pop off!! Soo much potential here it's amazing to see it all play out. We have some amazing members that always leave with us and our area here makes me feel like I'm in the movie Moana!!! Its gorgeous demais kkkkk sorry everyone that doesn't get to see the ocean everyday... 

Anyways, the first story for this week is with our friend Sandro. He just turned 14 but had marked a baptismal date with the elders before us and we got here and decided to focus on helping him truly be converted to the Lord. President talked a lot about how we can help convert people to the Lord since so many people here in Fogo have fallen away from the church once missionaries leave, because of church leaders, or because they don't understand the importance of enduring to the end. So we made a goal to always strive to have our friends feel the Spirit and recognize Him to understand the true meaning of everything. Sooooo we taught about tithing this week and challenged him to prep to pay a tiny bit of tithing this next Sunday. Then we didn't get to teach him Saturday on his birthday cause he had a headache and couldn't make it to the activity. BUT we walked out our house to walk with him to church and passed him right outside our house and he was already up, showered, and ready to come to church, just was dropping off something to a neighbor. Then we remembered and asked him if he was able to earn some money this week to pay some tithing and he had 200 escudos ($2 worth) and 20 escudos (2 cents) in his pocket already. MY HEART BURSTED!!!! all ready for church with his tithing all ready. And his baptism will be next week so pray for him that he continues to feel the Spirit and be blessed for his desire to follow the commandments and Christ!! 

We also had a fire ward activity on Saturday with so many of our new friends we met this week and a ton of them came to church the next day which was even more amazing!!!! Fun news, we had our first english class here, and it was crazier than I had imagined. almost felt like we were babysitting for a little with all the kids there, but i love church activities because it makes me feel so young again, with the youth just playing at the church. :) 

other fun facts from the week... 

-made no bakes with our neighbor upstairs 

-almost got stranded in Djeu, a tiny area in the mountains at night, and actually got a little cold

-made ice cream for the activity and for Sandro's birthday but it turned out more like soup...  

-ate spicy honey chicken wings at a member's house whose husband lived in Boston for most of his life 

-watched the biggest party I have ever seen in Cabo Verde in front of our house for the Catholic church's new Padre (our tables were definitely rumbling a little during personal study from the music and speakers kkkk) 

-tried to cut my hair today but the hair scissors we found didn't actually work to cut hair so we gave up and pretended we had finished... #bestactorseva

Anyways, love you all!!! and love my Savior and this marvelous work even more!!! I love my life, love the work! love this area, and I love the gospel and most importantly my Savior. I know He has a plan and will help everything work out for the ones who love God. So put God first in your life, and wait for the miracles to happen!!! <3 Hope you all have a fantastic week and loveee your updates too! 

Sister Jensen <3 

June 27, 2022-Elder! U r Bootiful!!!

 

Heyyyy kual é?!?!? 

It's been a couple of crazyyy weeks needless to say!!! I literally love the mission life and all the craziness added in. So I'll start from the beginning of the end. So as you all know we were helping a ton with the temple in Praia but it finally came to an end. The video is still engrained in my memory but we are not physically watching it anymore. Hahaha ELDER ANDERSEN came to Cabo Verde and had an amazing devotional with ALL the missionaries here. Yeah, I know, crazy!!! We had a crazy week of flights and hosting in the hotel since we finally hit the max capacity of 10! All of us sleeping on the floor together side by side on our mattresses. Adorable, I know. Then we got to watch the dedication of the temple here both in the chapel next door, and then we snuck back to watch another session and they let us into the temple!! It was INCREDIBLE! the spirit and power an apostle of the Lord brought was touching. But the thing that touched me most was the love and awareness the church has for everyone everywhere. The church is still pretty young here but they have a temple now and an apostle himself came to dedicate and show his immense love for everyone of the church's members. He talked to us missionaries about how we can engrain spiritual experiences into our memories to remember the impact of the Spirit. Then in the future when life gets hard and our faith gets tested, we can remember the Lord and all that he has done for us. I personally have a horrible memory so I have started to try to write down everytime I feel the Spirit super strongly to help me remember each time the Lord has manifested His love for me personally. 

Then the miracle of the temple was that Elder Andersen blessed the land of Cabo Verde in the dedicatory prayer during the last session. And when we walked out of the temple, IT WAS RAINING?!?!?!? Amazing, coolest moment ever. Never gonna forget it. 

And then after that we traveled by a boat for 14 hours back to FOGO!!!! YEP!! I'm back in Fogo woohooo!!! My new area is at the other end of Fogo called Mosteiros, more specifically Queimada Guincho. And I'm serving with Sister Berhan!!!! Its gonna be amazing and I'm so hyped!!! But like you guessed we are white washing again hahahha 

And with my title, this area hasn't had sisteres in more than like 3 years so we feel a little famous here. Everyone calling our names and saying how they miss sisters hahaha but one day we were walking on the street and a hiace stopped and some dude put his head out the window and yelled, "Elder, you are beautiful" and i about died. Ive missed the accent here in Fogo so much and the English they know is even better. 

Anyways, love you all and thanks for reading my novel!!! :) hope you all have a fantastic week!! 

Sister Jensen ♡♡♡

Photos: 

- SISTERES DE MISSÃO CABO VERDE PRAIA and the entire mission with Elder Andersen!!! 

-view in our area 

-planting again!!!! Semeando :))) 

-boat trip to Brava and back to Fogo 

-Sister Berhan and I, dynamic duo!! ♡

June 20, 2022- DEDICATION!!!!

 

So this week was one of the craziest and most memorable weeks of my mission!!! The temple here was dedicated!!! Elder Anderson came and talked to all the missionaries and we got to shake his hand!!! And the Spirit there was so incredible strong!! 

I got the third vaccine and died for a day... but successfully was able to go to a mission service project the next morning only looking slightly pale and weak. But other than that we had another house part with 10 sisters again!!! 

Love the mission life!!!! And love the blessings of the temple!! I'll send more next week!! 

♡Sister Jensen 

June 13, 2022-Saving the Next Generation

 Ooolllaaaaa gente!!!! 

Believe it or not this was the last week of the open house here at the first temple in Cabo Verde!!!! And we successfully invited the whole world and met the church's goal here with visitors!!! Literally would invite people on the street and everyone already had an invite or already visited!!! The best feeling after doing contacts inviting everyone for a month. Other facts about our time serving in the temple.. spent a total of about 120 hours!!!! Watched the welcoming video about 250 times, and all the sisters chacos tans got a little bit darker. Hahaha but definitely never gonna forget this opportunity we had to serve here and help so much at the open house!!!! I was able to see so many miracles from the temple and the Spirit there. We received a ton of references from the temple so this week we'll be on the grind! Also tried to help a couple single men here by mentioning mutual, our attempt to save the next generation;) sadly they have a bazillion fees here in Cabo Verde so it didn't work. But it was hilarious watching our besties set up accounts for a solid 30 min. 

This week we also had to switch to the famous chocopic everytime we left the house after noon. Needless to say I missed a couple more phone calls than normal hahaha this week was also Sister Gibsons birthday! Which we started out with a nice run to the beach in the morning which was a blast! Then we threw her a surprise party at night after our lesson with our homies! One who has a baptismal date!!! So excited for him :) we hosted two of the sisters from Sal, Sister Lopes e Willey and they made a beautiful oreo ice cream cake that was divine!!! :) Pics included down below... 

Then we had to say a good four goodbyes this week after the party week... First to sisters from Sal, then Sister Alves on Sunday after church, and then Sister Gibson's leaving today. Lots of packing and tears shed. Yep, a house full of sisters is a party but sooo sad when it all has to end. Luckily this weekend we'll be hosting the sisters from Sal again for the dedication. So some of them will be coming back. 

But this week is transfers and the didication with an apostle and the whole mission will be coming to Praia so this week's gonna be crazy amazing!!!!! 

Spiritual thought of the week: this week at the temple, we met a lady with 3 kids that we were chatting with after her visit at the temple in the sala de recepção after her tour and after we asked her how it went she started crying and touched her heart multiple times. She responded with the answer that she felt something so different and special in the temple. But immediately after starting to chat she asked us how she would be able to enter again. She then explained to us that the reason she asked is because she felt something so personal inside the temple that no one else could feel that again for her, and no other place could bring that same feeling. She needed to be able to enter the temple to feel that kind of spirit again. I know the Spirit is real and that the temple is the house of God. Its so fun to see the change in the people as they feel and learn that too. 

Something super interesting I learned from this experience is that conversion, feeling the spirit, is soooo personal. She described this feeling and explained how nothing else could bring that feeling. No one else could feel what she felt. It was her way of feeling God's love, the spirit touched her heart and I know that when the spirit is involved, conversion is real.

God loves you all and I do too!!!! 

Hope you guys are all doing amazing! Let me know if I can do anything to help :) 

Sister Jensen ♡

June 7, 2022-Serving with my sister/Andrea Bocelli

 

Ollaaa!!!! Happy Tuesday! 

Helping at the temple, just like I've been doing these past few weeks, but we just love it! I've also been with Sister Maximo this week and yeah she's the best. She reminds me so much of my sister. Wow she makes me laugh TOO much because she's a crack up. Right now we have 8 sisters living in our apartment because of the temple. It is a party everyday! But this is the last week, which is exciting but also kinda sad. 

 

This week my dream came true. The first thing my dad asked me when I told him I was working at the temple was if I was able to put on the shoe cover for those entering. And this week I was able to!! It was the best, it felt amazing. I hope you are all proud of me.

 

We did a reenactment of The Prayer by Andrea Bocelli, and it ended up in an interesting way. Our motive was to welcome the sisters that were coming to stay with us from Sal. So we turned off the lights and used our phones as flashlights to add a nice touch to our performance. We thought that the sisters had arrived, but we looked and it was actually President!! Oh man, it was a great night. In reality the Sal sisters got here at midnight and I had to open the door for them... but we love them! 

 

Also hit one year on the mish. HOW CRAZY não é???!! So we've starting the workout grind and Sister Gibson and I have started running. Hahaha photos attached of course 

 

Anyways, love and praying for you all!! Até logo! N kre nhos txeu!! E Deus ainda mais :) 

 

Sister Jensen ♡ 

 

Shoutout to Sister Willey for writing my email this week!!! She be the best :) 

Also shoutout to my twin Sister Gibson :)