1013/14-Gratitude

My week was somewhat of a roller coaster. It seems like everything always goes wrong in the work we are doing and I'm really worn out. But I've also seen a lot of blessings as well. Your letter really helped. Then I got to go to the temple and that helped. Then there is Elder Haddon who has been a real companion for me - someone who will stand by my side even if he has to suffer with me. There has been no shortage of blessings in my life. I think the greatest determining factor towards my overall happiness has simply been my gratitude. Is it present or is it not? Based on my roller coaster comment, you can probably tell that my gratitude has been changing a lot throughout the week.

Brother Easterman is the ward mission leader in Heritage - his wife sent you the picture. They are amazing - you will get to meet them eventually (they are lifelong friends - they already made it clear that we cannot lose them -and they said that they will be at my wedding whenever that happens - if they're still alive).

We are allowed to go every 3 months to the temple (I didn't quite wait that long but my companion hadn't gone and I went over a year without going before my last visit so I figured it was ok). That rule varies in every mission though (I know that my roommate who served in Florida wasn't allowed to attend at all and my roommates in El Salvador didn't even have a temple to go to when they were there).

Right now we are teaching a lot of children and we will probably have some baptisms in November.

p.s. Yesterday Elder Haddon and I got to teach Lesson 39 in Gospel Principles. Everyone got a good laugh when they opened up their books and saw that the topic was the law of chastity. What are the chances that the one lesson we teach in like 6 months turns out to be that lesson (to a room full of adults who all are married and have kids).

Have a good week!

Sincerely,

Elder Kyle Jensen

9/29/14

Elder Haddon is my best friend. He is the funniest companion that I've had my whole mission, I need to write and tell you some of my stories with him. Yesterday at church he forgot his name tag so he borrowed another missionary's tag and then he was asked to give the opening prayer - and since he is new nobody really knew his name - and they introduced him as Elder Shaw to the ward. It was pretty funny (there was a lot of confusion yesterday). 

We have been seeing a lot of progress in our missionary work lately, but we still don't have anyone committed to baptism on a specific date. We've also really struggled with getting people to church. I love the people we are teaching so much, but it can be so frustrating sometimes when they fail to do the things that they know they should do (over and over again despite our efforts to help them). I often have to go through the same challenges as my investigators, and I feel that I am experiencing that right now - I don't know how to explain it but I just feel worn out. I often lack the hope and motivation to change - I lack faith in myself to change and faith in others to change. My testimony of the gospel is firm, but I just feel like a less active - I just want a break (the "I just am not cut out for this" fallacy) I hate when I feel like I make it past a road block and then it comes back - again and again.