Hi Everyone! (MTC week 2)

Week two MTC email:

Hi Everyone!

Kamusta po kayo? That means how are you? All is well here in the MTC. This Tuesday was Wonderful. We had Janice Kapp Perry come to speak to us. She composed As Sisters in Zion in our hymbook and many of the children's primary songs. It was great! She was hilarious! I thoroughly loved it. Brother Kapp Perry told us he only spent one week in the MTC to learn French! One week then he took two trains and a boat to get to his mission! Then he had to make a chapel to meet in out of a grocery store and now there are two wards where he did that! It is just crazy to think about. Janice Kapp Perry told us that her husbands first line to her was "I was thinking those lips were made for something better than playing the clarinet." (She was playing the clarinet at the time). Hahaha We all laughed and then he proceeded to come over and kiss her. And then again. Haha it was hilarious. Then Sister Kapp Perry Said, "Don't think about that until much, much later. I won't tell that story again... Or maybe I will." She was hilarous. She also said, " I know that man like a book... Just sometimes I don't know what page he's on." We also sang a new version of the As Sisters in Zion and Army of Helaman Meddley. It was really good. I liked it a lot. That was the hilight of my week. The rest of the week I spent learning Tagalog, which is not easy, but I know it will be worth it. My investigator that I taught the first week of the MTC went from being the one taught to the teacher. That has been interesting. She is really short and I am beginning to understand what it is going to feel like in the Philippines. I have a corny joke I heard for you all that remineded me of my dad. Did you hear about the circus?....... It was in tents (intense). If there is anything that I have learned hear it is that we have to serve God with all our hearts and have faith in Him that as long as we are doing what we feel is his will, then all will work out. I am learning so much about teaching people and not just lessons. God loves everyone and he wants us all to be happy. He gives us scriptures, prophets, the atonement, and everything else we have because he loves us and he wants us to return to live with him again. Alam ko po na totoo ang ebanhelyo. Alam ko po na propeta si Thomas S. Monson. Alam ko po na totoo an Aklat ni Mormon. Si pangalan ni Jesucristo Amen.

Mahal Kita!

Sister Jensen

P.S. I didn't get everyone's e-mails so feel free to pass it along if you want.

Yoga with the Sisters

June 28, 2013

The Sisters in Jasmine's district love yoga.

first emails.

Sister Jensen:
I am here! I love my companion. She is very sweet and kind and we were friends at the very beginning. I am in provo. Right next to the cafeteria in 3m :). It is great. My teacher is good. He hardly ever speaks english to us. Our learning pace is up to us and what we want to learn. 

Give Asher a squeeze and a kiss for me. I miss that little guy. He is so sweet. I would love to have some pics of our family, but I also need other things too, so don't send anything yet because I have a list of things I want. but I haven't made it yet. What have you guys been up to. Thank you for the card and tell Neen thank you for the letter :). Yesterday I taught my first investigator named Ellen in tagalog... It was super hard and it was frustrating when I could understand what she was saying, but I couldn't reply. I am learning a lot though. It already feels like I have been here for ages. We have sisters.. I forget what they are called, but they are over our zone and they come in every night and ask how we are. It reminds me of girls camp with the tent advisors. They are very sweet. There is only one sister older than me and it is Sister S., My companion. She is 21 and that is just in my district. There is a 28 year old in my zone I think. Our Elders are very young and they are little babikins. Some of them are very homesick and it makes me feel bad for them. Learning the language and teaching it to others is definitely hard, but it is getting easier each day and I am learning a lot. I love learning the language. I think it is super exciting.

Us:
Well, hello gorgeous! We're all here! Mom, Janeen, myself, and Asher. Its good to hear from you, and to hear that you're doing well. According the interwebs there is a provo west mtc and just a regular provo MTC. We're unsure what that means. We thought maybe you translate. RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAFETERIA!? You best eat some ice cream for us. Steer clear of the orange juice unless you want to clear a room. How many people are in each room? What is your companions name? Where is she from? How many people are going to the Olongapo mission. We love you!!!
 
Sister Jensen:

Hello Everyone!!!

There is a Provo West campus and those are the apartment ones. I am a little jealous because they have a little more space, but they get shuttled over here every day, so they have to get up earlier and such. They do have more freedom though, but I am right in the center of the MTC. Near all the important stuff like the store and the mailroom and the cafeteria, and gym. I am eating icecream tomorrow... if they have it. Things are a little different because of the program tomorrow. There is supposed to be some historic announcement and I am soooo excited to be in the room with the first presidency!! I always steer clear of the oj. There are six sisters in my room. Sister S. is from Indiana. There are a TON of people going to the Olongapo mission, my comusa is not one of them. There are 5 girls in a different district that just got here going to Olongapo as well and in my district there are 3 sisters going to Olongapo and all five of the Elders are going to Olongapo. Love you too!!

Us:

Mom is crying. Tears of motherly joyish feelings. She's a 50 year old babikins, she's not home sick but she's Jasmine sick. We tried to give Asher kisses, he's not in the mood of course. But we'll give him some later. What have we been up to? WELL isn't that a wonderful question. Basically the same things as when you left. Mom and Dad spend their days exercising and being olds. Janeen spends her day selling pest control, she's going to a single adult dance tonight to meet her future husband. Emmett invited Middleton, Nampa, and Ontario stakes so she hopes it will be pretty decent. I'm sure she misses you. She need a wing woman. I am doing the usual, just taking care of Asher and trying to make the appropriate life defining decisions. You already understand Tagalog? That's awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So exciting. Love, Jannelle, Mom and Janeen. Also Asher. 

Sister Jensen:
Tell mom everything is alright. I am having a great time here :). I love learning the language and our district is super fun. We all get along very well and have a lot of fun. The Elders crack me up, the poor things. All us sisters have fun. On Thursday we did yoga in the morning, it was supposed to be there today, but it was filled with chairs so no yoga dangit! We have gym time like 4x a week :). They require it now haha. I am starting to understand some Tagalog. The numbers and weekdays are the same so that is nice and some of the words are the same as Spanish, so my Spanish was helpful afterall. Except when I want to reply in Spanish. 

Us:
Dad says that he loves you. Stuart asks if the food is making bubbles in your tummy... then he laughs lol. He also asks if you've had your first devotional. 
 
Sister Jensen:
Tell Dad I love him :)
Kamusta po kayo?  ( sounds like como esta kinda theing po kay- O) That means How are you? The Elders and sisters walk around saying Kamusta as a greating. It is fun. Pacienta (Patientia) is sorry. The food hasn't really bothered me, but I have been eating a lot of fruit and healthy stuff like wrapps. I have only eaten like two brownies and an icecream bar for a dessert haha. They have a lot of selection for food. We haven't had devo. We have devo on Tuesday, I think.
Everyone here says that Sunday is the best day, but this Sunday is not a normal Sunday with the broadcast and all. It is different. We have to wear our best missionary attire and I am thankful for the suitcoat Jacque gave me. When I got here I also discovered that I am not allowed to have any dressed that are super long. Apparently it is a problem, but it only cost 50 cents to have some nice ladies hem them for us, so I am going to do that later today. 

Hurrah for Israel! Sister Jensen enters the MTC.

Jasmine entered the  Provo Utah,  MTC on June 19, 2013. She flew from Boise to Salt Lake City with  Sister Helms from our home ward. Aunt Shelly and our cousins picked them up. They were able to go to the Salt Lake Temple before Jasmine had to report to the MTC. Jasmine said, "This is me at the Temple with Aunt Shelley and Andrea. It was so fun to get to go with them before I entered the MTC." Here are some photos of the day.

Shelly, Jasmine, and Andrea in front of the Salt Lake City Temple.

Sister Helms, Jasmine, Annie,  Shelly.

Sister Helms, Jasmine, Andrea, Annie, Shawn. 

Hurrah for Israel! For President Walker back in Idaho.

Arriving at the MTC

And away they went. 

Jasmine meeting her first companion- Sister S. 

You can see a bit of her name tag and orange dot peeking out

from behind her hair. 

Jasmine and all of her MTC roommates on her first day in the MTC.

the call.

I knew the moment that President Monson announced that the age for missionary service had been lowered in October 2012, that my baby sister was already half way out the door. It seems like everyone else close to her had that moment of realization as well. Little Jazzy was going to be a missionary. She had already committed to play tennis for her college in the spring, and she made the decision to finish out the year of college. During which she would complete her associates degree, finish her mission papers, and set her availability date for the day after classes completed.

On March 8, Jasmine sprinted to the mailbox like she had been for a few weeks and the fat white envelope was finally there. Our other sister Janeen was out of town but flying in that night so Jasmine (being the kind patient lady she is) waited to open it till she could have her loved ones around her. Even though the soonest that could happen was at about 11:30 pm that night.

Olongapo, Philippines Mission

The Jensen Family (except Jacque) 

Even though none of us even knew how to pronounce Olongapo, or Tagalog, Jasmine was excited to serve and accepted her call. She knew it was where the Lord wanted her to go and that she would serve among and grow to love the people there.