Happy Birthday Sister H! (and more)

With Sister P at the beach. 

"One of my investigators is creative! She wrote me this whole letter backwards. I had to read it in the mirror! It may have been the single hardest letters I've ever tried to read." 

Sister H's birthday, with the Elbos and the Elders. Pancit for long life! 

Sister C. and I. 

Beautiful Masinloc.

My district. 

"I look a little cray cray, but the ocean was so beautiful."

Well, Still Here in the Philippines.

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a week of ups and downs for me. I am still struggling with the language and working hard to try and overcome that. But! I got to have exchanges this week because my companion is Sister Training Leader (STL) and it was a wonderful experience for me. I got to be with Sister S. who is from New Zealand and she had just gotten a package from her family with New Zealand Cadburry chocolate and she shared it with me. It was probably the best chocolate ever. It was so good! I have also decided that New Zealand sounds like the best and that the accent is super cool. If I ever go on a mission again I hope that it would be there because the food sounds amazing and it doesn't sound too different from Idaho. I also got a package from my family that I am forever grateful for. I have such a loving family and I realized how wonderful my family is until I got here. Next week we get to watch General Conference here and I am very excited. Sister S. helped me realized that missionary work can be fun! It doesn't always have to be super stressful and I can just be me and love the people. She is a very loving person. I am so grateful I got to see how missionary work can be. Fun and exciting! The most fulfillment in missionary work comes from really loving the people and feeling concern for them and their welfare. Something interesting for you all that you may not know. Here they go around on bikes selling balute and icecream ringing bells. They call the icecream on the street dirty icecream haha. No worries, we aren't allowed to buy from street vendors so we stay clean. The other day in STA Cruz I saw a man happy as a clam with cake. Cake is a specialty here. The relief society president here invited us over for lunch. When we got there it was a Filipino feast with pancit and other filipino dishes. It was her birthday.. People here are always doing that. Instead of expecting gifts on their birthdays they give instead. They are so loving and selfless. And of course it was delicious! I also got called miss world on Sunday. I guess I look like their new miss world here Megan something from Olongapo. Hahaha You will have to look her up and decide for yourselves. 

Well, I love you all! Take care and ALWAYS be safe! I hope to see you all when I get home! 

Love, 

Sister Jensen

"Sister E., the RS president with me on the mountain in Atob Baloganan and of course sister J. and I. Maganda (beautiful) ba?"

"The C. kids carrying chairs to come sit with us. And a view of the ocean."

The Great News!

Dear Family and Friends!

Wow, this week was great! I had my first companionship exchanges...That was interesting for me. It was with Sister C., the trainer of Sister H., the other American in our apartment. I realized how lucky I am to have Sister J. as my trainer. She really tries her best to help me with the language and help me. Sister J. is really good with English and Tagalog. I am really blessed to have her as a companion. She is very kind, loving, and giving. Most likely we will part in about two weeks. I really want to stay here in Masinloc, but one of us will be leaving, so we will see. I know I will miss her as my trainer. I also had to lead the area, which was really interesting. A lot of our appointments ended up not being home, so that was too bad and I had to search out more people to teach. It was tough, but I realized I knew more than I thought. I also had to talk a lot more because I was leading the area and Sister C. didn't know where she was supposed to talk and when I was supposed to. Sister J. and I have very smooth transitions because she hates pauses, so we transition through questions. Sister C. was waiting for me to pause.. eeek. It was a learning experience. 

Also this week Sister V. was baptized! It was so exciting for us to see! Her son President E. (District president here), baptized her. It was so great to see families growing in the Gospel! She was so happy. She was scared to give her testimony so she wrote it down on a piece of paper and read it. Afterwards she gave it to me because I asked her for it! It was great! 

The next day she was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by her son and recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost. That very evening she went out to work with us as our member present to some of her friends and family. She insisted on walking instead of taking a tricycle. All in all I think she walked several miles at the age of 63! And then we had to climb up a hill to get to an investigators house with just a flashlight and it was pretty steep. She did that as well! All the way up and all the way back! It was Astig (awesome)! She is already doing so great as a member! She is truly inspiring. I love her so much haha. She is a laugh. I never knew how strong her testimony about going to church was until she came with us. She testified of the importance of church and said that if she didn't go to church then the devil wins. She has such a strong testimony about going to church. I loved being out with her. 

Her Son also helped us this week and testified about keeping the sabbath holy. One of the biggest sales day here for his store is a Sunday, but he is closed on it anyway because he has faith. His testimony helped one of our investigator families come to church. They were worried about the father not making enough money driving his tricycle to feed them if he went to church. President E. told them to just try it once, and they did! I know the Lord will bless the Nesperos family because of it. 

I love you all! All is great here, thank you for your love and support!

Love, 

Sister Jensen

President E. and his family, and his mother, Sister V. 

Sister H., President E., Sister C., Sister V., Sister Jensen, Sister J.

Grabi ang Ulan! (Wow, lots of rain-roughly translated)

Hello po para sa lahat! 

Well, this week has been very rainy here in the Philippines, but that is the way it is in rainy season. I am just waiting it out for mango season really hahaha. I am so excited for the mangoes! There are so many here, but not on the trees because the season isn't until like december. Bananas taste amazing here. They taste like candy, but you have to get the right kind. My companion is always saying that fruit and stuff is expensive. So, I am trying to learn how to live healthy here. I don't eat rice because well.. That is a recipe for fatness. Ask anyone here. Who knew that something so flavorless could make you fat? I would rather get fat through deliciousness hahaha so I avoid rice like the plague. It works great! I have been thinking that it is a blessing because maybe if I was somewhere else I would want all the delicious food and I would get fat, but it isn't much of a temptation here now that I know I should avoid it hahaha. I also discovered shakes here last week and I think I almost died and went to heaven. It was heavenly. I loved it. We have transfers on October 16. Most likely Sister J. will go somewhere else and I will stay here and lead the area. I like it here in Masinloc! It is great! We have the best neighbors (Elder and Sister Doyle) and a 7 11 and a shake place, so it makes me happy. We can't eat out a lot, but when we get to I love it! I am starting to learn more of the language. It is something I have to constantly strive to learn. It isn't easy, but I am learning more each day. I hope that I will become fluent quickly. I am working to and have felt the prayers of others helping me. I am trying to relate to the people here and help them as best as I can. I want to love the people here and feel the burning I felt from sharing the gospel in my native tongue at home with the people here. I know I care for the people here because I rejoice in their good choices and feel sorrow when they digress and don't follow the Savior's invitation to come unto him and repent. MIssionary work is hard work. You are constantly trying to improve yourself so you can help improve others. It is a struggle for sure. Sometimes I can't help but feel a little stress from trying to change, but I have felt the support of the Lord. Sometimes when I feel I can't go any further I know that God helps me. He helps me in every day things. Sometimes I don't want to go out in the rain, I want to stay in the investigators house and wait it out, but we go anyways and I think of the Savior and what he would do. I think of what he did and all he suffered for us. Being wet for a while was the least of his concerns. I know that as we repent we come closer to Christ. The commandments are essential to our lives and help us to live a higher law. As missionaries we invite people to repent and live that higher law. It isn't easy work, but I know sometime I will look back and feel fulfillment if I try my hardest. 

I love you all! Thank you for your support!

Mahal Kita!

Sister Jensen

I am studying :) Being a good missionary. "First seek to obtain my word, then declare it."

Filipino Post! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hello everyone!

Don't worry about me. Really don't. Everything is great here. There are challenges of course and it is definitely not home. "Todo, I don't think we are in Idaho anymore.". That is for sure. So, they do eat a lot of rice here. They say that if you don't have rice with a meal it is only snacking. I have to disagree. I miss noodles and whole wheat bread. They only have white bread here, but what can you expect? It is a third world country? Anyways, I am adjusting much better and we have been very busy this week. We have worked very hard. Each day my companion has a list of things I need to improve on, but yesterday she had nothing. Yes! She just said she was happy with our work. So, I am progressing. Still trying to learn the language. My companion, Sister J. is very nice to help me with that. Everyday I ride a tricycle to our appointments, study, and sweat and sweat when it isn't raining. Someone stole my companion and I's umbrella's this week at our district meeting. It was sad. I loved my pokadot umbrella. I never realized how much I loved pokadots until I came here. I also never realized how many vegetables I ate before until now. When I cook I cook lots of vegetables, but when the other companionship cooks it is basically meat and rice.. I miss having my health conscious family hahaha. But it is still great. The people are wonderful and very nice. The work is progressing, but a lot of our investigators are not married, which is essential for baptism. Marriage is essential under the law of Chastity. Which states that sexual relations are sacred and saved for marriage. Can you believe I have already been in the Philippines for one month? It seems crazy that I have already been here that long. I would also like to tell you all.... MERRRYYYY CHRISTMAS! Yes, that is right. They celebrate Christmas from September until December here. They love their Christmas. I think it is great. The longer the Christmas spirit the better. Well, I love you all! Take care! I will talk to  you soon. Thank you for your prayers and support! 

Love always,

Sister Jensen

Beautiful Masinloc, and the Branch President's family.

Living the Filipino Kind of Life.

Laundry day!  

 The Bay Walk with Sister J.

"I hope you got all my pics. I really like the green veggie in the pic. It is called Siode (not sure on the spelling). It is good. I think you would like it mom. It is one of my favorites. they also have squash here which I love. The couples missionaries here are really nice and good to us. This morning Sister Doyle brought us bread and rice cakes. She also gave me peanut butter. It was good and I have been enjoying it. It is my comfort food. They have peanut butter here. I guess you can buy a big thing of it for about 10 dollars, but I haven't exchanged my money and I don't want the responsibility of the credit card yet. Sister Doyle is going to get some for me and just give me part. We don't have a ton of money to live off of here, but I will see exaclty how far it goes after this month and decide what to do. Mostly I really miss peanut butter m and ms and gronola bars."

Sister S. and MTC District

Sister Jensen and her companion Sister S.

Many missionaries take pictures next to this map.

June 30, 2013

Jasmine's district.

July 7, 2013

In front of the Provo Temple.

July 7, 2013

July 9, 2013 with her district.

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.