June 22, 2015

Hey,
So this week was a little better as far as homesickness goes, ok a lot better but Satan has definitely been trying me physically because let me tell you... I have heat rash from my waste to my feet... Everything
in between... Oh I sweat so much 2 days this week that i had to hang my clothes up
to dry after, So much sweat! And I will Not use gold bond because I tried it in Florida on a hike and found out that I'm allergic so i don't think that'll help. Oh mildew is crazy hard to avoid here. Seriously!

I'm stuck with another crappy computer sooo no pictures again... :( But its ok I guess. Lots of interesting lil animals here. Like dinosaur lizards, giant frogs, crabs, and armadillos. Oh I bought 6 bananas today and yea you're not gonna like this.... about $0.35 yeaaa...... Sooo I'm gonna be eating lots of bananas and there's this
huge mango tree next door and every day mangoes fall on the roof and it scares me.

So one of the hardest things to see a kid go through I guess is when they truly want to be baptized and their parents say no because the're too young or have their own religion. That happened twice this week. And then another girl wants to get baptized but she needs to marry her BF. That's common though, like here they don't get married until someone says "Hey you need to get married". Then they're like ok. Super weird. But yea she's 18 and he's 25 and they have been together 7 years... and they have 2 kids already. 

So one day we went to search for someone (investigator) and well he lives way out in the boonies because we walked for an hour and then we found him, at night. I was scared to go back because we didn't have a
flashlight of any kind and the road was a dirt/rocky road with puddles and there was no street lights either. But we prayed and we walked, started to sing, and there was a lot of heat lightning when there wasn't any street lights and I honestly think someone else was walking with us, if not Heavenly Father was sure watching. The dogs wouldn't even come onto the road when we passed by. Super crazy, and super far.

 Oh we have a baptism on Friday and I get to baptize her. It will be awesome.  Oh also I figured that if you can't talk the language, serve the people. 

Love you,
Elder Jensen

Mom: Is the food different in your new area?
EJ: I don't eat as much, sometimes i'm pretty hungry but I figured that my stomach can eat the fat there, so I'm not complaining. OOOH the bishop invited for lunch yesterday and mmmmm BBQ Chicken with
potato salad... and of course rice and beans... But! the Chicken was pretty good.

Mom: What helped you turn the corner this week?

EJ: The other american elder in the other area gave me a blessing last monday

after and that helped a ton. Also service helped, because it was for
our cook for lunches and she gained a lot of respect for me because I
guess people don't know what real hard work looks like?....Anyway... it was cool.

Mom: So for the heat rash it recommends staying cool...lol...

EJ: HA!!!! The only air conditioning in the area is the church building
which we don't have keys to, which is dumb because all other areas do
have keys to the buildings. Oh well.

Mom: I saw on FB that there are some serious rain storms and flooding going on. Is this affecting you or where you are?

EJ: Umm i don't think so, just lots of rain but they say that's normal. Oh

speaking of which I'm on my 3rd umbrella. My first one leaked then my
second one, I bought here, got stolen form my house! Like it was on
the porch and in the morning it was gone. Which is stupid because
seriously I would compare this to Lake Helen like the size and
community. But whatever It was expensive. Then I bought another one
because I used my first one and it broke. It was like $8 so not bad.

June 15, 2015

The following is pieced letter from Tyler. He is struggling due to being sick and acclimating to new altitude, and major humidity, bugs... I will share part of his letters then share a small / big miracle.

Hey so this new area is good. Yea we can tract. Super safe and its good. But I have to babysit my comp. Like I have to wake him up in the morning and he still doesn't get out of bed until 7. I finally got better but got hit with something even worse i think. I got homesick and well it sucks... I just don't know what to do but I am struggling 
this week cause I've been dealing with homesickness and stress and yea.... I've tried to work but considering I can't talk in a lesson its hard to work. Remember when we moved and how I was shy all over again. Well that's how I've been since I left the MTC and especially now being transferred. I don't what to do. I have prayed hard and a lot and still don't know what to do...But I'm 6 months in the mission and still can't talk to people for nothing, like seriously I'll start then freeze up and stare at my comp asking/pleading to save me form the awkward silence, with everyone looking at me. None of my comps have been excited to work. Thats why I wonder if I should give up. I don't have an appetite and I'm a mess. Idk if its the heat but my body is swollen. I had to loosen my shoes quite a bit and I can't really take my ring off anymore for right now anyways.

 Yea I drink a ton, My sweat tastes like water actually. Like not really that salty. But I was almost eaten alive last night by like these bugs. They aren't mosquitoes they're like gnats that bite and they ITCH!!!! Like crazy!!!!

Thats crazy. I sweat 24/7 though. Seriously though. So much humidity. They don't understand what dry is. I tried to explain it and they were like huh? It could be my Spanish too though. Idk

Umm I tried pig head this week, that was gross. It was chewy. Not really any seafood, they like a pasta that has the shell pasta with ummm, its like a cold pasta salad with tuna except the tuna is bad. Like the texture is nasty. 

Oh, still no pictures... its a computer thing...
Love you

Tyler

(mom)

I was wondering how the transfer would affect you. You don't like change... Your dad doesn't either. And really I don't either.

I told you I applied for a job... Many actually. Just filling in the application was really hard for me...like fear was just flowing through me. I don't feel qualified or feel like I'm always being judged, or what can I offer kind of feelings. Dad reminded me that if job opportunities present it is because the Lord is blessing me. And if it's a gift from the Lord then he's going to give me the strength I need to do the job. I just have to really lean on him.

Remind yourself that 1, you know the Lord is protecting you, 2, this transfer was a blessing for enduring Ipis. If your companion sleeps in... Cultural lazy thing but maybe you could compromise and either get an extra 30 minutes sleep to get over your bug or you get extra quiet time to study.   Find the tender mercy there somehow. I think you will always find the native comps will not be go getters. Can you imagine Eric as a go getter? Doesn't mean they don't carry the spirit with them they just do things different. 

Just know that it will probably take another week or so to get your feet under you again and you will be good to go again. Don't be hard on yourself. Don't compare yourself to others. Some people thrive on change some don't.

I love you and have all the faith in the world that you are doing a great job! Stay faithful and trusting in the lord and you have great blessings awaiting you. I read your mission letter Friday as I was preparing my talk and the last paragraph talked all about those blessings.  Know that your emotional self is probably weak too because of being physically sick. It's a lot to go through. 

(We chatted back and forth a bit then this cool miracle happened)

Ok... So big miracle just occurred... We got infested with ants on Friday but just before that this guy came soliciting customers for his bug service ... At first we were like naw ... But then he came back later and said he had to have us as customers and offered us a deal that was like 90% off.  So we caved in and thought well ok. So just now they just got here to treat the house... Here's the miracle part, they are both returned missionaries and I asked them what they felt... They said they both went through the exact same thing. One went to Peru and the other Korea. They said they didn't feel comfortable with the language until about a year. They said native comps were the hardest but they would encourage you to  focus on getting to know the comp before trying to push hard in the work. They said don't give up. Talk to Martinez. Tell him what you're feeling and see if he will help. If you need to talk to pres for counsel that's fine and get a blessing but coming home really isn't an option. My heart is so full that these guys got here the very moment they did. Can't you see just how mindful the Lord is of you right now? He loves you so much he infested us with ants :) . He knows your struggles. Please be kind to yourself. Maybe lighten up on your expectations of the language and teaching. Keep praying, keeping studying. It will come!

All our love

Mom and Dad

Thanks for everything mom You're awesome! I'll lighten up, ask for a blessing maybe from my zone leaders because they're american and so they could do it in English. But its almost time. I have 5 min but I love you so much mom! 

Tyler

June 8, 2015

Hey!
So this last week was sadly another sucky week BUT today made up for it because I GOT TRANSFERED!!!
 I am in La Rita 2, in Guapiles, Limon, and if you think Florida is Humid... Ha! I think I'll lose like 5 lbs this week alone!


But it is SO beautiful and greeen and Flat! Oh and most importantly calm! Like no barbed wire or anything like that. Still have like fences and locks and bars and stuff but like I can Feel the difference
in the air (and not only the humidity) like it is so peaceful! Its super nice. And all the people will say hi and yea its pretty great.

So I guess we're in like a flood zone, like that is the only danger, and mosquitoes and so I need to buy bug spray but its great here. They say it rains a lot here and so much that I guess if you don't dry your
clothes fast enough they get mold on them easily. Our house has a roof and then walls, and like the roof goes up but the walls don't so like above the walls its all connected. I don't know if that makes sense.
I'll take pictures. My new comps name is Elder Maritnez and he is from Mexico and is pretty cool. He came with Andrade But the difference with him is he is mature and so that good. But yea.

I'm still sick and I was told to buy meds the other day and YIKES!!! 3 pills...... For $16..... yea and I took them the way I was supposed too and I don't feel any different... I'm not happy about that, I also bought a liquid like cough syrup.... I mean Alcohol. So we were told to buy it and so we did and it said on the label Alcohol and I was
like thats normal for cough medicine but then it said keep away from, not kids, alcoholics... YEA Seriously! I took it and was like "that is really alcohol." Smelt my breathe and was like. "Hopefully the cops don't get us" Cause it was that bad.

Funny thing, I was mad that Victor was moving away... turns out he is close to my new area... crazy!

I think thats all with me. The computers are being dumb and I can't upload pictures so hopefully next week.
Love you
Elder Jensen

June 1, 2015

Hey!

 So not much new... Well its because I got sick last Tuesday,  its a cold and its in my chest. and have been since and so we were at Victor's house all week because he knows everyone and so we can teach people that come to his house then we can rest because he has an extra bed. Oh I bought allergy pills the other day, Yea only 3 for $4!!!! And they didn't even work! Like I still sneeze and my nose is still runny and ugh!

But yea nothing new happened this week sadly. We didn't work hard at all but we were also both sick. Anyways My testimony has been strengthened that the Lord has definitely been protecting me. Nothing happened. Only yesterday seemed like it was "Tell the missionaries your stories of someone getting killed just across the street day" yeaaaa..... Like everyone we visited was like oh yea I remember when so and so was killed. And I was like oh Good! Haha yeaaaa that was fun. Even members getting robbed and they're not white! So yea definitely that! Oh well this one family who I skyped at their house on mothers day, who sent a missionary off a couple weeks ago.  They got robbed in the street before the missionary left and before they still didn't have anything and he still went and his brother is working to try to support him but I think the ward is helping a lot too. Oh and he is learning Englsih and he knew it would be hard but he is loving it.

So today we are at the Stake Center playing around as a zone and let me tell you. I do not like playing Volley Ball with Latinos because they don't know the rules and they aren't good.... I was annoyed.... Also my Zone leader is being dumb, not Lohberg the other who is going home next week. Oh yea this is the 6th week and so transfers are next week. I don't know what will happen. I think I'll be here another transfer but not sure because everyone has been saying "oh you are going this time" But I don't know. We'll see. I kinda wanna stay too because I'm finally getting more confident in my Hey!

I was pretty sad and very shocked when I heard about Elder Perry. I didn't think he'd be the first to go in that group.

Oh 10 min ago I was doing back flips and front flips. I'm trying to make my stomach go away, but its hard. Its easier to gain than lose sadly. That's also why I want a bike, and I think it would be more efficient. I think that's all? not sure but I love you

Elder Jensen

PS... my safety has been incredible. I realized that yesterday! And seriously its crazy to think about.