Baby's bday Say What 16

October 28^th, 2013

wow Lexi's mission just sounds incredible. How does that even happen that she gets to see all those people.. Jealous! 

Can i just tell you this random A.D.D. moment i had this week. I just randomly remembered when Preston got his leg stuck in the metal fence at Disney world and it took him forever to get it out! and we finally got it out... and he sticks it back in!!! HAHAHA i cant stop laughing whenever i think of things like that! Hope you guys had fun in Disney for baby's bday.

Anyways this week was great, how about dad called Kat and it just so happened that i was with her!(Kat is the wife of the 1st counselor in the Bishopric.  She told Ashlyn she would pick up a package from Mark when he was on an overnight in NJ, so he called to set up the handoff :)) We brought her as a team up to teach our investigator with us! I was literally talking all about you dad and just the whole family and then she goes "omg a las Vegas number is calling me what if its your dad.?" I was driving so i couldn't even look at the number but she answered and i could slightly hear his voice, well not really just like i don't know just the typical way dad would answer the phone and i knew it was him and instantly my eyes tear up!!! I WAS DYING!! but don't worry I'm not distracted! They are excited to meet you, i truly love them!

  We had zone conference and we were "inspired" by my dear mission president and other missionaries! I actually LOVE  going to those cause i love being with other missionaries, seriously some of the missionaries in the mission are just absolutely the strongest people i have ever met! It is incredible the testimonies people have and you would all be surprise i actually get up and bear my testimony in front of everyone almost every time! haha what has gotten into me? I'm just this spiritual giant that no one even knows about! 

This week has been hard finding people.. we found NO new investigators.. we have one right now and he is really progressing he just cant handle the word of wisdom so its a little frustrating! The imlays sent me a package i sure love them. I am so happy for Chaddy. I really do remember when he texted me that! I called him later that night after i got his text and he told me the story and cried! it honestly was when he got his testimony. Heavenly Father loves his children.

We had a noche de hispanidad! So I'm in a district and there are 3 branches and between 3 branches we have 37 different nationalities! So you can only imagine how fun that night was! We had so many different types of food, ritual dances and songs and just EVERYTHING! President Jeppson was there and he played his guitar he was jammin! He is amazing! Videos to show you when i return.. in a year almost exactly as of tomorrow :) haha yay! The missionaries all got up and sang called to serve.. SOOO typical. 

 But oh here's my new "assignment" for me and my comp! SO literally NO ONE has visiting teaching.. Less actives show up to church and people act like they are brand new and they make them stand up and introduce themselves as new and they get really offended and hurt.. WELL we are kind of frustrated with it cause it happened like 3 times in a row to less actives that have been showing up for like 9 Sundays in a row! (btw just looking at the rude born again christian staring at me again) SO we make an appt with the relief society president and we tell her who needs visiting teachers who doesn't have them and like just focused on specific people... WELL yep guess who has a new assignment me and my comp! WE are teaching relief society in Spanish next week about visiting teaching. haha cant be mad about it though because i literally asked if we could because I'm so tired of their lack of visiting teaching! AND now currently me and my comp are praying and assigning EVERYONE in relief society a new companion and people to see..feeling a little stressed about it, and it is  SERIOUSLY THE HARDEST THING ever. BUT we wanted to do it because we want this branch to keep growing. Our branch president loves us! We went to his house yesterday for a AWKWARD lesson with his whole full grown family that fell away from the church but he bore his testimony yesterday and cried and said how grateful he is for us and the motivation and improvement he has seen in the branch since we have come in.

Its babies birthday! YOU TELL HER I LOVE HER! and share the knee story with pressy haha tell him i love him for writing me :) i love them all.

Anyways I'm excited for dad to be so close I'm actually gonna be in Newark at 4 tomorrow.. hah SO CLOSE! but i love you all .I'm doing good i promise. This gospel is true. My heart is sold on it. My testimony is strong and i love this work. love you all! xoxxx hasta la proxima!

ps. so its "fall" but i swear it is winter.. 

Sharing what I've learned

October 21, 2013

 This might be a short email but sorry! This week was great. We went on that splits like i had mentioned before and umm yeah it was BLEHHHHHH. Could I communicate with the lady that was with me.. NO! 

So Ive been feeling a little sad that Ive been here for like almost 5 months and I haven't had a baptism yet.. So I'm not quite sure what my purpose is or what help i actually am doing for this area... but yesterday at church kind of helped me see my purpose. So we take this girl out Haz, who is 17 years old and is a senior in high school.. i don't know if i have ever talk about her. But She has been struggling. BUT we have been taking her on team ups with us to go and teach people, and then after I always just talk to her and share like a spiritual thought with her. Well recently she has just been like unloading when she gets in the car like all her problems and stuff. I have been just giving her advice and talking to her about pretty much all of my problems i have had and she just opens up. Well I didn't really think that it mattered that much that she has been coming out. BUT yesterday Gus (1 counselor of the branch) asked her if she would come up and share her favorite scripture and her testimony. She got up there and was like well to be honest with everyone here I don't have a favorite scripture because well I don't read the scriptures.. (shocked when she said that...) (proud of her though to admit it) BUT then she said but my testimony, that, i can say i have. She said i would like to say that i have gained a testimony because i have been going out with the sister missionaries. She said one time, after we taught someone, we got in the car and i was just talking with sister jorgensen and i told her i didn't have a testimony and she snapped at me and said haz do you believe in God? i said yes.. She said that he lives? That he is your father? I said yes... She said do you believe that he loves you? I said yes.. She said do you know that Jesus is the Christ? That he died for you? I said yes.. She said now haz don't you ever tell me again that you don't have a testimony. Even though it may be simple it is the strongest testimony. Haz then continued and said I want to bear my testimony (started crying) That I know God lives and that even though it maybe be a simple small testimony, i can now say that i have one. I am grateful for sister jorgensen and her example to me and for the sister missionaries allowing me to go with them... She continued her testimony and during it all i just had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat and for one split second i felt like i was being an effective missionary.. That night i texted her that i loved her and told her to not forget to pray, and she wrote back and said " i love you too, thank you to both of you, i have seen a change in my life, and i am grateful that i got the chance to get know you both." I just love that girl. It is weird how if i never came on my mission i would have never met her.. I have funny stories from this week but no time to write them, lets just say i ended up in Manhattan once again on my mission.. NOT ALLOWED but the boat that we thought was right for liberty island was WRONG so yeah whoops! haha 

hey fam i love you all. ! LOVE YOU! tell baby i love her and to have the best birthday ever. also tell bubba that he is the best brother for always writing me when he doesn't have to! i love you too Lexi! mom and dad. goodness i love you both as well :) oh also Austin (you remember him my friend ya know Austin) yeah he got his mission call to CAMBODIA!! crazy!

Hermana dos

Say What!!! FALL is Amazing

FALL HAS ARRIVED

October 16,2013

sooo SORRY I couldn't email this week on Monday because it was Christopher Columbus day... LAME! I KNOW! But its okay :) Here's my story for the week, so sorry that they aren't as spiritual as Lexi's. I cant seem to find that here, in Jersey, the apostles don't just frolic here in dirty jerz like they do in the promise land :) haha I wish I was kidding but I'm not! ANYWAYS

So lets just get it over with.. the awkward days of missionary work! SO we have a less active, named Marth. SUPER LESS ACTIVE. So we get call from her on Wednesday night and she says hey can you and the elders come over so they can give a blessing. We were like oh yeah, thinking this is just great she is asking for a blessing using the priesthood like yes!! Well we had to arrange it with the elders to come over, because they couldn't come in the house without another man because she just lives with her 2 daughters. So, they call it a "team up"(they have to have other men assist), and then they had to ask President if it was okay to drive that day because it is technically our "walking day" . But President said it was okay. So we show up, Me and Sister Garn, to her house and we ring the doorbell... no answer.. We see the elders "team up" pull up but no elders. So we ring again and no answer. We called her and asked her where she was and she said, "Oh I'm at work, and i won't be home but that's okay cause the blessing is for Priscilla..." seriously Priscilla is her 22 years old daughter who I have "taught" before and she has NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER. I was kind of like hmm that's weird but okay. So Abby (her youngest daughter who is a member) comes and gets the door and it is just awkward cause she doesn't understand why we are there.. We told her the elders were coming to give Priscilla a blessing (who has a cyst on her neck that the doctors don't know what it is) She said okay come in... So we came in and Priscilla was in the kitchen cooking and saw us and was like uhh.. hi? We were like HI?  Your mom said you needed or wanted a blessing? She was like umm I have no idea what you are talking about... So she goes back in the kitchen and just leaves us awkwardly sitting in her living room (which is right by the kitchen) and I over heard her call her mom. She was like, "Mom why did you do this? I hate your religion. I don't even like the missionaries. And then some swear words were streamed into her yelling.. haha Then she started rambling in Spanish and yeah.. AWKWARD! So the elders finally show up and they were like hey! So we are here to give you a blessing! And I had text them before they arrived and told them everything that happened so they came in and were like Okay... Priscilla You need a blessing? Were you sick or something? She was like yeah I don't know why my mom asked you to come I just had the flu thats it.. When she said that I was about to be like NO YOU LIAR! YOU HAVE A CYST STOP MAKING YOUR MOM LOOK BAD! Anyways long story short She denied the blessing and we just taught her about the Book Of Mormon... And we asked her about faith and the bible and what she believes. To make this long story short she said.. "The Bible is like a fairytale. Its just full of stories and fairy tales, and love stuff and dumb stuff and you can make it what you want." .... hmmm not exactly but whatever! I mean I've never read the whole Bible but I sure as heck know it isn't a fairy tale book...  Then we asked her if she had any religion or beliefs and she was like ya know I have been really studying religion and I think I'm gonna go into Buddhism... None of us knew what to say... hahah Sorry this is so long BUT needless to say this lesson was a DISASTER! We had a "team up" with us and everything... SO AWKWARD! My comp and I are going back there tonight for the first time so this could be interesting! 

We had transfers yesterday and umm can we just get a moment of silence... SISTER GARN AND I GOT A NEW CAR! 2014 Cruz!! Yeah we are riding in style... 26 miles on it :) SPOILED HERE IN JERSEY! Okay also Megan Larsen from our home stake is in my mission! NO ONE TOLD ME!!! Still here in Passaic! I'm serving here for 6 months! I want to serve here another transfer after this one.. SO EVERYONE START PRAYING NOW!!

 I have to give a training to like 8 other missionaries on Friday about having faith.. JUST A LITTLE NERVOUS! haha but its been good for me to prepare for this because it has been helping me! Oh also today I am going on splits with a member in my ward who doesn't speak English AT ALL! To see someone who doesn't speak English at all either... WISH ME LUCK! Spanish is KILLING ME! but its okay I am understanding it! THE MISSION LIFE IS GREAT! hey i love you all! Thank you Lori and Millie for your letter and grandma for always faithfully writing me :) 

LOVE YOU ALL!

beautiful fall leaves :) not my area, I'm more in a city! Megan Larsen from our home stake!

Loved Conference

October 7, 2013

Okay how about this! You know sister Atkinson right? well she was "sister" Atkinson but she went home! When she was here i would talk about Africa all the time! She called me and asked me for the name of HELP International and everything like months ago. So I gave it to her, and she called me last Monday and was like soo you are gonna be so mad but I'm going to AFRICA!! (cause i told her to wait for me) but she said I'm going to MBALE! They just called me tonight like 1 hour ago and said "im on the team" haha I laughed! She goes I told them you referenced me and everything and Candice they lady that works at the office said she remembered me! AHHH i just died talking to her telling her all the places she needs to go and see and what to expect... it made me really miss Africa.... But hey look at me recommending people to do good :) 

Some high lights of the week! Well Tuesday night we taught our investigator Edwin who is 24 and I never really have a lot of faith in him because he is 24 single working in new york city.. i mean ya know..  Just hard to have faith BUT we had a wonderful zone meeting all about faith and that is our monthly focus and it is great! So i was a little over board on the whole faith situation, i was on such a spiritual high! haha Well we get into his house and this is the second time we have met with him and he was just a little sketchy about reading and praying.  He was like ya wanna know something cool and sister Garn and I were like yeah. He was like this past week my cousin called me who lives in the DR and he needs money, and he said I always promised my family I would send them money if they needed. So he goes on to say the next day he went and played the lottery, and right when he said that i was just like OH MY GOSH.. no we cant do that.. hahah Anyways he said i played the lottery and i never win. I play only every once in a while (that's good) he said I NEVER win. Well i put the lottery ticket on the fridge and forgot about it, He said that next day he went to the same gas stations to buy a drink and the guy at the front desk said Edwin you won the lottery ticket! He said right when the guy said that he thought for a second how that was a blessing and that he won that money to send to his family, and how he never wins. He said it was weird because instantly he thought of us, and what we had talked about.. he said i couldn't get it out of my mind, the conversation that we talked about. (we talked about how god is real and prayers and miracles can happen) He said he read some of the BOM and liked it... and sorry to leave you there but we have an appt. with him on Tuesday so! haha i will update you later!

I loved General Conference didn't watch it like the usual! SIster Garn and Elders Diaz y Daniel we all watched conference together in the SMALL clerks office in our church..  We brought milk and oreos and chips and salsa and it was GREAT! Conference actually meant something to me this time. Boy did they throw down on commandments, tithing and the law of chastity to be specific!  It was great! We had an investigator and her 5 kids come (who will soon be the elders investigator because she lives in their area) But I went into conference with a question "What does it mean to trust in the Lord?" All the answers seemed to be the same to me... FAITH. So I am starting small by having a better attitude and being completely positive about everything i do, say, think, so on and so on! A quote i really liked was by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Doubt your doubts, before you doubt your faith." Also Jeffrey R. Hollands quote i couldn't quite catch but it was about disabilities.. and i just cried. haha My zone leader watched it somewhere else then me and he said when I heard that quote i thought of you and your little sister he said it was incredible! Everyone here knows aubs :) 

Sunday conference was incredible too! Maybe the second coming is coming or something... like all of the apostles and everyone just testified to strengthen and hold strong to our testimonies and endure... JESUS IS COMING!

Oh i allowed dad to do service :) This homeless man stopped me and said hey young lady you got a dollar.. I knew he was homeless so i said yes, and I looked in my wallet and saw another dollar bill so i gave him 2. We continued to talk and I invited Him to come to church and he started having tears run down his face and he said "i cant i stink." I kind of over spoke him and said no everyone is invited we are all children of God. He said "No Young lady, i stink." He said, " No one will want to sit by me i haven't showered in a week." "I am 64 and i live behind that restaurant under that shelter thing. I haven't even met my grand kids." He slowly started walking away and I looked in my wallet and pulled out the 5 and walked to him and gave it to him and said, "Do what you want with this money, and never forget that you have a Heavenly Father that loves you." Don't ask me why I said that. That same night I had the opportunity to have a young women come out with us as a team up. I love Haz. I know she is struggling.  She said can i ask you something? I said yeah. She goes I want to help my boyfriend come into the church and be a member but how can i do that if i cant even be a good member or live the commandments myself? Well I just laid into her and told her my whole life story and how no one is perfect and how we need to repent, and also HOW YOU CANT CHANGE BOYFRIENDS! HAHA we all know that.. now ;) haha But i seriously bore my testimony for like 35 minutes, and the main things i said was i know that Heavenly Father loves you and wants you to start living his way so you can return to him. She just sat there with tears in her eyes and said thank you, can i come back out with you on Tuesday! So i hope i am being a good influence on her!

I don't know why I said those things i did, but that night as I was praying I just had an overwhelming feeling that God loved me. I reflected on the things that i said to haz and the homeless guy, and truly came to realize that i was speaking by the spirit because in all reality i learned from the words i spoke probably more then they did...

I know God lives. I know he knows me better than I know myself. I know he loves everyone equally, and more than we can comprehend. More than I can comprehend. May you all have a great week this week, and never forget that God is watching over you! Make good choices, and live worthily :) LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

xoxx

hermana jorgensen!

ohhh the holidays :) i love you momma!

1. my zone!

2. My wonderful most inpired zone leaders they seriously help me so much (the outfits might throw you off haha but i promise they are just incredible)

1. how people dry there clothes. haha what?! 2. me and my comp at zone meeting! I LOVE ZONE MEETINGS!