Elder Jenson Mission Blog: Christmas week

Hello friends and family and merry Christmas! It has been crazy here having Christmas in summer! I had so much fun on Christmas and it really was so awesome here. Transfers were just yesterday and I stayed in Sutherland! My new comp is Elder iino! He is from Japan but he speaks really good english because he attended BYU Hawaii! We have hit it off great and he is the man! Looking forward to this transfer! Here is my week update!

Tuesday- Had half a P day then we went and taught Rolf at the Chapel and it went really good as usual! We shared a good Christmas video with him to get him in the mood for Christmas! After that we went and did Create your own burger at Macca’s and it was the bomb!

Wednesday- We did service in the morning for an elderly couple like we do every week! Then after that we got some lunch, deep cleaned the flat for transfers, and we did some shopping for stuff we needed! Then after all that we went to the Cashman’s house for a nice Christmas meal, and a message!

Thursday- Christmas Eve! We started the day off doing service for a old couple in the ward and then they fed us a delicious lunch! After that we went and visited a less active member and shared a message with him! It was good to be there for him during Christmas because he gets lonely! After that we got our stuff together and got ready to go sleep over at another group of elder’s flat! It was approved by President so we weren’t breaking rules! haha then after we got there we played some Settlers of Catan! I love that board game! Then we went to a massive feed at a members home and it was so good! It was a bunch of Chilean people and we just ate food and sang Feliz Navidad while we ate haha it was so fun! Then we went back to the flat and opened presents and watched Wreck it Ralph, which was also approved haha! I got heaps of gifts and letters from family, friends, and ward members from back at home and also from members here in Sutherland so thank you to all of those who sent me stuff, it meant a lot!

Friday- Christmas day!! We woke up and went to a members house for Breakfast and it was delicious! After that we went to The Kendrick’s home for lunch and for a game of Cricket and Kickball! I sucked at Cricket haha it is so hard but it is actually kinda fun to play! We spent heaps of time there just hanging with everyone, playing games, eating food, and talking! After that we went to the chapel to meet up with the other missionaries in the zone and we played some games at the chapel together before we called it a night! It was definitely weird being away from home for Christmas, it really didn’t feel like Christmas here at all! It helped having awesome families in the ward who had us over and heaps of members in the ward sent us merry Christmas texts and gave us gifts so that made us feel very loved!

Saturday- Woke up and did the normal routine, and then I got to skype my family! It was so nice to see them and also the wonderful Bekah Anderson as well :) Seeing and talking to them definitely made Christmas so much better and it made me feel at home! Skyping was definitely the best! Then we just spent some more time with the Kendricks while we each waited for each other to Skype! After that we went and got some lunch, then we had to go and finish cleaning the flat! Then we just rode the trains for the night!

Sunday- We had church and it was Boden’s last Sunday in the Sutherland Ward! After Church we went a members home for lunch and dessert, but it was mostly dessert! It was so good and it made me feel fat hahaha! Then after that we went home so Boden could start to pack his things! After he finished that we went to the Cashmans again for dinner and a final goodbye for Boden!

Monday- We went to member’s homes so that Boden could say bye to everyone! We went to the Liehr’s house for lunch and it was delicious as usual! Then after that and he said bye to them we went to the Kendricks and he said bye to them! After that we went to Bishop’s house for FHE and we shared a message about being able to always find Christ through Prayer! It was a fun lesson!

Tuesday- Transfer day! I took Boden to get picked up his new Comp and I got to pick up Elder iino! Then we had to make the hour drive home and then I let Elder iino unpack his stuff! After that we went and I showed him around the area! After that we went to the Cashman’s house for dinner and a message! I am so grateful for the companion I have now! He is the man and we are going to have a good transfer together!

It has been a great week and I am so grateful for all that I have! I love my Savior, family, and friends so much! I love this Gospel so much and I am grateful to be a missionary! My spiritual thought for the week is 3 Nephi 9:14, and we see in this Scripture that the Lord always has his hand stretched out towards us! We just need to grab it! No matter how dark life gets, Christ will always be there and he will always accept us! If we take his hand and come unto Him we will be blessed and have Eternal life! What better promise can we get? Love you guys heaps!

Elder Jenson