31-10-11

(Huge road construction project in Vila Real.)
Dear Family,
I hope that everything is going awesome overthere. So, this week Elder Lefevre and I, we decided to pray and to ask where the Lord wanted us to go knock. So, we prayed and Elder Lefevre saw this building that we had passed by a hundred times. So, we went there and we knocked it and we found a man named António. So, we said a prayer with him and then we set up another appointment to come back in a couple days. So, we came back and he let us in and we said a prayer and then he tells us a little about his life. He is unemployed (normal for Portugal) and he lives with his sick mom. He smokes and he is about 32 years old. He had worked in Holland on the tulips farms but he had lost his job and on the way here he and his girlfriend got in a car crash and she was killed. He then told us that 5 months ago he had tried to commit suicide but that one of his friends had found him and took him to the hospital, and he was in a coma for a week. And that just nothing in his life was going well. So, we testified about the power of the Atonement and that if he did the things that the Savior wanted him to do, he could be releaved from all the pain that he has in his life and then we invited him to be baptized and he accepted. So, that was a really cool experience. Then, the next day Elder Lefevre and I prayed over a date for him to be baptized and we chose two dates to pray over the 13 and 20. So we prayed and we both came to the conclusion that he should be baptized on the 12. But that would require that he comes to stake conference (yesterday), in Porto, which is 2 hours away, which would be hard for a smoker to do. But we felt that that was the day it should be. So, we went to his house at 9 pm that day and we watched Finding Faith in Christ and he really liked it and then we said that we had prayed and the we think he should be baptized on the 12. And he said yes!!! It was way cool haha. But wait it gets better. So, then we asked if he wanted to come to stake conference, and he said yeah, where is it? and we asid Porto. And he said that´s cool, what time do I need to be ready and where do I need to be? So, told him everything and then we left. (By the way we invited him to stake conference on Saturday night.) So, we went the next morning and picked him up and then we went to stkae conference. It was really cool. President Torgan gave an awesome talk where he proves the Church true with the Bible and then he says but that isn´t a good reason to join the Church, the only reason should be because you pray and receive a witness from the Holy Ghost. But it was a really powerful talk and António loved it and then we left so that he could smoke and he says that we have a lot of work to do for him to be ready on the 12 but that he really wants to do this and that he knows it will change his life for the better. And he bonded a lot with the members and he heard their testimonies and he really liked it and it strengthened his will to be baptized. And we have another appointment with him today. But please pray for him, he needs all the help he can get to be protected from Satan.
I love and thank you guys for all that you do for me. I am sorry if I am slacking on letters, not much time to write haha. I hope you guys have an awesome Halloween.
Love,
Elder Spencer Jensen

10-17-11

Dear Family,
Well, this week was pretty normal. As you can see from this photo that Vila Real this week was covered in smoke from wildfires and it was like this all week. Well, a lot of our appointments fell through, so not much to say. We are still finding and teaching people to baptize. It is a lot of fun and a great challenge to find the elect of God. but once you find them you know it haha. I will put in a cool little scripture thing that was shown to us in a training about the Book of Mormon and how important it is in the last days. First, to 2 Nephi 29:2

2 And also, that I may remember the promises which I have made unto thee, Nephi, and also unto thy father, that I would remember your seed;and that the words of your seed should proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and my words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth,

So, here is something really cool. The Book of Mormon will leave the mouth of God or in other words is the voice of the Lord. Now, go to D&C29:7

7 And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;

So, when the elect of God hear/read the Book of Mormon they are hearing the voice of God and they will recognize and respond to that voice. There was a lot more to the training, but that is the part that I like the best. And it shows how important the Book of Mormon is to us and to the world. Oh, and one more scripture, D&C 20:8,13

8 And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon;
13 Therefore, having so great witnesses, by them shall the world be judged, even as many as shall hereafter come to a knowledge of this work.

So, we will be judged by how we use the Book of Mormon and how we accepted it. And we don´t even have all the Book of Mormon because we can´t live up to the part that we do have. But once we do Heavenly Father will reveal the rest to us.

Thanks for all you guys do for me and for all the support.
Love,
Elder Spencer Jensen

10-10-11

Dear Family,
Well, this week i had one of the most amazing experiences of my mission. It all starts with General Conference, and a talk by Elder Scott. The talk was about memorizing scriptures and the strength that comes from that. Well, he used a scripture that I really like now Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” This scripture became to mean a lot to me, because it is exactly what a missionary needs to do to be successful. And I liked it so much that I memorized it in Portuguese.
So, the week went on and the baptism that we had marked for this weekend fell through. She didn´t want to be baptized and basically ran away from us. So, Saturday morning my companion and I were feeling pretty down because we had worked so hard this transfer and nothing seemed to be working out and we hadn´t had any baptisms. So, we were knew that the Lord had given us the goal of 2 people to baptize and that there were at least 2 people in our huge area that the Lord had prepared to be baptized. We prayed to know what we should do and then we remembered this list we had gotten from our branch president on children ages 9-30, whose parents are baptized but they never were. So, we prayed to chose who we would call. And we felt 2 names, Claudia, 15 and Paulo, 11, and they are siblings. But the problem is, is that they live in Bragança which is two and a half hours away from Vila Real. And we called the dad, José Carlos and he said we could pass by his work and talk for ten or fifteen minutes if we wanted to, but that his wife doesn’t like the Church at all. So, that is a long way to travel and a lot of money if they aren´t going to accept anything. But we felt that the Lord had told us that they were the children whom we should visit, so we prayed one more time to see if this is what we should do and it was.
So, we really didn’t know what we were going to say or how we were going to say it, because we were going to a stranger to ask his family to be baptized the next day. But we had faith that the Lord would help us and we put our confidence in him.
Next, we bought out tickets for the bus and two and a half hours later we arrived in Bragança, Portugal. We took a taxi and got to his work and he was nice and respectful. But he had a lot of fear of his wife and her getting mad at him; because every time he talks about the Church he said she gets mad at her. But we told him why we were here and that there will be a temple in Portugal soon and he felt the Spirit and gave us his address and we went to his house. But we had to act as if he hadn’t sent us there, like we just had been doing this without him knowing.
So, we knocked in the door and his wife, Paula answered the door and she was really nice, and we offered to say a prayer with her in the doorway, but she said that her husband was a member and that we should pass by when he was home. So, we said ok and she said he would be back at six thirty pm. Well, that put us in a conundrum because the last bus to leave for Vila Real leaves at seven pm, which would mean we would be stranded in Bragança overnight. But we both had resolved that we wouldn´t leave without talking to the family and inviting them to be baptized. And the Lord had guided us that far so we called President Torgan and he said if our branch president will agree with what we were doing then we could stay. So, we called our branch president and he said that we could.
So, we knocked on José Carlos´s door again but we had no idea what we were going to say or how we were going to say it, but again we had trust that the Lord would help us. José was there and he was very apprehensive because he didn´t want to make his wife mad. But we told him we just wanted to talk to her and say a prayer with the family. So, he let us come in and we talked for a second and helped her with a few things around the house and then we asked to say a prayer and the whole family agreed and we said it. Well, we were still there to baptize the family so we sat down and started to talk to the family. We tried everything we could to get a Gospel conversation started, but they have a little boy named Simão (Simon). And he is the biggest, spoiled brat that I have every met in my entire life. He is one year old and basically rules the family. If he doesn’t get what he wants he just sits in the floor and starts to scream and the family immediately gives him whatever he wants and then he stops his fake crying.
Well, Simão was proving to be our greatest obstacle to getting a conversation started. Until finally after about forty minutes we just said that we were praying this morning and we felt that the Spirit was telling us that we should come to your family, because it is the time for them to be baptized and join the father in the Church and be sealed for eternity in the temple. And we bore witness of the Gospel and invited them to pray with us, each person says a prayer and ask Heavenly Father if the Church is true or not. Well, I started and then my companion and then Paulo said his prayer. He was a little nervous and shy because most people don´t pray like we do and it is a little strange for them. But we showed him what he had to say and then he got the courage and said his prayer. His prayer was this, “Dear Heavenly Father, please bless me to know if this Church is true or not, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.” I have never in my entire life heard a prayer so powerful and so sincere. When he said it the Spirit filled the room like I had never felt Him before. And everyone in that room knew that the Church was true. And then José, Claudia and then Paula said their prayers and every single person received a personal witness that the Church was true, even I did. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
And then my companion invited Paulo to be baptized and he said yes, then Claudia and then Paula, and all three of them said yes!!! It was such a wonderful feeling. To actually know that you had been guided by the Spirit like Nephi had, “And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.” It was the most amazing experience of my mission so far.
Then we invited them to be baptized the next day and then immediately José said that it would be extremely difficult because they were having family coming for dinner and that they didn´t have a way to get to Vila Real to be baptized. Well, we said that the Lord will provide a way for them to be baptized. But they said not the next day and so I suggested Monday and they said they had work so that they couldn´t. So, we said ok next weekend. And they accepted.
We then left and found a hotel room to stay the night. And we were so happy that we had found this family that was so ready to be baptized and that they had all accepted so easily and that the Lord had prepared a way for us to accomplish our desire. But we also felt that the Lord had sent us there for them to be baptized the next day and not next weekend. So, we prayed again and felt that we needed to do all we could for them to be baptized the following day. So, we called the zone leaders and told them and they said it was an awesome experience and that we needed to do whatever we could to get them to be baptized that next day, because transfers would happen on Monday and that if one of us were to be transferred that might take away the combination of the companionship so that family wouldn’t be baptized.
So, we did everything we could. First, we decided well, it would be easier to baptize them here and so we found a river that went through town but it wasn’t deep enough to baptize someone in. So, then we asked a few locals where a lake or pool or anything was, and they told us that there was one about thirty minutes south. So, we called someone in the branch in Vila Real, named Wener. He is a Brazilian that had moved to our ward recently and was really nice and always willing to help us missionaries. And he was willing to come up the next morning on Sunday to bring clothes and do the baptismal interview. But he didn’t have any money because he lost everything in the tsunami in Japan and had been living in Italy for a little while with some relatives. And he had gone back to Italy to sell some things to get more money for his family that he left in Vila Real and on the return journey he was robbed and all the money he had was taken. But after about two hours or so we worked everything out that he would have money and come up the next day and then we would have the mission reimburse everything.
That night we stayed in the Tic-Tac Hotel in Bragança haha. It was actually a really nice hotel and pretty cheap. So, we woke up the next morning at six thirty am and we decided and prayed that they should come to church in Vila Real and be baptized there because the stake presidency would be there and also the area seventy, Elder Rocha. We went down to the lobby to check out. Well, there was a problem…. We were locked in the hotel and there was no one at the front desk to let us out. And there we needed to leave because we had to go back to that family and tell them that they needed to be baptized that day. Well. Finally after about thirty minutes someone came out and helped us and let us out of the hotel. We took another taxi back to his house at like eight am. And we waited there in their little village that is about ten kilometers from Bragança. And while we were waiting to knock on the door because it was still a little early we saw José drive by in his car. Well, we called him and said we were close to his house and that we wanted to pass by and he said we could but that he was going to ride his bike with some friends and wasn’t going to come back until twelve thirty pm. Well, that put us in another pickle, church starts at two in the afternoon and we wanted to get them there at church before sacrament starts at four in the afternoon.
So, we knocked on their door anyways and the Paulo the boy opens and says that his mom in still asleep and to pass by in like half an hour. So, we called the dad again and told him basically that we thought that his gamily needed to be baptized and he started giving excuses that his family is coming and that his wife and kids never really accepted to be baptized and that these kinds of things can´t be forced and they have to accept. Finally, after a few minutes of talking on the phone he said we could do whatever we wanted and if his wife accepts baptism then he will go along with it. Well, we waited a little but then we get another call from him saying that his wife is really annoyed with us because we keep knocking on the door and everything. But we said we came here for a reason and we are going to finish it. We knocked on the door again and she let us in and we talked to her and Paulo for awhile and she was really nice to us and everything. Then we said that we didn´t feel good that we changed the date and that we were just following the Spirit and that we think that they should be baptized that day. Well, Paula started giving excuses about that they had family coming and other things. We said that this was an opportunity that might never come again in her entire life and that her and her family could be sealed forever. So, we prayed with her and Paulo again and they both received an answer that that day was the day they needed to be baptized. But again Paula was giving excuses and everything. But we said this is what you have been waiting for your entire life. And she basically said yes, so we stopped pursuing it for a little bit.
Well, the José shows up at home and him and his wife leave the room and then he comes back and says that his wife was really annoyed with us and that we had slowed everything down that day and that she didn´t want to be baptized. And he said that these things need to be slower and they really need to know everything about the Church and hear all the lessons and stuff like that. We said that we received revelation that his family needed to be baptized. We had left Vila Real not knowing why or what would happen and that this entire time we were just trying to follow the best we could what the Spirit was telling us to do. But he said that his wife didn´t want to, then we said what about Paulo, he wants to be baptized. And the dad said that he doesn’t know what he wants and that he needs time to learn and to repent, to which we said, he´s eleven years old he barely had anything to repent of. But he said that he wouldn´t give permission for him to be baptized and that neither would the mom. So, we said fine if Paula, the mom, doesn’t want to be baptized have her come and tell it to us in person and we will leave. So, José called her in and she said that she didn´t want to be baptized. So, we left but José wanted to give us a lift to the bus station, so we let him.
But during the car ride he started making excuses again. The most important thing a person has to have to be baptized in to receive a witness from the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Church is true. But he still wouldn´t listen and kept giving excuses. And we said this is the day that he has been waiting for sixteen years and he is giving it up because he is too scared to change his way of life and the way his family is. But nothing worked and we left Bragança.
But I still have hope for their son Paulo. He really had a desire to be baptized and to have a better life and more blessings, but his parents are keeping him from that. During those two days I have never followed the Spirit so much. I have never trusted in the Lord so much. And even though they weren’t baptized I still consider it s success because now, Paulo has a better chance at accepting the Gospel because he knows what the Spirit feels like and knows that the Church is true. But it is just his parents that were keeping him from baptism.
I learned from this experience to really trust in the Lord with all my heart and that he will direct my paths. Because during this entire thing I had no idea what we were doing or how we were going to do it, but we trusted that God would guide us every step of the way, and He did. Everything we said and everything we did was guided by Him and I really believe that we made a huge difference in at least the life of Paulo.
I know that God and Jesus Christ live and that they love us. I know that this Church is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God. I know that if we put all of our trust in Heavenly Father that he will guide us to those who will accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I love and miss all you guys so much. I might get transferred today but I don´t know yet, but when I do, I will tell you guys.
Love,
Elder Spencer Jensen

10-3-11

Dear Family,
Well, I hope everything is going well at home. This week was good. We are teaching these 4 college girls, Bárbara, Anabela, Luciana and Diana. They are all pretty..... interested in the message haha. But it is hard to teach them because they have a very busy schedule with school and everything. Also. Natércia is coming along. She has been feeling down lately because her daughter has been... well let´s just say that she has wandered off the Path a little bit. But it was good because Natércia watched conference and all the talks that she was able to see talked about dealing with stuff like that and how we all have trials and so I think that helped. She is still marked for baptism for this weekend, so please pray for her because the devil is trying all he can to stop the Work. Also, are still trying to teach Manel, but it is hard to meet with him and he is supposed to be baptized this weekend too, but he doesn´t have any time to meet. But other than that we have a lot of potentials, the hrd part is just getting appointments with them haha everyone thinks that they have a busy schedule and so they say no, but once they know how important this is and how much it can help them, then they suddenly have time to meet haha. But it´s worth it and the challenge is good too haha.
I love and miss you guys so much and thanks for all that you guys do for me.
Love,
Elder Spencer Jensen