Missionary Moment - Puerto Rico San Juan & Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West

Good morning my friends! 

 

Happy Halloween! As you all know (or if you didn't) not a whole lot of holiday celebration happens around here but because today is P-Day I think we'll go to our sisters area and carve pineapple like pumpkins haha! 

 

This week was full of changes! To prioritize a high functioning area and to keep references coming from members we have decided to re-wire our area in that we go around our still very big area re-teaching and finding all members we can, those who haven't been visited in a while and those who are in-active from the church. Teaching and blessing as we go is our goal. 

 

On top of the nearly 175 members in our jurisdiction we still focus our efforts on our friends who still need to hear the Gospel, one of our friends named Junior was baptized thus Saturday! And 2 more of o ur friends coming up here in the next couple weeks. 

 

This past Saturday was interesting as we had a very strange service project, painting the edge of the sidewalk that boarders the church bright yellow and planting like 4 trees on a park strip in front of the building. Apparently both our massive ward and the ward of Manoguayabo was didn't to complete the task 🤔.... anyway after that we ate then went back to the church to prep an English class that was eventually canceled due to all the rain we had gotten (Dominicans are afraid of the rain / it's avoided at all costs) but through rain or shine Junior and his family, a few friends and some church came to his baptism. Quite beautiful was there faithfulness to make such a wonderful promise with a loving Father In Heaven. 

 

I don't have too much this week, just that I'm working as hard as I can here in Las Caobas. I ask that you all pray for our friends Livona and Rolando  our two baptisms coming up, they both have there owns doubts and troubles about the church and helping them to read the Book of Mormon has been our goal to help them see that Joseph Smith was a Prophet  of God and that we have living prophets today, but mostly that all sacred and eternal blessings that were lost with the death of many prophets including Jesus Christ and his disciples, have all been restored.  

 

I love each of you. 

 

Elder Jorgensen 

 

PS I promise Junior is happy for his baptism ( it's just dominican to not smile in pictures ) 

 

Littles

Big news for this Mama/Gigi!!
Jackson and Isis are moving to Layton in two weeks!!!!!!

They needed to pick up some furniture yesterday, and had asked Burke if they could keep it at his house until the move.

Burke has a big trailer that usually houses the Razer.

They came and hooked the trailer up and went and got their furniture.

That meant Kehlani time!

Kehlani was all about R time, rather than Papa and Gigi time!

They ate Pop Tarts and played cards and learned letters...

She is spoiled rotten with time and love and adventures from everyone who loves her!

We are SO excited to have her little family much closer to us!

 

This Squirt

Football season has ended for R.

I have to admit, I'm a little bit sad.

I have loved our Wednesday and Thursday afternoon/evenings. 

Our car ride conversations to and from practice are always full of laughter and "What does that mean, Ryker?"

I have enjoyed walking the track around the field while he practices and visiting with moms and grandmas that are there.

I'll miss watching him play and get "pancakes."

Until next year, Squirt.

I love these boys.

They are such good boys.

Even at nine years old, they have stress and worries.

On the football field, they're just boys having fun with their friends.

Now onto basketball.

 

This Bubba

This amazing memory popped up on my timeline today on Facebook.

This kid, though.

He used to send me stuff like this ALL THE TIME.

The best part is the little description I had put on FB, "I have no idea what this means!"

And just a few years later, here he is with his daughter.

A daddy.

A husband.

He is so mature.

He is hard-working.

He is loyal and absolutely dedicated to his wife.

He is such a good daddy.

I love you, Bubba.

Endlessly.

 

Big Sister

Dinner with this group on Sunday night was amazing.

Sweet Mia Girl is nauseous ALL OF THE TIME.

She made it through dinner... barely.

Poor thing.

She's tried sucking on peppermint hard candy and chewing gum, but as soon as the taste goes away she's sick again!

I told her about how, when I was pregnant with Jackson and Braxton, I'd buy a loaf of french bread every day and eat it throughout the day.

That's probably one of the reasons why I gained 70 pounds with each kiddo!!

Per usual, Kehlani was the star of the show...

Everyone's focus.

She face-timed with Papa and told him all about everything... none of which any of us could understand!

That face, though!

When her mama took her jacket off, there it was!

No longer an only child... this girlie is going to be a big sister!!!

This Gigi is SO grateful!

They are about six weeks, or so, behind Braxton and Mia!

Then this beauty took Gigi's phone and did some selfies!!

I cannot believe this life of mine!

The blessings just flow!

 

Missionary Moment - Puerto Rico San Juan & Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West

Good morning all! How's it going? I hope your all well and this week you could each find joy and peace in this world. 

 

This week was pretty good.. I think overall I learned where my 'focus' should be. 

 

We had 2 very special conferences, one, being a devotional and the other a stake conference. With both I listened to 3 different area seventies and was blessed to shake hands with 2 of them. During these conferences I learned where exactly I need to keep my focus. As I serve a mission and make life changing decisions in my life I have found that the only focus I need now and forever should be in the spirit. 

I even had the chance to put that to the test as I went about this week I had lots and lots of stomach pains. As I focused on serving and doing my best to bless others as well my pains were nowhere to be found. As my natural self got in the way and as I became frustrated or impatient for whatever reason my only thoughts were turned to my pains that pressed on throughout my days in the sun walking grudgingly. I promise each of you that as you focus your lives on what your loving Heavenly Father wants you to do, you will be blessed with joy and peace in your life. 

 Honestly do you all think I'm out here taking to years of my life to hope that promise happens? I wouldn't be out here if I knew it had already happened. I'm not one to waist my time. I'm here to invite all to feel the joy of the gospel that I have already felt. When I make you all promises I truly expect you to at least try to do what's been invited. You will be astonished by what you find. You might even change the way you find yourself making new decisions in your own lives. 

I love you all so much, I just want you all to be happy and have peace, the source of that is God and nothing else. With him yoi may have eternal families, assurance in your life, joy, peace, power, lasting happiness, protection..and so much more. 

 I pray for each of you. I love you and miss you all. May you all focus yourselves in achieving joy this week, if you are permitted to do so, go to the temples! You will be blessed and strengthened through your selflessness to serve others and the power you receive will be limitless. 

 Elder Jorgensen 

 

Different Night, Different View

Last night when I got to R's practice, Burke was helping to coach.

I told him that I'd go get C and take him to practice so that he could stay at R's.

C's team got to practice for their first playoff game under the lights last night.

It was a beautiful night, per usual.

Being at practices during the week has allowed me to have fresh air and to remind myself how absolutely stunning where we live is.

It is literally breathtaking.

The weather is changing this weekend.

Cold.

Wet.

Even snow on the valley floor.

So, I'll soak in this beautiful weather for one more night.

 

Not My Week

This is a perfect illustration of my week!

I got to work and went to take my lunch (yogurt) out of my purse.

Well, there it was.

All over everything I own.

I should have gone back home.

But instead, I went and got my flu AND Covid booster shots.

Ouch.

I should have gone home.

This is last night.

Practice for playoff game #2.

 

We Love You Heidi

My cute girls at Twisted Sugar.

This is called a Samoa.

It's a sugary, carbohydrate-filled, cavity-giving, weight-gaining, amazing-tasting bit of goodness.

I love my girls!

 

Monday Calls

Braxton was on the call, but had to go.

Kaydon is always sure to ask how his Sis, Mia, is doing.

She's sick!

I mean, she's growing a human being.

Colton is almost always at the gym.

He's amazing like that.

Isis is on the call, but Kehlani steals the dang show every single week.

"Hi KK. Hi KK. GIGI!!!! Where my Papa?!"

Jackson is almost always driving to and from different jobs.

Kaydon likes Jacks to catch him up on podcasts.

Then, there's me.

I just like looking at and listening to my offspring.

I'm one lucky mama!!!

My Becky Beck's Kloe comes home in two big sleeps.

I am honestly SO jealous!!

I miss my buddha so much these days.

 

Busy Weekend

Per usual, our weekend was busy!

B and I try to go to the Roadhouse once a month for date night.

You might remember our Madison (Madi). 

She is Colton's favorite of all time.

She moved to Ohio months ago.

Her best friend, Ashley, is still there.

B and I go visit her on our date nights.

She's the best!!!

Saturday was playoff game #1 for R.

See that #17?!

I'm his biggest cheerleader!

He was captain for the game along with three of his teammates.

They won the game and will play next week!

Sunday morning, laying in bed...

These boys hop right in and cuddle with their dad.

It melts my heart!

Saturday night, I was in bed watching baseball while B watched the end of the Utes game.

R came and played his games in bed with me while I cheered on the Dodgers... who lost.

Then C came and hung out with us, too.

Sunday, Aria Jane and her mommy and daddy came up to visit.

She wanted to play Bingo!

I was all over it.

This was one of the prizes she picked out.

Of course, she had to pose for pictures!!

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of B's mama being buried.

We decided to load the boys up and go to the cemetery.

Fun fact:

She is buried like two rows over from P and Sarah.

We took her some Fall flowers and a little balloon.

B cleaned off her headstone and set them down.

I walked over to P for a minute and fixed all of the wind chimes in the pine tree.

I cried for a few minutes, told him I love him and then we headed out.

The view from the cemetery is gorgeous.

It's such a peaceful spot.

I cleaned off the headstone and told him that I promise to visit more often.