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

Good morning friends and family! I hope this week each of you certainly found perks worth of joy and assurance for you all, with the weather changing I do feel quite jealous as it's been the same old humid heat here that may or may not have been even hotter this past week! 

 This week was very tiring! Usually every week makes us tired but this week it hit us for sure and by yesterday each of us were exhausted.. but much got done! 

 Because we had our 2 baptisms this week,  Rolando & Livona; each of them needed to have their interview but each were difficult as Livona kinda dropped us last Sunday but was easy to do the interview and Rolando was ready for that bad boy but is super hard to contact! 

We ended up just passing by Rolandos home late at night and to our surprise he was there and we got our interview for him done but for Livona.. 

 Livona is a 34 year old woman from Haiti with a background of teaching math at various universities there who now lives with 2 of her boys, Michael and Lucus whose ages range from 3-12. Her middle child had a heart disease and passed away 3 years ago. Her husband was baptized 5 months ago in Haiti and his records (for an unknown reason were moved to our system) he however left Livona and his children and moved to Mexico.. Livona then put together visas for her and her children to move here to this country where she's been living in a 2 room wooden structured, tin roof home. She's explained to us that makes choices in her life makes has always been very hard for her and baptism was one of the hardest as she had many doubts and concerns for some of the things that we teach and practice. On top of that her birthday lands on the 12th of November which just happens to be her baptism and every year on her birthday she gets very sick. As it's hard to teach anyone that has issues with our church on our own it's takes a very real testifying power that is universal to all called the holy spirit. 

 Each time we were with Livona she can feel that spirit, she can see it change her life and help her makes hard choices. But last Sunday as we were not with her had sent us messages of how she didn't believe in what we had and wanted to do somethings her own way and this little problem kept her from coming to church.. 

 Monday night we ran to her home as fast as we could and upon arrival I couldn't help putting my arm around her to give her comfort and peace and an uncertain assurance that the spirit had returned to her home. As we spoke, and prayed with her she smiled and wept and was ready to go through with the baptism. She was interviewed the next day and baptized Saturday celebrating both her baptism and birthday where she couldn't have been healthier. 

I know that The spirit is real. I felt him and I know He is love. I know that as I call upon my Heavenly Father for help He is there.  He was there when my companion and I comforted Livona. 

 Sorry for the long story.. 

 We ate Burger King this week.. pretty good

 We had lots of less actives come to church this week.. pretty good

 Rolando was confirmed a member of the church on Sunday but the psycho member who gave the blessing didn't give him the gift of the holy ghost which is pretty essential for our eternal progress.. he instead said, "continue firm, like me, brother Abad" .... not so good 

 Elder Hyte goes home tonight and I'm actually very sad but I'll see that man after finishing up here. 

 I love you all and pray that each of you may feel the joy and happiness of the holy spirit in your lives. 

 

Another Sneak Peak

Jackson, Isis, and Kehlani were able to see their baby on Wednesday.

Sweet Kehlani talked and talked while she sat on her daddy's lap.

This sweet angel baby is due June 22nd.

 

Sneak Peaking

Mia and Braxton had their first appointment on Monday.

Here's their little one.

All safe and snug in Mia's belly.

The due date, as of now, is June 9th!

Reminder:

Kehlani and I have our birthdays on June 11th!!!!!

 

Date Night

We are pretty good at having date nights at least twice a month, but we try for weekly!

Sometimes it's Friday nights and sometimes it's Saturday nights.

Last weekend, it was Saturday.

We got pedicures!!!

I haven't had a pedicure in months and months and months.

It felt so good.

And my people at the nail salon loved meeting Burke.

If you spy with your little eye, you can catch a glance of the new Layton Temple!

After pedicures, we went to Roadhouse and hung out with our Ashley Girl.

Then grocery shopping it was.

It was basically perfect!

 

Apples & Coloring & Snuggles

I had promised Aria that we would make caramel apples on Sunday.

This is BY FAR my favorite way to do them.

It's easier, cleaner, and they all get eaten by the end of the day!

Burke sliced them up, I drizzled the caramel over the top...

Then I melted white chocolate and dark chocolate (I'll do milk chocolate next time, too) and we drizzled that over the top.

Finish it off by taking whatever you want and sprinkling it over the top.

We did oreo and butterfinger.

You can do peanuts, other candy bars, sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, marshmallows... whatever you want!

Ryker was wanting to color with me all morning on Sunday.

I had bought a coloring book for Aria to help her learn to stay in the lines, but Ryker was all over it!

When Aria got to the house, she wanted "snuggles with Heidi."

So, all three of us sat on the 1-2 person love seat and colored and snuggled.

They even used my markers!
If you know me, you know that doesn't happen!!!

 

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

Good morning all! I pray your all doing well and have enjoyed a change in weather as here it does not. Haha although we have had an unholy amount of rain that left 26th street flooded to your hips and our apartment street flooded to the ancle! Mucho Aqua!! 

 This week was pretty different for sure! On Tuesday I had a pretty great exchange will the dominican that lives with us now whose a brand new missionary and is super start but much more funny! He can describe things much better than I and brings the spirit into lessons that was sometimes a challenge to do with just spanish-learning missionaries.  

 Thursday however, was zone conference.  Never have i ever seen or experienced something like the conference we had had. Maybe it was the people that were there or what was taught by the leaders that changed.. much was discussed and taught during the conference.. to be more charitable, help others feel and recognize the spirit during lessons, focus ourselves on the Book of Mormon and prayer to know if it really is true, and as we mark names of Christ in that volume of scripture we are looking for Christ and that we should, as missionaries help others look for him too. By the end of the conference I expect us all were waiting for the silly portion of it, then snacks, then home. However when the assistants to the president called us back to stand in one big circle, the 2 Elders stood in the middle asking if anybody had wanted some candy.. but as each person wanted some candy a younger Elder was called to do 7 push-ups for each piece of candy another missionary wanted. After 3-4 missionaries had asked for sweets the task began to talk its toll on the young missionary, after several more missionaries asking for candy less and less people were willing to ask for any more and the young missionary kept doing the push-ups. After yet another missionary asked for candy the young missionary had yet gotten down with a warm smile and did 7 more grueling push-ups to the point of trembling and shaking, but he did each of them. 

I personally hadn't understood what the activity was for until after this moment, when the assistants called out to us asking if anyone else wanted candy, just then a senior missionary who was in change of missionary homes and plumbing walked up to the young missionary and embraced him with a hug. He then got down with the young missionary and completed 7 more push-ups with his help and support, after this round they then embraced each other with another hug, but the young missionary wasn't done. The assistants called out again to anybody else and all were silent until they asked a sweet sister of the mission that had been in my district several transfers ago was asked personally if she wanted candy. She shook her head in tears and the assistants asked why not? She simply said that he needed to suffer.. the young missionary then gave another warm smile and said its okay, I want to. He did then 7 more. Nothing I say can describe the way the young missionary shook and tembled after each push-up. 

In that moment I pictured nothing but my Savior there in that circle. Jesus Christ suffered and died for me. For you. He did much more than just 7 push-ups for each of us individually and I know that he had done it willingly and voluntarily. 

The activity was to show how unbelievably real the Atonement of Jesus Christ is for each of us. It's infinite. 

Jesus Christ overcame the world, and so can we. Because of what he had done in that Garden. He knows you. He Loves you. I testify with all my heart that he lives and he is "intimately concerned of you needs, your goodness, and your prayers for help" as well as our Father in Heaven. 

I invite you all to study more about Christ, His teachings, and His sacrifice.  I invite you all to share this story with friends or family that all may know the truth of Jesus Christ through another testimony. 

I love each of you. Christ loves you, he wants us to be with our Heavenly Father again as much as He does. 

 Elder Jorgensen 

 

 

My Cross

You may or may not have noticed my necklace in the last two weeks or so.

It's a beautiful, dainty little cross.

Did you know that the cross represents love?

"Christ died for sinners. He died for people who had lost their way. He did not die because it was forced upon Him. It was a choice. A choice made in love."

One of the young women in our ward lost her daddy last year.

She is one of five amazing kiddos.

She has an incredible mama and her daddy was an incredible daddy who fought demons (PS, we all have demons).

Her mama posted on social media a few months ago.

E was getting baptized.

She wanted a cross necklace.

Her daddy loved the representation of the cross and she wanted a necklace that she could wear all of the time to remind her of her daddy and her Savior.

E was scared about getting it, though.

She worried that people would judge her for wearing a cross.

(People judge other people for the darndest things)

Her mama posted, asking that people be kind.

(This may or may not have lit a fire under me. My mama/gigi/auntie bear was ready to go!)

I decided that I would get a cross necklace as well, but wanted just the right one.

Turns out the one I found was on sale for less than $5.

Win.

I am loving my necklace.

I love my E.

And I love people who don't judge.

Cross = Love