Monday, August 27, 2018

"Find joy in the journey now"



Hello everyone!!! Ap kaise ho!!! ( How are you)?  Well this week was good and consisted of lots of change.  I got a call from the AP's saying that I am now Elder Saka's companion and I am switching areas from Munirka to Vasant Vihar.  I am in the same apartment, but just in a different room now.  Well I don't really know about the investigators that Elder Saka has in Vasant Vihar, but I will meet with them this week and get to know them.  This week was full of new things and firsts.  New companion, new area, new investigators, new district and my first time watching an american missionary go home.  It was a fun, and sad week as we all spent time with Elder Webster before he left.  I am super excited to be with Elder Saka and to be in a new area that will bring new challenges, experiences and struggles.  There was not a lot of stuff that happened this week, and not a lot to update you all on investigator wise.   I am doing really good and love being a missionary here in India.  I will have a better weekly update next week as I dive into my new area and begin to meet and teach people.  I hope you all have an amazing week, and just know i love you and pray for each one of you daily!!  Good luck too all of you who have school :) 


Spiritual thought: 
People will often ask us questions that we think we can not answer.  Questions pertaining to why we do certain things.  Things like the word of wisdom, commandments, sabbath day and more.  They state an argument that on the surface sounds pretty good and usually throws us off guard and into this thought that we do not have an answer to counter their question or argument. I was sitting in my new ward this week and a young women gave a great talk on the word of wisdom. She shared an experience with a friend of hers who asked her a question that threw her off guard and made her think she couldn't respond or give a good answer back.  She thought for a moment and then an answer came into her head.  The answer she gave brothers and sisters should be our answer every single time that we are hit with these questions.  That answer is, " I love my Heavenly Father.  He has commanded me to do it... I WILL BE OBEDIENT"!!  It is my testimony that I want to end this thought with that God gives us these things to do and follow because he knows whats best for us and he knows what will keep us physically and spiritually safe.  We may not always understand or know why we need to do them, but when we truly love our Heavenly Father we will always answer with, " I love my Heavenly Father.  He has commanded me to do it... I WILL BE OBEDIENT"!  I love my Heavenly Father.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  I love this church and I love being a missionary!!  It is truly a blessing and a privilege! 


Highlights: 
- Gaurav got baptized( my investigator from Munirka)
- Elder Webster served an amazing mission and went home last week!  
-  Now serving with Elder Saka
- Had my first Indian banana
- Had my first argument with an auto driver

/Elder Jorgensen




























Monday, August 20, 2018

JAI HIND


Hello family and friends.  We are at another Monday!!!! I hope you've all had an amazing week and are ready for school which starts today... how exciting hahaha!  Well I had a pretty dang good week and it's mostly because I was able to confirm Solomon to be a member of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints on Sunday!  What a beautiful and spiritual experience watching him make these important decisions in his life.  He is such a strong man and I'm so grateful I have had the opportunity to teach him and become his friend.  The rest of the week was just filled with appointments and finding.  I was able to go on some last second exchanges with Elder Reiss... because he was sick this week we decided to watch Mormon messages and conference talks all night and it was amazing.  I love feeling the spirit and I love listening to the voices of our apostles and amazing Prophet.  This week I also decided that for the rest of my mission I will not drink soda. I will also try to eat less... cause I have gained 20 pounds in 4 months!! I guess for some missionaries you don't just grow spiritually... ha!  Well that is pretty much my week... We celebrated India Independence day on Wednesday. We flew kites with millions of people, and ended with a huge dinner at one of the members home in our ward.  India is amazing.  Being a missionary is amazing and such a blessing!  I love it here and I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope you all have an amazing week. Good luck to everyone going back to school... I will be praying for you all!! 

Spiritual thought: 
I have been reading in Alma this week about the sons of Mosiah and Ammon.
chapters 18-23 are amazing chapters.  These men served the Lord for 14 years straight!  They fasted and prayed for strength. They followed the commandments and did everything the Lord commanded them to do right when he commanded them to do it.  They were given strength, power, knowledge, safety and they were blessed!  We too can have these blessings as we pray, fast, follow the commandments and do all that the Lord commands us to do.  My challenge to you all is to study these chapters this week and then email me with your thoughts and impressions of what you read. I love this church and I love the time I have to be a missionary!! This church is true and there is no doubt in my mind!  I will serve my Savior and this church until I die!  


Highlights:  

-Celebrated India Independence Day.  Flew kites all day
-Cooked dinner for Institute class
-Saw a man using a softball helmet as his motorcycle helmet
-Visited a Muslim mosque and it was so dangerous we could not wear our tags:) 




Monday, August 13, 2018

Zone Conference #2


Hello family and friends... ANOTHER WEEK!!!! Time is seriously flying and i'm realizing that each week.  As I realize that a mission is not very long it motivates me to take advantage of each moment and work as hard as I possibly can!  Well this week was amazing because Solomon was baptized on Sunday!!  This was my first baptism for one of my investigators.  It was such an amazing experience and brother Solomon has such a strong testimony. He said that he can't wait to go teach his family the gospel of Jesus Christ and to one day baptize all of his family! Well, we also had Zone Conference this week and President Evans, the Asia Area President came and talked to us.  The main topic was finding and how we can improve our finding to build up the church here in India. It was great and he used PMG chapter 9 for his training.   We have been challenged to talk to 20 new people each day as a companionship and we have to use the B.O.M in each one of our contacts.  President Evans also talked about how we will not have to go out and find in the heat as much if we just ask every member we talk to, and every investigator we teach if they have people that we can go and teach.  Zone Conference was amazing and I cant wait to get out and work this week!!!  Well that pretty much sums up my week.  Me and Elder Epuri are getting along, I am learning and growing so much, and I love being here in India!!!! Missions are the best if you allow them to be! 

Spiritual Thought: Alma 5:27-33. 
-Family and friends my thought is short this week. I want you to read these verses and ponder in your mind and heart if these are things that you need to work on, or struggling with.  In verse 33 replace he with "Elder Jorgensen".  We all are imperfect and we all make mistakes, but the atonement is there to be used, and it can be used daily!!! My invitation to all of you is to figure out the things you need to fix and repent of.  Then, with the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ repent, change and stay on the path of righteousness and your Savior will receive you with loving open arms!  I humbly testify that He LIVES.  He loves each and everyone of you and he wants you to be happy.  As you have faith, read the Book of Mormon, Pray, Keep the commandments, and have a desire to be the best you can be you will be blessed and will prosper.  I love this church with all my heart and I love being a missionary!!

Highlights:
-Heard some Ariana Grande 
- Solomon Got Baptized!!! 
- Lots of No-bakes
-Teaching English Class
-Had spaghetti
--
/Elder Jorgensen






Monday, August 6, 2018

Trimming Sails


Alrighty everybody!!! I have like 10 min to write this so it is going to be very short... This week was just busy every second.  I got a taste of what it is like being an AP and it's so much work.  I don't remember a lot of the names of people we taught and met with because they were all in Elder Reiss's area. All I know is that every lesson we taught I felt the spirit so strongly and knew that we were blessing these peoples lives.  Update on Solomon...He is on date for August 11th, and he is so excited to be baptized.  Please keep him in your prayers this week.  Gaurav is slowly coming along and he should be baptized by the end of August.  The work is moving along here in India and every week I find myself more busy and loving being a missionary.  It is so hard, and so challenging, but its the greatest decision I have made so far in my life!!!  I can't wait to keep serving the Lord for the next 19 months!! That is the update for the week... sorry very short, but that's OK!  More than half of you don't read my weekly emails anyways lol!!

Spiritual Message:  I got to sit in on MLC (Mission Leader Counsel) since I was pretty much AP for the week... There were so many good things discussed and President Hansen is really turning this mission around...He loves sailing and he told us a little bit about it.  He said that when sailing, the water and wind is always changing and you always have to be aware of your sail and "Trim it", or change its direction in order to be efficient and go at the fastest speed.  When you don't check the sail and trim it when needed you slow down and sailing is just not as fun.  He related it to us missionaries and challenged us to figure out things that are slowing us down, or keeping us from sailing at the fastest and most efficient way. He said the way to trim our sails is to look in the missionary handbook and figure out the rules we are not being exactly obedient with.  He told us to follow it with exactness and we will be blessed and taken care of as missionaries.  My challenge to all of you is figure out which sails you need to trim right now to become better disciples of Christ so you can strengthen yourself and others around you.  Sorry that wasn't really a spiritual message, but I am super rushed, so that is all I got this week:)  Love you all and hope you have an amazing week.   

Elder Jorgensen  

Highlights:  
 -Rode a camel and an Elephant 
 -Made No bakes for the first time in a month 
-Elephant and Camel ride was the only highlight of my week hahaha and teaching the Gospel:)