Praises go up, blessings come down.

Hello to all!

This week was so good! It snowed for the first time this morning, which is pretty awesome! But yes this week flew by and was awesome. 

I had 2 super super cool experiences this week that I want to tell y'all about. 

1. So this first one actually happened last preparation day. We had a district activity where we went to this place called graffiti alley. It's a alley where graffiti is legal and it's super cool. We went there to take pictures and then we went to Baskin Robbins after. There was this lady who was in there and the way we got to talking is pretty long but super funny. Basically she got hit on by some dude and to not make it awkward she started talking to us. I talked to her for a little and then she just completely opened up about everything that happened in her life. She had a son that was her world and he died 2 years ago and she was looking for an answer to why that happened. My zone leader came over and we shared 2 Nephi 2:2 with her and you could literally she the light that came into her. She was just eating it up. She asked if she could read more of the book, so we downloaded gospel library for her, and then friended her on Facebook. And she said she wanted to meet with us and talk more about the book. And then I sent her a nice little message and the inspirational message the church put out about the member family that had to go through the sandy hook tragedy. So I felt really good, and then she didn't respond to anything. But all is ok, because we gave her the opportunity and brought some peace and joy into her life. 

2. We had a massive FHE last night and it was so good. We had a member family, a recent convert family, and 2 part member families. We watched the Book of Mormon video where Lehi blesses his family, and then talked about the importance of family. It was a really good lesson and then Elder Casey and I had to come up with a game. So we decided to play pictionary, and we brought our white board from home. And I honestly didn't think they would get into it, but let me tell you, these Latinos went crazy. We were in a pretty small living room with like 25-30 people and they were all going crazy and it was so much fun! A 100% successful Family Home Evening! And one of the families there came up and told us they wanted to have one of these things at their house, and they were going to invite some of their nonmember friends. So it's going to be super awesome!

But oh my was this week so so crazy, and like always we had some pretty funny experiences:

1. There's a less active lady in our branch that just had a baby, but the baby has been in and out of the hospital and this week was really bad for him. So she called us and asked if we could go give him a blessing. So we go, and get completely lost, looked pretty dumb, but then find the room. My companion walked in and they completely flipped out, because he wasn't wearing protective gear. So then we had to go out and put on this apron looking thing with sleeves, a mask, and gloves. We then go in, but they are doing PT with the baby, so we had to wait, and then something happened and we had to leave the room, and the nurses flipped out again because we were still wearing the protective gear and we brought germs out of the room. So we had to take it off, and then we came back and had to put everything back on. It was a big ordeal but all good in the end. I was able to give my first blessing in Spanish!!!!

2. There was this birthday party on Saturday for a baby girl in our branch and she just turned one. But they went so hard on everything, it looked better than some of the weddings I have been too!! 

3. Got attacked on a bus for being apart of a racist church. Always a fun time!

4. Met this guy while waiting for a bus stop, he was so funny, and we talked about God and his infinite goodness. He then basically rapped for us his testimony. Favorite part, "Praises go up, blessings come down!" Able to throw a couple amens in there to show support!

5. I went on another exchange this week, and was finally able to use a car! Blessings from on high. And the best part was it was a Toyota Rav4, but it made me miss my old bessie back home! But there was one CD in the car. "They Call Me Sister: Music For Sister Missions" an absolutely fabulous CD! 10/10 would recommend!

6. I was sitting on the bus, and a man turned to me and said, "Brother, I'm studying the book of proverbs right now, what would be a good chapter to study?" Right then, Freshman year scripture mastery came in clutch! I shared with him Proverbs 3:5-6, I had to try not to sing it, because that is how we memorized it, but he was really impressed and said he would go home and study that chapter some more. #seminarymatters

I hope everyone has a great week!

I love yall,

Elder Jorgensen

1. Just the cake at the birthday party

2,3,4. Graffiti Alley

Me and Big Tony

Hello Family and Friends!

What a week it has been, so much has happened and it has been so so good! This week has definitely been directed by the Lord!

Monday: After preparation day, we had plans to go stop by some members, but our earlier appointments fell through. So we needed to come up with plans, and it was super cold, so we decided to go wait in a gas station and make plans. We made plans and just before we were going to leave a man walked in on the phone but told us to wait up. He told us that he was baptized in Honduras and he just moved here and didn't know where the church was. He also said he moved her 9 months ago and hasn't seen missionaries yet. So it was a little miracle that we ran into him. We then went a had a lesson with a member family and taught them the doctrine of Christ. We were then walking home and this man just asked us for a book of Mormon. He said he wanted to learn more about Christ. Really really awesome. We then passed by a dude who said that he was baptized back in 1996. He has since gone the ways of the world, but we friended him on Facebook and he said the he wants to visit us. The only thing is he lives outside our area. We then walked by a dude wearing a Steelers hat and said hi, he gave us an aggressive hello back. We then started talking about the Steelers and the NFL and his whole demeanor changed. He actually lit up and was happy after we left him. A solid night. 

Then Tuesday I had an exchange and I went out to an area called pikesville. They just reopened that area so there was a lot of work to be done. There were some people who had been knocked before, but that was back in 2016, but we decided to stop by anyway. We were knocking one door and no one answered. Then someone walked up and it turns out it was his door. We talked to him for a little bit and asked us if we wanted tacos and so he invited us in and listened to our message. The tacos were cow tongue tacos and they sound disgusting but they were actually really really good! They also have a return appointment for this week too. But there were also miracles happening in my area too. My companion and his new companion for the day had their end of the night appointment fall through. So they tried by a couple of members who weren't home. They were walking around and this dude pulled up and said that he is a member and would like a copy of the book of Mormon to give to his friend. He also said that his son wants to get baptized. So so so cool! What an awesome day. 

Fast forward to Saturday and we go visit this family. They invited us over for dinner and as we walked in they were all gathered around the table reading the Book of Mormon as a family. It was a beautiful sight. We then ate and shared a quick little message, and had to bounce, but they wanted us to come back anytime we can! They also showed up to church this past Sunday which is super super awesome!!!!

It's amazing to see how much love I have for complete strangers. When I see them becoming better and changing their lives to come back to christ it is an amazing thing! I absolutely love serving a mission and feeling the joy that comes from helping my brothers and sisters come to Christ and feel his love for each and everyone of them!

Some Highlights from this past week:

1. The zone leaders asked us to cover their english class on Saturday, so we got everything ready, super excited to teach.... and no one showed up! Such a fun time! We then had another class that night and there were like 5 people. And one of the lady's has a sister who is a member in Guatemala and she has the missionaries over every Sunday after church. Such a cool connection. Also the lady brought her son to English class and let's just say that he reminded me so much of the kid on the yellow pajamas from the Polar Express who only gets underwear for Christmas! So so funny!

2. There's a lot of people who know who we are but there's also a lot who don't know who we are, but the funniest part is if we start talking to them they immediately stop cussing. We met this man named Big Tony on the bus on Saturday. He let two cuss words slip in like the first 2 minutes and he felt so bad. And then we talked for like 20 more minutes and he didn't cuss another time! As he was getting off I gave him and card, and he asked "What is this, the suicide hot line, I isn't gonna kill myself." Pretty funny, but I told him what it actually was, and he said he was probably gonna look it up, and he felt really good after talking to us. So me and Big Tony are homies now.

3. On our exchange we didnt have time to run back to the apartment before our scheduled lesson, so I had to carry around a heavy backpack for the large majority of the day. And the Elder I was with is a little directionally challenged and he still doesn't have the area down. So we were walking and he said, look at this shortcut, but his shortcut took us too a fence. So we may or may not have jumped it! And after we may or may not have jumped it, I may or may not have completely wiped out because I had a huge backpack on and my balance was a little thrown off. Fun times!

4. Oh my goodness, the busses here are absolutely insane. It is basically crazy taxi but in bus version. They rule the roads and no one messes with them, the police just even sit back and let them be. It's always a fun time! Also there was a car who cut the bus off and the bus driver let him have it. It was two lane road and the bus driver floored it on a green light to get around the car and then just stopped in the middle of both lanes so the car couldn't go past. And then drove really slowly until the road opened up until three lanes. The car then drove by and did some unchristlike actions and sad some unchristlike words, but I was just laughing to myself on the inside, because this is just how Baltimore is. And I love it!

I hol everyone had a fabulous week feeling the Christmas spirit and if any of you hear last Christmas by Mariah Carey turn it up and sing it for me!

Love you all,

Elder Jorgensen

Pics:

1. Baltimore

2. My exchange with Elder Averett 

3. Our super successful English class

Mexican Sweet Bread

Friends and Family,

Merry Christmas to you all!!! I am so excited for this time we have to remember our savior and all the things he did for all and all we can do because of him!

This week has been absolutely awesome. The work is starting to really pick up which is really awesome. But definitely the highest point of this week was Thanksgiving. We were told by our Mission Leaders to not go knock doors because it is precious family time, so find other ways to complete the work. So we were thinking of different ways to do this, and we both thought about all the homeless people here in Baltimore, and how sad they are. So we decided to make a Thanksgiving lunch for them. We didn't have a lot of stuff, but we gave them a sack lunch with Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Cheezits, and Brownies. And we went out and tried to find the homeless. It was such a neat experience to see how we blessed the lives of those people, and how we even got rejected at times or people weren't very grateful but we were still doing what Christ would do. There was this man who was playing his Guitar and we offered him food and he took it and then played a song for us! Super Cool dude and a super fun Thanksgiving  being able to go out and serve people! I also loved feeling like a mom packing my kids lunches before they go to school! Ha!

We also had a wonderful opportunity to teach a lesson yesterday to a recent convert family and we watched the Christ Child. Oh my goodness is this a miracle of a video or what! The entire time I was feeling the spirit so strong. I had a new insight to the Christmas story this time, and it's the Lord calls upon the week and "normal" people of the world to complete his work. Mary was honestly probably just a teenager when she was pregnant and Joseph was a simple Carpenter. They weren't super rich or famous, they were just normal everyday people, but they were called to have one of the most important callings. To raise Jesus Christ! Also the first people that were invited to see Jesus were the shepherds. And shepherds at that time were normal people too, in fact they were one of the lowest in the society, but the Lord asked them to see the baby Jesus first. I was reminded of a scripture in D&C 35:13-14

 "13 Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit;

14 And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them."

And the whole video and this scripture just gives me more and more assurance. I am no where near a perfect missionary. I am getting better with the language, but I still don't have all the words and I am just an 18 year old KID! I am not perfect, but the Lord has called me to teach the Latinos in Baltimore. He will magnify my efforts and turn me into the missionary he wants me to become. And if any of you feel unworthy or unqualified for a calling, know God has specifically called you to do that work. Know that God calls upon imperfect people to complete his perfect work!

Some Funny/interesting/cool moments from this week:

1. We were walking down the street a couple of days ago and this man just stopped us and addressed us by Elders. (Which is still a little weird because most people who aren't of our church don't call us by Elder) but he told us that he was baptized in Honduras 5 years ago and really hasn't been super active since, but he wants to come back to church. So we got his information and are going to go visit him this week!

2. There was a homeless man on the corner of the street yesterday yelling at cars. We could see him a little ways off and decided to walk in that direction. It turns out that he was homeless but had some old cassette tapes. They were all oldie Goldie black gospel music and they were all in perfect condition. If I had a cassette player or $15 on me I would have 100% bought them because I love black gospel music. But we didn't have either, so he then asked me if I had a bus fair, which we didn't. But we had just been given some mexican sweet bread by a member so we gave that to him. He was so funny when he took his first bite! But then he asked if we had a church and we gave him a pass along card and he said he was going to be coming next Sunday! 

3.  We were out knocking houses one night and there was one house that had been previously taught, so we thought it would be a good idea to knock it.....Nope... we knocked and then waited and then heard this creepy deep drunken laugh and then a baby started crying. My companion and I looked at each other, our eyes got wide, and we took of sprinting down the road. I don't think I've ever ran that fast in my life. We then rounded the corner and both lost it!

4. We are teaching the friend of the lady that thought she was going on a date with us to Starbucks! We had a lesson with her this past week and her kids were there. Her kids only speak English and she understands most of English, but only speaks spanish. So I don't know how that family dynamic works, but the Gospel will bless it. But I knew this lesson was going to be hilarious, because as soon as one of the kids opened the door, he shouted inside, Mom, The priests are here! But anyway we were teaching the mom and then the kids came in and started asking questions and asked us how to pray. We taught them how to pray super simply, and then invited the oldest kid to say the closing prayer. It was one of the funniest prayers I have ever heard. It was basically like the prayer Elder Gong talked about in this past general conference. This kid named about 30 things he was grateful for and got a little confused on the ending and said "I speak for Jesus Christ, Amen." Instead of in the name of Jesus Christ amen. But the cool thing is, is it touched the heart of the mom and she invited us back without us asking. So I'm super excited about this family!

I hope everyone is having a blessed Holiday season and remembering what this season is all about and remembering to keep Christ in Christmas and remembering to Light the World!

I love y'all,

Elder Jorgensen 

Pics:

1. My sack lunches for my homeless friends

2. Me and Elder Casey

Opposition in All Things

Hello Family and Friends, how's everyone doing. This week has definitely been an interesting one. My companion made it a goal this week to study and improve the christlike attribute of humility, and let's just say the Lord blessed us to improve in that area!

Let me tell you about 2 of the days we had this week, so you'll kind of get what I am talking about. 

So Wednesday was transfer day. My companion was getting transferred with one of the zone leaders and their ride was leaving at 4:30 AM. So the zone leaders got to our apartment around 3:45. So it was an early morning. I couldn't really go back to sleep, so I was pretty tired. We then had our other Zone Leader with us all morning because he was waiting for his companion. So we did our normal morning stuff and then his companion finally came around 1:30. So we went out that afternoon and tried contacting some people, but no one really answered their door. We then came back for dinner. And had a super set night. We went to a man who is less active and we had a really really good talk with him. He told us how he feels the Lord's timing is different for everyone, but he feels this is his time to come back to church, and how he wants to help out in the missionary work. So cool, so we have a meeting with him every Wednesday now! We then were going to a next appointment and we decided to stop by the house of someone we were teaching but hadn't been in contact in a while. We knocked on the door and a man opened. He told us the lady we were teaching was content with her church and then asked us what church we went. So we said the Church of Jesus Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He then asked why we worship Joseph Smith. And went on some other rants and called Joseph Smith a liar. My companion tried to explain what we actually believe, but the man repeatedly cut us off. My companion was starting to get mad, which was really weird because I have never seen him mad before. So I cut in and said I know that God is our Heavenly Father and that the Book of Mormon true and Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. He called me a liar, so. I Just started walking away. So we then went to a lesson with someone else we are teaching, we knocked on the door and called him and no answer. I said to my self I'm not going to let this guy go, so I went and knocked on the door with an adequate amount of force. And then he opened! He said he was sleeping but he was so happy to see us. We then told him the experience we just had, and he said, well I guess some people are ready and some aren't. But I am!!!!! We then went inside and taught him the second half of the restoration and he was all over it. Had no problems with Joseph Smith or the book of Mormon and the spirit was so strong. Oh my goodness it was going so good, and then his friend walked in. And his friend attends some online church with some interesting beliefs. But he talked to us for about 35 minutes straight about his beliefs. He wasn't bashing or anything just talking. And we actually had to cut him off because we had to go home. So we felt pretty bad, because we had just had a great lesson and then this man came in and destroyed the spirit. But the Lord was aware of my feelings because as we were walking home, the song Celebrate Good Times was blasting. A little tender mercy to end the night.

The next day was my companions birthday. We had a nice morning and a member took us out to lunch. So the day was looking good. And then we went out to work in the afternoon and all our appointments fell through. No one was home or didn't want to answer the door. And no one wanted to talk to us on the streets. So it was pretty discouraging. We then came home and had dinner and went back out for the night. And guess what? All of our night plans fell through. So we were waking, talking, and knocking not really being able to do anything because no one wanted to talk to us. We then were finally able to get into a member's house and visit with them. We then left and had a for sure appointment at 8, but guess what? That fell through too. So my companion was trying to call someone to see of we could come visit them, and these Latinos walked right by us, and I was able to do a street contact by myself. So I felt good about that. So since we had no plans and we couldn't knock on doors since it was after 8, and we could go to any members, we decided to make it a finding night. Because there are always Latinos in the streets and we just need to talk to them. So I was feeling good about my contact I made and I knew the Lord would place someone in our paths to teach. But guess what? For like the first time, there was absolutely no one in the streets. We walked all over and there was no one! And so it was like 8:55, and we were right by our apartment. But we decided to do one last lap, because we can't return to our apartment until 9. And we walked by this little public library thing they have in a park. We had left a book of Mormon in there a couple of weeks ago, and it was finally taken. We dont know by who, but it will change their life. We then were walking and this lady who was in the shadows picking up her dog poop called out to us, are y'all from Salt Lake. I said I was from Alabama, and she was like no way, my nephew plays on the BAMA Lax team. We then got talking and her dog's breeder is LDS and she's going out to Idaho to be a fixer upper. She said she was really impressed with our church's culture and how we care so much about the youth and the elderly. She said that when she moves out to Idaho she wants to get involved in the culture. So I have her a pass along card and told her if she had any questions visit the website. So it was a successful day!

There were two major lessons I learned this week:

1. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. There were days that I wanted to go give up and go back to our apartment, but the Lord sustained me in my efforts and gave me the strength I needed to go on.

2. The lords will is not mine at times. He has a plan for me and he is molding me into the person he wants me to become. I have learned to put his will over mine. And if the lord will give me the days he wants me to have. The lord knows best and I will go through whatever he wants me to.

I also had some pretty funny moments this week too:

1. We were in a lesson with a part member family. The non member husband told us we needed to marry an authentic Latina because the Amercian women dont know how to work. (I thought obviously you haven't met my mom) but nonetheless it was pretty funny.

2. I got offered a job this week. Some guy selling energy stopped us and asked if we wanted a job. So if anyone needs a job. Let me know! Ha!

Yeah so it's been a fun week. We sometimes have tough weeks and sometimes have awesome weeks, but they are all great weeks if we choose to look at them like that!

Happy Turkey Day,

Elder Jorgensen

Pics:

1. My first district 

2. Los Tres Amigos

3. The public library 

Staying in Bmore

Hello Family and Friends,

This week has been a whole lot better. No more sickness which has been super nice! Transfer boards came out this past Saturday, and I'm staying and Elder Casey is staying, but we are losing our dear friend Elder Rodriguez. It's sad, but it's the Lord's will, and we will follow it. But I am super happy to be staying! Out next transfer isn't until the first of the year, so I get to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve in the City. Oh man is it going to be crazy, but it's going to be so much fun as well!

This week I have really seen my studies being improved which has been really good for me. Something that my Mission President invited me to do, was to mark everytime in the Book of Mormon it references the Atonement of Jesus Christ. And oh my, is this an amazing thing to do. I have a little pocket sized Book of Mormon in Spanish that has become, my little Book of Mormon atonement of Jesus Christ book. And I have only gotten about 48 pages in and I have only found a couple of pages that don't reference the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon truly is another testament of Jesus Christ!

This week didn't have to many funny stories, but there were definitely a lot of little tender mercies this week.

1. We had a lesson with a returning member and her non member boyfriend. She is from the Domican Republic. And one thing about Dominicans is they talk really really fast and they don't pause. They can go on and on and on. But we were talking with her and she started to share her conversion story with us, and she added some other things so I was a little lost in what she was saying, but then she started to bear her testimony on prayer and the fact that happiness is a choice and she started to break down crying. The room just filled with the Spirit and even though I couldn't understand a lot of what she was saying, I could understand and feel the language of the spirit. Afterwards I bore a small and brief testimony to her about how she has such a strong testimony and other things. Even though it was brief I felt the spirit so strong. And then after the lesson, my companion told me how amazing that testimony was and how it was absolutely perfect spanish. So I know that the Lord will magnify those in the times and moments he needs and that the gift of tongues is real! So I am super excited for that family!

2. We had a 2 lesson plans for one evening and we were going to our first one, but one of my companions felt we should stop by the other people first. So we were walking and there was a man sitting on his porch. We greeted him and kept walking. But I felt a distinct impression to turn around and talk to him. So I stopped and both my companions ran into me, and I turned around and asked if he would like to hear a message about Jesus Christ. He said of course, and we talked for a little bit. He said that he sees people walking all the time claiming to have "the word" of God, but they never stop and share it, so he was really impressed. And then after a bit if talking on his steps, he invited us in. So we shared a little about the first message and he was super interested. So we are super excited about him and hopefully we can touch his heart in a way that he will have the desire to be baptized. 

And there have been so many other little things that just happen to line up that you can't help but see the Lord's hand in your life. I am so blessed to be here in Downtown Baltimore and get to experience all that it has to offer. I love all the people and all the crazy stories they have to tell, especially the lady I met this week who said she would marry Lamar Jackson if he wasn't too young for her! It is definitely a crazy place, but a very fun one.

I know that God lives and I know that he has a plan for every single one of us. I know God plays a part in our lives every single day and if you don't believe it just look for it. He's there, always!

I love all of you and I hope you all have a great week, and look for how the Lord blesses you!

Also I got 2 new names this week, Elder Pelo de Oro and Cachetes Rojos. So I think that brings the total to 6 or 7! Ha!

Love y'all,

Elder Jorgensen

Pics: 

1. Libro de Mormón 

2. Inner Harbour 

3. The Bay

Zanahoria o huevo?

Ohh family and friends what a week it has been. I have been really sick this week which has not been fun at all. I have had a fever, runny nose, sore throat, stomach pains, an allergic reaction, and a cough. 

So it's been a pretty tought week trying to get over all of that. And there have been some days that my companions have made me stay in, but I always feel guilty when I have to do that because I really want to be out doing the work and talking with people and I feel I am not reaching my potential when I am just staying inside. 

And so I was a little frustrated at the beginning of this week, because I am trying my best to be a consecrated missionary and serve the Lord with all my ability, but this sickness was holding me back. And I didn't know why I was given this sickness.

Because we had to stay in a couple of times this week, I had the opportunity to have a lot of study time. I was reading in a talk we were given, and it says, "Every challenge you face, every hard thing you confront, every bad thing that happens to you, every unfairness, every conflict, every sadness, tragedy, every disappointment and heartache, every temptation and every opposition happens for one purpose only: to give you opportunity to respond by applying in your life the teachings of Jesus. As you do so you are changed to become more like him." 

So yeah that hit me pretty hard. I have learned even more to be grateful for our trials. Because without the trials in our lives we would never be able to become like our Savior. And this trial I have faced this week has allowed to me grow my faith in my savior and learn to trust even more in him. Because in all honesty this next two years are his, so whatever he seeth fit to put me through these next two years. I will go through, because I know he will only put me through things I can overcome and will be for my good! 

I was reminded of an analogy I once heard about trials. A trial is like a pot of boiling water. We can either choose to be an egg or a carrot. When an egg goes into the boiling water (a trial) it becomes hard. But when a carrot goes into the boiling water it become soft. So in this life our we going to let our trials make us made and bitter at God, and make us angry and hard hearted like an egg? Or are we going to let our trials soften us and humble us like a carrot? Because we cannot make it through this life without the help of Jesus Christ!

But we were still able to go out somedays and the work was really really good those days. I was able to talk to some really cool people, and in Baltimore you just never know what kind of people are going to cross your path. So its honestly like a game everyday we walk outside and I love it. 

Here are some highlights from the week:

1. I am thoroughly convinced we talked to an actual witch this past week. My companions have been telling me about this crazy lady who is always out an about asking people for money. And we finally ran into her this week, not once but twice. We were going to bt groceries this past week. And this lady, hailed us down and called us her grandchildren. She had a creepy witch voice and looked exactly like one. She then asked us for money, but I told her we dont carry money and told her we could share a message about Jesus Christ if she would like that. She didn't and wobbled away. The next day, we went to this famed Chicken place in Baltimore called hip hop chicken (a little overrated) but anyway she was in there again. Asking for money again. We were with our zone leaders, and one felt bad and bought her a potato salad. He then gave it to her and said, "I can't eat this without a soda. Buy me a soda!" My zone leader didn't and the store owner was getting mad with her and he just wanted her out so he gave her a Pepsi in a can. She then threw the Pepsi back and said, "I don't drink Pepsi!" So now the store owner was really mad, and I legit thought we were going to have a fight between the witch lady and the Hip Hop man. But he went to go get the Police and she eventually and went and sat on the curb outside the restaurant. And then as we were walking back to our car she asked for money again! I learned that as a missionary I need to be as persistent as the witch lady!

2. We had a little birthday party for our Ward Mission Leader this past Saturday. We had to make tamales for it. So my companion and I were in the kitchen with all the Latino women and it was so much fun. They were all super super impressed with my skills and tell me I have a natural talent! So I was just in there with all the women popping out tamales like it was nothing. What was so crazy is that women just kept coming in and they all know how to make tamales. So now that I know how to make tamales I am one step closer to becoming a Latina woman!

3. We were teaching this family and as we were leaving the house. Thw wife was cooking up meat, and she asked if we wanted some. She told us it was deer meat, so we thought it would be fun to try. So she threw some meat in the bag and sent us on our way. We got back to the apartment and we found out she gave us raw meat. So I went all iron chef on my companions and whipped of one delicious meal. It was really fun. Also don't really know how she got the meat... let's just hope she didn't take it out with her car! Ha!

4. Finally we were with a member and he didn't want to take the bus, so he got an Uber. The guy came and it turns out he was from West Africa, specific Ghana! So I was able to talk to him about Accra and especially Fufu. Shout out to my Ensley brothers Frankie and Bennie. He opened up after that and we shared a little message with him about God and his love for all of us. So a pretty cool seed that was planted.

So yes, this week had been hard but I have been able to learn so much. And this has been a good week. I love y'all and I hope this week is just the best. So so crazy i have almost completed my first transfer in the field. Time flies!

I love yall,

Elder Jorgensen 

Pics:

1. Baltimore, best city in the America

2. Cool public chalkboard

3. The city 

They call me Lil' Jorge.

Oh my goodness what a week it has been. It has been so busy this week has just flown by. We had so many meetings and other stuff it has been insane but so much fun. 

I have finally felt like I have hit my stride this week. The Spanish started to pick up and it has been a really good week. I'm not saying I'm fluent now or anything, just that it's been a really rewarding week! 

And I honestly believe this week has been so good because of some council I was given. Earlier this week i was lovingly reprimanded and told that I have a problem with comparing myself to others, and it was true. I was comparing my spanish and success with others, either by saying I was better than them or I was worse than them, and it was beating me up. I realized comparison is the thief of Joy! I was told to focus on myself and focus on my successes and what success means to me. As I have done that this week, I have found more joy than I thought possible. It's been a great week.

Like I said earlier, we had such a crazy week, so we didn't have a lot of time to go contacting, but the times we did were hilarious. I think the Lord gave me a hilarious week because he knew I needed it. Let me share a couple of stories with you:

1. So last week we found a lady on the street and she said she was super interested in learning more. So we set up a return appointment and called it a success. The next day we texted to confirm, and she said she was free and asked if we could meet at Starbucks. So we ended up teaching a lesson in Starbucks. Never thought I would do that, but the best part was she told us 6:00, so we should up there, but typical Latino time, she showed up at 6:30. She got out of the car in a skimpy lowcut yellow dress with high heels a big ole necklace and a sweater. We all just looked at each other, and had to keep from laughing because she looked like she was coming for a date. We all sat down and made small talk and then it was a little awkward, and my companion asked, are you going to by anything, and she said no. (So a little strange that we were there if she wasn't going to by, but we made the connection later she wanted my companion to buy her something). But needless to say it was an interesting lesson. She was staring at my companion like 80% of the lesson. So so so funny. We would ask her a question and then she would turn to my companion and respond. Oh my goodness it was so bad. And to add to it, they were playing so old goodies by T-Pain, so it was even harder to pay attention because she spoke really softly and there was this creppy dude just staring at me the entire lesson. Probably made awkward eye contact at least 17 times. A lesson for the memory books, that's for sure.

2. So our mission President said we had to be out of our house for Halloween, but right we were live apparently there are a lot of devil worshippers and Satanists, so we didn't want to be anywhere near where we live, so we met up with the other Elders and went to a little suburb of the city and spent the night with them. The best part was we had to take a bus and walk a pretty far distance to the house. And we passed so many people who were like, "Oh my gosh, I love your costumes, Mormon Missionaries! That's hilarious!" But when we told them we actually were missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, they weren't as interested. But we did get some candy for our "original" costumes!

3. I have grown to love the people of Baltimore, because they are honestly so crazy. You really never know what's gonna happen. Like the other day we were waiting for the bus and a die pulled up and yelled at us. "Hey Mormon Brothers. Y'all look really nice today! What's the good word for today?" I shouted, "God loves you!" He said amen and drove off. Super funny, but the best of this week, was so hilarious. We were in true downtown Baltimore meeting a member. And we got off the bus and this dude came right up to us and said, "Why they call you Elders, y'all ain't old, y'all kids. And so am I. So y'all need to tell y'alls church people to change your names, because y'all ain't Elders and they shouldn't be treating y'all like them!" I tried explaining that Elder was a title in the church for those called to preach the gospel and it wasn't about age, but he wasn't having it. He then went on some long weird tangent about some weirdo "doctrine" and some other wacko stuff. But he did have a good point that I liked, he said that when Christ comes again, Christ ain't going to slay the wicked like the Bible says, because a commandment is thou shall not kill. So instead he's gonna come around and kill with kindness, gonna go around giving hugs to all and telling them that he loves them. Don't know if that's true or not, but an interesting insight from the Streets of Baltimore. He also told me that I need to change my name from Elder to Lil' because I am kid. And that will give me more street cred. So like I'll be walking down the street and someone will shout out, "Lil' Jorgensen, what's good brother!" Ya so I have a street name now, no biggie. Jajajajaja!

4. So this last one, I don't even know. So after our correlation meeting the 5 Elders in my district decided to go to Wendy's, because the 4 for $4 is made for missionaries. Anyway we walk in and this lady shouts at us, who y'all work for. We then explained that we were missionaries and our purpose is to bring light into the world and other stuff. She said, y'all pray for people. And we said yes. Then she came running over with her arms out. So 6 of us stood in a circle holding hands, saying a prayer that this lady would find a job and be successful, in line in a downtown Wendy's. It was so awkward and so funny at the same time. After we were done, we saw that her friend recorded the whole thing and posted it to Facebook. So if any of y'all see a video of 5 white guys praying in a Wendy's, that's me!

So this week has been super fun and super uplifting. And just the week I needed! I love all of you!

Lil' Jorgensen

1. The inner harbor

2. Trees that are cool

3. Get a companion who wants to match with you, #companionshipunity

Hey Halloween!

Hello Family and Friends!

Let me just start by saying this week has been all over the place. I've heard this missionary life described as a roller coaster, and that is exactly how this week has felt. 

Let me start with the weather. In the beginning of this week, it was super cold. Chilly during the day and then super cold at night. It was up and down during the week, and then all night Friday and most of Saturday it absolutely poured. And it was a cold rain, so a miserable type of rain to work in. And then Saturday night was nice. And then it rained all morning today, but it came in with a heat wave and humidity. So it was like 80 degrees today, humid, and sunshine. Super super crazy. 

And that is pretty much how my week went too. High points and low points, but always in a upwards progression. There have been some really tough days this week, but no matter how tough the day is, there is always something good about it. You just have to look for it. And I think that is one of the biggest lessons that I have learned while being out here on a mission. Life is really really tough sometimes, and sometimes we get knocked down and we feel like we're even getting kicked while we are down, but no matter the situation we can still have joy. I love the quote by President Russell M. Nelson, “When the focus of our lives is on … Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him." No matter the situation we find ourselves in we can still CHOOSE to be happy. If we focus our lives on Christ and make him the center of our lives, we can find joy in any circumstance. I have found that four things help me focus my life on Christ. 

1. Partaking of the Sacrament every week and taking my commitment to always remeber Christ seriously.

2. Praying earnestly everyday day outloud and being patient and waiting for a response. Because I am talking to my father in Heaven and not leaving a voicemail. I need to wait for him to respond.

3. Reading the Book of Mormon everyday. I have grown the love the Book of Mormom even more while I have been out of a mission, and I truly know what it means to feast on the words of Christ! And I love the council from President Johnson, that if we read the Book of Mormon everyday, everyday, everyday, Satan's tools of deception, discouragement, and distraction will have no power over us!

4. Be grateful for all things. As wise woman in my life once told me, "Be grateful for all things, and gratitude is like a magnet for blessings." And that is so true, when we are grateful for all things we are so much happier. We look at trials as a way for God to help us grow and learn instead of as a punishment. And no matter how hard the day is, if we look for blessings, we will realize God was with us every step of the way that day! Gratitude for blessings=Even more blessings

I know these things to be true, and we can be happy at all times and in all places. We can find joy in every situation.

Let me just share a few highlights from the week:

1. Last night we had a family night/Halloween activity at our church. And it was so much fun. They had us play full court basketball, and we have 5 elders in our branch so we were each team captains. And let me tell you these hispanic ladies are crazy. There were 2 ladies that played with us, one was like 64 and the other was like 42. And they were hustling up and down the court diving all over the place. It was so funny to watch. And the older one actually blocked my companions shot, I about lost it, it was so funny! These Latinos are crazy but so funny! 

2. Latinos can't pronounce my name so I've been getting called everything, Elder Jorge or Elder George and Elder Jorgesito are the most common. But if it sounds even close, I respond, it's pretty funny. The best name I've gotten though is Elder Santa Clause, because of my red cheeks! (I have Jeaners to thank for that one!)

3. I was eating in a Wendy's,  and then all of a sudden two dudes start going nuts and throwing hands in the parking lot. It was basically street fighter Baltimore version! No one got hurt, but if they did there was an ambulance in the parking lot, so it's all good!

4. Our water got shot off for one day, so it was fun living life without running water. It was a really fun time! Took my first ever wet wipe bath! Ha!

5. Found my new favorite food. It's called Yucca and it is a Peruvian Vegatable, but the best part is it doesn't taste like a vegetable at all. We went to a restuarant and they brought it out and I legit thought they were French fries. So vegetables that taste like French fries, my new fave!

I love all y'all,

Elder Jorgensen

Pics:

1. The three generations, my trainer and my trainer's trainer

2. The zone leaders

3. Tried to be artsy 

4. I'm basically a temple square missionary now

B'more Happy.

¡Saludos! 

I hope all is well everywhere else, because things are great here in Baltimore. Crazy like always, but good! (Also Baltmore apparently has a rat problem, and I see one almost everyday so that's fun...)

But this has been a good week, still getting adjusted to this crazy and fast missionary life, but I have learned a lot and really feel my testimony being deepened. There have been 3 big lessons that I have learned this week:

1. Why am I here? Duty or love

This past week we had a zone conference with our mission president and he have us some really really amazing insights. He is so funny, he calls us all "his beloveds" and tells us to be strong like a dolphin, and whenever we speak we need to stand up and speak with the voice of the church! He is also super energetic and loud so there's never a dull spot with him. 

Anyway, he said something that really struck me to my core. He asked us all to reflect on why we were here. He then said if you are here because it is simply out of duty you will hate your mission, but if you are here because you love the savior and the people of baltimore, even if you aren't the best missionary in the world, you will love your mission. And I can 100% testify to this. There have been times this past 2 weeks where I have felt I am here out of duty rather than my savior. I was focusing on myself and my setbacks, and having the me me me mentality, but that's not the way christ was. He was always looking to help and talk with others. So after that meeting I have prayed to be filled with the Christ like love for others and I tell myself constantly that I am here for the Lord. It is not my time, but the Lord's. And as I have been doing that, the days aren't getting easier, but my days are much brighter and happier. It is really interesting, the mission is really really tough and the hardest thing that I have done, but also I have never had so much joy while going through hard times. It is simply amazing!

2. Send it with the Spirit

The second lesson I learned came from the zone meeting as well. We had a "breakout" where we go as a group of missionaries and real-play (we real play no role play) situations. So I was a companions with my zone leader Elder Randall and my real companion Elder Rodriguez. We were talking and teaching and it went pretty good. I said some stuff and it was good. Elder Randall then took my aside and said "You were quiet, you need to speak more." I immediately thought It's my second week, chill out, I don't really know a lot of stuff. But he told me, you are called to be a missionary now, not in a couple of months when you understand, but now! He told me, that what he did when he was being trained was try to listen and if you can catch some words, bear testimony on that. It maybe a little weird, but the Holy Ghost will testify of the truthfulness of my words. So we came up with the phrase, Send it with the Spirit. 

It has been really fun putting this into play, and a little difficult. The hardest part is actually figuring out when to interject my comments, because Latinos like to talk. And they have good stuff to share, you just have to pick a good time to jump in and say something. Pretty funny! But it has been really good, sharing small but powerful testimonies. They maybe small and conjugated incorrectly or something else, but I bearing testimony. 

3. It's good to stand out

When I first got to baltimore, I really hated going outside, because I felt like everyone was watching me and judging me. But how I have changed. I can't help it because three things make me stand out:

1. I'm wearing a white shirt and tie. Sometimes a suit. 

2. I am tall

3. I am white

And I realize that these differences can actually be used for good, because they are great conversation starters. When people notice me, they just come up start talking to me about different things. We talk to lots of people because of the way we look, like I've gotten "why y'all dressed so nicely" or "hey look it's the professors" or "why you white boys out here!" And when people come talking to you it is so much easier to share the gospel.

But the hardest part is most of the people we make contacts with, dont speak spanish. We we start really good conversations with people, and then we give them a pass along card with the number of the English elders or a pamphlet, and go on our merry way. It's a little hard because some of these people would be really cool to teach if I could, but they are for the English elders. I realized that I just plant seeds, and that is a really important part of missionary work.

Like the other day we were on our way to an appointment and we get on the bus and go the back and sit down. But before I sat down I said hello to the man behind us. We then sat down and the man said to us, "Dang, I thought y'all were the police coming to pull me off the bus, because I just spilled my beer everywhere." Great Icebreaker, we then said, no were the missionaries coming to pull you off the bus and put you in the front. Nah JK, but we did have a really cool conversation about God and his love for all his children and how we need to work together to make this a better world, and some other good stuff. He then was going to get off so we handed him a pass along card and he asked for another one so he could give it to his boss. Not one but 2 seeds planted, BOOM!

But life is a go go go here in Baltimore lots of people to talk to and lots of people that need to hear this message, because they really need it. Baltimore really needs the gospel, there's a lot of sad people who could be lightened by it. So that's why I'm here. To share the love of the God to all of his Children. To being people the joy I feel everyday as i read the book of mormon and follow its teachings. 

Also, don't throw a tortilla in a Hispanics house or they get really mad. Jajajaja

Love,

Elder Jorgensen

Pics:

1. Be a star or whatever this shape is trying to be. Just call it a "Baltimore Star"

2. The professors 

3. Were not sick, just thought it looked cool

4. Took a walk through a golf course, because it was pretty