See you soon - August 9, 2021

 Dear Family and Friends,

What an amazing week it has been! I can't believe I am already sitting down to write another email, and this time my last one as a set apart representative of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I can't even begin to describe all these experiences I have had in the past 2 years, but needless to say I am not the person I was when I came out on my mission. And that is all thanks to Jesus 

Christ!

But let me share some miracles I saw this past week!

1. There is a converting power in the Book of Mormon. Simply put, if you read the Book of Mormon with the right intent (to grow closer to Christ) you will become converted. This is what is happening to Viviana right now! She hit a wall and stopped progressing,  but we've had a couple of Book of Mormon reads together with a member and now she is reading on her own and a change is taking place! She also came to church yesterday with her whole family to hear me speak! So much fun!

2. Don't you just love when the Lord places you at the right place at the right time? We went on a exchange this past week with our district leader and it was so much fun to work with them. So we went to one part of their area, and as soon as we pulled into this townhome complex, there was a man sitting outside so we decided to talk to him. Turns out this guy had talked with missionaries for years in the past, but had just lost contact and the record we had for him got deleted. But we just happened to be there at the right time to be able to find him and start teaching him again! 

3. I was also able to go with an Elder who came out like 5 weeks ago and was struggling really bad. But we got there and we just worked, and at the end of the night he told me that at that moment he was the most tired but also most happy he has been on his mission! It's true what they say, forget yourself and go to work, that's what brings the most joy! It was also an funny exchange because the Elder wanted to celebrate Elder Morrison's birthday, so he bought some confetti poppers and he also bought a chalk cannon (like the one they do for baby gender reveals) without knowing it was a chalk cannon. And..... yep..... he set it off in the apartment. So the whole apartment was blue the rest of the day and I was sneezing out blue dust the next day too! Crazy times haha

I love you all! Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement you have given me over these past 2 years. I truly am grateful for it!  See you Thursday!

Elder Jorge

One Last Ride - August 2, 2021

 Dear Friends and Family,

This week was absolutely fantastic, we saw so many cool miracles. And also had a couple of firsts haha

Here are some of the firsts:

1. We were knocking in the afternoon and we decided to knock this one door that had a nice little yard. We knocked and a little yap yap dog just started going off, but no one answered. The dog quieted down and so we decided to knock again and the dog started barking again. But this time a big lady came to the door and was not to happy. She started getting red in the face and screaming at the top of her lungs that if someone doesn't answer the first time you knock don't ever knock again!!!!!! And then slammed the door with quite some force. Never before has anyone been that angry because we knocked at the door, but I turned to my companion for the day and said. No more fear, there is nothing that we will encounter today that will be worse than that. And we went on our merry way!

2. We doubled in our area here in Clarksville which was a lot of fun. We had 2 companionships knocking for a solid 6 hours each and we probably had 2 people who actually wanted to talk. It was definitely a fun experience, but the 2 who did talk to us were super interested and so we are excited for them. We also went and knocked the biggest house in Clarksville just for kicks.

3. We were out in the boonies of West Virginia this past week knocking a good ole trailer park. And as we were walking a car pulled up and started yelling at us for soliciting, and we simply explained that we weren't. He kept on going at us, and we told him the house and the name of the people we were going to visit and he was still kept on yelling at us, and his wife was getting soooooooo mad. She eventually just got out of the car and started walking, so he drove off picked her up and went to his trailer. Crazy people 

But even though there was a lot of persecution this week, we saw a bunch of miracles too. We had some cool lessons with the people we were teaching like our friend Viviana. We did a book of Mormon read with a member and she was all over it! She even invited the member over to swim and her house and also to read some scriptures together as well!!! Member present lessons are the key. 

We also had a follow up lesson with a lady on exchanges that turned out soooooo well! She read the pamphlet the missionaries gave her last time and she actually understood it and the the purpose of a restoration! The crazy thing is that contact before she was super closed off and didn't want to talk because she was catholic. People's hearts can change if they repent and keep commitments!

I love you all! See you soon!

Elder Jorgensen 

What you got to lose? - July 26, 2021

 Family and Friends,

What a crazy week this has been! But it has been absolutely fabulous, definitely one of the best weeks I've had on my mission. Let me give you a play by play real quick

Tuesday- we went on a exchange on the north side of Baltimore. We met some super cool people and got let into some houses! The coolest house was the last one we went into. There was a big old lady with her husband and her two granddaughters. They let us in and we taught them about God and taught them how to pray. It was so cool because neither of the little girls had ever prayed before and hearing them pray for the first time was something special! Also we took a selfie with a drunk guy on his porch (pic below)

Wednesday- I went up to my old area in York and we had a lot of people who just weren't open. And it went on for most of the day but at 8:50 we decided to send it to one last house that was a little far away, but we went because the spirit said so. The lady opened up and she expressed how she had been battling hard core with depression and anxiety, but as we taught her about Christ's love and his Atonement we could see her complexion start to change. We then stopped and asked her how she felt, and she just started to cry. We then testified that she was feeling the spirit and that she could feel the same way if she were to pray and read the book of mormon and exercise her faith by talking with us again. Of course she said yes!

Thursday-

I was over in Lancaster, and the people over there are just the bestest. We were walking and we saw two people sitting on the steps outside their house and so we struck up a conversation. And before we knew it, most of the family came out and we ended up teaching like 7 people right outside their door! We were able to catch up with Allan so that was fun. 

Friday- I got to do another Spanish exchange and those are the best. We find the biggest cheat code to the game though. We went into this corner store in Baltimore that had a western Union in it. And as we walked it we looked at the wall and it was full of people who were renting out rooms in their apartments, and all of them were in Spanish. So we snagged like 7 phone numbers and 4 addresses, hahah. Also that night we were walking to to an appointment and we saw a huge group of people outside having a grill we talked to them and they thought we were JW's, but we told then we weren't and they were chill. But we had to go the lesson but on the way back they invited us over to eat with them. And so we sat down, ate with, and taught about 20 Dominicans. It was do much fun!

Saturday: We finished the week strong and with a lot of cool miracles as well. We knocked on a door on a man from Bangladesh and he invited us right in and sat us down at his table to eat. So we are some fish and rice and sauce with out hands. We were also able to introduce him to the Book of Mormon and he was interested! And then that night we had a lesson with someone they were teaching who had gotten into anti. We started answering her questions and then just stopped. And asked her when she talks to us, how does she feel? And when she reads these things on the internet how does she feel? Good feelings come from God and bad ones come from Satan. She finally agreed to come to God or us if she has questions and not the internet!

This week was so good because I've finally got it into my head, what is the worst thing that can happen by me talking to people or knocking on their door? Nothing

Where on the other hand. What's the best thing that can happen? They come unto Christ and receive eternal life 

I'll take those odds

Elder Jorgensen 

The Spirit is Everything - July 19, 2021

 Family and Friends,

What an amazing week it has been! It was even better because it was Pizza week (aka Zone Conference week). It was a lot of fun but  2 zone conferences a day for 4 days in a row takes a toll on you. But it was definitely a spiritually enlightening experience. 

But we had a rocking week as well out on the streets. On Monday we had dinner with Viviana and Raul and it was a little awkward... we got there right after they had a little argument and the spirit was not there at all. It was a weird feeling, but then we had dinner and talked about the spirit and taught them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And as soon as we started bearing testimony the spirit came in and I could just feel a difference in the room. The spirit is amazing. 

We also had some really good exchanges this week. We were able to go back out to Hagerstown and do an exchange with them. We went out to a knocked a trailer park (those are the best, really fun people) and we had a super successful night. Then at 9:02pm we were heading out and we saw a man chilling in his house without his shirt on, so we had a green light to go and knock it.  And as we knocked it this girl opened it up (who also wasn't wearing it shirt) and she gasped and slammed the door shut. Then she came back with a shirt on and the dude came around with a shirt on too and said, "We have shirts on now, come in." So they just let us right in and we sat down and had a really good lesson with them. Just a miracle knock

We also had a one of the most spiritual lessons I've had in my mission. Our instruction in zone Conference was on how to invite and point out the spirit to help our friends have a greater desire to come unto Christ through baptism. And it really works and changes people. On Saturday we were out knocking doors and we got a text saying that someone wanted to talk with us. So we called her up and she talked about how she felt different when missionaries prayed with her and she has been trying to chase that feeling. So we set up a lesson for that night at 8. And then at 7:45 it started pouring, and the lady cancelled the lesson. So we decided to rip her a call and we pulled off into just the grossest stairwell ever to teach the lesson. There was like hair all over the place, spiders everywhere, and mold upon mold. But we gave her a call and started talking about the love God has for her and she expressed how she didn't feel worthy of His love. We read some scriptures and then asked her how she felt and she said she had joy and peace and had the feeling she was searching for. We told her that was the spirit and that he teaches the truth, and then we asked her what God was trying to tell her at right then, then she broke down crying over the phone and said, "that he wants me to return to Him." And then spirit then came in super strong. So testimony gained, the spirit can be felt at anytime and in any place. It can be felt over the phone in an atrocious stairwell. 

There is joy in the Gospel, there is Joy in Christ. Come unto him and experience it

Elder Jorgensen 

Crazy Miracles - July 12, 2021

 Family and Friends,

What an amazing and fun week we had this week. We saw so many cool miracles both here in Clarksville and on exchanges. 

We were able to go out and visit some people we had met last week. And we went and visited our friend Paul and he was so cool. He told us that he had read about 5 chapters in the Book of Mormon and wants it to be true. He says it has been a little rough connecting with it, so we asked if we could stop by and read with him some day. And he said he would love to, but that he would want to get out of his house and read with us in our church. So we are going to read the Book of Mormon with him at our church! 

But some of the biggest miracles this week came on an exchange we did while up in Carlisle. Carlisle is a smaller city, but it has a pretty good downtown. So all afternoon we were walking around the streets and meeting cool people. The coolest guy we met was a man named Calvin. He told us that his son's name is Messiah and how he just wants to raise his son the right way. So we shared with him some points of he restored gospel and set up a time go back. And then today I just received a text from him saying that right after we prayed with him his Sister got in a bad accident and he sent us pictures of the car and it was absolutely destroyed. But he said they walked away with only bruises. He also said that he normally doesn't open up to strangers, but he had no problem talking with us! He was so cool!!!

We had another massive miracle that night. We went and knocked some town homes that night in a small town right on the border of the mission. And we knocked and knocked with no answer or no interest. So this went on until about 8:30pm, and then we decided to say a prayer and ask for guidance. And right after my companion saw 3 people and so we went and talked with them. And to make a long story short there were 2 Dominicans and a white lady trying to introduce herself, but they didn't understand her. So I started talking in Spanish and they were so amazed. They said they had just moved there and they were feeling so lonely because they couldn't talk with anyone. So when I showed up they thought it was a god send. I left them with a 

Book of Mormon in English and Spanish and put them in contact with the Spanish missionaries in that area and they were so grateful!

I love being a missionary and the miracles I get to see everyday! It's the best!

Elder Jorgensen

Grind Time - July 5, 2021

 Friends and Family,

What a fun week it was! It was quite a busy one though. We had 17 new missionaries come into our mission this past week, and they are all super amazing! We also had 24 missionaries leave this week, so we had quite the turn around.

We had an amazing lesson with the Buzaitis family this past week. It was realy fun because President and Sister Nye were able to come and join us. It was so much fun to teach with President. And it was the coolest thing, we had a good lesson about how we need to be converted to Christ instead of the Church. We read Moroni 10:32 with her, and afterwards she said, "I need to read this book more!" So we are ready for the miracles that are coming.

We were also able to go over to Raul and Viviana's house. They were so kind and made us dinner and we were able to read a little from the Book of Mormon with them. Raul is really starting to show interest, and loves to talk with us about God! So we are really excited for them too!

We had a super cool miracle this past week too. We went out and knocked doors for about 6 hours and it was rejection after rejection. I quickly realized that Christians are the minority here in Clarksville. There are so many people that just don't believe in God. But at like 8:45pm, we said a prayer and asked God to help us to know what he would have us do. And we felt guided to 3 doors, which all weren't interested, but we decided to do one more. And we met Paul and simi. They were such cool people who were really touched by the fact that we can teach them how to live together forever as a family. We are planning to go back this next weekend and going to bring the power.

Elder Jorgensen

Book of Mormon Giveaway - June 28, 2021

 Family and Friends,

What is going on my beloveds. This week was such an amazing one. It's crazy to think that I am going to start my last transfer this week, so that just means we have to kick it into high gear!

We were able to go on exchanges with Elder Jensen this past week since he is our district leader so that was fun. I went with his new companion who also happens to be a Spanish missionary. So even though we were in an English area, Elder Torres and I did more Spanish work than English haha. We were hunting out those Hispanics, and we were able to teach some really good lessons. It was so much fun to be serving in Spanish again.

Then we had an in person Mission Leadership Council on Thursday which was so much fun. After not being able to meet up with missionaries for so long, you can definitely feel a difference in the power of numbers. And we didn't have to wear masks which made everything 100 times better!

On Friday I was able to go back down to downtown Bmore for the day and oh how I've missed the city. The people there just simply give you energy. We saw so many cool miracles, like we were walking down the street and a man comes running from the other side of the road and yells, "How much do you know about Joseph Smith and Brigham Young?" (pro tip on the streets of Baltimore, if anyone starts running towards you and yells how much you know about those 2 men, be careful on how you respond, because he may just try to tear you to shreds). So I hit him with a "right back at ya" and said, ``Well how much do you know?" And it turns out this guy was a member that said he got baptized back in the 80s because he wanted to be with some girl. But now they're not together and he hasn't been to church in years, but wants to get back into it and actually study and learn about the church. Big time blessings.

But 2 big miracles from this past weekend here in Clarksville. We don't get much time to work in our area, so last night we decided to go knock doors and we ran into this Buddhist man who immediately told us he wasn't interested. But then the conversation evolved and he gave us bottles of water and by the end of the conversation he took a copy of the Book of Mormon and agreed to read it!

We also have our friend Shirley who loves talking with us about Jesus, but she promised us she would never become a mormon. But we sat down with her and taught the doctrine of Christ and the restoration and she seemed to be open more. We read some Book of Mormon verses and she was absolutely blown away by them, but she still didn't want to read it. But after some talk and some tactful persuasion she accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon as well! So hopefully they'll both read it and feel of the power of Christ!

I love you all, and hope you have a happy 4th of Julio!

Elder Jorgensen

Never Have I Ever - June 21, 2021

 Well Friends and Family what a wonderful week it was! I truly do love my mission and I love being on the front lines in the Lord's battalion with the opportunity to see miracles every da1y! Because this was one of those weeks where everyday there was a big miracle!

Wednesday-Hanover:

We went to a little town called Hanover, PA where the stereotype is that everyone is catholic or gay, and it was true. But we still were able to see some big miracles, one of them was right after we taught a lesson. We were walking to our car and I heard some Spanish music playing out of a car, so of course I B-line it over to the car and start talking to this guy. Then another guy pulled up and got out and started talking to us as well, and he tells us that he is talking to one of our friends on Facebook, and it turns out to be he is talking with Elder Bethers. But Elder Bethers is covering an entire Stake for Spanish right now, so he lives like 30 mins away from Hanover. But what was cool is that we were able to give him a Book of Mormon and tell him that Elder Bethers will talk to him more about this! Just placed in our path!

Thursday-Lancaster:

I got to visit my good ole friend Allan! If you remember him, he was the youth that I taught everyday when I served in Lancaster. But we stopped by and oh man it was a good lesson. We taught him the Doctrine of Christ, and told him by not being baptized there was no way for him to make it back to God. Then we talked a little more and he was getting more and more excited, and then he looked down at his phone and said, "How does August 1st sound for a baptism?" We both looked at him and said, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday-Lititz:

This was a fun exchange, because I got to take a missionary who has never worked outside before and teach him how to knock doors/street contact. And it was a blast.... after the first door. We didn't even get to the first door and the lady answered and said, "NOT RIGHT NOW!" And then proceeded to slam the door. I then turned to my companion and said Welcome to the mission! But we didn't let a little rejection get us down and we went and knocked on another door and no one answered, but there was a man working outside across the street so we went and talked to him. Turns out he wasn't interested at all and kind of hates the church, but we still asked him for a referral, and he just pointed at a random door and said, "Have you knocked that one yet?" The answer was no and so we went! And it was literally a miracle! Her name was Tina and she completely opened up and said that she was wanting to grow closer to God, because she didn't know her purpose in life. So we taught her a little and invited her to pray and they are going back soon! Asking for referrals work!!!!

Saturday-Baltimore:

We were able to do a Spanish exchange and oh man, it was so much fun! I have definitely missed the Spanish work, so I enjoyed it all I could for that day! But we got back to the apartment at like 8:58pm due to just a massive rainstorm that came out of nowhere. But I felt like the night wasn't done yet, so we started calling random people on Facebook, (they had accepted our friend request, but we have never talked with them, but we just call them off of messenger, really random and awkward right?) but this lady named Melissa answers, and it was exactly what she needed. We offered to say a prayer with her and she told us how she was going through a custody battle and needed God's comfort. So we prayed and then after, she was like "How did you get my number?" We told her we didn't actually have her number, but instead we just called over messenger, and she told us thank you so much. And then she proceeded to cry and tell us that it was her first weekend without her kids, and how she was so grateful that God reached out and touched her heart through us. She then asked us if we could call in a couple of days and pray again and share some scriptures! Straight miracles from being diligent and not ending the night early!

Now onto the title of the email. For the first time in my life I got pulled over.....

Nothing bad happened. He just told me that my back lights weren't on, which is strange because I haven't touched the lights in a long time, just left them on automatic. But now I can't say Never Have I Ever been pulled over by a cop :(

Keep going strong and remember to stay Christ Centered

Elder Jorgensen

Member Involvement - June 14, 2021

 Dear Family and Friends,

A Special shout out to the new family member, Oliver Green. He's the cutest baby out there and definitely rocks his mullet!

But oh my oh my what an amazing week it was. We may have seen some of the biggest miracles out here in Clarksville yet. They key........ get the members in on the lessons. It's something that has been stressed always in my mission, but that's how miracles happen. 

We had such an amazing lesson with our friends Viviana and Raul this past week with a member couple, and we read out of 3 Nephi 11. We read up until verse 17 and told them to finish the chapter, but the lesson was so cool! The best part was at the end, Raul said, "I like to make a comment about hearing the voice 3 times, When Viviana started meeting with you guys, I was very uncomfortable. But just like these people I didn't hear the voice the first couple of times. But now I am so grateful that you are here teaching us and enlightening us!" We were both blown away! They also went to a ward party and loved it, and then they came to church and loved that! So we are heading in the right direction.

We had met ANN the woman this week! We knocked on this lady's door who has just a massive home (so it was pretty intimidating), but she's like the nicest person ever. She told us that she wants more in her life with Religion. She said that she's always gone to churches out of convenience or practicality, but never went because she was converted/had actual faith. So she really wanted us to stop by again and help her with that, but not just her, she wants us to teach all of her 8 kids as well, who just so happen to be above the age of 8! So big time miracles are in the works.

We also had some fun exchanges this past week. I love love love working in the rain, it keeps you on your toes. We spent most of the week down in Redneck Virginia (my part of town) and talked to a lot of cool people. Only got "shewed" away once!

The work of the Lord moves forward, so jump on and let's get it rolling even more! 

Elder Jorgensen