Week 8 - Huancayo, Peru

Dear friends and family,

I miss you all like crazy. These last couple weeks have definitely been a roller coaster ride.   I go from feeling so homesick to incredibly happy an hour later. I heard that is normal though. 

Last week we made tacos at the mission president's house with his wife.  It was super fun. I met Hermana Schmid who is from Utah.  We got to talk a lot in english which was nice. Also the tacos were amazing. Hermana Schmid had a mexican companion so she taught us how to made tortillas like a real mexican haha. super good! 

I interviewed with president Silva who only speaks spanish. We have to write a letter every week and I wrote him a whole paragraph in spanish and he said he was very impressed.  He also told me to take it easy with the language and that I will get it in about 3 months. The hardest part is seeing people open up to us, crying and I don't know what to say to comfort them.  Hermana Spitale is amazing though, and told me that I help so much just by bearing my testimony. It's getting better and i already have noticed that I can understand much more.  The missionaries in my zone all have been out quite a while, so it is hard not to compare myself to them and their spanish skills. Sundays are long, especially fast sundays.  We had 4 investigators come to church!  It was awesome, and guess what -  I bore my testimony!!  I was so scared but I just did it, and i was so proud of myself haha! The other day I got a priesthood blessing from an elder in my zone, and it was great and much needed. I felt so incredibly good afterwards, and everything in the blessing was exactly what I needed to hear. In the blessing he mentioned that God didn't expect me to perfect, and that I would be capable of doing everything I needed to do on my mission. It was very comforting, and increased my testimony of the priesthood.  

The dogs here are nuts. Hermana Blanca has a dog that is crazy, and every time we come to eat we run in as fast as we can to avoid her crazy dog. They bark all night long, and usually wake me up. 

I have met so many wonderful people here, who are loving and amazing. There is this old woman named Mila that we teach that is just the sweetest. Also the food here is super good, and the picky eater in me is definitely going away which is nice.  I am slowly gaining a love for the people here and am excited and anxious to get the language down. I know that my faith has grown so much.  I have had to put so much more trust in God these past few weeks. I am learning patience which is super good for me. The mission is a wonderful thing! 

Love and miss you all,

Hermana Charlotte Jensen

Church building in Huancayo where we are gathering to get our new assignments.

My new companion, Hermana Spitale

Hermana Spitale and Hermana Schmid

Sister Silva - Mission President's wife

President and Sister Silva (Mission President of the Huancayo Peru mission)

Week 7 - Huancayo, Peru

                                                                  
You can send letters to:
Hermana Charlotte Jensen
In care of President Edgar Rolando Silva
Jiron Cusco #278
Huancayo-Junin
Peru

                                                                  

Hola,

First week in Huancayo down! The 8 hour bus ride was beautiful but also very miserable. I ended up throwing up because of the altitude and having a massive headache that night. 

My new companion is Hermana Spitale and she is an absoulte angel. When I first met her I thought she was a gringo so I started talking to her in english haha!  She was very confused and said in spanish that she was actually from Argentina. I was worried at first about having an only spanish speaking companion but it is really helping me improve in the language. Our area is Mariscal Castila II and it is in the city of Huancayo. The other zones include Hanuco, La selva and Cerro de pasco i think.. Hermana Spitale is super patient with me.   I ask her questions all the time and try to tell her stories about my life in spanish. I also teach her english.   She knows some english pretty well. We have a pentionista who cooks for us named Hermana Blanca, and she is very sweet. She does not have very many teeth and I can barely understand her but she seems nice haha! .The first day I was here she blew up a bunch of balloons for me and made us a huge thing of jello. The food here is very good and my stomach has been doing ok. mas o menos haha. 

Proselytizing is really great and easily the time I feel the happiest. There are so many people to remember!  We have tons of investigators, recent converts, less actives and then there is the ward too. It is kind of overwhelming. Lots of people are willing to listen but I'm learning that people here are pretty flaky and bad at committing. But I can tell that the people here are so humble and loving and very religious too. My favorite so far was teaching a new investigator named Wendy the other day. It was the first time we met with her and she was just glowing when we gave her our mesasage. We asked her to be baptized and she just smiled and said yes I'd like that very much. Of course it hasn't all been like that and people are stubborn and don't want to listen or change sometimes and that is hard. Hermana Spitale has so much love for everyone we teach and her heart breaks every time someone does not want to accept our message. I really look up to her for that and want to get to that point on my mission. She told me the most important thing to do is to love the people you are teaching, because if that comes first, you will know how to reach the hearts of the people. I am basically immersed in spanish and it is been pretty overwhelming/  I'm trying to just be proud of where I am right now. Life here is very different, with some crazy thunderstorms haha but it is so fun, even when it is hard sometimes! I love you all and miss you lots. I know that the message I am sharing blesses lives and that the Book of Mormon is true!

Love,  Hermana Charlotte Jensen

Last days in the CCM (MTC)  Sister Hermana Lanchi from Iquitos, Peru in green striped dress.  One of my favorite hermanas.

Hermana Bromley from Danville, CA!!

Pretty good odds don't you think?

Saying goodbye to my CCM companion

President & Sister Moore of the CCM

The bus ride up to Huancayo - elevation approx. 10,000 ft.

Missionaries meeting at the church building to get assignments

Hermana Asto - training leader

My new companion - Hermana Spitale from Argentina

me in front of the church in Huancayo

Getting our new assignments and companions

Our lovely desk in our apartment

roof of our apartment

Hermana Spitale and me

Week 6 - In Huancayo, Peru

I can't write much but I'm officially at the mission home in Huancayo. I feel a little overwhelmed right now.  It is really scary and everyone is speaking spanish and it is hard to speak, but I can understand a good chunk of it when I just listen. I just had my interview with the mission president and he is super nice.  The whole interview was in spanish.  He told me that I have a good companion, so that is comforting. 

I have a headache because of the altitude change. The bus ride was really pretty but I threw up an hour before we got here.   I think it was because of the altitude change.   Almost everyone threw up as well!   haha. Tomorrow morning I am off to wherever they assign me! I know that the Lord is helping me through it all and that I will eventually get used to it. The next time I write will probably be on Monday, Oct. 31.  

Love,

Hermana Charlotte Jensen

Huancayo, Peru

Week 5 - Lima, Peru CCM (MTC)

Hola,

I just got back from the Lima, Peru temple! (about 5 minutes away from MTC by bus)  It was a wonderful experience and my best time yet.  It was an awesome bonding experience with my companion and it made me feel so good to be in the house of the lord.  Below are some pictures!

It was so wonderful to go!  I only got to go this one time because it has been closed for maintenance.

I'm not exactly sure when I will be emailing next btw because I think i leave next Tuesday for the field.  After that my p-days will be on Monday's.  Just letting you know it may be a little while.  I'm not exactly sure what time i will be emailing out in the field, and I may have less time.  Let everyone know that even though I do not have a lot of time to write, I do have time to read, and I always read your emails and it makes me so happy to know what is going on in everyone's lives.

I just wanted to mostly share my testimony.  It has grown so much here.  I was talking to the MTC president’s wife, and she was asking me how I got the testimony I have now.  I was thinking about it and I think it’s because I’ve lived the gospel my whole life and I’ve made it a part of who I am.  It has become embedded in me and I’ve seen the blessings of it.  You know me, I am a puzzle person.  I feel the gospel is this perfect puzzle, and I’ve seen that especially here and that it all fits together in this way.  It is so incredible.  The only One that can make a puzzle that is this amazing, is God.  He has a plan for us, and He loves us like crazy.  I know that families are meant to be together forever.  Families are an essential part of God’s plan.  He has put us in our families for a purpose.  I know that I have been put into my family for a purpose. And I’m so grateful that I have my family.   I know that prayer is real and that Heavenly Father listens to us.  I’ve had so many answered prayers here.  I’ve struggled and I’ve prayed and prayed.   I know that He has helped me and He has answered my prayers.  I know it is not me on my own doing.  I couldn’t have done this on my own without Him.   

I know that this church is restored through Joseph Smith.  I know that the Holy Ghost is real, I can tell when I don’t have it, I can.  I can tell when and why it’s there because I’m inviting the spirit and doing what I’m supposed to be doing.  That is when I have the companionship of the spirit with me.  I have grown to have a testimony of charity, which is love and service.  When you are serving others, you are serving God.  I’ve never felt more love for people than when I am serving them but I have to pray often to have that true charity.   I know this gospel is true, and I’m glad that I am here.  I know what I am doing here is very real and it’s going to bless people’s lives and I am grateful for that.   It’s crazy that I’m going to be out in the field next week and I am so excited.  I get butterflies in my stomach every time I think about it.  It’s scary but it’s good for me and I can't wait to get out there.  I love you and miss you all!!

WEEK 4 - Lima, Peru MTC

Hola!

This week was a really great one because we got to go proselytizing!!  We got on a bus on Saturday and drove down to a church building in Lima South and then went on exchanges with missionaries serving in that area. I was with a girl named Hermana Winward.  She is from Utah and super nice. She has been out for about a year and 3 months. It was nice because she spoke English so she was able to explain some things to me and I could ask her lots of questions about her mission. We went with 2 other members who did not speak any english but I picked up a little bit on what they were saying. We got on this tiny taxi van bus thing that is so scary to ride in - haha. They just leave the door open and then you hop on when it drives past you and you kind of have to stand up crouched inside. After the ride we walked up tons of stairs because most people live up on the mountain. We visited a lady who wants to be baptized but she has some struggles at home. I offered the prayer in Spanish and we talked to her about her family and she started crying because the boyfriend she is living with comes home a lot drunk and doesn't treat their family like he should. I felt God's love for her so strongly! I testified to her of that love and in spanish! I definitely teared up a little bit as I bore my testimony and it was awesome!  The whole experience was super special and made me so excited to get out into the field! 

The ccm is great and all but it's so special actually being out there in the homes of people and teaching them. It was pretty crazy because when we all got back we already had so many stories even just after a couple hours! One elder blessed someones baby in spanish already!  I can't wait for all the crazy experiences I will have. The CCM (MTC) has been really good, I taught relief society on sunday and it went well. I spoke about the Book of Mormon and how it brings us closer to Christ and the spirit was definitely there. I am also the choir pianist now for the choir here and yesterday we sang "Joseph Smiths First Prayer". 

Last week our district and one other did an english fast (no english) for an entire day and it was soooo frustrating haha. I ended up being very quiet for most of the day because I had a hard time knowing how to say things. I think it was good for me but I ended up getting a headache towards the end of the day. Also there is an Hermana Bromley here now.  She is from Danville, Ca!  That is where my dad grew up and where my grandma lives. She was born in Walnut Creek just like me but just a week before.  So crazy!  Dad let me know if grandma knows any Bromley's, specifically an Isabella Bromley. 

It's starting to get super hot here but not too bad. 

I love you all! I know the church is true with all my corazón!

Love,

Hermana Jensen

Me at the CCM (mission training center)

Hermana Jensen and Dallimore

Little "casitas" where we practice our door approach.

WEEK 3: Lima, Peru Mission Training Center

October 5, 2016

Hey everyone!

Time is flying already holy cow, I've almost been out a month. We just got a new bunch of missionaries here so we are officially the more advanced missionaries and have 3 weeks until were out into the field! Our whole weekend was listening to conference and it was very uplifting time for me. I felt like there were so many important things for me to hear and helped me to realize all the things that I need to work on to be a better and more focused missionary. 

Hermana Dallimore and I taught a really wonderful lesson the other day. Our investigator told us she was scared to get an answer and I told her that God loves her and would provide a way for her. She then prayed to know if the church was true and the spirit was so strong!   She had tears in her eyes, and then we asked if she would be baptized and she said yes!  It just shows how amazing the spirit is when you testify of truth with a sincere heart, the spirit will be there. 

This weekend we get to have a proselyting experience and go on exchanges with some missionaries in the Lima mission! I also am teaching relief society on Sunday! Every time I think about going out into the field, I get butterflies. I am just so excited! !!

I miss and love you all!

Love,

Hermana Charlotte Jensen

MTC football field

Hermana's Wall, Dallimore, Jensen, Holbrook

Hermana Wall leaving for Lima East mission

Hermana Jensen & Dallimore

My first Inca Cola