Monday, November 23, 2015

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

Hello Family and Friends! As always... WHAT A WEEK! I still truly love it here in the glorious Calgary area. Every day I get to look at the beautiful skyline of Calgary, walk up breathtaking (literally) hills, and work with and serve amazing people in this area. I couldn't feel more blessed to be spending this time in this area.  

Some highlights of the week! 

First off I would like to apologize for not emailing much last week.... I need to learn to balance my email time ha ha! 

Anyway! As you can tell by my subject line this week was awesome! 

We went to the Guidi's (our Italian/French) family for Dinner on Tuesday. It was beautiful outside... about 5 degrees so Sister Layton and I didn't even wear a coat just a light sweater. When we got there Sister Guidi met us at the top of the outside stairs (they live in the basement) and told us in her awesome French accent that we better go see what Brother Guidi is doing. So we walked over to a fire pit that Brother Guidi was standing by and Sister Layton asked "What are you making Brother Guidi" his response... (in his amazing Italian accent) "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire"! So I have now tried roasted Chestnuts and I must say they are quite good. We had a traditional french meal that day including a cheese platter before Dessert! As we went to leave Sister Guidi asked us if we needed coats and we said that it was beautiful outside and then we walked out and saw that we were smack dab in the middle of a snow storm.... you think that I would have remembered that Calgary is the most bipolar when it comes to weather... It was a great night with a great lesson with Shannon and Bishop and then ending with getting stuck on a hill by our house. The elders had to come rescue us.... it was great!

Wednesday we had our Arm Activity (Additional Relief Society Meeting) which was a fun Christmas dinner. It was awesome because we had three less-actives, a ward missionary and a visiting teacher to one of the less-actives all at our table! It was great! We had a great time and have appointments set with 2 of the 3 less-actives this week. 

As always we helped out at the Food Bank this week! It was awesome! As I was helping someone out to their car I chatted with him and he said that our churches are Beautiful. He was from Nigeria and as I got talking to him I offered for the Sisters in his area (which happen to be some of the Sisters that we serve) to get in touch with him. He said yes and I gave him our number to call if he had any questions. Even though we go to the food bank to serve, I still love being able to share my testimony with people and help them to remember the love of God. 
That night we went to our dinner appointment and had an awesome miracle! We had the chance to help make dinner for Sister Redfern and Sister Dow. They heard that I like to make Fried Rice so that is was Sister Layton and I cooked... however we didn't realize that when we got there that the rice that she gave us was Brown rice and it takes 45 minutes to cook... but we didn't have that time do to a lesson with Eddy later. So if response we did what any missionary would do and said a prayer.... AND THE RICE COOKED IN 30 MINUTES INSTEAD OF 45!!!!!! Ha! Who says prayers aren't answered! We had a great lesson with Eddy that night and then drove up to the North to go on exchanges with our Hermanas (the Spanish Sisters!). I went up again to the North to stay with Hermana Dean and we had a great time learning from each other. She is one firecracker missionary only being out for 3 months in the field. It is kind of cool because when we decided who is going where for an exchange we do a lot of praying and a lot of thinking. Normally we don't have a lot of trouble, but this week we couldn’t decide until right before the exchange. I had originally thought that I would be staying in the area with Hermana Dean and Sister Layton would go to the North with Hermana Ratliff, but we still had some confusion until we decided that I would be going to the North and Sister Layton would stay here....and it felt right! It is crazy that Heavenly Father really means to study it out in your minds and then ask if it be right because I know that I had thought it out and I felt off when I asked but I was too stubborn to think that I could be wrong. Moroni 10:3-5, be humble, ask God if the thoughts and feelings you have are not true and then listen for the Holy Ghost... God will tell you!

Sunday was unlike any other Sunday. All of Canada this weekend didn't have church but watched instead the Montreal Temple Dedication! So now I have been to two! It was a special experience and we had both a less-active and recent convert come! I loved it! We also made dinner for a potential investigator with one of our ward missionaries Sister Brule (Spaghetti and Pudding with crushed Candy Cane!) and took it over. Kory and Katherine were a referral from a member in the Foothills stake and they just moved it from Edmonton. They are struggling but were so nice and accepted the invitation for us to come back this week for a message. They are the sweetest and I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will really bless their lives. It has been a good week with many miracles! I hope that all of you Americans have an amazing Thanksgiving Day on Thursday! Thank you so much for all that you do! I love you! 


Sister Kelliann Jensen






Monday, November 16, 2015

Hello everyone! 

Sounds like this has been a great week for you! I will be praying for you as well on the direction that you should take. I agree though... no Jensen ever needs to be involved in Politics. I get Sarah's emails every once in a while. It is nice to hear how she is doing and it is weird to me that she has already been out as long as she has. I really enjoy serving as a missionary and would never exchange the things that I have learned here. In the words of President Hinckley "It remains the best and most productive 2 years of my life...still". This week was full of amazing things and lessons. We did two trainings this week; One up in the North Zone for our Sisters, and one in our own Zone. It is amazing to see the hand in the Lord as you pray and ask for guidance on what to do. We also spent a lot of time at the Temple of Thursday (see mom's email for more info). On Friday we had Zone Conference's with President Miles and the Foothills zone. I got to see Sister Kendrick, Wagstaff, and Allard again which is always fun. I really enjoy having President and Sister Miles in our mission. The work is improving and our mission is becoming even better than before. 

Saturday we went on Exchanges with the Airdrie Sisters. I went up to Airdire with Sister Durrant who if you remember is someone that I came out with. I really enjoyed being able to teach and learn from her as well as be concerned with and a part of their missionary work as well. It has been a crazy but amazing week! I wish that I could share more! Next Sunday is the Montreal Temple Dedication! It should be awesome!

Things are a lot busier here in the Calgary Zone and as an STL. Now I have more responsibilities then I did before to prepare for and this week has just been ridiculous when it came to study time because we were always at a meeting and didn't always have time to do anything but prepare for the meetings which we are going to, however that doesn't mean that I am or have giving up on the challenge we are doing. It just means that I too am behind a little. I just started the book of Jarom... so I really don't know where we are supposed to be this week, but I have really enjoyed what I have read so far. Enos is still one of my favorite books and as I read it on Wednesday it really prepared me for the training that we gave to the Elders. You know what I learned this week? I learned that the Book of Mormon really is a witness of Christ. It answers the question of the soul "How can a belief in Christ help me" because it is literally witnesses and testimonies of Prophets and how a belief in Christ helped them, their families, and how it could/did help their societies. It is amazing! I love reading the Book of Mormon and know that as we read it we will find a better understanding of who Christ is and how he can help us! 

Oh we went to the temple as a district on Thursday! We got to do Baptisms (which I haven't done in 8 years), and we took a name all the way through. And it was our own Family History. I did the name of Hansine Olsen, whom was born in Denmark and then I also found another name for one of the Elders to take through Thomas Grimmett. It was such an amazing experience to take a name through all of the way and I learned so much about the Plan of Salvation and why the Lord does what he does. We truly are His children and I feel like everything on this earth is to prepare us to live and accept the principles and laws of Heaven. I love you so much. I don't have too much time but I wanted you to know that the Lord does love you! I am excited to see you in a couple of months and I got my November package yesterday (it is nice to get mail more regularly again). Thank you for the Winter stuff, it is needed. As far as Christmas goes I would like letter from everyone (especially those of who never write me... JOSH... DANNY) and I am in need of less grungy white undershirts but other than that I really am doing great. I learn to make new outfits every day, and I am not too tired with what I have. I might be in need of new brown boots, but really that it not a necessity. I love you so much! Thank you for being my constant support! 

Love you Forever! 

Sister Kelliann  




Downtown Calgary


Temple Day as a District



Family Dressed as the Beatles

Thursday, November 12, 2015

What an Amazing Week!

Man do I ever love being in the Calgary 5th ward. This area is amazing! And being with Sister Layton is the best! Now just because this area is amazing doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of work that we need to do to get better, but there is so much potential here and we feel like there can really be a big change as we all serve the Lord in Unity. 

This week has been crazy... like 3 in 1 crazy. Sister Layton decided that she wanted to straighten my hair on Wednesday! 

We had a lot of this going on this week and that also included my first ever Mission Leadership Council (MLC). This is a meeting where all of the leadership in the mission get together and we have a giant council (kind of like a ward council) and we try to figure out new goals for the mission and areas of focus with President. It is a time for Revelation and Sister Layton and I are grateful for the things that we learned. We ended up giving a presentation on Members and President asked us to do our musical number for the closing hymn.
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Our main focus for this area is going to be (okay for me at least) focusing on my Savior. We have trainings that we are doing this week and the questions we asked our zone and Sisters to ponder was "What does a belief in Christ do for me"? And you know what I have really learned that this week. We need to have Christ as our center. Plain and simple. 

We had a cool miracle this week. We were preparing for a dinner message and Sister Layton had a scripture in mind about what to share so as she was looking for it I was praying and asking Heavenly Father to know what to do. I had an impression come to my mind to do the message in 3 Nephi 11:15 about when Christ visits the Americas and shows himself unto the multitude. As I finished explaining it to Sister Layton, she turned to me and told me that that was the scripture that she was looking for. I loved it! We shared it at our dinner message which consisted of our member Stephanie and her non-member friend and guess what her friend Savannah texted her yesterday asking her if she could help her find a church and missionaries around her to teach her!!!!! Miracle! 

We had a lot of other amazing things that happened this week but I don't have the time to write them all out. Sister Layton and I both have really bad memories so it has been interesting but good because we get things done right away so we don't forget. We go on our first set of exchanges this week! Oh and we had a traditional Chinese Dish called Hotpot this week with a Mandarin Member. I would explain it... but you might just want to google it. This upcoming week is going to be, in the words of Sister Layton, "hoppin". I love you all! 

Love,
Sister Jensen  




Saturday, November 7, 2015

Transfers, Halloween, and First Day of Snow

Hello Hello Hello Everyone!

Must I say what a week! I guess that I will break the news early in the letter today but I am now serving almost in the heart of Calgary in the Calgary 5th Ward... (Not to be confused with the Medicine Hat 5th ward)... and my new companion is... SISTER LAYTON! We came out together and we are both from Arizona! Also more exciting news... on Monday night after pday this past week, Sister Kolodisi and I were getting home and finished with planning so we started to pack. It had been a good day, but it was kind of hard to leave people that I had only known for a few months. Anyway as I went to my bed to fold my clothes and put them away I saw the phone and had the impression that I should probably look at it... and as I did I saw that President Miles had called and as I listened to the voicemail I learned that he not only called, but he called for me. So I called him back and long story short I am not only serving in the Calgary 5th ward with Sister Layton, but I was also extended the call to be a Sister Training Leader with Sister Layton over the sisters in the Calgary North stake (we are the only sisters in the Calgary Zone). That means that Sister Layton and I get the chance to look after these sisters and we will be going on exchanges with them periodically.

The beginning of this week was pretty hectic, and Sister Kolodisi and I spent most of it packing, cleaning and tying up lose ends in prep for the sisters coming in. We made lots of notes in the area books and spent quite sometime saying goodbye and making sure the the new sisters were still welcomed in investigators and less-active homes. Hopefully they can fit in together! Transfer weeks are always hard, but it was quite fun all the same. As transfer day came along, Sister Kolodisi and I had to say our goodbyes and we went to the Willow Park Chapel. She was going South and I stayed North so once the meeting started we had to part our ways :(. But the best thing about transfers was that I got to see Sister Kendrick, Sister Allard, Sister Milius, Sister Wagstaff, and Sister Howard, which are Sisters that I haven't been able to see in forever! (Especially Sister Kendrick who we both thought would never see each other again on the mission). She is now serving as the STL over Willow Park so I will be seeing her more often now.


It is amazing that Heavenly Father will give you assurances that you are in the right place at the right time. After I got my transfer notice that I was staying North, everywhere that I could go continue to cross my mind. I felt like I could go anywhere in the North and has no idea what Heavenly Father had in store for me. However when I got my STL call, that narrowed the pool to four places, Willow Park (which would have been the same zone that I just came out of), Calgary Central (where I am now), Foothills YSA, or Banff. I thought that I could go to any of the places...except Calgary Central because Sister Layton just finished training so I figured that she would get transferred and the her baby would need to be greenie busted. President had told me that I would be with another STL so I kind of ruled that one out. All week I went back and forth on where I would be and that continue until I got to transfers and I was sitting there and learned that Sister Layton was staying in her area... and at that point I knew that I would be going with her to Calgary 5th ward. And you know what is also cool? We both had the same impression.






Happy Halloween Everyone

So big news... Sister Kolodisi is going South in the mission... 
More big news.... We are getting purged and I am leaving the Mahogany and Auburn Bay ward to go somewhere else in the North of the mission.... WHAT!!!! It is weird for me to think about because I have only been in the area for 5 weeks... but as we call it here I am ready for my first "one and done"... Purging means that 2 new sisters will be coming in the area that we are leaving.Sister K and I will be spending a lot of time tying up loose ends and making sure things are ready for them when they come in!!! So stay tuned for where I am going and who I am with next week! 

Alrighty so miracles of the week! 

Monday! - This week we got a referral for a guy who was baptized in 2003, doesn't have scriptures, but wants to come back to church. This referral sounded like it came from him... but apparently it didn't because when we got their he didn't know we were coming, but everything about him that the referral said was true AND he asked us how he can get a copy of his Patriarchal Blessing so we are going to move His records into the ward and then get him his lds.org account. Sadly he is only going to be in our ward for a short time... but we can get him started in the reactivation process. We also carved pumpkins with a reactivating family for P-day. 

Tuesday: We got to help with reorganizing a garage for a part member family this week. It is cool to see that we have been able to get more in contact with these Part member families. 

Wednesday: We got a 10 on our Apartment Inspections!

Thursday - We had the chance to help a new less-active who wants to come back to church with her move in! It was awesome because she came to church and the missionaries coming in will be helping with he wedding in two weeks! Plus we went to the Thrilling Thursday for Mahogany Ward and their was a bunch of non-members and less-actives there. It was kind of awesome because one of the Part members is going to start taking the lessons! 
We also had to go to help 
Friday - We went on exchanges and we got a Referral!!! When we tried to stop by the referral we ended up at a less-actives house that we didn't know lived their... MIRACLE! 

Saturday - Exchanges with Sister Dente. It was pretty awesome plus we found two potentials and helped the family we carved pumpkins with move. 

Sunday - We had a few less-actives at church and we got a referral for ANOTHER less-active that the Lord has prepared that we are going to go back and see. 

My Ponderizing scripture for the week is Alma 29:9! I love you all! And hope that you have a great week! I know that the Lord has a hand in all of our lives and that when we have faith in him and confidence in Him we not only recognize his hand more in our lives, but we find great happiness and blessings! 


I love you!