Sacramento Week 16

Dear Family & Friends,

It's March! And I hit my 5 month mark last Tuesday! How have I been a missionary for 5 months already?!!

We did alot of service projects this week. We pulled weeds for our ward mission leader and cleaned the kitchen for a less-active family. We helped a lady whose son was in the hospital do some house work and organize her linen closet. We also cleaned for our crazy bird lady friend- I can't even tell you how gross that was! It's fun to do service for people. It's a good way to get to know them and they can see how much we care as we are willing to do pretty much anything to help, from folding laundry to getting on our hands and knees to scrape up bird droppings.

On Wednesday we went to Youth Night (mutual) and talked to the Young Women about what it's like to be a Sister Missionary. I loved it! Our them was "through small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6), as we discussed why we came on a mission and our most memorable mission experiences so far. That's what I feel like my mission has been so far, many small and simple things- no huge baptisms, but lots of little miracles and testimony building experiences that are helping me to become a more valiant missionary day by day.

Here's some neat stories from the week. On Monday night we felt prompted to go see an older single lady in the ward. The moment she let us in she started telling us how she hadn't been feeling good about herself and wasn't even sure if she was really a daughter of God. We listen to her as she weeped and we expressed the immense love her Father in Heaven has for her, whether she felt like she deserved it or not. We asked her to pay careful attention to the way she felt as we sang "I am a Child of God". In that moment, the Spirit testified to her of her divine identity, her individual worth as daughter of a King. That was so much more powerful than us just telling her! She felt it for herself and we promised her she could continue to feel it as she did what she knew was right. That experience was what I needed that night- I had a rough day and Heavenly Father knew that's what I needed to feel for myself as well, a reaffirmation of who I am and my small but great contribution to this great and marvelous work.

Ivan and Belen texted us late Saturday night and told us they were moving that night to another city. Even though we were about to go in for the night, we felt like we needed to ride all the way back out there to say good bye. I wish I could have recorded that conversation we had! They thanked us for all we had done to teach them about the gospel and even though they weren't getting baptized right then, it had changed their lives. A tender moment for me was when Belen told us one day she knew we would stand beside God because of all the great work we are doing to help people find Him. As we said good bye to them, I had such a feeling of love come over me and I realize how much I truly did love them. I felt like I could see them on the inside, their pure, innocent, radiating spirits. Their souls are so precious and I know that's how the Lord sees them. I know Heavenly Father will continue to watch over them as they set out on this new adventure. One day they will be baptized!

We got to sing the song for Julie in Portuguese so that was good! As far as our other two families (Craig & Amanda and Jason & Shelly) we are working with, we have had a very difficult time making appointments with them. We also had many rainy days this week which were not very fun... but complaining doesn't help! Frustrating and disappointing, but not discouraging! Even though we didn't have any investigators at church yesterday and we fell short of many goals for the week, we know the Lord is continuing to labor with us and everything will work out for the best.

A new insight I found during my scripture study this morning: Luke 23:46 "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" This is when Christ is hanging on the cross and He is about to die. The footnote for the word "commend" says "commitment". Christ was FULLY committed to doing the will of the Father, even though it was painful beyond comprehension. At one point He even asked the Father if He could "remove this cup" (Luke22:42) but He continued on, and submitted to His Father's will because He loves us. Because He stuck it through and completed that infinite Atonement for all mankind, you and I can make it back to our Father in Heaven. Because He was fully committed, you and I can be free from sin and receive comfort through our trials. Because He did the Father's will, He gives me the strength to be the missionary He wants me to be, to do the Father's will here in Sacramento. I am fully commited to doing His work, with the Savior as my example.

I know Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. Because He is the Son of God and I am a daughter of God, He is more than just my Guide; He is my older Brother. I am Christ's "Sister" Missionary and I will seek my Father's will to bring the world His truth!

I love you all!

Love, Sister Jorgensen

P.S. Next Pday is transfer day so it'll be on Tuesday. Also, quick Visa update. I got cleared by the FBI but I had to fill out another electronic application so another 3 weeks to 3 months of waiting. I guess I'm just meant to be a California girl!

Enjoy the pics. One from cleaning our bird lady's house and the other with Ivan and Belen before they left.