Sacramento Week 22

Dear Family & Friends,

"...ye receive no witness until AFTER the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:6)
Oh yes, my faith and patience have been tried quite a bit over the past 6
months but I am pleased to announce that good things come to those who wait
:)

This week we helped the less-active Holmes family do some yard work and we
had a good talk with them at the end about the true meaning of Easter. As
Sister Holmes was reflecting on her own son's mission she said to us, "I
hope you know how proud your parents are of you and what you are doing for
people on your missions and all the service you give". That really touched
my heart as I thought about my mom and dad and how much I miss them. Just
another tender mercy phrase that I needed to hear!

We spent quite a bit of time with Craig and Amanda this week as we helped
them organize some more of their stuff for the sale. Craig told us he
really wants to be baptized but Amanda feels they are in the middle of too
much chaos right now. They have to be out of their house within the next
month and they've got some roommate problems, in addition to all the
craziness with their little kids. I think service is just the best thing we
can keep doing for them right now! It's important to keep showing them our
love so they can feel God's love for them too.

We ate dinner with Hannah, a potential investigator who is about to be
married to a less-active in our ward. She gave us cute little "summer
survival" kits with sunscreen (a must for biking) and lots of other fun
things- perfect missionary gift. She told us flat out that she loves us
missionaries but she doesn't ever want to become a Mormon. We'll see about
that!

Carl, our new investigator from last week, is on date for baptism for April
26th... but we are trying to figure out if he is really accountable. He's
having trouble remembering our lessons, can't hear anything that goes on at
church, and can't see or read even a large print Book of Mormon. He's a
child of God who needs to be baptized but can he be accountable to the
higher standard? Not sure yet. We'll keep discussing it with our ward
mission leader and of course continue to pray.

On Sunday afternoon I got to practice Portuguese with a real Brazilian! Her
name is Ivane and she is a less-active member of another ward close by. She
also had a non-member friend named Mariza there who was also from Brazil.
It was fun! They told me all about the culture and I got to share my
testimony and share the Joseph Smith story in Portuguese. I understood most
of what she said but I definitely need to work on my speaking...

Lots of good things happened this week. Lots of tender mercies and little
miracles. Oh and a really big miracle... get ready for it....

SISTER JORGENSEN IS GOING TO BRAZIL!!!! That's right, I got my visa!!!!  I
leave next Tuesday April 22nd and report to the Brazil MTC in Sao Paulo for
a 2 week refresher course on the language. Then I'll be going to my Brazil
mission!!!!!! WOOOHOOOOOOO!!! Is this real life? I still am not quite sure.

We had interviews with President Lewis yesterday and that's when he told
me. He thanked me for all the service I had done here and told me I was a
"model missionary". That really meant a lot coming from him.

I called Larry and told him he has a week to get baptized. Who knows, we
could have a miracle baptism this weekend!

I know my Savior lives and I am so grateful for this time of year when we
get to remember Him and reflect on His sacrifice for us. Jesus said, "I am
the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). Because our Savior Jesus Christ rose
again after the third day, I know that we too will live again after we die.
He makes it possible for us to return to our Father in Heaven. He has given
me the strength to make the most of every day here in Sacramento. I feel
closer to Him than ever before and I know He will continue to be by my side
as I continue on to the next part of my mission.

I love you and miss you all! Happy Easter!
Love,
Sister Jorgensen

P.S. Pics of my new Brazilian friends that I practiced with and when I got
my visa yesterday. YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!