Sacramento Week 6

Dear Family & Friends,

I'm happy to report that I have completed my first transfer (6 week block in the mission field)! I will be staying in my area with my same companion, Sister Zenger, to finish my 12-week training. I love my companion and Heavenly Father knew I needed her so I'm glad everything is staying the same for 6 more weeks!

I've been praying to have more love for the people in my area and I feel like the Lord is blessing me with that. As I looked around at church yesterday, I just felt so much love for everyone there. I've been in a lot of their homes, I've heard their conversion stories, I've been around their families, and all I want to do is serve them! The Northridge Ward has become my home over the past 6 weeks and I'm excited to continue to be here.

This week was great! Started off with the temple last Tuesday, which is just what I needed to be uplifted and spiritually "re-charged". Then we had a missionary Zone Christmas Program full of incredible musical numbers and edifying talks. We carried the spirit of Christmas with us throughout the week as we've been trying to get into as many homes as we can- members, less-actives, investigators, everyone- to read part of the account of the Savior's birth in Luke 2. Each time we read it, there is always a special spirit in which we testify of Christ and the true joy and happiness that comes from following Him. It's amazing to watch how the simple message of Christ's birth touches hearts in different ways.

The biggest thing I learned this week is to never delay a prompting. Remember the crazy fortune-teller lady I told you about a few weeks ago? We usually see her every Friday but this past week she wasn't home, which was kind of unusual. We were riding our bikes around Sunday night after an appointment fell through and I felt like we should stop by and see her. When she answered the door, she looked really rough and we knew something was wrong. She invited us in and we held her hand as she cried, telling us what a mess she was and how guilty she felt about things that had happened. All she wanted was to feel like God still loved her and at her moment of break down, we knocked on the door.

At the end of the day, it's not about the number of lessons we taught or how many people we have on date for baptism. It's about helping people feel of God's love for them! God loves us when we feel like we deserve it or not, and there is always a way back. Our sweet fortune-teller lady needed to know that and I am so glad we listened to the prompting to go see her. She said a beautiful prayer before we left, thanking the Lord for sending us and helping her find the strength and love to get out of the rut she was in. That was a neat experience for me to feel like I really am an instrument in the Lord's hands.

Another experience we had about following promptings- there is a man in our ward (congregation) who lives in a very humble home with hardly anything but you would never know it by talking to him at church. Sister Zenger felt inspired that we should take him our little Christmas tree so he could have something to bring the joy of the season into his home. We wrapped it up, included ornaments for the 12 days of Christmas, and a box of candy canes, and left it on his doorstep, making sure he would not suspect it was from us. A few days later, we overheard him talking at church about it and I know that small tree meant a lot more to him than we realize. I am so grateful my companion followed inspiration from the Spirit to be able to serve in just a small, simple way. It makes me feel good to do things like that!

We're still working with Larry on his Book of Mormon reading and trying to get Lorraine to church, making progress slowly but surely. We met a few people last week that we are hoping we can start teaching! Dakota, a 15 year old boy, is part of a less-active, part member family and has recently started coming back to church. Hannah, a sweet 25 year old lady, is the fiance of a less-active and she came to the ward Christmas party on Saturday. Hopefully we can start seeing some progress with them this week! The Lord is putting people in our path and He continues to prepare people who need to hear the gospel.

I'm so grateful for this wonderful Christmas season to reflect on the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ and how truly blessed I am to be a representative of Him. This is the first Christmas that I haven't focused on buying presents or worrying about the "material" things. I've been able to focus on giving gifts that are so much more significant, gifts that are not tangible. I'm giving my time and talents to building the Lord's Kingdom here in Sacramento, and sharing gifts of love, joy, and peace. I'm giving the Savior my heart this Christmas, my willing heart, and serving Him will all my might, mind, and strength. This means not complaining when it gets rough and to be positive and as I strive to improve each and every day. The Savior asks for our "broken heart and contrite spirit" (3 Nephi 9:20). This includes my humility in acknowledging the many tender mercies He grants me, and obedience as I align my will with His will.

What will you give for Christmas? More importantly, what will you give for Christ?

I get to call home next week (YAYYYYY!!!!) so you probably won't be getting an email from me until the week of New Years. I love you all and I wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,
Sister Jorgensen

P.S. Pics are of us at the temple and of Sister Zenger and I with our Christmas tree before we gave it away. Enjoy!

Sacramento Week 5

Dear Family & Friends,

Thank you SO much for the many emails and letters. They always bring me such comfort knowing that I am in your prayers and that I have so much support back at home. Even if I don't respond to you right away, just know that I do read your emails and I appreciate your time and effort to write me. It means so much! And I am always touched by your uplifting words and they are always exactly what I need to hear. So thank you! 

Not every day is good, but there is definitely good in every day. This week was rough for us but we made it! If being on a mission didn't challenge me, then it wouldn't change me. I feel like I am changing and becoming a better missionary each and every day. The hard times are what teach me the most, so I am grateful for them, as weird as that sounds! Trials give me the chance to grow closer to my Father in Heaven and truly learn to accept His will and timing.

No one wants to read an email about all my complaints so I will focus on the good things of this week!

We helped a less-active lady named Gail paint on Saturday as she was getting ready to move. She is from Mongolia and actually served a mission here in California just a year after being baptized. We were able to talk to her about her mission and she told us some great stories. I know she felt the Spirit as she relived those memories of what she described as "the best time in her life". And guess what... she came to church yesterday! Yay!

We visited another less-active lady named Donna and helped set up her Christmas tree. We were talking to her about our investigator Lorraine and asked her for advice in helping her get to church (secretly hoping it would spark Donna's interest to come too). She told us Lorraine needed a friend and that she would be happy to give her rides to church- perfect! Donna even came to the next lesson we had with Lorraine so she could get to know her. Unfortunately, Lorraine didn't make it to church again yesterday. We're hoping it'll work out with Donna picking her up next week.

We had a very powerful lesson with Larry this week about the scripture study. We read a few verses out of 1 Nephi 17 in the Book of Mormon and we really focused on understanding them. Watching Larry pause as we read and take the time to think about each phrase was really great! It was the first time I truly felt like the Spirit was teaching Larry more than we were. I know the Spirit was so strong because it testifies of truth, and there is no doubt that what we were reading is true. When we open our hearts to ponder the scriptures and seek to apply them to our lives, the Holy Ghost enlightens our minds. We're trying hard to keep Larry reading the scriptures on his own so he can experience those feelings even when we aren't there. I am grateful for the peace that comes from reading the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. It's so cool to see it work in action!

We are starting to do Family Home Evenings with different families in the ward each Monday night. A few weeks ago we taught a simple lesson about the Priesthood, the authority to act in God's name, and came up with a fun matching game to play at the end. Last week we taught the Plan of Salvation using a bridge analogy, that our Savior Jesus Christ is the bridge to help us conquer sin and death. I really have enjoyed doing these Family Home Evening lessons because it helps us practice our teaching skills and gives us the chance to be creative! Sitting down together as a family and learning about the gospel is so important and truly unites families. I am grateful that I grew up in a home that was very diligent about having Family Home Evening and I know it has been such a blessing for our family.

Tomorrow we are having a Zone Christmas Program and I am going to be an angel in the Nativity! Not quite sure what that all entails but I am excited. After the program we will be going to the Sacramento Temple to do a session together. I am really looking forward to attending the temple and feeling of the special, very strong Spirit that is there. It truly is the closest place to Heaven on Earth.

We've been singing a lot of Christmas songs lately and I found a new favorite! I love "Away in a Manger", especially the 3rd verse:

"Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children, with thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with thee there".

This verse has brought me so much comfort throughout this past week and all the hardships I have been feeling. The Lord truly is close by us and He loves us so much. I know that I can always feel immediate peace when I pray to Him because He is there, and He is listening to me. He cares about everything that goes on throughout my day, and He understands better than anyone. 

Hope you have a wonderful week! I love you and miss you all!

Love,
Sister Jorgensen

P.S. The pics... Sister Zenger and I were trying to be creative photographers with our shoes and bikes and name tags. The other is us trying to stay warm in the wintery world on bike!

Sacramento Week 4

Dear Family & Friends,

I can't believe it's December! I love this time of year. It's been so fun riding around the neighborhoods and seeing all the Christmas decorations and lights. We're definitely using this holiday season to our advantage as we talk to as many people as we can each day. Compliment their Christmas lights, ask them about the true meaning of "joy", talk about their nativities... Instant gospel conversations!

Despite what I had hoped, being a missionary does not automatically bring super power people skills. Talking to people is still scary! My companion and I are working really hard at being bold and getting out of our comfort zones. We're making goals each day for the number of people we want to talk to about the gospel. We've learned that the trick is to talk to people already outside, that way we don't get doors slammed in our faces! It's hard to just strike up a conversation with anyone, for me at least. Is it nerve-wracking? Yes. Is it stressful? Yup. Is it awkward? Of course! But guess what. We're missionaries of Christ's true, restored church and we want the world to know the happiness and joy we have!

We had Sister Dees, one of our Sister Training Leaders, here with us on Saturday. Originally I was supposed to go with her companion to her area for the day but there was a scheduling conflict, so we worked in a trio! She gave us a lot of great advice and complimented our hard work, despite our difficult area. She helped us meet our goal of talking to people that day. We met an older guy named Howard who was walking his dog. I noticed he was wearing a Sacramento Kings hat so I started talking to him about basketball, Jimmer, BYU, how we were missionaries for that church, BINGO! We were able to share our beliefs and ask about his religion (look at me making sports connections- Dad are you proud??). Howard wasn't interested but he was very nice and thanked us for stopping to talk to him. I'm glad we did! The more people we talk to, the more people we will find who are interested. We just have to be brave! And open our mouths! The Lord is helping us feel confident. We won't find a miracle unless we are working for it.

We visit a sweet lady named Marsha every Friday afternoon. I call her the "fortune-teller lady" because she always says she can sense our strong spirits and tells us our paths of life. She is very close to God and acknowledges Him in everything. I love talking to her and hearing about the many miracles in her life. Anyway, this past Friday was the first time she let us in her house (usually we have doorstep conversations). She had us sit in her "sanctuary", a room covered with carpet cut-out hearts, drawings of angels, and a giant cross. It was quite interesting! She asked me to read her a "good word" so I gladly took the chance. I felt prompted to read in Alma 26, about Ammon and his strength in God. I started giving background, explaining it was from the Book of Mormon, and she freaked out because it was "Joseph's book" (referring to Joseph Smith) and that it would bring division in her sanctuary. She ranted about the Bible being God's only word and how she soaked a Book of Mormon in her holy water years ago when previous missionaries gave her one (haha). 

After a few minutes of this, she turned to me and said "I'm sorry I offended you. Your spirit is sincere so you may read it". My companion and I explained to her that we do believe the Bible and the Book of Mormon is there to support it, how they both testify of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I immediately thought of Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" and used that as an introduction to Alma 26:12: "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold many miracles have we wrought in this land for which we will praise his name forever". She loved it and said it was beautiful, then asking me to read another verse. Of course I did! So grateful the Spirit prompted me to share that with her. We had a great discussion about the Book of Mormon, the peace that it brings, and how we should give God glory for everything we do. The whole chapter of Alma 26 is awesome and it makes me feel good about my missionary efforts. I recommend reading it!

I almost forgot to mention our Thanksgiving dinner! So we went to the Polynesian family's house, expecting a pig and island food (they are from Fiji) because that's what he told us he was going to make. We were surprised! The wife worked as hard as she could to prepare us the most American Thanksgiving meal so we could feel "at home" for the holiday- turkey, potatoes, rolls, pie, everything. It was so sweet! Their son and grandchildren were supposed to join us, but because their son was in rehab and his crazy wife took the children elsewhere for the holiday, it was just the four of us. It was a wonderful meal and they were so kind to feed us! 

Yesterday, during the testimony meeting at church, the wife who fed us got up to share her testimony. She told the congregation about what a blessing it was to have the sister missionaries over to fill their table on Thanksgiving when their family couldn't. She said she felt like the Savior was at the table with us and that's what she needed to feel during this rough time. Hearing this made me cry! I had no idea we had such an impact. I learned how blessed these families are that sacrifice to feed us. I'm so glad we got to spend Thanksgiving with that sweet couple and bring the Spirit with us. 

You never know what kind of influence you can have! I hope you all have a great week. I love you and miss you! As always, thank you for the constant support and prayers. I am so grateful for the love I feel each and every day.

Love,
Sister Jorgensen

Sacramento Week 3

Dear Family & Friends,

"...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you" (Alma 34:38)

HAPPY TURKEY DAY! Maybe it's a good thing I'm not in Brazil quite yet because today wouldn't be a holiday. My companion and I did our own "Turkey Trot" run this morning and we made it about 4 miles! Now I won't feel so bad about our delicious Polynesian dinner set up for us this evening. We are so blessed to have the members from church feed us.

I hope this letter finds everyone happy, healthy, thankful, and so full you never want to eat again. I am so grateful for this time of year and being able to reflect on the many mercies and blessings the Lord grants me everyday. I am especially grateful to be serving a mission at this time in my life, to be here in California, and to be a small part of this great work of salvation. Can you believe I've been out for 2 months already?I couldn't do it without each one of you- your prayers, your encouragement, your love. I just can't thank you enough!

Last Friday we had Zone Conference and Elder David S. Baxter of the Seventy was there. He gave one of the devotionals while I was at the MTC so I was so excited I got to meet him in person! He taught us so many great things- how to teach clearly and powerfully with the Spirit, how to effectively study in order to testify with conviction, and the importance of extending commitments and promising blessings. I really admire Elder Baxter because he was so direct and bold. He was bold because he loves us! And that's how we need to be with the people we teach. They have to understand our purpose- not to merely be their friend, but to invite them to come unto Christ and help them received the restored gospel. Our goal is to guide them to baptism and eventually to the temple.

Other than Zone Conference nothing too exciting has been going on. You know, just surviving a few rainstorms here and there, going to family's houses with really strange pets... One family has 8 dogs and an inside house pig (excuse me, I mean hog). Another lady has 5 or 6 birds and dogs and cats all over the place. All these crazy Californians and their pets! I don't get it. Maybe it's because growing up all we ever had was a fish and a hermit crab that didn't live very long. Anyway, on Saturday we are doing exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders so I'll get to go to a different area for a day! I'm excited.

We knocked on the door of a former investigator named Kay this past week and she gave us the usual excuse of needing to clean for the holiday. So we offered to help! Surprisingly, she took us up on it. We dusted her whole living room and then she asked us to read 1 Corinthians with her so we did. We had a really good discussion and she loves the Bible, as do we. Now we just got to get her to study out of the Book of Mormon to add to the truth she already has! Hopefully we can get her progressing soon.

We've been struggling this past week with finding people to teach. We still have Lorraine but she hasn't made it to church yet. We're moving very slow with her so it'll take a little while before she is baptized. It's been great to watch her learn and grow a little bit each visit! Larry is still progressing but he has some things to clear up before he can be baptized so we're not sure how that'll go. We're doing our best to talk to everyone and get out of our comfort zone but it's hard! I'm realizing now the area we are in is one of the hardest in the mission. Baptisms are very rare and it's an older, established community. But that's no excuse! We are trying to work with less-active members and part-member families with hopes of more teaching opportunities. It's easy to get discouraged but we can't give up! The Lord never gives up on us!

My motto for the past week has been "por meio de coisas pequenas e simples que as grandes sao realizadas" which means "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" -Alma 37:6 (yes I'm still trying to keep up my Portuguese!). It's easy to get overwhelmed in life. Always a million things to do, a million things to stress about, a million ways to improve, but we have to take it one day at a time. Baby steps. And that's all the Lord expects of us! To try a little harder each day. For me, to be a better missionary today than I was yesterday.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! The best part about having Pday on Thursday is you get to hear from me again on Monday! Thank you again for all the support. My heart is full of gratitude today for my testimony of this gospel and the happiness it brings me each day. And most importantly, for my Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful for His companionship in my life as I go about serving Him.

I love you all!

Love, Sister Jorgensen

P.S. Pics are of all the sisters in my district (2 of them are American Sign Language sister missionaries. It's so cool to watch them sign!) and the other is of the Christmas decorations I helped a day set up this past week. Lots of fun!

Sacramento Week 2

Dear Family & Friends,

Can I just tell you how much I love being a missionary? I really do! It's a deeper feeling than just being happy. It's a feeling that comes from serving the Lord, and in my case, serving Him from the moment I wake up in the morning to the moment I go to bed at night. It's a feeling of true JOY! Yeah, sometimes it's frustrating. Sometimes people don't answer their door when you set up a really good appointment. Sometimes you get angry when you meet a crazy anti who tries to tell you everything you believe (I wanted to bible bash this guy so bad. Good thing my companion ended the conversation rather quickly). Sometimes you get disappointed because you want so much for people but they don't want it enough for themselves. I'm humbled as I say this because I realize I've only been in the mission field for 2 weeks and I know there is a lot more ahead! Even though every moment of missionary work isn't fun, I find sincere joy in doing the Lord's work. I love having just one purpose- to be a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We had a great week! We were able to meet with many less actives (people who are members of our church but haven't been in awhile) and get inside of their home. There was one lady we visited and I felt prompted to share John 14:27 from the Bible, a scripture about peace from the Savior, and she said it was exactly what she needed. I enjoy being able to share scriptures and pray with them, and being able to leave the Spirit of love in their home. There was another lady we felt like we should take a birthday card to and she greeted us at the door with tears streaming down her face. It had not been a good day and she was so happy to know that we had been thinking of her. AH! These little things. The little things are what make the biggest difference.

Last week I mentioned one of our investigators Lorraine who we committed to a date for baptism. We are still working with her! We are really trying to teach simply and as slowly as we can so she understands everything. Unfortunately she didn't make it to church yesterday but we aren't giving up hope!

Let me tell you about one of our other investigators. His name is Larry. All my church people from Ensley- Larry is just like Stanley and Wilma! Mid 60s, black guy, says the most hilarious things, been coming to church since the missionaries found him in February. He loves it! Still working on his desire to be baptized. We have been challenging him to read just 3 verses from the Book of Mormon each day and he finally did last week. But guess what... instead of reading just 3 verses, he read 7! See, the scriptures are just that good. When you feel the peace and calmness that comes from reading, you just want to keep going.

On Saturday we went and taught Larry a review of the first lesson, the Restoration and Joseph Smith. His wife Linda sat in on this lesson for the very first time and it was perfect! I got to teach the part about the First Vision (where God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith). The Spirit was SO strong. I don't think I have felt the Spirit testify to me of the truthfulness of the Restoration that strong before. Larry told me the way I talked made him want to cry and pay all his tithes right then and there haha. We had a good discussion about how God answers prayers and the way you feel when you know something is true. It was awesome! My testimony of the gospel, the same gospel that Jesus Christ established when He was here, gets stronger each time I testify of it. I know Joseph Smith was called by God to restore His church. I know it because of the feeling I get inside my heart- a feeling of warmth, love, peace, and calmness- a feeling I can't deny because I know it's right!

We had a few service opportunities this week so that was fun. We helped Larry fix his pool cover and we went to a nursing home to visit a lady who hasn't been to church since she's gotten older. We also saw a lady who was the mother of a guy named Jerry we randomly met on the street. We asked if we could do anything for him and he asked us to visit his mother in the nursing home, so we did! I really enjoy doing those small, yet so significant, acts of service. This week we're going to help a lady who has a disabled husband set up their Christmas decorations. I'm excited!

I was reading Helaman 5 in the Book of Mormon during personal study this week and I came across a verse that struck me in a different way than it ever had before. Helaman 5:12 "And now, my sons remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his might winds... when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you... because of the rock upon which ye are built... a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall". I love that last part. If we build our foundation on Christ, we can't fall! We won't fail! Yes, life will be hard, but we can make it. This scripture took on new meaning to me because I realized it was advice that Helaman was giving to his sons Nephi and Lehi before they went out as missionaries. He promises his sons that if they build their foundation in their conviction and testimony of the Savior, they will have the power to withstand temptation. So true! I must hold true to the foundation I developed all throughout my childhood, my knowledge of this gospel. 

I know that as we continue to strengthen our foundations in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will be strong against the adversary, which tries so hard to pull us down any way he can. Christ is our rock and our anchor in this crazy world. I am so grateful to have that foundation and to strengthen it each day on my mission, through scripture study, prayer, and simply sharing what I believe. The Lord blesses us for finding strength in Him!

Thank you for the constant support. I feel your prayers each day! I love you all and I miss each one of you! Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Sister Jorgensen

P.S. My next Pday is Thanksgiving so this is my last email before then. Also enjoy the pics! This is my favorite palm tree we pass each day on our morning jog. And our biking adventures.

Sacramento Week One

Dear Family & Friends,

Hello from Sacramento!!! The land of endless sunshine, crazy Californians, and wild turkeys. I love it here! 

What a week! I left the MTC on Tuesday and Wednesday morning I was sent to my new area and met my trainer. I'm currently in the Carmichael Zone/Stake, serving in the Northridge Ward (congregation). My trainer companion is Sister Zenger from Salt Lake Utah and I love her. She is so energetic about the work and such a great example of diligence. The minute I put my luggage in my room (we live with members of the ward by the way) we were off to do missionary work! And we have been going non-stop ever since. This has been the busiest, most exhausting week of my life, yet I feel so happy and blessed to be serving here in Sacramento!

Guess what... we are biking missionaries! I never thought I would have to ride a bike, especially since I'm a visa-waiter. Never say never! Ever rode a bike in a skirt? It's definitely an accomplished art that I am still trying to master. I am so glad the weather has been nice for us. There is supposed to be a rainy season soon so we are enjoying every beautiful day we get. I'll get a picture of us on our bikes and send it with my email next week.

We go to members' houses for dinner every night so that has been really fun to get to know the families in our area. I love seeing the reaction when I tell people I am from Alabama. "Are you sure? You don't sound like it!" or "Wow... I've never met anyone from Alabama before. What's it like there?" Like it's a foreign country or something haha. I wish I was good at faking a southern accent because these people would be all over it!

So highlight of my week. We had a lesson with one of our investigators (someone who is interested in our message and we are teaching the gospel to) named Lorraine, a sweet older lady with a heart of gold. They had been teaching her for a few weeks before I got here. We were teaching lesson 3 about the gospel of Jesus Christ and I committed her to a baptismal date! So exciting. My favorite part of the lesson was at the end when we taught her how to pray. Hearing her pray out loud, probably for the first time in her whole life, and sincerely asking her Father in Heaven to help her understand what we were teaching her... what a powerful moment. The Spirit was so strong! I testified of the love that God has for her and how He is smiling down from Heaven because she was talking to Him. It was so tender that I totally started crying during her prayer. I thought of the story in the Book of Mormon when Aaron teaches King Lamoni to pray. I also thought of an experience my dad shared from his mission about teaching a sweet lady in Spain how to pray. Prayer is so crucial to conversion! It's so important that our investigators learn pray for themselves and get their own confirmation that what we teach is true.

We found a family to teach so we're hoping that everything continues to work out with them! That have 3 little, crazy, very energetic kids with lots to say. I love being around little kids because it reminds me of being around my family :) We gave them a "Finding Faith in Christ" DVD and challenged them to pray as a family. We'll go by again this week to see how it went! 

One of the many things I love about this mission is that all the missionaries, all 260 of us throughout the Sacramento area, recite a scripture at 9:59 am. It's 3 Nephi 5:13 "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life". It's such a good reminder of our purpose, to invite others to come unto Christ. We are representatives of Him! I will strive to make sure my missionary name tag is painted on my heart.

You don't have to wear a missionary name tag to be a missionary. Just be who you are, be true to what you know is right, and people will notice! Don't be afraid to open your mouth and share your testimony. "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16). 

Have a wonderful week everyone! I miss you and love you all!

Sister Jorgensen

P.S. My new address is 8267 Deseret Ave. Fair Oaks, CA 95628. This is the mission home address, not exactly where I live, but all mail/packages sent here will be forwarded to me.

There is a pic of me and my trainer!

She made it - California bound!

Well Mom & Dad...I'm officially a Sacramento California missionary! Our layover in Denver was super short. Both flights were good! I slept a little bit so that was nice. The mission president's wife, Sister Lewis, was there to greet the 3 of us as we got off the plane: Sister Johnson, Elder Baird (a visa waiter like us), and me.

We left the blizzarding snow in Utah and landed in the freezing cold in Denver. When I got off the plane in Sacramento and felt sunshine... Ahhhh my heart was happy. PERFECT weather with palm trees, normal trees, and a fair amount of greenery. I don't need my rain coat or tights or even a cardigan! I think I just might like this place!

We have a busy day ahead full of meetings and trainings and lots of other fun stuff. Tomorrow is transfer day so I'll get to meet my new companion. We are told that we are going to be treated like every other missionary while we are here. No special treatment for being a visa waiter! And that's fine with me! Throw me right in! As of right now, there are 60 sisters in this mission, 200 elders, and 10 of which are visa waiters. HUGE mission.

Also fun fact: The Sacramento mission has several languages: Laotion, Cambodian, Spanish, English, Mong (sp?), and one more I can't remember. So there are lots of language missionaries here. Too bad one isn't Portuguese! I'll have to be super diligent with my language study in the mornings. I most likely will not be companions with a visa waiter.

We are at the mission office right now, the address in Fair Oaks. It's the back half of a church building. Pretty cool! Not sure where we are staying tonight. At the airport we had to quickly put everything we needed for overnight and tomorrow into one bag. These next few days will be quite the adventure!

Also, my pday will now be Mondays. So expect an email next Monday!

It was so nice to talk to everyone this morning! Tell the kids I love them!!!! I love you! Miss you!