Editor's NOTE:

 

We didn't post last week as it was Mother's Day and his email was brief as our awesome skype convo was LONG! WOO HOO!, so here is the latest post, 19 May 2013.

 

Hey guys!!! 

Thanks for the birthday wishes...

although i am not going to lie I'm not looking forward to this bday that much... I have been the only 18 year old in the zone recently and I have kind of enjoyed it...  I don't know part of me just felt like it would never come.

Anywho moving on.... No I'm not out in Sandy. Still chillin here in Milwaukie but there is a good chance I'll move somewhere next transfer... this one is a short one it is only 5 weeks. And then a week after that President Morby leaves...

WEIRD! He has done some great things with this mission and I will miss him...

Oh before I forget yesterday at Church Bro Webb saw me and the first thing he said was "you have some outstanding parents"

to which I told him I know and I am a pretty lucky kid:) AND some people who have been emailing me lately who have also been keeping up on the blog say you guys are doing a really god job with it so thank you! I imagine it probably takes awhile to do but I appreciate it!

Ok storytime!! As far as the work goes not much happened this week it was kind of slow... but I have some funny experiences to share! The first one comes from Wednesday... I think. I don't really remember the day... anyways Elder Warenski and I were coming here to the Church to do some facebooking... usually there is a couch we sit on and just do it on our ipads... well on Wed when we went to go sit on it we found it occupied . HOW she was occupying it is the amusing part... She was laying face down, passed out, and snoring like I've heard no one snore since I have been edited! She was out! So Elder Warenski and I looked at each other both thinking the same thought... picture time!!

We took it and I have it... but my camera is at home so I'll try to send it next week! So we did that, did some fb, and during fb someone was setting up for some activity later that night and they had Studio C hooked up to the audio system in the whole building!! We had to leave because I knew the episodes they were playing and it was NOT making it easy for me to focus!

Story #2... We haven't been able to teach WWW and his family (the ones with 7 kids) in awhile so yesterday when we went out to Sandy we made a point of stopping by them... We knocked on the door, and finally after a few minutes someone opened up. Who it was I couldn't tell you. But I did see WWW in the background with a few Corona's which would explain why the guy who answered the door was looking at us kind of crosseyed and wobbling so hard he could barely stand. Guy was PLASTERED! He looked at us, tried to mumble a thank you, and then shut the door! Needless to say... THAT KIND OF IRRITATED ME!!!!! I REALLY wanted to knock it again, I kept thinking to myself "there is no way that just happened" but in the end I realized if WWW was drunk it was probably the best way things could turn out.

We did have one pretty intense lesson happen. It was with MMMM the 17 year old we found awhile ago, the one who I just randomly felt like sharing my story with our first lesson together and it paid off... I have been feeling lately like I should ask him why he keeps letting us come back because we usually see him a couple times a week. His response was kind of the opposite of what we were hoping for... he said he would feel rude if he didn't... so we bore some strong testimony about the importance of him knowing for himself if this was something God wanted him to do...

he told us he would read so we will see what happens. I think that's the first time I've honestly understood what people mean when they say it's heartbreaking when people don't keep their commitments... I really hope he reads!

Ok I gotta go guys!!.

I love you guys!

Elder Travis Jorgensen

HEY!!!

So first of all, SKYPE HAS BEEN APPROVED!!!!

Elder Warenski and I are planning on calling around 930ish here, 1030ish for you guys. But for me to make the call I am going to need your skype info, so after you make your profiles send me an email with the info of your name, your email, and all the stuff you put down to make your profile so that way I can call yall. We will have one hour!! I'm pumped!!!

My Cinco de Mayo has been... alright... We went and played some soccer and we are gonna do FHE with one of the families here tonight.... so it'll be good.

This week was...alright. We had a lesson drought in the middle we almost went 2 days without being able to get in and teach anybody, which was FRUSTRATING, but in the end things worked out. Yesterday we went to the Visitor's center with one of our investigators...

I would say that that was probably the highlight of the week...

I'm trying to think of stuff to tell you guys... but really not much comes to mind. It was a good week but there wasn't really anything that stood out and made me say "oh snap, can't wait to tell everybody about this one."

Dad your line about the talking donkey in the Bible being a smart a** made me laugh.

.. I read it to Elder Warenski and he said "actually, that explains a lot about your sense of humor..."

The meet the Mormons program sounds aight... I don't know it probably helps to have people not so intimidated by the Church...

OH actually yes I do have one cool story. So our most progressing investigator is named HHHH... he is a super cool guy and things just make sense to him. He's changed a lot too he's opened up to us about how he used to be a drug dealer and do a lot of other stuff but now he is one of the nicest people I have met out here. So in one of our lessons with him this week he told us a pretty crazy story about a life changing event he had...

to give you just a few deets it involved him getting kidnapped from some people of his past life, having a gun put to his head and when the gunshot sounded miraculously nothing happened. There is more but that's the basics and it's CRAZY. Anyways the part that kinda blows my mind is WHEN it happened... April 20th of last year. And then the next day, on April 21st, I randomly made the decision to come serve a mission... kinda makes me think. ANYWHO he is EXACTLY what we need to be able to start the branch because he is older, he probably won't move away, and once he fully accepts the gospel he is gonna be such an awesome convert. The main problem is is that he is going through some separation issues and was gonna move up to Washington to get a job, but then a friend offered him a sheetrocking job locally... he can't decide what to do. I am PRAYING that he stays here

, but to do that he has to find a new place to live... but he is SO awesome you guys wouldn't believe.

Aight I gotta go, don't forget to email me with that skype info!!!

Love,

Elder Travis Jorgensen

Hey!

So this week was CRAZY!!!!

We saw little miracles happening almost every day. A cool one was Thursday night during planning we just felt like we should go to a specific part of our area... we didn't know why how long or what was going to happen but we did it. As we pulled up there was a group of kids just chilling talking and after awhile we decided we should probably go talk to them... and they were WAY receptive and liked talking to us. Describing it is hard but it was just cool to see happen.

Also yesterday was EPIC! So I don't remember if I've told you this or not yet but Elder Warenski and I are fasting every week to start the area going. It's been working. Yesterday we were fasting to be able to find some of our news weve taught recently and keep teaching them. It was a ROUGH fast too...

during Church I was having a hard time paying attention and keeping a conversation was hard. I almost broke it a couple times because I didn't know HOW I was gonna be able to teach anyone. But, after Church we left for Sandy and Gresham... we had some referrals to go contact in Gresham so we went and did that... and even after we had contacted everybody I still felt like we should stay out there a little longer... didn't know why I just did. After 20 or so more minutes nothing had happened so I felt like we could go... and we made it out to Sandy to an investigator's house... His name is KKKK and he and his wife both were taking the discussions about 18 years ago in California.. he has 7 kids:D We found him a couple weeks ago by knocking, last week he wasn't home but we taught 2 oldest sons, and yesterday we talked to the same 2 oldest sons for a bit, and then the parents came home from getting groceries. We taught the WHOLE FAMILY, 8 of which are at baptismal age:) AND, his oldest son, LLLL, has only had a Book of Mormon for a week and he is already into 2nd Nephi.. CRAZY!

So by the time we got out of that lesson, it was like 730... we usually don't eat dinner on Sundays because we don't know any members out in Sandy and it is too hard on the days schedule to interrupt the run and come back for dinner. Anyways after that we went and knocked on the door of a family I haven't taught since I was with Elder Goff.

They opened up, invited us in, and told us they were just finishing up dinner and offered us some. It was Mexican food and I loved it SO much... Lately I haven't eaten much mexi food we usually eat with the white members. But it was GOOD.

The dad was a little bit drunk..:) He was playing his guitar and singing for us, and after we ate we asked if we could share a spiritual thought, and read Alma 36 with them. We asked BBB (the dad) if he wanted to read and he just looked at us and was like "probably not." It was the funniest thing though, the whole time while we were reading he just had this look on his face like he was having his mind blown and randomly sometimes he'd just say "wow"... it was pretty funny.

And today... I got in with some English Elders to buy some new ties. They had a deal from a member where they ordered a 60 pound box of ties... We split it 5 ways and each came away with about 100 ties and it only cost $25:D I have some pictures..

. but I left my camera at home today...:( Next week, I promise, I'll catch you guys up on pics!

Ok I think that's about it. Elder Warenski and I are doing WORK I've never had a bond between me, my comp, and the Spirit so strong before.

Since we've been companions, in 3 weeks, we've found 18 news. We still have half the transfer and when Elder Goff and I were together we only found 19 that whole transfer... So I'm just hoping we can get some people progressing, coming to Church, and then baptized!!! That is the goal and that is what I ask that you guys pray for!

Love,

Elder Travis Jorgensen!