#48 USA! USA! USA! 🦅🦅🗽🗽

 Happy Birthday to the land of the free and the home of the brave! 

This week definitely was a week! A lot of it was really good! But there were also some discouraging days. But we keep moving forward 

The 4th of July was one of the funnest days of my whole mission. We had to wake up at 4:25AM to help out at the Summerlin Patriot parade. More than half the mission was there an it was a ton of fun. We had these super cool red, white, and blue aprons. My group got the best balloon. We had an enormous bald eagle balloon  It was like 45 feet long and toon 12 elders to hold it down. We named him Edward the Eagle. Right as the parade started the wind started picking up. Edward was flying all over the place. He tried to attack people a couple times and even tried to do a front flip. Everyone in the parade loved Edward so much. It was honestly stressful trying to keep Edward from flying into trees, light poles, stop lights, and people. We all got some rope burns, but it was definitely worth it. 

We also had our first interview with President and Sister Coleman on the 4th. They are so awesome! I already love them so much. They are also very patriotic so we connect very well.

That night we had to be in our apartment by 7PM and we couldn't see fireworks from our apartment  But we did hear them all night 

The only bad thing that came from the 4th was that everyone was still out of town on Sunday. We only had 1 friend and 1 new member come to church. But both of the sacrament meetings were super powerful and the Spirit was so strong  

Yesterday might have been one of the toughest days of my mission. Our friend Michelle was supposed to be baptized on Saturday, but after we went over the baptismal interview questions, she said she had issues with some of the questions and that she no longer thinks the church is for her. It was very sad because we have had so many spiritual experiences with her. Literally the day before she received a blessing that the spirit was so strong. So it was very discouraging when she said she might not want to meet with us again  But we prayed mightily and she texted us this morning saying she might want to still come to church  So please pray mightily for Michelle 

One verse I love from the Book of Mormon is 3 Nephi 10:10

10 And the earth did cleave together again, that it stood; and the mourning, and the weeping, and the wailing of the people who were spared alive did cease; and their mourning was turned into joy, and their lamentations into the praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord Jesus Christ, their Redeemer.

Jesus Christ can turn our greatest sorrows into joy. If you're struggling just turn to Jesus Christ by praying, studying the scriptures everyday, and going to church. Jesus wants to help us. We just have to turn to Him! 

Love y'all!

Elder Jensen