Climbing the Mountain

View of the City at night from a nearby mountain

This week included the actual transfer day, so I had to say goodbye to Elder Ely, and it was super sad. Ah, I won't lie, I cried like a baby! I still cannot believe how easy it is to get so attached to people in such a small amount of time. It is crazy! Because of Elder Ely leaving this week, there was a bit of time for me to do some great reflecting. Having my companion leave taught me so much, and now whenever I think about leaving I get super sad now. I still have quite a bit of time, but it made me realize how bad I really don't want to leave.  I really don't want to come home. No offense to you guys, but there is absolutely nothing like this work and the perspective it can give a person.

I sit at almost 8 months exactly and it is almost too hard to try and keep track of the change I have witnessed. It is so wonderful to me. This really is what life is about.. Just continuing to climb even when the mountain gets steep! And I can testify of this thing almost as sure as anything I know, that when we keep climbing, God's love is poured out so abundantly it can be hard to see it all. But it sure is my favorite thing, so thank you to a returning and amazing companion to help me realize this principle!

Another cool thing happened this week: my new companion and I taught the most lessons I have taught as a missionary, and it was so fun! We met with a lot of people and we had some fun and really pretty odd experiences.

I only have time to share one, so I will share the funny one.  It still cracks me up!
Elder Ely and I had been meeting

with a mother and her daughter recently, and they had been progressing pretty well we felt, so on Monday before Elder Ely left, we met them again and extended an invitation to be baptized. Well they accepted! So then Elder Wilcox and I went back on Thursday and we were trying to figure out the right date for them. We suggested April 10th and then their concerns came out--but they were not concerns we ever thought we might encounter.  They said that date would not work because they don't want to get their hair wet in April.  They are more comfortable getting it wet in like July! Oh no! And then they talked about makeup and stuff like that.  Elder Wilcox and I really had NO CLUE how to react.  They have absolutely no Gospel concerns, just concerns that we can't relate to.  We are working on trying to fix that, but we actually had to refer them to another area (the areas were modified this week with transfers) and so we are praying that they can help them.  It was definitely a blind spot for us (haha), but I'm confident it will work out!

Honestly, it was an awesome week and a sad one as well. But the work will move on! 

I love you guys!

Elder Jenkins