The Errand of Angels Week 3-4: Flight to Tampa, Fl and the work during Christmas and New Years have been amazing!

Hello everyone!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sorry it has been so long since I have emailed. Two weeks ago I was travelling to Florida (woo!), and last week was Christmas Eve, so we couldn't email (our internet center was closed) and then we just never had time later the week to do it.

Thank you so much to all who sent Christmas presents!! My Christmas was so awesome and honestly the presents and letters made a HUGE difference!! We spent the day teaching less active members and part-member families, and lunch with a family whose children weren't home for Christmas. It was a great opportunity to be with them and to help them feel God's love for them.

Wow, so how to sum you up on the last couple weeks.

First, a couple terms to familiarize yourself with:

Member: A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Less Active Member: Someone who is a member but doesn't attend Sabbath meetings every week

Investigator: Someone who is learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ who isn't a member

Part-Member family: A family who is made up of members and non-members

Well, I got in to Tampa on the 17th. We had a great plane flight. I was able to give away a couple Mormon.org cards as well as a copy of The Book of Mormon. There are opportunities everywhere to tell people about Jesus Christ and to share your testimony. So many people are looking for hope in this world and it can be found through Jesus Christ.



New Years Celebration with my companion

My new companion is awesome, Sister Foster. She is from California and has only been out three months. She has a strong testimony and a lot of love for people. Oh, and she knows ASL!! Yup, we have already used our ASL skills to speak with some Deaf individuals we ran into. There is a reason we are companions (multiple, actually).

The place that I live is beautiful. Our windows overlook two ponds with fountains in the them that storks, ducks and turtles regularly frequent.

So, I am serving in Tampa. It is awesome. We have six missionaries in the ward (church congregation), plus the President Summerhays (mission president) and his wife when they are not visiting other areas. We have two sisters (us), two elders, and a senior couple. The ward is great and there are lots of part-member families, which gives us a great opportunity to help unite families in the gospel and help them realize eternal blessings.

The work is busy in Tampa. On my second day in the area we had a baptism. A couple days later we had the wedding of a less-active member and investigator. What a first week!

First Baptism

People everywhere are looking for the gospel. We found someone by knocking on the wrong door who has had four missionary lessons in the last week and been to church twice. We turned him over to the Spanish ward after the first lesson, but it has been great to see him progress.

The Spirit is so powerful as a missionary. Literally, missionaries have the power and authority of their calling. The other week I mentioned that missionaries are living far below their priveledges (because our numbers are so low). I hope my note didn't come accross that the numbers are what matters. The people attached to the numbers are. There are billions of people on earth and billions that need to hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and need to be invited to come unto Him. Those walking around us are sons and daughters of God. God loves them and wants them to return to Him. I don't want the focus to be on the numbers, but on the people attached to the numbers. Everyone will have a chance to come unto Christ (those on earth now, those who have already passed away, and those who are yet to come). God's work will move forward. It is our opportunity though to rise up and help the work progress. Our opportunity for blessings and bringing blessings to others.

What have each of your families chosen to give Christ for Christmas?

Christina Rossetti:What can I give Him poor as I am?If I were a shepherd I would give Him my lamb.If I were a wise man I would do my part.What can I give Him? I will give Him my heart.

God loves all of us. He takes weaknesses and makes them strong (Alma 26:12 and Ether 12:27). We all have the choice to follow Him (2 Nephi 2:27-29). You can find these scriptures on lds.org if you don't own a Book of Mormon. As we follow God He will help us. I challenge all of you to make a New Year's Resolution to strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ and/or Heavenly Father. Follow the steps below to make a strong/lasting goal:

1. Choose Goal

2. How will this goal (would I like this goal to) strengthen my relationship with the Savior and/or my Heavenly Father?

3. Is this goal specific?

4. Is this goal realistic?

5. Will this goal make me stretch? (range goals are great way to stretch. choose something as the bottom range that is only stretching a little bit, and choose something as the top range as the top of your near perfect stretching)

6. Are you committed to this goal? Why?

7. How will you hold yourself accountable/follow up with this goal?

I know that as you strive to grow closer to God you will feel his presence more in your life. You do not need to perfect to come unto God or partake of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In fact, the Atonement is available at all times and for everyone. It is not available just after all we have done, but Christ is running in the race for us, helping us every step of the way. The Atonement is for our cleansing from sin, but also an enabling power to do everything we need to do in life.

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ so much. I am so grateful for his sacrafice. He came to this world to save all people. He is at the door knocking, but the handle is only on our side of the door. All we have to do is open it and he will be there.

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for all the blessings He has bestowed upon me. He truly blesses and directs my life.

I love all of you so much! Thank you for you support!

Sister Jenkins