Third P-Day (4) Kam's Letter

Well it's that time of the week again. Sorry about last week. I had a
great email all typed out and I sent it to you all but it crashed or
had a bug or something so it wouldn't send. It was really frustrating.
This email system is kind of a joke. It's nearly impossible to send
pictures or anything.  I made a few efforts to send a email home but
it just wasn't working. Really I just think I need more time to figure
it out. Anyway, time goes by so fast here, it's the fastest it has
ever gone in my life and I am loving it. Not a ton has happened, well
compared to the last email, but I have had some interesting stories.

I've learned that Elder Modlik and I get to go to Prince of Whales
next transfer!! It's very exciting, because it is supposed to be
absolutely beautiful there, and missionaries haven't stepped foot
there in a long time. We take a faerie there and will stay there like
4 days I think. It will be a unique experience. It's a funny story how
I found out about it though. I was texting an investigator trying to
set up an appointment, and I get two letters into the text when the
screen changes and its President Robinson and I was very surprised and
flustered but I some how already accepted the call and I'm trying not
to drop the phone and I finally put it up to my ear and  answered.
"H-h-hi President!" And then we talked for a little bit and he told us
we could go to POW, but the other missionaries were cracking up at me.
I was not expecting that call at all.

The temperature here is perfect, I love it. Most days the hi is 65 and
the low is 55. Some mornings it gets a little chilly but besides that
very comfortable. It does however rain way toooooo much. It's kinda
crazy how much it rains. We were doing service for a lady and left a
bucket in her back yard empty and came back a week later to finish the
project and the bucket was 3/4s or more of the way full. They get like
yards of water in weeks. It makes since why it's so rocky here though
all the dirt is washed away. I think I'm going to get some  Extra
Tuffs (irrigation boots on roids) next p-day. That's when you know you
are a true southern Alaskan....when you have a pair of Extra Tuffs,
you need them here.

Another funny story. Elder Modlik and I went tracting a couple days
ago. Like a 3-4 hour tract, the longest I've been on. Every door that
he would say "ok this is your door." They would slam it before I could
even say a word. Like 12 in a row when it was my turn they would open
the door and say "No thanks" or "I'm not interested" and slam the door
before either of us could speak. But if it wasn't designated that it
was my door they would talk to us. It's now an inside joke for us.
Tracting is actually fairly successful for us which surprises me. I
think it's a combination of Alaskans being nice and Elder Modlik's New
Zealand accent that does it. I swear his accent gets us so many
opportunities that would never happen to two non-exotics.

Last p-day I we went down town to real Ketchickan. It's a unique town.
Nothing spectacular but there are some cool shops and all the huge
cruise ships and fishing boats everywhere is cool. We also went to the
coast and two of the elders tried fishing, they haven't caught
anything. Shore fishing is Alaska is very weird. Most people just
snag. Which is putting a huge weighted treble hook and jerking it
through the water as fast as you can trying to hook one of the
thousands of salmon running. The fish only care about getting upstream
and spawning so there really isn't another way to catch them. It is
illegal in fresh water to snag so everyone gets right next to where
the streams enter the ocean where the fish are packed together and try
to hook them. And evidently as soon as the hit fresh water the fish
get slimey and start decaying. It is pretty ridiculous to see a 50
pound King salmon trying to make it up these creeks some the size of
Granite creek and all of them smaller than the Shell. Most people just
fish from their boats and are much more successful.



We teach quite a few people and have I think quite a few
investigators. I love them all and the lessons are so full of the
spirit and so led by the spirit. I am learning a lot about myself and
how I can improve myself as I try to study for my investigators. So
many miracles happen every week I can hardly remember them all. I am
trying to decide if I should share some of them because they are so
sacred to me...should have thought of that before I started emailing I
guess. Just for now know that my testimony has never been stronger and
gets stronger everyday in leaps. I have no doubt in my mind that I am
on the Lords errand and his alone. I know that God not only exists,
but he loves all of his children. He wants so much for them, but they
choose not to listen. I know that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of all
and the only way to true joy and happiness in this life and the only
means of salvation. I have learned even more the power of the
Atonement and its ability to forgive and purify, but even more I have
learned that the enabling power of it is humility. It all comes down
to humility and selflessness, vs pride and selfishness. I love this
work. I love my Savior. I am in the right place at the right time and
I am on a mission from God.

I will send some pictures in another email.

I'm in Alaska!! Letter #2

Well well well...I finally get to email home huh? It took long enough
for my first p-day in the field to get here. So much has changed I
don't think I will remember it all its crazy. The last time I emailed
I was in the MTC still with like 5 days left but now I've literally
flown thousands and thousand of miles and now I am in my first area.

So last I messaged I was in the MTC. The rest of the MTC was great I
don't remember anything memorable happening (probably because so much
has already happened in Alaska) so that was good. On Sunday night I
packed my bags which took until like 12:30ish then went to sleep. My
alarm went off at 2:00 am and I got dressed and ready and headed to
the travel office to report and check out. We rode a big bus to the
Airport where I called you then got on a plane and flew to Portland.
We had an hour layover in Portland then boarded the next plane and
finally we were off to the great north! The flight was going to be
like 6 ish hours I think. I slept some of it and woke up to see
somewhere along the Alaska coast and it was ocean to straight up
towering mountains and they had so much snow on them I couldn't
believe it. There were just huge beautiful mountains and glaciers and
rivers and it was all so grand and majestic. I loved it! That was all
from the plane.

Eventually we got to anchorage, it was only like noon when we landed
but I was pretty tired. We walked out and the President and his wife
and everyone was there to greet us. It was all very exciting and fun.
We went to the mission office and got all of our paperwork filled out
and got our iPads and the taught us a lot of stuff. Then we went to
the mission home ate dinner and did more training until around 10. The
mission president is awesome. I love him, we talked the whole time. It
would be the mission president his wife and I sitting at a table
eating and talking and then all the other missionaries eating at the
other table. They call me the Wyoming Cowboy. So I went to bed that
and got ready in the morning a and we did more training on companion
study. We all loaded up and went to the stake center next to the
temple, were we did car training.

The big moment was here now though, we were going to meet the trainers
and get assigned to our first area. I was so excited but nervous! I
had been praying for a couple nights that the lord would bless me with
the most perfectly obedient missionary in the whole mission because I
knew for me to be the missionary I want to be I would need to learn to
be perfectly obedient. All of the trainers walked in and I knew which
one it would be immediately. I couldn't read his name but I knew it
would be him. All of the new companion ships and their areas were
called out. One by one all of them called to an Anchorage area, it
took forever because they weren't calling me up. Finally 2nd to last
they called "Elder Jensen". I walked up to the map and guessed Juneau.
Then President Robinson said "Close, Elder Modlik do you want tot tell
Elder Jensen where you will be going?" It was the missionary that I
new it would be when they all walked in. " We're going to
KETCHIKAN!!!!" We have 2 flights and a ferry ride to get home.  I was
so excited and relieved.  They called on the last companionship and we
went to eat lunch. At lunch all the missionaries at transfer meeting
came up and congratulated me. They were all so jealous. They all said
Elder Modlik was the best missionary in the mission and the Ketchikan
was the most coveted spot by far. All of my areas will be down hill
Sent from my iPad

After all that jazz and transfer meeting the bush missionaries went
and did a temple session. Then loaded up in a van real quick and
headed to the airport. Elder Modlik and I flew to Juneau and stayed
the night with the missionaries there. Let me tell you Juneau is
absolutely gorgeous. But we got to the missionaries apartment and
that's when reality set back in. It was filthy. I slept on the floor
some how, it was gross. Then woke up in the morning and caught our
next flight to Ketchikan. It was just so amazing the beauty that we
passed by it blows my mind. We missed the fairy and had to wait for
quite a while for the next on to come pick us up. There were puddle
jumpers and sea plains and lots of fishing boats, we could see
Ketchikan and it's exactly as you picture, just it's built oh the
mountain side right on the water. It's all so steep here everywhere.We
drove up the road from the fairy probably 200-300 yards to the
apartment, and I was in Ketchikan. I still don't feel like I'm here.
I've been told it will take a transfer to set in. We dropped my bags
off and immediately went to work. We are always working I love it!

On Thursday (my first full day) we were teaching a man named Trevor.
Halfway through the lesson a black bear came onto the porch and tried
to steal the trash can. Trevor got up with reflexes quicker than a cat
and blew out the door and scared the crap out of everyone, including
the bear evidently because it dropped the garbage can and ran away.
Any way we eventually got the spirit back and I felt prompted to ask
him to be baptized, so I did. I know the spirit was speaking through
me but he was challenged to be baptized August 8th and he accepted and
said he would prepare himself. I was so excited, it was just a crazy
spirit filled lesson.

Then on Thursday we were teaching a native man named Roger. The spirit
taught him about the atonement and Elder Modlik asked him to pray
right now. This man who hadn't prayed in years gave the most heartfelt
hopeful prayer I have ever heard in my life. It was a long prayer and
we were all balling ours eyes out halfway through. When he finished we
all hugged and we gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to church.
He came to all of church and to institute and loved all of it. He says
it already feels like family and I am very hopeful for him. I just
have to have confidence in the converting power of the gospel.

My companion is awesome. He is from New Zealand, and he is the most
obedient missionary I have ever seen, met, or heard of. It's good for
me. It's an answer to my prayers. Now I just need to learn a lot from
him. He has only been out 10 months, but he is an amazing missionary.
He is 6'4" tall and fairly skinny. He had black hair and a white spot
in his eyebrow.

Anyways, Alaska is far more beautiful, and majestic, and awe inspiring
than I thought a place ever existed. The mountains are all huge and
green or full of snow and glaciers. The ocean is beautiful, and kinds
smelly. It's just...the only place like this on earth, it's the last
frontier. I will try to send some pictures.

Oh also Elder Modlik and I are assigned to open Prince of Whales
island. So mom could you talk to the Chatams and see if there is
anyone they know we could go visit there? That could really change how
the Lords work goes there. Please get back to me about that.

Good way to spend the 4th of July

Kam made it to Alaska

I am in the mission home!!! (its in that church) The flight was so beautiful, the mountains have tons of snow on them and I am so excited. Love you! This is going to be awesome!

Kam's Letter from the MTC

Hello everyone. Well today is my first p-day at the MTC! It took long enough to get here huh? So sorry for not replying until now. The MTC was a mess when I first got here because they were training all the new mission presidents. This required pretty much every general authority and apostle to ever walk the earth and really changed my MTC experience. The whole main office (1M) was constantly guarded by an army of security guards and we always had to be in suites and we never got to see any of the general authorities. I didn't eat in the cafeteria until this Monday. And because of the mission president training we didnt get our first P-day. But the Mission Presidents and General Authorities all left Monday morning so its back to "normal" which is of course new to all of the people who showed up when they left. 

My companion is names "Elder Younger", funny right? He is about 6' 5" or 6" and i feel short everywhere I go even though I am taller than 90% of the people here. He is very very loud and really funny, and has a hard time calming down enough to be reverent enough for the spirit. I think he is the spitting image personality and mannerism wise of Jason Atkins.The things he says are exactly what Jason would say and super load yelling at all the strangers passing by, its kinda scary how similar they are, think Jason Atkins that just graduated High School and that is my companion. But I love him we are having a blast! And when I can get him to calm down enough to study for and teach a lesson we do an amazing job, and teach with the spirit. The first week at the MTC he had Mono and strep so he spent a few days just sleeping doctors orders so I have missed tons of class time because I have to stay in the residency with him. So I just read the Book of Mormon and study and occasionally write a letter but the last two days he has been feeling better and made it through the whole day of most of it and now I am truly seeing him for who he is. I thought he was loud and had lots of energy before but now hes like out of control and I really am not sure how to handle it. Its not good especially with the new group of missionaries coming in yesterday and we are the examples. Oh well I will probably figure it out and if not we only have like 3 days left at the MTC. We fly out for Alaska at 3 AM on Monday morning! I am so excited!

Did I mention that I was called as the zone leader? Yeah it didnt seem like a big deal at first but now its a ton of responsibility and work, the job really didnt kick in until Sunday and it got really real on Monday. We are in charge of like everything, and my companion had mono and was out of it until pretty much yesterday so there has been so much to do I have spent every waking hour helping someone of filing out an agenda or just busy or teaching, but I never have had time to prepare for any of my lessons. But I will say that I have been blessed for it. The amount of scriptures that just come to my mind that I learned in seminary years ago is mind blowing and there are so many that I memorized word for word and latter forgot but now I can pretty much recite all of those I forgot word for word. I would like to tell all my brothers to just memorize those scripture masteries because the spirit can not draw from and empty well and at least for me if I even knew it at one time during freshman year of high school it all comes roaring back into your mind when you need it. Its an amazing thing and something I can promise you if you will put the work in now. Anyway all the new elders and sisters came in yesterday. Elder Younger and I probably told every single one of them "Welcome to the M-T-C!" Kinda with an sports announcers cadence. And then later that night we were in charge of orienting around 50 Elders and Sisters. We are now in charge of all of them, they are our young'ns but they are all pretty cool because they are in Branch 42! We have to get to know all of them personally and take care of all their needs, and they are way needy, and we dont even know what to do about most of their problems so we just have to figure it out. There is always something going on and I am always busy.

I have had a couple of funny stories happen so far.

The first one was like last Friday. Elder Younger and I had gone to a separate room to do personal study and companionship study (like the only time we have gotten to the whole time at the MTC). Some people came into the room next to us and were talking quite loudly, and we thought it was the sisters from our district. So Elder younger said quite loudly " DO YOU NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF PERSONAL STUDY" "WHATS IT TAKE TO GET SOME PEACE AND QUIET"  "NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR YOUR PROBLEMS" (because a sister was talking loudly about her back problems and what not. Anyway we went to go talk to the sisters we thought it was and they were studying quietly and it turns out that there was a room in between us and them and they had been quiet the whole time. So we looked through the peephole into the room in between and some Elders were giving a Sister a blessing! We felt so bad and were so embarrassed we left the room we were studying in and didnt come back all day.

The other story involves so me international missionaries we were in charge of. As zone leaders we got a "zone leader" phone so they can all us if there is an emergency or we need to do anything. Monday was Elder Youngers day and he forgot it in the room all day. We got back to change for Gym time around 5 and looked at the phone and it had six missed calls! And as soon as I saw that a voice came over the intercom and said "KAMERON JENSEN, USE THE RED PHONE AND CALL THE FRONT OFFICE IMMEDIATELY". Well you know you are really in trouble when they dont use "elder" because they always use elder, so I called them and they said come to 1M as soon as you can. So Elder Younger and I left and made haste to the front office. When we got there they said that we had International missionaries that we needed to take care of and they had been waiting since noon (it was now five or six in the evening). Anyway we went and got the and took good care of them and we are good friends now. It is now a big joke for Elder Younger to look at the phone and say. "CRAP we have three missed calls", I took like twice and i dont fall for it anymore. I have to tell you that one of the international missionaries was from the Island of Pohmpie in Micronesia (a tiny tiny island in the pacific) and that he lived on his fathers banana farm on that island his whole life and the first time he left that island was the day he left for the MTC. It just seems crazy to me. I really like him but hardly ever see him anymore and I know I was a great blessing to him when he arrived. Just imagine flying half way across the world in a day and coming to the Provo MTC and barely speaking english, I dont think I would have held up as good as him, leaving your farm and island for the first time.

Anyway my time is up! I dont think I have ever typed this fast in my life! I love you all and I am doing great. There is so much more I would like to say but know that the spirit is with me and I am loving it. I am not sad, I think everyone here has been sad at least once except me. I have prepared my whole life for this and am thriving! I love you all so much! Send mail, I have more time to reply and I pretty much don't know any ones address. Thank you everyone for home much you have prepared me for this. Until next time.