7-5 email from home

On Mon, Jul 6, 2015 at 3:05 AM, CRAIG JENSEN <jensencraig1@msn.com> wrote:

Hi Caden
Fun birthday week here at home, mom totally spoiled me, We partied almost every night this week. Monday it was cafe rio after a quick visit to the FHE service project at the park. Tuesday was chic fila Wednesday Jake Biesinger and I helped grandpa pour a patio at the cabin. Down on the side that faces dotys where we park sleds.. Dad moved all the wood over to the generator shed, that side is now all open with a nice patio. Thursday for my birthday we went to the mall and ate at red robin, Friday was Chinese at shoots and some Costco shopping. Saturday we mowed lawns, worked on the boat and around the house.. I'm re-doing the seats, plus working on the kicker, it needs some gas line work, and the water systems are all messed up.. Lots of things I can tinker on.. I'll send pics when it's finished Saturday night we went to the BYU mens soccer game, we sat next to Botcherbys, Ryan has been getting quite a bit of time.. (they lost)
So cool that you are comps with elder Griffen, it's sure makes the mission sweet when you have cool companions that enjoy the work. Sad to see the Days go, hopefully the Jorgensen's will be pretty cool. An elder from your mission just came back to our YSA ward, his name is Caleb Darger, he said he had met you, he knew Wilkins and the other Elder jensen...
This week was pretty different without you here, but absence makes the heart grow fonder looking forward to your letter
Love ya
Dad


Hello Caden,
Kind of a busy week but a good one. I think it is going to be busy until fall. We don't have a free week end until August. This weekend we are watching the girls over night while the Mitchell's celebrate their anniversary. Then Saturday is the smith reunion in draper. It is our year to be in charge. We also have cade brewers wedding, I don't think they are doing a reception but we will drop by a gift and hopefully be able to see Colby and visit him, Cade is marrying Jared Nelson's sister. Colby just got home too.  Dad had a great birthday and we enjoyed the 4th. The girls were both with the other side of the families so I know hold on to your hat, dad and I didn't do one firework, crazy right! So next year we will make up for not doing any this year cause our firework pro might be back. Fun to support Ryan and visit with the botcherby's. How was your 4th, and your week. Anything exciting or out of the ordinary. How is the companionship working out and have you all had a meeting to meet the new pres and his wife? Are you liking the new area? What is it like? Are you having much success in this new area even though it hasn't been very long. So in this area do you bike or walk? Today we are having dad's bday dinner. I'm going to visit Kay the sister who has been sick. She is doing much better and she is home. How's the food, are you being fed or feeding yourselves? How are the clothes, are they holding up and the shoes. Try to get some pics of your new area so we can see it. Love you son very much! Appreciated all you are doing and all you are serving. Take care of your self. "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." Love mom️

From:	Caden Jensen (cadenj@myldsmail.net) This sender is in your contact list.
Sent:	Sun 7/05/15 10:43 PM
To:	CRAIG JENSEN (jensencraig1@msn.com)

sounds like that was fun! happy b day big guy! this YSA ward is helping you stay active, how is the first councilors wife?! and solid pouring the patio finally! sick! that is nuts that will be sick! that is a ton of wood! red robin, that sounds delicious! chinese food, just like here! we are going to coscto today haha! good to hear that you have stuff to tinker on, pumped to see those pics, that is solid that ryan is doing good how are the botchs? oh man, I freaking love Elder Griffin! such a champ! but the Jergensens are champions, I love them already!!! and Elder Darger is in your ward!!! haha, that is awesome, he was in this area about three transfers ago, he is a great missionary! he and elder kesler ?, they both have strong personalities, but he is great at singing! that is cool! haha pumped to think that on the next b day, I will be home within a week! nuts right? a year, gone, a year left! love you pops! quick question kinda deep sorry, what made you want to go on a mission, and what do you think has been a big testimony builder to you, same to you momma, on the testimony part, love you all! 

mama! sounds busy but fun! tell the mitchells happy aniversary! and soon the morreys! how is rachel by the way?! that is cool that the reunion is this week, and that cade is getting married, that is nuts! especially that he is marrying jays sister tell them all high, good old colb! sounds like the fireworks were lame! and I will wreck you all next year with fireworks! this week has been great! I will explain in a sec but yes a love the new area, it is like downtown provo, but with a couple high rises, I like it! and we have lots of success here, still biking! and tell me how she is doing! the food is great! and we are getting food! the food and shoes are great and I will try for pics today! and love you much too! thank you for all you do, one question for you! how do you help sisters who dont like the women in Relief society?! love you all thank you for all you do and that is a great quote and so true!

this is my week!  it has been such a great week here in Taoyuan!!! Our zone as a whole had a great week! and there have been many miracles, including the jergensens getting here, and having a great training on Friday, me and Elder Griffin were talking and we are very excited for the vision this month and we think that it will lift the work out here in Taoyuan every companionship a baptism a month!!! This week I have a couple stories to share with you, one of them starts at a carre four grocery store! we were finding around there, and then we saw this lady, and went and talked to her, we used english class to talk to her, and she said she would come, then she says "you know, I am mormon." we were shocked, she said she went LA right after she got baptized because she was too lazy, and then she very openly told us she was getting a colonoscopy and said we should meet when she is feeling better! It was incredible to see such willingness! we also got to see prayer and the Book of Mormon touch the heart of a mother who's daughter is in the ICU due to a big fire accident that happened in Taibei, and now the mom, her son, and the hurt daughter will all have a chance to hear the gospel! there are so many miracles that it is hard to chose which ones to throw in! but me and Elder Griffin also learned a lot this week! In our weekly planning session, we realized sometimes we try to hard, and rely to much on ourselves, but as soon as we relax and then let the Lord take care of it, we are less stressed and everything goes much smoother, so this weeks motto for us has been "Do our best and the Lord will do the rest!" we are excited, last but not least, this was probably my favorite part of the week; we had a young man about 18 years old come and teach with us, he is a super solid kid! he was born in the church and is such a humble, good, hardworking kid, well, in our lesson we asked him some questions about testimony stuff, and he answered well, but you could just tell something was off. That night, he called us to apologize, he said "I am sorry I just could not talk in that lesson, so I went home and prayed so I could build my testimony, sometimes I just realize my testimony isnt very strong!" at which point we were able to comfort him, help him see that he truly has a great testimony, and that sometimes we question, especially if we are born in the church, and we all have to gain a testimony, but that he was taking the right steps by asking for help and praying! it was nice to be able to reflect on our testimonies as well! he then said he wanted to come out with us as often as possible! it was such a cool experience to see a brother really trust us, and want to grow, such a miracle, we are super excited for this next week! love you all keep up the good work! you are champions!!! talk to you next week!