Elder Jared Jensen's Missionary Blog: Last Week of the MTC and Beginning of Chicago!

Ok so the last week in the MTC was literally insane. And when I say that I don't mean that it was filled with the spirit. It was literally crazy. Like one of our sisters in our district barely was able to come on a mission because she had health problems, and then then doctors here said that it wasn't possible for her to actually serve and they had to send her home. It was really hard for her and really sad for us because she didn't want to go, but her health problems wouldn't allow it. She was going to serve in Chicago.

Then we went to bed that night and one of the elders in our zone (also chicago missionary) told us his chest was burning but he would probably be fine. We woke up that morning hearing that him and his companion was currently in the emergency room and the hospital and that he was having problems with his pancreas. Pancreatis or something like that. He'll still be able to serve but he'll be coming out a little later. So that threw a loop for everyone because he's still a missionary and has to have a companion with him at the hospital at all times except night, so the companionships have been way different.

Just when I thought everything couldn't get anymore chaotic, an ambulance pulled up to one of the buildings that we had class in. The medics got out and came back with a girl in a stretcher. we got a closer look and it was yet another chicago missionary from our zone. she had a seizure or something. So three chicago missionaries this week down for a little while, but two will for sure still be able to serve. It was so crazy.

So our original Chicago party of 11 ended up as 5. However some of those missionaries will be here next week or they might be arriving now. So wild stuff.

But now we entered the crazy city of chicago!! I walked outside and the humidity hit me and it was horrifying

but now i think I have gotten used to it. On the first day here the mission president and his wife met us at the airport and gave us some lunch, and then they instantly gave us some books of mormon and on THE FIRST DAY they had us ride the train around the city and try to give these things away. It was hilarious because I was actually way more afraid to talk to people than I thought, but I met many cool people and gave away a couple books. Then we had dinner (authentic deep dish) which I actually still love dominoes more sorry Chicago, and then went to bed in the mission home.

The next day they introduced us to our new companions/trainers, and the areas wed be serving in. My trainers name is elder Bolton, and he's like the coolest person ever. I'm learning tons from him every day. He's like a champion teacher and so I feel like I don't really have a lot to contribute in the lessons but I try to add stuff when I can. He's been here for 20 months and is actually the same age as Jase, so he's return missionary material. I hope I can be as great as he is in the future. He's from Sandy Utah and is just the coolest. I'll probably be his companion until he goes home in December.

So the area..... I was completely ready to be serving in the suburbs, or areas with lots of corn like my dear sister Janikas mission. I learned that the city is actually not a huge part of the mission. Like several areas of the mission touch it but none of the missionaries really get to go in the city a whole lot, except our district gets to whenever they go to church. So I was like cool I don't mind that. And now my companion and I are literally over the whole city, we've been called to serve in the young single adults ward and the single adults branch. So we try to hit up all these colleges which means we get a car because our area is so big! Yay!

The traffic here is wild though. Sometimes it takes like 45 min to drive like a normal 15 min drive. Also if you thought Utah drivers were bad?? Hehehe you don't even know. People here drive crazy like I don't fear that I'll die being shot, but most definitely fear the road will be the end of me. There are people EVERYWHERE. On bikes, just walking around. It looks like a giant constant parade. So yeah that's horrifying. Also you can't exactly drive dangerous like Vin diesel because theres a big bully named Tiwi in the car that tells on you when you're a naughty driver. Curse thy soul tiwi. But yeah it's pretty wild.

When the members feed us here they usually take us out, so I'm afraid the dadbod is coming quicker than I thought, also I was sick this whole last week! So I wasn't able to go running.

The weather here is interesting. The first day it was soooooo hot. And so it was the second day. The third day I was wearing a sweater. I don't own one yet so I had to borrow one of my companions, so it looks like this first pday I'm already going to start shopping for the good cold weather stuff. A couple nights ago it was sooooo windy. Like I was gonna be swept off the sidewalk. That was pretty fun though.

There are lot of neat buildings here and neat people who some are weird and some are off their rockers. (That means crazy in Ron weasly language) I love it though

like some people on the street ask us for money, and we never have any cash and so then they ask us to say a prayer with us "good Christian men" I love it. There are so many different cultures here! It really is a melting pot! It's really cool.

The elders here before us were doing a lot of good work so were trying to pick up where they left off. Elder Bolton has only been in this area a week longer than me so were both trying to get to know the members a lot so we can get their help with missionary work. They've already played a huge role in missionary work and the ward mission leader in the YSA is unreal. He invites nonmember friends to like every activity. So thanks to him we've already met a lot of people to teach at the church activities.

The Church here is awesome. It's definitely an adjustment from your average Utah church because it's 6 stories tall, has an elevator, a parking garage with a security code, and a security guard at the very front. Apparently it's one of the few churches in world with a security guard. Just another cool thing that brings me peace during church, is that we have God on our side, and our own personal Dwayne the rock Johnson protecting the church. It is indeed quite comforting.

Yesterday we went to 6 hours of church because we have the two wards, and I really enjoyed all of it! Just an awesome reminder that this is a worldwide church, and everywhere you go you can feel at home in the church. It makes me excited to go to the temple too. I definitely miss working in the temple.

Oh so we had a baptism! My first one! His name is Frank and he did pretty much everything with the elders before us, but we got to have the last lesson with him before he got baptized and now we get to do the new member lessons with him. He's awesome and a really funny dude.

So yeah I think that is pretty much it for this last two weeks, till next time