Most Loving and Humble People

Wahooooooooooooooooooooooo! So I was in one of the churches on Tuesday morning preparing for our Zone Conference with my companion.  Some of us were doing garden work when I thought I recognized one of them and sure enough I did! It was BISHOP CHEME from MONTE SINAI! (Reference the pic with the fish and pig leg)... wow, it was so great to talk to him. Especially to be able to speak to him in spanish. I didnt have much time but he told me great great things about many of my converts! I was the happiest guy in the world and still am! The Zambrano family is firm in the faith! The complete family! BROTHER Zambrano is now secretario of the ward and his wife a teacher in sunday school and wow. I was just so happy. And Obispo Cheme said he was going to say hi to everyone for me. 

But I also recieved some tough news. As you know Monte Sinai in not completly legal and the goverment has come back in to take it over. They are taking houses down and from what he told me its tough becase many of the people are losing their homes and they have no idea what to do there. Please pray for them! They are the most humble and loving people I have ever met in my life! Keep them in your prayers that they can find peace and hope whether they are permitted to stay or if they have to leave. 

Well, we had a baptism this weekend. It was really great! Like 30 members showed up to support! This is by far the strongest ward I have been in! Great leaders and great members! The family Chavez are some of my greatest friends. They just take care of everything for us. We call the mom Mamita Chavez! They showed us a bit of Guayaquil today for PDAY! It was great! Man, I just absolutly love this place! It's so beautiful! People are great and I love this work!  Life is good! We can all just look at the best in every day and I promise you it will be a good day! I love and miss you all so much! Cuidense! 


Elder Jacobsen 

Probably Staying in Guayaquil North Mission

Well hello hello! So I have no time as always but this week was great! I hope everything is going great with everyone back home! So to sum it we are working harder and harder and busier and busier with the time flying by faster and faster. Ok see you later. hahah just kidding. But really that's about it! This week we had a conference with all the leaders in the mission and I won't lie it was kind of intimidating especially when I was called up to talk and share my testimony with all of them. But it was a great conference, great learning experience, and lots of inspiration on how we can raise the bar in this great, great work! And it was sad because it is supposively the last conference with the whole Guayaquil North Mission together before they split it in July! So lots of good friends I have came to know and work with will be in the other mission. If you're wondering I am currently in the boundaries of the North Mission and will probably be here for a good few months. That's just my guess. Never know now days! Next thing I know they could be sending me to Argentina! haha. 

Well next month 30 more missionaries are coming and the majority are hermanas! This is crazy! haha. They say the mission will double by Christmas time! And it has been declared the greatest time of missionary work in the history of the church! I feel so lucky and proud to be a part of it! This work is just amazing and I don't have a single little doubt that this is all the work of God! He is with us! I get to see lives changed every day! There's nothing better! Well I love you all so much! 


Elder Jacobsen 

Families are Eternal

Well no time this week! All I can say is that I have witnessed and gained a great testimony that families are to be eternal. I was able to see my amazing family last night and I just can't express the joy of being part of an eternal family! I love you guys so much! You're the best! The plan of our father in heaven is perfect! Lets just do our part! I love this mission! I have the opportunity for 2 years away from my family so that others can have their eternal families! It's all worth it! 

My companion Elder Garzon is great! He's from Bogota, Columbia and his accent is sweet! We have the exact same time in the misison and are working hard to try to make this ZONE the best zone possible! We have ALOT of work to do! There are 13 of us in this zone! My companionship, three other companionships of Elders, and 2 companionships of Hermanas. One of the sister companionships is a trio because there are so many sisters in the misison now. haha. And 4 of the 6 companionships are in training. So we have a young young young ZONE! .haha. So we're working hard! It's the Lord's work! And it's great! I love and miss you all! 

Elder Jacobsen

P.S. We had a baptism with 3 sisters! And the parents are in the process to get married! Wahooo! 

Transferred Again

Well hello hello! We are in May! Sayyy what! hahah. This is crazy! Time is flying by way to fast! I just passed the year mark which scares me. Because this year has flown by. The last 6 months were some of the fastest months in my life and what scares me is they say once you hit the year it’s all down hill and it just flies! So So So much to do and learn and develop and so little time! Ay yai yai! 

Well I hope everyone is doing great! I think everyone is in their last couple months of school right? Work hard! It’s worth it! Nothing better than a break and knowing that you did your best. In the mission I have learned to do something called rendir cuentas. It has really helped me. We rendir cuentas to ourselves and to the Lord. It’s like giving a summary to the Lord in your prayers. It helps me a ton so that I can repent of every little mistake and really understand what I need to change, improve, or keep doing. And then when I lay down to fall asleep and usually just think if I really gave it my all or not. But usually I don’t think much because I’m asleep in like 5 second because I’m exhausted. haha. I think that’s a good thing. But at times there’s definitely things to ponder about.

Well I have had a crazy change. I was transferred yesterday. I was at another house asleep in an intercambio with another elder and I woke up at midnight to the phone ringing and they told me I had a transfer. I thought it was a joke. One because I only had 2 semanas (weeks) and because the next day was Sunday. But they weren’t joking. They said we had to take a bus at 5 in the morning so I can get back to my house by 6 to pack up my things and take the 3 hour drive to Guayaquil. I was like WHATS HAPPENING. haha! And I won’t lie. I was way way bummed because I loved my new companion! Elder Burga was my best comp yet!  Such a great guy. We were working so well together. And we had 16 people listening to us. It was great! So I did not want to leave it behind. But my zone leaders could tell I was bummed and humbled and helped me by sharing Nephi 3:7 and saying everything has a purpose. And I guess it did. But I’m still a little in unbelief and just really hope that I will be able to help with all the Lord wants me to. 

I have been called to be Zone Leader in Duran Sur. I now really have to apply the Jacobsen phrase - "Attitude is everything", and really just trust in the Lord with all my heart. I know this will be a very humbling experience. I’m grateful to be able to grow and learn more and most of all serve others. I love this work! It is truly the work of God! It’s changing my life! And I promise that we can all be missionaries. Just share your testimony wherever you go! Cuidense mucho! Les quiero! 

Elder jacobsen 

Keep Sending Letters

Como estan mis amigos y familiares! Well this week was just busy busy busy but a great week in the misison! Lots of WORK WORK WORK! That’s the best way the mission can be! And life in general. We should always take advantage of all the time we have... Anyway, I will start by saying that all my emails will be shorter and shorter! So please don’t think I’m just being lazy. But two things have changed. First, apparently the Church email rule was changed so I have been receiving a little more emails and no time to respond. And second I now have to give informes to my president for my district. So I’m just going to be writing a little less. Lo siento. Oh, and its great to hear from a lot of you! I love hearing from you but I’m going to ask a big favor to my friends. PLEASE KEEP THEM SHORT! The best would be to just keep writing me and if you have something big or a question then email. Please don’t take that the wrong way. It’s just that I will not be able to respond in email and I don’t want you to think I’m ignoring. But if we don’t keep the time well my president will take away lots of email privileges. He’s already taking away from many because they are writing for hours and hours on p-days. I don’t want that! haha. So ya. This week I’ve been getting to know my sector! It’s a good sector! I like it! Its up and down, up and down - lots of little hills. But it’s pretty here. Tons of green! My comp is great! He’s working hard with his little legs and we’re just trying to teach everyone. As of now, it’s all good! So I had a district of 4. Me my comp, and two elders mas. But this zone had a zone conference this week and afterwards the president and assistant changed our zone. A district leader was taken and now I have a district of 6 - my comp and I, two elders from Peru and USA, and two Hermanas from Guatemala and Argentina. First Hermanas I have met in one year in the mission. haha. I am completely awkward and have no idea how to talk to them because for a year I have been very direct with elders and just tell them. But it’s good because now I have to practice being more soft. haha. But ya, I now have no time in the night to do anything -  Just informes, wash face, teeth, and Hasta manana. So that’s new :/ but its all good! Learning tonnnnssss!!! OH and were in a house of 4. Gringo, Ecuatoriano, Colombiano, y Peruano. Fun to get to know all of these countries and cultures. Well that’s it for now. This work is the best! Love it! Love you all! 

Elder Jacobsen 

Oh, in the conference I took a fun picture with my hijo elder Barragan and my new companion Elder Burga. Just happen to be a little short! haha! Gotta love it!