Monday, September 20, 2010

9/14/10 Hermana Christensen

Karina's Baptismal Day!!
Hey, all!!


Okay so guess what? This is a true story. Karina got baptized this past week. No no i'm dead serious, she really did. That girl and the entire experience with her falling out of the sky wanting to be baptized has been SUCH a testimony to me that some of the most important people in this work are the MEMBERS! Ah! You have no idea what a huge influence for good you are! I know there aren't too many non members, there surely are plennnnnnnty of less actives, right? Go get em. Keep being there for them. Seriously. Every little gesture counts. I am such a firm believer in this! And I'm so grateful to learn this right at the beginning on my mission; Karina was READY because Scott Harris (her freakin awesome "owner"--the member who found her, taught her with us [and without us!], and took her in as his own) prepared her so that when we hit her with the law of tithing, chastity, and wow, she was like, "Oh yeah I totally get it. Scott explained it to me and I already live that way." Oh, no big deal that she gets the DOCTRINE. Most people we have to force to open the book of Mormon! (not really) but Karina just straight up understands that our bodies are temples... of course we shouldn't take in drugs! Ah. Last Tuesday she surprised us by saying she wanted to get baptized this saturday and not wait for her family. She said, "Why would I want to put off doing something I know God wants me to do?" Ha. What. Unbelievable. Okay, Karina, NO BIG DEAL. let's go fill the font already.

Her baptism was hermosa. Tonnnnns of people from the ward showed up. The speaker did a beeeeautiful job. The spirit was so strong. The baptism was a go and done in Spanish (I didn't know that was coming!). Karina shared her testimony afterward and it was just... suuuuch power. That girl! She did it. Afterward the ward had the biggest party of the year, the Luau! It was classic. Hoardes of people came out of their "shanties" if you will (ha, bro) for the fiesta. It was so great. And when Karina was confirmed on Sunday.... ah, that too was beautiful. The ward members that got to stand in on the circle were beaming and Karina was radiating... everyone has been edified by this sweet sweet girl coming into the church. that's the way the gospel should work, right? Everyone wins.

So now we're finding more people to teach. We KNOW there are people who, like Karina, are ready. They are just looking and waiting. There's a grundle of work to do! Lets find em! You do your job and I'll do mine.

You make such a big difference.

Dang I love you guys! Thanks so much for the loooove. Ha, i'm not even going to have time to read all my mail nor emails today. We serve in the battalion tonight, so pday ends an hour earlier. Transfers tomorrow! loco.Thanks for all your love.

thank you for all your encouragement. I apologize for my terribly selfish email a few weeks ago. But i sincerely appreciate all your words of wisdom and counsel. Basically, I could summarize what you all told me--get out of yourself and serve others. So true. thanks! I consider myself blessed to be humbled by the Lord through you. And Him. I've been.. not weighed down, but just really impressed by and pulled towards the topics of humility and prayer these past two weeks. I'm trying to figure out how to be the me Heavenly Father wants me to be so I can do His work the way He'd have me do it. Sometimes I get discouraged because I see all these flaws and weaknesses and priiiiiiiide. But the only way that'll go away is if I get on my knees and ask for some serious help, and then get movin. So that's it! One foot in front of the other.

I love yall. I gotta jet. The church is true. One of our investigator's fathers is visiting.. he's like 75 or so and he is ALIVE by the gospel. He just goes around yelling about how much he loves the church. His enthusiasm is so remarkable. The gospel is our light! It is our life! It is our reason for being happy! It is who we are! It is allllll we are! Let's share it!

Vayan con dios mis queridos, les amo!

hermana christensen
SEALS!!!

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