9/21/10 Hermana Christensen

I LOVE THIS TEMPLE!!!

ha! i love that you were so concerned about whether i was transferring or not! you guys are the greatest. but basically, even if i did get transferred--which i didn't--it doesn't matter too much seen as how this is the smallest geographical mission. :) i love it here. but yesssss, i'm still in chula and i'm still with hermana story! all is well. we've sure got a loooot of promising people that we're working with. There is a lot of work to do. Everyone needs the gospel. We are trying so hard to really speak boldly and proclaim the lord's word and our purpose in being there from the get go so there is no confusion. We aren't here to just give some warm fuzzy message or to put bleach trays in people's mouth (the service we do for people... ha. last week i helped a lady put her pants on. i then gave her dog eyedrops. and then i also gave the dog some mouth drops. ha.). WE ARE HERE TO INVITE THEM TO COME TO CHRIST BY BEING BAPTIZED! it's not about the numbers. it is but it isn't. but we invite to baptism first visit so we can actually find the people who are looking for the truth. it's beautiful how it works, really. That's our goal. Audaz=bold. we're working on it.

On Sunday I had a real neat experience. We've been working with a family who is sooo great. we love love love them. The dad served his mission in brasil but has been less active half his life. his wife and kids aren't members, but they want their son to be baptized. i don't really get it. then what? but hey, good desires. anyway, we were SUUUPER bold with them, on the verge of dropping them a few weeks ago, but then bro woody committed to come to church. what? it was a HUUUGE step. so last weekend they bought 200 plus bones of clothes, but then sunday morning at 8:30 they pulled the clothes out of the bag and, because they were wrinkly, they couldn't come. so sad. but they promised they'd come this sunday. at 8:30 grampa woody told us they weren't coming and we were so dejected. we sat down and basically just cried. ha. we tried to study before sacrament, but we just felt so incredibly sad. it was the smallest little taste of what our heavenly father feels when we let him down. so so small, but it was real. so then oh my joy when hermana elbows me, pointing to the WHOLE FAMILY sitting next to grandpa woody. they CAME!!! and those boys looked so cute in their new clothes, brother woody looked like a gent in his suit and tie, and his wife lydia was loved by EVERYONE she talked to. i know they had a great experience. and i KNOW the spirit of contention that's always in their home must have been at least a little less this week because they came to church. it softens our hearts! that was a miracle. and i know that it was because we--as a district--were all praying for them to come (we have such an awesome district; every night our dl sends out the name of someone to pray for). it was a miracle. i was bubbling over ALL during church. i felt this indescribable happiness that i know is just a smallllll tiny tiny TINY portion of what our heavenly father feels when we do what's right. thise whole paragraph is so poorly written and explained, but i hope that makes sense. God's love is so vast it feels the immensity of space! I'm so thankful for that tiny little tidbit I could feel. It was unreal.
Family, all is well. I have a testimony that this truly is the Lord's work. His hand is in this EVERY MINUTE. people are led and guided to the mobat. they are led and guided to chula. they are led to santiago. they are opening doors in croatia. these people are being prepared. they need this. the hardest thing to accept is that they may not realize that RIGHT now. some do. THOSE are the dudes we need to find. patience is something i've been thinking about a lot lately; how many people took 15 years to accept the gospel? so many. but when they do? tyhey are FIRM! they are solid! and they are grateful for everyone's love and patience! it's all about planting seeds. when i remember that, i feel so much peace and happiness, knowing that if i do my part, the Lord will SURELY do His--for time is only measured unto man!

I love you all. Prayin for you.

tu hija, hermana christensen

tell mikie that i am SO sorry for that crapfest letter. it was awful. there is no time! i was so scattered! ha. i really thought about just not sending it. tell him i reeeeeeally appreciate him writing though, seriously. mikie, i do!

and tell gpa and gpa that i love them. i realized that i drive like grandpa does; he puts his hand under his chin, with just two fingers.. he always does it. this weekend i realized that and i thought fondly of them. how i love you if you're reading this! i hope all is treating you well in va! i hope you're LOVING it nicole!
dios nos ama. chao chao.

YESSSSS!!!