Christensen Missionaries: 3/19/11 Elder Christensen

Me in the courtyard at the temple. Awesome picture.

Hello friends and fam! So..... This week a BOMB dropped on my life! As I explained last week, I had changes. Yes. Duh. Everyone in my whole zone in talagante was bugging me like... Hey Mr District leader and all this jazz. I had previously thought that there were a bunch of DL´s going home and that it was a possibility.. But then I kicked that thought out of my brain SO FAST! I packed super quick the night before changes and went out to say bye to a few familes... It was pretty hard to leave that place and those people after having just barely gotten to know them. It made it much easier to say bye at least... I wasn´t so attached like in El Conquistador.

We got back to the pension late-ish and I started to get ready for bed. I had literally NOTHING in the pension haha. I got out of the shower and I thought... Uhh...... Deoderant? Packed..... Slippers? Packed.... Just weird. I was sitting at my desk writing in my friend Elder McDougals journal anticipating a call FOREVER. President King usually calls not too late but not too early either.... At around 11:20 I thought... I KNEW IT! HAH! I will not be a district leader like you all said! Then the phone rang... Sure enough... It was the President. We talked for a few minutes and I was DYING in suspense..... Then he said that he wanted to extend me a calling... VERY UNEXPECTEDLY I have been called as the Presidents secretary. After that I thought... Wow... My life is going to change by 180 degrees! I had no idea what the schedule is like.... How much we proscylite for, what duties we have, etc. In these first 4 days I can say that I´ve learned a LOT but.... Its like 1/18 of what I need to learn... There are a LOT of big things that I´m in charge of that aren´t too easy to learn so I´ve been pulling my hair out with so much nervousness. All the Visas and Carnettes and stuff.... Presidents calendars and schedule. All the lists of changes and ALL the missionaries information. Maybe that can help describe a little of my stress! Oh ya... The cherry on top is that I´ll be driving! Uhh...... I wish you could SEE how these people drive!! Its like if Wal Mart publicly announced that everything in the store was free for the next two hours. Everyone drives like that... Everywhere. Every time of the day... The other cherry on top is that the truck is a STICK!! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wow. So I´m going to learn to drive stick in the midst of thousands of horrid drivers hahaha. Double prayers for safety and help pleaseeeeeeeeeeee!!! I´m pretty sure I´ll be in here for a good 6 to 8 months. Its a tough job to learn then you don´t want to change that person once they´ve learned. So I´ll be in here awhile!!

On a lighter, happier note, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so weird... It went by just like Christmas. Several times during the day I forgot it was my birthday. We live with the assistants and they decorated the pension a little bit to surprise me. GET THIS!!! They even found a Papa Johns that is a LONG way away and ordered us pizza. I had heard that place existed but didn{t actually believe it tons. We ate like 3 pizzas and garlic parmesan breadsticks. So awesome. Then I got your PACKAGES FULL OF GOODNESS!!! Wow. Its like.. The abundance of my blessings and the love from my family never ends. I had a wonderful birthday mainly because of all my friends and family who continually are helping and encouraging me.

Us with the couple who got sealed.
AWESOME TIME AT THE TEMPLE!! LOVE IT!

So... this is SO sick what I´m about to say... Elder Cummings and Elder Speakman are my companions right now... They had a SEALING session planned for TODAY with a family from one of Elder Cummings old wards... WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow.... it was the coolest thing I´ve ever done..... Imagine the temple... IN SPANISH!!!!!!!! WOOOO!!! I had like 29487 spazz attacks and 234908 feelings of wanting to cry. The spirit was.... seriously unreal in this place. Its been 10 months since my last trip to the temple and I had forgotten A LOTTTTT. Let me just say its easily the best place on the earth. Watching these two adults who are very in love first receive their endowments and then get sealed for time and eternity made me think a lot about what I´m doing... I also realized that I feel weak spiritually because I was suddenly FILLED. I felt like a re-chargeable duracell battery as my spirits lifted and I felt... Full.... Weird feeling but INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!! Here in the office we are supposed to study and proscylite but.... ya... the time is really crunched sometimes and I´ve only been here 4 days haha. So less studies and less time with members and investigators makes for spiritual death.... I´m gonna have to learn how to manage time or I´m gonna be in big troubleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Alright so lots of changes, lots of good stuff has happened, and theres a lot to do still. I really need a lot of support from you guys. We all know that I tend to doubt myself.... I´m trying not to but I still dont really have a clue of what I´m doing... Just a different perspective I now have about being a missionary. I know that I will grow so much during this time. I also know that the Lord put me here for a reason and that he didn´t put me here to fail. Its do-able. Maybe it looks impossibly hard but... WITH TIME!!!!

I just wanted to let you all know that I love love love love love love love youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. I know that not one of your prayers goes un noticed. I receive so much help from each and every one of you and your support. So thank you!

The Santiago Temple out front!! (Moroni!!)

My challenge for the week is that everyone goes to the temple... Cancel your lunch plans at Cafe Rio, get a baby sitter, finish your homework early, whatever the problem may be that stands in your way, MOVE IT, and get to the temple. Honestly. I have been spiritually STARVED for this last ten months!!! The temple is so amazing!! You all live RIGHT THERE literally!! So go. You will realize that it is so important to us as members as well as those waiting on the other side for the ordinances. I expect reports!!!! Haha. Love you all. The church is true. La vida es algo muy dificil.... Siempre se cambia y no podemos mantenernos con el fundamento de arena... Fúndanse encima de la roca!!! El Evangelio de Jesucristo NUNCA cambia. Siempre podemos encontrar respuestas y ayuda de el y de Nuestro Padre Celestial. Se que hay un plan para nosotros que us SUMAMENTE importante. Los principios están aqui para ayudarnos.... Espero que vivan en una manara digna y que recuerden los convenios que han hecho... Les amo. Que les vaya super bien. Ciaoooooooo! Elder Christensen.