Christensen Missionaries: 6/5/2011 Elder Christensen WAY Good Week!

Us with Family Sandoval. The family with whom I feel like family!!
Remember Edith Mom? Her fam.

SEALING in NOVEMBER! I'll be there!

Family Godoy

Hey there everyone. It´s been a busy but wonderful week here in the office. We´ve had to run all over the place doing tons of things for those missionaries who will be going home soon. I don´t have tons of time to write today as it is a sunday.. You may wonder why I didn´t write yesterday... I GOT TO GO BACK TO CARLOS VALDOVINOS with Elder Stoddard to say goodbye to the VERY families we were teaching a WHOLE YEAR AGO. Wow.... It was like nothing that I have experienced up until now in my whole mission. We were both like screaming as we drove through the old sector... THATS WHERE THIS HAPPENED!! Or.. WOW PEDRO LIVES OVER THERE! We were super giddy. We showed up there around 2:30 and went up to an aparment of a lady named Denisse. I thought it was going to be just her and her friend Francia ( Our convert ) but they had invited another couple named Miriam and Nestor and one lady named Guillermina.. SUCH a surprise to us. We loved every minute of it. I was thinking about my old memories the whole dang time. They gave us a HUGE lunch. Tons of cheese empanadas, salads, and peruvian food. SO good. Peruvian food is hands down... Delicious. We talked with the members and took tons of pictures. Then we got to visit The Huerto Godoy family who are also amazing but they haven´t been able to progress a ton over the last year. Sad. We ended up with the Sandoval family. I don´t know if that name sounds familiar or not.. It has been a year. It was soooo sosososososo amazing. We had two converts there. Joty and Rodrigo. I felt so emotional to say the truth... Just to see these people who at first wanted nothing to do with us... Nothing to do with the Gospel... Nothing to do with Christ.. They were just kinda floating through life and going through the motions. Now???? They are all SO happy. The spirit was there as we were all able to reunite and just enjoy some laughs. It honestly felt like I was with my family.. I dont know how to explain it... Our converts ( 2 guys, 2 seperate couples ) will be getting sealed to their wives in November and invited me to go. I´m just... BLOWN AWAY by what happens when we let the gospel sweep us off our feet. When we put in the effort. These people are real life examples to me. They have buried their weapons of war and dedicated themselves to live a better life. To raise the bar. It was just... touching I don´t know... Everyone LOVED that Elder Stoddard and I were back together though.. I mean LOVED. As well they thought it was weird that I can actually speak the language now haha. I was a greenie that couldnt speak according to them. I love the gospel honestly. Some have progressed more than others, and some have moved backwards from where they were. Just means that they are using their agency improperly or that they just aren´t fully converted..

CAKE!!!

Okay. I´m loving the mission. Its CHANGE week this week so we´ll be all over the place working like crazy bees. I´m really like sad that my trainer is leaving! It´s weird its like my brother is leaving or something.. Blah. But thus is the mission! We just have to keep working hard and helping these people understand the doctrine of this, the perfect church. It´s hard but its SO worth it!! Alright. I hope that all is well for you all wherever you are. Sorry that this is short and a little disorganized.. OH MY GOSH!! One more thing.. How did I forget!?!? WE SET THREE BAPTISMAL DATES! WOOO! One is with an 8 yr old named Belen. She will get baptized by Presidente King next Sunday. The other two are named Carlos and Marcos. The Lord as blessed us so much as well as the understanding of our investigators. They are so easily accepting commitments to read and come to church. I wish I could stay in the office forever because the work is just... ELECTIFYING here. We have little time out there but its always electrifying honesetly. So powerful. These are also member references. That should teach us something.... EVERYONE needs to search for some friend who is a non member and help them receive the gospel. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE IF THEY ARE READY OR NOT. You do NOT know what our Heavenly Father may have in store for that person. So GET OUT THERE! Find someone. Help them. Thanks everyone for all you do and have a great week! CIAO!