Tuesday, August 16, 2011

8/16/2011 Hermana Christensen

me n sis lewis
hello my dearest!

we got a call from our beloved hna garcia to go and teach her cunada y cunado this morning, so we got to spend our preparation day teaching! it was great! for one split second i thought.. wait groceries.. laundry.. then the spirit was like HEY wait! this is what you spend preparation day PREPARING TO DO... to TEACH!!! duh! so we trusted the lord would provide time and got to go teach one of the best lessons ever. i mean that they were the best. it was SO NATURAL. i feel like i said that last week about the ramirez family, but i tell ya, hna garcias cunados are SO prepared! he is less active but his wife isabel is WAY interested! they've been coming to church and are already talking about being sealed in the temple! AND she said she can't wait to learn about the word of wisdom! .... what?! hahahahah. we were just bursting after the lesson. that is what it looks like when the spirit teaches and we rejoice together. :)

okay. i'll be fast.

--i met a dad and son from freaking israel the other day who were here in the us to go to wisconsin.. i was like, "what the heck wiconson for?" and they were all--"for oshkosh!" and i felt real close to ya right then daddio. how crazy!

--met the rover's last night! they are SO nice!

on sunday night we had a charla foganera and things worked out we got to sing the missionary choir. it is the BEST ever being able to do that because the spirit is SO strong there. i may have mentioned these before; it's a mission president's fireside where recent converts share their testimonies and then president stands up and invites people to GET BAPTIZED. it is Soooooooo inspiring!!! we have them in english and spanish and they are such an incredible tool! wow. but so anyway, one of the ladies this past sunday, maria, wasn't there and the mission presidency was kinda rummaging through their papers when one of the ladies in the front row, a member, stood up and said, "no soy maria... pero soy yo..." "i'm not maria, but i'm me.." and she went on to share one of the most POWERFUL testimonies in the world. not only was it humorous that she totally covered for someone else, but her testimony was SO heartfelt and sincere and everyone in the room felt the spirit as she talked about how being a member has blessed her life and that of her family. it was impresionante. i just want everyone to realize the POWER of your testimonies. we have knowledge that NO ONE ELSE IN THE MUNDO DOES. we are SO BLESSED!!!

can i invite you to read page 123 of true to the faith?

so guess what happened on sunday? we were slightly bummed since our investigators proved to be a little more lazy than we'd hoped... we were supposed to meet our golden familia ramirez but they didn't show up, but as we started singing the opening hymn, hermana silvia popped her head in and we waved vigorously to her. she came in with the kids and they LOVED it. after the reunion sacramental she was literally SURROUNDED by the branch (sound familiar? like mahybe with hna thomas at the 24th of july celebrash?) and everyone just greeted her and welcomed her and made her feel SO at home. and then the kids just left, "i'm off to class, ma!" and that was that. next thing we knew she was invited to the charla foganera and to a lesson we're having in an hour by a member. UNREAL. she's going to get baptized. it was amazing.

things are amazing. i love my calling.

transfers tomorow. last night we had a going away party for two of the most incredible sisters ever. change happens SO fast. i loved bros email about that. change! ah! it helps us to grow but it's SO HARD! ahh. elder evans messed up and said that Sister Christensen was leaving too.. he tried to correct himself but we knwo that one sister will go outbound (not in the battalion)... so we'll see. i'm sh akin in my boots because i don't know if i can survive without the battalion vibe. I LOVE THIS PLACE. ah. but tomrrow. i trust the master's wise plan. always.

i love you all. thanks for being mine.

hermana christensen

joan. my mom sent me a lovely photo of you! keep smiling, you're wonderful!

kena. if you are out there in the wide expanse of the universe reading this email--on sunday i almost burst into laughter when the choir director did motions EXACTLY like you and i had done in the past practicing for your future as a choir director. i'm NOT kdding. it was SO funny. and i love you. PERIOD

i have the cutest neice in the planet. the cosmos. thank you VERY MUCH for her. the video is HIGHLARIOUS!!!!!!!! please bog that!

us at the charla with hna jeneane
two of the songs from the charla foganera on sunday directed by gma jude's pal! :)



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