Saturday, August 27, 2011

8/27/2011 Elder Christensen "Here I Am"

Elder Jorgensen. (IKE) and I the day he left.
Hey everyone. Somehow we´ve wrapped up another week here in chile. Like always, I´m not really sure how or where the time goes, but it does. Mom I LOVED the pictures you sent me. Those Stoddards look super happy. What a guy he is! Also, it makes me happy that you were able to get in contact with Ike Jorgensen and snatch those brass frames. They are really sweet and they will be a prized family posession.

Well, we were actually unable to get out into our sector 3 days in a row this week. Not that we had a ton to do, but that the people had strike days. Seems kind of illogical to actually have days where you are actually allowed to strike... It wasn´t too bad but still it was kind of sketchy to be walking around. The people are all out lighting bon fires in the middle of the road, cutting the electricity, up to no good whatsoever. So we just stayed in here and got a lot done. My replacement is learning really fast and I feel comfortable leaving him in charge of the entire missions visas. It seems really weird to me that I´m already leaving the office... It does feel like I just got here lets be honest.... This is my last Saturday P-day as well. I won´t have a P-day until next monday the 5th of September. I´m sure that time won´t even exist either.. Why? Because I´m going to be OUT doing what I LOVE to do. Preaching the gospel allllllllllll dayyyyyyyyyyyyyy longggggggggggg. Wow.... I feel like being in the office opens your eyes... It seems like sometimes we get tired, or we have a bad attitude about working in our sectors as missionaries... But once you are in the office, you really gain an appreciation for that.. When you can focus 100 PERCENT on the salvation of the people and their spiritual well-being. It´s going to be so fun and I have no doubt that we are going to work like no ones business wherever I go.

That´s about two grand in Chilean pesos. You´d think that
with that money I could get some better glasses
 than Rick Astley right? HAHA.
In our pension the other day we had a really long conversation between us 5. It started out really weird to be honest. The city of Santiago is practically full of Pornography... So we were talking about that and how the world today is just so.... Corrupt.. Dirty... Lost... We talked about how it´s literally a poison to the spirit.. A destroyer of all the good things God has done in our lives. Its what the enemy of god, the natural man, wants most. This conversation was amazing though... We talked for like an hour and a half.... The spirit was the strongest I may have ever felt it in my mission.. This may sound weird but we felt like.. Really different. Outside there are people shooting their guns in the air and lighting bonfires, yet there we were inside talking about what matters most, the gospel. It FILLS our lives. It makes us who we were destined to be. As well we talked a bit about our families... How much we all LOVE our families. The gospel does that to us you know? It makes us really focus on that central unit that is the family. How cool is to for example to be a BROTHER? I am the only man in the family apart from Dad... Meaning. I have a huge role to play in the progression of my sisters as well as my parents. It´s MY job to be brother, to be son. There is no other brother... there is nobody else who can play that role and support that part of the family... That thought was really strong to be honest.. We all have to help each other. I thought of how you guys have always been there to help me. Whether it´s with a broken collarbone or an eagle scout project... My parents and my sisters have been there. Just that SIMPLE thought sprung out all those ideas. To be a brother.... How cool is that. You never actually think of that kind of thing. It is an experience I wish I could have recorded somehow. Never will I be able to come up with words adequate to describe exactly what we felt nor what we discussed.. But there we were. 5 annointed ministers of Jesus Christ, talking about life. Talking about solutions. Talking about the simplicity of our duties in this world and how us, being human, make it so hard. ITS SO EASY. The gospel preached by Christ himself IS our life. Or at least it should be.... Once we perfect the principles within it, we will be prepared to fight off any temptation, overcome any trial or problem that may come upon us, as well as KNOW our role as human beings here on this Earth. I was up in bed listening to music afterward just thinking about it.. What an unbelievable feeling it was.. I hope to maintain that feeling that I had during that conversation. Thats my challenge to anybody who may be reading this... Think of the most powerful spiritual experience that you have had in your life. Think of how you felt.. Think of the things that were testified unto you by the power of the spirit. In THAT moment, you don´t care about anything else.. You just care about what you are feeling right then in that instant. Then afterward, it leaves you, and you are left thinking. Thats how it always is.. Now.. The goal. STRIVE to maintain that feeling that you felt to fuel your life. Think of it when you are down. Think of it when you are passing a difficult moment. It can give you enthusiasm about life and help you continue in your spiritual growth. It´s something I will apply for the rest of my life. It WORKS. Several times I have felt contention, and I just fall back on that little thought and BOOM. I have the desires to be better. Try it. You will love it I promise.

Elder Spencer and I learning how to barbeque from
President King.  Haha. SO good!!!
Bueno. I think thats really the just of what I wanted to share with you guys today. I have another two hours and I think I´m going to use them packing up all my things for the change. This Tuesday at 10 am I will officially be travelling to my new sector with my new companion! WOW! That should be 7am your time. I will have plenty of things to tell you next pday about all of those things. I love you all so much. Honestly. This mission is amazing. Every day I re-realize that. It has made me know for a surety the things I thought I knew before. My testimony of this gospel is firm. It´s built upon a rock that I can say for sure. Jesus Christ IS our savior. His atonement is meant for us! Through it, we can overcome anything standing in between us and salvation. It´s NEVER to late to come unto Christ. You can always repent and find the kind of joy that is eternal. I continue to pray for all of you and your success on a daily basis. May the Lord bless you in everything that you do this week, and may his spirit be with you unceasingly.

Much love,

Elder Christensen.

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