Christensen Missionaries: 11/8/2011 Hermana Christensen

that's a dove. no big

can i just begin by saying wow. wow? wow. i am... SO GRATEFUL to be sitting here at this tiny cubicle with my throbbling leg (i just got ran over by my companion hahha) surrounded by people chatting about family history because it means that i've still got this beautiful black semi-dimmed tag on... it means i'm still a missionary. i cannot even begin to describe how surreal these past few days have been. i feel SO GRATEFUL to still be here.. to still be a missionary. It definitely wasn't time. i definitely wasn't ready. there is no way i was supposed to go home today. I recognize that everyone's plan is different and that God has it all under control--but I am SO THANKFUL that it was part of His plan to let me stay. Because it feel so right. and I am so happy. and there is SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE!!!! gotta harvest!!!!

okay this week was BOMB! freaking holy cow! bullets immediately!

that is a huge rainbow. SO BEAUTIFUL!

• we had a beautiful lesson with our golden family. actually two this week. first--funny story. on fridya i think it was we had a HUGE rainstorm and it was the best thing ever. soooo funny. but the thing is that these san diegans are BABIES and their whole lives and world shut down if it starts sprinkling for heavens sake! and people don't let us in because "it's raining"... exactly! let us in! hahah anyway, so we get their with the elders for our cita with this awesome family (the one that we knelt on their dirt floor last week) (we did that again this week by the way. so great.) and the lights were all off... siter ortez rang their bell (its a legit bell... like a REAL BELL!).. no answer.. and then she just went CRAZY because she thought they weren't home? and she thought that would help? hahah okay well turns out that as she was banging the bell and the elders and i were trying to figure out what would be best to do, we see a light go on inside... turns out they were IN BED! hahha they were sleeping at 7 because the rain makes them tired. ?. okay so anyway, the point is that they let us in and we had this GORGEOUS lesson. first of all--they EASILY could've turned us away and been like naw we're in bed bro, but they didn't! we all sat on their floor, dripping, talking about the restoration and building a tower of cups to represent HIS CHURCH. it was beautiful. in the middle of it i turned to e debaltzo (dad hes from ohio and is going to write you about your mission i think since i told him you hate ithahahha ) and mouthed 'FECHA' becaus ethese guys are SO GOLDEN AND SO READY AND THEY NEED A BAPTISMAL DATE!!!!!! and so we then invited them, in the most beautiful way, to come together as a couple and as a family to follow the example of jesus christ and be baptized by someone with that restored priesthood authority. and they said YES!!! ahhh! the whole family! and they came to church ALLL BEAUTIFUL with new shoes and loved it. the whole family! it was unbelievable! they are our tender mercy! their biggest stumbling block is sabbath on sunday not saturday. she said that we have her up until that point. help? we're hitting her hard but if you have nay bright ideas, hit me up! they are incredible though, and so generous and humble. we love them so much! the pic you see below is of that night, we took a bday cake for the little girl. i made a deeeelicous carrot cake and was super excited to eat it. but little did i know that mexicans have a tradish... after we sang happy bday they all started chanting "que le muerda que le muerda" she got into position to bite into it, and someone pushed her face into it. INTO MY BEAUTIFUL CAKE!!!! hahhaha the elders said my face was priceless. i was NOT expecting that! i was so sad to have to throw HALF of my delicious cake away because who wants FACE on their cream cheese frosted carrot cake?! i mean come on!

this is carla on her bday... and the carrot cake...

• we met with a less active this past week who won't go to church. the details are really sticky but it involves some breakage of the law of chastity of her husband with someone in the branch and then one of her leaders taking HER temple recommend away. but so now she's decided she's offended by the whole world and won't to go to ningun lado. she'll just sit at home and hate everyone. so we sat on her couches and i just CRIED, kristen.. it was like that lesson of repentance i mentioned a few weeks ago. there is NO REASON to hold yourlself back from salvation. NO REASON to let yourself not be happy because of other's choices. it was SO POWERFUL. and we just sat there and THREW DOWN that she is the only one holding herself back and that it will be hard but it will be SO WORTH IT!!! and that the lord will help her... and she knows. she totally knows. this poor lady. it was so sad but we decided that this is a huge test.. .iterally a test for her. will she pass? will WE pass? we are in a time of testing. we KNOW what we need to do! she NEEDS to come back to church, to forgive and forget and get back onto the path of righteousness! but will she? it's HARD. but she KNOWS she needs to. it's the same with us. we KNWO we need to! so why do we not do it?! DO IT! do whatever it takes to get FULLY ONTO THE PATH!!!!

this is me and sis ortez eating jenns deeeeeeelicious
pumpkin love! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!

• sunday night we had the mission president's fireside.. we almost didn't go but i'm SO GLAD WE DID! because we got to see der, jenn, aidan, and james! i sure love them! it made my night! and then hermano marquez came with ivan and his BROTHER! who, when i was there, was tooooooootally against us... it... this.. the gospel. i looked out and saw themand just BEAMED and felt SO HAPPY AND SO GRATEFUL!

• also, a neat experience. we were in a cita with a couple living together without being married. the thought crossed my mind as we were teaching that they were living in sin. after the lesson sis ortez was like HOLY BOLD SISTER! huh? she told me that i ACTUALLY SAID THAT! i literally looked at them and told them that! WHAT! hahah well, as mensajeros de dios we defender la verdad and invite others to repent. well, quite literally, He helped me know to say that. and to say it. the cool thing was that they didn't act way offended or anything.. because they KNOW! we KNOW! we know the things we are doing wrong and that they're wrong and that we need to stop! i hate sin! i hate that we would rather sin that have COMPLETE HAPPINESS from being righteous!

• ...being in a little bubble is the best thing ever. i studied some pme ch1 yesterday about our calling and setting apart... and wow. what a blessing. to REP RE SENT jesus christ... of COURSE we can't be calling you all the time or getting online or whatever. no way! i LOVE being a called, set apart, full time missionary! there is NOTHING BETTER!

my life is beautiful. transfers tomorrow will send us all for a huuuge loop. but we'll see. i know that it'll all work out and be okay.

i love you. thank you for all you do and are. thank you SO MUCH for your profiles! you guys are the BEST! gpa! what is your link?! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!!!