Monday, March 19, 2012

3/19/2012 Elder Christensen "This Is It"

We went to do SERVICE!! I LOVE YARDWORK
TONS!!! Get ready front yard!
I... am not really sure how to feel right now... It`s like somebody put all of the possible attributes into a blender and turned it on high for a few minutes... Just a jumbly mix of... emotions... I`ve been able to leave my Utahnic bubble for two years and put myself in the shoes of a Chilean... Living their culture, speaking their language, and walking their streets... The only difference between us and whatever person in the street is the eternal message, the good news, the beloved gospel of Jesus Christ that we have in our lives. It`s been hard.... I`m not exactly sure how to put 2 years of feelings into one last email to the friends and family.

I`ve changed. WE`VE changed... Why? Because we`ve all progressed. We`ve all experienced an emotional spiritual supercharge. I am SO grateful to my Heavenly Father for letting me serve a mission... For letting me call myself Elder Christensen and proclaim his gospel to his children here on earth... It`s so simple... So easy to understand and perfect to apply... I feel like the same person but at the same time I feel like... not at all. Now I`ve seen with my spiritual eyes.. Now I know how to set real, worthwhile goals AND acheive them... Now I know WHAT MATTERS. THIS is what matters. It`s not about who has the coolest phone or clothes or any of that garb... What matters is who we are now, and what we will become.. Then it becomes our duty to GET IT.
Birthday Cake!!! Peaches, cream and manjar.. Wow.
This week we`ve seen miracles... On Sunday we had FOUR of the inactives that we`ve been working with for some time now ALL show up. They are from different families... I was just. BLOWN AWAY when I saw one, then two, then three, then FOUR all show up at different times. Not to mention one of our investigators went as well. I was honestly overwhelmed with the spirit. We`ve spent time with these people... we`ve spent tears with these people.. But really, all we did was teach.. The spirit and the Lord did the rest. It`s amazing to know that one has played a part in God`s eternal plan and that HE is making a difference in their lives. 

I am so happy as well that I`ve had THE BEST family and friends supporting me through these two years. THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who did so much as send a little card or wish me happy birthday. The little push that I receieved from each one of you has helped me think, plan, and keep working here in Chile. NOW... I need your help here. I`m about to be LAUNCHED into some strange 4th dimension and put back into the real world.. Things are gonna be weird.. It will be VERY different. I will now be a very much more capable Elder Christensen in a very familiar yet different place.... I`ll need your help to keep the focus and move on. Life moves on right? It`s on to the next stage... EVERY MEMBER A MISSIONARY. Thats the plan. Teach, preach, HELP everywhere possible. Lift where we STAND!!

To be honest I don`t have more words than these to describe how I feel. I wish I could put it all into writing so you could truly understand... I KNOW with all my heart that this is the true gospel restored today on the face of the earth. This is GODS will that we are bringing to pass every day. He loves us and has an eternal plan of happiness for us.. Just like an inteligent father sends his or her daughter to school when they are young, our Heavenly Father has sent us here, to this earth, so that we can become great. Let us treasure this time... Let us treasure every minute of our earthly probation and do what it is that we were fore-ordained to do. I KNOW that God has put his prophet on the earth to lead and guide us.. He knows the fathers will... He knows the fathers plan... He knows the fathers face... Through the fruits that he shows, we can be lead by the hand of Christ all the way back to our fathers presence. I know that the Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ... Some of you know... many of you don`t... Before the mission I read that book in ONE WEEK... did I get anything? No. Did I understand it? No. Did I learn it all? No. I just read it so I could say I read it and go on a mission..... NOW I KNOW THAT EVERY WORD CONTAINED IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO COVERS IS FOR OUR BENEFIT. I spend 30 minutes on ONE PAGE now just analyzing and looking up other scriptures....Searching diligently.....Feeling the spirit.... KNOWING for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I love this. I love this so much. There is no other way to be happy apart from this. THIS IS THE WAY AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. Thanks Nephi.
President, Sister King and I... Zone interviews...

I`m grateful for my family. I`m grateful for this church.... I`m grateful for all of the tools that we have that help us grow closer to our heavenly father...... I`m grateful for who and what I`ve become. I`m grateful for this 2 year experience of a lifetime..... "I know that my redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives"......... It`s been wild. It`s been great. It`s been true. The time has come to put it into practice now... My last words come from 2 Timothy.... 

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

See you soon. Love, your son, your friend, Elder Kurtis William Christensen.

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