11/09/2010 Hermana Christensen

I told hermana about the 26 thing this week. she was skeptical but then her groceries were 26 dollars and just about everything that could've been a number was 26, so...

Henry and Hermano Peterson

HI!!!!

guys guess what? no big deal. henry was TOTALLY BAPTIZED!!!! it was SOOOo legit. Honestly.. this is just a taste of eternal joy. seeing our brothers and sisters come to the knowledge of the truth. seriously. and the fact that henry was so uber prepared... wow. there are people JUST LIKE HIM all around the world! it's all about us having the faith to find them, right?

a guy came in yesterday morning for a tour that was from italy, living just downt he street from us! what are the odds?! he's good pals with janita anderson and actually wrote neena on her mission. what? anyway, he told me that he found the missionaries when he was 19 on the buses in italy; he said something told him to go talk to them. "And my life has been changed forever.. for the BETTER!" it was so sweet. there's just such love here, so many amazing people come in and i feel like I'm the one that ends up edified! I feel so scattered right now--i apologize. but i really do just feel so full of this inescribable happiness, like this warmth and peace in knowing that i'm here in this moment for a reason. god works in such mysterious ways. he's putting people into our paths according to his timetable. henry came to camilla baptism over TWO MONTHS AGO and he and his family noticed how happy hermana and i were, and they remembered us. so when she were trying to decide what to do with henry when he decided to take the lessons, they remembered us. what? and camilla wasn't baptised with the other missionaries who'd taught her before because heavenly father KNEW that henry would come to her baptism and that we all needed to meet each other. i'm telling you. it's unbelievable the things that are going on and the feelings of love and familiarity that i'm finding around every corner. it's an incrdibly small world.

so henry was taught in vegas for four months and was never ONCE invited to baptism. hmmm. i hope that's not peties mission! henry said he was ready but no one ever invited him. wow. president says that people can't get to salvation unless they are baptized.. so why are not inviting every chance we get?!

tomorrow is zone conference. translation: tomorrow my brain will explode. president is brilliant. one day i'll kidnap him and take him to the temple and tie him down to a chair in the celestial room until he drains out his every bit of wisdom. good thing they live close! ha. can't wait.

i'm glad to be in chula still. with my hermana. things are good. we've got soooo many people with soooo much potential. people lives are just SUCH a mess without the gospel! they just NEED IT! it's really the solution for everything. :)

i love you guys. i'm so grateful for you. i've been thinking a lot about how far our family has come throughout the years. there are few lessons when i don't mention my family in some way. i'm soo grateful for you all. just know that. we've come so far! and there's even farther for us to go, and i'm grateful we get to go it together. :)

mormon.org.

ahem.

i hope that everyone is having a WONDERFUL week! i'll talk to you next time!

hermana christensen

ps. tell leelee happy bday on the 16th! and tell kels that LIVE IT UP!!!! she's going to LOVE the mtc! kels kels kels! don't stress baby don't stress one bit. get a lot of those little baby socks from target. bring a coat with a HOOD. there are awesome little side bags at the mtc that everyone here loves. hm what else. bring sweaters. long sleeved stuff to mix and match. and you really will need an umbrella. it's RAINY! i'm SOOOO EXCITED FOR YOU KELS! what a tm! ah! know i'm praying for you! ALL MY LOVE SWEETNESS!

"Porque he aqui, so yo el que hablo; he aqui, soy la luz que brilla en las tinieblas, y pormi poder te doy estas palabras. y ahora, de cierto, de cierto te digo: pon tu confianza en ese espiritu que induce a hacer lo bueno, si, a obrar justamente, a andar humildemente, a juzgar con rectitud; y este es mi espiritu. de cierto de cierto te digo: te dare de mi espiritu, el cual iluminara tu mente y llenara tu alma de gozo; y entonces conoceras, o por este medio sabras, todas las coasa que de mi deseares, que corresponden a la rectitud, con, fe, creyendo en mi que recibiras." dyc 11:11-14

After Henry's Baptism!!!

11/8/2010 Elder Christensen

Before the baptism with Daniela and The whole family!

Friends and Fam! I have like no time but I just wanted to let you all know that we had a baptism yesterday. It was SO powerful. When I feel the spirit really strong all I can do is smile! I just smile I can´t really explain it!! Then I start tingling all over! But this family was really destroyed not too long ago... Now they are so united. This girl was such a strong catholic but she bore her STRONG testimony after her baptism that she KNOWS this is the right path for us. She cried as well as us a little bit. It was very emotional and such a great experience. The GOSPEL does this!! To everyone reading this right now I´ve rationalized it like this... We LOVE our familes or at least I do. I have gained such an appreciation for them and for the great moments we have had. We have so much love and unity and we miss each other sometimes... To me my family is perfect. I thought... Hmmm. We as missionaries are doing THIS. Its not so much all the little things... Its FIXING FAMILES to be like ours!! The gospel does this. Simple things like family home evenings, going to church, the scriptures, family prayers, and even just eating dinner with the family help us so much to develop unity and love together. I have made this part of my purpose as a missionary. MAKE MORE FAMILIES feel like I feel about mine! Help them LIVE and LOVE the gospel. I hope you can all do the same this week. Find time in your busy lives for your family!! Love them! I gotta run. The Church is true!! Elder Christensen!!
Hope you like those pics mom. The one of Elder H and I was taken about 5 mins ago. I know you love it!! You´re in my prayers cutie! Love your life in Utah please! Keep up the great work! I can´t wait to read your letters today! CIAOOOOO! Keep supporting dad in all you do and LOVE Your neighbors!!

Elder Tialavea and I!! Kids so cool! BYU FOOTBALL!!

Elder Hernandez and I RIGHT NOW doing internet!! You like that tie and knot?? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wow.. The mission teaches you ties! Hahahahha!

Love you all so much. Let your light so shine this week! I´ll do the same here in South America!! CIAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Elder C!!!!

11/2/2010 Hermana Christensen's Chilean TM!!

Oooooooooooooookay.

Hi everybody! I feel like i'm just buzzing with things I want to tell you all! Things are going so great, really truly. Do I say that every week? Well it's the truth.

Making Empanadas with Henry & Hermana Peterson

At church a few weeks ago we met hermano/a peterson and henry. They were uuuuber funny and we clicked immediately. Hermana Peterson told us that her brother, Enrique (or Henry), was a dry mormon--or that he wasn't baptized but was coming to church. I said, "We can help you with that," and they thought it was the funniest thing ever. We gave them our number and set up an appointment. Long story short, the appointments (plural) all fell through (satan--little s) and then they ended up moving to another ward. Tragedy. So this past Sunday brother Peterson calls us and says that Henry is ready to take the missionary discussions and that he wanted us to teach them. But it got sticky because other missionaries were already involved with teaching him... after a whole lot of confusion we went to Henry's and taught the lessons (he already had a baptismal date with other elders but had then dodged them for a week...?). We ended up getting the full truth out: they felt bombarded by the other SIX COMPANIONSHIPS of missionaries that were trying to meet with Henry. They said they felt something easy and special with us, and that they wanted us to teach him. As we've sat in their apartment teaching the gospel, it has been SO perfect. they dont' have enough chairs so we get to sit on the floor (i LOVE the floor but it's not missionary-esque.. so to have a legitimate reason to do so is wonnnnderful!), the sunlight falls on the carpet and the breeze comes in.. ahh and we just get to talk about the gospel. hermano/a peterson have strong testimonies, and there really is such an EASE about being there with them. And Hermana Peterson and her bro are from chile so it is the huuuuuuuuugest tm in the world to be there with them and to feel their sweet chilean spirit and hear their sweet chilean s-dropping accent and feel so close to my dear sweet bro who is rockin it in their homeland. I seriously cannot even describe how perfect the entire thing is, and how it's all just fallen into our laps.. and how it makes me feel so connected to my beloved family in such a simple, beautiful, heavenly way. Hermana Peterson said that they feel something special with hermana story and I, and we were talking yesterday about how heavenly father has kept us in chula vista for a very wise purpose. There are people prepared. Not just to be baptized--like henry will be THIS SUNDAY!!!--but prepared to meet US. Heavenly Father has our paths aligned in such a beautiful perfect way. There's a reason why those other six companionships weren't exactly what the petersons needed; maybe it had more to do with the petersons needing hermanas story y christensen and hermana christensen needing and loving the bond and connection with these sweet sweet people. Heavenly Father is so smart.

So Henry's being baptized. After we taught the restoration yesterday, we invited him to be baptized and he said maybe. Huh? Hm. We talked it through and invited him to read 2 ne 31 and had to jet. At nine last night, Hermana Peterson called us to say that henry had read all day, that we left a strong spirit there, and that he wants to be baptized on his birthday. Ha. We are sooo thrilled.

All is well!

We had stake conference this past week and it was SUCH a spiritual feast! (Oh, ps, transfers came and went. I'm staying with my comp in our area.) The temple prez and his wife spoke, talking about the blessings of the temple. He said, "don't let the temple just sit there empty like it did yesterday. don't let those blessings pass you by." It was powerful. I felt like the members left with a strong resolve to be better with keeping and renewing and remembering their temple covenants. The temple! Love it!

Well I gotta run. Know that i loooooooooove you and that i'm ever so uber grateful for you all. :) Enjoy the pictures of the cute cute petersons and my chilean tm. They showed us how to make empanadas yesterday. i loved it! brolee i love you mucho!
i hope everyone is healthy and happy and that halloween wasn't too dreary without kurtis out scaring people and eating all the candy. oh what fun! i love my family!

hermana christensen

"Toda cosa que invita a hacer lo bueno y persuade a creer en Cristo es de Dios." Moroni 7:16

Hermanas at MOBAT Halloween Party

P.S. grandpa's cousin came in a few days ago.. i forget her name, dang! and the picture we took didn't send. but she's from brigham city! i showed her where to look up her ancestor and she said, "okay it's abraham hunsaker.." you can guess how THAT conversation went. tell gpa! and tell them that i LOVE them and that i was thinking abuot them last night. i have such a great family! but tell gpa i love inferno and paradise lost and that i'm going to expect some sweet discussions when i return. and how's nicole doing? and gma? and grandpas tongue? yikes. and (sorry!!!) tell mikie thanks for the emails. :) they are so great and so supportive. well, mike is i mean. thank him for always writing me. it means to much! and this friday i'm going to have COLOMBIAN FOOD!! :) i'm getting some real authentic eats here! on thursday i'm eating italian, too. can't wait! my true heritage!

LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!

and ps isn't the moon so pretty lately?! ah!

Abraham Hunsaker!!!

11/2/10 Elder Christensen

Hello family and friends! Man it is so hot here today! We had a zone activity at the planetarium and we were all just sweating like crazy! Hahah! So both of our baptismal candidates had their interviews. One of them passed! Her name is Daniela. She is like 18 years old and she is super catholic. She has always told us that she would never get baptized here and that she loves her church. Her parents are both LDS as well. Both recent converts. They played a part too! We had some strong strong lessons with her though! One day we hit her with the 17 points of the true church ALL from the bible. At first she was so excited to try and prove us wrong and stuff but..... It didn´t work! She´s super happy and made the progress she needs to make this covenant with our heavenly father. Our other candidate, Jose, recently drank! Man! How hard is that!?!?! So he has to wait and prepare a little more so that he can fully appreciate his baptism. It is now set for the 21st of November. Daniela will be baptized this sunday the 7th and asked me to do it!! In my mission we are supposed to encourage the members to do it and I told her that it would be better that way but she wants me to do it so... We´re doin it!!! I´m really excited!!! We´ve worked so much with her and its FINALLY time!! Well... The life is so great here. Obviously as a missionary there are trials and you miss your home sometimes...But the knowledge that my heavenly father was able to work through us to bring souls to salvation is so much better. We are literally bringing them what WE have. Yes I love my family and friends!! I want EVERYONE to have to same chance to have the same blessings and appreciation that I do!! Well.. I´m flat out of time. Remember everyone... No matter where you are... TO LIFT WHERE YOU STAND. YOU can make a difference. Keep living the principles of this marvelous ( I have no idea how to spell that! Freaking spanish! ) gospel and progressing every day. I´m praying for all of you and love you so much. CIAOOOOOOOO! Elder Christensen


Pics on the way mom. I love you so much. Keep progressing and loving the gospel. you are in my prayers. I love love love you!! reminders everywehre! I heard van halen in a house this week ( Jump ) and I wanted to cry!!! I love the family and this gospel!! Ciao until next week! CHANGES!!! CIAOOOOOOOOOO! Elder C!

We have a baptism this week! Shes´asked me to do it!! WOO!

Our Orem East Stake VIRTUE TIES!!!!

10/26/2010 Hermana Tawny

Based upon the sole evidence of bites all over my feet, they're in my bed. (The spiders. Not the waffles and cheese, though I guess you could say that was in my bed with me last night because that's what I was fed for DINNER. Horrific.)

Hermana C with COUSINS!

Hello hello mi lieber quierda familia!

What a week. You know, it's been a good week. I feel like I don't have anything to say but so much all at once. Hm.

It's been a little bit of a rough week, like not a whole lot to show for what we've been doing. We've spent a lot of time at the mobat (and it was amaaaaaazing seeing all the fam--what cuties!). Actually, I feel like I haven't said anything about this place. Okay, it's my homeland. Basically we are so blessed. Spending half of my days most days here is such a blessing. it's unreal how many people just wander in, wondering what this place is. I have fallen in love with the story again and again; because the Mormon Battalion did all that they did, our country is how it is today. The church is how it is today. Salt Lake City is how it is today! WE are who we are today because of them. Seriously, there was so much hardship and so many miracles that went into their 2,000 mile march. There isn't enough time to tell it all to the people that pass through here. My first little while here, I took to following the Temple Square sisters and carrying my bom through the tour with me and sharing scriptures, but I learned that that isn't allowed; this is a hard part abuot this place--it's a HISTORIC site, not a visitors center. Therefore, when people come here, we are to tell the story. We are to tell the history. We are to let the spirit of the battalion memebers that rests here do the rest. So this is hard because we have to balance testifying throughout the tour, because it can't be too overbearingly (is that a word) religious. So that's been really neat--praying for the help of the Battalion members as well as the family memebers of those visiting here to help us touch the people who walk through our doors. Super neat. there are miracles that happen all the time. The best was earlier this week when a girl came in all by herself; she's a member but had no idea about the mobat. She'd heard of it, but then look at that! when her business brings her here and her hotel is literally across the street from the mobat. :) anyway, after the tour she just GOT it. She was overwhelmed by the power of the story, and the faith and sacrifice of the men. I showed her the artifacts and was able to bear testimony to her then. (After the tour is ofically over we can bear testimony.) It was pwerful. And last night, apart from being kind of a creeper, a guy named Phil told me he came in skeptical of what this place could offer him, but was walking out with pamphlets, cards, books, dvds, and an appointments with the local missionaries. :) I started talking to a family that came in and he was all, "YOU HAVE TO GO ON THE TOUR, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE, I PROMISE! I'M LIVING PROOF!" I just stood there smiling; it's neat to see the power. Heavenly Father leads people here. their ancestors lead them here. We aren't in this alone. There is a great work to be done! And even though we get HALF the time on our areas, heavenly father makes up for it. We find people for other missionaries AROUND THE WORLD to teach, and heavenly father helps us find ours. (And that's so true by the way, you wouldn't BELIEVE the crazy crowd of people that come in here! What the! And a whollllllllllle lotta germans. :) tm tm tm.)

I love you all. thank you SO SO SO much for all the bondad. thank you for all the love and support. And holy, thank you for all the goodies!! I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE YOU! And hey, will you pleeeeeease thank hugely rob, trev, bret, mel and the kids for visiting? that's so sweet of them! thank them for all they sent with me--everyone here was benefitted! and also, tell rob and trev that i'm SO sorry--they gave me bread and jam and for some odd reason i just assumed it was from you, mom. but it was from them! tell them i felt so bad when i realized that i hadn't been as appreciative to them as i should've!

well i sure love you all. i'm off. thank you--sincerely--for all that you are and do. I feel your love and prayers. and you. you're with me, and i love and thank you for that!

hermana christensen

"y el oficio de su miniesterio es llamar a los hombres al arrepentimiento; y cumplir y llevar a efecto la obra de los convenios Del padre, los cuales El ha hecho con los hijos de los hombres; y preparar la via entre los hijos de los hombres, declarando la palabra de Cristo a los vasos ESCOGIDOS del Senor, para que den testimonio de El." -Moroni 7:31

"Dismiss the destructive and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family and your friends and neighbors. God doesn't car nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go." -President Holland, "Remember Lot's Wife"; Byu address last winter. Get it! Soooo good!

10/25/10 Elder Christensen

Hello to all the friends and family! Its been a great day today so far! We just got done with a zone activity at our stake center. Tons of fun games and food. We had a waterballoon fight and one kid thought it would be funny to add coca cola to the mix! So I´m walkin around with a "white" shirt in the middle of Maipu! Haha! But it was great. The work of the Lord is moving forward here! My sector El Conquistador is so hard though! Man! We work and pray so hard and we have little results. The important thing is that we know that through our trials the Lord will make us who we are meant to be and extend his hand in this work! I know we´re on the verge of finding a whole family who is prepared! Who knows it could be today! One thing that I love about being a missionary is the changes that you see in people. For example the inactive people who decide to come back to the iron rod! I love to see the changes that are made when someone implements the principles of the gospel in their family and really decides to live them. Then they seem to glow! We have a lady named Elizabeth Gomez who was way inactive with her daughter. But now they´re both active and loving it! They seem to radiate every time I see them both. I love it. I love to be the tool in the Saviors hands that helps someone really come unto him. I´m doing all I can here and know that I love and pray for all of you every single day. I hope all is well. No matter where you are in the world today, stop and count your blessings. Its amazing what we have and how we take it all for granted.. Do all you can in the gospel. Every activity. Every service. Every kind act. Remember when ye are in the service if your fellow beings you are only in the service of your god! I love you all! Talk to you next week. Gotta run! CIAOOOOOOOOOO! Elder Christensen

10-19-10 Hermana Christensen

COUSINS!!!

Hellllllllllllllo amada querida LIEBER FAMILIA!!!


hi hi hi! man alive, can i just say that i am sooooooooooo uber grateful? sheesh! i thank you for your love, your support, your endless goodness! ah! I love you guys! i am SO blessssssssssed to have you!

It has been a loco week my friends. Loco loco loco. We had a zone blitz--where all the missionaries in the zone paired with members and we visited people in the ward. have i mentioned that i'm the largest ward? 900 people with like 300? ha. it's crazy! but this ward is the only english ward that's growing here. there is a TON of work to do, so the blitz was incredibly helpful. I want to be a member missionary forevermore! on saturday we did splits again, I was with Hermana De La Cruz and it was yet another humbling experience. I have so much work to do to try and get this missionary thing down. Planning? setting goals? driving? navigating?! ha. I got so lost at one piont in time (and she was just sweetly waiting for me to tell her where to go) and I felt like just crying and telling her to pull over, but no. I've felt that way a whole lot this week, with a couple different things. Just frustrated. On Sunday I took a moment up in the tower (with that gorgeous view) to just say a prayer, a heartfelt, not rushed prayer, asking for help. I didnt' feel like anything changed, but I was blessed with the knowledge that all i could really do at that moment was to just try.. to just go forward, to move, to do, to act. faith is a principle of action! So, even though sometimes I get discouraged, I'm trying to hard to remember that this istn' about me, and that if i'm a pure vessel I will be able to be lead and guided by God to do His will and His work.

I fear none of that even makes sense!

I am seeing ohhhhhhhhh so many broken families. I feel like Jacob, "oh be wise, what can i say more?" marrying less actives/ non members is SUCH tricky business! we are caught in webs with SO many different people because one spouse won't let his 3 (!) VERY prepared children be baptized. Or one less active trying to return to church and get his son baptized with little support from his catholic wife. Or the woman whose two sons aren't baptized and husband won't even let her go to church? I'm telling you, my little heart is breaking in there.. imagine what our Heavnely Father must feel! It is unreal. This work is about families though. It's about all of them coming together and returning to god... TOGETHER. i think that is one of the greatest blessings that has come from mine and brolee's missions--we are all headed in that same direction now. we love and missssss each other, but are SO eternally grateful for the plan, the knowledge, the unbelievable joy that comes from knowing that we can be together FOREVER! This is a beautiful work! Forever? What more could we possibly ask for? Ah. In a round about way, i'm just saying I'm grateful for you all. :) I'm also saying that helping families is my heart's desire. Check out that bottom parafo in my patriarchal blessing. Family family family family family family. Um.. family! That's what it's all about. Families are central to God's plan. He sent us here in families. I am so thankful I have this chance to help families be strengthened, brought together, and working in unison for the same goal; I have a testimony that THAT is what brings the deepest, most profound and inexplicable joy!

I sure love you all! Nunca olvidenlo!

hermana christensen

Mormon 8:22

porque los eternos designios del senor han de seguir adelante, hasta que se cumplan toas sus promesas.

ps so i forgot to mention. two times in the past week i have eaten...     BEANS.....and i survived!

the mission has turned me into a new creature. last night a member fed us chimis (like jenn's, which i ate and loved!) and you'd better believe i ate both! and there were beans in there!

are you proud? i knew you would be. i'm putting hot sauce in soup, on popcorn, on sandwiches... haha. it's called tapatillo? i've heard it's around the town. get some. people carry it in the purses here. there are huge glass jars in every fridge. get on it.

(and remember i love you.)(and have a great day!)