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! :)

8/13/2011 Elder Christensen "The Weekly Goodies"

We have had a supppppper busy week. I´ve been trying my best to train Elder Spencer on all the important tasks that he has to fulfill during his time in the office. This week we filled out all the new visa application papers for new missionaries. Stressful part. Everythings gotta be right or the missionary will be illegal within a couple months. So we spent a lot of time making copies from their passports as well as filling in all of their personal information. Also we took a lot of time making new manuals for the greenies who will arrive this change. We got out into the sector for a little bit but a lot of our plans fell through. I´ve been thinking a lot about changes. I know that I always talk about changes when I write you guys but hey... I look at them in a different way. Not changes in the mission, changes in our lives. Why things happen the way they do at the time they do and the results that they end up bringing us. It is always for our spiritual well-being though. The Lord knows our limits and will push us all the way to the border of them, but that´s what helps us grow. It´s like it says in Ether.. We will have no testimony until AFTER the trial of our faith. That´s the way the Lord works. We´ll be okay for awhile then something else will put us back down. Lots of people throw in the towel right there. It´s tooooooooooo hard they say... The Lord is punishing me and I don´t know whyyy. But we´re not alone in those feelings. We don´t really know what certain people are going through right now in their lives. We usually just live in our little world and the world revolves around us. I think that´s most people´s perspective. Here in the office we´ve been changing a lot of things. The Elders who have been here for the last...well.. forever have been neglecting the sector and working more in the office. Even we have found ourselves doing the same sometimes. But hey... The office work is really important you know? So we´ve been trying to change some of the old bad lazy habits of the past. We went through the area book and ripped it apart. Now it´s all organized and ready to point us in the right direction. We´re also setting apart time for our studies and actually working together. It´s SUPER hard trying to balance the office on top of being a regular missionary with the same schedule. But that´s why we´re doing it. How are we supposed to have exito (Success) without being organized? That´s the simple principle I want to get across in this letter. Organization. How are we going to reach a goal if we have no plans to achieve it? We have to start somewhere or we will just end up sitting still. I can see the connection between the office and the sector used as a life principle of balancing work with the family. It might be hard but we HAVE to have our family prayers. We need to hold weekly family home evenings on Monday. Scripture study with the family on a daily basis. It doesn´t need to take TONS of time.. Just the fact of getting together and doing it even for just a few minutes. That´s where we come back to organization. Everyone needs to be on the same page with the schedule. Everyone needs to know what we are going to do, who is teaching, what part they will play. The prophet has said this sooooooooooooooo many times. Simple basic fundamentals applied every day together.... Easy.. It just requires some organization. When God created the world he didn´t just go and do it right?? The scriptures say he planned.... He took time... He gathered materials... He knew what he was going to do in advance. If a person in this world wants to be successful they need to understand that. Now... To organize ones self requires the desire to do so. In this last conference I heard the words... "This church is not a comfortable one." We are ALWAYS working. There is always something to be done right? Whether its just going to church, doing your weekly visits to members, paying tithing, or doing service." If we are comfortable, we are doing something wrong. Obviously that is not to be taken too far, but if we are just sitting inside coasting through life one day at a time thats TOO comfortable. If we were doing that, we wouldn´t be working and in turn, we wouldn´t be progressing. We are always going to have to break out of our comfort zone as members of the church. We make sacrifices ALL the time.. Joseph Smith said; "A religion that does not require complete sacrifice in all things will NEVER have the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary to take us to eternal life and salvation." STRONG words from a chosen prophet of God. The point is. There is SOMETHING in all of our lives that we can improve on. Another place where we can make a sacrifice. A new goal we can set together for our growth. A few acts of service we could do to help others. I don´t know what that would be in many of your lives. But lets do it. Lets focus on organizing ourselves and finding a balance in our lives of all things. Work and family. School and friends. Religion and every day life. Sit down with the fam, a paper and a pen, and set yourselves some reasonable, achievable goals. I promise you all that as you do so you will begin to see God´s hand more in your lives. You will begin to see him take control and mold you into something you never thought you would or for that matter could ever be. My testimony has been strengthened while applying these things here in the mission and in the office. I love the mission so much. It´s the greatest thing that I´ve ever chosen to do. Pretty soon I will leave the office and I will be able to apply these things in the mission field.. Pardon me but I think it will be easier out there... I will be able to focus 100% on the people. The members, the investigators, the random people in the street. Now I recognize the time that I HAD before and how I didn´t always take advantage of it. I couldn´t be more excited! I love you all and I hope you have another great week. You´re in my prayers. Espero que sigan adelante con fe en Cristo y que tengan el deseo de organizarse. Las metas son importantes por nuestro bienestar espiritual y cuando dejamos de fijarlas.... Allí queda nuestro progreso... Les quiero y por eso comparto mis pensamientos con ustedes.. Cyaaaa next week!

Ciaooo! Elder Christensen.

8/9/2011 Hermana Christensen

boy do i feel like i have a lot to say!

it has been an incredible week of milagrotes. unreal and becoming less real every day. what?

okay so did i write a few weeks ago about a lady that came into the battalion that lives in my area? for some reason i doubt it. okay, well july was crazy. we had like 17,000 people come through the battalion. the tours were huge and we totally had to follow the spirit to know who to talk to after the tours, etc. i took a gigantic english tour through by myself and after everyone filtered through the camera zone and out into gold panning and eventually leaving, i finally got out there and felt like i should talk to this one cute lady with a baby stroller. we chatted and come to find out (just sheer coincidence i'm sure) that she lives in la mesa. i about had a heart attack--but mostly because the baby cried right then and she calmed her in SPANISH. (la mesa nevereverever gets referrals. there just aren't many brown people there!) i eventually got her to refer, and we just barely got around to contacting her on sunday. and it. was. PERFECT.

literally perfect. Perfect. capital P. She opened the door and let us in. what? haha. both things?! it was incredible. we sat down in her kitchen with her son (WHO'S TWELVE!!!! i didn't know he existed! he needs to be baptized, too!) and her adorable eight year old daughter.

and we sat around and chatted and it was so... natural. normal. easy.

sister lewis and i were able to teach together and we followed the spirit, and it was just.. bliss. we shared a message about finding happiness in the gospel of jesus christ. and we watched one of the church movies (which is kinda cheesey but i LOVE it. and the guy has a sick spanish accent. like from spain.) and get this. they don't have a couch, so we got to sit on their floor. it was like.. perfect! down to the very last detail! anyway, i'm being so wordy. the point is that after the movie she said, "You know what.." and i was like, oh no, here comes the rejection.. they're fine, they're catolicos..

blablabla, but no. she said, " i think this is perfect timing that you're here because we aren't going anywhere right now and i think this is exactly what we need." stunned. i was speechless. i think i giggled a little bit and just told her she was EXACTLY right. and the kids? they were SO into it. AND!!! at the end i was asking for a referral -- no no no. i asked if she knew any mormons.. which i don't normally just ask that in an appointment.. at the battaloin, yes. but she said yes, and turns out its someone in our BRANCH, hermana diaz!

we'd been with her just five seconds earlier in church! we're way tight with her! vanessa had invited this lady to church months earlier but she wasn't in the right place. the sweetest thing was hearing this lady say that they were ready and willing and that it was time. and they love the changes they've seen with vanessa and her family, and the 12 year old is friends with diego diaz and he's all excited to see him at church.. and AH! sis lewis and i literally were running and skipping and singing and crying as we jetted to the battalion afterwards! BUT! yesterday we returned because she wanted us (key word! she WANTED) us to come back and meet her husband. so we did.

sitting around with that family around their little table, feeling the LOVE that they have for each other was like... wow. impresionante.

they are members. i think they just forgot to get baptized. they'll be getting sealed. you wouldn't believe it. how UNBELIEVABLY prepared they are... it's golden. like, seriously, if there ever was a golden family (GOLDEN FAMILY!!!! A FAMILY!!!)--it's them. we taught them the restoration yesterday and the dad was like--it just depends how you look at it. some may think it's unbelieveable, others may see it as totally believable." and at the end of the 20 min mov it shows joseph's dad getting baptizzled and afterwards the kids asked about that. uhhhhhhum YES you can get baptized, too!!!!! like literally..

perfect. all of it. unreal. we feel so blessed!!! before we left the kids were even showing us what they are planning on wearing to church... in seven days! :)

sunday was beautiful. hermano chavez bore his testimony. hermano roman bore his testimony. (they both love their bookmarks ps and say MUCHISIMAS GRACIAS HERMANA CHRISTENSEN! that's you ma!) hermano roman also passed the sacrament... to his parents. wow. that was the sweetest thing ever--seeing him take his investigator parents the emblems of the atonement. and then guess what we did in branch council? talked about our branch becoming a ward. :) we've got vision and we've got PLANS!!!

yesterday we taught our other golden investigator hermana tomas from the republica dominicana the plan of salvacion. we taught with hermana garcia's son, jair, and freak. it was the sickest thing ever. she is, first of all, the most open, willing, accepting person i've ever taught. but i think she REALLY gets it.. it's not like she's just faking. she told us that she's always told her kids that if they were not so good, good, or really good they would get to go in one of three doors. what? so when we taught about telestial, terreste y celestial it was like... oh hey.. you've actually been teaching this for years... hahaha. i was so touched, though, by something that jair told her as we taught our earth life. we were talking about oposicion (she's had a rough life) and about how God's plan for us is to be HAPPY, and we read about adam falling that man might have joy, and jair piped in after i'd said our purpose is to be happy and said, "pues de hecho creo que lo que significa esto sorry sorry in english--"well actually i think that this means that we are meant to be happy, yes, but this verse says gozoso...JOY. we are to be joyful.." and he went on to explain that joy is ETERNAL. it lasts.

it's duro. its eternal. and i got the chills and thought IMMEDIATELY of my family, and the JOY that we feel. yes, we feel happiness! and freak i feel WAY happy to have yet another package from you! but when someone closes their door in my face or a lady swears at me in a few hours i might forget about that. but at the end of the day I HAVE JOY because I KNOW that truth is on my side and that I have a loving Heavenly Father and a GRACIOUS, wonderful family who i have the PRIVILEGE to be with for forever. now THAT is joy. and i have so much of it.

i was talking with president morgan the other night at an activity we had, feeling a little discouraged about some investigators that are failing, and he said, "you know what though, sister christensen? i've read the end of the story. and we are going to WIN!" i don't know if i shared that or not already, but i've been thinking about that a lot lately. and yesterday sis lewis and i were talking and she said, "if you understand how important the message is and you love God, you won't be bashful." we know that these things are true. we know we're going to win and that truth will conquer. we know it. so why on earth am i not always bold about it?!

but i am trying! last week we taught one of our DEAR investigators who is a lesbian the law of chastity. and she totally accepted it and was nodding and all and we were about done when we asked what she thought about it, if she believed it. and she said, smilingly, "absolutely not." and i literally laughed, I LITERALLY LAUGHED, because i thought she was JOKING! but she wasn't. at all. she was dead serious. she said that she knows plenty of homosexuals who are happy and that God wouldn't restrict our happiness. we listened, but we threw down testiony and read scriptures and just let the spirit do its job. if she's humble and open to it, i KNOW she'll get her answer and she'll make changes. she even said she might not get baptized on her date, but maybe in the future. i have hope for these people becuase they already know the truth, it's innately inside of them. the world makes them forget but we help them remember.

have i mentioned that i love my call? beyond words.

and i love all of you. thank you for all you do! this week--will you just be bold? tell your less active friend to just COME TO CHURCH.

it's the only way to receive a remission of your sins! whatever it may be, just say it boldly. remember i told you to, but more importantly, remember that Jesus Christ told ALL of us to. truth is on our side and we WILL win!

hermana christensen

maril. got the pic. he's beeeeeeeeeautiful!!! congrats!!!

joan. i love your hair! you are looking gorgeous! keep smiling!

sassar. still prayin for you!

hermana christensen

ps. last week we drove down to the border. and it was the COOLEST thing ever. i saw that huuuuuuuuuge mexican flag and literally.. this might sound weird... but i literaly felt the spirit. i LOVE these people and their place and their culture and who and how they are. it was so cool, seriously. i really love my mission call. i'm so thankful to be here in san diego!

8/6/2011 Elder Christensen "The Weekly Goodies!"

An office picture... Mom check that beasty tie out! Nice work!

Hey there everyone. Lets be honest..... we worked supppppppppppppppppppppper diligently this week so as I ponder on what to write I don´t even know how to start.. We had one sweet miracle that I would like to share. Last Saturday it was cold and rainy and we had scheduled to go out with the Obispado (bishopric) to do some divisions. We split up and went on our way. We had a contact named Claudio that we had passed by two weeks ago who seemed partially interested in what we had to say but not really... Anyways, Elder Monsen went with the bishop, I went with the Mission leader, and Elder Speakman went with some teens from our ward. We marched off in our huge beasty ponchos and umbrellas haha. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cold you have no idea. Elder Monsen and the bishop decided to visit Claudio the contact, The mission leader and I were headed to 2 inactive families, and Elder Speakman had a huge list of inactives to visit. We didn´t have much luck. Nobody was really home nor wanted to let a bunch of wet servants of the Lord in their house. After about an hour we had to go back to the chapel and finish the division. Elder Monsen told us that he had gone to Claudio´s house and that his wife answered only to say that Claudio wasn´t home and that we should go back some other time... So here we were.. .back in the office all wet when Elder Monsen got a call... from.... wouldn´t you know!! CLAUDIO! Keep in mind this was a CONTACT. Not anybody we had ever met before. He wanted us to come over that instant. So? We did. It was SICK. We shared a little lesson with them about what we do and how it can change peoples lives. We were about to finish when the Grandma said to the Mom... "Hey are you going to tell them?" The mom hesitated... Then she told us about what had happened earlier. She said she was cleaning the family room and was really focused on what she was doing. Just cleaning away when suddenly she saw the curtains GLOWING. She said it looked like somebody was on the other side of the window shining a spotlight on it or something. So, being curious, she opened the curtains up and THERE stood Elder Monsen and our Bishop. She had never heard the doorbell because it was broken, nor did she hear them yelling ALO outside. It was a huge miracle. We sat there in amazement as the spirit filled the room. The grandma then said... "That was the spirit of God Ingrid! He was trying to tell you that you should let these people in our house." We were just... HIT IN THE FACE with a miracle! SOOO SICK honestly! We have an appointment with them tonight and plan to teach them all about the holy ghost. But this is how our lives are honestly. Our Heavenly Father just puts us in the way of these prepared people.

THE COAST!! Beautiful place. The air by the ocean is wonderful!

Tomorrow is our last fast sunday together as a trio here in the office. On Monday there will be some special changes involving Elder Speakman leaving, and my secretary trainee getting here. Can´t lie I am a little nervous! My job responsibilities are arranged by weeks.. Meaning... Right now we are in week 3. The new Elder will get here and I will need to go back over the first 3 weeks of work that is already done, while at the same time teaching and doing the other 3 weeks. A LARGE TASK! I feel like every mission secretary does I think.. I have LOVED my time here. We have had lots of success, I have made a ton of good friends, and it´s overall just a great place. But I am ready just to go out into a sector where I can focus 100% of my efforts on the salvation of souls! Where I can sit down and study without having to worry about this missionary´s visa or that missionary´s flight home.. Just be calm and focused and DO WORK! It´s going to be a great change that we all need.

Well I love you all so much and I thank you all for your support. You really are the best family and friends that I could ask for. I pray that you all have an EXCELLENT week and that you may keep progressing in your daily lives. Les quiero muchísimo,

Elder Kurtis Christensen

Secretario Del Presidente

Misión Chile Santiago Oeste

.) Elder King and I!!!! In the airport, 4am... Ya.... SUPER early!

The OREM gang.... Same place same time

8/2/2011 Hermana Christensen



on pioneer day making corn tortillas with the rama. SO FUN!

okay. wow. what a week. what a life! I loooove being a missionary!
freaking saturday we were all blown away by elder ballard. get real. it was so tight. okay wait first, he came to the battalion early saturday morning and the two sisters leaving took the sweet man on the tour. digo, sweet apostle of the lord. as we were leaving we passed him just out panning for gold right before addressing the whole mission.. no big... haha. oh. and hey. i got news for ya. we are currently sharing an apartment. yep. one bedroom one bathroom for four sisters. it is HILARIOUS. (good thing i shower in THREE MINUTES WILLY! WEAK THINGS BECOME STRONG!) we are sharing with sister clayton and sister evans.. and that sister clayton is president's daughter who is doing a three week mini mission thing, like what petie invited me to do! would've been SICK! anyways, she's rocking it. and she's enlightening us on the life of her grandfather apostle, which is tight. ANYWAY. elder ballard is the man. can i just go for it?

he stood up and addressed us all by saying, "i come to you in the name of the Lord." wow.

--we have a message that NO ONE ELSE IN THIS WORLD HAS. we know who we are are, God's purpose, our preexistence and purose of life because we have joseph smith, the bom, and modern day revelash. "we are bathed as members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints in spiritual knowledge that the world doesn't have." they don't know. they don't understand. god is pushed out of the page in the secular world ,so we HAVE to become master teachers so we can share what we have with them!

--he talked about how every single word in pmg was checked for over 14 months and that THAT is the key so that we can treasure up the world and become those master teachers and have confidence enough to stand in front of kings and rules and teach them the gospel.

--and then he went on to do something VERY interesting... he brought everything back to the ward council. it was unbelievable. literally. every doubt, question, concern, EVERYTHING, "take it to your ward council. let them know who you're teaching, who you're visiting, who you're inviting to an ordinance, who you're reactivating, who you're rescuing this week. then LET THEM BE A PART OF IT. This is how we can save our brothers and sisters--it's by working TOGETHER. satan doesn't want us to figure this out!" he said that he feels our prayers for him and that all of the bretheren do, and that they are so grateful for the support and prayers from the church members. then he said, "we gather and pray for you EVERY thursday in the 4th floor of the temple. "we are on the same time. we are on the same errand." and it was SO clear to me. like you said last week, kristen, that we, as missionaries, are extension of the bretheren. wow. so he helped us make that connection and then he said that we need to work more and be on the same team with our ward members. he even said, "never try to teach investigators unless ward council knows who we're teaching. we've gotta knowck down the wall between missionaries do this and members do that. NO. this is a family effort in building the kingdom of God and we'll then have more people to teach." so we need to work together. i LOVE the organization of the church, holy hannah do i ever. so inspired. but so here's my question, how are the missionaries involved with the ward council there? i KNOW it's utah and it's hard and there are lots of members, but what's it like? he challenged us as missionaries to use our branch council to overcome allll of our doubts and concerns with our investigators. but it didn't sound like a burden to the council, more that we would be working TOGETHER and we'd be a blessing to each other. i for sure received some sweet revelation regarding SPECIFIC people and i'm so excited to put it to use!

--he invited us to read his conference talks for the last two years. try it out!

--he told some of our leaders that if he were to gather a group of saints here and opened it up to q and a that they would ask questions that have been answered in the last two years by the bretheren. he said that all of the apostles wish that we would listen to what they're saying because they are telling us!!!

--in one of his conference talks he challenged members to pray to find people to share the gospel with in 90 days or whatever, to pray and make a deadline. he said that people and prayed and fasted, and some had incredible results, others didn't. one lady wrote and called him a fake because nothing happened and she'd had faith that it would. so he CALLED her up and wanted to talk about the situation. she'd prayed and WANTED to find people... but she didn't. he said, "well, who did you talk to?" and she was quiet. then he paused (and it was soo powerful!) and said, "IF THE SAINTS WANT TO FIND PEOPLE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THEN THEY ARE GOING TO NEED TO TALK TO PEOPLE!!! broaden your horizon! talk to the mailman, the clerk at the grocery store, your neighbor, whoever it may be! open your mouth, praying the Lord will fill it, and He WILL!" and it was powerful.

--"we've never lost a missionary in the history of the church from overwork." haha.

last bullet point:

--elder haney from the 70 spoke to us first, and he gave us a cool promise. he said that we've got something very unique to us as members. i was like.. heck, we've got a lot of stuff that's unique as miembros... what's he gonna say? and he said, "it's where we live. it's our HOMES." then he said, "INVITE others over and make friends with those not of our faith. STOP ASSOCIATING JUST WITH THOSE OF OUR FAITH. something miraculous will happen if we can just invite them into our homes!" it was amazing.

now family, and i guess anyone who may be reading this--i know that you are good people, wanting to share the gospel, but it's hard in utah. but. i've been thinking about it, and--even though it'll be hard, and you may be a little uncomfortable with it--will you look at the bottom of your sacrament program and find the number for the full time missionaries and call them? see what you can do for them. see when they need you to come out with them t share your testimony. or even better, invite THEM to come over to our home and feel of your spirit and your love for our Savior. I KNOW it's a lot to ask, but will you? will you take the step and just see what you can do to help them and let them know you're on their same team? it would mean the world! AND YOU'LL BE SOO BLESSED!!!!

whew. this is largo. i apologize! but. it's been an amazing week. elder ballard was just so awesome and so enlightening.

sunday we had a miracle. an ENTIRE super less active family we've been working with for FOREVER came to church. FOR FOREVER. and they came!!!! sooo cool!

and our new investigator, hna thomas, came to church! and she has a baptismal date for september! YEEAH!

anyway. i'll leave you to digest that. know i lov eyou. i know this is the lords work. he is SO involved. i love him. and i feel so grateful to be a miniscule part of his grand work.

Hermana Christensen

hno chavez, hno marquez, hno roman and investigador hno aguirre.. mostly shirt and tie. SO COOL! BALLERS! hno roman passed the sacrament and hno chavez blessed it!

7/30/2011 Elder Christensen

Hey everyone,
Well here I sit once again. Writing to all the people I love. I´ve been thinking a lot this week about conversion.. How we are ALL in the process of conversion.. I´ll get back to that one in a sec. This week we had interviews with President and Hermana King. I can honestly say that they were the BEST interviews I´ve had on my mission. THE BEST. I love those people so much honestly. President King is like... The smartest man ever and just makes me feel good as a missionary... When Sister King is just full of love for everyone and everything. What wonderful examples we have as mission presidents. Anyways, Sister King asked me a question that really got me thinking... She said... "What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your mission up to this point, and how is it going to help you to not return to your boat afterwards?" (Parable about returning to fish after Jesus asked the fisherman to leave their nets) I stewed about it.... and stewed about it... and came to this result... One of the greatest things that I have learned is what I call "The vision of constant progression." As missionaries we are ALWAYS supposed to be growing. If we get changed to a different sector, well... Its TIME to grow up and adjust to your surroundings... Or in other words PROGRESS. If we have to be leaders over other missionaries, we not only have to progress, but we have to HELP them progress.. We always have to be progressing and becoming better. That is now my idea on life.. we should ALWAYS have that same vision you know? The problem comes when people take their missionary plaque off. They suddenly think it´s okay to sin?? Or something?? I CANNOT DESCRIBE it. WE as missionaries have taken upon ourselves the higher law. Have have humbled ourselves to the dust. We understand what it is that we need to do to obtain eternal life... SO WHERE IN THE WORLD DOES THE SIN COME FROM. HOW CAN SOMEBODY GO INACTIVE!?!? How can somebody just... Take the plaque off and say... WHAT´RE YOU WAITING FOR? WHERES THE PARTY? It´s something that has never frustrated me more in my life before. I feel like in these modern days, the church is making US true converts to the church. Then, once we understand, we can help the rest of the world understand and pass through the same thing. So... How... having been special witnesses of Jesus Christ in faraway places... do we FORGET that... and better yet.. WHY!?!?!? Anyone who does that simply doesnt understand the doctrine. They just left on a two year vacation and didn´t learn anything. It is so important that we are always progressing... because once we´re not.. we´re either going nowhere or we´re moving backwards. Whichever one, THATS NOT FOR ME. I hope we as members of this marvellous church understand this.. It´s so simple.. You can not get sick of the church.. You can not ever understand all of the scriptures. You can´t EVER get to a point where you are fine. There is ALWAYS something we can do. I want everyone reading this to please just understand it. I mean honestly where in the process of conversion do we stop growing? Is it when we get lazy? Is it when we think we are better than the commandments? Is it when we let the natural man take ahold of us? THESE ARE THE LAST DAYS PEOPLE. You just put your seatbelt on. The rollercoaster ride just started. Why take off the seatbelt when you KNOW whats waiting for you down below? It´s something that I just don´t get... So... The vision of constant progression is for us. We need it to really keep up the momentum that we have gained up to this point. That is what will help me to NOT return to my boat. To NEVER go back to who I was or change for the worse. If we let Christ take ahold of our lives and submit ourselves to his will through our obedience... We already know that that is a sturdy foundation. I could be a bankrupt man with NOTHING and still be happy.. Because I get it. The message is clearrrrrrrrrrrr. Obedience=Blessings. Disobedience=TEMPORAL JOY and false dreams. That is when satan takes ahold of us with his chains and we fall off the rod into the darkness. I honestly feel like I cannot describe myself through words in an email. I can´t. What I feel now is something that no man can give me. What no earthly item can lend me.. It´s a feeling of sadness.. a feeling of... maybe anger I don´t know.. God has granted me knowledge. He has granted me a testimony. He has shown me the way and said... My son..... the path is set.. Follow it and you will surely succeed. To those of you who as well see the path but are choosing to NOT follow it... Shame on you. Understand who you are. Understand WHY you are. The definition of repentance is so amazing and I love it.... " A change made in the heart of a person and their way of thinking. Which entails adopting a new attitude regarding God, ones self, and ones life in general." Think of your weapons of war. Think of something you are doing or maybe that you are NOT doing that is against what the Lord has commanded us to do. Then repent. Make a change. Choose to dedicate yourself to this work and this way of life. I love each and every one of you so much. I want the best for everyone. That is why this MUST be clear. I won´t ever forget what I told Sister King.. Why? Because I am going to be putting it in practice every day for the rest of my life. I want each of you to please do the same. Help those around you to understand the true and full doctrine of Jesus Christ. EVERY member a missionary. The mission is going great. We are still busy and working hard here in the office. We are all just worrying about those around us who are maybe taking the commandments a little lightly. Who are maybe putting themselves in front of God and his commandments. And that........ Scares me. We are the elect. We are members and representatives of Christ´s church. So lets act like it. I love you all and hope you have an excellent week. Until next time,

Elder Christensen

One picture no mas...

We ordered 32 pizzas for a meeting. Sweet one right?

7/26/2011 Hermana Christensen

welllllllllllll well well! happy 26th everyone! can you believe it's already come again? best days.

want to give a quick shout out to kaylynn: HAPPY BDAY SISTA!!!!!!!!!!!! HOPE IT'S BALLIN!

It is an exciting time! we're having some mid transfer changes! president and sister clayton's daughter was set apart as a missionary and she's paired up with a battalion sister and they are going to open an area RIGHT BY THE BORDER. i'm so excited for them! and becuase it's just a three week thang, they're going to be shacking with us. PARTY! it's going to be a blasty! can't wait. i love my life.

okay. so lets just get real. how was everyone's pioneer day. what better way to spend it than AS a pioneer?! haha. i just feel so incredibly grateful (for so many things! but especially) to have such incredible heritage of pioneers and modern day pioneers. I just feel so proud. so proud. but. pioneer day was so good. we were at the battalion (honoring our antepasados!) and then we had a SICK stake party at the park right by our stake center. an hour before the picnic started there was an activity for the primary kids with like butter shaking and making, quilting, etc. and guess what the rama was in charge of? straight up tortilla making. hahaha i'm pretty sure that wasn't a part of the story but you know our stake loves mexicans and their incredible talents to make unbelievably rica food. and it was a hit! they'd even brought rice and beans to top off the homemade corn tortillas. haha. it was the best. but actually only the second best because my rama did not fail to amaze me with their love. we invited one of our new investigators who is friends with the sweetest member who is one of the most incredible women ever. (he member is dora medina and she is the mexican version of joan. she's so faithful. she walks and rides buses to church and the temple. she's been working on this friend of hers forever and she's finally coming around. we added her last week as an investigator and hna medina gave me a HUUUGE hug and had tears in her eyes. she gets it. and her friend's GONNA GET BAPTIZED i just know it!) ANYWAY. they came to the party and the rama... words cannot describe what happened. they just, they literally surrounded her and made her feel SO WELCOMED and SO LOVED. it was stunning. by the end of the party she'd invited several people over to make deeeelcious dominican food (hopefully us too! hah) and they were all just long lost friends and family. my words don't even do the situation justice. it was just... it was so neat. these people understand the gospel and the need to share it and how to make others feel loved. they are SO good at what they do. and they are examples for me and for everyone. i will forever be different for serving in such a celestial branch!

our baptism and confirmations fell through. we have been down about it, not gonna lie. satan little s is attacking these people from all angles right when they're so ready. one of our investigator's husbands just won't, WILL NOT, let her get baptised. he's catolico until he dies. and she WANTS to get baptized. so we're praying for a softening of several hearts in that familia. pray for miracles. i KNOW that heavenly father wants them to get baptized. and He WILL provide the way!

sunday. we went over in the morming to despertar an investigator so she and her less active mother could partake of the sacrament, but she wouldn't get up. we got to the church and president morgan greeted us and could tell instantly that something was wrong. i promptly burst into tears (it had all just piled up, you know? so many good people, so much potential, so much falling through. breaking my heart!). he held and patted my hand and said, with tears brimming in his eyes, "it's no wonder that as you are called to represent Jesus Christ, you feel what He feels." and i did feel a tiny portion of that... ouch, that... that loss that... disappointment, that hurting and aching for these people. yearning for them to change and feeling broken because they wouldn't. i.... I feel so grateful. I feel so grateful to be given this chance to represent Him in some small way because it helps me understand the worth of every soul. i feel like that's my quest.. to understand that. the worth of EVERY SOUL IS GREAT. Anyway. Ah. it ended up working out; one of our investigators that vanished into the depths of tj reappeared after a month, and the girls house that we were at that morn and her mom showed up JUST as the priests were covering the bread and switching over to water, but presidente morgan told them to take the sacrament to our investigator and her mom personally. wow. it was just tears of joy at that point. i will never forget when the meeting got started and our numbers were few and i was feeling so sad when in walked investigators and their family and members and their non member friends and hna lewis said, "redemption!" haha. it truly was. i feel like I physically CAN'T get sad for too long because heavenly father just LOVES to bless me!

the work is rolling forth. it is the best thing ever. i am so thankful to be here. i am happier than ever before. i want this time to never end. and i know it won't because i'll forever remember what i've learned here. and these people! oh, i love them! and i cannot wait to enjoy the eternities with them in the mansions of our father. until then, we will all continue, enlisted in the cause of truth. may we all press on and press forward!

i love you! get those profiles finished! set a deadline and DO IT! we saw a miracle using two of them yesterday to ENGLISH MEMBERS so don't act like i don't need YOU to do it because i was called spanish and am serving in a spanish branch. NOT TRUE. i need you more than you know and i need you to do it NOW.

mi amor

hermana christensen

ps. oh yeah. elder ballard is coming on saturday. no big deal. he's just our mission president's wife's dad. whaaaaaaa?

JILLIAN FRITZ IF YOU ARE READING THIS ASDLKFJAL;SDKFJA;LSDFN;ASLKDFJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i about BURST with your letter today! i actually cried, literally tears! i am SOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!!!! CONGRATS GIRL!!!!!!!

joan bourne glad i heart you! sue sent pictures and you look beautiful! thank you for smiling! i'm praying for you!