week ending 7.24.11

Hey everyone,

This week we had a lot of good things happen to us. We have been working so hard and this week - for the first time in a long time - a family accepted a date to be baptized on the 14th of August.  They told us that they are really excited for that day. It's the Agilar Family - Victor (dad), Fresia (mom), Maria José and Jenifer (daughters). They are so amazing!  Please put the dad in your prayers because he is trying to quit some addictions - thanks, that would be sweet.

 Yesterday we made them breakfast.  I made pancakes as you can see in the photos i sent you all. They turned out really good and they loved them so that was good! the only bad part was that the Jenifer got sick during church so I wont be making pancakes for anyone here soon haha. But they are really excited to be baptized and I am really happy for them.

 Also, we had 2 young kids come to church with us, Victor and Javiera they are really special. Their parents couldn't make it to church but they want to go to church next week. Their mom Gloria is so happy all the time and she wants her kids to go to church and learn more. I have a lot of respect for her because her husband works far away and she is home alone all week long with 5 kids. If you could put her in your prayers and her family that would be sweet! Thanks.

So I have been learning about the importance of being able to say no to things that we shouldn't do. It's a lot easier to say yes and just do it but its not what we should do. I know that I have changed a lot during these last 2 years haha. Also, I have a talk on Sunday about the Atonement, and I am going to kick some butt but with a lot of love. I have learned to love giving talks now, I love sharing what I know and I have gotten good at it.

I invite all of you to keep working on the things that God wants you to do, like prayers and reading, for a start. Well, I love all of you and I hope all goes the way you want this week! Have a good week.

love,

Elder Christensen

week ending 7.17.11

Hey everyone,

This week was a great week, even though we had a lot of rain and I got all wet - I lived and didn't get sick. haha. The best part of it all is that we had 5 people come to church with us and 3 of them were able to stay for the whole thing and they loved it! Their names are Fresia(mom), Maria Jose(daughter), Jenifer(daughter). They are amazing. We are going to be working a lot with them and I would love if you all could put them in your prayers so they can accept to be baptized and that satan won't have power over them. And that their dad's heart will open up to the message. Thanks.

 The others that went to church were Margarita and Gisela. They are sisters that are super amazing. Gisela is 21 years old and was really excited to go to church and she went with a dress! That was sweet! I can see her going on a mission and doing a lot of good so pray for her as well please! 

Last night we had changes, well we didn't have changes, but the meaning of that is that I will be ending my mission with Elder Maigua. Yup, that's right, I am on my last change(6 weeks). More than that, I am working really hard I need to complete my mission goals and I am really close to doing it! I am really happy that I was able to stay here to work with the people that we are working with.

I have a example of a young man that is amazing! His name is Isreal, he has 18 years old and will be going on the mission and he likes going out with us. Last night the Chilean soccer team played in the Cup of America and he loves soccer but he went out with us to work and we had a lot of success. Some one turned on the TV while we were in the house and instead of staying, he was like, "let's go Elders," and got us out of there. I love that kid! I am so happy that I have the oppertunity to get to know him and work with him! And another time while we were working everything we had planned was falling through and he was like, "don't get down Elders - we are going to find someone!" And at 9 at night someone let us in and when we left the house he ran and jumped on us and was like, " that was worth it!" He is amazing!

That's all i got for this week! Have a good week and thanks for reading and to the people that wrote me! Love you all!

love,

Elder Christensen

{with Elder Brunt}

week ending 7.10.11

Hey everyone!

We went to the church really early this morning and we had a ping pong turny and it was really fun! 

It was sweet that I took 3rd, although I should have taken first but I sucked it up at the end! 

I made the bracket and it worked out good and it was fun doing it. 

This week was a tough week. We had at least 4 to 6 appointments every day and about 25 in the whole week and how many of them were home?  None. It was a test,but in the end we could enter into some houses and talk to people and find 8 new people to teach! Here in the sector we have been able to find a lot of people but we haven't had anyone that has been able to progress and it's a test for me. So if you could put that in your prayers that we can help some people go to church and progress towards a baptism that would be so amazing! Thanks.

Oh, for everyone I have something I would like that you all could do for me and that would be don't talk about how much time I have and things that you want to do with me and stuff like that - unless its really important because I have been having a hard time keeping my mind straight and it would help me a lot. Thank you so much for you help!

So this week The Cup of America, a soccer tourny here in South America is going on and when Chile plays no one wants anything to do with us. Sometimes the people get really mad when we pass by, but it's funny how crazy they are about soccer. But it's cool at the same time how dedicated they are to something.

The names of the people we have found this week are Elizabeth, a young girl that is really amazing because she has her way to do things and doesn't care what others say. Angel and Hernan, brothers that don't have a religion but have a lot of info about a lot of things that are really different. Fresia, Maria Jose, and Jenifer: they are a family and are really excited to learn more. And finally, Margarita and Gisela; sisters that want to follow Christ and they let us in at the very last hour of the week so it was sweet!

Well, there is my week for you all! Have a good week and talk to you later!

love,

Elder Christensen

week ending 7.3.11

Hey everyone,

This week was really cool! 

This is the doctor that I have been going to and the same one the cut me open. haha. So, if anything bad happens in the future, we can all blame him haha. His name is Raul Morales. He is a great guy haha. 

This is a little girl that asked me to baptize her. I didn't teach her but I know her family, they are all members. When they asked Krishna (that's her name) who she wanted to baptize her she said, "the tall, funny one, Elder Christensen" and then she called me and asked me herself.  It was great!  I love that family!

 So we have been working hard this last week and we found some good people that are really interested in listening and a young man that isn't baptized but his parents are members and they want him to get involved in the church again. We are excited to work with him. His name is Leo. So if you could put him in your prayers that would be sweet! 

This week the weather has gotten really cold, there hasn't been a lot of rain - but it's so cold. I am wearing a coat over a sweater, over a white dress shirt, and over an Under Armor long sleeve. And I am still cold! haha. But I bought some long johns and they are great! haha.

I have started to teach English in the church every Saturday and last week I had 4 students.  Yup, it was the other 4 missionaries in my ward (I am the only North American out of 5 missionaries, there are 2 from Bolivia, El Salvador, and Honduras). No one showed up but this week, we have told a lot more people so I think there will be a lot of people there.

It would be sweet if you could put me in your prayers so we can do all we need to do, like be obedient, diligent, happy and all the other things a missionary needs to do this work because I don't want to lose the stride in these last months. Thank you! I love you all and have a good week!

love,

Elder Christensen

week ending 6.26.11

Hey everyone,

 

This morning I was thinking about my mission and my life and I was like what am I doing? And how am I ending my mission and how will it help me with my life? So I started thinking how hard am I working and where is my heart in all of my thoughts, baseball, home, girls, the mission, where? That's what I want to figure out here soon and start working harder then ever but I need my heart here, because that is how I am going to work hard.

 

We have been trying to find new people to teach because we have been losing all of the people that we have been teaching. We have two young people that are really interested in learning more. Their names are Alexandra and Erasmo. They are dating and have plans to get married here soon and they are super cool. All Erasmo talks about is Disneyland and how he wants to go there so bad. haha. But they are really awesome.

 

The weather here is so cold and its kicking my butt!  I am so cold. But I am getting over it and just working through the cold.

 

Thank you all that wrote and have a good week everyone!  I hope that this week is the best one for you! Love you all!

 

love,

Elder Christensen