Monday, February 20, 2012

February 13th Letter

Well I am glad you emailed this week! YAY Mom!!

So this week was killer but with Heavenly Fathers help I got Elder Hunsaker to be excatly obedient this whole week! The Lord blessed us with 10 new investigators and 24 lessons! So far these are the best numbers on my mission! Our district leader was pretty stoked about it too!

Thanks for sending the package I really appreciate it! Also you don't have to worry about music for me for a while because I got a ton from another elder who has like a whole slew of appropriate music!!

Me and my comp still have our days where we want to kill each other and I beat him, well slaughtered him, in a game of Risk and he got really upset so I am not going to play anymore games with him because he is sort of well short tempered but he is working on it which is great!

I am sorry to hear about Brittany, I will keep her in my prayers!!!

Thanks for telling me that everyone loves my letters. I don't know why my emails are so special but it doesnt matter, what does matter is that we are bringing souls to Christ and that we are able to be obedient so we can be even more blessed! We had exchanges this past week and I it was great to get to know Elder Ward and tell him how things are in this area. He is a little bit newer than me.

We had a very interesting week, because we got to talk to this guy from another faith and he had all kinds of anti-mormon stuff and was trying to denouce the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. We just calmly replied to his comments and questions and we were able withstand his attacks. It was so great because by the time he finished trying to argue with us we actually left him with a copy of the Book of Mormon, our testimonies and some good laughs! On the other hand we have a really solid investgator. She is twenty four and just escaped from domestic violence so she is scared and has scars from that. We told her how baptism can give her peace and can wash away the hatred she feels if we follow Jesus Christ's example and she really liked that!

Well tell everyone that I love them and sorry the email is so short because the other missionaries are waiting for me and want to go somewere no.

Love ya all!!
Elder Christensen

February 6th Letter

Hey,

Sorry I missed your e-mail mom now I still have no idea whats going on at home, but I guess that's not super important. What is important though is how I am doing because I guess that's the whole point why I am e-mailing home is to brag about me!!!! Just kidding!
The Lord humbled me again this week as we were driving to district meeting. I was so stressed out that it was making my chest sorta hurt and all until district meeting started. Elder Totten was giving a talk about obedience, which is the shortest part in Preach My Gospel but the most important, which is sorta weird but whatev! So ya there was a scripture in Mosiah 15:7 that really comforted me and made me feel better because well I don't really know but I felt the spirit lift my burden some what.
I have seen such tremendous progress in my companion the last 8 weeks because his heart is in the right place. I told him he was going to be a trainer next transfer and he got a bit stirred up about that. It was funny because I kept bugging him and telling him that he would have to be ready to train when I am done with him because I am such a good trainer, lol!
I guess the only other news is that I have gained a few pounds and I don't know if it's muscle or fat but I am working out in the mornings now and it could be muscle because we do alot of physical work around here, helping the people and all!
I didn't see the Superbowl completely yesterday, which was good I guess. I have become really aware about what is happening around us. I am always seeing how bad Satan wants to tempt us too! Now I don't know if it's just me being a missionary but it seems like Satan has really turned up the heat on bad things because there were a few commercials that popped on when we were at peoples houses and it seems that things are worse now than when I left! I don't know if it's my new set of eyes or whatever you want to call it but I've been noticing weird things like that happening that I've never noticed before, so hurray for Spiritual Eyes!!! Well that's all I can think of to say to you guys because I didn't get an e-mail so I hope you still remember me!!!

Well love ya!!


Elder Christensen

January 30th Letter

Hey,

Thanks for the wonderful email today it is really weird that Grant is home. In fact I can't quite wrap my mind around it...

I wonder why they think my mission is so awesome? I do some cool stuff but I don't baptize very many people but that doesn't really bother me because president sent me and e-mail and said if we stand up and do what is right we will do wonders in Greasewood so I'm taking that to heart!

I can't believe the guys at the bike shop still remember me! I thought for sure they would have forgotten who I was and stuff! I am planning on sending some letters to them all or at least the ones I remember so ya if you want to tell them that go ahead!

So things this week have been sorta slow. We found like 5 new investigators when wanted like 8 but still 5 is a decent number! We taught quite a bit but we really need to teach more often because if we taught all of our investigators and other people in a week we would have like over 20 lessons a week! Which would be fantastic! This morning we had a lesson with the Senior Missionary couple at an investigators house. All four of us have been teaching her and she is so close to baptism her name is Jenny Clark and she is a wonderful and prepared person from our Father in Heaven who just needs a push into the baptism font. We talked about the Word of Wisdom today and for quite some time too because her family is severely effected by it. We extended a date for her to be baptized on the 11 so we will pray that she commits and is baptized then so Heavenly Father can really pour out his blessings on her family.

I will keep Brittany in my prayers because I am sure this is a tough situation for her right now. I pray she will not have anymore problems so ya and tell Jordan Happy Birthday and stuff!

Well I gotta go love ya all!!!
Gamali Atchinez
(Elder Tall Man)

It's Been 6 Months!

Well Hello!

I am here to report to ya'll and this week has been wierd! First it got above 60 degrees and stayed at about 55 everyday untill Saturday. Then it snowed but only like a half inch so it was dumb but the wind was blowin pretty hard. It made blizzard conditions and we were still teaching untill 8:30 so we decided to drive home because it was getting pretty bad. All the paved roads were really slippery so we took a dirt road home instead of the only paved road lol wierd I know! It was even better because I had spagetti cookin all day so ya it was dang good!!!

Well I guess to get serious (lol) we got transfer news on Saturday night and both of us are staying! I don't know what the Prez is thinking but I am glad I am being tested and tried. I told Elder Hunsaker we are going to step up his obedience this transfer and we are gonna give our hearts to the Lord. I told him that if we do this you will discover why the Lord has sent you on a mission! His reaction shocked me a bit. He asked "how do I give my heart to the Lord?" I told him by being obedient and not questioning anything that happens but to go forward with a great attitude, taking every given opportunity to teach the gospel and to find those who are ready. I told him I am trying to do better and show more love too because we haven't been getting along very well. Maybe because I was to bold instead of being nice and sincere. I felt inspired for us to give each other a blessing to kick off the new transfer! I can't tell you what was said but I will tell you that the spirit touched our hearts and gave us the strength and the direction we needed. I am so grateful for that reason that we have been kept together! We will now go forth and be tools in the Lords hands! My companion is a powerful misisonary when he gives his heart! I have seen it! He baptized the most in the mission a couple months ago so I am gratefull I get to help him and serve with him!!

Sorry to hear about the car mom and don't hurt our neighboors. Remember what Jesus taught when the Pharisees came and asked him what is the greatest comandment! Jesus said "the greatest comandment is to love the Lord thy God the second is like unto it love thy neighbours!" I hope you think about that because after all it was just snow and it did do damage but just think about those commandments and be nice!!

Lately I have been studying the bible to learn the history of the direct decendents of the house of Israel and to know it better. I have also been reading The Book of Mormon because I love to read it and I want to know all the blessings the Lamenites were promised if they keep the commandments. Today I almost found were the Garden of Eden is but I don't have a good enough map! The other day I started reading the Pearl of Great Price and I read about our spiritual eyes and our physical eyes and that to be able to behold all the glory of god our eyes need to be transfigured which means we are able to see and learn through our spirit instead of our brain which is super cool because when Moses was transfigured he beheld all the particles that were in the earth! Pretty awesome!!! so ya I am learned now lol!

Please always read the Book of Mormon. It is special and powerful and just down right cool!!!! So ya do it and let me know what you learn!

Also real quick Elder Millers dad is the branch prez in Indian Wells which is an area we cover so we are focusing attention out there, and they are opening a new area in Joseph City which is his home town! so ya have the elders over for dinner and have a non-member there to present lessons too!! Don't let them leave with out a lesson!!

Well gotta go I love ya all!
Elder Christensen!!

January 16th Letter

Sorry this letter is so short.

About Elder Miller first, I think his dad is the Branch President of Indian Wells which is the area that we wanted to stay in the trailer and work for a week, then come back to Greasewood. After a long while we decided that there really isn't enough work to spend the money and have Pres open it up. Plus there is already a senior missionary couple working out there.

Hey, I am pretty stoked that Jordan is working on his Eagle Project soon. I am so glad I got mine. I have only run into one Elder who did not get his and everyone gives him a bad time about it. He is a really awesome Elder though and works really hard.

We haven't done much work this week because I got sick on Saturday. Things are looking up though. We found more new investigators and by the end of the week we actually found 4 of them on the same day!!

Today we went hiking and made it down to some cool caves. I will send pictures soon.

Love ya,
Elder Christensen

January 9th Letter

Hey Everyone,

I am glad you guys are enjoying the holidays. We didn't do much for New Years because the family who invited us over for a party ditched us! So we went back to the trailer and I made some good food and then I wrote in my journal and that was pretty much it. Elder Hunsaker wanted to stay up until midnight but all I could think of doing was dumb stuff so we went to bed at 10:30.

Anyway, the baptism we had last week was someone that the previous Elders were teaching. His name is Kevin Begay and he is a really solid guy! His baptism was great and he already has been able to recognize the feelings and promptings of the Holy Ghost! Hopefully soon he will get the priesthood. On Thursday we had a lesson with him and we talked about the priesthood and got deeper into the topic. We talked about why it is so important and that only through this church can you receive the keys to the priesthood which is the power to act in God's name. We had to also explain that Medicine Men don't have this authority to heal but they can pray for you. I wasn't that bold about it this time and they didn't get upset at all. Remember what happened last time I talked about medicine men? Lol, not good!!

Why, things are changing so much in our ward!! I guess I prepared myself for all that stuff that has been happening at home so I am not mad or homesick or anything in fact I think its dumb that it only happens when I leave! Just my luck!!

We had interviews this week and I really loved talking with the President. He told me how much he appreciated my "goodness" and that it was something this mission needs right now and he is glad that I "bring it" when things are not going so good.

So I am glad Brittany is doing well. It sounds like you guys have found a great way to help her out. I know Ashley will do great and will make friends and survive in college because she is awesome. Tell Jordan to keep reading and exercising and tell him I love him too.

Oh also we were able to attend to a horse ceremony where they killed and ate a horse. It was really cool because it was full of ceremony and it is a huge part of Navajo tradition. They believe that in the winter the horse meat boosts their strength against illness which I don't think it's true because the next day I felt like I was getting a cold so I drank orange juice which is better for you anyway and I got over it! Horse meat is pretty good though. I kind of liked it. It's sort of juicy and has a weird flavor so if you can, try it sometime.

Well I gotta go. Talk to ya later guys.

Love ya!
Elder Christensen