El Mirador, Los Cerrillos

So I got moved to the zone Los Cerrillos.  It is more central to Santiago and it is a different world here than I was used to in El Parrón. The people have more money here and the people are also a little hard hearted. The difference here is the members have a great desire to work and do the work of the Lord. We have a tone of members talking to their friends and neighbors so we can have references to work with in this ward.  Also remember when we prayed 21 days for Tyson to bet baptized?  We are doing it again for our investigators and for our ward to find people who need the gospel. The cool part is I have already seen this work in the past so I know it is going to work again!
                                

Elder Guevara is my new companion.  He is from Honduras and is an awesome missionary! He will finish his mission in October so he has a little more experience than I do. He is super powerful as a missionary and I feel like we are going to take out the trash this change. We both want to work as hard as we can and be exactly obedient. I didn’t know what that really was until this week and I love it.  We are working so hard now.  I am so excited!!

We are working with the members and also with each other to learn better Spanish and English for him and to have more faith to find people and more excitement for the work.

I am going to finish with a story. Our ward is like two wards really because we have this huge area in the middle of our sector that is all dirt where they are building new houses so we have to walk 30 minutes to get to the other half of our ward. We walked all the way over there and all our appointments fell through.  But my comp got really excited and said we are going to show our faith and get excited to talk with everyone about the gospel and really have faith and follow the spirit. So I got excited and we contacted a little and found the house of an old reference we could not find before. We went to her house and she was not home. But we waited and she got home while we were waiting. Then we talked to her and introduced ourselves. Her friend had sent the reference so she was receptive. We told her a little about faith and she started crying and said she has a lot of problems but needs help with her family and her faith. So she said we need to come back and talk with her more!

Miracles are real it all just depends on our desire to work and our desire to follow the spirit. I know this is the Lords work and he knows each one of his children and will help them. I know for a fact that Jesus is our Savior and through him we will have eternal joy and I am super excited to help the people here in El Mirador find joy in their lives. I just need to keep praying, keep the faith and have hope, charity. AND  Excitement! 

Les Quiero

                                       

Elder Christensen

So excited that Will is going to join me in CHILE!!  

Good-bye El Parron!

 I got a call Saturday night and they told me that I should pack my things because I am leaving El Parrón on Tuesday! I was hoping for changes but also I don’t want to go because I am going to leave these awesome people that I was able to meet here in El Parrón! I didn’t think it would be that hard to say goodbye but when the time came on Sunday to tell the ward that I was leaving I didn’t want to say anything! I just wanted to slip out unnoticed and everyone could find out next Sunday that we had changes. 

My comp wouldn’t let that happen and told the second counselor in our ward, Barrion Hon Garrido and he anounced it in Priesthood MTG. So as my last thing to do in El Parrón I was asked to consecrate some oil for the ward because every time someone needed a blessing they asked me.  I was the only missionary and priesthood holder who always had his oil and I am leaving. But I have had a good time.

I also have no idea where I am going but tomorrow I will find out.  Presidente King did give me the liberty to know that it is a ´Good Ward´  So I have nothing to worry about RIGHT? I  have a happy and sad moment to share about Emurson, our only progressing investigator.  He is getting Baptized NEXT Sunday and  I will not be here to see it. But I sent a picture of him home. It is the one with the twins--he is the older kid.

I am excited for him and I feel bad that I won’t be able to see him complete this step but I know that I was able to help him and his mom Paula out a little and introduce the Gospel into their lives again.  It is so cool to see the ward rally around people who really need it. Paula needs a lot of help and at first she only had the missionaries but now she has the whole ward helping out and that makes me so happy.

I can’t help but feel like I could have done more for this ward. I served here for 4 and a half months and I feel like I should do more,  but the moment is passed and I have to move on and look to the future.  I just keep thinking about the scripture in Jacob 5 that says "What more could I have done for my vineyard?" It is not my vineyard, it’s the Lord’s, but did I do all I could here?

I have a bunch of good memories and a lot of memories of getting doors slammed in my face but those moments really are good memories. It is hard to work so hard here then just get up and leave. I might never see these people again but also with out the mission I would never have known them.

It was a nice surprise to get a happy Easter card from Eliza this week and a letter from my mom from October that was awesome!  Thank you for everything fam!  You guys are the best!

PS JAMES 1: 22-25 LETS DO SOMETHING

LES QUIERO

Elder Christensen

PS.  14 New Hermanas in our mission this change… so awesome!!

PS #2 I had a little time to read the blogs today. I cant believe that Megan had 40 lesson in one week we hope for 40 in two or three weeks, but the work is moving on there--that is awesome.  Spencer has a Chilean comp!  That is pretty sick, but he is going to learn Spanish like mine…Chilean!! There is also a family Pobette in my ward I wonder if he is related to Spencer’s comp that would be cool!

LES QUIERO

Elder Christensen

My new best friend!

HOLA Family,

This week we focused on nothing other than family history! We had some crazy doctrine that we studied and we are really going fast in the work now.  We are headed to the temple in two weeks on the 26 of April. I am so thankful for the names and the help you guys gave me. I have a short note for my father and for my siblings who are planning on serving missions and that should be ALL OF YOU except the ones who have already served.   This includes those currently serving:

DAD WAS RIGHT!  I don’t know how he is always right, but if there is one thing you need to do before a mission, besides strengthening your own testimony, is to become proficient with the Church website for family history. I didn’t think it was important but it is really important.  So when dad asks for your help don’t groan. Think of it like this- Family history work is like missionary work but you can do 100 baptisms in about 20 minutes and you give salvation to people who are waiting for it desperately.

We had a meeting this week focusing on the Family history and the importance of using it.

This week was a little slow. Everyone is sick so we couldn’t and visit many people.   The cold is setting in. It is really cold at night and in the morning then it is summer during the day. So that is tough sometimes but it’s all good.

Today we went hiking in the ANDES!!  I never imagined myself in the Andes mountains before the mission. We were only at the foot of the Andes.  I loved it!!  Two other missionaries and I got a little carried away and hiked about 4 or 5 miles in when the rest of the zone stopped at a mile and a half. They were mad at us because they had to wait for us to return. But I loved it I had an awesome day and I am so glad we were able to go. Now I feel almost dead because we literally sprinted up this trail and we had to finish the last mile running because everyone was waiting for us. All in All Best P day of the Mission!!

Also I really liked Pres. Monson’s talk on obedience. I really think the little things are important. I need to do better and improve in obeying the little things. Because we all know that obedience is good but EXACT obedience brings Miracles, so I have to be better.   I know I can always improve so I am excited to keep working.

Last Elder Keddington… I don’t know where he is serving but he has an Awesome trainer and hopefully we see each other soon!

Dad, do you have a Jason Bateman in your YSA ward?  I think he sang in the Priesthood choir in conference and served in our mission and in el Parron too.  He left in January.

Thanks for all your help! I love you all.

Elder Christensen

PS Cambios (changes) next week. I could be leaving El Parron I will know Saturday night.

IMPORTANT

First I have an important favor to ask of my Mother and Father. We have the opportunity to take a recent convert to the temple on the 24 of April, but I need a family name or a ward name of someone who needs their temple work done. It needs to be a male too. This is really important. We can’t go to the temple without THE NAME of someone who needs their temple work done. Our Recent Convert is going to do the Baptism and Confirmation and next month I get to do the Endowment. So to summarize I need you to send me a family name or ward name of someone who needs their temple work done and I need it in my email next Monday or we cant go. Thanks for the help!

Any way CONFERENCE!! AM I RIGHT?? Seriously AM I RIGHT? I had such an awesome week with conference! I  loved every talk and drank in every word of those old guys. How do they know so much? But I am just going to say I liked the Priesthood session with Elder Tad R Callister tearing it up. Elder Holland of course was amazing and  I think my favorites  were back to back Giants on Sunday morning. Elder Perry and President Monson  smacked down on obedience. Also I always love the focus on the FAM. Sister Dalton brought the heat too with Return to Virtue. We need that so much here in Chile and in the world.  I cant wait to see conference again in October. By the way, I get 5 Conferences in the mission.  I am stoked for that.

There is only one thing better than Conference.  When we have investigators come with us. We brought an inactive member and his wife, who is catholic, to the Sunday morning session. They told us after that they felt a lot of peace and they loved the obedience talks and President Uchtdorf’s talk on LIGHT and leaving the darkness. I was so happy to talk with them about the conference. Paula and her son Emmurson wanted to come but there was a miscommunication so they couldn’t get a ride.  I felt so bad but they are strong.  Paula is really becoming active in the church right now so we are going to continue to help her.

I have a doctrinal question for all who want to help me answer it. In 3 Nephi 11:14-22 says Nephi gets the authority to baptize with the Holy Ghost. Before, he was not baptizing for the gift of the Holy Ghost because it was before Christ. But he baptized for repentance only. But I am confused because Joseph Smith said if a person doesn’t get the Holy Ghost after Baptism the baptism doesn’t help them. So how did the Holy Ghost work before Christ came?

There is a thinker..

Love you all,

Elder Christensen

"Completos" Biggest Hotdog Ever!

As Fall and Winter are approaching, we get some 'sick' sunsets!

There IS NO SUCH THING AS MAGIC!! Only Faith and WORKS

     I thought to start out this letter with a funny experience I had this week. I walked past this restaurant and a man yelled out at me and said HOLA!!...I LOVE YOU!!! I thought it was one of the funniest things that has happened to me in the mission so far so I hope more good times are on their way.  

     We had a sad moment this week.  We had a long time investigator break up with us and she said she doesn’t want to learn more for now. I wasn’t too sad about it because in PMG.  It says that no effort is ever wasted and I know the work we did with her will help her in the future when she realizes that she needs God in her life. My comp felt a little worse.

I had a good week this week even though it was one of the most physically tiring weeks of the mission. We had 6 lessons this whole week.  We are building a house for a member so we painted and cleaned for probably more than 15 hours this week. There is nothing more fun for a missionary than some good old service for a member in the ward. I had a tone of fun this week.

I also had an apostrophe or an epiphany-- I don’t know which.   I only know that lighting has struck my BRAIN!! I have been so negative so far in the mission. Not always but I have been focusing on how I can work with my comp and with the people who don’t  think they need God or that they can just worship God in their own way. Really I just need to love them, I heard that about a million times from everyone in and before the mission but it just hit me. I don’t need to change them,  I just need to love them. The work is up to me to prepare correctly in my studies to have to spirit and to have the desire to work as hard as I can. The miracles don’t come from magic they come from Faith and the devotion of one person to do their best and work as hard as they can. I just read Uncle Jeff’s letter this week and I loved it.  I wrote the four points in my planner to never forget them.  I know that the little things I do are going to make all the difference:  The desire to help someone, the act of studying in the morning and leaving the apartment on time, and really focusing during our planning sessions and trying to follow the spirit. I don’t need to change the world. I am happy now with everything I have. I am happy to be working in Chile there is no other place I would rather be right now. 

If anyone wants to be a successful missionary, it is all about their devotion to be obedient and desire to work and also their will to be happy and enjoy their time to serve the lord. Right now I have today to work and tomorrow to work. But one day these two years are going to end and I will never be the 19 year old missionary in Santiago Chile again. This IS THE ONLY TIME!! I am going to make the best of it.

LES QUIERO

Elder Christensen

Welcome Sister Washing Machine!  

We are so happy to have a new washing machine after two weeks of no clean clothes!

My finger is healing.

Beautiful Santiago Sunset