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