Happy Birthday to me One Month Early!

This week was great.  I got all my birthday stuff one month early.  I had to make a decision....Wait for a month to open it or open all of it at once the same day. So, I opened it all in one day!! Thanks for all the things especially the beef jerky!! I love you all.

We went on divisions yesterday and it was really fun.  We had a lot of success.  We went out with two members. The best part is Elder Largo had a really good time.  He loved leading a little more in the ward.  I try to let him lead all the time with me but he never really wants to when I am around. He is getting more used to contacting now and talking with people so that is nice.

Also President Barreiros came to inspect our pension and said it is too old for missionaries to live there.  He told us to find a new house to live in so I am excited for that but it is really hard to look for new houses and I would rather just work in the street talking with people.  That is the best thing we do and the most fun too!!

Goal for the week: I am going to be a better listener!!!

I love you all especially my mommy and dad

Elder Christensen

I am so happy that my cousin Will is now serving his mission in Chile.  His blog is now connected so check it out with my sister and other cousins!

FIESTAS!

Wow we had a ton of parties this week!! Well not really. This week was the week of Independence for Chile.  The 18th was the day. On the 20th we had an activity at the ward and we enjoyed it a ton. We ate pure meat and chicken for three days and empanadas. There was so much food,  we ate and ate and ate and ate and ate some more. 

Before to lunch 

                                      
                                                                        After Lunch

tt was really fun because we brought 3 investigators to the party and were able to spend time with them there and they also were able get to know the members better.  We had a blast. We played soccer, flew kites, had sack races and we ate and danced, well the missionaries didn't dance.  We had three legged races and played dodge ball. It was crazy with so much fun going on.

                                                                  

                                    

We also had a little Milagros. we found a member less active in the street on Wednesday and invited him to come to the activity on Friday. His name is Pedro Pablo and he came to the activity, We invited him to church and he came on Sunday and said he is going to come every week from now on!! So that was really fun and awesome. Pedro Pablo is really funny too.

                                  

Thanks for all the support and Love.  I hope you know that you guys are the best and keep me moving forward. God wants us to be happy!

Love Elder Christensen                                  

                                               

                                               

Independence Week! 18th of September

                                     

This week was great fun. It is the Independence Week of Chile-- the day is September 18.  There are a ton of parties and everyone is really happy. We went to a stake activity with one of our investigators and there were a lot of games like the sack jumping and tug of war, musical chairs, etc. It was awesome.   The missionaries lost every tug of war!    That was sad, but fun. We lost to the married men and the returned missionaries. Also there was a lot of dances.  They were so cool I took videos of all of them but I can’t send them home because the file is too big,  but you can see them in a little while! Also we had a miracle that happened we taught an English class and after, invited our student to come to the activity and he came!   He only came for a little while but was able to talk with some members and enjoy himself. I love when we have activities in the church.

                            It was bound to happen to a guy who is famous for weak ankles!

We have another activity on Friday  that will be perfect to bring investigators too. We had another miracle this week.  We contacted a man a few weeks ago and he is from Ecuador. We decided to go back and see if we could visit him. He answered his door and said “come in come in!!” Music to my ears!   We got to know him. He has a family in Ecuador but he ended up getting divorced and moved to Chile and has been looking for God in his life for about a year.  Tomorrow he is going to come on a tour of the church and I am really excited for that!  He is also a painter and a carpenter and he is really cool! I love miracles.

                                        

       

This week I have been thinking a lot about the things I know now that are important and I was thinking how did I not realize how important they were before the mission. Things like the relationship I have with my family, the importance of Church, a desire to help everyone and actually doing something, real prayer, scripture STUDY.   I heard it over and over and over before the mission but it never seemed to sink in. Now I realize what I missed. I know we still had the best family in the world and we still do. But it can be better, always improving! I know that the little things are the most important!!

I love you all

Elder Christensen

                                         
                                                               Chile has gorgeous Sunsets

 

Just Working!

I’m just working here in El Mirador still. I can’t believe that Will is going to hit the MTC already! I remember when you told me he just got his call. He doesn’t have to worry about Spanish-- it just requires a lot of patience. I am still working on it, but that is ok it is a goal for the whole two years!

I cant believe that Miesha will be going home in December!! I didn’t think I left that much after her but seriously time doesn’t exist here. 

                                    

This week was fun we invited a women named Luisa to be baptized and she said yes but has a lot of doubts.  We have a lot of work to do with her. But I know if we focus on reading the BOM with her she will gain a testimony and that is all we need right? Better said--it is what she needs. 

I also had a funny experience.  We visited a member less active and her son was there so we taught him a little bit and I didn’t think he was a member because she said that she was the only member in her family. So I invited him to be baptized and he said he can’t because he smokes. Then we talked a little more and I said that is ok we can work through it and I invited him again. And it turns out that he was already baptized. So I invited a member to be baptized again hahahahaha it was funny but all good.

This week we also have some different rules. First September 11 has significance too it is the same day of a Government overthrow. So there is always a ton of chaos here. As a result, Tuesday we have to go to the house at 8 and we can’t leave the house again until Thursday. We have to stay inside for a whole day. I think that is going to be super weird but really good too because it will be dangerous outside. There are  still a lot of people who are in favor of the old government and there is total chaos. 

If we obey the rules and we don’t leave the house we wont have any problems so don’t worry about that at all!

Thanks for the pictures I just got them end more if you can! New ones of your vacations etc.. I like the one of BEN Working his heart out in the yard

Les Quiero mucho

Elder Christensen

Especially you MOM I Love you

Un Abrazon

                                

                                

                                

QUE

This week was good.  We were able to find a lot of people to teach and work to help them progress. We are trying to work a lot with the members here because we don’t receive anything of referrals here. Almost all the work we do is with investigators that we find or that the mission sends us. So it is really important to help the members improve and get excited about the work. Also we are going to have a lot of activities here in a couple weeks because the Independence Day for Chile is 18 of September! So we are going to invite a lot of people to come eat empanadas and play with Chilean toys. Trompo is like a huge top that you tie a string to and you can throw it really fast and Volantine is like a small kite but you have control and you can guide it. I want to learn how to fly volantines!  I know people will come to this activity.

This week I think I had the first honest companionship inventory in my whole mission. I felt really bad because Elder Largo was always mad at me. And then In our comp inventory I always get scared to say anything because I don’t want him to be mad at me all the time. This week I tried something new, I talked a little about the goals I had to improve in the mission and the changes I have made in my time here. Then I think that helped my companion open up a little more   And I was able to tell him I feel bad because he is always mad but he said he is trying to improve and he did improve a ton this week. After I felt so good because we really could just be completely honest with each other and help one another.

This week I got caught up in the numbers and I felt really stressed but I know I just have  to work as hard as I can and have faith that we will find people that are ready to make covenants with God and let Him guide us. Today I had some time to just relax because we went to Talagante in the country of Chile and we played some volleyball and had a barbeque!! I had a good time hanging out with the other Zone and it was so calm in the country I love it!! It was fun I am thankful that I could use today to refocus on the work. We are trying to bring more people to church to help them feel happy. I am happy because I am trying to help others be happy and that makes me even happier!! I just like being HAPPY!!!

Les quiero todos

Elder Christensen

I love you mom

Talagante