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

So we had an awesome week because we had a BAPTISM. On Friday, we baptized A y P Verdejos after they got married. It was a  cool experience and I really enjoyed it. We went to their wedding which was about 20 minutes and then we had the baptism and I had the opportunity to baptize P.   She called me and asked me to do it. First she wanted the missionary who started to teach her to do it but our President said no. Then she wanted her son Roberto to do it but he is not a priest yet. So she asked me. I was more than happy to help her with that. The water was cold but the spirit was so strong it didn’t even matter! I just felt so good after I literally felt like I was glowing from the inside. I don’t know how to describe the experience but it was unique and I will never forget it. Also when A left the water I was waiting for him and I just hugged him so hard and he was crying a little. WOW it was so COOL!  I am so happy that we were able to help them progress and get married and baptized. Now we have to get them to the temple!

                                     
                                                                                                  
                                     
     

 Also I started writing all the blessing that I have seen in  my journal and I really like it because as I write the things I have seen I find more blessings to thank my Heavenly Father for. Then I just feel happy because I can see the hand of the Lord in my life. A big blessing I noticed was in the English class we are teaching. We decided to print an article from the Ensign in English to read with our class. It was about prayer and it talked about a family who lost a son to cancer. Then it just so happened that one of our students, O, had lost her youngest son. And the day we taught English was the birthday of her son who died. She said she almost didn’t come to the class but she decided to come and she said that the article was just what she needed to feel peace and comfort in her life. THAT WAS A MIRACLE!!

                                    

Also this week my companion finally started telling me what he wants to do and sharing his ideas with me. Actually, he kind of exploded with ideas-- it was awesome!  First we were planning a tour of the church and he told me in essence that I was focusing to0 much on sharing scriptures because I had one scripture for every place in the church. He said that the tour would not be very good and then he told me his idea. I was not mad at all which surprised me because he kind of told me my ideas sucked. But I was just so happy that he started to participate more and have ideas and desires what we can do and how we can improve. Also he told me I talk too much in the lessons and I need to shut my mouth. I also was just relieved that he was talking to me and now I know how I can help him. I need to give him more responsibility and help him lead the lessons. That will be awesome! I am happy with our companionship. I just have to find a way to help him feel better when he gets mad. Because when he is mad at me it is for 1 day or a day and a half. So I am going to improve that way. But I am super happy.

                           

Last Can you guys keep sending me awesome quotes that you here from the apostles or prophets or whoever but inspirational quotes.  I love them!   

Thanks I love you all.

Elder Christensen

I love you MOM  and DAD

PS I got called as District Leader 

                           

                                                         My Twin

                                     

MARRIAGE AND BAPTISM

This I have really good news! A and P HAD their interview to get baptized this week and they PASSED.  We have a their baptism scheduled for Friday and it will be awesome! I am really excited for them.  They are finally ready to get baptized. They investigated the church for a year but couldn't get baptized because they had to get married. They will get married and the baptism is right after.  We have to plan the whole baptism.

It has been hard this week as well because I think in the mission we are always doing something new. We never get comfortable and when we do get comfortable, we have transfers or we have some kind of change. I feel this way because I am trying to help Elder L get used the  mission, but I feel like a lot of times he gets mad at me and I don’t know why.  I struggle because he is super shy so he doesn't want to talk to me or in the lessons. But I know I was similar. I was scared to talk before but I know that he just needs to try and it will come. I know if anyone has changed in the mission it is me.

Before, I was so scared to talk to anyone. Now I find a stranger that I have never met and after five minutes we are friends. I had that happen the other day. We were looking for a house and we were a little lost. A man named MW came out of his house and we started talking with him. It was fun because he was really funny. Now whenever we see him, we talk a little and we’re just friends. I know the mission changes people. But I don’t know how to help someone experience the most from the mission because it is a decision we all need to make for ourselves-- To enjoy life. 

President Monson always talks about enjoying the life. He has two talks that I really like Finding joy in the journey and In Search of Treasure. The talks are about doing all we can do now. There is no tomorrow if we don’t act and live today!

I am super happy here I never really feel comfortable because we always have a new challenge or experience to face but that is what makes life fun Right?:)

I love you all 

Elder Christensen

I love you MOM!!

Gift from former companion

Street named after the day before my birthday!