Week 72

This week we did a service project for one of our investigators! She almost got baptized 5 years ago, and is starting to progress! So to reward us, she let us cut her extremely ingrown grass with a couple of dull machetes! We did some work! It was extremely difficult, but we got a good chunk of it done! I didnt take any pictures, but it looks SO much better. Our workmanship was exceedingly fine. So if anyone needs me to cut their lawn with a machete, I could totally do it! I have the blisters to prove it!

Transfers came. And im going to Garupa. Its right next to Posadas. My new companion is my old companion, Elder Diaz. Hes from Cordoba, Argentina. Im super excited to be with him again. Hes great! I know that we will be blessed with A LOT of work to do. And im stoked.

Weve been working with our branch here in something thats called ``missionary environment``. It entails sharing the gospel with your friends by giving more references, participating more in church, and when investigators or menos activos come to church, the members are as friendly as possible. And its going great! We just had 5 menos activos come to chruch, and immediately all the members flocked to them, and started talking to them, and were singing hymns with them, and it was awesome!

As I have mentioned, one menos activo just randomly showed up with his family, and said that he wanted to be a better example. Well today, he blessed the sacrament for the first time in 13 years, and when we talked with him yesterday, he said that him and his wife were talking, and they want to serve a couples mission when their youngest son, who is 12 years old, moves out! So they've started saving money, and want to prepare themselves spiritually to do it, too! So that was awesome.

I love you all.

Elder Christensen

Week 71

One of our investigators calls me "The Russian" because she says that I look like Ivan Drago from Rocky IV. I'm not going to complain.

Well the most exciting news from this week is that our zone has started to play a contacting game. Each companionship in the zone picks a day and picks what were going to contact that day. Green houses, people with dogs, people with children, blondes, old people, have been some of the subjects. Then we just try and go out and contact as many of these people as we can. And our zone is getting to be much more lively and it gives us a bit of thrill in missionary work. I dont know if its the most spiritual thing, or if I have a segway into something spiritual, but were just trying to do a bunch of things to talk with as many people as possible!

An 8 year old girl was baptized in our branch this week! We didnt prepare anything because its the branchs responsibility, and when we showed up, no one else had prepared anything either! So we ended up having to fill the font, give talks, clean, prepare the program, and get baptismal clothing, all that night! It was a great opportunity for us to do a little service!

We have two lesser active families that are starting to come back to church. We never visited them before, they just showed up because they decided that they wanted to be good examples for the rest of their family, and they knew that going to church was the way to do it! So now were trying to help them find other ways to serve and be examples to their families and those around them. What a wonderful thing to do! Hooray for living the gospel!

Well, the chruch is true.

Elder Christensen

Week 70

11 Enero 2014
Just kidding, its 2016.

This was one of the best weeks I've had in a while!!

On Friday, during the zone meeting, we got a text from Presidente LaPierre asking if we would be able to do divisions with him that day. We were already planning on leaving with a member, so it was perfect! I went with Presidente, and Elder Quesada went with Hermano Trinidad. Presidente is pretty much the most spiritual man alive. His teaching style is extremly simple. He just shares what he knows, then the Spirit does the rest. It was fun. We contacted one house, and the first thing they said was ``I dont want to talk to you. Im from the 21th century``. Makes sense. After about 30 seconds of loving banter from Presidente, they couldnt help but to talk with us. Turns out, the whole family sat around us in a circle, and asked us questions about the Book of Mormon and about life after death, which we answered using the very same book of Mormon that was in my hand. It was great.

Well the day before, we were with Hermano Trinidad, and one of his neighbors said hi to him, and instead of saying ``hi`` back, he said ``hey, no joke, when can i pass by your house with these missionaries and talk about Christ??!``... hm... i like his style! We set up an apppointment for the next day, when Elder Quesada went with him. They taught the Restauraction. and apparently during the lesson the man said ``wow. I was confused before. I thought you guys worshipped Joseph Smith, but now it all makes sense. Now i WANT to read the Book of Mormon.`` Then asked if he could invite his friend to attend church with him. Wow. This guy was giving them more references than the whole rest of the branch combined!

Well, they didnt attend church, but it was a faith building experience!

Weve been looking for Menos Activo members lately. And like 6 attended yesterday. It was insane. And our branch president had interviews with all of them... lets see if they decide to be active in the only true and living church upon the face of the earth...

Last week we had meetings in Posadas. It was great to see Elder BAskin there. I always love listening to Presidente LaPierre. Were trying to change the culture of the mission. to teach repentence and baptize converts.

While we were in Posadas, we finally cut our hair. The Argentine lady that did it really should not be cutting hair. the worst 3 dollars ive ever spent.

Have a wonderful day

Elder Christensen

Week 69

Welcome.

The best thing that happened this week was something that i learned. Doctrine based. So buckle up! In the Sacrament prayer, we pray that when we take the Sacrament, we "are willing to take upon [us] the name of [Christ], and always remember Him..." Well as we all know, taking upon us the name of Christ is exaltation. And it is impossible to be exalted just by taking the Sacrament. That comes after. But with the Sacrament, comes our testimony that we are WILLING to be exalted. We dont take upon ourselves His name yet, but we are willing to do it. Interesting.

Well, last week we organized a Family Night with a menos activo family that we had recently found. We prepared, and another member family came with us, and it was awesome. This menos activa lady was really positive about going back to church, and told us that she misses feeling the Spirit, and wants to come back. It was great. They were really positive and it was a good Family Night.

Elder Quesada has been pretty sick from all the asados weve been eating. Everyone just keeps giving us food, and his little body couldnt really take digesting all that fat. So ive had a little bit of time every day to just sit and think. Its very nice.

The Church is True, and i love you all.

Elder Emil