February 21, 2012 w/ 4 pictures!

The weeks are flying past. It's insane. Ok...

Tuesday: Can I just say Sister Allred and I are ballin? Like, for real. Let me explain. On Monday our district leader approached us about a game to play for district activity. In the world, this game is commonly known as "beer pong"--it's a social drinking game, but it's actually fun even without alcoholic beverages (appearance of evil much?). Those of you who know me might be accusatory and think I came up with the game to play, but it wasn't me. It was my DISTRICT LEADER. So we were like, sure let's play. For the game, I made the shots and Allred drank the chocolate milk and soda. We beat our zone leaders AND district leaders and won the entire tournament. We. Are. Ballin. We are the only girls in our zone of like 16 people, and we won. Also we made mustaches and took pictures -- although a bunch of our district was missing. It was legit. See photos. And since it was Valentine's Day, the Spanish sisters and us went out to dinner and did nail polish and facials after nightly planning. I love living with the Spanish sisters. We find every possible reason to have little parties. Love it.

Wednesday: It was rainy. It felt like a crappy day but it totally wasn't. We had six lessons and picked up a new investigator. Funny story about that one. The lady we picked up is not in our area so we really shouldn't be teaching her. We contacted into her and passed her off as a referral to some elders. We had already given these elders two other crappy referrals, so they (in a joking manner) were like, "We don't want anymore lame referrals", so we were like, "Ok...we will make sure this one is a golden"....Well turns out she is, but now she will only allow us to come back because we formed a relationship with her. haha. Sucks to be them! I hope they learned their lesson and will now accept referrals from us, because as I said before, we are ballin.

Thursday: Oh man, I was super grumpy on Thursday. I felt bad for my companion. Sometimes I just have those days where I just am grumpy and nothing can really pull me out of it....except maybe prayer, but I was too grumpy to pray. We did service in the morning, which was awesome, and then we had lessons and dinner from 4-9. Thankfully, even on my grumpy days, the work still progresses and we get it done.

Friday: We did weekly planning. And then stole another investigator from another set of elders. But this one was seriously an accident. And kind of funny. Last week we found this name that Allred had written down but we had no recollection of who it was or when we met them. It was bizarre. We were both like, "Uh....where did this name and number come from?"....So Allred decided to call in the hopes of remembering who she is. The lady remembered us but we STILL had no idea who it was. We set up an appointment and we were hoping that when we saw her we would remember. We get into her house and we are having small talk (and I am still freaking out because I don't know who she is) when Allred whispers to me, "gas station..." And then very slowly the memory came back. It was like a 30 second contact. I saw this lady at the gas station and felt the impression to talk to her, but I was lazy and made Allred do it haha. And then I forgot about it. She has a TON of Mormon family and is super nice and interested. We tried to explain that we could not be the ones to teach her because she does not live in our area, but it didn't work. She wants us. We plan to move her over to the correct elders eventually, but currently we are investigator stealers. It's not cool, but we are all on the same team, right? (that's called justification)

Saturday was so legit. I am taking forever to write this email but I still have so many stories! I am going to shorten them....First we had a women's conference with a motivational speaker. Loved it. Then we went to a quail farm! There were 12,000 baby quails running around in a room. See photo. We learned all about quail farming and it was really fun. Then we had an AWESOME lesson with a returning less active. And then we had our ward Valentine's Day party. It was hilarious. And slightly inappropriate. They played the coconut game...where you put a coconut between two stomachs and have to get it up to your lips without using your hands....Anywho, Saturday was a party. And it was transfer calls (surprise Saturday!) so obviously we celebrated with ice cream and worldly stories. All four of us are staying in our area! Wahoo!

Sunday was Sunday. And Monday was so good. We had four great lessons. We are really getting to see the blessings of the fruits of our labors. It's so great. Missionary work is the hardest and most fulfilling thing I have done in my life. Party hard people.

Love,
Sister Christensen

February 14, 2012 w/ pictures!

It takes me a long time to read through my emails, and once I do, I forget everything I wanted to write in the first place. Oh well.

Tuesday: We had an awesome lesson with our investigator. We had a "spiritual inventory" with her to find out her concerns and see where she stands. Both Sister Allred and I feel that we took leaps and bounds in creating a better relationship and working towards baptism. We really love this family and enjoy spending time with them.

Wednesday: In the morning we went contacting. This one guy stopped and commented on how refreshing it was to see two young girls dress so appropriately. We obviously took the opportunity to share a little about the gospel with him, only to have him talk our ear off for a solid 15 minutes, with his delusional mother trying to escape his arms and run away. No joke, she was this little old woman, and she was elbowing him in the stomach and stomping on his feet and if he let go, she would take off running. I worked in a nursing home for almost a year and I love old people, so this did not alarm me...I just really wanted the guy to stop talking and take care of his mother. Anyway, we had a great lesson that morning with an 18-year-old convert of a couple months. Every time we teach her, I learn more from her than she does from me. Later in the afternoon, we had companion exchanges. Sister Savaliga came with me in my area. Sister Savaliga is a legend in our mission. She has had 29 baptisms. She has no fear when it comes to missionary work. We spent the greater part of the afternoon contacting, and then taught a couple lessons that night. I learned a lot from her in only a day and I am glad I had the opportunity to work with her. She goes home next week!

Thursday: We had a lesson with a very liberal Mormon. My definition of a liberal Mormon is someone who agrees with most of the basics, but kind of comes up with their own doctrine and doesn't really live true to what they have been taught. I kind of really don't like liberal Mormons because they try and get people to agree and I am like, "uhh.....no....God said it, so it's true." I am in NO way perfect, but things like the Word of Wisdom, baptism, and salvation are not compromisable. You either do it, or you don't. We exchanged companions back at 3. After working with Savaliga, I really feel like I have a better understanding of my purpose. And that is to baptize. When I started, I really wanted to leave an awesome impression in my areas and hope that the wards I serve remember me and love me. But that is not what missions are about. It's awesome working with members, but we are here to save souls. We are here to weed out the ones who aren't ready and find the ones that are. It's a hard job, but I am all for it! We taught four lessons that night and all of them were super legit. We see great things happening in this area!

Friday: Weekly planning. And then appointments and drop-bys. Friday night we did service at a homeless shelter. We took dinner and served it to them. It was a great opportunity to count my blessings and find joy in service.

Saturday was rainy rainy. We went to the worldwide leadership training - which was not too much about missionary work so I was a bit distracted, but overall it was good! We kind of had a lack of motivation because of the weather, but we taught three lessons. I got a sweet package from my motha for Valentine's Day. I love Valentine's Day! I immediately made the whoopie pies and we pigged out with the Spanish sisters.

Sunday was fabulous. We had a stellar lesson in Relief Society about developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I felt such a strong conviction and desire to go out and share my testimony with others. I have an even greater understanding and love for Him and I want others to have that too! With the political things going on, we need to make sure everyone understands and knows what we stand for - and that is Jesus Christ. No more polygamy and Word of Wisdom dumb questions. Testify of Jesus Christ and leave it at that. (stepping off soapbox) We didn't have too many investigators come to Church but es ok. We worked hard and enjoyed the Sabbath.

Monday was great. We had district meeting, and it was raining. We went and helped the lady from last week with more computer problems. Apparently I am a genius when it comes to computers. Later we visited a couple less actives which was great because they were all nice and all set up appointments for us to visit. It's really cool to see how past life experiences, even the weird ones, can benefit me while I am serving. For instance, I worked for a Russian lady for two years and she always called me a name in Russian that I didn't understand. One of the less actives we went and visited is from Russia, so I took the opportunity to ask her what the name means. She laughed and told me it means a baby doll face (because my face is chubby). She opened up and talked to us for a while, all because I knew a Russian word from like 5 years ago. Awesome, right?

That night we had a really fun dinner with a family that is hilarious and then we taught lessons all night long (and played glow-in-the-dark Capture the Flag for the YSA FHE...dude, if I am going to be in a YSA ward, I am going to enjoy it, right?)

The Church es true peoples! Party hard!
one love.
-Sister Christensen

Allred and I at the church.

Eating our whoopie pies.

February 7, 2012

This week went really fast - it's weird to be on P-day again.

Wednesday was a total bust (relatively speaking). We had 7 appointments lined up and we were super stoked. We had a lesson in the morning, and when we home for lunch, we had a voicemail. Our investigator, Joe, called and dropped us! It was my first time being dropped by someone. I laughed but my companion was super sad. She had tracted into him and really liked him. I wasn't too attached but I was bummed that she was bummed. Then, in the middle of lunch, our next appointment needed to reschedule. I kept a positive attitude. The weather outside was amazing and I was just in a happy mood. We drove out to Fallbrook to visit some singles ward less actives. We came to this house that was way deep into the forest, but it was gorgeous. It was like an old manor with a cast iron gate and old train tracks running through with rolling hills. I just wanted to stay there all day long. And then, our third appointment canceled. When it rains, it pours. We got a little frustrated. And hungry, which is never a good combination. We went contacting and we had one guy who got all up in my face and was so obnoxious. It was annoying. I wanted to say more that I did, but we smiled and walked away. Thankfully, from 5-9 we had back-to-back appointments, and they all went through, so we were happy by the end of the day. Four lessons isn't bad at all, but when you have seven planned - it can drag ya down.

Thursday was zone conference. It was bomb. We had trainings on how to use the Book of Mormon to answer questions, and Moroni's promise, and being obedient. It was all good. Zone conference was from 7-4 p.m. We had "brinner" (which is breakfast for dinner---a word my investigator thinks everyone should use) with Dani and her family, plus another family from the ward. We taught about fasting. And then we came home. It was a quick and easy day.

Friday I had my dreaded doctor's appointment for my knees. I had every scenario played out in my head of what he would say except for the one he gave me. He messed with my knees, asked about all my symptoms, and told me I should never run again for life because it's my anatomy and it's just the way I was built. It kind of sucked a lot. I was sad. I always thought that one day I would get my knees fixed and I would be able to run without pain, but apparently not. I don't plan to settle with that answer, but at least for the duration of my mission, I will avoid running and hope that they will be better. We had weekly planning, and then back-to-back appointments from 2-9. We were busy busy and it was fun. It let me take my mind off my own problems. Missionary work is great that way :)

Saturday my companion and I got invited to zone leader council. It's usually a meeting for just zone leaders, but this time President invited six sisters in order for us to get the training and then pass on the information in exchanges to other sisters. I loved it. I loved it more than zone conference. We had two guest speakers, one of which is a General Authority - in the Presidency of the Seventy. He was so legit. I learned so much and had so many moments of inspiration and desire to get out there and work even harder. We also had a training about the upcoming political situations that will be arising with Mitt Romney running. It kind of scared me because people can be really mean, and even more so when it comes to politics. Oh man. I am sure we will be dealing with it more and more as my mission goes on.

Sunday we had choir practice at 9:30, then family ward, then single adult ward, then dinner with an investigator, then an investigator lesson, and finally, a member visit. Sundays rock. I love having two wards.

Monday was bomb too. We had district meeting, where I made an idiot of myself (but that's another story for another day haha). We had lunch and then went to do service for a lady in our ward. She needed help with her computer. She reminded me so much of my mom, I couldn't help but laugh. I thought she would need some intense computer help, but she wanted to know how to sign into her email account, write an email, and forward emails to people. It took two hours. And we will most likely be going back. My mom is still learning how to copy and paste. Haha. At 4 we had a lesson with a new investigator, which went really well, then we rushed to a sick awesome dinner, then rushed to a lesson with another new investigator, and then YSA FHE (Young Single Adult Family Home Evening). It was so fun!! They were playing Just Dance on Xbox Connect. I forgot how much I love dancing. We didn't get to dance, but the countdown begins now for when I get back to school and go dancing! Love it! And we had two non-members there, so that was fabulous. We finished the night with our ward mission leader who is so supportive and kind. This area is doing me good :)

I think I may or may not say this every email, but the Church is true people. Party hard.

-Sister Christensen

January 31, 2012

What a great week for missionary work! Four new investigators and a ton of lessons? Yes please.

Tuesday night we had a delicious Mexican dinner. I ate chimichangas for the first time and loved them--only to find out they are deep fried and awful for you. Just another food to add to my 13 pound weight gain. Love it! Later that night we taught our investigator Dani. We talked about gaining a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I bore my testimony and got emotional - which has only happened a handful of times on my mission because I hate crying in front of people. So Dani should feel honored haha.

Wednesday we had four lessons, picked up an investigator and the weather was amazing. I love California. A funny story: my companion was sharing a spiritual thought with a family, but we hadn't prepared so she was just whipping one out. She was talking and looking for a specific scripture but couldn't find it. It got more and more awkward as she looked, and finally she just started reading a verse. It was Alma 14:11....about women and children being burned to death....and I was sitting there like "what is she doing and how the heck is she going to tie this into missionary work".....somehow in someway she actually made it work, but I can't even remember what she said. When we got outside she was like, "That was NOT the scripture I was looking for, but after I started reading it and realized it was wrong, I was too embarrassed to stop." haha, I laughed so hard. The Spirit really does work when we need it to.

Thursday we had EIGHT lessons. Back to back. We picked up a new investigator and overall it was an awesome day. Keeping busy keeps missionaries happy.

Friday was a weird day for us. We had a great lesson in the morning and came home, had lunch, and then I called my mission president's wife. I have been having a really hard time with my knees - the doctors think I have torn cartilage in both knees - and lately it's been particularly bad. Sister Cook talked to me for an hour, and by the time we got off the phone we had no time to start weekly planning, so we just made a bunch of other phone calls. We had a lesson with a recent convert, and then a fabulous dinner with some members. During our spiritual thought, Brother Vonswad looked at his mother-in-law and pretended to shoot her. I looked over at her and she was playing dead. They had no idea I was watching and it was just so funny and endearing. It made me miss my momma! Later that night we had sister exchanges. I went into Oceanside with Sister Gittins while Sister Allred stayed in our area with Sister Hermanson.

Saturday was interesting. It was a non-stress day for me because I don't know the area at all, so I just have to follow directions from Sister Gittins. We went to this one lady who just poured out her soul to us. Some people are so interesting. Ha. We spent the greater part of the day getting rejected and having no success. We had In-n-Out for dinner and switched companions at 7 pm. When I got home, Sister Allred had found my lost CD case. I was beyond upset when I lost it a couple weeks ago, so when she had it, it was like someone had come back to life. I wish she would have recorded my reaction. Needless to say, I was stoked.

Sunday was great. We have two wards so the greater part of our day is spent in Church. As missionaries, you have to be prepared to share a testimony or thought at a moment's notice. During third hour, our whole ward was congregated and I was called to do a reading and bear my testimony. I am definitely kept on my toes. We picked up another investigator that night, which was fabulous.

Monday we finally did weekly planning. Then we visited less active members. We found one couple who owns a quail farm! How unique! When all the little quailies hatch, they are going to take us to the farm to see them! I am excited about that. We got another new investigator who is this little old lady who dresses like she is homeless, but she is really on top of things. It's pretty funny. That night we went to the young single adult family home evening, which was way fun. I love being over a YSA ward!

Despite my knees crapping out on me, we worked hard and had fun. We have another awesome week ahead of us with zone conference and a leadership meeting and tons of people to teach. The Church is true! Party hard!

Love, Sister Christensen

January 24, 2012

It was a great week!  I'll start with last Tuesday night:

We had an awesome lesson with our investigator, Danny. She is very serious about learning and wants to know everything before she jumps in. I love it because she understands what a commitment it is to become a member of the Church and that it is a lifestyle and not just a passing fad. They have the cutest daughter ever who always keeps us entertained. I am really growing to love them.

Wednesday: We taught lessons alll dayyy long - it was fabulous. We have an AMAZING singles ward investigator - Victoria. When we taught, the Spirit was so strong. She mentioned that when she walked into Church she felt something different and she knew it wasn't because she was cold...We had a recent convert join us in the lesson and I learned so much from both of them. Breanna (the RC) has such a beautiful testimony and is so excited and vibrant about the gospel, it's infectious. Later that day we taught our investigator, Joe, who was born and raised Catholic. We asked him why he lets us come and he said, "Because I just feel good when you are around." He is very sweet and we just hope that we can get him to come to Church and realize what his life is missing. We had a fun dinner appointment and tried waffle-iron brownies. (Brownies made in a waffle iron -- the mom got it off Pinterest -- not bad!) We ended the night with Nici and baby Amina.

Thursday was another day of good appointments. We picked up an investigator, which was awesome, and we kept really busy.

Friday was great too....ok, most of the days were awesome. We had weekly planning and then back to back lessons. We taught Danny again and it went really well. Later we saw our recent converts, Nici and Greg. Nici is hilarious. She is only 19 with a two-year-old baby, but man, she keeps me laughing. I always enjoy going over there.

Saturday was a day of rain and gloom. We literally did not have one appointment but we flew by the seat of our pants and made things happen. We attended a baptism, found a couple lessons to teach, and rocked out to some sweet music (the Spanish sisters that we live with have a Celine Dion CD and it made me very happy).

Sunday was Stake Conference. I cannot even begin to tell you all the awesome things I learned at Stake Conference. It was a broadcast from Salt Lake City -- I really enjoyed it. I learned about patience, charity, and how the small things in life are what fill us up and prepare us to meet Heavenly Father again. (That is a super lame wrap-up of what I learned, but I am pressed for time). That night we just went from house to house, visiting active families in the ward. We got a couple referrals and I feel like I am starting to connect more with this ward. I love it. I am setting my roots :)

Monday was rainy rainy so we kept busy. We had district meeting and then an appointment with a less active, Sister Roth. She is a character. She kept us entertained for sure. That night we got to go to single ward FHE (Family Home Evening), which was fun. It makes me reminisce on the good old college days.

Today we went to the San Diego temple. It's gorgeous. That's all I can say. I am sooo running out of time. I hate being on timed computers. But, the Church is true. It just makes sense. This area has so much potential and it's because these people are humble. They see past money and cars and realize there is more to life. I know for a fact that I have lots to learn down here. My companion is all rainbows and sunshine and she keeps me happy. She is obedient and hard working and I am excited to continue to learn from her. Hope everyone is partying hard and being awesome. Love ya!

-Sister Christensen

January 17, 2012 w/ pictures

Warning: From now until who knows when, I will no longer be able to write as long as I want or at my leisure. In my new area, the library only allows ONE hour with NO wiggle room :( I usually take an hour and a half to write so now I am really feeling the pressure. Anyway, I still love getting emails, but now I will only really be able to write one long letter to everyone and hand write everything else.

What a crazy week. Last Tuesday did not feel like P-day, so it seems like a long time since I got to relax for a minute. As you all know, last week was transfers. I spent the greater part of the day packing. I am now down south in San Diego County, specifically the Vista Stake. I cover two wards, the Vista 8th family ward and the Young Single Adult 6th ward. (Funny story, one of the guys in the YSA ward hit on me multiple times at BYU and now he is in my ward. Awkward!)

Anyway, my Orange County tiara has been officially knocked off. There are no more BMW's and Mercedes'. Now we have trailer parks and chickens. (Seriously, there are a bunch of chickens that crow every morning right near my apartment.) The people down here are way more humble and willing to listen. I am homesick for my old ward, but at the same time I am happy to have changed and am excited to see what I can learn down here. (One thing that scares me is that there are no street lights here and the roads are super curvy and thin...and slightly ghetto....like there are dirt roads that lead to broken paved roads that lead to big main roads......I am just not in the OC anymore ha).

My companion is Sister Allred. She is one transfer younger than me. She is a very good missionary. She has that missionary voice that I kind of refuse to have, but at the same time she has shown me that it's not a BAD thing to talk like a missionary. She is very obedient and is a great example to me. My first day here we had five appointments, back to back, which was exhausting but awesome too. While teaching, I really felt the Spirit speaking through me. I was saying things that I wouldn't have thought of myself and for some reason this is the first time I have really acknowledged that happening. It happens all the time, but making note of it was something I wanted to do. I really love that I feel like a good teacher. I cannot answer every question thrown at me, but I am not scared of teaching or giving my viewpoints.

On Thursday we kept busy getting to know the area. It's stressful being new here because I don't know everyone and I cannot really help get us around or decide what to do. I have to rely on my companion a lot and she's great so it's all good. We did contacting, had a fun dinner, and taught a couple lessons that night.

Friday was a LONG day of weekly planning. Once we finally got out of the house, it was not the best day. Just kind of ehh.

Saturday we spent visiting less actives and part member families. The weather was amazing and always helps make the day a little better. Unfortunately, because both of us are relatively new to the area, we got lost for an hour. Because we cover two wards, our area is a lot bigger and harder to find our way around. It was frustrating because we were wasting gas, miles, and it wasn't missionary work.

Sunday was busy busy. We had meetings from 8-11, then Church 11-1 and we went on splits so I went to the YSA ward and Sister Allred finished with the family ward, and then we finished Church at 4 and had dinner and a teaching appointment and another meeting. It was just, busy.

Monday we had district meeting. In my last area we had a total of eight missionaries in our district. Now we have like 14. It's a lot bigger and I don't really like it. I feel lost in the crowd. I just need to get used to it, but it will take some time. We did some service (helped clean the yard of a girl's trailer) and then we had dinner with a very nice and supportive family. We are going around teaching all the families about ward mission plans and creating their own "Family Mission Plan" (if you don't know what a ward mission plan is, you need to go talk to the missionaries in your ward haha). I am excited about it and hope to gain the trust of our ward and get them involved as much as possible.

I get stressed really easily, but overall it was a great week. I see a lot of potential here and I am excited to make new memories. We currently have about four investigators and two of them are pretty solid. I am excited about that. I hope all is going well for everyone! Party hard!!!

Love,
Sister Christensen

Goodbye Sister Rokobuli

Hello Sister Allred

January 10, 2012 with pictures

Hey all-

It was an insane week. Last week feels like a lifetime away. I don't even know where to start...

Hmm...well I am getting transferred. I have been here in RSM(Rancho Santa Margarita)/Mission Viejo for six months. It's my home. I am sad to go but excited to see more of the mission and meet different people. I found out I am going down to Vista - my companion, Sister Rokobuli, and I literally changed places. She was down there for six months in that ward. I also know who my companion is going to be......I am very interested to see how this one works out. I am two for two on awesome companions, but we'll see. I am senior comp, aka this girl is younger than me, and I still feel like a young missionary so I am nervous about that. Next week will be a whole different ball game.

My birthday was fantastic. I saw all the people I love and had four mini-celebrations. I guarantee I gained like 3-5 pounds with all the cakes and cupcakes I ate. I had Cafe Rio for lunch, which is my fav, and my companion totally surprised me with a balloon, cupcakes, and a really sweet letter. And she made me breakfast. She was awesome to me! Love her!

In terms of missionary work, it was great! An investigator I've been teaching for a while basically told me she will see me "sooner than later", aka she is really considering getting baptized! I would be so thrilled for her. She is great and I have really grown to love her.

We rode bikes on Saturday, which was so fun. I finally stopped caring about what I looked like and we stopped and talked to anyone and everyone while we rode around. The weather was amazing - seriously amazing. I love it here.

I spent all day Sunday and Monday saying goodbyes. It's totally bittersweet. I'll miss this area like crazy. It's all I know. Pray for me! Thanks for all the birthday wishes and love. Hope all is going well.

-Sister Christensen