6/27/2016: Week 41 - New Area and New Companion

Hello everyone!

We had transfers this week! I was moved and my new companion is a Brazilian from the northeast. She is an absolute sweetheart and is full of joy and the love of missionary work. She only has 3 months on the mission but already knows how to teach and use the spirit. We giggle and take a lot of photos together. This transfer will be an awesome one.

This week also went very well. I had the opportunity to go to another Festa Junina, and we brought two new investigators with us to the party. They loved it, and then came to church the next day!

We have 10 new investigators this week with a lot of potential. I will keep everyone updated on what happens with them and when we have a baptism. ;)

I love you all! Thank you for your support and love!

-Sister Christensen

6/20/2016: Week 40 - Group Email and Photos

Hello!

I don't have much time this week, but I will give you a quick run down and some of photos.

1. I am being transferred -- I don't know where to yet, or who will be my companion, but I will let you all know in my next e-mail. 

2. I found an American flag.

3. I ate at McDonald's for the first time in 9 months. It is exactly the same as it is in the US.

4. We had a Festa this week: basically a lot of food and people dressed like rednecks/cowboys...and a lot of corn and square dancing. 

 5. The other sisters baptized M this week. 

With love,

Sister Christensen

Found an American Flag

McDonalds

Temple

Festa 

Companions

6/14/2016: Week 39 - A Bazaar and A Coincidence

Hello!

So, last week I told everyone about the mini tornado that we had. This week, the church gathered a bunch of clothing, food and mattresses, and we had a donation Bazaar in the church for the people who lost things in the storm. Sister B and I were there, and we talked to every single person who entered, sharing a bit of the gospel, and asking if they had interest in learning a little bit more. All in all, I think about 50 people gave us their addresses or numbers, wanting to learn more about the church. 

Sister P and I also had the opportunity to teach about 20 people about the church and Jesus Christ as they waited to enter into the Bazaar. It was really neat to stand in front of these people and teach them what I know to be true. I don't know who was really listening, but I know that we gave them the choice to know more, and we did our part. 

This week, we will be focusing on contacting all of these people.

Sister B and I also had the opportunity to teach a woman named H about the Book of Mormon. She told us that everything that we said makes sense, and then she said that when she reads the Bible, she likes to open up to a random page and read it. She then went and did the same with the Book of Mormon, and to my surprise she opened to Alma 32:21 which says, "And now as I said concerning faith -- faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." 

That in and of itself was cool, because of all the random scriptures she could have read, she read a beautiful verse on faith; a verse that we use in our teaching as missionaries. But then something even weirder happened. We started to talk about marriage, and she said, "Lets try the book again." This time, when she randomly opened it, she read the following verse in 4 Nephi 1:11: "and they were married, and given in marriage, and were blessed according to the multitude of promises which the Lord had made unto them." 

This time, her eyes got wide. I don't know if that was all coincidence or not, but I do know that God works in mysterious ways, ha ha.

Com amor e beijos,

Sister Christensen

PS We also went to the temple this week -- I will send pictures next week!

6/6/2016: Week 38 - 9 Months Down and a Tornado

​Hello!

So this week was... interesting.

First of all, the Elders forgot to pay the energy bill, and so they cut our lighting and heating this week. Oh-so-innocent us thought that the power had just gone out, until we talked to the doorman who asked us if we knew that they had cut our power. We then called the Elders and got everything sorted out, but that night we got home and lit a bunch of emergency candles, made some french fries, and took photos. But don't worry, the energy got turned back on the next day, after a painfully cold shower. 

Then Saturday night there was a mini-tornado here. (It's okay mom, I am safe.) I don't know about you, but when I think about here I don't think about tornadoes. Tornadoes just don't happen here, but I am here to witness that it did indeed happen. We woke up Sunday and got all ready to go to church. When we got there, the power was out. We had sacrament meeting like normal, but in the end, the bishop told everyone what happened, and that there were a lot of members who needed help. Immediately after the meeting, everyone got divided into groups to either a) help with the member's houses, or b) make lunch for the people affected. Everyone was organized and ready to go in ten minutes flat. When we got to the houses, I honestly didn't believe my eyes. 

Sister B and I helped Irmã A and I. (I is the girl who we did a split with.) Her ceiling had holes in it from other people's roofing crashing in, and there was water everywhere. One wall had also collapsed. Another house was completely demolished because of the storm. There was a sink hole close to a house as well. They had no light and no water, and yet, A had to go to work the next morning. We helped clean what we could, and the brothers of the ward helped patch up the roof until they could do something more permanent. 

Even though it was really sad to see the utter destruction of these houses, I was also really touched by how the members responded so quickly and with a lot of organization. They dropped everything to go help their brothers and sisters who were suffering. There was even one brother who had his oil with him, ready to give a blessing to whoever needed it. Seeing these people's charity really touched my heart.

On another note, I have 9 months on the mission! I am half way done! Has it passed as fast for you all as it has for me?

Love,

Sister Christensen

Half Way Mark!

AKA Hump Day!

No Power!