Homecoming Talk - Being a True Disciple of Jesus Christ and Diagnosis

A lot has happened in these few short weeks. I was sent home from a mission and a work that I loved, and I was diagnosed with cancer. More specifically, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. 

That shocked me a little bit. I always seemed to think that cancer was a disease that other people get, or at least it sure feels that way. I just never thought it would happen to me. But here I am, sitting in a hospital bed and having chemotherapy. While this path will be scary and hard, I have complete faith that God will lead me through it. As it says in Joshua 1:9, "...Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest". I can feel the love of God with me, even when things aren't easy or the way I would like them to be. But I know that he is at my side through the pain and will carry me through this trial on His shoulders.

Another family in my ward also planned a homecoming party for me and their son. It was super sweet of them. Pictures are included below.

But anyways, I am at home now, and I have already given my homecoming talk. If you would like to read it, I have pasted it below

Being a True Disciple of Jesus Christ

Good morning. My name is Sister Christensen and I just returned from serving in the Brasil Campinas Mission. I loved my mission. I loved the experiences, I loved learning and teaching about the gospel, but most of all, I loved having the opportunity to do my small part in the changing of lives.

I believe that two things should happen while you are on a mission. 

1. You invite others to come unto Christ. 
2. You become a different person than who you were when you left.

As a missionary, you see and experience a lot of things. You see heartache. You see pain. You see illness and depression. In short, you see Satan trying to destroy the hope and faith of humanity. As Paul says, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). There is a lot of darkness in the world and it is a real power. No one can deny that.  However, God is more powerful, and His work is far greater. His kingdom brings light and hope, and has the power to change lives.

Without the gospel of Jesus Christ, people are lost. They are as sheep with no master. As Matthew puts it, the blind are leading the blind (Matthew 15:14). But as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we have something different. We have the light. And because we have something different, we need to do something differently.

Our purpose, as missionaries (and as members in general) is to share the light that we find in the gospel with others. As we do so, we take our friends and our loved ones by the hand and lead them out of the darkness and into the light. This light comes from our faith. We have faith in Jesus Christ.

On my mission, I had the opportunity to do just that: to invite others to come unto Christ.

There is a scripture that I really like in Ether 12:4 which reads:

“Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.”

This scripture says that it is through our faith in God and Jesus Christ that we obtain a hope for a better world. Despite all the works of the adversary, we can have hope that because of Jesus Christ, we are free from our worries, our illnesses, our weaknesses, and our sins. We have a greater perspective that all of our sufferings and afflictions will “give [us] experience, and shall be for [our] good” (D&C 122:7).

The next part of the verse says something equally as important. When we have faith, we must abound in good works. So how do we abound in good works? How are we made sure and steadfast, being led to glorify God? The key is action. We must act on our faith and our beliefs if we are to inherit all of these promised blessings.

I think that James sums it up for all of us when he said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

When we are true disciples of Jesus Christ, we seek to apply his teachings in our lives. As we do so, we quickly find that it is much easier to talk the talk than to take up your cross and follow Him. I have learned that the best missionaries aren`t the ones with the best language skills or the most scriptures memorized. The best missionaries, the best disciples, are the ones who love others as He did and does. They are the ones who are doing the work of the Savior. Anyone can talk about Christ. But it takes a devoted and humble servant to get up and do something; to follow in the footsteps of Christ and to change themselves for His sake; to leave everything at His feet and to serve as He did.

When we are baptized we make the promise that we are “desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another`s burdens, that they may be light… [and] willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that we may be in, even until death” (Mosiah 18:8-9).

You will notice that this scripture does not say to do these things until you are too tired, until you think you have done enough, or until that person that you are serving starts to get on your nerves. It says that we must comfort those who stand in comfort, we must mourn with those who mourn, and be an example at all times, even until death. There are no time-outs in the road of discipleship.

As members of the church, each and every one of us made that promise when we were baptized. I would ask of you, how are you acting to keep this sacred covenant with God?

One way that we keep this covenant is through charity.

It is no wonder that the first and greatest commandment is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39). It is through service that we become more like our Heavenly Father and more like Jesus Christ. It is through service and through action that we take up our crosses and follow Him. 

There was one day on my mission where we woke up to find that a tornado had passed through the area, destroying entire parts of neighborhoods and cutting trees across as though they were toothpicks. There were several members whose homes were completely demolished – walls had fallen down, the ground had sunk, entire roofs were lifted away in the wind, not to mention there was about two inches of water inside of the houses. It broke my heart to see the scene that had unfolded in front of me. I saw people who I loved sunk down in utter despair at the sight of their homes. They were afraid and had a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

However, that very same day, I watched as the entire ward sprang into action to help their suffering brothers and sisters. In less than ten minutes after sacrament meeting, the ward had organized parties to go help repair and clean houses, as well as lunches for the families affected by the tragedy. They dropped everything to go and help. I even saw a man with a vial of consecrated oil in his hand, ready to give a blessing to whoever was in need.

And yet their love and service didn`t stop there. Over the weeks, they organized a donation of clothing, mattresses, and food for the affected families, both inside the ward and in the community. I saw the hand of God working through the ward to reach out and comfort his other children. I was touched by their selfless love.

A couple weeks later I had the opportunity to see how a great be with a true disciple of Christ. The last few weeks of my mission I spent with Sister D. We were in the hospital, in the mission home, or traveling between the two. It was exhausting. I can`t imagine how tired she must have been, but she didn`t show it. She slept on a bad hospital bed and didn`t say a word. She called the President to give updates with a smile in her voice. And if I was struggling, she was there with arms open to give me a hug, and encouraging words to say. There wasn`t one moment where she was annoyed or frustrated. I looked at her and I saw Christ by my side. I saw that she wasn`t just teaching people about the gospel, she was living it.

I think that is the most important thing that you can learn in this life: to love and serve others humbly. 

I was asked to speak about how I have changed on my mission. I could give you a list of things that I believe have changed about myself, but I feel like that wouldn`t prove much. What I believe is that the mission starts a process. It starts us on the road of true discipleship. It is when we leave our will behind that we may truly become as the Savior was.

--- end talk fabulously and bear testimony-- 

My last invite can be found in Mosiah 4:10, which reads, “and now, if you believe all these things, see that ye do them”.

PHOTOS

Waiting for the Bus to the Airport

My Friend who Came to Pick Me Up and I Eating Icecream

Arrived Home!

Homecoming Party with Friends

Homecoming Party/Banners

In the Hospital with my Sister

4/4/2016: Week 29 - BATISMO E TRANSFERÊNCIAS

Hello!

This week we had the baptism of R! We met her about two months ago through the help of a member. This member brought her to church, and she loved it. She then proceeded to invite us to her house to hear the missionary lessons. She always said that she felt really good about church, but was afraid to make the commitment to be baptized. We talked to her a lot about trusting in the Lord and how faith casts out fear, and this past Saturday, after General Conference, she was baptized! She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met (and makes one of the best cakes I have ever eaten). I am so proud of her and her decision of faith to follow Christ and be baptized in his name. :)

I am also being TRANSFERRED! I don't know where, I don't know with who, all I know is that I am going to show up in the Rodoviária (bus station) at 9 am tomorrow morning with all of my stuff. Here's to a new adventure!

Love,

Sister Christensen

3/28/2016: Week 28 - Easter Week

Happy Easter!

I spent Easter with the P family. They have five kids. FIVE. So it felt like we were a part of the family but also left me feeling a little homesick. We ate lunch all together, and then the wife brought out chocolate Easter eggs, brigadeiro, and little chocolate balls for dessert. We were all eating as the husband tried to open the package of chocolate balls, when *POOF* the entire pack exploded all over the room. The husband, who has a really serious face, just shrugged, picked up a handful of them and yelled "WAR" and began pelting them at us and at his kids hahaha. The kids then joined in, all throwing them at their dad, and one landed in his mouth, and he just ate it and continued the war. Then the wife joined in, threw one at her husband, and it went up his nose. The war stopped after that.

I also gave a talk in church this week! I am not going to say that it went well, but I will say that I have now given a speech, in Portuguese, in front of a bunch of Brasilieros. 

We also visited with another less active member this week, and she told us that she had been praying for help when two angels (Sister S and I) showed up on her front porch. It's always good to hear that you are an answer to someone's prayer. 

I also ate more cow tongue.

And last, but definitely not least, we were talking to R about the commandments the other day, and Sister S pretty much laid them all down in about two minutes, while challenging her to baptism, which she accepted! It was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever been in. When we were leaving, I got out of the car and almost yelled at her to give me her coffee. She then went into the house, got all the coffee, and handed it over to me. So Sister S and I took some victory photos with the coffee before throwing it triumphantly into the trash.

Love,

Sister Christensen

Bye Bye Coffee!

3/21/2016: Week 27 - My Companion the Pack Mule

Hello Everyone!

This week was a little rough because I hurt my back (curse you messenger bag). I stayed home one day and have been recuperating. Thanks to my wonderful companion, I am feeling much better! This whole week she has been carrying the things of two people. And she does it so happily! I haven't heard her complain about it once. She just loads up the bag and we go to work, singing and playing as usual. She reminded me a lot of Christ. Sometimes, we are unable to carry our own bags. We can't do it ourselves. We need someone willing to take our burdens from us. Christ has already paid the price. We just need to let go and give our bag to Christ. We do our part, and he will handle the rest.

Easter is coming up, and I just want to share my testimony of Christ. I know that He lives. He paid the price for our sins, and because of him, we have hope in this life. We have hope that things will get better. We have hope that we can become better. We can leave behind all of our pain and our worries if we just trust in Him and His atoning sacrifice. Christ loves us. It is because of His love for us that he died, it is because of His love for us that he lives again.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

Love,

Sister Christensen

 

3/14/2016: Week 26 - English Classes and Miracles

Hello all!

This week was really great. It started great, it ended great, and there was a lot of greatness in between. 

First of all, Sister S and I had the opportunity to do a service project in a school. We basically went there, and spoke with students who are currently trying to learn English. We walked into each classroom and introduced ourselves to them in English. The teacher would then ask if anyone understood, and the class would then collectively reply "No...", which is probably good considering that my English is a little iffy right now, and I definitely wasn't speaking very correctly. Then when they learned that we spoke Portuguese, the entire room started to yell and ask us a million questions about the US, English, and what we liked about Brasil. We were basically celebrities. It was pretty cool.

We also had a division this week, and I worked with Sister Q. We were knocking on doors, and we found a man who has been taking care of his wife for five years. She has stayed in the same bed, not talking, not moving, just breathing and opening and closing her eyes, for five years. He told us that he needed someone to help him take care of her, and asked if we knew anyone who was in need of a job. We took down his information and left with a prayer. The next day Sister S and I went to visit a less active member who had recently moved there, and who we knew was searching for a job. We told her about the opportunity, and she got so happy. She told us that she had been praying for a job when we showed up, and she then told us that she would go to church every single week once she had the money to do so. 

We also met a new investigator named B. His wife is an inactive member, and so we had a lesson with them about the Book of Mormon. We explained what it was, and its importance, and then asked him if he was willing to read and pray about it. He responded, "Look... I am going to be really honest with you..." (and at this point we got a little sad because we know how the rest of that sentence usually goes) "... but I am looking for a church." We almost didn't believe that he said that! So then we invited him to church the next day, and he accepted.

At church the next day, we saw B, R, and E. Our class was HUGE! There were 9 people in the class (a mix of less actives and investigators) just from the efforts of Sister S and I this week. We have worked crazily hard to help these people, and it is wonderful to see the fruits of our labors.

Love,

Sister Christensen

3/7/2016: Week 25 - Six Month Mark!

Hello everyone! 

I have officially hit the six month mark! Only one year left and I will be home enjoying the snow and peanut butter.

This week was crazy and a little bit stressful. We had so many things to do and so little time! I got a CPF number here (so I am basically a Brazilian now), and it rained...A LOT!. 

I also got to thinking this week about the work I have done here. While we have been struggling to baptize in this area, we have reactivated a lot of members, including one really neat family. We are currently helping the father overcome some addictions and stay firm in the church so that he will be able to receive the priesthood and baptize his son. The family then will set goals so that they can be sealed together in the temple for all time and eternity. :) It has been truly amazing to watch them grow. You can see how the light of Christ changes people, families, and relationships. 

As missionaries, we also hear a lot of excuses from people about why they can't talk to us, like "I am cleaning the house" or "maybe some other day, if God would want it". But my favorite happened the other day when one man, full of piercings in one ear came out and said the following, before we had even introduced ourselves: "I can't... because I am moving the TV... and he is coming... so its a little... tight." I don't know who was coming or why he was moving the TV, but we left him in peace because three excuses in one has to be a new record! 

Love,

Sister Christensen

02/29/2016: Week 24 - Cow Tongue and Cats

Hello!

I have no time for a lengthy group email today, but seriously, nothing much happened. I will give you a few highlights though:

1. We celebrated Sister S's birthday!

2. I ate cow tongue in a house with 12 cats. It wasn't too bad, but I would never eat it again. The taste is a normal meat taste, but the texture is of the devil, ha ha!

3. We did not go back to the lady living in the house with the 50 wind chimes hanging from her ceiling. She called us, said we were crazy, and told us not to come back. So, you know, whatever.

4. Here are some of this week's photos: me enjoying the rainbow after yet another rain storm, my permanent socks, me searching for new investigators, and a group photo of the Sisters.

Love,
Sister Christensen

2/22/2016: Week 23 - Worst Thing to Happen Yet

Hello!

This week, we had a service project. The other sisters had met a woman on the street who said that she needed help cleaning out a little room. They offered to help her, and arranged for us to go there this past week. 

We all started walking there, thinking that we would sweep, tidy, and mop up this little room and be on our way. We arrived at the house, and a woman opened the door. She hadn't bathed in a while, and the first thing we saw were wind chimes. Fifty of them. Hanging from the ceiling. From that point on, we knew we were in trouble. 

She then showed us the room. Or, better said, she tried to show us the room. The door wouldn't open because there were so many things in it. There were boxes upon boxes of grocery sacks in the room. We started to clean it out, and that's when I realized, I was in a Hoarder's television episode. 

As we began to move boxes, we found some interesting things, including:

1. A box with two rotting pineapples. They had been there long enough to rot through the box and onto the floor. It was also housing a colony or two of bugs, AND growing new pineapple. AND THE WOMAN WANTED TO SEARCH THROUGH THE REST OF THE BOX TO SAVE ONE OLD SHOE!

2. We touched one box, and ten cockroaches ran out into the rest of the garbage. But they weren't normal sized cockroaches. They had probably fed on the rotten pineapple and gained supernatural abilities and size. They were the size of the palm of my hand. 

3. Sacks with old underwear, sacks with shoes that were falling to pieces, a sack with a book about "spiritualism" (basically possession), and some sacks that we didn't even dare open. 

We had to distract the woman to throw all the garbage out, because she was having panic attacks. And we didn't even finish. We have to go back this week with some elders because there are probably rats and scorpions in that room.

But wait, there's more...

We took the rest of the boxes down to the basement. When we opened the door, we saw a little white room. Everything was clean and white. The walls were white, the floor was white, and the ceiling was very very low and also white. In the corner there was a white little bed, all made up nice, with a little white dresser and mirror in the corner. A black dust had settled in the room, and you could tell no one had lived there in a while. It was the creepiest thing I have ever seen. I am pretty sure someone died in there. 

Anyways, that was my week!

Love,

Sister Christensen

P.S. Photos of Minion traffic bumps and a cute dog.

2/15/2016: Week 22 - Not Much to Say

Hello!

I don't have time to write a big e-mail this week. Also, nothing happened. So, there's that. Here's some photos though.

Love,

Sister Christensen

2/8/2016: Week 21- Living on a Prayer

Hello!

Serving mission is like that part in Harry Potter where Ron is reading tea leaves. As he is reading Harry's fortune, he says, "You are going to suffer... but you are going to be happy about it." As missionaries, we have a lot of challenges. People lie about their addresses, call us names, etc. and yet we still continue. We also have the opportunity to change lives, to bring people to Christ, and we are so happy to be doing it! 

In that light, this week has been great! We had divisions this week, so I packed my bag and went for a day to work with Sister H. We had a lot of fun, and taught a lot of people. We spoke about the challenges that come with opening an area. I learned a lot, and we ordered dessert pizzas.

The other day, while walking with Sister S, we stopped at a house to ask for water. The husband answered the door and gave us two glasses of water. We drank it, and then he asked us if we wanted juice. We declined, but he left to get the juice anyways. He filled our glasses once again, and we drank them. He then asked if we wanted more, and we declined (again). He then told us to take the juice with us. We tried to tell him that we really didn't need the juice, but he insisted and firmly told us to put it in our bag. So yeah. We took a picture with our free juice.

We also had two new investigators come to church this week! They came to church with a less active member for the first time, and loved it. The mom told us that it was very different than any other church they had visited in the past. They gave us their addresses, and want to learn more about the gospel. Sister S and I are very excited to go and teach them this week.

I hope everything is going well for you all! 

Sister Christensen

2/1/2016: Week 20 - I Would Walk 500 Miles

Hello All!

A run-down of my week:

1. Sister S got sick. :( We stayed in the house and talked about our lives and made spaghetti. That was pretty cool.

2. We went to the baptism of a kid in the ward, and it was really sweet. Sister S and I had the chance to sing at the baptism as well. The Spirit was really strong. 

3. This week, I lived a part of every child's nightmare and fell into a storm drain. My oh-so-loving companion then took me to the pharmacy and wiped alcohol not-so-lovingly across all the cuts I had on my leg. I really need to work on this whole balance thing. 

4. I learned how to crochet with a woman from the ward. 

5. I learned I am not blessed with the gift of crocheting.

6. We were teaching one inactive family this week, and everything went really well. We talked about Christ and his love for us, and the entire family started to cry. The dad then told us that he had been praying for some guidance spiritually that day in another church, and we showed up at his door later that night. They also came to church this Sunday, which was amazing to see. I love being a missionary. 

With love, 

Sister Christensen

1/25/2016: Week 19 - Rocky Week

Hello!

This week has been a rocky one. Because we don't have many people to teach, we spend the entire day in the street making contacts and talking to random people about the gospel, all of which "already have a religion" or "don't have time". The only people we don't talk to are the ones who cross the street before we can get to them. 

We also visited a house where we had given a Book of Mormon earlier in the week. The three girls we talked to were really interested and wanted us to enter and talk more about the gospel. Needless to say, we were really excited to return. However, the next time, their mom answered the door, and we actually received a Book of Mormon that day instead of giving them out! She told us that she didn't want the book and to have a nice life. *Thumbs up* ...at least it didn't end up in the trash.

But just because the work was hard doesn't mean that we had a bad week! Sister S and I laughed a lot. One man loudly blessed Sister S's eye in the middle of the street, and I accidentally kissed a woman. Long story short, people here greet you with a kiss on the cheek, but one Sister of the ward turned her head, and well... lets just say kissing people on the cheek is a bit dangerous. We also dressed up like nuns and Irmã Júlia appeared in the window and started laughing at us.

Anyways, that was my week. I hope everything is going well back home! 

Love,

Sister Christensen

1/18/2016: Week 18 - New Area and Companion

Hello!

It's official! I have been transferred and I have a new companion, named Sister S, and she is amazing. She is American, is studying music, and I love her. We make climbing the thousands of hills here a little more fun by singing random songs practically the whole day.

Usually, when you transfer, there is one companion who has been in the area a bit longer who shows you how to get around and where all the investigators and members live. However, this transfer was a bit different because Sister S and I are opening the area. "Opening the area" is fancy talk for being constantly lost and not having anyone to teach. The Elder's here before us split up the people they were teaching between Sister S and I, and the other companionship of Sisters, but we have practically have nothing to work with. We are walking with faith and a slightly out-dated map. But we are happy and singing while doing it!

The day before we got here, we spoke to the Elders who had been working here, and they said that the house was a little dirty. I don't know what you think of when someone says "a little dirty," but I imagined that there would be some dirty dishes or some materials out of place. No, when Elders say "a little dirty" they mean: pants on the table, dead cockroaches on the floor, a box of sketchy unwashed dishes on another table, and trash literally everywhere. So, you know, that was a fun first day. But now its all clean and the apartment is actually livable, thanks to the Sisters and yours truly. (To my missionary friends: If you ever leave your apartment like that, I will personally come and hit you with a flip-flop. That is all.)

A few other things:

1. The members here are amazing. They want to help with everything and give us bread and cake pretty much every day.

2. I am running in the mornings now. *applause*

3. My hair dryer doesn't work here.

4. We had a really neat experience the other day with a member who has a lot of heart problems. She called us over in the morning to pray with her, and when we arrived she was crying because of the pain. We each took a turn praying for her, and at the end she had stopped crying,and was smiling and talking with us without difficulty. She and her husband bore their testimony about the power of prayer that next Sunday, and she said that she hasn't felt pain since. That was pretty neat.

5. I have seen a lot of miracles happening here the past week. It is amazing to see the hand of the Lord here in Brazil. When you work hard and with faith, miracles will always happen. 

I love and miss you all! Beijos!

Sister Christensen

1/4/2016: Week 16 - Feliz Ano Novo

Hello!

This week has been a good one.

1) We have one investigator named J who has had problems understanding our messages. She has a family with three kids, who are all relatively timid (except the youngest,G. He is crazy and doesn't stop talking). Anyways, this week we made her little posters about prayer, scriptures, and going to church, which she put up around her house. It was neat to see that everyone in the family was finally understanding the messages, and were an active part of the lesson as well. 

2) Another woman told us that we were angels sent from God, which is always good to hear. You don't really feel too much like an angel when you are sweaty and dirty from walking all day, ha ha. 

3) There is also a family here that we are working with to get them sealed in the temple. They have three little kids who LOVE the missionaries. The little girl calls us "Chi Chi" because she can't say sister. She is probably the cutest thing in the world. Every time we see them, they run up to us and hug us and give us a kiss on the cheek. Adorable. 

4) We also had New Year's Eve this past week, and while the entire world was partying, we spent it mopping up a river of water that had fallen down the staircase from our apartment because it had rained and we forgot to unplug a drain, ha ha. But afterwards, we waited up until midnight, climbed a ladder to the top of the building, and watched as fireworks went off all around the city. We yelled into the wind/rain, and it felt like that part in Footloose where they scream at the train as it passes by. The next day it was a little hard to wake up at 6:30, ha ha. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! Set some goals. Do something different this year. Be a little better.

With love,

Sister Christensen

ROMANS 8:18

12/21/2015: Week 14 - Feliz Natal

Hello and Feliz Natal!

This week has been really busy. We had splits, the ward Christmas party, and got locked in the chapel! I am really looking forward to this next week (CHRISTMAS), and for the opportunity to talk to my family. :)

Splits: I was able to spend the day with the lovely Sister L! She is our Sister Trainer, and I was a little bit nervous to show her the area and to teach with her at first. However, we had a blast and were able to teach five lessons and gain six new investigators in one day. That was a miracle. I was able to gain more confidence in my teaching, and my Portuguese as well. All in all, it went crazy well and I loved Sister L.

Ward Christmas Party: As always, I enjoyed the ward Christmas party. One member gave us Panettone, which is a type of fruitcake. Thankfully, he gave us a chocolate flavored one, because I am not too fond of the fruit variety. Brazilians are crazy about Panettone. Anyways, the party was full of salgados and cakes and all sorts of good food. We also took a picture with the bishop.

Locked in the Chapel: One night, Sister G and I, along with the other sisters, were in the chapel calling people and confirming appointments for the next day, All of a sudden, we see a random man yelling "moças" (young women/girls) from outside of the church. Sister G ran to the door and locked it, and we hid in the church for a good ten minutes until we were able to call a member to drive us home.

I hope you all have a very very Merry Christmas, and have a good time celebrating the birth of our Savior. I love you all!

Sister Christensen

12/14/2015: Week 13 - Christmas Challenge

Hello world!

This week we had the opportunity to go to the temple with A and A! We talked with them about temples, and about eternal families. I always love teaching about families. There is no greater blessing in this world than our families. I love my family more than anything, and I love being able to share the message that we can live with our families in happiness for eternity. And there is no better place on Earth to talk about familes than at the temple! 

This week was also a bit sad. The father of one of our investigators, R, forbid us to teach him anymore. It was even more sad considering his baptism was marked for this week. But as Sister G said, God will watch out for him. I hope that he continues to make good decisions and that some missionaries will find him in the future. He's a good kid.

We also had a lesson this week with a teenager and a ten year old member. As we were teaching the teenager, she expressed doubt about the Book of Mormon being another testament of Jesus Christ. We didn't have time to explain before the ten year old took over the lesson and said "I told you, you have to read and pray about it. Thats the only way you are going to know." I am pretty sure she could have taught the lesson better than I could. I love hearing the simple and profound testimonies of children. You could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice that she knew the church was true -- and she wasn't afraid to share it with her friend. 

So here is my invitation. Share the message of Christmas with someone, whether it is at work, with friends, or even online. If you don't know how, mormon.org has a bunch of wonderful videos about the birth of Christ and the true meaning of Christmas that you can share on Facebook, Twitter, etc. At times we tend to forget what Christmas is really about. The world likes to change the meaning of Christmas. Christmas isn't a time of recieving, it isn't a time for buying. It is a time to give, to spend with our families, and most importantly to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for each and every one of us. #NasceuoSalvador 

I love you all and Merry Christmas!

Until next week,

Sister Christensen

12/7/2015: Week 12 - Crazy Week

Hello! 

This week has been a crazy one!

Let's start with Sunday. This Sunday started out normal -- we listened to messages, sang hymns, partook of the sacrament, all that good stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary happened until we were about to leave and I forgot about a little something called gravity. A.K.A., I tripped and fell (in a dress) in front of about ten people, and bled, and thoroughly embarrassed myself. So you know, that's always good, ​but in all honesty, not exactly out of the ordinary.  

We also had a WEDDING! One of the sisters in the ward was finally married. She was wearing a pink gown and had all of her kids with her. It was super cute and super sweet. 

I am pleased to say that the heat has subsided this week, but only because it has been raining constantly. The rain here is crazy. I am pretty sure the person who made up the saying "raining cats and dogs" has never been to Brazil. It rains more like hippos and elephants here. The other day, we were working far from home and got caught in one of the thunderstorms. We ran to a bus stop and waited there for about an hour for the torrential downpour to stop. While we were waiting, a man came up to us and introduced himself.  He said that he was an inactive member, and we conversed with him for a little bit. He left, and then returned about thirty minutes later with two chocolate bars. It was super super sweet, and we shared a message with him about the Plan of Salvation and about faith. We are hoping to meet with him again soon.

We also had the opportunity to teach a woman named M, who goes to another church. However, she had a lot of questions that we were able to answer, and is a bit annoyed with her pastor (long story and slightly funny -- ask me when I am back.)  No matter how many people casually don't show up for appointments or lie about their addresses...we always seem to have one ray of light during the week. 

I hope everyone is preparing for Christmas (I am)!

Love, 

Sister Christensen

Sisters

Princess Art

Papai Noel

 

Christmas Lights

Rain!