Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Special Experiences and Celebrations (written 29 Nov 2010)

Hola, family and friends!

I hope you had an excellent Thanksgiving weekend. My Thanksgiving was the best. Our friend brought over chicken and french fries to celebrate. They don’t have this holiday here in Peru.

We are celebrating the birthday of Sis. Avalos today. We are playing water balloon volleyball and eating birthday cake to celebrate. I made her a special card, too. We celebrated the whole month. The Relief Society is planning a special surprise party for her.

Yesterday, we had such a special experience. We met with Junior (a less active member) and his wife, Karina. We invited them to always pray and at the end of the lesson, we knelt down and Junior offered the prayer. It was the most simple prayer (he repeated the words after my comp, Hna. Ticona) but he was so sincere and repentant that we all felt the Spirit so strongly. My testimony that we are children of God and that He answers and hears every heartfelt prayer grew so much. The Spirit converts and changes hearts and lives. It was such a beautiful experience.

We are teaching the neighbors of Rosa and Amador and many of them want to receive the Gospel. Many of them have the possibility of getting married, because they have the documents that they need. They just have to overcome the fear of commitment. (They are unmarried and have 2 kids and don’t want to commit just yet. I met a family in my first area that had 35 years of living together and 8 children and didn´t feel ready to commit just yet. They wanted to “get to know each other better.” Interesting!) They ask so many questions about the Gospel and want to learn more. Nadia attended church the other week and will attend with her husband and 2 kids. Awesome!

Choose the right! Life is good! God is good!

Love,
Hermana Christensen

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Many Reasons to Be Thankful!

Hello family and friends,

Sorry about the delay in writing. Yesterday we went to the temple as a zone and on the way out, I got a call from the mission office with a special service opportunity. I accompanied a missionary (Hna. Alcantara) from Tarapoto who went through the temple for the first time. Even though we were together less than 24 hours, it was really special to be able to be there for important moments in her life, including when she was set apart by President Blunck. So, I went to the temple 2 times in one day! It was really special and I learn so much everytime that I go. I feel like I am able to discern more clearly what I need to learn and change.

The children of Rosa and Amador were baptized this Saturday! It was so special when they received the Holy Ghost on Sunday, because even though they are pretty well behaved kids, I noted a big difference in them. We talked about how they had light before they were baptized and confirmed, but now they have an even brighter light and how that light shines in their countenance. We can control how much light we have by our obedience and our choices we make.

We have been helping Rosa and Amador to get married, but there is so much opposition. The final story is that he has to change his DNI and so they won’t be able to get married until December or even January. We practically didn’t sleep for a week as we were helping them with their papers and coordinating the ward with all this. So, we were disappointed and really tired, but everything is set in order for the next marriage opportunity. They are still progressing spiritually. It was great to hear from Amador that he always prays before reading the Book of Mormon and he doesn’t know how, but he always reads something that falls in line with the same theme he was thinking of. This happens to me, too, frequently. It is awesome. The scriptures always teach us something we need to know and do.

My companions, Hna. Avalos and Hna. Ticona and I continue to have a blast being together. Talk about unity! We push each other up the hills, finish each others’ food if the members serve us too much, and even share the same thoughts without even saying anything. I continue to teach them English jargon. Our favorite MOTAB Cds are the Broadway showtunes and the black spirituals (our mission allows all MOTAB cds, for which I am grateful).

I was grateful to help Olga and her family move on Monday, along with the other zone members. As a zone, we are planning a surprise birthday party for Hna. Avalos (Monday), complete with piñata and other adventures. All without her knowing…we are happy and working hard.

For Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things. I am thankful to have a temple close by, internet access, libraries (they are not so available here), Peruvian food (it is the best), the scriptures, family traditions, my missionary companions, the lessons I am learning every day about life, my family, peanut butter m&ms, people who write me letters or emails, inside jokes, naptime (after the mission I will be able to sleep…?), etc. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows and loves me and how He always looks after me, for Jesus Christ and for His restored Church, the Book of Mormon and the Holy Bible, and for living prophets and apostles. I am grateful for my parents who taught me correct principles and who are great examples for me and my siblings. I am grateful for my siblings who teach me so much by means of their examples, too.

In short, I love you! I invite you to thank Heavenly Father for your blessings every day this week and see a difference in how you feel and in your faith! God lives and He loves each of us personally and individually. He has a plan of happiness and salvation for each one of us. Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Hna. Christensen

Monday, November 15, 2010

Drama and Excitement

Hello family and friends!

The saga continues…This week has been so stressful and exciting. We were so excited to get ALL the papers ready in order for Rosa and Amador to get married this week. We traveled with our 3 witnesses to the municipality to present the papers to have everything ready to go.

Please keep in mind that nothing is ever easy, especially if it is to be done legally. It’s not just a matter of driving down to the courthouse in your car and 30 minutes later you sign a paper and everything is good, or, going on to the computer and finding out the information by Internet. They don’t give you a phone number to call...everything has to be done in person. We arrived at the municipality and it is in another location. You have to be persistent even just to ask basic questions. (Everyone thought that the “gringa” was trying to get married...not after THIS experience, thank you very much!)

For the past month Rosa has been selling tamales (not sleeping at all) while taking care of her 6 kids while her husband is gone in order to raise money to pay for the documents. In short, the zone leaders in Iquitos are mailing the partida (birth certificate) right as I write this and a member of our ward is traveling 13 hours by bus to Cajatambo in order to bring back the partida. In all honesty, we haven’t been sleeping much all this past week. There is so much drama and more details that I will spare all of you for now and tell you later in person. Long story short (oh wait, too late!), we don’t know if they will be married this Saturday or December 18.

Xiomara, 8, was baptized on Saturday. Her brother, our mission leader, baptized her. In the last minute, she began to cry because the water was freezing cold (they don’t have water heaters here for the baptismal font). We began to sing hymns and her brother finally coaxed her into the water. Rosa and her six kids came to the baptism and the kids left traumatized. We had good intentions inviting them because Cesar, 8, was sure he would drown if he was baptized. We thought if he saw that another child his same age was baptized, surely HE could be brave (and he wouldn’t drown). However, this makes for a tough PR job for these sister missionaries with these kids, but not impossible.

We are teaching Lenina (24) and Jonelle (28). They are both references from members in the ward and are golden. They are so excited to learn and want to pray and read the Book of Mormon. (Speaking of Book of Mormon, did I tell you last time that Amador is already in 4th Nephi? I wouldn’t be surprised if he has finished the Book of Mormon by the time he gets here on Thursday). They have such a special spirit with them. Lenina is going to be baptized the 27 of November and we are going to invite Jonelle to be baptized, too. We are seeing many miracles here this week. I can really see the power of conversion with them. They are so special. I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for permitting me to be a witness of these miracles and to be an instrument in His hands. It is so special.

Did I tell you that my companions are incredible? We really are a good team and we teach each other (we are practicing self-defense in the mornings) and help each other. There is a lot of unity, and that makes all the difference. Also, there is unity in the zone. They are helping us with our family of investigators. Wow! What a week! I am so tired, but we have energy to keep on going.

In short, be grateful for the Internet and everyone should have a cell phone, I have decided.

Lots of love,

Hermana Christensen

Monday, November 8, 2010

Testifying and Creative Teaching

Wow, family and friends! So many things have happened this week. I
feel so happy because we are “trabajando duro” (working hard) and
seeing results.

Thanks to Kimi Pieper, Kari Stolzenburg, Sis. Baysa, Crystal Baysa,
and Bishop Jamison for sending letters via DearElder.com (it’s fast,
it’s easy, it’s cheap, and I don’t receive a single cent for
shamelessly endorsing the website). It makes me happy to keep in
touch with all of you and to know what is going on in your lives. I
love you and pray for you.

Sunday was Fast and Testimony meeting and our convert of one
week, Elen, fasted, paid her fast offering and tithing, and
bore her testimony in sacrament meeting. Wow! She explained
how this was her first time fasting and how she was tempted
by the food at a baby shower on Saturday night, but she didn’t
eat anything (but stored it away for later). She just radiates
in her countenance and shows quite the contrast from when we
first met her. She is an example to all in the ward.

We sat with Rosa and her children at church and I just laughed at
their antics. Cesar, 8, saved the plastic sacrament cups and stuck
them on his eyes, as if they were goggles or something. We were
teaching them the parts of the fast (fast, give offering, and
testify), ayunar, orar, dar, y testificar. We asked them to repeat the
parts of the fast and Ruth (6) said, “Ayunar, orar, dar, y TRAFFICAR!)
(as in drug trafficking). We burst out laughing at her malapropism.
No, trafficking is NOT part of the typical fast!

For a time (we don’t know how long) we have the blessing of having
a new companion with us, Hermana Ticona, also from Arequipa. She
is waiting to have her visa to go to Guadalajara, Mexico. Meanwhile,
other sister missionaries are sick and so we have to lend Hna. Avalos
to the sickies for a week. I’m sad because she is so good at following
the Spirit (and knows the houses) and understanding people, we are
super united and have a ton of fun together working hard and helping
people. Also, this month is her birthday month, so I am following the
tradition of her family, where they give a small gift every day.
Sometimes I’ll just make her bed and leave a note. I bought her a
package of 25 envelopes and told her that should last her most of the
month (one for every day), but as a joke. We are going to cry when
we part. She is such a good friend.

This week we are pumped after capacitations (trainings), and we
are having a meeting for the Ward Council this Thursday to explain
how we want to help each organization and how each organization
can help with missionary work. Also, a brief training on how Preach
My Gospel can be of utility for ward leaders. I’m not going to
lie... I like to give trainings and teach. After the trainings on
Friday, we performed our comedy sketch on missionary work in one
of the ward talent shows in our district and the people loved it.
It should be on YouTube by now, under “JardinesSUD”. Check it out!

Xiomara, the sister of our ward missionary leader, Anthony, will be
baptized this Saturday. Also, we are working with their parents so
they can be married and baptized soon. We talked with the bishop
and "si o si” (yes or yes) they have to be married and baptized
during this window of 5 days that he has off from work (he works in
provincia, far away for 24 days and stays home for 5). So, it will
be interesting and a much waited for occasion. Rosa, his future
wife, is anxious to be baptized with her children and her husband.
The gospel is so true and has changed Rosa and all of her family.
The kids were in charge of the games for the Family Home Evening
we did with them and the neighborhood this Sunday. We are also
teaching their neighbors,Diana and Roman, who attended church and
are very receptive. The church is so true.

I am just super happy and couldn’t ask for a better companionship.
We are creative with our teaching (or else people don’t pay
attention... you can’t learn if you are bored). We are helping less
active families by doing creative FHEs, by focusing on helping the
members attend the temple, and recently, a stake initiative to help
everyone read the Book of Mormon. We are trying to help them
become better organized and to visit the families so they have the
goal of reading the Book of Mormon together. The promise is that
all who read diligently and with an open heart, with prayer, will
feel more of the Spirit in their lives, will have a stronger
knowledge and conviction that Jesus is the Christ and Saviour of
the world, and I forgot the other promise, (but the promises are
real!).

Honestly, I just feel so grateful to participate in this work, because
I feel the Spirit daily and see many miracles every day in my own life
and in the life of those we teach. I think we all need to look for the
tiny miracles that happen in our lives every day. I know that my
Heavenly Father is real and that He loves me, that He listens and
answers my prayers. His Spirit guides us in this work with the small
and big details. I am learning to pray and then work for blessings.
The Gospel is real and changes lives.

Have a great week!

Love,

Hna. Christensen

Monday, November 1, 2010

Blessings for Gospel Learners & Teachers

Hola, familia y amigos!

So much happens in just a short time here in the mission. We had interviews with President Blunck this week. He is so humble and is so full of the Spirit that you can’t help but want to be a better person, the most obedient and loving person you can be, after being in his presence. Wow! He is incredible (and so is his wife).

Elen was baptized this Saturday: the first baptism in the ward for over 8 months. The first time we arrived in the ward, we received the grim news that this was an area where “everyone has heard the gospel here” and that “no pasa nada” (nothing happens here). Well, that is not true! She is so humble and so grateful to receive the restored gospel and the ordinance of baptism. She was hesitant, and wanted to be sure that this was the correct decision, as she had been baptized Catholic (as a baby) and Seventh Day Adventist before (as an adult). So, she did everything we invited her to do...to listen, to pray, to attend church, to read the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets, and she received her witness from the Spirit. She is a true convert and firmly dedicated in her decision now. She will be a leader in the church. Teaching her and learning about some of the heartbreaking experiences she has had has made me even more grateful for the restored gospel in my life and the guide that it is to help me make correct decisions.

Amador is away for a few weeks working, but November 20 is the tentative date for his wedding and baptism. There is opposition in all things, and we found out yesterday that he needs to have gall bladder surgery (with money that they don’t have). We are praying and working hard to help them with their faith. We know that if we are obedient and if they are obedient, God will help them through these trials. I don’t know how Rosa does it with her 6 kids, but the ward missionaries are helping her, sitting with her at church. There are a lot of valiant and wonderful single women with kids in our ward that are helping her and fellowshipping this family. This ward is becoming more and more service-oriented and is coming alive.

We found another family that is golden. Fausto and Lucila are so humble and good (and married!). We are just recently teaching them, so we will keep you posted. My testimony is growing every time more and more that when we are as obedient and hardworking as we can be, God directs us to the families that are prepared to receive His restored gospel. My faith is growing more and more every day.

I was sad to get a letter that says I end in March, but I talked with President and will stay until mid-April. I am not “trunky”, so no worries there, but it is never too soon to start planning what I will do when I get back.

Lots of love,

Hermana Christensen

P.S. I hope Grandpa feels better. I'm sorry I missed your birthday, Kezia, but I haven't forgotten you!