Dear family and friends,
If you haven’t heard the news, I am going home tonight and I arrive on Tuesday. I am finishing the mission. I think I have cried more in this week than in my whole life put together. This week was filled with really special moments. On Monday the ward threw a goodbye party. On Thursday I bid farewell (I don’t believe in “goodbyes” but in “see you later”s) to my beloved companion, Hna. Rodriguez, our pensionista, Vikky and her family, and our zone (we are such a close group, I consider it a family). Hna. Rodriguez will stay in a trio of sisters until she gets her new companion. She will be transferred to a new area, so she has to say goodbye as well. We are such good friends that I imagine it will be hard at first to adjust to the separation.
On Thursday I flew back to Lima and was greeted by the Hna. Alcalde, my “granddaughter” (I trained the Hna. Avalos and Hna. Avalos trained the Hna. Alcalde). It is so special, and she and I are companions for my last four days. Heavenly Father is so good and knows exactly who needs to be together. She leaves for Mexico on Tuesday, exactly 7 hours after I leave for the airport.
Together we went to the temple with President and Hermana Blunck and the other missionaries who are finishing the mission, had a final interview in the mission home, went to dinner, saw a beautiful slide show (complete with the not-so-subtle clip from General Conference counseling us to get married at the end of the slide show!) and went afterwards to a water and lights show.
We also visited my converts, Rosa and her beautiful family. (How ironic, Amador doesn’t get back until Tuesday afternoon!) They were so surprised and I have never been happier to see the positive changes in their lives because of the gospel. I just love this family. On Sunday I was able to see Elen, who has already begun her genealogy and has the goal of going to the temple this month to do baptisms. I saw Jonel, the youth who was studying to be a Catholic priest and prayed and received his testimony of the Book of Mormon and was converted. And, the husband of our pensionista, Alberto (who was practically our father) who for years listened to missionaries, told us of his own decision and goal to be baptized on his birthday, on June 25. We just found out yesterday! Today I will see Olga, who is my age and who now is serving as secretary of the Young Women´s organization. So, it is neat to see the progress of these converts. This ward threw me a goodbye party and it was beautiful to see each person and remember how much they have touched my lives. I was surprised that I was able to remember everyone’s name!
We also finally counted how many stairs we climbed up every day to reach Rosa and Amador...there are 338 stairs. Sometimes we would climb up 2-3 times a day (or 700-1000 steps a day!). Saturday we helped haul some planks of wood for a family and took their names so the missionaries can visit them, so the work continues. There was just such a special spirit this whole week.
I know that the mission doesn’t end when the mission ends. I know that this is just the beginning of a lifetime of service and that is why I am so happy. I have never felt so much love in my life until serving the mission. I have never learned to love hard work so much until serving the mission. I have never felt so much love from my Heavenly Father and love FOR him until serving the mission. I am grateful for each companion I have had and have learned from each one. I am grateful for the Church, for the scriptures, for the counsel we receive from church leaders and the apostles, and I am grateful for a testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.
Wow. It is incredible the blessings that Heavenly Father has prepared for each one of us. The Plan of Salvation is personal and real for each one of us. I know that He puts people in our paths and positive influences in our lives to help reach out to us and to help us follow a good path, if we are only receptive to His counsel. We think that we are serving God, but while we serve, He blesses us so much. We give him the crust, and He gives us a whole loaf.
That we may take each day as an opportunity to know and love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ better and to feel of Their love and to know of what our personal purpose in life is is my desire for each one of you. Thank you for being a special part of my life. Thank you for your prayers and for your love and support while I have been here in Peru. Que Dios les bendiga! (May God bless you!)
Love, Hermana Christensen
P.S. If you will be in Topeka, on Friday you are invited to an Open House. Come and eat yummy Peruvian food and see a slideshow of my pictures! I imagine it will be at 7:00 pm.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Working until the Last Day!
Hello, family and friends!
A big thank you to Bishop Jamison, Crystal Baysa and Kezia Carter for your letters! I am coming back the next week (Tuesday at noon in the MCI airport) so you can write me directly at my email.
This past week Agatha was baptized. (Javier is working through some Word of Wisdom problems and will need some more time.) At the baptism I was worried about certain details (the kids running around and making noise in the hallways, waiting for the family of Agatha to show up, etc.) and thinking about what we could have done to make it run more smoothly. However, when Agatha bore her testimony after her baptism and confirmation, I forgot all about the distractions. I thought, “She has just made a covenant with the Savior and she has just received the forgiveness of her sins.” In this moment, I could feel the love that the Savior has for her. I just knew that the Savior and Heavenly Father love her so much and Hna. Rodriguez and I love her too. It was really special.
I am so grateful for men who honor their priesthood and thus bless the lives of their families and the church. We are studying D&C 20, 84, 107, 121 as a zone and it is incredible to read about the priesthood and the church organization. After seeing so many different types of families, whew, I have gained a huge testimony of the importance of everyone knowing their responsibilities and fulfilling them. There is a huge difference in the families that live the gospel and those that don’t.
We have to work until the last day of the mission, because we are laying the foundation of future work to come and we never know who Heavenly Father will put in our path. There is still work to be done here in Peru. I will be sad to leave because the people are so wonderful, but there is service to be done everywhere.
Love,
Hermana Christensen
A big thank you to Bishop Jamison, Crystal Baysa and Kezia Carter for your letters! I am coming back the next week (Tuesday at noon in the MCI airport) so you can write me directly at my email.
This past week Agatha was baptized. (Javier is working through some Word of Wisdom problems and will need some more time.) At the baptism I was worried about certain details (the kids running around and making noise in the hallways, waiting for the family of Agatha to show up, etc.) and thinking about what we could have done to make it run more smoothly. However, when Agatha bore her testimony after her baptism and confirmation, I forgot all about the distractions. I thought, “She has just made a covenant with the Savior and she has just received the forgiveness of her sins.” In this moment, I could feel the love that the Savior has for her. I just knew that the Savior and Heavenly Father love her so much and Hna. Rodriguez and I love her too. It was really special.
I am so grateful for men who honor their priesthood and thus bless the lives of their families and the church. We are studying D&C 20, 84, 107, 121 as a zone and it is incredible to read about the priesthood and the church organization. After seeing so many different types of families, whew, I have gained a huge testimony of the importance of everyone knowing their responsibilities and fulfilling them. There is a huge difference in the families that live the gospel and those that don’t.
We have to work until the last day of the mission, because we are laying the foundation of future work to come and we never know who Heavenly Father will put in our path. There is still work to be done here in Peru. I will be sad to leave because the people are so wonderful, but there is service to be done everywhere.
Love,
Hermana Christensen
Monday, April 4, 2011
Gems from General Conference
Hola, family and friends,
This past weekend was phenomenal with the General Conference. (The purpose of the gospel is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”) Here are some of the parts that motivated me most:
1. What distinguishes us as Christ’s disciples is showing love (and if we love God we strive to keep His commandments) and making and keeping covenants with Him (Walter F. Gonzalez).
2. We give God a piece of bread and He gives us a whole loaf (Pres. Eyring).
3. The title “the Mormon church” doesn’t offend us, but it isn’t correct. It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For centuries, people had waited for the restoration of the authority of God to direct the Church, the priesthood (Boyd K. Packer).
4. What we desire determines our priorities which influences our decisions and our actions. Preparation for eternal life depends upon what our desires really are (Dallin Oaks).
5. Much of the revelation we seek we will receive, but it will be to know how to help someone else. Most of the time we receive revelation when we are on our feet and not on our knees. It can be through the advice of a friend, through the scriptures, words of the prophets, etc. (Pres. Uchtdorf).
6. It is not enough to be good. We are to become like the Savior. Trials are specific to help us overcome certain weaknesses. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Paul V. Johnson).
7. Revelation can be immediate, like flipping a light switch in a dark room, or it can be gradual, like the sun rising. We shouldn’t depend upon dramatic spiritual manifestations or signs to stay in the path. Many times we receive answers without even realizing it. We need to be humble and obedient (David Bednar).
8. Those who understand the blessings of the temple are willing to sacrifice in order to receive them. The greatest blessings the Church offers to families are found in the temple (Pres. Thomas Monson).
9. God has high expectations for us. God requires sacrifice. We need to seek “divine discipline.” Even if the correction comes from people who don’t love us, we should take advantage of the correction and put it in practice. If the need to correct someone exists and you don’t do it, it is because you are thinking of yourself and not of the well-being of the other person. Learn to correct yourself (D. Todd Christofferson).
10. If we do without being, we are hypocrites. If we are without doing, we are useless. Neither an action nor your profession should define who we are. Jesus Christ was a humble carpenter. Read in the scriptures looking for examples of Christlike attributes (Lynn G. Robbins).
Remember that you can watch and read at the Church’s website, www.lds.org. I was happy for our investigators that were able to attend and sad for those that did not attend. (They really missed out.) Wow, the gospel is incredible and transforming. I really felt the Spirit strongly in all of the sessions I attended (all but the priesthood). We are so blessed to receive divine direction.
Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Christensen
This past weekend was phenomenal with the General Conference. (The purpose of the gospel is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”) Here are some of the parts that motivated me most:
1. What distinguishes us as Christ’s disciples is showing love (and if we love God we strive to keep His commandments) and making and keeping covenants with Him (Walter F. Gonzalez).
2. We give God a piece of bread and He gives us a whole loaf (Pres. Eyring).
3. The title “the Mormon church” doesn’t offend us, but it isn’t correct. It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For centuries, people had waited for the restoration of the authority of God to direct the Church, the priesthood (Boyd K. Packer).
4. What we desire determines our priorities which influences our decisions and our actions. Preparation for eternal life depends upon what our desires really are (Dallin Oaks).
5. Much of the revelation we seek we will receive, but it will be to know how to help someone else. Most of the time we receive revelation when we are on our feet and not on our knees. It can be through the advice of a friend, through the scriptures, words of the prophets, etc. (Pres. Uchtdorf).
6. It is not enough to be good. We are to become like the Savior. Trials are specific to help us overcome certain weaknesses. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Paul V. Johnson).
7. Revelation can be immediate, like flipping a light switch in a dark room, or it can be gradual, like the sun rising. We shouldn’t depend upon dramatic spiritual manifestations or signs to stay in the path. Many times we receive answers without even realizing it. We need to be humble and obedient (David Bednar).
8. Those who understand the blessings of the temple are willing to sacrifice in order to receive them. The greatest blessings the Church offers to families are found in the temple (Pres. Thomas Monson).
9. God has high expectations for us. God requires sacrifice. We need to seek “divine discipline.” Even if the correction comes from people who don’t love us, we should take advantage of the correction and put it in practice. If the need to correct someone exists and you don’t do it, it is because you are thinking of yourself and not of the well-being of the other person. Learn to correct yourself (D. Todd Christofferson).
10. If we do without being, we are hypocrites. If we are without doing, we are useless. Neither an action nor your profession should define who we are. Jesus Christ was a humble carpenter. Read in the scriptures looking for examples of Christlike attributes (Lynn G. Robbins).
Remember that you can watch and read at the Church’s website, www.lds.org. I was happy for our investigators that were able to attend and sad for those that did not attend. (They really missed out.) Wow, the gospel is incredible and transforming. I really felt the Spirit strongly in all of the sessions I attended (all but the priesthood). We are so blessed to receive divine direction.
Have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Christensen
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