BEST WEEK OF MY LIFE

England!

                                    

This week has been so good, I can't even tell you.

Tuesday, we were walking to our tea appointment and met a girl that is really interested in learning more. She gave us a referral on the spot! We gave her a short lesson and prayed with her and after that she kept talking to us and asking us questions. I'm so excited to teach her more.

We also taught one of the people we challenged to baptism last week. He is now dated for baptism! He had so many questions and he came to our investigators baptism last Saturday!

Wednesday/Thursday, we have an investigator that hasn't been progressing for months and strictly only sees the missionaries every fortnight. However, when we taught her, she recognized that we have what she needs and made an appointment to see us next week instead of in two weeks! Then we saw her the next day out of the blue and she told us that she really wanted to speak to us but was unsure whether to call us or not. We were able to calm her doubts about the Book of Mormon and help her be able to understand it better.

Friday, we went out for a meal with Sister Johnson because she moved away and a man came up to Sister Sika and I and told us that he sees us everywhere! He sees us walking, waiting for buses, and now in the workplace! I think it's a sign.

Saturday, we had a baptism! Michael was baptized! He was baptized exactly three weeks and one day after we met him and we were able to teach him all the lessons! He was so prepared to receive the gospel, I can't believe it! He was confirmed and was ordained a priest on Sunday and it was the most amazing blessing. I have been telling sister Sika how badly I want Michael to serve a mission, because he is only 18, and in the blessing it said that he was receiving the priesthood to prepare to serve the Lord as a missionary! I'm so excited! The Church is true!

                                     

Sunday, I don't know what it was, maybe because we had a baptism the day before but there was a special spirit in church the next day. The speakers were inspired. One of President Ulrich's counselors, President Dowd, is in the branch and he and his wife spoke about the restoration of the priesthood and the atonement. I loved something President Dowd said. He said, "You shouldn't speak because you have to say something, you should speak because you have something to say."  The Sunday School lesson was about how science and religion work together ( I loved talking on that subject :)) and Relief Society we talked about bearing each others burdens. There was a spirit of peace and unity in the chapel that day.

Monday, yesterday, it was the last bank holiday for a while and Sister Sika and I were able to attend the temple! I got to see Sister Hansen again and the Preston Temple is really special. I talked to another missionary who has been to a lot of temples, including the London Temple, and they said that the Preston Temple is a special place. I don't know, I've been able to feel the spirit there clearer than every before. I loved being able to go.

                                          

Anyways, I love you all and am glad to hear you had such a great week! Good luck with school and such. Have a brilliant week :)

Love, Sister Christensen

 

 District

Refrigerator

So many good things happened this week.

Windblown 

                                       

Our refrigerator broke and all our food went bad, so we had to call the assistants to the president to ask for permission to buy food not on Monday, and one of the Elders asked if we needed anything else before he hung up. I said no then he's like "Well there is something you can do for me" Okay. He said "Invite someone to baptism tomorrow." I'm like whatever that is so easy. He's like "Okay, invite two people to baptism tomorrow." Child's play. "Fine. Invite three people to baptism in the next 24 hours and I'm going to call you and ask for their names." Done. And we did. Two of them said yes! 2/3 amazing! Do not be faithless but believing! John 20:27

Needing new shoes after just 5 months of service

                                          
                                      

We called by a potential investigator from the area book and when we got to their house, they just welcomed us in before asking our names! They loved the last missionaries but they were never able to be properly taught. We taught Izzy the Restoration and her partner, Guy, was popping in and out during the lesson. They have to much potential! I am so excited to see them again. They are so receptive to the gospel and they know that it is what they want for their family. 

Making brownies for service, we had to taste test

                                             

We get lost a lot but this last week, when we got lost, we ran into this really bubbly mom walking her dog and we were able to teach her a little bit on the spot. She said that they were moving but after they had settled that we were welcome anytime. It is perfect because it takes forever to get to the neighborhood that she lived in but she is moving closer to us, like right down the street. By small and simple things. Alma 37:6

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Sister Christensen

                                      

Buckets & Buckets

This week has been busy but so fun! It has pored "buckets and buckets" here! It's okay. What do EMM missionaries do in the rain? They dance!

We have been getting to know the branch better. The members are great. They are so welcoming and reach out to everyone: members, missionaries, investigators. They're great.

Can I just say how proud I am of my daughter? Yesterday there was no teacher for Sunday School and Sister Sika just got up and took charge. I helped her, of course, but she did so wonderful on her own. She's been out in the field for less than two weeks. Whenever she shares a spiritual thought at a members home, the members look awed at her boldness and the strength of her testimony. I love serving with her!

Our investigator, M, is progressing like crazy. He has been prepared beyond belief to receive our message. Whenever we give him new material, he just tries to understand best as possible. He is hungry to learn and humble enough to receive the truth. He is so willing to change and follow the gospel principles. I feel so blessed that we were able to find and teach him! It has been such a miracle.

Stafford is still beautiful and still great! I love you all and hope you have a brilliant week!

Love, Sister Christensen

"Release the Wrekin!"/ Welcome to Stafford

                                   

This week has been absolutely crazy! So many miracles! First off, Sister Sika is amazing! She is Tongan and from Sydney, Australia. She taught me how to say "I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" in Tongan. Pretty neat. She is so full of faith and is excited to share her testimony about the restored gospel. 

Second, Stafford! I love this area! I love the branch here! The members are amazing. The area is beautiful and I feel like people actually live here! Telford didn't have a lot of foot traffic but we can actually street contact here! I miss the Wrekin ward and I love everyone there but I'm ready for a new adventure in Stafford. 

I love whitewashing! I feel like I would just be bossing Sister Sika around and telling her where to go but it is really the other way around. I'm always asking her, "Where do we get off the bus? Where's the bus stop? Which street do they live on?" She is so good and so patient with me. She knows so much more than I did coming out of the MTC (missionary training center). I am so excited to serve with her!

Okay, now I want to share with you the biggest miracle of my whole mission. Friday, We tried again to locate the church (we had not been successful the day before) and we stopped a boy and asked for directions. He looked it up on his phone and told us the general direction we needed to go. About two minutes later, we turn around and the same boy is coming after us. He asked if we were looking for the church and we said yes. He then said that he was not doing anything and could take us there. So we started walking and he told us that he wants to believe in God and that all his friends are atheist and he is the only one who believes in his family. We arrived at the church and taught him the whole Restoration, gave him a Book of Mormon, and asked him to attend church on Sunday. He said yes and he came to church yesterday! He dressed so smart that members asked if he was a missionary as well (because he was speaking with us and the Elders and three of us are new to the area). AHH! I am so excited to share more with him! He is so eager to learn! 

You won't believe this next part. I have been missing playing tennis so bad! I miss it like crazy and I keep telling Sister Sika how much I want to play all the time. Well, Michael (the boy who showed us to the church) plays badminton professionally and also plays tennis. When he told me that, I cheekily asked if we could play sometime and he said yes! :) He said he is going to bring some friends along as well. *missionary opportunity!* *convert all his friends ;)* But meeting him was by far the most miraculous thing that has happened on my mission. We handed him a pass along card after helping us and I was regretting not sharing more with him but then HE ran after US and wanted to learn more. He is a nonmember and he showed us, the missionaries, where the church was. Miracle! He has been prepared to receive the gospel. The church is true! 

I am so excited for this change! It has been crazy and we get lost multiple times a day but I am so happy and so grateful to be part of this work!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer and is doing well. I love you all!

Love, Sister Christensen

 

Wrekin Friends Victoria, Elizabeth & Josephine

Archie, Liz, Me and Sister Church

The three from Wrekin--Whitewash training:
Elder Werner, Elder Swallow and Me

Sister Sika, (my daughter-trainee) me and Sister Mautnikova (My grandmother-trainer of my trainer)