STOKED! BRILL!

Crafting this week

This week was really good. The weather was so warm! It got up to the low 60's Fahrenheit, or 20 degrees Celsius. So, really warm. But we had our first district meeting as the Stoke District! I was so stoked about it! haha get it? 

First Stoke District Meeting

We've been trying to get to know that ward better and do little acts of service to let them know we love them so we have been heart attacking their doors (steering wheel picture). It is so fun! We've totally been caught about twice, which was hilarious, but the members have loved it! A couple of them came up to us at church to thank us, which was really lovely.

I also had to opportunity to go on exchange with Sister Brill in Wrexham this last week. I got to go back to Wales! I loved it. Sister Brill is a sweetheart and we had so much fun together. She's Brill-iant ;) I hope I get to serve there. It is beautiful. I love Wales so much. The people are a bit nicer there as well, so that is always good.

Sister Brill & Me

I've had a blast serving with Sister Reed. It is so fun to serve with someone in the same group as me. We got matching bags with the UK flag on it because I was feeling a bit down last week and Sister Reed kept saying, "Wow. I've never done something so spontaneous!" She is always cracking jokes and she gets all of my movie referencing! We have so much fun. 

I hope you all have a great week! Love you loads!

Companion bonding time...

We Heart-attacked members of the ward

Stairs out of Order???
Love, Sister Christensen 

The week of weeks (not really but I like the way the line sounds)

p-day bowling

This week was great. It was one of those weeks that when you are in it it seems long but you look back and realized it went quick and you did loads of stuff.

We went on exchange with Rhyl and I got to do some lovely finding with one of my former companions! Sister Lever has grown so much as a missionary. She is a lot more confident in leading and is really good at following the Spirit. It was fun to get back together for a day. 

Sister Lever, my daughter 

The members have been great. It is so fun to get to know them. They love doing missionary work and it is fun for me to work with them and help them have opportunities to share what they know. 

Lizzy dressed up for church!

The greatest miracle of the week, I think, was yesterday. We weren't able to plan our Sunday because of lack of time on Saturday but we made it work. We went to church, came back for lunch, then we called by a member who lived close by, but she wasn't in, so we did some tracting in her area, met some nice people, tried by her again but she still wasn't in so we decided to call by two less active ladies that lived around the corner. That last sentence was probably really grammatically incorrect-don't have Peter read it. 

Sister Reed taking a selfie, while I am trying to get the GPS to work

But we called by the first lady and she was just on her way out. We made an appointment with her and then she went on her way. We called by the next lady and she said, "You're never going to give up on me, are you?" which we promptly responded with a "No." She replied, "You better come in then." We were able to teach her about enduring to the end and being truly converted, not just having a testimony. We committed her to retake the five missionary discussions to which she accepted. I felt an outpouring of the Spirit and of God's divine love for this woman. 

Sister Reed loves Disney Princesses

Even when the weeks are long, I find it is worth it just to have one person that I feel I have really helped. I'm really grateful for that.

I love you all heaps and heaps and hope you have a smashing week!

Love, Sister Christensen

Crazy Busy

With Sister Reed

This week has been crazy! It was transfers and Sister McDonnell was transferred to Wrekin! My very first area.

I am enjoying my time here in Newcastle with Sister Reed, who came out on the mission the same time as me. The last couple of days have been quite hectic.

We had a meeting in Manchester on Friday, which was really good but it was also really warm and we had to be inside sweating instead of outside finding! But that was okay. 

Saturday we went to Runcorn to go on splits with the sisters there. I went with a sister from Hungary and we found a man that was interested and wanted us to come to his house to cast out evil spirits. We got his address and told him we would send the elders around. 

I love Runcorn because it is right next to Liverpool and the people there are hilarious. I love their accents. It is a rough culture. Like, last night we went to a fireside and a man from Liverpool shared his conversion story and he had lived half of his life in prison and studied the Book of Mormon whilst serving his sentence and finally joined the church when he met the missionaries at a bus stop. I love the accent. I think I can impersonate it pretty well.

Elder Kelly (my former District/Zone Leader has finished his  mission
Sister McDonnell and Sister Christensen
But that is pretty much everything that happened this week. We did lots of driving. By the way! Elder Payne (Dustin) is my new district leader! haha It is kind of weird but he's a good missionary and a good district leader so far. His companion is from New Zealand and is hilarious. I'll probably have some great stories to tell you about the district throughout this transfer.

Love you all!

Love, Sister Christensen

Easter Weekend

Sister McDonnell, Me and Lizzy Woo

This weekend has been probably one of the best of my mission. What a special time of year to celebrate Easter! How lucky we are to know about Jesus Christ and the Resurrection, that we can have a hope of eternal life! 

Last Congleton District Meeting

I am so grateful, also, to have a living prophet. What a privilege to hear him speak to us on Easter Sunday. I am thankful for the messages that were shared over this last General Conference weekend.

Visiting Jessica and Dylan with Lizzy Woo

I loved the talks given by Elder Oaks, Bednar, Andersen, Renlund, Nielson, and Sister Wixom that seemed to all have the theme of enduring conversion. I noticed, and was grateful to the people who pointed out, the themes of eternity. Many talks talked about marriage, family, and the home. Others about being converted and acting on our faith. Still others spoke of eternal principles of not just acting but becoming, our actions just being evidence of who we are. An example of an action could be the Law of the Fast, for the purpose of serving those in our communities and around the world.

Preston Temple with Sisters McDonnell, Lunden,& Hunter

We are taught in The Family: A Proclamation to the World that the family unit is most likely to achieve happiness in daily life when built on the foundation of the teachings of Jesus Christ. We can and should learn within the walls of our own homes everything we need to know in order to be happy and successful in this life and into the next. 

Ward Missionary with the Newcastle Missionaries

In Doctrine and Covenants 11:7 we learn that success or "riches" in this world is not what Heavenly Father considers to be of worth to us. He knows what we need. When we choose to follow him and seek his wisdom, we will be given what we need and what will truly give us success. He does not give like the world gives(see John 14:27). 

My new companion, Sister Reed

That is why General Conference may not be seen to some as a mighty gift. It can be seen as a burden to give up their Saturdays and Sundays to watch up to 10 hours of talks prepared by the Prophets and Apostles of God. But it is not a burden. It can be a time of prophecy, revelation, answers, and healing. It is a gift from God to have the truth on the Earth today. I am grateful for it. I am grateful to know that Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet. I'm grateful to be, not only a member, but a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know that God loves each of his children and he wants us all to return to him one day. That is the sacred message of Easter: that Christ came, died, and lives again so that we may do the same.

Enjoying Easter Chocolates

I love you all and thank you for your love, prayers, and support. I hope you have a wonderful week and continue to ponder what has been shared in General Conference.

Love, Sister Christensen

Matching Planners with Sister McDonnell, but...