Week 10

My Spanish comprehension is getting better I'll have you know.

This week went by sooo fast. Everything is kind of starting to blur together. Have I told you about Evensio? He is old and gets dialasis treatments 3 times a week for his diabetes. He is progressing very slowly. He is our FAVORITE. Haha he insults me every now and then with my incorrect Spanish but we love him so much. We get to his house and are just talking for a little bit at first before we start our lesson, and he is always the one to initiate the start. In the middle of a conversation he says "voy a orar" and just starts praying. His prayers are like a song, and we love to reminise every now on then on how he says his prayers.... he blesses his family members one by one in the same manner. So the other night in our nightly planning we were setting our goals for the next day. And we planned to find one new investigator. And for fun I said "yes and their name will be..." and Hermana Pew said "MIGUEL" how Evensio always says it in his prayers. HAHAH. Then we laughed for a while and all was done. The next day we went out to find a man at his house that we met previously. And as we were walking there his neighbor's door was open and looked out at us. We talked to him for a while and found out his name was Mickey, made a return appointment with him, he is super fun and nice and has a job and car- just a solid guy. Anyways later he said his real name is MIGUEL and it HIT me that we made a goal to gain a new investigator named MIGUEL! Wow talk about miracle. So cool.

Friday is soccer night at the church. Us, as missionaries, can only attend if we have an investigator there. We didn't have a very full day and were just hoping to get someone to soccer throughout the day... So right after dinner, we started biking a way and right there was a man in his 20's walking towards us. So we talked to him, he thought we were cute and asked us to walk with him for a minute- he agreed to come to soccer that night (in 2 hours). YAY so we could go! And he spoke Spanish! And He came to church on Sunday too!! And he just was a little miracle that day! I got to play soccer :)

Milton and Aurelio BOTH came to church this Sunday too! Such a surprise! Aurelio's boss never texted him back Saturday when he found out he had to work Sunday morning. So Sunday morning he called and told his boss he wasn't coming to work that day even if it meant losing his job. Ah Aurelio has so much faith. 

Also a less active family we have been working with came to church! La familia Cardenas. Sunday was such a happy one! To see all these people we teach actually THERE! And learning, brought such joy to our souls :).

Saturday Sister Sweeney invited all the female missionaries in the valley over to the mission home to watch the Relief Society broadcast. We had a few workshops there before as well and Hawaiian Haystacks. Hermana Pew, Garrett and I were still out on the back patio talking right as the broadcast was almost to begin and Sister Sweeney brought us out her iPad mini to watch it on. Haha LOVE HER. Then we took it into a bedroom and all three of us cuddled up and watched in on the iPad. It was so nice! It was interesting how much covenants were discussed. It reminded me of how sacred the Sacrament is, and how important it is to repent and worthily partake of the Sacrament every Sunday.

Also we found out we get iPad minis in a few months- that will be SO NICE to keep our area records on that. We are one of the ten selected missions to start this program.

Also last P-day us 4 who live together ate at a pizza and gelato place. A member came in and saw us and paid for our gelato!! We went up after we ate our pizza and started to choose and pick our gelato and they said it was all paid for! How nice is that!! 

The bike situation has been so fun- more difficult at times but its been such a blessing. The people we meet and talk to make the being drenched in my sweat all day worth it! I figured out finally that A LOT of the people we talk to ARE NOT prepared... And that is OKAY! We just have to keep inviting :).

We bike around 30 miles a day I think we figured out. We have to go from Tempe to dinner appointments in Phoenix a lot. Up a big hill. Our legs will be ripped in no time. We practice Spanish while we ride. I got a Spanish scripture mastery memorized in one day. Then that night we shared that chapter with Lourdes Cardenas. (Go and Do- not TRY and do) and I think it is what got Cardenas to church! Cause she always says she'll TRY! Ah the church is TRUE! I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. His Atonement makes this whole earthly existence bearable. Through him we can be happy and return to live with God again. I love it! Be a missionary! All the time! As President Sweeney says..."Invite, Invite, morning noon and night!" 

Love Hermana Christensen

THANKS FOR THE SPECULOOS!! It will probably be gone by next week! Thanks for everything!! Have such a spiritually uplifting week! Read and pray everyday :) as a family K? I promise you will be blessed! All of you.