Week 65

Well the less actives we are working with in Pie Town came to church yesterday!!! President Hobbs was so happy! That was our little miracle this week!

Also during planning we were thinking about who to bring to Jesse's lesson. After a pause I said, brother Parnell. Sister Doolhoff about exploded because she was thinking the same  person and was about to say it! We brought brother Parnell and they were PERFECT for each other. Jesse was so receptive and his girlfriend was the nicest girl ever too! 

Also during planning I had a feeling we really needed to visit the Hulseys. Our lunch fell through yesterday so I ended up asking Sister Hulsey if we could go by and eat at her house after church. She said they had no food in their house but that we could go by the lodge where their hunters are and her daughter Larae would cook us something. So we drove up the dirt road to the lodge to awkwardly find Larae not there. Then Sister Hulsey pulled up and told us to stay, that she would go and get Larae. 

During lunch we talked to a few hunters. Two were 15 mils away from where sister Harrast lives in Michigan- Crazy! And other two were from Florida. After lunch we ended with our signature "Nearer My God To Thee" song. Only one hunter was in the room with Larae. He didn't really say much and didn't wan to learn more. But we walked out to our truck and two of the men were on the porch. They told us how good we sounded, that they could hear us from out there. We left, only to realize ( after 10 minutes) that we forgot our cell phone. When I went  back, Larae quietly pulled me aside and said, "they have been talking about your little musical number ever since you have left! You left such a good impression!"

Then we invited all of them to learn more after they asked us some more questions. They all said no..

Then 5 hours later we got voice mail from sister Hulsey saying that the hunters have asked them so many questions about us missionaries and Mormons and they want us to come back to lunch again!!! So we are going back tomorrow for lunch! And are preparing more songs to sing. 

That was such a miracle. Sister Hulsey was so impressed with our following the spirit to ask her for lunch.

I love being a missionary. People reject us a lot, and lots of people still don't want to listen to us. But in my interview this week, President told me about the people he has talked to from Luna who thank him for us, because we have changed all of Catron County's attitude towards Mormons. We ARE making a difference President assured me. I cried of course. It's hard to see the progress at times, but then I look back and realize how far our area has come along. I love it up here so much. I can't tell you enough!! I love my two companions and I love the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hermana Christensen

P.S.I am half way done memorizing "The Living Christ" in Spanish!

P.P.S. We can get on Facebook now to share messages!

Cleaning an investigator's house, we washed all of her dishes. While discussing religion of course. This picture may or may not be posed.

Our favorite little Parnell boy.

We are the message!

Breaking the rules! No, just Mary's porcelain replica of her mother as a baby.

This is Mary (investigator) and her porcelain baby doll Sarah. Sarah was made to look like Mary's deceased mother. She loves Sarah! So do we!

We made Baklava and bread with Carol and her sister Sheila visiting from England! We love them!!! Call us cultured. Sheila doesn't believe in God. We had an interesting discussion.

In Brother Sink's model A Ford he built! 

Self- explanatory :)  In front of our little cottage :)

Week 63

We watched conference with Cynthia Saturday morning. She loved it and she loved how much it talked about missionaries. She is almost done with Mosiah. She leaves tomorrow for a horse back riding trip to in Utah. She will be in Tropic and Kanab and all those good places. We hope she has lots of good exposure to the LDS there! 

Mary C, one of our investigators in Reserve wants to be baptized! It was a miracle. She doesn't understand very well. But on exchanges Sister Cole came up with Sister Doolhoff and I and it was so inspired to have her there with us! Mary still didn't understand why she would want to be baptized again after being baptized in the baptist church just last month. Sister Cole then with a GENIUS idea explained to Mary that her baptism that she just had was only done with authority to make it last until she dies. BUT that baptism done with God's power and authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will last FOREVER even after she dies. A light bulb clicked in Mary 's head and she said, "Okay, I didn't know that! What do I have to do to be baptized with that authority?"

Ah it was so great and now teaching baptism with the proper authority will be so much easier! I love how much I still learn as a missionary! I never stop learning!

We also visited our less actives in the Blue. I prayed and prayed so hard that one of them would be there. She hasn't called us back in weeks. She was home and we had a good lesson with her whole family! Ah I love working on faith. It gives room for miracles to occur. 

I really loved the Saturday sessions too. I loved Elder Christofferson's talk. But I also loved Elder Bednar's. His are so clear and easy to follow and understand. Just FYI Elder Nelson's talk was made in Phoenix AZ. He told us he was working on it while he was staying here haha. 

We had another meeting with Dale L at the Thompson's last night. He agreed for us to teach him! He seems very open to listen! Just has some problems with organized religion and gave us a disclosure of "no promises". Keep praying for him! 

I love you all!

The elk are still my best friends. They are bugling like crazy.

Our house is FREEZING. Hopefully getting wood tomorrow!

Hermana Christensen

I AM the Message while pumping gas.

Cozy conference Sunday morning with the Elmers in Reserve!

Week 62

My two favorite people in the world right now are Phyllis and Cynthia.
They just give me so much hope! I love watching them progress!!
So a few of the miracles this week...

Cynthia came to the Women's Broadcast with us! Sister Payne drove us
all out to the Luna building. We got there and were the only ones so
we hurry and set it up right as they were singing the opening song.
Sister Doolhoff and I bawled through the whole thing. I have a
companion who cries as much as I do now! Haha I love it! After the
broadcast we walked out and the first thing Cynthia says in her cute
smiley voice is, "Okay I have LOOOOTS of questions now!" She said,
"what is the temple!?" The whole thing practically was about the
temple! She is understanding so much! Little by little. She mentioned
on the car ride home how much she respects our church because in other
churches it seemed like the women weren't respected very well, but she
was impressed how highly esteemed the women are in our church and that
they are able to speak in functions like conference! Her prayers keep
getting better too! She doesn't feel like she is progressing but she
is! She is in Mosiah in her reading, learning about the wars between
the Lamanites and Nephites.

Phyllis is a gem. We had a lesson with her. Her husband was supposed
to be out looking for elk but the rain drove him back home. So he was
there for our lesson too. We figured out he is pretty anti-mormon. He
dominates our conversations and is very skeptical, I look at Phyllis
while he is talking and ask what she thinks, she mouths, "I agree with
YOU!"......
So....... We read a little bit of the Book of Mormon with them and
tried to leave them each a copy. Phyllis took one. At this point we
weren't so sure that she would listen to us and not her husband and we
were praying that she would read The Book of Mormon. And a miracle
happened!
The next morning we get a text that says,"Good Morning Sisters!
Enjoyed our visit last night. 1Ne 7:12 "The Lord is able to so all
things for men if they exercise faith in him;"

SHE CAME TO CHURCH WITH SISTER GRAY ON SUNDAY and stayed for all 3
hours. Afterwards I was talking to her in the hall about how she feels
and when we will see her next. I suggested we have another "girls
night" suggesting that we have a lesson without her husband and she
came right out and said, "I am so sorry, I thought he was going to be
gone the other night!" She looked me in the eyes and said, "I know
this is where I belong, I agree with everything that your church
teaches and I always feel SO GOOD when I come to your church over any
other church."
Phyllis has a testimony! She came to lunch with us afterwards at
Sister Gray's. She loves being around us. SHE IS SUCH A GOOD PERSON
AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH! She grew up in an atheist home in Mesa AZ.
However after having 2 kids she almost died from a brain tumor and now
knows there is a God. She believes so much!
I love our area. I thought about the day I will leave it and how hard
my heart  will hurt!
HOW WE TALK WITH EVERYONE:
The other day we were driving trying to find an alpaca ranch that
these people we met at Pie Fest owned. A ways north of Pie town. We
had been driving on this dirt highway for a while and I started to
wonder if we were lost. Not 20 seconds later an oncoming car
approached and I waved my arm out the window and slowed to a stop, I
asked them where to go and then we asked them if they had a Book of
Mormon. They did and knew missionaries where they lived. I testified
that I knew what the missionaries taught them was true!  We gave them
a pass along card and told them to call and get a free movie about
Christ!

Driving to Alpine the people in front of us pulled over to take
pictures of Elk. I turned around and got out and offered to help. They
were members but we gave them mormon.org cards and invited them to
give one to a friend.
Then off we went and another man was pulled over on the side of the
highway. Same thing haha. He wasn't a member though, his wife is a
member and he is catholic. He kindly turned down our invitations and
as we left I called him brother and it caught him very off guard and
he laughed.

I am thoroughly  convinced of my seed planting gifts in this area.
Pulling off the highway to talk to people is what we do every day!
We also got lots of new service opportunities this week! And a
non-member who loves us and calls us her angels is taking us to lunch
this week.
I have heard many times now from various members and non-members how
much we have changed this area. How blessed the people are to have us
here and how much light we bring to these little towns. I LOVE IT. :)
So many people are more open and nice to us because of the great
reputation we have from serving up here!

I love my mission. I love being a part of the building up of His
kingdom. There will be a Pie Town temple someday :) haha

Hermana Christensen


Sorry no camera cord...
We are in Eagar because we saw MEET THE MORMONS this morning in
PineTop!!!!!!!! IT WAS SO GREAT!!! I CRIED DURING THE CANDY BOMBER
PART and at the end. Watch it the weekend it comes out! They will play
it longer in theaters according to how many people watch it opening
weekend!
LOVE YOU!

Week 61

Elder Nelson is my BFF

If you haven't joined our mission Facebook page, do. My companions and I, with the help of Sister Sweeney, just uploaded an album of pictures called " We are the message!" from this weekend in the valley. :)

 

We had an all mission conference with the Mesa mission and were able to shake hands with Elder Nelson on Saturday morning. He just turned 90 years old. He was so cute as he energetically skipped into the room. We also heard from Elder Foster and Elder Todd Hansen of the 70. Elder Nelson talked about a lot of things. Marriage was included, he said how important it is that we make sure our potential spouse loves God more than they love us. Because if they do, their capacity to love us will be so much greater.I really like that thought. Also he talked about how important family history is and how the family history consultant should be the missionary's best friend!

Sister Cole, an Eagar sister, had a baptism that she got permission to stay for that night in Mesa and she drove down with us. We were able to stay one more night at the mission home and Elder Nelson spoke on Sunday for stake conference in the Phoenix East stake. So of course we went to that too! We sat on the 3rd row right in front of him next to one of Sister Doolhoff's recent converts. After Elder Nelson sat down I was smiling brightly at him and he smiled back, winked, and mouthed, "good morning". :) Getting that from an apostle of the Lord is far greater than being front row at any Justin Beiber or Taylor Swift concert! He shook all the hands of the stake members after the meeting.  I could have easily shook his hand again but felt bad depriving the stake members of a sooner privilege so I just watched for a minute. I know he is a man truly called by God.

Before we left for the 6+hour drive to the valley we were able to have another lesson with Cynthia this week. We had called her Thursday and she left a message on our machine Thursday night telling us we could come over Friday. She is still reading the Book of Mormon and not entirely loving it yet. Well she wasn't able to sleep very well that night and woke up at 3am and decided to read. She read for two hours and ended on Jacob chapter 5. SHE LOVED JACOB 5 AND WAS PRACTICALLY JUMPING OUT OF HER SEAT telling us about it. She went on to say how much sense it made to her. We had a member, Sister Elmer, there with us and Sister Elmer was able to share a lot of similar concerns she had when joining the church with Cynthia. We helped Cynthia recognize that the prompting she had to read the Book of Mormon at 3am was from the Holy Ghost! She seemed to understand that and she understands now that there ARE some things in the Book of Mormon that she likes. She is a one of a kind. Jacob 5 of all chapters haha. 

Also MIRACLE, because we have dubbed her with high functioning autism, Sister Doolhoff had a recent convert in her last area with the same thing. When she met Cynthia she said, "wow she is EXACTLY like Sage." She said that Sage would have the same thing happen where he would hear a voice in his head telling him what to do and that's how he heard the Holy Ghost at first and is learning more and more how to recognize it. BUT HOW PERFECT is Sister Doolhoff for our area right now!? She is seriously so perfect in our area in so many ways I can't believe it, I love her so much! She is from Roy, Utah and is 24 years old. She is a lot of fun!

I love you all!

Hermana Christensen

Our beautiful trio!

we love Sister Sweeney!!

My companions and I after meeting Elder Nelson

I love Hermana Wheelwright

We made lunch after Stake conference with President and Sister Sweeney before we left for home.

"We ARE the message" (Sister Doolhoff, Me, Sister Cole, Sister Thompson, Sister Harrast)

Week 60

Something that we are beginning to realize as we drive many many miles each day to visit people is the way that will work best for us to get more baptisms. Quality vs. Quantity. For us, we are definitely more about the quality of our investigators.There are some people who want to learn how to gain eternal life and some who don't really care about that right now. The Lord is preparing people to receive us- it's our job as members and missionaries to invite so we can find the prepared!

We lost Sister Lee this week to the valley. She is now in Mesa! And we are going to get a new companion named Sister Doolhoff from Roy, Utah. She is still in commute up to us and we will pick her up in Eagar tonight!

Sister Harrast and I have had a few good days being in a duo again. It feels so normal to just be with one companion. But I guess in a trio is where I need to be! We are really excited for Sister Doolhoff to come up to "The Land of Enchantment" with us! 

Sister Harrast spoke in Luna on Sunday and it was Sister Lee's last Sunday with us so we tried to guilt trip every person we saw this week into coming to church for those two reasons. Haha just kidding but kind of. We mentioned too that it's a commandment and reminded them how important the sacrament is. CYNTHIA came to church again!! She had a negative experience last time but she decided to come again to support m comps and she was pleasantly surprised at how much more normal this sacrament meeting was. What a blessing that was! Hopefully we can help her to keep coming now!

We had a great lesson with her on Monday. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ lesson and invited her for the 3rd time to be baptized. She won't even set a date for December yet. But she is halfway through 2nd Nephi and wants us to keep teaching her! She is expecting a big answer to come to her letting her know that everything true. We are trying to help her realize how much she is progressing!! 

The Lord doesn't expect immediate perfection, only immediate progression!

She is doing so great. She keeps all of the reading commitments we leave her. And still prays everyday. We just love Cynthia.

We also love Phyllis. She was going to come to church but got sick....She really did. She watched 17 miracles at the Thompson's and LOVED it. 

Then the Thompson's have this friend named Dale.... They told us about him MONTHS ago and have been thinking about inviting him. They finally did and he had dinner with us at the Thompson's and then we watched Ephraim's Rescue, He really felt the spirit during the movie and teared up a little bit. Afterwards brother Thompson invited Dale to learn more about our beliefs. It was SO GOOD and Dale agreed!!!!!!

Also get this.....He knows Brad from the tennis club and coached against him at Weber! We talked tennis for a while. What a tender mercy. Pray for Dale that he might desire to live the gospel!

My favorite thing I learned this week was revelation I received through the Book of Mormon. Sunday Sister Thompson taught the R.S. lesson on raising children in light and truth. She asked us missionaries to come up and share something our parents taught us that helped get us on a mission today. After my two companions shared, I shared how you taught us to know Jesus Christ thorough memorizing The Living Christ. I told how I would hear things in church or in conference and be reminded of the feelings I have about Christ. I know that because you taught me, mom and dad, how important Jesus Christ is through memorizing that document, my life will never be the same. I am so so happy that I was able to remember the redemptive power of Christ's atonement many a times. Thank you for teaching me how important Jesus Christ is. That is the most important thing you could ever have taught me. 

The next day I was reading in Preach My Gospel and under chapter 5 and looked over the questions of the soul that The Book of Mormon answers. One question was " How can a belief in Jesus Christ help me?" It directed me to Alma 36. 

 17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

 18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

 20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

 21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

I love verse 17 because Alma was in a VERY LOW point in his life and felt SO GUILTY for all of his many sins. And he remembered something HIS FATHER said about Jesus Christ. I have had this same experience in remembering things my parents taught me about Jesus Christ. I know that I have been healed spiritually many times through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know the sweet joy that Alma speaks of that comes through true repentance. I am so very grateful to have been taught this from a young age!

Sometimes it is strange to think that I know more about how to have true joy through the gospel of  Jesus Christ than some of these 70 year old men we teach. I know that the Book of Mormon teaches true doctrine! 

How are your Preach My Gospel studies?

I promise you can learn so much from it! Elder Ballard tells us in his talk "Following up" to read it. EVERYONE! How are you doing?

Thanks for all of your letters! Trevor I cannot believe you are in advanced Spanish in the MTC you little smarty pants! Hopefully you don't get your visa and can come wait in Scottsdale! :)

I  LOVE YOU ALL!!! Families can be together forever! Thanks for doing your part family!

CON MUCHO AMOR,

Hermana Christensen

The skies were beautiful this week.

Sister Thompson and I (my Luna mom)

Week 59

Cynthia.

She is a rock star. We had 2 lessons with her this week. The first one, we read 1 Nephi 21 and 22 with her because she was super confused when she read them on her own. She is very analytically and worries about all of the small details. Our focus recently with her has been helping her to recognize the Holy Ghost. 

Friday she wanted to talk more about Joseph Smith and we decided before hand with her to watch the Restoration Video. We showed up on Friday and she popped popcorn and got out little bowls to watch the restoration video. She got all dressed up in non-working with the horses clothes. SO NICE. She's such a cutie. She really doesn't want to change her religious ways as of now because the way she feels closest to God is when she is out riding her horses. But she wants to keep reading the Book of Mormon and learning more. Plan of Salvation this week! Because she doesn't understand the WHY to all of this yet. ETERNAL LIFE in THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM!

Pie Town trailer and Church.

Took another cold shower in the Trailer this weekend. We will have to winterize it pretty soon so we are figuring out what to do this winter.

We were asked Saturday by Sister Cox to teach Gospel Doctrine for her! It was on Jonah and Micah and missionary work. We did pretty good! I feel much more learned about Jonah! He is not the best missionary- he doesn't LOVE his dear brothers and sisters in Ninevah. EGH I have a few problems with him,yet I am grateful for his story.

ANDY.

Andy is our NEW INVESTIGATOR and HAS A BAPTISMAL DATE!

We met him at the fair in Reserve a few weeks ago. We met him yesterday in his Air-stream trailer. He was sweating bullets and was SO NERVOUS to meet with us. He is such a shy little guy. He is 21 and Buddhist kind of. He wants to learn more and wants to be baptized! UHHH MIRACLE!!!! 

Weekly Planning.

We sometimes struggle with short attention spans during our long weekly planning sessions. This week, to work on our companionship unity and communication skills, I duct taped my eyes shut, sister Lee put in some of my ear plugs and duct taped over them, and we duct taped Sister Harrast's mouth shut. HAHAHAH, it didn't last the whole 3 hours but the way we worked together proved effective and we are super united! Call us creative!

Singing.

We Sing for EVERYONE. And are famous for it. 

Gardens.

Everyone is so generous with their gardens and we come home everyday with a bag full of fresh fruits or veggies.

Frog.

The other morning on the dirt road while jogging- I passed a half dead frog. I summoned my companions and we decided it was best to put it out of its misery. I ran around and found a huge rock and ran back with it. As I dropped the rock on it, I ended up with frog guts and blood all over my legs. That was a highlight this week.

BINGO and Phyllis.

Phyllis has a home here in Luna that she and her husband live in during the summer. They live right by adam-ondi-ahman and have heard a lot of anti things. (She says we can stay at their home there in Missouri any time really!) But she is loving us like her own children and we are so happy about it. She is more open than her husband and grew up with an Atheist father. She had a brain tumor when she was thirty. She has had lots of experiences that have told her there is a God. 

After she took us to lunch the other day with Sister Gray, we went up to the senior center Bingo... we didn't play BUT we socialized with many. After I talked with a few new faces I went up the the front and asked if I could help the man call out numbers. It was so much fun and the oldies loved my accent and clear enunciation of the numbers. We a good time. The best was that before we left we asked to sing them all a hymn. They were all so attentive and it was neat to feel the Spirit fill the room. 

I LOVE THE AREA RIGHT NOW. Sunflowers line the roads. It is all so green and BEAUTIFUL!!!! Pictures cannot do this area justice right now.

I love my companions!

ALSO...Last week at Zone Conference.. President Sweeney said I may stay here until February.... my heart is filled with peace and JOY! I LOVE LUNA AND PIE TOWN! 

TREVOR- Have so much fun in the MTC! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM AND DAD AND RILEY AND MIKE AND OAKLEY!

Hermana Christensen

Zone Conference (FUNNY)

Zone Conference

Week 58

We visited Cynthia this week. She just finished the First Book of Nephi! And she had some crazy questions for us. She reads The Book of Mormon every night before bed. Good girl Cynthia :)!

Labor Day weekend in Alpine... SO MANY PEOPLE were up here. We met lots of people and A LOT of them came to church on Sunday.

The best day this week was Sunday.  There were 564 people at Sacrament Meeting.  Sister Lee, Harrast and I sang "We'll Bring the World His Truth" during the meeting. My nerves only showed a little! 

Then we were asked a few weeks ago to prepare to teach the 5th Sunday lesson. We were able to teach about missionary work yesterday. The lesson was really good if I do say so myself. We started it with the "Because of Him" video and then explained the difference between immortality and Eternal Life. Our whole objective here on Earth is to prepare to gain the greatest of God's gifts- which is Eternal Life.

How much more anxious should we be to help all of our Heavenly Father's children to know about and strive to earn this gift?

I was pondering on this the other day, I really don't want to live FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER in a kingdom other than the Celestial. I would probably be super upset with myself for ETERNITY knowing that I could have lived in there but never being able to after the final decision was made.

I want to live in the BEST place my Father in Heaven has prepared for me, and I want everybody there with me!!!

We will all be SO HAPPY!!

We did a role play during our lesson and Sister Myer's came up and I gave her a real life scenario and she practiced what she would say to me as her friend. She did so well. 

2 hours after church she left a message on our home phone saying that she finally called and set up an appointment with her friend Nancy to come meet us...GOOD JOB SISTER MYERS!

We are also implementing a member teaching record. We keep track of every lesson we teach to investigators and Less Active members…. Now we are keeping track of our lessons taught to members. This sheet gives them goals for their personal missionary work that they can pick and choose from.

 We ate dinner with Brother and Sister Quetel last night and introdiced the Member Teaching Record. She chose to start up a facebook and shared the "Because of Him" video on her page. 

It is so so incredible to see our MEMBERS progressing! They are starting to understand!

The Luna Chicken Fry was a lot of fun and a lot of people showed up. My companions and I all sat at different tables and were able to meet many new members of the community. We invited them all to church to hear us sing and pretty much all of them blatantly told us no. But that's okay because they invited us to their homes!

Diana ( Jewish with the goats in Luna) was really going to come but one of her goats was dying so she stayed and tended to her goat's needs and couldn't come listen to us sing. That was almost a miracle! She is hilarious and refuses to call me Sister Christensen and demands to call us by our first names... She's really fun. She's the one that taught me how to waltz at the music night a few months ago.

Remember this.

Alma 13

28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest. 

Hermana Christensen

 Me being a flower child with my outfit at the Fair last week.

Our cute cottage :)

We wear each other's clothes. True companionship unity

Cynthia's horse Mariah and me :)