Week 66

​Family,

About the ONLY people I am really excited about in our area right now are less actives. The Sanders (In their 70's) are doing so great!!! They live in Datil and have come to church now for two weeks in a row!! They hadn't been to church since 1984 at the soonest. They are grasping everything we teach. Brother Sanders just stopped drinking tea and coffee without a problem practically. And the progress seen in their happiness is so real! They are on date to receive their endowments and be sealed before Christmas! I love the Sanders!! Even if the only reason we moved up here was for them- it is so worth it.

We also have another progressing less active, Sister Davis who is the last bishop's mother. She hasn't been to church in many many years and feels so guilty that almost all of her children are not active in the church. She has gone from not reading or praying at all to now...read an hour from the Book of Mormon last night!
Our companionship is doing well. Sister Doolhoff has so much fun yet is an exactly obedient missionary. She is such  good example to me. And Sister Harrast  always makes us laugh too. We are the best three friends anyone ever did see. 

Rcently I haven't felt like I am doing th right things up here because no one is getting baptized anytime soon. It's hard to see the good sometimes, and to feel like our laboring up here is accepted. 

I do LOVE these people with all my heart, it is just frustrtrating that they don't want to listen yet!

I love reading Trevor's emails because his excitement is so tangible! I remember when I was THAT excited about being a missionary. I hope he never loses that excitement! It helps me be excited too! That he can look at his tiny little "group" in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country and have so much hope! "hope is the anchor of our souls" and HOPE is the attribute I wish to strengthen. If I would stop worrying about all of the people that DON'T listen to us and keep looking for those who MIGHT my soul would have a lot more peace.

I am staying up in this area for another 6 weeks at least!

The Hunters last week loved our next rendition. One of them from Florida is anxious to get back and go see the temple there. We planted some good seeds. They all said they would go see "Meet the Mormons" as well.

My 2 companions and I are singing for the Adult session of stake conference on Saturday because President Hamblin asked us to. We are excited!

I am learning and growing everyday still. I am really thankful for the scriptures and for prayer. I love reading the scriptures. I love how much I am learning. I love being anti'd sometimes so that I can bear real, sincere wrenching testimony. I love praying and knowing that God hears me. I love knowing that I can live with Him again and feel and KNOW complete JOY. I long to choose the right yet I always make mistakes! I am never going to be perfect, not anytime soon. But I can always be COMPLETE in Christ.

Life is hard and Satan is SO REAL. But God's power will ALWAYS overpower the Devil's.

If you ever don't feel like praying- PRAY! Pray ALWAYS! And you won't be tempted. Satan LOVES it when we don't pray. Don't please him, please God :)

2Nephi 32

 8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.
 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

Hermana Christensen

 With President Hobb's dog Loki :) I love dogs. 

Week 67

We had a few miracles this week!

 

First off- the Sanders came to Stake Conference this week in Eagar!

 

We got to spend all of Halloween in the temple!!! The temple invited all of the mountain missionaries to come because it is very dead on Halloween! It was such a great experience. My companions did baptisms and I stuck with a girl who just got back from a mission in Italy in our stake, Sister Wiltbank who I thought to invite the day before! She had just been released the day before and was so grateful to come with us because she didnt get to go to the temple her whole mission! We did an endowment session and then sealings. Sister Pew and I got to do sealings with President and Sister Sweeney and a few elders. Definitely a Halloween to remember! What a spiritual and ghostly place to be! :)

Cynthia dropped us last week. BUT she called last night and said, "I have been thinking a lot about you sisters and I wanted to tell you that you taught me a lot. I now know that I should pray night and morning and through out the day and that I can just talk to God whenever I want! I have been praying a lot for my sick friends. Thanks for teaching me that. Even though I haven't started reading the Book of Mormon again I will. And even though I have been baptized once and feel like I have done enough as of now, that could still change.  I really appreciate you coming over and spending so much time with me. I want you to know that you didn't waste too mich time on me, because I feel closer to God."

I was crying of course by the time she gave me a second to talk. I told her she is always welcome to come to church (which she HATES church so she quickly shut down that inviation haha) and I told her that we don't feel like we wasted ANY time on her. I told her how happy I was and how it was the Holy Ghost that prompted her to call and tell us that. She agreed!

I love her so much. What a tender mercy it was to get that phone call!

We have been taking the garbage to the dump almost every week since we have lived here. There is a man named Lalo who punches our trash card before we can dump. We have been talking a lot  to him about the gospel for a few months now and invited him to find his Book of Mormon and come to a few activites. Week after week he hasn't showed any sincere desire to keep any of the commitments we have left him. BUT this last week we made plans to get out of the car and teach him a lesson in the little shed he stays in all day. We did, he listened sincerely, showed interest in learning more, and accepted to be baptized on Nov. 29th! The garbage man is on date!!

 

We went to lunch in Alpine with a member for the cummunity Thanksgiving Dinner this week. There were about 100 people there and we only knoew about 10 of them (all members). One of our other members
had the feeling she needed to ask us to sing for the whole bunch. She asked if we would, then talked to the director and he agreed. We did a spur of the moment performance and the WHOLE place quieted down. They all listened intently. Af ew people even pulled out their phones and started recording. Everyone loved it, and we got great exposure in the Alpine community now!! I am so thankful for our proactive members who created that oppourtunity!

 

We also visited a part-member/less active family for the first time yesterday. We had stopped by once before and left a note, and never heard back from them (normal). But we stopped by again because his less active father told us to go visit. The husband (member) was so excited for us to be there, he is the most humble less active I have ever talked to. We invited him back to church and eventually the temple and he readily accepted and turned to his SEVEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ( who he can prepare to baptize soon!!!) and asked her how she'd like to go to church next week? WIth a huge grin she nodded yes! He commited to come to church this week! He was so grateful we stopped by. It was a miracle. 

I feel very humbled to be in this area and to try and be a leader. Sometimes it's hard to be enthuiastic all the time. I feel the need to lead, but that takes great faith I am realizing. I love how hard this area is. I love how much I can feel my faith being tested. I love the need to rely on the Savior and the desire I have to know that this truly is HIS WORK. 

We sang on Saturday for the adult session of stake conference. Afterwards we were thanked by so many people who said we made them cry. President Heap had talked to president Hamblin about us singing at the upcoming community Christmas event. He then asked us if we would sing at the multi faith "Reason for the Season" celbration the first week of December because we really invite the spirit when we sing! So now we are preparing Christmas songs :).

ALSO, I have tried TTI'ing many cows, every single time I try they run away. It's not just the people, even the cows don't want to listen! hahah

 

Hermana Christensen

It's November! We got a Christmas tree at the dollar store! Merry Christmas! :)

Week 68

Things are about to get super real here in New Mexico.

We had a tough yet rewarding week. LALO, the dump man wa to come to church this Sunday! Some members that live by him in Aragon picked him up and he stayed all 3 hours and agreed with everything taught in gospel principles class about baptism. We had GREAT member support in the instant class.

We taught Lalo the Plan of Salvation this week and he was so cute! He said," I didn't know that I lived before I came to earth." He grasped everything so well. When we asked him about his Book of Mormon reading he was so sad and said, " I haven't been able to memorize that chapter yet, I want to testify like you all do, I want to know the scriptures like you do." We assured him that he doesn't have to memorize the scriptures! He is so diligent and his prayers are so sincere. We love teaching Lalo. He has been telling all his friends about us and about his baptism. He is so exicted! We drove to the reserve dump with Bishop the other day to introduce him to Lalo as the Bishop. Lalo told bishop about his progress and said,"The sisters say I am almost ready to be baptized so I guess I am doing well!"

Bishop told us that he would have NEVER guessed that Lalo would be interested. Lots of people look down on him and have made some rude comments about him. But when we meet with Lalo I know that we see him as who he can become. And he is starting to believe how special he is! He is rediscovering the light in himself.

We are so exited an humbled to be part of a mission prayer this week. This is the email that President Sweeney sent out to the whole mission...

Dear Elders and Sisters -

We have a mission that has great faith. It is because of that that I seek your help.

The Sisters (Sisters Christensen, Harrast and Doolhoff) in the Luna Ward and Pie Town Branch have labored to share the gospel with those in this area since June 2014. Prior to this time, there were no full time missionaries in this area. The Spirit seemed to brood upon me and I assigned three wonderful Sisters to labor there to open up this area for the preaching of the gospel.

I know there are those here that are prepared to listen. But despite their best efforts, the harvest has been meager.

The District Leader for these Sisters approached me with an idea: could we do a mission-wide week of prayer for this area - added to the groups we are praying for - for one week? I asked the 3 Sisters and they were enthusiastic to the idea!

I am impressed with the sincerity of the request and the child-like faith of the Sisters that our prayers in their behalf will yield an increase in the harvest. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)

So, please join me in praying for the Luna Sisters' area for one week beginning on P-Day (Nov. 10) for one week (through P-Day Nov. 17). That they will find - or members will help them find - people to teach in their area. That hearts will be opened to our message.

THANK YOU!

President Sweeney

I am so humbled and excited to be included in every companionship's prayers this week! I know that we will see miracles as a result!

In my studies this week I learned about being patient with the work. These were a good reminder....

2 Nephi 27

20 Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee. 21 Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time; for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work.

2 Nephi 33
2 But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught.
 3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.
 4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.

This is how I feel right now. That a lot of people don't want to listen. Their hearts are hardened. These people are merciless. Haha but so are we! I love these verses in chapter 33 because I know that all of my prayers will consecrated in some way. I am still thoroughly convinced that I am a seed planter.

I am grateful for this area and how hard it is! Yesterday in fast and testimony meeting we had a few members get up and mention us in their testimonies. The members up here actually trust us and love us now. We are making differences in many lives. I can't wait to see this area continue to grow as time goes on. 

Hermana Christensen :)

 Right before our big singing break at stake conference

Trying to teach the cows, fails every time. President Sweeney suggested that I lure them in with apple slices!

Week 64

I have never been more happy. We had a great week. Sorry I didn't email yesterday, we had a sisters conference in St. Johns and we didn't get back home until late! So we are emailing today! It was a powerful sonference for the sisters in the mountains. At the end we all were able to bear testimony and it felt like girls camp but better. We all were best friends after an  we all bawled together. Ah I love crying. Sister Doolhoff decided we burn calories when we cry haha which makes it even better. Us three were able to sing the opening song. I sang the alto part and was SO nervous but I am getting better! I love how much my companions are teaching me!

Miracles miracles miracles! We are actually finding prepared people for real now!!! Jesse is a man we talked to while we were at the Post office. He was getting into his car and ended up agreeing for us to come by his house. We finally found his house this week.

The morning that we taught him, I prayed outside after exercise out loud.

I was pleading with Heavenly Father to PLEASE let us teach a prepared person. ANYONE. I prayed so sincerely and promised to listen and follow His promptings. 

When found Jesse's house, I told the sisters about an experience I had at his house a few months ago. It was before we moved up here and I was with Sister Arevalo. We talked to the people outside this house and they yelled at us to go away. We did, but then I turned around and gave them a pamphlet as he screamed at us for trespassing. haha. So i was apprehensive to come back to this house. But Satan always tried to scare us from the prepared souls!

We knocked on the door right as one of his friends was leaving and so we scared each other and he started screaming- as sister Harrast tried to run away and trips down the porch steps haha. Then we explained we were looking for Jesse, Jesse invited us in happily. He was shirtless and covered in tattoos and piercings in a house full of the smell of smoke. He has a pool table as his living room furniture and liquor bottles lining his kitchen. 

We went over some how to begin teaching points that went PERFECTLY and he said, "it's so weird that I met you all and you came by because I was just talking with my girlfriend the other day about finding a church."

He agreed to be baptized and is so humble. He is the coolest man I have ever met. I cant wait to meet his girlfriend too! 

He attends Narcotics Anonymous right now too... He is trying to change! What a perfect time to meet us :) I know Heavely Father answered my prayer. It was a miracle. 

We also received a referral yesterday over the phone, our relief society president met a woman with a child in Alpine who want to meet with us! THEN yesterday we got a call from a man living in KINGSMAN AZ with a friend in RESERVE who wants to meet with us!!!!!!!!! Members are THE BEST!!! 

Also I don't think I told you about the miracle in Pie Town from the Pie Festival. We talked to a woman that was selling T shirts, I was looking to buy one for Dad but none caught my fancy, this woman lives in Datil and is agnostic with an atheist husband. I asked them if she knew Sister Owens who lives in Datil and she said yes! Anyways... now this woman's daughter goes to church with Sister Owens every week. The mother wants to give her daughter the opportunity to learn about Christ. It was so great to see sister Owens and Niah (the girl) and Bernie all together at church. AND BERNIE GOT THE PRIESTHOOD and passed the sacrament. It was a great Sunday.

We had another lesson with Dale this week. We are hoping he will come to church! He is reading the Book of Mormon and praying! Keep praying for him :)

I love my area I cannot tell you enough. It has changed so much. I know we are exactly where we need to be and I know God is helping us to find His prepared. I love being a missionary for these stubborn people!

Jesus Christ lives and helps me everyday. My Heavenly Father hears and answers my prayers every time I know it. 

I still love 1 Nephi 17. It is just like our area up here. We are actually starting to build the ship now that we made the tools!

Hermana Christensen.

Sister Owens teaching the two kids in Primary in Pie Town. (Niah)

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!