Hello My Beautiful Family!
I am sorry to keep you waiting! Last Friday an announcement was passed down that preparation day is Thursday because we had to go to Jia Yi City for Combined District Training Meeting! By the way my interview with the President was really spiritual. I'll fill you in with that in a bit!
So I had a member here that e-mailed you but I gave her the wrong address. I guess you don't need to add Christensen, so ya if there is a next time I will remember that! But dont be worried about me this kind of stuff happens a lot, so if I am not e-mailing you when I'm supposed to just be patient I know I was trying to be! If anything ever happened to me the President would call so ya I love you and sorry for the long wait!
Yesterday waiting for interviews I was talking with Elder Lloyd!!! I love that man! He is in my younger District back at the MTC! He originally went to Taizhong but now he is in my Zone! So if you don't remember him I am sure he is on my blog when I was trading ties with him! Anyways he is a genius and we are really good friends at this time, as we were talking he said Hey Elder! This morning I calculated when we go home lol haha he is already trunky! Now we all know because of President Hoer you serve 16 months instead of President Hsu's opinion of 15! So as of right now with the new Mission President next year, I don't know if you know this but the Mission President can choose whether or not to send missionaries home 3 weeks early or 3 late so in my case I can go home sometime from the end of November to January this was my original thought! Elder Lloyd said, no its church policy that you can not miss 3 Christmas's so that puts me on the plane on the 21st of December with Elder Lloyd and all the younger missionaries! Again we all want to start school in January so the church will allow Elder Lloyd and his group to only serve 15 months! When he said this I was so excited because originally it would of just been my District and Elder Mix! Small huh but now since everyone needs to be home for school and we cant miss another Christmas me, my District, the younger District that went to Tai Zhong and Taibei will all be on the same plane home!!! haha cool huh? Plus I would never want to extend after Christmas expecially after serving my full 2 years and then some after the 10th of December! Now I know this a long time away but to clarify expectations I have been thinking let me fly home with the missionaries that is if the new Mission Pres. said it was ok for you to pick me up chances are impossible because it is against the area Asia Presidency who Elder Watson of the 70 Forbids it! By the way I have met him, he spoke in Gao Siung with Elder Bednar and answered some of my questions at the time. Mom look that talk up, I love Elder Watson he served with our old finacial secretary (Elder Frandson the senior couple) 50 years ago and now he is the Asia area Presidency! So I am sorry that picking me up might not be allowed. I want to come back in the summer of 2011 with all of you anyways!
Ok sorry now that I got that trunky talk out of me let me re focus and tell you about my interview with the President. We were short on time so I asked him one inspired question. I asked, my companion is going home this move so how do I build up the area for my next companion. He said, do you want to know how to read minds? I said, ya then he said ask him!!!! Haha he is so smart! So today I asked my companion and we have alot of good goals to still see 8 baptisms. We had 1 last week but it doesn't count as ours because he doesn't live in our area though.. I will send a picture of Lu Ying Ding. He is an amazing person that overcame so many trials to get into the waters of baptism! So President Hoer said, learn your area learn every members and less actives situation continue to talk to everybody to find new investigators! I don't know if he knows who my new companion will be because move calls are not until 1 week and a half. So ya that's all that happened this week!
To answer your questions mom I brought your letter I got yesterday by the way brinae I love you. I will write you a letter next week! ok ya of course I have my translator it never leaves my side! Yes Sister Hoer speaks Chinese but not that well. She can communicate in small talk but ya she started learning only when President Hoer became a Mission President! So to tell you the truth my Chinese is better than Sister Hoers unfortunatly! haha no but shes great!
My garments are fine I would love Mesh though. When it gets hot again they prevent you from sweating a lot. A lot of missionaries have them! Ya I desperately need new white shirts! My size is 17 , no bigger I have a lot of 17 in a halfs and I hate it they are too big but ya that would be huge! YES!!! a cd player would be awesome with some cds with it. EFY cds preferably and the disney songs that MOTAB made! But also I need speakers with that. Wow I feel like I'm 12 again! I havn't used a cd player in years haha! CTR ring I have no idea what size I am. Maybe Dad would remember he cut the last one of off me. But ya I sure hope you can find the Chinese ring that says yi. Hope you can read my character! haha TIA BAO? its TAI BAO LOL haha thats ok and the characters on the front of the envelope the stencils make lines in the boxes they have to be connected lol I know you all are trying. Mommy I kiss your lip print every time! no lip gloss though! Ya sorry about the apartments I will start to do that your right! oh my goodness Mom you are so physic ya I dreamt in Chinese for the first time the other night lol! haha wow! oh I need some more tide pens I will think of more things next week! I love you all thank you so much for all that you do tell Aunt pammie and Tanner I love the Uruguay shirt! I will send her a thank you note! Tell the kids I love them too and to write me more often lol just kidding! bye -bye!
Love Elder Christensen
October 21, 2009 - Stitches
My 2 stitches!!!! before and after! ya I know you hate scars mom, but hey in the resurrection I will have a perfect thumb lol!!!
Hello My Beautiful Family!
Wow this week was crazy I will explain in a little bit! BRINAE I am so happy for you! I hope you go to the temple once a month make a promise for me! You are so lucky to get to do baptisms for the dead what an awesome opportunity it is to serve Heavenly Fathers children! I am so jealous I havn't been to the temple since the MTC! I cant wait to go up to Taibei to do a session! Also I am so excited to hear your beautiful voice! We walked in a store the other day and I heard Jessica Simpson loving angels instead and I thought of you! A lot of the times I hear music and it sounds exactly like you! Who knows maybe my head is playing games with me cuz I miss you so much!!! I cant wait to read your letter thank you for taking the time to write me!
Allright wow let me start with my stiches cuz you are probably scared cuz you just saw that picture a second ago! Last Thursday we went to an apartment complez to advertise our english class after 10 minutes of placing flyers in mailboxs I come to the last one and there was a ton of mail in the box so I pushed it down to fit my flyer in, and as I took my hand out my thumb caught a sharp edge inside the mailbox! I pulled it out and noticed I cut it pretty deep but wasn't worried cuz I took my handkercheif out and wrapped it. We went to the security guard there to find some first aid. It wasn't until then I knew I needed stiches! My skin was peeled back and lots of blood started coming out! I couldn't believe it! All I was doing was placing english flyers and I get cut by a mail box! My companion was laughing cuz this story is boring, I could of fought off a dog or something but a mailbox! I don' know....anyways as we were riding our bikes to the hospital we both realized we didnt follow our back plan! Tanner probably knows how this goes the night before we plan we make a plan and if that plan doesn't work we do a backplan! Originally that day we got kicked out of a college so we couldn't contact there. The security guards were mean. One was Cathloic the other was Buddhist! I guess missionaries in the past made them mad so when we showed up they told us we could contact outside the college! So 2 hours of contacting and placing flyers was ruined because we got kicked out for being there for only 10 min. Our backup plan was the other college but we both agreed to change it and go tract and place flyers in the apartment complex! At that time the back up plan was go contact at the hospital! We prayfully changed it and both didn't feel the lord confirm that it was ok to detour from our plan! But we did it anyways because the hospital was a 20 minute bike ride and we were drained riding to the college and seeing any success mind you on a stinking hot day!!! So then we go I cut my finger and at exactly 2:30 when I cut my finger we were supposed to be at the hospital!!!! So as we were at the hospital at 3 we were looking at our watches and said no why did we listen to our thoughts and not the lords confirmation! Long story short the guy that sewed my finger added to be baptised and tonight guess what? He's coming to english!!! So I guess the Lords will was to find this guy at the hospital but we had to find him the hard way!!!!lol
Ya I wrote the President in my weekly letter to him and asked him what he thinks about how we can have good back up plans!!! haha ya the stiches were annoying actually kind of hurt but not too bad! Sister Weng a member here 2 nights ago helped me take out my stitches. At that time she said if I go back to the hospital they will charge me again and it's a waste of time on a p-day. So we did it inside the church! She missed cutting it a couple times so it kind of hurt! She was really cool about it she said here in taiwan this is illegall! But she said she doesn't care cuz she wanted to help me and didn't want to see me in pain! Haha I will get a pic of me and her today and send it next week! She also has face book mom!!! She is so nice kind of like another summer! So ya I will be more carefull next time when I am trying to advertise our english class!
Wow dad that was cool you said that! I think all apostles have seen the Lord! They got to see him in olden times and during the restoration why not now? Elder Holland is my favorite!!!!
So I have time for one last story! Last week we met a guy that is a member of The Unity Sect! Look them up they are crazy!!!! We shared the first vision and he said wow I beleive but he beleives in his religion too! Basically they beleive in every religion! Anyways we set up another time and he came back and brought 4 members with him! They showed us a power point of what they beleive and you can look it up but satan or an angel of light like they say appeared to a pastor and told him a story about the tao! It was scary their beleifs are so close to ours. My companion and I said it is basiclly and evil church and satan appeared to this guy and set up this Sect! Not church!!!!! Then we showed them the restoration and it was the worst experience I had on my mission. They were crunched on time and right before the first vision happened literally Joseph Smith looking up to heaven they all say they have to go and walk out!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost cried and promised God that I will never sin !!!!!!!!! I will never deny the truthfulness of this church. I hope one day to be in front of a lot of people and testify like Elder Holland!!!!!!!!!!
I love you!!!
Love, Elder Christensen
October 14, 2009 - Letter
Hello My Beautiful Family!
I am really tired today! We worked really hard this week with little results but we are trying to have the faith to get our investigators to baptism! Satan is really working hard on them! Our two best investigators Allen and Maggie is their English name! They want to be baptized but first they either have to get married or separate living in different houses! Last night I talked to them and invited them to fast for an answer so hopefully today while they are in gao xiong they can get married! It is only 50 kuai and they just fill out some paper work! It’s easier to get married here then elope in Las Vegas! They are just afraid of their family and sneaking behind their backs to get married! I testified that God wants them to be baptized and it is foolish to wait till next May to tie the knot because Heavenly father wants to give them so much blessings especially the temple and eternal marriage!!!
Real quick I have had this question for a long time but I kept forgetting to ask! Is Nick doing good? When can he get his endowment? If he hasn’t got it yet encourage him to prepare for it!
I’m sorry I don’t sound happy like I usually am it’s just this past week this all I have been thinking about! Allen and Maggie! If they don’t get baptized this move I don’t know I if they will have the faith for next move! We are meeting with them tonight after English Class! So I will let you know what happens. Oh did Elder Wideriksen oops I mean Tanner ever get the chance to teach English? It really helps us find those that are prepared!
By the way Mom, ya I got the letters thank you I read them all through meal times all day 3 letters was cool! Ya I can’t beleive I am almost at a year, it’s gone too fast! Just think I will get to go home right before Christmas! I can’t wait! That’s cool Max and Tanner met. Ya Mom the pizza wasn’t that much I used cash but after I went shopping and bought new shorts cuz mine are too small. I think I might be growing again! Havn’t measured yet though! Then I got tempted and bought an expensive new era hat, I will send a pic it is sweet though I don’t regret it. It’s one of those things that you couldn’t find unless you were in Taiwan! The character is long which means dragon! Ya the typhoons are crazy big. Taibei got hit pretty bad last week!
To answer the rest of your questions, members havn’t feed us yet! I got fed a lot more in Heng Chun. Sorry Mom never had the time to take pics of hengchun apartment most of them are all the same plus when we come back to Taiwan I will show you every area I have been in, sound good? Seriously there is never any time to do anything. I have been writing in my journal but I have to catch up a little bit being a tai zhong missionary is so much more work than when I came on island! It’s hard but I try to write a little every night!
Oh last week at Zone Conference I saw my best friend! ELDER MIX!!!!!! It was so cool seeing him. He said since the missions combined he saw all of my district except for me! I didn’t expect to see him either. He ran up and gave me a hug getting off the train at gao xiung! I didn’t get a pic with him but I saw my trainer. I got to contact a guy with him and this time I actually understood what he was saying! AWESOME!!!! Oh, last night I met a monk at the night market and he gave us free buddha beads!!!! Look that up and read about it. It is very interesting! Don’t have enough time! Oh Elder Moes is in tai zhong not taibei???? Still havn’t seen him since my 2nd move along time! Now before I send this picture let me tell you 2 things I look good with parted hair now! It a rule now and ya I got a pink tie! So Max cant’ make fun of me! Sister Hoer complimented me saying, Elder Christensen that pink tie looks good!!! haha so I am only sticking with this one! You will all like it!!! Ok well that’s about all I have to say this week. I love you all!
Can’t wait to get your letter and Dads! Dad thanks, that helped me a lot. I have used testifying in Jesus Christ’s name and ya it is powerful especially after sharing the first vision!!! Thank you for that advice!!!
I love you all! Oh almost forgot General Conference was awesome! Elder Holland was by far the best and my favorite!!! That was the most powerful testimony about the Book of Mormon I have ever heard borne in public! Dad he prophesied a couple times about the last days and the book! Please listen to that talk again and send me your thoughts. I thought he got really deep!
Love, Elder Christensen
October 7, 2009 - Letter
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Elder Tang (Sugar)Hello My Beautiful Family!!!! Hello Tanner!!!
Wow I can't call him Elder anymore huh! Tanner looks great! Thanks for sending that picture! Not going to lie, just got really homesick, I wish that was me in the pic instead! Was that at the airport? Did Max get to meet Tanner? I always talked about him and bragged about his spanish when I was with Max! I am sure Tanner will read this so when he finds some time I would love a letter! Did he give his homecoming talk? Did you tape it for me? Is his Spanish fluent? Probably better than my Chinese lol! Wow! I am so happy he returned with honor! I promise to do the same! One thing I will never forget is saying bye to Tanner at Claim Jumper...He told me Ryan you better be gone when I get home! I promised him I would! Now look at me, I've been in Taiwan for 7 months now! Tell him I love him and miss him!
Would you two stop bragging about Conference! I havn't seen it yet! It's always one week later in Taiwan for future reference, because they have to translate it! Anyways tomorrow is Zone Conference, Friday we have nothing then Saturday we get to ride down to jia yi city and watch the sessions at their Chapel ours is rented that's why we have to leave our area. Then Sunday session is at our Branch so we will watch the DVDs! Haha ya I can't wait to hear Elder Bednar! I am sure Elder Holland's was awesome as well!
Ya this area is really awesome it's really rural so not many people to talk to but I have learned to stop scooters and cars by waving them over to the side of the road! Sometimes it works but sometimes it doesnt lol. I love the members here and the Branch President is my favorite! We were in a meeting on Sunday and they want to start a fhe again! I gave him my advise on having it on Friday instead of Monday cuz everyone is working on Monday and most of the time is free on Friday nights. At least in heng chun it was like that! haha you spelled heng chun HENG CHUNG???? wow I need to teach you guys Chinese! So anyways he liked my idea and we will have it once a month on Fridays! I felt good I could help! Because my last areas I would just sit in meetings cuz I didn't understand, I was always depressed because I didnt understand what they were talking about. As of right now my listening is getting way better and talking as well. I still don't understand at times but that's only if it's a vocab word I don't know! I am getting to the point where if i dont understand one vocab word they use another one that I know then I understand! It is great the lord is blessing me a lot lately!
So yesterday and right now I am on exchanges with Elder Tang! He is from Taibei, his english is really bad so throughout the exchange I havn't spoken English once! I couldn't be more happier! He has helped me improve my chinese a lot! I wish I could do that every day with american companions but most of them dont speak Chinese all the time which hurts me because I love to SYL! It makes me speak my language all the time! I hope sometime in my mission I get a native!
So I have a huge miracle to share with all that are reading this. Monday night my companion says we are going on exchanges and I will stay here in my area acting as a temporary senior companion for the day! I was so scared because i havn't been able to have the oppurtunity to do that! So as I was setting my goals a number came into my head 15! I felt that I could have a miracle day as senior companion and find 15 new investigators and 15 baptisimal dates! When I told my companion my goals he said Elder you can do it! That's a lot though you need to work really hard! Also he said he had faith in me and would tell the zone leaders I would be senior for the day! One of my leaders said it's not a good idea to put 2 junior companions together! I am on my 6 th move and ElderTang is on his 10th! But he said it's Elder Gallaghers choice! I over heard this and told Elder Gallagher to trust me that I can do this! He had no problem and said I don't care what he thinks I feel that it is your time to shine!
Real quick...I don't know if you remember Elder Heder but he is one of my zone leaders now!!!! (the twin) his companion is from tai zhong who hinted no! So he also said President Hoer would love me if i had a productive day! So right now I am fasting cuz we didn't fast on Sunday because it was the mid august moon festival and people gave us food all day! So we chose to fast yesterday until today at 12 30! We are breaking our fast in jia yi shi (city) we will go to the pizza hut all you can eat! I am so excited still havn't been to the pizza hut here! Might need to use my card by the way lol! A little expensive but going to be worth it! Anyways yesterday in my fasting prayer I prayed to do a good job with Elder Tang and find 15 prepared people that want to be baptized! So all day we worked really hard we got lost for 2 hours riding to this guys house but added him to be baptized on nov 7 and his sister! That night at a 7-11 we added a ton more! Now mind you a normal day is about 4 baptismal adds a good day is 7 or 8 prepared souls! But we ended up getting 18 ADDS!!!! TIhey all set up to meet with us! Last night when my companion called for numbers he was so excited to hear I added 18 when they had a rough day adding 4! He said Elder how do you preform these miracles all the time and prophesy of hitting a goal! I told him it wasn't me it was the lord that helped me find and place in my path these 18 children of god! He also said the zone leaders were happy with me as well! Ya I am still shocked the lord gave us that many! Now we need to take care of them and teach them the gospel! I love you all and thanks for your love and support! Tanner write me soon!
Love, Elder Christensen
Love, Elder Christensen
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