Bodo Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2015 11:42

Hey family,

So this week was pretty awesome. Alot of the same throughout the week but in the end it was awesome to have 3 new investigators and all of them at church! I dont remember if I told you guys but our lead investigator Andre left for João Pessoa for the next 20 days... so we are trying to excite his wife and son about the church so that they will be on the same level when he gets back. So yeah his wife Marcilene went to church and a friend of theirs that they had invited as well. We also managed to bring back an investigator for the grave as well (meaning that he was in the Area book forever) but with this comes a lot of uncertanty of if he really wants to progress in the gospel. Praying for the fact that maybe this time is different but 6 years of knowing the missionaries and only going to church for the 3rd time in his life yesterday is a telling story. So idk. Elder Paiva is pretty great and for sure likes to talk a lot so sometimes people get thrown off and have to ask him If I know Port because he does most of the talking. haha so yeah sometimes its a little anoying to have people say the darnest things before the realize that I can understand them.. BUT yeah idk what else to really say. Our house is good. Everone is going great and the other missionaries in our ward are Baptizing a whole bunch of people because of a wedding they threw for one of there converts a while back. So church is TRUE.

Im stilling trying to work on my weight so I decided that I will only eat one plate of food for lunch instead of the brazilian 3 that is expected of the missionaries. Lets see how long I can last before some Sister from the ward comes at me with a knife trying to force me to eat! haha

Alright well its bout time I be leaving. Faith builder of the week was studing about the 3 Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. All 3 fell out of the church, true. But they all fulfilled their duty to testify of the truthfulness of the Book. Never once denied it. Even 2 of them came back. Read it people. Everyday. Perhaps for the first time even. It will change your life.

Igreja é verdadeira gente!

Com amor,

ELDER CHRISTENSEN 

life in Bodocongó Mon, 20 Jul 2015 11:51

Hey there,

So great to hear from all ya. So this week was pretty fast, pretty normal, pretty much a week of trying to find other people to teach so it was a lot of street contacts and knocking on doors. We lost track of André for a few days which was pretty frightening but it all worked out fine when we randomly just past by in the afternoon (he is never at home in the afternoon because of work) and found him right after his lunch break. He is so excited about the gospel! He has already invited all his friends and they are actually interested on making the visit too! haha So yeah no worries about him. His family is still slacking behind a little bit but she works as a Mid-wife I think and is helping this one lady with her new born right now so she was pretty much in the Hospital all weekend. Another problem that we face with Andre and his family is that he is leaving this weekend most likely to work in João Pessoa. And then will be gone for another 20 days.. I know its  pretty lame but he is super solid and will return and the whole bunch of them will be getting baptized here in a while, including his references! haha Lets see though.. SO yeah other than all that its been pretty good. Living with 3 brazilians is a little different. I thought I knew conversational portugues to an extent but then I forgot that there are other things to talk about other than the gospel so a whole nother world of Portuguese is being opened to me haha. As far as a funny story I dont know if I got one for you guys this week. But stay posted I will work harder to get you one this next week.

Alright guys I got to go. Church is true. Book of Mormon is the word of God. #readitERYday

loved dads quote to I figured I would end with it as well;

Since you have already reached the stares, reach for the Son!

AMOR

ELDER CHRISTENSEN

ps packege stuff - GARMETS yes that would be sweet and the rest can just be candy and junk food. Its fun to show my investigators a little bit of america so the more american candy the better. and yeah thats all I can think of...

What up!‏ Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2015 10:24

Family! 

Hey so this week was a pretty normal week for us. We are still trying to get a hang of the new area and get a few more lessons put together with Investigators and Members. We recieved a refferal from someone in our ward and we met them Tuesday night. Such a sweet and prepared family. The head of the house, Andre is such a sweet guy! He has had quite the journey to be where he is right now and He is super humbled and ready to learn and become a part of this gospel. Its so fun teaching him because he just soaks it up! Its like his first meal of the gospel after 30 years of spiritualy fasting.. and he is hungry! haha His wife and son are a little bit hesitant still and didnt come to church yesterday even though they both swore they would so there is something there and we will be working on that this week. The goal is to baptize the family together but with work and vacations and things I dont really know for sure when it will happen. Keep posted though. Other then this family, everyday was just filled with little things that are so normal to me yet so strange at the same time. Getting 20 reais from some random guy in the street, roads filled with mud, taking a shower with a 2 Lt POP bottle that we have to reserve for the weekends when we dont have water. Just the normal. So other than this I dont really have much more to update you guy on. Elder Paiva is super legit and yeah its definatly weird being the only american in the house and not having that cultural bond but Im learning a lot. 

Alright you guys I know this letter is kinda lame but just know that Im loving my mission and all that comes with it everyday!

Im readin D&C right now too with the BofM so its been fun the see all the great things that were restored at the same time the church was getting started up again. Church is truer than true. Im really into Moroni 7 and I share it with people a lot. Charity never fails.

Amor com todo meu coração gente!

ELDER CHRISTENSEN

Happy Birthday AMERICA!‏ Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2015 11:53

Yep yep!

So good to hear from you guys! This week for me was a bit interesting and a little difficult as far as missionary work but it was still really fun to be learning a new area and working with a different Comp and be working in a ward again. haha This week it rained.. A LOT! Pretty much everyday there was a slight sprinkle constantly! It was pretty annoying because nobody is in the street or is willing to answer the door, because you have to leave your front door to go answer at the gate, which is in the rain. But yeah we are just trying to learn where the members live and meet all of the old investigators that the other missionaries were teaching. They have had 3 baptisms in the best 2 transfers were none of them was Confermed.... yeah so they are kinda hard to work with and Im betting they arnt that converted so we will pretty much be trying to build a new teaching pool this week. Elder Paiva is super cool. He is that white kid on my right in the distric picture. Super cool and we are getting along pretty great. He is helping me a bunch with Port and he is a really good teacher. He works hard too so this transfer should be great. I am excited. Church is pretty great too because when we have meetings or anything I can almost always keep in touch with what is happening in the Branch. (Same building but they have church in the morning and we have church at 3:30 pm) So its good to hear how my people there are. I love branches. You become really close to all the members. In fact I also ran into Anderson (my investigator for Sitio Lucas) on the way to this Internet Cafe so yeah its awesome being this close still. No one knows if I will stay here until I finnish the mission but the last american that was in this area did the same thing that I could potentialy do (4 transfers and then DIE in the area) 

So rest assured I am loving it here in BRAZIL!

4th of July only made me a little but trunky but lets put the pedle to the metal now. whats to rush.. you've got the eternities anyways! This is what I say when people ask if I miss you guys anyways.. ahha

K AMOR Meus queridos! there are soals to be saved!

tchão 

ELDER CHRISTENSEN