Fishy Days Mon, 17 Aug 2015 12:05

Hey Family,

Its gettin hot again! (A main street work a lot)

So this week was a pretty good one. Started off pretty normal and then we had a Family HomeEvening that was a killer and our Investigator couple liked it a lot. They still need to get married and that probably wont happen for a while (#feetDraggers4DAYZ) but they are super excited for the next activity that we throw in the house of a member. Then later in the week we slowly watched all of the people that we originally had hope for start to lie and fall and crumble in our hands.. haha André is awesome but there is something there that he isn't telling us. He was home this weekend and didn't once talk to us or call or let us know. SO yeah idk how to feel about it. Last time we talked we marked his baptism for next sunday but I'm hoping all this weirdness is just because of being buisy and not something else. Elder Paiva and I feel like we just have to start all over. Other than this couple I just told you about that went to the FHE. We dont really have much people going to church. SO yeah that will be the focus this week. They are out there for sure I just gotta find them. 

So yeah tomorrow we are having a Zone Conference and it should be cool. I should see Elder Talbot (MTC comp) again and maybe get a letter from my loved ones in Washington (Elder Family) so Thats what I am looking forward to the most. I dont think the package will get there in time haha but Im still super stoked for it.

Family- Mom&Dad- First mom. THATS SO SICK! I am overwhelmingly proud that you are going out with the Sisters and putting everyone on date for Baptism! Dont you just love the spirit of missionary work! Congrats! That baptism should be so awesome. Way to go. Pops. Not gonna lie 3.5 hours on the bike sounds awful. But manly for sure. Proud of ya and I hope the training goes well. I forgot to mention that Fathers day was here 2 Sundays ago. LOVE YOU DAD. I cant wait till I reach your level of awesome and need to sleep with 5 pillows and an electric blanket at night! jk jk But seriously I love ya Dad. Lambsons- CONWAY! First day of school! Thats sooo crazy! Can i say that I got a little teared up?! Your all grown up kiddo! Love you guys and I hope you guys get used to one less kid in the house. Britton, your a stud. Remember when that 6 yr old Black kid beat you on that 5k we ran! haha jk I know you get mad. Keep it up bro. W&S&B- Hey I forgot to give you props on your marithon goal! BRO I would be right there running with you but I have this overwhelming fear that if I were to run for than a mile right now my heart would give out. haha Im So FRAGILE! Keep working hard and I hope all works out for the best. Kodras!- You guys are great. Love the stories and that Magster is getting close to potty trained. Keep the faith while the other is on his way! Keep on that school grind Anton. love

 Elder Wilson haha 

Alright you guys are great. I read Romans 13:12 today and got all pumped up to do some good today. Armour of Light! Let others see it.

Chão meus amados! Até próximo Segunda-Feria visse!

ELDER CHRISTENSEN

Sunsets here.. never get tired of that. 

transfers came and went‏ Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2015 10:26

Hey!

So transfers came last night and I stayed with Elder Paiva in Bodocongó! This means that will have more time to work with André and eventually watch his baptism. He really is a great guy but man this whole work thing is getting crazy. He was called back for another 2 weeks of work so this means that he wasn't at church again and wont be back until the 16th or something. The way he talks about baptism and the church I dont really have much doubts but idk someting is fishy about seeing his car parked outside his house Sunday night.. I trust the guy but Elder Paiva is saying that he is picking up some weird vibe there. But lets see there. This week was good i guess but I had a pretty gnarley cold and fever thing Wed.-Friday so it kinda sucked to have to work like that. Its not worth going to the Hospital just to get an excuse to stay home and do nothing. Better to serve the lord, trying not to make others sick in the process! haha We found a family of 3 this week (Mother, Daughter, Son) and there are living in some of the most humble circumstances I have seen yet. First lesson was by candel light cause they dont have money to pay Electricty. But super happy and nice people. Again they have some things to work past and they wern't at church as well because of some father excusse thing but lets see what happens with them! Other than all this there will be a new elder living the house with us. The other companionship got split up and one of them is training this week. Could be another brazilian but I am rooting for an American. Its possible that it could be as well cause President usaully puts the americans in houses with other americans that can help with the lang and Elder Paiva speaks good english as well. But lets see. I just need a break from the intense 3 brazilian onslought of last transfer. Whole nother level of conversation skills that I dont have and a few memebers couldnt get there minds around why I couldnt speak portuguese as well as them.. haha but all is well

FUNNY story from this week that is a little irreverant but its worth it. So if you dont already know, the idea of "CHURCH" or realigion is a little skewed in Brazil. The Assembly of Gods and Universal Yell and Scream miracle churchs here are all the rage and so unfortunatly a lot of people (recent converts) bring a lot of this culture with them into the LDS church. SO we were in church the other day and one sister in particular (little crazy) asks me and elder paiva for a blessing. So we grab another member to come with us just because and so go into a seperat room to give the blessing. She starts off by saying that she has been feeling sick ever since she saw a possesed cat in the road the other day, some pain in her chest. (First alarm) Then I give the first with the oil and everything. Then she tells elder Paiva so not let her fall...? right? weird (second alarm) Then the member gets up there and we are helping with the blessing and in the middle of the prayer she starts to shake and then jumps up out of the chair and starts to dance around in the room. All of us stopped and looked at eachother and thought.. what the heck? haha Then we replaced our hands and finnished the blessing. We asked her if she was feeling alright and then the member had to leave the room to stop from laughing... IT WAS THE STANGEST BLESSING OF MY LIFE.. haha so yeah I thought you guys would like that story. Its unfortunate but some people feel like every blessing from god needs to be a meraculus healing of demond expulsion.. haha 

Last thought. Read 1 Peter 2:21-25 ITs so awesome. we all all called to follow the savior. Indepentant of trails or hardships, follow him because he knows the way through it all. He went there for all of us. Keep that in mind this week!

I LOVE ALL OF YOU PEOPLE

Chãozinho

ELDER CHRISTENSEN

Dreams‏ Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2015 11:59

Hey there everyone!

So this week was a pretty great week I guess! Its been kinda hard to get things going here and I dont understand entirely why.. haha But will all trails come belssings and we just have to look for them. This past week we couldnt get anything going for us. We have a few people that like to pretend they are progressing but then back out on sunday and nothing else past that. SO yeah its been kinda frustrating.. BUT today we had a sweet experience that I want to share with you guys and It will explain a little bit why this email is later than usual. So this morning we are prepping to go out and pay the bill and buy food and stuff when André calls us on the phone and asks us to come over. (He has been traveling in and out of João Pessoa recently because his wife, Marcelene has been feeling sick and has a werid tumor thing in her back the pretty much leaves them bed ridden) So we go over because he literally has no money to get back to JP and work. So go over to talk to him and he tells us about a dream that he had last night; Starts off with a rain storm and he is trying to call out to his neighbor and tell him that he needs a prayer in his house but the neighbor isnt home so he decides to look up the street and he sees US (Me and Elder Paiva) at the top of his road and so he calls us over to give a prayer in his home. End of what he told us about the dream. So he calls us and we go over and blaw blaw blaw we talk about the Money he needs and we give him the 100 reais he needs and then talk to him about preisthood bleassings for Marcelene and all that. So enter her room and give the blessing and when its all over I look over to Andre and he is crying. He told us that in his dream we gave a prayer exactly like we gave the blessing. With our hands on her head and everything. He said it was exactly like he had dreamed! HOW COOL RIGHT! haha Church is true. He thanks us and we left to go buy or stuff and now I am here writing you guys. I love the experencies that this mission is giving me. I know that god looks out for us in many ways and talks to us in many forms. Keep your faith strong! Andre should go back to work this week but maybe if things work out we can baptize him this next Sunday. Keep that family in your prayers please! 

Moms questions; I study preach my gospel all the time. Only in Port right now. Read it. Its inspired for sure folks. Yeah P-day we go shopping for all the snacks we need to get by when we return to the house at night. Today I payed the house bill and Andre which means I need to live off of 20 reais until the next money drop haha! Should be fine. Laundry is done with a washing mechine... doesnt get too clean but it works for mission life. People here usually work with construction and stuff like that. Lots of new houses going up around the outer edge of town so yeah this work is most comon. The church members in specific are pretty sucessful buisness owners or engineers (RMs). Mission is pretty closed off as far as president talking to us. Every month we have meetings with our Zone and every other transfer should be interviews with president and a Muli-Zone conference.. but I dont think another one will happen until Sep.. lets see though.. and Sisters are basically serving another mission. We arnt allowed to have them in our district or zone meetings soo.... yeah I dont even know one of them.

LOVE YOU GUYS I REALL HAVE TO GO NOW! clock is ticking!

Até mais rapazes!

Chão 

ELDER CHRISTENSEN

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