Sydney's Baptism (pink floral)
Elder Cornwall, Sydney, Elder Christensen
Kendall found himself in his area
Monday, June 24, 2013
Jun 24th Letter
I am so thankful to be alive!!!!!!!!!!
This is going to sound weird but I have seen the Lord’s hand
in our safety as we drive. I swear we have had a near experience every day this
week. Let me tell you about one we had the other day. So yesterday morning we
were going to church for our ward correlation meeting Elder Cornwall asked
where he should turn. I told him Right at the Next light so we get to the light
and we are stopped we start going and he gets going about 30mph he starts going
and he is starting to miss the turn not even seeing it and I said You’re
missing the Turn TURN! and he all of the sudden cranks the wheel and takes a
right turn going about 25 mph. Needless to say the tires were squealing and we
almost lost control. After I was just quite so I didn’t offend him he knows he
sucks at driving and I do to and it frustrates me every time we get into the
car. So needless to say IM STILL ALIVE!!!!
Anyways this week was a good week. We got dropped by an
investigator who has been investigating for about 1 1/2 years. We have been
noticing that he has been ignoring us for a while and we didn’t know why. We
knew that he wasn’t that much interested anymore, but we were able to go to his
house when he was home. I can tell that something was wrong you can just tell
by his attitude something was up. So we talk with him and I ask if we can sit
down and talk for a little bit. He said you got 15 mins and that is it so I ask
him how everything was going and getting a conversation started and he came out
and said that he doesn’t want to read the Book of Mormon anymore he is playing
tug a war with himself inside with us "pushing" him to read and pray
and be baptized and him finding negativity on the internet about Mormons,
Joseph Smith and getting negativity from his friends that he couldn’t take it
anymore. So he said I love the friendship that we have and I want that but no
more "Mormon" which is good that he did this, to let him know and
feel what the spirit is like when we are gone and that the choice that he is
making is he is going to be accountable for it in the end.
Thursday was an awesome day. We called one of our less
active members to come over to his house. He said yeah come over so we went
over around 11am and he took us to the back where he was working outside we go
back there hearing Pantera Blaring on the radio It was funny. He starts to weed
his yard and we started helping him he doesn’t have a weed whacker so he pulled
the grass around the edges of his house, so we got on our knees and started helping
him. It was awesome he order pizza for us for our service. But while we were
waiting for the pizza we started to tape his bathroom so he can paint it. He
was saying that on his mission these were the times that he remembered the
most, and he is going to remember this with us. We have been working a lot with
him getting him back to church. We have had a lot of heart to heart conversations
and he is opening up to us it’s awesome how we can touch peoples life so much!
After we got done at his house we got a call from Sister
Ripley she asked us if we can give blessings. No sorry it’s against our religion
hahahahah just kidding we said yes and she wanted us to come to the hospital to
give her daughter a blessing. Her daughter was fearing a miscarriage and she
wanted a blessing. Now the funny part was that this meant Elder Cornwall had to
drive the freeway. So he got onto the feeder road and I told him to get into
the third lane. Now the third lane leads into the freeway he didn’t want to do
this but since I’m such a mean trainer, and he listens to everything I say I
got him on the freeway he was so scared it was so funny!!!! But we were able to
give her a blessing and we were safe traveling.
The Ultimate Highlight of the week was SYDNEY's BAPTISM! She
got baptized on Saturday at 5:30pm!!! It was funny Elder Cornwall was going to
baptize her and he was so nervous!!!! He had to baptize her twice! He forgot to
say "and of the H.G" so he did it twice but it was awesome to see her
being baptized. Sister Ripley was so happy and shared her testimony and said
she thought that this would never happen but her family is so close in getting
back to activity. We are now working with their daughter to get her back to
church THIS IS SO AWESOME!!!! Sunday I had the privilege to confirm her member
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint and give her the gift of the
Holy Ghost. That was a moment that I will not forget! As I was there the words
of dad rang through my head ITS Pay Day!!!! It was pay day for me and Elder
Cornwall having this opportunity to see the fruits of our labor! Seeing that it
is possible to get a baptism. I’m glad to have Elder Cornwall get this baptism
to show him that through hard work and the faith in Christ that stuff like this
happens!!
In closing I hope yall had the opportunity to see the New
mission president broadcast. That was so special! I hope yall got to see it if
not I strongly encourage yall to watch it online. It talks a lot about how to
work with the ward council and the importance of it to us missionaries. I know
it is going to help me in my work with the members. I know that god is
hastening his work and we are in the middle of it and we need to do all that we
can.
I love you so much
Elder Kendall Christensen
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Jun 17th Pictures
Sydney's Wedding
(investigator of Kendall's)
Elder Cornwall, Sydney, Sydney's groom, Elder Christensen
I forgot to posted this awhile ago but Kendall now has 8 more months til he comes home!!!
Jun 17th Letter
Whats Up Yall.
So people think that oh it’s too hot In Utah or somewhere
else freak man you should come to Texas!!!!!!
This week was so freaking HOT!!!!!! Especially on Saturday
(more coming about that )
Monday was awesome. We got a new investigator his name is
Daelin Strause he is 9 yrs old. The Parents want us to teach him and also teach
them the lessons to reactivate them and also get there son baptized. We also
had dinner with them they bought Taco Bell!!! We had a lot of food it was
Amazing!!! Daelin is such a smart kid
and so are his brothers they ask such good questions that I would never believe
that a 9 yrs old would ask! It is awesome to have someone to teach and to also try
to reactivate a family as well.
This week as you have heard we had a general authority come
to our mission Elder Christoffel Golden Jr. It was a very interesting Zone
conference he is really big into numbers and wanted to know what our goals were
and see how our mission is by the way of numbers. So after the Assistants
presented the numbers for the past two months Elder Golden stood up and Lecture
us about 2 hours about goals and how our goals and the goals we have as a
mission are way too low. It felt like the whole time we got chastised about how
we are not good missionaries and we have low standards as a mission he told us
that we need to take it one step higher and go one number more of what our goals are to get the Lord to help us
and to exercise our faith. Then the zone leaders stood up and presented numbers
and goals that the zone has accomplished and set. Well it got to our zone and
Elder Petersen went up and presented our goals for member present lessons and
new investigators and people being baptized this month. We had a goal as a zone
to baptize 13 people. Elder Golden stands up and says "how many
missionaries do you have in your zone". Elder Petersen said" we have
11 companionships". Elder Golden said “well that is one baptism for each
missionary companionship, who was the person who went one more". Elder Petersen said "Elder Christensen
and his district" I was like HUH!!! Then Elder Golden tells me to stand
up. Now I am really freaking out I’m getting called out by a 70!. He said the
following words "well Elder you must be sick! I need to check your pulse.
How dare you go one above what is the goal. You don’t belong in this mission if
you’re going higher than what your mission goals are! You belong in another
mission I wish the mission had more elders like you who go above and beyond
what you are told and go more than what is set goal wise before you! Thank you for your leadership and great
example. Thank you and you may be seated!!" Now at this point I was a deer in headlights.
As I was standing up I was trying to figure out what he meant by all of this
and was trying to understand what he was saying. I thought I was getting
chastised but I was getting complemented by a general authority. As I sat down
everyone around me was like "AP" ohhhh I was like ah man. But some
people where joking and saying I can’t be with you your too good for us I’m
just like wow! But it was a moment that I won’t forget!!
(OH BY THE WAY HE CANCELLED CHECKING MY APARTMENT. SO HE
DIDNT COME)
Saturday was such a hot day! It was SYDNEY'S WEDDING!!!!! It was so awesome to be at my first wedding on my mission. It was good to see them get married. It was just as awesome as getting a baptism. But I felt bad for the bishop he was in his suit all hot and sweaty doing the wedding ceremony. He got done and he was just dripping wet it was so Hot it was in the High 90's with humidity I was sweating. But this was really interesting it was so hot that balloons were popping! Now that is when you know that it is really hot. There colors were awesome lime green and purple The reception was good also. They got a BBQ restaurant to cater So we had good eating!!!! MMMMHMMMM!!!
This week was awesome I took Cornwall tracking and he got
his first SOFT Rejection. But we later found someone by the name of Randy he
told us he is interesting in learning more and we are going back Wednesday at 6
pm. But the thing is cool is that it all came down to our faith. I’m not a huge
tracking person but I knew we needed to go. So this is a testimony to me that
if we put our will along with god's he will put people, events, and trials in
our path to make us a better person. I know that if we have our will the same
with God's all things are possible and we are doing what he wants us to do.
I love yall and I hope yall have a good week. Don’t do anything
i wouldn’t do ahahahah
Elder K.Christensen
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Jun 10th Pics
His new car 2013 Ford Fusion (just alittle jealous)
The alligator dog treats he tried (refer back to his letter)
Yes Kendall is just alittle.................special
Alligator Poeboy
Plan of Salvation
Jun 10th Letter
Good Morning Real World!!!!!!!!!!!
How was everyone’s week been??? Mine was pretty awesome not going to lie.
It’s beginning to get HOT! I know that I say this every e-mail but I just want you to keep that in mind for the people who live in the land of desolation.
(Elder Cornwall calls this place land of desolation)
On Monday we had the opportunity to go to Shawn Beards house, and have dinner and to join him for FHE can I say I am pretty amazed every time we go over to his house. He was teaching his 7 year old daughter about prayer and you can’t even tell we taught him he is like a member who has grown up in the church all of his life it’s amazing. I love him he is amazing and he even helped us this week moving our stuff from one apartment to the other. He was so willing and he was so dedicated in helping the Lord’s servants.
Tuesday was AMANDA'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! And it was a busy day for me. I did service all day we are helping the Ripley's with yard work and everything and anything to get the prepared for their wedding for this Saturday. We were out planting plants now you might think that this is easy to do. But it is different out here in Texas. We have Clay dirt and it sucks to dig I broke there shovel trying to dig. (Whoops). We spent 6 hours in the 90+ weather shoveling it was awesome I loved it. We had the opportunity to have dinner with them afterwards it’s awesome cause we get on the subject of food a lot I mention that I want to try Alligator. They were like well we have all natural alligator dog treats. So they dared me to eat one so the son Ryan and I both ate one. It was not bad but the after taste was nasty. The barley taste nasty and on top of that there was bone in it and that was nasty then my stomach was hurting for like two days but I got over it.
Wednesday we had a busy day moving stuff from one apartment to another. We spent most of our day doing that. We had one of the most intense lesson I have ever had, we have this investigator named Shannon Munoz now she is interesting. She likes to be very conniving so she was asking us conventional question like homosexuality, etc. and she was asking us what our stance was on it and we told her that we love the person but we don’t accept the sin and I told her that like 20 times. She was always trying to find little things to make us back down or confound us but it didn’t work. She answered her own question with our answer and then she ask about the word of wisdom and that was annoying cause she was like well you can have soda and not coffee they both have caffeine and both are addicted. So if you can see this is the type of person we are dealing with and trying to find fault in everything we say. But the one cool thing was I found a way to talk to her about the restoration and when I gave the first vision it was intense. The spirit was so strong everything was quiet and you can tell she was fighting with the spirit I know for a fact she felt the spirit and she knows that this is true she is just looking for things she likes and run with it but we will work on it.
Saturday we had another powerful lesson. We are still working with our eternal investigator Michael. This time we brought a member who is very smart about church history. Cause he is having a hard time with Joseph Smith. Michael has been doing a lot of research online about Joseph Smith and is getting a lot of Negative Stuff!! So it was awesome that our member was there. He told him basically it is impossible for us to gain a testimony off of the stuff we read on the Internet. I thought that was so profound. This can deal with people like him or just in general But during this lesson we were able to get him reading the Book of Mormon. We told him that he can’t get a foundation and a testimony about Joseph Smith without reading the Book of Mormon. He committed to come to church but he didn’t. I am FRUSTRATED WITH HIM!!!!!!!!!!! So yesterday we went over to his house and we found him outside studying. We talked with him and he said that he know he has to fast and he is studying what the bible says about fasting. I ask him why do you want to fast he said that the only way he is going to get his answer is if he fasts. I was shocked. Finally after all these visits some things are clicking in his head. So he is going to fast soon and we are going to join him.
To end this letter on a good note we talked with Sydney this week and figured out who was going to baptize her and confirm her on The 22nd of June and she has asked Elder Cornwall to................. BAPTIZE her and Elder Christensen to..................... CONFIRM her. She will be my fifth person I have been able to give the Holy Ghost to and Elder Cornwall’s First Baptism. But this week is her wedding and we are invited to it.
I am so grateful for the life I have been giving and how I can use my Personality to share to others and touch other people’s life. I love Texas and I definitely know why I am out here!!!!!!
I love YALL
Elder Christensen
How was everyone’s week been??? Mine was pretty awesome not going to lie.
It’s beginning to get HOT! I know that I say this every e-mail but I just want you to keep that in mind for the people who live in the land of desolation.
(Elder Cornwall calls this place land of desolation)
On Monday we had the opportunity to go to Shawn Beards house, and have dinner and to join him for FHE can I say I am pretty amazed every time we go over to his house. He was teaching his 7 year old daughter about prayer and you can’t even tell we taught him he is like a member who has grown up in the church all of his life it’s amazing. I love him he is amazing and he even helped us this week moving our stuff from one apartment to the other. He was so willing and he was so dedicated in helping the Lord’s servants.
Tuesday was AMANDA'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! And it was a busy day for me. I did service all day we are helping the Ripley's with yard work and everything and anything to get the prepared for their wedding for this Saturday. We were out planting plants now you might think that this is easy to do. But it is different out here in Texas. We have Clay dirt and it sucks to dig I broke there shovel trying to dig. (Whoops). We spent 6 hours in the 90+ weather shoveling it was awesome I loved it. We had the opportunity to have dinner with them afterwards it’s awesome cause we get on the subject of food a lot I mention that I want to try Alligator. They were like well we have all natural alligator dog treats. So they dared me to eat one so the son Ryan and I both ate one. It was not bad but the after taste was nasty. The barley taste nasty and on top of that there was bone in it and that was nasty then my stomach was hurting for like two days but I got over it.
Wednesday we had a busy day moving stuff from one apartment to another. We spent most of our day doing that. We had one of the most intense lesson I have ever had, we have this investigator named Shannon Munoz now she is interesting. She likes to be very conniving so she was asking us conventional question like homosexuality, etc. and she was asking us what our stance was on it and we told her that we love the person but we don’t accept the sin and I told her that like 20 times. She was always trying to find little things to make us back down or confound us but it didn’t work. She answered her own question with our answer and then she ask about the word of wisdom and that was annoying cause she was like well you can have soda and not coffee they both have caffeine and both are addicted. So if you can see this is the type of person we are dealing with and trying to find fault in everything we say. But the one cool thing was I found a way to talk to her about the restoration and when I gave the first vision it was intense. The spirit was so strong everything was quiet and you can tell she was fighting with the spirit I know for a fact she felt the spirit and she knows that this is true she is just looking for things she likes and run with it but we will work on it.
Saturday we had another powerful lesson. We are still working with our eternal investigator Michael. This time we brought a member who is very smart about church history. Cause he is having a hard time with Joseph Smith. Michael has been doing a lot of research online about Joseph Smith and is getting a lot of Negative Stuff!! So it was awesome that our member was there. He told him basically it is impossible for us to gain a testimony off of the stuff we read on the Internet. I thought that was so profound. This can deal with people like him or just in general But during this lesson we were able to get him reading the Book of Mormon. We told him that he can’t get a foundation and a testimony about Joseph Smith without reading the Book of Mormon. He committed to come to church but he didn’t. I am FRUSTRATED WITH HIM!!!!!!!!!!! So yesterday we went over to his house and we found him outside studying. We talked with him and he said that he know he has to fast and he is studying what the bible says about fasting. I ask him why do you want to fast he said that the only way he is going to get his answer is if he fasts. I was shocked. Finally after all these visits some things are clicking in his head. So he is going to fast soon and we are going to join him.
To end this letter on a good note we talked with Sydney this week and figured out who was going to baptize her and confirm her on The 22nd of June and she has asked Elder Cornwall to................. BAPTIZE her and Elder Christensen to..................... CONFIRM her. She will be my fifth person I have been able to give the Holy Ghost to and Elder Cornwall’s First Baptism. But this week is her wedding and we are invited to it.
I am so grateful for the life I have been giving and how I can use my Personality to share to others and touch other people’s life. I love Texas and I definitely know why I am out here!!!!!!
I love YALL
Elder Christensen
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Jun 3rd Letter
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph, and you’re going 80, and everybody’s passing you, you may live in Texas.
If you find 60 degrees ‘a little chilly,’ you may live in Texas.
Here is some you might be from Texas jokes! haha Man I can’t tell you enough how much I love Texas YEE-HAW
Alright let’s get to my week I have had and I can tell you it was a busy one!
This Memorial day was awesome for one it was P-day and that is always fun when most of my holidays have been on P-days. It makes them more memorable and more fun. But today we went to a family’s house for dinner. They lived in Louisiana for about 5 years and they pick up some awesome ways to cook good Cajun Food. So we had Louisiana Jambalaya!!! That is amazing stuff I tell you what I love Cajun food down here it is amazing and soooo good. Yall are missing out!
Tuesday was awesome I wasn’t feeling to well and I felt like I needed to lay down half way through the day and get feeling better so that is what I did. Than I thought well I got to get out and get some things done I can’t be lazy all day. So we decided to go and try to visit a member that just moved in from Michigan. We knew what street he lived on but we didn’t know the House Number so we decided well we are going to go by the spirit and see if we can find the House. So we went to the street and we walked down Two houses and the family was out and said “Hi Elders" I was like man that was easier than what I thought. So we talked with them a little bit and we went our way. Than all of the sudden we were walking and our phone was blowing up with phone calls. One of them was from the Spanish Sisters giving us a family to teach. They are a part member less active family. They said "oh by the way you have an appointment with them tomorrow at 7" I was like good thing we didn’t have anything going on. This was a testimony that miracles happen and you find work when you don’t sit in the apartment. You have to always be out on your feet ready to receive God's children who are ready to receive the gospel.
Wednesday came and it was a really busy day. We taught our top investigator Sydney Goddard!! She is doing really well there is no complaints with her she is progressing and making those changes. We had that appointment with that family that we got from the Spanish sisters. We took our bishop with us for this one to meet a new member in his ward. The appointment went well the husband is the member and hasn’t been to church since 1999 and the wife is a non-member. Right now in her life she doesn’t have a relationship with God and she is trying to figure out what she believes and right now she is going to a Methodist church for a bible study. She has a lot of different questions She received a Book of Mormon and we committed her to read it. We have an appointment with her this Wednesday!!
This week we met with a family that we are trying to reactivate. They are from Cali and they are awesome. This family means a lot to me right now just because how we met them. I don’t know if yall remember a couple months ago when I was with Elder Kuila we were walking down this street and then all of the sudden she told her kids to watch out for the missionaries. Then we talked with them and found out they moved here and they were not active. Well we had an appointment with them on Thursday and the bishop came along with us to this one also. They talked to them about us teaching there 9 yrs old boy and getting him baptized. So hopefully that will happen and they will be coming back to church.
Missionary Moment
This week when we were teaching this new investigator she asked this question and I want yall to think about it for a moment.
“where is the proof of the Book of Mormon, we have proof of the bible but where is the proof of the Book of Mormon"?
I was thinking our "book" is different. The proof of the Book of Mormon is through sincere pray and diligence. Than the Holy Ghost will let you know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:5 ) This week I have thought a lot of the Holy Ghost. I have taught it a lot this week but I am so glad that I was able to get the gift of the Holy Ghost, when I was baptized and I was able to get it from Dad. Who is a worthy priesthood holder. I’m so grateful that I am able to give that to others out here. I think that is the best thing I can do right now in my life. I am so glad that I am out here in Texas and touching people's life. I got some phone calls lately from people I have taught who were like “I miss you" I know that I am making a difference in people's life’s even if they don’t get converted. I know what I am doing is making a difference in my life!
My question to you this week to ponder is this. “How has the holy ghost influence your life"
I love all of yall
Elder Kendall Christensen
If you find 60 degrees ‘a little chilly,’ you may live in Texas.
Here is some you might be from Texas jokes! haha Man I can’t tell you enough how much I love Texas YEE-HAW
Alright let’s get to my week I have had and I can tell you it was a busy one!
This Memorial day was awesome for one it was P-day and that is always fun when most of my holidays have been on P-days. It makes them more memorable and more fun. But today we went to a family’s house for dinner. They lived in Louisiana for about 5 years and they pick up some awesome ways to cook good Cajun Food. So we had Louisiana Jambalaya!!! That is amazing stuff I tell you what I love Cajun food down here it is amazing and soooo good. Yall are missing out!
Tuesday was awesome I wasn’t feeling to well and I felt like I needed to lay down half way through the day and get feeling better so that is what I did. Than I thought well I got to get out and get some things done I can’t be lazy all day. So we decided to go and try to visit a member that just moved in from Michigan. We knew what street he lived on but we didn’t know the House Number so we decided well we are going to go by the spirit and see if we can find the House. So we went to the street and we walked down Two houses and the family was out and said “Hi Elders" I was like man that was easier than what I thought. So we talked with them a little bit and we went our way. Than all of the sudden we were walking and our phone was blowing up with phone calls. One of them was from the Spanish Sisters giving us a family to teach. They are a part member less active family. They said "oh by the way you have an appointment with them tomorrow at 7" I was like good thing we didn’t have anything going on. This was a testimony that miracles happen and you find work when you don’t sit in the apartment. You have to always be out on your feet ready to receive God's children who are ready to receive the gospel.
Wednesday came and it was a really busy day. We taught our top investigator Sydney Goddard!! She is doing really well there is no complaints with her she is progressing and making those changes. We had that appointment with that family that we got from the Spanish sisters. We took our bishop with us for this one to meet a new member in his ward. The appointment went well the husband is the member and hasn’t been to church since 1999 and the wife is a non-member. Right now in her life she doesn’t have a relationship with God and she is trying to figure out what she believes and right now she is going to a Methodist church for a bible study. She has a lot of different questions She received a Book of Mormon and we committed her to read it. We have an appointment with her this Wednesday!!
This week we met with a family that we are trying to reactivate. They are from Cali and they are awesome. This family means a lot to me right now just because how we met them. I don’t know if yall remember a couple months ago when I was with Elder Kuila we were walking down this street and then all of the sudden she told her kids to watch out for the missionaries. Then we talked with them and found out they moved here and they were not active. Well we had an appointment with them on Thursday and the bishop came along with us to this one also. They talked to them about us teaching there 9 yrs old boy and getting him baptized. So hopefully that will happen and they will be coming back to church.
Missionary Moment
This week when we were teaching this new investigator she asked this question and I want yall to think about it for a moment.
“where is the proof of the Book of Mormon, we have proof of the bible but where is the proof of the Book of Mormon"?
I was thinking our "book" is different. The proof of the Book of Mormon is through sincere pray and diligence. Than the Holy Ghost will let you know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:5 ) This week I have thought a lot of the Holy Ghost. I have taught it a lot this week but I am so glad that I was able to get the gift of the Holy Ghost, when I was baptized and I was able to get it from Dad. Who is a worthy priesthood holder. I’m so grateful that I am able to give that to others out here. I think that is the best thing I can do right now in my life. I am so glad that I am out here in Texas and touching people's life. I got some phone calls lately from people I have taught who were like “I miss you" I know that I am making a difference in people's life’s even if they don’t get converted. I know what I am doing is making a difference in my life!
My question to you this week to ponder is this. “How has the holy ghost influence your life"
I love all of yall
Elder Kendall Christensen
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