July 29th Letter

Well hello people of Utah. Its Texas here with another P-day to write yall.

 How was yalls week? Mine wasn’t too shabby!

 Wednesday was a full day of service we went and did service for this less active member of the ward. She owns a horse ranch and we go and do some service for her, the purpose of this is to show that we are here for her and to get her back to church soon. This week we didn’t do a lot of service there she was busy trying to get her Dodge fixed ( haha its cause she doesn’t have a Chevy :0 ) so she bussed us along with her for about an hour than took us out to breakfast and then we went back on to the farm. The only thing we did was go around on the back of the truck picking up trash cans and taking them over to the dumpster and dump it. Well I got the one that had gross liquid stuff on the bottom and of course it get all over me. haha well o well. haha but after doing that for an hour we went to a recent convert house and sanded her wooden floors. I was sitting there and thinking I use to do this all the time at school but we had a huge machine doing this not by hand but it’s all good I had a fun time doing it. I love doing service like that for others I feel accomplished after I get done. When I see the beginning and the end of it!

 This whole week we have been trying to get into the homes of  non-members, less active and part member families. We are trying to get in with them so we can get to know them and hopefully share the lessons with them. That is the missionary work that we are focusing the most on over here in this area, we are trying to work with those people who have been members and have less active families or non-member families. We are somewhat successful this week we got in to a couple of homes we just got in there and to get to know them.

 The highlight of this week was the baptism of Daelin Strause.  I was able to go back into my old area and watch the baptism. The family was so excited to have me come. I was able to get a ride from Shawn Beard. He came all the way over and picked me up and took me there. I haven’t felt the spirit more in my life than I did when I was there. Mom and Dad both stood up and bore there testimony and both were really emotional I  was sitting there just knowing that this family is heading back on to the right path and that there family is going to be eternal again! I love seeing a family reactivated! And being a part of that I know that I was supposed to be on my mission for this family!

 I am sorry that this email is really short but this week is short, cause my comp Elder Hardy is going home on Thursday and so we have a lot of things to do and having people take us places. So that is why I am writing this short.

 But I love yall so much and thank you for all that yall have done. I know that this gospel is true and that if we live the way we are supposed to we will be blessed (D:C 82:10)

                                                                         Love

                                                              Elder K.Christensen

July 22nd Letter

This week has been full of a lot of experiences and I have been so busy.

So Let don’t waste a moment and get right into it!!!! 

Tuesday was a pretty crazy day! We got a call about two weeks ago asking if we would be able to talk to the achievement day girls at a camp that the ward is putting on. And they wanted us to be able to talk to them about how they can be brave in sharing the gospel. I can honestly say that it was so hard to prepare it for them and also present it to 8-11 year old GIRLS who don’t have a lot of attention span what so ever. So it was way hard to keep them focused and get them interested but I think that we got our point across. The rest of the time after we stayed with them and help them make bows and arrows out of PVC pipe and string, made roses out of 2 tootsie rolls, and make necklaces. It was pretty awesome learning stuff like that! That night we found out transfer calls and I found out I was going to be transferred.Didn’t know where but I was going to be gone. I was expecting it but I was super sad that I was leaving the best area. 

All day Wednesday I was packing and saying good bye to the great people here . The cool thing was I found out that a member from that ward is going to Cache Valley and going to interview for a company over there. Called new Dawn technology’s itsright by the Logan River Golf Course. So they were asking me what good areas there are to move too so I told them HYRUMhaha but that was awesome. I was saying good bye to a lot of members and they were so sad that I was leaving especially theRipleys, and Atoigues. That evening we got taken out to a really fancy and good pizza place called Girmaldi's just before we got there we were pulling in and I answered the phone now all day Iwas getting calls from the car coordinator from our mission wanted to talk to me, so I finally answered and it was the AP's Iwas like O MAN!!! They gave me the calling of being a District Leader still! And also go into an area, in a trio, and TRAINING!!!!!! My stomach sank and I was like well alright that sounds good! I had a good idea of where was going but a lot of emotions was going through me. We waited an hour for our pizza ate it and went on to the rest of my night saying bye to others. 

NEW AREA 

Alright you ready to hear where I went The areacalled............................. CYPRESS WARD in the CYPRESS STAKE. This is my second time being back in this stake/zone. I was in it for my first area. I am way excited to be here in this area. I have a wonderful Companion. His Name is Elder KoletonHardy from Brigham City and he goes home in 9 days!!!! We get along well because he was my ZL and he is still currently a ZL until he goes home, but we knew a lot of the same people since we went to rival high schools. He went to Box Elder and of course I went to Mountain Crest. He is an awesome missionary and I’m glad that I have an opportunity to serve with him. The other companion I have his name is Elder Rios from Springville Utah. He is a very interesting kid but I’m glad that he is out on his mission and serving the Lord. 

The ward is awesome. Our Ward mission leader name was Bro Pennington and he is in a rock in roll band. He is way legit but he just got released as a ward mission leader this Sunday so we have a new ward mission leader with new missionaries’ haha. But this ward has a lot of potential. They had two baptisms in the last month or two, so my job is to continue keeping that up and get more baptisms. We should have one soon here within the next month but we will see how that goes. We are working with a lot of part member families. The area is big and we live right of the 290 which is a major freeway. This week has been awesome because it has been spent with a lot of rain coming down. So we went through a lot of puddles. I am in a full car area! Thank heavens haha so that is a blessing again! I am hoping that I stay in this area for the rest of my mission. We have a cool sister in our ward her name is Mama Waller she is literally our mother she loves us and takes care of us. I am again excited to work here I didn’t feel nervous going into this area, just nervous training again!

Missionary Moment 

“Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature. There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required.”- Thomas Monson. 

This quote I found and it totally explains how I feel right now. I know we all have some trials or weakness, but the solution to all that is patience. I know that if we want to become more Christlike we have to strive to develop all of these Christ like attributes. I love my savior and his gospel. I love serving as a full time missionary and bringing others to Christ. I love my family and the blessing that I receive from yall

I love yall so much

Elder Kendall Christensen

New address:    25222 Northwest Freeway #383 Cypress ,Texas 77429

July 15th Pics

Backstory: Here is the backstory for the pictures. Our dad is a firefighter and every 2nd week in June, he and my mom attend the Utah State Firemen's Association Convention. Elder Peterson's father is also a firefighter in Utah. Their parents found these shirts being sold at the convention and though that it was appropriate to send them these shirts.

Elder Peterson and Elder Christensen

July 15th Letter

"Today is the most wonderful day of the week"  ( to the tune of  the most wonderful time of the year Christmas tune)

P-DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week there wasn’t lot of things that happened that was really cool.

I’m sorry it was kinda of a boring week, we did work hard this week, but not a lot of memorable things happened that was like HOLY CRAP! Status

One cool Thing that has happened this week is WE ARE GETTING A BAPTISM IN 2 WEEKS.  That’s right you read correctly!!!!!!!!!! Another of God's children coming into the fold!  His name is Daelin Strause! He is 9 yrs of age and we found him through a part member family. This is the kid I keep talking about in my weekly letters! We had an awesome lesson this week and as a family they decided for him to get baptized on July 27!!!! His grandpa is flying from California to baptize him, and because of this it is causing the family to come back to church and to reactivate them. I honestly love doing this!!! Reactivating families. I rather reactivate families than finding people on the street. I love families coming back to church and understand that families can be together forever through the gospel of Jesus Christ Because I know that my family is going to be together forever!!!!

This week I went on an exchange with Elder Cejka. He is a good Missionary with a really good heart! I was in his area called Legends area! We had to walk 3 miles within 1 hour that is dinner for them. So needless to say it was so hot and sweaty! But when we got there the family let us in and we had dinner. The funny part of the whole thing was there little 6 yr old daughter. She LOVED ME!!! She wouldn’t leave me alone. She always wanted to sit on my lap and she just didn’t have boundaries! It was funny she kept whining cause she was like “Mommy he keeps pushing me off his lap” and mom was " like i said you aren’t supposed to be on their lap" haha I know that was random but I thought it was funny cause kids love missionaries and no matter the age of them, they are really smart and notice when Representative of Christ is in their home. It always reminds me of the scripture “come unto me like a little child"

RANDOM MOMENTS

This week was kinda full of random Moments.

First was Elder Cornwall driving home last night, from an area we were coming out of and I was looking down and all of the sudden I hear O CRAP!!!  And the car jerking to the right, I look up and he was driving on the wrong side of the street!!! That is my second companion that has done that!!!!!!!!!!!

Second we got caught in 2 huge rain storms ( more coming on that )

Missionary Moment

As I mention I caught in 2 rain storms this past week and we got soaked. (Don’t worry I took videos ) but the one that touch me was the one we got caught in last night. So we were walking to dinner and we noticed that huge rain drops were dropping and we knew it was going to pour on us. So we found cover! So we were behind trees and bushes trying to get dry and we noticed this car pull of the side of the road and hop out. He came up with an umbrella and said " here you go " and shakes my hand  I was like " wait where do you live so we can return it " he said " don’t worry about it I am from the Gateway Baptist Church"  again I was shocked but there was a message that came out of it. He believes in Christ and he was Christ like and he would give up everything to help others, that is charity! I hope we all become Christ like and help others and give up everything for someone  and help others.

 

I love yall so much and thank you for your service in the gospel

 

Elder Kendall Christensen

July 8th Pics

 

4th of July!!!

Everyone in our family knows that the 4th of July has always been dubbed as Kendall's holiday. This little pyro goes all out with fireworks (not sure who he got his love of fire from) As he puts it, "Go big or go home" It's not unusual for him to go out on the 4th and almost buy out a firework stand or two. Can't wait for next year when he is home.

 

 

With investigator CJ Atogiue

Kendall's collection

His favorties

His calendar (so true)

District BBQ

 

BBQ Master!!!

No mail :( :( :(

July 8th Letter

Happy 4th of July Hyrum!!!!!!!!!!!!! How was it? Man it was crazy here in Texas!!! It was amazing.

This week was a fun week. It was an up week compared to last week which was good. So here are the awesome things that happen this week

Lately whenever we walk out of the apartment Miracles start happen it is amazing. So on Tuesday our dinner appointment cancelled on us in the morning so we needed to find someone to feed us! So we texted our Recent Convert Shawn Beard to save us. Well at lunch time I was craving Chinese food really bad so we walked down the street to get some and right when we started walking we got a text from Shawn saying that he wants to us to come over tonight and teach his daughter Morgan! She wants to be BAPTIZED!!!! I wanted to just drop to the ground I was so happy!!! So that night we went over there and we taught her the restoration lesson. It went well but we are starting from ground zero. She has no knowledge of God or anything so we have to teach so clearly and simply. It’s really good practice for us!! But we got a new investigator!!!!

Wednesday was an awesome day, so we have this potential couple that we have tried for months and months to get a hold of and just try to get an appointment that they won’t cancel on. We went Tuesday and we knocked on their door and the wife comes out and she was sarcastic when she said good timing guys? I’m like sorry want us to leave? She said that she got out of the shower and she cut her self on the forehead. I was like I’m sorry we will come by tomorrow. She said yea and maybe you could catch my husband. The next day we went over and we knocked the door twice and he didn’t answer. So we went to the park for a min and came back and we knocked on it for the third time. And he finally answered!!  He comes out and telling us all these problems he is having. I felt like I needed to give him a Book of Mormon and testify to him that if you read this it will help you out right now and it will answer questions of the soul. He said thanks and we went our ways. Well after dinner that night he asked us where he should start reading!!! I was shocked that he wanted to read so badly and he said that we need to meet up with him ASAP. So again we had a hard time getting a hold of him. But he told us that he wants to meet with us on Wednesday so I am excited!!

 

4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TEXAS EDITION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was such a good 4th of July I went out with a bang haha.

The day started with the Ward breakfast at 9am in the morning!! It was good had a lot of pancakes. After the Ward breakfast we went to a less actives house. I had a prompting to go over to his house so we did and he was happy we were there. We talked about his 4th of July in his mission and how he loved it. Before we left he wanted us to try Quail Egg's IT WAS SO AMAZING!!! Really Good. Then we went to Shawn Beard's house to share a message with him, then we went to the Atoigue's they were preparing there BBQ for that night. We just chilled with them and we went to our dinner at 6pm. We had a huge T-bone steak and Pie for dessert. It was so amazing!! Than we went back to the Atoigue's to watch them light fireworks. Oh man was that fun they had a lot of little fireworks so we had fun with them. I try to send you videos but it was so amazing. I was having so much. But I couldn’t help to think of all the fun yall had at home this year :)

 

Other than that there wasn’t anything to much else that happened. This week was just a normal week but it was amazing cause I had my LAST 4TH of JULY!!!

 

I hope all is well with each and every single one of yall. I want to let you know I love you and I think, and pray about yall all the time. Thank you for all the love and support you have given for me.

 

Love

 

Elder Christensen

July 1st Letter

IM BATMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  haha

Alright I want to clear some stuff up. haha Yall think that you have the worst heat and that it was hotter than Texas. WELL!!yall have dry heat and we have wet heat SO when it gets hot, its FREAKING HOT! yall have no idea haha :)

This week was hard, rough. It is the type of week that you have when you have a baptism and all this success and then you have a week that crashes! That is how my week has been not fun!

I apologize now! This might be a short letter!

When we had the baptism last week that took our topinvestigator to Recent Convert and we had 2 of our other investigator drop us. So we are down to one real good investigator that we are trying to work with and 2 others thatwon’t do anything So its kinda frustrating, but that is what you get for being a missionary. I just have reminded me that this is not easy It is the hardest thing I have ever done!  

We got a new investigator yesterday! She was a former investigator and this woman has been on my mind for a while!And whenever we try to go there she is never there! But we had luck yesterday! So we went there and she opened the door and told us to come in and gave us some water! She was talking to us and she is a really nice lady. She lives by herself, with two or three cats! She has a lot of stuff in her house like stuff she has saved in her days. But there was one thing that I noticed and that was she had a bible and a triple combination on her coffee table. I thought ah man she has been reading she said that she has read the book of Mormon Twice!!!!!!!!!!!! I was like HUH!!!! She reads and any questions she has she writes them down and asks us. Lately she hasn’t done that because she works a lot, but now she wants us to come by and teach her again. I asked her if she believe the Book of Mormon was true and she yeah, but I have concern about the golden plates, But that is something I have to go on faith. I was like man you are like solid!! I ask her if she would be baptized if she knows these things are true and she said maybe! So hopefully we can work with her and try to get her to know more. Her name is Ladine Hamiliton

On Thursday we didn’t have dinner so we just worked all day and had dinner late at night when we came in from the night. Elder Cornwall wanted Taco bell, than changed his mind to get Jack in The box! So we go inside and its 8:45pm He orders a$1.69 hamburger and a water cup. I didn’t get anything becauseI was out of money. So he got a receipt and if you fill out a survey you get two free tacos. Well I did it but I didn’t know that I had to buy something to get two free tacos. I was like ahMan. So we are just sitting there talking and then we were like where is your hamburger. So I asked the guy moping the floor and he said let me go check he yells from the counter what didwe ordered. I was like a Texas cheese burger! He said I don’t see it and they have three workers looking at the screen and I go up and show him the receipt. Than all of the sudden they were like HOLY S@#$!!!! IT was the top order and no one saw it and we have been waiting for 39 mins!! The manager was so pist!!! The funny thing was one of the workers face and reaction was priceless! So after 41 mins we walked out of there with two burgers and fries for free! It was funny!!!

Another cool thing happen was we were walking this neighborhood and I didn’t know why there was a potentialinvestigator there, and that is where we wanted to go visit. But while we were walking we got stopped by a guy mowing his lawn and asked if we wanted water. I said YES so we went inside and I was happy cause I thought this random guy was inviting us in. we go inside and I see wine and I was like yes we got someone new but come to find out he is a member and active! So is his family. They moved in last week and there neighbor gave them the wine I was kinda sad they weren’tinvestigators but we found an active family no one knew moved into the ward! I still know that I’m getting put into places that god wants me to be.

Last and but not least i got a visitor Saturday!!! Brian Schofield was in my area and he stops by the apartment and visited me!! Ihaven’t seen him in 10 months!! It was so good to catch up with him and to see him. It felt like old times again being companions

I hope yall have a good fourth of July I know it won’t be as good if I was there hahah but have fun and take lots of pictures and videos for me. I love yall so much!!

Elder Christensen