Sept 2nd Letter

HOWDY YALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How is it going in UTAH!!! Is the state still on fire or is it out? What is the update on the whole thing??

This week was a better week a lot of drama and stress with the baptism but I will talk about that in a bit but let GIT R DUN

This week was transfers and Neither Elder Rios  or myself got transferred which is nice, that means that I am still on my streak of being with my companions for 3 months at a time and hopefully I will be in this area for 6 months so I can go perfect record in my area. I also have a perfect streak with having a baptism with every single one of my companions so far I am being blessed for my service out here in Houston Texas.

We had the opportunity finally this week to meet with an investigator. Her name is Marissa Moreno! She is 10 yrs of age and she is in a part member family. She has been taught by previous missionaries and she was supposed to be baptized about a month and half ago, but they have been going back and forth from Mexico and here. I guess Marissa’s Grandma has been super sick so they have been visiting with them. Now that the Grandma is doing better, they are home more often. On Wednesday we went over to their house and taught her, even though she has gone through all the lessons, she still has a problem remembering things so we have to repeat the same thing over and over again and that is what we did. We taught them the restoration again! And after we still asked if she still has a desire to be baptized and she said yes. We set a date of The 28th of Sept to be baptized and they said that they can do it!! Now the hard part! We have to make sure they come to church every week, and they have a history of being flaky! Let’s hope and pray that everything will go as planned and Marissa will be baptized in a month!!

 

DOLORES BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

This baptism was a very meaningful one and also one of the most stressful one that I have been part of! For one we taught her everything within 4 weeks and she was baptized after. Now that is a lot of cramming lessons in as much as we can, Due to the fact that we only were able to meet with her once a week! On Wednesday we called to check up on Dolores to see how she was doing! And making sure that she is keeping all the commitments and commandments and the one that we were struggling with was chastity .So Thursday was her interview and we needed to make sure that everything was all good and if there was anything she needed help with, we could overcome them before the interview. Well when we called her she still had her boyfriend at the house! And we kept telling her that she needed to do something about it. Well she finally got it and she pretty much kicked him out!! This was super hard for her, her boyfriend and us! For one she was super sad that she had to do it, but much respect to her for standing up for what she knows is true. She had that sure faith in Gods commandments and that she was willing to follow them, She was really upset and we kept comforting her and letting her know that she is doing everything that God is wanting her to do and to help her live that life that he wants us to live by! She came to the interview and told us that her boyfriend hates us!! Which I don’t blame him. Cause we are not trying to break up families but keep them together. But with some peoples agency it has the opposite effect. Saturday was awesome she was baptized around 2 pm! And she was so happy and grateful that we were in her life and to help her out. You can just tell that she was much happier and lighter! Elder Barney baptized her. And I Confirmed her!!!

Missionary Moment:

During the baptism I sat there thinking and Pondering, How sweet of a moment this was. For both Dolores Sanders and for us Missionaries as I sat there I began to tear up because it hit me how important my mission is to me!! These are real people that I am helping and bringing them closer to Christ! If I would have never came on my mission I wouldn’t have come into contact with these people that I have brought closer to Christ. I’m glad that I made the choice of coming on a mission and to let God us my talents to help others and to touch their hearts and want them to make that change. I don’t know what I would be if I have never came on my mission. It has taught me so much, how much I rely on God for things. How much he has blessed me and my family, and how much other people need Christ in their lives. I have become a different person, wiser, More mature (i hope others see that in me) But it has taught me a whole lot about myself and how much I need to live the gospel. This is my testimony that I have and hold cherish

Love yall so much and have a good one. Take it easy and See you soon

Elder Kendall Christensen