Oct 28th Pics

His best friends

Elder Terry, Elder Christensen and Elder Whitney

Found his Chevy truck. A 1971 one

Oct 28th Letter

*Editor's note: Sorry this is a few days late. Our family was out of town over the weekend and haven't been able to get to a computer to post this week's letter and pics.

Howdy Utahns.

Howdy from the real part of Texas which is the country up here in Navasota!!!

The beginning of this week was a little rough but I found out that God Loves to bless us on the weekend so let me tell you about my week!!!

 I will let you know how my week first started out. First on Tuesday we had Zone Conference which means all day of driving for me! Which I don’t mind! It was funny we had to leave around 6:30 am for the zone conference and we got up pretty early, well as I was driving I notice it was really quite all my comps were out sleeping. It kind of reminded me of how it would be on trips Dad driving  and us kids out cold. haha. I finally got real Mexican food from a member that night. She brought out this green sauce and I was like man that looks good so I put a ton of it on and needless to say it was straight jalapenos just in a liquid form. It was good for a min but after having it in your mouth for about 45 seconds it got way hot haha yeah I’m not smart still haha. Wednesday absolutely nothing happened it was disappointing but we had what we knew as a busy day on Thursday! Yeah well that didn’t happen either. I was little discouraged about the day as you can see we had a little more of a rough week than usual but we had an awesome weekend

 SMOKING!!

Let’s just say I’m a pro at Smoking Meats!! We went to a non-members house on Friday to help him prepare and get stuff ready for a BBQ he is putting on for our Branch. The dad has a daughter who is a member and they reactivated her and her sons about 2 months ago. So we decided to do missionary work and get them involved in something they like to do which is TEXAS BBQ!!!! My companions and I used this as a tool to do multiple things. One Learn how to smoke Brisket, chickens, Sausage and any meat pretty much, and Second to fellowship them and try to get them interested in taking the lessons.

 Saturday was a very busy day in the morning and the afternoon we were handing out flyers to the neighbors around our branch building inviting all to come to our BBQ that was outside so they could both see it and smell it. We knew that if you put free and BBQ in anything you get a good turnout. Well we were nervous because we had a non-member cooking over 40 pounds of meat and we were expecting around 75-80 people to come. So we got out and invited nonmembers, less actives and investigators we even had extra help from the branch. We went down this street forgetting a member lived down there and the daughter (11 yrs old) came out and said can I help so she came out with us around the block handing out flyers. She was so happy to be with us missionaries. She just followed me down the streets all happy talking up a storm and just being a little girl!

 Well 5:00pm came and it was time for our BBQ I was just hoping we had people to come. Well I was so surprised of how many people came we had around 100 people and guess how many of them were non members? Over 10+!!! There was one guy he came up with his two girls and I was welcoming them and he said that he found a flyer on the door and decided to come. I was like YES it worked. I was worried that it wouldn’t work but it did. We gave him and his Nieces a church Tour; the girls wanted to see the church so I took them in and gave them a tour. My comp’s was busy with people outside. He enjoyed it inside and I was about to get his contact info when the branch President cut me off!! :/ But yesterday we found out he is the grandson of our investigator Bessie! It was a total success because members brought their friends and neighbors and non-member family members. We even saw a less active come that he said that when we came by his house that it was a perfect moment I was on cloud nine after that night, we got a lot of left-over meat and I got to use my Janitor skill in cleaning up the building. It was just like cleaning up at Lincoln!!!

 In closing I want to let you read a scripture that i read in D:C section 112 it states

19 Wherefore, whithersoever they shall send you, go ye, and I will be with you; and in whatsoever place ye shall proclaim my name an effectual door shall be opened unto you, that they may receive my word.

 21 And again, I say unto you, that whosoever ye shall send in my name, by the voice of your brethren, the Twelve, duly recommended and authorized by you, shall have power to open the door of my kingdom unto any nation whithersoever ye shall send them—

 As I was reading that I knew my purpose as a missionary more I was recommended by the twelve and the prophet and that when I go and knock on a door should it be open to me because I am representing Christ and that they are opening the door to him. I love reading the scriptures! I found new things pertaining to me on mission. I know that if we read with a purpose we will get things answered to us!

 I love yall and hope i hear from yall soon!!

Elder Kendall Christensen

Oct 21st Pics

 

Temple Day

His new companions

 Elder Sneed, Elder Christensen, Elder Bryan

Still a ladies man!

His district

His zone

Attempt at mudding

 

AWE YEAH!!!!!

 

Oct 21st Letter

Can I get a YEE-HAW!!!!!!!!

How are yall this week? My week was a good week full of things to do and lot of joyful times. I love missions and some of the experiences that happen. So let’s get all yall updated on things that have been going on.

 Tuesday was a full day of driving we had temple day for our zone! And we live about an hour away from the temple so we left a little early so we will be able to have time to get there in a good time. That is something that I am getting used to out here anywhere we go it takes us about 30-60 min drive so I know how it feels to travel far distances. But we got to the temple a little early and it was Tuesday and I remember that Darci Singer (the Singers from Spring Creek) works there on that day or Thursday I couldn’t remember but I had a feeling that I needed to look for her so I went out and walk and I saw her walk around the corner and look at me. I was like crap there she goes she comes around the corner and gave me a huge hug!!!!!!! I haven’t seen her or talk to her for a very long time. We sat there talking for a good while, than I had to go but it was way good to visit with her again. Later that night we went to go do some contacting and we went to a potential investigators house. We met Kenya while we were on the computers. She was right next to me and we struck up a conversation. Well she was home and we talked about faith after trials, she opened up to us about some struggles she is going through, and she wants to meet with us so we set an appointment for the next day. But she didn’t show up!!! :( We are not giving up on her though.

 Wednesday was a very slow day for us for one thing it was raining alot that day and no one was answering doors for us. So I was driving and all of the sudden I found a muddy back road. I was so happy and I remembered the promise I made that if we found a new investigator I was able to take the truck through mud. So that is what we did for that evening WE WENT MUDDING.  AWWW It felt really good and I got it muddy!!

 Thursday was a busy day for us. We had an appointment with an investigator named Bessie. :) I hope yall chuckled like I did for a moment. She is an investigator that has been meeting with missionaries for about oh 15 years according to members. haha But she is a black women that is now bed ridden cause she has horrible health. She loves us but she told us that she can’t meet at church or attend which sucks!!! But that night we were part of what is called stake correlation where the stake pres. mission president Zone Leaders and High council men come together and discuss missionary work. Well up here they go to different ward or branches and have their leaders attend and after they go do visits. So that is where we stayed busy. We met an inactive family and we talked with the dad and he is having a hard time because he doesn’t know if the Book of Mormon is true and same with Joseph Smith.UGH!!! I just don’t understand why you knew it was true when you joined and all of the sudden you don’t know!? I haven’t understood that but he said that we are more than willing to come by and visit with him. We are going to work on him.

 

I want to end with some miracles that happened this week.

So these miracles happened on Saturday and Sunday. The first was that I had GOAT!!!!!! That was delicious but the real miracles was that the members house we ate goat at we were leaving and we were talking to the member outside and she was a little tipsy I could notice. She stopped right in front of the house and put down her beers and smoked. I couldn’t keep my eyes and mind off of her because that evening before we left we prayed to talk to someone on the street. Well for some reason I knew that this was the girl. She left and I couldn’t find her we went down one part of the road and turned back and headed the opposite direction. Well we get to where our church building is at and there she was across the street praying!! I walked up to her and she was like” oh you caught me praying" I was like” no your fine what are you praying for"? She said that she was praying for guidance. We walked with her and I was talking to her and she mentioned that God puts people in her way to help others. I was like that is us. Well I mentioned about coming to church and she should attend. But she was a little incoherent but we know where she lives. I really think she has a lot of potential.

The next miracle happened on Sunday we had a member come back from her mission and it was her homecoming it was a wonderful talk she gave. She went to the Marshall Islands and then got transferred to Hawaii! I would say lucky but Texas is a lot better. haha but there was a lot of visitors and this one  person came to gospel principles class and we thought she was part of that family. But it was better this guy from California came to Texas to watch the Texas A&M game and he brought his roommates wife who lives in our area to church. Now the member from California is a convert of 2 years and he was like I need to do missionary work so he brought here to church. it was awesome because she is a teacher and know some kids in our branch. Well she is a potential and is busy for the next 2-3 weeks but there is hope!!

 

I close with that i testify that there is miracles happening in my little branch and that miracles can happen in our lives if and when we are ready for it. We need to show god that we are ready to be taught and that we are ready and living our lives the way we are supposed to live. I know that he puts people in our paths for the benefit of others and us. Right now I’m doing what is called The D&C count down where we ready the Doctrine and Covenants from section 138 to section 1 and that is counting down our days. And I was reading in section 128 where it is talking about baptism for the dead it states in verse 15 that pretty much the salvation of the dead shouldn’t be taken lightly and that we are without the dead and the dead is without us. That can apply to anything we are nothing without Christ in our lives. Without the Holy Ghost, but we are without the ones who influence us. So remember that we are here to influence others and that we need to act according to the way we would if Christ was here. I know this to be true.

 

I love all yall and I’ll talk with yall soon

Elder Kendall Christensen

Oct 14th pics

Superhero missionaries

 

Hanging with the poly missionaries

Saying goodbye to the Jones family

and the Pennington family in Cypress

 

 

                                                   Alittle taste of Navasota and the country

 

 

 

 

His new ride

 

The branch house

 

 

Oct 14th Letter

 

CAN I GET A YEE-HAW!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Let me tell you about my area and my week. It was a good one. 

On tuesday in the morning I went to the place where we have transfer meeting. I got there and saw alot of people that I havent seen in a long time. They gave out the sheets and we had to look at it and find our names and then go get with our companions and head out. Well i couldn't find my name so i had to look at it harder and found out that I'm in the College Station Zone or Stake and I'm in a place called Navasota. This area has been reopend about 8 months ago. I was excited and then I looked at who I am with and I'm with two other Companions. So i am in another Trio! I'm with one spanish elder and a regular english Elder. The spanish elder's name is Elder John Sneed. He is from Vegas. My other companion is from Missouri, his name is Elder Daniel Bryan. Elder Sneed has been out 18 months and Elder Bryan has been out 10 months and I have had the oppurtunity to serve around them at one point of my mission. The area is HUGE!!! and the BRANCH is small. I'm serving in a branch of maybe 50 people attending each week!! We have our leadership that is from other wards in College Station. But this is a very interesting experience that I'm part of. It's alot different than my last areas. We don't get fed. Maybe if we are lucky 3 times a week. But I had my first member dinner on Saturday and had Spaghetti again haha 18 times in the last 3 months haha but we have alot of country in our area and alot of back roads!!!! THAT IS MY FAVORITE PART!! and I forgot to mention. I DRIVE A TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a brand new 2013 Nissan Frontier. I know it's not a Chevy but it's a truck that I get to drive and I will take it at this point. 

Navasota is a small town of population 7500 with other small towns around it. It's more of a ghetto run down town but it looks so awesome and it has alot of history behind it. The one thing that is kinda cool is that we don't have a gym but we have a park right next to us and we go there every morning and run. I run a mile everyday and I haven't done that in a long time. But I have been losing weight from not eating much and working out alot. So just wait till I come home haha I weighed myself the other day and I'm down to 189 and just about a month ago I was at 197. So I'm getting there! 

This week we did alot of contacting. We are doing alot of spanish and english contacting out here. 50% is black 49% is mexican and 1% is white hahah it's the true honest fact. But it's kinda cool going into spanish members and peoples houses and not understanding one single thing that they are saying but being able to feel the spirit. That is the purpose of having Elder Sneed with us to be able to have him speak spanish. Cause our ward consists of spanish and english members. Each week we go to the church and we help one hispanic member learn english. That is a very different thing that I am use to. But it's a good way to help with the community.Each week we go to this nursing home and play bingo with them and visit with them. I love doing that it's so sweet to see their spirits and they are so funny and cute. They really get into their bingo. We do alot of driving. There are people who are about 30 mins away from us and we go visit them and most of the times they live down an country road. Which is a dirt road! and lately it has been pouring with rain so lets put this equation to use 

Elder Christensen + Truck + Mud = MUDDING hahah 

But I have to admit that going through a country road late at night to a possible members house is kinda scary especially when they have alot of signs that say Beware of Dogs and No Trespassing. But all in all I love it. 

In closing I want to share yall my testimony that I have gained out here 

This area I am going to love. It's a very humbling area. Not alot goes on and the only work that we get is from our own efforts, and the ward is excited that we have three elders in the branch. They kept us busy yesterday, but I know that the lord know us personally. He puts us in areas or situations or positions cause he knows that we can accomplish what he has for us to do. I know that I am in this area to become the best missionary I can. It is going to come from alot of prayer, fasting and faith and that is something he wants me to develop right now and I will do what he wants me to do! I love my savior and I love my mission.

I love yall 

Elder K.Christensen

Oct 7th Pic

Aunt Katherina and Uncle Lynn were in town and took Kendall out to lunch

Another look alike of Kendall's truck

Oct 7th Letter

GOOD MORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How was everyone's Conference weekend??  Mine was amazing!! I loved all the talks. I had some of my favorites which I will talk about soon but I love it. My last one on the mission!!!! YEE-HAW!!!

 On Tuesday I was on exchanges with Elder Hill!. He and I both had to go to the doctors to be looked at and everything is well with me. The Doctor told me that I need to buck up about my wrist and that if it gets worse to get it drained by a needle. The reason why it is hurting is because a nerve and a vein run on top of it!

 Wednesday we were doing service at the horse ranch! It was awesome, it rained most of the day so working in the rain! But then the member took us with her somewhere we didn’t know where we were going and we pull into a Toyota dealership and we spent the next 3 hours there while she was talking about getting her truck swapped in for a Toyota. I realized something I know why people in offices love their coffee. I was there for 3 hours and I had 4 cups of hot chocolate MMMM. HAHA that night we went to the mutual night for our ward and we played ultimate Frisbee. It was a lot of fun.

   Thursday was awesome we had to go get our cars oil changed I forgot we had to do that! Been busy! haha got that done and did our weekly planning!! We than visited a sort of investigator, she is a daughter of a Part Member family. She loves us but we pulled up and she was waiting for us! She ran to the door and was like. “It’s about time you show up! I was waiting for you" haha well I guess someone is waiting for us to come and excited about us coming haha. We than went to dinner and guess who we had dinner with UNCLE LYNN AND AUNT KATHRINA. I got a call from them on Monday night saying that they want to take me out to dinner and they said that I needed to pick the place and time. So I took them to get some more Texas BBQ. We had a good time with them, it was awesome but weird at the same time talking to them. Weird in the way that it was actually family not members from our ward. But it was so nice to be able to have dinner with them and catch up on a lot of stuff!

 

The best part this week was of course Conference week!!! It was so nice to be able to go to members houses and watch it there. It was a nice change of what our week is usually is! But I watched all of conference at member’s houses. I stayed up during the whole time and took notes as for my companion he fell asleep. At one house he woke himself up by snoring. haha it was awesome having my last conference on my mission and can’t wait to be able to watch it at home next time.

 

MISSIONARY MOMENT

Here are some thought that i had with conference.

I had several favorites

 Saturday was President Ucthdorf.

"doubt your doubt before you doubt your faith"

I loved that quote. I loved how he talked about everyone is saying well I am not joining because this person is a hypocrite. Well we are all that if we were perfect and the world was perfect than we didn’t need to have a church. But I feel like he said it so perfectly

 

I loved Elder Gifford Nelsen. I have heard him several times. He was our area 70 before he was made a quorum of the 70s. But he is totally right we need to have a "game plan” and how are we going to work with the missionaries.

 

And of course I loved the talks by President Monson. I felt the power and authority that he has. I went in wanting me to come out and say with conviction that he is our prophet and I felt it when he was talking about his wife. I testify that he is the prophet!!!!

 

I hope yall have a good week. I will let you know where I am going and new address. I love you and stay true to the faith that you do have

Elder Kendall Christensen

Sept 30th Pics

 

                                                            Day in Waller

                                                       Marissa Moreno's Baptism

Marissa and Brother Bird

Elder Rios,Vought, Marissa, Elder Christensen 

Nice mustache!!

                                                  Hanging with the Flanagan Girls

The classic Kendall pose

 

Sept 30th Letter

It’s good Talking to yall From Elder Texas.

How is everything For all yall?????

 This week was a good week so let’s give yall a look of what went down for me this week.... Shall We?

Monday was just a normal P-day , Out here we don't do a lot for P-day. We go do our emails here at the college than go with some elders to go get groceries, than we go to some church house and we play some ball, or card games. When I come home I am going to be good at some card games I will teach yall when I get home. For dinner we went to a member’s house. (Oh by the way have I told you my  dislike that I have for a certain meal.) I do not like SPAGHETTI. So when we went to the member’s house it was so funny the kids came running out to us and said Guess what? I said what? They said that my mommy made her spaghetti and meatballs I was like oh yay!!. Elder Rios knew the sarcasm in my voice we have a running count so far of having had 17 spaghetti dinners in the past 2 1/2 months. I’m not a fan of it at all!!!!

Tuesday was interviews with President Pingree and guess who was the first one picked out to get interviewed first. THIS GUY!!! I swear I’m always the first one to get interviewed. I guess he starts with the best?! I don’t know haha but we learned about how we can make the restoration lesson more powerful and stating our purpose as a missionary more bold and with more power. Some of these things are good to review and always get trained on again. I did talk with Sister Pingree and I am going to the doctor tomorrow for my wrist so I will let you know what happens when I go over there. That evening we had the baptismal interview of Marissa Moreno, my companion and I were sweating bricks!!!! She has a history of being flaky but they showed up and we get out and they practiced the questions that we gave them. We were shocked and we knew then and there that they were committed to get baptized. She passed her Interview and so we had a baptism for Marissa Moreno

 

 Friday I went on Exchanges with some other Elders in my district, I went into an area called Waller. It is huge country area and I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the best thing ever. It is so much different than the city or more populated areas that I have been in  you can actually see the stars at night. I haven’t been able to see the stars in such a long time. You can’t see them here because of the pollution of inner city lights and Humidity pollution. It was awesome to see them!! But it was a day of good things happening. We went to a small town around there and it was old town feeling, not a lot of people there. It was what I imagined when I was thinking Texas before my mission. I have pictures and I will send them, but we tried a couple of people but nothing. We went to a college called Prairie View A&M It’s a Dominate Black College so my companion and I was the only white fella's there. I am not that taken back as I was when I first came out on my mission but we met with the dean of religion there and he is an awesome Guy. His name is Dean Charles Lewter VI, But he doesn’t say his R's so he says "Luda" Like ludacris. He is so friendly to us and proselyte on the campus, all he wants us to do is to text him when we are coming up so he knows that way the missionaries don’t get in trouble.  Well tonight I was able to go to dinner with a member that used to be in my first area, that we helped move and it was pretty awesome seeing them again. They have a lot of land and a small run down house, but the funny thing was that in there front yard they have 71 chickens!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is nuts. It was funny I went in and rallied them up by chasing them we had homemade pizza and went our ways. It was a fun time in Waller!!

 

 MARISSA MORENO'S BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 We had the Baptism of Marissa Moreno. She was baptized on Saturday around 3:15pm. It was a very awesome experience again I felt so fortunate to be able to be part of the conversion of her and being able to witness a huge step in her life!!! She was so happy to be baptized and the mother was happy to finally have all her kids now baptized!!!! We had an members baptize her and her home teacher was   able to confirm her! But The best was that after the baptism and the next day at church we had a lot of members come up to me (that I know ) and said that they are proud of us to be able to get her baptized. They have gone through a lot of missionaries and know they were successful this time. It was just a huge confidence booster to be able to be appreciated by members and to have our work go noticed!!

 

 I want to leave with a thought that I had during the baptism of Marissa. As the service was going and during and after the baptism I had thought keep running through my head and it was one that was said by an investigator that I have had and it’s this " how can this religion be wrong when so many people are joining and its teaching good things" But the part that stood out to me was this. How can this be wrong? I have asked myself this question a lot. Being able to be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ you want to know that these things are true and I know that there are flaws in everything, We have flaws and God has been able to give us something that will make us be forgiven and remembered no more and that is Repentance and the Atonement. I know for myself that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know for a fact that this is Christ’s church I stand as a witness that it is true. If I didn’t know that it was I wouldn’t have been here in Texas. I testify that he lives and he has prophets to lead us and council us in these days. We have the wonderful opportunity to be able to listen to them this week. I STRONGLY encourage that you pay heed to their messages. Write down questions you have and seek for answers  I know that if we do that we will find comfort in it and to know what our Savior wants us to be able to know and live for these times. I had the Bishop tell me that we have 2 days to learn and study and we have 6 months to act upon it and live it I know that to be true. I want to leave yall with a scripture that I found in my studies.

 

 1 Nephi 9:6

 

"But the lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish ALL his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath ALL power unto the fulfilling of ALL his words. and thus it is Amen"

Now I have put emphasis on the "all" because I love God he doesn’t give us things to know just because he gives it to us so we can know ALL things. So when we go to General Conference our prophets are going to talk to us and give us guidance and counsel. Sometimes we might not know why but remember he gives us a way to accomplish all things and be able to fulfill all things. I testify this to be true!!!

I love yall so much stay safe and I love you, Thanks for your presence at the baptism I truly felt it

 

 Elder Kendall Christensen