October 29, 2012

So crazy week! Did you hear about the Tsunami warning? Well we live at the beach pad you know so we had to put all our stuff upstairs, pack an overnight bag, and stay over with the Sister Trainers. It was so cool though to see all the people in the community gather together on the temple grounds. We literally had saints evacuating their homes and going to higher grounds, and gathering together at the temple for safety ! Doesn't that just sound exactly like something Heavenly Father would want to see His children do! You should have seen Kam highway it was packed with cars bumper to bumper driving up to the temple. and the whole field was full of cars. Lots of people just camped out there and it was really exciting! I have never been part of a natural disaster so I was loving it! It was so cool! I will send you a picture of all the cars at the temple (and that’s not even the parking lot that is the grassy area! Sweet huh!) But the coolest part of the whole night was when one of our investigators thought to call us during time of tragedy!! She called us to ask us what was going on and what she should do! We felt so honored that she would think to call the missionaries : ) 

We had some really sweet experiences with some of the people we are teaching. It was a week full of blessings and tender mercies. One of the most exciting is that we have a family with a Temple date set. I am so happy for their family and I really really really hope Sister Johnston and I can go to their sealing in Dec. but I don't know if I will be here-we shall see! Well happy Halloween! I love you all! Sister Christiansen : )

 

Night of the Tsunami Warning

October 22, 2012

Oh so so so many miracles! It is so crazy how you go from a really hard week to a really good week so fast. It seems like it almost goes back and forth every week haha. This week has truly been so wonderful! We had a wonderful experience teaching a woman this week. She came for her first lesson to the VC and we took her and her kids thru God's plan for His Family. It was awesome! 

That day had started out different too. For some reason the spirit was so strong all day! Even during comp study while we were singing "I know that my Redeemer Lives" together we both just started crying. And I just feel like all day we were seeing miracles because Christ was so close to us all day.

 So best/craziest news of the whole week..... We have a new investigator with a BAPTISMAL DATE!!!  We know our Heavenly Father is so aware of all His children and He knows when they are ready to hear the gospel.  It is all so exciting!!!

Ok so it was be far the best week (work wise) that we have had together yet! and hey while we were out walking one day we started making up "you know your a missionaries when..." and so I am going to tell you a couple we came up with : )

 You know you are a missionary when:

1. You are the only person in the world that looks forward to Mondays

2. The only man you get excited to see is the mailman

3. You are grateful to tract in 90 degree weather because at least you are burning off last nights dinner appointment

hehe well get excited to hear some more next week : )

Love to all of you,
 Sister Christiansen

WOW WOW WOW!!! God is drafting all of his stripling worriers right now! I just felt like every talk was on missionary work! That was crazy! That was so so so sweet! We watched the press conference after and Elder Holland said that God's work is hastening! And that is so true! There will be so many more missions now and the gospel will soon be spread to all four corners of the earth just as prophesied! This is the best time to be on a mission! I feel like Heavenly Father needs all of us right now! Now is the time to focus all our efforts on making sure everyone has the chance to hear the gospel! Oh I just loved Elder Holland’s talk too about feeding his sheep! Basically he was telling all the youth if you love the Lord repent and go on a mission. And lowering the missionary age will seriously change the world! Because think about it basically every girl will serve a mission now. (Why wouldn't they?) And more young men will go too. This was such a testimony builder for me that God knows the plan and knows what’s going to happen and He knew that I would be so sad if I hadn't gone.I just loved conference so much! How could anyone listen to them and deny that they are men called of God! They truly speak His words and just like the scriptures we all get out exactly what we need.

Love,

Sister Christiansen

This is our bike adventure.  We decided to ride bikes and be real missionaries because someone was borrowing our car and of course my companion gets a flat.  So, we were those poor pathetic missionaries you see walking their little bikes on the side of the road. haha It was classic!

10/4/12

Aloha,

So so so many good things!!! Life is just so great! Best news ever: the young man we were teaching on-line got baptized!!!!  YEA!!  We are so happy for him.

So cool experience on the tram tour this week! We didn't have anyone come on the tram so we were just pulling out to leave when a huge group of Japanese people all came running to catch the tram. So they got on and we realized that we didn't have any Japanese sisters on tram that day or at the VC. So here we were thinking ok great we have a group of people literally running to us to hear the gospel and we can't even teach them : ( But when we got to the BYU-H campus we yelled out to some of the students and asked if any of them spoke Japanese and this RM locked up his bike without any questions, jumped on the tram, and gave the whole tour!! It was such a testimony builder to me about being ready to serve at any time on or off a mission! I just know Heavenly Father was so pleased with that student for being worthy and ready to teach the gospel in a time of need!!! It was so cool too to see all those people just sitting in the Christus room listening to it in Japanese and then just gathering around him to listen to what he had to say. They were so receptive while watching him the scripture that says "if ye love me feed my sheep" came to my mind : ) I know that guy probably had lots of homework or classes or whatever but he loves the Lord so much he was just ready to feed the Lord’s sheep at a moment’s notice!

Alright so this is random but my new favorite food is Fijian Curry!!! It's so bomb! Whenever we get it here I am always stoked! I will learn how to make it for you all when I get home! I am also in love with coconut shrimp! Yum Yum Yum! Haha I will miss fish when I get home! I also love so much how the Polynesian people have so many awesome legends and cool stories! Like this one Fijian family was telling us that before they walk into the house at night they spit and tell the bad spirits to leave.  And in Tonga I found out that when the moon is full and half way in the sky it’s the perfect time to cut your hair because it will grow long and healthy.  They have so much history and culture and I just love them! I love serving around so many cultures! At BYUH we have people from 70 different countries and it's so cool to go to sacrament meetings and see all these cultures and people from around the world. I can just see Heavenly Father being so happy to see all his children getting along so well.

I just want you to know that the mission is the best. I am having the time of my life and I am so lucky to be serving with my best friend here-she is the bombThe mission is the best because you just feel so much joy all the time !  Enjoy conference - I can't wait!!!

Love,
 Sister Christiansen