April 3, 2012
Let’s see where to
begin... Well our investigator has once again has gone MIA. We don't really
know what the deal is. We had a lesson with her on Wed and all went well we
even had a recent convert that had been thru a similar situation as hers come
to the lesson and share his conversion story. It was way powerful and we
planned to meet with her on Friday and then to watch Gen. Conf. with her on
Sunday but I don't know what happened. She just didn't show up and once again
she isn't returning our calls : (
I am just praying really really hard for her.
I'm scared that maybe she is having problems with her RM boyfriend, but that
would be so sad if that is what’s keeping her from wanting to meet with us and
continuing to prepare herself for baptism, because it shouldn't have to do with
him anyways you know. Anyways please keep praying hard for her-I love her so
much and just want her to be baptized so bad!!
Next order of
business... Let’s see-another young woman we have been teaching has been super
busy with work, school, and taking care of her 7 month old baby so she wasn't
able to meet with us either this week so that was a bummer. But we did have
lots of lessons with our less active members and man oh man do I love them! K
let me tell you about my favorite person in all of Hawaii! He is this huge Tongan
26 year old and he is HILARIOUS!! I love him so much! He left the church back
in high school and left his family to go party and do drugs and stuff in
California but he moved back here and decided he wants to change his life
around and so the Bishop asked us to teach him and he wants so much to learn!
He is just like a big old teddy bear! He doesn't understand a lot of what we
teach so we have to teach really simply but it’s so cute because he is always
seeking our approval and trying to say the right answers. And I just have the
time of my life teaching him because he is just always making me laugh and I
feel like even though he is older and twice as big as me I see him as a cute
little boy trying so hard to be good and make his parents proud! Oh man I love
him!
And then there is this
big football player at UH with a long ponytail and beard on the outside but
inside he is so sweet and gentle. He is really quiet but he is so good about
keeping his commitments and reading his scriptures every day! He is the bomb!
He started taking the lessons with us because his girlfriend is really active
in the church and wants him to come back and learn. None of his family is
active and we are starting from the beginning with him too but it’s so cool
because you can really see the light in him as he is making changes in his life
to get closer to the savior. I love him so much too! And my biggest wish (along
with our earlier mentioned people getting baptized) is that he and his
girlfriend will get married in the temple here in Hawaii and I will get to see
it!! Oh I would just die! That would be the best ever! They are the cutest
couple ever I just love them so much!
We are also teaching six
others and I love love love all of them as well! I wish I had time to tell you
about all of them but I will just have to write about them another time! They
are all so great and have such unique situations so every lesson is different
but it’s awesome to get to know so many great people. That is by far the best
part of the mission! I love these people so much-they are all so cool!
Do you know who else
is so cool! The General Authorities! WOW General Conference was the bomb!! I
loved it so much! I especially loved when one of them (sorry I can't remember
who said it) said "What thinks Christ of me?" That was so powerful
and it just reminded me of my purpose and that it’s all about Jesus Christ! I
love Him so much and I am so grateful for all he has done for me! The talks
were just so amazing and the whole time I kept thinking man I hope my less
active and investigators are watching this right now! So many talks were
exactly what they needed! Oh and guess what time we watched it at! 6 am! haha We
wanted to watch it live right so there we were up at 5 am to get ready and listen
to the Prophets voice - totally worth it though! I hope you all loved it too!
It did make me miss you like crazy though because everything was about family,
and man I have never been so homesick in my life! Plus in between the sessions
on Saturday morning we went to the Sr. couples pad and they made us breakfast
and guess what they made! Grandma C's Christmas casserole. It was delicious but
it sure wasn't Grandmas and it made me way homesick. But all is well, sorry I
will stop being such a baby haha. I attached some pictures from that morning so
I hope that works and I hope you got the ones from the last email too.
This week was a great
week in the VC too because we had so many great people come in! One lady came
in from Australia and made me want to move there so bad! (You are all going to
have to move with me though because I can't do this long distance thing again
after the mission! Knock on wood because now I will have to.) But she was
telling me all about it there and she said that everyone eats salads all the
time and they have exercise machines along the roads so people just run be the
beach and then stop and exercise on an elliptical haha how sweet is that! Plus
we showed her the "I'm a Mormon by the Osmotherly's and she said that all Australian
people are like that. And they just look like such fun and happy people! I'll
attach the link and you should watch it too! http://mormon.org/people/
But ya I just love
getting to meet people from all over the world! I also met this amazing couple
from India on our tram tour and after showing them pictures of the inside the
temple and then bearing testimony they accepted the invitation to have
missionaries come teach them more! It was so cool because they came in not
really knowing anything about Jesus Christ because they are Hindus. We have
experiences like that all the time and it is so neat!! One guy even came in and
after he felt the spirit so strong he bought his parents tickets to fly all the
way from Europe to come to the visitor center here and take a tour so they
could experience what he experienced. It was so neat they came and self-referred
too!
There are just so many
miracles happening every day! And really quick I wanted to share a cool story about
that boy named Scott that was talked about in General Conference. Do you
remember he was the guy that has some mental disabilities but he was so bold
about talking to those people on the plane. K well Elder Mcdanaugh (the VC
director) knows him and he told us another story about Scott. Once Scott was on
a plane and his brother asked him to go give those English speaking people a couple
rows up a Book of Mormon, so he sat down next to them (ps he is about 6 something
and 300 lbs) and he said to them “hey I don't know how to read but my parents
read this book to me every day and I love it will you read it to me?’ They said
yes and after the flight they agreed to read the Book of Mormon and were
eventually baptized! How cool is that! It just reminds me that I need to be bolder!
Ok well that was
pretty long so thanks for staying with me. But I just have so much to say you
know so much happens in a week! Someday I will tell you everything! I love you
so so so so so so so much! You have no idea! I mean I loved you all before my
mission but man oh man do I love you now! It will be such a joyous day when I
can see you all again-especially you Mom I think and miss you every day! But
have a great week and God speed!
Love ya tons!
Sister Christiansen
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