ONLY THE COOLEST SISTER IN THE WORLD COULD BUY SUCH A COOL TIE!!! Thank you Lauren!!!
I email in our apartment complex's office that has some computers. They were just playing the soundtrack from Spirit. Thought I would share, it surprised me.
This week has been a swell week. I was thinking last night and it has finally sunk in that I have been out for a year, getting close to 13 months. I really don't have much time left. It has been crazy how fast this has gone by. I always like Sundays because it helps me focus on whats important, people and Christ. Its a good reminder and it helps me rededicate myself to the cause of truth. I am grateful for a loving God who gives us knowledge and truth when we choose to seek it. It would be rather odd if we always prayed for truth and knowledge but never got it. Grateful for the guidance God gives when we seek His counsel. Especially the truth that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that the gospel has been restored again today. We are so blessed to have this knowledge in our lives.
Lets start off with something funny shall we? We had dinner with the lovely Rey family again, the amazing Filipino cook. She invited some other people from the ward to join us for dinner and we were talking about all the different things she cooks and whats in what. I had been so curious about what that gross, slimy meat thing that I ate was I thought I would ask. Turns out, it was pig ear! She lied to us to get us to eat it! She told us she had it so she made it. She cuts the pig ear into strips and its served cold with the cartilage and everything. Better than pig intestine though.
We also had dinner with the Peel family. She has 6 kids and they call her the warden. How funny is that? I thought it was a joke at first but the kids were being dead serious. I asked her about it and she said she likes it, make her feel like she is doing something right.
We had some rain this past week. It was really nice, but it is already starting to get dry again. Today is cloudy so maybe we will be blessed with some rain. But the rain did wonders. The grass in some places is beautifully green. The trees are starting to bud which is really pretty. Spring is coming! Or should I say, the season Really Hot is coming!
Even though we had rain, we also had some nice days in the 70's-80's. We ride this trail called Brushy Creek Trail and when its nice outside it is filled with runners, joggers, bikers, families, you name it, its busy. It has become the new athletic fashion runway. Want to know what the cool people are wearing to work out? Go on Brushy Creek Trail for 5 minutes and you will see it all! One of the newest trends is tying your dog to your waist. You put your dog on a leash and then tie the leash around your waist! Hands free! Its fun. Since it rained it was a little muddy and the creek was flowing fast. It was nice.
The Walsh Ranch ward continues to be gung-ho about getting the ward more involved in missionary work and helping them know how to do it. We had an idea to get an activity together that people could invite their friends to. That will be happening this Sunday. I personally have not done the best job inviting people to it, so hopefully the members did a better job. We are going to have a game night and open house type thing so if people bring friends then they can look at the church building. It will be fun, but it would be a huge bummer if people didn't invite anyone. Then it would be kind of lame. The WR ward council continues to have discussions on how to move the work forward. Something brought up yesterday was being interested and loving people. If you do those two things, if you are trying to be a follow of Christ, then sharing the gospel will come naturally. Amen! Especially if you put yourself ion situations and groups where there aren't a lot of members of the church. If you always associate with members of your church, how can you share the church with them since they already have it? It's easy to tell people to do these things as a missionary but I wonder how good I will be at it when I get off my mission. Hopefully I don't become a hypocrite.
We had a lesson with Kasey this week. First time in a while, but she is still interested in learning which was a surprise to me. She is an interesting character. She has been looking at religions and cultures her whole life to find out which one is for her and still hasn't found anything; she feels like nothing speaks to her. She had a lot of questions about Joseph Smith so we tried to answer them the best we could. All she needs to do is pray about it. That is the only way to receive answers about spiritual things. We need to help her do that.
Megan, Chelsea, and Kaitlyn want to be baptized! The poor mom, Megan, is having a hard time helping her kids. She sees the need for the gospel for that reason alone, giving her kids direction and purpose. We taught them yesterday and the 16 year old, Chelsea, is facing some serious opposition with joining the church. But she keeps pushing through and doing whats right. She comes to mutual every week and has made some good friends with the YW. The groups that the church has do so much good. Invite your friends to them! They will probably love it and appreciate the safe place they have to go. I think the crazier the world gets, the more the righteous with good, safe homes will have to accept the responsibility to invite people to their homes. I can't imagine what it would be like not being raised in a home safe from the world or not feeling safe in my own house. I would be forever grateful for people that invited me to theirs if I didn't have one I could go to. Our decisions really do affect others! If we choose things that don't allow the spirit into our homes, others can't feel the safety of a spirit filled home. Your choices matter. Preaching to the choir. Anyways, they want to be baptized and we will meet with them this week to help work that out. Wards play such a huge part in helping converts stay active. Grateful for the good wards I get to serve in. They do a lot for us, inspires me to do a lot for them.
The kids, Chelsea and Kaitlyn, are confused because they don't know the truth. The truth is powerful! if we want to know the truth, read and pray about the Book of Mormon, it well help us know the true path. The truth will set you free.
This past week we also had our Zone Conference. That is when some zones get together and are taught by the Mission President and the Assistants. We have been challenged by a member of the 70 to double baptisms. The only way we are going to be able to do so is if we start working better with the members. We will try our best to help you know how to do the work! We were given some great direction and council. We will start applying it and start seeing the miracles!
President Slaughter taught us about faith. He used the 7 Lectures on Faith (which sound incredible, on my to read list when I get home). Something I really liked was Lecture Seventh. It talks about how we can obtain greater faith. We obtain greater faith by sacrifice; the more you give, the more you get. Food for thought.
Also three things we need in order to have any faith in God:
1. A correct idea of His character, perfections, and attributes.
2. An actual knowledge that the course of life which one is pursuing is according to His will.
3. Have to know that we are right before God.
If we do not had those three things, we can't have any faith. Interesting huh?
I was reading a conference talk from a while back about how Jesus Christ is the only way to happiness and fulfillment. He talked a lot about how being a disciple of Christ is what brings happiness and fulfillment. I was thinking about that. If I don't feel happiness or fulfillment, its probably because my focus on being a disciple of Christ has slipped or isn't as good as it could be. It's hard work! But it is worth it. Bishop Brooks has a sign in his office that say if you haven't chosen Christ, it doesn't matter what you have chosen (something like that). He is the way.
Life is such a journey. May we all put the effort into enjoying the journey!
Love youuuuu! But more importantly, God loves you.
Sincerely,
Elder Christensen
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