After the Trial of our Faith

Hey there people!! 

So this week was another great week. I thinks so at least!!

So to start off with ,,, that P-day stuff, it just isn't that cool anymore. We just don't do anything! Now we can only leave the zone once a change, and we can have one zone p-day and one district p-day. So, yeah, life got kind of boring here on Monday's! So this week we left the zone (with permission) my comp wanted to go and get his eyes checked. This comp of mine is literally turning into a grandpa! haha He does not remember anything! And he doesn't hear that good, and his eyes are going bad. So, I call him Grandpa Cano haha actually, Abuelito Canito. haha!! I also bought a sweet new tie for like 4 dollars. Then after p-day we went to a sweet family home evening. The previous bishop in the ward held it. He shared something so magnificant! I am serious I have never felt the sort of feeling that I did during this FHE. The spirit was completely amazing! It was like some crazy high that I had after the meeting. We watched a video about Alma 43 and 44 when Moroni goes to battle against Zarahemla, and he scalps them. It was so amazing!! I couldn't quit thinking about it! Amazing how the spirit testifies to us of things that we've heard and seen before but maybe weren't ready to learn until that certain moment.

The rest of the week I just read the BOOK OF MORMON. I literally have read like 150 or more pages in the past week. I feel amazing! And I should be finishing the book again by tomorrow or Wednesday. It's the best! Everyone should read it again!!

On Thursday we left the house and I was not really in the mood to work. I was so tired. I just literally felt like a dead beet! My comp wasn't the greatest of help to me either. He doesn't push himself, nor try to work. So we left the house at like 2:00 to go and work. We worked all day and no one was home. No one would answer us. No one wanted us. We were told that we were messengers from Satan, and everything else you can think of. I felt like crying, I didn't, but I felt like it. Haha don't judge me! I  literally was just so confused, and so sad. The next day I prayed super hard and my comp did the same. We left the house and we were extremely blessed.... Heavenly Father does hear our humble prayers... On Friday I was blessed more than probably any day since I've been here in my mission. From Thursday when I was so sad and had the worst day of my mission to Friday where we found 5 new investigators, and a super cool reference. Amazing how prayer can change our days and our attitude.

I know that God blesses us after our trials. And I know that God exists, that He lives! I know he will always bless us, we just sometimes have to make it past the trial of our faith. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true, I know it with all of my heart! And I love it!

Sorry this is so short .... Tune in next week when I will focus more on writing a letter to you all than downloading church videos that I need. haha!!! Love you all and be safe. 

Elder Christensen

I Love My Mission!

Hey there people!

Well, this was a great week! and a super fast week too! We didn't do too many things nor was it like the funnest week but it was good.  But first, all of the elders from Tingo were here in Huanuco and all of them stayed in our room. There were 6 of us and it was a party!! They got to Huanuco on Sunday and then we had p-day Monday together, and a multi-zone meeting on Tuesday and they left on Wednesday. 

   

So, let's start off with the Monday P-day that we had. On Monday we had a multi zone p-day. It was super cool. Not the best multi zone that we have had yet, but we played a bit of soccer and ran quite a bit! Then we played kick ball with President Silva. Haha!! he accidentally punched a few missionaries, because he flew into the bases way to fast! It was super funny! And then we had our zone meeting and then after we ATE LASAGNA (I do declare that, that is spelled correctly!!!) It was super good!!! Not the best ever, but it was some decent lasagna!! 

Tuesday we had multi zone meeting and it was really neat. I learned a ton! At the multi zone meeting I could really feel and it was confirmed to me that President is a man called of God to lead our mission. He really cares about us, he wants us to be happy and to work hard, but most of all he wants us to be super obedient. Which I think is great. I feel like I am being 98 percent obedient, not 100 percent because if I was 100 percent I would be perfect and then be translated! But, I am striving for that 100 percent and will continue to throughout my life. I feel super good about myself. I feel like I have less energy to get the work done, but I know that it is my Heavenly Father testing me to see if I can and will work under all situations. 

Then the rest of the week was full of basically teaching active members, and less active members. We have dropped a bunch of investigators because none of them want to progress. So we are back to contacting quite a bit to find new investigators. Hopefully some who have been prepared to receive this gospel. 

Wednesday we made pizza and lasagna AGAIN!!! haha It was so much better this time. This time I made the pizza. It was decent!! A girl in the ward made us the lasagna, it was amazing... other than the fact that she added some weird ingredient! Really, I was so confused as to why she would make such an amazing plate of food and put egg plant in it!! Not good like American lasagna!  haha CRAZY RIGHT!  I didn't even know what the heck an eggplant was until then!! hehe

So last week I told you about Raul, he is super cool!! He came to church for the second time in like 15 years. I love this guy and I feel like we have made a connection, hopefully he will continue and progress! Also, Familia Santiago are a super cool family whom I hope will continue to work and progress in the gospel. They really want their daughter to get baptized and the husband (her dad) is still thinking about it, (his wife is already baptized.) I love this! It's great! And it's true! That is my week. I have to go. 

I love you all,

Elder Christensen

Luke making Pizza and a girl from their ward making Lasagna

Elder Bullock and Elder Christensen

Elder Bullock was Luke's trainer. He is now an AP.

Elder Christensen and Elder Albrecht

Two crazy Alta boys!

Crosses in the streets of Huanuco

I'm in Huanuco Just for Me

Well family and friends, 

I realized I have an awful English vocab. jaja (not in bad words. I just don't really remember English words.) It seems to be getting worse!

I have about a year left in the mission!! haha crazy right. It's flying. My hump day is September 8th, but I think my release day is somewhere around August 10 or 16, 2017! The mission is crazy, and it's going by crazy fast! 

I have had a great week. First off, we got to go to Real Plaza. Real Plaza is just like a crappy Peruvian version of a mall. It is super small in Huanuco, but, I mean, it has escalators, so that's cool! I haven't seen one of those in almost a year! So Elder Schully and I went up and down like 3 or 4 times just cuz I won't see another one again in a really long time. I also was able to hold a Guitar Hero controller. jaja!!! IT WAS SO AWESOME! I cleaned a part off and then I kissed it! haha  I was so tempted to play it, but I prayed for help and the tempation went away! That was probably the hardest thing that I have had to do in my whole mission!! That was harder than 3 months in Carhuamayo. jaja! Really, I'm just kidding! But, we also got to browse through all of the stores. They are not that cool. But, I did see a really cool TV that I had never seen before. And now I kind of want it. It also had a snowboarding movie, called The Art of Flight, playing. I was so happy to see some snowboarding. Then we went and ate grilled chicken with potatoes. I didn't eat the potatoes. After last Monday I will never eat another potatoe again!  

Selfie in a nice mall restroom!

Eating a hamburger at the mall! It was soooo good!

Luke hadn't had a hamburger for a long time!

Luke at Real Plaza.

He found a Guitar Hero .... he's obviously missed his Xbox 

Luke and his "babes"!

  

So that was Monday. The rest of the week I was super happy, even though it was an awful week of work. We had a ton of lessons, about 26, but we had 3 people kick us out of their house, and like another 5 people open the door and close it right away! Then we came to a house, it's address was Jr Progreso 666 (sounds a little scary, huh!). I walked over and contacted it just to see what was up in the house. I knocked on the door and they didn't answer, so I rang the door bell like 2 times. Finally this old man walked out, he was so furious at us. He asked us, "what is with your awful manners in ringing my door bell?" He said that two times then yelled the third one. Then my comp started to talk. He said, "we are missionaries. and we are here to help you to learn about the gospel". Then the dude was so furious! He then asked me very angry, "WHY DID YOU RING MY DOORBELL?"  so I said, "WHY DO YOU HAVE A DOORBELL", then he stopped! and I said we are here to save you, so why are you treating us so awful? He then said "I don't care about God!!" and slammed the door! After that I just started laughing! That normally would make us feel bad, but i just started laughing, even my comp was laughing. In fact, I am still laughing about it. I've never been treated quite like that!

It's hard here in Pedro Puelles. And I have come to the conclusion that this area is for me to learn. It is for me to learn patience and also for me to be able to realize what I really want most in life. I have an hour or more a day of just meditation. I really do love reading and pondering about the gospel, what it does for us, why I'm here and what I'm learning. I really love the mission just because it is helping me change so much spiritually and mentally. I'm learning and I'm growing through the trials that we are facing here, it's hard. It's hard for many reasons, one, because not one person in this whole dang area wants to listen to us. It just makes me a little bit sad that no one wants to listen to us. Most don't even give us a chance. We are teaching some really cool and great people, but they won't ever come to church and they can't progress if they don't go to church. I just wish they could see the whole picture like we see it, then they would give everything to have what we have in the gospel. My comp and I are really helping the ward out though, and I'm sure that is partly why we are here too. They (the leaders) are really changing so fast. That makes me happy to see them do things the way they really need to be done. Funny when you grow up around it all of your life you take so many things for granted in the church, just knowing the week to week running of the church seems so simple, but not to these people here. I don't have any other cool stories or people to write about. I'm out of time so next week I'll tell you about a guy named Raul. I will explain his story. He is a less active and I leave a message with him every time we see him, and I feel like it's changing me. This guy is litterally changing my life and changing my attitude with his stories. That's all for this week. So, until next week ... 

Love you all,

Elder Christensen

Elder Christensen and Richard

Cooking tacos at the Bishop's house

Luke and a parrot

Heavenly Father Hears our Prayers

Um, well, it was a great week...I think!

So this week has been decent. We have been working hard! We didn't have a lot of time to work this week, but when we worked, we worked hard. 

So, this week was great. We started off beating a bunch of dudes in soccer like 23 to 7 haha!! Then they got mad and left and forfeited, but we had an amazing p-day, and we got to play soccer, so even though we don't really have that many things to do anymore, we found the best of things we can do. Later that day we went to a Family Home Evening. But, the family we went to to have FHE with isn't the most sanitary, plus they are potato farmers (but then who isn't a potato farmer here?) They gave us some food. I got a plate of like 7 giant potatos and some cheese. Then I started laughing and I just kept thinking that they were joking and were going to bring out some like sour cream, haha or something else to put on the potatoes. Nope! I ate like 7 giant potatos with just like 2 slices of cheese, it was pretty dry! I am still laughing, but I know that Heavenly Father is looking out for me because he blessed me enough to be able to finish those flipping potatoes, and not offend them! Then we were heading over to another Family Home Evening and we had a lady ask us for a blessing for her husband. Then after the blessing they gave Elder Campbell and me a whole Panetone to eat, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, panetones are not small!! They are actually very large. Then we had to eat the dinner that our Pencion had prepared for us. Aww! I'm still full and it has been a whole weeeeeeek! 

On Wednesday Elder Campbell and all of the other gringos took a hike and left me alone in Huanuco. But my new Zone Leader got here and he is a gringo so, yeah, that's pretty cool right? His name is Elder Schully and he's from Logan, Utah. Then a little later my new comp, Elder Cano got here. He has 14 months in the mission, and also just got out of CARHUAMAYO, (we have a lot in common!) and he is from Lima. He is a pretty good missionary, he works dece hard, but he doesn't always really care about the rules.

Then Thursday I saw the GLASSET FAMILY!!!!! That was just like the greatest thing in the whole world!!!! Just seeing a family of white people, from Draper, Utah was the best! They delivered the package that you sent, brought us some candy and also gave me some great advice, which I really needed and appreciated! Thanks Glassets for taking the time, it meant a lot!!! It really was super cool!!

Elder Cano, Elder Christensen and Cody Glassett

Cody served in the Peru Huancayo Mission from June 2014 to June 2016

Elder Cano, Elder Christensen, Cody and Paul Glassett

The Glassett's are from Draper and they were visiting Cody's mission

Elder Cano, Elder Christensen, The Glassett Family

An amazing thing happened last night. I have been praying super hard these days to receive an answer about something. I felt a great urge to listen to my farewell talk. So, I pulled out the CD and listened to it. Nothing in my talk really had any answers, but it was great to listen to it again. After the talk I had the thought to listen to the song that Tanner Townsend played. It was the piano solo "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". Wow, I felt like someone was wrapping their arms around me and hugging me, and whispered to me, and told me what to do. It was amazing. It actually brought tears to my eyes, and I realized how much Heavenly Father loves me. He is so mindful of each of us, and he is there if we will ask Him. He wants to help us, and lead and guide us. I got my answer, and a stronger testimony of my Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They live.

That was my week. And... I just want to say to Marci that you better be careful because when I get home I'm gonna give you a knuckle sandwich. I just need to bug you again! (Most boys tease their sisters, he loves to torment his aunt!)

love you all,

Elder C. 

Elder Campbell and Elder Christensen

Elder Christensen and Elder Campbell

Dietamar and Bobby the Dog

Elder Christensen and Crazy Richard 

Matius, Gelhin's Baby... Gelhin in the back

"The Stairs of Death" in Luke's area and he walks up and down them

several times a day, every day

A part of Luke's area in Huanuco (Pedro Puelles)

The houses on the hill are typical to Peru

A street in Luke's area with a few mototaxi's

The Glassett's said that his area was very pretty and 

very well maintained, and seemed very safe.

Things are Happening in Pedro Puelles

Hey there folks!

So this week was a great, slow, but fast week. Haha! I have been super happy this week. I don't really have that many things to write about these days. There is just nothing that is happening right here in Pedro Puelles because President changed the rules, and we can't leave our area on P-day anymore. Well, actually I guess he just put a rule into effect that President Henderson wasn't as strict about. So for p-day we went to a chapel in Primavera and played Signs and played a little soccer with some members, and we also played some volleyball. The rest of the week we just worked and did a bunch of pre-interviews for the sister missionaries in Primavera. 

I learned how to solve an 8 sided rubix cube, and it really wasn't that hard to learn. Campbell also figured it out! But yeah, we are still just contacting like crazy and teaching a bunch. So that is great! We found this new family named the Santiagos and they are super cool. They own a restaurant and they invited Elder Campbell and me to go and eat there last week. They had some of the best Peruvian food I have eaten since I've been in Peru. Actually, they have the best restaurant in all of Peru, and you know Peru is known for their fine cuisine! 

So yesterday (Sunday) Elder Campbell and I decided to go visit a less active. His name is Raul. He has been less active since he was like 14, and he is 33 now. He has a super strong testimony. He told us how through the past few years many missionaries have passed by his house and have stopped to visit with him, but he has rejected all of them. But, when Campbell and I passed by he just felt like he needed to let us in. I was sitting there in awe! And then he told us this crazy dream that he had where he was dying and Jesus came down, and Raul was begging Jesus for his life back. He said that he was begging for a second chance and he said that Jesus told him to go to church. Well, he had that dream about 4 years ago and he still hasn't gone to church. So now he says he will come to church. He has promised us that he will for sure come to church this next Sunday.

Yesterday was Hermana Keeler's birthday. She is in our district so we had a birthday party in the Hermana's Pencions house at night, with the ward. It was pretty fun. Birthday's are great here! Those are the highlights from my week! This week is transfers and I know who my new companion is because President messed up and we can all see every change in the mission!!!! So, I'll be staying in Huanuco in Pedro Puelles and my new comp is Elder Cano from Lima. I'm working hard, you keep working hard! Everything's great! Until next week ....

Elder Christensen

Last week before Gelhin's baptism

Hutchy and Scrappy and Hutchy's girlfriend!

Hermano Martine is a great man!
He is the High Priest Group Leader and the husband
to the Hermana's Pension.