Milagros cada dia

Hola amigos!
Ivonne and her family got baptized this week! It was such a spiritual
experience! They were so excited! We had a really neat experience with
their family earlier this week! So on Monday Ivonne called us and said
that she had thrown out her back and she couldn't get off the floor.
Luckily I am a CNA and Hermana Rupp is a medical assistant so she was
in good hands. We were able to get her off the floor and on the couch.
She was in so much pain. We were really worried because Ivonne could
barely move and we didn't know if she would be able to be baptized
this week. The adversary was working so hard on her! We spent the day
praying about what we should do. We still had a few things to teach
her and we didn't know if she would be ready by Friday. We were super
stressed and kept praying for a very direct answer. All throughout the
day we didn't feel like we were getting a clear answer. So we decided
to take action and see how the Lord directed us. After a lot of
pondering, we decided to postpone the baptism until Sunday. We called
the Ward Mission Leader and told him our plan. About 5 minutes after
we hung up the phone, we received a random text from President
Mortensen. Without knowing anything about what was going on, he asked
us how Ivonne was doing and if she was getting baptized on Friday. We
explained to him the situation and he told us and I quote, "Plan on
it. Remember who always waits by the water. She will be healed by
Friday. Assure her she will be ready." I was completely overcome when
I read that. We had prayed for a specific answer and we received one.
We immediately called the Ward Mission Leader and told him the baptism
was back on for Friday. We felt so much peace all week! Ivonne was
healed and she was ready and she was baptized on Friday. It was a
testimony to me that the Lord is in complete control of this work. The
adversary will do all he can to keep people from baptism but we are on
the winning team! As we listen to the promptings of the spirit, we
will receive guidance and answers!
 
We received transfer calls last night. I am out. I won't know where I
am going until tomorrow though.. I am kinda sad.. But I feel like my
time is done here I this area! There is more for me to do somewhere
else! I will have my new address next Monday for those who asked about
it!
 
Ivonnes kids bought "Missionary Barbies" the other day. They bought a
blond one and a brown haired one and they pretend they are me and
Hermana Rupp. Then instead of playing house, they play missionary
lessons. It is soooo cute! Haha!
 
Well my friends, the church is true! Have a wonderful week! Read your
scriptures and say your prayers!
 
Love,
Hermana Christensen

Baptisms for Days

Bueno!
How are y'all doing? Kevin was baptized this week!!!! It was so great!
He was so happy and the spirit was so strong! I love watching my
little investigators get baptized! It fills my heart with pure joy!!
This week Ivonne and her family are getting baptized! We are so
stinking excited!!!!! They are so ready! Please keep them in your
prayers! The adversary always works really hard on people the week of
their baptism!
 
We actually had a really cool experience with Ivonne yesterday! She
invited us over for a bbq so we could teach one of her friends! Her
friend was this big Mexican man who could probably kill you just by
looking at you. He was intense. We started talking to him and he just
started to break down and cry right in front of us. He told us how he
is addicted to alcohol and it is ruining his life. He said he wants to
change so badly but he thinks it is too late. We were able to testify
to him of the atonement and the power of the Book of Mormon. He just
cried and cried. The spirit was so strong! He agreed that he would
come to church on Sunday and he is going to start reading the Book of
Mormon. It was such a blessing to be there right at that time to help
him!
 
There are so many cool experiences we have had in this area! I love it
so much! Next week is transfers and I have gotten a couple of hints
that I am going to be leaving my area. It makes me kinda sad but I
guess we shall see what happens! The Lord will send me where ever I am
needed!
 
So update on the hurricane... Biggest disappointment of my life.
Hurricane Bill turned into Tropical Storm Bill who later turned into
just Rain Storm Bill who by the time it got to us, was just Great
Depression Bill. It just rained... Lightly.. Everyone felt pretty dumb
for freaking out and buying supplies like it was the end of the world.
There were some nasty tornados that hit some parts of Houston, but we
didn't get affected. But who knows.. Hurricane season just started!
 
 
We get to go to the temple tomorrow!! Ahhhhh!!!!! I haven't been in to
do a session my whole entire mission! President just decided that we
should all go so we could receive revelation for our areas! I am so so
excited!!!!!! We are doing the 10am session with our district
tomorrow!! Eeeeeee!
 
Well darlings, have a wonderful week! I shall talk to y'all another
time! Be good and read your scriptures!!!
 
Hermana Christensen
 

Horray for Hurricanes

Hello everyone!
So we are in the midst of a hurricane watch right now! Woo! We were
instructed to get lots of water and non perishable food and then hang
out in our apt because there is a crazy storm coming! Houston can't
catch a break! We were at the store this morning and it was PACKED.
People were stocking up on what ever they could get their hands on.
This is why we have food storage! So when natural disasters come we
don't have to be all panicky! I couldn't believe it. The store was
actually running out of food. It was crazy! Anyway, we are all
prepared! Now we are just watching and waiting! As of right now, it
doesn't even look bad out! Just a little cloudy! It is supposed to hit
at 7 tonight so I guess I will let you know what happens!
 
So this past week has been awesome! We have a baptism coming up! His
name is Kevin! And he is actually Litzi's cousin! He is going to be
baptized this Saturday and we are so excited!!!!!!
 
This week we had a couple of really cool experiences. We have started
teaching this really special family. They have a little son (hes 6)
with terminal cancer. He is down to his last few weeks and he just
stays on the couch while the family cares for him. We had an
opportunity to sit with all of them this week and teach them the plan
of salvation! It was such a special experience. The spirit was so
strong as we taught of how families can be together forever. It was
probably one of the most special experiences I have had on my mission!
We also have this other little family we are teaching. They have been
investigating for a long time and haven't really been keeping
commitments. For the longest time we haven't been able to decide if we
should continue seeing them or not. We decided to have a "do or die"
lesson with them. We went in and talked about waiting on the road to
Damascus and how we need to act now on our faith! (There is a really
good Mormon message if y'all have time to watch it. It's called..
Waiting on the road to Damascus) They took our lesson really well.
When we were done, both me and Hermana rupp both had the strongest
impression that we can't give up on them yet and we need to keep
teaching them. And then low and behold they came to church yesterday
for the first time in 4 months! Hopefully they will start to progress
towards baptism!!!!
 
In other news, I learned how to make tamales this week! This sweet
Hermana in our ward was put in charge of making tamales for the ward
party we had on Saturday. She asked if we could help her for a bit, so
we did! It was so fun!!!! The ward party was crazy. Hispanic wards go
hard when it comes to party's. They are filled with food and everyone
is dancing and they usually last until about 10 or 11. We have to go
home at 9 so we missed all the craziness this time. We had a few
investigators come and they loved it! Also.. This is a little off
topic.. But none of the Hispanics use utensils when they eat. It's all
hands! Or tortillas. They make fun of us because we are used to always
eating with a fork or a knife. Some of the members have a special set
of utensils that they only use when we are over! It is so funny! I am
so bad at eating with my hands! It is hard not to make a mess! Haha!
 
Well I hope y'all have a great week! Look for missionary experiences
every single day! I love ya!
 
Hermana C.
 

Hola Amigos!

Hello friends!!
 
We had such a special week this week!! Yesterday I had the most
special sacrament meeting of my mission!!! We are teaching a family of
7 that go to the English ward. So we go to the English ward with them!
(6 hours of church! it is awesome) Anyway, the mother and the oldest
daughter went up and bore their testimonies about how they know God is
real now and how He is helping their family!! I cried like a baby!
Everyone did! It is amazing to see how the gospel can change lives!
They are going to be baptized by the end of this month and we are so
excited!! They are so special and so prepared! There was also another
little lady who went up to bear her testimony. She was probs like 80
years old and she didn't speak any english! She had someone translate
her testimony for her. (She spoke Korean) She bore powerful witness of
how she can't understand anything at church but when she takes the
sacrament, she can feel the spirit. It was powerful! This lady comes
to church every week and will bring her iPad. During classes, she will
look up the lesson and read in it Korean. She told us that she doesn't
understand why people who speak English don't come to church! Her
faith is incredible. She understands the importance of church
attendance! And she is so blessed because of it! This English ward
here is so so special. I have never felt such a strong unity and a
spirit in a ward before! I love this area so much!!
 
We are going to have a family home evening with one of our
investigators tonight! We just found out that she invited about 5 of
her neighbors and their families to join us! She is already a
missionary and she isn't even a member yet! I just love how excited
the people here are about the gospel!
 
We just got back from going downtown! We went to the natural history
museum with our district! It was pretty cool! Except everyone talked
me into going in the butterfly exhibit.. Butterfly's freak me out so
much. But I made it alive and only panicked like twice. We also had
this really nice man buy us all lunch! Every time we go downtown, rich
people always buy us lunch! It is such a blessing!
 
Well darlings, I miss you all! Missionary work is the bomb! Have a
wonderful week!!!!!
 
Love,
Hermana C

Hello friends!

We had such a great week this week! We are still working hard with our investigators and they are progressing really well! I was so sad to hear that Elder Perry passed away. He has been such a great example and teacher to all of us! 

Honestly not too many exciting things have happened this week. We have been able to teach this angel of a woman named Ivonne. She is a single mother of 6 children and still makes time every day to read the Book of Mormon for 20 minutes. I love her so much! We teach her in English which is actually very difficult. When I teach in Spanish, the lessons are very simple because my vocabulary is very limited. But it is good because the people understand really well. In English, it is easy to make things a little more complicated then they really are.. haha! But she is learning and I am learning as well! It is a win win situation. She has a baptism date coming up and we are very excited! Keep her in your prayers! 

We had a mission president fireside on Sunday. It was so beautiful. They had a bunch of converts share their experiences and then we all sang songs. The missionaries sang the EFY medley in Spanish. It was so powerful! The spirit was so strong and there wasn't a dry eye in the room after we were done! I love this mission! And being a missionary! 

I am sorry this is kinda short this week! I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Hermana Christensen