Week 1: My First Email!!

Hey ya'll!

 

 

It's my first P-day (preparation day) and I have officially completed the first 3 days of at home MTC (Missionary Training Center)! Whew! It's a lot of work and a whole lot of screen time but I have felt the Lord blessing me for my efforts. I have two amazing teachers, Sister Nielsen, and Brother Peterson. They make our 3 hour classes so fun and spiritual. It's amazing how strong the spirit can be over zoom. In one of my workshops the other day they were telling us how it's normal to feel scared or inadequate but to not get discouraged. They said, "God chose YOU and He needs YOU. He will not abandon you and He will help you become the amazing missionary you're capable of being." When they said this it made me tear up. After my first day I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious about this huge life-changing decision and what they said was exactly what I needed to hear. I want all of you to know that God is aware of YOU and you can feel his love just as I did. His hand is already stretched out toward you and all you need to do is reach back. 

 

 

My district consists of 4 Sisters and 6 Elders from all over the US. I have already learned so much from them and they're all so insanely nice!! Oh and my companion, Elder Harper, is ruch a rad dude! He's into dirt biking and trucks and he even knows how to fix them. Cool, right? We were asked to find some similarities between us and so far we've discovered that:

1. We both live in Idaho

2. We both like floral ties (surprising right? I didn't expect dirt bike boy to like floral ties either)

But honestly I'm not too concerned because we've gotten along great so far and he is very forgiving of my substantially smaller shoe size and height. OH I forgot! We're both going to San Antonio and we're gonna be on the same flight too! 

 

 

On Monday we are going to teach a guy named James and if I'm being honest I'm terrified. (pray for me) How am I gonna get better at teaching if I don't do it though, right? We've done a lot of role playing to prepare for the lesson and I think I'm getting better at it. So at least there's that.

 

 

At home MTC really isn't too bad though. All I do is study, eat, and go on walks really. And it's like the best kind of studying so how can I be upset with that?

 

 

Every week I'm gonna try to share a scripture that sticks out to me so for this week it's John 3:16:For aGod so bloved the cworld, that he dgave his eonly begotten fSon, that whosoever gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have heverlasting ilife.

 

 

Isn't it amazing that God loved the world so much that he gave his son to suffer for our sins so that we can return to him? I hope that you can feel that love this coming week and look for God's hand in your life. It's there, I promise.

 

 

Thank you all for your love and support! Feel free to email me whenever you want!

 

 

Elder Christensen

 

 

Pictures (I hope these are sent in the right order. If they don't, I apologize!):

1: My first day of MTC!

2: My district!!! (Except Brother Peterson. I will try to get one with him sometime)

3: Went on a walk with my sister, Julianne, and her kids

4: Went on a hike around Winchester Lake this morning as a P-day activity

5: Some scenery on a walk with my mom

6: Helping my sister's family build a pergola