Week 39: A Banana, One Tortilla Chip, & Two Pieces Of Cookie Dough

I've been out for half a sisters' mission! (AKA 9 months) I'm getting so old!

We got transfer news last night. Elder Neddo and I are staying together but they're splitting Sonterra and San Pedro. They're putting us in San Pedro and doubling us out of Sonterra. We JUST doubled into Sonterra 6 weeks ago so I feel bad for them. We're kinda sad too cause we just started bonding with everyone there. We'll miss them dearly. 

We had a lesson with our friend Lita this week. She's the wife of one of our members. We had a really good lesson with her about faith and how we must act in faith before we can gain a witness of something. She was agreeing with everything we said and then when I asked her to act in faith by reading the Book of Mormon she gave me a flat out no... I was kinda sad cause we all bore powerful testimonies of the Book of Mormon, including her husband and a member we phoned in, and then she immediately shot us down. She's been taught for awhile and just isn't ready to make any commitments but she's such a nice lady. I have hope that one day she will be ready to start reading the Book of Mormon!

We went on a quick exchange with the zone leaders last week and we got nothing but complete rejection. One guy said, and I quote, "F#*$ you!" and slammed his door. Another guy explained to us why we we are going to hell. He said he would pray for us though, so that was nice of him! We did get one guy's phone number though! Thanks for being nice, Andres. All that rejection and hate barely phased me though. I think the mission has really given me a thick skin haha.

As for the title of this email... On Friday I ate a banana, one tortilla chip, and two pieces of cookie dough for breakfast. So I'm kinda thriving if you can't tell. It's not that I didn't have any other food to eat... I just... idk. I don't have a good explanation. That's just how missionary life be sometimes.

We had dinner at our mission president's house (cause we're in his ward) and I was honestly kinda scared, but I ended up feeling super comfortable and they gave us some bomb advice for our people! I'm gonna miss their family when they leave this July.

I gave a training last week on the talk "Daily Restoration" given by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf and there's a quote from it that I would like to share. It says:

"Do you want to change the shape of your life?

Change the shape of your day.

Do you want to change your day?

Change this hour.

Change what you think, feel, and do at this very moment.

A small rudder can steer a large ship.

Small bricks can become magnificent mansions.

Small seeds can become towering sequoias.

Minutes and hours well spent are the building blocks of a life well lived. They can inspire goodness, lift us from the captivity of imperfections, and lead us upward to the redemptive path of forgiveness and sanctification."

If you want to change something in your life, start right now! Christ will help you along the way if you let him prevail in your life ;) 

Have a great week y'all!

- Elder Christensen

Pictures

1. Exchange with Elder Hernandez!

2. President Tveten's house

3. Ramennn

4. Baskin Robbins after a hard day

5. I tried the frosted lemonade from Chick-fil-a for the first time and it changed my life

6. We knocked on a guy's door and he gave us these huge 50.7oz water bottles! Thanks John! 

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