Week 75: I'm Gonna Be A Dad!

I'm getting a lil niño!! (AKA I'm training a new missionary. As missionaries we call our trainees our son/daughter and they call their trainer dad/mom) I've always said I wanted to train at some point but now I'm kinda scared haha. Hopefully he doesn't hate me. I got Elder Hoyal as a temporary companion until I get my trainee on Wednesday. Wish me luck!!

All the sisters that came out to the mission field with me went home last week. I'm also now the oldest missionary in my district which is weird. I guess that means I'm getting closer to the end of my mission? Less than 7 months to go!

I spoke in church yesterday and I didn't freak out like I usually do! I definitely got nervous but I've gotten much better at public speaking. #progress

We met this guy named Aaron last week and had a lesson on his bed yesterday hahaha. His family was cooking and watching football so we did the lesson in his bedroom. That was definitely a first for me. It went really well though and we found out a member that he works with has already been sharing the gospel with him! 

Last Wednesday we went to the Tower of the Americas for our district lunch because it was Elder Clarke's birthday and that's where he wanted to go. The food was mega expensive but the view was cool! Apparently there was an earthquake soon after we left. I'm kinda glad we weren't up there when it happened haha. 

Basically everyone we're teaching are sick right now so that's been rough but we're pushing through and finding a lot of cool people!

In honor of me giving a talk in church yesterday I'm going to share an excerpt from it:

As we desire to know the truth we must exercise our faith, which is "things hoped for and not seen" (Ether 12:6). For instance, I do not have physical evidence that Jesus Christ is my savior, but I have a testimony that He is because the Holy Ghost has made it manifest to me. Elder Bednar stated: "A witness of truth by the power of the Holy Ghost that we invite into our soul produces a spiritual knowledge, an illumination, and a conviction more sure, more powerful, and more enduring than can be received through seeing, hearing, touching, or rational argument alone." Testimonies are personal and powerful. Others may not agree with our testimonies but they cannot refute them. 

How do we develop powerful testimonies? Well, building your testimony really is a lifelong pursuit and because the adversary is constantly working against us we must also be consistent in nourishing our testimonies. In Alma's sermon on faith he compares God's word to a seed that will grow into a tree if planted in our hearts and nourished with great care. He taught, "If ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life" (Alma 32:41).This tree can be compared to our testimony. Just as a tree requires sunlight and water to grow, likewise do our testimonies require consistent church attendance, sincere prayer, and reading the scriptures. As missionaries, we call this spiritual CPR because doing these 3 simple things keep our testimonies alive and strong. 

Love y'all! 

- Elder Christensen

Pictures

☆ The strawberry capital of Texas! 

☆ Sewing with the Mohrs! 

☆ The Tower of the Americas 

☆ Saying goodbye to Elder Neddo

☆ Me and Elder Hoyal