Friday, December 26, 2008

Big Six Months, but who is counting? Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 1:24 PM

Hola American Family,

how is everyone doing now adays, i just took a quick look at the photo that tay sent me and nine inches is something to brag about haha i can only imagine how wonderful it must in new mexico. Im not going to lie, i miss the snow, but not the cold haha i hope everyone is doing well. again i forgot my list of awesome things to write about on my desk so i am a little upset but hopefully i will remember most of it. ok well first of all, hope my package got there haha i would use words to describe that package but im a missionary. so frustrating, and than the worst part was that it cost more than moms three boxes to me... yeah i wasnt too happy about that but i hope coop enjoys it and that everyone can have a little piece of the mexico temple, seeing as it was mostly what i sent. but yes the other frustrating part was that we had to empty everything out and the guy had to check everything for drugs and whatever so it all got screwed up so basically mom, the ring, a photo, and the memory chip all go to tay, if you would be so kind haha much love and yeah throw in a mexico magnet or something. and the rest is for the family, but really, package from me, probably never again, so enjoy this one. glad that nano is home, working ehh but hey is it money. mom you are funny, i hope everyone has their questions written haha and yes mom i think the phone card is a good idea and i think i will just call and you guys can call back on the phone card, i get 40 mintues and i would rather not do speaker cause its just screaming haha but im hoping for the 24th so jenny and britton can head off. so yeah... should be good haha im excited, havent put much thought into it, mostly just going to be another day with a couple extra meals haha but yeah it will be cool, hopefully i dont sound too weird with my phrases and whatnot ahahok what else did i forget, oh yeah dad, great job on the talk, i talked too but i dont think it was as good as yours, i dont remember that story though. glad you guys found the christmas tree without too much blood, even though the blood does add something to it haha glad to hear that sterl made it alright to the mtc, that kid is such a stud haha love him, and thats cool about B, i understand that cooper might love me like that too haha jk bro, your awesome, do work. uh what else.... cambios are next week and yeah... it feels like elder slade and i have been together longer haha he is just a little prideful but hey so am i. idk, really im hoping for a new area but ill do whatever the president tells me. oh yeah got a letter from dan and andrew wilson on thursday, i wrote dan a letter today so it will probably be there... march haha but he sounds good just having the regular problems. send my love to him please. hope basketball is going well

took my week really fast the first part of the week was pretty normal, we found a couple of solid investigadores that have some real interest in the church so that was cool, just sad part was that we didnt get anyone of them to the church... yeah we will have to work on that this week. but thursday was the big day! i forgot to tell you that we were going to the temple as a mission haha so yeah we went! well just half of us one day and the other half anther day. so yeah we filled the room and is was way cool in spanish, alot of words i didnt know and it was in vosotros so it was a little hard. i messed up alot haha but its cool, comes with practice. after we ate as a mission and had a christmas activity where people sang and stuff, it was pretty sweet. and than the presidente got up there and was just deadly serious, have a great christmas, get to work, and than he sent sent an email that was like, if you dont want to work the right way, you basically dont believe in Christ. it was pretty intense, he is just done with the crap from the elders that refuse to change. idk, very serious though.

on a lighter note i got my package from tay!!! whoo i was so pumped! all the mexicans were like... why do you have the virgin guadalupe on your package and i explained it was because i didn't want to get robbed. the americans thought it was genius and the mexicans... well they didnt like it very much haha but yeah thanks love, the tie is hidious... its perfect!!! (thanks taylre for donating the tie for the burn) and the sick awesome tshirt, wore it last night haha anyways, it was great, thank you very much.

saturday we had two elders go home because the cambios are next week but the presidente wanted them to be home for christmas so yeah we are one zone leader down and one down in my district. kind of chaos haha and yeah all the ward parties this weekend that we couldnt go to because they start at nine and end at one in the morning! ridiculous haha but yeah good stuff and the funny thing of the week, i was with the zone leader that is left and he is from washington and yeah were chatting and a member comes up to us and tells us she is a member of a ward in our zone and offers us a ride and my zl was like, oh ok so you know edler aquino? but in english and she just looked at him weird and didnt understand so he said it slower the second time and then i was laughing too hard and had to tell him that he was speaking in english and not spanish haha he really didnt know the difference. good times
Ok folks, i got to run, no sports today.. kind of sad but since no one got mad last time i dont feel bad saying i scored 4 goals haha ok for those of you that i am not going to talk to this week, feliz navidad and have a great week. and for my fam, talk to you wednesday! love you all and pray for you often.
to the moon and back
con amor

elder w christensen

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Tu eres de Mexico? Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 4:48 PM


Hola familia!!!!
Bueno pimero, les amo muchisismo haha si, yo deje inglés de lunes pero para que ustedes puedan entender, voy a escribir en inglés. Y solo por eso... haha jk how are you guys doing!!? I imagine that everyone is back home and doing awesome and that everyone is done with school except for coop?.. sorry bro, hang in there. But hey Jen!! congrats sis that is so cool. I would try to imagine what that must feel like but seeing as it is like seven years in the future, i will just have you tell me haha but that is way cool, i hope you celebrated and everything. You are grown up now jen, how old haha jk much love, i can say that because i am on a mission and that means im going to be turing 20 in april, four months away.. no manches... haha uh crazy. but yeah everyone feeling the holiday spirit yet or did the computer brake and there is not christmas music going 24/7 in the house? haha jk mom but i must admit i do enjoy the christmas music here when i hear it. there are not a lot of mexican christmas songs so they play the good old classics haha and i forgot to tell you mom, the person that we are going to have christmas with put up a ridiculous amount of decorations, just so i can feel at home haha how are those coming by the way? well im sure. at lights only on the first story? coop... haha jk
ok yeah the third box came from tucson this week. had the photo album of thanksgiving. and no im not peeking.. much haha the sweater was already checked and the wrapping was gone. i have been good haha elder slade is already done with his stocking haha
that is too bad to hear about dan. I would lie and say that they dont like americans here either but im sure its nothing like there. im going to have to write him a letter soon. i have written everybody else haha by the way hoping to send my package home tomorrow... yeah so we will see about that and hopefully you will distribute the things to their respective people. i wrote letters for grandma and grandpa on both sides. just get excited coop, im getting your present tonight from a member haha im jealous.
oh yes cannot forget to congratulate britton as well. well done my brother. and i encourage meat in the freezer, if it lasts two years haha and y gracias por su carta tambien, fue muy bien. solo tuve problemas con un ante pero yo pude imaginar lo que fue haha
ok momyou wanted a testimony or something like that. I really dont have many christmas stories yet, does help that it feels like july either but i can talk about my favorite convert so far.
So this kid, Issac, and i say kid but he is older than me, was one of my fist baptisms. The first time we met him was in the church where he had brought himself after a friend had told him where it was. We introduced ourselves and he told us that he would like to take lessons. We told him that we could help him with that. After our first lesson we discovered that he worked full time and was going to school as well. The fact that he had gotten special permission to come that sunday was a miracle in itself. He told us that he couldnt come on sundays because he worked every sunday morning from 8 to 2. We thought about it and asked him to pray to his heavenly father and ask for help. The next day, he told that he did what we asked and talked to his boss. HIs boss had given him two hours for every sunday to come, 9 to 11. We were so pumped for his faith and desire. The next week he came with the first frown i had ever seen him wear. He told us that his grandfather had spoken to him and that if he joined the church, his grandfater would disown him. Seeing as issac didnt have a father, it was a pretty large hurdle to put it lightly. We cried together that night. We asked him to pray again to his Heavenly Father for help. the next Sunday he showed up with a smile again. We asked what happened and he told us that nothing happened, but some how he felt that the Lord was going to take care of it. We were happy then, but when he told us that he wanted to get baptized, we said, we can help you with that haha
the lord doesn't give us challenges to watch us fail, but rather to watch us sore.
Good timber does not grow with ease, the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees, the further the sky, the greater the length, the more the storm the more the strength. By sun and cold, by rain and snow, in trees and men, good timber grows.
Douglas Malloch Good Timber
ok i got to run but i love you all.
I love you all and obviously the closer the 25th comes the more i feel for you all but hey, i wouldnt be anywhere else. Loving every second of it.
to the moon and back..
con amor
Elder W. Christensen

Monday, December 8, 2008

No broma, soy Elder Christensen Sent: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 17:00:10 +0000

hey fam/others that read this letter>
como estan? espero muy bien. estoy ayunando de ingles hasta la navidad. Va matarme haha pero me prometi que yo puede escribir en ingles para que ustedes que no hablen español puedan entender. y porque yo no quiero escribir en español por tode de esta carta haha

how is everyone doing? if you didnt understand, its alright, i probably screwed up somewhere in there typing haha just ask britton or your nearest rm. anyways, i hope everyone is doing great cause i am. seriously, i was struggling this week but the weekend totally turned it around. also helps that the weather is like los alamos in july haha its wonderful to walk down the street in a short sleeve shirt at night.

anyways on to more important things. sounds like thanksgiving was everything that you had hoped for and more. way fun. glad that everyone had a good time and that no one got in any fights haha i know you all missed me but hey, next time just bring rockie and it will feel like i was never gone haha a yukon? haha i was ok with buying a car but i thought it was going to be something a little smaller, but if it is large because it needs to pull a boat, i approve haha jk but dad congrats on doing a great job with the suburb, and sorry about work, i understand if you were busy. i was just laughing when i got your letter cause i asked elder slade how many elders get a letter like that from their dad haha but yeah good luck. uh que más? thanks for the letter mom, i hope grandpa is doing better. i am trying to remember everything and its hard cause i left my lists of things to reply to at home so sorry. but yeah the picture of coop doing a bike, i wrote underneath, algo es possible, haha much love bro.

sounds like sterl did a great job with his talk, and is totally ready to dominate the ozzies. good luck man, you wil be great, just be patient and know that when you put on that tag, you are not you for two years, you are something much better. hopefully that didnt come off wrong haha and yes mom i read your read frist letter, and yes i can have something for next week.

oh yeah christmas call haha so i am going to be at my mission leaders house that morning and elder slade told me that he is jsut going to call and hang up when his familys caller id gets the number and than his family can call back and they will pay haha but i have a phone card left and i think i will use that with jenny. where is she going to be? and yeah i get 40 mintues so it will be good.

alright my week real fast
so tuesday were interviews with the president and they were alright. i talked to president and pretty normal nothing special, idk, he always looks at me at the end and just smiles, its like he is reading my mind haha but the funny part was afterwards when i was talking with Hermana Nancollas, his wife, she said, gracias elder, when i was leaving and my mind froze and i was just like... to you haha in spanish you would say, a usted, in that situation and yeah my mind died haha it was really funny but you just have to know that the amercans here just speak differently. we say phrases in spanish in english and they dont make sense to anyone else except for people in the mission haha its great not being able to speak either language. saturday was a baptism for some elders in our district and they baptized a 90 year old woman. elder tapp was already scared of killing her and than the first attempt she took a breath under water. it was terrible, but the third try he just grabbed her face, plugged her nose and closed her mouth and put her under haha it was the most exciting baptism ever. we had six edlers there all ready to perform a miracle or cpr depending on what went down. no i shouldnt joke like that but it was a good baptism. and than sunday the bishops son was back from the states and he had been at byu the week before haha almost killed me but it was cool to talk about provo with him. i also bore my testimony in church that i love the members and that i still cant speak spanish very well but i am here to help them in any way. later in the hall, hermano macias, one of my favorite brothers, pulled me aside and was like, elder you cant speak spanish very well. i was like oh thanks hermano but than he continued, but your progression as a representative of Christ has grown enormously. yeah it made me feel pretty good inside. but yeah i want everyone to make a goal of bearing their testimonies every fast sunday this next year, its only 12 a year, and yeah best way to see a testimony grow is let it outside every once in a while haha ok yeah that was pretty much my week, nothing too crazy

alright guys and gals, this elder is going to go play some sports and whatnot cause i just realized yesterday, that it has been 8 months since my surgery, crazy, and my leg feels pretty good. so yeah i love you all with all my heart and i wish i was a better writer to express all the things that i want to say but im not so les amo muchisisismo. esten bien hasta proximo lunes. remember to do service this month and remember why we celebrate it. you are all great and i miss you very much but i wouldnt be anywhere else than here. Do work son! to the moon and back...
con amor
Elder W. Christensen
PS there are four christensens in the mission now so the president calls me W haha good times

Monday, December 1, 2008

July in Christmas... o algo Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 2:54 PM

hello americans

haha i only make the distiction because we played football today and the americans lost to the mexicans. Really they only learned ten minutes before hand how to play so yeah... it was humbling haha anyways... how is everyone doing?

I would make a comment that tay is the only one that wrote me, so for a whole week i felt love from no one else, but that would just be mean haha just kidding mom, i still love you, i figured you guys were either traveling or just about to leave so no se preocupre, it is all good. i know you all love me, and how do i know that, because i got two bomb packages! yeah i was pretty pumped haha and yeah sorry mom, they opened both of them, the mary pictures didn´t work haha but no worries, i think it was the secrateries anyways, its a mission rule or something. but yeah i think everything was there. I set up and make my tree last night haha i was just like... this is such a mom thing haha but i loved it regardless. if only i had presents to go under it... haha jk but everything was great, thanks for the sweater, it was 80 degrees today haha idk what is going on but its not december like i know it. so yeah thanks for everything and the pixi stixs are already gone... so yeahspeaking of holidays, thanksgiving doesnt exist here haha no surprise but yeah it was just an ordinary thursday, except when we walked into a members house to teach and they had texas vs taxas am on their huge flat screen. i almost died haha and i hate texas! weird, but yeah that was it.so

tuesday elder slade had to go to a leadership training so i went with teh zone leader that is going home in three weeks. it really wasnt bad, he doesnt know english so i learned alot of spanish haha we studied and worked all day. Before he was probably one of my least favorite people but know we get along just great. and he is one of the kind of leagands here, baptized 52 weeks in a row, some of them are more real than others but hey that is how this mission used to be. but overall it was a good break from the same companion and i learned alot.

so yeah i think it was either the last letter or the second to last letter but i mention my first blessing in english. yeah well saturday night i gave my first in spanish to an hermano that had this disease where if he eats alot of meat he gets crystals in his blood that tear the skin and attacks the joints, idk but is extremely painful and he couldnt walk. so yeah i went up there and tried my best and yeah... if you ever want to be humbled, try listening to the spirit in a different language haha but i was only shaking a little bit after it haha, and the next morning, here comes the hermano trotting into the chapel with a smile on his face. obviously he wasnt doing jumping jacks but it was still a pretty awesome experience to be a part of. I am very grateful to have had that opportunity.

this sunday was only the childrens program haha it is just the same in mexico as in the US, still look for the one kid that signs the loudest and every kid that eats the mic and screams something and skips off haha it was even better cause we have two wards so i got to do it twice haha so overall it was a pretty good week, we found this bomb family that has been going to church in a different stake with their friends and the missionaries there are slow so yeah hopefully we can get them to come here.

alright guys, i love you all. I cant say it enough. I see families every day here and they are all in different modes of life and i am so grateful for you mom and dad and for your examples, im grateful for the gospel and im grateful that i have three wonderful siblings that i can be a hero for. it was a great letter nano. yes nano, take note haha alright, i hope you are all dominating what you are doing and remember to ask in prayer for the things you lack, cause i can bear testimony that he wants to give it to you. its strange here, my greatest moment has been watching a kid, issac, who had everything going against him to learn the gospel bless the sacrament on sunday. yeah he screwed up 5 times but all the better. just now i smile thinking about it. its a wonderful experience here.. i regret nothing. and for all you elders about to enter or are entered, remember to hold on to those wonderful moments, cause they are going to carry you. I love you guys. to the moon and back...
Con amor
Elder Christensen