Kelsey's Mission Blog

today I am writig this letter to a chorus of crying babies. 

I seriously should be recording this, it's phenomenal!  haha just kidding.  but it is funny when in a public library crazy things happen.  I always feel bad for the mothers who are caught in the awkward situation after they fall or pinch their fingers in doors.   at least there isn't a cranky person here today  like the one guy in newfoundland,  if he get's irritated about keyboards one can only assume the discord of an upset child in his midst.

anyway.

this letter is about missionary work isn't it?  well it certainly has been going this week I don't know if the adjective for it is good or well, or bad but it's going.  we have a few new investigators after a long time of searching, which is always satisfying, and leads to some good stories.

we have been meeting a girl who is catholic, and really actively catholic, goes to all the women's organizations, helps wtih the alpha course, voulenteers in the youth programs, and has a lot of friends that inspire her right now who are busy with evangelical persuits, serving in other areas of the country and in halifax.  She is involved! and sometimes really hard to get ahold of, but we really enjoy meeting with her because she genuinely has questions and sometimes our conversations are really interesting.  one time we were talking about prophets in the Bible, and how there are verses in acts and ephesians and other places that prophecy about there being modern prophets and we were talking about it, and she read a verse and said " so that basically said there will be prophets in our day, and they'll lead us." 

          "how do you feel about that idea?"

          "well, it makes sense.  i believe that's true.  I wonder why my (insert the name of apropriate church teacher here) doesn't teach us about that."

          "Kathy, it's because  they don't believe in modern prophets."

          "Huh! really?  that's weird, well i'm going to have to ask him about that!"

          And so on.  she really loves the Book of Mormon, and when she has read it and when she reads it with us she treats it like it's really the word of God but then also tells us all of the things she likes about catholicism!  she taught us how to pray the rosary and explained a few other things that I didn't really understand about catholicism before.  which is nice and interesting, but we're having a fun time noticing the differences in learning and liking something and spritiually feeling that it is true.  we know that it takes commitment and trying things out, praying about them and seeking to know from God that it is true.  it reminds me a little of the principle taught by Adrian Ochoa in his talk Look Up. we can know the truth from it's author, even God.

Another person we've been meeting with has been a really interesting find.  when we first met her she was acting a little funny, and after learning about her history of six concussions we couldn't decide if the weirdness was the invariably absent alcohol or brain injuries.  i was naive at first and wanted to believe she could make choices to learn and was just having problems, but we soon found that she is just drunk.  which is a bummer!  she really connects to a desire to be clean and free, but then you read a scripture from alma 36 about repentance and she gets caught on the words and randomly changes subjuect to eye color mid conversation.  it is almost comical, sometimes you could laugh if it wasn't so sad.  needless to say I have learned that addictions are real, and more than that they are really one of the tools that satan uses to bind us with chains of death.  when we are under the influence of something to the point that we cannot focus enough to make choices, and are too far from the influence of the spirit of God which tells us we can, we are indeed in a miserable state. without it she doesn't feel that there is a way out, because there is a constant stream of self doubt and physical addiction clogging the channel to communication with the Lord, and until she realizes that she needs divine help she cannot receive it.

so it is with us.  sometimes we do stupid things, not always as dumb as alcohol addiction, but that still require the assurance of a loving God, and the redeeming power of our Savior.  are we willing to face reality and come to the knowledge as Mormon taught that all things that are negative and distructive come from evil influence, and that all things that are good are from God? (Moroni 7: 11-15)  it doesn't mean everything we do is wrong, but if there is conflicting feelings in our hearts then it will require some self examination to see if we are willing to do what it takes to seek the right. myself included.

other than that I don't really have anything new or exciting to report, 

well I love you all and think of you all the time. 

enjoy your holidays and keep it classy!

Sister Christensen