tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48564365272684981882024-03-19T05:40:19.560-07:00Kelsey's Mission BlogWrite me a letter!
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Sister Kelsey Quinn Christensen
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Canada Halifax Mission
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202 Brownlow Ave Unit F Bldg F
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Dartmouth, NS B3B 1T5
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Canada <p></p></p></p></p></p></p>KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-36205857135306649712014-09-29T11:33:00.001-07:002014-09-29T11:33:02.047-07:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;">weeks that is. IT IS SO WEIRD TO BE IN MY LAST TRANSFER!!!!!!! I don't actually know what to do with myself. I just am a wee bit anxious. Not overly, but it's just that feeling like the test is coming and I'm going to miss it somehow by sleeping in or something. it's a problem.</span><br />
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AAAAUUGHH</div>
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well I'll tell you about my week I guess. Transfers were this week so It was kind of uneventful.we just kept doing what we do until we had to change companions and then I realized that I had to keep us going and then we kept doing what we do. We finally got elders in New Glasgow, so all of the awkward single men could be taught by people who are not 17 years younger than them of the opposite sex. fun times. Never really had that concern on my mission before. As far as teaching single guys goes, it's just like anything else, try to help them feel the spirit and gain answers to their prayers, and I have taught single guys before but this time it was just kind of awkward. you never really know if they're being extra friendly just because you wear a skirt. and knowing myself I'm really slow to catch on to things like that so if I'M getting weird vibes that way than there's probably more to it than should be. so to the elder's teaching pool they go. </div>
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My new companion is actually one of the sisters who was serving in the same area across the river, Sister Hoy! I was really excited when we found out because I met her back in may in the mission home during that one random time when I was just floating through the mission areas. we got to spend an afternoon together figuring out the wall map and printing out pieces to our mission president's personal files. she is actually one of the missionaries which were evacuated out of the Donetsk Ukraine mission, and transferred to ours, the night before our encounter. it was quite the time. the next day we were separated across the mission again, but I always remembered it, and now it's cool to know that during that afternoon we were both secretly wanting to serve together. AND NOW WE ARE. it has been a beautiful friendship already. there are bracelets. we make funny jokes. and then we missionary work. it is amazing. now I just wish she was from somewhere closer than Edmonton to hang out with after our missions. and that her sinus infection would go away because it makes her sad. </div>
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Other than that there isn't much new to report. we didn't watch the women's broadcast, because it was after our curfew, (9-11p). but I did download it and listen to it in our appartment. I loved everything in it. there are some times when General authorities of the church speak and they just paint a picture of how I feel about a particular topic. if anyone wants to know more about the why of LDS temples, I feel that broadcast did an amazing job of describing the feelings of love and heavenly welcome that is offered in the temples. my favorite quote was "we need to prepare so that when we enter the House of the Lord we will feel at Home." that is how I feel. </div>
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<a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2014/10?lang=eng&vid=3810237340001" style="color: #0068cf; cursor: pointer; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.2999992370605px;" target="_blank">Watch the General Womens meeting</a></div>
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I love you all! </div>
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Have a good week.</div>
KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-24433775531434428322014-08-25T11:35:00.001-07:002014-08-25T11:38:53.743-07:00 <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 11.5pt;">Hey everyone!</span><br />
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one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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not to me anymore. I kind of forget what used to be exciting or different
when it happens like every day. so<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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name is Sister Grace Gochnour, she's from Holiday Utah, and she is a super cute
missionary. like actually, she makes me look like a cat in a potato sack
but I just blame it on being 16 months. She loves her family and Playing Soccer,
and doing regular people things, and she also loves being a missionary.
It really is a magnificent calling, being able to surrender your time and
talents to serving in God's kingdom, being able to help those around us as much
as we possibly can, even if that influence is limited to just a smile or a
welcome hello. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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It's a little Nova Scotia town that has a lot of history and is a great
peaceful place to live. The people here are nice, or I'm sure they would
be if they were not terrified to talk to missionaries 95 percent of the time.
It's actually kind of funny how fast people will walk to avoid us, and I
have heard more unique ways to blow us off than in any other Provence. I guess
that is what happens when religion is a taboo subject, and everything people
read on the internet paints us to be soul sucking demons. really, when was
reading un-sourced webpages ever a creditable way to learn anything about
anything? let alone mormons, it doesn't work for law, it doesn't work for
university, it doesn't work to learn a trade, it doesn't work for anything
else, why would people assume that they could just look up some u-tube videos
and know everything about it? rediculous. but I digress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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coming out about families that happen to be mormon and looked at a few comments
to find that my irritation is pretty much common for the rest of the world.
ignorant people saying rude and ignorant things. but if that were the only
offence then it would be fine, but people seem to be amazingly stubborn to
believe that if they do happen to believe in god, then he does not speak on any
subject today. that somehow when they do find information, then that
closes all the arguments and all decisions are final. have you ever asked
him about it? have you ever imagined that largely what we read and see today is
unconcrete and all product of human efforts, inspired or uninspired? If
there really is a story about God then why is it surprising that he might be a
valid source to seek from on such a subject? ask and it shall be given,
seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. that
works, every time. whereas the internet probably works only 50% of the time in
best circumstances, and when discussing mormonism, probably only 10% of the
time. there is a lot of garbage, said by a lot of people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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investigators who decided that they trusted the internet more than God. and
then we didn't have any new invstigators anymore. fun times. I'm not
bitter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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the Gospel is by loving people. even when they are irritating. so
you have to teach yourself to be patient and not irritated, because this is not
my work, it's God's work, and though I may not see any results of my efforts
while I'm here. I still have to love these people, so that they will have
softened hearts for someone else who comes after us. Without experiences
with members of the church that are happy and joyful, no one will have reason
to want to know more about us, no matter how good our message is. they will not
feel the Spirit of the Lord testify of the truthfulness of this work, if their
hearts are hardened because we don't show them that we love them, and really
that that is an expression of God's love for them. so basically I've just
resolved to love the crap out of people. and surprisingly that makes
everything a lot easier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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that you are blessed with happiness and success, and that you have a minute to
talk to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-4862692215642721392014-08-18T15:44:00.001-07:002014-08-18T15:44:16.298-07:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">So he's murried. Congratulations! the pictures look fun and like everyone was happy, which was my greatest hope. that is good. </span><br />
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this week was pretty good. It was kind of weird saying goodbye to Presque Isle after so long, really bittersweet. The good thing is that we spent most of our time trying to get everything ready for the sisters to follow us. so ots of finding, checking referrals, and refining the paperwork. there were some goodbye moments, but we made sure to share lessons or messages every stop. We <i>will </i>teach you the gospel! rawr. so that kept me focused, and really I was kind of ready to go somewhere else. there was one moment when sister Renda and I had a conversation about how long it has been since I've been on a plane. funny times. I will probably get on a lot of planes when I have the freedom to again. It's weird to be in someplace longer than you have ever been in a dorm away from home. It feels like I live in presque Isle, that I'm only on vacation to New Glasgow and at some point I'll go back and go to church in caribou. maybe someday. </div>
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New Glasgow is really good though. people are friendly, and there's a concentration of people from the Isles across the sea, like Scotland and Ireland, so every once in a while we get an awesome accent and that is fun. the branch is pretty small, and I love all the quirky people, they're so welcoming. I love being back in a place where it's small, but you can tell that there is a lot of strength in all the members, because they're all converts and there is no place for them to hide, so they all just shine bright even though they're reserved in personality and would easily seclude themselves to the back row in other situations. It's cool to see how service of their fellowmen has made them strong and intelligent as to things pertaining to righteousness, it's awesome. </div>
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our appartment is has some character though. It has been housing Elders probably since this mission started, so there are alot of weird random things everywhere, and lots of broken stuff. hopefully I can get permission to replace a couple of things because woof! MEN. that's all I'm saying. </div>
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we also made a fruit fly trap because they are coming out of the walls it feels like, by putting a banana in a tuppleware and using plastic wrap to poke holes in the top to catch them. they walk through the holes but can't remember when they get inside and are trapped. WE CAUGHT A CRAP TON OF THEM IT WAS DISGUSTING! but because I found it fascinating I was watching them go in and then one of them finally figured out how to walk out. so after a few hours they can do it, but for the most part ingenious. </div>
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so there you go. </div>
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I love reading Chapter 1 of Preach my Gospel. It's my saving grace. and it's all really simple but super inspiring to know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ really has a profound effect on who we are! I particularly love the part on the Gospel blesses families. </div>
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<span class="" id="ecxchunk120032" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"The </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120033" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">message </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120034" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120035" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120036" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">restored </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120037" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gospel </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120038" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120039" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120040" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120041" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">makes </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120042" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">it </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120043" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">possible </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120044" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120045" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">families </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120046" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120047" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120048" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">united </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120049" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">now </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120050" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120051" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120052" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">eternity. </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120053" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120054" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">living </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120055" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120056" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">principles </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120057" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120058" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120059" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gospel, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120060" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">families </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120061" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">can </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120062" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">experience </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120063" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">peace, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120064" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">joy, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120065" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120066" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120067" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sense </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120068" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120069" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">belonging </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120070" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120071" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">identity </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120072" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120073" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">this </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120074" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">life. </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120075" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Through </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120076" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120077" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">light </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120078" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120079" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120080" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gospel, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120081" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">families </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120082" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">can </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120083" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">resolve </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120084" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">misunderstandings, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120085" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">contentions,</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120086" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120087" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">challenges. </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120088" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Families </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120089" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">torn </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120090" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120091" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">discord </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120092" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">can </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120093" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120094" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">healed </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120095" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">through </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120096" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">repentance, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120097" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">forgiveness, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120098" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120099" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">faith </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120100" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120101" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120102" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">power </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120103" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120104" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120105" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Atonement </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120106" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120107" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120108" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ. </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120109" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Happiness </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120110" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120111" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">family </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120112" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">life </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120113" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">is </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120114" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">most </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120115" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">likely </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120116" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120117" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">be </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120118" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">achieved </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120119" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">when f</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120120" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ounded </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120121" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">upon </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120122" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120123" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">teachings </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120124" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120125" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120126" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120127" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120128" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Christ. </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120129" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Successful </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120130" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">marriages </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120131" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120132" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">families </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120133" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">are </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120134" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">established </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120135" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120136" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">maintained </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120137" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">on </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120138" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">principles </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120139" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120140" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">faith, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120141" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">prayer,</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120142" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">repentance, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120143" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">forgiveness, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120144" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">respect, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120145" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">love, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120146" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">compassion, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120147" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">work, </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120148" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120149" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wholesome r</span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120150" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); border: 0px; color: #2f393a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ecreational </span><span class="" id="ecxchunk120151" style="background: rgb(249, 246, 237); 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How much good could we do if we worked every day to incorperate fogiveness in our lives? how much better would our families be if we just spent time listening to each other? How much easier would it be to love one another if we studied the scriptures and shared what we learned together each day? I know that the spirit would be stronger in our lives, I've felt it impressed upon me each time I study this section. </div>
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I love you all you boobs. have a good week.</div>
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Sister Christensen</div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-56565371504043146112014-08-04T13:39:00.001-07:002014-08-04T13:39:15.401-07:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">hey so</span><br />
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this week was pretty good. It's always hard to sum up what has happened in a week. so...</div>
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yeah.</div>
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what did I enjoy? we had an awesome dinner appointment with our bishop's family this week. They are just amazing examples to me. Bishop freeman is a convert of probably 15 or so years, has six kids and an amazing wife. Sister freeman and he both went on missions, and they both grew up in maryland. they are pretty much always happy, they hardly ever raise their voices, and<i>she homeschools all six kids,</i> and it gets better, <i>without them being weird! </i> the best thing about our dinner appointment was that most of our time was talking to their kids, they carry on conversations without being shy or weird, and we answered riddles the whole time. they were just normal active kids! maybe shouldn't be a huge surprise to me, but let's just say, it was. I've met lots of families who are good families, but have a lot of behavior issues, and mostly i find just because the influence of our world is poisonous. It doesn't always have to do with parenting, but the things that are freely shown on our tv's as "cartoons" teach against moral values, and provide meaningless quick pleasure highs that kids and adults seem to think must be how their life should be. shows that are mildly funny, but illustrate dysfunctional communication and little diligence and patience set kids up for a life full of dissatisfaction and intolerance. no wonder our schools are unmanageable, (along with a lot of other things) their environments are increasingly chaotic and foundation-less, from what they view to what they teach each other. anyway, rant over. </div>
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So we had a really good dinner appointment in which we talked about entertaining and educational riddles, and then tried to rationalize why kids need to eat more sugar, which was actually very well defended, and easily led into why kids are so good at sharing the Restored Gospel. basically I like Sister Monahan wanna be like sister freeman when I grow up. </div>
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we are the salt of the world, if the salt looseth it's savor, wherewith shall the earth be salted? definitely extends beyond church walls. </div>
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other things I liked...hmm can't really remember much about the week. </div>
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we found an awesome girl named LaShonda, who we met tracting. we were out in a neighborhood I'd spent little time in, mostly because people told me not to go there, but during the day time in summer it's not so bad. lots of humble people, let's say that. LaShonda had been living in jersey and just has had a harder time with life, her mom got sick when she was 8, passed away at 14, and she pretty much fended for herself after that. when we asked her on her doorstep why she was in Maine, she said, "so my son can live past 17." she moved up here three years ago, first to Houlton and then to presque Isle. no family, no support, just her and her little man. she is an inspiration of perseverance and hope, as she has carved out of the rocks of life a place for herself and her growing family. but much more impressive was the spirit that was there, and the testimony she gave of her savior. those words of love will always be remembered in my heart. "he is our savior, because he put us before himself, so that we could be individuals. so that we could live."</div>
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the last thing I wanted to write about, was that it's really awesome to be able to see the progression when people stick to the Gospel. I think that has been the greatest blessing of being able to serve in one place so long. Remember Sie? He's the guy who was baptized last December, who moved from Texas, and went from having less of a belief in God than he did in Santa Clause, to a powerful witness and testimony of fasting and prayer, so that he like Alma can say "Do ye not suppose that I know these things of myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose I know of their surety? Behold I say unto you, they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself, and now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me." (Alma 5:45-46.) Yesterday Sie was able to bless the sacrament for the first time. there is something incredible and amazing about seeing someone have such a huge change of heart, and about seeing him in a white shirt and tie. </div>
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awesomesauce. </div>
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'till next week. </div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-53877814260347451662014-07-28T12:56:00.002-07:002014-07-28T12:56:10.336-07:00<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">
so this week was pretty great. I got to pet some cats. so that was good. hah. we decided at some point that as a save sister christensen's sanity initiative we should volunteer at the animal shelter. basically we were stuck in a room with kittens to socialize them for an hour. AWESOME. the only sad part was we saw persia, one of my investigator's cats (one who was about to get baptized but aborted to go have sex with some guy. I HATE THE WORLD AND IT"S STUPID NON-MORALITY!) now she practically lives with him in another city. and so cannot take care of the animals she once loved. poor persia recognized me and we had a moment. If only some people could see us how we see them, especially when they fall. </div>
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we also got a call from this guy that I taught back in december who we dropped/ he dropped us because he wouldn't keep commitments. he called and said "I want to investigate the church!" and we were like, okay you already did once, but now that you know what you were called, lets try this again. so we brought a member and visited him and outlined the things he needed to do to progress, and gave him a reading assignment and an appointment to tour the church. do you think he's done anything? no. even when we stopped by and asked him if he'd read and what he'd been doing otherwise? no, he was too busy outside all week making fire. UUUGGGHH. sister judd waited with us for an hour to show this guy arou<span style="color: black; line-height: normal;">nd the cha</span>pel and he didn't show up. bluhh.</div>
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but yes we did get to see brandy take on the covenant of baptism. <span style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">I always feel like there is a pretty good climax for baptism, we get to have daily contact for real, answer the nagging questions that are not about salvation but give them peace, and see the spirit work through many to achieve this goal for one. what I thought was really cool about brandy's baptism is that she included priesthood bearers who haven't baptized or confirmed anyone before. I just could really see the companionship and unity in those that were involved. I think brother Hudson also really needed that opportunity to officiate in the ordinance of Baptism. his family has been on hard luck for a while now, he's been trying to reach the goal of being sealed in the temple, just recently received the Melchizedek priesthood when the challenges started coming up. his wife admitted she doesn't have a testimony, he lost his job, and they were evicted from their home in short succession. the faith and strength he's exhibited has been truly inspiring, and I think will help pull them through this. that is something I'll remember for a long time.</span><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;"> </span></span></div>
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what else happened this week? the sister training leaders came and ate all our food. haha. they also contacted anyone and everyone in their path, which I probably should do better at, but I get nervous and feel rude when I leave one person standing to run down the street to talk to someone else, or stop people as they're buckling their seat-belts and driving away. but as a result we got to teach a Spanish family from the DR, with a member who speaks fluently. that was an interesting lesson because I could only pick up bits and pieces, but I just felt a huge outpouring of love for this family. we're going to try to teach them English. we'll see how that goes. we also met and talked to this native american mom who was driving away, and didn't have time to do anything but get her phone number. when we went to visit her we just listened mostly to her thoughts and concerns, and were able to testify that yes, her people did originate in the holy land, here's this awesome book of scripture that tells you all about it. when she read the versed we'd turned to about accountability in Helaman she just started crying because it was something that she'd always believed, but could never prove. super spiritual.</div>
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I know that this is a divine work. I don't really understand everything, or why it has to be so hard sometimes, but God is in it. </div>
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ooh ra. </div>
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Sister Christensen. </div>
KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-13326658954412958812014-06-13T08:39:00.000-07:002014-06-13T08:40:33.804-07:00<div class="ContentRight WithRightRail FullView" data-link="class{:~tag.contentRightClass(Layout.IsFullView, Layout.ReadingPaneMode)}" style="background-color: white; bottom: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; left: 205px; line-height: 19.99359893798828px; min-width: 428px; position: absolute; right: 160px; top: 0px;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 11.5pt;">Yoo!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">this week has been a really good
and awesome week. It's funny that as a missionary one can do so much, be busy
from sun up to sun down seven days a week and then sit down in front of a
computer after the week is over and have nothing to say. I guess it just stops
being shocking after doing the same thing for a year. I got up I worked I met
some great people, I met some not so great people, I testified of truth and
felt the love of God and now I don't really have any stories about it. but I
will think of some. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">The past few days have gotten
really hot. as a result with real running water and high temperatures that
means that there are now BUGS, EVERYWHERE. the first ten bug bites were a shock
to me, I've already been taking vitamine B for like a week and it was as if
there was no change in my blood stream. I'd feel a mosquito prick and swat it
dead, five seconds later there was another two inches away from the first. and
on top of them there are black flies, little tiny carnivorous bugs that look
like gnats but are evil! they are impossible to catch, and unlike mosquitoes
they actually bite a little piece out of your skin, and you don't feel it until
the bug is gone and you're bleeding everywhere. and there are literally
millions of them. there was a day last week that we were trying to contact a
referral on a country road and after stopping the car I didn't want to get out,
because the sky was dark with black flies that had followed our car. <i>they
knew.</i> I ended up with 12 bug bites that day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">and now I get bit so much that it
doesn't even phase me anymore. I've gotten bug bites on my knee and ankle
callouses, up and down my legs a few on my arms, one on my cheek and forehead,
and one really annoying one <i>on my pinkey toe! </i>the bugs really
are diabolical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">we also had a lot of good
experiences this week with people. I think the hardest thing with being a
missionary is that most people try to write us off as just another
denomination, and that we're really cute but we can't possibly know what we're
talking about because we're 21. welp turns out even 21 year old ladies can get
on their knees and ask God for answers in prayer. I know that this pursuit is
not just another denominational game, or semantics, it's what Christ would be
sharing with you if he were walking around visiting people today. it isn't hard
to know, just takes patience, prayer study and experience. I could care less
what you choose to call yourself in the end, but the truth is that God has
restored the Kingdom of God on the earth today, and the only way to know is by
seeking an honest answer. like the savior taught, there was a man who spent his
life searching for the best pearls, but when he found the pearl of great price
he sold all in order to acquire it. to find peace in this life we will need to
sacrifice a great deal to have it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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every so often on my mission I've run into people who are negative and hostile.
they invite you into their home, extend welcome and kindness only for the
chance to turn it on our heads. it kind of stinks. I'll have to be honest, I
don't really like being told I believe in a false religion and that I'm
condemned to hell. no one does. I always leave those situations wondering what
I should have done. I always try to follow Elder Jeffery R. Holland's command
to defend our beliefs with courtesy, but following these situations I'm always
drawn back to the scriptures. Christ himself proclaimed that "God sent not
his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved." how do people not see that they are contradicting the
very book they claim to be absolutely divine? why should our desire to become
like christ make anyone angry or malicious? we don't go around beginning our
introductions with "oh by the way your sinners and you're going to
hell," or with the venom that has incited religious wars the world over.
how can they really believe, even if we are in fact incorrect, and they're
right in that religion doesn't matter, that in the end we'll stand before God
and that they'll be rewarded for malicious words? it doesn't make any sense to
me. and then I wonder, in accounts where prophets in the Book of Mormon and the
Bible stand up against incorrect detractors and set them strait, is that
something that we are supposed to be doing? Alma and Amulek and Aaron are all
powerful examples. but maybe that is just the difference between me and a
prophet.</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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any case, Life is Life, and you trust in God and keep going. I know that he
lives, and that he loves me and that shouty man. It may take me a little longer
to feel likewise, but hey, at least I'm working on it. </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">something
I saw on the church's website though made me happier in that respect: <a href="https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/perseverance-is-a-hallmark-of-membership-in-europe?cid=HPWE060414204&lang=eng" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0068cf;">Perseverance Is a Hallmark in
Europe</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">anyway. I hope that things are
great for everyone this week, and remember, the easiest way to make sister
christensen happy is to read the book of mormon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">:)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-64331148584717540342014-06-02T16:02:00.002-07:002014-06-02T16:02:44.801-07:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">This week has been an alright week. we worked hard and saw some good things come of it. what did I want to talk about? oh yeah.</span><br />
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This week was stake conference! It was super cool because they had a canada wide boadcast in which both elder Holland and president Eyring spoke. we watched it from the caribou chapel, normally everyone travels to Saint John to the stake center, but instead we just watched the opening exercises which were held in Fredericton on one satellite connection and then switched to the broadcast from Salt lake for the rest of it. they were announcing it two weeks ago and then said "of course we know how it goes with technology, what could possibly go wrong?" the good thing is that nothing did go wrong. it was smooth and the speakers from both fredericton and SLC did a great job and we saw the whole thing. our recent converts were all there, and they really enjoyed being able to see leaders speak live for the first time. I'm not sure if they really caught the gravity of who they were, but that is okay, that comes over time with a testimony that the calling of an apostle was restored. </div>
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Elder Holland gave a really good talk themed around how Jesus Christ called Andrew and Phillip, that they followed him and he noticed saying two key phrases "what seekest thou?" and upon Phillip and Andrew saying, where do you live, he replied"come and see." "come follow me." This is Christ's invitation throughout time, come follow me, see how I spend my time, see what I do and the things I care about. that is how we will feel that he lived, and that his atonement is real, and that we can return to live with him. it's is cool to think that in a way when we are in the service of others or going about the work of salvation we are always learning, and are in a sense His apprentices. a wood worker would follow a carpenter in apprenticeship, and so too must we as disciples be apprentices to the Lord. that of course takes dilligence, patience perserverence, relying on the Spirit of God to guide us, and Love. I know for myself I could always be doing more, trying to serve others. It was nice to hear it again.</div>
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President Eyring talked about the eternal nature of our families, and how we always have a responsibility to reach out to each other in love, and to invite one another to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He then related a story about how his grandfather had been a good role model to him in his youth, and on the last visit to see him he remembers being alone with him on his front porch. his grandfather told him about his son who was not valiant in the gospel, after going to college married outside of the church and distanced himself from any faith in God, in spite of continual support and love from his parents. this uncle had a son, who had not experienced the gospel, and president Eyring's grandpa leaned over and said "go get him." he then related many accounts when life placed him and his cousin near each other, and how repeatedly he invited him to come and experience the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. the interesting thing is that his cousin and his wife were eventually killed in a car accident, after loving invitations by elder Eyring had prompted them to search for the truth, but never finding it they started their own religion and began missionary work in Indonesia. now their son is living near to President Eyring's daughter in college, where she can reach out to him. our families are eternal, and the truth is that heaven will not be heaven entirely without our family members close at hand, tied to us by the power of God through temple sealing, which can only be done by God's called representatives. that is something I feel deeply is true.</div>
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so basically stake conference was awesome. </div>
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other interesting things, we met a guy while our knocking on doors this week that stopped us as we tried to introduce ourselves, and said "do you know anyone who can do a cleansing?" It took me a minute to figure out what he was trying to say, but he'd just gotten off the line with some TV host like ghost busters because he and his mom cannot sleep at night due to paranormal disturbances in his house. they'd lived there for 20 years, and have always heard the sounds of people no longer alive hanging around the house. people running up the stairs, children's voices, people laughing creepily. weird stuff. so he was like "if you can help us have peace we'll listen to whatever you have to say." we just looked at each other like, are the Elder's able to do that? I don't really know. we told him that we'd get back to him on that. </div>
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and then there was memorial day. oh man. there was a parade! they had a hardcore parade on memorial day. that was pretty fun. Rachel who was just baptized was in it with her daughter Katherine, who is perhaps the funniest little girl I have ever met. she gave us warheads as they walked by. </div>
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They also came to the Ward Barbecue that day and had a pretty good time, until Eva and Katherine found a frog. we left shortly thereafter, so this story was related to us later, but apparently this frog thing was a fiasco. after showing all the parents the frog, eva became bored with it and said that Katherine could keep it, so she then went around to show all the other kids. once they found out that she had something cool in a cup, they all started following her around trying to grab at it, and Eva jealous of the attention snatched the frog back from katherine. Katherine has a mild sensory disorder, where too much noise or stimulation can send her over the edge, so you can imagine that this was a recipe for disaster. She tried to get the Frog back. but all the attempts to get it back from eva made Eva squeeze the frog, and Kathering began yelling "STOP SQUEEZING IT YOU'RE GOING TO KILL IT!" while all the other kids were still trying to get close or get it for themselves. Rachel, upon noticing the distress runs over and has to force the kids apart, and somehow katherine ends up with the frog trying to keep it away from the 14 other grabby hands. over the commotion rachel kept trying to tell her to let it go back into the water and in a burst of frustration kathering yelled "FINE!" and chucks the frog in a huge arc to the middle of the lake. hitting the water with a splash it floated spred eagle along the surface, and for a few seconds everyone watched as it was still. really really still. to which Katherine turned to eva and yelled "YOU STUPID IDIOT YOU KILLED THE FROG!" at this rachel said she just had to drag her to the car, feeling mortified Katherine yelling all the way. "you killed it! murderer!" when we were at her house later I just told her it's always lively at a ward barbecue. </div>
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welp, that is all for now. </div>
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Love you !</div>
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Sister christensen</div>
KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-62485666406098816682014-05-20T08:13:00.001-07:002014-05-21T06:46:42.473-07:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">Dear Everyone! I am back in Presque Isle! The prodigal daughter has returned! I love presque Isle, so much. even though the members are a little confused by this whole shamble of a transfer. so far everyone has been happy for the most part to see me, and ready to pick up where we left off, except in a few cases where people are avoiding me, and a few other cases where people have continued to progress without me and are immenently accepting the gospel wholeheartedly. kind of awesome. I came back for the party. </span><br />
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but there's also the transfer trash talk gossip on the underground of why I was gone and why I came back. that is always fun. the best I think is the story that I myself was mentally unstable and they sent me home. haha if they only knew. just kidding.</div>
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so i have had a lot of thoughts this past week, and today I don't really have enough time to write all of them so I am compounding a couple of Emails that I have already written. one to mission president, one to mom, and with a few more comments at the end: </div>
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">president leavitt</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">I like Presque Isle. and sister Renda. a lot. I've been keeping at it as usual, Get up on time, work out, study. except on days that we wake up at five, and days when ward council takes over the morning. Not that I don't want to do those things on those days, it just never seems to fit. But! I have really enjoyed my studies this week. I feel that The mission study plan and my Book of mormon Reading and the General Conference talks have just been weaving themselves together for me. all things support each other, and testify that there is a God. I tell sister Renda all the time "I could just study forever!" and I am pretty sure that is true. now if only we could convince our investigators and members of the same. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">Sister Renda is awesome. she laughs at my jokes. I'll keep her. she has been really enthusiastic and dilligent this week in talking to everyone and hunting in the holes of Presque Isle to find the lost sheep of israel. Even when it rains. she is an inspiration to me. I've also seen how she acts on promptings in lessons and in finding situations and It always inspires me to do better. in fine, she is awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">we were studying about Hope today in PMG under the Christlike attributes today, and reading some of the scriptural passages in the study box. together we discovered that (as it teaches in Enduring to the End in PMG) setting Goals is a manifestation of hope, and that is why Nephi (2 nephi 31 20) taught that Enduring to the End in Hope is so Motivational because it reinforces as we endure (set goals) we learn that God keeps his promises and so we are more hopeful, so we set more goals and God keeps his promises and it continues in a cycle. and that is why In hebrews 6 10-20 it teaches us that to confirm our hope God makes Oaths with us, that as we remember them we can know, really know! that he will keep his promises. kind of blew my mind, and gave me a whole new perspective and reverence for covenants. and now I'm just super excited because holy cow the difference it would make if every member of the church really understood that. so I had to tell you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">hash tag study vomit. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">and that is why Nephi also said that if ye do not understand it is because you ask not, netiher do ye knock. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">indeed. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">Presque Isle is awesome. Delores has entered the Covenant of baptism, and now I get to be here to continue to strengthen her and her relationship with the Ward, and with God. Rachael and Jason are getting baptized this weekend and it makes me so excited. we recontacted David and Gina and had a showdown that ended with the feeling that Either this is True or it is not, and I am not going to let you quit your search before you know. and now we have an appointment on wednesday. we are going to find new investigators, I can feel it. because we just have to. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">OOH RAH.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #e7e6e2; color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">Sister Christensen</span></div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-80315525534073687362014-05-20T08:11:00.001-07:002014-05-20T08:11:52.398-07:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">Hi.</span><br />
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so yeah. </div>
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Life's been a bag of nuts lately. I've been trying to make it into Nutella, but I'm not sure that that improve on your life metaphor works all the time. so I moved. again. </div>
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Last week I rode a Bus into Halifax, not knowing where I would be sleeping that night, but was picked up by the Sister Training Leaders here and was driven back to their place to stay. This whole transfer has felt like I was rock climbing up a cliff face and my next hand hold crumbled away, and I was left to scrabble and fall backwards into an unknown. fun times. the shouting people were a nice touch. by the time I got to talk to the mission President for real, I was an emotional wreck, who just needed some time to herself. so he let me draw him a new map in his office. I did that by day and worked with the sisters by night. </div>
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All of that also means that I have had the wonderful opportunity to see another set of sisters serving in an area I have previously served in, and seeing success in ways that I did not. kind of cool. I think some of it has to do with approach, but also I know that they were called here after us for a reason, and that there were people prepared and put in their path for their time here in Cole Harbour. corny I know, but true. while I was here I got to see Pam's baptism, and Matt and Erica understand God's grace better and receive baptismal dates. so cool times all around. people also don't shout here. </div>
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This week though, we have also gotten two new missionaries transferred here from a mission in Ukraine that closed due to concerns for the safety of the missionaries during a time of severe civil unrest. not to mention possibility of war between Russia and Ukraine. so we have now an even number of sisters and elders again, thanks to Sister Hoy and Elder Mckenny. that also means that President will be reassigning the floating four missionaries this week in an end-of-transfer-mid-transfer transfer. a week before the new transfer, I kind of just wish that I could stay here and he would wait, but that is okay. I will go wherever the Lord thinks I should go. as long as it isn't Fredericton.</div>
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(in all likelihood I will probably be going back to Presque Isle. although I don't really know how I feel about that because I don't want to go back awkwardly after a four week hiatus and especially not knowing what to tell people about my former companion, sister erekson. but oh well, that's life. you deal with it. and get stressed and cry sometimes.)</div>
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But, all in all I am a whole lot happier now this week after all that has happened. now I know that All of this had to happen for a reason, not just for sister Erekson, but also for Sister Hoy and Myself. sometime I will figure out how I learned from all of this, but Until then I will "go forth not knowing before hand what I should do... but trusting in the Lord."</div>
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I'm pretty sure that the scriptures say that somewhere close enough together for that to be a valid quotation. </div>
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until next time, trust in God, read your scriptures, be converted, and do missionary work people. there is nothing else that will make you happier. </div>
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Love sister Christensen.</div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-64292959969315642872014-04-28T10:14:00.001-07:002014-04-28T10:19:10.488-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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of an email I sent to someone else. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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pretty good. We talked to crap ton of people, some of whom were fairly
nice, and tried to positively encourage us by saying "you can stop talking
because I'm not interested, and I don't know anyone who is interested and
I wouldn't feel comfortable telling you anyone is interested, but good for you!
I support what you do! I’m grateful that you care." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Hollow words. Sometimes
they are more discouraging than outright rudeness in rejection. Thanks. I
just tried to share something that means more to me than my home my family and
my left leg, but you just equated it to a news advertisement less than three
sentences long, or Girl Scout cookies. I really feel supported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Ugh, Fredericton. It's...
Fredericton. I love serving with sister Gochnour and Turner, my
mission sister is super cool. They are really nice and positive, and
remind me a lot of you. I've met sister Gorman and I instantly thought of
you. I sat behind her in sacrament meeting, and she turned around at
the end, and said " who is the person with the angelic voice? You need to
sing for my song!" and proceeded to tell me all about her song.
Yesterday we were walking into church and she stops and says " there
are three of you?? Sisters! Splits! Take me with you!" She made sure she
sat next to us in relief society to give us all her phone number on little
pieces of paper, and when we told her we all share the same phone, she was like
" but you all need my number!" Ok sister Gorman. She then began
asking half of relief society when they were available to come out on splits.
Oh I love her so much. " when it comes to me, missionary work is
first priority!!!!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We don't have any
investigators right now. We teach a lot of the young women, emmaline, and
her friend, and these two girls that are daughters of a less active, but real
intent for them is a shot in the dark. They're twelve, and they act like it
too. As far as adults are, I'm not impressed with Fredericton. We talked
to 300 people here my first whole week, and not one of them was
interested. So yeah, I love Fredericton. In a cat scratched and bleeding kind
of way. I know it probably has a nicer side to it, but mostly all I've noticed
are a lot of disinterested and frankly rude people. I have never been told
" I'm not interested because of (insert anti of choice) " at any
other time in my mission. In fact, we went to find a bunch of less
actives and met one douche who interrogated us as to how we can believe in
Joseph smith because of some dumb study on the pearl of great price, and then
tried to tell us that he has out best interests at heart and showed up to the
concert on Thursday. And the lady we knocked into who shouted to us that
a member of the church " destroyed a member of my family" . And
the girl who I talked to on the bus who practically yelled " no I'm not
interested!" when I tried to talk to her, before I could even finish
asking a question. And the guy in the coffee shop who seemed to think that I
" don't sound very sincere," and that " you don't have to do
this you know. " Yeah I do know. And I'm not quitting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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missionary work is missionary work. There are plenty of average people who do
average things and are average in their disinterest. I've slept on the couch
for two weeks and probably will do it for another four. The shower in our
apartment broke, and now just sprays scalding hot water, so I can proudly say I
shower with a bucket. I realized I'm back in Canada, and now am still
allergic to Canadian milk. That's okay I like rice milk better anyway.
I probably won't be here long enough to receive mail, so I don't care to
give my address. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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awesome. The end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-17897163757949072872014-04-21T14:20:00.004-07:002014-04-21T14:22:17.630-07:00<div class="AppContainer" style="bottom: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; left: 0px; line-height: 19.993600845336914px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; width: 1092.800048828125px;">
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Do you know the times?<br />
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Haha I don't know.</div>
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Sometimes I'm weird.</div>
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I somehow ran out of time so this may be fairly quick. My companion sister erekson had to go home on medical. So it was kind of abrupt. We got a call from our mission pres. At 9:00 pm and he told us that she'd be traveling back to the mission office the next day, and that I'd be staying in Fredericton. So I really only had time to pack my bags and leave, and ended up leaving like half my stuff in Presque Isle. Now I am serving in a trio, with sister Turner, and sister Gochnour. They are awesome. But I am kind of just shook up, and kind of sad. It's hard to leave an area with a lot of investigators and people preparing for baptism, to come to an area with basically nothing and a ton of people everywhere that generally don't like you. </div>
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Hum. Easter was good. I have a ton of stories I could share, but just don't have time. I love you all and pray for your success. </div>
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Sister Christensen.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 19.993600845336914px;"> </span><iframe height="0" id="trackingIframe" src="https://skypewebexperience.live.com/content/3-14-1583/tracking-iframe-outlook.html?sts=1398091447652&sessionid=ffaea095-3b93-4b82-af86-c7087f91b29f&hostproperty=outlook&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fblu182.mail.live.com&dynamicConfig=%7B%22Data%22%3A%7B%22visitorSampling%22%3A0.001%7D%7D" style="border-width: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; left: 0px; line-height: 19.993600845336914px; position: absolute; top: 0px;" width="0"></iframe><iframe height="0" id="SWEiFrame" src="https://skypewebexperience.live.com/content/3-14-1583/swe-iframe.html?sts=1398091447655&sessionid=ffaea095-3b93-4b82-af86-c7087f91b29f&hostproperty=outlook&origin=blu182.mail.live.com" style="border-width: 0px; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; left: 0px; line-height: 19.993600845336914px; position: absolute; top: 0px;" width="0"></iframe><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 19.993600845336914px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 19.993600845336914px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 19.993600845336914px;"> </span>KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-32067255697906466762014-04-20T19:32:00.001-07:002014-04-20T19:32:38.915-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">
hey. life is a mixed bag right now. <div>
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First off, I am a lot better emotionally than I have been, and honestly I think a lot of it has to do with the slow changes in weather. by body is like, "it's LEAVING!!!!!!" and now i have more energy. the sad thing is that now the snow is melting, there is a ton of mud everywhere. EVERYWHERE. there is no escaping it. and it's super foggy because as the snow melts it makes clouds and they just hover over everything. everyone here says there are supposed to be a lot of bugs now because it is so wet. I do not look forward to that at all. let me tell you. but emotionally I am better. It was kind of hard to say goodbye to sister drew but I got over it quickly. </div>
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second off, I am better emotionally because I kind of have to be, and I think Heavenly Father is blessing me with a ton of patience and love that two weeks ago just didn't exist in any bone of my body because someone needs to comfort my poor companion. she is in sad shape/may go home soon. I love her to pieces and think that she could be an amazing missionary, but things are kind of against her. talk more on that later. </div>
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other than that, we are still just working hard and trying to do what is right. people still have their agency and are doing dumb things with it, but that is entirely outside of my control, and I am doing better at being okay with that. the life of trying to teach and invite people closer to christ. they're really good at throwing around their ability to choose not to follow christ. HRRRNG YOU KNOW IT IS RIGHT WHY ARE YOU BEING DUMB</div>
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but that is just the life of a missionary in Northern Maine. </div>
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I hope you guys have a good week, and that everything goes well. excited for easter I am! I will probably just buy tons of candy today to live off of. resees piecees eggs here I come. </div>
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Put on blog please. </div>
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Love you bye.</div>
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Sister Christensen</div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-64010458976740726082014-04-07T16:10:00.002-07:002014-04-07T16:10:13.919-07:00Great big conference doodle.KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-52912760386108240192014-04-07T16:09:00.000-07:002014-04-07T16:09:05.937-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-65747594674421046072014-04-07T16:00:00.002-07:002014-04-07T16:00:27.527-07:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">it's been kind of a crazy week. </span><br />
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and for once it isn't anything to do with me!</div>
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so President leavitt our Mission President was hospitalized all last week after he came down witha fever and chills. kind of a big deal. he tried to just get some antibiotics and return to leadership conference, but after the bloodwork came back they admitted him to treat a blood infection. his words " <span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">After two trips and 15 hours in the hospital emergency it was determined that I also had a blood infection which is apparently quite serious. People die from blood infections, or at least that is what Doctor Leavitt tells me. So against my will, so to speak, I have basically been lying flat on my back alternately shaking and sweating and taking large amounts of medicine, since Wednesday afternoon.</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;"> " </span><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">kind of crazy. so the past couple of days we have been working and praying that his condition will improve. after yesterday it seems that things are getting better, but it may be a long haul yet. we will see.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.899999618530273px;"><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;">as a result all yesterday we were waiting for transfer news hoping that the assistants might be able to pull that off but to no success. we've just found out this morning that sister drew will be opening a sisters area in Newfoundland, and training a new missionary. I will be training as well. exciting stuff. wish the trepidation had not been caused by something so dire. I guess we will have to just keep swimming.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">other news. not much exciting to say. this transfer we found a lot of people to teach, and a lot of them after seeming really promising dropped off the face of the earth. happens I guess. maybe they just thought we were scary. who knows. perhaps I never will.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">but a family we are teaching has been doing really well. we knocked on their door the first day that sister Drew was in the mission field, and now it seems that they really like coming to church, and are having miraculous answers to prayers. it is always inspiring to see how some things unfold. I would have never guessed at the beginning that so many good things would happen with those two, we truly cannot see the future and cannot judge who will be interested in learning about the gospel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">anyway there is still three feet of snow on the ground, and sometimes it still snows several inches. I am never going to live in canada, or anywhere near the boarder, mark my words, even if it will be safer in a zombie apocalypse. end of story.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">have some delightful pictures.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">did I tell you we serve in an Amish area? horses and buggies win.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">the breakfast picture is to commemorate that I've trained Sister Drew well. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 16.899999618530273px;">the rest I feel is self explanatory.</span></span></div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-35752505363965547222014-03-04T12:35:00.001-08:002014-03-04T12:35:40.810-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZ0qpBJxYUK7EP6_vfOJWoggRg3sP4IU_6M7SW-JJ-CycwrxKLOcfysLFit0InRB6U8J4vLcmQptiuMWL_cNcYVnpmO3aIq2Zdu0Jm9zR0EDyzbXTBP9QhIGCRopqSaYB-ZKIJSJTR2I/s1600/ImageProxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZ0qpBJxYUK7EP6_vfOJWoggRg3sP4IU_6M7SW-JJ-CycwrxKLOcfysLFit0InRB6U8J4vLcmQptiuMWL_cNcYVnpmO3aIq2Zdu0Jm9zR0EDyzbXTBP9QhIGCRopqSaYB-ZKIJSJTR2I/s1600/ImageProxy.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">Love Sister Christensen.</span>KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-35618895391711050182014-02-26T07:32:00.001-08:002014-02-26T07:32:19.122-08:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">hello again,</span><br />
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so apparantly there was a panic last week that I was going off of the deep end? nope. still fine. just me. being weird. and melodramatic. trying to find interesting things to write about.<br /></div>
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meh.</div>
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another week, another transfer. still training sister drew. she still continues to be awesome. she got really sick this week with the stomach flu. that was an adventure. fun times. </div>
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still herp derping trying to follow leaders crack downs and ward expectations at the same time. apparantly we're supposed to avoid dinner appointments now? that's dumb. I'm not sure how that fits in to everything but whatever.</div>
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it's getting warmer and I am happy. saw some pictures of the temple in gilbert and got a little jealous, wanted to be there. it's some exciting times. apparantly my Bishops wife served her mission in that area so she took her kids on a road trip and went to the dedication/open house/ I don't know what's happened to it yet.</div>
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we are well, our investigators are well, things are well.</div>
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no complaints.</div>
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basically I'm alive.</div>
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cool things are happening. life is good.</div>
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go read the scriptures. </div>
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love you </div>
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bye</div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-50554278846343597912014-02-18T07:36:00.001-08:002014-02-18T07:36:37.318-08:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">HEY</span><br />
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so. I feel bad because I wasn't able to send much home last week. </div>
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but so that you understand how I was feeling last week (*coughEveryweek*cough) and because I just wasted time doing it I wrote a dialogue of my thoughts to try to understand why I never want to write an email.</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">>>skSVKL;SLDSKLDNk</span><div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">
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>>augh I never know what to write. </div>
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>>it is so weird to be on a mission close to a year. I feel like I have effectively split my life in two, and every week there's this [prompt] to reconcile the two somehow. I CAN'T OKAY? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO, IT HURTS EVERY WEEK. </div>
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>>so then I stare at a screen for close to an hour until my time is up and then I put it off for another week. </div>
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>>what I want to do is run home and jump in your arms and tell you all of the things that are exciting and uplifting and tell you all of the things that are frustrating and challenging. it would look something like mosiah 25: 4-11,17. (yes the same fantasy that ends with a baptism.)</div>
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>>but that isn't really an option. so I don't know what to write. </div>
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>>It's kind of the same problem with my journal, but there it's really just become a suck hole of procrastination. some day I will write in that thing.</div>
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>>I just want to be there, and be here. can I have both? can you all just move out here now? </div>
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>>obviously that wouldn't work either. </div>
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>>oh well. back to the same problem. wanting to be there. wanting to be here. wanting to have some influence there, and needing to focus here. just another 9 months of this. fun times. </div>
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>>oh look 11:30. only half an hour now. maybe I'll save this to review and add to each time. it's kind of funny actually. </div>
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>>and a lot closer to how I actually feel than how I've written in probably the last 5 weeks. </div>
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>>ugh. I'll just get to the point. write something funny. write something spiritual. leave out all of the possibly detracting thoughts or comments about leadership and ward members and investigators. paint myself as a perfect missionary. that'll make them happy.</div>
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{Something Funny: there was this time when it blizzarded and we decided to go knock on doors. my companion had never seen so much snow in her life so we spent at least 10 minutes frolicking and jumping in snow (about 4-6ft in plow piles. it's crazy guys.). I fell on my butt and dropped a bunch of pass along cards everywhere, kicked giant balls of snowdrift at my companion and threatened to throw her bodily into snow, which she responded by actually throwing me into snow. much joy was had in 20 degrees and blowing snow. </div>
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then we got our acts together and tried to talk to people who had no interest in talking to us. </div>
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thirty minutes later we realized that we had lost our phone. I figured that we had just left it at our last appointment, so we went back there and searched their couch, and didn't find it. it was in the snow. of course. so we went back and by this point my comp was freaking out that she had lost the phone, and was worried about the weirdest stuff, like that she would have to pay for it and we'll be in so much trouble, and I just had no doubt in my mind we would find it. so we said a prayer, and went out to search the five snow piles that we had jumped in. after about 5 minutes and some inquiries by curious plowmen it wasn't in the first one, so we agreed to move on to the next set about 20 ft down the road. as we were walking a thought came to my mind that maybe I was seaching for it wrong, digging deeper into the holes, and that maybe I should start from the bottom to the top. I bend over, brush some snow and within five secconds find the phone. there was much rejoicing. there was also a prayer of thanks offered in righteousness. The phone acted really weird on account of being drenched, but a night in rice later it's as good as new. now our district leader refers to it as the resurrected phone. }</div>
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{Something Spiritual: this is actually from last week, but it's still great so I'm sharing it. perhaps another similar story to follow. so there was this one time that the [wonderful] zone leaders thought that (underline should actually be read as a strike through)<u>we weren't working hard enough for our areas</u> [we could be inspired by higher goals] and they set a lot of <u>unrealistic</u> [inspiring] goals that <u>were impossible to reach</u> [made us work harder than ever before] and affected the zone in dual ways <u>discouraging many areas and causing them to resent goals and key indicators</u> [humbling many areas and causing areas to think of key indicators differently] that then required that they build us up. (both viewpoints are true, this is almost a lesson in pessimism and optimism. imagine the effects that rewriting my thoughts has every week.) anyway, so they had a conference call night with the whole zone in which we all told everyone our # of investigators and # invited to baptism. <u>Kind of a potentially competitive thing to do and it felt really weird but was supposed to lift us up? IDK.</u> after which they asked us to share inspirational stories from the week. long awkward silence. followed by a couple of nice but uneventful winter stories about diligence and faith and the much drilled street contacting. </div>
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I looked at my companion. she looked at me. we weren't struggling. at all. we hadn't been meeting the goals they had set, but we have been amazingly blessed in the past five weeks. they announced that there was only time enough for one more thought. so I grabbed the phone and started talking. </div>
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back when sister rust and I were Companions, we had gone through the former investigators and picked a few that stood out to us. among them was a couple who lived on Conant road. there isn't a Conant road on our Presque Isle Maps, so we decided to search it and found a conant road in Fort Fairfield. when we went there, the address didn't exist so the thought was dropped as un-contactable. </div>
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later when Sister Drew became my companion she also felt impressed about this family. I frowned at it, but remembered that a new member in the ward had told us that they lived on a conant road in Presque Isle. so we followed their directions to the road, and found the house. they invited us right in, and we had to schedule a return appointment because we didn't have the time to stay. when we went back, we had one of the most thoughtful and reverent discussions about the state of the world, and the need that people have to come closer to God in a society that seems bent on forgetting him. </div>
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we asked who God was to them, and the mother simply replied, 'he's number one.' the feeling in the room was one of holiness, and I have no doubt in my mind that the spirit of God, even the very Holy Ghost was there present with us to testify that He loved them. We bore out testimonies of the very fact, and they told us that because of our examples they had hope for our generation, and their daughters generation, and hoped that one day she would be able to know just a surely as we did of the same truth. </div>
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it was when i recounted this story that I testified that our zone will find new investigators. I know it. The Lord knows his sheep and he can do his work, whether or not we are here. we just need to remember that through our faith all things are possible. </div>
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also this week we met with another lady who is near and dear to my heart, and we finally were able to invite to be baptized. now when missionaries invite people to be baptized it's not for a goal, it isn't a statistic, but it is really the best way we can show people that what we want to share with them is important. it is really significant. pehaps the most emotionally real conversations I've ever had with people on my mission have to do with baptism or inviting people to be baptized. because baptism is something that we know will bring greater hapiness, purpose and blessings into their life as they learn the Docterine of Christ, and Follow the saviors example in submitting their will to God's will. there is nothing more important that I have ever used my time on in life. learning about God and his eternal plan for us should be something that happens for everyone at some point in their life because it is the purpose, it is The Center to our very existence. but so often we pass people by, allowing complacency and trivial matters to cloud our minds and occupy our attention, never really addressing The Point. lots of things in life are there to be pleasing and bring us joy, but until we come to know that God has a plan for us and a Way for us to live we will never truly be satisfied. </div>
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that is why it is important to learn. it is important to know that Jesus Christ came for us and was offered as a sacrifice on our behalf, because he loved us and there was no other way that we could be saved from our own stupid shortcomings. it is important to know that that fact up there that sentence is so important that God would not leave that truth to be disputed by doctrine and by practice in thousands of sects that claim to know the truth of God without providing one that has it. he has also provided us ways to know it. "by their fruits ye shall know them" jesus said. The fruit of what we share, the result of the restored Church of Jesus Christ is found in the Book of Mormon, and in the hearts and testimonies of millions who have read it and done as missionaries and ancient prophets in the americas and jerusalem have admonished people to do: Read the Book of Mormon, and ask God, the very Eternal Father if it is true. until you do, you will never have the privilage of knowing by God's spirit, the Holy Ghost, that it is true. Baptism is a result of our conversion. that is why it is important to be Baptized.</div>
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If only I could impress the magnitude of that fact. this is really important. this is really significant. this is real. that is not the rant of a missionary, or a fanatic, I know I might sound redundant or brainwashed or religious, If so perhaps I should settle down and petition people in a more private and pleasing manner that would cause anyone who feels that way to reconsider that this is real. I know it is real. </div>
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now you wonder why I don't write very much. it's because I feel so personally and deeply the truth of what I'm doing. and I don't know how to tell those who used to know me that those 15 years I was goofing off I was sitting on something more important that I was willing to study and realize, and more important than you could ever imagine. putting it into words without being able to get a reply and answer questions and not offend and build up and strengthen is really, really hard 2,000 miles and one-email-a-week away. Perhaps I shouldn't write it. it hurts me so much who knows how much it will hurt you. or perhaps just go over your heads. </div>
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anyway really deep, but those are my spiritual thoughts. }</div>
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>>there. now hopefully they will write something that I can talk about next week. </div>
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>>who am I kidding, when is anyone ever going to want to have a discussion about lesson one in an email?</div>
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>>welp, until next week.</div>
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Sister Christensen</div>
KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-45593125296076803922014-02-18T07:34:00.001-08:002014-02-18T07:35:18.197-08:00<div class="ReadingPaneContainer ReadingPaneContainerNoActionBar sc" id="readingPaneContainer0" style="bottom: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; left: 0px; line-height: 19.99359893798828px; overflow-x: auto; overflow-y: scroll; padding-left: 20px; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px !important;">
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HEY<br />
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so. I feel bad because I wasn't able to send much home last week. </div>
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but so that you understand how I was feeling last week (*coughEveryweek*cough) and because I just wasted time doing it I wrote a dialogue of my thoughts to try to understand why I never want to write an email.</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">>>skSVKL;SLDSKLDNk</span><br />
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>>augh I never know what to write. </div>
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>>it is so weird to be on a mission close to a year. I feel like I have effectively split my life in two, and every week there's this [prompt] to reconcile the two somehow. I CAN'T OKAY? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO, IT HURTS EVERY WEEK. </div>
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>>so then I stare at a screen for close to an hour until my time is up and then I put it off for another week. </div>
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>>what I want to do is run home and jump in your arms and tell you all of the things that are exciting and uplifting and tell you all of the things that are frustrating and challenging. it would look something like mosiah 25: 4-11,17. (yes the same fantasy that ends with a baptism.)</div>
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>>but that isn't really an option. so I don't know what to write. </div>
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>>It's kind of the same problem with my journal, but there it's really just become a suck hole of procrastination. some day I will write in that thing.</div>
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>>I just want to be there, and be here. can I have both? can you all just move out here now? </div>
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>>obviously that wouldn't work either. </div>
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>>oh well. back to the same problem. wanting to be there. wanting to be here. wanting to have some influence there, and needing to focus here. just another 9 months of this. fun times. </div>
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>>oh look 11:30. only half an hour now. maybe I'll save this to review and add to each time. it's kind of funny actually. </div>
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>>and a lot closer to how I actually feel than how I've written in probably the last 5 weeks. </div>
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>>ugh. I'll just get to the point. write something funny. write something spiritual. leave out all of the possibly detracting thoughts or comments about leadership and ward members and investigators. paint myself as a perfect missionary. that'll make them happy.</div>
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{Something Funny: there was this time when it blizzarded and we decided to go knock on doors. my companion had never seen so much snow in her life so we spent at least 10 minutes frolicking and jumping in snow (about 4-6ft in plow piles. it's crazy guys.). I fell on my butt and dropped a bunch of pass along cards everywhere, kicked giant balls of snowdrift at my companion and threatened to throw her bodily into snow, which she responded by actually throwing me into snow. much joy was had in 20 degrees and blowing snow. </div>
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then we got our acts together and tried to talk to people who had no interest in talking to us. </div>
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thirty minutes later we realized that we had lost our phone. I figured that we had just left it at our last appointment, so we went back there and searched their couch, and didn't find it. it was in the snow. of course. so we went back and by this point my comp was freaking out that she had lost the phone, and was worried about the weirdest stuff, like that she would have to pay for it and we'll be in so much trouble, and I just had no doubt in my mind we would find it. so we said a prayer, and went out to search the five snow piles that we had jumped in. after about 5 minutes and some inquiries by curious plowmen it wasn't in the first one, so we agreed to move on to the next set about 20 ft down the road. as we were walking a thought came to my mind that maybe I was seaching for it wrong, digging deeper into the holes, and that maybe I should start from the bottom to the top. I bend over, brush some snow and within five secconds find the phone. there was much rejoicing. there was also a prayer of thanks offered in righteousness. The phone acted really weird on account of being drenched, but a night in rice later it's as good as new. now our district leader refers to it as the resurrected phone. }</div>
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{Something Spiritual: this is actually from last week, but it's still great so I'm sharing it. perhaps another similar story to follow. so there was this one time that the [wonderful] zone leaders thought that (underline should actually be read as a strike through)<u>we weren't working hard enough for our areas</u> [we could be inspired by higher goals] and they set a lot of <u>unrealistic</u> [inspiring] goals that <u>were impossible to reach</u> [made us work harder than ever before] and affected the zone in dual ways <u>discouraging many areas and causing them to resent goals and key indicators</u> [humbling many areas and causing areas to think of key indicators differently] that then required that they build us up. (both viewpoints are true, this is almost a lesson in pessimism and optimism. imagine the effects that rewriting my thoughts has every week.) anyway, so they had a conference call night with the whole zone in which we all told everyone our # of investigators and # invited to baptism. <u>Kind of a potentially competitive thing to do and it felt really weird but was supposed to lift us up? IDK.</u> after which they asked us to share inspirational stories from the week. long awkward silence. followed by a couple of nice but uneventful winter stories about diligence and faith and the much drilled street contacting. </div>
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I looked at my companion. she looked at me. we weren't struggling. at all. we hadn't been meeting the goals they had set, but we have been amazingly blessed in the past five weeks. they announced that there was only time enough for one more thought. so I grabbed the phone and started talking. </div>
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back when sister rust and I were Companions, we had gone through the former investigators and picked a few that stood out to us. among them was a couple who lived on Conant road. there isn't a Conant road on our Presque Isle Maps, so we decided to search it and found a conant road in Fort Fairfield. when we went there, the address didn't exist so the thought was dropped as un-contactable. </div>
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later when Sister Drew became my companion she also felt impressed about this family. I frowned at it, but remembered that a new member in the ward had told us that they lived on a conant road in Presque Isle. so we followed their directions to the road, and found the house. they invited us right in, and we had to schedule a return appointment because we didn't have the time to stay. when we went back, we had one of the most thoughtful and reverent discussions about the state of the world, and the need that people have to come closer to God in a society that seems bent on forgetting him. </div>
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we asked who God was to them, and the mother simply replied, 'he's number one.' the feeling in the room was one of holiness, and I have no doubt in my mind that the spirit of God, even the very Holy Ghost was there present with us to testify that He loved them. We bore out testimonies of the very fact, and they told us that because of our examples they had hope for our generation, and their daughters generation, and hoped that one day she would be able to know just a surely as we did of the same truth. </div>
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it was when i recounted this story that I testified that our zone will find new investigators. I know it. The Lord knows his sheep and he can do his work, whether or not we are here. we just need to remember that through our faith all things are possible. </div>
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also this week we met with another lady who is near and dear to my heart, and we finally were able to invite to be baptized. now when missionaries invite people to be baptized it's not for a goal, it isn't a statistic, but it is really the best way we can show people that what we want to share with them is important. it is really significant. pehaps the most emotionally real conversations I've ever had with people on my mission have to do with baptism or inviting people to be baptized. because baptism is something that we know will bring greater hapiness, purpose and blessings into their life as they learn the Docterine of Christ, and Follow the saviors example in submitting their will to God's will. there is nothing more important that I have ever used my time on in life. learning about God and his eternal plan for us should be something that happens for everyone at some point in their life because it is the purpose, it is The Center to our very existence. but so often we pass people by, allowing complacency and trivial matters to cloud our minds and occupy our attention, never really addressing The Point. lots of things in life are there to be pleasing and bring us joy, but until we come to know that God has a plan for us and a Way for us to live we will never truly be satisfied. </div>
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that is why it is important to learn. it is important to know that Jesus Christ came for us and was offered as a sacrifice on our behalf, because he loved us and there was no other way that we could be saved from our own stupid shortcomings. it is important to know that that fact up there that sentence is so important that God would not leave that truth to be disputed by doctrine and by practice in thousands of sects that claim to know the truth of God without providing one that has it. he has also provided us ways to know it. "by their fruits ye shall know them" jesus said. The fruit of what we share, the result of the restored Church of Jesus Christ is found in the Book of Mormon, and in the hearts and testimonies of millions who have read it and done as missionaries and ancient prophets in the americas and jerusalem have admonished people to do: Read the Book of Mormon, and ask God, the very Eternal Father if it is true. until you do, you will never have the privilage of knowing by God's spirit, the Holy Ghost, that it is true. Baptism is a result of our conversion. that is why it is important to be Baptized.</div>
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If only I could impress the magnitude of that fact. this is really important. this is really significant. this is real. that is not the rant of a missionary, or a fanatic, I know I might sound redundant or brainwashed or religious, If so perhaps I should settle down and petition people in a more private and pleasing manner that would cause anyone who feels that way to reconsider that this is real. I know it is real. </div>
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now you wonder why I don't write very much. it's because I feel so personally and deeply the truth of what I'm doing. and I don't know how to tell those who used to know me that those 15 years I was goofing off I was sitting on something more important that I was willing to study and realize, and more important than you could ever imagine. putting it into words without being able to get a reply and answer questions and not offend and build up and strengthen is really, really hard 2,000 miles and one-email-a-week away. Perhaps I shouldn't write it. it hurts me so much who knows how much it will hurt you. or perhaps just go over your heads. </div>
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anyway really deep, but those are my spiritual thoughts. }</div>
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>>there. now hopefully they will write something that I can talk about next week. </div>
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>>who am I kidding, when is anyone ever going to want to have a discussion about lesson one in an email?</div>
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>>welp, until next week.</div>
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Sister Christensen</div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-51511984580401951722014-02-18T07:33:00.001-08:002014-02-18T07:33:23.456-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-83001609696219831432014-02-04T11:14:00.001-08:002014-02-04T11:14:30.271-08:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">hey. this week has been really good. I will just head right into it. </span><br />
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actually this happened last week, but I'll tell you because it's funny anyway. we had been promising various people that I'd make them cupcakes because I never did bake my birthday cake and still had it waiting for a spare couple of hours which we never have. So we decided to just bake cupcakes during weekly planning. It was going well, we weren't wasting time and they had gotten into the oven, when I put the cap back on the only source of oil in the apartment and did one of those "oh crap" moments where I just yell out loud. it was olive oil. it read consecrated on the top. </div>
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For those who don't know what I'm talking about, quick desc. consecrated olive oil is just regular olive oil that is set apart by a special prayer and used to bless the sick and afflicted, by those who hold the priesthood. yeah, it wasn't supposed to be in my cupcakes. </div>
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So I texted the district leader and asked him what I should do, explaining that I hadn't known, and he just laughed at me really, and said that it's okay, but don't use it again in the future. so now my district makes jokes about consecrated cupcakes. </div>
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Other funny things. I guess it is just really funny to work with a lot of either mentally or emotionally unstable people. It provides a lot of really awkward moments for me and my companion Sister Drew, and she finds awkward stuff really humorous, so we just laugh at everything all the time. like here is an example:</div>
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yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, and it was really good and spiritual and rah. But, a great person in our ward got up to give the closing prayer, and he is seriously, a good person, but socially really awkward. All the time. like heavy breathing Stargate, Atlantis Live action Role Playing awkward. So he starts to pray the beginning to the sacrament prayer over like the bread, and gets through "O God The Eternal Father oh wait." before realizing it was the wrong time to be praying that prayer coughing and starting over. and then the ward has this list of the missionaries names so people can remember us and follow the prophet's counsel to pray for us by name. it's on the podium. I know it is. but he starts to pray for us and stumbles over Sister Drew and I, but takes several moments to remember the first elder, and the second he had to turn around and ask the bishop. it's Elder Hadley, he's been in the ward the longest out of all of us. needless to say I was dying, trying my best not to be audible as I was laughing uncontrollably. </div>
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and so it goes with my average missionary life. </div>
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but there are also a lot of really good and spiritual things that happen, and I will relate those now. we have been working hard to make our companionship studies effective, and to have our role plays as far as practicing lessons actually helpful. I have really felt a difference this week, and seen the progress that sister Drew and I are making in trying to earnestly invite others closer to Christ. one of our members introduced us to her friend, who has a lot of questions about who God is, and what his plan is for her. it has been an awesome experience to talk with her about all of the questions she has in life, and I have just had my testimony strengthened that God Loves each and every one of us, and even though we all learn differently, and he may teach us differently, we all have a relationship of some sort with him, and I have been honored to help others strengthen that tie. It really is what keeps me going. Also Sister Drew invited Holly to be baptized, and we are both super excited about the progress she has been making as far as reading and coming to church goes. </div>
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We really have felt blessed this week, and I know that it is in part to all the prayers that are offered for the missionaries each week. including the awkward ones. I hope you all know that I love you all and am thankful for all that you do. </div>
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anyway, I love you have a good week.</div>
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Sister Christensen</div>
KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-53386880343224331572014-01-27T14:30:00.003-08:002014-01-27T14:30:55.416-08:00<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">
hey everyone!</div>
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this week has been good. it's weird to be a leader, because I kind of just follow my own pace in everything like I used to, but not really because I'm doing missionary work? so I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. my companion is on fire though, and I just keep working hard because she wants to work hard. I do too, but not in the same way? it's hard to explain. But life is good because I love missionary work. </div>
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It kind of makes me excited to come home and be a member missionary, but then I also want to go to the gym again because I got this weird fat belly over the holidays that I can't physically get rid of until I can go to a gym and work it off. not something that is going to happen when we are ordered to do an 11 minute work out plan with a neighbor that bangs on our door when ever we run in place. that and I refuse to run outside because it's blue nipple freezing out there. so my life is missionary f minus as far as real exercise goes. </div>
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funny things this week. so there was this one time that we were going to visit this less active member, and she is great. but we have to wait outside the building until her husband can come and open the door because it's kind of a shady establishment on top of a vacant store with windows that have been broken/ shot out. and while we were waiting this guy comes up and my companion starts to talk with him, she asked " are you staying warm?" he said "I wish I was in a place like that where I could be warm." and she was like "have you ever met missionaries before?" and he said something that didn't apply and she caught the stench of alcohol on his breath. good times. well instead of getting an appointment with him then she just talked with him about the gospel and Danny opened the door and talked to him a little bit and we were like "okay bye have a good night!' and he was like "I love you!" and pulled me into this awkward drunk homeless hug. i really did not know what to do with myself. at all. then we parted ways because we had nothing else we could do for him.</div>
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then there was this funny time that we had a chili cook off at the church and the Ward decided that we were supposed to judge it as missionaries. okay no big deal. they didn't really know how to do it, we suggested having individual bowels so that we could scoop chili into our own and then eat it with our own individual place setting. well for some reason they decided that it would be better to share bowls with five spoons in them, pass them down and take a spoon as we go. ended up using like 5X more spoons but that's fine. one of the elders is a little handicapped though, undiagnosed, but probably asbergers at least. and for some reason sister drew and I were the last ones to get the bowls. well we do this thing and the fist bowl goes by I get it with two spoons, take one out pass it on kind of thing, third bowl there is three spoons. I get really uncomfortable but take a spoon anyway thinking "maybe there were six." nope. I have the thing in my mouth when I hear the elder say "whoopsI left my spoon... in..." and I JUST WANT TO GAG. SO BAD. WORST THING EVER I TOOK HIS SPOON AND PUT IT IN MY MOUTH. after that I watched him like a hawk and had to give it back to him two more times to make sure he took his spoon out. worst thing of my life. never being a judge in a food contest again.</div>
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so that was interesting. </div>
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there were plenty of inspirational things that happend this week too, like that we went and saw dorothy again and I just want her to come back to church. so baad!!! how can someone who has a testimony like she does deny themselves repentance? it is so heartwrenching to think about sometimes because I seriously want her to meet mom and Kathy. you could be best friends. she's awesome I swear. I often imagine my mission life and my home life colliding and in this instance I think it would be awesome. but sadly you guys are on the other side of the continent/country.</div>
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we also had a good zone training this week that asserted a lot of the things I've been thinking about in reguards to member present lessons and such. it's interesting because the ward leadership is having us use some... interesting personalities as friendshippers, but I know in my heart they are not the role models of a strong priesthood leader or personable and relatable friends that they need. huff. </div>
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I just keep working and studying and praying. I know that we are doing someting worthwhile, and something that is inspired. there is no other way that a lot of the stuff that happens to us would happen. it is only by the lord that we see success and I know that with all my heart. it's funny, we were talking in relief society about inviting people in a realistic way and the missionaries came up like we always do and sister grover said "I apologise, but it is amazing that the church survives the missionaries." and in some ways, that is true. we are inexperienced. we are young. we are not really the best of teachers, but we have testimonies that this work is of God. if it were left up to me and my own efforts and talents, I don't believe that I could honestly inspire anyone to keep commitments and commandments. The spirit of the Lord is what carries this work, it touches the Hearts of the people and by that understanding we all can gain we are blessed. </div>
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there is nothing greater. </div>
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Love Sister Christensen</div>
KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-18962176110884795092014-01-21T21:23:00.002-08:002014-01-21T21:23:11.521-08:00<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">this week!!! man it was so crazy that I can't even remember half of it. </span><br />
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it would be easiest to say that it is really weird to watch one missionary take the last steps on her mission and then jump back to one who has all the excitement and energy of a new missionary. it's like watching your grandma die and then deciding you need more excitement in your life so you get a puppy lab on an impulse buy off the internet. basically.<br /></div>
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so but really umm things and stories. so sister rust and I had a really good past few days. we basically tried our best to have lessons with people but ended up just saying goodbye to everyone. we would be like 'so the gospel" and they'd be like 'sister rust what are you going to do when you get home??" and she would be like "I don't know PROBABLY DIE. I'M GOING TO BE A MISSIONARY FOREVERRRRRR!!!!!1!!!!11!!!!1!1!!!' while I just sat awkwardly in the corner. it was actually really hard to watch her go home, makes me never want to go home. side note she is still a missionary, and here is a story from the life of sister rust-</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">"I also had an experience that I thought you would appreciate. After we figured all the flight stuff, I was sitting there waiting to get on the flight to Grand Junction and there was a girl sitting across from me and we started talking. She told me that she was from India and she was going to Utah to do a science experiment. So then I told her I was on my way home from my mission and for the past year and a half I have gone and taught people about Jesus Christ. Then she said, "Well I'd love to talk to you!" I was like, "Well I'd love to talk to you!" She told me how she had gone to school in France and had gone to a church there and loved it. She loved learning about Jesus Christ and wanted to learn about him more. So I went in and started teaching and it came to the point where the Book of Mormon came up and as I'm talking about it and showing it to her this other woman comes over and says to her, "Have you read the Koran? You should read the Koran." As soon as she came over I knew she came to argue with me. But I gave her the benefit of the doubt and was friendly with her, as she continually made jabs at me to make sure I knew she didn't like me. Then she asked me, "So you aren't even allowed to talk to you family right?" I told her on Mondays and on Christmas and Mothers Day. Then she said, "well that's kind of isolating don't you think? Yeah your kind of isolating yourselves kind of like a CULT." I was done talking to her at that point. haha Then she said, "I love the Mormon religion." No she didn't. She had told us earlier in the conversation that she was Muslim and that she just traveled around everywhere. Then she said, "I'm actually not Muslim, I'm from Denver and I think Mormon's are a cult." So then she went on this huge rant of how horrible we were. I did what I could to testify but her heart was so hard it did nothing. She turned to the Muslim girl and was like, "stay away from the Mormons. Stay far away from them!" Then the girl told her, "I was the one asking her questions, I just like to learn!" It was crazy. I just turned and ignored her. Eventually she got up and walked away, and the girl from India had left already so I was sitting there alone when this other woman comes over and says, "How are you doing. Are you ok?" This woman was an angel sent from above! Such a sweet lady! She told me how she appreciated what I was doing and that her nephew went on a mission and how much he loved it. She just took care of me after that. I know Satan had to make one last jab at me before my mission ended, but God sent some one to support me as well. Heavenly Father is so mindful of us."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">so yeah. I just really love her a lot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">I got a greenie on thursday though! we have been having fun ever since. it was actually really relieving to ride back to our area (a drive that takes 4 hours) and realize that she is just as weird as me. now we just make crazy cat jokes and talk about crows and sharing the gospel to all our animal friends all the time. we will be sisters snow and white just you watch. things are great though, she has all the energy in the world to be the best missionary she can be so I will just ride that through the next three months. her name is Sister Drew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">I gave up reading the Book of Mormon in the month of january too. now I'm just trying to get to page 200.</span></div>
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I"M HITTING NINE MONTHS THIS WEEK????!!!!! i don't know what to do with myself. sister drew says I should stuff a shirt full of tissue until I look pregnant and take a picture. I am pretty sure I will do nothing to celebrate.</div>
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everything keeps changing, I don't know what to do with myself but keep working hard. I got a letter this week so I will be trying to write a few people back hint hint wink wink. get ready for it to take two months. </div>
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I love you all, and here's a scripture: Mosiah 5:15 "Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvationa nd eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, inheaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen." let's all endure this together.</div>
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Sister Christensen</div>
KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4856436527268498188.post-33029755204312984072014-01-20T11:36:00.003-08:002014-01-20T11:36:20.834-08:00<div class="t_mbgc t_qtc t_urtc" id="MainContent" style="background-color: white; bottom: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web Regular', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Helvetica Neue', 'BBAlpha Sans', 'S60 Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; left: 0px; line-height: 19.99359893798828px; position: absolute; right: 160px; top: 0px; z-index: 1;">
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this week!!! man it was so crazy that I can't even remember half of it. <div>
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it would be easiest to say that it is really weird to watch one missionary take the last steps on her mission and then jump back to one who has all the excitement and energy of a new missionary. it's like watching your grandma die and then deciding you need more excitement in your life so you get a puppy lab on an impulse buy off the internet. basically.<br /></div>
<div>
so but really umm things and stories. so sister rust and I had a really good past few days. we basically tried our best to have lessons with people but ended up just saying goodbye to everyone. we would be like 'so the gospel" and they'd be like 'sister rust what are you going to do when you get home??" and she would be like "I don't know PROBABLY DIE. I'M GOING TO BE A MISSIONARY FOREVERRRRRR!!!!!1!!!!11!!!!1!1!!!' while I just sat awkwardly in the corner. it was actually really hard to watch her go home, makes me never want to go home. side note she is still a missionary, and here is a story from the life of sister rust-</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">"I also had an experience that I thought you would appreciate. After we figured all the flight stuff, I was sitting there waiting to get on the flight to Grand Junction and there was a girl sitting across from me and we started talking. She told me that she was from India and she was going to Utah to do a science experiment. So then I told her I was on my way home from my mission and for the past year and a half I have gone and taught people about Jesus Christ. Then she said, "Well I'd love to talk to you!" I was like, "Well I'd love to talk to you!" She told me how she had gone to school in France and had gone to a church there and loved it. She loved learning about Jesus Christ and wanted to learn about him more. So I went in and started teaching and it came to the point where the Book of Mormon came up and as I'm talking about it and showing it to her this other woman comes over and says to her, "Have you read the Koran? You should read the Koran." As soon as she came over I knew she came to argue with me. But I gave her the benefit of the doubt and was friendly with her, as she continually made jabs at me to make sure I knew she didn't like me. Then she asked me, "So you aren't even allowed to talk to you family right?" I told her on Mondays and on Christmas and Mothers Day. Then she said, "well that's kind of isolating don't you think? Yeah your kind of isolating yourselves kind of like a CULT." I was done talking to her at that point. haha Then she said, "I love the Mormon religion." No she didn't. She had told us earlier in the conversation that she was Muslim and that she just traveled around everywhere. Then she said, "I'm actually not Muslim, I'm from Denver and I think Mormon's are a cult." So then she went on this huge rant of how horrible we were. I did what I could to testify but her heart was so hard it did nothing. She turned to the Muslim girl and was like, "stay away from the Mormons. Stay far away from them!" Then the girl told her, "I was the one asking her questions, I just like to learn!" It was crazy. I just turned and ignored her. Eventually she got up and walked away, and the girl from India had left already so I was sitting there alone when this other woman comes over and says, "How are you doing. Are you ok?" This woman was an angel sent from above! Such a sweet lady! She told me how she appreciated what I was doing and that her nephew went on a mission and how much he loved it. She just took care of me after that. I know Satan had to make one last jab at me before my mission ended, but God sent some one to support me as well. Heavenly Father is so mindful of us."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">so yeah. I just really love her a lot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;">I got a greenie on thursday though! we have been having fun ever since. it was actually really relieving to ride back to our area (a drive that takes 4 hours) and realize that she is just as weird as me. now we just make crazy cat jokes and talk about crows and sharing the gospel to all our animal friends all the time. we will be sisters snow and white just you watch. things are great though, she has all the energy in the world to be the best missionary she can be so I will just ride that through the next three months. her name is Sister Drew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.459999084472656px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">I gave up reading the Book of Mormon in the month of January too. now I'm just trying to get to page 200.</span></div>
<div>
I"M HITTING NINE MONTHS THIS WEEK????!!!!! i don't know what to do with myself. sister drew says I should stuff a shirt full of tissue until I look pregnant and take a picture. I am pretty sure I will do nothing to celebrate.</div>
<div>
everything keeps changing, I don't know what to do with myself but keep working hard. I got a letter this week so I will be trying to write a few people back hint hint wink wink. get ready for it to take two months. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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I love you all, and here's a scripture: Mosiah 5:15 "Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvationa nd eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, inheaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen." let's all endure this together.</div>
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Sister Christensen</div>
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KelseyChristensenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12856210305451617743noreply@blogger.com0