Hey Y'all,

we begin another whirlwind week!  every time I write it seems so much has happened and it is getting harder to separate the days.  I told someone this morning 'good night!' in parting, I am not actually sure what time of day it is anymore.

we had interviews with president leavitt this week, and he told us that we're supposed to be gaining twenty seven new sisters in the next six months, which is more sisters than there are in the mission as yet.  so, we'll be opening new areas, and everyone who's out now will train at least once in the next six months, perhaps more than that.  he also hinted that I may be transferred soon, so perhaps in the next three weeks I'll get a change of scenery!  Also he suggested that the likelyhood of me whitewashing and training are pretty high, that's the mission colloquialism for two missionaries being sent to an area they haven't been working in, which is fun when one of you has no experience yet at all.  should be a good time.  although that was pretty much what happened when I came out, so the tables have turned! 

last week we went to signal hill for our p-day, it was pretty fun but that meant that I didn't have any time to write letters.  D: so too bad.  we went with all the elders, because our car was in the shop (again) and we were riding in the elder's soccer mom van.  it's really interesting to spend time with them because for the most part they're still pretty immature.  especially the older ones.  daring each other to find the greasiest shack or laughing at a restaurant that sells hot dogs called long dicks, or betting who will or won't throw up when they eat a succor with a scorpion in it.  and then the conversation will randomly become gospel centered and we'll all talk about what we believe.  weirdest heel face turns ever. 

also elder deem won't stop teasing me to draw his face.  I'm really glad he's getting transferred. 

signal hill was really fun, it's a historical site that boarders the edge of the harbor, where there was a working light house at one time.  it functioned as the higher light, there is another lighthouse on the other side of the harbor that serves as a lower correcting light, so that ships don't crash into the sides of the rock's impenetrable shale face.  it was super windy up there though, you got a sweet view of saint john's and of my underwear.  it turns out wearing a dress in gale force wind isn't a good idea.  go figure.  after a couple of pictures we ran inside the house and stayed there.

this week we're supposed to go to cape spear, and this time I brought my pants.  I will not repeat last week, I refuse.  when elder amaya asked about it I told him I was bringing pants and he can just fight me about it.  he laughed and said that he was thinking p-day clothes would be best anyway.

I don't have any cool spiritual insights this week, read your scriptures, they're great.

hmm.  I've been spending some time reading and re reading the emails I've gotten this week.  It's fun that when I send out a letter after nobody writes suddenly I get a full inbox.  now I don't know what to do with myself.

also I was laughing at a few things this morning and one of the guys in the library got mad at me because I was being too loud apparently. then he stormed out. I'm pretty sure all of you know me and know that I don't make that much noise, even when giggling at funny stuff over email.  also it seemed like he was looking at my companion, but I can't actually tell if that was because he was talking to her or that his eyes were just crooked.  in Newfoundland you can never tell.

this week was pretty interesting.  there was a town event on Wednesday called regatta, which is basically like the boat races, but they do it with rowing boats and just as much booze.  we were given mixed directions about going to it, so we didn't actually end up going.  For some reason I don't think that we missed much, although it messed up our entire day.  nobody was home. all our appointments fell through.  the buses weren't running.  it was just all around an unproductive day.

oh, update on the random guy.  apparently it is rude to type next to people.  he just cursed at me and my companion over wait for it...  keyboards.  holy moly.

so then we had some regular days and some planning days and some working days, and one day we had a lot of cool experiences.  we were just out on the streets waving at cars and knocking doors, story of my life, when we passed a couple of nicer homes with long driveways and forests for yards so I was like 'yep' and we wandered to their doors.  the first wasn't interested but the second was a really nice woman that we began having a nice talk about genealogy.  we then asked if we could go in and she said sure!  so we walk in, and it's this mansion that was built in 1909, tons of antiques everywhere, cool fireplaces, crown molding, china sets, grand staircases, the works, and we sit down and have a conversation with this wonderful lady about her multi million dollar business and her children that have corporate careers and all this stuff, and I'm just like 'when do I get to talk about the book of Mormon?' and my companion didn't ever really start a lesson, so we didn't talk about it. really really anti-climatic. and also the first door we've gotten into in the last transfer.  oh well, you win some you loose some.

well, I'm running down on time, so I love you all and will be sending mail soon.

meowmeow.

this week has been a lesson in charity.

sometimes we get to a point where being nice and freely giving of our selves becomes no longer easy or doable but like hard work and even a struggle.  the thoughts of what I want to get done and where I want to go and what I want to teach sometimes take over and I loose sight of what is really important. 

yes there are many lessons that I can learn out here but approaching them from that perspective of looking into a mirror as to how everything reflects on me is not a productive way to look at things.  it leads to selfishness, self pity, and self centered ness.  I need to stop looking for that reward of doing a good deed, shouldn't the deed be reward in and of itself?  shouldn't I feel happy when other people feel happy? and rather than trying to do things that I think will make me happier I should just do things that make other people happier.

the days where I get upset that my companion is helpless without a gps or guide (me) to help her anywhere or the times I get frustrated when I don't get to finish a letter or the days when that stupid 5 BX workout program just won't go away are the days I struggle, those are the days when I cannot for some reason, by choice or by attitude look farther than the tip of my own nose to stop being so concerned by things that just shouldn't matter and yet do to some people! (including me) why do we struggle so much to let stupid little things go? why is it so much work to just choose to be happy? 

I know for myself that I struggle the most when I make this work my work.  because It isn't.  If I were to leave, the work of salvation would continue on, would hasten regardless, because "no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing."  including mine. the only way that anyone is to change their lives and themselves is by listening to the counsel of God himself.  in Mosiah chapter three verse 19 we learn it again " for the natural man is an enemy to god and has been since the fall of adam and will be forever and ever, unless he yields himself to the holy spirit and putteth off the natural man, and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the father seeth fit to inflict upon  him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

haha funny thought, once in my mission preparation class we were talking about humility and the professor said to the tune of a primary song I think most of us will naturally remember, "if you're humble and you know it then you're not." 

as in the book of mormon it is easy for us to fall into a cycle of pride. but, the way we brake it is through choosing to humble ourselves, alma taught 'blessed are they who humble themselves, without being compelled to be humble, or rather, blessed is he that believeth... without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know before they will believe.'  and as the people in helaman's day demonstrated in the face of severe persecution, even within the proverbial walls of the church,  'Nevertheless the did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in their faith of christ, unto the filling of their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.'

so I just need to do that.

sorry for using this email as an extension of my personal study, I think I needed to do a little self examination.  and I feel better now!  the scriptures are great. I love them. so i'ma get off my soap box now and go be happy.

I'm going to seriously try to write some letters today, I know I've said it like a million times, but really I need to write you people!  D:

I love you all,

Kelsey

ps: some pictures from before the sisters in our district peaced out.

hey everybody!! it's goood to write you again.

exciting things, lets see.  i gave a talk in sacrament meeting this week, that was pretty cool.  I used \elder \johnson's and elder Bednar's talks from last general conference about being desciples of christ and diserning the difference and important relationship of testimony and conversion.  because while it would be easier to talk on faith or baptism I find I always have to cut to the heart of the matter and talk about what makes the difference.  are we converted?  do we know how to endure faithfully to the end?  is that conversion manifested by our works, as alma and moroni testifies it should be? questions for your soul and all that deep 'who are you really' thoughts.  and then garbled over the microphone in a nervous jumble to a branch made up of spiritual rocks and waifs.  I hope they don't take it as offense, and I hope that they don't take it too lightly at the same time.  but do I really expect a change in missionary work from one measly talk of mine?  not really.  I'll have to keep working and keep pushing and keep on trucking out here on  the rock as they say.

there was also a funeral for the senior member of the branch this week, his name was brother hubert hobbs.  We didn't ever get a chance to know him other than on paper, or from word of mouth.  he seemed like quite the father figure for the branch,  so it's sad to know that he's moved on.  his wife is a rock though, I don't think I've ever seen anyone more put together in my life.  she's someone for whom I want to do the best work I can.

oh funny story though.  I was trying to find some less active members of our branch and we went down the list (which is extensive) to find chris fudge.  his house is in part of the older part of town, south of the university campus, so I almost expected him to have been a short term student from a few years ago.  so we go around knocking houses, and come to his on the corner, and try to decide which of the four doors on this awkwardly shaped town house is his, and after eliminating two came to the third, built out of the corner.  we knock, and nothing happens, so thinking the address might be wrong we look across the street.  the door opens behind us, and this guy is standing in a towel.  we then find out that he is chris and that he was thinking of 'coming to your church for the funeral.'  it's his chruch too, it's crazy to me that people think that just because they stop coming that the records magically dissapear.  but we talked to him behind the door in a towel and that was interesting.  he didn't come to the funeral.

that was pretty much the highlights of my week, the work is good and I'm running out of email time.

I love you all!  do what is right!

Sister Christensen

weekly email??‏

so I know these were supposed to be weekly and I am sorry. but the good news is I haven't died! 

and there is no bad news so win win.  

these past two weeks have been crazy, let me tell you.  last week when we were supposed to email the power went out and all the libraries were closed so we couldn't go someplace else, and then we didn't have a car because it was in the shop getting a new bumper because the elders before us broke it.  so it was good times.  we found out how to use the bus system which was fun, and my companion made a huger deal out of it than was really necessary but there you go.  

I don't know if I said before but we got a new senior couple in our district, and we just use them to drive all the people.  none of our investigators have cars, so they always need rides to the church which is tough because not many members drive and those who do usually have opinions on the subject of driving other people around.  so Elder and Sister Noftil are a Blessing.  

we had them drive us a couple places around town while our car was getting fixed, and we got to know them a little bit.  on their drive from the mission training center in utah they were in an accident that totaled their car, and luckily gave them no lasting injuries.  but because of that Elder Noftil is not at peak condition and I didn't think about that wen we asked them to walk across a college campus.  we had to turn around and it was awkward. good times.

but following that Noftil thought the mission president was here for our zone conference, and he had lots of good things to share with us and say.  I learned a lot, the main focus on his trainings was CHANGE (imagine an obama poster with P Leavitt on it, and you've got it.) and knowing our message (That the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in it's fullness... I'm always like, "we have a message!! but you dont get to know what that is until you let us in"  XD FAIL)  and then he proceeded to turn the branch on it's head and re-organize the presidency with Elder Noftil.  I am actually looking forward to all of this, as we now have a much tighter connection with the leadership in the branch, and somebody who's helping us out as far as missionary work goes. 

but what that basically means is that now instead of working toward the standard mission goals he wants us instead to focus on strengthening members in Newfoundland, since there's been a lack of unity in the members for a long time, and there's no reason why there shouldn't be a ward (full congregation)  in a city of 200,000 people.  especially since in some areas of canada there's multiple steaks (organization of multiple wards)  in communities of 4,000.  

so that is fun.

as far as my own experiences go, we met a really awesome person this last week, she let us in after bringing her kids home from soccer, and we had a nice chat about God and families.  when we met her the next time we learned that she'd been planning a trip to africa to do service, and she's like the community soccer mom with dreadlocks and a flair of interior designer.  honestly she reminds me of Liz, and I think it's great that you can find people to feel at home with all over the world.

I would share a spiritual thought but I have to get going.  I could use Sister Miehe's favorite one, Proverbs 3 : 5-6 "trust in the lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding,  in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."  life's hard for a purpose, but if we trust in what we know to be right and true, we will feel God's love for us.  you can do eeeet!

I love you all!  

hey everyone! 

something cool happened this week. Michael was baptized.  I don't know if I've told you guys his story in full so I will start from the beginning.  sister Olson had been in this area about three months before I arrived on the scene, and spent a day at the university trying to find people to teach.  Michael came up and spoke to her in french, she spoke back and didn't really know what she said or if it was correct, handed a card with the address to the church and sent him o his way without getting any contact information or his name or anything because it was like her second day in the field.  it was then forgotten about until two months later when he showed up on his own at the last hour of church, having ridden the bus and asked people for directions for the hour and a half before he got there, alone, without being asked.  that just does not happen.  actually it does.  he came.  and then we didn't talk to him until the first time we met with him in a lesson at the university, when we answered a few questions about the law of chastity (fun times!) and gave a quick lesson on the restoration.  it was getting toward time to go, and the room we were in was booked in the next hour, so i decided what the heck, he doesn't seem that interested but I'll run baptism by him.  his answer was an emphatic yes.  surprise. the next meeting we got him on date, and then he came to every meeting and activity and Sunday service to the day he was baptized.  

his testimony is amazing, we thought his family was living in France but surprise again they live in Iran.  he gave up all possibility to going home because he knows this is true, he has had a personal connection with his father in heaven for perhaps years leading up to these past two months, and was completely willing to follow any and all things that were asked of him.  he said that once he started living the commandments, his days were better, his research went better, and in all he was happier.  that allthough there are real threatening consequences tied to his conversion and land of birth, he is okay with it, he trusts in the Lord, who is "Omnipotent and Omniscient" and will never let those who trust in him fall. 

Preparing for that day was interesting, cleaning the font and filling the water was like the celebration for me.  Newfoundland hasn't had a baptism for six months, and I think that his light and testimony inspired much of the branch, not just the missionaries.   being able to see the changes that this gosple has on people's life, is truly inspiring, that if we trust in the lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding that it will work.  it just will.  that you can see that light grow in people's lives, and just knowing that I played the smallest part in helping someone experience that change is amazing.  it's awesome, and for once that word really has meaning.  and to be honest, I really did nothing.  I asked some questions, the rest was God bringing one of his sons to the truth.

I love you all and appreciate all you letters and love!

I know Jesus is the christ, my redeemer, my savior,

until next week

Kelsey