White Christmas

December 28, 2017

White Christmas

Hello Everybody, Feliz Navidad!

What a week! I could probably put this week up there as one of the best weeks on the mish. We had a really fun Christmas Zone Conference, lots of food, parties, lots of teaching, some more food, and some really solid new investigators. Don’t know where to start so sorry if I’m bouncing back and forth a lot.

I hope everyone’s Christmas was amazing! Always the best time of the year back home but I was a little hesitant for this Christmas and being away for the first time. But it did not disappoint! Had a nice little Christmas miracle when we woke up on Christmas Eve to an inch or two of snow! (Prayers answered!) Just so happened that the snow brought the cold weather, a toasty high of about 10 degrees on Christmas Day and getting colder from there, but it kept the snow around so it was a White Christmas here in IA! I was telling the fam on Christmas, it’s something about snow around Christmas time that gets me in the true Christmas spirit. So with that, on Sunday morning before church we baked some of mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies…surprisingly, we did not eat them all! We dropped them off at our neighbor’s and left them a little note saying, “Merry Christmas from the Missionaries!” It was fun to not just do that but do all the little things that were asked of us to Light the World! It was a great way to finish LTW but even a better way to start a new year of lighting others lives with the light of Christ! I encourage you all to try to find ways to continue to serve others throughout the year.

Earlier in the week we had exchanges with our Zone Leaders. I went with Elder Milligan who is about ready to leave to head back home. He’s a solid guy and an awesome missionary so I learned so much from him. In just about 2 or 3 hours, in one apartment building alone, we had done more teaching, handed out more BofM’s, and more talking to people than I had done in weeks. It was awesome that in just those couple of hours we had to keep going back to the car to grab more pamphlets, cards, and BofMs…probably a good four or five times, empty handed every time! It was just the thing I needed, a good fresh start to get back into the groove of things. I know the Lord knew that too, the three of us needed some success to get us back on our feet. During the same exchange, Elder Sitterud, was able to find three really solid investigators that he’s excited about. With the holiday weekend, we haven’t been able to see or meet with them again but they’re actually responding to our texts and answering our phone calls so that’s a first! Haha! Elder Sitterud said, “They’re either the nicest people ever, or they’re really interested!” So pumped to start working with them. Hoping and praying they are ready for this Gospel.

My first Christmas way from home was definitely different but was really fun! This whole week the members would take us in with open arms, feed us, serve us, and even gave us little presents! It just so happened that the little present we received on Christmas Eve was a thing of body spray, and in her broken English the sweet member said, “You guys need to be smelling good in order to get into some of these houses” …so if we weren't smelling good then, we are smelling good now! We also had a Branch Christmas party and that was great! So many people showed up that we didn’t have enough tables for everyone. Always a good sign. The night was so fun, full of games, awesome food as usual, Santa and Latin music! And I also had to play the piano for the Primary, the Young Men and the Young Women. First time playing in front of people in years, but I was somehow able to get through all the songs so it was good. Huge shout out to Linda for all those piano lessons!

I love you all! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas wherever you are in the world and will have a Happy New Year.

2 Nephi 25:26 says, “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

May we all make that a resolution for this New Year to make everything we do “of Christ”.

Love from the 515...deficil es bueno!

Elder Christensen