Familia-
Congrats to Matt and Katt on getting
you house....kinda. Looks like it will just be so darn cute when someone
actually can put it together. I love the mailbox pic that sure is cute. I want
to see another one when the house is actually put together. Dad got his Traeger.
WOW. Big stuff is going down in Idaho :). Save up some of those steaks for
Auntie Hannah. I am sure that Dale is just having a hay day with that little
fella. WHERE IS TACOS? Has that kid just fallen off of the face of the earth?
He needs to write me!
Mom and Dad, it sure looks like you
have been having a lot of fun hiking and biking around. good for you, and Bob,
you'll be tough enough before you know it. What an awesome attitude you have. I
just think you guys are champions. Thanks for the awesome letter Dad. I'm glad
to hear good things about the crops. It really does make me all kind of happy.
I have been reading during lunch and dinner breaks about the story of Joseph in
Egypt. It reminded me of that time that we read that story together because it
was the one that you picked. I can't remember any of the other ones the family
picked I just remember that yours was Joseph and mine was Job. Haahah
Aunt Holly is just the sweetest
person I know. My hair has, indeed, suffered the consequences of humidity. I
just hope that one day I can recover from this madness :) But I love it.
It has still been raining every now
and then, and everyone here looks at me like I am crazy when I say in my
prayers "thank you for the rain". They will never quite understand
what it is like living in a desert and trying to grow stuff. It is such a
blessing to have rain.
I have been compiling a little list
about some of the things that will make you cool here in McLean/Falls
Church/Vienna Virginia.
You are cool in Virginia when you
have a dog. It doesn't matter the breed, the color, the size, or the number,
you have just got to have a dog. Furthermore, you have to walk it every
single day at the exact same time as everyone else. Between 7-8 in the morning
or 5-6 in the evening, or both.
You are cool in Virginia when you
have a personalized license plate. Regular old boring numbers cannot compete
with the awesomeness of personalized plates. So much for novelty- everyone has
one
You are cool in Virginia when you
are cool. Sleeves and knee-length skirts and shorts are definitely not cool in
Virginia. Oh, and make sure your AC is turned on to keep your house at exactly
68 degrees at all times.
You are cool in Virginia when you
have a political bumper sticker. You are especially cool if you have more than
one or more than one with opposing views on opposite sides of the bumper. (who
does that?!)
You are cool in Virginia when you
don't have any lights in your ceiling. No- you are far too cool for the
possibility of turning one switch and having one big light turn on. You need to
have 8 lamps in your house that you have to walk around to turn them all on.
Real cool Virginians.
You are cool in Virginia when you
don't think that the world needs parallel roads. (Guess what, it does need
them.)
You are cool in Virginia when you
were not born in the United States.
Well, I hope you have enjoyed my
insights in the world of Virginia. This place is definitely not Idaho, and
several times I have been asked if Idaho was a different country and once
someone insisted that Idaho was actually called Iowa back here in the East. Be
assured I informed the individual that there was in fact an Idaho and an Iowa
and they happen to be very much different states.
Things are going well here. We just
had zone conference with our mission president, and it got me really excited
for the work all over again. He gave us a whole bunch of things to focus on to
try to be bolder and more aware of our investigator's needs. The problem that
Hermana Rane and I are facing is that none of our investigators are
progressing. We are trying so hard, but we don't have any references from
people in the ward and we are just knocking almost every single day. it is
really really hard to help the work move forward when we are continually
knocking. No one keeps commitments and we just keep having to start all over
again. It is hard and a little discouraging. That is why I am so so grateful
for the beautiful broadcast just last night for all the leaders. I am especially
pleased that Dale got to hear it so I don't have to tell everyone what
happened. The long story short is that, MISSIONARIES CANT DO IT ALONE. We will
be gone one day and the new converts will need to have a place in the ward
where they belong, where they have friends. We try our best every single day,
but we can do very little without the help of the members. I know that our
lives our busy. I know that it is hard to find a moment in our schedules
especially with church and work and social lives. It is so hard, and I know it.
But if those who can, would either A) prayerfully think of a friend who would
benefit from hearing the Gospel message, and furthermore would call said friend
and invite them over to the house to listen to the missionaries or B) Those who
can- try going out with the missionaries even just once a month for an hour. It
is a hard thing and I know. But think of those missionaries being me. We need
the help and guidance from the members. I know my family is wonderful. It is
scary (I have recently discovered said scariness) but the Spirit can be your
guide in this. It can help and give you confidence and boldness that you need
to share the message with love. This is a wonderful time to live. Let us help
our friends and neighbors. I know this is a lot to ask, but the promises of the
Lord are with us.
I love the members of our ward. They
are just so wonderful. They always take the chance to say hi to us and jabber
at us for 10 minutes while we try to understand what they are even saying. In
reality I only get about 50 % of what is being said and Hma Rane a bit more,
but they like us anyway. I am so grateful to be teaching Hispanics. They are
just so nice. We have gotten return appointments with people that really don't
want to hear what you have to say all that much. They never get crazy fired up
when you knock on their doors and they act like they like you. The few doors of
white people that we've knocked have been so different, and dare I say Scary?.
Anyway, I love talking to people and getting to know their stories. I just love
them all.
I love being a missionary. It is
hard. But I love every single day here on the mission. Even the bad days. I
love sharing the Gospel. Again, it is hard. But it is it so worth it. I know
the Church is true.
Love
Hermana Christensen
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