Sept. 26th, 2011

Things are going good. We are finding a lot of people to teach! The Spanish is getting better and better. I can understand more and more Spanish, it is just putting it all together now! The other day we taught in English because we ran into an English family and they invited us in. I still can speak English, but the words I said in English were words that I would use in Spanish to teach (words like marvelous some words just aren't as popular in English as in Spanish, I don't really know how to describe it.) and I was reversing some things. So I'm a horrible teacher in English and Spanish. But the good thing is, I don't have to be a good teacher because the Spirit is the teacher in this work! Thank goodness.

 

My companion and me are getting along more and more each day. We like just about all the same things... Basketball, Nike, Jordan, Kobe, Golf, cosas asi.

 

Sorry if I haven't written any of you back super fast, I'm so behind on letters it's crazy!

This week we got caught in a huge rain storm and we were just soaked. It was about 7:30. When we rode back home, the rain had cleared and there was a nice little lightning show. It was pretty cool.

I am meeting a lot of cool people here, I have learned so much and can't wait to learn more!

On Tuesday me and Elder Gregory (was in my MTC district with me) went on splits together! We really don't know Spanish, it was soooooo fun! One of the best days so far of my mission! The Spanish people loved laughing at our horrible Spanish and they were a lot nicer to us because they could tell we were just struggling. But it was a good good day.

 

Love and miss you all! Thanks for the prayers and letters.

 

Elder Christiansen

Sept. 19th, 2011

So another short email probably. Sorry.. But I'm having a great time. This last week was a lot better than the last one. We had a lot more teaching appointments and everything just seemed to go a lot better. We had a cool contact with a guy waiting for a bus. He said he had a gospel album coming out and he gave us a little  sample. It was way good. It was kind of R&B and had a lot of flow. It was awesome. We are also teaching a couple of members from the same church. And their pastor! He is way cool and nice and said that he is very open. His family is awesome and nice too. I love them. We went to his church on Saturday and it he said something that I really liked. Unfortunately I didn't understand it in Spanish, but my companion told me afterwards. He said that when we are going through trials and difficulties that there is a blessing in our path. Satan gives us all these problems, difficulties, and  trials trying to get our faith and hopes down. But we just need to press forward with faith, relying on our Savior, Jesus Christ, because there is a blessing waiting for us.

 

I know that that is true. Last week was a rough rough week. My testimony took shots left and right and nothing just seemed to go my way. This week, blessings were just flowing. EVERYTHING was better. I have grown so much in the last week and it is because I was having a difficult time then got through it. The only one that knew what I was going through was my Savior. I relied on him, and he delivered. Even though my testimony might have went down a little last week, it shot up this week way more than it went down. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for struggles and difficulties because it brings us closer to our Savior and strengthens our testimony of this church. He suffered so much more than any of us could ever suffer. I testify that he is always there for you, with his arm extended to pick you back up, and when times are really tough, he will pick you up and carry you. I love Him and I know that He lives.

 

I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and letters!

 

Love

Elder Christiansen

Sept. 12th, 2011

We are having a good time out here! It is tough, but it is fun. I learn something new every single day. The Lord always provides us with whatever we need. If He didn't help us in this work, it would be impossible. We had two big thunderstorms this week and it was bike week, I really enjoyed it. A little sketchy with lighting striking around but we were smart about it and it was far enough away that the only danger was getting really wet from all the rain. So I thought it was a blast. It was my first time getting stuck in a rain storm out here so far. We might have even made the news. Some news guy had a camera looking at something during the storm and we rode right by him. We also met a real cool Spanish guy in the storm. He had no where to go because he was looking for shelter. So we got his address, the Lord always puts people in our path. It's bien (really) chevery (cool).

 

One day it was just really sunny and I didn't put on sunscreen. When I got back home, I had the worst missionary tan. I took a picture of it, so I'll be sending that pretty soon. 

One day we were biking and a car got a flat tire right next to us. We were just hoping they were Spanish. And they were. so we helped them for a while to get the tire back on and got their address. They seemed real nice also.

 

Elder Spilsbury had leadership meetings this week and so I had to go on an exchange with an English speaking missionary. We stayed in my area though. When we ran into Spanish people, my Spanish was just flowing. It was so cool. But then once Elder Spilsbury got back, my Spanish went back to it's regular bad self. It's chevery how the Lord helps you when you really need it.

 

I can't remember any of my last letters that I wrote, so I don't know if I already told you this, but last P-Day we went and played indoor soccer with some members of our ward because one of them owns a sweet facility. And I got torn up. But it was way fun still.

 

I really don't know what to say except I'm loving it out here and I'm learning so much!

 

Thanks for all your prayers! And Love you all!

Love, Elder Christiansen

Sept. 6th, 2011

I'm having a blast here! It really hasn't hit me that I'm on a mission yet, it's wierd, I don't know how to explain it haha but I love it. So this week I went on two exchanges. The first exchange was with another Spanish speaking elder and we were biking. I was using his companion's bike. (Elder Gregory, he was in my MTC district and now we our in a district together in the mission). I went over a speed bump and at the same time somehow I hit the front brake hard enough to flip my bike frontwards. So the bike crashed and I went over the handlebars, but somehow I never fell. It didn't make sense. The bike crashed and I just was walking forward kind of. I don't know how to explain it, but I just never fell which was a miracle. The Lord's hand is so present in everything, it is crazy. My second exchange this week was with a zone leader. (I shouldn't have to go on another exchange for a while, since I went on two this week which I think is pretty rare but I don't know) The zone leaders teach college students. Not the UCF college students, the sister missionaries teach the UCF students, but the zone leaders teach college students that go to other colleges around here. It was cool to teach with them because I got to speak English and they are people your age. It was pretty cool, I really liked it. We went on a temple tour with a guy that was just recently baptized. He is just so happy right now. The gospel brought him so much happiness. I feel like he should be teaching me just because of the happiness he had and the spirit that he felt. I realized just how much I have taken this gospel for granted my whole life. People are so happy to hear it sometimes. It's crazy.

 

I had some pretty cool experiances this week. Some people at the start of the lesson put up little barriers and just aren't too interested. By the end of the lesson, the spirit has worked a miracle on them. Their whole thought process and just everything about them changes. We had one lesson where a guy just totally changed by the end. It was a miracle. To me he just looked different at the end, it is the coolest thing that I have ever seen.

 

I know this church is true. I can't ever deny it. Even if you just read The Restoration (Chapter 3 Section 1) from Preach My Gospel, it makes perfect sense. It's so fun teaching it. And it's cool to tell Spanish peple that their ancestors had a record too called the Book of Mormon. They love it sometimes.

 

And 1 of my companions got transferred to a new area. So it's just me and Elder Spilsbury now. It's a blast. Love you all! Thanks for the prayers and everything!

 

Love,

Elder Christiansen