Conversion to Christ

Elder Watson, a high school friend.

Hey Everybody,

I had a great week, mostly because we got to hear Elder Oaks in a video conference on Saturday. It was to our mission, the Concepcion mission, a mission in Santiago and the Antofagasta mission. It was really powerful and I learnd a lot. He talked a lot about the importance of commitment. What I liked most in the talk was that he talked about being converted to Christ and not just to the Church. I liked that a lot because I feel like throughout my mission I have been able to strengthen my conversion to Christ. I am really grateful for that and am looking forward to having more experiences to strengthen that conversion to Christ. 

I got the package last week and loved it! I think it was the best package I have recieved in my mission. My favorite gift was the little book on Grace by Sheri Dew. I read the whole thing and it helped me so much! I felt a lot of peace as I read it and really felt inspired. I plan to re-read it often. I also love the little book of daily thoughts on the atonement. I look forward to reading a new thought everyday! The ties are beautiful as well! It is so nice to have new ties!!!!  Everybody loves the jelly beans and jerky as well. Thank you soo much!!!! 

Football with our Zone

The Rivalry lives on in Chile

I am doing well. This week I also learned the importance of gratitude. I was praying this week and I thanked  Heavenly Father for some of the difficult experiences I had during the week because I was able to learn from them. Even when I made mistakes, I was able to thank Heavenly Father because I was able to avoid them later on. I am grateful for my growth! I love you all so much!

Our District

Happy Birthday Elder C!

You are all so great, Love you tons!!!!

Elder Will Christensen

Hello!

Hello!

I have been doing really well. Last week I got to see Jon Watson. It was so great to talk with him for a minute. I am so grateful to have such great friends! I had no Idea that his twin sister had gotten married. That is nuts and crazy to think of other people I know getting married. I am kind of in shock.

This week we were talking to M about the Book of Mormon. He loves the Book of Mormon and believes it is true, but doesn't want to leave his church. This week we invited him to take the Book of Mormon to his pastor and share it with him to see what he would say. We haven't been able to talk to him since, so we will see how that went.

It is kind of one of those weeks where I don't have much to say other than I love you guys tons! You should send me an email full of stuff you want to know so that I can answer. Sorry, I don't have much to say!

LOVE YOU ALL!

ELDER CHRISTENSEN

Conference

Hey family! 

General Conference made me miss you guys! It was all about the family! I loved this conference. I think I heard something I needed in every talk. I was often taken aback by the powerful messages. I had tears come to my eyes as Sister Burton was talking about parents. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for Mom and Dad. They are so awesome! I love them so much!!!! I also started crying as Elder Holland told the story of those two brothers. I was thinking of Charlie the whole time! I know that if it had been us in that same situation Charlie would have been there for me! I love that kid soo much! I felt that love for him during that talk. I am glad it is just the two of us brothers because we can have a very special relationship. Charlie is the best I love him so so much! I also felt a very special feeling as the young men's second counselor talked about Fathers in priesthood. I am so grateful for dad and the relationship we have.  Each of these three experiences were very powerful and very special for me and I know it is because we have such a great family!!!!! Family Family Family!!!  I also had a special experience as one of the Elders from the seventy told the story about the little girl in the plane crash. I felt so much sympathy that little girl and for everybody who finds themselves in such difficult circumstances. 

My Favorite talks were... 

Elder Bednar on Fear

Elder Uchtdorf on Grace

Elder Holland on the Atonement

I loved all of the talks. I really liked Elder Uchtdorf's talk in Priesthood meeting as well. I was grateful for the talks about not focusing too much on positions because I get frustrated by that sometimes. And I measure the type of missionary and person I am because of numbers and positions. It is a dangerous trap.  These talks helped me regain perspective. I am so grateful for the simple people who serve simply and consistantly. Honest. Simple. Solid and True. I hope that I can be more like these people.  I learned so much from conference! I loved the powerful talk President Eyring gave about fasting as well. I could really talk about every talk it was so fantastic.

I got to watch conference in English this time so that was great. Yesterday morning I traveled to Concepcion with Elder L because he needed a doctor visit. It has been great to be here in Concepcion again. I love the coastal air. It reminds me so much of Newport. 

I just talked to Jon Watson on the phone he saw Aaron Midgley in a computer cafe and they just called me.  We are going to hook up in the office in about an hour. So stoked to see him. 

I am doing so well! I am really happy and I feel like I am learning to apply the Atonement like never before. I am so grateful for the Atonement. I am grateful for Conference. I know that the Prophet and Apostles are truly called of God! I am so grateful for the love and power I feel when they speak. As I have thought the last day or so I have been completely amazed with the Gospel. It is incredible. It means so much. I LOVE IT! 

I can't say enough! I have got to go but I love you all so, so, so much! 

Elder Christensen

Easter Eggs

Family,

I am doing very well and I have some great stories for you this week.

First off, I would like to say a few things. I am stoked for General Conference. Elder Zaballos will be speaking in spanish I believe, so if you would like to hear what I listen to all day you should listen to his talk in spanish because he is Chilean.

This week we painted Easter eggs for the ward activity and the hid them and it turned out to be a big success. We have an awesome new investigator that we found about two weeks ago named M. When we stopped by a couple days ago he was in Mormon 5 in the Book of Mormon. I have never had an investigator read it that fast. He came to church yesterday and had a good experience I believe. Tambien J received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday and got an great hometeaching partner. We are working a lot with his mom but his sisters are studying in Concepcion and his dad is in the North of Chile every other week so it is a little bit harder to teach him. Yesterday we also had two great investigators come to Church named C and M. They actually when to the Stake Center, but there were some members from our ward that were walking out on their way to our building. They followed the Spirit and were able to help our investigators get to the right building. After the meeting, our investigators told us how amazed they were that the members were so friendly. They had a really great experience and are excited to keep coming. 

I am doing really well and hope you have a great week love you tons! 

Elder Christensen

Good Investigators

My New Companion!

Hey Fam!

Love you guys tons! I have had a good week. I love my new companion! He is awesome! Elder C wants to work really hard and we are really striving to be better missionaries. The only down side is that he is a Utah fan. My new zone leader is really great as well. His name is Elder L. He is from San Antonio, Texas. I am really excited for this cambio it is going to be really great!

Thanks for the the updates. Stoked for Cate's mission call, but sad she leaves before I get back. So happy for Claire and Emma in their races! Way to go! Breaking speed barriors. That's awesome!

I skimmed through dad's talk and it was really great and I am excited to sit down and read it with a little bit more time. I am so grateful for spiritual experiences.

Today we played football as a zone and it was so much fun! I love football!

We have got some good investigators that have a lot of potential and we are really striving to help them. They are really great people! 

I am sorry I am not sure what I should write, maybe you guys should give me some suggestions next time you write me. I want to know what you would like to hear. 

Love you,

Elder Christensen

Cambios

Hello Everybody!

I hope you are all doing well. I am well. I will be staying here this cambio. My new companion will be Elder C. I am pretty sure he is from Kaysville. He came with Elder G and Elder D, two of my last companions. I also got a call from Elder G this morning and he told me that he will be training this cambio. So that is the good word. 

Elder V, Jorge and I

Don't worry about the volcano thing. it is pretty far away. When I was in Lonchoche, I could see that volcano every day. It is only a half hour away. It would be pretty cool to be there right now.

This week was pretty good. It was a pretty normal week I am not quite sure what to say. I am grateful for your letters. I enjoyed reading them today. It was crazy to see the cousins they look so grown up.  

LOVE YOU TONS!

Elder Christensen

4th Quarter

Hey Fam!

I am so glad to here you are all doing so well! You are such a grand support for me and I love you tons! I have missed you a lot more this week I don't know why. Hemana Bluth wanted to see photos of our families when we had interviews with President and I think that it kind of made me trunky looking at all of the pictures of you guys. I want you to know how deep my love for each one of you is. I can't think about you guys too much because I get all teary, but each of you are my heroes.

I appreciate your thoughts in your letters this morning. I was able to briefly read through your letters. It was great to hear about mom's experiences and I am grateful for the thoughts she shared with me. It was something that I needed. They were answers to my prayers. I was also very happy too hear about dad's back. I have been worried about him. I am grateful that he is doing well. I also want to thank him for his thoughts.

I can't believe that Grace got braces. That caught me completely off guard. As well as the idea that Emma will have her license this week! Speaking of braces, I think Charlie has the greatest smile in the family now after seeing the Christmas card. Hna Bluth was very grateful for the Christmas card by the way, I could tell it meant a lot to her.

As Dad said, I feel like my mission experience has been nothing like what I thought it would be. I feel like I am learning  some very important lessons and I am really learning to come to Christ. I feel like there is a very, very, very long way to go. I am trying to put more emphasis in my study of the attributes of Christ to help me. It has been a very humbling experience. Lots of ups and downs. I am grateful for dad's experience in the temple. There are times when I rely on that experience a lot. I feel like I am growing a lot. I think I have aged a lot on my mission, there is quite a difference between my first chilean ID and my second chilean ID.

I watched Ephraim's Rescue today, I love that movie so much. It inspires me a ton. I feel like I can really relate to Ephraim. In frustration for my imperfections, I hope that I can overcome them like he did.

We had two great experiences at the end of the week that really lifted me. We found two investigators that accepted baptismal dates. They are very nice people and I have a lot of hope for them. It was a really sweet blessing after a little bit of a frustrating week. Miracles do happen!

My focus for the fourth quarter is LOSE YOURSELF! 

Sorry this letter is a little choppy.

LOVE YOU TONS!

Elder William Christensen