WOW everyone is doing so many things! i cant even keep it straight in my head! haha, its sounds like everyone is having so much fun, that youth conference sounds AWESOME!!! collin and cara are lucky! and collin- way to go keeping up the christensen tradition at the dances. cant let that one die.
Marissa, its been good to hear from you! and dont worry, i totally get the too busy to do much thing... happens to me every day. :P and dont worry, the door-knocking gets easier. after a while, you learn to laugh at people when they're mean like that. Speaking of tracting, i did a LOT this week. AND it wasn't even bad! i finally got over my fear of knocking on doors and talking to people i dont know! well mostly anyway. but now i can actually talk to people and not trip completely over my words! AND i'm starting to pick up the vernacular and accent... i know some of you will be happy about that. :) Anyway, the week has been so amazing, i went on trade-offs twice. both with missionaries who have been out for only a transfer longer than me, and both of them came to my area, so i found out that i REALLY need to learn how to plan effectively REALLY fast. haha. Elder Power is helping me with that. also, we have a new investigator, we taught her the first lesson on her door step yesterday, because she was home alone, and we cant go in to the flat without another male over 18, so that was kinda a bummer, but the lesson was really good. Oh, and the investigator whom we taught the law of chastity to is still going strong. She knows what decision she needs to make, but her partner is making it difficult for her. But her faith isn't shaken. she's still progressing, and we are helping her move more toward those decisions she needs to make in the near future.
oh my gosh! DAD! HAPPY VERY BELATED FATHERS DAY! sorry, i would have sent you some tim tams so you could do some slams, but as it turned out, We finished off the last 2 packs of them in about 15 minutes last saturday after we taught 4 discussions and committed 8 people to come to church in one day! so that was good.
i cant reply to everyone's email in this one, cause i'm running out of time fast, so im just going to say thank you for all of your inspiring letters- they have helped me quite a lot. :)
but there are SOME things that i want to adress- collin, sorry bout that having to burn stuff all by yourself, i totally know how that goes. one suggestion i have for you is to put some conference talks on you mp3 player. they're great. :) Also, that package, i hope there's some chocolate in it, cause i ran out! :P
OH! i know that lots of you like to just send email because snail mail takes so long, BUT there is NOTHING like getting hard mail... i love it. so if you feel so inclined, get out some paper and a pen.
some things i've learned this week- there is nothing as powerful as a prayer said out loud. its amazing how the spirit can work through you for you as you pray. also, dad you always told me about how sometimes when you're teaching, you say something thats even new to you, and you're like, "whoa... i didnt even know that!" well, i was always like, oh thats cool, hope that happens... and then wa BAM! like 3 times in one week, i just throw stuff out that im like, WHAT! how did i come up with that? its pretty crazy. i love it though. Also, i found that when you pray for a testimony, you get it. i found that i wanted and needed to bear more powerful testimony, so i prayed for it and studied and did all that, and its coming, i really have been able to cater it towards individual investigators, and it has made a HUGE difference. Anyway, I'm running out of time, but i'm sorry that once again my email is late, we had zone temple day today, so today became out p-day rather than monday, so thats that. ok. well, i really have to go now, we still have to shower and get to an appointment in an hour-- by the way, rugby, or "footie" is like the most fun sport ever. ok, I love you all so much! pray for missionary experiences and they will come! also, this is a startling figure- president richards said that something like only 5 people in every ward are ready and willing to help the missionaries with the work- something to think about. :P anyway, now i REALLY gotta go. Love you all so much!
Elder Christensen
Musings of an LDS Millenial
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Another Week
Hey family!
ok, so new idea. you should take all of your questions and combine them into one list so i can go through and answer all of them! haha I'll do my best. Also, a re-emphasis on the fact that Mom or Dad are supposed to be the first recipients of any mail i send. President Richards said specifically that that included siblings- sorry to be a kill joy, but i've recently been finding out how many blessings come from complete obedience. Ok, now I'll try and answer all of your questions. :)
Leticia is Ethiopian, her last name is Bandibombe. Gorgi's last name is Askham, she's English. Jay's last name is Singh. he's nepalese. Jay is THIS close to quitting smoking, and we hope to getting baptized. Leticia is waiting for her mom to get into Aus. so she can show her what the church is all about. We're reteaching all the lessons to make sure she understands. Gorgi, made some decisions about her defacto relationship that we weren't thrilled about, but we then taught her a lesson about obedience, and i think she figured it out. We also gave her a blessing of Comfort and counsel. it was really good. So we'll see if she figures it out this week. Also, This week we had 8- count them EIGHT investigators at church INCLUDING a family of 5 who is muslim. The mother is so Christlike. she asked for a BofM after church, and they committed to come to church next week. Thats a very delicate position though. The Mission president has to interview any Muslim Investigators before we start teaching them becuase many of them are refugees and if they go back to their native countries being any form of Christian, they can be tortured and/or killed. But before that they have to be progressing and keeping committments. So they have to read and Pray about the BofM and be coming to church for 3 weeks straight before the interview can even take place, and before we can formally teach them. so that will be an adventure. The members here are great. Every sunday at church, there are 2 or 3 people who just walk up and ask us to come over for dinner. and then during the week they call us up too. The ward mission is AMAZING and the Ward Mission Leader is the best I have ever heard of. Even my trainer is impressed, and he's been out for 18 months! And am i being fed? haha... lets just say that a good portion of the ward is POLYNESIAN. :P that ought to answer that question. I'm pretty sure I am slowly making my way 140 lbs. Oh, and i remember Dad asking about my companion... Go to RubberBall.com and type in NERD. That would answer a few questions. :) but i recently went on trade-offs with one of the zone leaders and he told me that Elder Power is legendary. Most missionaries hear of him long before they ever meet him apparently. And since then, he's not the only person i've heard that from. So i guess i'm pretty lucky. :) He's also one of the funniest people i have ever met- sort of reminds me of collin. but in a marissa sort of way... If that makes sense. :P Ok, this is funny. so yesterday, it was about 15 degrees. so like 60ish. Everyone was walking around it sweatshirts and coats, and even Elder Power had on a sweater. I was walking around in my short-sleeved shirt. Everywhere we went, people invited us in because it was "so cold." oh man, i nearly died every time i realized that they were serious. :P oh, funny thing about driving here. you do about 50 in residential areas, about 60 in the cities, 80 on the highway and anywhere from 80 to 110 on the freeways. Faster if you're in the middle of nowhere. ok, now take all of those numbers and convert them from KM/H to MPH. and imagine that the speedometer has no MPH on it. makes driving really fun. or something. :P Wow dad that's really cool about Brynn! I do remember her. Tell her Hi for me. :D
Cara! so who's surprised you got a 4.0? raise your hand- anyone? anyone at all? No? ya. Me neither. :P haha im glad to know that you're still doing so well. and the telethon thing... haha i know ALL about answering phones for extended periods of time. fun, aint it? Oh, and i DO have pictures for you, but i'm getting a bunch of other stuff to send home too- there's these cookies that they have here- called tim tams. kind of like those fudge-covered graham crackers mom used to buy, but so much better. We do these things called "tim-tam slams" they're fun, you bite off the opposite corners of the tim tam, and then suck hot chocolate through it, and then when it starts to melt, you slam it into your mouth. its way good, i'll send home a pack so ya'll can try it.
ah, the breakfast cereals are lacking. you know how we have like whole isles devoted to them? ya they have half of a short isle on one side in a BIG grocery story. But they have this cereal called crunchy nut- its like honey-nut corn flakes, way good. some culture stuff- people dont say "how you doing?" they say "how you goin?" the police cars look like checkered race flags, they have their own car dealership called Holden, which makes cars much like Toyota and Ford, but way cheaper. Everyone is really laid back. Even the worst rejection i've had has been really polite, and ended with, "have a good one mate." oh, there are no j-walking laws. so you can cross at cross walks, but ya dont have to. oh, and "far out" is the latest term for "cool." there's a bunch of other slang that i've picked up, as well as some of the accent, but that would take pages to write. We'll just say that when i call home, you'll be entertained I'm sure. :)
Collin- sorry to hear your piano recital was kind of a bummer, but knowing you, you prolly rocked the house anyway. The high school really does need mom's help. :P
Anna- Glad to hear you did so well at your dance recital. I bet that'll be a life-long enjoyment for you. I'm excited to see how you'll be when i get back. :) i hope someone took video.
Whitney- sounds like you had a blast at graduation! I'm happy for you! Keep up the good work. :) i sent you a letter a little while back, and I'm sending another one soon, so hopefully you get those soon.
Ok, well, i gotta go, I love you all so much, and i Know that i am where i am supposed to be. Keep up all the missionary efforts!
Elder Christensen
ok, so new idea. you should take all of your questions and combine them into one list so i can go through and answer all of them! haha I'll do my best. Also, a re-emphasis on the fact that Mom or Dad are supposed to be the first recipients of any mail i send. President Richards said specifically that that included siblings- sorry to be a kill joy, but i've recently been finding out how many blessings come from complete obedience. Ok, now I'll try and answer all of your questions. :)
Leticia is Ethiopian, her last name is Bandibombe. Gorgi's last name is Askham, she's English. Jay's last name is Singh. he's nepalese. Jay is THIS close to quitting smoking, and we hope to getting baptized. Leticia is waiting for her mom to get into Aus. so she can show her what the church is all about. We're reteaching all the lessons to make sure she understands. Gorgi, made some decisions about her defacto relationship that we weren't thrilled about, but we then taught her a lesson about obedience, and i think she figured it out. We also gave her a blessing of Comfort and counsel. it was really good. So we'll see if she figures it out this week. Also, This week we had 8- count them EIGHT investigators at church INCLUDING a family of 5 who is muslim. The mother is so Christlike. she asked for a BofM after church, and they committed to come to church next week. Thats a very delicate position though. The Mission president has to interview any Muslim Investigators before we start teaching them becuase many of them are refugees and if they go back to their native countries being any form of Christian, they can be tortured and/or killed. But before that they have to be progressing and keeping committments. So they have to read and Pray about the BofM and be coming to church for 3 weeks straight before the interview can even take place, and before we can formally teach them. so that will be an adventure. The members here are great. Every sunday at church, there are 2 or 3 people who just walk up and ask us to come over for dinner. and then during the week they call us up too. The ward mission is AMAZING and the Ward Mission Leader is the best I have ever heard of. Even my trainer is impressed, and he's been out for 18 months! And am i being fed? haha... lets just say that a good portion of the ward is POLYNESIAN. :P that ought to answer that question. I'm pretty sure I am slowly making my way 140 lbs. Oh, and i remember Dad asking about my companion... Go to RubberBall.com and type in NERD. That would answer a few questions. :) but i recently went on trade-offs with one of the zone leaders and he told me that Elder Power is legendary. Most missionaries hear of him long before they ever meet him apparently. And since then, he's not the only person i've heard that from. So i guess i'm pretty lucky. :) He's also one of the funniest people i have ever met- sort of reminds me of collin. but in a marissa sort of way... If that makes sense. :P Ok, this is funny. so yesterday, it was about 15 degrees. so like 60ish. Everyone was walking around it sweatshirts and coats, and even Elder Power had on a sweater. I was walking around in my short-sleeved shirt. Everywhere we went, people invited us in because it was "so cold." oh man, i nearly died every time i realized that they were serious. :P oh, funny thing about driving here. you do about 50 in residential areas, about 60 in the cities, 80 on the highway and anywhere from 80 to 110 on the freeways. Faster if you're in the middle of nowhere. ok, now take all of those numbers and convert them from KM/H to MPH. and imagine that the speedometer has no MPH on it. makes driving really fun. or something. :P Wow dad that's really cool about Brynn! I do remember her. Tell her Hi for me. :D
Cara! so who's surprised you got a 4.0? raise your hand- anyone? anyone at all? No? ya. Me neither. :P haha im glad to know that you're still doing so well. and the telethon thing... haha i know ALL about answering phones for extended periods of time. fun, aint it? Oh, and i DO have pictures for you, but i'm getting a bunch of other stuff to send home too- there's these cookies that they have here- called tim tams. kind of like those fudge-covered graham crackers mom used to buy, but so much better. We do these things called "tim-tam slams" they're fun, you bite off the opposite corners of the tim tam, and then suck hot chocolate through it, and then when it starts to melt, you slam it into your mouth. its way good, i'll send home a pack so ya'll can try it.
ah, the breakfast cereals are lacking. you know how we have like whole isles devoted to them? ya they have half of a short isle on one side in a BIG grocery story. But they have this cereal called crunchy nut- its like honey-nut corn flakes, way good. some culture stuff- people dont say "how you doing?" they say "how you goin?" the police cars look like checkered race flags, they have their own car dealership called Holden, which makes cars much like Toyota and Ford, but way cheaper. Everyone is really laid back. Even the worst rejection i've had has been really polite, and ended with, "have a good one mate." oh, there are no j-walking laws. so you can cross at cross walks, but ya dont have to. oh, and "far out" is the latest term for "cool." there's a bunch of other slang that i've picked up, as well as some of the accent, but that would take pages to write. We'll just say that when i call home, you'll be entertained I'm sure. :)
Collin- sorry to hear your piano recital was kind of a bummer, but knowing you, you prolly rocked the house anyway. The high school really does need mom's help. :P
Anna- Glad to hear you did so well at your dance recital. I bet that'll be a life-long enjoyment for you. I'm excited to see how you'll be when i get back. :) i hope someone took video.
Whitney- sounds like you had a blast at graduation! I'm happy for you! Keep up the good work. :) i sent you a letter a little while back, and I'm sending another one soon, so hopefully you get those soon.
Ok, well, i gotta go, I love you all so much, and i Know that i am where i am supposed to be. Keep up all the missionary efforts!
Elder Christensen
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
All Hail the Queen!
Hello family and friends!
well, in explanation of my late email, it was the queen's birthday on monday, and we make it a practice to always proselyte on holidays cause everyone is at home! so we did. most people were home. we had some VERY interesting conversations one in particular with a guy who was probably in his 50's who was a psychiatrist of some sort who wouldn't shut up about how God doesnt speak to man, and how he had the bible all figured out, and how he changes over time... really quite entertaining, but it made me so sad because i realised how lonely and dark a life that must be- but we definitely planted some good seeds elsewhere. then, tuesday was zone conference, which was amazing- president richard's son gave a training on effective tracting and street contacting. i took like 5 pages of notes on just his talk. so that was good. so today, wednesday is the day for p-day. sorry bout that. anyway, its been a crazy week. Leticia, who we started teaching 2 weeks ago, dropped contact with us for a while, cause her mom freaked out again, but came to church again this last sunday. She said she just needs to wait for her mom to get hear, and then calm her down before she gets baptized... so it probably wont happen this transfer, but she IS getting baptized. So we will continue to work with her. Also, We satrted teaching a girl named Georgie who lives with a less-active member. Her partner, Dan, isnt at all interested in coming back to the church, but georgie is eating it up! Completely Golden. we taught her the first 2 lessons last week, and she was so excited! I have never seen someone so intensely focused on what i was saying before. I cant even describe how that room felt, it was amazing, the spirit was so strong, and she wants to learn more so bad. She's reading, and praying and calling her partner's mother who is active for questions she has, and just eating it up! She's been to church every week, and loves it. Tonight is going to be her moment of truth though... Dad i dont know if you remember "The District" but the part where they tell that one couple that they either have to get married or move out before the lady can be baptized... ya we're doing that EXACT same thing with Georgie tonight. We're covering the 3rd lesson and the law of chastity. so hopefully she'll see the wisdom in that. Also, we are teaching a Nepalese guy who the sisters before us had taught, and committed to baptism. He's going to be baptized for sure, but he moved too quickly and didnt include his wife in the decision and she freaked out. so we're still working with him, but he post-poned his baptism. He also needs to quit smoking, so we are working with him on a stop smoking program that the church puts out, and he's already made significant progress.
ok, so i asked my mission president if I was allowed to email the siblings- unfortunately i can't- but i can write to them in this email, and ya'll can email mom or dad and they can forward it to me. sorry guys.
anyway, Dad, you are right, the feelings of inadequacy and homesickness have indeed kicked in. I spent a long time on my knees and in journal and in the scriptures trying to get over it. finally, I just said, this is not about me, or about getting home. its about God's children, and THEM getting home. when i had that thought, i had so much peace come over me, it was almost intoxicating- addictive. it helped me get through the day on monday. now, i think im back to normal. but dad, your advice was well-timed. Also, Just this morning in my personal study, i did indeed read about what makes a missionary successful. Made my day. :)
Collin-
you are so lucky you can play the piano. I am just realizing how incredibly effective it is to learn. you can play ANYWERE, and some investigators love it when you can play a church song for them. Keep it up. Also, you will be interested to know that I am still driving the car, and I'm getting better at it. I'm to the point now that going back to America and driving there will be weird. And no, we actually dont even have bikes. the office still hasnt sent them. we're not exactly sure why.
Cara-
I am so happy to hear that you are doing so well! Ya, you know how the blinker stick is on the left side of the steering wheel and the windshield wiper turner-oner is on the right side of the steering wheel? WELL, its opposite here, so im used to turning on the blinker, and all I do is turn the windshield wiper on! :P oh, and we had our first real day of winter yesterday. it got down to a whopping 67 degrees last night! brrrrrrr!
Anna-
What? no email? hmmm.... well i hope you're doing good, missy. Good luck with your dance recital! i wish i could see it! you'll have to have someone take video or something and send me the SD card.
Marissa-
EMAIL ME. i want to hear about you too. tell me about califoria! and your job, and everything!
Rochelle-
well I'm glad you're feeling better. As it turns out, I didnt catch what my companion had, so im considering myself lucky. also, with that chinese woman that you VT, you are so right about not breaking contact with her! We had a training at district meeting about how crucial it is for investigators and less-active members to have fellowship in the their wards at church and out of church. contact with someone other than the missionaries WEEKLY is vitally important for them. So, you definitley have the right idea, keep it up! :)
Mom- haha... just your luck to go to all that work spraying and then have it dump on you huh? :P sorry to hear that. well the wind sounds like it was pretty intense. i kinda wish i saw it. that would have been cool. hope it didnt rip the flag up- we just got that thing.
whitney-
haven't gotten your letter yet, but they only give mail at Zone conference, transfers, and then the district leader council. so... not often. but we'll see. anyway, i dont know when graduation is, or if it already happened, but im way proud of you!
anyway, i love you all, have a good week! I should be back on schedule next week. :)
Elder Christensen
ps- i remember you asking me if i have minesterial certificate- answer is yes. in fact i have 2. because they spelled my middle name wrong the first time. so i have 2 now. :P go figure. maybe ill send that one home so you can have a look at it. :)
well, in explanation of my late email, it was the queen's birthday on monday, and we make it a practice to always proselyte on holidays cause everyone is at home! so we did. most people were home. we had some VERY interesting conversations one in particular with a guy who was probably in his 50's who was a psychiatrist of some sort who wouldn't shut up about how God doesnt speak to man, and how he had the bible all figured out, and how he changes over time... really quite entertaining, but it made me so sad because i realised how lonely and dark a life that must be- but we definitely planted some good seeds elsewhere. then, tuesday was zone conference, which was amazing- president richard's son gave a training on effective tracting and street contacting. i took like 5 pages of notes on just his talk. so that was good. so today, wednesday is the day for p-day. sorry bout that. anyway, its been a crazy week. Leticia, who we started teaching 2 weeks ago, dropped contact with us for a while, cause her mom freaked out again, but came to church again this last sunday. She said she just needs to wait for her mom to get hear, and then calm her down before she gets baptized... so it probably wont happen this transfer, but she IS getting baptized. So we will continue to work with her. Also, We satrted teaching a girl named Georgie who lives with a less-active member. Her partner, Dan, isnt at all interested in coming back to the church, but georgie is eating it up! Completely Golden. we taught her the first 2 lessons last week, and she was so excited! I have never seen someone so intensely focused on what i was saying before. I cant even describe how that room felt, it was amazing, the spirit was so strong, and she wants to learn more so bad. She's reading, and praying and calling her partner's mother who is active for questions she has, and just eating it up! She's been to church every week, and loves it. Tonight is going to be her moment of truth though... Dad i dont know if you remember "The District" but the part where they tell that one couple that they either have to get married or move out before the lady can be baptized... ya we're doing that EXACT same thing with Georgie tonight. We're covering the 3rd lesson and the law of chastity. so hopefully she'll see the wisdom in that. Also, we are teaching a Nepalese guy who the sisters before us had taught, and committed to baptism. He's going to be baptized for sure, but he moved too quickly and didnt include his wife in the decision and she freaked out. so we're still working with him, but he post-poned his baptism. He also needs to quit smoking, so we are working with him on a stop smoking program that the church puts out, and he's already made significant progress.
ok, so i asked my mission president if I was allowed to email the siblings- unfortunately i can't- but i can write to them in this email, and ya'll can email mom or dad and they can forward it to me. sorry guys.
anyway, Dad, you are right, the feelings of inadequacy and homesickness have indeed kicked in. I spent a long time on my knees and in journal and in the scriptures trying to get over it. finally, I just said, this is not about me, or about getting home. its about God's children, and THEM getting home. when i had that thought, i had so much peace come over me, it was almost intoxicating- addictive. it helped me get through the day on monday. now, i think im back to normal. but dad, your advice was well-timed. Also, Just this morning in my personal study, i did indeed read about what makes a missionary successful. Made my day. :)
Collin-
you are so lucky you can play the piano. I am just realizing how incredibly effective it is to learn. you can play ANYWERE, and some investigators love it when you can play a church song for them. Keep it up. Also, you will be interested to know that I am still driving the car, and I'm getting better at it. I'm to the point now that going back to America and driving there will be weird. And no, we actually dont even have bikes. the office still hasnt sent them. we're not exactly sure why.
Cara-
I am so happy to hear that you are doing so well! Ya, you know how the blinker stick is on the left side of the steering wheel and the windshield wiper turner-oner is on the right side of the steering wheel? WELL, its opposite here, so im used to turning on the blinker, and all I do is turn the windshield wiper on! :P oh, and we had our first real day of winter yesterday. it got down to a whopping 67 degrees last night! brrrrrrr!
Anna-
What? no email? hmmm.... well i hope you're doing good, missy. Good luck with your dance recital! i wish i could see it! you'll have to have someone take video or something and send me the SD card.
Marissa-
EMAIL ME. i want to hear about you too. tell me about califoria! and your job, and everything!
Rochelle-
well I'm glad you're feeling better. As it turns out, I didnt catch what my companion had, so im considering myself lucky. also, with that chinese woman that you VT, you are so right about not breaking contact with her! We had a training at district meeting about how crucial it is for investigators and less-active members to have fellowship in the their wards at church and out of church. contact with someone other than the missionaries WEEKLY is vitally important for them. So, you definitley have the right idea, keep it up! :)
Mom- haha... just your luck to go to all that work spraying and then have it dump on you huh? :P sorry to hear that. well the wind sounds like it was pretty intense. i kinda wish i saw it. that would have been cool. hope it didnt rip the flag up- we just got that thing.
whitney-
haven't gotten your letter yet, but they only give mail at Zone conference, transfers, and then the district leader council. so... not often. but we'll see. anyway, i dont know when graduation is, or if it already happened, but im way proud of you!
anyway, i love you all, have a good week! I should be back on schedule next week. :)
Elder Christensen
ps- i remember you asking me if i have minesterial certificate- answer is yes. in fact i have 2. because they spelled my middle name wrong the first time. so i have 2 now. :P go figure. maybe ill send that one home so you can have a look at it. :)
Monday, June 1, 2009
First Days in Australia
hey family! (and friends!)
wow, this has been such an amazing week, full of many trials, blessings and tender mercies. I left the MTC with full intentions of traveling alone, and hopefully talking to some people. there were 4 other missionaries who traveled to LAX with me, they were all going to thailand though, so we were going to different terminals for the last leg of our flights. i found mine, and checked in, and FINALLY got to call home! that was so good for me, i needed to hear your voices. :) Im glad to hear that the garden has been planted, and that the ATV is fixed! i've been planting my own garden as it were, and am starting to see the fruits already. I'll give you the details from the time that i got off the plane in australia. the plane ride, by the way, was very uneventful, and i slept for most of it. upon arrival in the airport, i had to go through customs, and throw away the bagel that i had, because of the quarantine laws. Also, because i was still sick, i had to go be screened for the swine flu, which, come to find out, i didnt have. but i already knew that. anyway, i got my luggage, and by the way, one wheel of my medium sized luggage broke somewhere in the flight, so, i had to drag it seperately... wa hoo. :P anyway, after making it thought customs, I found President Richards and his wife very quickly, and got to know them a little bit, and then loaded up my luggage, and drove to the mission office with the APs. I had a brief orientation, which by the way, im supposed to tell you, that i can only email mom and dad, but im going to ask for permission to email the siblings as well, but i dont think that will be a big deal. if not, ill just email yall through mom and dad. so after that, i was told that we were going to lunch at the mission home, and then we would get a surprise... which was that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland came to speak to the mission! i got to shake his hand and talk to him just briefly! it was SO COOL! then he spoke about running with everything we've got. he said that we should be coming back to the flat so tired, we can barely make it through daily planning. well that wasnt too hard the first few days, i found i barely made it past lunch, but that was jet-lag. anyway, after that meeting, i met my trainer, Elder Power. he's been out a year and a half, has trained twice before, been a zone leader twice, and district leader 3 times. he currently is the district leader as well. So, He's training, the district leader, AND we whitewashed into the area- which means that he got there the day before i did, so we're both new to the area. the area, by the way, is brisbane city, and our flat is just a few blocks from the temple, which is on the same grounds as the chapel. its beautiful. so, the first thing we did besides go to the grocery store and unpack, was go to ward council. i barely stayed awake, and barely made it home. OH! thats the other thing- my trainer isn't allowed to drive- too many speeding tickets. so guess what i got to do? yup. drive. on the left side of the road, on the right side of the car, and the blinker stick thing is on the opposite side as well, so instead of turning on the blinker, i turned on the windshield wipers... im still getting it down. but its not too hard to adjust... havent had any close calls yet. :P anyway, so the next day i got my first taste of tracting and GQing... pretty much street contacting. i FROZE up, but on the first door when i did the talking, we got in, and had the first lesson, and had a prayer. i dont think that we'll be going back there, but it was a nice confidence-booster for me. anyway, that night we had an appointment with a girl named Leticia- she's from Ethiopia, and she's a refugee living by herself. We went in with fellowshippers who she knows, and taught her about the book of mormon... turns out she has had many lessons before, and even had committed to baptism before, but her mother would call from ethiopia and just yell at her until she promised to not be baptized. so we talked about that with her, and decided that we would pray with her, and we would fast with her this coming fast sunday. she aggreed, and took a leap of faith, and again, made a commitment to be baptized on june 13th! i was overjoyed. it was so amazing. so later in the week, we went to an english class at the church, (there are lots of oriental people here who speak little or no english) and that was good, but afterwards, one of the ladies that was there, asked me what "elder" meant, and that got us started on the first discussion. I gave her a pass-along card, the restoration pamphlet, and the Plan of Salvation pamphlet... she was really interested, and i just wanted keep piling stuff on her, the gospel of jesus christ, the word of wisdom, law of chastity, the proclamation to the world on the family, and the Book of Mormon, but i resisted that, and just let her soak in what i had told her, and she said she would be back next week and would tell me what she thought of it. that was awesome. anyway, after that, Elder Power started get some stomach cramps, and so we didnt go out anymore, that was saturday. sunday came, and we made it to church, and we bore our testimonies... i have to admit that hearing a sacrament meeting all with people who were australian and in that accent was a new experience. i had to really pay attention to what was being said or i didnt understand it. it was pretty difficult. some were easier to understand than others, and the weird thing was that the accent seemed to go away when they sang... i dunno, i thought that was kinda funny. anyway, after that, we made it home again, and Elder Power didnt feel well at all... he had been throwing up the night before, so we stayed in the flat, and rested. Monday came around and that was our P-day, and he still felt horrible, so again we spent the whole day in the flat, but we talked for a very long time and got to know eachother better, and that was really good for us. so just for future reference, i wont be emailing on tuesdays, we just couldnt leave the flat on monday. so ya. anyway, that has been my week so far, and hopefully i'll more to tell you about investigators and whatnot next week. I love you all so much! Im so glad i am where i am, i know that i am doing the work that God has for me to do, and i wouldnt want it any other way. :)
Again i love you all,
Love, Your Favorite Missionary,
Elder Tayler Christensen
wow, this has been such an amazing week, full of many trials, blessings and tender mercies. I left the MTC with full intentions of traveling alone, and hopefully talking to some people. there were 4 other missionaries who traveled to LAX with me, they were all going to thailand though, so we were going to different terminals for the last leg of our flights. i found mine, and checked in, and FINALLY got to call home! that was so good for me, i needed to hear your voices. :) Im glad to hear that the garden has been planted, and that the ATV is fixed! i've been planting my own garden as it were, and am starting to see the fruits already. I'll give you the details from the time that i got off the plane in australia. the plane ride, by the way, was very uneventful, and i slept for most of it. upon arrival in the airport, i had to go through customs, and throw away the bagel that i had, because of the quarantine laws. Also, because i was still sick, i had to go be screened for the swine flu, which, come to find out, i didnt have. but i already knew that. anyway, i got my luggage, and by the way, one wheel of my medium sized luggage broke somewhere in the flight, so, i had to drag it seperately... wa hoo. :P anyway, after making it thought customs, I found President Richards and his wife very quickly, and got to know them a little bit, and then loaded up my luggage, and drove to the mission office with the APs. I had a brief orientation, which by the way, im supposed to tell you, that i can only email mom and dad, but im going to ask for permission to email the siblings as well, but i dont think that will be a big deal. if not, ill just email yall through mom and dad. so after that, i was told that we were going to lunch at the mission home, and then we would get a surprise... which was that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland came to speak to the mission! i got to shake his hand and talk to him just briefly! it was SO COOL! then he spoke about running with everything we've got. he said that we should be coming back to the flat so tired, we can barely make it through daily planning. well that wasnt too hard the first few days, i found i barely made it past lunch, but that was jet-lag. anyway, after that meeting, i met my trainer, Elder Power. he's been out a year and a half, has trained twice before, been a zone leader twice, and district leader 3 times. he currently is the district leader as well. So, He's training, the district leader, AND we whitewashed into the area- which means that he got there the day before i did, so we're both new to the area. the area, by the way, is brisbane city, and our flat is just a few blocks from the temple, which is on the same grounds as the chapel. its beautiful. so, the first thing we did besides go to the grocery store and unpack, was go to ward council. i barely stayed awake, and barely made it home. OH! thats the other thing- my trainer isn't allowed to drive- too many speeding tickets. so guess what i got to do? yup. drive. on the left side of the road, on the right side of the car, and the blinker stick thing is on the opposite side as well, so instead of turning on the blinker, i turned on the windshield wipers... im still getting it down. but its not too hard to adjust... havent had any close calls yet. :P anyway, so the next day i got my first taste of tracting and GQing... pretty much street contacting. i FROZE up, but on the first door when i did the talking, we got in, and had the first lesson, and had a prayer. i dont think that we'll be going back there, but it was a nice confidence-booster for me. anyway, that night we had an appointment with a girl named Leticia- she's from Ethiopia, and she's a refugee living by herself. We went in with fellowshippers who she knows, and taught her about the book of mormon... turns out she has had many lessons before, and even had committed to baptism before, but her mother would call from ethiopia and just yell at her until she promised to not be baptized. so we talked about that with her, and decided that we would pray with her, and we would fast with her this coming fast sunday. she aggreed, and took a leap of faith, and again, made a commitment to be baptized on june 13th! i was overjoyed. it was so amazing. so later in the week, we went to an english class at the church, (there are lots of oriental people here who speak little or no english) and that was good, but afterwards, one of the ladies that was there, asked me what "elder" meant, and that got us started on the first discussion. I gave her a pass-along card, the restoration pamphlet, and the Plan of Salvation pamphlet... she was really interested, and i just wanted keep piling stuff on her, the gospel of jesus christ, the word of wisdom, law of chastity, the proclamation to the world on the family, and the Book of Mormon, but i resisted that, and just let her soak in what i had told her, and she said she would be back next week and would tell me what she thought of it. that was awesome. anyway, after that, Elder Power started get some stomach cramps, and so we didnt go out anymore, that was saturday. sunday came, and we made it to church, and we bore our testimonies... i have to admit that hearing a sacrament meeting all with people who were australian and in that accent was a new experience. i had to really pay attention to what was being said or i didnt understand it. it was pretty difficult. some were easier to understand than others, and the weird thing was that the accent seemed to go away when they sang... i dunno, i thought that was kinda funny. anyway, after that, we made it home again, and Elder Power didnt feel well at all... he had been throwing up the night before, so we stayed in the flat, and rested. Monday came around and that was our P-day, and he still felt horrible, so again we spent the whole day in the flat, but we talked for a very long time and got to know eachother better, and that was really good for us. so just for future reference, i wont be emailing on tuesdays, we just couldnt leave the flat on monday. so ya. anyway, that has been my week so far, and hopefully i'll more to tell you about investigators and whatnot next week. I love you all so much! Im so glad i am where i am, i know that i am doing the work that God has for me to do, and i wouldnt want it any other way. :)
Again i love you all,
Love, Your Favorite Missionary,
Elder Tayler Christensen
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
It's Official, Tayler is Down Under!
It is 1:20pm and I just checked arrival times for Brisbane flights from LAX and it said that they all arrived 5 minutes ago--it is 6:20am on Wed there now.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Phone Call from LA-Monday May 25
We had a great 25 minute chat with Tayler as he was waiting at the LA airport for his flight to Brisbane. He said he had left the MTC at 4:30 PM with 2 elders and 2 sisters who were headed to LA to connect to their flight to Taiwan. He called just before 10:00 PM and was waiting near his gate for his flight which was leaving at 10:30. After 16 hours of airtime he will arrive in Brisbane on Wednesday morning at 6:00 AM--missing all of most of Tuesday in the process. He's traveling alone from LA to Brisbane!
It was good to hear his voice! He said he was feeling pretty good, but has had a cold, and was coughing a bit. The MTC has been wonderful, and he has a great attitude about getting out in the mission field. His days have been full with class, practice teaching, answering calls at the 'call center' (referrals from church media), and everything focused on teaching, not learning about the culture of Australia. I guess he'll learn about that when he gets there. We were pleasantly surprised to find out just this morning when he e-mailed that he would be calling. We'll get an e-mail when he gets to the mission office. We'll keep you all posted!
It was good to hear his voice! He said he was feeling pretty good, but has had a cold, and was coughing a bit. The MTC has been wonderful, and he has a great attitude about getting out in the mission field. His days have been full with class, practice teaching, answering calls at the 'call center' (referrals from church media), and everything focused on teaching, not learning about the culture of Australia. I guess he'll learn about that when he gets there. We were pleasantly surprised to find out just this morning when he e-mailed that he would be calling. We'll get an e-mail when he gets to the mission office. We'll keep you all posted!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Departing the MTC Monday May 25
Here's a quote from a snail-mail letter to Dad:
Hey Dad,
Well, It's p-day, and I didn't get to write you much on email. So here's this. :) But the MTC is GREAT I am so happy to be here. I am very well in body, spirit, and mind. I have a little cold, which my whole district seems to have. So I dunno who started it. But I have been very well besides. My companion Elder Dana is a workaholic, so we work out every night. We figure we'll do this our whole mission, so we'll come back NOT fat, ripped and with an Aussy accent. Irresistible, right? Ha ha. Anyway, he's a hard worker, and we've done well. We try to teach a lesson at least twice a day. I talk a lot, and he bares very powerful testimony. So we've trying to get him to talk more, and me less, and for me to bear testimony more often. We've improved a lot this week.
Also, something that might interest you, is that I got my flight plans this week. I'm leaving the MTC on Monday the 25th at 4:35, and flying to LAX where I have about a 2-3 hour layover. Then I'll fly straight to Brisbane, arriving about 5 in the morning for them. I'll lose a whole day on the flight. Oh, and the kicker, I'm traveling alone. Joy :P
I love you Dad,
your favorite missionary,
Elder Tayler Christensen
This is my district. The guys on top left to right are Elder Radford and Elder Edmonds. The Elders standing left to right, are Elder Deaux, Elder Dana, and me, sitting from left to right are Elder Haynie, Elder Finn, and Elder York.
My district at about 7:00 on Saturday...No exercise period, No P-day, and study ALL day! Needless to say we slept well that night. :)
Had to get one of these...:) [classic pictures]
This last winter was really cold I guess...
Hey Dad,
Well, It's p-day, and I didn't get to write you much on email. So here's this. :) But the MTC is GREAT I am so happy to be here. I am very well in body, spirit, and mind. I have a little cold, which my whole district seems to have. So I dunno who started it. But I have been very well besides. My companion Elder Dana is a workaholic, so we work out every night. We figure we'll do this our whole mission, so we'll come back NOT fat, ripped and with an Aussy accent. Irresistible, right? Ha ha. Anyway, he's a hard worker, and we've done well. We try to teach a lesson at least twice a day. I talk a lot, and he bares very powerful testimony. So we've trying to get him to talk more, and me less, and for me to bear testimony more often. We've improved a lot this week.
Also, something that might interest you, is that I got my flight plans this week. I'm leaving the MTC on Monday the 25th at 4:35, and flying to LAX where I have about a 2-3 hour layover. Then I'll fly straight to Brisbane, arriving about 5 in the morning for them. I'll lose a whole day on the flight. Oh, and the kicker, I'm traveling alone. Joy :P
I love you Dad,
your favorite missionary,
Elder Tayler Christensen
This is my district. The guys on top left to right are Elder Radford and Elder Edmonds. The Elders standing left to right, are Elder Deaux, Elder Dana, and me, sitting from left to right are Elder Haynie, Elder Finn, and Elder York.
My district at about 7:00 on Saturday...No exercise period, No P-day, and study ALL day! Needless to say we slept well that night. :)
Had to get one of these...:) [classic pictures]
This last winter was really cold I guess...[ya, they look like it was rough on them]
Me and Elder Dana jacking a golf-cart thing :p
Monday, May 18, 2009
The MTC is treating me well.
Well, the MTC is treating me well. It's way more studying than i have ever done in my life. I'm sure that doesnt come as much of a shock to most of you, but hey, its true. I've been able to teach several lessons for practice, (14 this week) and that has been very helpful. we just started lesson 2 this weekend too. its a lot of doctrine to be covering in one lesson, but thats ok. I like it. This last week has been amazing. I have really been able to bond with my district, and we're becoming brothers. yesterday, for sacrament meeting, we sang "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" as a whole district. Not gonna lie, it was amazing, and the spirit was so strong, we all had to fight the tears down just so we could finish. On a more funny note, I was in the Referal Center on Wednesday and Took a call from a homeless man in missouri. He was calling from a Hotel Room, and wanted the whole Mormon History. I Gave him a brief run-down, and we had a long conversation about various things. The funniest part was when he started talking about polygamy. He wasn't even fased that it had happened, he thought it was funny, and then when i told him that we didnt do it anymore, he was like, "good, its not a sin, its just stupid. You have to buy all of them jewlery and toiletries, and then they all start PMSing at the same time, and gang up on you..." among other things that i wont repeat. I have to say though, i Got a kick out of it, and so did my district. We listened to it again later in the week. Anyway, thats the week's run-down. Thanks for all the letters, i really appreciate them, keep them coming! :)
Love,
Elder Tayler Christensen
Love,
Elder Tayler Christensen
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
what? has it been a week already?
what? has it been a week already?
May 11, 2009
well, no, it hasn't, but its close enough right? :) hey family! how's everyone doing? i would send this to cara too, but i dont know her email, so if someone could forward this to her so i can get it that would be great! anyway, the MTC is great. the beds are at least semi-comfortable, the food is dang good, (but nothing compared to mom's home cooked meals) and although there are no wheaties for breakfast in the mornings, there is almost always something that i can drown in syrup, and there is an endless supply of LIFE! haha anyway, on to more serious matters, my district is awesome, we all just clicked right away, and my companion, Elder Dana, is a great guy. one of the elders in my district, Elder Radford knows Aubrey Pape, so that was kinda cool.
This week has been one of the best hardest weeks that i have ever had. It was really tiring. On saturday alone, we had 12 hours of classroom time, 9 of which were with an instructor. it was good though, we practiced door approaches, and once everyone did well, it started getting goofey. But the rest of the week has been full of spiritual experiences. I have learned (at least a little bit) how to teach by the spirit. It's been amazing. My companion and I practiced teaching one of the teachers the first discussion. We had planne how we were going to teach it, and had all the points we were going to discuss ready to go, and i think we might have used 2 of the 9 things we wrote down. It really was amazing. Yesterday, we were able to attend priesthood and sacrament meeting, which was really good. In priesthood, we talked about the atonement at length, and I gained a new appreciation for it. Later in the evening they showed a bunch of films, and my distict saw "The Mountain of the Lord." I know we own this movie, but this time, when i saw it, it really touched me, especially knowing what I know now about the temple, it was a very spiritual experience, and especially since I am focused on the missionary aspect of it, that part really interested me. (If you're not sure what I'm talking about, just watch the movie for FHE tonight, and you'll get it :)
Anyway, just so you know, you can give my email out to people, but tell them to include their mailing adress with the email that they send, because I can only reply with snail mail, but anyone is allowed to send me email.
I love you all so much, and I wish I could have seen you all on mother's day yesterday. I LOVE YOU MOMMY!!!! (you can post that part with the blog if you like:P) But i know that I am where I am supposed to be. This truly is a marvelous work, and the field is white all ready to harvest. I will very soon be thrusting in my Sickle with my might.
Collin, Keep doing what you're doing, you're on the right track buddy.
Cara, if the guys aren't planning on going on missions, they aren't worth your time.
Anna, Keep being cute, keep growing, but stop when you get to like 5'7" or something. Be good! :)
Dad, thank you so much for being the greatest dad ever, you have taught me well, and it WILL pay off.
Mom, i love you so much! thank you for teaching me how to do all those basic house keeping things... I am discovering that there are very few here who have that kind of training.
Give Gabe and Rochelle and Marissa my love.
Elder Tayler Christensen
May 11, 2009
well, no, it hasn't, but its close enough right? :) hey family! how's everyone doing? i would send this to cara too, but i dont know her email, so if someone could forward this to her so i can get it that would be great! anyway, the MTC is great. the beds are at least semi-comfortable, the food is dang good, (but nothing compared to mom's home cooked meals) and although there are no wheaties for breakfast in the mornings, there is almost always something that i can drown in syrup, and there is an endless supply of LIFE! haha anyway, on to more serious matters, my district is awesome, we all just clicked right away, and my companion, Elder Dana, is a great guy. one of the elders in my district, Elder Radford knows Aubrey Pape, so that was kinda cool.
This week has been one of the best hardest weeks that i have ever had. It was really tiring. On saturday alone, we had 12 hours of classroom time, 9 of which were with an instructor. it was good though, we practiced door approaches, and once everyone did well, it started getting goofey. But the rest of the week has been full of spiritual experiences. I have learned (at least a little bit) how to teach by the spirit. It's been amazing. My companion and I practiced teaching one of the teachers the first discussion. We had planne how we were going to teach it, and had all the points we were going to discuss ready to go, and i think we might have used 2 of the 9 things we wrote down. It really was amazing. Yesterday, we were able to attend priesthood and sacrament meeting, which was really good. In priesthood, we talked about the atonement at length, and I gained a new appreciation for it. Later in the evening they showed a bunch of films, and my distict saw "The Mountain of the Lord." I know we own this movie, but this time, when i saw it, it really touched me, especially knowing what I know now about the temple, it was a very spiritual experience, and especially since I am focused on the missionary aspect of it, that part really interested me. (If you're not sure what I'm talking about, just watch the movie for FHE tonight, and you'll get it :)
Anyway, just so you know, you can give my email out to people, but tell them to include their mailing adress with the email that they send, because I can only reply with snail mail, but anyone is allowed to send me email.
I love you all so much, and I wish I could have seen you all on mother's day yesterday. I LOVE YOU MOMMY!!!! (you can post that part with the blog if you like:P) But i know that I am where I am supposed to be. This truly is a marvelous work, and the field is white all ready to harvest. I will very soon be thrusting in my Sickle with my might.
Collin, Keep doing what you're doing, you're on the right track buddy.
Cara, if the guys aren't planning on going on missions, they aren't worth your time.
Anna, Keep being cute, keep growing, but stop when you get to like 5'7" or something. Be good! :)
Dad, thank you so much for being the greatest dad ever, you have taught me well, and it WILL pay off.
Mom, i love you so much! thank you for teaching me how to do all those basic house keeping things... I am discovering that there are very few here who have that kind of training.
Give Gabe and Rochelle and Marissa my love.
Elder Tayler Christensen
Monday, April 20, 2009
My Farewell talk. :)
Sacrament Meeting Farewell Talk
-Intro
Good morning, brothers and sisters, I’m Tayler Christensen. I was asked to Talk about celestial families, and specifically how my own family helped me to prepare for my mission.
-Give Mission Info
-Brief Family overview- not extremely large but by no means is it small.
-My Family Experience
- sisters, brothers, parents
-Sisters have taught me a myriad of things, especially patience, love, trust, and faith. The older 2, Rochelle and Marissa, are especially responsible for the way I turned out. Not to say that they are responsible for any actions I have taken, but more for my personality, and many of my other characteristics. Because I have four sisters, I found myself in a very favorable position quite early. Because of them, I learned etiquette, and proper treatment of Women. I also learned invaluable conversational and social skills from them that have been a great blessing in my life.
-My brothers. My little brother, Collin, is my man. I doubt if there is anything we don’t know about each other. The good, the bad and the ugly. However, You would have to know Collin personally to understand what a great guy he is. The kid is prodigy. Don’t say that to his face though, cause he’ll deny it outright. Which is great. He is genuinely humble. One of the few teenage guys that I have ever known with that quality. He’s also one of the most hilarious people I know. He has quick wit, and has an amazing talent to make people smile. My Brothers-in-law are the best. They set the greatest examples of how to live life, and to be instruments in God’s hands.
-My Parents are the foundation of my whole family. It is they who are responsible for the success of my family. They have taught by word, and most importantly by example. I couldn’t tell you if I, or any of my siblings gravitate to one of them. They are one. Through there different personalities, our family has flourished, and become very tight-nit. Anyone who knows my Dad can attest that he has a very commanding presence, one of strength, and seriousness. However, once you really get to know him, he is very personable, has many quirks, and has a deep relationship with God and all of his children. When I grow up, I want to be just like him. Anyone who knows my mom, knows how involved she is in the arts. She currently is preparing for yet another concert by the Sherwood chorale, which she founded, and which she directs. My mom is passionate about music, and has brought up her children to be the same. She also is the best cook I have ever encountered. I don’t know how many dinners my family has had, where after we eat, something like, “wow that was delicious, what is it?” is asked. It is funny when my mom struggles to come up with a name for what we just ate. Its when that happens that we know. She made it up. It has no name, because its not something that has ever been made before.
-My family is a family of many quirks. Anyone who knows my family in general knows, that we are, for lack of a better word, Weird. I, and all my siblings both blame, and give credit to, my parents for that. But we would have no other way.
-what I have just described to you are my family’s finest points.. We are not perfect, but we strive to be.
-in telling you about my family, I have laid the groundwork for how they have helped prepare me for a mission. All of the basics came early in life. I was taught the gospel at home. I was shown how to live the gospel by example from my parents, as well as from my siblings.
-however, it wasn’t until recently that my family became obviously absolutely vital to preparing me for a mission. It started with a few problems that I had, both physical and spiritual not too long ago. When my parents became aware, they reacted entirely different than I had expected. I expected to take the full heat for what I had done. Neither of my parents are known for being soft-spoken. However, when I had my problems, they responded in love. They followed the commandment given by the lord Through Joseph Smith in D&C section 121:43. It says, Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee his enemy. My parents did exactly that. After one discussion with my mom, in which I was duly chastised, she said something that struck me. She said, “We have a family that will be together forever, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that every member makes it.”
- After that, I did everything that was required to get back. And now I have been through the temple, and am leaving on a mission in 2 weeks.
-the last part of this has taken place in the last few months since January. After I had gotten my mission call to Australia, I began the process of getting a passport, and a visa. The requirements to get the visa were intense and very specific.
-after I had been diagnosed with an ASD- atrial septal defect, it became the focus of my thoughts. I remember when the news was first broken. The cardiologist called my home, and talked to my parents. I was laying on the couch reading when my dad came and sat by me and told me. It was then that I felt my life become more complicated. I felt like my life had been shortened, which had the defect been allowed to remain, would have been the case. However, as I felt myself growing bitter, and sad, and helpless, my dad brought me back. Through his loving and knowing care, I came to realize this was not a punishment, or that God had forsaken me. He knew all, and everything that was happening to me was to be for my good. In hindsight, I see that it was necessary for me to sink below anything I had every experienced, and to finally accept help. I had to actually trust someone else to do what I could not do for myself. After an attempt to place a closure device in my heart to seal the hole, I found out that the hole was even larger than previously thought. It was a 2 inch hole. 2 inches is nothing to mess with when it comes to your heart. -Explain sizing-. In essence, I had a 3 chamber heart. This came as both a shock and tragedy for me. The night previous I had been blessed that the lord would bless me according to my desires. At that point, I knew that my desires were too go through whatever the lord had in store for me no matter what. However, I assumed that my desire to have the device work was the desire that he was talking about. When it failed, I assumed that my faith had not been enough. I cried bitter tears on the recovery bed, agonizing over my failed attempt at having enough faith to be healed. My parents were immediately at my side comforting me, and reminding me that my real desire had been that the Lord’s will be done. Their counsel saved me much heartache, and gave me fresh courage to take the next step. The very next day I entered open heart surgery. Coming out of surgery, I had my parents at my side. The pain killer administered was too much for my mind to handle, and I forgot to keep breathing. For the next few hours, one or both of them sat at my side, squeezing my hand and telling me to breathe. At every breath I had to be reminded. In my mind I kept telling myself that I would remember to keep breathing, but the energy required to focus on breathing was too much for my mind to handle. When I finally was able to breathe on my own, some hours later, my Dad commented that at least I was breathing on my own again. He was even serious about it. I was ecstatic. I was so happy to finally be able to remember to breathe- something which until then, I had been doing subconsciously since birth. And yet I was proud of myself, and my Dad was pleased. These two times with my parents, I had to learn to rely on someone else to help me through something that was insurmountable without them. After that first day, my whole family, immediate, extended, and ward rallied around me. I did not ask for help unless I felt I absolutely needed to, but that didn’t deter my family from going out of their way to serve me. Above all those things, I could feel the prayers of my family. Their prayers were one the greatest sources of comfort I had. All of these are perfect examples of how celestial families will be, and are. Everyone serves each other, and they all do it because they love each other, not because they have been compelled in any way. Those lessons reached out to me, and helped me realize that this was how I needed to be on my mission. Selfless, and serving. Families all know that every member has it’s faults, and shortcomings, and yet they are able to look past them and see the goodness in them. When I realized this, I began putting it into practice. I am in no way perfect at this, but I have found that as I try serve my family, and others without complaint or expecting payment of some sort, I am happy.
-The family is the most sacred establishment in this world. The sealing power that binds me to my family is powerful. It does not only bind us together physically and spiritually, also mentally and emotionally. I know that after death, my family will be together for eternity. We have been bound for eternity, and I am eternally grateful for that. I know that when I have married in the temple, and after I have passed beyond the veil, I will still be with my family. There is no “until death do you part.” Death is only the beginning of spending forever with my family. I have come to know that my family is the ultimate source of happiness. This is why God has made it possible to spend forever with them. This is the Testimony that is most precious to me. It is the testimony that I will be sharing on my mission. This is the most important way my family has prepared me for my mission. They have helped me to realize just how happy we can make each other, so that I can share that happiness with all that I come in contact with, and share with them God’s plan.
-I have a testimony that the sealing power was restored to the earth through Joseph Smith, and that through it we can attain the highest level in the Celestial Kingdom. I know that the church is led today my president Thomas S. Monson, and that he is the lord’s mouthpiece. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
-Intro
Good morning, brothers and sisters, I’m Tayler Christensen. I was asked to Talk about celestial families, and specifically how my own family helped me to prepare for my mission.
-Give Mission Info
-Brief Family overview- not extremely large but by no means is it small.
-My Family Experience
- sisters, brothers, parents
-Sisters have taught me a myriad of things, especially patience, love, trust, and faith. The older 2, Rochelle and Marissa, are especially responsible for the way I turned out. Not to say that they are responsible for any actions I have taken, but more for my personality, and many of my other characteristics. Because I have four sisters, I found myself in a very favorable position quite early. Because of them, I learned etiquette, and proper treatment of Women. I also learned invaluable conversational and social skills from them that have been a great blessing in my life.
-My brothers. My little brother, Collin, is my man. I doubt if there is anything we don’t know about each other. The good, the bad and the ugly. However, You would have to know Collin personally to understand what a great guy he is. The kid is prodigy. Don’t say that to his face though, cause he’ll deny it outright. Which is great. He is genuinely humble. One of the few teenage guys that I have ever known with that quality. He’s also one of the most hilarious people I know. He has quick wit, and has an amazing talent to make people smile. My Brothers-in-law are the best. They set the greatest examples of how to live life, and to be instruments in God’s hands.
-My Parents are the foundation of my whole family. It is they who are responsible for the success of my family. They have taught by word, and most importantly by example. I couldn’t tell you if I, or any of my siblings gravitate to one of them. They are one. Through there different personalities, our family has flourished, and become very tight-nit. Anyone who knows my Dad can attest that he has a very commanding presence, one of strength, and seriousness. However, once you really get to know him, he is very personable, has many quirks, and has a deep relationship with God and all of his children. When I grow up, I want to be just like him. Anyone who knows my mom, knows how involved she is in the arts. She currently is preparing for yet another concert by the Sherwood chorale, which she founded, and which she directs. My mom is passionate about music, and has brought up her children to be the same. She also is the best cook I have ever encountered. I don’t know how many dinners my family has had, where after we eat, something like, “wow that was delicious, what is it?” is asked. It is funny when my mom struggles to come up with a name for what we just ate. Its when that happens that we know. She made it up. It has no name, because its not something that has ever been made before.
-My family is a family of many quirks. Anyone who knows my family in general knows, that we are, for lack of a better word, Weird. I, and all my siblings both blame, and give credit to, my parents for that. But we would have no other way.
-what I have just described to you are my family’s finest points.. We are not perfect, but we strive to be.
-in telling you about my family, I have laid the groundwork for how they have helped prepare me for a mission. All of the basics came early in life. I was taught the gospel at home. I was shown how to live the gospel by example from my parents, as well as from my siblings.
-however, it wasn’t until recently that my family became obviously absolutely vital to preparing me for a mission. It started with a few problems that I had, both physical and spiritual not too long ago. When my parents became aware, they reacted entirely different than I had expected. I expected to take the full heat for what I had done. Neither of my parents are known for being soft-spoken. However, when I had my problems, they responded in love. They followed the commandment given by the lord Through Joseph Smith in D&C section 121:43. It says, Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee his enemy. My parents did exactly that. After one discussion with my mom, in which I was duly chastised, she said something that struck me. She said, “We have a family that will be together forever, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that every member makes it.”
- After that, I did everything that was required to get back. And now I have been through the temple, and am leaving on a mission in 2 weeks.
-the last part of this has taken place in the last few months since January. After I had gotten my mission call to Australia, I began the process of getting a passport, and a visa. The requirements to get the visa were intense and very specific.
-after I had been diagnosed with an ASD- atrial septal defect, it became the focus of my thoughts. I remember when the news was first broken. The cardiologist called my home, and talked to my parents. I was laying on the couch reading when my dad came and sat by me and told me. It was then that I felt my life become more complicated. I felt like my life had been shortened, which had the defect been allowed to remain, would have been the case. However, as I felt myself growing bitter, and sad, and helpless, my dad brought me back. Through his loving and knowing care, I came to realize this was not a punishment, or that God had forsaken me. He knew all, and everything that was happening to me was to be for my good. In hindsight, I see that it was necessary for me to sink below anything I had every experienced, and to finally accept help. I had to actually trust someone else to do what I could not do for myself. After an attempt to place a closure device in my heart to seal the hole, I found out that the hole was even larger than previously thought. It was a 2 inch hole. 2 inches is nothing to mess with when it comes to your heart. -Explain sizing-. In essence, I had a 3 chamber heart. This came as both a shock and tragedy for me. The night previous I had been blessed that the lord would bless me according to my desires. At that point, I knew that my desires were too go through whatever the lord had in store for me no matter what. However, I assumed that my desire to have the device work was the desire that he was talking about. When it failed, I assumed that my faith had not been enough. I cried bitter tears on the recovery bed, agonizing over my failed attempt at having enough faith to be healed. My parents were immediately at my side comforting me, and reminding me that my real desire had been that the Lord’s will be done. Their counsel saved me much heartache, and gave me fresh courage to take the next step. The very next day I entered open heart surgery. Coming out of surgery, I had my parents at my side. The pain killer administered was too much for my mind to handle, and I forgot to keep breathing. For the next few hours, one or both of them sat at my side, squeezing my hand and telling me to breathe. At every breath I had to be reminded. In my mind I kept telling myself that I would remember to keep breathing, but the energy required to focus on breathing was too much for my mind to handle. When I finally was able to breathe on my own, some hours later, my Dad commented that at least I was breathing on my own again. He was even serious about it. I was ecstatic. I was so happy to finally be able to remember to breathe- something which until then, I had been doing subconsciously since birth. And yet I was proud of myself, and my Dad was pleased. These two times with my parents, I had to learn to rely on someone else to help me through something that was insurmountable without them. After that first day, my whole family, immediate, extended, and ward rallied around me. I did not ask for help unless I felt I absolutely needed to, but that didn’t deter my family from going out of their way to serve me. Above all those things, I could feel the prayers of my family. Their prayers were one the greatest sources of comfort I had. All of these are perfect examples of how celestial families will be, and are. Everyone serves each other, and they all do it because they love each other, not because they have been compelled in any way. Those lessons reached out to me, and helped me realize that this was how I needed to be on my mission. Selfless, and serving. Families all know that every member has it’s faults, and shortcomings, and yet they are able to look past them and see the goodness in them. When I realized this, I began putting it into practice. I am in no way perfect at this, but I have found that as I try serve my family, and others without complaint or expecting payment of some sort, I am happy.
-The family is the most sacred establishment in this world. The sealing power that binds me to my family is powerful. It does not only bind us together physically and spiritually, also mentally and emotionally. I know that after death, my family will be together for eternity. We have been bound for eternity, and I am eternally grateful for that. I know that when I have married in the temple, and after I have passed beyond the veil, I will still be with my family. There is no “until death do you part.” Death is only the beginning of spending forever with my family. I have come to know that my family is the ultimate source of happiness. This is why God has made it possible to spend forever with them. This is the Testimony that is most precious to me. It is the testimony that I will be sharing on my mission. This is the most important way my family has prepared me for my mission. They have helped me to realize just how happy we can make each other, so that I can share that happiness with all that I come in contact with, and share with them God’s plan.
-I have a testimony that the sealing power was restored to the earth through Joseph Smith, and that through it we can attain the highest level in the Celestial Kingdom. I know that the church is led today my president Thomas S. Monson, and that he is the lord’s mouthpiece. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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