Week 59 - Alma 37:37 What's your verse?!

Exchanges

Loved ones,

So many wonderful things happened this week! We are currently helping
one of our investigators search for a wedding dress because we are
throwing her a wedding at the church before she is baptized. She asked
us to be her bridesmaids!! Haha. Purple and blue are her colors... So
if I have anything in those colors in my closet back home will you
send it our way?

While on exchange with Sister Giddins we had so many miracles happen!
One of them was while we were trying to contact and find around some
less active members. The first door we knocked on we started to have a
discussion with a young man and almost forgot to ask about the less
active! When we did two other young men walked up the steps. One was
the brother of the guy we were looking for. Come to find out he was a
member of the church as well but hadn't been in about 10 years. They
joined our discussion and he opened up and shared his testimony of the
Book of Mormon with us and his friends. He opened up to us and shared
his concerns and why he stopped coming to church. He told us a few of
the members he was supposed to get in touch with but he kept putting
it off. We had him call them right then and there. The member was
thrilled and invited him to dinner the following Sunday. You could
tell by the smile on his face he was too. As we were beginning to say
a prayer with them another friend walked up and joined us. They all
wanted to be there when we planned to came back after studying his
concern. (We talked to the member and he's totally pumped to join us
for our lesson and help these guys out). After the prayer we asked
them if they knew anyone that had recently moved in. They pointed to
an apartment diagonal from theirs. We knocked on the door and then
opened Kwan. He at first seemed atheist but then he started opening up
and telling us how he's always felt like there was something greater
than him but he couldn't figure it out. We had to run but we asked him
to pray with us and if we could come back to give him a copy of the
Book of Mormon in a few days (incentive for him to allow us back
soon). He agreed and we left because we had to the use the restroom
and there was no female in his home. As we were heading back to our
car we saw this woman sitting on a bench. We went over to talk to her.
She spoke little English but had an awesome translator app on her
phone. We asked her if we could use her restroom and she eventually
said yes haha. I sat down with her while Sister Giddins was in the
bathroom and told her we were representatives of Jesus Christ. She
automatically hugged me!! I asked her if she would like to learn more
about Jesus Christ. She said "Yes!" And hugged me again. We testified
of the Book of Mormon and how it helps us learn of Jesus Christ. Once
again she was thrilled. We asked her if we could pray with her showing
her the steps and explaining how we pray. We asked if one of us could
say the prayer but she didn't understand and began saying the sweetest
prayer I've ever heard! "Dear Heavenly Father... We thank thee.." She
looked at me and I said "For each other." So she repeated me and then
said "We ask thee..." She looked at me again and repeated me. And
closed "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." We've been corresponding
through email and she is so elect!!

When we went back to Kwan on Sunday and read the last two paragraphs
of the introduction with him we asked him why he thinks we feel it's
so important for him to read the Book of Mormon and ponder and pray
about it. He said "It will answer the questions that I have." He
thanked us so much for remembering him and wants to learn more!

Hope that makes sense!

I love y'all! I'm so excited for General Conference. So many of my
prayers were answered in the Women's Session... It was so good.

"4th floor, last door!!"

All my love,
❤️
Sister Christensen

A sweet lady in the ward added lace to this dress so it'd be long enough for me! I love it!!

Dress shopping with Nadia.... Terrifying.

Week 58 - 3 Nephi 19:9 What's your verse?!

Loved ones,

It was another week full of miracles! Also, we had a beautiful
foggy/rainy day yesterday and I loved it so much!!

There is a school program that is going on at our building on Thursday
nights and guess who I saw?! Brother Lee! He and his wife were
baptized last year at the end of Septemeber while I was in Lilburn. I
met them my first day in the mission field and I was a deer in
headlights! He told me they have finished temple prep class!! And he
is the Ward Mission leader!! So hopefully in the next few weeks I will
be able to go with them to the temple. Thinking about it makes me want
to cry tears of joy! This is what the gospel is all about. Bringing
families to the temple.

We had some really amazing experiences this week...

We had knocked doors in an apartment complex last Sunday before
church. We met a couple of really promising people that we really
wanted to try again. So we made time for them on Thursday and moved on
with our week. Earlier in the week we played tennis and ran a little
behind on everything else. We decided on Thursday morning Thursday
morning companion study rolled around and we were trying to decide if
that was where we needed to be. So we went! We prayed in the car
before we started to be led to those that are ready for the gospel and
that they would recognize us as representatives of Jesus Christ. We
knocked on a few doors with no answer. We got excited when we saw a
moving van but they didn't want our help. We knocked on another door
with no answer. We both looked in the distance and saw this woman
walking close to our car. We walked over to talk to her. We introduced
ourselves. She opened right up! She said she went on a walk that
morning to clear her mind and get closer to God. She had given up a
few minutes before but had the feeling to come back out and even went
a different direction than she usually goes. She knew Heavenly Father
was showing her how much he cared for her. We told her how we prayed
to be guided to those prepared. She stopped and told us "Thank you for
being obedient". We talked more and shared some of the Book of Mormon
with her. She LOVED it. We invited her to be baptized if she came to
know these things we share are true. She first said "I've already been
baptized!" Then she said... "But I get what you're saying. I'm seeking
for truth and if this is true then yes, I will be baptized". Sometimes
we second guess ourselves and our plans but it helped us to see how
important it is to set spirit led plans and be obedient to the
promptings of the spirit always!

Another one of our greatest miracles this week actually happened
yesterday. Sunday. We made a goal at the beginning of the transfer to
hit the standard of excellence every week. We felt it was a very
reasonable goal, considering our area, teaching pool, and desire to
work. Sunday, we were short 2 new investigators, someone on date, and
then we needed at least one person to come to church. So we get to
church, expecting several people to show up. Nothing. The whole
sacrament meeting, we didn't think anyone had come. At the end, we
stood up and looked around, and we saw one of our investigators! He
had snuck in the back corner, and we hadn't seen him! Miracle number
1. Throughout the day, we were able to get the 2 new investigators
that we needed through contacting a referral from the assistants, and
calling a bunch of potentials. Miracle number 2. It was 8 pm, and we
had no one on date. I was getting antsy, because I really wanted to
hit our goal. However, Sister Neff and I decided that if we focused on
whoever needed us at that time instead of the numbers, the Lord would
provide. We went to go visit one of the investigators that we hadn't
met yet from the elders old teaching pool. When we got there, he was a
little down in the dumps about his relationship with his family. We
were able to testify of how the gospel blesses families and how
families are meant to last forever. We invited him to be baptized, and
he said yes! He also accepted a date, and he is going to come to the
general priesthood session of conference. It was cool to see the Lord
bless us, and it was a good feeling to know that we had followed the
spirit and helped one of our brothers.

One of the most amazing miracles this week wasn't in just our area,
but in the whole sugar hill zone. At zone training this week, we
talked about faith, hope, charity, and following the spirit, with an
emphasis in using those things to help us find new people to teach.
Our goal as a zone was to have the faith to talk to everyone and to
confidently follow the promptings of the spirit, the hope that they
would accept our message, enough charity to be bold with them, and to
invite them to be baptized, even if it was just a contact. This week,
the zone invited 208 people to be baptized!! I thought that was
incredible, and I'm grateful to be serving with such diligent
missionaries who are willing to implement the things we're taught by
our mission president!

I love y'all!

Happy Anniversary Grandpa & Grandma Jenson!
❤️
Sister Christensen

I went down to Flowery Branch on Tuesday and Wednesday. It's such a beautiful place! The sisters have goats in their backyard!!! I was in heaven!

We volunteered at Suwanee Fest (a city festival)! Interviewed about 250 people between us and a few other companionships. Also passed out 300 invites to the General Women's session of Conference. Pretty excited for it this weekend!

Zone Training (Elder Woodwell is one of our zone leaders, it's been fun!)

Week 57 - Alma 29:9 What's your verse?!

Loved ones,

I've felt so much love today!! Love from all y'all, love from Sister
Neff, love from Heavenly Father! I looked at the sky today and it was
everything I love. I love when I can see the sunbeams coming  through
the clouds. I looked in another direction and it was a little misty
and then it started to lightly rain! I'm so thankful He has given me
such a beautiful day! Haha I sound a little crazy but I truly do love
it.

It has been the most amazing week of my life! Sister Neff and I are
literally running from place to place because we are so busy teaching
people. But not too busy that we aren't talking to people along the
way. As we were driving we felt the need to stop and talk to this lady
on her porch. We pulled over, said a prayer and then got out and
walked right up to her. Turns out she met the Elders as they were
visiting her neighbor (Tammy- who had planned to see). She asked us to
come back and teach her and her two daughters. She was sick so we felt
we should make her soup. So we did. We talked to three more people
that day that needed soup. It softened a lot of souls and prepared
them for our version of "chicken soup for the soul"- the gospel of
Jesus Christ!

Sister Neff and I got together on Wednesday and wanted to get right to
work and get into contact with all the elders investigators because
they are no longer in the area. We wanted to sync our iPads really
quick to get their plans and prioritize who we needed to reach out to.
We decided to stop at the first place we saw with wifi. We spotted a
place and sat at the tables outside. We immediately started planning
and discussing needs and what to teach and focus on for these people.
10 minutes into the conversation the girl sitting at the table next to
us said "Sorry to interrupt, but who are you? Are you Christians?".
She proceeded to tell us how her mom was raised Christian but gave
them the choice growing up if they wanted to go to church or not. She
rarely went but now is looking to understand more about Jesus Christ."
We testified of who we are and invited her to meet with us! She agreed
and we exchanged information. Saturday we had the thought to call and
invite her to church. So we did! And she came! She loved it! She told
a few different members she'd be coming from now on! We can't wait for
her to learn more! Most of the time it's just being in the right time
at the right place and simply extending that invitation. Also, her
birthday is tomorrow so we're going to celebrate together! I love her!

I am so thankful for every single one of y'all! Thanks for all the
birthday love!
Dad and Grandma Lou & Grandpa Mike- we're loving the popcorn!!
Mom- your package was so thoughtful! Thank you!
Kassidy- thanks for writing such cute sayings on them!

All my love,
❤️
Sister Christensen

The Underwoods (Sitting down) have always been there for me! They took us out for my birthday while we were in Lilburn for meetings.

Sister Neff, and Sister Giddins (my last companion in Allatoona), and Sister Hollowell surprised me with breakfast and all this cute stuff (sweet sisters trying to make me feel better about my age on accident haha)

Sister Neff decorated my desk with 25 love notes... So cute!!

Week 56 - Helaman 5:35 What's your verse?!

Loved ones,

First things first... I hope dad, mom, and grandpa Mike had wonderful
birthdays the past few days!! I thought of each of you on your
specials days. I'm sure grateful for y'all!

There was a slight chill in the air a few of the days this week and I
loved it! I'm still seeing lighting bugs here and there and that also
brings joy to my heart.

A few weeks ago Sister Jacobs and I were catching a bus up to campus
and began talking to this sweet woman. She had lost her keys on one of
the buses and had been sitting at the bus stop for the past hour
asking each driver if her keys were on their bus. Her husband didn't
get off work for another few hours and she doesn't know many people
here. She moved from Tanzania about a year ago. Fast forward to
yesterday. Sister Patten and I had multiple lessons lined up all day!
But... They all cancelled :(. We had an awkward 45 min until our ride
was coming to pick us up for dinner. We knelt down in the institute
and prayed to be led where we needed to go. We just started walking.
We felt the need to turn left down a street really close to the
institute we've never been down before. I saw a door that said A5 and
wanted to knock on it (I entered the MTC August 5th). No answer. We
turned around and saw another apartment across the street that had an
outside light on. We knocked on it and had a fun encounter with a
really hairy lady that wanted absolutely nothing to do with us. As we
were walking out of that complex we saw this lady cleaning her
apartment with the door open. We walked up to her and she was so happy
to see us! She welcomed us into her home just like she knew us! Come
to find out it was the lady that lost her keys on the bus! When we met
her she was all done up in a beautiful headdress so we didn't
recognize her! She fed us a tuna quiche and told us all about her
family back home and her wedding that happened a year ago in her home
country. We asked her if she was happy and she took a second to
respond before forcing out a yes. We testified how living principles
of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion,
work, and other fun activities help our families have lasting joy and
happiness and Jesus Christ is our perfect example. We asked her if we
could come back and share more about this and she happily agreed! I
know Heavenly Father led us right to Huda yesterday. The spirit and
love we felt for her was so strong. Heavenly Father knows her and is
aware of her needs just like He's aware of mine and yours. Isn't He
amazing?!

I am leaving Athens tomorrow and it's really bitter sweet! I will miss
so many of the people I have come into contact with here. Athens has a
piece of my heart forever. I will now be in Suwanee, GA with Sister
Neff! I've served around here when I was in Allatoona and I absolutely
LOVE her!

I love all y'all!
❤️
Sister Christensen

Jess is leaving tomorrow to serve in the SLC, UT West mission! I told her to look out for my awesome Aunt Krista! 

Sister Wininger. I love this woman! She made me a Barbie cake for my birthday haha.

A relative with my name!!!

I'm not training but President Bennion asked me to come to the meeting for missionaries being trained haha. It was wonderful spiritual fuel! Love these sisters!