Changes! A new sector, a new companion and a new assignment as a Sister Training Leader (Coordinadora)

OH MY! THE MISSION IS SO CRAZY!!! So for a quick lil' sum up of everything that happened, first of all this week we put a baptismal date with an investigator, then found out that he assisted in robbery that night, and he´s moving. Wow. Ha-ha and C... she has some other complications, but every time a door closes another one opens! Remember I., our miracle? We put a fecha with him! And his sister and uncle are investigating now too! SO MANY MIRACLES I CANT BELIEVE IT!!!! 

Sadly, I am changing sectors, but I will be in the same ward- so COOL!!! My compi is staying and training a gringita!!! And I am going to be a Coordinadora with Hermana Morales!!! Which means I get to see Hermana Al Malki!!! YAAAA!!!! But I am so excited for this opportunity to learn and grow! 

Wow. I can´t believe this cambio is over, but I am so excited to apply everything I have learned to what´s ahead! I don´t feel like the same missionary at the beginning of this cambio, because I have learned so much from this sector, my amazing companion, and most of all from the Lord.  The Lord has blessed me to see so many miracles, I feel so grateful to be a part of this great work!!

Our little Rauquen C is progressing! I am so happy! I would have never imagined everything that would happen 6 weeks ago, but wow. The mission is crazy right??! But, remember I.? He is SO prepared for the gospel, more than anyone else I have met thus far in my mission, and we put a fecha with him, but this lesson his uncle and sister were present, and he bore his testimony about how he prayed and received an answer and they can too! HE BORE HIS TESTIMONY IN THE SECOND LESSON!!!  He is sooooo good!!! I can´t believe it!! He is going to change so many people´s lives when he goes on his mission!!! But with our Menos Activos, we have about 4 who are progressing, and have plans to help then attend the temple! I am so grateful for all the amazing people in our sector, and I know Hermana Franco will continue to work hard to help them progress. This work is so amazing!

All in all, I am SO grateful for this amazing cambio, amazing sector, and amazing companion and that I had the opportunity to serve in little Rauquen C! This really is the work of the Lord, I have no doubt about it. I am so happy to be a missionary!!

Wow. I can´t believe it! This next cambio is gonna be crazy but I am SO EXCITED AND SO PUMPED!!!! I LOVE THIS WORK AND I LOVE THE MISSION!!!! And I love you all so much!!! Keep sharing Christ´s light! You never know who´s heart you might touch! :) 

All my love, 

This lil' Hermana Christensen :) 

And here is a snippet from her journal pages about her new assignment as a Sister Training Leader (Coordinadora):

"So regarding my new assignment as Coordinadora, Wow.  I only have 6 months in the field.  I am now a team with Hermana Morales and we are in charge of Alameda and Ranquen, 2 zones, so all of Curico.  I am now expected to do divisions, receive revelation and give counsel to all of the sisters in 2 zones.  I know the Lord is going to have to help me a lot!  Because that’s scary!  But it’s going to be a GREAT opportunity to learn and serve.  I know it!  But wow.  I am not ready.  I gotta step up my game!  But I’m so excited, too!  Wow.  Crazy.  5^th Cambio here I come!  One thing Hermana Al-Malki told me that always resonated with me was: “The Lord does not call those who are ready, but those who are willing to do the work.”  I’M WILLING!  LET’S DO THIS!"

Spring has sprung!

A visit to Rancagua with her CCM sisters!

Cute companions!

With Hermana B in Rancagua!

I am living the dream!

Oh my goodness THE MISSION IS THE MOST AMAZING THING IN THE WORLD! I LOVE MY LIFE SO MUCH! THE CHURCH IS SO TRUE! MIRACLES ARE SO REAL!!!

Wow this week has been the most incredible week! First of all I am learning so so SO much with my companion during our personal studies and companionship studies, I can see my knowledge and faith growing so much, and I am so so happy to be here in Rauquen C! The Lord has been blessing us so much!!! We have seen so many miracles this week!!!

The fast that we had last week to find new investigators was incredible, because it totally worked!!!!! We found 3 new investigators this week! Ad., M., and I., a joven of 17 years, and the biggest miracle of my mission thus far!!! We found I. contacting his uncle, and we went back to visit his uncle but he came out, but from the first time we talked to him, we knew he was different, anyways we had our first lesson with him yesterday and he is SO PREPARED for this gospel.  I cannot believe it! We left Leccion 1 folleto con el, and we came to teach him, he had read the whole folleto, and found a Libro de Mormon in his house, prayed about the message of the Restoration and received and answer that it is true all before the first lesson!!! He told us he wants to be part of the church, and he wants to serve a mission like us! And he accepted the baptismal invitation and is SO excited! He is so hungry for the gospel it´s incredible! I can´t believe it! He is so good! I know the Lord is putting these people in our path! I feel so blessed to be able to see the Lord progress his work here in Rauquen! We are seeing SO many miracles every day and I just am so happy I get to see it all happen!

 This gospel is so true! It changes lives, and it´s changing mine. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! I AM LIVING THE DREAM!!!

I love you all! Keep on keeping on! :)

Hermana Cris :)

I LOVE THE MISSION!

Wow, this week has been so crazy, but so good! It´s the mission, what can you expect? Okay, I am doing really good.  My companion is SO amazing! She has a gift with recognizing the spirit! En serio!!! I am learning so much from her every single day, I feel so incredibly blessed! And my coordinadora, Hermana Morales too, she has changed my life so much! I am so blessed! I LOVE THE MISSION!!!!!!!! 

Okay so this week! Adventures with brownies, alarm malfunctions, almost got bit by a dog, we found an investigator made of GOLD, my first Pday trip to 7 Tazas, and the mountains here in Chile, laughing our heads off, experiencing the first fruits of spring, and basically having the time of my life! I LOVE THE MISSION!!! 

Okay but seriously, this week we were incredibly blessed in church attendance! We had 3 menos activos and a family of four menos activos in sacrament meeting, so that´s SEVEN MENOS ACTIVOS!!! But not only that, we have 4 investigators in sacrament meeting too!! I couldn´t believe it! I felt like the sons of Mosiah in sacrament meeting, because my heart was so full of joy! There is nothing better than seeing the lives of the people change when they come to know, or come back to the gospel, it’s INCREDIBLE!!!  Gloria, a Menos activa with cancer came for the first time in over a year, and she bore her testimony, and wants to come back to church!  

Okay but miracle!!! A girl we contacted in the street last week said she was member, but it turns out she was an antigua investigator, and we taught her, and put a fecha for 3 Septiembre!!! OUR FIRST FECHA HERE IN RAUQUEN!!! Her name is Constanza, and she’s 16. She is SO AMAZING!! She told us it is her dream to get baptized, and she wants to serve a mission someday, and get sealed in the temple is her ultimate goal. She accepted the baptismal invitation with tears in her eyes, and I JUST HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR HER!!!!  She has problems with smoking, and in the past with other things, so we know the road isn´t going to be easy with her, but she is amazing, and for some reason, we found her in this tiempo, so we are going to work as hard as we can to help her! The work is progressing in Rauquen C! I am so blessed to be here and to be part of this great work! I LOVE THE MISSION!!!! 

If there´s one thing I know, it´s that this gospel changes people’s lives, and heals them. Totally and completely. Our Savior is the only one who can heal us, and he always will if we let him in. I love Psalms 147:3, go share it with someone who needs a little healing! I love you all SO MUCH!!!! Have the BEST week EVER!!!!! :) :) :) :) 

All the love in this little Chilean’s heart, 

Hermana Cris (haha the new nickname... ;) )

Amazing week working with menos activos!

Hola Everyone!!! 

Wow!! What a week! This cambio has been a cambio of growth!! Me and my companion both!! We both feel like we have started the mission all over again, but it´s good because we are learning how to deal with the challenges, stress, and how to enjoy every moment with all the ups and downs and in betweens! 

I am so grateful for Hermana F. She is so inspired and is has an amazing ability to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost! She truly is so inspired!!! I love her so much! 

So our sector! We had a lesson with Fr.,, our investigator who is progressing, and we found out that he is totally ready for baptism except he doesn´t really understand the word of wisdom or law of chastity perfectly, so we have a lesson and will work with him, but either way, whether it´s soon or not, he will get baptized because he has felt the truth and has a testimony! 

This week was amazing with our work with menos activos! We had 7 lessons with menos activos and 4 of them came to church this Sunday! Including K, una joven who hasn´t gone to church for over three years, but she is excited and ready to come back now! My heart was so full of love this Sunday during church, I feel so blessed to see these people changing their lives!! 

We had the most powerful lesson of my whole mission this week with Familia C.  The dad was the bishop before the bishop we have now, but he’s not active now.  His wife is inactive, too.  But my companion found a great scripture during her personal study and we shared it: Hebrews 6:10-20.  And it talks about how God will remember all the good service you’ve done, but you still need to endure to the end.  And the dad got so emotional and his kids did, too, and the Spirit was SO strong!  It was only a ½ hour lesson, but it hit the heart.  Wow.  I love being a missionary.  I love it.

We are working hard to find people who will progress! We have some recent investigators with lots of potential, but we will keep working diligently!

 And just know that I am SO happy! And I am healthy! And good news! The worst of winter is over here it’s actually been really nice these last couple days!!! And I’m speaking Spanish like a PRO!!! Ha-ha! I kinda need to now because I live with only Latinas!  Ha-ha! I love my life :) 

 Thank you everyone for your love and support!!! 

Hermana Christensen

There can be miracles if you believe!

Okay this week! The Lord has blessed me more than I can ever imagine!!!! We are seeing SO many miracles here in Curico!!! Okay! So besides the rain and the cold, I decided I got to give my all to the Lord. Basically these last 2 days have been incredible!!!! I can’t believe it!!! We had companionship inventory, and we talked about how we both were lacking in faith. So we decided to ask in faith, for specific miracles! And that´s just what we did!!! That night in my prayers, I prayed with all my heart, and I asked God to help us find a new investigator, just one! Just one that would progress! And I knew we would find one the next day.

So we were in divisions and I went with Hermana S to her sector in the morning, but then at lunch with the Hermanas I asked how the morning went, and they said, AMAZING!!! And I was like WHAT? And they told me they found a new investigator! And she´s really interested. And as soon as they told me, I knew God had answered my prayers. And from that moment forward, we have been doing everything with faith! Every lesson! Every contact!!! And The work is BOOMING!!!! There is so much to do!!! But it all starts with our faith!!! If we believe the miracles will come, they COME!!!! We found 4 new investigators this week!! And we are committing Francisco, and investigator as of one year, to baptism tonight! And all the members are SO amazing and want to help us with lessons and everything!! Our little barrio in Rauquen is really progressing!!!! 

So basically I have learned more this week than in my whole mission probably!!! I feel so blessed and fortunate to be here with the Hermanas I am with, they are AMAZING, and to be able to see the Lords work progress!!! I was talking with my companion, and we don’t know what happened, because we didn’t do anything, but all of the sudden the work started booming! And all these things started happening! People who have been totally turned away from the church are coming back! And we really can see the Lord doing his work! We are just the instruments!!! 

But that’s about it for now!! I am SO HAPPY!!!! And SO EXCITED!!!! And so incredibly blessed to be a part of this great work!!! The Lord really works by faith, and the miracles always come!!!! So in the words from the song from Prince of Egypt "THERE CAN BE MIRACLES IF YOU BELIEVE!!!!!" 

I love you all!!! Have the best week every!!! And enjoy the sun for me!!!! :) 

Happy Birthday, Hermana M!

This week stretched me!

Wow, to say that this week stretched me would be an understatement!!!! For me this week has been harder than leaving for my mission!!!! Literally everything I know and loved was taken away, and I got plopped in a whitewash.  But okay, that’s good, right??? I am so far out of my comfort zone but that’s okay because this week I have done things I never would have done in Machali... 

BUT DON'T FREAK OUT MOMMY,  I AM SUPER HAPPY!!!!! It’s just different!!! I have to learn to love in a different way with the hermanas I’m with. It’s so different! I am the only gringa in the house, and the youngest in the house, and yup!!! Hahaha but I am really learning to love it here!!! The hermanas are great! So different, but so great!!! 

After yesterday things calmed down. Our ward is really small, but it’s good, and it’s progressing!! The sector is sadly a walking sector, but it’s pretty big! I love it though!!! 

My compi is good! We are really diligent and I love her, but it’s different.  She hasn’t really opened up to me yet, but she’s starting to!!! She’s from Argentina, and we have the same time in the mission. Again! Hahaha 

(Answer to my questions:)

I would say I am adjusting well to the change after one week!!! Hahaha- We have a new rule where when we get sad about missing our old sectors or comps, then we have to contact the next person we see.... Man, we are going to run out of pamphlets!!! Hahaha, just kidding. 

Curico is cute, tranquillo, and I do like it here overall!!! Yesterday I decided I have to give up my desires, to be able to give the Lord more. And he has called me and trusted me in Rauquen! So from now on I will give all my heart to Rauqen!!! 

 Yes, we keep warm!!! I think I came the most prepared! Thanks mom!!! 

 The only person I knew in my zone is my zone leader, Elder Porter! I was in the same zone as him my first two cambios and that was so nice to have a familiar face!!  What a bro!

But yeah!!!  No worries!!! We have lots of work to do!