Visit from the Dream Team

December 14, 2020

Visit from the Dream Team

Hey hey hey!! As always, I hope everyone had an amazing week staying happy and healthy. It's such a great time of year! It was an okay week here in Kirkland with the work but amazing at the same time with receiving some truly divine direction from general authorities and an apostle!

We had a mission tour on Tuesday this week that consisted of a 3 hour virtual conference with Elder and Sister Shane Bowen of the quorum of the 70. It was full of great instruction on how to improve our teaching, contacting and testifying abilities. The meeting ended with an hour of doctrine study about both the historical and modern day significance of the House of Israel. Elder Bowen threw some heavy concepts at us as we studied the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon side by side. My head was about to explode by the end but the geek in me just loved it ;)

The greatest highlight of the week was on Saturday afternoon when only our WA Seattle mission had a video conference with Sister Becky Craven of the YW general presidency, Elder Brent H. Nielson of the presidency of the quorum of the 70 and executive director of the mission department, and Elder Neil L. Anderson of the twelve apostles. Seriously the dream team!!! It was an amazing hour and a half with them and I left the call so uplifted!! All 3 of them gave us such fantastic direction! They spoke on how to strengthen and fortify our testimonies of Christ while serving missions to ensure our faith in our future lives. It felt like we were really there with Elder Anderson as he talked with us. He committed us to memorize 5 scriptures from both the New Testament and the Book of Mormon to represent our deep witness of Christ embedded in our hearts. He gave us an apostolic blessing that if we did this then we will receive promptings to remember and recite these verses in our times of need during the rest of our lives. How cool is that?!! It was easily a highlight of my mission and I'm so grateful for the short time we shared with these faithful leaders.

Other than our fantastic meetings we had, our week was fine! It definitely had some slower days as lots of lessons cancelled and contacts fell through. It's starting to get dark around 3:30-4 pm around here so that's never fun. It's times like this where being a trainer can be tough but we are working hard and know that the Lord loves effort!! Hard is good!! The Flores family is still doing well and we continue to work with them a lot! We did receive some troubling news that they may be moving to Everett next month but we are praying that doesn't happen! We are working so hard with them and they are so close to baptism! Another great family we have been teaching are the Lopez's! We have been teaching them english the past few weeks and have begun to teach them the gospel as well. They're the cutest family from Aguascalientes, Mexico (shoutout to my MTC squad) and have lots of potential. After each lesson they always are ready with Mexican hot chocolate or dinner for us. This week they made us an entire pot of tamales to take home that ended up feeding our entire district...hahah we love them so much! It's so great to see the light of Christ come out in others as you purely just try to love and serve. It really is a blessing being a missionary in those moments.

We received transfer calls this past weekend and turns out I'm going to be spending half my mission in one area!! Hahah long live Kirkland! My companions and I are staying here for another transfer to finish up training and I'm excited for all the potential our area has. I want to leave Kirkland better than it was when I arrived so it'll be another transfer of hard work for me!!

For a quick spiritual thought I want to leave you all with the same invitation that Elder Anderson gave us at the end of his message. He described how unique and joyful the Christmas season can be as a missionary due to our focus being shifted to others rather than on ourselves. So with that idea he challenged all of us missionaries to make this Christmas about someone else! Whether it is an investigator, a companion, a struggling member or a stranger in need, giving our thoughts and attention to others will make Christmas 2020 the most special. I invite all of you to try and do the same with a family member, old friend, neighbor or stranger this Christmas! Trying to make someone else's day will always make ours. I've seen this time and time again during my mission and know that following Christ's footsteps is a worthwhile way to celebrate His birth. Make this Christmas about someone else!!!

I love you all so much! You are all in my daily thoughts and prayers. I miss all you, especially during this time of year, but am so grateful for each and every one of you!

I also received a ton of birthday mail this week due to my mission's rough mail system and felt SO loved!!! Thanks to all of you who sent me so many notes, letters and packages. It was SO awesome.

Sending love from chilly Seattle!!!

Difícil es bueno.

Xoxoxo Hermana Christensen