Halfway!

February 22, 2021

Halfway!

Dumas Bay Spanish Branch

Hey fam and friends!! I hope everyone is safe and happy :) It was an amazing week here in the Dumas Bay branch!! Definitely one of those weeks that I felt super grateful to be a missionary.

Our friend Alejandro was baptized on Saturday!!! It was seriously so great. He was so excited the whole week but was still having some nerves. Luckily all his nervousness left when he pulled up to the church that night! He was in his best flannel and pair of jeans with the biggest smile on his face. Our recent convert of a few months, Andrés, has been one of Alex's best friends in the church since we've been teaching him and he was the one to baptize him!! It only took 3 tries hahaha!!! Alex proudly told us afterwards that he was special to our Heavenly Father because not only did he get to be baptized once, but three times! Soooo funny. Even though we were holding back our laughs as the entire Elder's Quorum presidency crowded the edge of the font explaining to Andrés how to baptize him for the third time, the spirit was so strong! Alex was confirmed the next day during sacrament meeting and was so hyped to officially become a member. It was a really great weekend!!

We stayed really busy the days leading up to Saturday's baptism as well!! Hermana Johnson and I took a little mission tour to Enumclaw on Tuesday to give a training in their ZC and then headed up to my hometown of Kirkland the next day for exchanges!! It's always fun to spend time with other new missionaries or make surprise visits to some of our hermanas! It was great to hear about the progress being made back in my old area too and see how some of the people I had first contacts or phone calls with are now progressing in the gospel! I'm happy to say that I love Federal Way enough to not be missing Kirkland but I definitely miss that apartment haha! Walking into an apartment that is actually meant for 3 people and doesn't reek of their neighbor's weed is always a treat ;)

Another cool highlight of this week was that I hit my hump day on the mission!! I've been a missionary for more than 9 months and now I'm apparently on the downward slope of mission life. So crazy to think about! I still feel like it was last month that I arrived here in Washington. I'm so grateful for all the things I've learned on my mission. It has not been easy but it has been so worthwhile as I've been given the chance to focus on others instead of myself. My testimony has grown miles and my Spanish abilities are tons better than before. The last 9 months have taught me lots of patience and trust in the Lord's plan for me and to always have an eternal perspective. But most importantly I've become more converted to my Savior and His ability to make me a better disciple. I now know that it's only through His Gospel that I can find pure joy and hope. I've loved the past 9 months of my mission and can't wait to see all the amazing, fun, hard, exhausting, spiritual and worthwhile times that Heavenly Father has in store for me in the Washington Seattle mission! Thank you to everyone who made me feel so special on Friday. All your love was much appreciated and much felt :')

This week I focused on seeing others the way that the Savior does. As I applied that with investigators, members, companions and complete strangers, I saw that I had greater love, understanding and patience for each of their situations. Sister Michelle Craig says it best in her October 2020 General Conference talk:

"Jesus Christ loves us and can give us eyes to see—even when it’s hard, even when we’re tired, even when we’re lonely, and even when the outcomes are not as we hoped. Through His grace, He will bless us and increase our capacity. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, Christ will enable us to see ourselves and see others as He does."

I hope you all have another fantastic week!! Thank you for all the love. You all are amazing! See y'all in 9.

Sending love from chilly Seattle!!

Difícil es bueno.

Xoxoxoxo

Hermana Christensen