Life is Beautiful

Tracting in Kristianstad with Sister Swensen

First of all I just want to say that life is SO beautiful! I am so full of gratitude today. I love Sweden so much. I love the people here. I love my area and I love my companion. I am so grateful for her and for her friendship. We have so much fun together and she is great for dealing with me as I become more and more like my parents. Hahaha You guys would be shocked at how I am starting to do all of the things that I used to make fun of you for doing. She is even getting used to me stopping to pick up all of the garbage that I see.The other day we turned the corner to find a lot of wet paper all over the street and she looked at me and said "are we going to pick all of this up?" Haha- we did. Thanks to my dad always trying to make the world a little greener.

Du behöver att inte äte kött (You don't need to eat meat) hahahahahahahaha yesss.

This week I had the opportunity to watch the Missionary Conference that was held the other week where about 3,000 missionaries from the MTC sang. If you havent watched it... WATCH IT! It is worth the full two hours. It made me so happy to be a part of missionary work right now and my eyes were filled with tears the entire time as I listened to the apostles speak about missionary work. (Russell M Nelsons parable about righteous fathers brought me to tears. It reminded me so much of you, dad).

distrikts möte idag (district meeting today)

This week I have been thinking a lot about what it means to have strength. The strength I am talking about is like the strength of Henry running back to me to take my pack off my back when I had no strength on Kings Peak. This strength is both physical and spiritual. After receiving three phone calls on Tuesday from three different Investigators that were all drpping us, we were feeling pretty discouraged and stressed and tired. We walked into our apartment after a full days work, soaking wet from the pouring rain and I went over to my desk which had my scriptures opened, dads email he had written me last week and an unopened letter from Emma Brinton (Adelide's cousin).

Phoebe, Emma, Adelide and Ellie

I began reading Emma's letter which was a story of something that had happened to her while she was up at Hebgen Lake. She had just finished dropping off Ellie at work and decided to drive around for a while, when she all of a sudden had a thought to go to the beach. She went to the beach and sat down and an lady came over and sat down near to her. Emma simply asked how this lady was doing and the lady broke down crying and told Emma of how stressed she was because she needed to clean her entire cabin before the next day and she was too sick to do it. . . Anyways, Emma ended up going over to this woman's cabin and cleaning the entire thing while the lady told Emma her whole life story. Afterwards the woman smiled and told Emma that she couldn't remember the last time she had smiled. - I just had to share this with you because I think it is such an amazing story of being in tune with the spirit and ACTING on it. Emma was in tune with the spirit to go to the beach, to meet this lady and help her because she had the strength to do so. That is what missionary work is all about. It is about service and love. It is about having extra strength to bear one another burdens.

Investigators Roland and Ingrid -the best people

The scripture that was opened up on my desk was D&C 84:106

"And if any man among you be strong in the spirit, let him take with him, him that is weak that he may be edified in all meekness, that he may become strong also."

That is what we all should be doing all of the time. Giving of our strength to lift others up. Being in tune with the spirit to bear up others and make them strong also.  In dad's letter he told of mom doing about the same thing- out helping new neighbors clean up their yards after 2 full weeks of her moving into our new home. Her strength never seems to end. I am grateful for that example.

another searcher for the truth, Thorsten

We are so blessed to have the spirit with us always and I have found that it can truly work miracles through us if we are worthy of having it. I had an amazing experience this week with one of our investigators, Thorsten, as I bore my testimony on Christ's love for him. I ended and he said "I can feel the Holy Ghost and all of this just feels right." The strength of the spirit is undeniable and it can lead us to those that need our help and the Lords help. It can speak through us, the truths of this gospel that are all based on love, hope, and peace. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I love it.

Last week was seriously awesome though and it FLEWWW by. I have been on my mission for 3 months! C R A Z Y . but that also doesn't sound like that long of a time hahah...But don't worry I am not ready to come home yet. I still have a lot to see and a lot of people to meet and help and a lot of things to learn.

I love you. Be happy!

Sister Christensen

Life is Beautiful

Swedish Windmills June 2013