Monday June 27, 2011

Wow.  Sounds like you're having too much fun without me.  How is that possible? Things in Baltimore are going great.  The work is progressing at an accelerated rate this week.  We'll be losing trading 18 missionaries for 14.  I'm terrified that I'll end up training or in a leadership position.  The lessons have improved.  We've been doing everything we can to invite the spirit.  Its been tough at times, but well worth the effort.  We have meals almost every night with members.  When I have money I try to buy inexpensive things.  A bit more fruit than normal.  Yes.   I'm living off more that Ramen, Pop Tarts, and Yellow Death (Mac N' Cheese).  We cover from the Maryland/Pennsylvania Border to the middle of Hagerstown.  I found out that this is the largest City (My companion says town) in western Maryland.  We have two wards in the City of Hagerstown.  Hagerstown and Antietam.  We cover an area about the size of spanish fork, benjamin, and lakeshore.  Small area, but lots of people. Thats good.  I've learned that when giving talks you teach instead of preach.  I had to give one two weeks ago and caring for the poor and needs.  A pretty simple subject. The family sounds pretty busy.  Keep it up.  I had a feeling that Colton would be either engaged or married by the time I get home.  I found this cool thing I'm going to send out when I get towards the end of my mission.  Its a Return Missionary Dating Application. So this week we've had a lot of member support (hint hint) in teaching our investigators.  Its one of the keys to investigators being baptized.  We taught Sister Gammell about the Word of Wisdom this week.  We were so terrified when teaching it to her because she said she doesn't want to join a church that wont let her drink coffee.  Knowing that we had to teach it eventually Elder Garfield and I addressed it.  Brother Hurley (Member) shared his experience with the Word of Wisdom and bore powerful testimony of how through his faith he was able to give up coffee and smoking. I know that God's Plans are perfect.  That as we seek to understand them we'll find answers and the spirit will reassure to us when we're doing to right thing.  God loves each of us.  Through his grace and the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ we can do all things.  I bear this my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen. "Feed my sheep..." Elder Christofferson

June 20, 2011

Hello family.   Happy Fathers day dad!  I didn't get to send you a card, but I still love you just the same.  Things in the MBM are moving along.  Elder Allan Packer of the First Quorum of the Seventy came to speak to us.  He's the eldest son of Boyd K Packer.  He's given us new insight to Missionary work that I cant describe.  The meaning is so much deeper than any of us anticipated.  There is a difference in doing missionary work and being a missionary.  We can put on a name tag and hand out Book of Mormons all day long, but are we believing it?  Are we living it?  Or are we just doing it?   This is going to be a short post on the blog today.  Missionary work should be in the hearts of every member.  We are to minister to EVERYONE.  I know that Jesus is the Christ.  I know that Joseph Smith restored the Gospel and Thomas S. Monson is guiding us down the path of righteousness today.  Are we walking down such a straight and narrow path or are we dancing on the edge of it?  In the name of OUR Savior.  Jesus Christ.  Amen.   Elder Christofferson

June 13, 2011

Hello family and faithful readers!

We're excited for this week.  We didn't hit 25 lessons this week, but we're pretty close.  23 is a good number.  We just have to work harder next week.

The people here are very exciting.  Except for the ones that scream crude things at us as they drive by.  There are numerous times that I want to shout back at them to bring it on or say it to my face, but then I remember that they don't know any better yet.  They haven't had the chance to learn of us and the true church for themselves.  Remember that everyone.  We are the THE TRUE CHURCH.  Why?  Because we have to fullness of the everlasting gospel.

President Packer's son hasn't been here yet.  That's this Friday.  I'll be telling you all about it and probably passing on some VERY profound wisdom that I pray may be able to help somebody back home.  How's Dal doing?  President Belliston is awesome.  He's done so much for so many Missionaries out here.  He tells us his family comes before us (Which it does) but we can t help feeling that we're included in his family.  I think he's trying to memorize the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price verbatim.  He quotes so many scriptures that its not even funny.  He'll recite whole chapters and a half, jump to another chapter, and go back to one that he didn't finish just to bring it full circle again.  He's a Spiritual Giant.

Bro Lisky served in one of the Las Vegas Missions.  He's 22 or 23 now.  He's an avid collector of ties and has a very unique way of explaining the Plan of Salvation.  He came with us to teach Sister Gammell and it went very well.  Now we have to teach her the second half of it.  She just soaks up what we share like a sponge.

Erick is progressing.  He doesn't drink as much, but still does once in a while.  Fortunately he's been sober every time we go see him.

That's cool where that you went to the Browning Museum.  The Winchester Rifle Company is in our Mission.  We have a Zone named after Winchester.  The Winchester Zone.  Its the business.  Whats "Smith and Edwards"?

As for the bike.  I've been praying and know that by getting a bike that's the right size will help me to accelerate my personal work and help me better fulfill my purpose as a missionary.  If they credit me less than $175 for my bike I might just sell mine back to the mission then pay the difference.  I'll email you about the cost on Monday.

I pray to find my camera every night.  If I can't find one I may just have to buy some disposable ones till I can afford a new one.

I hope Cam and Colton are keeping those boys out of trouble.  I don't think I'll go back to camp my first summer home.  I think I'll try to get some school done.  You know.  Just get the Generals out of the way to start then focus on my career.

Your testimony is always welcome.  Remember that a testimony is what you've come to know about Christ.  You never know who yours might influence.

I'm going t close with mine.  I know that through diligent effort and a desire to follow Christ will bring all of God's children closer to Christ.  This is the key to redemption and eventually exaltation.  If we humbly submit ourselves to his will we can receive many blessings in our lives.  Jesus is the Christ.  The son of God.  The savior of the world.  In his sacred name I bear my witness.  Nevertheless Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Elder Christofferson

"Feed my sheep."

June 6, 2011

The new area is great.  We're doing awesome.  This is the first area I've been in that we've broken 20 other lessons.  Its awesome.  Now we have about 25 lessons lined up for this week.  I found out that this was predominate Confederate location.  Many commanders in the confederate army lived here.  Mainly cavalry officers by the looks of things.

Killing him just means that I'm his last companion as he's dying in the mission.  First companion is trainer, second is greenie buster, third is corrupter, and last is killer.  Six months has gone fast and its only going to go faster.

If you think its bad there you should check out the humidity here.  I never got my mesh garments yet.  They're still in Perry Hall.  I should be getting them fairly soon though.  I told Elder Davis to make sure that they get to me before the end of the transfer.  We're having a couple Specialized Trainings next week with President Packer's Son.  Maybe Elder Davis can get it to the AP's or someone to bring to me.  I'm not going to be shaving the hair off my body.  It'll just itch growing back in the winter time anyways.  Trying to keep enough deodorant just got easier.  I came into possession of several stick the other day as we were cleaning out the supply closet in the apartment.  So no worries.

Thanks for the addresses.  They're much appreciated.  I'll have to email them now and find out how their mission's are going.

Don't worry about the second coming.  Just worry about repenting.  That's the most important part of all of it.  That's why nobody knows the time of his coming.

I'm still working on it Lorie.  I think I may have though.  She's in her 60's though.  Lynn Gammell.  She requested a Book of Mormon.  We took her one, taught her the Restoration, and she agreed to baptism that day.  She came to church yesterday and we have an appointment for Thursday.  Brother Lisky who served in one of the Las Vegas Missions is going to come teach the Plan of Salvation with us.

Brother Lisky is a funny guy.  He met his now wife before his mission.  The first thing he said to her was "Wow.  You have great Birthing hips."  Mr. Smooth blew it.  But its cool.  He's a pretty funny guy.  He's always telling everyone to repent.

Still working on the guy with the Hangover.  He's sobered up now and is looking for work and to clean up his life.  We have an appointment with him this week so hopefully we'll be able to put him on date.

RM PARTY!!!  Looking forward to it.

I hope you have a good anniversary.  You probably wont get to read this since you'll be gone.  Do you just want me to send the email to Leslie or Kadee so that one of them can update the blog while you're gone?

Keep up the good work dad.  The more diligently you work without expecting results the more the Lord will bless you.  By the way I'm losing more weight.  I'm also thinking about hoarding my money like I used to so that I can upgrade my bike.  I just found out the one that I'm riding on is too small for me and the frame is too light.  I went to a bike shop with my companion so that he could pick up a box to send his home and the shop owner and I were talking about bikes.  He told me that mine is too small and light for me.  Thats why I'm so sore all the time.  He told me that I could trade mine in and pay the difference for the bike that'd be perfect for me.  So I'm going to find out what it would take and pray about it to see if I really should.  My tiny bike has served me so well this far.

Kadee's a good girl.  I'm sure that she's always checking herself so that she'll make righteous decisions.  After all.  She needs to if she wants to go to the temple someday.

So I'm going to close this with my testimony.  Joseph Smith Restored Christ's Church.  The Book of Mormon is true.  God's plan is perfect.  In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Short and simple.  But those are often the best ones.

Elder Christofferson