Monday December 19, 2011

I sent Kadee an article, but I"m going to forward it to you too and let you post it on the blog.  President Belliston sent it out to the Mission this morning.  I'm happy that I'm able to stay also.  Things here are picking up.  We were able to bless the lives of a few people aside from Fonne.  Even as I type this letter my companion is sitting here teaching a lady the Restoration.  What a joy it is to be a missionary at this time of the season.  We get to help people learn the fullness of the savior at the time we celebrate his birth.  I love this work. I love my Advent Box.  I open a present every morning.  I like seeing the things you've sent me.  Hopefully I can use one or two of them to bless someone's life this season. Remembering the words to Rindercella wasn't the hard part.  Telling it in front of three Zones of Missionaries was.  Elder Dutson is in Essex now.  The other half of the first ward that I covered out here.  We dont have any sisters in our area or even our district. I think we have twelve companionships of Sisters in our mission.  Sister Anderson is out in West Virginia.  We went down to the Visitor's Center on Friday and we'll get to go do parking on the 26th and the 30th of this month so I'll be sure to take lots of pictures for you. This week is a great week for members world wide.  The saviors birth takes on new meaning when in missionary service.  May we each remember why he was born.  The life he lead.  The men he chose to lead his people.  Such is my prayer in the name of He who is our Savior.  Jesus Christ.  Amen. "Feed my sheep..." Elder Christofferson I suppose everyone remembers his or her first Christmas away from home. The reason might be missions or military service, student life or employment assignments but, whatever the reason, that first Christmas "away" is a poignant memory for all of us. To those who have been away from home at Christmas, or who may be away from home this year, I dedicate my own such remembrance. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland In my case it was my service as a missionary. For 19 years I had enjoyed Christmas surrounded by family and friends. I suppose in my youthful self-centeredness I had never considered spending it any other way. Then, as the Yule Season approached in 1960, I found myself half a world away from all that. I had been in England less than three months when, on the first of December, I was summoned to the mission office to meet Elder Eldon Smith, newly arrived from Champion, Alberta, Canada — my first junior companion. We were sent to open up the very conservative city of Guildford in the county of Surrey, an area that had never had Latter-day Saint missionaries and, to our knowledge, had only one member somewhere within its boundaries. We were young, inexperienced and a bit overwhelmed, but we were not fainthearted. We registered with the police, arranged for lodgings and, initially unable to locate our lone member of the Church, threw ourselves into the only thing we knew to do — knock on doors. We knocked on doors in the morning, we knocked on doors mid-day, we knocked on doors in the afternoon and we knocked on doors at night. We rode our bicycles through those streets in what must have been the rainiest British December in history — or so it seemed to us. We were wet in the morning, we were wet at mid-day, we were wet in the afternoon, and we were wet at night, but we kept knocking on doors. And we got in almost none of them. So it went until Christmas Eve, when people were even less inclined to hear a couple of missionaries "from the colonies." So weary but devoted, we retired to our one-room rental and had a Christmas devotional. We sang a Christmas hymn, then offered an invocation. We read from the scriptures and listened to a tape recording entitled "The True Story of Christmas." Then we sang another hymn of the season, said a closing prayer and went to bed. We were too tired to have visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads. On Christmas morning we kept our morning study schedule then opened the two or three packages that had caught up with us due to our transfer. Then we went out to knock on doors. We knocked in the morning, we knocked at mid-day, we knocked in the afternoon, and we knocked at night. We didn't get in any of them. For such an uneventful Christmas — clearly the least festive of any I had ever had before or since — it says something that those special days in December of 1960 remain in my heart (after 50 years!) as one of the sweetest Christmases I have ever had. I think that is because for the first time in my life I found myself understanding Christmas rather than just enjoying it. I think for the first time in any truly significant way I was getting the message of Christ's birth and life, His mission and His message. And His sacrifice trying to do something for others. I should have made that connection at an earlier age but I hadn't, at least not strongly enough. But that Christmas in England — as a cold, wet, somewhat overwhelmed 19-year-old — I "got it." I can truly say that because of my mission, Christmas, like so many other aspects of the gospel, has meant more to me every year since that experience. On this Christmas I send my love to every missionary, every man or woman in the military, every student, every employee or traveler who won't "be home for Christmas," as the carol says. Keep your faith. Look for the good in your situation. Do something kind for someone. You will find that in spite of external circumstances, Christmas — like the kingdom of God — is "within you."

Okay.  Now I can email.  Its Transfer Day in the Maryland Baltimore Mission.  Missionaries gathered from the four quarters of the earth to find out where they're going and to see the new Missionaries coming in.  I'm staying in Columbia.  I was able to meet Sister Anderson from Lehi though.  She's in Harpers Ferry.  I think thats in Virginia or West Virginia.  My new companion is Elder Dobson from California.  He came out the Transfer after I did.  He enjoys skating and soccer.  Thats all I know about him right now.  I'll be working on more information.  Two weeks is coming up pretty soon.  I got the package from home today.  I just went and picked it up at the office after the transfer meeting so now I can start opening it.  When I found out that I can only open one per day I was excited.  A new present everyday!  Yay!  Elder Dobson has been feeling each present to determine what they are.  When I opened the Cider and Popcorn he thought it was fruit snacks and assorted nuts.  One that I'm supposed to open Christmas day he's determined is a tie and another is a CD.  We'll have to see how correct he is.

I better get a chance to talk to everyone there and Colton had better be there too.  I'll probably call in the evening here so that you have an idea of when to expect the phone call.  Its too tough to guess a certain time though.

It was raining pretty hard the night the Sister Stucki sent you that picture.  We ran half a mile in the rain to catch Brother Stucki for dinner and we hit three or four puddles that were each a few inches deep.  It was one of the best nights we ever had.  We ended up wearing Brother Stucki's sweats while our clothes were drying.

The Zone Conference Talent show was good.  I told the story of Rindercella.  I was the hit for our talent show.  I'm going to try figuring out how to do that to Twas the Night Before Christmas.  Elder Dutson recorded my talent.  Have Kadee write him and ask him.  Tell her to send the letter to the Mission Home.  We haven't set goals yet.  I don't think we have a Mission Blog.

I do have a Christmas Tree.  Elder Dutson left his behind.

Fonne was placed in a Hospice last week.  Elder Dutson and I were able to go over and give the family members a blessing because he isn't expected to live much longer and they just wanted some comfort.  I was able to tell them about Grandpa and it opened them up to us.

I want to bear you my testimony of the Birth of Christ.  If he wasn't born then he wouldn't have died and there would have been no resurrection.  Can you imagine that?  Think about it.  He was laid in a manger.  The best place they could find.  It was similar to how his life would be.  A perfect being in an imperfect world and in imperfect surroundings and conditions.  I bear you this witness in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

"Feed my sheep..."

Elder Christofferson

Monday December 5, 2011

 I have one really interesting experience to share with you all.

Friday night we got a call from our ward mission leader to go see a gentleman named Fonne in the hospital.  We went in to the emergency room to give him a blessing and found out that neither Fonne or his daughter Darlene who was there are members of the church.  His son Rod is a less active member though and the one who requested that we come give him the blessing.  We were able to give him a blessing and share a scripture with Darlene and her husband a blessing.  We left that night not really thinking anything of it.  When we were at dinner sunday night we recieved a call from President Belliston requesting that we go give Fonne a blessing.  We were surprised and a little annoyed that they wanted a second blessing.  But we're good missionaries, so we called the number we were given and got in touch with Rod.  So we set up a time to go give Fonne a blessing.  When we arrive at the hospital we found Rod, Darlene, and some of Fonne's children and grandchildren.  They were all excited because Fonne was responsive for the first time in two days.  Rod's wife told us that she didn't think Fonne would last the night though.  We were able to coach Rod in giving the first blessing he's given in several years to his ailing father.  Before we left I told Rod to call us if anything changes.

I couldn't help thinking that even though I wasn't there for grandpa at the end I was able to comfort a family that was on the verge of losing the Eldest member of the family.

What joy we can find in the gospel and its teachings.  We are able to understand the things that science cant explain.  Death and illness are all part of God's plan to make us stronger wiser being in this world.  I pray that we can all take the things we learn from our hardships and build our testimonies of the Atonement and other works of Christ into our lives.  I pray that we can feel the spirit in a new understanding as we seek to help others understand as well.  Such is my prayer in the name of the Savior.  Jesus Christ.  Amen.

"Feed my sheep..."

Elder Christofferson

Thursday December 1, 2011

 I did feel a change when I woke up yesterday morning.  I actually woke up at about 6 in the morning and couldn't fall back asleep.  I felt a little weaker yesterday and a little sick.  So yes Dad.  I did "Feel a disturbance in the Force."  When President Belliston called and told me last night I have to admit that I wasn't very heartbroken so I have to assume that the Spirit had spent the day preparing me for the news.  I think I may have only shed two or three tears last night. I'm going to keep this email short because I need to get out to work.  I think the work will keep my mind off things.

The following is some of the stuff I wrote for the funeral this morning.  Some of it I think of while I type this:
I don't have the greatest memory when it comes to things of the past, but what I remember about grandpa has always been special to me.
Fishing trips, camping, going for a drive, cutting a whiller to tan my hide. (No I didn't mean for that to rhyme)
Grandpa had a way with all of his posterity.  Making each of us feel special and loved and that we all held our own little place in his big heart.
I was blessed to be able to spend a considerable amount of time with him before my mission.  We went to a lot of doctors appointments together.  I'm still convinced that the State of Utah has a small building full of grandpa's blood.  I watched them prick him with enough needles.  We had lunch together on several occasions.  Usually after his weekly blood donations.  I know that he enjoyed our little outings.  I enjoyed them too.  He liked going to the Provo Tabernacle which is now being renovated as a temple.  I took him on rides to see a few different temples a few times.  We always enjoyed driving up and looking at temple grounds no matter what time of year.  I think he just liked getting out with someone from time to time.  I'll never forget one day I went to see him.  He was sitting in his chair and staring at one of the football games on TV with a really depressed look.  So I walked in and in the most enthusiastic (and least mischievous) voice I could muster said, "Grandpa!  I'm taking you over the Nebo Loop today."  The response, "My shoes are under the bed and I'll let you pick out my hat for me."
Grandpa was like most grandpa's.  He'd save the day.  He came to the rescue when my friends and I broke down in Rawlins Wyoming on the way to South Dakota and for those of you who have been through Rawlins you know that there is nothing there.  The biggest attraction is McDonalds.  He took Dal and I to the Castle Dell Pageant where the three of us gorged ourselves on lamb chops and Dal and I spent the rest of the night running around until we managed to find an old Cowboy to play the Harmonica for grandpa before it was time to go to bed. 


To think that having a Missionary out in the field meant that much to him.  I'll forever be in his debt.
Grandpa influenced and blessed so many different people in so many different ways.  I remember President Hales of the Spanish Fork West Stake Presidency telling me "Your grandpa was like a second dad to me"
The pinnacle moment of grandpa's involvement in my life was the night that I was set apart as a Missionary.  I hadn't seen grandpa stand for a lengthy period of time in a few years.  But that night when he rose to put his hand on my head to participate in setting me apart he did it.  He stood.  As tall, proud, and strong as I can ever remember him.  It was amazing to feel and see the Spirit work this small, but mighty miracle just for him.  I had always hear about grandpa being a man of great and mighty faith.  That night I was able to see it first hand.  "God is my strength and power; and he maketh my way perfect." (2 Sam 22:33)
Our Father in Heaven strengthened Grandpa enough to participate in setting me apart as a Missionary.  Now Grandpa has returned to him.  He's returned to his son.  He's returned to his sweet heart.  Now they can serve the couple Mission in the Spirit World just like all old couples should. (Hint hint) Thank you grandpa.  Thank you for your love, your kindness, and your example.  I love you grandpa.  I'll miss you.  Grandpa was a simple and straightforward man.  I can't put grandpa in anymore simple and straight forward words than these.

With my memory of Grandpa I leave my testimony of God's Plan of Salvation.  Death is not the end as some people would believe.  Its the next step in this grand adventure we know as life.  Grandpa will gain his body back.  It will perfect and whole.  Of this I bear testimony in the name of the Master and Savior.  Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Grandpa is "Feeding his sheep" now.

Love Jess