January 30, 2012

Me opening my birthday present

Elder Burton was my first District Leader. My first Transfer in the mission was his last as District Leader before going to Zone Leader for several months. Then he became an Assistant to the President. He's an awesome guy. He'll go far in life, I have no doubt.

Mary Crafts is an amazing woman. It doesn't surprise me that she'd marry an amazing guy. I just hope he can keep up with her exciting personality. I'm glad you went to church. Deciding not to can make all the difference in our spiritual light and reception of God's truth.

Has anyone in the family watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration yet? Here's a possibility for a future Family Home Evening. http://mormonchannel.org/joseph Its a good one.

I can't wait to see Braxton when I get home. I bet he's grown a ton. I wont be able to keep up with him I bet. I hope he gets used to me when I'm there.

Brother Loop got the wood. His wife said that he was like a kid in a candy store when he opened the box because the wood was the exact size it needs to be to make pens. Did dad cut it for him? He's excited to start turning it. He honestly wasn't expecting dad to send him that much. Remind dad to send me the Karate stuff and to stop being a slacker.

I did like the Silver and Gold. I wear the ring everyday now. A few ward members and missionaries have asked about it and I get the chance to use it as a teaching tool. Joseph Smith was an amazing man and great prophet. I'm reading Daughters in our Kingdom. Pretty inspiring work the relief society. The socks fit just fine. I'm going to be throwing out all my old pairs now so that my drawer isn't overstuffed and I don't have as nasty of socks. Still need a neon green, yellow, and orange paisley ties. They're the only ones I'm missing now.

My heart goes out to the youth on trek. The womens pull is the most emotional and spiritual part of trek. I heard countless stories of it in Hagerstown. The young men said that they were in physical pain not being able to help. Strange how people have to go through that. I you can get ahold of a copy of Only a Stone Cutter I recommend that you watch that for family home evening sometime. Its a good movie also.

I'm glad to hear that Shon is doing well. I remember seeing him in the MTC. It was good to see a familiar face. It happened more often than not. A few kids I went to high school with were there also. Fun stuff. He's going to be a great leader while out and when he gets home.

I don't have many stories to report this week. We're looking for people to teach right now. We know that as long as we're doing everything possible to find then we will. I have faith that the Lord will guide us to who is ready or who is ready to us. It always happens.

I bear you my solemn testimony that this work is true. That this is Christ's Church. That he call prophets ans apostles to lead and guide his children and that we can find happiness as we act upon their word. I promise you this in the name of our Lord and Saviour. Jesus Christ. Amen.

Elder Dobson and I with Marjorie and Bishop Krewson
"Feed my sheep..."

Elder Christofferson

P.S. I'm putting some pictures on this one.

Me with Coach Crowton, the former head coach for BYU football and his family

Elder Dobson and I with Cheryl from mormon.org.

Elder Dobson and I with Sister Boward. She made Elder Dobson and I

the blankets we're wrapped in and then we made one for her.

Monday January 23, 2012

Thats awesome that Ryan (Sowards)  got his papers in. He's going to be a great missionary. All missionaries are great, don't you think? I hope he goes foreign. He'd have a fun time going foreign. Then again. Sometimes foreign missions aren't what we need to grow. I've grown lots in Maryland. We had interviews with President Belliston this week. He told me how him and Sister Belliston were talking this week and they both made lots of comments about how they've seen me grow. I hope its noticeable positive growth.

That should be fun. I hope it helps out with some of the youth. Go back and read the Parable of the Talents in the New Testament...Holy Cow I'm turning into Leslie. A year ago I wouldn't have been able to tell you what things from the scriptures or church leaders past and present could help or reference anything going on in the world today. i guess I've grown a little bit. DANG IT!!! I was hoping that I'd be back in time for Trek. Oh well. I'm going to Volunteer for Trek when I get home and it comes up again. I never got to go on Trek back home. I never went to EFY or Youth Conference either. I missed out on some of the best Spiritual Experiences that I could have had as a youth.

I keep the boys from the ward in my prayers all the time. I'll add Sean getting better to them. I'm glad to hear that Shidler is doing well. How's Shon Thomadakis doing? That guy is awesome. I hope he hasn't baptized any Kangaroos or Koala's because that doesn't count as a baptism.

So as for people we're teaching and finding. Marjorie was baptized on Saturday night. It was awesome. From start to finish I've taught and baptized 4 people, but only actually performed the Ordinance of Baptism once. I'm starting to see what Bryce Taylor meant when he said that members doing it was important. If they don't ask for a member to baptize them then I feel like I didn't do a good job finding them a fellowshipper and they're converted to the Missionaries and not the church. We want them converted to the Ward and the Gospel. Not us.

The Columbia ZONE has Seven companionships here, plus the office staff.

Columbia 1st: Elders Christofferson/Dobson
Columbia 2nd: Elders Haycock/VanKammen
Columbia 3rd (Spanish) Elders Pederson/(Father) Tanner (We call him Father Tanner because of Treasure in Heaven: The John Tanner Story)
Hampstead: Elders Fife/Goode
Eldersburg: Sisters Walker/Park
Savage Mill: Elders Bryson/Williamson
Ellicott City: Elders Savage/Cragun (Formerly Elder Heywood of Ephraim. He went home three weeks early to start school at Snow)

Office staff: Sisters McKibben, Adams, and Elder/Sister Gibbons

Transfers is on wednesday. I don't know if I'm getting transferred and President has put a ban on playing The Transfer Game.

Have I found the one person that is looking for me? I don't know. I realized this week that we as missionaries are placed in peoples lives for some reason or another. I've been able to see people enter the church. They found the answers to the questions they didn't know they had and discovered truth and light in their time of darkness and lies and then entered into the waters of Baptism. I've been able to see less active members, lifelong and converts realize what it is that drove them into inactivity and return to the Church. They've developed the confidence to face their fears and problems and push past them. I watched the Spirit bring grown, tough, hardened men to tears. I know that I've been a conduit for that. Have I found the person that has been waiting for me? I dont know. What I do know is that I was able to help them recognize the spirit and feel it and then make decisions to better themselves.

For whatever reason we are where we're supposed to be. Take advantage of it. Prayerfully seek out why and then act on the answer. The Lord is preparing you and someone out there for your interaction with them. Figure it out then do it. Early in the church history if he had followed a prompting from the spirit when he felt it instead of shrugging it off then Wilford Woodruff (One of my favorite Prophets from this Dispensation to study) would have joined the church much sooner than he did. But nonetheless he joined.

I have a testimony of this great work and that the Lord's hand influences everything that goes on in the world. Thats how Marjorie found us. Don't ignore anything that may come your way. Take advantage of it. I bear you this simple testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

"Feed my sheep..."

Elder Christofferson

Monday January 9, 2012

So here is the video for you all to watch and think of who to share it with this week whether it be a member of the church or not. Active or inactive. Friend, family, or stranger. http://mormonchannel.org/mormonmessages?v=1289877050001

I know that you hate short emails, so here's to trying to make them longer. So today is our P-Day. We played a few games as a district today. Elder Heywood went home in time to start school so there isn't as much sports going on anymore. We had lunch at Chick Fil A. Which is one of my favorite fast food places. There is a member family taking Elder Dobson and I bowling for our birthdays. His is on January 19th so we're having a joint party. Sister Hutchison fed us last night and we had one of my new favorite meals. Chicken Enchiladas. With one of my favorite desserts. Apple Crisp. Sister Hutchison is so awesome. She said that you sent her something for my birthday, but it wasn't there yet. She told me that she'd call when it arrives so that I can come see it. It was an awesome meal to break our fast with. A fast for gratefulness in achieving the success that we had. The mission decided not to ask for anything in our fast, but to do it out of gratitude for the blessings that we received this year.

I'm happy to hear that Darius and Jaelyn finished Jay's temple work. Its good to have that done and taken care of and not to be able to move onto the next person. I had a dream a few nights ago that the same night I was being released from my Mission, Dad was ordained a high priest and that he was the first person called to be a Sealer in the Payson Temple. Probably just a dream, but that would be cool. Did you realize that only a General Authority can call Temple Sealers? President Belliston told us that because he was called to be a temple Sealer the year before he was called to be a Mission President. They also can only perform sealings for that temple that they are called to unless they have a direct descendant thats getting sealed then they have to have permission from the First Presidency if not President Monson himself to seal one of they're children outside of the temple they're called to. Kind of interesting isn't it?

I can't wait till I get home and get to go teach with the Missionaries. I'm excited. If you do a good job with letting them teach you then you should go volunteer at the TRC or Teaching Referral Center in the MTC (I know. Lots of Acronyms). The missionaries need people to teach there so that they can have a full experience.

You'll have to let me know where Teancum ends up going. I'm so excited for him. I wish I could have been there to help him the way Colton and Cameron were for me. Oh well. I'll get to help someone prepare. Thats all that I really want to do is make sure the next missionary is ready.

Dont get fired from Visiting Teaching this time. If I can preach the Gospel everyday for two years then you can be a visiting teacher. I'm going to be a 100% Home teacher when I get home.

Okay. Now for a story. Its about Ms. Marjorie Edwards. So a few weeks ago we were emailing here at the library in Columbia. Elder Dobson was sitting next to this lady named Marjorie who is trying to figure out how to use a flash drive. She asked for help and he did just that. He helped her out. Then he taught her the Restoration. It was like whiplash. They had a discussion. He committed her to coming to church, reading the Book of Mormon, and then she said a prayer while sitting right there. A few weeks have gone by and we've taught her the rest of the lessons. She's decided to be baptized on January 21. A few days before the end of our current transfer. Marjorie was a lady that was prepared for us to meet. She loves the church and everything we teach. She's been soaking everything up. She studies the Book of Mormon like she grew up in the church. Marking verses, pages, and lines. Writing down questions and the answers that she finds to them. We'd been looking for ways to improve the work in the area and since we met Marjorie we do everything that we can think of. Nobody passes us by without us handing them a pass along card or a pamphlet. Work progresses is different ways around here. President knew that he was supposed to send us here and we were to find out why.

I know that Jesus Christ lives. He is the savior of the world. His atoning sacrifice can make up all our losses is we repent and take his name and his yolk upon us. His priesthood has been restored. It exists nowhere else. Joseph Smith is the man who restored the fullness of the gospel. Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's spokesman on the earth. Of this I bear witness in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

"Feed my sheep..."

Elder Christofferson

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Okay. So I'm late emailing this week, and this one is going to be relatively short. We have an appointment here at the library at 1:30 and I'm rushing now. The holidays have messed with our email schedule out here so we're doing the best we can. This last week was pretty awesome. We're teaching a lot of people and hopefully going to have a baptism coming up soon. Things are looking more promising every day in the Columbia 1st area. This week is going to be a little rough because of Specialized Training this week, but we should be good otherwise.

Ouch. Tyson's pictures look pretty bad. He's tough though. He'll get over it. I'm not too worried about him.

Tell Kadee no more trying to steal my mission plaque. How many Missionaries have left from the singles ward? There can't be too many. Leave the plaque there. Thats where I left from thats where it should be till I get home.

I just want to close with my testimony. Weldon is right. Either the book was written and translated by the gift and power of god or it wasn't. Everything that our church is hangs on that book. And since nobody has been able to prove it wrong then it must be true. Never forget WHY Joseph Smith backed it up though. He is the prophet of the Restoration. There has been an unbroken line of prophets since then. Of these things I know certain. In the name of the savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"Feed my sheep..."

Elder Christofferson

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Since I talked to you on sunday I don't have much to report, but i will bear my testimony to all of you.

I know Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. He lives. He did suffer the pains and afflictions of the world so that we could return to our heavenly father again. Joseph Smith restored his church and President Tomas S. Monson leads it today. Of these things I bear solemn witness in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

"Feed my sheep..."

Elder Christofferson