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

May 31, 2011

Okay.  I can respond now.  All our emailing locations were closed yesterday because of memorial day, but now I have an opportunity.  I'm still getting used to the area so I haven't been able to research any history yet, but I do see a lot of Civil War Memorial and Historic Plaques around town so I'll look into them.  Our county is named after George Washington though.

 

My new companion is Elder Garfield.  He's a cowboy from Kaysville Utah.  He actually has an interesting family history.  His ancestors traded a pet cat to the Native Americans for most of the Ogden area.  Its called the Cat Claim.  You might be able to find it online.  His family also owns the ruins a Castle in the UK.  He's on his last transfer in the mission then he starts the transfer home.  I'm "Killing" him. (Complicated story.  I'll tell you later.)  He said that he might drop in and see you sometime.  He's pretty cool.  He likes to tell everyone that I'm D. Todd's grandson so then I tell them exactly how many days he has left.  We're just a barrel of laughs.  I don't have to worry about earthquakes, tsunami's, or tornados here.  Instead we have the heat waves.  97 degrees with 100% humidity makes it 107 (Thats just today) Its going to get a lot hotter in the next two months.  I'm going to need more mesh garments.  I've also decided that for the rest of the summer I'm probably going to be shaving all the hair off my body.  Its that hot.  I'm losing more weight by walking than I ever did back home.

 

You still haven't sent me Tyson and Brigham's email addresses yet.  Try and get me Shon Tomadakis' email too if you can.  I was thinking the other day.  Its going to be so cool when all of us get home and we can sit down and talk about the missions.  So many cool and diverse stories about a lot of diverse places.  India, Nashville, Little Rock, Chile, Peoria, Equador, Rochester, Ballmore I MEAN Baltimore, and many more to come.  Who knows where Klynton and Devon are going to go.  Camp Fire Stories!  Woot woot!.  Of course Leslie, Tyson, and Brigham are going to be talking in Spanish so that nobody can understand them! (Angry eyes) It'll be awesome though.

 

So we have another person on date.  We were talking to this guy who was coming out of a hangover (Yeah.  Weird) and his neighbor Slyvia was sitting there with us.  She asked us if she could have a Book of Mormon and I said sure and gave her one.  As soon as I handed it to her she turned to this guys other neighbor and said, "Thats right.  I'm going to become a Mormon."  I asked her when she wanted to be baptized and she said as soon as possible.  So we set a date.  All of this took about five minutes.  As we're leaving I turn to Elder Garfield who had been talking to Erik this guy who was coming out of his hangover and said, "We put Sylvia on date by the way."  He stopped dead in his tracks and was like, "Wait.  What?"  I said, "Sylvia.  She's on date for baptism."  If we weren't in public he probably would have done a back flip.  It was exciting.  She's also the first person I've ever put on date for baptism.  Now we just have to teach her the lessons more in depth.

 

The gospel is true now matter what eyes you're looking through.  Thats why so many people find comfort in it and why so many others are afraid to accept it.  This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

Elder Christofferson

May 23, 2011

The new area is awesome.  I'm very excited for Chase and Kayla.  It took them long enough.  I haven't gotten the box yet.  It arrived at the Perry Hall apartment.  Hopefully I'll get it before the end of this transfer.  For letters people should just send them to the mission office.  That way they can just forward them to me and I don't have to worry about them ending up in limbo.

The area I'm in is called Hagerstown.  Its has quite the Civil War History here, but I'm studying the Gospel.  Not U.S. History.  I still have some books on Church History that I need to send home.  The area is very beautiful.  Much more green than my last area.  I like it here.  The ward members are nice.  By the way.  I'm now living with a friend of Tyson and Teancum.  Elder Nathaniel Heywood.  He trained my trainer too.  So he's my mission grandfather.  He's happy to hear that Utah State is holding Teancum's Scholarship till after his mission and that Tyson has finally hit the field.

It sounds like there is a lot going on.

We just had four investigators come to Sacrament meeting.  They felt a little out of place, but they adjusted.  Next week will be better.  The ward members all felt guilty when they didn't come up and talk to them.  Are you taking good care of the missionaries?  I hope so.  Do I need to remind you that referrals from the members are the best way for missionaries to do the work?  Colton can testify to that.

One thing that I've come to cherish is the testimony of church members past and present.  It is upon their testimony that we've been able to build it up to what it is now.  We're at 14,131,467 members and still growing.  A testimony of one person can influence thousands.  Share it.  Bare it.  Live it.  In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

"Feed my sheep."

May 19, 2011

I can now disclose my new location to you.

 

Elder Christofferson

1140 Kenly Ave

Apt 2

Hagerstown MD 21740

 

I'm assigned to the Hagerstown Area of the Maryland Baltimore Mission

 

Love

Elder Christofferson

May 16, 2011

So my time in the Perry Hall Area is coming to a close.  I'm getting Transferred to a new area tomorrow.  I've grown very attached to the people here.  Probably too attached.  We've seen many miracles begin to occur here and now I have to leave before they come to full realization.

 

While teaching Danielle she's come to realize that many of the things that she wants in her life she can find in our church.  If only it had happened a couple of days after a Jehovah's Witness decided to attack us while we were on the way to some appointments.  He proceeded to tell us that there is no way the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints could be the true church.  He told us that we're Satan Worshippers because many of us are in cooperation with the United States Government.  He called us Satanic because we have Soldiers in different armies.  Right before we left I told him that I love our Soldiers and that I love fighting.  I'm proud to have been in some form a Warrior.  Elder Davis and I were infuriated as we went through the rest of our day.  That night when we got to the Stake Center for some work we were doing I decided to kill some time by watching Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration.  While watching it I was finally calmed.  This man attacking us because of our faith strengthened my Testimony of having a Prophet in these Latter Days.  The need of one has never been more necessary.  People have been blinded by the subtle craftiness of men.  If you love the Lord.  Then feed his sheep.  Help these people to see the truth.  If they tell you that God will allow you to believe a lie then just bear your testimony to them and leave them behind.  Its the best thing to do.

 

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is the Lord's Kingdom restored on the earth.  It has done more to change the world in its time than any other church.  I bear my witness of these things in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

Elder Christofferson

May 9, 20011

(We were all so excited to talk to Jess on Mothers Day, that we kept talking about it all night Sunday Night and forgot to send him an email........OOPS>)

What?! No email?! Doesn't anybody love me?!?!?! :(

I'm just kidding.  I know you all love me.  You all told me several times when I was on the phone last night talking to all of you.  How did you like my Baltimore accent.  I'll teach you all the customs and traditions later, but for now I'll just tell you that we had an awesome week this week.  We went to training for three days down in the heart of the Mission.  It was amazing.  Over half the Mission gathered.   I'll tell you right now that if you think LLD or Staff Week for Scout Camps is tough or informative its nothing compared to being at Missionary Training.  Three days of being immersed in Preach My Gospel and the Book of Mormon.  Its like drowning without the water.  But its so beautiful.  The spirit that you feel is so strong that you can't avoid feeling a renewed love of the Savior and the people you're trying to convert.

 

This last week we were able to go see a former investigator who is very Catholic.  We've finally discovered that he just doesn't believe in being baptized again.  He thinks one is enough.  Thats all thats stopping him.  At the end we challenged him to open up his Bible and the Book of Mormon and study Baptism.  He agreed to do it and now we're going back Wednesday to go over it with him.  We feel that if he studies enough about Baptism that he'll realize he needs to do it.  The Spirit was so strong.

 

I know that this Church is true.  I've come to cherish the efforts made by the Prophet Joseph in bringing us to this great stage of enlightenment and I know that everyone can be blessed by the message we carry in our hearts. 

 

"...Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."  John 21:17

 

Feed his Sheep.

 

Love

Elder Christofferson

Elder Davis and I with Agela and Dakota

Me with Lilo

Morgan (Red Parrott)