Mate on Mondays.

Hello, sorry I didnt write last week, I didnt have a lot of time to write on pday because the whole zone came to Rio IV and they were staying in our apartment, it was kinda crazy. There were 14 of us, and we only had 10 beds. We borrowed 2 mattresses from the sister missionaries, we brought them back in taxis, it was pretty funny. The taxi driver had never seen anything like it. But even after all that, there still wasn't enough beds. I think somebody ended up sleeping on a table. But it worked out all right. Honestly it is kinda of hard to stick to the normal schedule with that many people in the apartment, because somebody was always playing guitar, and we all drank mate until about 1 am. One of the missionaries who came was elder León, from Chile, and he was super excited to drink mate with me because we used to do it all the time on monday nights back when I was in La Madrid, he even brought this special yerba from cordoba that we used to use. It was a lot of fun. 

The reason they all came, was because we had a zone conference with the mission president here on friday. It was supposed to be on thursday, so we invited the whole zone to come pass pday with us, then we were going to do exchanges on wednesday and have the conference on thursday. But after everybody had already bought their tickets, president said that the conference would be changed to friday. That was bad because it meant that all those missionaries would have to spend almost a whole week outside of their areas, and I didnt necessarily want that many people living with us for that long because it gets kinda crazy. I got 7 days behind in my journal...thats the furthest I have been behind my whole mission. I need to make it up though, Ive written for every single day of my mission. I dont know why Im trying so hard with my journal, sometimes I really dont feel like writing but I still do. Ive filled 233 pages so far...

Even though it was crazy having so many people here, we took advantage and did a couple good things that we couldnt have done otherwise. On wednesday we helped some people move. The whole zone of 18 missionaries was there.  The people we were helping weren't members. Its a family that has 2 small kids, the moms sister is a member. She was the one who asked us to help them. We had never tried teaching these people anything, because they told us straight up they dont want to hear anything about it. But I actually know them pretty well because they are usually at the sisters house (the one who is a member). But I think the mom (guillermina) was really impressed that 18 young people who didnt even know her just happily showed up to help her move all morning on their only day off of the week. Or maybe it touched her heart that people could be so happy while working, when all they were going to get out of it was a lunch. I dont know what it was but she seemed a lot different afterwards. She asked us for a Book of Mormon and said she would like to go with her sister to church sometime. I dont know if she will join the church anytime soon, but Im glad the service made a difference. 

Thursday wasnt like a normal day either, everyone went out on exchanges in the city, but me and my comp had to spend a big chunk of time doing the reports of all the missionaries in the zone to send to the president. Well actually, I did all of them by myself because my comp said he has "passed his kingdom to me". Thats why it took so long. After that we went back to the apartment to prepare our "capacitación" for the conference the next day. (Im sorry I dont know how to say capacitación in english...I still speak english really well obviously but sometimes there are words I cant remember at all.) My companion wanted to basically wing the whole thing and go up there without notes or anything because the spirit would tell us what we needed to say in the moment. I told him that the spirit wouldn't help us if we weren't prepared. We settled for preparing about half of it and leaving the rest to the spirit. I was a little nervous because it was my first time teaching in front of the zone, and president and everything, but it all turned out really well. I am reminded of a scripture in 

Docrtine and Convenants 84:85 Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.

And a part of D&C 38:30: ...but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear. 

I like those two scriptures because its true that the spirit helps us out by telling us what we need to say in the moment. But the spirit cant draw from an empty well...we have to be prepared. If we are studying our scriptures everyday and saying our prayers, we dont need to be nervous about teaching a class or giving a talk, or anything really, because the spirit will help us remember the things we have learned in the key moment. But we cant think we can just go and wing it with out studying and preparing. 

Thats all the time I have! But here are a few photos from the conference, and with some MTC friends. And one with my companion finally. 

Unlimited Pizza for 60 Pesos!!

Hello! We had exchanges with the APs in Córdoba this week, it wasnt exactly what I expected. My companion for the day was elder Kent, but we didnt end up doing any work because he threw up 4 times in the night and in the morning I took him to the hospital. We had to wait there 2 hours before they gave him a shot, and he had to rest all afternoon after that. So we didnt teach anyone, but he was able to tell me a lot about his experience at BYU before he came on his mission and a lot about how all that works. 

The best day of the week I think was thursday, we were doing exchanges again but just with the elders who live with us. I went with elder Monaghan from Canada, and it went really well. We mostly knocked doors in the morning, we found a couple good people. But right before going home (we were standing in front of our house actually about to go in) I looked down the street and felt that we had to contact one more house...I dont know why this one specific house caught my attention, but I know it was the spirit. A super nice lady came out with her little kid, and we set an appointment for that evening. She asked us to come back later that day herself, that rarely ever happens. When we went back that afternoon, we met her husband. He was a really funny guy who loves north america and canada, he collects coins and guns. I was telling him about how we went to Nauvoo one time and we went to the browning Gun shop, and he thought it was the coolest thing hes ever heard. He kept talking to us in English, his English was not good I honestly needed the gift of tongues to understand his English. He was under the impression that elder Monaghan didnt understand very much spanish (even though he speaks perfectly). But I really enjoyed the lesson with him, because when he was reading the introduction, after reading it he stopped and said "I feel really happy". Its so great when people are actually sincere and they give the Book of Mormon a chance...anyone can feel that happiness when they read it, they just have to take it seriously and give it a chance. 

This week we have been working 100% in our new area, Roque saenz peña, which has been rough for 2 reasons. 1 is that there are no investigators because there havent been missionaries here for a month, and the other is that we still dont have an apartment in the area, we are still where we lived before in Bimaco. And its expensive taking buses or taxis into our real area everyday. Yesterday though we went and looked at some new apartments, we found a cheap one thats on the 3rd floor of this big building, we took pictures of it to send to president today. So hopefully by next week we will be moved in over there. 

We have found a few new people here in the area, the best person we have is named Gilda, she is progressing a lot and is really happy to be learning more about the gospel. Shes catholic, just like everyone else here, but there is a lot about the catholic church that she doesnt like. We also have another investigator that I think is named elena, Im going to meet her tonight. (my comp found her while he was on an exchange) We have the appointment with her at 6, then afterwards we are going to an all you can eat pizza place for 60 pesos!! Pretty excited for that.

Anyway, Ill share a scripture that helped me this week...or rather it helped me help an elder who was going through a hard time. He asked me if I had ever felt depressed in my mission, and he was telling me that he was disappointed because he isn't having a lot of success. 

The scripture is Mosiah 23: 21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

Lots of people think that if something is going wrong in their lives, that God is punishing them. I think that it is true that God chastens people to help them change into what he wants them to be, but he also gives people challenges to try their faith. If we are keeping the commandments, and doing what we know we should be doing, and we still have trials, it doesn't mean we are doing something wrong. God is just testing our faith and patience. If we put our trust in him, even in hard times, he will bless us and we will be saved in the end. I know this is true!

Thats about it for the week..I still havent taken any pictures in my new area. Sorry Ill try to this week. But here is one from my last zone. 

Love, Elder Christensen ​

Love One Another

We are in Cordoba today, we spent pday here (that meant getting up at 4:00am again..ugh) but it has been a really fun day! I am staying in the apartment of elder Jackson, my mtc comp who I haven´t seen in a really long time, so that should be fun! I also saw a lot of other missionaries who I haven't seen in a while, we played soccer and football (americano). I might be a little bit sunburnt. Tonight and tomorrow we have exchanges with the Assistants to the president, that should be fun! One of them is from brazil, the other is from utah. 

Anyway, This week Ive basically been getting to know Bimaco a little bit better, I know a lot of the members pretty well now. Its a good ward, I like it. But just as Im starting to get used to this place its almost for sure that we are going to be moving to an area called Roque Saenz Peña, which is here in Rio Cuarto but just more downtown. So its kinda sad that Im going to be leaving this place so soon, but Ill be really glad to be able to finally settle down in an area. I haven't even unpacked my suitcases yet since the transfers because they told us we would probably be moving, its a pain opening the suitcases every time I want something. Another sad thing about moving areas is that we will be getting our own apartment...staying in an apartment with 4 is always a lot more fun! 2 person apartments can get kind of boring.

Ive been disappointed to hear about more shootings and attacks all around the world. A member told me there was one in Australia and another one in Orlando? What is going on in Orlando?? Its crazy that is so close to home. The world is really messed up these days...I was reading in Mosiah last week, the part about Abinadi on trial before king noah and the king tries to have his guards kill him, but he is protected by the power of God. 

Chapter 13: 1 And now when the king had heard these words, he said unto his priests: Away with this fellow, and slay him; for what have we to do with him, for he is mad.

2 And they stood forth and attempted to lay their hands on him; but he withstood them, and said unto them:3 Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I should tell; therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time.

This scripture was something that was good for me to read this week, because even though the world is just getting more and more dangerous every day, I know that God will never  let a righteous person die before their mission on earth is complete. So, if we are doing the things we know that we should be doing, we don't need to be worried about anything. We know that God will protect us in any situation, and if our work here on the earth has been completed, he will take us back to him, and welcome us with open arms. We have Gods promise to have peace in our lives if we keep his commandments. 

This week we haven't had a lot of time to work with investigators in our area (meetings, comp wanting to visit members/members inviting us to their bday parties) we did have some success. I honestly had started to lose hope for the week, because it was Saturday night and we didn't think that we were going to have any investigators in church. No had committed to come, and I didn't know were to go but I knew we had to do something. I remembered the old man we met last week (80+ years old, memory loss) named Raul. I cant remember if I wrote about him last week or not, I knocked on his door during my first week here, his house is the most humble Ive seen in a long time. Its super dirty, there is mud everywhere, and there are 10 little kids living there with their parents and raul is their grandpa. But their parents are alcoholics I think, they don't take care of the kids or the house. The kids always have dirty faces and clothes. I felt really bad for them. So I suggested to my comp that we visit them real quick just to invite them to church (it was already late and it was really cold) so we passed by, and we met the mom and the dad and also a bunch of the kids were there. We invited them to come to church, and surprisingly they said yes! We came back the next morning we came by to pick them up in a taxi and in the end, the mom (laura), and 2 daughters came with us (celeste, 9, and rocio, 6) and we showed them the baptismal font in the church. The members really reached out to them when they saw the bad state of the kids and the mom (they were super dirty) and they gave them packs of crackers and cookies and stuff to take home and where super nice to them. It made me really happy, I know thats what Jesus would have done and I felt Christ's love in the ward in that moment. 

That all happened during sacrament meeting, after that we took a taxi and went to the other ward in Roque saenz peña to meet the members and to tell them that we are going to be moving there. The members in that ward haven't had missionaries for almost a month, and they were super super happy to see us! It was the warmest reception I have had in my mission I think haha, its a big ward it reminded me of an American congregation. One of the sisters came up and offered to make us a lunch calendar out of no where, and they filled basically the whole month within minutes without us even asking! That was another moment on sunday where I really felt that there was a lot of love from the members towards people that they didn't even know. It made me feel really good and really grateful to be a member of the church, because i know that no matter where I go in the world I will have friends in the church. 

Mosiah 18: 21 And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.

I think this is one of the main reasons the church exists! I know that this church is the church of God on the earth and that his love is present in it...

I also love all you guys back home! I hope that everyone is doing well and is safe! 

I don't have any new pictures, ill try to get one with my new companion this week. Thats about it though!

-Elder Christensen