Sister Christensen's "Eh" Team
​Canada Edmonton Mission
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Smoke kills, people!

2/25/2016

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Hello!!

I still haven't caught my breath from this week! We taught 10
investigator lessons this week and 8 lessons to less active's or
recent converts! 18 total lessons in one week! A new record! It was
such a crazy week, and so many wonderful things happened!

On Friday, we decided to stop by a former investigator couple who
lives in Ponoka, N & T. As soon as N saw us at the door, her
whole face lit up and she rushed to open the door! She let us right in
and just started chatting! T is telling us a story when N says,
" So sorry to interrupt you, but would you guys teach me again? I
really liked your church, and I feel like I need to change something
in my life. So could we come back to your church?" 😳😳😳🎊🎉🎊🎉 well
let me think about it...... Uh Yes! What a miracle! It was so
unexpected and totally out of the blue! But it's so wonderful! They
came to church on Sunday, we're teaching them tonight, and they asked
the Bishop to marry them this summer! We wish we could convince them
to get married sooner so they can be baptized, but they can't afford
it yet, so we're praying for a miracle! It amazing how the Lord
prepares both investigators and missionaries to come together at the
perfect moment! His timing is impeccable.

On to our dear friend, D. I just love this woman! There was a
scripture study activity with some ladies in the ward, and we decided
to invite her. She immediately said yes! It was amazing to introduce
her to some members! We watched the conference talk about Ponderizing,
and then everyone shared their favorite scriptures. It was really
nice! She wants to come to our next one! We went and saw her Thursday,
and she shared her sermon with us! She mentioned us in the sermon! She
said, "thank you to the LDS missionaries who came to my house, and k
was able to read scripture, and after I had had things explained to me
by these clever young women, understand a little better myself." It
was so sweet! And they didn't even run her out of the church for
saying it! Haha we asked her if she would give us a tour of her church
building on Monday. It was absolutely gorgeous! Stained glass windows,
old oak pews, you could just feel the history there! But I could also
feel that there was something missing. Good things are there, and it
is beautiful! But without the Priesthood, I could feel the void. It
made me feel so grateful for what I have! I know that God's authority
has been restored and it is found in the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints!

Thursday night, our District Leader, Elder L, called with amazing
news! He asked us to give the training at district meeting this week!
Whoo!!! I about jumped through the roof! Oh how I have missed
presenting and training! I'm so excited! I'm glad that more of my
LDSBC and Apple skills are being put to use! I'll let y'all know how
it goes next week!

On to D! She is doing so well! She doesn't quite realize yet
that she is investigating the church! Haha but she started reading the
Book of Mormon! We downloaded the gospel library app on her iPad to
show her Bible videos, and in between appointments, she found it and
started reading! She loves it already! Funny story! She was way off
topic, talking about how handsome Chris Hemsworth is, (at least she's
got great taste! 😉) and so to get back on topic, I told her! "Have
you seen the bible video, 'Fishers of Men?' John is such a babe in
it!" 😂😂😂😂 we pulled it up, and it's true! He's a pretty good
looking apostle! And it got us back on topic! The Spirit works in
mysterious ways! 😂

Saturday, we went out to Rimbey to try and catch a few less active's
or former investigators. We decided we were going to knock on the
doors on either side of their houses. And because of that, we found
D & S! D said she would listen only if her neighbor would
too so we went and met S! She's an elderly lady in a wheel
chair, and she let us right in! There was only one problem, she is the
worst smoker I have ever met! I've been to Vegas, I've been to
Mesquite, I've been to Rodeos, but I've never smelt smoke that
disgusting! It was so bad that we had to shower as soon as we got
home! And we're teaching her again on Thursday! 😂 the Lord blesses
his missionaries, and I'm trusting that he will keep us from getting
lung cancer! I'll send updates on her next week!

What an amazing week this has been! The Lord is truly blessing us for
working so hard! And this week is going to be even busier! So please
pray for me and Sister P to make time for everyone! Or at least
those who need it. 😉 I love the Savior, I love Heavenly Father, I
love this gospel, and I love all of you! Have a killer week!


Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed
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"I'm 90 years old! I should be able to have a smoke!"

2/17/2016

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Hello everyone!

This week was so great! Lots of amazing miracles happened, and I learned so much!


To start things off, we have a new investigator, T! She is from Manitoba (a province here in Canada I didn't know existed until 3 months ago...) she is wonderful! She's currently living with a less active family, and that's how she was introduced to the Church! Remember that family I told you about weeks ago that has the scariest dog on the face of this planet, that's them! Haha they are a lot nicer than their dog! Our first lesson with her was amazing! A lot of the members of the household are sick due to mold. So they requested priesthood blessings, and T was able to see that as well as receive one! It gave her a lot of peace of comfort. She's currently in a custody battle with her ex-husband for 3 of her 4 kids. They are in an awful environment with their father, so she is doing everything she can to get them back. She loves how much the gospel can bless families, and she has accepted the invitation to be baptized on March 26! We're hoping she can get her kids back soon so they can all be baptized on the same day. She's already stopped drinking coffee, and she is working on quitting smoking. She has been so prepared by the Lord, and she's already building friendships with members of the ward! 

On Friday, we went to the Ponoka long-term care facility! It was their Valentine's Day party, and it was a blast! As soon as we got there, I walk over to the ladies, and there's a lady with them that I don't recognize. She starts swearing like crazy! One of the ladies tells me, "she hasn't had a cigarette since last night. They only let her go out 2 times a day."  the ladies start talking to her about how bad it is for you, and she shouldn't do that anymore. She responded with, "I'm 90 years old! I should be able to have a smoke whenever I want to!" There were a few explicit phrases in that sentence..... Hahaha all of us just busted up laughing!! Once we got the ice cream cake out and the piano man started playing, she calmed right down. Goodness I love elderly people! After the piano guy left, we still had a few minutes with them. So I decided to teach them a card game! And it may or may not have been Blackjack....   they loved it! Of course, there was no bet on the line, but it was so hysterical! They would say, "hit me!" And then if it was too high they would say, "oh not that hard!" We were all almost crying we were laughing so hard! I just adore these little ladies! I definitely have a soft spot for elderly people! 

Saturday was beautiful! It was 41 degrees outside! We had been asked to shovel a less active's driveway while they were out of town, so we were outside in our jeans and tshirts! It was amazing to finally get some Vitamin D! Naturally as missionaries, we started thinking of metaphors for shoveling and missionary work. By the end, we were laughing so hard! We had come up with the craziest things! We also started singing the "Frozen Heart" song from Frozen. In Canada, you don't just shovel snow, you also have to use a giant ice pick to get the frozen stuff underneath! My fore arms are still sore! But it was a blast to be outside and to serve! 

This week we were able to visit a part member family we hadn't seen in a while. He's been less active since high school, the wife isn't a member, and they have two adorable daughters, 9 & 11. As far as spirituality goes, it's not a priority for them, and I'm not sure that the message that we shared helped with that, but as we left that house, I had a very clear picture in my mind of being in the sealing room with that family, all dressed in white, kneeling at the alter! It almost brought me to my knees! It was such a clear picture, and I know that this is going to happen one day! They will be an eternal family! What a great reminder that was to me of the importance of not giving up on anyone. We don't know what their timeline is like or what the Lord has in store for them, but he always has a plan. And it is our job to figure out our role in that plan! I'm so grateful that the Lord let me see that event, it really helped refocus me on why I am here!

I'll finish off with our favorite Anglican woman, D! She really is so wonderful! We saw her on Sunday, and as soon as we arrived, she told us she is giving the sermon next week in her church, and she wants our help!  so we are meeting with her on Thursday to offer suggestions for her sermon! She said she's even going to say from the pulpit that the LDS sister missionaries contributed to this sermon!  she is the greatest! And I really hope they don't run her out of town for it! We can see her faith building, and I'm so grateful to play a role in her journey to the restored gospel! 

If there is one thing I learned this week, it is the truth that gospel blesses families! The Savior established his church in a way that would not only help us as individuals, but as families! We are all God's children, and he loves us so much! We need to help all of our brothers and sisters, especially those who don't have this knowledge! My new favorite quote is my C.S. Lewis. "It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship... It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is in the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit- immortal horrors or everlasting splendours." Imagine if we actually did see everyone like this! I hope that we can give everyone the opportunity to hear the gospel so they can have the chance to live up to their divine potential. 

I love you so much, and have a fantastic week!

Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed
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7 More weeks in Lacombe!!

2/11/2016

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​As always, things have been so busy! But first of all, transfer calls were yesterday, and we didn't receive a call. That means I'm staying in Lacombe! Normally it's only 6 weeks, but with the extension of time in the MTC, another week is being added on to this transfer. I have mixed emotions about staying. I love this place so so much! But I'm already so attached! Haha so I wanted to leave because it will be easier now than in 7 weeks! But the Lord still has work for me to do here! I'm going to be an emotional mess when I leave this place!


To start things off, I'll tell you about D! I'm surprised I haven't told you about her yet! This woman is so incredible! She is 84, a former Anglican priestess, and there is no way she is going to join our church. Hahah at least that's what she thinks. She was a referral from a member, and Sister L and I stopped by so many times! Finally about a month ago, she let us in! She has been so so kind to us! Although she used to be a priestess in her church, every time we see her, she's asking us the questions! We've had to teach her in a very unique way because of her determination to stay Anglican, but we can see her heart opening up! The reason she's not a priestess anymore is because her church forced her to step down due to her age! She was so devastated, but still supports her church no matter what. She would make the greatest member! If she doesn't join in this life, we know that she will be well prepared in the next! 

Our previous investigator, T, has been doing a great job at avoiding us! Haha but we found out that she was unable to work because her knee injury had gotten worse. We decided to stop by and see if we could cheer her up. We soon discovered that her fiancé's truck was there, and he's the reason she stopped investigating! We decided to pray about whether or not to go inside, and I felt the strong impression to go for it. It was so wonderful! She let us do her dishes, we got to meet the fiancé who was actually pretty nice, and I got to see her daughter who just adores me! We're really building back this relationship! I really hope to get this whole family into the church! So please keep her in your prayers!

This week was an interesting one for Sister P, it was her birthday on Sunday, but on Saturday, she found out that her grandma passed away. This is the 2nd grandparent she has lost on her mission! She handled it so well! The really cool part was what happened on Saturday! Her grandma is from Cardston, and it is crazy windy there! Lacombe has only had high winds once while I've been here, and it happened again on Saturday! It gave sister P so much comfort, and she really felt close to her grandma that day. It's amazing how Heavenly Father can work with the elements to comfort us! Tuesday was a really tough day for me. I was feeling so stressed, overwhelmed, and I would even use the word depressed! But that night, the Northern Lights were out! It was absolutely breathtaking! As we were out looking at them, I had the overwhelming feeling that Heavenly Father had made that happen just for me! Our Father in Heaven cares so so much! It was amazing to have that feeling of love made manifest in such a spectacular way.

I have one more story!  The K's had us over for Sister P's birthday supper. When we arrived, her son J was there. He's my age and very less active. We were shocked that he actually talked to us, but then he even stuck around for supper! He's about as pessimistic and negative as a person can be, but we were still able to have a great conversation. All of a sudden, gay marriage was brought up, and he asked us about the church's stand on it. Having answered this question many times, I started by expressing the love the church has for everyone! And before I could even get into the answer to his question, he threw his arms up, exclaimed that he hates our religion and stormed out!  I was expecting some pushback but not that quickly! Fortunately, we were able to finish the night with a great gospel conversation with the Kites! But it really got me thinking about how important it is to always be ready to answer the tough questions about the church! It may not be received well, but I hope that we can represent the church well in our answers and conversations! 

Well everyone, this week has been the farthest from easy, and down right awful at times, but I know that the Lord has work for me to do here in Lacombe! I can't wait to see what work that is, and I look forward to proclaiming His word to everyone around me! This is the Plan of Happiness and truth! I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us so personally. I hope each of you will feel that love this week! 

With gratitude,

Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed
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What a busy week!

2/2/2016

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Hello everyone! This week was so busy! Here's some of the stuff that happened!

This Sunday was an Oscar worthy! We were sitting in the chapel, super
anxious because the L that we knew was gonna sleep in again. But
we were just praying that he would come! All of sudden, here comes the
V's and behind them is L in a shirt, tie, and dress pants!
The best part was the sneakers! He just had the biggest smile on his
face! All of sudden, an entire less active family shows up! We didn't
even mention church to them this week! But they came all on their own!
And then our favorite horse dentist, Sister R came to church as
well! I had a smile on my face throughout the whole sacrament meeting!

We were asked that morning to fill in teaching Gospel Principles, and
the topic was faith in Jesus Christ. We knew this would be perfect for
L! We had over 15 people in our class which is just unheard of!
All of sudden, during the lesson, L raises his hand and shares an
experience! Naturally it was a story about boxing! But it was a great
contribution to the lesson, and it was apparent that the Spirit was
teaching him!

Just before Christmas, Sister L and I got a phone call from a man
that was in a stake presidency in British Columbia. He told us about a
ward member's daughter who lives out here in Lacombe that was really
struggling. We tried stopping by but we never got ahold of her. We
were going to try a few weeks later, but I lost the information that
had her address and phone number! This last week, she kept popping
into my mind, so I finally decided to just try to find her. We had
been to her house once before and I knew what part of town it was in.
So I finally said, "Heavenly Father, I'm just gonna start driving.
Please guide me to her house!" After only 15 minutes, we found it! We
knocked on the door, and she answered pretty quickly! She said her
boyfriend was about to come home, and he doesn't want anything to do
with this stuff, but she asked if we could come back on Monday.
Yesterday we went over and started asking her questions. It didn't
take long for her to open up about her situation. She's been in a
verbally abusive relationship for the last seven years, she's
attempted suicide, and she's completely lost. Many tears were shed in
that lesson! She's the oldest of ten kids, and everyone is a member of
the church except her. Her mom and dad were only married for a short
time so she didn't grow up in the church and was never baptized. This
woman is just so so broken! I pray that we can give her the strength
to change! It's going to be a long and heart breaking road, but we
have grown to love her so deeply already!

Just when I thought I knew everything about Canada, I hear something
new! We were having supper at the Chislom's, talking about moose meat,
deer meat, just wild game meat. Then they inform me of the craziest
thing I've ever heard, beef-a-lo meat! Yep! They're is actually a
breed of stock that is half cow, half Buffalo! 😂😂😂 Canadians are so
weird! First underwater hockey, now strange breeds of livestock!
Goodness I just love these wonderful people!

So on P-day last week, we were driving back from getting our laundry
and we were stopped at a stoplight. It was pretty icy so stopping was
a challenge, but we did it! All of a sudden, we feel someone lightly
hit the back of our car. We get out to check the damage, and it's a 17
year old boy, absolutely devastated! He let a few profanities loose,
and started apologizing. I look to see what damage has been done,
there wasn't a scratch on our car! I look and there's not a scratch on
his car either! This kid just starts crying! He mentioned how it had
been a really hard day, and this was just the icing on the cake. We
told him that we share a message that can make hard days easier! (So
cheesy but hey! It's what we do!) he took our card, and we went on our
way. We haven't heard from him, but I know that Heavenly Father needed
him to hit us for some reason! So hopefully one day he'll turn to us!

Life is just so busy here in Lacombe! And I'm loving it! Transfers are
next week, and j have no idea if I'll be staying or going. But it's
hard to imagine loving an area more than I love it here! It's going to
break my heart to leave, either now or in a few weeks, but I know that
there are others waiting for me!

This truly is the Lord's work! He is in charge, and what a pure
blessing to be an instrument in His hands. I'm definitely an imperfect
instrument! But thank goodness for His grace and Atonement! Because
that's how I can accomplish His work. I love this gospel and I love my
Savior! And I love you! Have a killer week everyone!


Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed
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    Aimee & Sheri
    Christensen

    We are Sister Christensen's mom and twin sister.  Aka: Mama S & Aimee  We will be updating this blog with emails, photos, and adventures from Sis. Christensen

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