Good Morning!!


Whew! So many wonderful things have happened this week! First of all, we saw our first moose!!!!!!!! After 7 months in Canada, it finally happened! Next on our list is a bear! haha but that might not be as easy to find! Here are some of the amazing things that happened to us this week.

Wednesday we had the chance to go to Loon Lake! It's in Saskatchewan,
and it's the furthest point east in our mission that actually has
people living there. It's amazing to see the difference between
provinces. Usually in the States, the only way you can tell you're in
another state is by the "Welcome to such & such" sign, but you know
pretty quickly that you're in Saskatchewan. The road starts to get a
little bumpy, there are moose crossing signs everywhere, and all of
sudden, there's hardly anyone around!  it was adventure to say the
least! The road to Loon Lake alternates between pavement and dirt,
which made staying awake pretty easy!

When we go out that direction, we have to meet up with the senior
couple from Lloydminster because it is a Native reserve. The R's
are from Arizona, and they are a hoot! Their whole mission is focused
on the Native people, and they work so well with them! The moment we
got there, our appointment we had set up fell through, but there was a
referral we could stop by. We drove up to the house, and it looked
like the house had been abandoned. Bro. R went to check it out,
and someone turned out to be there! This place was in rough shape! The
girl was crying, and she said we could come in as long as we knew how
to talk to her? We had no clue what that meant, but we went for it
anyway! Her name is T B, and her and her family had sent
in a request for a Bible in December. Since then, T has lost her
kids, her husband put a restraining order against her, and she's about
has rock bottom as you can get. It was pretty sad to hear her story,
and unfortunately, she's turned to addiction to deal with the
situation. But she knew that we could offer her something that would
help her. We're going to go back either sometime this week or next
week. It's tough because she lives so far away, and we have no members
out there. She doesn't have a car so she can't come to church. I
started to really worry about how we can help her, but I soon realized
that we aren't the ones helping her anyway, it's Heavenly Father,
Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. They can be there with her when we aren't, and they will help bring her out of this sickness of addiction. It was a very humbling experience to see all of that! 


We met a less-active family that lives in Good Soil this week. The Mom used to be a correctional officer at a mental prison! Like the man who used to feed his victims to pigs.... ya she dealt with him! She has some pretty insane stories!! They're potentially moving, so we offered to go back on Saturday to help them start cleaning and packing up things. It was an adventure! haha they have 3 boys. Two of them live in the attic, and the third one joined them recently because his room was "un-livable".... we had stacks of dishes, 4 garbage bags completely full, and a mountain of laundry! Boys are so messy! hahah But it really softened their hearts, and they invited us back for dinner! 


Sunday was Stake Conference. Because we are 3 hours from the Stake Center, we watched it over the Broadcasting system. Elder Allan Packer was there, and almost the entire meeting was testimonies! They would call up people, 5 names at a time, to bear their testimony. It was so cool! The Spirit completely directed that meeting, and although people weren't assigned topics because it was so impromptu, they all talked about how God knows each of us individually. Story after story just illustrated that unconditional and undeniable love! I have been so blessed to feel of that love on countless occasions, not only towards me, but towards those I teach! The gospel is love! That's what everything comes down to, the first principle we teach, God is our loving Heavenly Father. I testify that he truly does love every single living thing that has ever existed, and nothing that we do or say can change that!


We had some unique experiences on Sunday after church. We visited a couple who went less active about 6 months ago. They have found every piece of anti-mormon doctrine you can find, and unfortunately, it shook their testimonies. We were able to hear their concerns, but the coolest part was being able to testify to them that God knows them personally and loves them. No matter how lost someone may be or how far off track they get, the more they come to understand the love God has for them, they will come back! The Savior never forced people to follow him, he never criticized them for trying, he served, and loved, and cared for every single person he met. He even loved those who rejected him.


We also had the opportunity to teach a former Muslim guy, M. He was a referral from a ward member, and him & his wife were very welcoming to us! However the moment we sat down, he immediately said, "what makes your church different than everyone else?" We started talking about families, the restoration, the articles of faith. But it soon became very apparent that this guy is an Athiest. He has no belief in a God, although he used to! He was about as devout as you could get in the Muslim faith, and then one day, he denounced it all! He realized that his faith believes that if you don't believe in the Islamic faith, you will go to hell after this life. He knew amazing people that are of other faiths, and he couldn't imagine that they could be destined to go to hell. So unfortunately, that led him to not believe in God at all! The only way he'll believe is with proof. It was a unique situation, because I've never taught someone who didn't believe in God! As I explained in my video, we just don't realize how lucky we are to know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us! M allowed us to leave him with a Book of Mormon, and he said he would read it. However, I'm not sure how open his heart is, but I know one day, he will see that God has always been there, and he has never left him.



I'm so glad that Heavenly Father let me feel of His love so frequently this week. It's amazing to see others identify that love as well. I hope each of you will pray to feel that love! If we ask Him, He will always allow us to feel of that love, no matter who we are, what religion we belong to, or what we have done. It is unconditional and unending. I love my Father in Heaven so much! I feel honored to be His representative and his disciple. 


I love you all so dang much! I can't wait to see you in just 12 short days! Have a wonderful week!


Love,


Sister Bethany Christensen

#blessed

THIS WEEK WAS AMAZING!! Goodness, I just love being a missionary! The Lord blessed us with so many cool experiences this week. 

D got baptized!!! After 8 years of investigating, she made the commitment! The baptism was absolutely amazing, the Spirit was very present, and what a privilege it was to represent all of the missionaries who helped get her to this day. When I came out here, all I wanted was to baptize people, and I figured everyone we taught would be ready fairly quick! But I have learned that that's more the exception than the rule. Those of us who were raised in the church had the chance to learn for 8 years before we were baptized! Doesn't it make sense that some people would take just as long? It has been such a learning experience for me to see the different stages of conversion. D thought about this long & hard, and when she finally made the decision, she knew that she was promising to take upon herself the name of Christ. I think the coolest part was that she made the decision at the beginning to not take the sacrament until she was baptized. She understood what it meant, and she wanted to wait until she had made those covenants. I don't think I've ever felt the Spirit during the sacrament as strong as I did this week. To witness a brand new convert partake of the sacrament for the first time brought a whole new meaning to the sacrament. It is how we truly access the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The first step is to act by participating in the ordinance of baptism and promising to give of ourselves, and then we have all power to overcome anything and everything through Him. 

Thursday we went to Edmonton for Zone Meeting and exchanges. I've been to Edmonton 3 times, but this time, I finally got to see Edmonton! I was with Sister Ph's, one of our sister training leaders, and her area is in downtown Edmonton! Man, I have missed the city! We had the coolest opportunity to go to a lesson with the Tagalog elders. The members that were supposed to come fell through, so we went and taught E. 95% of the lesson was in Tagalog! We were both praying so hard for the gift of tongues! Haha  Tagalog is close to Spanish in some ways, so I was actually able to catch some of the lesson! But the best part was the Spirit that was there! Definitely in the top 5 of Spirit-filled moments on my mission! When you can't understand what's being said, you have to pay real close attention to how you feel, and how you think the other person feels. The Spirit is truly the teacher, and when you completely rely on Him, you learn as well! 


Friday, we volunteered to assist with a community volunteer appreciation event. Everyone who volunteers at various places throughout the community was invited to attend. We knew this was a golden opportunity to meet people! Friday morning, Sister Ba and Sister Br (still on exchanges) went to help set up. While they were helping, they met a 19 year old girl name B. They had a blast with her, explained a bit about our missions, but that was kind of it. Well that night while we were at the event, one of the other volunteers told us someone was looking for us outside. So we went out, and there was B with her friend H! She said she had so much fun with the sisters earlier that day, and so they wanted to invite us to BULL-A-RAMA! I almost cried tears of joy! Two potential investigators and a full night of bull riding?! Life is so good! 


So Saturday we went to Bull-A-Rama, and we had so much fun with these girls. They see us as actual human beings rather than weird religious people, and they are so open to asking questions and letting us tell them about our faith. We're having dinner with them tonight, and so we're going to ask them if they would be willing to let us teach them the discussions. They are so kind, and they would make amazing members! So please pray for them! 


I just love being in Cherry Grove! The people in this area have hearts of gold, and they take care of us so well! I know this is exactly where the Lord needs me, and there are many adventures ahead! I never updated you guys on the March Madness Book of Mormon challenge, but I did it! I read the Book of Mormon in a month! It was an incredible experience, and one I will never forget! My testimony has increased immensely of it's power and wisdom. I've now read the Book of Mormon 3 times in the last 6 months! And every time has been different. However, each time I read Moroni 10, the same feeling of peace and truth consumes me as I finish the final page. I hope each of you have experienced that same feeling! If not, test it out! Read this amazing book, and gain a witness for yourself. That's the beauty of this gospel! We don't have to take anyone's word for it. We can find out for ourselves! 


I love you crazy people! Although I'm in a completely different country, I have felt very close to the ones I love this week. Have an amazing week!!


Sister Bethany Christensen

#blessed

April 12, 2016
Oh what an adventurous week it has been! I love Cherry Grove! Here are some of the adventures we had this week. ️

On Thursday, we had district meeting, and the elders & senior couple
came from St. Paul. D's baptismal interview was later that day,
so instead of the Elders having to drive back and forth, we found a
service project! D's husband, J, had a few ideas, so we
volunteered to help out! We made a barbed wire gate! You could hardly
tell that none of us were raised on a farm...  I only hammered my
finger once!  it was a blast. And the gate turned out great! The
only down side was J is like a big brother. He loves to tease us,
and this week, that included throwing horse poop at us...  thank
goodness that stuff is pretty dry! I was ready to deck him! But he has
fed us lunch and dinner 5 times in the last week, so I figure it's a
fair trade? Haha at least his wife is getting baptized!

We got to teach W again this week! So I found out a bit more about
his story. He's a scientist in the military, he hasn't had much to do
with religion, but aligns a lot with the Native religion. He is such a
logical guy, and he wants to work on the faith part of his life.
Teaching a 6'3" military scientist can be intimidating at times, but
he's the most honest investigator I've ever taught! It's interesting
but so refreshing! We don't have to guess how he is feeling, he tells
us! We've taught him the first 3 lessons, and he keeps saying that it
makes sense! He said if he comes to find that this is the true church,
he'll get baptized! His son has been investigating for the last 2
years, and he hasn't received the answer he's looking for, but he for
sure thinks he'll get baptized before his dad. At this rate, W's
gonna beat him! . I just adore teaching him.

On Wednesday's, we volunteer at the food bank, which happens to be at
the Baptist church. Apparently the pastor isn't too fond of having us
there, but everyone else loves it! They're only open one day a week,
so it's nonstop from 10-2:30! The main guy who runs it is R, what
a guy! He can quote the Bible like no one I've ever heard! And he is
hysterical. The more we worked with him, the more familiar he seemed
to me. Then, it clicked! This guy is Uncle Doug!! Same personality,
same looks just with a goatee! No wonder I like this guy so much! So I
work with Uncle Doug every Wednesday! Haha it's nice to have a
somewhat familiar face around!


I just adore my companion, Sister B! She's a convert from Ontario, and she is hilarious! We have been having so much fun together, teaching has been great, and that girl works so hard! She really pushes me, and I'm so grateful for that. One of our adventures this week was trying to improvise with a broken humidifier. We got the idea to get the shower running, and turn on a fan to carry the humidity to our room. She has asthma, and the air is SO dry up here. So we turned on the shower and got the fan running! It started escaping into the living room, so we hung up a blanket to block the steam. It must have been 85 degrees in our room!! We were both dying of heat! We finally caved and turned it off! Hahaha it was a memorable night for sure!

I am so beyond grateful for the Priesthood. I've been reading the talks from Priesthood session, and it was our lesson on Sunday. I feel so blessed to have had the Priesthood in my home when I was young, and to have been surrounded by worthy Priesthood holders in college. There is truly a difference when men strive to be worthy of that power, and it has always made me feel safe to be surrounded by it. In this area, there are a ton of part member families that don't have the Priesthood. So I've been counting my blessings, reflecting on just how lucky I am to have had that in my life. 

I love being the Lord's servant! It's such a humbling experience, and I mess up all the time. But because of His grace, His work will always be accomplished. Have a killer week!! I love you!

Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed

Good Afternoon everyone!

First of all, leaving Lacombe about broke my heart! That place is just too fantastic! Although the last 6 months have been the hardest of my life, I love those people so dang much! It's hard to imagine my life without the people of Lacombe, and I'm so glad that they will always be apart of my life from now on. However, it started to feel like I was a member of the ward, rather than a missionary. So I knew that it was time for me to move on.


Cherry Grove is the cutest place! The actual hamlet of Cherry Grove is nothing but the church, a community center, and a bunch of farms! Our area covers Cold Lake, Bonnyville, Beaver Dam, and Pierceland & Loon Lake in Saskatchewan! It's huge! Haha and we go to Edmonton for Zone Meetings, which is 3 hours away. So needless to say, we have a lot of time in the car. The ward is huge! And everyone is related to everyone! I feel like I'm in Soda Springs, just a heck of a lot colder! The only issue with that is a lot of people have gone less active because they feel excluded. So I hope I can offer perspective on that.


We have normal investigators here!!!!! We actually have a baptism next Saturday for a woman who has been investigating for 8 years! I feel so blessed to get to witness that! All of those missionaries have worked so hard to prepare her for this moment, and I'm so glad I get to be a part of that. Our other investigator is a 6'5" military scientist, who is as bold as they come! He is hysterical!! He tells you how it is, and he holds nothing back! It made for a unique lesson last night, but I just adore him! He's still in the early investigating stages (no intention of joining), but the more he hears, the more he likes it!

This area is service, service, and more service! Because the church
has launched their new Just Serve website, our weekly service hours
have increased from 2-4 to 8-10! So we are serving like crazy! We
volunteer at a non-profit thrift store, a food bank, a humane society,
a family resources center, and we're working on volunteering at a
women's crisis center. It has been so great. People are now recognizing us at other places, and it's really building a great reputation! And it's a blast! I absolutely love serving others, and there are going to be a ton of adventures that come from it. 


General Conference was FANTASTIC! I don't think I've ever enjoyed General Conference as much as I did this time! Each of the talks were perfect and exactly what I needed to hear. I have a ton of favorite quotes! But for now, my favorite is from Gerrit W Gong's talk, "To be worthy does not mean to be perfect." I don't think I've ever felt more inadequate in my life! A mission truly does help you realize just how much we rely on the Lord, and I get frustrated with myself for not measuring up to be the "ideal" missionary I want to be, but I do know that if I'm obedient and I try my hardest, I will always be worthy of His guidance. The same applies to all of us! After all we can do, Christ still makes all the difference.


I love the gospel, I love this work, I love Cherry Grove, and I love you! I hope that each of you have a fantastic week, and I hope you will apply the things that the Spirit has prompted you to do.


Sister Bethany Christensen

#blessed