Hello Everybody!


I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! We had such a blast with our district. It turned out to be a full blown Thanksgiving meal! We talked about gratitude in our meeting, and as we went around talking about what we are grateful for, we realized we are all grateful for the same things. And it was all centered around the gospel. I am truly so so grateful to be a missionary at this special time of year.

We have had a blast sharing the new Light the World video with people. It brings the Spirit every single time I watch it. On Saturday, we went to Churchill Square to go contacting, and surprisingly, almost no one was there! But there was one man who had his art work on display. I had met him once before, so I decided to go say hi. There was a protesting group next to him in a prayer circle. It turns out that he was there to paint them! He is what he describes as a activist artist, and he promotes equality for all people, regardless of if he agrees or not. We showed the Light the World video to him, and he loved it! It was exactly the message he wanted to portray. All of us can serve one another, regardless of our views or opinions. I think that is what I love most about this initiative is that it literally applies to everyone. Whether or not we believe in Christ, I would like to think that everyone has a desire to be a decent human being. And finding ways to serve people around us enlarges our souls! We feel so much joy as we help those around us! Ah, I just love this initiative so much! I know it's going to bring miracles all over the world. 

This weekend was Stake Conference, and the entire conference was centered on missionary work and the temple. I was just blown away at the enthusiasm and drive of our leaders to share the gospel. One specific talk that stood out to me was from President L, who is actually from Cherry Grove. He was the first talk of the Sunday session, and he expressed so much gratitude for the missionaries who knocked on his mother's door in England just before he was born. The emotion he showed as he expressed his gratitude was just inspiring! He then addressed all of the missionaries in the congregation and said, "thank you for what you do. You don't realize the effect you are having on those around you." I needed to hear that so badly! I've struggled the past few weeks with feeling like I'm not making a difference. I know that I've been helping people, but I haven't been able to see someone I've taught enter the waters of baptism, and I really want to experience that. But him saying that made me realize that I'm not here just to see someone in a baptismal font, I'm here to help families be together forever, no matter how long it takes. It's not about me and what I want to experience here, it's about what they choose and how I can help them achieve true joy. 

Well everyone, I have been so great at writing nice, long emails every single week. But it's just not happening this week. Hahha I'm sorry! I had to finish my school application! But just know that I have a testimony of this gospel! And I have a deep love for my Savior. Everything I have and hold dear is because of Him.

Have a great week, and I'll email you on Monday because WE'RE GOING TO JASPER!! 

Love you all so much!

Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed

Hello Everyone!


What an exciting week it was! So many crazy adventures, and so many cool experiences. 

Friday was incredible. It was Remembrance Day, and I was on exchanges in Cherry Grove! Life was just so so good! With Cold Lake being a military town, there was a full blown Military Ceremony, a marching parade and everything. I just admire how well Canadians honor their veterans. There is such a deep respect and admiration for all who have fought for freedom. I'm so grateful to be serving in a country that has those freedoms! It's truly such a blessing. It felt so good to be back in the Promised Land too! Ah, I just love Cherry Grove with all of my heart! I don't think I'll ever be able to thank Heavenly Father enough for the incredible people I've met throughout my mission. And being able to see a few of them again brought such an indescribable joy. I'm truly so so blessed!

Being on exchanges with Sister R was such a blast! We have always wanted to be companions, and we got our wish for 24 hours! She is truly an incredible missionary, she brings so much joy to every person she meets! We were able to go see a family that I started meeting with in Cold Lake. This family is incredible, such big hearts, and they have always willingly opened their home to us. Sadly, they don't quite see the need for the gospel in their lives yet. I really hoping that they will start to see the need because they would contribute so much to our church! I know that the missionaries are in their lives for a reason, and one day, they will understand why. :D

Saturday was full of hilarious stories. Story number one- Every Saturday, we have a table set up in front of the church building on Whyte Ave, which is one of the busiest shopping/ food areas in the city. We have different sets of missionaries there for about 4 hours trying to talk to as many people as we can. I started talking to a man named G, who is born again Christian. Haha Let's just say, he is very passionate about his beliefs! As am I! He immediately pulled out his Bible, and we had quite the conversation. Now, I am not one to Bible Bash, especially because I don't know my Bible well enough to compete! But he was able to say what he wanted, and we were able to testify to him that God truly does love each of us. We were all laughing by the end, and we wished each other luck in our endeavors. 

Story number 2! 
Sister A and I were on our way home for dinner Saturday, and I get off the bus to head towards our apartment. As the bus pulls away, I realize, SISTER A DIDN'T GET OFF OF THE BUS! She's still so new to the city, so she didn't realize we were getting off. I am now in full blown panic mode! What do I do?? I have the phone, how long will it take her to notice I'm gone, I'm by myself for literally the first time in 13 months!!!!! There are people everywhere, but I am by myself! haha So I call President Pattison because I'm clueless about what to do, and he doesn't answer. Helpful! So I figured the best thing I can do is start walking the bus route in hopes that she'll get off at one of the next stops. WEIRDEST FEELING OF MY LIFE! I've never felt so normal and yet not normal all at the same time! Then I get a phone call, and it's Sister A!! She borrowed someone's phone, and she had gotten off two stops later. What a sweet reunion that was! People, missionaries are so weird! Hahaha I never thought that I would feel so strange being alone! I'm in for quite the adjustment when I get home.....

J is doing so well!!! This man is gold! Sister A and Sister St had a lesson with him on Thursday, and he is so excited to be learning! He attended ARP this week, and he's already been to church twice! We had a fantastic lesson with him last night. We were reading in the Book of Mormon about getting the plates from Laban, and before we start, he gave US a brief rundown of everything that had happened before with Lehi, Nephi, Laman, and Lemuel. I was smiling like a fool the whole time. It's incredible because you can already see a change in him! When we first met him, he came across as this rough and tough guy, total bachelor apartment, and now there is so much light in him! His apartment has the Spirit! The member who referred him to us came to the lesson on Thursday, and he's know J for 16 years. He said that this is the time, J is so ready. He is coming with us to a baptism on Thursday to see what it will be like for him on December 10! I love teaching him because it feels like we aren't doing anything, it's 100% the Spirit changing him.

I have such a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ! It's incredible to be on the sidelines, watching people physically and spiritually change because of Him. I know that literally no one is past the point of help from the Savior. It doesn't matter how big or small our infirmities may be, He is there to lift us and carry us home. What an honor to be a witness to this healing power in my own life, and in the lives of those that we teach. 

Mission Tour is happening this week!! This is when a General Authority comes to speak to the mission. So prepare yourselves for an overload of enthusiasm for the work next week. ;) I love you all! 

Have an incredible week!!

Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed

​Hello All!

It has been a beautiful week filled with, you guessed it, more miracles!! Haha you think I would be used to this by now, but I'm blown away every week! I'll start off with exchanges on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I had a great exchange with Sister B! She is from Herriman, Utah, and she's such a blast to be around! Our exchange was a bit insane. We went to a member's house Wednesday morning to have a lesson with a less active woman. Lessons are usually a challenge with this member because she is not short of opinions. Well, this time, she was outrageously opinionated! By the end, her and the other members were debating about unfair treatment in medical facilities! We both had no clue how to bring the lesson back, so we decided to sing "Nearer My God, to Thee." The Spirit came back, and we were ready to finish the lesson. Then, the less active member asked us, "do you know how that song got famous?" I was terrified of her answer. Haha The Titanic! This sent her off into another rant about how every movie that depicted the Titanic left it out.... What a gong show! We were exhausted by the end of the lesson, but now we had to go to lunch with this same member. 

I got to experience another first on my mission, Ukrainian food! I've had perogies a few times, but now I got to experience the real deal. We had to start with a traditional soup called Bortche. (I literally have no clue how to spell these words! hahaha) It's made from beets, carrots, cabbage, and some other various vegetables. Haha It was very interesting! Then we had a Kubbie Patty with cabbage rolls and cheddar biscuits. My one word to describe it would be thick. Haha and we can't leave without dessert! Which was a mango/peach pie slice bigger than my face! By the end, I had decided that I wouldn't eat food for three days! Hahah it was probably one of the most memorable lunches I've had on my mission! And to make sure we would remember, she gave us a giant sausage to split! Hahaha you'll see it in the pictures from this week. I promise there were some spiritual moments on this exchange! But this was by far the most memorable part! It was great that Sister B has a great sense of humor! 

One of the miracles we had happen was on Sunday night. We were with a member going to an appointment, and it was in the same building as an investigator, L, that I had taught when I was on exchanges with Sister H, and he was being passed over by Sister A and Sister F. He was so prepared! In the middle of the lesson, he asked what he needed to do to follow Jesus Christ. We just knew he was ready to go! Sadly, after that lesson, the sisters weren't able to get a hold of him. We were telling this story to this member as we walked up to the building. There was a man outside smoking, and the closer we got, the more familiar he looked. President! It was L!! He doesn't even live there anymore, he was at the building for literally 5 minutes to pick up some things from his old apartment! We were both almost in tears as we started talking to him. He was just as blown away as we were. He had gotten a new phone and lost our number. He still wants to learn, and we are seeing him next week when he gets back from Calgary.  I'm seriously so blown away by Heavenly Father. He personally knows every single person we talk to. And He will help us find them. 

The man we were going to teach that night is also super prepared! His name is J, and he has been through every phase of a rough life that you can imagine. Motorcycle gangs, drugs, prison, the whole nine yards! He has a friend who is the ward mission leader in another ward here in Edmonton, and he reached out to him and expressed his desire to find God in his life. Fun side note! Remember by investigator in Lacombe, L? The ex-boxer who was an alcoholic and a scaffolder? J is just like him!!!!  I couldn't believe it! It's like I'm teaching L all over again! I love it. We were able to talk to J about the story of Alma the Younger and how Christ's Atonement can literally transform us. He loved it, and he is so ready to change. We're meeting with him again on Thursday, and I can't wait to see Christ change his life. 

One more funny moment of the week. Every thing funny seemed to revolve around Ukrainians this week! We were at the LRT station waiting for the next train, and I approached these two older men and started chatting with them. They had just come from a CFL football game, and so we start chatting away about that. They asked me why I was in Canada, and I explained that I Was a missionary for my church. One of the men, with a thick Ukrainian accent, asked me if I had ever drank alcohol before. I told him I hadn't, and next thing I know, this 70-something year old man is trying to convince me to try partying for a weekend!! Hahahah I couldn't help but laugh. The other man was just shaking his head. He kept saying I was missing out on all this fun, and I told him I have plenty of fun without it, so I can't really be missing out on that much! hahaha needlesss to say, I don't think he was too convincing. I promise I won't be partying anytime soon. Haha

On a more serious note, I want each of you to know how much I love this gospel! It's incredible to watch it change people, and I have noticed a huge change in myself. Over the last 13 months, I have been blessed to meet people in almost every circumstance out there, and if there is one thing I know, it's that Heavenly Father loves every single one of us. It doesn't matter if we acknowledge that love or not, it is and always will be there. It's up to us to embrace that love, which can literally heal our hearts. I'm forever grateful for that love.

I hope each of you will feel of that love and of my love this week! Have a great one!

Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed

Hello Everyone!
What a whirlwind of a week it's been! It started off with some pretty sobering news.

A few weeks ago, I sent a picture of a little girl named L who was 8 months old. L was waiting for a liver transplant, and her family was staying at the Ronald McDonald House. We got a text Tuesday night informing us that L had passed away. We had been able to really get to know her family, and it was such a shock to get that message. We were able to go see them before Sister H was transferred, and there were a whole lot of tears shed. This family has been so rock solid and strong throughout the last 4 months, and it was so hard to watch them in so much grief. I had no clue what to say to them. I didn't even understand why that had to happen, but it was incredible to hear them testify of the Plan of Salvation. They and I know that they will see L again. And although it is so painful to experience, Heavenly Father has a perfect understanding and perfect compassion. He too lost a son, He had to watch him suffer through the greatest agony and pain. And He can offer the healing power of Christ's Atonement instantly. Please keep this sweet family in your prayers. And I want each of you to know that the Plan of Salvation is truth, and it is so real. I can't imagine suffering life's trials without that knowledge. 

Another really humbling experience happened this week. We had a lesson with a couple in the ward that we didn't know very well, the D's. He's in a wheelchair, and they teach Primary together. We were really excited to hear their story. We didn't realize what we were in for! Bro. D is a convert, he was introduced to the church when he was a teenager, and he was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was 10. His cancer came back a few years after he joined the church, and throughout his life, his health has been highly effected by the cancer. He's had a lot of struggles in his life, and yet, I don't think I've ever met a more joyful person! For real! As we were talking with him and his wife, they kept mentioning how everyone says they admire them for getting through such hard trials. They don't think their life is hard! They see themselves as extremely blessed. Whew. What an incredible perspective! They kept saying over and over again how the gospel is meant to bring us joy, not sorrow. And feeling joy is a choice. Your circumstances shouldn't determine your happiness. 

I am surrounded by absolutely incredible people. I feel so blessed and so humbled this week. I have had a better life than I could ever ask for, and Heavenly Father has allowed me to see that we don't have to be in perfect circumstances to feel the joy of the gospel. We will experience loss, we will experience numerous trials, but "men are that they might have joy." President Nelson's talk at conference couldn't have been more perfect. I know that life is hard, especially for those around me, but Heavenly Father didn't send us here to be miserable. He wanted us enjoy enduring to the end. I hope that each of us can find that joy in our lives. 

We had a pretty big miracle this week! Sister E and I found this lady, K, while tracting. She said we could come back at another time, and we had a few appointments set up, but they kept falling through. I was so shocked because she was always so willing to reschedule. Haha we were finally able to have a lesson with her Sunday night, and we brought a member with us who happened to be one of her neighbors. She was setting up a Halloween display in her garage, so we taught the first lesson while being  glared at by zombies.... hahaha It was such a great lesson! The spirit was so strong as we testified and as this member testified. We were so shocked, she was so receptive to everything we were saying! She almost became a minister in the United church, but life things happened, and she didn't proceed. My favorite part of the lesson was when this member expressed over and over again that she knows that this is true. It was so powerful! There is just a special spirit that comes in with a member testimony. Sadly K is booked pretty tight this week, but we will be meeting with her again next week!

Well everyone, I have truly been blown away by Heavenly Father this week. He truly knows each one of us, and we are led to exactly the people we need to meet. Although I don't fully understand it a lot of the time, trials are meant to strengthen us, our experiences will help lift those around us. 

I truly love each of you! Thanks for all your love and support!

Sister Bethany Christensen
#blessed