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Cole's dinner

Cole's dinner
Hunting in Costa Rica

Monday, January 30, 2012

January 30, 2012


What up family! 

 So I'm just chillin here freezing to death. it is so cold here right now. if i finish my mish in an area like this and come home to snow.. its not gonna be that different. haha it feels like Utah on a fall day here... just without snow. I can see my breath. Its crazy. But i love this area.. i thinks it probably my favorite area of them all. Me and my comp are working really hard and have some great families. We are teaching about 6 families right now that are awesome. we were expecting about 4 out of them to come to church yesterday, but only 3 of them could come.. but we still had a way good show up yesterday for church. We were way happy!! 
 The best family that we are teaching is just having some challenges right now.. with their relatives. They would have already been baptized by now but their families are really Catholic. And the parents of the people that we are teaching told them that if they change religions they will never come over to visit them again, and wont talk to them. The thing is that Roger and Elisabeth, the investigators, are sooo awesome... they have a strong testimony and know the church is true but they are just scared cuz they don't want to lose they family and stuff. So last Saturday we went to their house to do a "make it or break it" lesson with them. We explained to them that the only way to live as an eternal family is through the authority of God through the Church of Jesus Christ. They understood completely and shared their testimonies of the Church with us. but then explained what their relatives had told them. So we told them they had to choose between living with their daughters forever or not getting baptized and not being rejected by their family. They came to church on Sunday and we told them they have to kind of make a decision now cuz we cant just come over and visit them as often if they don't want to progress. So were going to see what they decide the next appointment on Wednesday. The other families we have are way cool too. One of them are Ronald and Alba, they are awesome and came to church yesterday. The first time we taught them was awesome. We contacted them in the street and talked about an eternal family and then i felt the impression that we needed to teach them right in that moment. So i asked them if we could go to their house and teach them right then. Walking to the house my comp told me he felt the same impression that we need to teach them right then, and was actually going to ask them himself but i asked them first. So we knew that was the spirit telling us they were a chosen family. We start teaching them the Restoration and about Joseph Smith and stuff. they understood everything and loved it cuz they were confused which church they needed to join also, we then pulled the BOM out and explained it to them. He then told us that he use to hate reading and usually doesn't really like the things that have to do with God and stuff, then he told us that the moment that we contacted him in the street that he felt the need to listen to us. And as soon as he saw the BOM he got an urge to read it. It was really cool. Then the next lesson we had with them he had read the whole chapter that we left with him, the wife  and the 11 year old daughter read all of it also. and we asked them what they felt and they said they knew it was true. So we are really excited we are teaching them right now. We actually have an appointment with them tonight so I'm way excited. They are also coming to church next Sunday and tonight were going to put a baptismal date for the 18th with them!
   Today for Pday were just gonna chill with some of the other missionaries and play Risk the game, it should be fun. Yes we have hot water in our house.. if we didn't i would die of coldness. So what about my contacts? I'm dying here cuz now i actually notice that i cant see good from far. Is there a specific prescription for contacts that i have to get? What else is new there? I'm glad the business is doing well, how many employees do you have now? when are you gonna quit your job mom? or do you like it? I think ill be able to put myself in for the bonus points, I'm gonna try it today and see. so don't touch it dad, but what are you and buck gonna put in for? tell Buck I love him and I miss him, I feel bad cuz I haven't written him in a while but I really have like no time to write after writing the letter to you guys. Tell everyone I love and miss them :)
 Well i'll talk to you next week, love you guys a ton!!!
Elder Christensen

Monday, January 23, 2012

January 23, 2012 11 month aniversary!!!

Family!!!
 What up guys? I'm doing well here in Paraíso. Me and my comp are doing very well also. Last week we had 45 contacts of families, which normally in a week you have like 7. ha ha. But we are teaching some awesome families and hoping to see the fruits this next month of February. The family that is progressing the most is the family that was going to get baptised the 28th but now cant cuz they've only been to church once and need at least two times in the chapel to get baptised. So we just gotta move it a little further into Feb. But they are still awesome and progressing and everything. We've been teaching a lot of new families also though. Yesterday we came across a family of Jehovah Witnesses... There are actually a lot of them here. We contacted them and started talking about eternal families... they told me that there is no way that a family can live together forever and that only 144,000 people are going to live in Heaven with God. I chopped their head in this moment because I have been studying a little about what Scriptures they use to think that in the bible, I opened to that verse where it says that and you just gotta read a little further down and it say a group a people that is uncountable will live with God also.. and they were like... OH wow... we didn't read that part... ha ha it was so funny, and their beliefs are ridiculous. But also sad that they don't even think they will be able to live with God one day.
  For my birthday there in Guacimo i just worked like normal, we actually did divisions so i was in a place called Siqierres with another elder. It was good tho, but the next day back in my area, some members made we some really good food called Chicarones, which is like pig fat and skin fried.. its really good. my new shoes are good, i just got a bunch of blisters tho cuz i had to brake them in and everything. That's crazy Joe and Lisa are moving to Texas, that's awesome and sad at the same time.
 So im almost bout to complete a year.. i guess that means its time for you to start getting my stuff ready... saving some money to buy me my new Duramax and my new Hoyt baby :)
Alright ill go back to the doctors to get the prescription for my contacts, but glasses and contacts here are really really expensive.. we aren't gonna buy them here. Also dad you need to send me my information that i need to open the account on Utah wildlife to put in for my tags and everything... send it for the next email. How much did you buy my ipod touch for, i think i might sell it to my comp when he leaves. How are we doing with the trip back here, have you planned everything or what??
Well i love you guys a ton. Talk to you next week, ill probably send some pics next week :)
Elder Christensen

Monday, January 16, 2012

January 16 2012

Hey family.

 How is everyone there? i miss you guys. I'm doing really well, working hard here in Paraìso. This area is way cool, i love it, its probably my favorite area I've had so far.
So yesterday was awesome, the golden family that we are teaching came to church and they loved it. They are SOOO coool and chosen haha The only problem is is they have to get married and stop drinking coffee. But they are willing to do it so it should work out fine. They have a baptism date for the 28th of January, and they are gonna get married the 27th also. They are sooo awesome, I'm in love with this family. They have two little girls, one 4 and the other 2 years old, they are so cute, the 4 year old LOVED primary class and cant wait to go back. The husbands name is Roger and the wife is Elisabet and they are soo funny. They want us to come over like everyday and teach them. Roger already has a strong testimony of the church just after like the first 2 lessons that we taught them, and he said he knows the book of Mormon is true. They have received soo many answers that the church is true, They told us that one day they were talking and fighting with each other and that they decided that they need some type of religion in their lives to help them, the next day we showed up and started teaching them. Then after like the 4th lesson they told us that they have completely stopped fighting and they've never been happier now that they starting reading the BOM and listening to us. Saturday night Roger woke up and 2:30 in the morning and couldn't sleep, and then started reading the book of Mormon and read about 80 verses, 2 chapters of 40 verses, and then after prayed and said he felt this burning feeling and never felt happier, then went to sleep and sleep like a baby. The next morning woke up at 7:00 to get ready for church and said hes never felt more rested even tho he had lost like 2 hours of sleep. He is awesome, i just hope everything works out well for the 28th.
 This area is sooo cold, we have to wear like sweatshirts here and stuff, its freezing. But hopefully it starts heating up. Also we contact about 15 families each day, which is like a crazy amount, and its awesome cuz there are just so many, but a lot of them don't progress at all. My comp leaves in march, but were pretty sure that hes gonna finish here and end with me, one of the assistants told us that its most likely gonna happen. I have been thinking a lot about what i wanna do for work when i get home, i still wanna be a dentist, i know I'm smart enough, i just don't know if i would be able to put my mind to study for that long. I also really wanna be a hunting guide so bad, i would love that, but if i do that, that would be hard to be married cuz I'd be gone so often. I don't know, we will see. 

  I think the trip back with everyone should be like 2 weeks after i get back, it would be awesome! And with everyone too!! So be looking for resorts and tell me some of the ones that you are thinking about and stuff. I cant wait!!!
 Also when do we gotta put in for our bonus points for the tags for hunting and stuff? February right? Do you remember my log in for that dad? if so you can look up my account there and see how many points of have and for which i have points, then you can put in for bonus points for the same locations for the next year... that would be awesome!!!! DR. Later didn't know what any of that meant? cant he look it up online or something? OD means right eye, and OI means left eye, also where it says ¨lejos¨ that means far sight. Do what you can to figure it out, cuz now that i realize my vision is a little of, its bugging me more.
 So in Costa Rica the church had a youth conference thing in the whole country, It was called ¨SOY¨. Like 5 of the youth in the ward that I'm in right now went and said it was awesome, there was about 500 kids and it was the first big thing like that ever in Costa Rica for the youth. Also Wednesday, Elder Nelson of the 12 apostles is coming and all the missionaries and members of Costa Rica are invited so were going.
Well i love you guys a ton and
I'll talk to you next week.
Elder Christensen

Monday, January 9, 2012

January 9th, 2012 - My New Area! Happy New Year!

What up family.

 So I'm here in Paraíso having a blast, my comp is way sick. His name is Elder Burgener and hes from pleasant grove Utah. He has 22 months in the mission and so hes pretty much done. He is a hunter also so we have a lot in common. He is not that into hunting but still loves it. He knows a guy that could get me hook ups after the mish to be a guide. That's what i really would love to do, start out as the pack boy or something for a hunting outfitter and work up to be a guide. I would love that!! so well see.
 Here in Paraíso we are working like beasts. We have 8 families that we are teaching and they are all bomb. In one day we found 27 new investigators to teach. I love this area its sooo awesome. There are families everywhere!! So I'm way excited to teach them the gospel. Were suppose to have 2 family baptisms on the 28th so thatll be sick. Also here in this area its a ward with about 140 active members, a lot bigger than all my other areas. The first Sunday way sooo awesome, we had 2 families come to church and all the members here are soo cool. Also we live in a huge house. Its actually a ladies house and we live in half of it, and its way way nice, i love it. And also the lady that lives there is like our mom. Like she takes care of us sooo well. She washes our clothes like 3 times a week. She cooks snacks for us every second. Her husband owns a butcher shop and so she is always cooking us meat and bringing it over to us. She isn't a member but she practically is. Its such a nice set up, she baby's us so much haha
 So i need contacts... i went and got my vision tested and its not horrible but i cant see things that are far away and I'm always squinting. SO I'm gonna send a picture of my subscription to you guys so you can buy me some contacts there and send me them. Cuz here they are soooo expensive. Send them soon please. I got the Christmas packages, they were awesome, thanks a lot. But i gave the ipod touch to president cuz its against the rules. So hes gonna keep it til the end of the mish. Thanks for all the candy and toys for the kids and stuff. I got Nana and papas package also, its awesome, a cowboys pillow!! I also bought new shoes and they are pretty sick, I just have blisters cuz i had to break them in , but now they re fine.
 Thats sick we have so many skymiles to go to Costa Rica! I'm sooo excited to bring everyone back to see it!! And were definitely going on a hunting trip when i get back with some of those miles, Alaska? Kansas?
Omg Majerle and Maddi are horrible, they are weird lil girls! Tell them i love them but they need some mental help. haha
Well i love you all, tell all the friends and relatives i love and miss them a ton!
 Elder Christensen

January 2nd, 2012

What up family.
 The holidays were really good. I loved being there in Guacimo for the holidays. We ate sooooo much food, all the members fed us soooo much. All they eat here during the holidays are tamales, they are sometimes gross but most of the time pretty good. But everyone makes them and they spend all day and make like 300 at a time. its really crazy. We also went to a members house for the 31st, it was really fun, we sang karaoke... it was hilarious!! I'm gonna miss guacimo a lot.
 I had changes again, right now I'm in a place called Paraíso (paridise in spanish) I just got here like a couple hours ago, i have another gringo for a comp, hes from Pleasant Grove. He seems way cool so far, so I'm excited. We share the area with sister missionary's again, so that will be weird. these next weeks there are a TON of missionaries coming in, like 70 new ones haha crazy huh?
 I found out i had changes last Saturday, so we spent the weekend saying goodbye to the members and stuff. They gave me sooo much food cuz i was leaving!! And also the 2 other families that are gonna get baptised next couple weeks were really sad that i had to leave. I taught each one of the for the last time and they were like crying and i almost cried once. I taught them about temple marriage and how they need to get baptised so they can get sealed as an eternal family, and can enter the temple in a year... so ill be able to go to their sealings. :) They are also gonna invite me to they baptisms, and president will let me go to them when they do. So that will be cool. I hope they get baptised sooo bad, but you know how things can happen!
 I hope everyone had a good Christmas and new years and everything!! I love and miss everyone. Love you guys!! I'm gonna send some pics
 Elder Christensen

December 19th, 2011

Hola familia,

 How is everyone? Im doing really great. This week has been pretty good for us with the work, we have 3 families that are gonna get baptized soon, theres just some little challenges with them that we have to work out, like coffee and little things like that. but they are all soooo awesome and all of them know the book of Mormon is true.
 One of the families there job is to take care of a piece of property so they cant leave the house ever!! unless they find someone to take care of it for them, they literally cant leave it alone cuz someone will steal all the stuff. So that is the problem with them.. its really hard for them to come to church, but there are times where they can get a relative to take care of it, but they just have to get to church at least 2 more times before we can baptise them... but this family really is amazing, they accept everything we say and they prayed one night and the said they received an answer that the book of Mormon is the word of god. They were like... We know without a doubt that this is the true church... it was cool. The other families are just as great and hopefully one of these families is getting baptized on the 24th.. we just gotta finalize a couple things and they are good to go.
 Ive heard that Christmas eve and day sucks for missionary work.. cuz everyone is busy, none of the members are in town. and so we just like walk around doing nothing all weekend haha but we´ll see. Im so excited to call you guys. I'm gonna call at 2:00 on Sunday. So tell everyone :) People here make tamales like they are pies for Christmas. everyone is making them and stuff. ahha I´ll send some pics.
Well i cant wait to talk to you guys... love you.
Elder Christensen