September 17 2012

Hey fam.

 Hows it goin? Im doing great! So i know i gotta make school a priority... but if i go to school during the summer i can still work really hard studying and stuff and then in the winter i can focuse on hunting... wouldnt that be even better.. cuz during the fall im gonna wanna go on like week long hunts... and if im studying i will have to miss some days of school... or i wont be able to hunt as much. And during the summer i can go flyfishing during the weekends. I dont know though... Its a really HARD desicion to make!! But when can i start praying about stuff like that? do i have to wait closer to the end of my mish to be able to pray about where to go to school? 

   The thing is, i wanna put in for like 5 different states for next season.... Oregon, we can stay in Bucks cabin and go hunt up there. Idaho and go hunt up where Elder Kurta lives on his ranch. Colorado, and go hunt the rut for like a week straight. And also Utah and put in for the limited entry tags. I wanna be able to draw out for all those states.. especially in Colorado. That is the type of hunting that i wanna do.. and if i wait til after school to hunt like crazy... im gonna be way old!!! I cant focus on my studies without distractions in the summer and get better grades cuz ill be focused. When do you put in for tags? February or January?? We need to start scopin out the area there in Colorado and Oregon and stuff.. you need to make some calls to the DWR in those states... and get serious man... you have a Hoyt now. haha Dude get up there in the woods to tag out with your deer tag, you cant tag out unless you put in the hours. 

  So guys.. the work is going great... this weekend we should have at least 2 families getting babtised!! :) Last night the second counselor in the bishopbric called us and was like, "I just got an interesting call", he said it in english by the way cuz he speaks it. Then he continues explaining us saying, "There is a family in the ward that is having a hard time with their marriage and stuff. The husband, Luis, just called me and said he wants to get babtised!!" Luis is a nonmember that has been going to church for 3 years and hasnt wanted to get babtised yet. He is practically a member, just not babtised. His wife is a member and got babtised 3 years ago. But obviously something happened and the Lord softened his heart and humbled him and now has a desire to repent and get babtised. So we are way excited. we have a family home evening with him today so that will be good. And we are hopin to get some other families here in the water and convirted!! 

 Our zone is doing really well. Me and my comp are working hard to help the other missionaries and to get them excited and stuff. So we should have a really great turn out this month!! Today we played soccer with the zone and then went and ate pizza at costco and bought some stuff! haha Have you guys tried Mate? its a drink from Argentina that tastes sooo good and me and my comp are drinking it! Also President Wilkinson changed the rule on Coke... we can now drink it... it is sooo awesome! I sure missed it! Haha

  That is so sick Mom!! That will be so cool for you to be the cheer teacher!!! I bet you will be so great! Are you gonna quit work or what? How is that one thing goin... do we have the ranch yet?? ;)

  Well i love you guys a ton!! Thanks for the shoes by the way. 

 Talk to you all next week

  Elder Christensen

Costa Rica earthquake

Following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in northwestern Costa Rica Wednesday morning, Scott Trotter, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reported on the status of missionaries serving in the Costa Rica San José Mission, the only mission in the country.

"All missionaries in the affected area are safe. The church continues to monitor the situation and is prepared to respond as needed," Trotter said.

The earthquake was originally registered as a 7.9 magnitude quake before being revised to 7.6 on the Richter scale. It struck just outside the small town of Hojancha, around 80 miles from San José, Costa Rica's largest city. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has canceled all tsunami warnings for the area.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has one temple and more than 38,000 members in Costa Rica, according to the LDS Church's 2012 Almanac.

September 11, 2012

Hey family!!!
  So yesterday..... was the coolest experience EVER... guess what happened..... fetching President Henry B. Eyring, Elder Russel Ballard, and Elder Todd D Christofferson..... three apostles.... came to Costa Rica, and wanted a meeting ONLY with the missionaries.... how cool is that?? We got to shake their hands and meet them personally!! They came and talked to us about the gospel... it was soo awesome... i love them so much!!! You could just see like a light coming off their body!! They main things that they talked to us about were, the book of Mormon and why it is soo awesome, Joseph Smith, and the Restoration, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.... it was way way awesome... it was like our own personal general conference... President Wilkinson was sooooo excited.. you shoulda seen the look and smile on his face the whole time! He said that has never happened to any other mission, that 3 apostles have arrived just to talk to them!!! The meeting with them was a couple hours after change meeting. I learned so many things from them though... and felt the spirit rush in the room right when they walked in the room!! Oh and by the way... Elder Lamoureaux doesn't have changes... and nether did i... I'm gonna be with him until he finishes.. we are way excited!! We actually asked Pres. Wilkinson to not change us and he listened to us. So we are excited!! 
  About the earthquake... so here is the story.... So i get out of the shower and all ready for the day like a normal day and sit down to start my personal study, just enjoying reading the book of Mormon and all the sudden i see the closet shaking, i tell Lamo to stop jumping up and down... and he says, "I'm not jumping."... haha all the sudden it starts shaking even harder... and i was like what the fetch.. its an earthquake hahhahah It was really weird but really cool... it was shaking pretty hard.. we live on the 2nd floor so we could see all the other roof tops shaking also... my comp actually recorded it! It wasn't scary at all though.. cuz it wasn't very strong... not one house got damaged where we were though... The place that it was big though was Guanacaste... like 2 people died there or something. but where we are.. nothing happened!!! BUt the cool thing is, that on the day of the earthquake, ALL the missionaries from Guanacaste, and Puntarenas.. just so happened to have a conference with President Wilkinson that day... so all of them were here in San Jose, where nothing happened... How cool is that? President told us how grateful he was to be able to receive the revelation from god and take them out of their zones the same day the earthquake hit... without even knowing that was gonna happen!! It was really cool!!!
  So the house looks really sick! I'm so excited!! What is the Marriot that we are staying at the first 3 days? In San Jose? Also you never answered me... Who are all the people that are coming?? This trip is gonna be so fun!! Oh and the other thing is... Elder Lamoreaux wants to come down the Costa Rica after the family trip, so i was thinkin.. what if he comes down here like the 17th of March and i will just stay with him here for a couple of days?? and we will just stay in houses of members and stuff for like 3 or 4 days? Also how many plane tickets do you guys have left? He said he will buy one of the tickets that we have from our sky miles or something... what do you guys think?
   Gosh i don't know what i should do for school when i get home... cuz if i go to BYU Idaho with these kids, i will be going in the fall and winter semester.... that means very LIMITED hunting.... and if i go to school during the summer, i would have to start right when i get home.. which i don't want,.. and i wouldn't be going with them! I am in a pickle, I just don't know what to do! Also Elder Kurta, says he knows a ton of outfitters and he could get me a job, also Elder Schefler says the same thing, cuz his brother works for MOSSBACK outfitters and said he could get me a job and like the packboy and then i can work my way up to a guide... he said his brother was with Doyle Moss when he shot the Spider Bull... how sick is that? The thing is... i just wanna hunt... i wanna study too but also hunting being like 60 or 70% of my life.. haha That's why i would like to study during the summer or something!! What do you think i should do Mom and Dad?
  Yeah you gotta send me a huge bag of elk jerky dad... that will be sick!! So that is good the company is doing well... do you think your gonna be expanding a ton soon? How many employees do you have in total? So you gotta get up there huntin this last week of the hunt man!! Oh did you know that there is an elder here that owns all the mountains above bucks cabin there in Bear Lake.... he said he has like 1000 acres or something and that he gets like 20 tags from the state per year... he said when i get back he is gonna take me up there and we can hunt his property... He said he can tag a monster mulley the first day of the hunt on his land!! Too bad you cant go up there and hunt his property with your deer tag... well you could.. but he doesn't finish the mish for a couple more months. hahah Also Elder Kurta owns like 2000 acres there in Idaho... right next to BYU Idaho... and he gets 75 tags per year for elk and deer... Some tags are year round!!! Crazy huh?? He said he is gonna take me elk, deer, cougar, and wolf hunting when we get back... he is the nice one that was with me in the MTC... remember? So I'm excited to go hunt there!! 
  Oh and the guy with tatts and the pistol in that pic is a recent convert... he got baptised like 3 weeks ago... i didn't baptise him, but the sisters in my zone did... and so i had to do the interview... then i had to have President Wilkinson go to the interview of him, cuz he and done some crazy stuff... but he had repented completely and him and his wife just got baptised... he has some crazy stories that he told me in the interview... we both were just crying cuz his life has been so sad... its the guy that lived in Philadelphia for most of his life and was a gang member there! He speaks perfect English and everything! 
  So yea thanks so much for the package.. i liked it!! So crazy i practically only have 5 months left!! Time is starting to go by really fast!! I love you guys a ton and cant wait to hear from you next week!!
Love, 
  Elder Christensen

August 27 2012

Hey family....

 SO first off..... congrats mom and dad for your anniverasary!!! :) You guys are the best parents ever!! LOVE YOU! And a big round of applause for you dad.... you did it!! :) that is so sick you tagged out!! 
  It might be a lil guy... but its still a bull! ;) haha jk that is a good lookin bull!! Its a great first kill with a bow bull!! So how much meat did you get out? The european mount will look really sick! where are you gonna put it? Im so excited for you dude!!! That story is classic!!! You will be able to remember that for forever!! I cant wait to do that when i get home... but im gonna tag a monster... not a lil spike... ;) hahah When is the mount gonna be done?? Are you gonna go back up next weekend for bucks tag? you gotta go back up there man!!! 
 Well i dont have that much time left... i wasted a lot of time looking at the pics and reading the story, and there was something wrong with the internet... Well i love you guys a ton and i will talk to you next week... i will write a lot more next week!! Pura Vida!!!
  Elder Christensen

September 3, 2012

Hey fam. what up!!

How is everyone?? I'm doing really well!! Its crazy how time is going by really fast... i don't like it, but then again i do!! That is sick that majerle is liking cheer... those pics are really sweet!! What is her high school called again? When does she graduate... like a couple months after i get home right? That is sooo crazy!!! Where are you gonna go to college Majerle?? Me and my comp have figured it out... we are gonna go to BYU............................IDAHO baby!!! haha there is a group of my friends here in the mish that we are thinking we are gonna go there... good huntin... hot chicks... close to home... and good huntin... hahha i think it would be really sick!!! Im ether gonna do that or like Wait until the next January of 2014 to start up college at UVU... idk really!! I have a lot of decisions  to make!!! That's sick that nana and papa are moved... They don't know where they are gonna move to after this temporary house? Tell them to move somewhere sick!!!

   How is work mom? Hows your calling going? I miss you a ton! What else is new? You never told me about your job and the case that was gonna make bank to be able to buy the ranch...? haha How are the girls treating you?

 What else is new in the family? Dad you gotta get back up there this next week and bag a bull for buck... don't forget to video tape it man!!! But tell him to wait for a giant to come up.... like the ones on the trail cam... haha Dude when i get back where are we gonna go huntin? I wanna buy a sick guided elk hunt somewhere so i can bag a big ol monster... so get plannin dude! When is the mount gonna be ready? Have you tried the back straps or anything yet? So do you like your bow? Your camo is Realtree AP?

  So today the zone went paintballin again... hhaa classic.. it was way fun also!! Our zone destroyed the other zone! Now we are just here in San Jose center chillin, its gonna be so cool for us to be walking down the center street of San Jose on our trip! So its for sure that we are gonna go to JW Marriot? That will be cool. I'm way excited... who all is coming again?? Hey dad you have a bunch of free tickets from your work right? How many exactly? What are we gonna do the whole time there in Guanacaste?

  I'm so excited to see you guys.. even tho its 5 months away... it still seems way close... but im a kick some butt here in Costa Rica and finish strong!! I hope they don't change me from here... i love this area... its so awesome!!! We are teaching 4 families that all have goals and a date to get baptised... they are soo cool! All of them really are strong in the church and all have testimonies... which is the most important!! How cool would that be if we baptised 4 families in one month just here in my area... that would be cool!! We are having a lot of success!! :) The families have just little challenges and stuff... but i know were are gonna be able to fix them so they can get baptised... most of the stuff is small, like one family has to get married, the other has to quit drinking coffee, and the rest are ready now! We should have the baptism of that one family, that reminds me of Joe and Lisa, getting baptised this next Saturday!! That would be really cool!!

  But i love you Mom and Dad a ton and you guys too Majerle and Maddi!! :) talk to you next week!

 Elder Christensen

August 20, 2012

Hey family... how is everyone?? I'm doing really well, not gonna lie... I'm a lil trunky.. my comp is almost dead and talks about home a lot.. and i always am thinking about getting up there on the mountain with you dad.. haha Classic. But i know i need to keep working hard and finish out these next 6 months. It will be fun and awesome!! 
 So that sounds really sick about the beach house and everything.. I'm way excited!!! So what are some of the activities that were gonna do in Guanacaste and stuff? Snorklin, Surfin, Hikin, Eating....?? Whats the plans? Send me some pics of the beach house and everything.. i wanna see it!! Honestly i have no clue about a hotel in San Jose.. does the travel agent not know anywhere? What time does our flight leave from Utah? Are we gonna rent a car or a bus or something?? Tell me some more details about the trip..
  So dad i cant believe you didn't tag out... I'm disappointed.. haha jk.. but seriously. So this weekend you gotta show we what you got man!!! You and BUCK!! Are you not gonna go camp up there or what?? You didn't even tell me details or anything!!! Did you try bugling or anything like that, or did you just spot and stalk?? What are you gonna do to change your method and so you can tag out? You probably just have your draw length too long.. that's probably why its doing that with your bow.. isn't is awesome though??? I cant wait to buy mine! Did Tyler go up with you guys last weekend? did you guys camp there? When are you gonna go with Bridger? Don't forget to talk to him about the outfitter job. You gotta tell me some more details about the hunt and what you guys are planning and stuff!! Those videos were way sick!!! I cant believe the elk are still in velvet... i hate velvet racks!! When are they saying the rut will start then? There is no snow or anything? Let me know your plan for the rest of the season dude!!!
  That would be awesome to get that package.. cuz my shoes have big holes in them. And i don't like my socks cuz they also have holes. So send me like 12 pairs of Nike sports socks please, long and black. And some good shoes that wont break.. good ones to walk in... not like the ones you sent last time... hahah and maybe some cool little things and stuff!!! Maybe a magazine on guns and bows and stuff... cuz the cabala's one does have guns or (HOYT bows), So one with all kinds of new shotguns and rifles and stuff, with their prices, and then the 2013 hoyt magazine. :) PS: Please send me those exact things :)
 So the families we are teaching are awesome... we are having a lot of success.. we just baptised a really cool lady last Saturday.. and her kids are gonna get baptised hopefully this next couple weeks.. just some of them are having problems with their cigarette and beer adictions.. but they really wanna change so it will be awesome! Also we have some other families that should be good for this next month of September! :) So we are really excited for that!! Changes are on the 10th of September... i hope i don't have changes.. i really like this area and my comp... the members are awesome, there are a ton of good families and stuff and so i don't wanna leave.. but we will see!! That is soooo awesome that Nana and Papa did that!! I'm sooo excited to have them in the temple.. now we can all go to the Costa Rican Temple on our trip.! 
 That's awesome mom, you went to Tommys birthday... where was it at?? I bet grandma loved that also!! How did you get invited? Oh and thanks for doing that with my plaque.. i bet it looks awesome!! What pictures did you choose?? What is my plaque like... i didn't know they made me a plaque... is it cool, what does it say? Mom i bet you are way stressed with the girls.. they are really really hard girls... haha but that is awesome that you can pray and receive the strength of the lord to help you!! Your a great mom!!!!
 Well i love you guys a ton!! and talk to you next week!! Love you Mom, Love you Dad, Love you Majerle and Maddi. 
 
Elder Christensen

august 13, 2012

Hey family.
 I'm great, and its great to hear you guys are doing great also. So I'm loving this change with my comp. hes really sick, and i love being with a gringo so much more.. no offense to the Latinos. Its just a culture thing! haha So we are doing really well... these past 5 weeks we have had like 10-13 investigators in church every week.. its really awesome! So we should have a couple families gettin baptised soon! :) The zone is doing really good too, but i don't know if we will complete the goal for this month.. i hope so though! So i watched this church movie last night on my comps ipod.. its called ¨One Good Man¨. Its sooo sick! have you guys seen it? Cuz its such a good movie.. i wanna be like that guy when i grow up! So that's awesome that Lisa came to visit... any news about the church with her? or the missionaries?? I miss Joe and Lisa a ton!! And everyone! 
  So how is Romney doing in the elections? Is he gonna be the new Pres? Hows the Cowboys doing? What is the beach house called? i wanna look it up!! I'm really excited.. are we gonna stay in the beach house the whole 7 days? For the 3 days here in San Jose, i would like to visit this area, La Loma, also id like to visit Turrialba, and i don't know where else.. the temple and visit President Wilkinson also. So the 2 Sundays that we will be here for, where are we gonna go to church at? Id like to go here to La Loma the first Sunday, and maybe some other ward the next Sunday!! I asked a bunch of people to see what day i would be home, and a lot of people told me that its always 2 years and 5 days exactly... I'm pretty sure.. so we should be good for the trip! :) What all are we gonna do during the 7 days?? Do you not have your travel agent anymore??
  Dad i cant believe you broke your bow dude!! That sucks.... that's what you get for buying a PSE(Piece of Sucky Equipment!!) You gotta trade in your bow right now and buy the Hoyt Carbon Element!!!! cuz that's what I'm buying right when i get home!!! That is really cool you are seeing a bunch of elk though... So the first week how are you gonna hunt? Spot and Stock? Are you gonna try and call them in? Are they gonna be in rut? What is your strategy?? Cuz you gotta have a game plan before... not just walking around in the forest. haha That will be sick to see the videos of the trail cam.. send them to me asap! I cant believe the hunt is already starting this week!! How many days are you gonna be in Current Creek for? Are you gonna take some horses up? When are you going with Bridger? Have you talked to him about the outfitter? Does Tyler have any tags this year?? PS: Answer all the questions please!
   Mom I'm so glad you had a good time at young women's.. i bet it was sick!! That is so awesome you are doing good on your diet.. i bet you will look great!! So Mom i think it would be too hard to talk online classes.. people tell me its like 10x harder!! Can you research up a bit about the colleges, like what months would the summer term be and how many credits i could get, and things like that! Also mom how is that one job you had going? Did you get it? How are you Majerle and Maddi?? Its good to hear you are in cheer Majerle, and not just sitting on your butt like usually..! Good job about your ex boyfriend.. you cant date guys like that!! What happened to liking country boys? You ain't country anymore? Maddi what are you up to now? have you been out shooting with dad lately?? get out there with him and hunt!! 
  So yeah i bought some cowboy boots here, like 5 months ago.. i wear them every once in a while... :) they are sick!!! But my regular shoes that i wear are kind of boots, but not really.. in fact they are really worn out, and have a couple holes.. honestly i hate the shoes here... ived had to buy sooo many pares.. you guys should send me a pair of nice shoes.. but not dress shoes... like boots or something... and send me some nike long/black socks please.. the socks you send me are good, but they are dress shoe socks.. they get holes in them in like a week.. nike sport socks are better! :) Other than that.. i think I'm good with my clothes! Well i love you guys a ton and i will talk to you guys next week! :) Get out there and tag a monster bull dad... good luck!!!
 Elder Christensen