Rooftop Laundry

Hey! 

I’m racking my brain of what happened this past week but it was a pretty uneventful week. The highlight was yesterday; a family went to church with us! Other than that, it was a week full of sweating and walking. 

Also, the homeless man visited my Sunday School class again. He came in and started singing his song again for the class. Then he asked me if I would like to buy a Chihuahua. He pulled out the tiniest dog I have ever seen from his bag. Poor thing was scared to death. It's probably a wild dog that he found. 

Here is an awesome poem that President Eyring used in a talk but it was written by a missionary named Jack L Brinkerhoff. It’s pretty accurate.

A mission is a strange experience. Its a trial and a test.

 A mission throws you at the worst yet teaches you the best. 

They told me this would be the best period of my life. 

But I gues they didnt explain it all too clear. 

I came out looking for a bed of roses,

 I just wasn't expecting all the thorns I found out here.

 Since I've been out I'v e never been so happy.  I've never been so depressed. 

I've never felt so forsaken, I've never felt so blessed. 

I've never been so confused. My mind has never been so clear. 

I've never been so discouraged. I've never been so full of hope. 

I think i can go forever. I think I've come to the end of my rope.

 Ive never had it so easy. Ié never had it so tough.

Things have never gone so smoothly. Things have never been so rough.

 I've never traveled through more valleys. I've never ascended somany peaks.

 I've never met so many neat people. I've never met so many freaks.

 I've never had so many ups. I've never had so many downs.

 I've never worn so many smiles. I've never worn so many frowns.

 I've never been so lonely. I've never had so many friends. 

Man I hope this is all over soon. Gosh, I hope it never ends. 

I love my cute companion. We are doing well. We have made it a goal to try and say hi to everyone, always smile, and try and talk to and teach everyone! Thank you so much for your emails and updates! I love you so much!

xoxo

hermana Christensen

The Mystery of the Chickengunya

Hey! Happy fathers day Jeffrey Reed! Love you so much. And Birthday shoutout to Owen, Shanbabe, and Speen!! The big 20 wahoo

Mango season is at it's height! I am loving it. Yesterday we made mango smoothies and they were fantastic. I love my cute companion. We get along great. Congrats to Owie graduating from elementary and Cate from high school!!! SO EXCITED THAT MEISH IS ENGAGED! Yay!! Sam will be a great addition to the family. Looks like you will get one daughter back in August and then lose another.  

Last week i mentioned that there has been an outbreak of chickungunya. It is getting stronger and stronger. At first they were saying that it comes from the mosquito but now it appears to be more of a virus. A highly contagious virus. Luckily I think I already had it, and in a relatively mild form. 

We have heard many theories to explain where this chickungunya came from. It has become sort of a game to us and the other sisters in the house to ask everyone its origin. Some of the answers we have received include: it comes from a chemical the Chinese dumped into the Caribbean ocean; it came from a contaminated boat from Africa; my favorite is that it came from a big truck. Its unclear what this truck contained or where it came from, but it came from a truck. The mystery of the Chickengunya continues. 

Our area is pretty good. We are still searching and trying to get things going. There is one investigator that is really interested. Unfortunately, he has had pretty bad luck. Last Sunday, he mistakenly went to a different church that is on the same street. Then, the other night we invited him to what we thought was a ward activity which actually turned out to be a young women's volleyball night. He showed up to play volleyball with a bunch of thirteen year old girls. Then he was unable to go yesterday because he was sick with the infamous Chickungunya. 

We had an interesting week. The first half of the week was really challenging and I was feeling frustrated and discouraged. We've been working so hard and I didn't feel like we were getting anywhere. But in the second half we found some wonderful less actives and investigators. It turned out being a good week. We finally had a few people go to church! 

We had a couple of really good lessons. I love when I leave a lesson and I feel edified and the people we visited also feel uplifted. A lot of the people we visited opened up about their fears, worries, and life stories:

One woman told us that her son who lives in New York is going to have surgery on Tuesday. She began to cry as she expressed the guilt she felt that she wasn't there to support him. She felt like she was failing as a mother. We talked about how often parents lover their kids but can't protect them from all the band, hard and painful things in life. And how that is like our Heavenly Father. He wants to protect us but sometimes in life we have to pass through hard things and he can't interject. 

One progressing investigator opened up about his life story. When he was three he was abandoned by his mom. He remembers perfectly the day she left; she told him he would be right back and never returned. He was raised by his grandma but always dreamed of knowing his mom. Then when he was twelve, she came to "visit" but ended up taking him and his sister in the middle of the night. She snuck them out. At first he was so excited but as time went on he felt so much pain and guilt for leaving his grandma and tht we could never tell her goodbye. He has never seen or talked to her since. She lives in Haiti and he doesn't know how to communicate with her. 

In one lesson. We sat on a woman's patio in rocking chairs. Her patio was full of different types of plants. She described each plant and what it needs to grow and flourish. She talked fondly of her plants and how its interesting that some of them thrive and others don't. She said she talks to her plants and loves them. We chatted about how the principles of gardening can apply to our relationship with God. We are all so different; often we have different needs, backgrounds, and abilities. But as with all the plants, the flourishing process is gradual and takes diligence patience and faith. Something that begins as a seed or bulb can truly develop into something beautiful. 

A part of mission work that is fun is that people trust us and open up about their stories and we get to translate these experiences into something meaningful and spiritual. Everyone has a story and everyone wants to be understood. 

Church was pretty interesting yesterday. Pretty strange. Due to the Chickungunya a grand total of 41 people went to church. None of the assigned speakers or teachers were their so it was all pretty improvised. There was also a homeless man who was sitting on the first row and in sacrament meeting and was swaying his arms in the air, then pacing, then took of his shoes to kneel in prayer; it made the meeting pretty interesting. Then we had Sunday school. I was teaching a class and the homeless man came in and sat down in my class. He participated a lot while he chowed down on a banana. The he asked to sing us a song. It actually was helpful because I didn't have a lot prepared and he ate a lot of the time; I also didn't think I could kick him out because the class was on love and charity. They ended up canceling the last hour of church due to a lack of people. Strange day. 

One investigator has told me on many occasions that there is a striking resemblance between my hair and Jesus Christ's hair. It is just shocking to him.

We are going to have a new mission president in two weeks- they had to change transfers. So we just finished a transfer and Hermana Gingell and I will be staying in our area. It is my last transfer- so strange. 

Lake Powell looked so fun! Miss you and love you. Hope all is well

xoxxoxoxox

Hermana Chritensen

¨Envy is ignorance. Imitation is suicide¨

                          - Ralph waldo Emerson

There is a feeling of inner peace that comes from total relinquishment of judgment. We dont feel the need to change others, and we dont feel the need to be different than we are. We can see for whatever reason the total beauty of another person, and we feel that they can see the beauty in us as well

                           - Marianne Williamson

"You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you listen to, the people you meet, the dreams you have, the conversations you engage in. You are what you take from these. You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life. You are every single second of every single day. So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge and existence. Let the words run through your veins and let the colors fill your mind." 

"What we love determines what we seek, what we seek determines what we think and do, what we think and do determines what we become."

              - President Uchtdorff

Chickungunya

Another week has passed. We had a good week but unfortunately I have been sick. I had aches, fever, and lots of stomach pain. I am not sure what I had but there has been a huge outbreak of Chickungunya. This is a mosquito borne illness and everyone is getting it. I think I may have had a more mild form of it. We still worked but would take many breaks. I lived off a crackers and bananas diet for a few days.

Our area is very big. It’s a little overwhelming but I also like it because it keeps us busy. So far, we haven't had any investigators in church. We are starting to work more with less actives and one did go to church on Sunday. I love working with less actives. Tonight we are going to do a family home evening with a less active family and learn to make Dominican food and play games.

I adore my companion. She is so funny and cute. The Dominican men also love her. It’s fun to be with someone new because there are things that I now consider normal but her reaction to things remind me how different our cultures can be. I forget that in Utah we don’t have exotic flowers, people driving motorcycles hauling hauling mattresses or big pieces of furniture, wild dogs, or men hissing at us all day long.

The other Hermanas that we live with are Hermana Munoz from Costa Rica and Hermana Cearc from Guatalupe. One night we were all talking and they were showing us all the traditional dances from their countries and the dances they like when they go out with their friends. They wanted us to show them what we dance like so Hermana Gingell and I showed them how we mosh pit and the awkward way we dance at dances. They were so confused and disappointed because the Americans dance so well in the movies. We were able to show them a little bit of country dancing. It was a fun night.

We spent all of Saturday morning lost. We were trying to find a street and asked so many different people for directions. Somehow, almost everyone gave us such different directions. We were walking all over the place without getting anywhere. After quite a bit of back-tracking and wandering, we finally found the street. The person we were searching had incidentally moved. I was thinking about how there are so many different paths, voices, opinions, and doctrines in this big world. We are lucky for all the opportunities we have. But we also have to be mindful about who we are listening to and what we choose to believe. It is easy to feel confused and lost. The gospel has been such an anchor for me and I am grateful for the purpose and sense of direction the gospel gives us. I love what Cate said in her testimony: that if we are constant in the gospel, regardless of where the road of life takes us. We will be ok.

I got an awesome package from cute Gram!!!! Thanks Gram! It had her delicious fudge and a cute skirt to give away. Congrats to Cate for graduating. It is too crazy that you will being going to the university. And congrats to Gary and Shawna! How exciting!! I love you all so much.

xoxoxo

Hermana Christensen

Cancino & Hermana Gingell

Hello!!!! 

My new companion is Hermana Gingell. She is 19 and from Myton, Utah. You are probably asking yourself where the heck is Myton, Utah??? Yes, that was precisely my question. It is between Duchesne and Roosevelt. She is so darling. She makes me laugh, is so kind and thoughtful, and she chases away the dogs for me. It has been interesting being back in the training program. As I´ve watched her go through the transition into the mission field, I remember what it feels like. It is such a distinct feeling. It feels confusing and overwhelming - like an out-of-body experience. It feels like all of these things are happening but you are not really there. Learning the language is incredibly frustrating and people often laugh when you don’t speak well or don’t understand. It’s physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting - come 8 p.m. you can barely keep your eyes open. But she is doing very well and fighting through all the challenges. 

We made it through our first week here in Cancino. I have now had four areas and have whitewashed four times! This time has definitely been the most challenging because my companion obviously can’t help me too much. It has stretched me sooo much and forced me to work hard, manage my time better, and plan more effectively. 

We are in a great area. I think we are really going to like it here. We have made a to-do list of things we are going to do while we are companions. It’s important to try and make it fun and take advantage of the time we have on this beautiful island. 

I was reading about when Christ told his apostles to leave their nets behind and follow him. In Luke´s version he says, “launch out into the deep, and let down your nets.” I definitely think this metaphor applies to the mission. The mission requires you to leave behind what you were doing before: “launch out into the deep - even if it is scary and uncomfortable. At times we find ourselves reminiscing on the past or even longing and glorifying the past. It is so important to live in the present and always be moving forward. We must travel into the unknown, be bold, make good sacrifices, leave behind bad habits, and develop the attributes of Christ. I like what Elder Holland said in Remember Lot´s Wife, ¨It is possible that Lot´s wife looked back with resentment toward the Lord for what he was asking her to leave behind. So it isn't just that she looked back- she looked back longingly. In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future.¨

It sounds like i am missing out on some quality yard work haha. My companion said the movie Divergent was super awesome. It’s weird to me that she saw the same movie you went to see. It shows how little time she has in the field. She is super cute. I am teaching her how to cook, shop, and manage her money. We are growing together. 

Have a good week! I love you all so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Xoxoxo

M

“We make our own destiny... We can satisfy ourselves with mediocrity. We can be common, ordinary, dull colorless, or we can so channel our lives to be clean, vibrant, progressive, colorful, and rich.”

                               - Spencer W Kimball

“To achieve sustainable innovation you need to seek persistent disequilibrium. To seek persistent disequilibrium means that one must chase after disruption without succumbing to it, or retreating from it. A company, institution or individual must remain perched in an almost falling state. In this precarious position it is inclined to fall, but continually catches itself and never quite topples. Nor does it anchor itself so that it cannot tip. It sort of skips along within reach of disaster, but uses the power of falling to propel itself forward with grace.”

                                   - Kevin Kelly 

Heinamosa

Familia!!!

How is my lovely family?

We had a good hot week here. On Saturday I looked at our phone and noticed two missed calls from President. I thought that’s strange. In that very moment he called again and told me that I am going to be training in Heinamosa in this next transfer. I am so excited!!!!! 

The transition from the MTC to the field is a tough one. It’s like sprinting and colliding with a brick wall. I'd love to hear your ideas to help me be a good trainer. 

I am definitely going to miss the sassy Hermana Mack. She is nuts. Also, I am going to miss Gazcue. The ward is so incredible and the area is beautiful. It is so fun to be in the same area as the mission office- so much energy and there is always something going on. But, I am excited for this new adventure! Guess who is going to be Hermana Mack's new companion and take my place here in Gazcue.... Hermana Thomas!!!!  Hermana Thomas and Mack together = trouble. 

I told you last week that Hermana Mack had Dengue but turns out she actually has Chinkungunya fever. There has been a big outbreak of it. Fortunately, she is feeling a lot better. 

I just finished reading Jesus the Christ. I absolutely loved it. It is a very long and insightful but some points that I really liked are: 

• His realization that he was the chosen and foreordained messiah came to him gradually. 
• His advancement was from one grace to another; from good to greater good. He was in a different lever, but he progressed as we progress. 
• He experienced the full range of human emotions. Sometimes I have imagined him to have responded like a robot but he too felt loneliness, pain, friendship, happiness, relief, hunger, illness, abandonment, anger and contentment. 
• His service and sacrifice was completely voluntary. God never obligated him and he had the option to back out. He chose to continue, persevere, and stick to what he chose to do. 

I loved reading this book because I feel like it gave me a new perspective of the man who died for us, the things he had to go through, and the courage he had. 

My feet got fried today at our P-day activity! I didn’t put on sunscreen and the white part hasn’t seen the sun for many moons.

Note Meg's Tan Line on her Feet

I love your emails and love you all so much. Have an excellent week. I’ll fill you in next Monday on the details about my new area and companion. 

Meg

Meg's Opinion of the Laker's

"Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is... you find out the strength of the wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down."

                                             - C.S Lewis

"Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills, against the misery, against ignorance or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the new world, and so can we all."

               - Robert F Kennedy

Notice the elder's arm on my shoulder. I felt it and said: "that better be an hermana."

Mothers Day

It was so incredibly wonderful to talk to you all yesterday. It felt so natural and like nothing has changed. I have to admit, it was so hard to end the call. I always miss you and always think about you all; but I've gotten used to missing you. It really gave me so much strength to talk to you. I want to work hard and finish strong. I really like what mom said in her letter: I don´t want to wish it away because it will be over before you know it and this is precious and sacred time which you will never have back again; so finish strong. 

I was finally able to print off and read your letters from last week describing your trip to the Philippines. I love how much Meisha loved her mission and how much the people loved her. Your descriptions of her reunions with members, investigators, and companions make me reflect on my own relationships with the people. I want to take advantage of all the opportunities I have to meet people such neat people and to truly love them. 

This past week, we shared with an investigator the talk by President Uchtdorf, Forget Me Not. One point that I liked is that we shouldn't forget to enjoy the little things in life and be happy now. He talks about Charlie and the Chocolate factory and how we put off our happiness until we find our ¨golden ticket¨, to be happy. ¨The happiest people are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals discover and reassure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy." So often in our lives we think we will feel happy when we get a certain job, finish school, are less busy, etc. We create this list of things that have to be reached, and then after we'll feel happy. It is an art to be able to see the beauty and joy in the little things of life - even though there are always problems. 

The woman we shared this with told us a story of when she was a child. She would hide all the gifts she would receive in a secret spot. If she received a doll or a piece of candy she would put it away in this secret place. Then there was a civil war in 1955 and her family had to leave their house for a short time. When they returned she ran to her secret spot to find everything she had hidden stolen. She said after that she stopped hiding her gifts and started enjoying them. 

We are going to the doctors’ tomorrow to confirm (but I’m 95% sure) that my companion has dengue fever. She has a high fever and can barely walk her body hurts so bad. As a result, we have been stuck in the house. I have had lots and lots of reading time. I finished the conference ensign you sent me (thank you for sending it!). Here are my top ten ideas or statements from conference

•          Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness. Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most. 
•          Not only does the atonement of Jesus Christ overcome the effects of the fall of Adam and make possible the remission of our individual sins and transgressions, but his atonement also enables us to do good and become better in ways that stretch far beyond our mortal capacities... I wonder if we fail to fully acknowledge this strengthening aspect of the atonement in our lives and mistakenly believe that we must carry our load alone- through sheer grit, willpower and discipline and with our obviously limited capacities. 
•          Let us be compassionate and encouraging. We must be careful that we do not destroy another person's confidence through careless words or actions. 
•          Perhaps focusing on what we are grateful for is the wrong approach. It is difficult to develop a spirit of gratitude if our thankfulness is only proportional to the number of blessings we count. I don’t believe the Lord expects us to be less thankful in times of trial than in times of abundance and ease. Most of the scriptural references do not speak of gratitude for things but rather suggest an overall spirit or attitude of gratitude. 
•          Truth is truth! It is not divisible, and any part of it cannot be set aside. Whether truth emerges from a scientific lab or through revelation, all truth emanates from God. 
•          The priesthood is the power of God delegated to man; the consummate power on this earth by which it was created. We are accustomed to thinking that all the keys of the Priesthood were conferred to Joseph Smith in Kirtland temple, but... there are other priesthood keys that have not been given to man on the earth, including the keys of creation and resurrection. 
•          What we insistently desire, overtime, is what we eventually become and what we will receive in the eternity. If you are not proactive in education your desires, the world will do it for you. 
•          As you pray for forgiveness, you will find yourself forgiving others. As you thank god for his kindness, you will think of others by name who need your kindness. Again, that experience will surprise you every day and over time it will change you. 
•          The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, and rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages of it. 

Happy Mother’s day yesterday! And happy birthday tomorrow mom! You are an amazing, inspiring, loving mother and i am so grateful for you. !Come mucho pastel! I am stoked that Spence's new comp is Dominican. Can't wait to hear where he's from. 

We have an investigator who contacted us a while back in the park. We were teaching someone else and he sat down and asked where the church was. We told him and he actually ended up going. We took down his info. The first time we went we were on the phone with him- lost and asking for directions. He said just look for the Dora the explorer; He had placed a giant stuffed Dora over his balcony. He is such a character- has a big Afro, loves to laugh and talks with so much slang that I barely understand him. He reminded us that we had passed him one time before when he was playing basketball and he shouted at us, "When are you going to preach to me?" We waved but kind of ignored him. The reason he is so interested in the church is because his girlfriend is a member and lives in none other but Salt Lake City. He said that he is moving to Salt Lake in June (i told him i was moving there in August). he has only gone to church twice but is starting to progress. 

Last week on P-day we went to a modern art museum. it was super fun. 

I got the new shoes! Thank you, thank you!

We had a baptism this past Saturday - yay!! I'll give you the deets next week

"Patience is not passive resignation; nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can - working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well

                                                                  - President Uchtdorf

"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.

                             - Polonius from Shakespeare's hamlet

Have a great week! 

Meg

Cheese, Harrison Smith, and Other Stuff

Greetings!

Another week has come and gone. The days are flying by. 

We had zone conference this past week. We watched a little cartoon based off the popular book: “Who stole my cheese?” The video has a depiction of two men who leave their houses everyday to a big mountain of cheese. Every day they eat this cheese. Then one day they find the mountain of cheese is gone. One of the men becomes angry and wants to know who is to blame. He wants to know who did this to him. The other suggests that they can go looking for other cheese but he says he doesn't want new cheese - he wants the old cheese. The other takes proactive steps. He goes searching for new cheese. The difference is that this man visualizes success. He is willing to take a risk, think positively, celebrate little successes, and can adapt and enjoy the taste of the new cheese. 

I like the idea that our reaction to certain situations is the key to our state of being. As missionaries, it is easy to live in the past and want the old cheese and forget to enjoy changes and a new challenge. It can also be easy to be negative and search for someone to blame when things don’t go right. I am feeling ready for a new challenge in a new area. I have absolutely loved it here in Gazcue but am ready for a change. I feel that I have done what I can do here. While I was watching the video I was reminded that I need to be adaptive and make the most of what I have because where we work is out of our control. 

Someone shared a spiritual thought this past week that I really liked. She talked about how Laman and Lemuel were actually quite obedient in the quest to go retrieve the plates. They did what they were told but with a bad attitude. They complained and said, "it is a hard thing which is required of them." It is interesting how much of a difference their attitude made. Our obedience isn’t beneficial if it is done with a heavy heart. 

At zone conference a missionary was showing us pictures of his family. I saw a picture of him at his baptism with the two missionaries that taught him. One of the missionaries resembled Harrison Smith. I asked him the missionaries name and sure enough he said: Elder Smith. I told him “no way, he married one of my best friends.” It’s a small world in the church. 

We got to go through the temple this past week because robert went to do baptisms for the first time. That was wonderful. Also, my companion is working on her English. We practice as we are walking in the streets. My companion lives 20 minutes away so she often runs into family and friends in the street or in the market.  It would be very different to serve so close to home.

I got a dear elder from uncle Robb. Thank you Robb! He has such a funny sense of humor. 

Also, I straightened my companion’s hair this past week. She showed me how to do it. I gasped and told her she was going to fry her hair. She told me, "hermana calm down. My hair is very different than yours." Ain’t that the truth. Mine would fall out if I straightened it like she does. 

peace and blessings, 

meg

"Write your fears, grief, and the things that offend you in the sand and the things that make you happy in a stone. For the words in the sand will be erased by the tide but the words in the stone will last."

"Is man what he seems to the astronomer, a tiny lump of impure carbon and water impotently crawling on a small and unimportant planet? Or is he what he seems to Hamlet?"

                                                                        - Bertand Russel