Life in the Woodlands

Hey!

  Things here in The Woodlands are still going well. It is cool to be able to be out here and serve. Our ward here is so great, and they are continuing to become more missionary minded. We have been able to stay busy for the most part which is great! 

  This week has been good, we have continued to teach Austin this last week, and he has decided to move his baptism to this Friday!! He is so ready, and we are so excited for him. We also had a cool experience this last week. One night when we were on our way home we got a message from a girl named Lexi. She said she said she wanted to learn more about the church. Immediately me and my companion look at each other and we were speechless! That doesn't  usually happen out in this area. So we were able to meet with her and answer alot of the questions that she had. And she seems to want to learn more. At first she was kind of concerned, but then when I started to explain how once we are baptized we can have all of our sins and feelings of guilt washed away, and you could see her countenance change! I then asked her what she thought about that! And she said she wants that! So we are excited to see what happens with that. The Lord does truly prepare people! This gospel is such a happy message we can share with others and I love that! Its is so great to know that we are all human and that we mess up. But because of what our savior Jesus Christ did we can repent and partake of the atonement he did for us. We can feel clean each week when we partake of the sacrament and we remember the covenants that we have made. It is such a blessing to be able to have that knowledge and know that when we stumble and fall we can get back up and keep going.

  This last week I also had a crazy experience with prayer! One of the days we were going  from place to place, and we went street contacting at Market Street, and also around the mall. Following that we went and taught a lesson at a members home. Well I got back that night and I reached into my back pocket to get my wallet, but it wasn't there. I was freaking out, I searched my whole apartment and was frantically trying to remember where we had been that day. I  began to make myself sick because I was worrying so much about where it would be. I had my licence and my temple recommend, my debit cards as well as some other things we need out here. Because of some changes back in Utah there would be no way I could get a new license sent to me, and so I would have to end up getting a Texas Licence which would include me having to re-test and road out here, and then also with the debit cards I was not doing to great! I went into the bed room and I prayed to my Heavenly Father. I was worried and I wanted to find where my wallet was, but after I prayed I felt a little bit better. I had the thought to call the members home that we were just at. And when I called they said they would look for it, and after a couple mins they told me that they had found it. Now it may seem kind of lame for me to be so scared, but with all of the places that we were that day, it could have fallen out at Market street or the mall, and I would probably had never seen it again.  But I was able to have my testimony strengthened with the power of prayer. In 3rd nephi 18 we read that Jesus Christ set the example of Praying, and the power that can come from prayer. I was able to be comforted and was able to find where my wallet was. The spirit can help us do things, and even though my prayer was small, and was about finding a wallet, my Heavenly Father listened and helped me. I love the gospel and the chance I have to be able to communicate with my Father in Heaven anytime and any where. It is amazing.

We also have a chance to go each week now and volunteer at a ranch, where children with disabilities can  go and ride horses. It is so cool, and so fun to be able to work with these kids that are here. They have such sweet spirits to them. I love being able to go and to help out. Service is a great time were we can go and serve Heavenly Father and also our fellow beings! 

Well that was pretty much this last week, the only other thing that really happened was when we were street contacting, we were walking and someone yelled "Go BYU"!! Well of course I turned around to look!! And some guy was looking at us. And so I walked over to talk with him. He was telling me how he was so glad that BYU beat Texas! He was a funny guy, and he wasnt a member. But he kept telling us that when they won he was cheering saying "Yeah BYU, good job mormons!" It was pretty funny, but we were able to share a scripture with him. So because BYU won we were able to talk with another person about the gospel. It was a great week.

We also got challenged by the young men to some tennis for there young mens activity, and we had a little competition to see who could dress up with the most tennis stuff. We will just say we won! :)

 Well I wish you all the best this next week,

 Elder Joshua V. Christensen