God is aware of his Children!

Hey everyone! I hope all y'all had a great week! Things have been going really well here! I am a little nervous to say, but I think that this may be my last week in College Park. We will find out for sure on Sunday, but I have already been here for almost 7.5 months. That is usually the longest they have kept a missionary in this particular area. But we will see how it goes! But I am glad to have been able to serve here! It really is such a great place!

Tuesday

 We were able to go and meet with Andrellia and teach her another lesson! We had the Sister Missonaries there with us, and they will be helping us teach her! We had a good lesson on gospel of Jesus Christ. And she seemed to understand it! She always asks alot of really good sincere questions! Originally she was scheduled to be baptized at the end of the month, but now we will be working with her to move it back. 

She hasn't been coming to church so that is something we are going to be working on with her. She has a really busy schedule sometimes, and then she was out of town the past couple weeks. But this next Sunday we are expecting her to be there, so that will be great! To end the night we just went over to the water way and tried to see if there was anyone that we could talk to. 

Wednesday

We went over to the Sister Zelzulka's home with Brother Dowdle to help her with here fence. The fence in her back yard has been broken for the last 7 years. And when we heard about it we told her we would go help her out. So we went and were able to help her put up the fence, and we cemented in the new posts. And got it all back up and working for her. It took a couple of hours, but it was good to be able to help her out!

 This is the Fence:

 There is Elder Christensen (where's Waldo):

It was pretty messed up! 

We were also able to help clean off her roof and help her with some other things going on around her house. And then that night we just went around and visited with the members of the wards and shared messages on prayer and faith with them! And I am just so grateful for prayer and the power of it! I know that as we use it daily in our life we can grow closer to our Heavenly Father! I know that is so true! I have seen it so much since I have been out here on my mission! 

Thursday

 We went to Bishops neighbor named Roy and got to be with him for a bit, he showed us his pool table, and then after that we had to leave because we had an appointment with Morgan. But the sisters were able to teach him a lesson, and from what we heard it went really well for them! Roy asked alot of questions about how we can receive answers to prayers. 

Our appointment with Morgan went well. We taught him about the commandments that God gives us! And he understood them all really well! He believes everything thing that we have been teaching him.

Friday I went on exchanges with another companionship in the zone. We went to their district meeting and were able to see things that went well and some of the things we can help them improve on. But over all it was good! We just went over how to extend better commitments. And so it was good!  

After that for most of the day we ended up doing service with them. But we tried to stop by some different potential investigators for them. But none of them ended up being home. But we had a good message with that family that night. And at the end of that night we switched back into our areas. 

Saturday

Our mission President now gives us one hour each week that we can go onto family search and learn more about family history! And I really enjoyed that! As I use family history more it makes me feel so much closer to my ancestors! And I just feel so much happier! I think that is one of the blessing that can come as we strive to do family history! Well after that I went on a split with Brother Harris and we went to meet with Brother Marshburn. It was a really good visit! Brother Marshburn and Brother Harris connected well. They have a lot of stuff in common with each other. 

But we shared a message with him and it went really well! And he mentioned to us that he was able to meet with bishop earlier in the week and that they had a great discussion! But he also mentioned to us that he wants us to come over sometime when his kids are there and start teaching some of his children more about the church. They are all members, but many of them are inactive. 

Sunday 

It was a good morning with the meetings and things we had, but sacrament meeting was the best part of the whole day!  In the beginning they started out with people who were receiving callings! And Brother Marshburn was called to be a family history consultant in the ward! I was so happy! I have been working with him over that past couple months, and to see him come back to activity has been such a huge blessing for me! I really truly feel that I was sent here to this ward to meet him and to help him! 

It was no coincidence that I came to this ward and met him! He is back and he is working on getting his temple recommend renewed! His son is getting ready to go on a mission and he is just so happy to be back!  

I know that this email isn't very long this week, I have been pressed for time. But I just want to bare testimony that God is aware of all of his children! I know that he listens to our prayers and that he does answer them! I know that if I am transferred out this next week that I have completed the work I was suppose to do here in the College Park Ward! 

I am grateful for the opportunity to be here and to be serving the Lord! This truly is his work and he does lead and guide us to the people that are prepared to hear this great message! What a great blessing and privilege  we get as members of the church to be apart of it! I would again invite all y'all to please pray for opportunities to help those who are around you! And find ways to serve them! I know that as you do you will be blessed and you will have so much joy! I know this is true and bare witness of it! 

I hope all y'all have a wonderful week!

Elder Joshua V. Christensen