Another Great week in the Woodlands!

  Hey everyone! This week was a great week! Sorry today's email might be shorter, I am pressed for time this week. We had the opportunity to go Golfing today! So that was really fun! I I played alright for not touching a club in 10 months. But it was a good stress relief! I have always enjoyed doing it! 

But last Monday night to Tuesday night I was on an exchange with one of the Elders from our district! We were in a bike area near our area. We had a good exchange. On Tuesday we also volunteered at one of the big churches here in the Woodlands. They were doing banquet for one of the places that the Glen Loch Elders volunteered for, so we just helped people find which tables they were assigned to sit out. 

So we did that for the morning, and for the afternoon we just planned on going around on our bikes and trying to visit with less actives in there ward that they did not know. We were able to get in with alot they didn't know and were able to check in. And they seemed to be doing really well! They will have opportunities now to go back and visit with the less actives and hopefully help them with anything they may need! 

Wednesday we went back to Roy's house to help him out with some cleaning in his shop. He will be getting ready to get surgery in a couple weeks, and just needed some help getting things ready before then. So we were over there for a good part of the morning after our studies. We then just went around and tried to visit with different members for the rest of the afternoon, and we tried to get back into contact with Diana and her family. It has been a while since we have been able to get in contact with them so we went by their home to check on them. They were getting ready to head out, but we talked with them for a little while. 

And then that night we had dinner with a family in our ward and went through and taught the gospel of Jesus Christ to them, and it was a great lesson. The members here are beginning to really look hard to find people who we can teach! I know that as we continue to teach them, they will have more of a  desire to share the gospel. If y'all have copies of preach my gospel, I would invite you to study the lessons of chapter 3, those simple doctrines will bless your lives so much, and you will have a stronger testimony and desire to help share the gospel where you live! 

Thursday we went and did our weekly planning for a good part of the morning. That was great for us, and then that afternoon we had a meeting with our Bishop. We just talked about how things went during the past few weeks with the missionary work. He has been busy or out of town the past couple weeks, so we were trying to get him caught up with the different things going on. We had our appointments for that night fall through on us, but we just ended up walking on the waterway and through the mall to try and find more people who have been prepared to share the gospel.  But over all it was a great day!

Friday me and my zone leader comp elder Neville went up to Conroe's district meeting. We went, and it was a great day. We taught about the atonement. We really worked on trying to teach the atonement as simply and powerfully as we could. And I am just so grateful for the atonement! With out it I would not be where I am now! Because of the atonement (which encompasses when Jesus Christ suffered in the garden for our sins, hung and died upon the cross, and was resurrected 3 days later) we can find peace and happiness in our life. We can be forgiven for our mistakes, and when we go through hard times whether it is pain, or sickness or anything we can receive help and strength! 

I am grateful for that and I know that the power of the atonement is real! I have felt it so much in my life, and I can testify that nothing you are going through or will go through will have power to overcome you. And it is because of the atonement! Christ has suffered for everything we feel, so he truly can help us because he has felt everything we will ever feel. The atonement was done on a very personal level for each and everyone of us. I promise you as you use it that you will feel closer to our Heavenly Father! And you will feel the spirit more abundantly.  

For the rest of Friday we stayed in Conroe and tried to find more people to teach for the missionaries there. And it was great because that day we ran into a family that didn't speak any English, so again I was able to use some of the Spanish I know and talk with them for a little bit. I invited them to learn, but they were uninterested. But I love just being out and inviting people to learn more! 

Saturday we had a great day!!!!! It was a bit of a crazy day, but it was good! Our Stake did a craw-fish boil. And we had about 2400 people who said they were coming. And so we went over in the early afternoon to help set up, but as well as that me and Elder Neville were helping coordinate with all of the missionaries that were there. And it was such a great night! 

Game at the craw-fish boil

We had so many non members there, and we met so many people! We kept walking through the chapel at points, and we found companionship's giving church tours! It was such a great activity that the stake did. That night me and Elder Neville gave 2 church tours and they both were referrals for different missionaries. 

They were powerful tours, and the people wanted to come to church! So that was way cool! 

Well that was about it for this last week, but I am just so grateful for the opportunities we had to go out and serve and be about the Lords work! I am so grateful for this gospel and I am so happy for the chance I have to be here in Texas and share that with others! This is a glorious message we have and I am grateful for it! Please look for ways to share it with others! I know it will bless your life!

I hope yall have a great week! 

Elder Joshua V. Christensen