Hello everyone! What a wonderful week we were able to have!
Like I mentioned last week we were able to have the missionary department with
us this week. And they did such a great job at training us, and helping us see
what things we could do to improve.
Tuesday night my companion and I had the
opportunity to meet with them, and then we went out that night on splits with
our Mission President. It was great to see him and his family again also! But
we went to dinner with President Mortensen, and we were just telling him about
how the zone is doing. We were telling him about all the great things that were
going on with the wonderful missionaries in our zone. We truly saw some
incredible miracles this month with in the zone. And the Lord blessed us
as we were able to elevate our vision as a whole.
From there he came with us to
a couple of teaching appointments, and they were very powerful. We taught a
recent convert about temples and family history, and his mom came and listened.
And after the lesson she told us that she would like to begin taking the
missionary lessons again. So we met with her 1 other time this week also and
she is praying to know if she should be baptized at this time of her life.
Then
following that appointment with the recent convert we went over to another
members home to meet with Brenda. We finished teaching her the Laws and
ordinances lesson, and as always you could see how prepared she was for her
baptism. Following that we went back to our apartment and had a planning
session with President, and overall it went really well. He gave us some great
pointers about what things we could do to improve, but he said we did a great
job with focusing the planning on the people we were working with.
We were able to find a couple new investigators this week
that we will begin to work with, so we are excited for that! The Lord is
blessing us so much!
With the missionary department being in town we had a big
MLC (Mission Leadership Council) meeting. It included all of the zone leaders and the sister training
leaders and the district leaders. They trained us on how we can plan more
effectively. As well as we were trained some different skills to help us
be more effective teachers and help our investigators better progress and be
prepared for baptism. Our meeting went from about 9:00 am until about 3:00 pm.
So it was a long meeting but it was really good!
They also showed us the new
video that the church has produced. It is called " Because He Lives."
It is amazing, but I will talk a little bit more about it at the end of my
email.
We had our zone meeting the next day, and it went very well.
This last month the zone put a lot of hard work into accomplishing the goals
that we had committed to. And we were even able to exceed the goal we had for
this month. And with all of the training the missionary department gave us I
can just see the zone continuing to see that same success. So I am excited to
see what the future has in store for this zone and stake.
We also had Brenda's baptism on Friday, and it was a
fantastic service! And then on Sunday is when we were able to confirm her a
member of the Church. But she just mentioned how great she felt after being
baptized! And now they are set on working to get to the temple to do baptisms
for the dead and also in one year to be sealed in the temple! It is such a
great blessing!
Well going back briefly to what I said earlier, the church
has put out a new video. The link can be found just below, but I would just
invite you as you watch this video, think of who comes to mind that you could
share it with. And in what way you could help others to see this wonderful
little video.
This is such a wonderful little video. I want you to ponder
just for a minute on the way you felt as you watched the video. What does it
mean to you that Christ has risen. Because Christ truly has risen it means that
we can receive a forgiveness of our sins, but not just that. We can have a hope
in the Resurrection of Christ. We can know that He overcame the bands of death,
and by so doing He bridged the gap to help us overcome the effect of the fall.
I have found my self often this week thinking of the hymn #136 And I love just
reading through the lyrics. Again I would invite you to think of the same
question. What does it mean to you that Christ Lives.
I know that my Redeemer lives.
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead.
He lives, my ever-living Head.
He lives to bless me with his love.
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed.
He lives to bless in time of need.
He lives to grant me rich supply.
He lives to guide me with his eye.
He lives to comfort me when faint.
He lives to hear my soul's complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears.
He lives to wipe away my tears.
He lives to calm my troubled heart.
He lives all blessings to impart.
He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.
He lives and loves me to the end.
He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He lives and grants me daily breath.
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives my mansion to prepare.
He lives to bring me safely there.
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"
I know that Christ Lives, and I truly am grateful for his
atonement that he made for us. I have found so much joy and comfort come as I
have turned to my savior. And because he lives, he will answer us, and he will
help us. No matter who you are, or what you have felt Christ can help you. That
is what the wonderful message of the Gospel of Christ is.
Please this week find
at least one person that you could share this video with. I know by you sharing
it with others that you will be able to help someone feel closer to Christ this
Easter season. The video is powerful and the Holy Ghost will testify of the
truthfulness that He lives.
And just think of how blessed we are also this next
weekend to hear from the Prophet and the Apostles and hear them testify about
the divinity of Christ. They truly are witnesses of Christ, and I know that as
you listen to them this week end and you prayerfully consider the questions you
have going into conference that you will be able to find and answer.
Take
the time to be prepared to receive what the Lord wants you to receive by going
to the Temple, and by reading your scriptures prayerfully! And as you do this
you will be able to feel uplifted and edified! I know this to be true and
I testify of it.
Well I hope y'all have a great week!
Elder Joshua V. Christensen
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