Homeward Bound

Hello everyone,

This is really hard for me to write, but I will be coming home on Tuesday. My anxiety has been getting steadily worse over the last three months and now it's getting to the point that I'm having a difficult time functioning. I thought about it and prayed about it and worried about my decision, but I now know this is the right decision. I need to come home to heal.

I've had such a wonderful experience here, this has been the three best months of my life. I will miss this immensely, but I'm looking forward to the experiences that are ahead of me. I gave my all, I have no regrets and I know the Lord is pleased with my efforts and my service. I know He loves me and it is because He loves me I need to come home. The Lord only gives you challenges you can handle, and if they come to the point where you can't handle them, He pulls you away from them, to give you a chance to recover. My battle with anxiety is far from over, but I know that the Lord is with me and with His strength I know I can do anything.

I guess the only thing left for me to say is I know that this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Book of Mormon is a true book that changes lives. The Book of Mormon challenge has changed me in ways I do not yet understand completely. I know that that Jesus Christ lived a perfect life and showed us the way to salvation and then suffered and died so we can get there. I know he felt every pain, every sickness, every sin, every thorn we may have in our side. He is the only one that truly understands how we feel because He felt it Himself and if we turn to Him and trust Him, the power of his atonement will work in our lives to cleanse us and sanctify us and make us the people we want to be. I know my Savior loves me and that He loves every single one of us and if we ask, we will receive. I loved serving as a missionary, and I can't wait for what is in store for me now. Because the Lord has a plan for me and if I trust Him, it will unfold as it should for my good. I know that for me and for everyone else.

Thank you everyone for the letters, emails, prayers and encouragement you all gave me while I was here and I can't wait to see you all when I return home. See you soon.   

-- 

Elder Christensen

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

        - 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Cherry Pie Adventure

Hello everyone!

This week was actually my companion's year mark and there was a celebration for him and the rest of his group last Saturday. So, having just received my Mom's cherry pie recipe, I decided to make it for the party. It started out just fine, I mixed the filling together and put it in the pan and put the top crust on with no problem whatsoever. So, I joyfully put the pie in the oven and thought how great that pie was going to be when it was done. I went to read my scriptures and my companion started making pancakes for breakfast. A little while later he tells me there's smoke coming out of the oven. While the pie was baking away, filling was leaking out and dripping onto to bottom of the oven where it started to smolder and smoke. Luckily, it didn't catch fire. It was then I remembered that when my mom made that pie she put a pan underneath the pie to catch drippings. Oops. So, as the pie baked, the smoke got thicker and thicker until it started filling the apartment, I'm amazed the smoke alarm didn't go off, probably because we had the sliding door open and the fan on the air conditioner on. Eventually the filling solidified to the point it stopped dripping and the stuff on the bottom turned into charcoal and the smoke stopped. So, that crisis was adverted. I took the pie out of the oven and it was amazing! It looked great and smelled great and when I took it to the party everyone who tried it liked it and were very impressed that I had made it.

I was thinking about this experience and I realized that sometimes trials can be like that. In the moment, it can seem like everything has gone wrong, there is smoke billowing out of the oven, so to speak, and there seems to be no possibility that it will ever work out. But after the trial is over and the smoke clears everything turns out fine, amazing even. And you think, "Wow, that wasn't so bad, that turned out just fine despite what it seemed." That pie was one of the best I had ever had because I had made it myself and because of the difficulty that came with making it. And I have experienced that the experiences I've gained from my trials are sweeter because of the difficulty that preceded them. And now I know that the next time I make that pie I need to put a pan or aluminum foil or something underneath the pie to catch any drippings that will come. I'm grateful for this experience and what it has taught me and if any of you are wondering, yes, I did clean the oven afterward.

Have a good week everybody!     

-- 

Elder Christensen

General Conference!!

Picture: me and Elder Schroeder 

Hey everybody!

So, I loved General Conference. Did all of you love General Conference? I was able to watch it in the Tabernacle, which was an amazing experience. I loved the talks and felt like they were all for me. I can't wait for the opportunity to read and study them again. I especially love the talk given by Devon Cornish about how to allow the atonement to work in our lives to help us through our trials. I really needed that reminder.

This week was good, not a lot happened at the library, just the usual craziness. I did have some difficulty with my anxiety, but I will overcome this. As Paul puts it, I have a thorn in my flesh and it is helping me turn to the Lord for help in all that I do. It is also keeping me humble. But the Lord's grace is sufficient, even for me, as it is for all of us. I know that is true.

Well, I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Christensen

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation- Isaiah 12:2

Happy Conference Weekend!

Hello everyone!

So, Transfers were Tuesday and nothing changed for me. Elder Schroeder and I are still companions, I'm still in Access Services, I didn't move apartments and my p-day is still Friday. So, I'm happy. I'd still be happy if something changed, but whatever.

This week was pretty normal, nothing really exciting happened, which is perfectly fine.

Which brings me to... General Conference is tomorrow! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! I really looking forward to hearing from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve. 

For everyone who is wondering, the mission is providing tickets to the Priesthood session, and I'll be able to watch the others elsewhere.

Well, that's about it for this week. I hope everyone enjoys Conference. Listen with questions and the Spirit will provide answers. I know I'm going to do that.

Have a good week!

Elder Christensen 

I'm singing in the rain

 SNAPDRAGONS!!!

The Mount Timpanagos temple

Hello everyone!

So this week, at least yesterday and today, it rained. And when it wasn't raining it looked stormy. And it's getting a lot cooler. And the leaves are changing color. In short, fall is happening and it is amazing.

The highlight of this week was we went on a temple trip to the Mount Timpanagos (I'm not sure if I spelled that right?) temple. It was such an amazing experience. First of all it was great to leave the 4-by-8 block rectangular mission boundaries and to see more of the valley and another temple. That is such a beautiful temple. The image of the temple with Mount Timpanagos behind it was striking, to say the least. I also loved the flower garden surrounding it. That is the house of the Lord, just like every other temple I've been to.

I love the peace that the temple brings to my life and the relief it provides for the somewhat hectic environment that is the Library.

That was really all that happened today. I hope you're all doing well and know that I'm doing the same.

Elder Christensen

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation- Isaiah 12:2

What is this Fall thing?

Hello everyone,

This week I learned that the mythical season known as Fall actually exists. It's a little of a strange experience, but I'm really enjoying it. I love how cool it gets at night and the leaves are starting to change color, which is really cool. Seasons are a thing.

This was a bit of an exciting week. I had a mission conference on Wednesday, which was a great experience. Also, the senior missionaries had their conference as well, and due to the fact I'm in the choir, I went as well. That was an amazing experience. There were two different speakers, both Seventies and it was a fantastic experience to hear them speak. The one on Wednesday, Elder Kopichke (spelling?) really impressed me. He talked about remembering spiritual experiences. He had people share experiences that they remembered which is always a cool experience, then he'd ask them how they or others benefited from those experiences. So it was really cool.

Something I remembered was the service I had done while I was here so far. I know, it hasn't been that long, but I tend to focus on things that I do wrong, so the good things I do tend to go unnoticed. During that talk, however, I remembered the service I had given to others, how I had helped them with find books or films or with the scanpros and how happy that made them. And as I thought of that, I felt so happy as well, knowing that I had helped them.  That was a really sweet experience, because I was able to see the good I do and how it far outnumbers the mistakes I've made.

So, I'm going to ask all of you, what spiritual experiences do you remember? How did it make you feel and how did it impact others? You don't have to answer, but if you want to I would love to hear about it.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!   

--

Elder Christensen

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation- Isaiah 12:2

Abinadi is Awesome!

Hello everyone,

Not much happened this week, just the same old stuff. I found books and films, I put books and films away, I did battle with the scanpros, and I made lots of people happy.

I was reading in the Book of Mormon (how's the challenge going so far?) in Mosiah and I was touched by Abinadi's address (chapters 12-15). I have to say that has to be one of the most amazing addresses in the Book of Mormon, particularly in the lieu of the focus this month. I love how Abinadi explains the entire mission of the Savior so plainly and with such power. For example in chapter 15, verses 7-9 it reads: 

Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men- Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon himself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and satisfied the demands of justice.

I got chills when I read this because this is the reason I get up in the morning and keep trying. No matter how hard my trials have been, no matter what mistakes I've made, no matter how many times I've fallen, I know I can start again, I have another chance. Because Christ suffered for my sins and trials and pains I don't have to, so long as I am faithful. I know that's true for me and for everyone who has, is and will live. The Book of Mormon challenge is changing my life, I can see that. I am coming to understand the Savior better than I ever have, and the Book of Mormon is the key.

I hope you all are doing well. I'll put my mailing address at the bottom of this email, just in case you would want to write me a letter or something. Have a good week everyone!

Pictures:

A watery book I found on the British floor. Also, apparently martyrology is a thing.          

--

Elder Christensen

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation- Isaiah 12:2

Elder Ryan Christensen

c/o FCHH Mission

JSMB- East 3rd Floor

Attn: Young Missionary Directors

15 E South Temple St.

Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3460