Moustache People

A wonderful member family in Connecticut take very good care of the missionaries.  The nice sister called me to let me know Eliza was alright during NEMO, the storm of the century.  They sent these pictures today.  Tender Mercies!

3 Nephi 3:47

There was a lot of change made yesterday in Church. One of the stake high councilmen came to our ward to announce new changes in the Stake. He is from the Groton ward just across the river from us. He said he had never been to the Narragansett ward before.So They put in two new branches. One in Providence and one in.... WESTERLY! We are the first missionaries put in Westerly and this is the first ever branch/ward to be in Westerly!! We are making history!! The first two weeks we were here we had no idea what we were doing and how to build up an area where missionaries hardly every visited. Westerly used to be part of the Groton ward then was moved to the Narragansett ward. But now it is being made into a BRANCH!! So about the 2nd or 3rd week we were here we finally called President Packard to ask him what he wanted us to do here. He told us of the new branch and that we needed to talk to the stake presidency. We talked to the two counselors and they told us the area we will be covering and to work on reactivation. It was so exciting. We were sworn to secrecy.. So no one knew of any of these changes until the bishops were told a week ago last Saturday, but of course our bishop was out of town so he didn't know until last Tuesday. The high councilmen found out last Wednesday and then everyone else yesterday. It was not taken too well in our ward.. nearly everyone was crying! We only took 4 families from the ward and then the Scituate ward took about 2 families. So they still have 95% of the ward. Then two of the families who live in Westerly threatened to move up to Narragansett... But I hope they were kidding. we need them desperately. We took half the boundaries of the Groton ward as well which was only about 1/5 of their ward. The stake President had to attend that ward (which is also his home ward) to do some damage control yesterday. They changed up the boundaries in most of the wards in the stake too. Only two out of the twelve wards were not affected by any of the change. Crazy!! Sister Ford and I are thinking that the High Councilman who announced it in our ward is going to be our Branch President. We were going over the active families we have in the branch and we have about 10 from the Groton ward and 4 from the Narragansett ward. It is really small!! There is one young man and one or two young women, two primary children from the Narragansett ward and I don't know how many from the Groton ward. But we will have to work really hard to get this branch going and become united as well. There are so many unhappy people!

A lot of people commented that when we came into the ward a lot of people moved out and then they carved up the ward! We are kind of getting the blame at the moment. Hopefully people will see the good in the change. I mean it shows how much growth there is in Rhode Island and it is so awesome!! I am excited about all this. There was a lady (who by the way is going to be in our branch and she is so awesome!!) who spoke in Sacrament meeting after the announcement. She said, "The ward boundaries might change, but my friend boundaries will not." I think that is awesome! She is so positive. We will need the help and support from the other wards to strengthen this branch. I hope it goes well. We get our own building and it will only be about a mile away from our apartment! Rather than the 24 miles the Narragansett building is. That will be super nice.

This week has been pretty crazy. We were supposed to have interviews with President this Wednesday but it was cancelled.. :( I was really looking forward to talking with him!! But I am really excited for Easter. We are going to the young woman broadcast on saturday in the Groton ward. we were going to go with the Narragansett ward but we thought it would be better to go to Groton because we will be working with them in our branch. We aren't getting any young women from the Narragansett ward. I am also really looking forward to General Conference! Though it is the last Sunday before we change to the branch.

Crazy things are happening here in Rhode Island!! I hope all is well back home! I love you all and am excited to hear from you all.

love, Sister Christensen

All is well in New England

This week has been pretty exciting! The lady we had a lesson with last Tuesday went up to the member who had invited her to talk with us, and told him she was keeping her commitment to us and reading the Book of Mormon! It made us really really happy and excited!! We are hoping to meet with her this week or next week. She lives up in Warwick so sometime we will have to pass her to the Elders who are stationed up there.. :( But I am excited to work with her for a bit.

We went to a wedding too! This couple was in Sister Fords last area (we are in the same zone, and it is only 30 minutes away or so and is closer than our chapel...). It was fun though I was basically the only one there that didn't really know any of the members. But is was fun to meet people Sister Ford had stories about. They were all very nice. It was a pretty cool experience. The husband got baptized yesterday, we weren't able to go to that.

Saturday was our mission conference with Elder Ballard. We weren't able to go in person because only the zones that were within an hour and a half could go and the district south of us were barely too far so we couldn't go. But we went up to the Warwick chapel and watched it there. It was such an awesome meeting. Elder Ballard, Eyring and Christensen talked a lot about working with the members and the leaders. We are not to let anyone pass us by without talking to them. Elder Ballard talked about when he was a mission pres. in Toronto and how they shared the gospel with their mailman and he was baptized and then all the mailmen were nailed by the missionaries in that mission. It was awesome. He left an apostolic blessing upon us and it was really cool because President Packard and the mission president from the Manchester New Hampshire mission got up afterwards and told us to soak in what just happened. It was an incredible experience.

Last night we had a dinner appointment with a young family, the father is going to the University of Rhode Island. They are a really awesome family. He is in the stake young mens presidency and went to the youth meeting with Elder Ballard Saturday night. He told us the Elder Ballard talked about pornography and addictions and he said "I command you in the name of our Savior to stop it." I cannot even imagine how that would have felt like being there. I got shivers up and down my spine when they told us that. I wish I could have been there.

Lucky enough, one of our investigators, (he has been an "investigator" for about 7 years) Josh, he has a calling as a teacher for the young men. He went to that meeting with the youth so we are just praying that he felt that strong spirit there. He is an interesting man. He is married to this wonderful lady, Teddie, they have two young kids. She is so strong and is really dying for him to accept the gospel. He is practically a mormon just isn't baptized. They read the scriptures together every night as a family and he goes to church every week. He wasn't there yesterday because their daughter has been sick.. but he is pretty closed off to us and we weren't even sure if he believed in God. Until we had a meeting with him and Teddie this week and we got him to tell us some goals he had. He does believe in God but doesn't feel like He is personally looking after him. So we can work with that and the other things he said. I am excited to work with him. Though he is really tough. He is a quiet guy and would rather slip off and let others answer questions for him and just not get totally, emotionally, spiritually involved. But the weird things is that when we visited with Teddie the next day, she said they have talked about being sealed in the Hawaii Temple.. So he is planning on being sealed with his family eventually. The family we had dinner with last night said they think he will probably just one day decide that he wants to get baptized. I hope that is soon because that would be so cool to be a part of!

This week has been really good. Sister Ford and I have made a few goals, since hearing Elder Ballard's talk, for this transfer. I am so excited to get going! I am so excited for next week though.. but am really nervous at the same time!! There is so much about to happen it is crazy. I will tell you next week when all happens. I am so excited to be a part of this amazing work! This area is going to explode.

I have such a strong testimony of this work. I know that we just have to be the best examples we can be and to reach out to EVERYONE! We never know who we will touch. We never know who needs us, personally, to help them come to the gospel. I know this church is true. I know that I am part of the most amazing work there is on this earth. I know the Lord loves me and loves and wants everyone to return to Him. I cannot imagine His sorrow for all those who do not accept Him. How great that sorrow must be. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior, He is the only way to return to our Father in Heaven. He gave His life for us. I come closer to Him everyday as I read the scriptures and pray to Him continually. I am so excited to be an instrument in His hands to bring about such a great and marvelous work! To bring some soul unto Him. One thing Elder Ballard said that stuck out to me personally was when you leave an area (or your mission) be able to pray to the Lord and know that you did well in that area. You have no regrets. You did everything you could do. You left it better than when you got there. That your next area you will work just as hard and harder to make it so much better than you left this area. To know that the Lord is pleased with your work. I am hoping that I will be able to feel that when I leave this area. I love my Savior and know that He is there and strengthens me everyday.

I love you all. I pray for all of you everyday.

love, Sister Christensen