Week three-ish (in Idaho)

This week was awesome! Last week I spent forever talking about my whole week so you could get a feel for a week here in Idaho. But this week I am going to focus on one crazy day over email and another great day over written letter. 

my district

The day was Tuesday night through Wednesday. We started exchanges which means my companion packed a night bag and went to the district leader's house and our district leader came to ours so I was companions with him. His name is Elder Cooley and I believe I have briefly mentioned him, but he is a good guy. So the next day I was leading our area since he doesn't know it at all and I wasn't too nervous but I planned forever because I didn't want to run out of stuff to do. Then we went to bed! BOOYAH.

Elder Cooley

Ok here's where it gets good. Wednesday morning we woke up and had studies for like four hours. Since I am getting trained we have an extra hour for companion study and I also have an hour for language study. Then also personal and regular companion study so we have quite a bit of time. But after all that and lunch we headed out to fulfill my awesome plan to visit a ton of people. We headed out the door and at that time in the week it was still super warm and actually hit some record breaking heats for Idaho so it wasn't too hot but for Idaho it was sweltering. 

We ventured across Sunnyside street and walked into a grouping of identical houses that stored a whole bunch of elderly people. As we walked up to the first address on the schedule we received a call from the zone leaders. They asked to speak with Elder Cooley and so I handed the phone to him and he spoke with them for like 10 minutes. Then he told me I was getting emergency transferred. This means I am getting sent to a different area and that my companion would be staying here. It was quite a shock and I was at a loss of words so I made Cooley walk back across Sunnyside to Wallace's, which is a sandwich and Ice cream joint,  and got some ice cream. 

A very nice lady paid for us and I sat there enjoying my mint chocolate chip kids cone just staring into the distance contemplating my fate. We headed back and I started packing up all my sheets and stuff. By that time Cooley called Elder Abbott and told him his companion was getting transferred and Elder Abbott didn't believe him so he called the Zone Leaders. 

our apartment

A few minutes later Elder Abbott called crying and apologetically told me he could have been better. He had just called President to try to talk him out of it and wasn't given a clear response to what would happen. He came back and gave me a big bear hug. We talked for a little and I was still kinda mad. I was sorta peeved because I had just gotten to know the area and all the wonderful people and my companion and I had become really close. But then the Z.L.'s called.

After a few minutes of questioning me about my companion and how we were doing we convinced them that we should stay together and they let us!! We were super happy and had a mini party!~~~~~ 

Then we went back on exchanges and Elder Cooley and I had a box of time just before dinner time called inspiration box. Here we let the spirit guide us to find those who may listen. We walked right up to a gray house on a random street and knocked. We met Kia and ended up sharing the first vision, inviting her to baptism, and giving her a Book of Mormon. WOAH. We are contacting her again this week to see if she checked it out or anything. 

Elder Abbott shaved his legs lol

After dinner we switched back and Elder Abbott and I were together again. We went to an appointment with the Burton family and invited their daughter Lacey to baptism and she ACCEPTED!! She is about 9 years old and very intelligent. She doesn't hold back on the questions! It was awesome and we have another meeting with them soon. 
   
So Wednesday was crazy. Some would call it a very long day and it definitely was. But we saw the Lord's hand in guiding us as missionaries and as teachers of the gospel. We would not have been able to do what we did if I had left so we were kinda joking about that. And Elder Abbott wanted to try to rub it in hahahaha oh mally.
I am grateful to be here right now and would not want it any other way.

Love, Elder Christensen