DIMADAY

Hi Family!

I will talk about last P-Day as that is the source of most of my pictures. We were picked up by Elder Dexter's friends from a previous area. Raycong, Qiu Qiu, and Karen. They are awesome! We had a really good time. 

We went to a small town called Inge (een-gah) and looked at all their shops and stuff. We found this Ronald McDonald there and we took some very wonderful pictures with him. 

We headed back but it was a little late so we went straight to a lesson with one of our less active recent converts, Chen Jiemei, and they helped us teach her and they each shared their conversion stories with her and now she seems a little more eager to go to Church (but she still couldn't come this last Sunday). 

Raycong is my favorite, he talked to me the whole time and turned to me and told me his conversion story in English so I understood all of it. All of them come from families where they are the only member. He was worried that his mother would be angry if she knew he was baptized so he didn't tell her for a little over a year. When he did tell her she was sad because she said she would have wanted to attend his baptism. It made him really sad and he seemed pretty regretful. 

So immediately after he shared that with Chen JM, she told her mother that she was baptized (because she hadn't told her mother either). It was a really powerful message. They are awesome members. 

 This week was another challenging but amazing week. We had a lot of trials/ things that didn't go as planned, but also saw some pretty amazing miracles. We had seven lessons scheduled this week where we were stood up, but we took those 7 hours and went finding and met some cool people who were definitely prepared. 

Though most of those people don't reside in our area, we got their information and hopefully gave a few golden referrals away to other missionaries. As we walked through a park looking for people with hats as our finding method, we met one man named Dima who is native to Taiwan but has very good English. He is a tour-guide, which explains the English and for some unknown reason he was visiting Daxi this one day. 

He hates his job for a few reasons, number one being that because he travels so much he is unreliable, so all of the girls he has dated have broken up with him and he is getting older so he is wanting to get married. He said he is looking for happiness through church and has been exploring religion. We shared a message about the restored gospel and he prayed with us and took a Book of Mormon! 

That was one of the many miracles that makes it worth it. To find someone who is truly prepared and interested in hearing this wonderful message. My companion and I believe it was a miracle we ran into him but we aren't sure if he has been contacted yet. So fingers are crossed.

Early last week we ran into a woman in the grocery store and she had very good English so we gave her an English tract and invited her to our class. She said she would see and we thought nothing more of it. But then English class came around and she showed up! AND she brought a friend! 

Her name is Joe and her friend is named Sharon. They were very involved in the class and stayed the whole time! Even through the spiritual thought! But they left right after before we could catch them so we are hoping they come again. After class my companion split off and taught a recent convert named Liao Jiemei. She is so awesome and is really active. 

I got to see my beloved Perkins at a training meeting

While he taught I talked to a guy named Odin. He was baptized because a Mormon family once was very kind to him. So be charitable and love everyone. Never give up hope and always have faith, because your example and strength may bring others unto Christ. I love you, each and every one. 

Love,
Elder Christensen

p.s.WOAH JARED IS HOME!!! WOAH!! I love that guy. Tell him I love him
And ANDREW!!! Woah that was soo fast.. What the. How is he doing???????
DOUG didn't write me but I am short on time and I know he loves me so it is all good.
We have been fed twice! but ya compared to everynight like it was in Idaho.. it is not the same.
OH MY GOODNESS! IT IS ALMOST YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!! You are so old!! haha happy birthday mom. I won't get to write to you on your birthday but I love you so much and I hope you know that I know I wouldn't be out here without your example to me and all that you have done to raise me right.
I am doing super well and I will not stop doing that (srry not srry).
Love you and hope you enjoy my email.