Spring Break, Sick Bay ... and Speaking Spanish

News from Flour Bluff today -- illness, spring breakers, hot weather, upcoming training meetings, and speaking Spanish! And even while on his mission, Elder Christiansen cares deeply about the Ensworth Tigers baseball team and cheering for Andrew (not so thrilled to hear about losing to the in-town rival)! Andrew's team just started its baseball spring break trip to Florida, thus the comment on rooming with seven guys. Loved this picture -- what a beautiful sky. And Elder Christiansen is still smiling after a long, hard day.

"This was at sunset one day. Nothing fancy. I remember I was
very tired that day though because it had been a long day." 

March 17, 2014

Hi Familia,

What?? We got swept by MBA, come on!!!! O well, the new baseball complex sounds sick, though! That also sounds like a beast double play thata kid Andrew!! Send some pics! Yea, it's spring break down here, too...and we’re like right next to the beach so its been kinda nuts, haha. I was waiting for Elder Roth because he was in the bathroom at a Stripes and five way drunk college guys came in and went into the bathroom. One of them walked right into those yellow signs they put up after they mop that say the floor’s wet. One of them wasn’t wearing a shirt or shoes of any kind. And I watched the other 3 by $40 worth of lottery cards, it was pretty funny.

The Perez family was confirmed yesterday so they are officially members of the Church now!!!!!!! They are doing great as well!!!!!!! I was also sick this last week, too, and it was pretty bad on Thursday. I couldn’t sleep all Wednesday night because I was coughing and had the sniffles. So I stayed in for half the day Thursday but I am fine now. Yes I have gotten all of your packages and stuff and I love them! O yea it’s hot here, too, it stopped being cold in like the middle of February. Elder Roth actually shipped all of his sweaters and cold stuff home because this was his last winter in the mission. This past week was great though, I love it. I love how hot and muggy it is down here, aw man it's just the best!

We went by to see la Hermana Petra Mendez (the only Spanish member in our area) this week and it was so good to have a lesson in Spanish. She asked for a blessing as well and Elder Roth did the anointing and I did the blessing and the gift of tongues is for real! It was so cool I just remembered everything I have ever learned about Spanish and so the blessing flowed super well. These next few weeks are going to be great, too, because we have Zone Conference on Wednesday, Stake Conference on Sunday and Elder Jim L. Wright is coming, and then General Conference in a few more weeks!!! I can’t wait!!!!!

All in all, another great week to be a Texas McAllen Misionero. The Lord is preparing people to hear the gospel, we just have to find them (and by "we" that means members and missionaries alike). Have a great spring break! Those baseball trips were always so much fun! I don’t know how in the freak you are rooming with 7 other dudes, Andrew, but don’t get a disease, haha. Tell all the family I say hello, too! And that I love them!

Cuidense y come mucho Andrew, (take care and eat a lot, Andrew)

Elder Christiansen

A Family Baptism!

Thanks to everyone who shared nice comments with us about Elder Christiansen's blog -- we loved hearing from you! And thanks to those who weighed in on the "flock of deer" in the last blog post -- hilarious. We heard about a "parliament of owls" and a "zeal of zebras" and the most popular response was "herd of deer." Yes, that sounds right...a herd! We're going with that!

Here's the news from Flour Bluff today. The color commentary of Ethan's missionary experiences continues to entertain and inspire us. Most important: the baptism of the sweet family he and Elder Roth have been teaching. Awesome.

March 10, 2014

Familia, familia,

The P. family was baptized yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!!!! I’m so glad it worked out and they were all baptized! The daughter wanted me to baptize her, and a member of the bishopric baptized the parents. I’ll try and send a picture after this but the Internet here is wayyy slow, so it might not work (I’ve sent 3 emails in 1 hour). So that was the big event for this past week, and the best event!

Some other funny/crazy/cool stuff es lo siguiente (is the following):

1. I flipped over on my bike again this week (this is the second time this has happened on my mission). I was riding and Elder Roth was in front of me and he kept looking back. So then I looked back to see what he was looking at and then I turned around and he was right in front of me so I yanked on the brakes and flew over the top again. It was pretty funny and I wasn’t hurt at all, my knee was a little bloody, but it was fine.

2. I finished reading Jesus The Christ this week by Elder James E. Talmadge. It was so good, I loved it and I think it is the longest book I have ever read, too. I started reading it in the middle of January. (note: it’s about 800 pages or so…)

3. I was working with another missionary in my area and we were talking as we were riding down the road and he asked me, “Do people yell a lot of mean things at you guys here?" I responded, "Yeah, all the time." Then, seriously 5 seconds later, this massive truck turns onto the road and a guy leans out the window and flips us off and yells “F… you!!!!!!" hahaha it was SO funny, oh my goodness, we were just dying laughing, haha.

Life is good though and I love the mission! We are all still learning the new teaching style and it's pretty hard, but it is very effective and it allows the Spirit to teach the people more in our lessons so that’s good. Also, Jared has an iPad now. (note: "wolf-pack" brother and missionary buddy in Washington, D.C.)

I love you guys and I hope ya’ll have a great week!!! I’ll try and send some pictures!

Cuidense (take care of yourselves),

Elder Christiansen

9 Months In ... and a Top 11 List

This week, specifically March 5th, is Ethan's nine-month mark on his mission -- huge milestone! We feel like the time is flying by! Ethan's letter this week was a list. Fun! Except for #1 and #2...scary, but thankful it's not worse / and so glad it didn't happen. So appreciate sweet friends and #3. Definitely need to discuss #11 with Ethan -- is this really a good idea? (#NoBueno) Item #5 is an inside family joke...we have a total obsession with watching the chubby babies at church, or anywhere, really. OK, yes, perhaps a unique family hobby. But "chubby" has become family shorthand for all kinds of endearments. Item #5 really says: "Andrew, I love you!" Item #8 made me pause. Ethan has been a loyal, passionate Green Bay Packers fan forever. In fact, as I write this, I'm wearing the GBP slippers he left home. They are way too big, but a fun reminder of him. So, his purchase made me smile and shows a great love of his adopted state! Overall, and most important, powerful training and experiences in #4 and #6 -- and great joy that the sweet family he and Elder Roth have been teaching will be getting baptized on March 9th. And finally, #10 -- is it really a "flock"? I think flock of seagulls, flock of geese (or is that a gaggle?)...but not so much about the deer. I'm going to have to look that up, it's just not sounding right -- please feel free to weigh in. :)

March 3, 2014

Familia!

Holy sweet Israel this was by far the craziest week of the mission yet. Here are some of the smaller things:

1. A dog bit me. It was small bite and it didn't really hurt and I was riding my bike while it happened. When dogs come up, I normally just stick my foot out and try to give them a little tap on the nose or face to get them to go away instead of starting right off the bat just whaling them. So, I did that and it somehow caught on and bit my foot. So after it bit me I slowed down just a bit so it was directly next to me, and then I had to stomp the dog off. I’m totally fine though it wasn't very bad at all it just kind of surprised me that's all. There is no bruise or anything.

2. I was almost hit by two cars this week.

3. I got everyone's packages and I loved all of them!!! Please tell the Gawrys’ and the Brewer’s I say hi and thank you!!

4. We had a representative from the Missionary Department come and do a training for the mission on Friday, and it pretty much changed every single thing we do about missionary work. We are the 71st mission to have received this training. It's hard to explain it all over an email but it was HUGE news. We're now trying to teach 7 min. restoration lessons, and pretty much the way we teach now is so, so, so simple, and a bunch of other crazy stuff, but it is sooo cool. The things we learned are more advanced than the stuff in Predicad Mi Evangelio (Preach My Gospel lesson book), I can't even begin to describe how amazing they are. This is the vision that Pres. Hinckley had when PME first came out and they threw out the missionary discussions. Read D&C 88:74 or 75, or somewhere around there. The Lord is hastening His work right now, literally as we speak His work is hastening!! Save this email (well I hope you're saving all of them), but this week pretty much just changed me more than anything. I am so grateful to be a missionary for the Lord's Church and I am especially grateful to be a Texas McAllen Missionary. There is nowhere I would rather be than right here in South Texas. I love this place. I love these people. I love how hot it is. I love all of it! The vision that the Lord has for us right now is so beyond anything we can even begin to imagine, it's insane. But He qualifies us in our weakness and is with us every single step of the way as long as we are obedient to His commandments.

5. Andrew #Chubby

6. I had the most powerful lesson of my mission hands down and the P. family is getting baptized this Sunday. We had fasted and prayed so much for them and so what we decided to do was throw in the towel on the previous lesson and teach the new 7 min. restoration lesson. All we used was the restoration pamphlet and we only talked about the pictures, no scriptures, analogies, personal experiences…not any of that. (This might not make sense to y’all but it is crazy what the people from the Missionary Department told us about shortening the lessons and helping the investigators learn by the Spirit). So, we go in there and it was the most powerful, Spirit-driven lesson ever, oh my goodness, Sis. P. was getting choked up when she read the First Vision and I thought the room was going to catch on fire because the Spirit was so strong. And when we asked them about baptism, Bro. P. just says, "Not tomorrow, but for sure next week." And they all agreed. Oh my goodness!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe, I mean I was just on the edge of my seat and felt like if I had moved my pinkie everything would have fallen apart, oh my gosh it was just amazing!!!!!!! That was like the best moment of my life!!!!!!!!!!!! And so they are down for this Sunday, March 9, 2014!! So please keep praying for them!!

7. A member takes us out eat every Monday to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet and if I go there one more time I will literally throw-up everywhere. All I get there is a plate full of salad and chicken nuggets. It is so funny y’all would die, like everyone is eating with chopsticks and stuff and I’m all like: “uh, can you pass the ketchup?” hahaha

8. I bought Dallas Cowboy slippers at the store last week.

9. I don't know what I was sick with last week but I am 100% better now.

10. I saw a flock of deer while we were biking home one day.

11. I honestly believe I could bike for miles without touching the handlebars, I’m like a pro at it by now #NoHands

Les quiero muchisimo y hecho les ganas!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Christiansen.

"This Week Was Good But Way Hard"

Short note today...Doug, Andrew and I all could feel what a difficult week Ethan had experienced. Being sick...so not fun. Some disappointment and discouragement, broken appliances, and some wistful glaces at his favorite sport. It's an inspiring reminder to me about the sacrifice and dedication all missionaries give during their service. So humbling to think of more than 80,000 young people serving the Lord and their fellow human beings all over the world. Awesome.

February 24, 2014

What up fam?

This week was good but way hard. I got a letter from Brother Miller in the ward and it was super nice, tell him I said thank you. I also got two from Gar-Gar and that was nice, too. The P. family didn’t get baptized yesterday and it's complicated, but it stinks. Hopefully it will be this upcoming week though. Please continue to pray for them. Also, I was really sick on Saturday and that was no fun, too, and especially on the mission because I couldn’t go out and work ‘cause I was asleep for most of the day. But I am feeling a whole lot better now – I’m totally fine.

Haha – also we were biking the other day and a rat jumped onto Elder Roth's bike so that was pretty cool. Nothing much is happening here, like it just keeps on keepin’ on I guess. How is life at home? Oh, and our washer broke so now all our clothes are yellow. Haha, no just kidding – but the washer did break and we don’t know why, but we just did our wash at the member's house we live behind.

Hope baseball is going well! The high school here (Flour Bluff High School) had some games this week and when we bike by I’m always staring at them, haha. Also another missionary gave me the best orange tie yesterday, oh my gosh it’s not even that good of a tie but I love it, haha. Sorry this email is kind of short, but not too much happened this week.

Les quiero mucho!

Elder Christiansen

Obedience ... and Eating Pig Soup

Here's the news from the Bluff today. Ethan had an opportunity to speak Spanish again this week and loved it! And more new foods to try. Most important, he's excited about a family that is planning to be baptized and join the Church. He and his companion have been working with this family for several weeks, and they are excited to see a new happiness and purpose come into the lives of this entire family. And, he reminds us all to be obedient to God's commandments. Good encouragement from a great young man.

February 17

Querido familia,

This past week has been great! The P. family came to church yesterday and they planning on getting baptized this Sunday!!!!!!!!!!! So, I’m super happy about that. It’s also starting to get hot here again and I love it! One thing I have learned is that I love hot weather! It's all muggy and humid though, but it's all good. I can't believe its the middle of February already, ahhh!! Elder Roth is doing well – he is just like Tom from college. The area is going well, too. The wolf-pack is good as well.

A member of the Spanish Branch moved into our area so we met her and it was so fun, oh my gosh, it made me miss the Valley so much! (btw this is the 5th person I’ve spoken Spanish with that's not another missionary while I’ve been up here). So we met her and then a ton of members came over and they had all this awesome Mexican food and charo beans with chicharones (idk if that's how you spell it) but basically it's pig skin in soup and it wasn’t like super gross but I remember eating it and I was thinking, "uh, man this has a weird texture." It was so fun though ‘cause everyone was talking Spanish and it was so hot in her little apartment and you’re just eating with your hands and nobody cares, and oh man I loved it!!

We ride by a high school almost everyday and we go by the baseball field and they’re always out there practicing and it makes me miss it, too. Oh and I got Sister Overmyer's package, please tell her that I loved and thank you so much! Also Molly is engaged?!?! To who?! Tell her I said congrats! But, yea all is well down here en el sur de tejas! How is everyone at home? How's the extended family doing? Well, I love you guys and the gospel is true! However, we only receive the blessings when we are obedient to the commandments!! (Hence we prosper!) Disobedience just pulls us farther and farther away from the Lord so sean obedientes!!

Con mucho amor!!

Elder Christiansen

News from the Bluff ... Home of THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie!?

February 10, 2014

Hola Familia!

Sounds like everyone had a good week, minus dad being sick. That's super cool about Anne Parkes, too, tell her I say hi! This week has been good. The P. family didn’t come to church because the dad lost something, I don’t really know what, but they then came to a baptism that some other missionaries had Sunday night so that was good. Keep praying for them that they will get baptized.

Hahahaha its mucho muy (no "e") bien and you’d just say muy bien probably, haha. It’s all good though. I know I heard about Trot I’m so excited and happy for him, he is going to do so great up there!!! Wow, yea, the time does fly, but thankfully we have the gospel and we know exactly where they are right now (read Alma 40:11-12).

This week was good though, not too much happened again but it’s been good. Oh, actually I gave a 2-month-old baby a blessing so that was a cool experience (super little and chubby and round). Oh, and there is a family in the ward I’m in right now (Flour Bluff Ward) and they make THE BEST chocolate chip cookies, oh my gosh there are AMAZING!!!!! Like, oh, my gosh they are so good I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing they are!!! Also, I forgot my cord this week so no pictures :( But give Andrew an abrazo (hug) and that will make you feel better :)

We found out about transfers yesterday morning and I’m staying in Flour Bluff with Elder Roth for another 6 weeks (I’m happy about that). Life is good and the mission is beast! Oh, also I gave a 20-minute talk on the Book of Mormon in the YSA (Young Single Adult) Branch in the Stake yesterday so that was fun, too. And we have food appointments lined up for every day for the next two weeks except one day. #Yes #TheLordProvides.

I love y’all so much!

Elder Christiansen

Notes from me: So this letter made me smile so much. Ethan is so excited about friends coming home from missions and leaving on missions (Anne Parkes recently returned from Oklahoma City, OK, and Trot recently called to Vancouver, Canada). He's giving helpful tips on my Spanish :) And he also made a sweet comment about Feb. 9 being the 40th anniversary of Grandpa Page's and Uncle Danny's passing (my dad and brother), thus, sharing the scripture in Alma that says: "Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection -- Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow."

And, I loved the chocolate chip cookie reference! The day we got this letter, I had just wrapped up a gift for a friend -- a cute little tea towel that said "Friends are the chocolate chips in the cookie dough of life." So true! And so sweet that Ethan's letter went right along with that. I'm so glad he has friends and church members in Flour Bluff who are taking care of him, being kind to him, and baking him chocolate chip cookies! :) And glad he's staying in Flour Bluff for another six weeks! 

Riding Against the Wind in Flour Bluff

Here's Ethan's letter from today:

February 3, 2014

Mis amigos,

Man these past few weeks have been great! One thing about my area now: it is right on the Bay in Corpus Christi, so there are days when it is winding super hard, and that is a blessing when it's behind you and just pushing you on the bike. However, going against the wind is so hard it's ridiculous. We were riding against the wind one day and it took us 50 minutes to get to our appointment! The weather is really weird, like one day it’s 45 and the next it’s 70 and clear so it depends. I can’t wait for it to heat up again. I love it down here when it’s hot!

The work is going great though, I love it so much and it is just so much fun! We are teaching a family right now and yesterday was their first time coming to church and they loved it! That was by far the highlight of the week! They have two small kids who were going nuts during sacrament meeting and being super loud but, they came! That was the most important.

Being a missionary is awesome. Every day you just never really know what you're going to get, who you're going to talk to, or what crazy things will happen. It's just the best! There is also a huge military base in my area so there are always planes flying around everywhere so that's pretty cool, too. I spoke Spanish to some people this week as well! (my new area is mostly English speaking).

All in all I'm doing great. It is such a blessing to see the Lord work in my life everyday and I know that this is possible for each one of us. Love y'all! Sorry this is so short but I have to go, we don't get much computer time today. If you're having a bad week, start saying your prayers!

Cuidense y come bien andrew,
Elder Christiansen