New Years Eve

This e-mail will be really really short. I have 20 minutes before I need to catch a train :-(. But things are going well.

We did have transfer calls this past week and Elder Steed will be going. My new companion is... Elder Chapman from Orem! Its really Ironic, back in my first area, Catherine (Winters) asked me if I new him/ saw him at all in the MTC because she was in the same Seminary class as his sister. Well, I didn't see him then, but he will be my new companion!! That will happen on Thursday, and because he is coming from Ellwangen... I am in for a VERY long day. I will probably be waiting at the bahnhof all day long, but that bahnhof will most likely be Salzburg!!! :-) But I am very excited. :-) 

We were invited to lunch out in Deutsch Wagram and will need to go soon. I may be able to write an expansion to this later on today, I am still not sure. We will be with the Jankowsky for lunch then tonight we will be with the Voduseks and the Husz. President Miles has given us permission to remain with them as long as they are wanting us there, even if it is past midnight (but they need to give us a ride home if this is the case.) And I think they are planning on it, so we will be up playing games tonight till 12 or later (assuming that we can actually last, I have heard stories from past missionaries saying that after 10:30 we pretty much crash... :-) ). So I will report on that more next week. :-) 

Thanks for all the letters! My word, I got 4 on the 24th, 4 on the 27th (and a package) 4 on the 28th (and a package as well) and like 5 or 6 today! (Including the 2 cards which you sent to me at the beginning of December ;-) ). That has been awesome, but inspired some envy on the part of Elder Steed, who may have gotten 1 or 2 :-). But he usually gets more mail than I do, so thats ok :-)

Anyway, unless I get a chance later to e-mail, this will be it. I love you all and wish you a happy New Year! Guten Rutsch ins Jahr 2013!!!!! (Happy New Year in 2013)

Love,

Elder Ryan K. Christensen

6 hours later.....

Well I get a little more time. Not much, but a little. I don't know really what to add though. I am still alive! Barely sometimes, but still alive none the less! ;-)

I could tell you a bit more about Jakiri. He's incredible. A lot of people have been asking him about the church at the klinic where he is on Kur, and he has been telling them about the Book of Mormon and a lot of things. And because of all of it, there are so far 3 people that are wanting to come to church! Unbelievable.

He also has some fairly neat storys about coming to church and making it back to Kur ( he has to make it back by a certain time before the doors lock.) One night he was here with us and the weather was horrific. It was below freezing, but it was raining. The rain was freezing instantly when it hit the ground. It was also freezing on the electrical line that the trains use, causing MASSIVE delays. He needed to catch a train that was from Florisdorf to Absdorf-Hippersdorf, and then wait 4 minutes for a train to take him to Krems.

Well he gets to Florisdorf and looks on the monitor to see when his train comes. All trains had massive delays then all of the sudden, all trains were CANCELLED. He was a little bit stressed, and then a thought came to his head "your a member now, just believe!" So he did and he waited patiently. After a few minutes the status of his train switched from "Cancelled" to "30 minute delay" and then he kept watching and the delay began counting down 27, 26 , 25, 23, 18... until it arrived with a delay of 10 minutes. But he got on, and it took him safely to Absdorf-Hippersdorf and he made it safely to Krems. 

On another occasion (yesterday) he didn't know how he would get here. The bishop had given him some money to pay for the train ride, but the taxi ride between Krems bahnhof and the klinic costed a lot more than expected so he didn't have any money to come. And most of the time, he gets a ride from his friend, but his friend got really sick. (Late at night Saturday).

He woke up the next morning feeling a bit discrouaged not knowing how he was going to possibly make it to Church. Then randomly his roomate gave him 20 Euro, which would cover the train ride here, but then he needed to figure out how to get the bahnhof. During breakfast one lady (who he didn't know hardly at all) randomly came up to him and asked if he would like a Ride to the Bahnhof. He was stunned but accepted and came!!! So cool. It is a great example on how the Lord will provide for our needs. Always. Even small things ( if you could call coming to Church small that is...). 

Anyway, that is all that I have time for. So I wish you all ( once again) a Happy new year!

I love you,

Elder Ryan K. Christensen