Well, I don't know exatly what there is to report on. I
mentioned Nataly last week I believe, as well as Brother Griffin. District
Meeting on Tuesday was incredible. As always. :-) Alot of things fell out of
place this week, and so we spent a lot of time contacting. We had 6
appointments fall out. I think, either 6 or 7 one of the two. Either way, it
was a very challenging week. Very much so actually.
I don't know why, but I
felt completely exhausted everyday throughout the whole week, which made
constant and daily contacting not so much fun...to say the least. It was really
weird and I didn't understand it. Still don't but I seem to be doing much
better now than last week.
One huge highlight of the week was that we were finally able
to get in contact with Ufi and meet with her. Brother Wellington (HE IS THE
BEST!) Came with us to her and we had a good time. Though it was a bit of a
culture clash however at the beginning, she is Samoan and we showed up and she
had made us a full meal, 3 courses. In surprise I told her that she didn't need
to cook for us, and I don't remember what she said exactly but she let me know
very clear that she WILL feed us every time we come or (said somewhat
sarcastically) that we wouldn't be invited back. And because of the food, the
appointment lasted a lot longer than I had anticipated. 1 hour longer to be
exact... But she is way cool, and has an amazing amount of potential.
It turns
out that nearly all of her relatives are members of the church. She had met
with missionaries before and really enjoyed it, but she didn't feel like the
time was right for her. During the lesson she made the comment that maybe now
is the time, because we had come across her name and felt that we should visit
her. And showed up on her doorstep one rainy day... Something that I thought
that was really cool, she saw my name, and was a bit excited, because the very
first missionary that found her and started teaching her was named Elder
Christensen. Same exact spelling. No joke. About 2 years ago is when he knocked
on her door. And after a year and a half or so without seeing the missionaries
we found her name in the area book and felt like we should go visit it. I
happened to be the one to knock and yeah... It seems somewhat significant to
her. I think it is really neat.
However she is REALLY REALLY BUSY. But she ends her current
job at the end of the month. So our Next appointment is May 3rd. The day after
Transfers... Which also happens to be like 10 days away... Wow it has gone by
so fast. Its making me a bit nervous...
John had to cancel and move our appointment to this week, I
need to call and see if I can move it to Wednesday night, he hasn't wanted to
do it with his kids at home, because they would be too loud, but I really want
Bro. Opare to come along especially because they are both from Ghana. Bro.
Opare is absolutely amazing. He taught the Elders Quorum lesson again
yesterday, and it was absolutely fantastic. The brother of the GML who hasn't
been to church in like 5 years happened to show up yesterday. I got a chance to
talk to him afterwards and he said that was the most incredible lesson he has
heard in church ever. He shared some really cool experiences to illustrate his
story, it was powerful, I wish I could describe it better, but I couldn't
attempt to recount much.
It was essentially a wake up call to the priesthood
body. His story was really neat, Essentially, one day he was coming home from
work one day and a neighbor stopped him and asked for help. His neighbor said
"Everyone in this building says that you can help me". Confused
because he hadn't talked to many people in the building and was wondering how
everyone knew he was the kind of person to help other people. Then the neighbor
continued, "and I know that you can help me". He thought to himself (
this is much more funny when he is the one speaking in his African accent)
"With what can I help him, I sure hope he don't want money, because if so,
he's come to the wrong man".
He kept thinking, what do I have that he
doesn't. When he looked at himself all he saw was Kwame Opare who "..was
born somewhere in the middle of African 500 years ago..." He only saw
himself. Then the spirit said the Priesthood! And then he realized that he was
more than just Kwame Opare who was born in Africa 500 years ago, but also part
of a Chosen Generation, who has the priesthood of God, the Holy spirit and many
things that others don't. He went into the man's home and talked with him for a
bit, and prayed with him. He found out that this man was going to End his life
that night, that we was going through a terrible time, not being able to sleep
etc. He prayed for him, and asked him how he was going would have killed
himself, the man brought out a huge bag of sleeping pills, Brother Opare took
them into his apartment, and the man came to him the next day having had the
most peaceful night of sleep he had ever had. He thanked Bro. Opare for saving
his life.
Then Bro. Opare talked about how the Lord was able to open this mans
eyes, to see something in him (bro. Opare) that Bro. Opare himself couldn't at
that moment see. It was a really neat thought as he continued how we are much
more than we can see, and that we have the Priesthood of God, and that God
"has invested so much in us, and we are sometimes sleeping on the
Job!". :-) Hence the "wake up call" that I was referring to
earlier. He said that ever since that day, he has never looked at himself the
same.
That was cool. Anyway, We also found a really cool Nigerian
Lady this week. We talked to her on the street, and she PROMISED to call me the
next day ( she didn't have her phone, and didn't know the number). She did, and
we invited her to church, sadly she couldn't come, but SHE CALLED US! That is a
good sign. :-) I am excited for that.
On other news, I am singing in Stake conference. In the
adult session with the Young Single Adults, and then the next day in Stake
Conference. The YSA choir was really small, so they invited the missionaries.
We are singing a beautiful arrangement of the EFY Medley in German. I like it
ALOT. Especially the Tenor line on the chorus, which I am singing. I love it.
Anyway, that will do for this week. Thanks for all the support!
Love,
Elder Ryan K. Christensen
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