Finishing The Last Spanish Concept

I finished the last concept today - 8 charlas!  Elder Nelson and I took pictures with our signature sheets.  I also finished the last of my interviews with the Naromas District.

"If ever I was psyched out by a shot, this was the time."

Boy what a day!  We had a pretty wild and crazy time changing rooms this morning.  We were all supposed to move at 9:00 am sharp.  Some elders started moving at about 8:45 and that started the stampede!  It was raining and that added to the scene.  2,000 missionaries mean a lot of suitcases and clothes.  Poor Elder Laycock got his white shirts stepped on two times within 5 minutes.  He wasn't exactly happy about that.

To add to my problems, I got a gamma globulin injection just before.  If ever I was psyched out by a shot, this was the time.  It was the first time that I can remember receiving a shot in the rear end.  I walked in to the room and there was this huge shot just sitting there and glinting at me.  The shot actually wasn't too bad.  I did dream last night (it is now the 14th) that the nurse left the shot in and forgot to take it out.

To get back on the subject, we are now located on the fourth floor of SM.  The room seems to be smaller but I just can't complain knowing about some of the conditions that lie ahead in the next two years.

I have started writing smaller in order to conserve paper.  There is no way that this will last me two years.

I received a 1.25 rating in my FSI exam last night.  Last time I got a 1.5!  The funny thing is I felt a whole lot better talking than I did the previous time.  Elder Brown received a 2.5 which is really good.

I met my cousin's cousin yesterday.  He is right next door.  I was talking with this elder that I knew was from Denver.  I told him that I was from Colorado too.  I told him that my home was Grand Junction.  He seemed excited when I said this and asked me if I knew Bettie Jo Christensen.  I told him that she was my cousin.  He then told me that he was her cousin.  It was exciting.

Letters From Home & Learning To Not Get Caught Up In Callings

What a day!  I feel like I was out of it the whole time.  I learned about 160 lines but I wouldn't want to bet a dime on my ability to repeat even one phrase.

I got a bunch of letters from home.  Mom and Dad had gone to Wool Growers Convention in Vail.  Dad was the guest of honor.  I had never realized just how influential he has been in his work with the Wool Growers.  Mother told me in her letter some of the accomplishments that he has achieved.  I will write them later but they are impressive.  The fact that impresses me most is the extremely humble manner in which he has conducted himself.  I often wish that he would be just a little boastful just so I can get an idea of what he is doing.

Dad wrote me a letter.  It was neat.  What was most special to me was the praise that he gave to Mother.  She was president of the women's auxiliary of Wool Growers and I guess her speech was equally well-received with Dad's.

There are so many times that I have taken my parents for granted.  They really are so special.

I guess Linda wrote them a neat letter and that redhead even sent me five dollars for my mission fund.  What a gem!  I know that it was a sacrifice with school coming up and all and I hope she knows that I do appreciate it.

Tonight in our Branch meeting, Elder Laycock was called to be second counselor in the Branch and Elder Nelson was called to be our new District Leader.

I have to be honest and say that I was feeling kind of left out.  This was the second calling for both of them and I haven't received any.  However it just made me realize that I am going to develop some real humility and realize who I am really serving.  I am not here to receive recognition of men.  I am here to learn how to serve the Lord.  If I can learn to develop positive thought patterns I really can turn everything into something good.  For instance, I have no callings that will prevent me from fully applying myself to learning the language and charlas.  I know that I can do this and anything if the Lord is willing.

5 Hours In The Provo Temple

Our P-Day got shot in one way and heightened in another.  We were planning to go to the University all after the temple to do some shopping and get haircuts.  However after we came out of the endowment session we were asked if we would do some sealings.  They lasted about two hours.  Then after those we were asked again if we would like to do some ordinations.  Well we couldn't pass this opportunity by either.  All in all we ended up spending over 5 hours there.

Elder George Lee was our speaker at the devotional last night.  He really spoke well.  We got excellent seats.

There is a lot of construction going on around here.  They are putting new water pipes in.  There are some narrow bridges over some trenches and when a whole mess of white-shirted elders are tramping across it, I am reminded rather vividly of herding sheep through a gate or leading them up a shoot.  It is quite a site and I am sure that that is what my Dad would think of if he saw them in that manner.

Speaking of Dad, I think he was honored this weekend as the guest of honor at the Colorado Woolgrowers' Convention.  He is a great leader and when he gets his priorities straightened out I'm sure the Lord could make good use of him.

My sister Jan is in Europe right now.  I hope she has been enjoying it.  She has been waiting for something like this for a long time.

Well I only have 4 more outside of class concepts to pass off.  This should put me in good shape to get all 8.

I wrote a cool down letter to Linda today.  I hope she doesn't take it the wrong way.  That wouldn't do too good.

Well it is about time to go get some grub.  6 weeks tomorrow - I just can't believe it.

"If it's going to be, it's up to me."

Three more concepts today.  One more than my goal for the week.  I have accomplished all my goals except two.  Those goals are: Finish The Book of Mormon and finish reading five chapters in Jesus The Christ.  I have tomorrow morning and I think that I will be able to get them done.

It was really neat how the Lord blessed me today.  I had the "thought" for the morning.  We are supposed to give them in Spanish.  However hardly anybody has given them in Spanish.  I almost decided to go along and give mine in English too.  I then thought of the words "If it's going to be, it's up to me."  I spent the morning translating my thoughts into Spanish while I could have been studying the scriptures (for myself) or getting a head start on the first concept like a lot of us try to do.

It was interesting because after I gave my thought I sat down and I was the first one done with my concept!!  Later, Elder Casey was joking that he was mad because I got a headstart like he did!!  He had memorized half the concept before class.  Before I even got around to opening the discussion book.  I know the key to my fast learning was the fact that while he was memorizing before class (for himself) I was translating a thought (for others) and the Lord blessed me accordingly.  I hope that htis will be something that I can keep in my mind while out in the field.

Relating To The Sisters In The MTC District

I don't have time to write very much.

I passed off 3 concepts today.  C-3, H-5 & 6.  As a result, I still am re-passing and I have two long ones in H to do before I am finished.  It is 10:07 pm.

Hermana Hartman's grandmother died today and I didn't find out about it until after I had been kidding around with her.  Needless to say I felt pretty dumb.

A neat thing was tonight I talked to her a little bit and I found out that both of her parents were inactive.  So we shared a few scriptures that dealt with the subject of inactivity.  I really enjoyed it.  It is seldom that I get a good chance to talk with the two sisters in our district because we are always working.

Well here I am rambling on while those ever valuable minutes keep ticking away.  Goodnight.

Loving The MTC District At The Temple

The temple was really neat today.  I felt great.  I really felt love for each one of my companions in the district.  It took me a good part of the day to write six letters.  I surely hope that they are appreciated.  It's not that I don't like to write.  It's just that I sacrifice a lot of the Lord's time to do it.

I think I am losing my voice a little bit.  I have been kind of sick the last few days with a sore throat and re-passing charlas doesn't help it a whole lot.

I got two care packages today from home and Linda.  I thought I saw a glint of jealousy in a couple of the elders' eyes!

Linda sounds as though she is doing pretty good.  I sound good in my letters to her (as far as not missing her is concerned) but sometimes I really wish I could just see those big brown eyes looking at me with that special look that she has.  Luckily for me those times are pretty few.  There is just too much to do to let my thoughts get away and start daydreaming.

I passed off C-10 today to Elder Brown.  It is the longest concept in all of the charlas and I learned it in a day and a half which is pretty good.  It gives me hope for the other long concepts!

"I would love the opportunity to read for two or three hours a day."

Tuesday night and as usual we had a great devotional.  One advantage of being called to a foreign mission is that we get to listen to twice as many devotionals and other uplifting developing meetings as the other missionaries that are going on English-speaking missions.

Well, I just learned all of C-1 today.  125 continuous lines!!  I haven't passed it off yet, but I feel as though I have it pretty good.

The time is flying by.  I just can't find the time to re-pass as many concepts as I would like to.  Plus there is so much more that I would like to do in one day: reading is a big one.  I would love the opportunity to read for two or three hours a day.  The scriptures, books on religion like Jesus The Christ - it is a great book.

The temple is tomorrow, wow!

Red Like An Apple

Boy, I sure had an interesting experience with Hermana Hurtado.  I had the task of passing off H-3 to her.  H-3 is the Law of Chastity.  After I had started out, I looked at her and she had her head down and was laughing.  I finally figured out what was so funny.  The subject material isn't the most easily discussed topic in the world!  By the time I got through a couple of the "you can't do this" and "you shouldn't do thats", my face was rojo como una manzana (red like an apple).  I guess we were both embarrassed and it was bad because some of the phrases didn't come out right and I would have to do them over again.  Finally she just told me that she knew that I knew the concept.  She decided to spare both of us from more agony and passed me.

We just had an incredible downpour.  The lightning was really breathtaking.  The thunder also was about as loud as I have ever heard.

I have a talk in priesthood tomorrow and it is late so I better hit the hay.

"...So I will just have to gird up my loins and get some guts and get going!!"

It's about 9:00 am.  We all just got back from the temple.  That place is really special.  I felt unworthy today.  I think that partly stems from the fact that I didn't work very hard yesterday.  I was watching other people thrusting in their sickles but I felt like I was leaning on mine.  I just couldn't memorize very much yesterday.  I did pass off E-4 but I also should have been able to pass H-2 also.  Well that day is passed and no matter how bad I want to I will not be able to live it over again, so I will just have to gird up my loins and get some guts and get going!!

The devotional was great.  At first I wasn't sure if I liked Hartman Rector.  He seemed too sure of himself, too confident.  And I was skeptical.  However by the end of the talk I was hanging on to every word.  Writing as fast as I could.  He really had some good things on missionary work.  He based a great deal of his talk on D&C 31 which is one of my favorite if not the favorite of the Doctrine & Covenants.  He explained the 3 parts of the message that we should take to the world:

1)  Jesus is the Christ
2)  Joseph Smith was a prophet
3)  There is a true church of God on earth today that is guide by a living prophet

He explained some of the best ways to deliver this message, i.e. smiling, etc.

Elder Rector also related several stories of missionaries with inactive or non-member fathers that became active while their sons were out on missions.  He finished up by telling us that we should be baptizing.  3 Nephi 11:21-26, 31.

The closing hymn had some words that affected me.  #119 I think the title is "Bless Us Lord Ere We Part".

Tomorrow marks the half-way point of our stay in the MTC.  I feel in good shape to memorize all 8 discussions.  There are 56 concepts total and I have 19 now.  We are going to spend most of class time memorizing so that should help.

If I have time this afternoon I am going to write little resumes of all the elders and sisters in the district, if I don't die of writer's cramp first.

Well guess what, I don't have time.  It took me quite a while to write to Mom and the family, Dad and Linda.  I will be lucky if I get one more written today.  I sure hope that those letters are appreciated.  I got a care package in the mail from my family.  they are really great and I love them all.  Linda sent me a letter.  Too short but it was a letter.  Well I am going to rest my hand and stop writing.

150 Lines Of Spanish Learned

Wow what a day.  If I exhausted my body yesterday I did the same with my mind today.

4 CONCEPTS!!!  I couldn't believe it.  Over 150 lines that were either learned or re-learned.  The things that amazes me is how closely today paralleled yesterday.  It was the same thing.  I started out a little faster than usual because I wanted to pass off E-3 quick and then go to work on finishing off D-5.  Well the first was done easily.  But I didn't pass D-5 the first time.  I was really depressed but I went back at it and with the help of the Lord through prayer I passed it off the next time around.

During morning class the thought of passing 4 concepts had crossed my mind.  I had brushed them aside rather quickly because it scared me to think of passing that many concepts in one day.

By afternoon they were all gone.  However I started going over D-6 during dinner.  We had two hours in class tonight to use on discussions so I went to work on D-6.  Then the thoughts of passing 4 came back if I could pass it (D-6) off in an hour then I would have an hour left for D-7 (it was short).

While the class took a break and went outside I passed D-6 to Hermana Urtado by the skin of my teeth.  I knew that I wasn't learning these as good as I should but I had set my goal by now and I just had to get there.

I actually had less than an hour because we sing and pray at 9:45 and it was about 9:00 pm.  Those minutes sure flew by and I felt just like I did yesterday.  Like before I won the race.  I passed off D-7 at 10:40.  What a night!  I don't remember everything but it should come back pretty easy.  If the Lord is willing.  Tomorrow is Sunday.  Hopefully a day of rest for all of me.  Mind and body!

The Little Girl & The Popsicle Stand

I have a little time before our branch meeting.  I was reading a letter that Linda sent me.  She asked me what my vision was of missionary work.  She also asked me what I thought of when I hear the word 'missionary'.

Well, one thing that I think of when I hear that word is a little girl.  Elder Brown and I were walking back from the barber shop on Wednesday.  Right in front of the mailbox at Carroll Hall, a little girl was selling popsicles.  One half for a dime and a whole one for twenty cents.  Elder Brown gave me a quarter to buy one.  After giving us our popsicle and taking the quarter, this sweet little child of God realized that she didn't have a nickel for change.  Instead of trying to sweet talk us out of the nickel (which she could have done with just one gapped tooth smile), she held up a dime in her hand, and with a big grin said, "Here, because you're missionaries!"  Well we told her to keep the change or give it to her brother for his mission fund.  The point that came across to me was the love and respect that even small children have for missionaries.  A nickel isn't much, especially in this day and age but to her it was a good chunk out of her income and she offered it so willingly.  At the time that this occurred it didn't seem like a big deal but I have thought about it since.

Right now I have a very respected and loved title.  Missionary!  However I am still old John Christensen.  I am really unworthy of all the respect.  It does give me a lot of growing room however.  I hope and pray that I will never do anything that might not uphold the ideal of "the missionary".

The Lord has really blessed me.  I am beginning to translate fewer words in the concept and I believe that I am learning them faster.  Right now I am on schedule to get all 8 discussions.  I hope that I can keep it up.

More Tomorrow

I don't have time to write now because it is late.  I want to remember some things that I felt tonight during a song that pertains to my country.  Pero manana!

"I guess my ego is pretty fragile."

Well P-Day was pretty neat.  I saw Teresa Richardson at the Bookstore and I told her to say hi to Linda for me.  We walked past Linda's old dorm twice and each time was caught up with some memories.

We are now veterans of one-week.

Yesterday was Thursday and new missionaries got here.  I still feel somewhat new.

Elder Brown and I got some shots yesterday.  He received the yellow fever injection and I received not only that but a re-vaccination of small pox as well.  As usual, the shots never are as bad as they looked.  But let me say they looked bad.

Thursday was kind of a bad day.  I did pass off F-10 which makes five for me but the rest of the day didn't go well.  There is one reason why.  I guess my ego is pretty fragile.  Elder Brown went to get a drink of water from the classroom.  Elder Ostler came over and told me that I should always be with my companion.  Well it was the truth but I didn't take it too well.  I guess the pressure and other things helped but I just felt bad.  I feel as though I were harboring some pretty bad feelings for Elder Ostler.  We had a branch meeting last night.  President Barrett spoke about the martyrdom of Joseph Smith.  After that we had an ambassadorship class.  We talked about perception and then saw a film.  Well by this time I was feeling bad because I didn't feel as though I had the spirit with me.

It was hard but back at the dorms I asked Elder Ostler if I could speak with him.  I told him about today and I said that I was sorry and I asked for forgiveness.  He seemed more than happy to oblige me.  We hugged each other and I felt new love for him.  I also felt a lot better about myself.

Elder Laycock is our District Leader.  He will be great.  I think that he is very humble about his calling.

It's Friday morning and 6:00 am.  I feel good about getting up at 5 or so.  I don't feel guilty taking a little extra time to write in this.  It's time to study.

A Prompting About Elder Christensen's Dad

I only have a few minutes now between dinner and class.  Yesterday was really neat.  I had a good interview with my Branch President.  President Barrett helped me get a few things off my mind.

We all attended the mission conference.  It was really neat.  They are re-organizing the MTC Presidency so all of the old MTC presidency members and their wives spoke.  President Pinegar is a real neat man.  The spirit was so strong that I almost cried with every song.  Every song was absolutely beautiful with 2,000 missionaries singing their hearts out.

After dinner and studying we went to our culture class.  It is really neat and it made me really excited to get to Bolivia.

After class and some more studying we had Family Night with my district.  We had a testimony meeting that was bar-none.  It was really neat and I felt the spirit as perhaps never before.

The most special event of the day though was when we were walking over to the administrative building afterwards.  For some reason my thoughts were directed to my father and I received the most wonderful spirit.  It filled my whole body, bringing tears to my eyes.  I didn't hear any voices but I felt as never before that things would be alright with my father and that things are going to change in his life.

I got up at 5:30 this morning and got right into things.  I am almost finished with The Book of Mormon.  It will be the first time in my life that I have read it clear through.  It won't be the last time.  I also passed off my third concepts in Spanish.  I know the Lord has blessed me tremendously and I pray that I can do better everyday so that I can be a good tool in His work and glory.

Adjusting To Missionary Life

Well it's Saturday afternoon and my mini-P-Day.  I am resigned to make journal entries short in interest of time.  Perhaps a paragraph here and one there then try to catch up on P-Day on Sunday.

Tomorrow is Silent Sunday.  I am not sure what to expect.  I wrote my family, Linda and Rick.

I really enjoy my district.  I feel as though I get along with them real well.  Our teachers are great also.  Passed off my first concept yesterday, F-3.

The lines to meals are very, very long.  I have read quite a bit out of my Book of Mormon while standing in there.  I wouldn't mind at all except for the standing still hurts my back occasionally.

We work hard and long but the days seem to pass by fairly rapidly.  It is hard to get my mind to slow down so that I can sleep.