Dear Mom and Dad,
This last week we worked our phone, Facebook messenger, and email to death trying to find some appointments with the various people I've met over the last 6 months here in H Both Elder Mand I puckered up our courage and performed "Embark" at a Zone Music Night where there were 11 friends and investigators who came with the missionaries from H.
Two of those friends are high school students that we just met this last week, and they are amazing examples of simple politeness and class. I had seen them walking around together on and off for several months before I finally decided that I was tired of just seeing the back of their heads and that I wanted to actually meet them and introduce who we are. So one day, I saw them again, about 10 meters in front of me, and I turned to Elder Mukai and said,"Hey, I'm going to do something stupid." and ran up next to them and started talking.
Our ability to act is only limited by the barriers that we put up ourselves. Sometimes, there are barriers that actually help protect us, but often times, we put up walls of shame and embarrassment and fear which keep us from doing what God needs us to do.
In this email, I would just like to echo the mother from "Sandlot" and say that it is better to get outside and do our best to live life as God would have us do and make some mistakes along the way than to sit inside all day and miss out on chances to apply the Atonement in our lives.
Love,
Elder Christensen