Adam received his flight itinerary to Japan!!

July 17, 2014

This week was both rewarding and incredibly trying at the same time, and it's surprising how frequently those two situations go hand in hand. I'm not going to lie. There were some moments where it felt like I hadn't actually learned any Japanese at all, and I had suddenly regressed to my first week at the MTC. We had the opportunity to Skype call some volunteers who are living in Tokyo right now, but when we were talking, it felt like my mind just went blank. I honestly couldn't think of anything to say, and I'm sure that it was quite the awkward experience for everyone! The volunteer was very patient, and while it was probably hard to understand our words, I hope that we were able to communicate our message through emotion. Some days, it feels like everything is a struggle. You forget vocab that you just learned, stumble over sentences that should be easy, and listening to Japanese just gives you a headache. These days are certainly the most difficult to push through, but I also learn the most from them. Reflecting on those trying times helps me to better understand my own weaknesses and failings, and despite my embarrassment and frustration, I know that I can and will get better! Along with the frustrating times, I've also experienced times where I've felt the comfort and peace that comes from missionary service. There is no greater joy than teaching others of truth and watching them gain a testimony of it themselves! I've never considered myself the greatest teacher, and before my mission, I felt that, as long as I understood the correct answer, it didn't matter what everyone else thought. Now, I can't imagine not sharing what I know to be true! The gospel of Jesus Christ is of eternal and universal worth. It can be applied to any and all fields of life, and if one, acting in faith, adheres to its principles despite trials and struggles, they will undoubtedly come to a knowledge of its truthfulness and experience true joy in their life. We need not struggle through life without a sense of purpose or a hope for something better. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland testified, 

"because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil,prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: 'I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and]I will come to you [and abide with you].' ".

We should always remember that, no matter how alone, abandoned, and utterly defeated we feel, we are never truly alone nor are we failures. We only have to make the choice to endure once. We don't need to reinvent the wheel over and over again. 

As Stephen E. Robinson said in a talk about enduring to the end

A testimony isn’t like a hypothesis in science, which may be supported by evidence one day and destroyed by it the next. It is a conviction based on the evidence of things not seen that some things are eternally true. (See Heb. 11:1.) The provisionally converted are those who just haven’t found a reason to leave—yet.

I once knew a man who had to decide whether to pay his tithing every time his check came, whether to go to his meetings every time they were held, whether to take an   alcoholic drink every time he was offered one. Finally a friend asked him: “Why can’t you just decide once and for all which side you’re on? Why do you have to re-examine your loyalty every time a decision is called for? You are spiritually reinventing the wheel over and over again, and you will never make any progress until you can build on what you already know.”

A few weeks later he called his friend and asked for a ride to some stake meetings. The friend was pleased he was going, and when he told him so, the man responded: “You  know, I wouldn’t like it if my wife told me she had to decide every morning whether she still loved me or not,or if she told me she only stayed with me because she hadn’t   found a reason to leave—yet. I guess the Lord is entitled to more of a commitment than that from me. I’m ready to stop reinventing the wheel and move on.”

I love you all and wish you the best,

Elder Christensen

Happy 4th of July!

Fireworks from Stadium of Fire!

A little 4th of July fun with the district

Feeling a little more reserved

Dear Family,

I got the packages, and I'm so happy that you all thought of me and sent great gifts! The Japanese food was a hit, and it's weird to think that I'll actually be in Japan in 2 and a half weeks!

I predict that Germany beats Argentina, but I won't be sad if it goes the other way. 

I heard about the Typhoon from some of my district,and I'm glad that I'm missing the bulk of the rainy season this year because it sounds like a nightmare! 

So this week has been fantastic, and even though things are starting to pick up here at the MTC, I'm having the most fun so far! First off, we celebrated the 4th of July with a devotional about the true heroes of the world, watching 17 Miracles, and then watching the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire! I hadn't seen 17 Miracles for a while, but in the context of heroes, I couldn't help but be overcome with emotion. Some people gave up everything that they had to help those around them and gave no thought to their own needs. There truly is power in service! Those who only focus on themselves and their own needs will find that life is short, bitter, and devoid of love and joy. Through selfless, charitable service and dedicating our lives to lifting others up, you, and those around you, will achieve amazing things, and you will see miracles. Miracles do exist! I know that they do because I've seen them! The secret to finding joy in this life is heartfelt service to others, and if you do this, I know that you will receive more blessings than you could possible imagine! Elder Neil L. Anderson spoke at our Tuesday Devotional, and we're so fortunate to have heard from him! He bore testimony of the power of the Holy Ghost, and I know that he spoke the truth! When I place my faith in my Heavenly Father, I never have to worry about being led astray. I can give my all because I have faith that if I do my part, God will do his! I love you all, and I hope that we can all learn to recognize and appreciate the heroes in our own lives! 

Gambate Kudasai!

Elder Christensen

July 3, 2014 Letter from the MTC - week 6!

Things have been busy as always here at the MTC, and it's strange to think that I've already been here for almost 6 weeks and only have 3 and half more to go! Now that I've gotten into a rhythm, I'm learning so much faster. I've realized a lot of my own personal weaknesses through long hours of practice and study, but I'd rather learn about them here than in Japan. Sometimes, I tend to try and "pour" all of my thoughts and feelings onto the people I teach, and I never really realized that that doesn't work (you think I would have figured that out by now). No matter how hard I try, if I try and do it on my own, I won't and cannot be successful. In one of our meetings this week, we learned about the inherent power of expectations. Essentially, our own expectations and the expectations of others do, in fact, have a concrete and very real effect on reality. Our teacher gave us one very poignant example. Before Roger Bannister, no human being had ever run a mile in under 4 minutes, and essentially everyone believed that it was physically impossible to do so. Scientists and doctors came out with studies that the human body would suddenly give out and die if one were to try and do it. Do you think that anyone could really give their entire effort believing that they would suddenly die trying to break this barrier?! Do you think that human beings were actually incapable of accomplishing this feat? Apparently, Roger Bannister didn't because he did it in3:57, and just to emphasize that it was a mental barrier, only six weeks after, another man ran it even faster than Roger. Was that man incapable of running that fast six weeks earlier?! Too often, we impose our own limited perception and understanding on the world around us and accept it as fact. This is not only depressing and very ignorant, but it's also physically impairing and even damaging. Does this mean that man can actually do anything if he just believes that he can? Of course not! Just because I believe that man will someday run a mile in 15 seconds doesn't mean that it will ever happen. Then, where's the middle ground? How can we determine what is the perfect expectation? I believe that the only way to accomplish all that we can and to reach our full potential is to follow the quiet promptings of the Holy Ghost and to align our will with God's. Any other method will only leave us feeling discouraged and defeated. There is no way that we can possibly know every need and every possible outcome so we must trust in He who knows all things. Through the Holy Ghost, we can be guided to those who need us most and to the places and people where we can be the most useful, and as long as we are truly and completely faithful, we can never be led astray. I know that this is true, and I hope that I can do my best to apply this while I'm in Japan!

Love you all,

Elder Christensen