September 8, 2014 Lots of love from the land of the Rising Sun!

こんにちは！！

You probably have said it, but it's nice to hear it again too! It's so inspiring to see these return missionaries and the testimonies that they've gained from their service, and I hope that I will be able to be the same way!  Props to Aaron for killing it once again (in football), and don't worry, Boise High football isn't my favorite so congrats on the win! Blake better represent the Christensen name well on the ultimate frisbee team! I definitely set a high bar so he better go get some Callahan's or some crazy layout grabs if he wants to make it out of my shadow! Just kidding I love ya Blake! Wow, Homecoming seems like such a long time ago for me, but I remember that it was awesome so have fun Bennett! Don't just stand around at the dance either. You got to get out and dance, ok? 

This week was pretty dang exciting! We had some lessons, splits, transfer calls, dinners with ward members, and pretty much the whole mission package! I got to teach my first two real lessons, which was one of the best experiences of my mission so far. I definitely need to work on a lot, but I took a lot of positives away too. We had dinner this Sunday with the 山岡 family, and it was amazing! The son and father both speak English fluently, but we spoke mainly in Japanese. 兄弟 and his wife graduated from BYU Provo with President Wada, and they are both very similar people! We had some French fries, fanta, shrimp, pasta, and many other unhealthy things, but it was nice to shake things up a little. I shared a little spiritual thought  on the many different kinds of missionary work that are available and necessary, specifically temple ordinances. If you have time, go to the temple! It is an amazing place with an amazing spirit that you can't find anywhere else!

Nothing bad has come of the blitzes yet, but we haven't had more an about 40 people doing it at once, and we're usually pretty spread out amongst a sea of Japanese people so it's been okay so far! A was busy this week so he wasn't able to make it to church, but we had our first real lesson with him on Friday! It was an amazing experience for me, and I know that I felt the Spirit very strongly! He was pretty apprehensive and hesitant to make any commitments yet and wanted a couple more lessons before he decides anything,  I believe that he did feel something too! Hopefully, we can address that in our next lesson, which will hopefully be this week. I really have been trying to focus my study and efforts on consecrating my life and missionary work so that I can have the constant companionship of the Spirit because I know without a doubt that I need it to teach. The Japanese people are very cautious about making decisions quickly, and it usually takes several meetings with people before they even begin to really trust you and open up about their desires and feelings. However, there are always exceptions, and I'm just trying to treat each person like I would want to be treated and help them with whatever they need! We can't force anything on anyone. We can only invite and help them see the amazing blessings that come from a life of faith. We can't find true joy, peace, happiness, love, friendship, satisfaction, and all other praiseworthy things in his world! if we don't have a sincere love for the people, they will sense it. Sincerity and trust are some of the most important things in missionary work and relationships in general. The life of a disciple of Jesus Christ isn't the easiest one, but it is the most rewarding one! I know that this is true, I hope that we can all work to dedicate our lives in pursuit of praiseworthy things! Arise and shine everyone because the time for action is now!

Lots of love from the land of the Rising Sun,

Elder Christensen

Beginning English Class

September 1, 2014 Getting out and seeing the sites!

Metting Brother Van Houton, fellow Idahoan
This was totally random!

Climbing Mt. Takao

Noodles are sent down the slide and then you eat them.

First of all, I'm so glad that you got to hear about all of my crazy
exploits in Japan, even if had to pass through several people and
thousands of miles! Brother Van Houten was a great guy, and he didn't
even judge me too much after meeting me under those circumstances. It
was quite a surprise to find out that he was from Idaho, even more so
to learn that he was from Boise, and I was "exceedingly astonished"
when I heard that he knew the Wolfe's and that his mother apparently
was in church for my farewell talk! I can honestly say that I wasn't
expecting any of those things, but if you ever see him again, tell him
hi! I took some pictures with him so enjoy!
I'm glad that you finally had the legendary food fight, even if it had
to be when I'm on my mission, but keep in mind that we should probably
have another when I return.
Good luck to everyone as the new school year has begun and remember to
enjoy the experience because it goes by fast! There are many days
where I look back and remember the first day of 中学校 and 高校, or junior
and senior high school, and wonder what in the world just happened!
This week was one of the most busy weeks that I've had up to this
point, and it was great!
As always, we had a lot of street contacting to do (about 5 or 6 hours
every day), but we had exciting exchanges that shook thing up a bit
and gave me some new insight into good methods of finding new people
to teach. I bought a new bike, and I know it's kind of late, but we
had a hard time finding a good shop and then trying to learn about the
bikes in Japanese. When they started explaining insurance, I was
really nervous because that's pretty important stuff!
For the first time in a while, we have a solid list of potential
investigators, which makes things a lot busier! Most of the time, they
don't have much interest in learning about the church, but were always
hoping that, with time and effort, they will come to see the joy that
it can bring into their lives!
We had another missionary blitz in Kofu, and we traveled the city
talking about family history for about 3 hours before returning to
Hachioji. All in all, we talked with around 350 people by the end, and
hopefully, we helped people understand a little bit of the joy that
eternal families can have!
We had an investigator come to church on Sunday, and while it wasn't
perfect because he is from Sri Lanka and doesn't speak Japanese very
well and his English is hard to understand, he said that he would be
interested in coming again. He works every day for pretty much the
whole day, which is fairly common in Japan, so there aren't many
opportunities to teach, but I'm hoping that everything will work out.
He is the first real investigator that we've been able to meet with,
and although I'm always worried that a mistake could cause a lot of
harm to his progress, I'm just taking it one day at a time.
I've been studying the importance of "laying up treasures in heaven"
in Matthew 6 the last few days, and I really believe that true
happiness lies in spiritual things because things of this world are
temporary and always subject to change. The blessings of God and the
joy that comes from living the principles of the gospel are eternal
and won't fade with time or during difficult circumstances. Treasure
the blessings that you have received and remember that there is always
something to be grateful for.
I love all of you and keep being wonderful!
Elder Christensen

Kofu from a hill

August 25, 2014

Thank you so much for the pictures!  I can attest to feeling a little shell shocked after arriving from a long flight, but I bet Blake was still happy to see friends and family again! It would be pretty hard to describe an entire 2 years of your life especially when new and exciting things are happening every day! I guess that's what a journal is for, and I'm already so grateful for mine. I've been blessed to have seen miracles already, but because things are still incredibly difficult so I hope that my journal helps me remember all the amazing things that are actually happening!

And Blake, feel free to share any of that advice with me whenever you get the chance because I need all the help I can get and remember, I get a slap when I get back so don't forget!

Tell all of the cousins hi and tell Leandra congratulations on her engagement! She'll probably have a child by the time I get back, which is kind of strange to think about, but I'm happy for her!

I bet it was amazing to hear Elder Bednar speak! I couldn't listen to or read too many of their words and testimonies because they're just that inspiring, and I know that their witnesses are true!

It sounds everyone is doing well, and please know that I'm praying for all of you every day! 

Also, if you get the chance, Bennett, Aaron, and Blake, I would love to hear from you about life, what you're studying in the scriptures, and any advice that you want to hear from me or give to me! I really do miss all of you, but I know that you're all doing great things so I don't need to worry.

This last week was full of twists and turns that forced me to revaluate my mindset, attitude, and goal setting strategies, but I think that, at the end of it all, I came out better an I went in and gained new insight into how I can improve as a missionary and a person. I had an interview with the mission president, and he made sure that I was focusing on the right goals and being patient with myself. Through making better goals and really trying to achieve them, I've seen more blessings come into my service so I know that goals really are inspired tools! We've found several potential investigators during the last few days, and even though they may not seem like 金人(golden investigators), that makes me want to do my best even more! We had a lesson with one of them, a Sri Lankan man named A, who though that we were Jehovah's Witnesses, but we still had a good discussion about beliefs and morals and invited him to come to church on Sunday. He was tentative and noncommittal, but I hope that he will still come regardless of his worries because I believe that it really will help him.

How have goals helped all of you in your lives and missions? I would love to hear your words of wisdom so that I can continue to learn and grow!

Most times I still feel like a fish out of water, just kind of out of place, in Japan, but through the ward and missionaries, It's starting to feel more familiar. The Bishop's family has really made transition much easier too! Their mom is the ward choir pianist, which I'm singing in, and is always doing things to help the missionaries. Their little children are great too! They called me     お兄ちゃん yesterday, which means older brother, and I that made me really happy too! I'm really trying to get involved in the ward and let them know that I'm ready to do any and everything that I can to help so that they will desire to join in the hastening of the work. I might end of giving a lesson in Young Men's about Duty to God, and I really just want them to know what they're capable of as priesthood holders. 

Thank you for all that you do and remember the missionaries in your prayers!

Love, 

Elder Christensen

Hachioji Ward Choir

Famous Japanese cartton character

August 19, 2014 First trip to the Tokyo Temple!

I actually haven't needed much Ibuprofen yet, but when I do, I have some handy! Depending on the conversation, I can understand more or less of what people are saying because a lot of times they just use unfamiliar words. Plus, people here do speak really fast usually. Although, ward members are nice about slowing down a little for me! 

I hope you told the cousins hi for me! They'll all be so old when I get back so tell them not to change too much or get married because I don't think I could handle that! We're they going to be in Boise for Blake's homecoming? Make sure to take tons of pictures of that and the temple groundbreaking and put them up on Facebook too! I miss that little son of a gun so he better write me some personal emails! We're allowed to use Facebook in Tokyo South, but the purpose is to strengthen members, investigators, and friends using the gospel and only doing things that reflect our calling as missionaries. I don't know a ton of people yet, but hopefully as my mission progresses, I'll be able to use it to really help others!

I remember those long, conditioning practices during the summer so you have my sympathy Aaron! I actually miss those long workouts now that I only have a half an hour to exercise.mI miss choir too so enjoy it Bennett! Being in choir helped me so much and made high school amazing!

Starting conversations has been one of the harder things for me, especially when I can't see any immediate things that we have in common, but I've made a goal to just talk to people and give it my best! Most of the recent direction that I've received has been to just go for it, stat positive, and make the most of every opportunity, and so far, that mindset has helped us make a lot more progress!

Our investigator cut off contact with us, which was actually what we think is best. He had expressed to us that he really didn't care about learning the gospel anymore.  He really just wanted to hang out, but we told him that we couldn't just hang out because we needed to get out and work, which annoyed him. I hope that he can realize that we just want to help him better his life, and hopefully, he will experience a change of heart. We do have several other people who could become new investigators and several new people who we have just contacted recently so things are looking up! 

There really is power in looking for and being thankful for the little, everyday miracles that we experience, and so far, that lesson has been one of the most helpful for me! In the last few days, I've had people come up and start conversations with me, had amazing conversations with people, and even been invited to someone's house for some food  so that we could tell them what we do! Miracles do happen, but sometimes, we just need to be paying close attention and always be grateful! We had the opportunity to do some "blitzes" during the last week, which is where a bunch of missionaries go to one area, switch companions, and go out into the world to talk to people! Almost every time, miracles have happened, and even when they haven't happened to me, I've been amazed at the results of dedicated service!

I remember hearing conference talks about that very thing in the past, but I never realized how incredibly important it is. So many people, myself included, desire these big miracles, not as a witness or a sign, but as an answer to prayer and obedience. However, if we aren't truly grateful for even the smallest of blessings, we probably won't receive anything else. Heavenly Father teaches us line upon line and precept upon precept. When we are faithful and grateful for the blessings and knowledge that we have received, God will bless us even more until we receive a fullness of truth.

2 Nephi 28:30

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
I know that if we strive for an attitude of gratitude (do you remember that, mom?!) that we can be blessed so much more than ever before!
Good luck with all of your endeavors and keep Japan in your prayers!
Elder Christensen


1. Tokyo Temple!
2. Temple trip

August 11, 2014 日本から What's up!

日本から What's up!

Everything's going pretty well for me, and even the hard times are getting a little better so that's always a blessing! . The biggest struggle for me is understanding right now, and it really makes communicating difficult when you don't know what they said. I think I'm getting better, but sometimes, people still assume that I can't speak at all because I'm new, which is a little frustrating too. 

We have a weekly English class, and a lot of people actually come! We had around 35 come last week, and even though most of them aren't investigators, I know that our efforts aren't in vain. They're all really fun to talk to, and It's always fun to tell them about my wonderful family! I've even had the opportunity to talk about family history with some of them, and they were really impressed with family search and all that it offers. 

Bennett and Aaron: I'm looking forward to those emails! I've heard great things about Brother Wilcox so I bet that was an amazing experience!

Tell all the family hi for me! I wish that I could be there to spend time with all of you, but since I can't be there, make sure you make the most of it for me! 

What else do you have planned before school starts up again? 

Is everyone ready for Blake to come home?

How's dad's week been?

I've actually been thinking a lot about the same sort of thing that Jason Rock talked about, and it's been frustrating that some of our investigators don't have and don't really want a testimony of the Book of Mormon. One of our investigators is just really apathetic about any commitments and hasn't really wanted to make a change. He's received all of the lessons and even has a baptismal date, but he doesn't have the Spirit in his life, which is sometimes very apparent. He really just doesn't have a solid foundation of faith and always questions why he needs to do things when he doesn't really want to do them. Even when we explains the possible blessings, he doesn't feel like he needs those blessings and believes that he is fine without them. I wasn't really sure what to say at that point, and honestly, I still don't know how to help him understand the importance of the things we teach. The last few weeks have really forced me to work on my abilities as a teacher and to teach things simply and powerfully with the Holy Ghost.  No matter how logical our words are, they won't make them want to change unless they receive a witness that it is true. I'm so grateful for all of your examples to me and for helping me gain a testimony of the truth! I may not know very many things for certain, but I know that this church is true, and that through honestly and humbly reading the Book of Mormon, we can know of a surety that it is, in fact, true. No falsified account could make me feel the way that it does or inspire millions to become the best that they can be. It has been written that "By their fruits ye shall know them." I will let the fruits of the Book of Mormon and this church speak for themselves and bear witness of their truthfulness. I love this gospel with all my heart and soul! It has changed me for the better, and I know that it can do the same for anyone who earnestly desires it.

I love you all!

Elder Christensen

Bishop and his family

Hachioji at night

ping pong night

Adam's first day!

Meeting the trainer, Elder Tipene

New Missionaries!

President and Sister Wada

Hachoji is where Adam landed! Aug. 4, 2014

Adam's first apartment in Hachoji

Parade in Hachoji

Dear Family & Friends,

Gaia, there's so much to say, but I want you to know that I love all of you more than you know!

Monday: Waking up really early is never fun, but when you're about to leave for Japan, nothing can dampen that excitement! We gathered all our things, said goodbye to those who weren't leaving yet, and hopped on a bus to the train station. 

 We actually lost most of Monday and Tuesday while we were flying to Japan, but I'll share what happened anyway! The plane ride was pretty normal except for the occasional Japanese announcements, which I still couldn't understand, but I did try! Customs was actually completely empty so we made our way through and met President and Sister Wada, the AP's, and some of the missionaries who were about to head home. Right away, I knew that was going to love the Wada's! I couldn't have been blessed with a more amazing mission president, and I can't wait to learn as much as I can from him and Sister Wada! They were both fluent in English, which was really helpful. He worked in the US for several years, went to BYU, and served his mission there too! It was a pretty long drive to the mission home from the airport so our AP outlined the schedule for the next couple of days and gavels a mini tour of Tokyo as we drove along. Honestly, I had a massive headache for most of it and just really wanted to sleep, but I really learned a lot and felt a little felt about the next several days. We arrived at the mission home after dark (Japan doesn't have daylight savings ) and when we arrived, there was a dinner of hot soup and rolls ready and waiting! Have I already said that the Wada's are amazing?! We had some training after dinner, but we were definitely ready to sleep after that!

On Wednesday morning we went for a run with President Wada and ended with some Radio Taiso, which is pretty much the most fun way of contacting ever created. Every morning, a ton of elderly people go out to the parks, turn on their radios, and do a stretching/exercising routine. Breakfast for the first few days was basically giving us one last taste of American food and we had pancakes and French toast on Thursday, which wasn't exactly Japanese, but I didn't really mind because they were delicious. After some training, we went streeting for the first time. My temporary companion's name was Elder Clements, and together, we set out. Most people were a little peeved/confused when we tried to take to them, but we managed to have a couple solid conversations in the hour that we were out. Looking back after a week, there were definitely some things that I would have done differently, but it helped build some needed confidence.

Thursday: Thursday was special because I got my new companion, Elder Tipene, who is from New Zealand, and got settled into my new area in Hachoji or 八丰子. He's been on his mission for several months so he's pretty experienced. Most of the missionaries are still pretty new though. He showed me around the main part of the city and we met with one of our investigators, Wei, who is from Hong Kong. There are 10 missionaries in Hachioji.  6 elders and 4 sister, and one of them, Sister Gazdik, was in my district!

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were all a little different that's normal because the Hachoji Matsuri, a huge festival, was going on! Most of the people from the area moved into several city blocks, which just happened to be in a place where we aren't allowed to actively proselyte in. We visited the festival for a little on Saturday, but mostly, we spent time with investigators, members (one of my favorite members is Misu Kyodai/brother), or trying to find contacts using the English class that we offer as a conversation starter. Most people don't really care that much about learning English, but occasionally, we found people who were interested and will maybe come to the class this week! 

This Sunday was both one of the most nervous and exciting times of my entire life! They actually have a ton of members here so there is a ward! I really wanted to make an impression on the ward members during that first meeting so that they would welcome me with open arms. Since I still can't speak very well, I was worried that people might avoid me because I couldn't say very much, and at first, that seemed to be happening. After bearing my testimony in Testimony Meeting, though, many more people came up and introduced themselves, and I just hope that I'll be able to remember them all! That night, the missionaries from our area were all invited to one of the member's homes for dinner and a lesson, and it was an amazing experience! They made an incredible meal complete with root beer to drink and cheesecake for dessert! We played some church vocab games, and when it was time to end, we sang a couple hymns! They even had me sing a solo because I went to choir practice and said that I love singing! The members in our ward are really incredible people! They role play with the missionaries to help with lessons, drive us to activities, organize food drives for the missionaries, and are just perfect examples of disciples of Christ! There's still so much that I need to learn and improve on, and sometimes, it feels like things are moving so slowly. I haven't really had the opportunity to teach very much due to many different conflicts. Most of our investigators have either received all the lessons and don't want to be baptized or still have no desire to really learn about our message, but I know that if they can feel the joy that comes from living gospel and feel the power of the Spirit, they will gain that desire over time. Charity really is the most important aspect of the gospel. Without it, there is very little that we can accomplish (Moroni 7). 

I love you all and can't wait to hear from you again!

Elder Christensen