May 25-May 31, 2023-Week 3.3-Mexico City MTC

It was yet another great week. My Spanish is progressing well and I can speak in quite a few tenses and I am learning a lot of words everyday. We have been practicing teaching lessons to other people within our district and I can't wait to actually be in the field. 

As STLs (sister training leaders), me and my companions have the opportunity to participate as members of the CCM mission council. We talk about how to improve as missionaries. But, the funniest part is at the end of the meeting when displayed in a slideshow the amount of times an apartment has had lights on past curfew. It makes for a good competition between the missionaries.

Some other funny things that happened this week is the Elders and Hna Langkilde have been stricken with the runs...big time. We blame it on the tinga. As Hna Wilson says, "we don't know what it is, but we know what it does". Luckily, I have not been confined to the bathroom stalls as have many of my new friends. Overall, the foods good and I can't complain about having fresh pineapple three meals a day. 

The Spanish language also has the best verb ever: merendar. This means to have an afternoon snack. I'm pretty upset that English doesn't have an accurate equivalent. 

Sadly, next Tuesday, Hna Langkilde will switch to a latino district. It will be great for her but weird for our time as a trio to end. I know this is a great opportunity for her to learn and speak much more spanish to bless latinos of Ohio. Luckily I really love Hna Wilson and it will be a delight to continue our companionship.

One of my favorite things that was shared this week was at church. A member of my branch presidency shared how at the time of his release as bishop, he was praying thoroughly for guidance with his family and his job. God wasn't answering his prayers, though. Then, one night he had a dream of him playing with a little girl. He dismissed it and then his wife told him he had the same dream. He thought to himself, "well, i don't want another kid. I already have four and that doesn't answer the questions i've been having". Well, three months later his wife was pregnant. She went in for an ultrasound a little while after and it turns out the baby wasn't going to make it and there would be a surgery to remove the baby. He was thinking, "well why did she get pregnant only for a miscarriage to happen". Turns out, without the surgery, the doctors wouldn't have been able to find a complication that would have later gone undetected and would have killed his wife. He concluded that "if you think you're not receiving what you're asking for, open eyes, open your ears. Maybe God has been answering your prayers for a long time, just not in a way you might expect. You will be wonderfully surprised at the things He has waiting for you". I loved this. God has a perfect plan. As it says in 1 corinthians 2:9 -- "but as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." Trust in God!

Mexican fried pastries, churros, that our CCM teacher brought in for us

Hermano Valezquez, who taught us Spanish, with our district

Hermana Cervantes, who also helped teach us Spanish, with our class

(Side note: while we were in the CCM, there was a lot of teaching changes with the influx of missionaries coming into the field, so our teachers bounced around a lot and changed on a day by day basis. I would say Hermana Cervantes was one of my favorites. She got promoted while I was in the CCM to be a workshop teacher, teaching bigger classes of combined districts of missionaries).

Twins with our cute purple shirts!

Embarking in the sun! (Embark is the name of the Church's program that they use on their phones to practice Spanish)

Our trio of Sister's (herm with Hna Cervantes (their MTC teacher)

Mexico City Temple on p-day. It is located about an hour away from the CCM, including with all the crazy traffic. We would go early every morning and get home early afternoon to be able to have a few hours to do laundry, talk to our family, and enjoy some time to relax.

The pole located to our left shows how Mexico City is dramatically sinking (since it is actually built on top of a large series of lakes). This pole when the temple was constructed was completely UNDERGROUND! 

May 21-May 24, 2023-Week 2.3-Mexico City MTC

 Letter to everyone:

It's only been a few days from my last email, but from now on for the next four weeks I will email on Wednesday's. I honestly do not have much to say. Most days are pretty routine but I love it. I find myself smiling all the time and I have never been happier. I know that we all have a Savior, even Jesus Christ, who knows us intimately and is cheering for us!

I got to go to the México City temple today and do baptisms, confirmations, and initiatory. It was cool to do it in Spanish and go inside another temple. It is cool and designed similar to Aztec infrastructure. 

I really love being a missionary. I love growing in the gospel and learning about how I can become like Christ. We watched a cool pre recorded devotional by Elder Bednar on Sunday. He talked about being truly converted to Christ when we look outward and onward. I loved that. Learning to be selfless, staying obedient, fulfilling our callings, and putting God first is a way that we can become fully converted.

A really good part of my week is just hanging out with those in my district and showing the Elders up in spikeball. Elder Hulme and I are dream team material!

Letter to Family:

Since Saturday, not too much has happened. It has been really good since then! On Sunday, we had church. There was only about 20 missionaries, since we have three districts in a branch. Our relief society lesson was really really good though. We talked about the gifts of the spirit. There are so many gifts I hadn’t even thought about that could be considered gifts that come from the spirit. But “every good gift” cometh from the spirit as taught in Moroni 8. From this lesson, I felt prompted to make a list of my goals for the mission. Something that really inspired me for my spiritual focused gifts is Hermana Langkilde. She suggested I try to double my talents. This was so fitting since I had just read the parable of the talents. I began to pray about what gifts I already have and then read my patriarchal blessing and thought of some gifts I want to develop. I am so excited to grow to become more like Christ to bless His children. Side note, a physical goal is to be able to do a 5 minute plank. So pray for me there, haha! But I will be coming back with some abs for sure. My comps and I were also asked to be sister training leaders for our zone starting the following week! This means that I will get to train new hermanas coming into the mission, plan music for sunday’s, and make sure everyone in our zone is doing well. I am super excited and I am grateful the Lord trusts me to give me this opportunity!

I also want to testify of the answer to prayers. Hna Langkilde shared this awesome quote: “your spirit learn different than your intellect…if you learn by reason only, you will never understand the spirit and how it works” (Boyd K. Packer, Personal Revelation: The Gift, the test, the promise). I could never quite understand how to explain how I knew the church was true and the book of mormon. It was always peace and happiness and joy and comfort. But, that’s the opposite per-say of me learning organic chemistry. Both require work to know the truth of and to understand, but i am not overjoyed and comforted and reassured by the principles of organic chemistry lol. Mary can relate ;)

Hermana Langkilde got the proposition to switch to a Latino district in a week. So, she will probably do that because she is so so so bored in class. She can already speak so well so I am glad she gets this opportunity to progress her spanish because I know there are people in Ohio that need her! I will be sad to see her go though because she will have to switch districts and houses and companionships. But, I know the Lord gave her this opportunity because those latinos need her. 

A principle i learned this week is we always need to be asking. We practiced asking questions investigators may ask and I thought, “well why would an angel appear to joseph smith if god knew he wouldn’t even give him the plates for another whole four years?”. I feel like I already know all the answers and am like well, he needed preparation, maturity, and testing. But, I studied the question further and learned that Oliver Cowdrey did not even come to the Smith home in Manchester until 1829 when Joseph Smith got the plates. Without Gods timing and without Oliver Cowdrey, the plates could not have been translated. So we need to continually ask and never assume we know everything because God wants to keep giving us more knowledge!

Tuesday I got the opportunity to direct the choir for devotional. It went really well and it sounded like voices of angels. We sang (in spanish) if the Savior stood beside me. Hermana Langkilde played piano and there was a cello and a violin. It went really well, especially for only one practice of one hour total. 

I have been having a little bit of a hardish time with Hna Langkilde. She is a little hard headed sometimes and makes decisions without consulting us companions. Most the time it is 6s (that’s for you Grammy and Marsh) but some other times its a little weighty decisions. She also sometimes looks at me like im crazy if i don’t agree with her 100%. But, I really do love her so much, so hopefully we can work it all out. Or maybe we won’t since she will go to a latino district lol.

Really, it has been a great week. Some random stuff is:

I cannot hacky sack for the life of me lol

I am still goated at spike ball. Elder Hulme and I destroy

I have been lifting some with the Hnas so that has been fun

I went six days without washing my hair so that is a score

Hna Langkilde said I have the most perfectly shaped face. Honestly one of the best compliments I’ve ever received

Elder Kersten is obsessed with being a kiss up to the Presidents of the CCM. He always goes and talks to them and shakes their hands. One time we were like, oh go clear one of the mission presidents wifes tray, but he wouldn’t because he said it would cross the line. So Elder Guzman did it and it was smooth to say the least

Hna are supposed to stay and arm length away from elders which kills me

The whole district is learning to moon walk at the moment

That is about all! There is a lot more funny stuff that happens, but too be honest, I cannot quite remember it all. Days are a blur, but seriously full of smiles. 

Love you!!!!!!!

Hna Christensen

Future job: tampon model

Listening to song options we might perform for church. We liked to practice the piano and sing during class breaks.

Segregation of the Hermanas and Elderes for no funny business

Cool photo of the Savior and angels walking among sister missionaries

Gym time = all smiles

Hna Wilson and I among the flags displayed at the CCM

Random aztec head

The Mexico city temple. We did baptisms and confirmations and initiatory today. We woke up at 5:30 to leave at 6:00.

The Christus in the temple visitors center

The visitors center contains many historical reading sections, this was one of them

City traffic

Drive to the temple. Look at the pretty houses on the hill and the gondola used for public transport!

The district! Back: Trendler (Argentina Buenos Aires West), Kersten (Panama Panama City), Ganus (Texas Austin), Hulme (Panama Panama City), McAlister (Mexico Monterrey West), Guzman (Texas San Antonio) Front: Wilson (Texas Austin), me, Langkilde (Ohio Colombus)

May 16-May 20, 2023-Week 1.75-Mexico City MTC

Letter to everyone:

I have already loved my experience being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! It has been so rewarding and there is nowhere else I would rather be. 

My days go mostly like this: wake up at 6:30, personal scripture study, breakfast, language study class, personal language study, lunch, companion study, gym time, preach my gospel study, dinner, more preach my gospel study, and bed by 10:30. The days are packed full, but I have not felt like they are long or overwhelming.

For my CCM (missionary training center in México) experience, I have two companions. Their names are Hermana Langkilde (Lang-kill-dee) and Hermana Wilson. Hermana Lankgilde is from Mesa, AZ and is 22 years old. She went to BYU as well and when she gets back will graduate with her bachelors degree in psych a semester later. She has already been accepted into BYU's grad program for social work as well. She is super intelligent and her Spanish is excellent. Hermana Wilson is from Buckeye, AZ and attended BYU-I for a semester. She is super sweet and her Spanish is really good as well. We are all super in sync and want to make the most of our CCM experience. So, during any free time we go to the Spanish helpdesk to learn more grammar points and take advantage of other classes to help us become more effective missionaries. 

One lesson that really stood out to me so far from my CCM experience has been the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. In Matthew 14 it reads:

"17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18 He said, Bring them hither to me.

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full."

Like the disciples bringing forth all that they could to Jesus Christ, when we bring forth all we can with full effort, Christ can multiply our efforts in a way we never could have imagined, even to have 12 baskets metaphorically leftover. I have really been trying to do that. A teacher of one of my classes said, "Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles. Which do you want in your life?". My companions and I have been working on this and striving to do everything that is asked of us with exactness. I know that God can make more of me than I could on my own, and He can with you too when you give your all to Him!

Love you all!!!!!

Hermana Christensen 

PS -- my next pday (day I can respond) is on Wednesday and will be while at the CCM. It will be on Monday's once I'm in Panama. 

PPSS -- I am the ultimate cucharaca killer. Since Wednesday, I have killed 11. Don't worry, there are none in my apartment. 

Letter to family

I finally got to the CCM around 4pm in the afternoon. I flew SLC to Mexico and there was probably 20 other missionaries on the flight. Then we took a bus to the CCM for about an hour. Driving here is nuts, as it is in almost every other latino country though. People are merging into lanes that have no room to be merged into. And fast! Putting utah drivers to shame. 

My companions are really good too. Hernmana Langkilde is older like i've told you. She is the same age as tanner. But she is so driven and intelligent and amazing. She maximizes time like no other and wants to be the best missionary every. And she seriously is. She has been praying to be able to use her talents and serve people in the CCM. I didn't even think about that. But God has definitely answered her prayers. She has to accompany the  choir on Tuesday, which i'm singing in and possibly directing lol. But we got the sheet music yesterday and the President of CCMs wife did not let on on how hard it would be. She is a great sight reader, but sight reading versus accompanying a whole choir are two totally different things. So we are going to practice some today on pday. It also is going to have a cello piece and a violin and all in spanish. So woah. And, she is our "language leader" of our district and is always answering questions. But she could be in 3 week ccm. She has such good spanish and a good accent. I understand most of what she says, but my speaking abilities are no where close to hers. Sometimes I need to just laugh about Hna Langkilde because she sometimes is a little abrasive and blunt. But, i know she's not doing it out of rudeness or anything. She sometimes gets in a one track mind but it is always for something good. She is super upfront and honestly a wild card. She loves heavy metal and lifting, but also loves to crochet. So grandma vibes as well. I love her a lot! <Hermana Wilson is also 19 and went to byu-i. She is sweet as they come and just easy going. Once she gets talking, she is super chatty, though she always says she is shy. She loves her family a whole lot. She doesn't really have a hushed tone which makes me laugh because we will be doing companion study and she's talking on a level 8 volume when she really just needs a 3. But I just smile and laugh. That's what ya gotta do. Just laugh. 

I've really loved having an hour of just personal scripture study. I usually begin in the scriptures but then start reading talks off of something i'm interested in or a word that peaks my interest. Something i struggled with this week is knowing. I know in my heart that the promises of the church and the bom are true. But a lot of times my mind tries to talk me out of it and rationalize it. But i feel so much peace and comfort in the reassurances of the gospel, so it has to be try and i can't deny how the holy ghost has been in my life guiding me all along. Then i got thinking about the spanish words for to know. There's saber, which is facts, and conocer, which is to know someone or to know in a relationship sense. I conozco the gospel is true! No doubt about it. Something in my heart always feels that intimate relationship with God and honestly I haven't ever doubted it. But, sometimes i struggle with saying yo sé the gospel is true. But, that's not really what a testimony is. I don't know everything about the gospel, no one does, but what i do know, i feel to be true. but we don't always have to know. WE can just trust because of what we feel in our hearts, and some days its harder to rely on that trust, but we don't have to be perfect every day. 

in my apartment, there is another trio of sisters. They are nice and they are all going to atlanta georgia on their missions. They have only been here a week longer than us. Our bathroom is a little cramped but luckily there are two of everything -- two sinks, showers, and toilets. There is enough room to fit all of our stuff too.

Lunch time we eat with our whole district. They are pretty funny and nice guys. We have no other sisters, but three sets of elders. They thought the verb negar was pretty funny and i could only think of garret when they were talking about it. Elder Ganus said in their casita (their housing is different than ours, they have like full on houses w 24 elders in it with 4 elders to a room) there is someone that looks exactly like the riddler from the new batman that we went and saw a while ago. Anyways, elder ganus straight up goes up to this guy and is like "ya know you look exactly like the riddler." and the guy was like "oh nice i haven't seen it" and then elder ganus is like "oh that's too bad, riddle me this" and just keeps cracking jokes. luckily the guy took it lightly but it made me laugh. 

other funny thing, our zone leader is this 18 year old who graduated early to be here. possibly the authority and power my be getting a little to his head, but i am praying that i can be more patient with him and sustain him. he just irks me a little bit. He wears a chain on his belt loop connected to his wallet. like bruh. And big coke bottle lenses that magnify his eyes. And he's short. I could squish him like a bug. But like i said, praying to be better! 

that was super long but that's just some of it. learning is great. 

i miss you!

Hermana Langkilde, me, and Hermana Wilson made it to the CCM in México and are excited for our first day. The B on the hill in the distance stands for Benemerito, the name of the CCM campus because it was once an LDS school.

Hermana Langkilde serenading us on the piano while we wait for an appointment. She is a very talented pianist.

My district. We are the only set of Sisters.

Hermana Wilson, me and Hermana Langkilde

My room! I am on the top bunk.

In the classroom

Weekly Schedule

Leaving to the Mexico City MTC

She's off! She flew out this morning on a 6am flight.  She flew through Salt Lake and then on to Mexico City.  She flew with Sister Ward, a girl in the Mt Spokane stake that happens to also be going the to Panama City mission.  None of us even cried, that might be because Katie swore to not do so, but alas, no tears were shed.

 

May 8-May 15, 2023-Week 1-Home MTC

Katie got to do the MTC at home for the 1st week.  It was kind of a long week, but she survived.  She kind of wished that she could have just gotten on a plane and headed to the MTC.  It was hard to be at home, but not be able to do anything because she was in class ALL DAY LONG.  She really liked what she was learning, it was just really hard for her to sit in class for so long.

Packing to leave

Some days after class she would jump on the trampoline to get her wiggles out.  There was a beautiful rainbow one day.

She went to one last of Shane's basketball games with Shannan as her companion.

Sunday evening fireside with the Mexico City MTC president and his wife.  She got to learn all about the MTC.

Her home MTC schedule

Open House

We had an open house for Katie in our front yard for all our friends and family to come and say good-bye to her before she leaves on her mission. 

Katie and Lilly Peterson

Katie and Mary Gubler

Alice Gubler, Mary Gubler, Katie, Annie Gubler