Hello lovely hordes of letter-readers!

Thank you so much for the amazing outpouring of love I've felt this week! Every letter boosts my heart so much!
Here's one thing I need to answer my wonderful Mother.
I DON'T 'NEED' ANYTHING FOR MY BIRTHDAY! I have too much stuff already! What I would like is just pictures of you guys, maybe your favorites from all the adorable ones you've sent me (yes, even the one in need of a haircut). Anything else just keep the money and donate to the general missionary fund please.
Anyway, this week was so much fun! We started with Bro. Pulver's Birthday party last Friday, where we ate the cookie bars and pumpkin cookies I recieved from my wonderful family and grandparents and drank apple beer and Martinelli's that Paiwei had randomly recieved. It was really fun.
Other exciting events include that We will be flying out on Tuesday, leaving at noon! That's insane! We're sad to leave eachother but ready to go!
Anyway, I'll be having to drop maybe fifty pounds of stuff before I leave so I'll send some things home. Expect a package!
For my family: CONGRATULATIONS DAD! Insert here how much you want to say about it (Jeff had nose surgery!) but I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! That must feel wonderful!
One other thing to get out of the way, The M.T.C. has been an absolutely amazing experience and I've loved every second of it.
Now, funny and interesting stories!
Culture Shock is an interesting thing. I wasn't there when this happened, but Jin, Blackwelder, Wilson, and Coloma were sitting on the couches in their apartment when apparently Jin (insert whatever word you use when this happens). Coloma, sitting next to him, said "Elder Jin, I can't support this!" They asked what he meant, and he said "IT SMELLS SO HARD!" It was hilarious to hear about. Coloma's a great guy.
Microculture evolution: Whenever we have anything work out or good happen to us, we cry out "The Gospel is True!" Usually when it's not related to that at all. Whenever something bad happens, we just, like, don't say anything, because, well, we, um, can't complain.
Elder Sessions had ink leak on both of his long sleeve white shirts, and bleached them in our Classroom's kitchen sink. Fun times.
I've met a new best friend and fellow Brony Elder Law from the great country of Washington. He's writing a book right now and he is a very talented writer. We've had a lot of fun times together and great experiences, and he inspired to me do what I've been thinking of for a long time and I'm now writing a book on P-Days! Expect more on that when the bell tolls 1!
The Finnish Invaded Singapore yesterday and we were kicked out of our classroom. Apparently we were supposed to have been sharing a classroom apartment with the other Singapore district this whole time, but didn't because the Indonesian classroom next door was empty. They had a live Durian (a very stinky fruit) in their fridge and the whole place smelled like carbon monoxide. But worse.
And to end, a cool experience today. Elder Sessions and I did Sealings in the Temple today. While there, we met an Elder who got home from Germany 11 months ago, and these 2 super old sisters. Sister Dart was very good at Genealogy and had a giant stack of sealing names with her. Her older Sister, Sister Donovan, told us that she had never been sealed to her children, or her husband, but loved to come do sealings anyway. It was a really neat experience to meet her. People like that inspire me.
One last thing: Our Devotional this Tuesday was by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. It was a extremely inspirational talk and I wish I could talk about it forever, but my personal favorite things about it was basically that the entire talk was his testimony of the divinity and truth of our church. He basically taught the first couple lessons in his own words. It was really neat. I got to sing in the Choir and we sang an amazing rendition of Praise to the Man.

 Flight Plans!

 Elder Sessions loves his Smolder!

 Some Precious Ancient Indonesian Artifact

 World's Best Back Scratcher

 Birthday Party

 Bleachin Shirts...

 Elder Law

 Singapore Elders

 Singapore Elders

Elder Bester

 Our MTC Mission President

 We found this on the back of a map that has been hanging in our classroom the whole time!

Well, I love you all! The next time you hear from me will be in Singapore! I'm So Stoked to Read the B.O.M. and Study Malay for 30 STRAIGHT HOURS!!! :-D

-Elder Christensen

You know what's weird? Waking up and realizing that in two weeks you'll wake up in Singapore, that's what.

Hello everybody! I can't say enough how loved I feel from all the wonderful support you've given me! It's like a waterfall into a 20 mile cavern that I'm drowning in but feel happy about it, roughly. Anyway, let me do some thank-you's.

Grandma and Grandpa Raspberry: Thanks so much for the Early-Birthday-And-Halloween package! It was wonderful to be given a chance to partake of that wonderful tradition again!

The Petersons: Thanks for sending me the Ward Newsletter, it really warmed my heart.

Mother: Thank you so much for sending me not only all the poems and stuff, but the Song Lyrics for May It Be and The Breaking of The Fellowship. For all those who don't know, I love Lord Of The Rings because it is chock full for Christian Symbolism (at least the books mostly). In fact, Mom, could you put those at the end of this letter? Thanks.

My Family: Thank you so much for both the Conference Bingo and the Stress Buster Packages. I'll actually get pictures of the second one by next week.

Speaking of game related Conference, I'm sorry to say we couldn't use it. Conference was shown live down at Main Campus and we had to sit in stadium seats in our full Sunday attire. Our whole district thanks you for the Skittles and M&M's which we just stuck in our Classroom's full size fridge. They were delicious.

Speaking of not-game related Conference, it was fantastic! I sent a specific letter home about a lot of my feelings on it, but I will say that my favorite talk was President Monson's on Sunday morning. I listened to it again afterwards because every part of it was amazing, and I almost cried when he talked about his wife at the beginning.

It was really cool though how much of it was based on missionary work. We all need to try to bring people to Christ even if we don't have a title. I just get to do it full time (heh heh heh).

Anyway, more on that later. Moving on, Mitchell already left? I didn't get to say good by! Well, technically I did. Never mind, I know he'll do great.

More stuff. The Microculture we spawned has further developed. Which is to say, we've resorted to potty humor. Why? Because everything else makes us trunky or is less appropriate for worse reasons!  But guess what? You know what Barak means? That's right, poop. Now  think of our President... Another thing, we aren't allowed to be judgmental, so all of the guys in our district, when they talk about girls, rate them on their adequacy. They can be adequate, very adequate, extremely adequate, or PRETTY dang adequate. That's led to some very fun conversations.

Off that topic. The work progresses and the Lord blesses us more every day! When I mentioned a hard day last week, a lot of people were concerned for me, and I'm thankful, but that ship has sailed. We all have hard things happen in our lives to let us learn Humility, and that's why the Lord allows discouragement and hard feelings to happen to his servants, so they can learn to rely on him. I'm doing great, don't worry.

On that note, Aunt Annette, when you said that Spanish must be much easier then what I'm learning, I'm sorry to say that I pity Mitchell! Spanish is complicated, Malay is Not! I mean, He has to like, conjugate verbs, and worry about past, present, and future tense! And articles! Our language is structured like a Kindergartner wrote it and most, if not all, the meanings are based on context!

On another cool note, I got my own Nyan-nian Rohani (Songs Spiritual) and Buku Nyan-nian Anak-Anak (Book Songs Children), which are both in Indonesian because they haven't translated them into Malay and that's what they use. Indonesian and Malay are about 80 percent the same, so it's all good.

For next week: Please tell me what to write about, since I'm running out of ideas! 

Love you all so much! Til next time (on my last MTC P-day!)

-Elder Christensen

May It Be

May it be an evening star

Shines down upon you

May it be when darkness falls

Your heart will be true

You walk a lonely road

Oh! How far you are from home

Mornie utúlie (darknesss has come)

Believe and you will find your way

Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)

A promise lives within you now

May it be the shadows call

Will fly away

May it be your journey on

To light the day

When the night is overcome 

You may rise to find the sun

Mornie utúlie (darknesss has come)

Believe and you will find your way

Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)

A promise lives within you now

A promise lives within you now

The Breaking of the Fellowship

When the cold of winter comes

Starless night will cover day

In the veiling of the sun

We will walk in bitter rain

But in dreams

I can hear your name

And in dreams

We will meet again

When the seas and mountains fall

And we come, to end of days

In the dark I hear a call

Calling me there,

I will go there

And back again

PRONOUNCIATION GUIDE:
a= law, aww

e= beg, when

i= wii, beet

o= oh, no

u= boot, glute

c= ALWAYS 'ch'

g= ALWAYS 'guh'

 

And now, for a stirring musical number from the MTC District C of Branch 134 (Ahem: Specific pronouncation in their own parenthesis)

 

Saya Rasa Biek! (='bike') [deh neh neh neh neh neh neh]

 

Saya Tahu Akan! (='Tao') [deh neh neh neh neh neh neh]

 

SAYA Rasa Biek! [deh neh neh neh neh neh neh neh]

 

Saya Tahu Akan! [deh neh neh neh neh neh neh neh]

 

Bagus! (Bum Bum)

 

Bagus! (Bum)

 

Saya Ada Kamu! (bum bum bum Bum BUM)

 

...

 

 Elder Truillio is a nerdy piano player who kicks butt at 4 square

 Our Branch Sunday Walk

 Studies in the shire

One of my new favorite chapters

 Yes that' s a penguin in the top right corner

 selfie

 Wilson (our new DL) at the end of the day

Paiwei (Very good at the piano) and Sister Chevae from France (Very good at the flute)

 practicing for a duet performance

AYAY!

 

 

 

Seriously though, we do get things done.

Hello Everybody! Let me say that I cannot describe how much love I'm drowning in because I'm too busy drowning in it! I've been swamped with letters and packages this week and I'm so thankful for all y'all!

-Jeni, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE STUFF! I loved the pictures of the Savior and the Butterfingers, and the headband was just what I needed. The only part of me cold at gym was my ears and it couldn't have been more perfect. Speaking of goodies, I have more then enough to last me to Singapore so I really don't need more.

-Annie, thanks for the messages you sent me with Brylea and Logan and your other friends, they helped me alot. I ate ALL the E.L.Fudge cookies.

Speak a da doitch, Fast Sunday was one of the most spiritual days of my life, before and during the M.T.C.! It was just one jam packed awesome thing after the next all frickin' day. We had a MTC wide mission conference in the morning where all of the Presidency talked and their wives as well. So much awesoms stuff that I can't put it here. After that was Fast and Testimony Meeting, followed by the same thing with just our district. During Sacrament, I told the story of how the day before I had been feeling down because I felt a little bit like I was falling behind. Then while I was waiting for Elder Sessions to get his haircut, I opened a package from my little sister and her friends. Her note said 'you're never fully dressed without a smile!' I instantly started laughing because I realized I hadn't smiled once that day! I testified that the MTC was hard, because we needed to learn Humility, but it should be happy hard work. If you're not happy, you're doing something wrong. A Sister came up to me afterwards and shook my hand and said that was exactly what she needed to hear. Thanks Annie and friends and aunt Laura!

During the next Testimony meeting we had the 2nd Counselor come to sit with us, Pres. Mangum (pronounced like the Mango fruit). They bore Testimony as well. Get in contact with Bro. Swendson in our ward, ask if he's related to a Wayne Swendson! If he is, and he went to Maine on his mission, his only convert is working here at the MTC and would love to get in contact with him!

I promised I would describe my teachers, and here we go.

Bro. Blissit is our first teacher. He's a brilliant linguist studying Nero-linguistics at B.Y.U. He hopes to learn about 6 different more languages, currently Arabic, and is one of those guys that's so smart he talks fast to get everything out of the way. He loves to tell stories about our mission and is very excited for us.

Bro. Pulver on the other hand is very laid back. We'll learn vocabulary occasionally, but we end up getting more interested in his love life and stories as well. While Brother  Blissit helps more with grammer, Bro. Pulver helps with just speaking the language.

They're both great though, and we all love both our teachers. It's interesting because part of the instruction is them pretending to be real investigators that they had, and we teaching them each every other day as companionships as if they were our own investigators.

Some other things I've been thinking about is how we have formed this funny little microculture within our district, being 9 people locked up with nobody else for 12 hours a day,  and with little influence from the outside world. We've grown together so much and have loved to become friends, with all the good and bad mixed together. Learning to get along swimmingly has been something we've perfected, even if it means taking it out on each other in 4 square. But, don't worry, we've never had enemies, and it's all in good fun.

On that note, Gym has been outside, but they just finished these weird looking bubble gyms we'll probably be in next week, that look semi permanent. It'll be cool to see what that is like.

We've invented this game called the Penguin game to do when we take our 10 minute Cabin Fever Benefit Breaks. One person draws a line, a single non-broken line on the board, and someone else makes it into a penguin. Hilarious since it's the funniest thing we've seen all day.

Also, we created a fictional Elder named Elder Tibbits, or Tibbeets, or TIBBITZ, to whom we credit all our secret service. We wrote compliments on pieces of paper and gave them to the other Singapore district with some soda we purchased from the bookstore and said it was ALL from him. Good times.

Anyway, til next week! Love all y'all!

-Elder Christensen

P.S. Family, look forward to a special package this weekend!

P.P.S: I am NOT in the choir because there IS NO CHOIR. If there was I would be all over that like mold on a month old sandwich

I took it like a man, Seth!

Scripture Study!

My new haircut!

D-D-D-Dear Mother...

I'm currently starving to death in the middle of the Jungle heat up to my waist in snow. All I want before I pass from this life is one last taste of your signature apple pie biscuits with gravy, which I'm pretty sure I just hallucinated.

No seriously, I don't need anything. Thanks for your concern :-)

I'm just about to get the shots today, I have enough money, thanks for everything.

I'll be on at 4 if you want to talk :-)

Dear Hordes of the Beloved by me

Thank you so much for the waterfall of love and messages I've been getting all week! I feel like Van Pelt on the Best Two Years when the letters being passed out go "Coloma. Coloma, Coloma, Christensen, Christensen, Christensen, Christensen, Coloma,". Seriously that guy must have like a fan club or something.

Anyway here's to resolve some stuff that my parents have been bugging me about:

NO I do NOT need ANYTHING Mother, thanks for your concern.

That Picture of the white board I sent last week is NOT the Alphabet we use. That was our teacher Brother Blissit writing the Church's Name in Jawi Script because it's cool and he's awesome.

Favorite Scripture for my plaque: 2nd Nephi 4:26-27 (and 28 if you can fit it)

Dear Elder is the best way for me to be reached now, and will definitely stay that way on my mission since I won't have to wait for a month to get them!

I got my shots today, the card worked fine, and Seth, don't worry, I took it like a man.

If you just email your questions for me, that would be much better so I don't have to reread your letters to find them!

TOTALLY tell me about the books you are reading! I'd love to hear about that!

Quotes: Just do what you did before, I'd specifically request the letter Abe Lincoln wrote in that green poetry book (or anything else you get from that). I was going to try translating them into Malay, helps me learn.

You guys should totally order a Malay B.O.M. from lds.org. I'll write up a pronunciation guide!

I loved all the pictures! Please keep them coming! Except that Fall one mom, don't make me cry. I've loved to hear how life is there, I feel so bad about the bees Dad! I hope your poor Romulan head gets better! Seth! You're awesome! I wish I had been able to be Doctor Who in Laser Tag! That's so cool! Anything else that people have written me about I've tried to write letters home to.

The MTC is frickin' amazing. In case you didn't know. Everyone keeps asking what it's like here so, here we go. But first, Snow on the Mountains! Today! Awesome! That reminds me of a segway into our beloved Elder Paiwei from Australia. He hasn't seen snow in ten years and wants to before we leave, so everyone pray for snow!

Paiwei is a very awesome man. He picks up the language pretty well and he is always pleasant to talk to. He is from Brisbon Dad, and said we could use his guest bedroom if we ever vacationed there (after I get back of course).

Allen is our DL right now. He's an interesting mix of sporadic self righteousness and total prankster. He's already planning to write Wilson as if he was Wilson's girlfriend, and is really funny alot of the time.

Blackwelder is from Cincinnati Ohio and reminds me exactly of the story that Grandpa Jello tells of the guys he got to read the B.O.M. by doing a stick pulling competition in Seminary and tying it to Joseph Smith. Very physically active, doesn't like studying much, and kills everyone in 4 square. Before I met him I had never heard Captain Moroni called 'sick' or 'tight' or 'crazy awesome' before'.

Jin is born and raised in Houston Texas, but his parents came from Korea. He's kinda quiet, but very insightful, and usually only talks if you talk to him first. But he's a great guy and fun to hang out with. He's also going to college in Engineering and 21 years old.

Sister Anderson is a reincarnated Aunt Jeni with a New Zealand accent. I don't know how she does it, but being the only female in our district, she's very good at keeping the rest of us in check.

Coloma is an amazingly smart man from Paris France. He has a fiance waiting for him, and is really funny. We're all on pins and needles to see a picture of her. He just started to pick up American slang such as "Oh My Gosh" and he called his companion Wilson a Dork the other day. He's still learning English and doing better than he thinks he does. He's very spiritual and is excellent at teaching and learning languages, just fun to be around. He is also 21.

Wilson. How to describe Wilson. He wants to be a Barber when he gets back, he loves rap, he's from Ogden, he never changes his hair style, and he's temperamental in a good way if that makes sense at all. 'nuff said.

My Companion, Sessions, was very quiet when I met him, but now that we've bonded somewhat he's really funny. Constantly trying to get us to laugh, and he feels more comfortable with the language. He's a great guy, very concerned about the state of his hair, likes to maintain a six pack, so eating and sitting for 12 hours a day kinda bothers him. Other then that we get along swimmingly.

Then there's me. Hopefully you know me already ;-)

Daily MTC stuff includes one alternating hour of gym time, usually 4 square is what my district does, 3 hours of Breakfast Lunch and Dinner, and the rest is Study. Language Study, Companion Study, Personal Study, and Classroom instruction.

I'll save time for describing my teachers next week.

We also get awesome devotionals every Sunday and Tuesday (when the Choir sings as well).

If you have specific questions about my life style, please ask! The more letters (and packages) the better! Keep the manna from Heaven flowing!

Love you all so much! Sorry for the scanty pictures, I totally forgot to take any this week!

With love

-Elder Christensen




I lost my companion!

September 19, 2013

The MTC is fantastic. It usually winds up that we spend about 12 hours a day studying, 2 hours eating, and an hour going to bed and writing in our journal. Pretty dang exciting ehh? Seriously though, it´s so great here. I´ve made so many friends and I hope I can do the whole experience justice in 10 minutes.

Tuesday we had a phenomenal devotional by Pres. Schwitzer of the 70. He gave an amazing message about how the skills we learn on our mission will start us on the path for perfection.

Afterwards I lost my companion, he´d gone ahead with Elder Jin, and the other 7 of us stayed to the last looking for them. It was awful. I felt like a part of my soul was empty. I found him back at the classroom, hugged him tight, and told him never to do that again. I´ll never lose a companion ever.

Afterwards President Parrish gave an after devotional devotional, and he said that We work in this life so that we can be worthy of a Terrestrial World when we die, and thereby earn 1000 extra years to work for perfection. That was really cool.

Today was the 1st P day. We went to the Provo Temple. Anyway, pictures!

Elder Christensen

 Me and my Companion, Elder Sessions from Syracuse, Utah.

Our Classroom

Elder Sessions, Sister Anderson from New Zealand and Elder Poiwei from Brisbon, Australia

Elder Allen and Elder Paiwei

The Malay Book of Mormon is just a few weeks old!  

The church's name in Jawi Script!  Malay's original writing....

Our District, Wilson Blackwelder Allen Jin Anderson Paiwei Me Sessions and Coloma

heh heh heh

The Shire. A little grove in the middle of the classrooms. Very appropriate considering how spiritual it is here and the task we are called to do when we leave.  (Mom note: Lord of the Rings reference)

The guys

This awesome guy, Ronnie from Singapore, works in the cafeteria, made us ESPECIALLY authentic Malaysian Chicken curry today, bones 'n all.

Baptizing them in their own tears....

September 15, 2013

The MTC is so great. I can't begin to explain how wonderful it is.  I've made so many great friends and I am learning so much.  It's already beginning to be hard to differentiate between Malay and Ingliss!  Soyo Begasso, seriously!  Did Komu know that Malay's so very related to Arabic? You'll get some pictures on Thursday.

Anyway, the MTC is so much fun. Elder Bester from Canada (and proud of it) was given the job of Sacrament Music Coordinator, but when he returned he told everyone his companionship had been transferred to the Bangkik Thailand mission speaking Mandarin.  Elder Sessions and I, just returning from being given the job of Sacrament Coordinators, were given the heads up so we played along, saying the same thing.  Komi had fun with it.

We're 'teaching' an 'investigator' named 'Limbie' right now, and we had our 3rd (tiga) lesson tomorrow morning.  It's fun.  We spend most of the day teaching each other a lesson we do not know, since we only get a teacher for tiga hours.  The food is decent, but apparently it's worse, but it trades off for better housing here in the west campus.

Another funny thing, Elder Blackwelder, after teaching Limbie, came out and, when we asked him if he's done the baptism challenge, said "Done and Done. The spirit was so strong he started crying, we baptized him in his own tears.  Bam. Right there."  He's a really funny guy.  The other people are good to associate with.

Elder Colomo is a really awesome person, and I totally respect a person who learns Malay by fist translating English to French, then French to Malay.

Elder Bednar's talk on the Character of Christ is amazing, and you should totally watch Ephraim's Rescue.

Love you all,

Elder Christensen

p.s. Thanks so much for the cookies!

p.p.s. Ron Tanner spoke, cousin to T.C. Christensen. Did you know he made "Only a Stonecutter?"

p.p.p.s. Tell my siblings if they write me, I will always respect personally!

p.p.p.p.s.  Tell my siblings if they write me, I will always respond personally.