Elder Christensen: Letter 9/17/12 TRANSFER!

The end of my first area:

So I’m getting transferred this Wednesday, so if you’re going to send mail just send it to the mission office address 1850 Craigshire (for full address, click the write to Jeff link at the top of the blog).  I’m being transferred to Shilo, Illinois. This area has been closed for 6 months and now I’m opening it with Elder Dazley.  This area has a full court gym with a wood floor, so I’m very happy I will be getting my exercise back. :) However, I’m truly going to miss the people of Farmington!!  The ward here is amazing they reached out with us to help reactivate the less actives and now we’ve doubled the numbers of active members in Farmington!  The bishop is only 20 members away from his vision 200 I wish I could stay just one more transfer and see him hit his goal!  My ward mission leader has given me a new outlook on missionary work. Charlie Hargis is simply the best convert I’ve ever met!!  I wish ever member of the Church had the same fire about the gospel that he has then missionary work would be so much easier and we’d have a lot less less-active members.   It was very hard to say my goodbye at church this Sunday! It kind of felt a lot like saying goodbye to everyone in my home ward but I will go where they need me to go :) 

I have a mission tradition of my own. I will give one of my mission ties to any young man that is progressing to the office of a deacon.  So the newest Deacon in Farmington is Quinton. He comes from a poor part member family his dad isn’t a member and he told me” Elder Christensen you’re the best missionary Farmington has ever had I hope one day I’ll be as good of a missionary as you are!”  I had to fight back some hard tears when he told me this because I felt I hadn't done much for this area because I haven’t baptized anyone…  I’ve learned so much from this area, I can only image how much I will learn in the time of my whole mission!!  We also had President’s interviews last Tuesday and President Clark was very pleased with the work I have done in Farmington and he is putting me in other areas that have been struggling to see if I can get them up to missionary level.  He seemed very confident that I can turn this new area around and get things rolling out there!  Don’t know if that is a good thing our not but we will see how it works out…