Robert vs Staying Busy

Ya'aat'eeh!!! 

Sorry I didn't let y'all know that we wouldn't be able to email yesterday since it was Memorial Day everything was closed down.  Well, the longer a missionary stays in Blanding the less work there is to be done since each set only covers about 400 houses and after about 6 weeks you basically know where everyone lives and their life story.  It's pretty hard to stay busy here and motivated but we did have a good week.  I have only met 5 people here that are NOT members of the church its crazy.  We did set a baptismal date for a man that has been living in Blanding for most of his life and has had home teachers for like 30 years yet has never wanted any of it.  Now he does.  Kinda of a hard situation right now because his wife and his daughter both have severe cancer and I don't think his wife will make it much longer.  I cover 1st and 8th wards here in Blanding and the chapel that has been here forever like since the 1800's is being renovated so they moved us all over to this other building now there is 3 wards there and it gets pretty cramped.  I went to youth Sunday School this week and it blew my mind how knowledgeable and prepared a lot of these kids are for missions and whatnot.  I must be in Utah or something.  

On the plus side of things compared to Polacca there is actually things to do here on P-days, and I wont get in trouble for traversing on sacred burial sites or something else extremely sacred.  There are lots of old Anasazi ruins around here and members have been taking us to go see them.  Yesterday there was a member that has about 80 acres of land and there are actually some ruins and things in the middle of his wheat field.  Since it is private property he let us just walk right up to it and all over it!  Another thing thats awesome here is just like Cortez, everyone has guns.  It's heaven.  We were kinda off roading yesterday and this huge cottontail rabbit just comes running across the truck and since our member has a gun in his truck I guess he felt obligated to shoot something.  Stopped the truck.  Hopped out.  BAM BAM BAM!!  Get in the truck. Continue previous conversation.  Thats how it goes I guess.  I'm pretty sure I've met the family related to the rednecks off "planes trains and automobiles"....."when she gave birth the baby came out sideways.....didn't even scream."  Hilarious.  Anyways I guess I don't have much to report this week.  I'm plugging along just fine here in Blanding.  Thanks for everything. 

Love Elder Christensen

Robert vs. Moonshine and Rednecks

 This is Elder Maupin from St. Anthony.  He's the bigger one and my District Leader.

 Then there is the skinny Elder Phillips from East Wenatchee...he played Walla Walla a lot when he played for Moses Lake in basketball.  He's my favorite of the guys I live with. 

This is Elder Provard from West Jordan....not too far 

 Another little puppy that always follows me around whenever I am in the trailer park.

This is Elder Varela from Moreno Valley, California.  I was with him for 2 weeks in Farmington before I got switched Spanish.  He crashed into me on bikes our 1st day together and he flew like 20 feet, it was insane. 

 Some cool little arches that people made around here.

Thats my izzzit shirt....we went hiking today and all the Natives say izzzit...and  actually say I know without trying so I'm native.

 Thats one side of the canyon.....

.....and the opposite.

Elder Maupin "the pack horse" holding down the rope so we can kinda repel down the side to get to the ruins.

There's the rope descending....it wasn't that steep.

Some really old ruins....probably kivas of the Gadianton robbers

Me in shooting form.  I could just see myself hiding up there from opposing armies and stuff...

Howdy!!!

I have started to grab hold of a little twang in my speech here.  There are tons of Jeff Foxworthy type of rednecks here its so funny but kinda scary.  The other day we helped move this massive fridge into a different trailer and the wife was waving around with a big .45 magnum and a cigarette in the mouth just cause she can.  Hopefully it wasnt loaded but oh well.  Then I saw one of the best signs of my mission so far that just kinda explains people that live in the country around this area.  I need to take a picture of it but it said...."I'm here unless I'm haulin moonshine to Dove Creek." That sign is serious to, it isn't a joke.  Dove Creek is a little town in Colorado with a bunch of rednecks and old people like Cortez.  I'm still trying to get used to houses bigger then 15 sq. ft. and lots of food.  My companion and I took a bit of time for him to show me where all the members live and our area a bit.....ya it took like 1 hour total.  On foot. I swear I don't feel like a missionary here sometimes.  I cross 2 streets and find out I crossed 2 ward boundaries.  I have no idea why there are 8 missionaries here.  Kinda ridiculous.  We've been handing out a ton of Book of Mormons to people though.  I ask EVERYONE if they want one.  My companion is really self conscious and scared  to talk to people and struggles hard so he has never knocked on doors around here until I came to kick his behind in to gear.  About half of 1 of the wards we cover is Navajo and trailer park so I feel a lot more comfortable going over there.  Many missionaries that are in Blanding have never been to the reservation and they are scared to go into the trailer parks or around all of the Natives its embarrassing to me.  my companion just kinda sits back and enjoys the ride when I walk over there....which is ok cause I love to talk and I love to talk to natives.  We have handed out 37 Book of Mormons so far this transfer....all but 1 or 2 to Navajos.  

We had stake conference this week as well and Elder Villareale of the seventy (I think its how he spells it) was here.  He is from Mclaren? Texas.  He was a mission President in Bogota, Colombia.  He's aweosme, by far one of the most entertaining speakers I have ever listened to besides Elder Holland.  He mentioned a couple of things I would like to share.  First, he is a convert to the church and he is a commercial builder.   He said when he was about 21, only a couple of years into the church he was talking to some people that owned a hotel where the General Authorities come when they speak in that area.  They were coming that week to speak at their conference.  Its an Embassy hotel, the nicest and most expensive one in that area.  He knew that they rented out the most expensive floor with the suites and the rooms above them and below them as well.  He found that kinda of fishy naturally and wondered why the church would spend all that money just for 1 night for them.  But he said that "the church is true so I don't need to worry about it." He blew it off and didn't think anymore of it.  18 years later he met a man when he was a mission President that actaully owned all the Embassy Hotels across the country.  He asked the man about that situation and why the church paid so much money to stay for 1 night.  The man said that he lets them stay in all of his hotels for free and he gives  them the nicest floor and the rooms above and below them so nobody will bother them. Ohhhhhh....Elder Villaraelle said he could have taken offense to that so many years ago and made a big deal out of it, when come to find out it was someone being kind and hospitable to the leaders of Christ's church.  

The other quick one was he said that he was in his work office at in Texas one day and at his office he ALWAYS leaves the door open for anyone at any time.  The door is never closed.  One day though he said his secretary came in and closed the door....immediately he knew something was wrong and he noticed that she had been crying.  She walks up to him and says...I have a big problem but I can't tell you what it is.  Elder Villareale just asked her..."does your problem have anything to do with your salvation?"  She said...no.  Then he stated...."then its not a problem."  She then just turned around and walked out all happy.  Awesome little story.  Amazing how many "problems" we think we have when in reality they are just insignificant things in our worldly lives that should have 0 weight on our journey to become like our Heavenly Father.  Good stuff.  Go Broncos.

Love Elder Christensen

Robert vs. Blanding

This is outside of Tuba City

 Me and Chris

 These are my 2 favorite companions: Elder Bunderson and Johnson.

Ya'aat'eeh!!!

Well there are no more Hopi or Tewa around..and only a few Navajos compared to the amount of white people here in Blanding so I don't even know how to start my emails anymore.  It was great to talk to y'all yesterday and see how everyone was doing.  I will be home before I even know it...only 8 months....wow. 

Blanding is definitely a culture shock for me here.  I have a had a couple of small anxiety problems which I have never felt before in my life.  Mostly just from going to having nothing, and living with people for 8 months that also have nothing to having everything!  Made me really reflect on how appreciative I am of things and how important it is for people to go on a mission and have these experiences so you can be humbled.  

I now live in a big house with 2 other missionaries which is quite an upgrade from where I last was living.  We all get along great and its fun at the end of a day after walking around forever to come home and just chill with 2 other guys instead of just your companion.  Sunday was pretty good.  The churchs here are HUGE!!  4 stories and everything.  These Utah mormons get everything!  Theres even a seventy coming to stake conference this week.  Apparently they have a 70 every time!  Crazy.  There are tons of members here and the wards try to keep us busy with people to teach but honestly....I have no idea why there are missionaries here....there isn't much of a need for them right now...especially 8.... 8 missionaries in a town of 4,000...ridiculous.  I am enjoying it though, and we are around the youth a lot and we answer a lot of questions about missions and stuff.  We take the young guys teaching with us to give them a taste of what its like (In my opinion, nobody has been a missionary until you have to deal with drunk people, or been out in the middle of nowhere for awhile).  Its fun here though and I am just taking it one day at a time trying to get used to white people again.  GO BRONCOS

Love Elder Christensen

Robert vs. Saying Goodbye to Hopiland

NOTE:  Robert has a new address on the right sidebar if you want to send him anything!

 

The man that was baptized is in the blue and his wife is on the far left.  I've gotten used to being the tallest person around. 

I was able to plant a 2 and a  half acre field on Saturday....traditional style.  Stab a converted railroad spike into the ground...throw a few seeds in...and keep goin.  That was hard work and actually a very spiritual experience because of the love and care the Hopi have for their crops.

Loloma!!!

Well it just kinda hit me that I am leaving from one extreme to another again.  I am being sent to Blanding, Utah.  Honestly I am not very excited.....I have talked to quite a few other missionaries and other people about Blanding.  There is only about 4,000 people there and about 90% are already members.  They have 8 wards from what I've heard.  I will be in Blanding South.  I am leaving my people....and returning back to all those white people....I about lost it at the pulpit yesterday when i said I was leaving and the entire branch gave a big moan and about 30 people started crying.  I have lived nearly 8 months with the Hopi indians and like I said yesterday at the pulpit...I feel like I am leaving home again. There was bahana visitor at church as well and he said that he served the Hopi back in 62' and he was here for 7 months.  He came and sat by me after sacrament and gave me a big hug and started crying.  Thanking me for helping him remember what it was like to serve the Hopi...then he told me that when President Kimball was over missionary he made a stop to his mission and spoke and told them that all missionaries that serve the Native Americans will be greeted and by Book of Mormon Prophets and people when we step through the veil in the spirit world.  Cant wait for that!!!   I am glad that I was able to have some interesting experiences for my last sunday though.  I got a call after sacrament and it was from the reactivated member we have been working with lately.  We weren't able to call him back so we took out branch mission leader and went over there.  Come to find out that his nephew was killed that morning and since he is the leader of the family he felt obligated to stay home and help every one with the grieving process.  Don't blame him...good guy.  Since the Hopi all live very close to family like next door or across the road if there is one everyone is very connected.  I asked him if he would like the sacrament and he said yes, so we went back to church rounded up some priests and teachers and went back.  It was originally just him that we would be administering to....but he got a call from his sisters next door asking for us to come over.  There was about 20 people there...and they were ALL members.  But inactive,  except for the man we've been working with of course. They all partook of the sacrament and there was a calming spirit in the room and some of the women that were wailing almost hysterically were calm and I'm sure were remembering the time when they were all on placement program in Utah or something and going to church.  I was then asked to bless the home and family so I knelt down and said a prayer.  After the prayer one of the women said that "its sad that we have to have something tragic happen to open our eyes again to the church."  Hopefully there will be about 20 more people at church next week.  An entire family.  That would make my heart feel good.  

As for the baptisms on saturday, they went very well and the man being baptized was a bit on the heavier side so i was asked to help lift him back up out of the water.  It was fun to be dressed in white in front of so many non members and see the expression on their faces.  My time here was well spent I think and hopefully I did some good somewhere.  We handed out about 40 copies of the Book of mormons you sent us so thats good.  As for chris's blessing....he had to cancel due to some problems that came up so it was rescheduled for june 8th so maybe i will still be able to come.  Im sure there is an RM that has nothing to do in Blanding and will be willing to take me. 

Well I have a few more visits to make for my last day in Polacca.  I am basically held to an oath here by many people that I have to come back soon so when we come back through as a family we will be spending a lot of time here.  I m so grateful for the privilege I have had to be here...its gonna be an emotional day today and especially when Im driving away tomorrow morning.  I will see y'all on mothers day! 

Love Elder Christensen

basneywa! Singadee!  eyeamo!!