Transfers

Well it's been a pretty crazy week. We got transfer calls and Zuster King is going to St. Maartin. I'm gonna miss her so bad, we've gotten to be best friends and had so many amazing adventures together! So it's just going to be Zuster Walsh and I holding down the fort here in Suriname. And she's still a new missionary so I'm going to be training her. It's so crazy! I don't feel like I've been on a mission long enough to be training but I'm so pumped for all the new adventures we're gonna have together :) She is an awesome missionary with such a strong testimony, so even though I'm super sad to say goodbye to Zuster King I'm excited for this next transfer. There will be lots of change but I'm ready for the challenge!

We weren't able to get much done this week because Zuster Walsh got super sick. She started out the week with an awful Cold/Flu thing. Then a couple days ago she got a fever with really bad joint pains... symptoms of Chickun Gun Ya. I feel so bad for her, it's the worst! So we've been stuck inside basically all week. Poor thing, keep her in y'alls prayers! 

But we did get to go out a couple times at the beginning of the week and meet with one of our new investigators Brian. He is hilarious. I contacted him a couple weeks ago... or more like he contacted me. I was riding my bike down the road and he yelled at me from the roof of a house saying "Sister when are you going to come teach me!" I thought he was a crazy drunk guy so I kept riding by but he kept on yelling at me so I just turned around to see if he was legit or not. Well anyway I ended up giving him a book of mormon and setting up a return appointment. And he told me he had a problem smoking weed. So I told him God would help him to stop! 

Anyway so when I went by for our return appointment he said "Zuster Christiansen, I have some good and bad news... Bad news I didn't read out of the book of mormon. Good news I didn't smoke a joint today! :) Haha I was so proud of him. 

Well everything is still good here in Suriname. I love it and absolutely love all the people I am serving here. Oh and Cheniva the girl who worked with me last week while Zuster King was gone got her mission call to Atlanta Georgia! I'm so excited for her. She is going to be an amazing missionary! I love y'all! Have a great week! And don't forget Heavenly Father loves you :)

Liefde, 

Zuster C

Zuster Walsh

Well it's been another crazy awesome week! Zuster King went to French Gyuana to be with the sisters there so I was with one of the members for the week. It was awesome, she helped me so much with my Dutch! And we had a blast doing missionary work together. Her name is Cheniva and she is so excited to go on a mission... she is waiting for her papers to come back. They should come any time, I'm so excited to see where she is gonna go! :) 

We also got a new Zuster this week :) Her name is Zuster Walsh and she is from California and I absolutely love her! So now the 3 of us are going to be together, Zuster King, Zuster Walsh and I! We're going to have so much fun I can hardly wait for this next transfer! Zuster Walsh is allergic to Gluten and Dairy... hahah and we are in a 3rd world country. It's going to be an adventure! But I'm excited to learn how to make lots of Gluten free, dairy free food. I'll keep y'all updated on how that goes! :)

We saw so many miracles this week and met with so many wonderful people. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father thinks I'm worthy enough to help His amazing sons and daughters. And that he keeps placing so many amazing people in my path. We had a lesson with the Kross family. I absolutely love their stinking guts! They are so cute. She is a single mom and she has 3 daughters but she lives with lots of other family so there is always lots of cute little kids running around. Oh and mom I always keep my purse full of that candy you sent me to give to them and they love it :) Anyway so we have had a few lessons with them and they are so awesome about reading the book of mormon. They all have their own and when we show up they come running over to tell us what they read. Even the little kids it's the cutest thing ever. So we had a lesson when them about the plan of salvation and I bore my testimony that I know that God gave us this plan because he loves us and He wants all of His children to return and live with Him. And that's the reason I went on a mission so that I would be able to share this amazing plan with everyone! She loved it and afterwards she said that Zuster King and I are angles and that she wants the happiness and glow that Zuster King and I have. She was so cute and sweet. It made my day.

Oh also this week we did some service at a less active members house. We helped them pull weeds and clear out their yard. Well funny thing about Suriname people, they use Machetes to cut down grass and bushes and trees. So I got to do Gardening work Surinamese Style :) I got to smash bushes with a Machete... it was really fun! :) Haha well it's been an awesome week! I hope you are all staying safe and happy! Love y'all :) Happy Valentines day! <3

Met liefde, 

Zuster C 

Birthday in Suriname

Thank you for all the birthday wishes. This was defiantly a birthday I will never forget! Zuster King's birthday was 2 days before mine so we had lots of fun together! The members were so sweet and totally spoiled us. We went over to one of the members houses and they made us dinner and a cake and everything it was so sweet :) Then we went out to help build a member in our branches house. (We've been helping out every week for the past 2 months now) It's so fun! I love going out there! And they were so sweet they also made us dinner and a cake. It was a really good birthday full of service and love... and now I'm 20... so crazy! haha I feel really old. 

This week the Zone leaders came out with us for a day. The day started out very interesting .. haha one of their bikes broke right when the day started so I just let him use mine and Zuster King and I switched off riding on the back of her bike. At one point I left my helmet somewhere and I didn't want to break the rules and fall off my bike and break my head. So i just stuck a book of mormon on top of my head. Haha so we looked real funny riding around with me on the back of Zuster Kings bike... with a Book of Mormon on my head. I think the elders were embarrassed to be seen with us. But Zuster King and I had a good laugh about it. 

This week we started teaching a family and they are so adorable. The mom is a single mom with 3 daughters. She is the sweetest lady and has the best questions! Last time we visited them we walked up and the mom was sitting on the porch reading the book of mormon. We had left her 2 Nephi 2 to read so she had lots of questions about the plan of salvation. It was so fun teaching her about God's amazing plan for us and how she can be with her beautiful daughters forever. She was so happy and really interested to know more. 

Also this week we met with Shanice and shared the Restoration movie with her. She absolutely loved it! We asked her to write her testimony in the front of a book of mormon and give it to a friend. Then give us their number so we could start teaching them. She is so excited to do it. I love her :) Then after our lesson she told us that every time we come she can feel the spirit super strong and it makes her happy. It was so sweet. We also fasted with her this Sunday and she was fasting that she would be able to feel the Holy Ghost stronger in her life. I love that girl so much she is so amazing! 

I'm so grateful for all the experiences I've had on my mission. I've learned so much and I feel the saviors love stronger than I ever have in my whole life. Some days it feels like he is right there beside me. Helping me along the way and guiding me towards those who are ready to accept His gospel. Being a missionary is the best! I love it! Thanks again for all the birthday love. Y'all are the best. Have a great week :)

Love your favorite Zuster Missionary

Shanice gets baptized!

Oh my goodness this has been the best week! Shanice got baptized on Saturday! :) She is so amazing and such a miracle. Her whole story is just evidence that God is preparing people everyday for us to meet. She is so amazing! Her baptismal service was so cute and it was so cool to see how much all the members love her already. Zuster King and I made her a journal to have everyone at the baptism to sign and write down words of advice. And everyone loved it and made her feel so loved and welcomed. I'm so grateful Heavenly Father placed her in my path and that I had the opportunity to bring her the gospel. 

I just know I was sent here to Suriname to find her and that we are going to be best friends for life :) And now I'm pumped to go out there and find more people who are ready like Shanice was. The gospel is so true and brings nothing but happiness and when people realize that for themselves it's like magic. They just change and become better. That's been my favorite part about my mission. Watching the light of Christ change people lives. It really is amazing. 

Sorry the letter is short this week! I love y'all so much and I am so grateful for all the love and support. Love you guys and remember Jesus loves you too :)