Addresses, Letters 9/18, 9/11, 9/4

9/24/06

Only about 1/3 of last week’s blog entry for Sue seemed to make it to the blog site. So I will try again with that, as well as excerpts from her 9/18 letter. Also, since she leaves 5:30 tomorrow morning (9/25) to begin her journey to Quito, here is her new address:

Hna ChristieSue Henrichsen

Ecuador-Quito Mission

P.O.B. 30150

Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

(Letters only for this pouch address)

Mission address:

Hna ChristieSue Henrichsen

Ecuador-Quito Mission

Casilla De Correo 17-03-078

Quito, Ecuador

9/18/06

"Mom, reading Jacob 4:6-7 made me think about you teaching seminary today. I’m not exactly sure why now, but I think it was a mental link between your desire to really help the youth come to love the scriptures and Jacob’s desires for the records to assist future generations develop faith and come to know Christ.

My ankle is improving. For therapy on Fri and Sat. they started off by having me run. It was good to be able to do that again. It’s still a little swollen and bruised, but I really don’t have pain except for during therapy and when I smack it up against something on accident (or someone else kicks it accidentally - haha). It just reminds me to be nice to my tobillo (ankle), though.

Oh yeah! I received my travel plans last week! I leave at 5:30 a.m. on the 25^th. In one week, I’ll be gone (ack + yay!) It’s funny being so excited to go, but at the same time being nervous of the things in the unknown to come. I’ll be traveling for 26 hours in total, because we have an 11-hr layover in San Francisco to go meet with the consul (so our visas can be signed, I think). W’ll then fly out to Miami and then down to Quito. I’m traveling w/Hna Hickey, who was my first companion here. All that time will just give us more opportunities to share the truth en route! J

We went to the temple for the last time in a long time today. At least for yo y Hna Jackson. Hna Matio, as she’’ll be serving in SLC, south. It was really great to spend time together in the temple, especially to take turns praying together We really want to make the best of this last week together and here in the MTC> We had a really great companion inventory yesterday, too. We spent a significant amount of time giving compliments and thanking each other for support and contributions to our learning and experience. I definitely see that even here in the MTC companion assignments are not random, but designed for our growth and well-being. I’m so grateful for their patience, love, and all they have taught or helped me to learn. It’s much like a family in that we’re all together to grow and learn ourselves, but we can’t really do it alone. I’m grateful for opportunities to help and support others , too. …

I’ve seen over and over again in my life that serving others is what brings the greatest joy and satisfaction in life. Ice cream and cookies are pretty great to, and cheese is just awesome, but it’s when we really do just lose ourselves in serving others that we find ourselves and find that we are happy. Thank you for helping to make this mission possible for me.

We tyry to speak all in Spanish every day and we have really improved because of that. I wish that the Spanish at Shenango had been more comprehensive, but it’s okay that I know more and speak so much more in a couple months than in four years, because I know we are being helped by the immersion in the language here, but even more so by the Spirit. It can still be intimidating, but I can generally say what I want to now, I just need to think about it for a second (and continue to build my vocabulary…can you believe our Eng/Span dictionary doesn’t have the Spanish equivalent for ‘impetus’!? I haven’t cooked up volatile, yet, but I don’t think I’d use that in gospel discussions as much, anyway.

I’m so grateful for the knowledge that we are individually loved and known as God’s children. I’ve seen the blessings poured out to answer specifgic problems and questions here, both as words or feelings of comfort to my mind for myself and as help for others. One Hna came to me with some of her sentiments of frustration with her companion, mostly as a result of personality differences (since I’m to coordinating sister). I didn’t really know what to advise her to do, but thanks to the Spirit, one thing I did do was advise her to pray about it, for we cannot change3 others, but we can work on ourselves. A few days later, I asked how she was doing and shoe told me of another prayer answered miracle. The Lord helped her change her heart and see her companion in a completely different light, such that she couldn’t even remember her former feelings toward her roommate. I know we are known and blessed with tender mercies, individually. We are not forgotten. We need to not forget who we are and our purpose here, either . Christ lives. He is our Savior and the way back home. It’s true and everyone can know it for him/herself.J

 

4 Sept. ’06 (second attempt)

Our mission president (Pres. Kohlert) talked about patience. This virtue was an important part of the success of Alma and the Sons of Mosiah on their missions. Because they bore afflictions well and were patient, they were able to enjoy the many wonderful fruits of their labors. (Alma 17:11, 26:27-31). It’s definitely the same for missions, now, but also in life in general. The gospel does not lead us on a path without trials, in fact, the suffering and affliction is part of what helps us grow. I often use Romans 8:16-17 as I teach, since it clearly states our relationship with God and our potential. I think it’s very interesting that v. 17 talks about suffering with Christ, because it’s not the easy road to follow Him all the time. Yes, we reap the blessings and freedom of obedience, but that doesn’t mean the way is easy. Elder Holland talked about that in a devotional earlier this year here at the MTC. (I’ve seen the DVD a couple times) He said he’d wondered for many years why missionary work had to be so difficult. Why aren’t people just waiting outside, dressed in white, ready to hop in the water? The answer he came up with is that if we really are to be disciples of Christ, we are going to feel some of that pain and sorrow. It was not easy for Him, so why would it be for us? I thought those were pretty interesting thoughts. The Atonement really is pertinent in every part of the gospel and our lives. I am so grateful for our Savior and the ultimate gift He gave which is a tool of empowerment for us to choose where we want to end up. I am so grateful that because of Him, mercy also has its place in the Plan. We tyruly are nothing without Jesus Christ.

Hmm…I kind of fell away from mission conference. I was going to tell you about Sis. Boone’s talk relating our missions to temple experiences. For example, when we go in the temple, we wear special clothing to represent purity. On a mission and in life we wear modest clothing that reflects our message of Christ. In the temple, we act as proxies for our hermanas. On a mission, we serve as representatives of Christ. In the temple, we lock away worldly possessions and on a mission, we lock away our hearts to focus on doing the Lord’s work. There were many more examples, but I just really thought it was neat to point out so many everyday things that should remind us of the temple, esp. since there’s not one in my mission (yet - we’ll work on making that happen more quickly).

Did you ever have a lecture (CES maybe) or hear a talk from Bro. Scott Anderson. He spoke at the fireside last night. It was really wonderful. He talked about the wonderful knowledge we have that we are children of God. One day, he was playing "Hide and Seek" with his four year old child. The boy only hid himself by putting his head behind the couch. Bro. Anderson, like most adults, would make a show of looking in a kleenex box and then a book, with narration, of course. At that point, his sons said, "My daddy is so dumb!" (laughter from the audience…) To this, Bro. Anderson said, "Well, since I can’t find my boy, I guess I’ll have to go get ice cream all by myself." Quickly, the boy popped out of his hiding spot, saying "I found myself, Daddy!" Bro. Anderson shared a few other stories, but his main point with the hide and seek trend is, Have WE found ourselves, really come to know who we are? This knowledge we have is so precious. It is our opportunity and duty to share it with the world, for it is the answer to the world’s biggest questions.

Today in companion stuydy we read Jackb 5:70-75 and discussed it. I really love those verses. Some things that stood out to me were that the Lord of the vineyard is out working with His servants (v. 72) and that all the branches became as one, (v 74) like Zion. The scriptures are awesome!J

11 Sept. 2006 (missing from previous post, who knows why)

Hello! Sometimes it’s already difficult for me to spell things correctly, so don’t laugh too much when my English goes completely down the drainJ … My whole district/class…they’re a pretty good bunch. We all act like a family at meals and will eat from each other’s plates. It works out well, as some never want to eat vegies and others always want more. Sometimes there’s not such peaceful exchanges, but it all works out and I think it’s pretty fun.

Kristy left the MTC this morning at 4:00 a.m. I’m really glad we were able to see each other many times and spend time toether. Now, she

s on her way to the Rochester, NY mission. I’m really grateful for the friendship we share. O yeah, and last night she sang at the fireside (i.e. the whole mission). It was awesome, of course,, especially because she sang "When All is Said and Done." I just remembered how she told me she was jealous and thought "Hey, I want one." Whenever I received my call. She also made these "Be your own kind of frumpy" mock Mormonad handouts featuring me and the exmples from our missionary packets. It was inspired by my realization and acceptance of the fact that sister missionary style is just kind of frumpy (or very, depending) no matter what. Thus, inspired by the "Be your own kind of Beautiful" mormon=ad posters, I claimed my motto would be that, but with frumpy. J Apparently Kristy thought that was amusing enough to put it into action, so now it’s even more hilarious. She added the phrase at the bottom (like there always is on the normal posters) that says "for optimum frumpiness, pull up skirt and tuck in shirt" which came from our missionary shopping experience together, when we laughed a lot about having to tuck in shirts, as the call packet says we must do. Anyway, she made a couple 8 ½ x 11 posters, I think, just for us and then a bunch of handouts/minis to give to others, which were quckly sucked up and sought after, because so many other sisters see the truth of it and think it’s hilarious too. The funniest part of all was when a random sister I don’t know recognized me from the poster with a statement like "Hey, you’re the one in the poster - the frumpy poster. I love that!: I’m glad I will be known/recognized by strangers as that frumpy sister. HahahaJ

Now I have "When All is Said and Done" stuck in my head. I’ve always really loved that song, because it reminds me of the perspective we need to keep and because it presents the mental image of greeting the Savior when He comes again. I think it is important to ask ourselves often when the day has finally come, will I hear Him say "Well done"? Will I live with Him, when all is said and done? As Brother Heaton (Admin. Dir. Of Provo MTC) spoke of last night, we need to constantly be setting and striving toward goals in order to improve. The most prevalent words in Preach My Gospel are goals. It’s not necessarily that our success is in completing the goals, but in the constant effort with all your heart, might, mind, and strength to do so. A testimony cannot do us lasting good if we do not continue to nourish it. As missionaries of the latter (and last) days and part of the blessed, covenant house of Israel, we cannot decide "we know it all" or "we’ve got this gospel stuff down." It is our privilege and responsibility to live and receive the blessings of the covenant (and our covenants) and carry them to the world. I love D&C 58-26-28 because it is such a great motivating scripture. I know the power is within us. We have agency, we know good from evil. We have the blessing of the truth, of the opportunity to each iknow for ourselves directly from God. Because I want to become a true missionary (not merely go through the motions) because I want to be able to hear Christ greet me with "well done", it is so worth the constant struggle to move uphill. I also get the fun call to teach this important message of self-reliance to everyone I can. However wonderful or horrible a person is, he can find ways to improve, step by step, whether in physical, spiritual, things, there is always a way we can improve ourselves and thus bless our own lives and others’. This is what we must constantly do if we are really going to become like Christ (Eph 14:14ish)

Oh yeah, I sprained my ankle last Friday while playing volleyball. (We did get the point, though.) I just jumped up to punch the ball over the net and rooled my right ankle as I landed. At first I thought it was just that I’d rolled it and I’d be okay soon, but as I pulled up my pantleg to see, it was already swelling right up. Hna Malio had been playing on my team and came over to the sideline to make sure I was okay about then. Since it clearly was not a good sign to have an immediately exploding ankle, she quickly picked me up and carried me like a baby caross the gym and over to the physical therapy office, with both of us laughing uncontrollably the whole way. Upon assessment, I was told it was a mild level 2 (there’s 3 levels) sprain, but possibly a high ankle sprain, too. Anyway, I iced it a lot those fist couple days and conceded to using crutches by that first afternoon, so as to avoid unnecessary pain and promote healing. It didn’t really hurt at all yesterday and now I’m wearing shoes (my Mary Janes, which allow for the size adjustment, as I’m still keeping it wrapped) and walking without crutches J (You got the rest).

(You can leave a little comment, if you’d like, so I’d know if anybody is looking at these excerpts and who has current info. Thanks, Mom)