Ben 8-16-10

Hello.
I love it here in Tehachapi it is amazing! The people here are awesome and it kind of reminds me of Dutch John with the rolling hills and all the juniper and pines. It does snow and I could be here for that which I would totally be ok with. It is between Bakersfield and Lancaster.
I'm glad that you enjoyed your last week before you go back to school. That’s sweet that you went up to the ward camp out was it up at the spruces? Sounds like it was a blast.
That is pretty cool that you have been able to spend so much time in the temple recently I love the temple and I think I am going to go here in the next couple of weeks :) but that is sweet that you got to clean it and you went a bunch of other times I am going to have to say that my favorite temple is still the Salt Lake temple probably because it was my first temple.
Sounds like you had a good time up at the cabin with the whole fam damily up there( is that the right “there”? haha) that is cool that you got a new hutch we needed one bad but I kinda liked the old dresser that only some of the drawers worked so you had to put the games you wanted to play in the top two... as for dad going fishing yes mom that is why it is called fishing and not catching haha!
That is way cool that you are teaching gospel principles I love going to that class. That is way cool that you have a bunch of people coming back to church and that you had a I’m sure your lesson on the priesthood was awesome.
As for the package I don’t think I need anything at the moment but what ever you send will be fine. I don’t need toothbrush heads grandpa Ed gave me some before I left so I have like 4

Well on to what is going on here. We cover two wards the Golden Hills and Bear Valley wards and I love it! I would totally live in a place like this. The work is going well, we have a couple of investigators and people that we are working with part member families and stuff. One of the people we are working with is Wayne, he has been investigating for about two years and the only thing holding him back is the word of wisdom so we are going to start chipping away at things to get him on the right track. We are also working with two boys name David and William and both their parents are less active so we are teaching the kids and trying to get them back to church.
Covering two wards is hard I have a lot to learn about the area so I am still a little lost on where things are and who is in what ward but its all good.
I will know more next week.

love you all,
elder Bennett Christensen

Matt 8-16-10

Well I’m glad that bro Hendricks was able to get a hold of you. He is the ward mission leader here and one of the best people that I have ever met. He has been such a blessing to me in helping me with the work.

Wow! you wrote a ton this week!! Mine won't be that long but I did have a great week so it will be longer than last weeks :) That is so cool that you were able to clean the temple that was a super cool experience for me. To be in the temple and just have it be totally quiet and some times be alone long enough to just feel super peaceful it was great.

Wow! a ward campout I remember how fun those were. We had some totally awesome times with those snakes and when someone got bit that was funny. Wow! that sounds like a totally awesome find for the cabin with the hutch. And I’m glad that the whole fam damily was able to make it up to the cabin. Were you able to sing Dane’s favorite song while you were up there? haha I thought of that the other day cause some elders had a ukulele and were playing songs on it and I remember the fun times when we would sing around the fire with everyone.

Now on to my week... it was awesome!! To start off, with the new transfer last Monday, we were able to set a baptism date with the Turners, it was super awesome!! We had an amazing lesson with them and they are going to get baptized on Sept. 11th so we are working with them on getting ready for that. They are the nicest people, and we were able to finally get them to church yesterday. They totally loved it! After church they called us and just thanked us for being in their lives and for helping them to come to the true church. It was so great to hear that!
Then that night we did some re-arranging in our apartment... we took all the beds out of the room and put them in the front room and put the desks in the rooms to study. we call it an orphanage its totally awesome I love it!! Later during the week we were working with a family of members named the Aragona's they have a 9 year old son named Joshua and we set a date with him for the 4th of Sept. and we are so excited for him. We are also having a baptism next week for a young girl named Angel Mendoza she is the daughter of a less active lady that we have been working with. So for the next few weeks we are going to be super busy!! We are trying to keep daily contact with all of these people and that is a lot of work, but it is good cause we can call them or make super short visits. I’m glad to hear that the missionary work is going good back home! I know that you all will be a great help just keep up the fantastic work.:)

As for the package I don't have anything special that I want. just some candy or cookies or something. I have enough tooth brush heads grandma Lee gave me 4 before I left so I should be fine if I change it every 6 months. but thanks for asking.

I love you tons,

Elder Christensen

8-9-10 Matt

howdy!
Wow that is going to be a fast count down, it’s the final count down! haha Well Paul should definitely go to slcc that would be a good thing for him.

Youth conference sounds like it was tons of fun! Boating is totally awesome for an activity! It doesn't surprise me that Paul and T.J. had to create some drama. haha

Well this week was good we had transfers and both elder Capener and I are staying which is awesome! Things are going good and we don't have any new news this week and I feel bad because I don't know what to write. I even looked at the card and nothing has changed. hahaha Well I hope you have a wonderful week

love elder Christensen

Ben 8-0-10

Well you are right this week was transfers and I am leaving. I have a bittersweet feeling about it because I really love the people here and things are finally starting to look up for the area. This last week went by way to fast! We found 3 new investigators and taught a bunch of lessons which was good, we had 3 people at church which is about normal. We have quite a few eternigators haha but we found all three of our new investigators through tracting so that is pretty cool. This one kid, Lance, seemed pretty interested which is awesome. He is about 29 and black which makes it cooler. Then this lady, Patty, she seems pretty solid as wel,l we gave her a plan of salvation booklet and a BOM. She is going through a really tough time right now her son just got arrested and is in jail and her husband died about a year or two ago so she has kind of been searching for a church which is awesome.

So I am going to the mountains!!!!! I will be serving in Tehachapi which is in the mountains above Bakersfield I'm super excited my new comp is going to be elder Sharpe he is from Wyoming and is a super cool kid. He was in Moorpark my first transfer but in the other ward so I already know him pretty well. Oh, and I get to drive a truck and if I stay long enough I will be able to see snow! That would be amazing! Haha

I’m glad that things are going well for you that is crazy that you are going back to school so soon. I can’t believe that it is august. I’m glad that you had a good time up at youth conference and that the weather cooperated while you were at the lake. Sounds like you did some pretty good service. So did anyone do anything besides surf and tube? I love the Paulsen’s boat it is amazing I only got to use it once but it was a blast. that is super funny that Paul and T.J. snuck out. T.J. would convince Paul to do that not that it would be hard but you get what I mean. I’m glad that they came back though. That is sweet that he is going to St. George for a week I hope that he has fun.
Tell Danny that I am sorry he hurt his ankle that is no fun I did it about 3 weeks ago playing basketball. But I hope that it is all better now. That is pretty sweet that they won the frisbee football championship I am impressed.
That is sad that John’s brothers wife Jane died. I’m so glad that I know the plan of salvation and the things that it does for us.

So, on Sunday we had a special kind of sacrament meeting and it was amazing it started off by me and elder Golden bearing our testimonies and how we helped people come into the church and then we had some of the converts from the congregation come up and share their testimony and how they came into the church and how it has blessed their lives. it was amazing we only made it through about 3 people on the list but it was fantastic. So, at the end of the meeting they had a musical number and this girl from the ward sang I stand all amazed and it totally fit the meeting I felt the spirit so strong it was amazing.

Well I’m sorry to leave this place but I am looking forward to the places ahead.

love you all and appreciate all that you do for me.

love elder Christensen