Am I Really on Week 4?

This week was good, we had zone conference which was really amazing. The focus is families right now and I realise that my memory sucks and all the stories I've been told about my grandparents and ancestors I have forgotten.. completely, I can't even remember names, let alone life stories.

So PLEASE please please send me some stories and family history info. especially for the first few  generations back. SO to my great grand parents. 

I got brave and weighed myself... just kidding my companions forced me onto the scale. And ya, that happened, lets not talk about it ;) all I will say is that we now have a companion goal to buy more veggies, only veggies, veggies galore!!

My companion and I both love pride and prejudice and so we quote it alot to each other, if I had to pick something that I missed the most, it would probably be that, just kidding. It's probably my family but honestly, I think i think about lizzie and darcy more... "have you heard the news,? Netherfield Park is let at last! Is it? ... Oh mister BENNET!" Ah I love that movie 

Our ami is getting baptised in 2 weeks! I can't really say I've done much, he's been an ami for a long while, he's had to quite smoking, so it's been a while that he's met with missionaries. But he is AMAZING! He has such a great understanding of the gospel and Jesus Christ and he has so much faith! It's wonderful seeing the tail end of some one. He just has such a huge desire to follow Christ and keep the commandments and be good, it AMAZING! He's so great. 

I don't really have anything else to say about this week, we spend a lot of time contacting and just talking to people, well, my companion talks and I stand there smiling, or when I think appropriate make some sort of consoling sad sound when I think they say something sad of difficult... I'm so oblivious to what actually is talked about. We have questionnaires that we ask to  start conversations and its about the family and who in their lives has influenced them, and so sometimes we get the sad conversations where some one died or something, so then I become sad and consoling and sympathetic, at least hopefully that's when, I really can only guess... I just laugh at myself all the time, imagining what I look/sound like to these people! So funny...

Oh and the other day someone thought I was Russian. So that was interesting, and sometimes when the people ask where we are from, and they find out we're Canadian, they just get so excited! I love Canada! I love Canadians! I love i love i love... It's pretty funny.

The WEIRDEST thing happened this week, seriously so weird. So we were at the church doing something, or had met someone there for a lesson, and before leaving someone came to the door asking to talk to us for like 5 minutes. So we opened the door and then I have no idea, I don't know what language he was speaking. Well it was french, but he kept putting English words in and He wasn't finishing his sentences. He asked what we were doing, and we told him we were missionaries, but he wasn't really getting it, he kept asking us questions, but they made no sense, and then he said kept saying something to me but I had no idea what he was saying! Then He pointed to us and said that to him we were trois cheval, so 3 horses (what does that mean) and then he made this neighing sound, to make sure that we understood that we were three horses. and then he walked away. It was so bizarre!!!!

Three horses? What?

So ya, that was really weird. 

Not much else happened, we talk to people, sometimes they are nice, sometimes mean, sometimes a bit crazy... And sometimes they want to talk more and so we meet with them again. That's the life!

Haha, it's great. 

Love!!! Soeur Christensen

Oh Montauban...

So this week, what happened?

This week was good, we had some good lessons and what not. But it's a bit slow. The people here are really nice but it seems like all the people that we talk to aren't really interested. They talk to us and say they will meet with us, but then they never actually want to do anything. I'm guessing that's pretty normal, but it's a bit frustrating. 

 We had some cool experiences though, little miracles :) We had contacted this guy in the street and he said he would meet with us again. So we went to his house and met with him and his wife and their absolutely adorable little girl who was just 2 weeks old. She's from Spain and my companion can speak Spanish, or Portugese, but they're pretty much the same, so the lesson ended up being in Spanish because she didn't really speak French (not that it really changes much in what I understand...) anyways, so what happened was her husband is Muslim, but she doesn't believe in anything. For him its really important to believe in something, anything, he didn't care. He just wanted her to believe in something, so he had us come over to get her to believe in something. Crazy eh?!?!?! And she's super open and willing to try anything!! So we are super excited and she has this new baby so she's at home all day! Ah, we're excited to start teaching her!!!

I'm not really sure what else to talk about... Do you really want to hear about the blah, day to day things?? Boring, but okay. So my companion, she's from Calgary, well Airdrie. Her mom is from Honduras and her dad is from Brazil. She did a year of linguistics at the U of C. She lived in Montreal for 4 years when she was younger so her French is really good. She's very nice, she LOVES all things Asian, especially Korean, she's super into all those Korean dramas and stuff like that. Which just makes me laugh! In a good way though, not a bad way! Don't take that wrong. We've started running every morning which is nice and we had exchanges this last week so I took some pictures of workouts from that sister (Koyle). So hopefully I can ... you know... keep eating all this bread... haha.

And for food... ah this is so weird talking about. You seriously want to know about his??? Gah so weird. Okay, we kind of rotate between rice or pasta or soup or chili, with salad and different veggie mixes (just frozen things) its good, some times kind of bland, but good. I really miss my hot sauce!!! I'm going to search for some that I like, we have one but its kind of weird and like this mayonnaise hot sauce. It kind of weird... really weird. 

Oh something actually cool. We had dinner at a members house last night, the Dieutre's. They are SO NICE! I really like them. There are 3 kids, the oldest is a guy, 18, then a girl, almost 17, then another girl that is about 14 I think, I forget. The dad reminds me about of my dad, haha. He is just kind of goofy always joking around. He always says phrases in an american accent, so in french but like an american. It is really funny but then it kills me because I know that that's exactly what I sound like. The boy is working on his papers right now, so that's exciting. Oh, and I was just looking on their book case and there was a missionary tag. It said Elder Blosil, and he taught my class at the mtc for a while! So that was kind of fun, we talked about him a bit. They just said he was an amazing missionary, but it was cool to know we both knew him. Anyways...

It feels like winter is over here!!! The days are getting warm, but rainy. So yay for umbrellas.

Missionary question, that I need help with. What do you do when people just don't want to hear, or have what we're sharing as missionaries. I don't know what do do, because it honestly makes me so sad when we are talking with some one and they are so nice and I can just see how much their lives can be blessed, but then they just don't want it. 

We had this lesson with a family, they were so nice, just amazing people. The mom is Arab, and she converted to Catholicism. The story was cool, just in that she searched and searched to know God. And her husband too, he seemed really smart and they both had just really really searched for truth, and to understand God. Which is awesome and in my head all I'm thinking is that's awesome, read this book it will build on your knowledge. But when we got to it The mom was open, but the Dad wasn't and it just makes me so sad to see these people who have searched and searched for truth, turn it away. I don't know. How do I deal with that? Cause it's hard, ya know?

Love you all!
Soeur Christensenc

Addendum

Camrie also has asked for some recipes! She specifically mentions desserts so if anyone wants to share a favorite with her you can send them to Camrie's email for next Monday!

camrie.christensen@myldsmail.net

Because of the time difference emails to Camrie need to be sent by Sunday evening.

She also promised some pictures next week!

Montauban: Week 1

Okay so just a little I don't know what to call it, but the keyboards here are crazy and so there will probably be some absolutley bizzare spelling mistakes... So nu judgement, I have no idea where the letters are.

(Normally I spell check Cam's emails... the spelling is pretty bad even when she has a normal keyboard, haha. But I figure it's now part of the experience so I'm leaving it unedited.)

I'm in france. Is this what ,issionary life is? This is crazy; I don't even really feel like a missionary yet! Its great!!! but I really have no idea what i'm doing.

Is this what a mission is?? I have no idea

Okay, so the we got to france at about 11 something in the lmorning on tuesday (paris) then we flew to Lyon and hgot there at about 2 something, i think, i could be a few hours off. My watch broke at the MTC and I literally have no idea what time it is, ever, its kind of nice but also kind of drives me crazy. 

 So blah blah blah, not important, we met President Roney and sister Roney and a bunch of missionaries, i already for got all their names so din't even bother wondering. And they took us to the office I think, I can't exactly rememlber the exact details, but them we had dinner at the presidents house. 

BREAD!!!!!!!!!! we had bread which was so good!! I could eat bread till I die, I love it. Strawberries may be kicked off the favorite food podium, maybe.

Anyways, he interviewed everyone and then we went to the stl's apartment  and I think just went to bed, I'm forgetting something, but I can't remember. Wow, I have the worst memory!

The next day we had a conference where we found out our companions!! So crazy stuff, you know my mtc comp soeur hurd, well her sister is training her! Isn't that crazy?!! well it really is and I cried for her!!!! what the heck, she didn't cry and her sister didn't cry, but I did. SERIOUSLY!! What is this? haha, it's not thqt bad, but ya, funny stuff. 

So my compaion is Soeur Deoliviera, I cqn't pronounce it, at all, its bad. but shes CANADIAN!! ya, go canada, She's from airdrie and she's really nice and this is her last transfer! So i kill her, not actually, but that's what they call it I guess, so she goes home really soon!

Anyways, we spent the first week pretty much in Lyon. Which is why i Dont really feel like a missionary yet, we haven't actually done any work yet, really. Which is kind of annoying. So what happened is legality was on friday, so we just stayed there until then, and our train didn't leave till Saturday. So we pretty much had this mini vacation in lyon for a week with a bunch of missionaries.

Anyways, we did a bit of contacting, really none, but then we also went singin in the train station place, which was really fun. So many people were stopping to listen! It was cool.

Then we got to our area at about 3 saturday afternoon, and we did planning for what seemed like forever! I need to learn to love planning, and goals. because that is seriously all we do. Goals plan goals plan goals plan. forever!!! So thats cool and I suck at it, haha. but I will learn and get better.

I just realized I say anyways all the time! sorry about that...

anyways;; hahah just kidding. Sunday I met the ward. Everyone is really nice and I'm excited to work in this area.

I am running out of time, man this goes by to fast.

My first impressions of France:

First every one dresses so nice!! I know your all thinking well duh, your in france, but seriously, such good style here. especially the french koreans, my comp always points them out and they all always look so good! 

Second, I am going to get fat. Like i said, bread! I love it, I am going to turn into a baguette.And  cheese, I used to hate it, but now i love it. Brad and cheese, thats all I wanrt to eat. oh, and pain de chocolat... ya. My lorning workouts really need to be efficient...

third, The French are ectually really nice, qnd I know this because I probably look like a complete idiot to them, because I literally stand there smiling at them because I have next to no idea what is going on and for all I know they could say that they hate life and think I'm the worst person in the world, or that they love satan of something and I would be standing there smiling saying oui oui, like an idiot! But despite that and my feeble attempts to speak french they smile at me and say i'm nice or atleast I think thats what they say usually...

So all in all this is THE BEST! And I love it and I'm excited to actually start the work, and find out what being a missionary is actually like :)

One thing hasn't changed though. I cried in 2/3 of the lessons we had yeserday. And I didn't even know what I was saying or what they were saying. Ah my life of tears!!!! Maybe that should be my blogs title...

Kidding don't change it!!!!!!!!!!

love love love!!

cam, Soer Christensen

Some Pictures of their First Companions

Camrie's District from the MTC arriving in France

Camrie's mission president's wife runs a mission blog called: France Lyon Mission (click name for link) where she posts pictures of incoming and outgoing missionaries, zone conferences, etc, etc. It is called Lyon Mission Offical Blog in the link list I've provided. I pulled these pictures from there!

Camrie and Soeur Nuf reading who their first companions will be!

Everyone with their new compaions!

A couple cool stories is that Camrie's companion in the MTC has a sister currently serving in the France Lyon Mission. The older sister has been assigned to trained Soeur Hurd! I guess everyone cried and they are both really happy about it. Camrie's trainer, Soeur De Oliveira saw the list of incoming missionaries and wanted to train Camrie, because Canadians are so cool ;) and she is!

Soeur Christensen and Soeur De Oliveira

Camrie Anne in France

Wow! She's in France! 

So where exactly is she?

France Lyon Mission Map, Boundaries and Stakes

Camrie's new address for parcels and letters is:

3, Allées de L'Empereur  

82000 Montauban

France

This address will stay on the right-hand side of the blog (when in web mode) for you to refer back to. I have also added a parcel service to the links bar on the top right- it's a business set up by the previous mission president's wife to make it easier to get treats from home to your missionary. You can continue to use Dear Elder to send letters if you prefer. However, now that she is out of the MTC it costs to send them. About a dollar something? And you will have to change your selection from PROVO MTC to her actual mission. Dear Elder allows you deposit an amount of credit to send letters so you don't have to go through the hassle of paying every time. 

Like any good parents, Marlow and Shelley quickly looked her apartment up on Google Earth- and passed on the idea. I would tell you about the cool french street she lives on, and the cafe next door, and the cathedral down the road... but I figured I should just show you.

Her apartment is the little letter "A" beside the words Meubles Hugon. 

Notice the chapel down the road? And the River in the top left corner? 

A little closer..

Street view to the south of her apartment.

Street view to the north. Her apartment is on the left with the red shutters and orange brick, just beside the mini cooper.

Soeur Christensen's first apartment in FRANCE!

We will be hearing from Camrie on Mondays (her preparation day) from now on. We are excited to hear how her first week in France has been!

She Made It!

Dear Family of Sister Christensen,

This is just a quick note and photo to inform you that YOUR MISSIONARY HAS ARRIVED IN LYON FRANCE! We are so excited to have them in this mission. We love them and we view them with the same care and concern as we would our own children.  They looked pretty good even though they were surely very tired. They will be doing some legal work for their visa and some training and interviewing. By their preparation day (Monday) they will be able to tell you their companion’s name and where they live. Thank you so much for sharing your missionary with The Lord and with this mission. In many ways, this is truly the most wonderful mission in the world and they will make it even better.

Soeur Christensen with President and Sister Roney

The flight was changed last night so that instead of arriving at 11:10 AM they arrived at 2:30 PM.  They just left for the mission home for dinner.

Thank you,

President and Sister Roney

France Lyon Mission



We also got to find out her companion and address early thanks to a secretary at the mission office!

Dear Family of Sister Christensen,

Sister Christensen will be serving with Sister De Oliveira in Montauban.  Their address is 3, Allées de L'Empereur  82000 Montauban.

Camrie with her first companion in the field- Soeur De Oliveira!

This morning Sister De Oliveira came into the office with the rest of the trainers for breakfast.  She looked at the list of new missionaries and said that she hoped that she would be assigned to Sister Christensen because she was Canadian.  She was so excited when her wish came true!

Sister Clark

France Lyon Mission Secretary

Au Revoir to the MTC

Camrie is flying out today with 11 other missionaries that are going to France! Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?) her flight was cancelled so they are going to go back to the MTC to wait. Originally they were to fly from Utah to Chicago to London to Lyon (yikes)- but now they will get a direct flight to Paris! More details to follow- she will call when she is back at the airport.

She sounds excited! A little nervous, but happy and eagerly anticipating getting into the field. She didn't even cry on the phone (gasp). We are so proud of our missionary!