March 20th, 2013

Regarding the recent announcement regarding missionaries emailing friends and family other than parents, President Morgan is either out of the loop, or else ignoring the announcement, because at the trainers/trainees meeting yesterday, he went out of his way to say to not email anyone except your parents. He even said not to email siblings on missions, so I went and double checked with him that it was okay I kept emailing Ethan, seeing as I don't know how to get a real letter to him.

Although the Chinatown ward does take a bus to HCP every summer, and some mission presidents have in the past allowed missionaries to go to help translate, President Morgan stated in no uncertain terms that that would not be happening, so I guess I won't get to come see the Hill Cumorah Pageant this year. It was a long shot anyway.

President's goal is for every companionship to have 21 lessons a week, and 1 baptism a month, so 5 isn't actually a very large number at all. I will state right now though that such an event has not occurred in Chinatown (in terms of that number of lessons) in probably years, if not ever. We have had that rate of baptisms before, but right now, its going pretty slow, partially because the missionaries are working on getting the ward to be able to stand on its own (teaching people how to fill callings, trying to put together a ward directory/list of less active members.) Also, if we had that number of baptisms sustained throughout the year, given our number of missionaries, we would have 84 baptisms in 1 year in the 1 ward. Currently we have 3 for 2013, and not too many people are unhappy with that, because it means we get to work on hunting down all the million baptisms we've had before that vanished, and getting them to come back/getting the men to attend/learn enough that we can give them the priesthood.

Tell Cam that I'm sure he'll do great on the Oboe and Sax (when he gets there). As for Chinese, make sure he practices tones and pronunciation a lot. The smallest difference in either can completely change what you are trying to say.

Point of clarification, most of my emails will not be as long as my previous one, we went to the LDS services building on 14th street to email (so Williams could send pictures), and there is no time limit there, so I spent about 80 or 90 minutes on that email. Most of the time I'll be limited to somewhere closer to an hour.

Yes, we do go tracting/contacting in the snow (the boots are nice). Tracting is hard because so many of the buildings have an outside door that is locked before you can even get to the apartment doors, so it's really hard to get inside to even start knocking, basically we just walk the streets till we see a door that didn't close all the way, or loiter while someone opens it, then grab it before it closes all the way. We've only had one good contact from tracting thus far, his name is XXXX XXX Hong, he's a 70+ cantonese man who speaks decent English. Basically he's just super lonely at night because his wife is off gambling in Jersey from 2 to 10 every day, so he invited us in, offered us a drink (he doesn't realize that you can't offer alcohol to minors. We declined.) So he gave us tea instead. Apparently Chrysanthemum Tea is allowed for missionaries to drink according to everyone. I hated it. It tasted okay, but it gave me the biggest headache ever, so if he offers again (we're going back tonight), I think I'll decline.

The language is hard. We mostly speak English at the apartment, that is something we are working on. My biggest problem is working on trying to understand people's accents, once I can get that down, I'll start to get a grip again on what vocab I need to practice, because right now I'm just struggling to follow what's being said. It is slowly coming though, so you can rest easy there. A lot of the people we talk to have at least a little English too.

As for adjusting to missionary life, I still have yet to have a moment of "Holy crap, I'm on a mission", and I'm starting to think it may never occur, I've already adjusted to this life pretty well overall. Maybe when I get transferred upstate I'll get that moment, because it will be more like a standard missionary experience. As for noise, I personally don't find it that loud. The subway, yes, but when we are out tracting/contacting, I don't even notice the noise, it just seems natural given the number of people. Plus, it actually is pretty quiet in our neighborhood come night when we go to bed. The loudest it ever got at night was one time when some street racers drove down East Broadway blasting music and the cops were trying to chase them down.

We got to go to the temple for a Mandarin session on Saturday. Really different/strange. I understood enough that when combining it with how well I knew the English version, I never got lost, but there were some points where I had no clue what words they were saying.

As for things I could use, I think a backpack would be good. Basically no one here has a shoulder bag, and it isn't big enough to carry the full set of both English and Chinese everything that I need. One or the other, yes, but not both. Also, if you could go online, find me a Chinese (make sure Mandarin, not Cantonese) hymn book with Pinying (the phonetics) in it, that would be super helpful. My book is somewhat workable, but only characters is a bit troublesome.

Love you all, and given the number of calories you recently sent me, I'm going to get fat,

Elder Christensen

March 13th, 2013

I saw Chris Whirthlin in the MTC. Very unfortunate that he was hurt. Hopefully he can get out into the field soon.

Did I have an immediate interview with the Mission President?...no. We took pictures with him, and they said they would send it the next day (a week ago now, so you should have gotten it by this point probably). He said that since there were 40 of us, he would be coming around to interview us in the areas, since it would probably take up a full day for him to get a meaningful interview with everyone.

As for groceries, there are some regular grocery stores here too. Unfortunately, granola bars (and other food) are expensive as all get out here (it costs about 5 bucks for a box of 2 nature valley bars). On the bright side though, Chinese food is actually pretty cheap in Chinatown. Did I mention yet that I deeply enjoy Mianbao? It's like rolls, but with various things stuffed inside. It is quite delicious. We haven't eaten at any members houses yet though, so I'm guessing I haven't gotten the 100% true Chinese food experience yet.

So...Chinatown. DANG. I thought that being in an area this small for so much of my mission would feel constrictive. I could live here for the next 10 years and easily not get to know what/where everything is and who all the people are. We have 4 investigators right now, a 30 year old man with a massive Fujanese accent (I don't understand 99% of what he says in Mandarin, and he speaks 0 English). Investigator 2 is 29, speaks pretty good English, but she keeps meeting with the Jehovah's Witnesses too though, so we need her to stop doing that. Number 3 is a college student, plenty of faith, good English, taught all the lessons, but he lives with his aunt, and he's worried that if he gets baptized then he'll get kicked out of the house. I haven't had a chance to meet our other contact yet. I wasn't expecting that of my first 5 lessons, 4 would be in English.

Street contacting is weird. We stand on the street, and contact people who walk past. Problem is, they usually have somewhere they're going, and so just don't even respond. Especially during the winter when it is cold/wet outside. Hence, fewer investigators. It also seems that in my case, every single person I've managed to get to respond only speaks Cantonese. At least that's what they tell me in Cantonese. At which point, elders Mok, Ling, Wang, or sisters Woo, Chan, or Khong take over, since they all speak some level of Cantonese as well as Chinese (they are all from Singapore, China, or Hong Kong, so they can pretty much do all 3 languages with no issues.)

We get to go to the temple typically once every transfer at the date of our choosing (specifically, our Zone Leader's choosing). Due to us being lucky, we scheduled our date as the 20th of March, then got word that we are allowed to attend the special Mandarin session that will be held this Saturday, so we get to go to the temple 2 times in less than a week, super excited for that. If I didn't tell you, the Mission President said we are allowed to attend Yankie's Games if they are in the afternoon on Wednesday, which there are usually 6-8 of those during the season, so I suspect I'll actually probably go to a professional baseball game, not just during my life, but during my mission. Bit unexpected there.

The missionaries in our Chinatown ward have to teach Gospel Principles (Sunday School) class. I'm not looking forward to doing that. We also teach an English class in the chapel during the week, and most of our lessons are in the chapel, because people's apartments are so small and/or dirty that it would be uncomfortable/embarrassing for them. A lot of them work in restaurants 6 days a week, 12 to 15 hours a day too, so it's hard to teach lessons with active Church members on hand as well. English class is mostly attended by elderly women who have nothing to do, and want to try to learn a bit of English. I learned I can't explain a prepositional phrase, because I still can't figure out what it is myself. Just teaching vocab is fun though.

The lack of smell is coming in handy too, I enjoy the subways a lot more than most of the missionaries seem to, due to the fact I don't have to smell dried urine the entire time we're down there. Also, I don't think that Chinese people watch the commercials about how smoking is bad for your health. Another 10 points to faulty olfactory capacities. Actually, now that I think about it, I should probably get my suit dry cleaned soon, I'm sure that all that stuff has to seep into your clothes at some point.

Love you all, stay clean, stay safe, your sibling/son in service,

Elder Christensen

 

March 5th, 2013

My trainer is Elder Williams from the 7th ward. When I finish, I'm sure he'll come hunt me down so I can tell him the follow-up on people he leaves behind. We haven't had to do a lot in Chinese yet, but we haven't taught a lesson yet either, so we'll see just how much I know then. There are 16 of us, including the 4 who rotated in, so there are now 2 districts in Chinatown. The mission president told us that we have had 84 baptisms in Chinatown in the last 20 months, so still following the cycle of about 1 baptism a week.

Wednesday is my P-day. We email from the local library, I'm not sure what it is called, or what the address is. Apparently I need a piece of mail in order to get a real library card (the mailing address is 221 E. Broadway apartment 8A), Its right next to the intersection with Clinton, the building is called the Mayflower (if you can look it up and find it on G-earth). Right now I'm just using the guest portal. We get 47 minutes on the access, so a little longer to email thankfully. It doesn't really feel too cold here to me, the wind makes it a bit more so, but overall, not bad.

Story time. The ride into town on the subway was interesting. I had no clue how different the stations on the outskirts of the Bronx would be compared with the stations in central and lower Manhattan (a lot nicer there.) Also, they couldn't fit the luggage for all 40 missionaries on our 48 seat plane, so some of it (most of it) got diverted to La Guardia. They had us wait on a bus for an hour or so while they went and picked it up from there. They put us up in a hotel too instead of the mission home, and the Mission President interviews will be scattered throughout these next 2 weeks or so.

As for trying to "pack it all in", the only thing I really felt like I was packing in was all my books into my suitcases. I ended up having to leave my laundry hamper in the MTC, I'll buy a new one out here probably. The vacuum bags were a life saver, though, so props to whoever slipped them into my bags.

Love you all, looking forward to getting to know this place really well (the chapel is about a 15 minute walk away, which gives you an idea about walking times using G-earth).

Your son/sibling, Elder Christensen version 3.0

February 26th, 2013

I found out some information on my trip to NY. My flight leaves SLC at 7:15 in the morning on the 5th (I report to the travel office at 4AM). We have a layover in Detroit some time around 11:00 or Noon (Detroit time I think), that flight leaves at about 2, and then I have a short flight from Detroit to a small airport just outside of NYC (Not JFK). There will be 33 traveling in the flight group if I didn't tell you that already, so getting to a phone is going to be something of an adventure. I'll try to call you either before we leave SLC, or else at Detroit, depending on which one I can find a phone, and which one I think I'll have more time at said phone.

Also, I still have yet to receive a Chinese hymn book, which would be very helpful. I'm also going to send back the suit and my current SD card before I leave the MTC.

Now that I've gotten those things out of the way, the last week has been pretty good. My thumb is almost back to normal finally, and we have baptismal commitments from both of our current investigators (actors).

I didn't get to Host (greet incoming missionaries) last week, although I do get to tomorrow, so I'll still try and get Chris Udall if I can, it would be fun.

I've heard about that Davis HS missionary call video, I think it has the potential to turn out really cool, plus, you should give them one of my mission photos. Also, if you still haven't posted the photos from get air (trampoline park), then I ask you to do so, as I promised that I would put them up and tag Matt, Katie, and Jess in them.

I ran into Steven Lee (my roommate from BYU) several times, only managed to get one picture, but that's more than I got with Derek. Other than that, I'm getting a haircut today, I'm afraid I'm giving in to the inevitable, and chopping off my wonderful comb-over. I'll take before and after pictures so you can see the change.

To Cameron, I look forward to the game [StarCraft?], although it will probably take me a few weeks of being back home before I feel up to it.
To Robin, I still wait for you to send the pictures you think I should have in my photo album.
To Wes, I wait for a wedding announcement (messing with you).
To Dad, I thank you for the advice, service, and example that you've set/given to me for all these years, which has culminated in me serving this mission.
To Mom, I thank you for all that you did for us as children, even if we were being stupid and/or stubborn, and all that you continue to do for us.

In keeping in Ethan's example, I challenge you all to do something. However, that something is up to you. Tell someone though what it is that you intend to do, so that you have to account to them on whether or not you accomplished your goal. Read the Book of Mormon more, talk to a friend about the gospel who isn't a member, write in your journal every day, I don't care, just start moving forward, and then keep the momentum.

I know this gospel is true, it has blessed me more here in the MTC that I think it has at any other time, and I look forward to sharing it with the people of Chinatown New York, even if it means I have to spend a few months feeling like I'm the only person around who can speak English. I am growing to love it and the people I haven't even met yet more with every single day, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Email Testimony feels weird to write,
your son/sibling,

Jacob D. Christensen

With Elder Stephen Lee

With Elder Chestin Gray (serving in Benin, West Africa).  Taken before my haircut.

February 19th, 2013

The language is coming Man(4)Man(4)Lai(2) (slowly slowly come) basically bit by bit or one step at a time. I have decided that from now on whenever I email in Pinying (the English-alphabet phonetic representation of Chinese), I'm going to do it as I just did there. The numbers represent the tones you should use while speaking the words- it really matters a lot. We didn't have any major problems with translations going wrong this week, just trouble with trying to say things we don't know the words for. We should get to do curbside pickup of new missionaries this week (tomorrow), which will be fun. We should be getting our own travel plans in the next day or two, and we should get our full Chinese missionary name tags by the end of this week.

I try to run a mile every morning in gym, evenings is harder because I usually get a cramp from dinner, but I run at least a half every gym time now.

We lost one of our investigators, the teacher is going to one of the new districts coming in tomorrow, so we get hsiao laoshi instead.

Our other (practice) investigator is finally starting to get it into her head that what we are teaching is important, it only took about 8 lessons. PS, having them act on Moroni's promise on the spot with you is about the most terrifying thing ever. It worked out well, but I was terrified she would drop us if she felt like we were pressuring her.  The promise works when you are honestly seeking an answer, not when you are going through the motions to be compliant. We were concerned that if she was doing it for us, then she wouldn't get an answer.

I have escaped having to give a sacrament talk up to this point, all I need to do is survive this next Sunday, then I'm in the clear, because the last one is aFast Sunday, and we can give it in English or Chinese as we so desire.

Love you all, Wo(3) Zhi(1)dao(4) Zhe(3)ge shi(4) zhen(1) shi(2) de.

Jacob