April 9,2014

Don't park under an overpass in NYC

General Conference was awesome. It's weird to think that I only have one left before I go home. Yes mom, I did see Matthew Buckner, but it was only for a little bit. We have stake conference this Sunday, so he can take the picture then. We have a tradition in Chinatown, since we have to go to the 65th street chapel (the Manhattan Temple) to watch conference and there isn't enough time to make it back to Chinatown between sessions, we go to Dallas BBQ (72nd street) between the Saturday sessions for lunch, then all the Elders go to Century 21 and buy a new tie before the priesthood session. To let you all know, we didn't really have any investigators come to conference, so we watched it in English. According to Elder Leung, the Mandarin translators were pretty bad this time, not sure why, but it just makes me more grateful that I was able to do it in English. Elder Holland's talk was awesome, as always, but I can't really say which one would count as my favorite overall. I think the best stories have to go to President Uchtdorf's "Dieter, don't even think about it" and the story about jumping from the truck. I'm just dying for when we get the talks on Gospel Library (First world missionary problems).

Speaking of first world missionary problems, I think I told you last week that they announced Delancey Street apartment is the most expensive in the mission (~4000$ a month). We did the math, the mission has spent 68,000$ In rent for the months that Elder Zander has lived in this apartment. This is one of the 3 most expensive missions in the world (shout out to London South Mission and Tokyo Japan mission), and Elder Zander has been living in the most expensive apartment that the mission has for 17 months, so there is a chance he is the single most expensive missionary for the church currently.

I thought of a birthday present that would be awesome mom. A Chinese Thesaurus. You'd probably have to get one used, or else ask Mr. Ostler how to find one, because I haven't been able to find one in any of the bookstores around Chinatown, and it would be super helpful. If it is too late now, you can just put that down on the list of things that I would like after my mission. I should be getting the packages next Tuesday. I found out that the ward is planning a temple trip for baptisms on my birthday, and I'll get to go since we have a recent convert from our companionship going.

Running from Delancey street to 65th street and 9th ave takes a while. Especially when you had DimSum the night before that isn't sitting too well during the run. On the upside, I can now check "run to the Manhattan Temple and back while having diarrhea" off of my list of things I never thought I would do on my mission. We aren't sure what to set as our new long distance goal, there isn't anything as cool as the temple farther up the island. Maybe we will just set a goal to have our final long run be 10 miles or a half-marathon, depending on how we feel.

That's sad to hear about grandpa, but we'll see, brother Brems (president Monson's friend) lived to 105 in a nursing home, so he might make it till I get home. On the note of aging, how is Dottie holding up?

The weather here has been very good for the most part. It hasn't dropped into the lower 30s during the day for a while, and today is almost 60 and sunny, so the spring is finally here to stay I think. We've been contacting a lot more. The day's vary, sometimes they are really good days (more people stop to talk) and sometimes they are slower days (no-one talks to us except to say rude things that make me laugh because they say them in Cantonese) but I don't think there has ever been what I would describe as a "bad" contacting day. Just days where you have to do a bit more looking before you find the needle in the haystack.

We played Frisbee this morning again, and got in some basketball, with 2 of the members actually, as well. Only problem is that I can already feel I'm going to be super sore for the next few days after this.

Chinese soap operas are super cheesy, they are playing non-stop at the laundromat where we wash our clothes.

Love you all,
Your son/sibling in service,
Elder Christensen

陳少駒