Visit to Nashville 1/30/16

Hi everyone, this is Elder Christensen/Grandpa Christensen writing.  We have had a good week.  Most of the time we are busy but there are times when we don't have something to do.  We generally will try to help the other couples with what they need to do.  We finished early on Friday this week and Mom and I left for Nashville which is about 160 miles to the east of Knoxville.  We got there late in the afternoon and went straight to the Tesla Charger in Nashville.  While there we met two really friendly young ladies that work at the service center there.  We had a nice discussion about Mormons with them and asked if they would be there again tomorrow (Saturday) when we come back to charge the car again before heading back to Knoxville.  We stayed overnight at a hotel and then went to the Temple in the morning.  The Nashville Temple is very small and the session was overflowing but we enjoyed it (it was our Ward Temple Day).  After the Temple we went back to the charging station and talked with the same two young ladies and gave them each a copy of the Book of Mormon and a treat.  Mom had written them a nice card too.  We found out that one of the young ladies is a cheerleader for the Tennessee Titans (we don't know who the Tennessee Titans are but we didn't tell them).  We answered some of their questions and got their contact information and then headed back towards Knoxville.  We did take time to visit the Hermitage while in Nashville however--it is the home of President Andrew Jackson "Old Hickory".  It was fun and interesting.  We are trying to pass out pass-along cards to everyone we can.  We love our mission.  It's fun to be "bold" and "open our mouths."
Have a good week everyone.  We love you all.  Elder and Sister Christensen

Dear Lovelies
I have had a good week.  There was one day this week I was ready to throw in the towel.  But like all days the next day is better and you are ready to use the towel in a good way.  The things that make me the happiest is when we get to tell someone a total stranger what we are doing here in Tennessee.  When you wear a badge people see it and it brings up questions in their minds and I am surprised that they ask and not ignore that we are wearing this black and white badge with Christ's name on  it.  Sometimes it is not the badge but that we are wearing Sunday clothes and many people seeing us ask what the occasion  is and we tell them that we dress this way everyday because we are missionaries for our church and that leads us into what kind of church and they want to know where it is and we ask if they have ever heard of the Mormon's which then takes us to more questions.  Then when they have gotten to a point we start asking them questions.  Like what church do you belong to and if not they usually tell us why they don't belong to one or that they are looking for one.  That is when we ask if they would like to know more about our church and we invite them to church.  We have not had any takers yet but we make friends and get their contact info and we are at the point of following up this coming week on some of them.  This past week we followed up on the lady at the bank who had lost her husband 4 years ago.  I think we told you about her in one of the first letters.  Her name is Ellen Long.  We went back to give her a dvd on Faith in Christ and to talk to her a little more.  We had left some talk for her to read and one was the Summer with Aunt Rose by Pres. Uchtdrof.  She had read that story and said she liked it.  She never wants to talk much she seems nervous about doing it at work.  So we just told her that we knew that Heavenly Father knew her and that we had known that when we met her.  A day later we received a very nice note from her thanking us for caring about her.  She said she normally doesn't talk about her husband with anyone let alone strangers.  Funny how the Lord works.  We feel good about being her friends.  We hope to be directed in other ways to help her.  Well we love you all and want you to work on being missionaries.  You don't have to wear a badge to be a missionary.  You don't have to baptize someone to be a missionary.  All you have to do is talk to them about the church or something you do at church or something you like about your church.  Have a great week.