March 17th, 2018

                                                                       Hey Everyone!

Disclaimer: Myself (Kalyx) will be handling this blog up until I leave for my mission! From the time I leave and till I return, my mom (Marcie) will be in charge of posting on here from my weekly emails! In this post, I will be sharing my first initial thoughts and feelings and as well as my contact and mailing information! Thanks for the support and love!! It’s very appreciated!!


I just wanted to talk a little bit about when I first opened my mission call on St. Patrick’s Day!! It was definitely my lucky day. More so that I was going to find out where the Lord needs me most! Upon initially submitting my paperwork into the missionary recommendation system, I was actually 18 years old when I first started my paperwork! Crazy how I’m 20 now and going on 21 later this year and I’m finally going.

I’ll give a little context... when I first started my paperwork I wasn’t going for the right reasons. I thought I was, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t living and preparing myself the way I should’ve nor was I doing the best things I could be doing with my time and I wasn’t surrounding myself with the best kind of people. Since then, Heavenly Father has placed me in experience after experience and meeting person after person for a mere purpose... to prepare me to be what the Lord considered me to be finally ready for. I look back and wow. I’m a 100000000% different person. I changed a lot more than  I hoped it would and I’m blessed for that.

Honestly, I was frustrated, impatient, and questioning if I was actually meant to serve a full-time mission for the Lord! Almost 3 years ago (June 8th, 2015)  I was involved in a near-fatal car accident not too far away from my home in San Diego. It was 3 days before my high school graduation and upon impact when time just seemed to pause and black out, I wasn’t sure what laid ahead for me. I remember briefly my mom telling me to take the streets to my destination but (acting like the big shot senior in high school impending college kid that I thought I  was) I decided freeway was a lot faster (which it is) and I’d get there and back quicker (reckless thinking) I should be fine.
NOW REMEMBER KIDDOS: when your mom tells you to do something, you should probably do it. It’s also kinda like in the 10 commandments to “honor thy father and thy mother” and it still counts if you only have one parent around I promise.. lol.
Anyway.. I turn right to get on the freeway and i notice about 3/4ths of the way there that the traffic control light was on and it turned red like a second before I approached it and within the next 2 seconds, the next 2 1/2 years of my life changed. I was rear ended and the extent to my pain and remembrance of my choice and just appreciation for life itself extends to this present day.
 After months and months of therapy and medical scans (like 50..) and medications..and a personal injury lawsuit (depositions suck btw and mediation’s take forever..). I’m finally here sitting on this chair stool in my Institute classroom (3 years later) finally opening the letter to the next 18 months of my life dedicated to none other than God’s children. His prepared and his “lost sheep.” I pause for a second while I wait for my 90 year old Nanee (great-grandma) and for people to get settled in, i look at all my family and most my closest friends all there. I had never felt so much support and love in one room in a long time. That’s when the daze started. Man I sure am blessed. Thanks Heavenly Father.

I take the scissors (because I’m fancy like that) and open my call. I have people on FaceTime, livestream on Instagram and Facebook, all that good good and I begin to prepare to read it. I was utterly overwhelmed and overcome with the Spirit knowing this was a real thing that I am about to do. I flip the page over and start reading it line by line.

Dear Sister Christensen,
You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Philippines Bacolod Mission. It is anticipated you will serve for a period of 18 months. You should report to the Provo MTC on Wednesday May 30th, 2018. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Hiligaynon language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.
 Sincerely,
Russell M. Nelson
President

First thoughts:
Wow.. the Philippines.. Here we come Bacolod... I’m ready for you. I love my mission already.
Hiligaynon language?! What even is that?! Will I meet long lost cousins?! My mission presidents are so cute!! Wow I can’t believe Nanee was here in person to find out I was going to her homeland. I guessed I was going to stay in the states and speak Spanish. NEITHER!! This is going to be the hardest and most life changing experience I’ll have in this life. I can’t wait.

Thank you for the support and love again. I love you all. I feel very blessed to be where I’m at and have the friends that I do and the family who choose Him everyday even if they don’t realize it. We’re better people and more like Christ for doing so. Which is the ultimate goal. I love His gospel and His church. This is the fulfillment of times and of the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ and His church. God loves you, He will bless your family, His gospel will continue to grow within nations through his servants the prophets, we will proclaim that Christ still lives today, we will go through times of apostasy and self doubt, we will proclaim the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith, and we should always try and try to pray to Him to know that all of this is true and the Holy Ghost will manifest that unto you and you will see it in your life and feel it too. I can promise anyone that. Just try and get down on your knees and talk to Father. He will listen.

I love you all. Thank you. Here’s to future posts to come!!

Love,
Sister Christensen

Contact Info:
Email me or snail mail me! I will read them all! Send pictures if you want to as well!! ❤️

Email address: kalyx.christensen@myldsmail.net

MTC Mailing Address:
Sister Kalyx Alanna Christensen
Philippines Bacolod Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N 900 East
Provo, UT 84602
United States

Letter Mailing Address (this will change as I serve):
Sister Kalyx Alanna Christensen
Philippines Bacolod Mission
PO Box 660
Bacolod City
6100 Negros Occidental
Philippines

Package Mailing Address (this will change as I serve):
Sister Kalyx Alanna Christensen
Philippines Bacolod Mission
Galo St Between Lacson & Mabini
Bacolod City
6100 Negros Occidental
Philippines