I am the donkey shepherd...

Good morning and if I don’t see you, good afternoon, evening and night! (Which I won’t)

So one more week here in the land of old Abilene Texas, who would have ever thought that they would save my hardest area for my last one! Haha but I like the challenge. It’s just weird when you go a week where the only people who will talk to you are members of your faith and your companion, haha but it is still awesome every day.

So this week we did a couple things that were rad. One of them being we were invited to be judges for the cupcake contest that the Young Women had. And I have to say it was one of the most magical experiences of my mission. Before we went we prayed that no one’s feelings would be hurt and that no one would cry… haha… our prayers were answered! You never know with the Young Women. But challenge accepted, I ate like 15 cupcakes.

Then this week we went to the wonderful land of Buffalo Gap Texas, don’t worry no one else knew it was there either. But it was really cool, we went and volunteered at camp that it is a camp for physical therapy horseback riding. And in Texas there is terrible thorny weed everywhere that is straight from Satan himself. But anyway they were covering up the paths and the horses weren’t walking through it anymore, so we went and eradicated some weeds and in the process I found out that I am a donkey shepherd haha. I would hold up my shovel and they would follow me wherever I go to keep them out of the weeds.

And while I was doing this I had a couple of thoughts. Christ is the good Shepard and he leads his sheep to safety. A shepherd is a leader, someone who loves his flock and would give his life to protect it. And when I get home I am going to have the opportunity to either be a paid-hand or I can be a shepherder. There are different types of people in this world. Some of them are sheep and some of them are total donkeys haha. I am going to be honest one of my fears is that I will forget the man that I have become when I come home. It’s funny because I am still the same Keegster as before, but the Lord has made me into something that is so much better. I have finally become the man who does not just become one of the donkeys, but I pray that I will continue to be the man who can lead them and help Christ be the ultimate Sheppard

.

Hey so I love you guys and I miss you, two more weeks and I will see you. So don’t worry too much :)

Be safe out there 

Love elder c

Pictures: #1)- burning suit at the end of his mission (with a blow torch) #2) the donkey shepherd #3) path clearing #4) dessert treat by the Bishop, also sent a text "Love them to death" #5) one of many texted pictures received this week from members in Abilene.

Something about service and small towns...

It’s a Rad Rad world,

So to start things off…The Bike of Mormon totally works haha. It seriously is such a conversation starter just like my ties in high school (Keegan wore ties for 2 months every day in 9th grade). Its weird here no one wants to talk to you, you need to do appropriate things to stand out and whenever you ride up on the Bike of Mormon everyone has questions which leads to lessons! Also this week I wore my brown-red suit to church and more members of the ward talked to the missionaries than ever before it was so cool!

The Lord has blessed us a lot this week. We went to Winters Texas, idk what it is with me and small towns but they are so legendary. We were visiting members who don’t really attend church at all so we could bring the gospel to their homes and while we were doing that we ran into a member in the middle of nowhere who had some service for us. He let us move over 6 thousand pounds of rocks for him for funzies to build a wall. And it was awesome haha. I love doing service because people totally see how hard we are willing to work. And I am seriously not here to shove things down their throats, I am here to serve and to help wherever I can. That is one of the things I want to take most from my mission is serving those around me. I will forever take all opportunities within my power and reason to help others. This world is a crazy place we need more people who want to make it better and to save it and instead of complaining about it. I have chosen to be that person to make the change! Let’s all do it together, put your phones down, look up and save the world for someone.

It’s short today. I know that we all can make the world a better place so do it :)

Be safe 

Love elder c

Bike of Mormon and gnomes for a neighbor...

Dear World,

Life is totally worth living my friends. 

The countdown has begun, everyone keeps telling me because I go home a month from today. For all of you out there who are waiting patiently for me to come back, it’s just going to be a little bit longer :) So like I said last week, I want to be able to be awesome and be spiritual at the same time when I get home and for a long time I thought there was no way to do that, but Elder Crop has helped me see the light.

So this week our downstairs neighbor who is a single girl made us cookies just for funzies and that is a pretty big deal because when she first moved in she was completely scared of Mormons haha. But I have talked to her like every day just being a good neighbor and it is rad. Anyway we wanted to repay her for being awesome and giving us cookies but I knew nothing about her at all except that she is in the Air Force and that she has a gnome on her front door. So was thinking I went out and bought like 7 small gnomes and every day we put a new one in front of her door in different positions. Like in a circle or making a fire or hanging from another one and she had no idea who was doing this btw. It is so easy for people to just move a gnome, but who makes them multiply come on? Haha So on the last day after a week we put a bigger one out in front of her door that said “thanks for the cookies love-your gnomies upstairs”. And she thought it was awesome and no missionaries ever do stuff like that and it is so fun!

I was thinking I totally have made missionary work a part of my life, I have made the gospel a part of my life and it isn’t lame at all, it actually is awesome. Also this week we painted my bike (Bike of Mormon)... it was awesome too haha.

We also went to baptism for Elder Crop in Brownwood on Saturday where he baptized his investigator from a while back and I did the musical number in-between. It was so cool. Baptisms have changed my life I have to say. I have been so so so blessed with being able to see so many souls come unto Christ and I know that that is why the Lord has needed me here. But I am not done, I am not even close. 4 weeks of awesome await me and then the rest of my life of sheer legendary-ness to come. The Church is the truth. I know that I am nothing as to my strength I am weak. But Christ strengthens me to become what I am meant to be. And He can and is strengthening you every day don’t forget that.

I love you all be safe out there

Love elder c

New comp, new baptism and new perspective

This is the tale of Keegan F. Christensen,

So this week I received my new companion Elder Dawson Royce Crop, straight out of Fresno California, not really he has been on his mission for about a year now and we are pretty stoked to be companions, my last companion... we are going to save the world.

So this week not too much different happened, except Kyan got Baptized!!! Yeah! So Kyan and his family are some of the most incredible people I have ever met. This is a nine year old boy (like I said last week) and his grandfather was able to come into town this week to do the baptism. He was so excited to get baptized so “he could get to heaven” he always says. It is incredible how young members of the church can understand the gospel these days, it is a whole new world even from when I was in high school or younger. These young kids and teenagers I work with really know what they are talking about and are such good defenders of the faith. At times I feel as if I wish I was better when I was younger or in high school. I know I could have done more which makes me so livid! Haha…but at the same time…today is a new day to do more. So choose not to wallow on the past, choose not to think about all of the things you could have or should have done, begin to think about the things in which you are going to do right here today tomorrow and forever, the past is the past. It really is, "It’s time to begin, isn’t it?" 

I may be an old guy in mission years. I am tied for being out the longest with a few other missionaries in my mission now, but even though I may be getting old and decrepit, I have still got the spry step of a younger man. Haha the source of all happiness is our Heavenly Father, his son Jesus Christ, his gospel, our wives, husbands and families. I say to this week… bring it on I am ready… because with more trials and with more weight, comes more strength.

When I get home I am going to be a better man I want you all to know that I will not be the same me as when I left, but I am still me which is so groovy. I totally thought you had to become a lame robot to be a missionary for a while, but man was I so wrong, in fact it is quite the opposite, so if any of you are afraid for me to come home…don’t be, life is always rad:)

I love you guys so much if you need anything please let me know… be safe

Love elder c

Time to put water on the pancake!

I have tasted failure this week, and I never thought it would taste so sweet. 

So as an act of missionary work we went out to breakfast this week, naturally. But not just any breakfast no no no… it was at the Flipping Egg and as everyone knows the Flipping Egg has a challenge. The challenge is eat ten pancakes in ten minutes and you get your meal free and a t-shirt and your picture gets to be on the wall forever. So naturally we had to do it strictly for the sake of a picture of missionaries on the wall forever of course.

So we picked up another companionship and went and did the challenge. I got 7 pancakes in 3 minutes, making a literally legendary time, but then I hit the wall. And not another bite went in my mouth. I still had time to press through the tears. I dumped my cup of water on it to make it go down easier like the hot dog eating guys. But all of my attempts were in vain. But as I looked up my companion and the other missionaries had finished and were standing triumphant in the air. Haven beaten the monster that was placed before them. And I wait and crumble in despair and defeat.

Now I am going to relate this to my mission. I got a call this week saying I am staying in Abilene and I will finish my mission here. I will be getting Elder Crop who is cool and he will be my last companion. And I go home in a month. So thinking about this, I never once served in Lubbock Texas my entire two years and I was called to the Lubbock Texas mission…but that is beside the point. The point is I am seven pancakes down and I only have a minute to finish them instead of 7. I have so much more I want to do, but I feel like time is so short. So it is time to “put the water on the pancake” as you might say and to power through to finish the Lord’s work instead of cracking under the pressure that will so fully be there. 

This week we went on a hiking trail thing and I had the idea to hide behind a bush and scare people as they walked by and make them laugh and have a good time then we would start talking to them. Haha the spirit told me quickly to not do that and that was a terrible idea, so I didn’t do it but I got good pictures anyway haha.

Kyann is getting baptized this week and I am so excited I was able to be here for it for my last transfer he is the coolest guy every and I have learned more from teaching him than he probably has from me which is funny how that works out haha. 

I love you guys, be safe out there, if you need me you can always call me....oh wait, or write me a letter or email me haha

Love Keegan