Camron's Last MTC pictures

Here are the last picture I recieved from Camron. He sent them to me the night before he left the MTC. I am sure he has made a lot of friends!

Last Letter From The MTC (01/21/2011)

Hola family, I am very excited that I now get to go to Bolivia. It's way crazy to think that I will be leaving here so soon. But I know that it's going to be an awesome experience. I would have never taken away the MTC experience, because it has built me so much. My testimony has grown so strong and I have learned so much about doctrine and also a lot about teaching. When iI first came in, I couldnt teach at all. It was dicouraging. But when I put my faith in God and rely on him to help me teach, it feels so good and the teaching flows so much better. I love it so much and I'm thankful my Heavenly Father is helping me so much and letting me teach with more power and authority. I truly believe that when you are humble and rely on the our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost to be able to help you teach, that's when teaching works out so much better. The spirit is so much stronger. But this also takes a lot of work on our part. If I don't make good use of studying or praying for help, then teaching never goes as well. But when I do, I love it so much! It's the best feeling ever to teach and bring others closer to Christ. The best experience that I had so far, was with one of our teachers. We are pretty good friends withhim. His name is Hermano Ducauro. He is from Colombia and is way funny. The other day he came up and told me and my companion that he had some time if we wanted to teach him. We said sure and went and found somewhere to teach. He then started saying that he had sexual problems with girls and that he knew it was against the Law of chastity. In our district, we talk about how awkward this would be to teach this. But we taught him and my companion and I were feeling so great about this. The Spirit felt so good and we were saying things we had studied, but never used before. It was so cool. We told him how his Heavenly Father would truly help him if he would have faith. We read him a scripture on how faith would help him over come this sin and that after he would have strength to control his thoughts and his body. His eyes were even watering which is very crazy for him. But my companion and I were so thankful that our Heavenly Father was helping us and that through the Spirit we were able to teach him and convince him to follow the law of chastity. Afterwards he said "wow" and was surprised my companion was saying so much more in Spanish than last time we taught him. He even said my Spanish was getting a lot better. He said he liked it a lot and felt the Spirit very strong. I know there is no way we could have done this without the help of our Heavenly Father, and very thankful that we were able to be tools in his hands. It is pretty crazy how fast time has passed here at the MTC. It really feels like I have only been here 3 weeks even though it wil be ten weeks in a few days. I am excited to see the change in the lives of Bolivians. I loved getting the packages this week and I'll send some stuff home tomorrow. Probably my coat. It's big and I dont think I'll use it. I received the calling cards today and I'm excited to talk to all of you. I now weigh 180 pounds,which is fantastic! It's not fat, so don't worry ha ha. I do eat a lot here! I wish all of you an incredibe week and I look forward to telling you how Bolivia is. love, Elder Christoffersen

01/14/2011

This week was a pretty good week. We did a lot because this was our teaching week. We had teachers twice a day, but they only taught for an hour. Then we just made teaching appointments with elders or sisters in our zone. We would teach them, and sometimes they taught us. This makes the day go by quickly because when we teach, the time always goes by a lot faster. Its so crazy how you can have a constant flow from the Holy Ghost pretty strongly. Then you can have it way strong during teaching. I like this a lot. What I like the most about being here, is how strong the Holy Ghost is almost everywhere here. One of the main highlights this week was our devotional. Elder Holland came and spoke to us. This was so powerful, because he put his whole heart and soul into this talk. He spoke with so much emotion to show us how important missionary work is to him. He told us about the three places where missionaries struggle the most. Then he told us how we could make these strengths in our missionary lives. He expressed how his mission meant everything to him, and that every good thing that has happened in his life since, was because he served a mission and that not one person in this world was more affected from his mission than he was. He also said he knows that missions will be hard and said they are not meant to be easy. He said Christ's life was not easy and if we are going to be even the slightest amount of an example of him, that we would have to experience a fraction of what the Savior did. He then said missionary work is not easy because salvation was never easy. He expressed to us how important it is for us to know this Gospel. We have to be totally converted before we will have any hope of converting anyone else. The thing that was the most powerful to us, was when Jesus asked Peter 3 times if he loved him and the third time he said he loved him unwaveringly. Then Elder Jeffery R Holland asked us, "do you truly love Jesus more than anything? More than what we would rather be doing, or more than falling in to being tired?" This was strong because it puts in perspective what we truly need to have to be very successful. This was definitely an incredible talk! It was very strong. Elder Holland was here because our MTC Presidency was being released. So there were the new Presidency members of 7 MTCs all there watching this devotional. Also General authorities like President Hinkley's son and a few others. This was very cool! I will only have two Sundays left now with the new Presidency. I received my travel plans yesterday. It says that I am leaving on the 24th at 7:10 in the morning. Then on to Chicago with a 5 hour lay over. Then on to Miami with a 2 hour lay over. THEN ON TO BOLIVIA! ha ha. It's a strange route, but I am glad that I will be going now. I really hope that there aren't any problems before then. I will tell you if there are. I love you guys so much and hope you have an awesome time. love, Elder Chrittoffersen

Camron makes us laugh!!

New picture I recieved just today, January 10, 2011. Cassi sent him cinamon rolls for Christmas

Where Camron buys all his Sobe Drinks!

These Matrix pictures are the best!! They made me laugh so hard!

Camron's Christmas loot

01/07/2011

So first off, to answer all of your questions. They won't tell us when the visas are coming in. But an Elder in a different zone said they bought tickets for the 24th. So idk if we will ship out then or not. I'm guessing we will. Maybe even on the 18th. Still I will write you when I get my travel plans. Something crazy though is that all the missionaries in my district are getting re aassigned untill they get their visas, so they will leave around the 24th also. Who knows? One could even go to Salt Lake City, south because they need to be close to go to the consolate there when they come. They are taking it pretty well. This week when I prayed at the devotional, it was pretty scary! I was pretty dang nervous, but it wasn't too bad. It was cool to sit on the stand with the MTC presidency. They are very friendly. It was crazy because there were two monitors on the pulpit that showed what the cameras were on. I could see my self too. The speaker was great a convert to the church and he is in the 70s. He told us how he doesn't remember what the missionaries taught, but he can remember like yesterday the spirit they brought and how they wanted to have that spirit with them all the time. I am very glad to have that spirit here with me all the time. It's cool because its normal here. It's always here. It will be wierd once we leave and not everyone you know has the spirit with them. We just had our teachers swithched. It stinks because we liked them so much. But the new ones are very good, and they have a good sense of humor so they work well with the other class. Something funny though when we got new districts into our zone. My whole class always says tenedor to them when they ask how we are doing in spanish. It's funny because it just means fork. But they say it to the teachers and other elders when they get asked now how they are doing ha ha. It's pretty funny though. But the most amazing feeling of the spirit which i had this week was when in companionship study we were reading from the white missionary hand book and it was about giving blessings and the ordaining to different offices. It also had directions on how to do so. When i started reading through the procedures and how it says "in the name of Jesus Christ and through the melchezidec priesthood" my heart started to burn and I felt so good! Like I could actually give blessings with confidence and have the faith needed to truly heal those who are sick and especially to do it according to the will of God. This to me was so special because I have always wanted that feeling of confidence so when I am called upon by others, I can do it with power and also with authority. This was truly special to me. My comp is doing loads better, working harder, and teaching more to help out with teaching lessons in Spanish. He is here to stay and doesn't get home sickness anymore. I'm thinking that our visas are here and they just scheduled flights. So we will see. The temple finallly opened again after 2 weeks of being closed. We went as almost a whole district and the whole room was full. It was pretty cool! I love being able to go. It will be sad if I can't in Bolivia, but I will be ok if it can't. Just to say, I need slippers again. Mine are tearing. Maybe some like dad's. More durable though. I love you guys so much and love your letters. I cant wait to hear from you and to write you again next week. Send this to Jay Markus and Mitch Dansie. They sent me emals but I lost them. love Elder Christoffersen

12/31/2010

Hello family. I just barely heard my mp3 player and it seems like Christmas was a good time. I'm sure that you are all on the couch watching the pre count down show it is pretty weird to think its new years eve. It doesnt feel like it here at all except it is way cold. Today was a pretty good day. I studied Spanish a lot and got ready to teach the plan of salvation in Spanish on Monday. Our Christmas here was pretty good. The talent show was top notch and very enjoyable. You'll have to go to youtube and see if some of the missionairies movies have gotten put on yet. The two to look for is #1 your a missionary now and the soundtrack they used was lady gaga's "bad romance." It was funny! They were Russians that composed and performed it for us. The next one was #2 "the greatest song in the world" or, "the greatest investigator in the world" and it was the tribute sound track from Jack Black. I'm sure Ryan and Carli would like that one especially. One of the greatest things that we were able to have this Christmas, was Elder Nelson. He came to speak to us. He spoke at the Christmas devotional then stayed the night and shared a few thoughts after the fireside. Not only that, but he also sttayed the next day and we had a combined missionary priesthood session on Sunday and he also said that he is very smart and knows a lot about the gospel. He went over our lineage and went very deep into it. It was definitely a great talk both days. The MTC president shared that it never happens that an Apostle will ask to stay longer. What felt the best was at the end of his talk he said "with the authority that I hold I pronounce a blessing on you" (speaking to the missionaries) and then he blessed us with things that felt so good. I truely felt the power that he had when he was saying all of this. It felt so incredible! He also said that "through your hard work you will bless your family." It was pretty cool. Then our devotional was given by a General Authority from the 70s. He was an awesome speaker! Very good at speaking. Something profound his wife said, was that if you think you don't have a strong testimony or that others may bring the spirit stronger. Your testimony is as strong as the spiritt that bares wittness of it. This was pretty cool and made me understand that the holy ghost is the one who has the power. Those who speak are just the pathway for the spirit to bare wittness to others. Then our testimony meeting that we had after our devotionals was so powerful! All of the missionaries in our district bore testimony. The spirit in the room was so strong and we all loved it. Something happened to me on Sunday though tha was pretty cool. After Sacrement, President Lloyd had me come into a room and he said that he had an assignment for me. He told me the MTC president spoke with him and needed two missionaries to give the prayer on Tuesday during the devotional and that he wanted me to do it. So I feel way honored because I will get to go up on the stand and there could be an Apostle. For sure one of the 70s will be there with the MTC presidency. One of the most meaningful things that I learned this week was when you are trying to speak for what Jesus Christ would want you to say, being a missionary, then all of the nervousness will go away, and that is when you are given the power of the Holy Ghost to radiate from within you. This is something that I need every tiime I teach, and I pray to have it when I pray because I get nervous in front of people. Especially when its going to be in front of so many people! Thanx so much for the Christmas presents. I loved them a lot! I'll send the memory card home next week. I love you so much. I wish you the best year ever!

Love, Elder Christoffersen