Remember what the doorknob said.

That’s lame about dad getting stranded. I’m so sorry! It sounds like one of those situations that was not really anybody’s fault and just a mess. How frustrating.
The whole situation with politics is freaking people out here. We’ve been having to talk to people more and more about the signs of the times. “It’s really bad out there.” The members keep telling us. I have no doubt that it’s as bad as you’ve described it, or probably worse than we even know. That’s CRAZY. I wish I could say I was surprised though…
I’m in a bit of a hurry this week, so I’ll just share one little story. I’m working on a letter to Grandma and Grandpa right now, and I’ll be sending the paper-work for my license to you today as well. I’ll see if I can’t include a few little fun things… I’m sorry I can’t write much today.
This week was… Fascinating.
First of all, transfer news is that there is none. After all of that stressing I get to stay here with Hermana Christensen for one more transfer. In fact our entire district is staying the same. Very uneventful. I totally satisfied. I really wanted to get the chance to make a real difference for this ward and in this area, and I don’t feel that I’ve done enough yet. So, I very happy to report that I’m staying.
Sacrament meeting was awesome. A leader from the stake was visiting. He got up and talked for about 15-20 minutes about how awesome the new Alice in Wonderland movie is. It had relevance to the theme of his talk, and I and everyone appreciated the wonderful analogies that he made—but I must say, I pretty much know the whole story now. Thanks a lot.
So… I was inhibited slightly by the fact that I was half trying NOT to listen. It’s especially easy to ignore what someone is saying when they’re speaking in Spanish, but I couldn’t help but catch a few things. So… true or false…
If you haven’t seen the movie yet and want to be surprised, don’t read the following. Possibly. He could have been totally making stuff up and I never would have known.
Alice is older and about to get engaged?
Somebody dies?
The caterpillar turns into a butterfly at the end, giving great significance to the whole story?
The Red Queen turns into a dragon and gets her head chopped off by Alice, who has a sword?!
Alice falls in love with one of the Wonderland characters?
He explained plenty more about the movie. Plenty. But this is what I remember being a little alarmed about. Later, we had a plan of salvation lesson with a less active girl who hadn’t come to church, so we caught her up on what she missed. Including how Alice in Wonderland related to the Plan of Salvation, which turned out to be the ultimate point of this man’s talk. She had seen the movie as well, and was very confused but tried to correct us on a few things.
“Nobody dies…. (five minute pause) OH! Her dad dies! It’s not important though.”
“The caterpillar doesn’t die. There is a butterfly, but… I don’t know, that’s weird.”
“The Red Queen doesn’t turn into a dragon! There’s no dragon! (five minute pause) … OH THERE IS A DRAGON! I FORGOT!”
“Alice doesn’t fall in love with anyone.”
Ten minutes later.
“…I think Alice falls in love with The Mad Hatter.”
I think the difference in the perspective and focus of a 45 year old high priest and an eleven year old girl is fascinating.
I can’t wait to see this movie. I’ve heard it’s terrible, and I’m pretty sure I’ll love it.
My companion actually wrote something really awesome about the man’s talk, that I hope you’ll find as inspiring as I did.
Hermana Christensen’s Thoughts in Wonderland:
Sometimes, I feel like Alice in Wonderland. Sometimes it feels like I am traveling through this strange place far from home. That is probably because… I AM. Sometimes life feels like a dream, but the most real and intense dream you could possible think of. That has huge effects for my real life when I wake up.
Sometimes I feel like my mission is wonderland. At times I wonder how I got here. At times I feel lonely, and want to go home. Most of the time I am absolutely in awe of this fascinating place. Sometimes I do things that make me grow. Sometimes I do things that that make me shrink and feel very spiritually sheepish. At times I feel like there is a wicked monarch who wants to shop my head off and has an unusual fetish for the colour red… probably because there is. That’s odd.
Sometimes my investigators are crazy but charming Mad Hatters – AND SOMETIMES THERE’S TEA PARTIES, don’t worry, I never drink it. Sometimes I meet mean Cheshire cats who confuse me. At times I want to just sit down on the side of the road, throw my hands up, and say “I DON’T KNOW WHERE I am going, I’m just trying to move forward!” most of the times it’s just so random and seems quite curious.
Here’s is the thing; Wonderland is not all. I am so thankful that I can see or at least know abu9ot the end of this crazy, rabbit hole called life. I just need to keep following that little white “espiritu santo” rabbit who is always late for a very important date – hopefully it’s a baptismal one! I am thankful he never stops and that I am constantly running at a marathon sprint to keep him in view.
On day, I will wake up form this crazy “Dream” and find myself peaceably asleep under an apple tree, but that doesn’t mean I should just sit and wait for that time to come, HOW BORING! I need to be decisive and bold and make the best of this time _ I don’t want to wake up to a nightmare. Be bold. The choices you make matter. There is more to life than Wonderland. So many people don’t understand that and end up being twiddle dee and dumb victims of their current circumstances. I am more than some random stranger wandering through an unfamiliar land. I will leave this place one day. The decisions I make now matter. What to be is up to me.
These are the lessons of Wonderland.
-End of the thoughts of Hermana Christensen.
Anyway. I didn’t mean to write the entire letter about Alice, but this was a very significant meeting. The investigator we had there, LOVED it. He said that the talks had given him exactly what he needed to strengthen himself with his life right now. Excellent stuff.
I LOVE you all so much. I miss you, my darling family. I pray for you every day, and especially grandpa right now. Kisses and hugs to all.
MWAH! Hermana Lillywhite