What a pleasant surprise! Dad suggested I look at the blog...apparently I hadn't looked at it in almost a week, so I hadn't seen any of the udpates. It was so much fun to read about what everyone's doing. I realized (once again) that we have a really amazing family! Everyone is involved in so many interesting things, accomplishing so many goals, raising such beautiful, loving children and overcoming such great obstacles. It was really inspiring to read about your lives.
At the moment I'm in Medellin, Colombia. It is a true paradise and such an honor to be in the place where Romancing the Stone was filmed. ;-) It's lush and green and mountainous, and if it weren't at such a high altitude, I'm sure it would be boiling hot. Medellin is famous for among other things we won't mention (like drug cartels)...exporting coffee and flowers in huge quantities. The women and men are gorgeous. Imagine thousands of Shakiras walking around all over the place. I've been here since Monday afternoon working with some of our licensees, as well as factories we use to produce Levi's.
Last week I was in San Francisco for meetings all week, and the week before I was in Haiti. Haiti was definitely the most interesting experience of all. It borders the D.R., is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, has outrageous HIV/AIDS prevelance rates, has 70% unemployment and very little physical infrastructure. Seriously, I think the road from the airport might be the only paved road in the country. Ok-- I'm exaggerating, but it is really bad. I was so moved by a family I met who are factory owners/managers. They are Haitian of Lebanese decent and are so dedicated to their country. They are filthy rich but have done so much good for their country. They started the movement to oust the last, corrupt dictator/president and are doing so much to promote democracy, create jobs and improve the economy in their country. I felt like I was in the presence of such greatness, and it really got me thinking about what I'm doing to improve my community/country. I was there with a small team to help determine if we could/can send business to the country. I was happy to send in my report and say that with a little work, yes, we can.
I'm excited to go home tomorrow. During the last 3 weeks, I've only seen Alex on the weekends. He's been a really trooper with all of my travels, especially considering the fact that he's no longer "officially" employed. He laughed when mom said the same thing I did when she found out he was leaving his company, which was "I'm so excited!". But the thing is, I really am. Alex has such an entreprenurial spirit, and I really, really want him to work on his own business(es). He is such a talented inventor...such an idea guy and I can't wait to see what will happen next. He's spending a lot of time on his furniture business now, dreaming up other businesses, has started going to they gym so that he can win the contest (watch out guys!) and is catching up on a lot of things he couldn't do when he was working 1.5 jobs.
His family continues to be so wonderful to us. I can't get his mom (or any of the others) to stop doing so many nice things for us. I don't know what I'd do without them in Monterrey.
Alex and I are still teaching our Book of Mormon class (in English) on Thursday nights. I guess I should say, Alex is teaching the class since I haven't been in town since the new semester started. I really do love the class. I love the people in our class, and I love that I have a reason to really delve into the Book of Mormon. What President Hinkley promised is true. I do feel a greater measure of the spirit in my life when I read it's words. It really, really strengthens me.
In other news, my friend Breena and her husband Tim are in Monterrey for 7 weeks. He's doing an MBA exchange and she's working on her PhD dissertation. Sadly, I've been gone for 2 of the weeks they've been there. But it's so nice to have familiar faces around and a friend nearby who I have a past with and can really relate to. It'll be sad when they leave, but we're going to enjoy it while we can. In fact, in a couple of weeks, the 4 of us are going to Cancun for the weekend. We got tickets (round trip) for $75 each. And Breena's dad builds Marriott hotels, so we're staying in a JW on the beach for $80/night. (Out of curiosity, I looked the hotel up online and it's $450/night--it's all about who you know.) It'll be a real treat and a nice way for Alex and I to celebrate 6 months of marriage. Yes, it's been 6 months. I can't believe how time flies!
Anyway, I think that's our update. I don't travel again for work until the middle of March. We're excited to visit Grace and Elliott for a few days at the end of February!! I wish there were some way I could teleport us to all of your homes. We do miss you and love you and pray for you often. XOxoXXXoooOO!
P.S. Will upload some photos when I'm back in Monterrey.
HISTORY
A Little History:
Our story begins in Pocatello, Idaho, circa 1972, when the lovely Debby Christensen agreed to a first, though fateful date with admirer, David Croshaw. Long story-short, he bade her follow him, and they went arm-in-arm to the Logan, Utah temple for establishment of an eternal family unit, Generation 1, on May 23 1973.
From their first blissful summer in Salt Lake City, educational pursuits took them to Provo/Orem, Utah, birthplace of Leslie and Rebecca, and to San Francisco/Oakland California, birthplace of Colin and Matt. Then, for establishment of livelihood, expansion of the tribe with Abby and Dana, and for raising/unifying of Generation 2, it was back to the roots in Pocatello for a rewarding sojourn.
In time, driven by a raging, but commonly shared sense of adventure and independence, one-by-one, Generation 2 escaped the homeland to distant regions of the country and the world, each ultimately developing their own tribal expansions by pairing with worthy mates and initiating Generation 3.
Now sensing fulfillment of their purpose in Pocatello, Generation 1 has also left those roots and transplanted to Cascade Idaho, from which base, they anticipate more abundant contact with The Posterity, Generations 2 and 3, in the future. That contact however, awaits fulfillment of a call to LDS missionary service in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wherein they hope to help the state of the world by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
So now, including Generation 0 (Grandma and Grandpa Christensen) home base includes Yuma, Arizona, Pocatello, Idaho, Cascade, Idaho, Vancouver, BC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spokane, Washington, Boise, Idaho, Los Angeles, California, back to Boise, Idaho, and on and on (Generation 3+) to infinity.
Our Mission Statement:
This is the blog of our eternal family unit. Initiated years ago, it served well as a journal, but even more so, as an archive of our personal interaction. It was a gathering place, a confabulation instrument, a unifying force for four generations of widely dispersed and progressively prolific posterity, and their valued associates. Though it served these purposes well for many years, it eventually took a back seat to new-kids-on-the-block, Facebook, and Instagram, and was sadly forgotten.
We now move to resurrect this blog with an added functional purpose of archiving the missionary experiences of Generation 1, of their movements and activities as they participate with The Gathering of Israel in the land northward. In so doing, we hope that via their own comments and posts, this blog will again serve to gather and unify the posterity and their friends.
As in the past, that the young and vibrant may know the old and tired, that enduring bonds may be fostered and maintained, that experience and encouragement may be openly shared, that posterity may embrace truth, and that hearts may be knit together, we must resist detachment despite our geographic divergence. We shall do so here.
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1 comment:
I love reading your updates! You lead such an adventurous life! I bet you will love the Yucatan. It is one of my very favorite places on this earth.
I think Colombian people are gorgeous too. In fact, I had a student last year- Karla Delgadillo- who was pretty much the most-beautiful woman I have ever seen.
Good luck with your business (where have I been, I did not even know there WAS a business), Alex. Maybe one day, if I ever start a business you can help us?
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