The People I Find: Christina

I know this woman as Sister Evertsen. She served in the Rochester, New York Mission with me. She was always looking out for others and making us feel at home. I remember one time when Christina and her companion took my companion and I shopping on a P-Day to prepare for the colder months. My companion was from Hawaii… The cold was new to her and we were not prepared. It was a day full of fun, food, and good memories. What I love about her is her strong belief in a Higher Being. She has suffered and yet she is still strong, even stronger. She has let her trials build her faith, and has relied on the Lord’s tender mercies.

Here is Christina’s Unknown Story:

On July 15, 2008 I lost my husband of 30 years in a fiery helicopter crash. What has happened in my life since that day has been a beautiful series of tender mercies.

At the time of my husband’s death we had multiple working business’s. Each had to be closed down and liquidated. The events that allowed that very complex and seemingly impossible task to happen were the result of wonderful friends, business associates and family.  After selling just about everything we had built together I made the decision to move from Southern Missouri back to the West where I had family.

Within 3 months time and with the help of my angel friends who packed up my entire home ( the home my husband had built and we had raised our family in), I left my previous life and headed off on a journey as a very fresh but hopeful widow.
I am an RN and had always maintained a current license in the event that I had to support myself or my family without a spouse. Tender mercy . After a few months of much-needed recovery from the loss of my husband, I decided to work in the field of Hospice. This field of nursing filled a great personal  need in helping others say good-bye to their loved ones as I had no good-bye with mine. Because of the details of the accident I had no physical closure or “last touch.” There was a total destruction of his body in the fire that followed the striking of a power line. My  job kept my mind  busy while filling my need to nurture. I loved my patients and my coworkers.

After a year of working I began to have strong impressions regarding a mission (yes, I’m LDS).
I couldn’t imagine how this could happen as financially I needed to work.  My former husband and I had planned to serve missions after his retirement and I never lost that desire to serve.

In May of 2010 I received a call from an old friend , also a widow, inviting me to turn in mission appears and serve a year mission with her. Again, through the love and support of others this became a reality and I served in the New York Rochester Mission with my sister Melanie and her Mission President husband Jack R. Christianson.

What a blessing my mission was and what perfect timing for my life.

Upon my return I went back to the job that had been held for me with hospice. Another tender mercy.

On February 21, 2012 while shopping in WALMART of all places, I noticed a very cute man noticing me… After a few aisle passes he got up the nerve to start a conversation. By the time we reached the registers we established that we lived  a few hundred yards from each other and that we had lost our spouses 2 weeks apart in 2008. We went to lunch the next day and saw each other every day after that ,with only a few exceptions, until May 26th, 2012 when we were married for time in the Mesa Temple. We combined 2 happy families and have a slew of precious grandkids!

One year later we turned in papers to serve a mission together.

We are now serving  in  Sydney, Australia. Lane serves as Assistant Legal Counsel for the Pacific Area and I assist the Mission Presidents wife with anything she needs including taking care of missionaries medical needs. Boy do I love these missionaries!

Our lives are full of love and gratitude for each other and the great mercy the Lord has shown us. We have great respect for each others previous life experiences and the loss of our beloved spouses.

Elder Wirthlin, Apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaches that ” The Lord compensates for every loss. That which is taken from those who love The Lord will be added upon them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundred fold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.”  We are living this counsel.

To any of you who feel deep discouragement and loneliness or feel that your prayers are not heard, believe in the Lords timing for your life. Believe that he loves you and knows the desires of your heart.
Do good things with your life now! Serve where you feel prompted and never think that The Lord can’t work miracles in your life.

I asked for His blessing in faith and have been immensely blessed. You can have the same . Don’t lose hope .