An exciting introduction to the life of Pat Christenson, wife of Dave Christenson, missionary to Mexico.

Missionary wife Pat Christenson was born into a family with a rich Christian heritage. Going back on both sides of her family tree, nearly all of her ancestors were people of the Word. In fact, her family possesses a written copy of a final prayer from one of her ancestors, in which he beseeches God that his descendants would come to know the Lord. That is such a rich legacy! Her grandfather on her father’s side of the family was a Baptist preacher, a circuit riding preacher part of the time. Her father was saved at age 21 and her mother, who is now over 95 years old, has been a Christian for 83 years, still faithful in church and in the study of God’s Word in her home.

In 1972 Pat went to Bob Jones University so that she could earn a degree in the Spanish language. That is where she met her husband Dave Christenson during their senior year of college. They had each spent summer mission trips to Spanish speaking mission fields and felt that that was where the Lord was calling them. They married and in 1979 went to Mexico as full-time missionaries on a foreign field. They have three grown children (Paula, Sarah, and Daniel who grew up in Mexico and are all bilingual), and two grandchildren. She believes that the best way to raise Godly children is to be a Godly example to them, that more is “caught” than “taught.”

Ever since she was quite young, Pat desired to go to a foreign mission field. She was willing to go single or married, as a missionary helper, as a nurse, or as a children’s home worker. Growing up in Florida, she met many Spanish speaking people and wanted to witness to them, so she told the Lord that she would study Spanish until she was fluent enough to witness to them. That took her through 3 years of high school Spanish, 4 years of college Spanish, 1 summer of graduate school Spanish study, and 1 year as a Spanish teacher in Miami. After all that, Pat humorously remarks, “After we moved to Mexico and I turned on the radio, I still didn’t understand anything!” The Lord prepared her for the mission field not only by learning a second language, but also blessed her with the opportunity to study piano and trumpet from her elementary school years and up, a very good preparation for the mission field. Her parents were school teachers, so their family was able to spend time traveling every summer, which was great preparation for deputation.

In 1988, after 9 years on the mission field, the Lord broke Pat’s heart over her sinfulness, and in His Great Grace, saved her. She had been depending upon a childhood prayer for salvation without having repented of her sin. He took away her sin then, and more recently also chose to take away the cancerous tumor with which she was diagnosed in the fall of 2010. At her 6 month check up in June, 2011, her oncologist determined that she is still cancer free. We praise the Lord for that good news!

A whole book could probably be written in order to contain all of the experiences and changes that Pat has encountered in the ministry in Mexico through the years she’s been there. She has learned to appreciate more fully the things that we take for granted living in the United States; for examples, a clean theft-free environment, trash pickup, running water 24/7, reliable mail service, warm showers, and new clothes. Having grown up in a large city, and now working with rural people for the last 25 years, she has learned to relate to farmers and ranchers. She knows how to safely remove a cow from their Sunday School classroom. (Fun!) She has learned to cook Mexican completely from scratch, and at a high altitude (7000’ above sea level). She now enjoys the blessing of having telephone and email contact, neither of which existed in their neighborhood when they moved to Mexico full-time in 1979. The Lord has protected them in many circumstances: on the highway; from animals including bats, turkeys, cows, tarantulas, snakes, ferrets, scorpions, and dogs; and from gangs, drunks, and townspeople wanting to run them out. She and her husband can identify with Christ, who had many people turn back, but at the same time, they are blessed by also seeing second and even third generation people that have remained faithful to God. She admires veteran missionaries, particularly those of past centuries, who remained sacrificially faithful in much more adverse conditions that she will ever face. (May we not take for granted the conveniences and relative safety which we enjoy in our nation.)

She and her husband visit four missions weekly, including services in the local jail. She helps with the music in three of the missions and teaches children at two of the missions. Another of her tasks is to grade and send out courses in their Bible correspondence school. For her own pleasure, she plays musical instruments, reads, and plays word and computer games.

Pat loves the Bible verse Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” He, from His deep reserves gives what His children need. Abigail who had the wisdom, courage, and humility to do what was right in the right way, is one of her favorite women of the Bible.

I feel that I have been privileged to share a small and abbreviated part of this humble lady’s life with you, and I have been inspired by her life, to trust God more fully. Her motto, if I may call it that, found in John 3:30, is “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Be sure to read the monthly letters sent by the Christensons to our church. You’ll be blessed to read what God does in their part of the world. Please remember to pray for them.