Week 8 - Feliz Navidad!

Family!

So good to see you on Christmas! I have to admit I felt my first twinge of homesickness after I ended the call. Then I walked into the bright sunny day, and somehow I felt better, not sure why.... And it might have just been a leftover stomach ache from all the food we ate. I honestly have never eaten so much.

Other than Christmas, this week was pretty normal. Everyone was super excited about Christmas and was cooking tamales and lighting off fireworks so teaching was a little harder than usual, but it was hard not to just be happy walking around seeing so many people so excited about the same thing.

Saturday was easily the most interesting day of the week. We'd set some really high goals for this week and we felt super confident about them and we'd had some success with our investigators earlier in the week so we thought we could just build off that. We had our whole day filled up and I left the house with so much energy. But by 2:00, every single one of our appointments had fallen through. So we decided to call the rest of our investigators and see if we could meet with them, or invite them to church. By 2:30, we had called all of them and either they didn't answer, couldn't meet with us, or couldn't come to church. At that point, I was ready to go home and just crash. I was feeling so deflated and discouraged. Since there was nothing else to do, we went contacting. We didn't find anyone so we decided to say a prayer. After that, we walked around a little more and then Elder Duran had the idea to go to a new area we hadn't been to before. It was farther away than I felt like walking, but we just started walking anyway. When we got to the area, there were a lot more houses than I was expecting, and at the second house we found a family of four who were incredibly nice and welcoming and we taught them part of the plan of salvation and they were really excited about it and told us that they'd love to have us back again. Feeling a little bit better, we went to the next few houses and had a similar experience. By the time we left that area, we had 15 new investigators. We went back to Siquirres and had some time before our we were going to meet with "H", who had called us back thankfully, so we went to this park and contacted more. We found 4 more investigators there and 2 of them told us they would come to church that Sunday. 

When I was thinking more about it that night, if our appointments hadn't fallen through, we never would have found these amazing people and they might not have ever heard our message. It's amazing because the Lord really does always have a plan for us. I just didn't have the faith to see it. But I know He was just preparing us to carry out His plan.

I love you all. I hope your Christmas was fantastic! And I hope you all have a happy new year's! Not to rub it in, but I get to spend the entire year of 2015 as a missionary. But anyway, love you all, I'll talk to you soon!

Elder Hansen

"A typical meal"

"Our house"

"Our adorable Christmas tree"

Christmas Skype call

Conference call with the two missionaries!

Merry Christmas!

Joyeux Noël!

Feliz Navidad!

Week 7 - Big News and a Baptism

Shamaikel's baptism

Familia!

This country is just amazing. It's weird and crazy but amazing and I love it. Everyday I learn something new about it, like how there's never a bad time for fireworks. Seriously, it's just constant. Or that when people said I would eat rice and beans everyday, they were serious. Still have yet to go a day without it haha. Or that stop signs mean nothing. It's more just like a rough guideline, like if you want to stop that's great. If not, no big deal. But I love being here more than anything. 

This week was a busy one. On Wednesday, we went to a Christmas party at in San Jose after a really really cool baptismal session in the temple. We got the the party a little late, but they still had plenty of food for us and it was soo good. I didn't realize how much I missed mashed potatoes haha. We had a little Christmas program and then President Wilkinson got up to give a talk. He thanked us for all our hard work and then told us that they're going to add another mission to Costa Rica!!!! The rush that went through the room after he said that was indescribable. Everyone just erupted into cheers and tears and it just was amazing to be a part of that. Those missionaries had worked so hard and they were finally seeing the results. President said the Prophet and the Quorum of the Twelve were taking notice of us. I was so excited, but I couldn't help feeling a little detached, because I hadn't been there for the success, but then I just felt inspired to get out and work and do my best to fill the shoes they've left for us. I just feel so lucky to be here. They gave us these little ornaments with Costa Rica San Jose Mission, because after June of 2015, there will be 2 missions. I'll definitely hang them on my tree every year haha.

Oh and we had our first baptism this week. His name is Shamaikel and he's the coolest 11 year old I've ever met. He had already been to church enough times and finally agreed to be baptized. Elder Duran let me make the commitment and then let me baptize him too. It was such an amazing experience. I had to do it 2 times of course, but it was so special to bring someone else into the church. He has such a sweet testimony and was so excited after his baptism haha. I'll send a picture next week.

Sunday morning, we were walking into the chapel and this man calls out to us, so we walk over and start talking to him. It was clear this guy was having a rough time, judging from the beer can in his hand and the fact that he was speaking half Spanish and half English. I had no idea what to do so I let Elder Duran do the talking and just prayed that he didn't focus on me haha. At the end, he said he would go to church with us next week and I thought he was leaving and then he grabbed my hand, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "You're a real gentleman. I love you". Then he kissed my hand and left. A few hours later I saw him talking to Elder Gonzalez and Nielsen and apparently the same thing happened haha. Weirdest moment I've had.

It was a great week overall. I love you all so much and I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Elder Hansen

Week 6 - Arrival in Costa Rica

Familia!!

I'm really sorry but I'm probably never coming home. This place is absolutely amazing haha.

Getting here was pretty easy, our flight was delayed out of Salt Lake, but only about half an hour. I stepped off the plane and got blasted with heat but it felt so good after being stuck in Provo for 6 weeks. I met President Wilkinson, love him already, and then went to the office for food and some important stuff that I was way too excited to pay attention to. That night we went out to work and so we got on the bus to go out into San Jose. After I had sat down, a man sat next to me and I got super excited for my first bus contact. And the moment I start to say Hello, he puts in his headphones and boom, he's gone haha. So that was great...... Then later we were knocking doors and the first one, a older man answers and he was talking and talking and I didn't understand a word, and I was thinking, oh no I don't know this language at all but later my temporary companion, Elder Moran, said he was using a ton of swear words so it's good if I didn't understand. I slept like a rock that night haha.

Meeting his trainer, Elder Duran

The next day, we got our trainers. It was super dramatic when they walked in, like we were in Monsters Inc. when all the monsters come to the Scare Floor. But anyway, my trainer is Elder Duran. He's from Mexico City and speaks a little English which helps but for the most part it's all Spanish. He's incredibly nice and has the biggest heart. He's only been out for about 3 months, but he really knows what he's doing and it's been incredible to learn from him. I love him so much already.

I'm in a little town in northern Costa Rica called Siquirres and I love it. Our house is perfect and the people are kind and receptive (for the most part haha). It's rained every single day. Never in my life have I seen so much rain haha. I absolutely love it though. It's a pain when it starts raining and the house has a tin roof, because then we can barely hear each other, and that really doesn't help me too much haha. We walk everywhere and I've already had to bust out the moleskin, but there's so much to see it's all good with me. 

"Our backyard"

My first night we went out to teach someone Elder Duran had met a few days before. We (Elder Duran) taught him about the restoration and it was so so so incredible to finally be here in Costa Rica, teaching real people and changing the lives of real people. I barely understood anything, but I could feel the Spirit so strongly. At the end, Elder Duran committed him to be baptized and he accepted! I was so excited for him I could barely contain it haha. The rest of the night, we just contacted and knocked doors. Most of the people in Costa Rica have gates so we stand outside and say Upe Buenas (upe is like hoop, without the h and with an a on the end). On Friday night, we met with a new investigator and I actually taught a lot of the lesson, or at least I said words and he nodded and agreed so I'm assuming that counts, but at the end we committed him to be baptized and he accepted and then we taught him to pray and when he finished his prayer, he started to cry. Oh man, best moment of my mission so far. So incredibly powerful. His name is "H" and he's 22 and I just love him. He works at a deli in Siquirres and if we pass by while he's working he'll give us some food, it's fantastic haha. Also, the food, oh my, the food haha I've had rice every day and I'm honestly totally fine with that. All the food is amazing and everyone is willing to give us food. We'll be teaching a family and one of them will step out for a second and come back with dinner for us. I love these people. En serio. I'm probably going to live here someday. 

I'm just honestly so happy to be here, finally. It's been kinda tough getting adjusted and I'm still not completely able to understand people and this country is not built for people my height, but I love it so much.

Love you guys!!!!!!

Elder Hansen

At the San Jose temple

With Elder Rosander - another new missionary

Week 5 - Last Week in the MTC

Hi everyone-

Not going to have time for a long email today, but hopefully you got the pictures I just sent you. 

I seriously can't believe I'm leaving already. It's crazy. When did I get here? haha no but I'm so excited I can't wait to join my sister in the field.

I got my travel plans!!! I leave on Monday for Costa Rica!

I'll fly out of salt lake at 11:00 to Atlanta and then directly to San Jose.

Love you!!

MTC companion, Elder Kiel from Corvallis

Elder Paynter

Elder Boston "who helped me get situated"