Week 16 - Six cows in the way

Your weekly picture of Elder Duran and me

 Family!

Well, safe to say this was one of the best weeks I've had. We had more lessons and more contacts than ever and it was such a good feeling. We knew we could do better so we just cranked and had some of our best success this week. And we should have a few baptisms, if not this week, then in the next few weeks. 

We did a service project for one of our investigators which he had told us would be painting, but turned out to be helping his guys cut up a tree and then moving it up a hill and then setting the boards and then painting it haha. And there were about six cows in our way that just wouldn't move or would only move to get more in our way which didn't make it any easier haha. We only finished moving all them up the hill before we had to leave. But it was on top of a mountain so we had a really good view (I took pictures dad) and it was some solid exercise. We'll probably have to go back again, but hopefully just to paint this time haha. 

View of Siquirres from our service project

I've been taking the phone more and more and actually making calls myself which doesn't always go perfect, but every time it gets easier. It's really amazing to think about how far my Spanish has come. I'm nowhere near perfect, but I can understand almost everything and I feel completely comfortable speaking and it's made contacting so much easier because I don't have to worry about the language, I can focus solely on the needs of this particular person. Definitely been an answer to a lot of prayers haha. 

Also, want to give a public shout out to Luke Batten for his mission call! Gonna be a superstar missionary and I'm super proud of him. 

Love you all so much. Thank you for everything!

Elder Hansen

"View of some trees" [glad he clarified that]

Week 15 - A kind bus driver

"Study time"

Buenas Familia!

Had a really, really good week. We saw some real milagros [miracles] with a lot of our investigators and got saved a few times haha. 

Tuesday we had some great lessons with more of our investigators and it was great to see the progress finally taking shape. We've learned a lot about how to set up our lessons and to prepare for each individual and that has helped a lot. 

Wednesday was pretty normal too haha nothing too exciting happened, I don't think. Just more missionary work. Which is exciting enough in itself so there's that.

Thursday was really really good. We went to another part of our area that we have to take the bus to get to. We got there at about 1 and had a few appoinments lined up, but they fell through until later so we had to adjust a little, but it all worked out and we had some really good lessons. The only problem was, that by the time we finished, we had missed the final bus that left at 5. Out of desperation, we went to the bus stop to wait. We were there for about 10 minutes with nothing and we were about to leave when I saw a bus coming down the road. And then I watched it drive right past us haha. I was too discouraged to notice it had stopped about 100 yards down the road and was honking for us. So we ran over and the driver is a friend of a member who we had met last week. When we get in, there isn't anyone on the bus and he doesn't make us pay. He asks us where we're going and offers to take us all the way back haha. And what makes it even better is that this isn't even on his route. He was just coming back from dropping off a friend when he passed by us. The Lord really watches over His missionaries haha. 

The rest of the week was pretty great. Finally set some baptismal dates with our investigators and we're seeing so much more progress. 

Love you all so much, hope you all have a fantastic week.

Elder Hansen

"New name plaques!"

Week 14 - Pancakes and a Private Concert

"Serious faces"

Buenas!

Hope all is well at home! It's been a pretty great week here in Siquirres. We had some really hot days so obviously my tan is coming in super nice haha. But it's been a nice break from all the rain. My umbrella broke last week mid storm which was really fun haha so I think the Lord is blessing me with a break. 

Highlights of the week:

We got to go to a member's house up in the mountains to give her non member husband a blessing. When I say in the mountains, it was really out there -- it took about 30 minutes to get there and was on mostly dirt roads, but when we got there it was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Their house was nice, but the space they had around it was even better. It was on top of a little hill with a beautiful view and these huge trees all around with toucans and monkeys (we didn't see any of course) and a river running down a small canyon. And of course I didn't have my camera with me. But if we go back I will for sure take pictures. 

We helped the branch president move which was really good for me because when we started he couldn't remember my name, but by the end we were best friends. He gave us a ride back home and we jammed out to Mo Tab and the EFY songs haha. 

A more spiritual highlight, we sang hymns for comp study in English and in Spanish, and it was really special to hear the same words and the same messages though different languages. The church is the same no matter where we go. 

We met a man who has bullets in his leg still, that have been there for years. I guess he didn't think we believed him because he had us touch his calf and sure enough there was a small lump. But he was really humble and said he was looking for something from God because he knew he was alive for a reason. 

Also, we went to have a lesson with a member last night, but it turned into a private concert for us, with him playing his heart out on the piano and singing as loud as he could haha. It wasn't that it was bad, just not what we were expecting haha. 

Elder Soy and Xicara (the zone leaders) are still living with us and they bought some Krusteaz pancake mix when they went to San Jose last week, so we've been making pancakes basically every day and it's been wonderful -- I didn't realize how much I missed pancakes.

Yesterday marked 2 months in Costa Rica and when I was thinking about the time I've spent here and in general on my mission, I realized that what makes every day special are the little moments. The funny, the crazy, the spiritual, all add up to make a really good day and when I stop and appreciate all the good things that have happened and all the little blessings every day, I can't ever have a bad day.

I hope you're all doing awesome. Miss you all, love you all, thank you for all the support. 

Elder Hansen

Sunrise in Siquirres

Week 13 - Week of Blessings

Hola Familia!

This week was the week of blessings for us. It wasn't the most successful week, but we saw a lot of doors open and a lot of people changing for the better. I can't wait to see what February has in store for us. 

We taught some really good lessons Tuesday and got to visit some people we haven't seen for a while which was good to see them still keeping their commitments. Then on Wednesday we had to leave for San Jose in the afternoon to be stay the night at the secretary's house. While we were there, Elder Duran's trainer, and my grandpa, Elder Branham came so we got to spend the night with him. The next morning Elder Duran had to go to the embassy to finish up some paperwork with his visa so I got to go on divisions with Elder Branham and the other secretary. We went to help some Hermanas move and the whole time we just talked about Siquirres and about Elder Duran and it was great to hear about their experience and how similar it's been to ours haha. When we finished moving, we had a little extra time and we got to see a little more of San Jose which I just love more and more every time we go. When we got to the bus station, there was a bus about to leave and it was one of the really nice buses that feels like a spaceship and we got some of the last tickets. Needless to say, we were pretty excited haha. The bus didn't leave for about 20 minutes so we went to the little stores in the bus station and found these super cool Cristiano Ronaldo notebooks and they were less than a dollar so we each bought one haha. On the ride home, we saw the brightest rainbow I have ever seen. It was almost a solid line and a full arch and everything. Really really pretty haha. The next day we had some really good lessons again and then got to have pizza at a member's house. 

Saturday, we helped the zone leaders move into our house while they fix up theirs, so we've been having some great bonding time haha. That same day, we helped an investigator move too, unfortunately she moved out of our area. Also the ATM ate my mission card, which wasn't much of a blessing, but it was just really funny. I had finished taking my money and I had just put in in my wallet and when I reached to take my card, it sucked it back in, right out of my hand haha. 

Then the really tough part of the week hit. Sunday night, we had changes and Elder Nielson left to be one of the secretaries. It was really tough to say goodbye, but we're all super excited for him. 

That's about it. I'm still doing fantastic, it's such a amazing opportunity to be here. Thank you all for the support and prayers. 

Elder Hansen

PS - I dont have any pictures this week, sorry, I'll try to get some from other people and take some of my own for next week

[I told him his sister was CRUSHING him in the mission pictures department.]