Week 43 - A visit from President Hayes

With Elder Sandoval (his "grandson"), Elder Macias (companion), and Elder Hernandez (his "son")

Hey family!

Well big news this week. We had changes and Elder Macias is taking off. We still don't know where though because President is now giving us Monday and Tuesday to go say goodbye to everyone and then Wednesday we have to be in the offices for changes. Super weird, but I like it. It's so much better than having changes and not having any time to say goodbye. 

So anyway highlights of the week:

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we were on divisions again with Elders from Limon and I got to stay in the area. I felt a lot more comfortable this time and it was super fun. We've done a ton of divisions these past few weeks, I barely feel like I've been with Elder Macias, and it's crazy because now the change in over and he's leaving. Kinda sad.

Thursday we had a surprise visit from President to check out the house and talk to us a little. Really good to see him. I love him so much. Honestly we've had the greatest mission presidents in the world. 

Friday was a little rough. We started out playing soccer in the morning and Elder Sandoval fell and broke his tooth on the wall. He was a little shaken up, but we got him home and called the nurse. She set up an appointment super fast and by 3:00 he had already gotten a new tooth put in. It was surprising how fast because here, it's common for them to put doctors appointments one or two years in the future. Years. It's insane.

Saturday was a super good day. We just ran around and had short lessons with people to get them excited to come to church the next day. It was super hot and I got back to the house and basically crashed on the floor haha

Sunday was super good. A new family came to church by themselves and after said they loved it and want to come back again next week. We were walking around and basically went from lesson to lesson back to back all day and it was a little bit cooler than usual and I don't know why but I just felt so happy and calm and it was one of the best days of my mission. I love this place so much. Can't wait to see what's coming in this transfer.

Well guys, love you a ton. Life's super good. I've really never been happier in my life. Enjoy the pictures! 

Elder Hansen

"Pura Vida" - Drinking our pipas

We made a cake for "G" for his birthday

Week 42 - Trips to Limon, and Pipas Frias

Hey guys!

Really good week this week. Got to go on divisions to Limon to do some baptismal interviews. Limon is interesting because it's built for tourists but at the same time one of the more dangerous cities in Costa Rica. You've got a ton of stores and attractions and the beach right there, but some of the sketchiest people you'll meet in Costa Rica. It's not all that hot just incrediby humid, but it was cool to be close to the beach for the first time in a long time. 

Monday wasn't too special, just had a family home evening with some recent converts and a few other lessons. 

Tuesday I was in Limon and I don't really remember a lot of what happened, but it was a good day. I remember that.

Wednesday, more divisions. We went to go do some interviews and on our way back we stopped to get something to drink. When we were leaving this guy stops us and asks/demands that we buy him something. We both didn't have enough money so we had to turn him down, but then he just got upset and half threatened to rob us, but we explained to him that we're just missionaries and that he didn't really want to do that (jedi mind trick style). After that he calmed down and started telling us his life story about how he lost his job and family and everything to drugs, so we shared a scripture with him and then took off. Gotta love Limon.

Thursday I did divisions with another area in Limon and it was me and Elder Greene, the only other gringo in the zone. It was super weird to be with a gringo companion for the day, but it was fun because he understood all my jokes and references which is something that doesn't happen a lot haha.

Friday I headed back to Siquirres and had a great day.

Saturday we had a conference with President Nelson. He was in Honduras and they transmitted it to us. He shared a really good message on how to treat our investigators and just made us all feel super special.

Sunday we had church, but they were working on the power lines outside so they had to cut the power and that was the worst. No air conditioning on one of the hottest days. It was rough haha. We had some great lessons during the day, but one of the best was our last one. We had just finished a lesson at about 8:30 pm so we wanted to squeeze in one more. There were a few people close by but we felt like we needed to go visit one of the families that had come to church that day. We stopped by and when we had sat down the wife told us that she had been praying we would stop by. She and her husband told us how happy and peaceful they feel whenever we come by to teach them. It was so heartfelt and kind of them to say because they're really making an effort to change and to hear that we were helping them just made me feel like I'm really making a difference here. It's one of the greatest opportunities I've had in my life to come here and to see people really change and see the differences in their lives. I was thinking a lot about that, about how much my Heavenly Father loves me to give me this chance to be here, teaching the gospel and helping people come closer to Christ. It's pretty special when you think about it.

Today for pday we went to Limon again to go to the beach. Played some soccer and drank some pipas (I think that's how you spell it). [Pipas frias - coconut water] I took a lot of pictures, but of course this computer doesn't want to wrk with me today so it'll have to wait until next week. Sorry, dad. But hey love you guys! Have an awesome week!

Elder Hansen

Week 41 - Birthdays and Mother's Day

Our zone with Elder Duncan last week

Happy Birthday Mom and Erik!!

Hope it was super great! Elder Lopez and our cook had birthdays this week, so we threw a little party for them Friday night. Then Saturday was Mother's Day so we went around all day wishing people a happy Mother's Day. Felt weird because Mother's Day already passed for me, but it was fun. A little bummed I didn't get to call home though haha.

Well this week was a pretty good one. On Monday we found a super sweet family with one of the chubbiest babies I have ever seen. I'm not kidding, he's like the dough boy but 5 times chubbier. They're a super nice family, planning on getting baptized in September. Also one of our recent convert families gave us fish for dinner. But not like a filet, an actual fish, eyes and everything haha it was really good though! The eyes were a little gross but hey it was something new.

On Tuesday we did divisions with the district leader in Limon. His companion came to work with me in our area and that was interesting. I'm still not completely familiar with everything so I got lost twice, but it led to finding some new investigators so like a champ I just played it off like I knew what I was doing haha.

Wednesday, more divisions and found some super great families.

Thursday we had a lesson with one of our newer families which turned into a disaster. We were super excited about teaching them and then it just went all wrong. Not really sure what happened, they just all of the sudden asked some questions and got super off track and then the lesson didn't make much sense and they got really confused. And they went and bought us something to eat after and brought iced tea, which made everything worse haha. 

Friday was super fun. Had some solid lessons in the morning and then that night we had a little party for Elder Lopez and our cook. We all chipped in to buy a cheesecake, which I was super excited for. It turned out being basically hardened yogurt though.... super disappointing. But it was fun to celebrate.

Birthday cheesecake with Elder Lopez and our cook

Saturday, Mother's day. Really good day.

Sunday - it was a miracle. We left early to go pick up some investigators for church. By about 8:30 they had almost all cancelled but when we got back to the church there were 4 investigators already there and halfway through sacrament meeting 4 more showed up. Then we finished the day with some really good lessons.

Well love you guys all so much! Have a super great week!

Elder Hansen

Mission leadership council

Week 40 - Elder Duncan and a baptism

Hello Family!

Hope you're all doing great. This week was super super good. As usually, and just like Maren, I forget everything that happened as soon as I get here to write, but I promise things are actually happening, we're not total bums. 

So, I'm feeling much better - the virus only lasted a few days, and I'm feeling fine now.

Elder Kevin R. Duncan
Area President, Central America

Well this week Elder Duncan was in town and we got to go to a multizone conference with him. He taught us a ton about how to teach our investigators better and to work more with the members. President Hayes also talked to us about having more faith and dedicating ourselves more to the work.

On Friday I had my first leadership council which was super cool because Elder Duncan came to that to help us out a little more and teach us a little more personally. Super super cool. Got to talk a little one on one with him, which was so amazing. Really humble, genuine man. The only bad part was that I had heard a ton about how awesome the food is that they give us for these meetings, but all we got was pinto and some tortillas, stuff we eat almost every day haha but oh well, it was fun. 

We had a baptism this week! This super sweet lady named "T" who has been coming to church the last 2 months even though she lives really far away. We actually had never been able to teach her, just over the phone or really quickly after church, but she kept coming and last week finally decided she wanted to get baptized. We had it this saturday and she was so happy and left with the biggest smile I've ever seen haha Love those moments as a missionary.

Anyway, hope you guys are doing awesome. Love you all so much! Sorry it's so short!

Elder Hansen

Week 39 - Chikungunya

Hey fam!

Hope you all had a super week! Sounds like you guys are really stepping up in the family adventures, thanks for starting after we left haha. But this week sure was a good one. Not a whole too much happened, but it's still super fun to be here in Siquirres. Not gonna try to go through everyday because as you've seen I'm not all that good at remembering what happened but here's some of the highlights.

We had a baptism! Well technically it was last week but I forgot to write about it haha sorry.

I went on divisions and stayed alone in the area! Only got lost like 2 times but it was an adventure.

I ate sugar cane for the first time! It was super weird, but I liked it. You bite off a piece and chew on it until all the water has come out and then just spit it out, kinda weird, but hey it was something new.

We should have a baptism this week too! One of our investigators finally came to church and we finally got to talk to her about her baptism and she accepted. Praying a lot for that.

I've got chikungunya! It's some disease transmitted by mosquitoes, also called dengue I think. Anyway it's the worst. I was walking around yesterday and started to feel kinda hot, which was normal because it was baking hot, but then I stopped feeling hot and started feeling cold and my head was killing me and I just wanted to throw up. We stopped by a member's house for some water and some pills which really helped but then by the time we got home, I just felt like dying. I think I slept a lot of it off but last night was a struggle haha.

But anyway that's about all I can remember from this week. Love you guys! Hope you have a fantastic week!

Elder Hansen