Week 60 - Feliz Navidad!

Hey fam!

So good to talk to you guys on Friday! Still that same good looking family I remember haha glad you enjoyed Hawaii......for the second time without me..... haha Christmas was great this year again! Christmas Eve we had some really good visits and then had dinner with our cook and I ate so much I threw it all up that night, but it was worth it haha. Then after I talked to you guys on Christmas, it was basically just a normal day. We went around visiting like normal and wishing everyone we could a Merry Christmas. 

Then on Saturday, we had a baptism! Cesar finally was able to get baptized and was so pumped up about it. the whole time, he was giving us high fives and thumbs up haha and then yesterday, after his confirmation, he gave us both the biggest hugs haha love that guy.

Sunday was super fun. We wanted to go to explore a part of our area we've never been to, so we took the bus up and got off where we thought was the right place. It turns out that we got off too early, so we did some contacting and then kept walking up the mountain. On the way, we saw some cows in a field and stopped to see if we couldn't preach to them a little, but they weren't all that interested.... then we finally reached where we were trying to get to and had some great lessons with the members up there and got to meet some of their friends who seem like they could be pretty interested. And they invited us to come up for New Years, so even though it took us four times as long to get there as it should have, it was worth the trip haha

Well that's about it fam. Love you guys a ton! Hope Christmas was great! Talk to you next week!

Elder Hansen

Our area in San Jose

Week 59 - Another Christmas miracle

Hey guys!

Sorry I couldn't write on Monday, we had the mission Christmas party so they gave us time to write on Wednesday instead. But now that just means I have to somehow remember everything from this past week, which already feels super far away, and as you've seen, I'm not the best at remembering everything from past weeks so we'll see how it goes.

Well one of the miracles we saw last week was an eternal investigator that finally decided to get baptized. He had been going to church with his wife as she reactivated herself and had thought about baptism, but wasn't sure if he wanted to do it yet. They also had to get married, and the thought of that was even further from his mind. It had been hard to get time to teach him, but last Tuesday, we finally got to see him and he started asking us to share our testimonies and why exactly we believed what we believe. He sat there for a few minutes and then started explaining that he had been praying and had received an answer that he needed to get married and get baptized and that he wanted to get baptized in January, but married in February. We explained that he needed to get married first, but he still felt like he wasn't ready, so we decided to say a prayer with him. We all knelt down and he offered one of the most sincere and heartfelt prayers I have ever heard. When we sat back down, he started pouring out his heart about how good he felt about getting married and how much he loved his wife. The spirit felt so strong and I knew he had received his answer and we had been witnesses to a true conversion. Easily one of the most powerful nights of my mission. He's now getting ready to get married and baptized the first weekend in January. Later that week, we had another lesson with him and when we got there, his 9 year old son came running up to us, yelling "I've got good news!" And then told us that he's going to get baptized with his dad. Going to be a really special new year.

And then later in the week, that same family came with us to go visit a new family we had found. We thought we would teach a little about the restoration, but they took all the time basically just testifying about how much the church will help them and that they need to go and find out for themselves and that they won't regret it and by they end the family we were teaching wanted to be baptized and come to church and everything was perfect, without us teaching anything haha so we'll see how it goes. Member missionary work! Go do it!

Also we helped make tamales with our cook. Elder Davis has the pictures so hopefully I can pass them on. But it was super fun haha -- a lot of work, but it was cool to make something new. It's a tradition here and everyone makes them or buys them so we've been eating a lot of them these past few weeks.

We had another zone service project and once again we went to an old persons' home, but it was really fun. Got to talk to some old people who had at one point in their lives spoken English, but over the years had forgotten it, so I didn't really understand much, but they all smiled when we just nodded our heads and laughed so it was all worth it haha.

Zone service project

Also the Christmas party was super great! We sang a whole bunch of Christmas songs that I hadn't heard in a long time and ate some amazing food and, after two months, finally got to open my package! President taught us about the origin of the town of Bethlehem, which was incredible, as always. 

But anyway, Merry Christmas everyone! Love you all, have a great week!

Elder Hansen

My agenda on Thursday, haha

Carl's Jr!

Week 58 - Christmas miracle

Hey guys!

Had a really good week this week. It's been crazy getting to know the new area and all the new people, but I'm loving it. Everyday there's something different to find and to see. 

On Tuesday we had leadership council and before we started the power went out which meant we couldn't use the projector. We couldn't really do much about it, so President decided to take the time and answer questions and teach us again. It just blows me away every time he starts teaching, and I think everyone was glad that the power had gone out that morning haha. He talked about the history of the Nephite civilization and finished by explaining how Captain Moroni managed to defend his people from the Lamanites, relating all of it to how the adversary is always looking for a weak spot in our defenses. It's something that I've heard plenty of times, but the was President explained it, it took on a whole new perspective and I learned so much more. Love that guy!

Then on Wednesday we had zone conference, which was great. We taught about how to have better unity with your companion and work more effectively. To finish we set up and maze and had them run through with their legs tied to their companion's. It worked out great and thankfully no one got hurt haha.

Also, we have an investigator that was working to get baptized in October, but had a motorcycle accident and basically destroyed his left hand. He had to get pins in his thumb and index finger and the doctors said he'd be in a cast at least 3 or four months. He wanted to get baptized but with the cast on, he didn't feel as comfortable. We told him if he had the faith, he'd be able to get baptized this month without a problem. He had a doctor's appointment on Saturday and that night we stopped by to see how he was doing. When we got there, not only was he feeling a lot better, but they had taken off the cast and the pins and he told us the doctor had given the thumbs up to be baptized. He had recovered way faster than expected and the doctor said there wouldn't be any problem for him to get baptized this month. Christmas miracle.

I gotta take off, but have a great week! Love you guys a ton! 

Elder Hansen

Week 57 - First week in Purral

Hey guys!

Well it's been a pretty crazy week. It was tough to say goodbye, but it's been fun to get to know a new area and new companion. I got moved into the city, in an area called Purral, in northern San Jose. It's a lot colder and a lot bigger than Siquirres, which has taken some getting used to, but so far I'm loving it. My companion is Elder Davis, my first gringo companion. It's been so much different because he actually understands most of the references I make and was just as excited as I was when we saw a Star Wars poster on the back of a bus yesterday haha. The area is great, mostly all hills and we take buses everyday, but it's got some of the best members I've ever met. The ward is really good, but it's about to split into a branch and a ward and we'll be in the branch. There's a lot we have to get done to get ready for it, but it's been a lot of fun to be a part of so far.

It was really sad to say goodbye to everyone in Siquirres because almost all of them started crying, but they've all welcomed me really well here so I'm feeling more and more at home everyday. I finally had the chance to bust out my jacket, which has been collecting dust the last year haha. It also doesn't rain as much as Siquirres. I checked off a bucket list item by finally leaving the house without my umbrella haha. 

Yesterday, we got to go to the Christmas devotional, which was really good. Filled the chapel and the cultural hall (the chapel is twice the size here than in Siquirres haha) and after they served tamales and hot chocolate. It was a such a good night because a lot of investigators showed up and everyone just loved it. 

I wish I had more to say, but I can't remember everything that happened this week haha, but the most important is that I'm loving it and that it's gonna be really fun to be here. Have a great week! Talk to you guys soon!

Elder Hansen