Week 10 - A "Best Two Years" moment

Family!

This week was a pretty great week. Not too much happened, but I had one of the most spiritual lessons of my life on Wednesday night. We were on divisions because Elder Duran has to go on divisions with other Elders every few weeks since he's the district leader. He went with Elder Gonzalez, who is on his second to last transfer and I got to stay in our area with Elder Nielson. Elder Nielson is the only other American in our little district of six in Siquirres. He's from South Carolina and we've really become good friends and so I was really excited to get to work with him. Wednesday night we had an appointment with a member of the branch to just check in and see how he's doing. When we got to his house, there was something off and he wasn't as happy as he normally is. We talked to him for a little bit and then he told us he had drank a beer with some of his friends the night before. He looked so distraught and ashamed, I just felt so bad. He told us he felt like he had failed and that it was all over for him. We talked for a while about repentance and the steps that he had to take now. At the end I bore my testimony of repentance and as I was talking I felt the Spirit stronger than I ever have in my life. I was telling him that everything was going to be ok, and then I started to say "that's why I'm here" (just like The Best Two Years, right?) and in that moment I felt the Savior sitting next to me, guiding me to what I should say and reaffirming my testimony. I just started crying and felt so much love for him and for Christ and for the chance that I have to be here and for everything. And then he started crying and that just made me cry more and it was the most powerful moment I've ever experienced. I honestly don't think I can fully describe it. I'm just so grateful for this opportunity. The chance to help someone feel the love and the joy that comes from the gospel is unlike anything else. It's not always easy, but it's so worth it. 

The rest of my time with Elder Nielson was so much fun. We got to work together for 2 days and we just rocked it. We talked to everyone we could and met so many more people and made some contacts with people that I really think could be baptized. I got to be the senior companion since it was my area and I was really nervous at first because it meant I had to initiate all the lessons and take the lead with a lot of things, but it taught me a lot about how much I didn't know I knew. I wasn't perfect, but by the end of the first couple lessons, I had so much more confidence in myself and my ability to speak and understand and teach with the Spirit. It was an answer to a ton of prayers haha. 

On Sunday we had over 120 people in church! We had to go get more chairs for people to sit. It was such a special feeling to see the difference we were making. We're working really hard to get as many people to church as we can, and to see them walking through the doors is so rewarding. Our goal is to get a ward in Siquirres, and if we can keep working hard and helping people come to church, I know we can make that happen. Something President Wilkinson told us is that we are "Always happy, never satisfied".

I love you all! I hope you had a great week!

Elder Hansen

"With Elder Nielson before our soccer match"