Week 62 - 2016 off to a good start

Making tortillas

Hey fam!

Hope the new year is going great for you guys! This week was another good one for us. Went by way too fast as always so we'll see what all I can remember.

Monday we had changes and they were a little different this time. Instead of having a big meeting in the office with everyone that had changes, President decided to just send everyone straight to their new areas from their current ones. So all the missionaries with changes came to the stake center and from there we sent them in taxi or bus, alone, to the bus station for their new zone and from there they took the bus to the stake center of their new zone. We all thought it was going to be a crazy mess, but it worked out pretty smoothly, only one elder got lost on his way haha.

On Tuesday, we were out looking for new people to teach and we saw an open door, which here is like a goldmine. When we got there, the family accepted us in really kindly and when we started introducing ourselves, just stopped us and the mom said, "we know who you are, we're members" haha so we kept talking and then when we offered to sing a hymn for them, they went back to grab their hymn books. When they came back, they had some of the older edition hymn books from like 1970, which has different hymns and different words and is just a relic now. We both got super pumped (because only as missionaries you get pumped about old church books) and they must have seen it on our faces because they asked us if we wanted to see it. After geeking out about it for a few mintues, the mom comes back with a super old Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. Seeing how excited we got haha they offered to let us keep them, saying you guys are like kids in a toy store, just keep them" haha Elder Davis took the DC and I took the BoM and its one of my most prized possessions now!

Saturday, we went to go chop again as you can see from the picture. This time we bought gloves, but even then I still popped another huge blister on my thumb haha but it's been really fun, best service ever.

Sunday was another great day. The branch is going strong. A lot of work to do, but we're seeing progress. That night, our last appointment fell through so we went to go look for someone else and found a few of our buddies outside of their house. One of them had drunk a little too much that night and when we got there starting preaching to us basically. Elder Davis started talking more with the guy who hadn't been drinking, and I just let the other one talk out everything he wanted to say haha He was actually saying some really good things, like that we should trust God in everything and love Him and love everyone else so I started clapping a little and getting him more pumped up and then all of the sudden, he jumps up and stands right in front of me and tells me how much he loves God and loves me and loves the world and it was the greatest speech I've heard a drunk man give haha. It was a great way to end the night!

Well, love you guys a ton. have a great week! Talk to you soon!

Elder Hansen

Week 61 - Happy New Year!

The baptism - President and Sister Hayes came!

Hey Fam!

Happy New Year!!!

Well super good week this week!

On Saturday we had the wedding of David and Maureen which was super great. Everything went perfect, and they loved it. Then the baptism was great on Sunday. We had it at 7 am but it was awesome. They were both so excited and after, Josue, the son, wanted to get baptized again haha.

David y Maureen wedding

Wedding selfie

Saturday morning, we went to help a less active cut grass by where he works. In Costa Rica, almost nobody has a lawn mower or weedwacker so they use machetes. Super tuanis [cool]. I've now got a new way to do yard work, Mom!

Blister from cutting grass with a machete

New Year's Eve was pretty low key, we went to eat with a few members, but I felt like the party killers because whenever we showed up, they turned the music off and everyone was a lot less excited haha, but oh well, the food was good! That night we busted out the hot chocolate and some cookies they'd given us for Christmas. That night, I was so tired I fell asleep before 10:00 and didn't even wake up when all the fireworks went off at midnight haha happy new year!

New Year's Eve feast

Also, on Friday night, we were waiting for the bus to head home, when a man who had drunk a little too much that night came over and sat on the curb a few feet from us. He started talking to himself and then turned around and starting talking to us, obviously angry about something. After about 2 mintutes of him yelling, I got the impression to just sing a hymn. At almost the same time, Elder Davis and I started singing the Spirit of God and almost immediately, the man calmed down and just listened to us. When we finished the first verse, the bus came around the corner and we hopped on. I don't know if he understood anything we said, but I felt the spirit so strongly. Just a really special moment that night.

But I gotta take off. Happy New Year everybody! Love you a ton!

Elder Hansen

We got a little lost...

Pretty cool sunset

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

Week 56 - Leaving Siquirres

Siquirres District

Hey guys!

Well it's been fun to be in Siquirres again, but, once again, I'm leaving. It was kinda rough to hear, with Christmas coming right up, but I know wherever I'm going, the Lord has a plan for me. They haven't told me where I'm going yet because for changes, they tell us if we have changes or not on Sunday and thenon Wednesday, we have a big meeting with everyone that has changes and President tells us where we're headed and who our new companion is. I have today and tomorrow to pack and say goodbye to everyone I can and then Wednesday morning, I'll take off. Maybe I'll stay out of Siquirres for more than one transfer this time haha but who knows. 

This week was pretty great though. On Sunday, the dad of one of the families we're planning baptizing in December finally came to church and they all seem super excited. It was a total surprise because he had been telling us all week that he wasn't going to be able to come, but all of the sudden showed up with all the family. 

Also, like last week, I had to climb through the window again haha we did a service project on Saturdayand at some point the keys fell out of my pocket and they extra keys we had were trapped inside the house. We're getting pretty good at breaking into the house though because it took a lot less time than the first time haha

On Saturday we did a service project with the ward. We went to a retirement home to go spend time with the old people there and help clean up the place a little. It was a really good experience because most of them were really happy to see us and talk to us. There were a few old men that didn't seem to understand the concept of clothing though haha but it was a good chance to check out dad's future home.

Today we played soccer for the last time with all the zone and we finally beat Limon! We celebrated by going to the first and only fast food restaurant in Siquirres that just opened on Saturday. Just in time for me to leave haha I watched them building it for almost 10 months and only got to eat there once haha

Limon Zone at the fast food joint

But that's about it, loving life out here. Hope you guys are all doing great! Love you a ton!

Elder Hansen