December 2, 2013

¡Vamoarriba Uruguay! ¡Soy Celeste!

  So a few weeks ago I bought a baseball cap that finally decided between the two rival soccer teams here, Peñarol and Nacional-- soy Manya, that is Peñarol.   I was very pleased to hear fireworks  and uncontrolled screaming when we won a key game this week .  The culture here is so crazy  :)

 I also ate ostrich egg this week!!  It's really good--I thought it tasted a little more rich and flavorful than from the chicken, and it is the equivalent of about a dozen eggs!   That was fun too.  Now that I've checked that, capibara, blood sausage, hairy pig skin,  tripe (cow intestines), and a few other  foods unique to the Uruguay, I can confidently say  there's little left here I haven't tasted :)

  Unfortunately, though, Sandra 's leg problems worsened and she was in the hospital having surgery all weekend; then, Hilaria's husband told her he didn't want her visiting other churches.  We weren't able to have any progressing investigators in church for the fourth week in a row... But thankfully, my companion and  I get along so well that it has been fairly easy to keep one another in good spirits and work hard looking for other prepared people as well  as helping those we've found to resolve their difficulties.  With the additional support from the branch's members lately, we're sure to find someone soon   who is prepared to be baptized.

   I know there are opportunities to serve all around us--the branch helped a member of our area with the bridge in front of her house so she would be able to leave and attend church in her wheelchair, and she came!  Sometimes the only thing standing in the way of a person's spiritual progress is a temporal challenge that can be solved with an act of service.  I want to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ, who "went about doing good" in all of His earthly ministry.

I love you,

 Elder Hansen

The Latest.

I really apologize for how far behind I've gotten. Here are McKay's latest letters in order from most recent to least recent! Sorry, I'll try to stay on top of it from now on!

11-25-13
Good afternoon, my dear brothers and sisters.

 :) How's it going?  Around Thursday I started feeling better so everything's peachy again (I've picked up the habit of saying peachy in the mission because in Spanish "pichi" means hobo.  So I'm just pichi :).

  We've got two really awesome investigators who are progressing-- Sandra, who had read the entire Book of Mormon before and is now leaving off smoking to be able to be baptized, and Hilaria, who has known good Church members her whole life and is now starting to read and pray in her own free time thanks to their help.  Unfortunately, both of them canceled last minute our plans to help them get to church yesterday, and neither was able to attend.  But if we work hard together for the next few weeks, we just might be able to arrange some Christmas miracle baptisms!

  I've felt such a change coming over my desires as I've spent more time out here in the mission-- I feel less and less often the temptation to think about books or music or movies from before, and more and more the need to plan for success in the area, progress for investigators and district members, and changes in my personal actions to be more obedient.  I know that's something the Lord has done for me that I could never have achieved on my own, and I'm very grateful for it.  I know that the very touch of the light of Christ in our lives often manifests itself in that way, a pure power or influence for good.  I hope everyone we teach can come to feel the same way and improve even better and faster than we are trying diligently to do!

I love you!

Elder Hansen

11-18-13
¿Todo tranqui?
It’s great to be writing you again! This week was a roller coaster. We found two really awesome investigators, Sandra and Silvia, who had had very positive contact with the Church in the past. Sandra even committed to be baptized on the 7th of December!  We'll be praying a lot and helping them to progress toward worthy goals these next few weeks, and thankfully, so will our branch members. Those were the only lessons we've been able to have with members present for weeks-- it's been difficult to count on branch support when there are so few consistently active attenders here and all have busy schedules. But thanks to an excellent district conference yesterday in which our mission president spoke of the need to know the missionaries and investigators by name and face, we're hoping to be able to turn things around by making personal visits to the members' homes and practicing sharing the Gospel with neighbors, friends, et cetera.
The unfortunate swing of the week was I got pretty sick.  I worked anyway but I was kind of a zombie on the streets. (I’m referring to my slow pace and staggering gait; No worries--I didn't have open wounds or a desire to feed on human flesh!)
I doubt I fostered much confidence in the people who saw me…haha.
But this morning as I was slumped in my chair trying to get motivated to start P-Day, a sudden surge of energy came over me. I don't know how else to describe it; I still felt a little weak and queasy, but somehow had just the strength I needed to do everything I needed to. It was a very real witness that I am supported by the power of prayers offered by people like you all over the world.  I'm so thankful for the infinite sacrifices made by the Saints that uphold us. I know there is a real force (faith and prayers) that buoys us up, and I'm very grateful for it.
So I think all will be well soon!
Thanks for everything,
Elder Hansen
Santa would look weird down here in that bulky red suit now that it's getting hotter and hotter... haha.


11-11-13
Good morning, America!
So, I'm now with my sixth companion after just seven transfers--I guess no one can put up with me for very long at a time. :)  But Elder Martínez is awesome!! He and I have always gotten along really well and wanted to be companions, even though we knew it was uncommon to be paired up with someone from the same batch of missionaries; and wouldn't you know it…verily, it came to pass.
We're excited to get working with members-- our branch president is very motivated, and we're working on having family home evenings with the members and bringing investigators to allow for positive, uplifting experiences.  Things should be looking up soon!
I'm sending home a flash drive with all my pictures from the whole mission on it (No worries I copied all the conference talks off of it first.)  Kylie can then post at will any of those six hundred some-odd photos.  It just takes way too long to load them individually on these slow computers... sorry for the wait, but it will be a fun little Christmas bonus!
Today on the bus, I spoke with a woman named Margarita who looks very much like my Grandma Marsha Hansen. We talked for an hour about her relationship with God and some of her life experiences.  She lives far out in the rural interior of Uruguay and only very rarely comes to the city to make purchases.  She said she distinctly remembered the only other time in her life (more than forty years ago!) in which she had had contact with missionaries. It made me realize that we can have a dramatic influence on people even in the short moments we have together and be positive examples.  It reminded me of the mantra my missionary preparation class teacher, President Christensen, often repeated, "You as missionaries may very well be the closest thing to the Savior that these people will meet in their lifetimes."  That's a frightening prospect, but also a beautiful opportunity, privilege, and responsibility. I hope to do a better job of it every day.
Love you!
Elder Hansen


11-4-13
Hey Folks,
This week has been really busy--because of some sick members of the zone we weren't able to do our exchanges earlier in the transfer and I ended up travelling the district most of the week!  I feel like I haven't even been in my area since I last talked with you all.
Well, the transfers came in last night, and... My new companion is one of my best friends in the mission!  He's a Mexican named Elder Martínez who arrived in the same group as I did--he was actually my district leader in the MTC.  Really great guy.  And my current companion Elder Morris is going to the Brazilian border to one of the three areas in our mission that is actually in Brazil.  So he should have fun too.  :)
My zone leader taught me a lot this week about how to teach the Gospel with simplicity and love.  We need to sound professional, but we can't be formal and eloquent and expect the importance of our message to get across unless we are direct, sincere, and powerful in testifying as missionaries. I have come to appreciate so much the counsel of my leaders, even when it comes in the form of initially unpleasant correction.
Have a great week.
Love,
Elder Hansen


10-28-13
It's getting nice and warm and will soon be hot.  Stays light until eight thirty at night…pretty weird. We eat lots and lots of mashed potatoes. They're almost as common as rice and noodles.
Good afternoon! (It's weird to think people don't actually say that in the states because "Buenas Tardes" is so common here.)
This week was unfortunately uneventful. Our district had a real struggle helping motivate investigators to attend church. I already feel like I've walked all the same streets and knocked all the same doors in Sarandí several times because it's so small. But after a great game of soccer this morning, I think we're all feeling enthused about the work again. We've got a family night scheduled with our branch president tonight in the home of some less active members, so the week should start off well. (It’s the first time he has been able to accompany us to a lesson since I've been here--he's really busy since he works two jobs.),
This transfer we've placed a very strong emphasis on planning; it's difficult to show the Lord our desires to be diligent without having a constant destination and a definite purpose.  So we've tried hard to look forward to meaningful activities in every moment of the day to be quickly walking and working toward. It's helped me to see how much more we can accomplish in our lives when we carefully look at the steps we will need to take to reach our goals. Even things like our prayers and studies can be thoughtfully pondered upon before launching into them headlong: if we aim for a certain end to our spiritual experiences (a question answered, a testimony strengthened, et cetera) it is far more likely we reach that joyful finish. So I'm trying hard to push myself and correct my earlier tendency to start things without thinking through what was really needed.
I love you all.  Thank you for your support and prayers,
Elder Hansen

Week Twenty-seven.

Hey!

  This was the week of the infamous anual tempest, the Santa Rosa.  We have heard in hushed tones and whispers, almost certainly accompanied by a shiver of dread, for months now... seven uninterrupted days of relentless rain and a downpour of pure evil which would cause even the most weather-hardened missionary to tuck his tail between his legs and plead for an ounce of warmth or hope from any neighbor brave or merciful enough to open the door to him.

  Ok, so it wasn't actually that bad.  :)  It came late this year so the actual storm wasn't so rough.  It rained all week, which was gloomy, but our habit of yelling "Whoo!" and thrusting our umbrellas (I'm on my third for the mission) triumphantly up at the skies each time lightning strikes has kept the motivation levels high and a pair of smiles on our faces.  Because of the torrential attack from on high, we only had 18 people (instead of our usual 50ish) in church on Sunday, but I was struck by how that was the exact number of Maximum turnout to the chapel in my old area, Varela.  We're very blessed here.

  Florencia's mom, Lorena, accepted a baptismal date for the 13th of October!  Her husband José is a little more skeptical and hesitant, but he told us it wasn't because he didn't want to join the Church, but rather because he wanted to be able to commit 100%, without allowing old weaknesses like his trouble with the Word of Wisdom to come back and tempt him after his baptism.  We'll be working with both of them to help them access the changing and impelling force of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  In time I know that family will come to be a strong source of good in this world.

  I've been really pushing myself to be obedient in my thoughts and desires as well as my actions, to be converted into a true disciple and representative of Jesus Christ and demonstrate the depth of my testimony in Him.  It isn't easy.  But it is ever so rewarding, fulfilling, and worth the effort.  I know that the Gospel of Christ is true and that as we take the necessary steps to come unto our Savior, making and keeping sacred covenants, we can be saved and eternally happy together.

  I love you all,

  Elder Hansen

Week Twenty-six.

September 9, 2013

Hello hello!

GREAT WEEK!  First, Elder Zeballos, a Chilean from the First Quorum of the Seventy visited and we talked about a little bit of everything-- I especially loved how questions I had had for the longest time about random Gospel topics were answered by the Spirit as I carefully listened.  He especially stressed the importance of finding complete families to teach.  Speaking of which...

Florencia´s whole family came to Church this Sunday!  Even her dad, José, who had been a little hesitant before.  It was such a joy to see them all sitting together in Sacrament Meeting.

In addition, another very promising investigator of ours, 18 year old Jorge (or "Lolo" as his whole family inexplicably calls him) has been coming to Church too.  He moved here to live with his sister, a very faithful member, and to turn his life around.  He's eager to be baptized.

Elder Alder signed his residency papers today-- we went to the huge central bus station in the city called Tres Cruces.  It's such a tourist trap haha.  And even busier than the airport...

Lots of love!  I know that the Lord answers prayers and responds to our individual doubts.  And sometimes it's waiting and searching for those responses that teaches me the most.

Elder Hansen

Week Twenty-five.

Mis queridos,

  How's things and stuff?  This week was what we call in Spanish "ahí" or "más o menos"; we really enjoyed it but didn't see as much success as we would have liked.  It's tough to spend weeks like this one where we only teach around twenty lessons even though we're trying every day.  It reminds me of the slower pace of little Varela, my first area.  Hopefully the warm weather will draw people out of their homes to be trapped--I mean, taught :)--in the streets.

  The good things, though?  Lorena, Florencia's mom, came to church for the third time in a row!  She said she had spoken with missionaries almost thirteen years ago and taken the lessons then, and that at that time she didn't feel ready or comfortable committing to be baptized.  But now, she says, lots has changed and she wants to try preparing herself again!  And better yet, her husband has also been taking the lessons with us and asking really good questions, even though he hasn't come to church since the day of Florencia's baptism.  He said he had a dream the other night in which we as the missionaries had told him he needed to stop smoking and he's trying to leave off now: without us having as much as mentioned the Word of Wisdom to him (we taught him the importance of that commandment later, of course)!  It's really evident that the Spirit is inviting him to do that which is good and uplifts and edifies.

  We have a couple other really promising investigators.  As always, the classic Uruguayan problem is that we are literally the last priority on people's lists--if we have a time set up to pass by and teach a lesson, and anything else arises (like their dog needs to go for a walk or they run out of milk and go to the store), they drop everything and stand up the missionaries.  It's kind of frustrating.  Elder Griffin, my trainer, used to say, "One of the hardest things to do in Uruguay is to find a really promising new investigator and have a strong, spiritual lesson with him or her.  But the Very Hardest thing to do here is find that same person again and teach them a second time."  haha... I wish that were less true...

  But I know that it's nothing personal against the missionaries, much less against the Lord--the people of Uruguay are really wonderful and accepting.  I come to love them more every day; I know I'll have a hard time leaving this branch when I finally do.  Our other really powerful experience this week was meeting our new mission president (a Fortune 500 businessman from Florida) and his wife.  They are incredible and stressed the importance of developing that sincere love for people.  I realized how much I need to improve.  "At the end of the day," said Sister Newsome, "We will not be judged by which areas or callings or jobs we served in, rather by how well we have loved our spiritual brothers and sisters who surround us."

  Thank you for always having showed that love toward me,

  Elder Hansen

Week Twenty-four!

Hello, hello!

Busy but exciting week--- FLORENCIA GOT BAPTIZED!!!  Pictures attached.  Not a lot of time today but the excitement of the moment speaks for itself, methinks.  Love and prayers your way,

Elder Hansen

Week Twenty-three.

¿Qué tal?  ¿Cómo andan?

We had another pretty good week!  We were finally able to meet Florencia's parents and they are on board for her baptism this Sunday!  Her mother may even want to be baptized herself, which is exciting.  Some other investigators have also begun to progress, among them an investigator named Mario who's been investigating the Church for five years (You'd think he would have made a decision one way or the other by now!).  During companionship study one morning, we felt impressed to share a specific scripture about baptism and the Spirit with him later that night.  When we showed up to his house, he had felt prompted to read that same passage, Acts chapter 2, and told us all about it and what he'd read!  It was a very touching experience, and helped us to see how often our lives are guided by the Holy Ghost as righteous members of the Lord's kingdom here on the earth-- oftentimes without even realizing that it's happening.  I know the Gift of the Holy Ghost that I received when I was baptized is real, and as we each strive to live worthily, we entitle ourselves to blessings of guidance, revelation, comfort, and protection.  I love the knowledge that a divine being can be at our side as we teach and testify; He can even be our constant companion if we keep the commandments at all times as we covenanted with our Heavenly Father to do.  I'm eager to allow others the opportunity to live with the assurance of that same eternal power-- as we strive as a companionship to do so, we will be able to fulfill part of our missionary purpose in "Inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel through... receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end."

Six months ago, I was set apart as a missionary and spent a long, sleepless night, anxious before a long, sleepless flight.  My time here and the effort and other sacrifices put toward my missionary service are well worth the while-- I learn and grow every day, and I'm trying my hardest to help others do the same.

With love,

Elder Hansen

Week Twenty-two.

¡Buenos días!

This week flew by!  I feel like I was just sitting down at the computer a couple days ago.  We saw some exciting progress though--one of our investigators, a twelve-year-old girl named Florencia whose grandparents are members of the Church, is getting very close to being baptized.  She even spoke up in the adults' Gospel Doctrine class yesterday, then bore her testimony in Sacrament Meeting!  We're just trying to win the support of her parents (her mom would also like to be baptized but has a very busy work schedule that makes progress slow) when we finally meet them for the first time this week.  Within a couple of months, we could have a whole new family in church!

Elder Alder is what we call in the mission a ''capo.''  It's like a stud--someone who's really impressive, powerful, and prepared.  He went on an exchange in our area with the district leader this week, and showed him around the (rather large) area just fine, even finding a new investigator in the process!  I'm moved by the progress I've seen in my little Orito (greenie :).

As we see our list of investigators growing by the day and our help from branch members going through the roof, I feel humbled and grateful to my loving Heavenly Father for rewarding us for our little display of diligence the last few weeks.  We are ever in His debt--the blessings showered upon us in His service are far greater than the sacrifices we make to attain them.  I feel my love for the people here, my knowledge of Scripture, my ability to communicate in the Spanish language, and my worthiness and ability as a servant of Jesus Christ growing, expanding, and improving.  Life is better every day; after many tribulations come the blessings (D and C 54:10; 121:7-8; 1 Peter 5:10).  I know that the happiness I feel is also a result of the prayers offered on my behalf--thank you all!  

May the Lord bless each of  you in return for your efforts is my prayer for you,

Elder Hansen

P.S.  Just because the prayers worked doesn't mean you get to stop just yet!  Keep up the good work ;) Let's make this just one time among many, eh?  Love you!

Week Twenty-one.

Good morning, America!

This has been a pretty fantastic week--we've done a lot of work with incomplete (part-member) families and the weather was randomly warm and sunny for like four days in a row.  The branch here is finally getting excited to get involved in the missionary efforts, giving us references of people to visit and coming with us to teach lessons.  I gave a talk this Sunday about responding spiritually to Jesus' instruction, "Feed my sheep" instead of just feeding missionaries.  I told them I would trade in my lunch for help in our proselyting and finding situations :) so we'll see whether I starve next week from getting too much member participation... haha.  Well we had a good few days, is the general idea of things.  So I'm going to close up and try to send some pictures.

Lots of love,

Elder Hansen

Bridge over the Olimar river in 33

The business complex near our house in Prosperidad

Montevideo Temple

Same thing as before. But at night. 3.68 times as cool. :)

Week Twenty.

A soggy hello to the lot of you!

This week has been pretty cold, pretty wet, and pretty great.  An investigator of ours we've been working with since I arrived in the area, Ezekiel, finally came to church!  It was really gratifying and more than made up for the dismally drizzly day.  In addition, we've been able to contact several former investigators in the area who had been very near to baptism in the past and now view the idea of giving it another go with gusto.  We're excited!

I've also done some things I never expected this week-- for the first and hopefully last time, I mopped a ceiling (with bleach to remove mold that has been there since before I have), microwaved my socks (to dry them after a few days when nothing else does), and worn six layers of long-sleeved clothes at the same time!  Trouble is, it's not any warmer inside the house than out (forty degrees this morning, for example).  You just have to bundle up and pray to hold the frostbite at bay!  :)  haha it's a load of fun.

We're both feeling really confident about the work and progress here in Prosperidad.  Stay tuned for next week's episode...

Thanks for the support and for keeping in touch!

Elder Hansen

A picture of me and my mission president and his wife for the last time before they take off.  I forgot to mention in the letter that we had interviews with him and he told me I should be an attourney... I don't know whether that's supposed to be a good thing, haha. ;)

Week Nineteen.

Hey howdy!

This was a busy week!  We had transfers (everyone here calls them "changes" which I think sounds funny and pubescent, but if I ever use that word without thinking at least you'll know what I meant to say), and I met my new "oro"--"golden" new missionary, my little greenie Elder Alder!  Say that ten times fast, right?  At least it's easy for everyone here to pronounce--basically just Elder twice.  Whereas my name gives them some trouble.  The closest help we've been able to give people so far to say my name is "you know, like Hansel (Hansen) and Gretl," which seems to work pretty well for an only-slightly-distorted last name.

Anyway, Elder Alder-- a native of Boise, Idaho, Elder Caden Alder also attended BYU before the mission, speaks Spanish with a surprisingly good accent for having so little time out in the field, and sings like a bird.  His favorite is Michael Bublé--but Elder Alder makes Bublé sound like an amateur.  He has a really impressive voice.

Well, this week was the first of the real winter.  I think I've said that a few times now but this time I hope I'm right.  When you start seeing your breath indoors, you start to wonder just how much colder it can get... haha.

I haven't got a lot of time today, but I was really glad to see some progress this week with inactive members--some are beginning to come to church and have some youth that were never baptized before their parents inactivated.  We hope to see some great movement along the strait and narrow for them in the weeks to come.

I have begun a study of church history, chronologically, this week.  I'm reading the Doctrine and Covenants in the order and timing they were received, alongside the Joseph Smith History and the book Our Heritage.  It has confirmed and reconfirmed my testimony that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restored Church of Jesus Christ for this dispensation, and that he received the Priesthood authority from God.  I was able to exercise that same Priesthood this week by giving blessings to a couple of sickly members (in Spanish--yikes!).  I felt its power, and know that it is not mine, but rather Heavenly Father's, and that He acts through chosen servants to guide and direct us today, and to bless us with His love.  How great are our privileges as disciples of the Lord.

Christ lives and loves us.  We can live forever as perfectly happy families through Him.  May we each take more steps toward Him as He ever invites us,

Elder Hansen

Week Eighteen.

Hello, to the miscellany of family and friends out there who willingly subject themselves to the bore of reading my letters from time to time.  The few.  The proud.  The Young Elder Hansen Advocates of America (YEHAA! Like a cowboy).  I salute you and thank you for your support.  :)

This has been a great week.  This Sunday we were able to view a retransmission of the missionary broadcast--it really helped the members feel excited about the work here in the Prosperity branch.

Then last night the Zone Leaders called to tell us about transfers--''The doctor called,'' says my companion after hanging up the phone.  ''Congratulations.  You're pregnant.'' After a fit of histeric laughter I asked him what on earth he meant.  It turns out that a trainer on the mission is sometimes referred to as ''Dad'' and the trainee (new missionary, greenie or ''Oro'' as they call them here) is the ''Son.''  So, when Elder Trejo told me I was expecting, he really meant that I'll be having a baby missionay to train this next transfer. That's a pretty overwhelming prospect!  But I'm excited.

We don't have a lot of time this week because we're getting Elder Trejo packed and ready to head out.  But I'll let you know all about my new companion next week!

With love,

Elder Hansen

Week Seventeen.

Hey folks!

This week has been busy and exciting!  There has been a really big emphasis in the mission placed on "talking with everyone"-- that means people we pass in the streets, on the bus, even while getting haircuts today!  It has been really powerful to see the effect that initiative has had on our productivity as missionaries-- we were able to find eleven new investigators this week!

We had a great branch council meeting this week and are eagerly looking forward to more member participation in the weeks to come.  We have been fed SO much--I'm afraid I'm getting just a little chubby from eating too much guiso (it's stew, the most common food here). :)

Unfortunately, President Armstrong held his last mission conference this week.  We'll really miss him-- he is such an example of divine guidance and exact obedience to his missionaries.  But his words were really touching, and he promised us that the general authorities work by inspiration in the reassignment of mission presidents.

And I believe him.  We eagerly anticipate President Newsome at the end of this month.

I have learned lately that the Lord gives us more and more each time we express gratitude to him.  I have felt my thanks yielding additional blessings each day as I strive to notice the Lord's hand in all things.  We have truly been given so much, and in comparison, very little is asked of us.  When we have been promised even more to come, shall we not receive happily every word of scripture, commandment, counsel, and correction?  I'm far from perfect, but realizing that is the first chance I have to begin to improve.

You are in my prayers.  Thank you all for yours.  They are powerful and sustaining.

With love,

Elder Hansen

Week Sixteen.

Hey everyone! I hope it's been a great week.

This week, I realized, marked the four month out here on my mission--or, as my math-happy mother would quickly point out, one sixth of this incredible journey.  It made me really reflective--I wondered if I had seen one sixth of the growth I could expect spiritually, my ability with the language, et cetera.  Not having baptized up to this point in my mission, it made me really hope that I get to help more than six times that many people become members of the Church!

I was really thankful, though, that I've been able to see so much good among inactive members turning their lives around.  I doubt I'll be able to forget Luis Dias, a man in little Varela who had been less active for years, anxiously await our visit to his home with his Book of Mormon open on his desk.  Or the Olivera family, who I saw in a temple preparation class this Sunday after several months of inactivity (We're actually going over to their house tonight for an FHE activity--My Mexican companion is going to cook tacos, an idea completely foreign to this country!).  It confirmed my testimony that God will always remember the righteous work we do among His children, especially the members of the true Church of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 6:10-12).  There was a place and a role for me to fulfill in the lives of the people of Uruguay, and I'm confident that we will see even more success in the weeks to come.

Unfortunately, Elder Trejo has been sick this last week and we didn't get out as much as I would have liked.  But we're changing that-- starting today!

I love you all,

Elder Hansen

Week Fifteen.

Buen día!

So guess what happened this week?  We had investigators come to Church meetings on Sunday for the first time in my whole mission!!  Woot!!  Their names are Adriana and Miguel, a couple about 40 years old, and they're both really sweet.  Adriana has a really strong Evangelical background, and always adds a little bit of "Alleluyah" or "Amen, amen, and amen!" to our meetings with her--it's really very fun.  She said she had been praying to find the truth when Elder Trejo (my companion) shared the Gospel with her in the street one day about a month back.  What a testimony that was to us that the Lord listens to All of His children as they sincerely speak with Him--not just members of the Church.

The trouble with Adriana is, she's separated from her former husband.  So she needs to get divorced and then marry Miguel.  In Uruguay, the processes of divorce and marriage are incredibly time consuming and complex.  So her baptism is more of a long-term goal.  But we're excited for her anyway :)  They both really liked Church (although one of the speakers took half an hour which they admitted was a little boring) and told us they'll visit again.  It's an exciting turn of events for me and for the area.

I was writing one of my friends and remembered a kind of embarrassing/really funny story from a couple months ago.  It was a Spanish blunder--in Spanish, the words for "diapers" is pañales, and "tissues"--like a Kleenex--is pañuelos.  Really similar.  So when I had a bout of allergies and was sneezing a lot, guess what I stopped by a supermarket to ask for? Yup. Diapers.

Another proof that I'm not anywhere near perfect.  God gives them to me every day.  :) It's great and hopefully it'll make me humble one of these days.

I love the Savior and His work!  I feel of your love and prayers.  Thank you.

Elder Hansen

Week Thirteen & Fourteen.

Hey everyone!

  So... A nervous mother out there may have noticed that I didn't write last week!  Well, there was a freak accident and a cherry picker (one of those big machines they use to paint or fix things in obscure, high up places) fell over onto some power lines!  The entire town and some other little towns nearby were without power for two days--of course, just during P-Day, right? haha it meant some very fun scripture study by candlelight, and some not-so-fun cold showers in the dark and eating random things left in the house because all the businesses were closed and we couldn't buy food!

  It was a fun day though.  We went around town and took pictures with things--attached are a pair of pictures I affectionately refer to as "The Field is White All Ready to Harvest," since I didn't really take missionary pictures before I left... and with some members too.  And good thing I did!  This weeks transfers were very surprising.

  I'm writing from Prosperidad, Maroñas, Montevideo, Uruguay.  It's near the city center, on the big busy highway Ruta 8, and seems to me like the polar opposite of little Varela.  Instead of concrete houses, nice wealthy buildings line the main (paved!) roads--for example, the huge business complex Zonamerica, which would look ridiculously nice even in most parts of the States.  The branch here is quite big--almost a ward, with between 40 and 50 members consistently attending meetings.  We have tons of support from the members, and are fed almost every day--also a big change.

  Our area is huge.  We take buses everywhere.  I'll keep you updated but it's been a busy week of changes.  I'm now paired up with an Elder Trejo from Mexico.  All of my favorite missionaries here are Mexicans!  Elder Marroquin, Elder Martinez, Elder Mata--just great guys, the lot of them.  Elder Trejo has a great sense of humor and I'm excited to polish up my Spanish as I work with a native Latino for the first time.  There's a piano in the chapel!  It is in horrible need of tuning, but hey--it's a piano.  I've been able to play again for the first time in months.

  I have been really struck these last few days by the importance of daily repentance.  We have the beautiful gift and opportunity to change ourselves in every moment of our lives--be it a kind thought, word, deed, or even just a righteous desire, every effort to draw nearer to the Savior changes us for the better.  There is so much I still need to improve-- I find that as a missionary, I seldom commit sins of commission-- doing things I know are wrong-- but rather sins of omission-- that is, not doing every possible thing to serve the Lord in all times and places.  But life is ever better.  Yes, I'll miss Varela, and the friends I made there.  But the days, weeks, and months to come will give me chances to apply all I learned there from Elder Griffin, Elder Barber, and the Holy Spirit in personal revelation.

  I love you all!  Have a great week,

  Elder Hansen

Week twelve.

Hello everyone!

I don't have much time to write today, since I'm in a little Cyber Cafe in Montevideo (the capitol) and need to catch a bus in under an hour.  But I wanted briefly to share some of the thoughts of Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Quorum of the Seventy, who spoke to our zone in a conference this last Saturday.  He spoke of the importance of immediately directing any need or concern in this life to our Savior Jesus Christ--He is the only one who knows how to meet every one of those needs.  He is the Living Water to the spiritually thirsty, the Bread of Life to the hungry, the Rock and Sure Foundation upon which to build a stable home, the Way and the Shepherd to the lost and wandering, the Friend to the lonely, the Judge of both the righteous and the sinner, the Light to those in darkness, and the Life of all the world in overcoming the effects of death.  I love Him so much and know that what Elder Gonzalez said is true--every problem we confront in this life can, in one way or another, be solved by the Lord, His Gospel, and His one true Church.

Elder Gonzalez went on to discuss ways in which we can better use the Book of Mormon and questions in our teaching--emulating the Savior's teaching style of referring to the scriptures and then asking soul-searching questions to the hearts (not merely the factual knowledge or mind) of those He loves.  Upon using such tools, he also counseled not to fear silence--I know that the silences and times of internal reflection or contemplation in our lives give room for the Holy Ghost, our constant companion, to teach and testify to a pondering soul in a far better way than could ever be accomplished without His divine aid.

I just finished signing my residency papers, so... I'm official!  Woot!

I love you all as my friends and family--I feel the Lord blessing me each day for your righteousness and prayers.  And though I may just be one weak missionary in the army of God, I'm doing my best to return the favor.

Elder Hansen

Week Eleven.

Hey, folks!  Another busy week in Varela draws to a close.

This Sunday the branch presidency was reorganized, and new President Alejandro de Leon (a local Varelense!) is very supportive of the missionaries.  We're excited to work together with the ward to see great results in the weeks and months to come.

We attended an awesome zone conference this last weekend and I was really struck by the need we have as missionaries--though really, as any of God's children--to repent daily immediately after any sort of sin or distraction.  Such lapses in obedience (even just little ones like taking a lunch break five minutes too long) can have tremendous consequences on the future of those we serve!  Only when we are 100 percent dedicated to serve the Lord can we take advantage of 100 percent of the opportunities He will give us to serve others.

This weekend will be great too!  We are going to Maldonado (Uruguay's only tourist town, on the coast) to hear from Elder Gonzalez of the presidency of the Quorum of the Seventy.  I'm so excited!  And what's more, I'll get to call home for Mother's Day!  While it hasn't been a huge distraction for me, I'm not going to pretend I haven't missed my family a ton from time to time.  So things continue to get better.  As the missionaries around here say, "Vamos arriba!" (literally, "let's go up!", or "Let's make things better").

And we found some really promising investigators this week--Dario and Daniela are a couple who have read the Bible together for years and are very interested in discussing their questions about scripture and our beliefs with us.  Due to the remainder of our investigator pool continuing to dwindle, you can  be sure I'll keep you up to date!

I love you all!  I read through some family history, my patriarchal blessing, and most of my mission journal today, and was really struck by the importance of record keeping in order to draw upon past spiritual experiences to find strength in the present.  I need to do a better job of recording things like that.  If we have ever received a witness from the Lord, can we feel now the way we did once before? (D&C 6:22-23, Alma 5:26).  Thankfully, the Spirit will bring all things important to the salvation of souls to our remembrance despite our imperfect minds.

¡Suerte!  May God bless you,

Elder Hansen

Happy Birthday McKay!

Thank you everyone so much for the birthday wishes!  I had an awesome birthday.

But I'll start by telling you about the week.  We had a pretty tough and all at once amazing week.  On Tuesday, we randomly stumbled upon a man while knocking doors who had taken all the missionary lessons and had wanted to be baptized some years ago.  His name is Alejandro Cena.  All that's holding him back is a problem with the Word of Wisdom, and then he'll be set and ready to go!  In addition, we've had some awesome charlas (literally translates to be "chats" but I'm pretty sure they're called lessons in English haha) with several other men during the last few days!  The Lord is definitely preparing men to fill the vacancies in Priesthood positions here in the little Varela branch.

Rather less fortunately, no one came to the activity we threw this week!  Not even the few faithful grandmothers and their hyperactive grandkids that usually come!  So there we were, left to eat an entire cake we had made for the event all by ourselves... Life is hard :)

So, this Sunday--my birthday-- not just one, but two brethren came to help us operate the affair of Church meetings!  It was a miracle.  We spent that day visiting some sweet old ladies who are bedridden or otherwise unable to come to church to partake of the Sacrament, singing them the special musical number (a duet of "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy") that Elder Barber and I had been practicing all week.  It was awesome.  When I woke up to another dismal, drizzly day of rain I was convinced I'd be grumpy for the lot of it, but things just kept going my way, and I resigned myself to the happiness that is inevitable in the service of the Lord :)  It was a great reminder to me of what Christ offers us: Whether for our actions or our attitudes, the Gospel gives us a chance to choose to change.  Take the chance!  Make the choice!  The change that will follow is undeniably, completely worth your every effort.

I love you all!  I don't have too much time to write because of all the birthday letters I was reading, but that's a good thing too :)

¡Que pasen bien!  Ciao ciao,

Elder Hansen

P.S.: That picture is of the bridge over the River Olimar near 33.  Really pretty.  Not quite so pretty when the picture taken of it is from a moving bus on a bumpy bridge... sorry!

P.P.S.:Yes, for those of you who were wondering (especially my little brother Zach), I did get a birthday cake!  It is a coconut banana muffin with dulce de leche frosting and a chocolate peanut topping--  ¡Que rica!  Plus patriotic red, white, and blue candles to boot.  Woot!

Week TEN!

Dear folks,

Well, Varela saw a beautiful chance of luck with the weather these last few days, but it was another rough week spiritually.

Do you want the bad news first, or the good news?  :)

It has been bright and sunny, or else cool and foggy, for almost two weeks!  That has been most exciting.  No need for a sweater at night, et cetera.  Furthermore, Elder Barber and I are getting along just great.  He is very passionate about dragons, muffins, and conservatism, so we're usually enjoying ourselves in at least 2/3 of our conversations... Haha.

Unfortunately, though, the work has been a little stagnant of late.  Our only really progressing investigator, Luz, asked us nicely to stop coming by to teach her, since she said she'd never agree with us about living prophets.  That was hard, and it means we're kind of starting from scratch again--but then, I've spent much of my time here doing that!  So all should be well.

The other tough thing was our church attendance--just six old sisters and us missionaries!  With the stake president's permission, we ran the branch this Sunday.  I hope it is the only time in my life that I have to direct music, conduct Sacrament meeting (and write an agenda for it!), offer prayers, give a talk, and bless and pass the Sacrament in the same three-hour bloc!  Not that I dislike any of those things, of course, but I prefer them in carefully measured quantities...
We're working hard though, and muffins are keeping our spirits up! (literally "raising" them for those select few out there in the audience who enjoy baking puns)  Cinnamon apple, chocolate coconut, brown sugar banana--you name it, we'll make it.  Elder Barber has opened up my mind to a glorious future of possibilities.

We have fasted several times while serving here, and it's really strengthened my testimony of the power of sacrifice--we give up just a little bit for God and He gives us so much in return.  The same principle applies for the ten percent we pay of our income and the little bit of my life I'm giving to the Lord serving here; it's really no sacrifice at all, because the blessings I have received for being here are already of far greater value than anything I've given up to be here.  And as with all sacrifices, like the Great Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the end result will always be well worth our meager efforts to reach them.

I love you all!  Stay strong in the faith and you will find the richest of treasures in your lives,

Elder Hansen

Week Nine.

Hey all!

So this week has been a bit hectic.  My (first) trainer, Elder Griffin, took off for the United States--no worries, he served his two years :), and so I have a new companion!  His name is Elder Barber, from Spanish Fork, Utah.  Pictures will be sent.  But,  like me, he is a nerdy reader, except he's been serving for about a year.  Fun guy.  I think we'll get along.

Anyway, the other things that have made this week stressful is that the branch president was unexpectedly released this Sunday and we don't know whom we'll be working with in the weeks to come.  In addition, a little contention in the relief society (so, essentially the entire branch since it's mostly made up of grown women) brought about our lowest turnout yet to Sacrament Meeting.  It's really humbling--and, I'm sure, frightening for Elder Barber, new as he is to Varela--to see how few strong Church members we have to draw upon here, our very small pool of investigators, and a lot of the rejection we're facing even from otherwise incredibly friendly people.  But we are confident that the Lord has put us here for a reason, and that we will accomplish the good He sent us here to do as we obediently follow the promptings of the Spirit.

Along those lines, there was a really neat scripture shared in the last district meeting we had that I felt really applied well to our situation--it was Christ speaking of how some are sent to sow seeds and others are sent to reap the harvest, even if someone else did much of the work beforehand to get the harvest ready.  It helped me feel confident that "we are sowing, ever sowing" seeds of good in the world, and that no word spoken that inviteth to come unto Christ is wasted, as it always serves to nourish the faith growing within those we teach and speak with.  "For every thing there is a season, and a time appointed"--right now might be a time to try our faith, but the blessings will come and are, if we look for them, in fact already coming into our lives for our diligent, enduring service.

So, the work continues!  Lots of knocked doors and four tired legs later (that's two haunches apiece, for those of you worried I was talking about just myself instead of my companion and me), we have yet to find new investigators since a couple of weeks ago.  Most of those we found in the past have by now lost interest or asked us not to come by anymore.  It's so hard to even find people a second time after a good lesson or talk with them, since most of the men here work out in the fields for weeks at a time, let alone bring strong Priesthood holders into the branch like we need...  But the Lord has all power.  It will be done in His own good time if that is His will.

I love you all so much!  Heavenly Father does too--even more, believe it or not.  Thank you for your support--I've received several letters and will hopefully have responses in the mail by the end of the day.

Cordially yours,

--Elder Hansen

Week Eight.

Well this week was great.  We went to the enormous stake center (it makes chapels at home look tiny!) in nearby Thirty Three (that's a city, literally named "treinta y tres," the number 33) and watched General Conference--all five sessions, in English!!  It was an incredible experience.  I was really touched by all of the messages.  Elder Holland's, as per usual, was a favorite, reminding me of the importance of declaring the little I do know and the testimony I do have instead of focusing on weaknesses.  I have such a testimony of the power of testimony in teaching.

We have an investigator here in Varela who's showing lots of promise--her name is Luz.  She has good questions, and feels good about what we're teaching her.  She understands really well everything that we've taught.  Unfortunately, she has a problem with her legs that make it almost impossible for her to get to church, and she doesn't always have the money to pay for a taxi to take her there.  But we're hoping and praying on her behalf and know we'll see miracles.

I keep thinking I've seen a real Guayan rainstorm until I get surprised by something bigger.  :)  They strike with stealth at inopportune times...

Well I'm a bit behind so I'll have to say goodbye!  I know that the prophets and apostles are men called and chosen of God, and that if we follow their counsel, we will not be led astray.  How comforting that understanding is to each of us.

I love you all,

--Elder Hansen

Week Seven.

Hey everyone!

This last week has been awesome.  On Friday, we went to the mission home in Montevideo (which made for a long day, with a four hour bus ride each way) to have a conference with all of the trainers and missionaries being trained!  I don't remember if I mentioned, but the new, inexperienced missionaries like me are called "oros" ("golds") in our mission, because of their bright faith or potential value or something.  Or how much they weigh down their trainers maybe haha.  But anyway President Armstrong was there and gave everyone some time to share the best things and the hard things about the missionary effort thus far.  It was a really neat experience.  And what's more, I got to play the piano!!!  I usually don't here, because the little electric one in the Varela "chapel" (a home with a nice yard, just for church meetings) doesn't work.

One of the other neat things about the conference was that Sister Armstrong, who had been away for several months in the States with health problems, was back and there to meet all of us!  She's just as amazing as President.  President Armstrong's message was about how difficulty and trial are natural prerequisites to spiritual growth--just as Nephi went from being a boy to a man, in his own words, after having faced the hard situation with Laban and his stubborn/abusive brothers.  Joseph Smith experienced the same before the First Vision, facing a dark and powerful force that preceded his revelation.  I know that as we strive to overcome and work through the challenges of this life, we, too, will have many testimony-strengthening experiences from the Lord.

So, Easter... It's not too big a deal here.  The Catholics all go out to mass, and there are a few chocolate eggs in the grocery store, but we didn't do anything special in church except for Christ-centered talks.  Church this week was great though--although we had the smallest turnout yet and the investigator, Perla, who we were sure was going to come was absent, the stake president unexpectedly came to visit.  He had such love for the members here and remembered them all and their families, even though he doesn't make it out to little branches like this very often.  He did warn, though, that if the members don't help to activate some worthy Priesthood holders in the next six to eight months, the branch may close.  That put the pressure on us for sure as well, and hopefully it will be some increased member assistance and cooperation in the weeks to come.

Well, today we helped pack Elder Griffin up to head back to the land of the brave, home of the free next week.  It's a bitter-sweet experience--I'm super happy for him and he deserves to bring the great service he's rendered here to a home and family, but it means I'll be missing out on an awesome trainer!!  Maybe it's selfish, but he's been an amazing teacher in and out of lessons, and we're pretty good friends.  Lots of laughing.

Well, we don't have a lot of time (in fact, I think Elder Griffin might be tapping his foot already for my slowness :) so I'm going to wrap up.  I love you all and know that the Savior does too.  I was comforted by the reminder this week that the Lord works in absolutes--He has All power, All knowledge, Perfect love, and lives Forever.  There is no exception unless we make ourselves the exception by sinning and distancing ourselves from Him.  I know that we will all rise again in the Resurrection with glorified bodies immune to the infirmities of this life.  What a comfort that is.

Good luck, and may the Lord guide you.

--Love, Elder Hansen

Week Six. (GOOD NEWS)

Well, I'm sorry to disillusion everyone to the lies and falsehoods of our friend Dora the Explorer, but you have been deceived all your lives-- here in Uruguay, "adios" is a greeting!  Basically another way to say hi--go figure. :)

 

Well, the Uruguay, Montevideo mission is happy to announce.... (drum roll, please...)  I can now email everyone!   What fun.  I also have an hour on the computers.  Please continue sending longer letters (everyone but my mom, that is, who now has license to resume lengthy email-writing :) to the other email address, but I can briefly respond online with much less delay than waiting for mail both ways.

 

I couldn't decide what to name this week's letter-- I was torn between "If at first you don't succeed, fry, fry again," "Sideways rain and the word as a seed," and "Nancy."  Mostly the first two though.

 

But I will explain the titles so you don't think that I've gone entirely crazy or that my sense of humor has been reduced to such poor puns.  Here in Uruguay, whenever it rains, people make a treat called "tortas fritas."  They're like what we think of as scones (or Indian frybread? can't remember if that's the same thing) at home.  Anyway, just dough fried in "grease" (really cow fat, but you try not to think about that because they're delicious), really.  They're great, and it helps take people's minds off the less than pleasant weather.

 

Because it rains A LOT here.  Both in terms of quantity and frecuency.  In a matter of minutes, the sky can go from cloudless blue to pouring, drenching, cold downpours, and then back again to look innocent as if it never did anything at all.  Not to worry though--Elder Griffin assures me that in the winter (coming up in a month or two now--weird backward climates!) things are much less bipolar--because instead of raining on and off, there's just a predictable, constant drizzle or more of water from the heavens. :)  The wind is weird here too, and is often strong enough to blow the rain straight to the side.  It looks hilarious to see everyone hold their umbrellas at ninety degree angles to their bodies, but it's what must be done to keep the head dry.  The rest of you just ends up getting wet--it's some thing we call "si o si" ("yes or yes")--that is, nonoptional, unavoidable.  Like how everyone and their dog owns at least one dog.  :)  that's si o si.

 

We've still not seen much success with investigators, but some less active members are returning little by little and the members are trying hard to get us references and help out.  One lady, Brenda, seems to know everyone in this town of thousands of people--even in the very distant outskirts of our area, when we ask people what they know about our church, they know that their friend Brenda is a member  (her son, the only return missionary within a several kilometer radius, looks like a giant Latino Elvis, if you can imagine that).  Another sister, a recent convert named Luisa who cooks incredibly well, is also very ready and willing to invite those she knows.  But despite our pestering, we have yet to see an investigator join us in our Sunday meetings. 

 

We keep praying and fasting and hoping though, faithful that the Lord has put us here in little Varela for a reason.  As with all of us, even though we may not see the fruits of our labors right away, God's ways are higher than our own, and He sees the distant scene, the eternal perspective of what our meager efforts here may yield weeks and months and years down the road.  As we continue to be good examples for others and give them opportunities to have positive interactions with members of the Church, they will grow to accept further knowledge of our Gospel message.  We are always sowing seeds in the hearts of those around us--hopefully for good.  Not every seed will fall on barren ground.  Good will be accomplished.  But the hour of the harvest may be yet a little way off in the distance.  Everything has its time and its season.

 

May all of you continue to be wonderful examples and sowers of the Good Word of God,

Elder Hansen.

 

Oops-- P.S.!  I got mail!!!  Aunt Julie and Aunt Debbi, Grandma Hansen, the Elder Hansen 2.0 (aka Spencer) update, et cetera--thank you so much for your words of encouragement!  Be patient, the answers to your questions are in the works and will be arriving in the next few weeks.  Or by a quick email if you'd rather, because I suppose that's possible now.

Week Five.

 I can't believe it's already been more than a month since I left!  the time really flies out here.

   The work in Varela is really struggling.  Every time we find a new investigator, it seems that he or she disappears for the next few weeks until they forget about us.  Part of that is due to the agricultural culture out here in the interior--many of the people here are farmers who go out to the fields for weeks at a time to tend rice and cattle, and then we just happen to catch them on one of their off days.

   But the members are all really sweet.  They remind me of my grandmothers-- always kind and concerned about us and the other members.  They also cook incredibly well--we eat a lot of noodles and pizza, which is pretty humble fare that reflects their circumstances, but it's still somehow delicious every time!  :)  The next step is figuring out how we can do as well in our culinary experiments around the home...

   Right now our zone is doing a ''forty day fast'' from the things that we feel are holding us back from successful, productive missionary work (for me, that means cutting back on movie quotes and putting an end to the humming of rock music, among a variety of other silly things I tend to do that distract me from the matters at hand... yikes!).

   The country is awesome.  Green, rolling fields as far as the eye can see (the edge of the world is visible all around little Varela), blue skies uninhibited by mountains and filled with perfect marshmallow clouds, and the world's prettiest flowers and coolest bugs...  Now if only I could get my email acount to send pictures!  No worries I'll have some up soon once I've figured a few things out.

   The culture... hmmm.  Everyone is really friendly and open--talking and sipping mate (the herbal drink here that everyone is always drinking) like good old friends even with strangers with us.  Everyone has at least one dog.  They put mayonaise on everything!  Potatoes, salads, you name it.  Good thing I had taken my side of the mayo vs. miracle whip controversy years ago.

   And God loves all of them as much as you or me.  I know there is great work to be done here, and that as we lay aside the things that impede us from having an eye single to God's glory, ''fasting'' from things that matter less, we will see great blessings.

  I love you all!  ¡Nos vemos!