Safe in Uruguay (Week Two)

Hi family!  As you may have presupposed from the subject line, I'm alive and well in Uruguay--the little town of Valera, in Department Lavalleja, to be exact.  My awesome new companion Elder Griffin and I are the only ones serving here--He's been to this area before and is also just great in pretty much every way.

Well, this was again just to let you guys know I'm ok--Looks like my new, stable P-Day will be Monday from here on out, everyone can write emails to the mission office email urumontemission@gmail.com. They'll print those off and give them to me through the grapevine.

Another new rule--I can only write mom and dad this way.  The rest I'll have to mail (maybe just to our home address to be distributed) and it'll take a while.  So let people know I'm not neglecting them and responses will probably just be in the mail.

Well I love you all!  Stay as incredible as you were before I left--or better yet, get incredibler :)

See ya!

A Letter from the Missionary President

Dear Hansen Family,

            Tuesday we went to the airport in Montevideo, Uruguay, to pick up Elder Hansen and welcome him into our mission.  He arrived full of excitement and enthusiasm to get to work.

            We have spent the day getting to know him, and we recognized that he will be a great asset to us here in the mission.  We know that he will bless the lives of many wonderful people.

            Wednesday was transfer day and after meeting with his trainer, he headed off to his first area so that he could start ¨ [bringing] to pass the immortality and eternal life of man¨.

            We are now sending you a photo that we took with him.  As you can see, he is extremely excited and ready to start.  We are so excited to have your son with us and hope that you receive this photo with excitement and pride in all that your son has done to prepare himself for the opportunity that he now has to serve the Lord for the next two years.

                                                                                                          Love,

                                                                                                          The Armstrongs

(my family thought his mission president looked familiar and we decided he resembles Rowen Atkinson. I'm sure McKay appreciates that.) :)

Week One.

All right, way too much to say in way too little time today.  I have to learn the principles in chapter 8 of preach my gospel better in order to use my time more effectively, eh?

All right, so I met up with other missionaries in the Salt Lake airport.  Only one of them, Elder Mata, came with me to this MTC (CCM en español) though.  Anyway, while I was waiting the two plus hours until my flight, I talked in Spanish with a man from Peru about where I was going and why.  He knew about the Church already and happily accepted a Book of Mormon in Spanish, an extra I had carried just in case.  So I thought I was off to a good start...

But boy, was I wrong!  :)  It turns out that I don't speak Spanish!  Not really.  I came in with a group entirely composed of Latinos-- due to that, we aren't given time to study the language since all of them but me already know it.  Luckily, though, my companion, Elder Hernandez, is very patient with me and explains things to me.  Boy do I wish I had an English spellcheck though, because I feel like I'm still in Spanish mode... You guys will have to be patient with me too as I make mistakes in English and become incompetent in two languages at once.

But I understand everything the teachers say and what I read, just not the quick slang that all of the Chilenos (chileans, the majority of this last group) speak.  But I speak Spanish 12-14 hours a day.  It's coming along, even if slowly.  And the food's awesome (our chef used to cook for the Pope! :) so that helps.

Well I wish I had more time-- I can tell you guys with absolute certainty, though, the importance of the preparation God is giving us now to serve all throughout our futures, whether in the MTC or our callings or whatever it may be.  I know that that, in truth, is the purpose of this entire life-- a time for men to prepare to meet God.

I love you all!  ¡Hasta luego!

First Day!

Hey, after a long flight, I made it safely to the MTC across the street  from the beautiful Buenos Aires Temple!  This is just a quick note to let you guys know I'm all right--Usually I'll write on Thursdays like this though, so make sure and send me emails Wednesday or earlier! I'll write again soon!  ¡Que tengan una buena semana!

--Elder Hansen.