December 9, 2013

Hot, hot, hot!  Merry Christmas!

We have been in 35 degree weather down here-- I have no idea what that is in Fahrenheit, but with humidity, it's nice and toasty!! And, strangely, even though I'm spending more time outside than ever before in my life each day, I'm tanning instead of burning!  Yippee!  :) but boy do I have funny collar and sleeve tan lines...

The "siesta"--afternoon nap--is a hard time of day.  From one in the afternoon until five, everyone is sleeping in their houses and bothered by us knocking their doors.  All the stores close.   The streets are dead.  It's pretty strange to be the only  people in sight.

It's been more than a month now that we haven't been able to get any investigators to church -- but thankfully, we're still feeling excited and motivated to work hard and we know that this will be the Sunday we change that unfortunate pattern.  I won't let this area turn into another Varela! (my first area where no one attended church for three months)! :) Thankfully, the members are getting more supportive each week.  One sister in the branch even told us this week that she was going to invite three of her friends to take the lessons in her home!  That's the most active role I've seen  a church member take in most of  my mission.

We  talked  with a seventy-year-old man  yesterday who  said he had been an atheist his whole life.  But as we shared our message and asked him searching questions, he began to feel something and accepted a second visit.  The Spirit is so powerful that it changes and softens hearts that have been closed for a lifetime by habits of unbelief.

So life is good.  I'm learning so much from the scriptures.  I love and appreciate them--I know that the Lord speaks with us through the mouths of prophets  today every bit as much as in the days of old.  I am so grateful for that knowledge.

Love you!

Elder Hansen