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