11 - 26 / Day 105 As For Me and My House, I Am Serving the Lord

Where to even begin, oh man! This week has been quite a week. I found out who my new companion is yesterday.  Her name is Sister Nakamatsu, she's from Japan and is in the same class as me... so we were in the MTC together the last week. She's the sweetest little Asian girl ever, so delicate, and shy... I'm scared I might hurt her feelings or something will go wrong and she's not gonna say anything because she's too sweet. SOO I have p.day again on FRIDAY! Yayyy!! I'll let you know how things are going with her then:) I'm excited though, it's gonna be a HUGE change. I'm literally crying thinking about leaving Sister Hale. We've seen some amazing miracles together, and she holds such a sweet place in my heart!

Sis Hale pinching my cheeks
cause she LOVES me soo much:)

I try to not focus on "negative things" in my weekly emails, but this week has been ridiculous. I never want to be sick on my mission EVER AGAIN! It's the worst thing in the WORLD.  I just wanted to go home and rest, but it's such a big deal ever to ask for permission.  By the time you've talked to your Distirict Leader, then your Zone Leaders, and then they have to talked to Sis Gillette, I would be feeling so guilty about asking for permission, that I would just say forget I'll just STAY! I was struggling soo much on Sunday feeling sick and weak, falling asleep on the computer in Guest Services, but I knew I would live and I didn't need to go home. I stuck it out! Once we got home for the day, I wasn't hungry but I knew I needed to eat so I decided to go make a green smoothie... TURNS OUT MY BLENDER IS BROKEN! I was soo upset, I just threw everything away in the trash and went to clean it out and the scrubber we use to clean the dishes was FILTHY! Everything was so dirty and gross because no one clean up after themselves there's like rotten nasty food in the fridge that one of the sisters won't throw out because she claims that she'll eat it. Omygosh, don't even get me going. hahah. All I'm going to end with is that I had just HAD IT I was sooo siiiickk of being siiick, living in filth, and having to watch other sisters be able to go home sick & I couldn't. So I just MELTED DOWN!  I had to give myself a personal coaching sesh. I was like alright Sis Hansen you've gotta fix this... so I decided to just go take a  hot shower to cool down. In my head I was thinking, "WHY HEAVENLY FATHER WHYYYYY!?!"  Then, the water turned ICE COLD, literally ICE COLD. Then, I thought okay okay okay FINE!  It's a sign I gotta stop being negative. Then, I cried myself to sleep cause I was soooo mad. hahaha. Looking back now it's pretty hilarious and soooo retarded.  My week got much better & I'm happy & fine now...  I guess the meltdown was necessary. 

After that of course everything started to turn up as it always does.  Every time things look so down, everything somehow seems to turn right back around and the miracles go insane! 

Carlos: HE WAS BAPTIZED ON NOV 23rd & had the most amazing experience! He had like 60 people show up at his baptism and he said it was soooo special. His family came to his baptism and his father was soo touched by the spirit he felt during the confirmation on Sunday that he wants to start coming back to church and Carlos is being SUCH A GREAT Missionary to his family! It's amazing! He receieves the priesthood on Sunday and is going to the Temple in a few weeks to do baptisms! We're sooo excited for him. He's an amaazzzzzing kid.

Andrew(who baptized Carlos) &  CARLOS!

Carlos with all his family!

Ben is the one in the beanie!! That's his best friend Kylie
with him, who's planning on serving a mission soon :)

David:  I haven't talked about David in a while! He's the one from England! He's going through a really hard time right now,  just found out his mom was diagnosed with Cancer. And just struggles with his prayers and having like full faith. We taught such a powerful lesson on prayer today! The spirit was soooo thick,  Sister Hale & I were just crying and David says in his cute lil British accent, "Are you two okkkkay?" hahahah! LOVE HIM! But I know the spirit touched his heart today, and I'm sooo grateful for that. He has a baptismal date on December 7th... we'll see what happens. This is his second date! He's just really struggling, and it's so hard cause you grow to love these people soooo much and want them to be happy and love the gospel, but then you don't have the perfect answer of what they need and what you should tell them to help them! It's crazy. He was sooo sad to say goodbye to Sis Hale since I'm getting a new compi! Our member present that we taught with added him on Facebook! hahaha. Soooo funny.

David from England ... apparently he sings ...
we didn't know this about him! Haha!!

I want to share about Ben, but I don't even have time!!! I've had some pretty sacred experiences teaching him! We met him from the Elders on an investigator lesson & have been teaching him for about 2 weeks now! He's come to the square 3 times and is getting baptized Dec 14!!  I'll tell more details about him on Friday!

I just want to say all the things I've learned to be soooo grateful for on my mission since it's Thanksgivvvvviiingg this week :) 

I'm thankful for this amazing gospel and how it blesses my everyday life. The knowledge and peace it brings is soooo special.

I'm so thankful to have such a loving family that supports me on this mission sooo much.  At times when I feel lonely, and I know you are all there cheering me on and praying for me... SO THANK YOU!

I'm so thankful to have my best friends all serving missions tooo.  It's such a neat thing to see all that everyone is going through and be able to help each other!
I'm so thankful for Nate and the friend he is to me!  I love that dude sooo much and am sooo grateful for the missions we're serving. They will change our lives for eternity, I know that for sure! 

I'm so thankful to be a disciple of Christ and with that, I will end with this amazing message I got his week:

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."  The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.  My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide is reliable, my MISSION is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted or delayed.  I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,  ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when he comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear. I am not ashamed of the Gospel... Romans 1:16

I hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving! 

xoxoxo

-Sister Hansen 

HAPPY THANKSGIVINNNGGG