2 - 20 / Day 191 There's No Comfort in Change and No Change in Comfort.

Sister Penalba & Me

Well it's time for a new transfer a new companion and hard new assignments! 

Welcome to a transfer of Love, Patience, and extra service. My new companion is Sister Bondare from Latvia... my lil European Diva :)   She's very sweet and beautiful, that's for stinkin sure. 

I've been called to be a District Leader... wooohooo. But not really though. I don't feel like I'm capable of having that responsibility and not a good enough leader or example for it either.  Sister Bondare & I are also the apartment coordinators which means 200 Sisters come to us when things break, things are missing, and to make sure Apartments are clean and tidy! YAYYY. It's been constant things to do and get for 2 days straight now.  Like I said... it's gonna be a transfer of love, patience, and charity. But that's good 'cause I really need to work on those things. The Lord is so aware of what you need to learn & do... He always finds a way to make it happen. haha.

I was sad to say goodbye again to Sisters going home & Sisters going outbound. I took Sister Peters to the airport at 4:45 in the morning the other day... Gonna miss that punk more than anything EVER. So sad we can't talk to each other when they're gone outbound. 

Things have been great with missionary work. There's always lots to get done & many people to help. 

Sandra: is as good as ever of course. Enjoying living the Word of Wisdom and has replaced her love of Sweet Tea with Apple Juice.... sounds like a Mormon already:) ahha. Her love for us is such a blessing. I'm dying to meet her. One day one day.

Hannah: We met her on chat & she's a super cool girl. She grew up around Mormons and saw how happy and solid they always were and now wants that in her life. Her situation is a lil complicated though because she works in a Jewish school and lives with some people she works with. So no one can know she's meeting with missionaries or else she'll get fired. We taught her the first lesson & she was super open to everything. Everything religion related is really new to her though, especially prayer! So baby steps to a new her. She's awesome & we look forward to helping her more. Her athiest Boyfriend has a Mormon best friend too. 

Lots of new Investigators this past week so we're happy to start teaching and getting to know them. 

I always wish SOOO badly that I could just teach them in person & gain a real relationship with them instead of just over the phone. Outbound is gonna be a dream come true.

I really stink at writting email.. I'm sorry! I feel like I can never ever put into words the things I'm experiecing and how truly amazing all these people are. Wish I was a better writter and knew how to put these things into words but it's just impossible. And with how much time we already spend on the computers I just get sick of spending even more time typing and staring at the screen. 

So if you really wanna know how awesome this all is you're gonna have to come find me after I get home and sit down with me & my journals:) haha

Sister Bondare & I are determined to loose weight this transfer. This 13 pounds I've gained has GOT TO GO. I'm soo nasty, ewwwwww. 

Hope you all have a wonderful week. 

I've got lots to learn and lots to improve  upon... it's a constant uphill battle... but I'll eventually make it to the top.

Sister Bondare and me

Jacob 4:7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our ^aweakness that we may know that it is by his ^bgrace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

xoxoxo

-Sister Hansen

2 - 13 / Day 184 Alright ... I'm Spent

It's been the craziest past few weeks ever! I'm pretty much drained in every way. 

Wednesday (last pday, Feb 5):

It's been a constant battle for the past few weeks not knowing if my companion was going home or not. So after emailing we had to go to President's office for her to talk with him. And afterwards we were filled with so much hope really thinking she was staying. I had so much faith that the Lord would find a way for her to be able to stay if it was his will. 

Thursday:

We got lots done. I went on exchanges with my CRAZY District leader from Tonga, Sister Muli. We took a million tours that were so spirit filled and it was awesome. We felt on fire :) I also finally got a hold of a referral I got back in November. Her names Deandrea & she's from Alabama (I'm convinced I'm going there outbound) haha. But she's awesome. She was meeting with missionaries before she went to college and was so interested in the church. Lost touch with the missionaries when she left for college. And I got her number from her friend who's a member. So I called her and she's excited to take the discussions again and get back into learning about God's will for her! So sweet:) 

Friday:

The whole day long we were sooo happy thinking Sister Vasconcelos wasn't going to go home cause President hadn't said anything about it. We called Paul and he's awesome! He's been meeting with the local missionaries now and is on date for baptism on MARCH 1st!! YAYY! He's been going to church for a straight month now & loving it. His son Andrew is also going to Mutual every week and really enjoying everything about the church. 

We also got to call and teach Sandra! Oh my goodness. I literally LOVE her sooo much. Her cute lil' southern Alabama accent is so awesome. I found out she used to be a strong Jehovah's witness but left the church after one of the teachers told her she would never be blessed with children, and that was just God's will for her.  She thought, YA right! We taught her the Word of Wisdom last week and she has so much faith in it. She even said she is willing to give up soda, too, because she wants to please her Heavenly Father and keep a strong healthy body! She told us yesterday how she totally and completely relates to Joseph Smith and thinks it's the best miracle in the world that God & Christ appeared to him. She told us how she strongly disagrees with the trinity and since we do too, our church must be true, and if she cant have sweet babies in this life she knows God will bless her with them in the next life.  She is literally an angel & loves us sooo much she always says, "hugs through the phone &  I love yall sooo much," hahah! 

We had desk assignment at night and then President called us to meet with him.. we found out my companion was going home Monday morning.  Most flippin' depressing thing ever. I felt sooo horrible for her. 

Saturday: 

We hardly got anything done because we were both so disappointed and sad. And I spent so much time just sitting on the couch nexts to President's office while they worked everything out and she made calls back to Brazil.

Sunday: 

Sacrament was THE WORST! It was all about how grateful we should be to be missionaries and gave us so much motivation to just go out there and work! My compi just sat there and cried, and I couldn't even look at her cause it just made me cry knowing she was leaving. You know the saying "when it rains it pours" well it really does! That night we went home so she could pack and when we got to the door I realized the key had gone missing and now I have to pay $30 to get a new one! SHOOT ME. So instead of packing, we sat in the hall for an hour waiting for our roomates to get home cause we couldn't walk back to the square after dark! And no one knew she was leaving the next morning and kept asking us what was wrong and why we were so sad but we couldn't say anything. 

Monday: 

In the morning we just went out to breakfast and got a few last minute errands done. Went back to the apartment and President & Sister Poulsen picked us up to drive to the airport. Most depressing car ride of my LIFE.  I said bye to her at the curb and then President walked her in :(.  The whole drive back President & his wife were making small talk getting to know me better while my heart just tore to shreds!  I found out my new companion was going to be Sister Penalba from Panama... her companion was also being sent home.  So it was a really hard day for us & then my District leader made us go to District meeting even though I'm not in their zone anymore and it was just a big cry fest cause no one knew my companion was leaving.  It's pretty hard to understand my new companion cause she's still learning English.  But she is sooo sweet & her Spanish investigators are on FIRE!  I had to move apartments into a nastyyyy old one & i'm not very happy about that but whatever! 

Tuesday & Wednesday: 

Sister Penabla and I had just been trying to pull ourselves back together after all the maddness we've been through the past few weeks with trying to help & encourage our companions. But we were able to receive blessings from President Poulsen. He's the most inspired man I know... and such a blessing to this mission. After talking with him and receiving a blessing I could just feel the burden and the saddness lifted off my shoulders. We've gotten so much done since then and have just been lifted by the spirit. Which is a true miracle.  It's crazy the happiness and joy that can come when you're filled with the spirit and just focused on serving and helping others instead of focusing on all the crap you've had to go through and the pain you're feeling. We've been able to teach soooo many lessons this past few weeks and I WISH I could speak Spanish sooo bad. I'll get it one day. 

I'm freaking out cause I don't know what this next transfer has ahead of me. But I know I can endure and over come the things I'm yet to face. I miss my companion a lot but I know it's time to move forward and work hard! 

I don't know when my next pday will be because transfers are on Wednesday! 

Happpy Valentines day to all of  you & Happy 6 months into the mission for me! haha. 

Time goes by so fast... it's crazy the growth you can go through while serving a mission. It's stinkin hard some days and at times (like these past few weeks) I really don't know how I'll make it. But everything always seems to work it's way for the better. I'm so grateful for the spirit and prayer. I know it's gotten me through all the challenges I've faced so far. Everytime I feel the spirit, it gives me so much motivation to become better and see the potential I hold. 

I love you alll!!! 

xoxoxoxo

Sister Hansen

2 - 5 / Day 177 Surely, this has been 'A Week'

Greetings and Pictures this week!!

North 1 Zone Break the Fast -- Fabulous Fiesta!

SNOW .... again.

Music and the Spoken Word.  YaY MoTab!!

Nate's Valentine's Day Pres!!