Ems Takes Temple Square: 1-22-14 / Day 162 This Week FLEW By!!!

This day next year I won't be a missionary anymore... that really scares me because I know how fast time flies by! ahhh.

I miss the sun and flowers soo much!

Well we got to move into a new redone apartment & it is way nice! Sooo happy about not having a bathroom with lifted mold-growing floors! But we aren't allowed to put pics up on the wall, so I'm going to have to get creative here & figure something out! haha.

Okay, we were freezing.

Love my li'l baby!!

There have been so many anti's on the square this week & it's just the funniest thing in the world to me. I feel like they think they tear our spirits down & make us question our testimonies when really it just does the total opposite. I walk away and laugh in my head when they say things like, "Did you know those stars on your mormon temple symbolize the Devil?" or "I hope you just stop deceiving people. I really do fear for you and your salvation," or "Here take this pamphlet that teaches the truth... it will help you so much (called Security on that one) hahaha.

All the languages!

Investigators are doing great!!
Myriam: Was baptized on Saturday & is just soooo happy. She couldn't even hardly describe what she was feeling to us! Told us she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. We sent her a card with pics and a cute Temple Square necklace in there too... figured that was the best we could do since we couldn't be there.

Myriam is baptized!!

Myriam with friend and sister missionaries.

Ben: Has been called to be a ward missionary in his local ward, and is sooo stoked about it! He's a great kid & has made some hard changes in his life since being baptized.

Carlos: Gave his first talk in Sacrament on Sunday & talked about how he wants to serve a mission right after high school... after church someone gave him $100 to start his mission fund! AMAZING. He's going to be a powerful & effective missionary someday. YAY!

We had some super sweet inbound call miracles this week.

Jessica: She called in trying to find a local church building and I totally thought she was a member!! Come to find out her 9yr old son is investigating the church because he's been with his grandma a few times and her husband is a member, but travels all the time so can hardly ever get to church. She called in looking for a church because she was out of town for a funeral and just wanted to go somewhere she could feel comfort and peace! She said she just really wanted someone to pray with, so I asked her If I could pray with her, and she was like really you would want to pray with me! So sweet! So we said a prayer and then I got to know her a lil better. She had a kid at 16 (her 9 yr old) and has just felt like no church would ever accept her because of the bad decisions she made as a teenager. But has recently come to know that that is so not true. She loves the things she's learned from the church so far & was sooo happy when I told her I wanted to keep in contact with her! Can't wait to call her this week.

We had a few other cool stories, but like always I don't have enough time to type it all out.

We got our new mission president & wife this week! The Poulsens. I love them. They are soo down to earth and just great! I can't wait to see the amazing things they bring to this mission.

I've been sleeping like a baby FINALLY! I'm already losing weight from actually getting good sleep. That's a miracle in and of itself!

Last Explore Day, w/ Sis Vasconcelos at Humanitarian Center.

Exploring the State Capital!

We have had early morning meetings every single day this past week and so I didnt get one work out in.... so stinky! We're hitting the workouts hard this week!

Sister Vasconcelos is probably one of the best tender mercies the Lord has given me so far in the mission. She truly is so sweet & we have a GREAT time together. Always laughing and having fun. She said to me this week "I have no idea what I'm going to do when you're not my companion anymore I love you so much... no one is ever going to be the same as you," okay soooo sweet! LOVE HER!

Hope all is well back in the real world!!

-Sister Hansen