6 / 23 Day 233 God is Good!

Me and little Peyton McCauley.
LOVE THIS PRECIOUS CHILD!

I have learned a million things this week! :) 

Lets just start with this... 

As you all know my shin splints have stopped me from being able to run the past month. I finally had it this week and was just DONE with having to walk every morning. So I started to tell God all about my desire to want to run again. Telling Him how it helps me through out the day, how it makes me not feel so fat, and how it helps me be a more obedient missionary. I asked Him to please give me the strength to be able to run again! Well earlier in the week I read my fav talk from October Conference by Russell M Nelson about our bodies. It really hit me for the first time how our bodies literally are a temple to our spirits. Of course I always knew this but I didn't totally understand it. The spirit taught me so much from reading it and I had a super increased desire to take better care of myself. Then, later in the week, I opened up the new Ensign for this month and opened right to the talk 'Our Physical Bodies' or something like that. I read it this morning and learned sooo much. I told God in my morning prayers... I'm done with this. I'm going to run cause I know it helps me! So I did... and OMGoodness was it heaven! I've learned why I love to run... it's because I can feel the power of my body when I do, and that deepens my testimony in God for giving it to me! Some of my favorite parts of the talk from the Ensign go as follows:

My heart echoes the sentiment expressed by a runner in the film Chariots of Fire: “When I run, I feel [God’s] pleasure.” ... I feel like Louise Lake, polio victim, who once said, “I love my body … because I have disciplined this flesh, and in times when normally it would have said, ‘Oh I can’t, this is too much, too difficult,’ I have said to my flesh, ‘Arise, you will get out of bed, you will prepare this, you will do that, you will attend this,’  Though it may seem ordinary or unremarkable to the eyes of the world, my corporeal collection of cells is a miraculous testament of His grace and love. May the God of heaven and earth be praised for the flesh—for the bodies that give us opportunities for both physical and spiritual growth. Although the flesh may be weak and can sometimes be the source of trials in this life (see Matthew 26:41), it is also a sweet gift that our wise Father in Heaven has bestowed upon us, His children—a gift through which we can be made strong and become more like Him.

It's crazy how every day of my mission I see how much of my patriarchal blessing is being fulfilled. It talks about taking special care of my mortal body so that my spirit can grow more and so that I can feel it. I always thought it was cool before, but now I can really see why this is all so extremely important. So glad I can go back to Temple Square and feed myself again. YAY for healthy food and not having to accept whatever anyone puts on my plate everyday! haha That's been nice, but I can def. say, I'm over it. 

I've also been praying that I will be able to see one last miracle before I leave on Wednesday! Well God answered that prayer too. We found the coolest Mommy last night painting a bed for her daughters American Girl in her drive way. Walked up introduced ourselves... she said, "Oh yes... I know all about you girls... sit down... let me get some chairs... tell me all about this John Smith guy," hahaha. She had a million questions and was just super super sweet. She's going to feed us breakfast tomorrow and we're gonna teach her more! It's times like that where I literally feel like an instrument in the hands of God! Sitting in someone's driveway on the ground in a pencil skirt (we were so excited we told her to forget the chairs, haha) telling them about how they can come closer to their Savior! :)

Alright one more funny story! Then I'll be done with my ramblings...

I can't remember if I told you about Edith or not. I probably did! But quick summary. Shes a sweet like 79yr old lady. She's 7th Day Adventist and she has bone cancer. We tried to teach her, but she wasn't really interested in the Book of Mormon too much. So for service every week we just go give her company since she can't really do much and we read the Bible to her since she's like almost blind. But when we read to her we like have to scream cause she's so deaf. hahahha. No matter what we're reading it's just hilarious cause we're so stinkin loud. This week we decided we would read her the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago... hahahah.

Me and cute little Edith!

Little did we know it had a pretty ridiculous word in it. We were all super tired from the heat and just all in crazy moods, so, of course, the story became sooo funny. It talks about the instruments they used and one is called a sackbut... hahahah omgosh. We felt super immature, but we couldn't help but laugh, as we screamed that word at Edith. She laughed too and laughed even harder when she saw all of us trying sooo hard to keep it in. ahhaha. Poor little Edith had to get up and run to the bathroom we had her laughing so hard. Good timmes :) This is probably one of those stories where you totally had to be there. ahah

I can't believe I go back to Temple Square this week! CRAZY. I've learned sooooo much from being out here. It's just my luck to have the companion I've struggled with the most, be my companion for the longest amount of time. hahah. I wonder what will happen when I'm back in Temple Square! Pray for me! hahahah. I'm really going to miss all the wonderful people I've met here though.

Me-Yoli-Bonnie 1...  Oh, how I will miss these people!

Saying my Goodbyes!

I love you all,
Sister Hansen