7-15 / Day 211 Oh Happy Day!

Just another amazing week in the Temple Square Mission.

Let's just start off with our amazing miracle : )
I was in the Teaching Center this week just going through the contacts and trying to see who I could call and who I needed to drop because a lot of the people aren't very interested and some I hadn't talked to since before I went to California. So I was just scrolling through and then this name just jumped out and I was like "Okay I've gotta call her!" Of course I did. Oh my prepared Ann came on chat a few months before I went outbound, and was just interested in getting a Book of Mormon since she works with some members and loves to read. She is a Communications Professor at Pen State! So I sent her the Book of Mormon, she got it. Started to read it and then I left. When I called her she told me that she was half way done with the Book of Mormon and that it has just intrigued her! We talked for a few more minutes about prayer and about her religious background and then I set up an appointment for the next day. We taught her the whole restoration the next day and invited her to pray about the Book of Mormon to really know if it's true! She responded with, "Your right... I should probably just stop questioning God about it cause I already know it's the word of God. It's helped me so much with my relationship with Him already and I just want to come closer to Him. And I want my husband & I to be more connected, the church will help with that." After that there was no denying the spirit telling us to invite her to be baptized! So we did & she said YES! We're teaching her again tomorrow and we're planning to put her on date for August 2nd. And the local missionaries have already gotten in contact with her and will be visiting soon. WOOHOOO. After much fasting and praying to find someone to teach this transfer who the Lord has prepared we've found our one. Sweeet little 57 yr old Ann:)

We've also gotten to do some FUN stuff this week. We went to Brighton and had like a big girls camp thing on Saturday. It was a blast! Breathing that mountain air was just refreshing. We did like a bunch of cool unity activities and then got to do the "Iron Rod" thing where they blind fold you and put you on a rope and you have to find your way to the end. Well ever since, I've been praying about what to do about school after the mission since I'm going to have to register soon for classes. God has answered my prayers in about a million different ways this week.

I realized so many things from doing that simple little activity that I had done as a youth. It's amazing how timely the Lord is. All week long the focus has basically been on staying on the straight and narrow. And making sure we make the right choices. We did that activity and then the next day I opened up my Book of Mormon for personal study and the next ch to read was Lehi's Dream!






I'm realizing how lucky and blessed I am to have chosen this path to come on a mission. My life has been richly blessed and changed because of it. I can now see how different of a person I am. I know because of this mission my life will be changed forever. This service has just been a little part of my journey to make it back to my Savior. I've still got lots to accomplish for Him during this life. I know the Holy Ghost is leading me in the right direction for my life here in the mission and for my life after it as well.


I love 1 Nephi 9:6, "The Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all His works among the children of men; for behold, He hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words!" I know this is true. I know that The Lord doesn't ask us to do things we can not accomplish. That if it helps us to come closer to Him, He will help us along the way.

I also read my favorite conference talks again this week by Russell M Nelson. One of my favorite quotes from it always rings home, " The wise use of your freedom to make your own decision is crucial to your spiritual growth, now and for eternity. You are never too young to learn, never too old to change. Your yearnings to learn and change come from a divinely instilled striving for eternal progression. Each day brings opportunity for decisions for eternity."


I am so grateful to know that as long as we stay on the Lord's path He will continually guide us and bless us. I've seen this so much throughout this mission, especially this week!

                                                                   

We also got to go to the Bountiful Temple this morning because the Salt Lake Temple is closed for construction for like a month. Oh my heavens... literally! What a beautiful Temple! I love going to the Temple and feeling the love of God so strongly!!!


I love you all!
Sister Hansen