Last Email! 01/26/15 Farewell Philippines!

Dear World,

So for those who now know...I'm coming home in a few days. I personally dont like emailing especially long emails but I'm going to this time for my mom!:) First things first the mission was crazy fast and the best time of my life. I grew to be a man of Christ here in the Philippines and I'm still growing and striving to become like him. You never really can bring yourself to the point of change unless you try. If you dont go out and serve others look at your past mistakes and change them we will never learn. PMG (Preach My Gospel manual) really helped me to understand that repentance and conversion is an everyday experience. You cant just one day say you are now converted to the gospel or you have now repented and dont need to do it again, but everyday we need to find the Savior and strive to become like him. I cant wrap my head around the fact that I will be seeing those who are back at home and the fact that I wont be seeing the people of the Philippines anymore. I remember being brand new in the misson and looking at people who almost had a year in the mission and I just thought they were amazing missionaries, but now I look at the new missionaries and I think that exact same thing. I love what our mission president says that "we have all come a long way from our snug little cribs" its so true. We dont know where people have started out at or what their situations were or are in life but we see the Light in them. I love looking at little kids. The veil is so thin with them. Its like you are almost looking into heaven. That is one thing that Christ wants for us. In order to enter into the kingdom we must become as little children. HUMBLE MEEK and ready to be taught. We need to basically ilayo our selves from the world. That can be hard to do. But I have seen that in myself and in others. I am so excited to continue this work at my home and well wherever I may end up. Life couldnt be any happier. This has been the Hardest hottest most exhausting 2 years of my life, but it has also been the most rewarding, exciting, and treasured experience of my entire life. Like they say I'm going home but not going back. I'm not going back to my old self but I'm coming home a new person. A person who is striving for perfection and now relying upon the merits of Jesus Christ. "for we are saved by grace AFTER all that we can do" I have put that scripture to use in my life and I love it so much. I dont know quite else what to say but I love this chuch. I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith is the prophet who was chosen to restore this gospel. I know that the priesthood power of God is real I feel it everyday and I felt it when I was sealed to my parents. This is His chruch and He is who guides it. I know I was called by a living prophet through revelation to serve here in the Philippines under the direction of President Monahan. I learned more than I can type in an hour limit so I guess this is where I will stop.  But I love you all so much. Thank you for the prayers and for your support to me while I went through my ups and downs! I will really miss the Philippines but I can say without a doubt that I gave it my all here and I will never regret my decision to serve a mission for the True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

with love,

Elder Hansen

A Missionary Tradition

The Burning of an old Shirt!