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!

1/19/15 Last week of Mission...

Mom thanks for a great email I will make sure I let them know that you said those things! II asked him to tell his companion and President Monahan and Sister Monahan that I appreciate their sacrifice and service),  as for me here in Philippines things are going great! It's weird to be honest that I go home in basically a week. It still doesnt seem real.. I just know that I need to work hard until the very end so that I can please Him. No one wants a missionary who doesnt have the drive to finish his mission faithfully. This week we did a lot of finding and found a really sweet investigator. Her name is sis. a. We talked to her one night on the street, I guess she saw us next door and she wanted us to teach her back then but was shy so she didnt talk to us...Our first lesson with her she really felt the spirit and is really willing to follow Jesus Christ. They also have a tryke so they wont have a hard time going to church and they could be a big help in that area once they are members! Sister L will be getting baptized on Feb. 14, 2015 and we are very excited for her. Her daughter is undergoing surgery right now so please pray for them. President just told me in his email to tell you "thank you for a great son and missionary" its true. Thank you mom for raising me to be a man of good standards and to have a backbone. I'm so glad I never really gave into temptation back then. I know its because of your loving guidance!:) I'm very excited to give you a great big hug and I hope youre excited as well. I miss and love you mom I'm going to work very hard this last week I promise I wont go down without a fight. haha I will return with honor and I promise I served with honor! This mission changed my life. Anyway I love ya mom and I hope you have a great week

nagmamahal,

 

Elder Hansen

 

So this is my last full week here in the field. I will write a good email to everyone next week but to be honest I'm really lazy with emails now a days! I just want all of you to know that I'm very happy right now but very scared to leave this place....I'm scared of Americans now....haha I will be very shocked seeing all of these Americans in one place hahaha I love you all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year! 2015 and 2 Weeks left on mission

01/12/15

 

 

Mom that sounds horrible about you getting sick...I'm sorry about that.  I'm glad that you are all doing great at home and that sounds like an awesome idea about praying for those things specifically, (we told him about praying for dates and people to have the missionaries teach) it is very true about what president said that missionaries pray all the time. Like we pray a lot haha I have gained a testimony of prayer here in the mission. To be honest I wasnt the most active kid in the gospel before the mission, and I regret that but now that I have changed I will just keep moving forward.  To be honest I am excited to come home as well but im not trunky and it doesnt effect my work here. I actually dont feel like im going home in two weeks.... it literally doesnt sound real when I say that. It seems impossible that I go home in two weeks.....our investigators are doing okay here we still dont have anyone progressing towards baptism but we will just keep working hard and it will happen. The sacrament attendance has increased the past weeks that I have been here. It has gone from 90s to now 146!!! So we are way pumped about what is happening there!

I have a great gift for all of you when I get home and I hope you cherish it forever . But I'm not going to tell you what it is until I get home!! Its something that you will be able to use forever. I don't know what else to talk about except for the fact that on sat night while we were sleeping there was an earthquake!! haha I was asleep and it woke me up but I was still half asleep and didnt realize what was going on and then I finally noticed that my bed was moving back and forth and I didnt understand why. The thought popped into my head that it was an evil spirit hahahaha but then I fell back to sleep. I thought it was just a dream until someone else was like did you guys feel that lindol last night?? and I was like what?? There was one pala? hahah and they were like yeah. No damage or anything but just a cool little story for you all! Have a great week and dont miss me too much!!

love,

Elder Hansen

 

(I love how he all of a sudden throws out a Tagalog word here and there!)

 

 

Happy New Year to all of you back at home!! I'm sure you all had a blast. We had a good time as well here in Aguilar. members treated us really well and the work went pretty good.  President emailed me and said that he pulled out the baseball ornament and said that he is excited to hang that up on a real tree next year. (We sent him a Baseball Christmas ornament that Riley signed as they have that in common) I love the Monahans so much.  The little choices change our lives. That is one thing I learned here in the mission. The Lord expects us to decide for ourselves and to chose the right. We should not have to be told to do all things but should be anxiously engaged. The work was good this week we had the E family go to church and we are working with our branch president on how we can help bro. X with his drinking problem.

The members,  I really like here. They are very nice to me and supportive of the work. I'm so excited though to go to the temple again! It has been so long since I have been there!!! I dont know why but I feel drawn to the temple right now and I miss it like crazy!

Thank you all for being such great examples to me my whole life. I am excited to be my brother's friends when I get back. I love you guys and miss you all but we will see each other soon

Love Elder Hansen

 

--

ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD

Happy New Year! 12/28/14

Yeah Devin went on a mission and everything so that is way cool!!! (His friend Devin just got engaged)  Tell him I'm way pumped for him!

I LOVED THAT VIDEO OF BETTY!! haha she still seems the exact same! She can still bring joy to anyones heart.  ( I sent a video of our dog on Christmas morning opening her own presents!) I'm glad you had a great Christmas! I also loved our skype call for one it didnt make me trunky at all which usually happens to others on their last call home so im grateful that we kept the convo on a positive side about uplifting things! It seems that you are all doing really well at home and are successful! 

Here in Aguilar of course things are going good as well. Our IBD has been in Malasiqui for the past week and a half so we haven't been able to teach them....We have to extend their IBDS so I wont be there for it now. It doesn't matter though!!! I will continue to find and do the best I can for this next month up until the very end!! I have to if my wife is going to be attractive! just kiddin hahah We are doing some good finding and members are really helping out right now with the work. We hope that they will keep it up! I cant believe its going to be 2015 now ! How can time go by that fast? Did it seem fast to you all as well? I'm sure that it didn't for you mom cause you have been waiting for me to come home now for 2 yrs haha I want to give you a heads up that my last email home wont be anything special....not like some going home testimony or anything like that just to warn you all....haha I'm excited for the week because we will be able go and  do a lot of finding and teaching!! I'm starting to turn into a Filipino when I speak English....or Taglish I was telling members that I skyped home with you and to do that you would say "nakipagskype ako sa family ko" if you notice skype is in the sentence right? but the way I pronounced it was "skip"....I dont know if that would be funny to you but that is really funny here hahahahhahahah I love you guys and im grateful for the wonderful season here in the Philippines!!

nagmamahal,

E

lder Hansen

Merry Christmas! 2014

Elder Hansen has been transferred to a new area, new companion and new assignment.

Dear Mom and Dad,

So yes I did receive your long letter mom and it was amazing!! Thank you so much for all the things you said to me! It really helped boost my spirits a lot. I was a little nervous to go and open an area but I'm here in Aguilar again haha so I will spend my second Christmas and new year in the same house! I went to the other branch though so I will get to know all of Aguilar before I go home! haha Its pretty funny that I'm back. We have 2 IBDS right now that we extended yesterday. Its a part member family! The Mendoza family and they are really nice! My companions name is Elder Raguin. He is from Occidental Minduro he does speak Tagalog. He is really nice and way diligent and excited to work! I won't have a hard time training him. Thank you as well for the advice on training him. It will help me alot. I just need to love the opportunity you know? I hope you have a great time at the lights and what not! That will be way fun visiting Temple square. I miss that place now...I used to complain about going there haha sorry. So if we are going to skype it will be like 11 am for me here I don't know what time at night that is for you. I don't really have the ability to figure that out but I think you can figure it out using computers and what not there ....but it will be Christmas night for you guys and the 26th for me here. I'm really excited to skype home for the last time but we are only alotted 45 min. but that doesn't matter cause I will be seeing you like a month after that...haha things are going good here and I'm not trunky at all. I don't plan on it either. I just pray for the help every day. I didn't make the fudge sorry mom. (I sent hime a fudge kit in his package) Dad, I loved that story about the choir hahahahahahahaha( Darinb and I went up to sing in sacrament meeting, when we thought it was the youth and leaders, turn.  The choir thought it was their turn, so Darin decided to just join them and fake it like he belonged!) you will sing a solo for my homecoming is that okay? haha I think that would be a really great way for you to feel the spirit even more in your life!Especially singing hymns!! Such an awesome idea! I hope you have the best Christmas ever even though I wont be home for it that doesn't matter. Just know that I am out serving the Lord and helping other people know the real reason why we have Christmas!! I'm excited to bless the lives of others here in Aguilar. I will just get on and email you guys before I make the skype call. That would work right? okay anyway I love you guys so much have a great holiday season\Love Elder Hansen

Group Email

So this will be a super long email....hah not. I'm sorry but I just hate emailing now. training is amazing and I love my comp. elder Raguin! he is way good at teaching and very diligent in the work. He still has the MTC spirit to help me through these last weeks!! anyways I love you all have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!!

I'm here in Aguilar 2b if any of you remember  a year ago I was in Aguilar 1st so I'm back in my same apartment for my last Christmas haha what a coincidence right? 

love, 

Elder Hansen

 

(We spoke to Elder Hansen Christmas night, which was December 26th for him, for about 45 minutes.  He had become sick from eating some bad food on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas Day sick at his stomach.  But he was feeling better when we talked to him and was getting ready to go to their branch Christmas party.  He was still smiling and happy!  I love that boy!)

 

 

12/15/14 6 weeks left!

Elder Hansen has written mostly personal emails this last couple weeks, so I have not shared them.  However, he is doing great and loving the mission.  He informed us that he is going to be released as an Assistant to President Monahan on December 19th and will become a trainer in a different area!  He has loved assisting  the President and working with the missionaries.  But he is very excited to welcome in  and train a new missionary.  He is also very excited to get out and teach and find again, more than he was able to as an assistant.  His time has been precious though under the direction of President Monahan and his wife.  I know he will miss them dearly.  He is very sad that his mission experience is coming to a close.

12/15/14


I will keep this really short. You all probably thought that me Elder Hansen was a barren missionary because I never trained, and now coming up on my last six weeks in the mission you were probably thinking that there is no way that he will train someone...well if you thought that way...you were wrong. haha I will be training for my last six weeks and im soooooo excited!! It will be an eye opener  given the circumstances I'm in right now. and it will be fun!!! Life is great here in Urdaneta!!

love,

Elder Hansen

 

 

 

(Excerpts from family letter)

 

 

 

Hey family thanks for the awesome pics that you sent of the Pearson party and what not. Dad I thought that what an amazing story that you shared about grandpa. I find it amazing how sometimes we just need to show our love to people and they will feel it. Its actually hard to focus on my email right now because we have to go pick up missionaries who are leaving the mission tomorrow morning. We have to pick them up by 7-8ish at night and their area is pretty far. So it should be a fun night haha. Yesterday we had a PM family go to church!! We were very excited for them. The father is a member who is less active and lives and works in America. We caught word that he came in to town for the holidays and decided to visit them. THEY WENT TO CHURCH! Now I know that isnt a baptism but its a step towards it and whenever investigators make those moves I'm happy!! haha M

I am still waiting on the letter....and im sorry you are still waiting on mine to you. i am just horrible at writing and to be honest dont have a ton of time. We can only write letters on Mondays and when our Monday is like today I won't be home until 10 or so at night....but the weeks are just cruising by. I can't believe that I only have six left in the mission. I'm going to spend those last weeks doing all that I can to help my trainee and to bless the area. (the harder you work, the more beautiful your wife is) hahaha I'm just kidding. I will be doing that because I love the Lord. My friends all seem to be doing good in their missions! it will be weird seeing them in the next months. the first one will be Nate... I love you guys so much. 

 

love, 

Elder Hansen

 

December 7, 

Dad thank you so much for the advice!! I need to read my blessing more often. So I got some crazy news !!!  For my last transfer in the mission President and the Lord want me to train!! So I will train a new missionary which is supposed to be 12 wks but I will train him for 5wks!! So I will be leaving the area I am in and wont be an assistant any more. Its totally fine with me because my batch Elder Uhi is coming in to take my place! It was exciting for me because I will get to work the full time that missionaries are supposed to for my last weeks. I koow the area im going to but I can't tell you yet....On Sunday we had an investigator come to church sister Jean xxxx! she is awesome. We also gave her an IBD for Jan. 10 I really feel that she will be ready for that date! Please pray for her and for her baptism. I will be here in Urdaneta until the 19th and then I go to my new area Dec. 19th.

 

Christmas is coming around the corner now and well so is januaray...the dreaded month.  But one of the most exciting times of my life as well.  A lot of missionaries are really excited to go home but for me, I really dont feel it. It doesn't hit me that I am close to going home. I feel the same drive to go and teach and do all that I can to help people that I felt when I was brand new. Anyway life is going good here and the storm is very far away from us here in pangasinan. We are safe here! haha Ilove you dad 

love, 

Elder Hansen


Christmas Conference 2014

 

Area Conference 2014 December

New Trainers!!!!

 Area Conference 2014 December

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

 

12-01-2014

Dear Mom, Dad, Jordan, Alex,

so I just want to say i love you all! thank you mom and dad for the wonderful letters that you sent and also or the emails! Mom I'm sorry I am horrible at writing home. But I promise I'm taking pictures! This week was a little bit rough with getting investigators to progress. Sis xxxhad an IBD for Dec. 13 but we found out that she isnt married yet so she cant be baptized. We were pretty bummed about that. We found 11NI this week so we still have a lot of potential in the area. we love our ward members and we are thinking of ideas that we can do to help them out with the ward and the work here in urdaneta. Please pray for our ward here URD. 3rd ward. today is Dec. 01, 2014 we were talking with others a little earlier and they are just saying its crazy how fast 2014 has gone by. its like it went from 2013-2015. Missions help develop people into who they need to become. Well for me it has put me on the right path. I can see a bright future to be honest. I do get a little nervous thinking about work and school and the real world but I read my blessing the other day and it just said I need to put the Lord first and if I do that all will be well and I wont sacrifice anything. And when you have a mindset of serving the Lord and then doing other things there are no sacrifices. 

I am very thankful that the sisters stopped by our house. please tell them one missionary to another how much I appreciate their efforts.  I deal with people every day trying to help them come unto Christ and it can be difficult when people dont want to. It literally hurts you inside at times. We met an old man who his church doesnt have a name but Americans stop by his house and do bible study with him 2 a week and that is there religion. We told him that he is missing out on a lot of things in the bible and we want to help him understand those things but he is so blinded and shut off that he wouldnt even let us in the house. so being a bolder missionary we kindly told him that he isnt yet following Jesus Christ and left. haha butI literally felt sad for him because he is so far away from the truth. 

Dad- about some of our questions. we are asked to speak a lot and all the missionaries always expect us to know what to do and say. We visit other zones and what not but usually dont speak unless invited. We usually speak at training meetings like Train the Trainers, New Missionary Training, Missionary leadership council, quad zone conferences, zone interviews. those are a few but its really fun. Even though Ihave been speaking in front of a lot of people now I'm still not used to it. I still get nervouse sometimes.....but i would say im comfortable now.  Mom Dad do you have any advice for me for my last two months in the mission? Its weird to think that I'm coming home to be honest even though I love you all I'm going to miss my second home A TON..... this place is just beautiful the people have changed me forever. Anyways I love you all so much

love, 

Elder Hansen

--

ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD


 

So I don't want to believe that Christmas is right around the corner! Time is crazy fast and I dont like it. I'm exctied for Christmas but that is it ha. The week went well, we found a lot of new great investigators and are hoping they will progress! our IBD isnt married pala so were kind of disappointed about that but we will keep working with them it just takes faith! The mission is awesome I love the experiences that I have everyday! Keep the Philippines in your prayers! This is where the nicest people live and I can testify to that!

love Elder H

--

ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD

 

Elder Hansen and Elder Mahayahay

Sent from The Mission President :)

Titled Rats!

11/23/14 Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you all for everything you do for me! I cant imagine my life without all of you. especially my family. With the spirit of Thanksgiving I just figured I would thank all of you! Life here in the Philippines is really amazing. I'm so grateful I have had the chance to live and serve here for the past two or so years. The love you build for people when you serve them is the Christ like love we need to develop for all. As a missionary you develop that attitude to serve everyone. I think I really needed that in my life. I am finally coming to realize my real purpose in life and no its not just to be happy. One thing I am grateful for is being able to see the change in others. Even with my batch mates serving with them here in the Philippines I have really seen them grow spiritually and I'm very grateful for that. The mission is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and that we treat everyday like thanksgiving.

The mission and our area here in Urdaneta is doing really well! We got to do some exchanges but our exchanges are different than most missions. we bring the other companionship into our area and then split. So the sad thing is I don't get to see other parts of the mission. But the good part is that the work is going really well here! Sis. Rose Mary went to church again! Her Baptism is on Dec. 13th please pray for her and for her progression! We found a ton this week too and will be finding a lot this week so that the teaching pool will get bigger! Here in the computer shop I'm listening to these kids who are very blind to things spiritually speaking of course in Tagalog but using vulgar language and it just makes me irritated...I want to tell them nicely to (shut up) haha anyways Elder Mahayahay and I are doing great and the comp is going really well! I cannot believe this is the last week of November....time is way too fast here....anyways I love you all

love, 

Elder Hansen

Mom dont worry I got the package and we have all ready made a box of brownies! THEY WERE SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!! haha im waiting until christmas to do the fudge I bet its feezing there tho...and i dont want to go back to it...i will die! haha That is cool that Bingham won again! (we're the best) how did Mikey do?? Here life is going good most of my updates are on my group email. You get that right?? Also I cant believe that I'm down to 2 months...it cant be true...also I cant believe that I all ready have a scheduled talk!! But I will think and ponder about that. Life is going great here. Im literally having a blast every day and time goes by way too fast. Im sure life is going by really quickly there especailly with the holiday season in full force. before you know it it will be new years.... about the skype call. we can do it from dec. 22- dec. 26. 45mins is the max. The area is being a little bit more tight on the time but its okay cause I will see you guys like a month after that...haha anyways I'm doing great this eamil is for all of you!! Thanks so much for everything you are the best!!! and I hope you have a great thanksgiving!!! I know I will by serving the LORD. thanks again and I love you \l

love, 

Elder Hansen

11-16-14 New Investigators!

Thank you so much dad for the great letter! That is awesome to hear about your experience at church earlier today. Every Sunday can be a spiritual experience we just have to be open to it. I wasted a lot of Sundays at church back at home not really paying attention and just going because it was something I had to do. f you ever get the chance please tell President Philipoom that I love him and please also tell Bishop Carver the same. Yesterday at chruch while we were sitting in the sacrament hall waiting for church to begin we noticed that only one of our investigators was there. (we were excited about that but hoping for more) that was
Brother Ceasar, we have been teaching a lady who is from Tacloban. She was affected by the massive storm that came in last year. Her house was destroyed she was on top of a building with water up to her waist...so that shows how deep it the tide was and she was holding two little kids in her arms so they wouldnt drown. Anyways it was a great experience when we met her because she had met elders before and went to church before. It also just so happens that their neighbor here is also a member but they are kind of less active. So what we did is decided to make the members fellowshipers for sis. Rose.  Two Sundays ago we had planned with them that sis. Rose would go with them to church and none of them came...sis Rose was even ready to go but the members werent....then throughout this week we made sure the members were there at all the lessons. So I go back to where we were sitting in sacrament...we started singing the opening hymn and they wernt there yet but I decided to look back again...of course being ancy to see if they would come...and turns out they did!They even brought other members with them that are Less Active!! We gave an IBD to sis. Rose Mary last night for dec. 13. things are going pretty well here! I'm glad that Bingham killed Riverton!! haha is that bad to say?? nope!! haha I'm glad for Mickey! Tell the Greens Hi for me.   Tell mom that I love her and I'm excited for the other packages but the one has not come in yet. Also tell her how much I appreciate her and all that she does for me. oh you will notice that i withdrew a decent chunk of money last week .that is because i got two ingrowns removed haha but im doing good now and i dont think i will get them again for the rest of my mission. Time sure is a flying....I'm way excited for Preston! If you can tell him to email me. ( He is a baseball friend who has decided to serve a mission)

anyways the misssion life is doing great !!

love, 

Elder Hansen

11-09-14 New Companion Elder Mahayahay

Hey mom so transfer week was crazy!! We are always so busy running around the mission helping people out with different things and getting everyone ready for transfers. To be honest it takes a ton of time away from the work like 3 to 31/2 days total of no work! The time is going good my new comps name is Elder Mahayahay! He is really nice and is from Palawan which I like. It is a really beautiful area in the Philippines. That is really sad to hear about Lance but I  hope he can get back out soon. ( Lance played baseball with Riley in high school.  He was on a mission and began to lose his eyesight.  He had to come home and have surgery, but is all ready back in the mission field again, Yea!)  The work is going pretty well here we need to get finding some more. We werent able to get very many new Investigators this week but this next week will be a great one!! Funny story. we were able to teach brother Ceasars wife the other night who is pregnant, and was supposed to give birth in the next few days. but while we were there she wasnt really experiencing pain or dialating but i guess when we left she went into labor! I guess the baby was just waiting to hear our lovely voices before she came out. And another part is that the doctor told them that it was a guy....but a night later the dad was changing the diapers and he noticed that it wasnt a boy but it was a GIRL!!! hahaha how can the doc. even mess that up?

I'm doing really good here.  I was a little nervous to lead the area and to lead being an AP but I'm doing okay now! No problems. Another things is mom the one package came in the same day Elder Macabenta went home! But he was on the bus when we got to the office. haha oh well I will get it to him some other way. Life is going great and I love you all so much! Have a great week!

love elder Hansen

11-09-14
So this week was crazy fast especially getting the new missionaries settled in! haha They are so young! Its weird to see new missionaries come in and thinking that I was exactly like that. I have also seen some of the other missionaries come in and how much they have grown up in just a short time .Its weird to think about life. We are always new to something going to do something new new job new calling new friends new life but what doesnt change during all of that is our Savior. His gospel will always be the same and that is the truth. Truth never changes. No matter who we are the gospel is the same for everyone, and if we follow it we will be blessed. Life is good! I love the mission and i am growing up so much here. I feel like I'm a different person driven by different things. My life isn't focused on myself anymore. I'm focused on facing Jesus Christ. I love my Savior and I love this calling and I dont want to ever take the tag off.  It will always engraven in my heart! IM doing great thank you for all the prayers I really feel them

i love you all so much

love Elder Hansen

--

ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD

 

10-13-14 and 10-28-1412 weeks left! Lots of Pictures!

 

 11/03/14

 

 

 

Yeah time goes by pretty quickly right? The holidays just seem to take so long to get here but when they are here they fly right by. Its all ready Nov. 3

My comp goes home tomorrow:( and then I start another fun week of bringing in the new missionaries!! haha It will be hectic on wed. we have like 25 coming in and 20 of them are elders and will all be staying at our house!! haha but its always fun. Right now I'm just stressing out at leading the work as an assistant. I'm basically the one who knows what to do with all things so I'm going to be the one accountable. It will be a really great learning experience!! That is crazy about the giants!! Didn't their ace throw 3 games that series?? That is way nuts!! The giants seem to win all the time. 

Mom

BETTY LOOKS ADORABLE! (That is our dog and I sent him a picture in her Halloween costume)  I'm sure Halloween was really fun!  The work isgoing great here! XXX went to church again so he is now a progressing Investigator which means he is reading going to church and keeping other commitments that we give him. Please continue to pray for him! Elder Macabenta goes home tomorrow but no the packages didn"t make it in time. (I sent Elder Hansen and Elder Macabenta Thanksgiving dinner in a box and a BYU t shirt for Elder Macabenta, but it didn't make it before he left ) he is most likely coming back here for Christmas to visit the mission so I will give it to him then. We will have a lot of time the next month to focus on the area! So I'm expecting to have a lot of success!! Pray for our leaders here in Urdaneta 3rd ward! Especially our bishop,  he is such a kind man.  Anyways things are going great here!!

I love you guys.

 have a great week

Love Elder Hansen

10/28/14

 

hello everyone,

sorry  I'm horrible at writing home. Its been like two weeks since Ive sent a decent email home to all of you. The weeek was a great week! I got to go to Manila! I also visited the temple there and it is amazing.  I just love the spirit at the temple, its been way too long since I have been to the temple and actually done a session. I miss being inside but this is worth it! This week we had some great lesson with our investigators. Brother xxx is way into the gospel and wants to learn more.  This week I get a new comp so we will see how that will go. I'm sure he will be amazing even though I dont know who yet . I know he will be a great companion. This coming up Sunday we have a special area broadcast. Elder Oaks is coming... announcements about the temple?? hopefully!@! If not that is fine too . It just depends on the Lord. anyways the week was great and we are expecting an even better one this week!

I love you all so much Love Elder Hansen

tinatamad ako magsulat sa inyo ngayon....masaya ang linggo namin!! tinatamad ako kaya nagtatagalog din ako...mas nahihirapan yata ako sa english kaysa sa tagalog.......mahal ko kayong lahat! ingat kayo lagi!!

nagmamahal, 

elder hansen!

larawan #1 kasama ko siya sa MTC!

elder aisea po!

10/05/14 Waiting for Conference!

This was a great week!!!

Elder Macabenta and I even though we were fairly busy we got some great work in!! We contacted some great part member families and we are excited to teach them and help them come back to church and in turn help the non-members come to know of the gospel!

Some of the other Less Actives that we met were really stubborn and did not even want to talk to us...  anyway there isnt much you can do there if they really dont want to listen to us. Time just keeps speeding up. this weeek will fly by because of our zone interviews and then of course for us here in the philippines we are delayed a week of watching General conference....I am so excited though.  I have some questions in my mind that I know will be answered in some way, if i just listen to the spirit. We have been playing a lot of basketball lately at the church in the mornings! Its so addicting haha 5 am we are up and playing! I just love to be running around. It also helps me just have fun for a little while and enjoy a good game. As I am starting to see some of my friends going home from their missions I realize how fast it does go by. I realize that everyday we get up and do all that we can for the Lord but there are also times where we wish we could get that 1 minute back. We just wish we could experience that one joyful moment again and again and again.  However if we were like that, the "enjoyable moments" we become less and less enjoyable. That is why I am so grateful for trials and problems in life. so that when I do have the joyful moments they are that much sweeter!! Anyway we had a great week here and are hoping for even better things this upcoming week!

Love Elder Hansen

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ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD

 

Yes. He is now driving in the Philippines! Scares me to death!

 

09/29/14 New Missionaries! Busy in the Zone!

That is so weird that Jessie and Jordan are now home from their missions...I cannot even imagine that from today until January I only have four months left in the mission...and no I'm not counting the days promise. I'm just blown away at how fast time goes by.. a couple of sisters emailed me from my batch I go home but in a way I hope a lot of things have changed.

This week we had the new missionaries come in there were 25 of them!! sooooooo many! They are so young and just brand new from the mtc....

Anyways we basically had three days with no work because of that. so not much happened for us this past week... we are hoping to see some good progress in a few of our investigators but we need to find a lot more. This next month we have zone interviews so for the next like three weeks every day except monday ,sat, sun. we will be traveling to other zones giving workshops and what not.......this next month will fly by..I'm trying to think of what else I have to say...not much.. make sure you tell Jordan and Jessie  HI! for me and congrats!! wow I Love the mission so much.. I have learned so much here and am still learning . The things stated in my patriarchal blessing are definitely coming true...Ii love this church with all my heart and will always remain true. I will never hide my light from others. I can say in front of anyone that I am LDS and I will share my beliefs and bear testimony to them that I know that Jesus Christ lives and this is the restored gospel. Just look at the fruit of what happened to Joseph Smith. Look at all the good things that came from his decision to find the truth......"by their fruits ye shall know them" nothing more true than that scripture right there. 

MOM I AM WRITING YOU A LETTER TODAY SO DONT WORRY!! I have little time left so I'm going to say good bye and that I love you all

Love Elder Hansen

 

 

The following are some pictures from a senior couple missionary and another blog of Zone Conferences.  Elder Hansen and his companion did training and other responsibilities.

The Sister Senior missionary commented to me that Elder Hansen is "always smiling!"  That makes me happy!  His nickname from infancy was "Smiley Riley!"

 

 

 

09/21/14 Don't Look Back!

 i thought of something a sister in our zone said earlier about us as children of our Heavenly Father. a lot of people here dont know their relationship with God, we are blessed because we do...however we cannot over think the fact that God has all ready given us a plan to overcome our trials...that is through the Gospel. the world to solve a problem uses money, politicians, friends, We use the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ. "the atonement is what can take the slums out of man and teach the man to take himself out of the slums" that statement hit me hard. It is one of the most beautiful things i have heard since i have started my ,mission. We dont want to just get rid of the " slums" in us but we want to remove ourselves from the slums. turning away from sin and leaving it behind never to look back. just like lots wife "dont look back" once we are fully repented of a sin dont go back. once we have overcome a problem dont go back. just like the 2000 stripling warriors parents. they burried their "weapons of war" deep and covenanted with God to never go back and kill again. we can relate those things to us which is one thing that i am trying to do personally. i dont want to go back to my old self. i love who i am now and who i WILL become.

 

this week was way awesome!! we had a sweet investiagator come to church she is set to be baptized october 18!! please pray for her..her name is xxx.   she is a single mom doing it all for her family  ! tomorrow another batch of missionaries goes home! its my batch of filipina sisters.....so after tomrrow i will have no more batch in the mission except the elders...time is going by so fast...i cant believe i only have a few months left!! but i love the mission so much!!! im like Jordan (His friend across the street returning this week from his mission in California!) is right now...i dont know how to do anything else(meaning missionary work) and frankly im scared to....hahah but i will miss this place so much...its a shame its so far away..i wish i would be able to visit here all the time. but we have facebook right? im excited for the package!! thank you so much!!! tell jordan higgins I say Hi!!! anyways im runnning a little short on time because we have a crazy week next week. the new missionaries are coming in and there are 25 of them....soooo many haha i love you guys so much talk to you next week

love elder hansen

On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 11:16 AM, DARIN HANSEN <dshansen22@msn.com> wrote:

 

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ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD

Big Storm! 09/14/14

09/14/14

(Note from Mom)  I did what mom's do best and guilt tripped Elder Hansen because he has not written in a long time!  But we are never mad at him!

dear mom and dad.....

please dont be angry with me....i try my best haha im just not good at writing down the details. about going to alaminos the other week, it was strictly business it wasnt to visit or anything like we just went there to go to a meeting of the missionaries.  here in the philippines we listen to christmas music as soon as it is september. we cut our hair earlier and there was deck the halls playing and weird stuff like that. It makes me think of christmas and then i walk outside into the heat.....haha there was a crazy storm last night!!! crazy rain....a couple of missionaries houses were flooded but it was cool!! we were up until like two in the morning because of people calling us.....elders.....the water is getting close to the electric sockets...what do  we need to do?? of course the answer is easy....."turn off the power and go upstairs" but some other people dont understand that so we have to help them out when they are freaking out ahaha. it was a fun night!! crazy thing is yesterday at church i was looking at the bulletin board of another ward and saw a pic of koa when he was at the MTC i started freaking out!! "thats one of my best friends" ahah really funny. 

we had a good week but some of the investigators dropped us.....they would either say elders sorry but my husband is a pastor and will get mad if i listen to you or others just werent interested....they were saying they want to see a good change in thier lives before they listen....I just thought to myself that that is reverse thinking and false! we Have to act first before we will see the good change. so i told the lady in a nice way that she doesnt have faith, because to be honest she doesnt. read alma 32:17 which is the opposite of faith. that is how she is acting. but we left and went to find new investigators!!! \

we love the missionary life of finding if they dont progress drop and find some more. its really fast work especially when we can be a little short for time like elder macabenta and I are.

speaking of elder macabenta he is from davao, he speaks cebuano, way smart and is planning on either becoming a professor or going into law! best missionary i have met at the scriptures and really humble! 

we love to play basketball (bukol) is what we call it haha we also love messing around and having fun but getting the work done!! Im doing great! mom if you are going to send me a package...add like one or two ready bake brownies....we are a little spoiled in the big house and have an oven hahah but yeah I love you guys so much and im very grateful for all of you and im way excited for whats going on in all of your lives!! keep up the great work and always remember to remember our savior!

love Elder Hansen

 

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ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD

09/08/14 Fasting with a Purpose Brings Blessings!

09/08/14

Elder Hansen told us he was fasting for a purpose on 09/07/14 so Darin and I decided to fast along with him even though we did not know what his purpose was.  What we do know is that he has righteous desires and so we added our prayers and fasting to his.

Dear family,

I loved your emails!!! very spiritual and uplifiting for me!! I loved the part about you two fasting together! I can tell you that i definitley felt your prayers and fast! thank you so much!  dad that story you told me about our distant relatives is way awesome, it gave me the goose bumps. I mean imaging if they didnt do those things and what not i could also not be here and the people i have met could have not come to know the gospel and the people they will meet ect.......its a never ending chain. just like the vision in the old testament i cant remember where but it talks about the gospel; as a big boulder rolling down the mountain until it consumes everything.....that is what is happening now!!!!! time is flying by.....this past week we had our mission conference....two days half the mission per day.....it can be stressful for us because we do a lot of the organizing, conducting solving probs...and so forth as well as giving a workshop in front of all the misisonaries and then going home in the late afternoon and teaching our inv.....one thing that is hard for me to get used to is having less time to teach.....but this week we should be able to get a lot done teaching wise!! one answer to our prayer and fast is that we had and inv. family come to church .....we met them the night before (sat) we thought none of our inv would show up because the members that stopped by to pick up the others said that the invs wouldnt be coming....we were kind of sad about that but just before sac., started we saw the family come in!!!!! we were so excited!!!! so time is going by to fast.....its all ready september!! i dont understand why time speeds up the longer you are in the mission....i would hope that it would slow down......but there is nothing i can do about that.....Im giving it my all and really finding myself here in the mission. I have come to a better understanding about conversion. im still working on being more converted to the gospel everyday....it can be hard.....but sooooooo worth it.

I love you all so much!!

love elder Hansen

 

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ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD

09/01/14

09/01/14

(Mom's note)  I woke up in the middle of the night with the thought that "Riley needs your prayers" at first I ignored it but then I got out of bed and knelt down and said a prayer for him.  This was his reply to me.

mom dont worry about me but i love the fact that you in the middle of your sleep woke up and followed the spirit!! Those times are lessons that will help us in the near future. I think of those times as like the spirit is trying to train us to listen to him....we never know when i could be life or not.....I always feel your prayers every day!!! That is soo cool that taylor is home! how is he doing??   Satan is very good at using things that seem reasonable to turn us away from the truth....that is why i dont like him haha. This week we had some good times.....it actually flew by.....this week and next week will as well.......ahhhhh time goes by so much faster when you have more and more things to do. everyday we are busy and when we get home we just crash! haha my companion is so awesome!! way good in the scriptures really humble really good at english and loves to learn our sayings we have in english. like 'we are stuck between a rock and a hard place kind of sayings. I finished the Book of Mormon by the way! How is your Reading? i hope we are still reading!! haha im going to try and finish it again before i go home!! (thats weird to say) I cant believe that on the 13 i will have been out 19 months!!! I will never be able to replace these days with any other. by far the best time of my life. The easisest way to tell if we are truely converted to the Gospel is by following one scripture. 

• Luke 22:32

   

32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou artconverted, strengthen thy brethren.

that is truely the test. I love you so much

 

08/25/14 Eternal Progression

great week!!! found some new investigators.....dropped others........the caravan keeps on rollin....we dont ever quit in this work....The savior never quit and neither will we!!! I love the mission....I have found myself and more while being here.....I know that i will continue to grow...last night we dropped an Inv. because they were obviously not ready yet. she mentioned that she was content in her life and her religion and did not want to ask God if what we were saying was true. I told myself last night that i hate the word content.....satan is good at manipulating people. tricking them into being content with their progression as children of The Father. Our progression is Eternal. We can be happy with the blessings and grateful for the trials...but when we are content and not doing anything to improve ourselfs we are failing. If we are not coming closer to our Savior...we are falling away from him. there is no staying in one place. anyways...im excited for the week!! I love you all keep up the great work

love elder Hansen
8/25/14

08/18/14 Transfer week/ What would Jesus Do?

so it was a pretty rough week work wise because it was basically like we worked to 2 1/2 days....three days straight we didnt teach because of the new incoming missionaries having twenty elders sleeping at our house getting things arranged food wise and what not...but a very interesting and fun week. it was cool to see the newbies come in and realize how much i have grown and changed since that point. Every day i learn so much just about being a better person, loving to serve others and do whatever it takes to help the mission grow. One thing that i have been working on is bringing myself down keeping myself humble in all things...i am still working on that and really trying to teach myself to rely upon the Lord. one thing that elder macabenta and i are doing is calling every companionship in the misson throught out the transfer just to check up on them and get a feel and try to get to know them. I love how Jesus Christ states that I know my sheep, AND AM KNOWN OF MINE. that really hits me hard that we always need to be that example to all. we need to show to everyone that we are striving to come unto christ just like them. and to also show that we care for them. We know who Jesus Christ is we have entered into that gate of baptism we are coming closer to him the people who dont know him are who we are trying to save. such an interesting scripture. well we also had a baptism brother xxx. the story is so awesome with this family basically their dad met the missionaries when he was working abroad all they did was give him a pamphlet, he then contacted the missinoaries here in urdaneta then in manila and now the entire family are members.....never underestimate the power of sharing the gospel. im sure those two elders have no idea that this entire family is now baptized.....be an example of the believers......there is that famous saying WWJD right? but we really need to apply that in our lives.....What would he do while he was sitting next to someone on the bus or talking to someone at work. would he just talk about sports and leave or would he leave a lasting impression on the people he meets. ask yourselfs what impression Has Jesus Christ left on you....and do we leave that same impression on others??? i love my mission and love all of you!

love elder Hansen

 

 

oh ps. i sent my batch of sister home last week:((( so sad....

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ELDER HANSEN

URDANETA STAKE

URDANETA 3RD

    

08/11/14 New Calling! Assistant to the Mission President

08/11/14

hey family so i had a crazy week!!!! so i believe i mentioned to you that i almost got transferred to calasiao two saturdays ago right?? that didnt end up happening but i did end up getting emergency transferred this past tuesday.....yeah Im the new assistant to President Monahan! im way excited but also way nervous for the things that i will be taking on....i also know that being in the office time will start flying by. basically we do our work here in the office and if there are any emergencies problems with missionaries....we are on it.....we had to send an elder home yesterday....way sad but he said he is going to come back. but yeah very nervous for this new calling. I am so excited to learn all i can from president while i am here....you can really see in his presence that he has a different auora about him. very close to the spirit. I will be able to learn many valued things from him in these next few months. tomorrow we send home the departing missionaries....then wednesday the new ones come in and we get people coming from america!! its been eight months that we havent had foreigner missionaries....we will be having 20 missionaries sleeping at our house wed. and thurs. night!! hsahaha we do live in the big house though and its really nice!!! I miss elder dearing he was a great elder and i learned a lot from him. anyways this coming up saturday we have a baptism!! this family is way nice! oh and also i dont know too much about the area yet cause i have only been here for a few days....by the way there are a lot of perks in the office....the other day we had chicken enchilladas!!! sooooooooo goooooooood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hahah .....keep up the great work with the diet!! right now i weigh 208 hopefully i dont get fat here but i wont! stay safe in powell./; i love you all

l;ove elder Hansen

 

This was a great week so many great things happened. like on monday i drilled my head on an airconditioner....yeah it felt great! pics included oh and mom dont freak out cause im fine. im now here assigned in urdaneta my companions name is elder macabenta! such an awesome elder. crazy good at the scriptures and way good at math he is basically good at everything!! also im having a great time here because this was my first zone that i was assigned in....tomorrow we send home the missionaries....way sad.....but i will see them again some other time. i dont know too much about the area yet but we do have a baptism this coming saturday. its a rc family whose son hasnt been baptized yet....he is going to though this saturday and his dad who is working in manilla is going to come here and surprise him!! so awesome!! lets see here not much else has happened.....got to play some catch with president earlier!! haha but yeah im a little boring right now but here are some pics.

MOM do not be alarmed by the picture dont email sister monahan dont freak out because i am just fine....i just want the others to see my beauty:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ELDER HANSEN

DAGUPAN STAKE

DAGUPAN 2 WARD