Elder Hansen's First Baptism! Happy Day!

 

(Referring to the Chili Pepper incident!)

hahaha yeah it was the craziest thing!!! it hurt so bad I'm not even kidding. Too bad though that mom forgot to put it in her talk haha (Mom did not forget to put that in her talk, she wisely chose to not talk about that in Sacrament meeting!) but I hope the talk was good.  I"m sure it was because mom is an angel. But thanks for the mlb schedule even though I can't watch it! but yeah those yanks just suck maybe in two seasons they will be better. That's soo cool that your doing stuff like that in the ward keep up the good work! How is the ward doing by the way?? Do you have any missionaries assigned there? But anyway as for my week it was awesome!! The baptism did continue and let me just say that  the experience was awesome!! I was the one to baptize him so that was really cool standing in the font guiding him and his family to eternal life. Before the baptism as we were waiting for like the people to get here for the baptism I could tell that he was nervous even in the picture we took before the baptism he wasn't smiling and stuff because I believe that Satan was trying to stop him. He has been an investigator for six years now and he finally made that change of heart and desired to be baptized so you know that Satan was trying to do anything to stop him. But literally right after the actual baptism we were eating a snack or a mirenda and he had the biggest smile on his face and was shaking everyone's hands etc....you could just see the change on his face or a change in his countenance!! IT WAS VERY UPLIFTING I'm way excited to keep working we actually found or he found us but an investigator that showed up to the church and wanted to listen. He is golden because he is very smart,  rich and speaks fluent English. He is progressing very quickly its funny how the Lord works in the details.  But yeah later on today we are going to play basketball with a bunch of members and also some investigators!! I'm way excited!  On Saturday we had a branch FHE which was way fun!! We traveled to different barangays to do a FHE and had the last one at the church. we played games ate a bunch of food and had a great time!!

I hope you are all doing good!  I love you!

Elder Hansen

Add on to 9/23/13 This is HOT!!!

Also something funny that happened to me yesterday.  After we went to church in our little meeting house out in Palapar they fed us which was awesome!! But they had this thing called Sili.  It's basically chili peppers but I just squished one and was rubbing it in my hands and all the members were like elder don't touch your eyes its gonna kill and  stuff like that.  Of course I'm not stupid right?! I'm not going to touch my eyes, but what did happen was this....I forgot to wash my hands and I decided to go pee..........yeah right when I finished going pee...........I was on fire!!!!!!!! ...my comp was laughing like crazy and the two Single Adults priesthood that worked with us that day were dying as well....let me just tell you it hurt very badly......just thought I would let you know how I'm doing!!!! hahaha

Letter To Our Ward 9/23/13 Lesson in Patience!

Dear Ward!

So this is the new and IMPROVING Elder Hansen, just a couple things I would like to tell you. First its either hot or it rains but I love it all the same, the work is hard the sleep is great but peace and joy still remain. I was trying to make a little poem on the top of my head but I ran out of ideas. Well I'm here in my second area its called Malasiqui 1st branch the people are very nice and extremely helpful. My companion is half Filipino half German...yes really weird mix but he is awesome he is from Springville Utah and actually goes home in December.  Although he is very close to going home he is still very diligent and I have learned a lot from him. As I have been serving my mission I'm pretty sure the lord has been trying to teach me patience and how to do things his way and not base it off my own carnal wisdom. It's taken me up until this point to really realize what patience is. And why missionaries need to develop Christ like attributes in their work. In the life of our Savior like it says in 1 Nephi 19:9 how the world judged,  smote and spit upon our Savior but he suffureth it, because of his loving kindness or charity and his long suffering towards the children of men. He was our perfect example on how to truly love those we serve no matter what they do to us. In my mission it has been until Sept. 28th that I did not have a baptism.  My very first baptism is almost eight months into my mission so it has definitely taken some patience and diligence on my part as a missionary but I did also need to become humble because as a missionary I don't feel that I was ready to bring someone into the church until I became humbled enough to do things the Lords way. 

 

Love,

Elder Hansen

Family

So that's some of my thoughts that you can share with the ward it's just a little bit but you can take things from other emails but I want you mom to search your thoughts and your feelings about my mission so far....if that makes sense. haha!  (Which I did and loved reporting on Riley's mission to our ward!) 

but yeah so this Saturday the 28th I  have my first baptism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited and so energized its awesome!!!! All of these blessings are happening at once the branch is working with us I'm finally getting my first baptism Brother June Capitle.   And I couldn't be more happy! Being a District Leader is all ready helping me grow, I will be the first person the president will come to if there is a problem in one of their areas in my district if their stats are low it will be me first. So I'm responsible for not only showing my district an excellent example of my area but also I'm responsible for giving them training each week, interviewing their baptismal candidates etc....I actually have my first interview on Friday so I'm nervous for that....but yeah I'm doing really great. Here is something funny that happened I think my old temple pants  got left in the mtc or I lost them somehow but I didn't have any and we have a baptism this Saturday.   But I don't have clothes to wear.....and I really doubt the baptismal clothes will fit me here. (With a nickname like Thor, tiny framed Filipino clothes will not fit him!) But I had ordered some new pants a couple weeks ago from lds. org and they happened to get to me today the p day right before the baptism!!! so this is definitely perfect timing hahaha (I refer to this as a miracle!  It takes about six weeks for us to get a package to Elder Hansen!) but yeah I'm doing great! I did get the journals and stuff today as well. I don't know if I got the letters fromm dad or not.... love you guys 

love Elder Hansen

 

09/16/13 District Leader/ New Companion

Hey family thanks for the great email!! Well hey I'm just so glad you
guys are having a great week so far and having the opportunities to
share the gospel.  That's cool that you saw Tav at Cafe
Rio....you shouldn't have told me at Cafe Rio though you should have said
at some vegetable restaurant that way it wouldn't make me miss food
hahaha just kidding! But yeah so I had a crazy week with lots of ups
and downs that I will write a letter to you about.  I don't want to send
it over email. (We still do not know what that was about!)  But I'm doing great. I have another new companion.  Elder Delapaz
 was transferred.  My new companion goes home in three months so I will
probably kill him in the mission or send him home haha! He is way cool!
He is from Springville Utah.  He is half Filipino and half German.  I'm
not quite sure how to spell his name but its elder Frishnicht or
something haha! But he is a great elder. He looks Filipino but speaks
normal Utah English haha!  But yeah I am now a district leader here in
Calisao District so I'm excited.  I  will be giving workshops every week
to my district,  I interview people for baptism and interview all the
companionships in my district. So far it  has been going great. The
members are getting more excited about missionary work because I'm
actually involving them. We had mcm last week and every day we have
member signed up to work with us. We also received five referrals
last week that we will contact this week and actually later tonight we
are going to contact one of them. Random thought real quick two girls
are singing a cranberries song right now I have no idea why the
Cranberries are popular here, they are so old! Haha! but yeah so
hopefully we will get some new investigators this week. Bro. June
Capitle is going to be baptized on Sept. 28 as long as the interview
goes good on Saturday but our other Brother investigator had to extend his ibd
because he drank a little beer.   He
totally understood, he still goes to church every week and said that
he will stop now and completely  understands that it is bawal or
forbidden.
My Tagalog is coming along really well, my comp who is about to go
home said that I'm all ready pretty fluent so that's pretty cool!!! So
yeah that's about it for the work oh one really funny thing I saw
yesterday was a dog had his head stuck in a fence and he was jumping
up and down trying to get it out I wish I would have  filmed it or
something haha but yeah were doing good here in Malasiqui!  I love you
guys
love Elder Hansen

September 9 2013

Mom and Dad,  I have not received any of the packages or things that you have sent yet because now that I'm not in Urdaneta it takes a lot longer to get to the missionaries. because all the letters and stuff go to Urdaneta first and then to the other zones...so it will be a little while! But I  hope I get it soon. Of course I'm excited to hear from you guys I love reading your emails but more lengthy letters like dad was saying would be really nice too!! (By the way, I have sent a couple and he has not received them either!  Very frustrating and expensive!)  I sent you guys a letter for you and one for Jordan so please relay that letter to him.  As for the area its doing good we need to find new investigators but other than that its good!! Most likely my companion will be transferred and I will get another new comp. and I will most likely be a district leader next transfer.  I don't know if I told you guys that. Yesterday at church since we have our normal church and then a little meeting house that is far away with about 20 members we went out there at like three for sacrament again. But imagine this. Your just out in the mountains a little bit with mango trees banana trees all other kinds of trees some little bamboo houses and a bamboo little roof outside where we meet.  There are about 25 of us just under this little roof. And all of the sudden right when we started the opening hymn the rain came down so hard and the lightning and thunder was nuts!! It was so strong you couldn't hear our voices at all, but when the rain would die down a little you could hear our voices so well it was like angels were singing!  I felt the spirit like crazy. And just to know that all over the world no matter the meeting house people are renewing their covenants to come closer to our Heavenly Father.  I'm changing so much in my thoughts and desires so far on a mission its crazy!! I love serving so much!! 

Alex

hahhahahaahahahhaahhahahahaah! (This opening is because Alex teased him about how often he says Haha! in his emails, now if he quits, I will be sad!)  Just kidding!  I won't put haha! anymore in my emails but yeah you suck at writing back!! Just kidding but its all good.  I'm glad your summer was a blast! Now its going to start getting cold again out in Utah....don't worry it might cool down to about 85 degrees but trust me it still feels like a hundred! As soon as it hit September all the malls play Christmas hymns not a joke!  Sept 2 I was listening to jingle bells so yeah the Philippines is worse than mom at starting Christmas music early!! But yeah the work I'm doing out here is really awesome!! I was able to do a service project while on exchanges where we packed 1500 different sacks of food and like it was a ton of food and way fun to see all the members participating!!!! I have also seen some huge spiders here!! You can hear them running on the walls!! It literally blows my mind!! But keep doing good out there and let me know who all goes into the playoffs for baseball!! 

Love Elder Hansen

 

Labor Day email 2013

hey mom I actually didn't know that you emailed Pres. (I emailed his mission president after being concerned about him being sick!) but next time you dont need to do that haha I'm the one that will tell him or text him if I need help haha cause we do have cell phones for our investigators and emergencies.  That's cool you guys are going on so many trips and stuff!! Even if they are little trips to random places its good to go on those!! I was thinking about how fast time is going by and if you think about it this way,  next month in October marks the year mark of when I started my papers! Talk about how fast time goes by right?? As of now we have two ibds for Sept. 28.   We need to get more investigators but right now its pretty likely that I will have two baptisms next transfer, and a new companion again haha!  Its weird I will be getting another comp. but its because my comp has been in this area for a while now so he will be transferred. President Monahan stopped by our house to study with us last week and after the studies he pulled me outside and told me that next transfer I will either be a district leader or training someone, but I honestly think it will be both! haha I'm nervous to be a district leader but excited as well!!! I've been happy! Nothing too crazy has been happening here.  I have just been really busy and focused on the work. It did rain a ton last week. I hope you are all praying for all my friends out on missions even if you don't know all their names!! I have a ton now out on missions it blows my mind. Make sure you fill me in on the class below me thats going on missions.

Dad-

haha that is a great movie!! ( A reference to a comment Darin made to him, inside joke.)  I just first want to say how much I appreciate your support that you have given me. As I go through my mission I am realizing all the sacrifices you have made for us your children. And I realize how ungrateful I have been at times. So I'm sorry for that dad because I love you so much and I appreciate all that you have done for me. My health is all good now!! I'm still waiting for the letter that you said your were going to send me! Were you able to send it to me yet or no???

Keep up the great work in your job but don't get too stressed,  it is just a job.  Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Don't worry about what you will eat or drink the next day. We are blessed more abundantly when we do that.

love your Son
Elder Hansen

Yeah...they hurt!

Hi viewers!  This is mom speaking.  I have struggled with even having the desire to post this week's email.  Why?  Because it was a reality check!  Because it is so hard to not be able to reach out to your kids when you know that life is especially trying for them.  Some of us new mission moms have this grand illusion that their son or daughter will have the time of their life!  Baptisms every week, lots of warm and fuzzies from everyone and of course not dangerous!  Well new mission parents, get over it!  Missions are, yes, dare I say?, HARD!  There was such flooding from the Typhoons in Manila that around 19 people died!  One of my friend's sons has had his apartment in another area flood twice in the last couple weeks, now they are being invaded by rats!  He has not been able to sleep and is exhausted!  And with the water comes...the mosquitos!  With the mosquitos comes the Dengue fever among other disease!  But they convey very little to you and there are several HaHa's! following sentences including the words fever.  Yes, my nails are shot, I've gained 10 pounds and am now a regular on the mission mom website!  But here is the weird thing.  I feel at peace.  I am comforted beyond what I deserve to be.  I get feelings about things to send and find out the next week that oh and I could sure use whatever it is I sent.  Crazy?, Maybe.  I am absolutely happy that my son gets to see another part of the world and live as they do and be strong and empathetic.  Despite a small quip here or there about the rain or whatever, his letters always include things like "I love it here!"  "I love the people" "Wading in knee deep water is fun!" "mangos are my new favorite fruit" "I'm so happy for or thankful for..."  "And always, always..."I love this Gospel, I love the plan of salvation."  And hope and prayers that those people he has grown to love will receive it, and almost every letter, "I'm happy!, don't worry about me!"  Hopefully within the next year and 1/2 I will learn to take his advice.  Thank you to all of the missionaries out there in the world!  And just for the record, they could be assigned to Disneyland and parents would still worry!

Here is the email!

8/26/13

hey family let me start out with the bad news first!!! I  have nine blisters total on my feet yeah it hurts....also I had a 102 fever for two days but I still worked hahaha freaking rain is killing me out here!  Just kidding,  but I did have a 102 fever I'm just fine now though!!! When will I be getting those pics of Powell,  in the package???? I'm very glad you guys went to Ben's farewell that is very important to me and to him!! I'm sure he did great!!

As for here,  yes it has rained a ton!! I have walked through knee deep water like five times now!! haha but its all for the work and its a fun experience its a lot worse in Manila, look up baha sa maynilla on youtube its crazy!!! But I'm doing good now.  I'm not sick or anything so don't worry about that!!! I'm glad C Will (his friend on a mission in Spokane) is doing good.  He emailed me so I need to email him back.  But I hope your doing good.  I'm going to try and write you guys a letter so I can express some things to you guys in more depth.. But as for the area its good. We need more investigators but we have two ibds right now for Sept 28.  Their faith is awesome. I love it! I know they will be baptized!! (in answer to Darin's question about his investigators from his previous area Riley says)  I'm pretty sure they ended up getting baptized. Elder Barney hasn't told me yet... I'm happy here.   My comps okay.  The plan of salvation is awesome!!!! I'm so happy for you two that is quite a long time but imagine eternal happiness with each other!! even better right!!! (talking about us celebrating our 28 year anniversary) I love you guys so much and I'm very happy I'm sealed to you!  love Elder Hansen