Feliz navidad a todos!!!!
We had transfers last week, and lucky for me I will be staying in Worthington for my 5th transfer! We were relieved. I love it here and I love Hermana Esplin!!! I already know we will be life long friends and we are already making plans for me to visit her in Alaska after our missions! Also, I hope you all heard that Sister Missionaries can wear dress pants now! So excited for that change. I love President Nelson.
We worked very hard this week and honestly I think knocking doors is becoming one of my hobbies. I actually find joy in it!!! If you told me I would say that at the beginning of my mission I wouldn't have believed you. I used to be terrified of knocking doors because I never knew who would open it. But now I think to myself, "What's the worst thing that could happen?" And I also think to myself, "If they reject us, in the Spirit world they will come up to us and apologize." Haha. When they open the door we smile and introduce ourselves and do our best to offer them something that we know will change their life, something that is true, and something that they need whether they know it or not!
This week we saw our hard work paying off! Probably over half of the names on our Branch list are inactive, moved, or people just don't know who they are. We went to a couple different cities in our area this week and tried knocking on everyone's doors that was on the member list but we hadn't met before. Miraculously we found a few of them that hadn't moved!!! We were able to invite them to church. There was one lady named Nidia that we tried to see, and no one answered the door. A man pulled up in his truck as we were about to leave and we asked if Nidia lived there. He said no, but said she lived close and he could show us how to get there! He got in his car and had us follow him to her house around the corner. The timing was perfect, if we came any earlier we would have missed him! He was so kind to show us where she lived. What a miracle!
We got a referal a few weeks ago for someone that requested a Bible online. We had tried to get in contact with her but she hadn't answered the door or the phone. We tried calling one last time last week and were able to get an appointment! She invited us inside and we gave her the Bible and she opened right up to us. Her name is Susan, she is probably in her 50's-60's and lives alone. Her children have basically cut her out of her life and won't allow contact with her because of some things that have happened in her past. They won't even let her see her own grandkids. She told us she has a reached a point where she doesn't know if God is really there for her. She was looking for truth, and for a church. We shared the Restoration with her. We bore testimony to her that God loves her, and Jesus knows her pain and is reaching out to her, and that because of His Atonement she can be forgiven and can heal. She basically told us she wants to get baptized!!!! I think that was the strongest the Spirit has been during a lesson in my whole mission. The whole time I was thinking to myself, "This is why I am on a mission." I know that Heavenly Father has been preparing her for this gospel at this time. I am SO excited to continue teaching her and helping her progress towards baptism. What an amazing experience.
This week we also were able to put a girl named Crystell on date for baptism! Her mom is somewhat less active and Crystell just wasn't ready to be baptized up until this point. She is 11, and is thrilled about the idea of going to the temple! We had dinner with them and asked if she wanted to be baptized and she said yes! We have asked her before and she always said not yet. We are so excited to help her prepare to be baptized on January 19th!
This week was so amazing. The miracles we've seen have truly been a demonstration of God's love for us, and His acknowledgment that we have been working hard to gather His lost sheep. I know this Gospel is true!!!! God loves you all so much!!! So much that He sent His Son as a gift to us so that we can come back to Him. I'm so excited to celebrate the Savior, Jesus Christ's birth tomorrow! And see my family! YAY!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Con amor,
Hermana Hansen
Pictures:
-A few weeks ago on P-day we took these pictures for a Christmas card. Enjoy!!!
-There's also a picture from the special sacrament meeting we had on Sunday. Hermana Esplin and I sang a song in Spanish with a member named Flor!
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