Hola Familia y Amigos!!!
First of all, I want to make you all aware of the new email policy change on my mission! In our mission President's words: "You now have the approval to email as long as you want (from 8AM-6PM on Preparation Day), in concert with you companion's desires." Life is good!!!! So from now on I will be able to reply on my phone throughout the day on Mondays.
This week definitely had its ups and downs! Thanksgiving was amazing. We pretty much spent the day at member's homes and ate a LOT of good food! I was so thankful for the chance to focus on the amazing blessing Heavenly Father has given us.
This week we were getting really nervous that Dora wouldn't be ready for her baptism date. We prayed about it a lot, and talked to our mission leader, Sonia. She suggested that we have a lesson together in Sonia's home to see if Dora was ready. We were able to help Dora open up about how she has been feeling about her baptism, and she explained that she has been kind of been feeling pressured and isn't really sure if she knows that the church is true yet. We were so thankful that she opened up, and know that she will be ready in the future! Please pray for her!
For quite a while now we have been working with a family that has been progressing so well. The mom is named Leanor, and her two sons are Jose (age 12) and Juan (age 9). They have come to church twice now, and came to the halloween party not too long ago! They all loved church. They read the Book of Mormon very diligently and told us that they know it is true. When we asked Jose why he likes to go to church, he said because he know that this is the only church with the authority of God. Juan said he knows it is the only true church. Leanor has been having a harder time accepting it. She has still been going to her old church that she's grown up in, and told us that she just wants to be able to go to both. We lovingly helped her see that she can't choose both churches, that she will have to prayerfully make decision about whether or not this church is true and if she needs to be baptized. After we explained that to her, she told us she would pray about it and think about it. Just this last week she texted us and told us that she can't be in both churches at the same time, so she is choosing the church she grew up in. A few minutes later we got texts from both Juan and Jose from her phone, telling us thank you and that they love us, and they thanked us for teaching them how to pray. I was so heart broken. I literally read the texts they sent and started crying. I realized that over this time that we have spent teaching them the Restored Gospel, I felt so much love from them. I felt a portion of the love that Heavenly Father has felt for them. I had true hopes that they would be baptized. I still think that the boys will eventually be baptized, when they are old enough to make that decision. I prayed so hard for this family that night, and suddenly felt comforted. I know that Jesus Christ knows EXACTLY how we have been feeling. He knows what it feels like to be rejected, He knows what it feels like when people turn him away. I only hope and pray that this family will realize the joy that this gospel can bring, and come back!
Although sometimes we experience set backs, I know we can always get back up through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He will help us stay strong. I want to be as Jacob and Joseph were in the scriptures when they said this:
"And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day." (Jacob 1:19)
This gives me so much courage and motivation to do the Lord's work, even when people will turn us away. We have truth that the rest of the world needs and lacks, and I will not hesitate to share it!!!! I love you all!!! Have an amazing week!!!!
Con Amor,
Hermana Hansen
Hermana Hansen
1-2: Hermana Esplin and I
3: Hermana Esplin and I with Dominique, a member who is moving! We helped her pack up and get rid of some of the things in her house.
4: We tried to take some pictures on thanksgiving but failed because it was so windy so they failed. Enjoy.
5: Thanksgiving dinner!!!
6: A picture from a dinner we had at a members home with the Zebas! We had a missionary lesson and we made them all badges! Love that family.
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