Fe para mover montañas

March 11, 2019

Hola Familia y Amigos! 

W.O.W. This week was so amazing! Heavenly Father has been blessing us so much lately! So last week we set Guadalupe for baptism for the 16th of March. We did the math, and realized we would have to teach her every single night until her baptism if she were to make it to her date. 99% of the human population would not be able to make that work with their schedule/have the desire for us to come that often... Not Guadalupe!!! Learning about the gospel is her favorite part of the day. And teaching her is our favorite part of the day! We have been able to have a different member that speaks Spanish come to every single one of her lessons except one, which is huge. She already knows almost every single person that speaks Spanish in our branch! While working with Guadalupe, she has taught me far more than we have taught her. Her faith is stronger than anyone I have ever met. The second the Spirit told her that the church was true, she was 100% committed. She told her boss that she is never going to work on Sundays again. 2 weeks ago we thought it would be impossible for her to go. But through much prayer, her boss's heart was softened, and now she can go. When we taught her about tithing, before we even taught the blessings of tithing, she said she would be willing to pay it "con gusto!" She said she would do anything to be able to repay God for all the blessings she's already received from the gospel. When we taught her about the Word of Wisdom, she told us that coffee isn't even desirable to her anymore and she will never even think about drinking another cup ever again. We went over the baptismal interview questions with her and she answered all of them with like the firmest testimony I've ever heard. This woman has so much faith that she comes to a church that is entirely in English and she can't even speak a word of it. They have Spanish translation through headphones and someone whispers in her ear during the second hour so she knows what is going on. Putting myself in her shoes, I feel like it would be hard to have the faith to go to a church that isn't in my language. But Guadalupe knows it's true. And she has a smile on her face the entire time. And even says hello to the English members! My faith has soared this week. I know that when we have faith in Jesus Christ, literally ANYTHING is possible. I've believed that my whole life, but it wasn't until this week that I really understood it. Faith can move mountains. Whatever you are facing in life, whatever trial or trouble, trust in Christ. He will take your roadblocks and remove them. Or He will make you strong enough to overcome them. I promise you! I've seen it. 

Please pray for Guadalupe this week! I love you all!

-Hermana Hansen 

Pictures:

1-2: Selfies we took at Zone Conference! 

3-4: Pictures from a dinner we had with the Elders and the Ramirez Family!

5: Us with Guadalupe!

6: These are a bunch of little cards we made about President Nelson to help us teach Guadalupe how to follow the prophet! She loved it! And I know that He is a Prophet of God!!! I love that guy!

You can rest when you die

Mar 4, 2019

Hola Familia y Amigos!!!

I HIT 9 MONTHS THIS WEEK! So crazy how time flies. I put that as my subject line because that phrase kept going through my head this week haha. We had so much going on, but Heavenly Father truly was with us helping us and guiding us! I really hold on to this quote when times are stressful on the mission: "I you feel a little overwhelmed, take that as a good sign. It indicates that you can sense the magnitude of the trust God has placed in you." (Henry B. Eyring - "Walk With Me" April 2017).   

Service:

This week we went on exchanges and we saw a really cool miracle! There was this elderly lady named Margaret shoveling her car out of the snow so she could go to the library. We offered to help but she said she was almost done, and she wasn't interested in our message so we left. We knocked a few doors, and about 15 minutes later we were walking back in that direction and saw the same lady trying to drive away, but her car was stuck. We ran up to go help her and even recruited another random guy to come help us. We were all pushing her car for like 10 minutes and it wouldn't budge, so he gave up and left. We asked Margaret if we could pray with her, and the second we said amen, a skater-looking-dude walked past and I called out to him to help us! He couldn't get her out either, so he called his roommate and he came out and we all worked together and finally pushed her out! Afterward Margaret came out of her car and gave us all hugs and was so thankful she almost started crying. She told us she wanted to buy us all a cup of coffee hahaha (we politely declined). I was just looking at all 5 of us standing there. An older lady, a skater dude, and a shaggy haired college student, and 2 missionaries. We were all just chatting and everyone was so happy we were able to get her out. All of us come from such different walks of life, but we were able to come together to serve.

We were also able to serve in a food bank this week with Sister Thomas (the mission nurse/service coordinator)! There were some other young girls about our same age volunteering. We overheard one of them saying she wants to join a new church. You best believe we went over to talk to her! We were able to connect about college and just get to know her, and we ended up inviting her to check out the Singles Ward here! My testimony of service really grew this week, when people come together to serve each other, there are so many opportunities that come up to share the gospel. 

Guadalupe: 

We saw so many miracles with a sweet older lady we are teaching with Guadalupe this week. She keeps every commitment we give her and wants so badly to be baptized, but she works on Sunday so could never go to church. Her mom recently passed away. This week we felt strongly prompted that we should teach her about Temples and Baptisms for the dead, so we did. When she heard that she could be baptized for her mom, she was so touched. The spirit was so strong, and I think her angel mother was there with us that night. I think that her angel mother lead the missionaries to find Guadalupe. The feeling in that room that night was indescribable! That night Guadalupe told us she was going to come to church. She had talked to her boss and said she isn't going to work on Sundays nada mas! Guess who came to church on Sunday and even bore her testimony in Sacrament meeting?? GUADALUPE! And guess who agreed to be baptized a week from Saturday? GUADALUPE! In her testimony she said something like "You have no idea how much my life has changed since the hermanitas came." She asked for all the members to pray for her to keep progressing in the gospel. 

There is so much more that happened this week but these were the highlights! I know that Jesus Christ truly is at the head of all of this work. Every night I look back on the day and just recognize that none of these miracles would be possible without His help! My invitation to you all this week is to find someone to serve!!!! It will make you so happy! 

Con amor,

Hermana Hansen 

Pictures (they might not send in order):

1-4: Exchanges! Sister Spencer and I with Margaret after we pushed her car out haha. Also the tire tracks of her car. She pushed the gas so hard she made a hole with her tire hahaha. 

5: This is Borys (person we are teaching) and a member named Tere after the Family Home Evening activity at the church!

6: Us with the cutest little girl in our branch named Lucy.

7. Hermana Gubler and I eating at a member's house.

8. Serving at the food bank with Sister Thomas

9. Guadalupe!!! She is in the middle and her fellowshipper Hermana Ochoa is on the right. 

With Faith in Jesus Christ, Anything is Possible!

Feb 25, 2019

Hola Familia y Amigos!!! 

This week was really long and really stressful, but we made it through! 

This week we had a big realization that we are teaching a lot of people that really aren't progressing. We are working with a lot of AWESOME people, but none of them can be baptized anytime soon because they all have barriers in the way. 2 of them work on Sundays and can never come to church, and one is not married yet and lives with his girlfriend and they have a baby. We were talking about all of this during weekly planning, and Hermana Gubler started crying and expressed how much she loves these people, and how badly she wants to help them change. We realized that it is possible. Through faith. We need to have the faith to help them have the faith to make the necessary changes in their lives to be baptized and come into the fold of God. We watched this video and it helped us realize that through faith in Jesus Christ, anything is truly possible! We just have to show God that we trust in Him and His plan, and He takes care of the rest. Please watch it!

https://www.lds.org/topics/pef-self-reliance/live/pure-and-simple-faith?lang=eng&old=true

Other than that, there were a lot of snow storms here this week and we weren't allowed to drive on a few days. And our church got cancelled because the roads were AWFUL, so that sad. Car accidents everywhere!!!! This morning we got the chance to clean the temple which was such a blessing. I haven't been to the temple in so long! I know that it is truly the house of the Lord. Our job was to individually clean every single crystal on the chandelier in one of the sealing rooms. It was tedious and it took hours! One of the temple workers said something like this to us: "Isn't it amazing that Heavenly Father touches each of His children, one by one, just like we are doing with these crystals?" So true. He knows and cares about each and every single one of us, and cares enough about us to polish us, one by one. 

I love you all so much!!! Have an amazing week:)

-Hermana Hansen 

Pictures:

The temple!

The other picture: This one day that we couldn't get back into our parking spot because the snow was so bad. We didn't have a shovel so we asked this random lady if we could borrow hers and it was so tiny. It literally did nothing for us and we were laughing so hard hahaha but we were thankful she let us borrow it. 

My Savior

My Savior

My Savior, my Shepherd
Came from above
To lead me and guide me
Out of pure love

He came as a babe
So meek, so pure
To a world that was broken
He was the cure

My Savior, Exemplar
Showed me the way
To love one another
Day after day

He never had judgment
Toward those who were poor
He fed them, He healed them
He offered them more

My Savior, my Teacher
Gave me the desire
That I should be baptized
By water and fire

He gave us commandments
And taught on the Mount
With scriptures and stories
That took away my doubts

My Savior, of Miracles
Helped lame men walk
Made blind men see
And dumb men talk

He healed the sick
Multiplied fish and bread
To feed thousands of people
And He raised the dead

My Savior, Redeemer
Did even more
He suffered for us
Bled from every pore

He cried to the Father
Because of His pain
He offered Himself
And received no gain

My Savior, my Healer
Anguished for my sins
So I could be forgiven
And be clean once again

He gave up His will
The world's darkness He bore
And our illness and strife
Though He was selfless and pure

My Savior, an Outcast
God's plan He fulfilled
And just minutes thereafter
A deal was sealed

Betrayed by a friend
Taken and bound
Spit on and mocked
In front of a crowd

My Savior, Deliverer
Beaten and scorn
Scourged and whipped
Wearing a crown of thorns

He carried the cross
Up to the Hill
They took his hands and feet
And pounded in nails of steel

My Savior, my Brother
His followers cried
I can imagine them whisper
"Lord, please don't die."

Though the people were cruel
Christ uttered words, just a few
"Father, forgive them;
For they know not what they do."

My Savior, of Mercy
Titled "KING OF THE JEWS"
Hung on the cross
For me and for you

He finished the deed
For all women and men
He gave up the ghost
And went up to Heaven

My Savior, my Light
Oh where would I be
If I didn't know you,
Or what you did for me?

I'd be lost and alone
Full of shame and guilt
Not knowing where my
Foundation should be built

My Savior, my Friend
You take away my pain
You lift me from my sorrow
And wash away my stains

You gave me your life
So I can see--
Although I'm not perfect--
The person I can be

–Hermana Mara Hansen—

Segunda Semana en Omaha!

Feb 18, 2019

Hola Familia y Amigos!!!

This week was amazing! I think last week I was kind of in shock from being in a new area, but this week I feel so much more comfortable, myself, and happy!

I can't believe we get to call our parents on P-days now!!! When I found out I was so excited and overwhelmed and happy I just wanted to scream. It just feels right. I know that President Nelson is so inspired and I can't wait to get my family up to speed on missionary life and how amazing this work is!!!

This week went by so fast and we were so busy! I love feeling like we are moving the work forward and helping others bring Christ closer into their lives. We are working with a family that moved here not long ago from El Salvador. We had only met them once before, so we went for a second appointment on Satuday. The Spirit was so strong and we could see the light in their eyes as we talked about Joseph Smith and the first vision. At the end of the lesson Hermana Gubler had the impression to show a video she took of a member from Sioux City. The member was also from El Salvador and in the video she basically explained the hard ships she went to coming to the US, and how the gospel has strengthened and blessed her. At the end of the video, the whole family was crying! The Spirit was so strong. They want to come to church!

This week at church I was reminded of something that I truly needed. Being still new in the area and knowing that in a few weeks I'll have a new companion and I'll have to be the one leading it out... I've been feeling inadequate and so nervous. I've felt a huge weight on my shoulders and like I'm not a good enough missionary and won't be able to do it. At church I was reminded of the scripture: "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." (D&C 6:36) Just that simple scripture calmed all my fears. I know that if I am obedient, if I am Diligent and do my best, Jesus Christ will take care of the rest. It doesn't matter that I might not know all the street names yet or the back story of all the members. Jesus Christ knows them, and He will work through me to meet their needs. As long as I do my part, He will take care of the rest. I know that is true!!!

I love you all!!!! Have an amazing week

Con amor,
Hermana Hansen

Pictures:

The only ones we took this week are from dinner with Brother Washington! Coolest member ever! 

Transfer 6: OMAHA!!!!!

Feb 11, 2019

Buenas tardes!!! 

I got TRANSFERRED!!!! I am serving in Omaha with Hermana Gubler! She trained Hermana Iverson. She is from Eagle Mountain, UT and this is her last transfer. We are getting along pretty well, the biggest difference is that I'm like 100% extroverted and she is like 100% introverted haha. But we are doing well. She is really sweet and a SUPER hard worker. I mean I thought I worked pretty hard before this transfer... but it's been nothing compared to how hard we have worked in the past week! No time is wasted! I've gone to sleep exhausted every night this week which is a good feeling. I read this scripture this week and I could definitely relate. "Sleep had overpowered them because of their much fatigue, which was caused by the labors and heat of the day." (alma 51:33) 

This area feels like a completely different mission! We cover downtown Omaha so there are way more people. And way more missionaries! I serve in an English branch called Field Club. It is a new branch that started in the summer! There used to be an all Spanish branch here, but it got dissolved this summer. There are a lot of Spanish members from that branch that go to Field Club now. We meet in an old Catholic building and it has stained glass windows, it's really cool! The members are SO strong and supportive of missionaries, and I'm so excited to work with them! They invited us to branch council and asked us to talk about each person we are teaching and they all gave us advice and arranged times they could come with us to appointments. DREAM COME TRUE! There are also so many members that are bilingual, so sacrament meeting is translated into Spanish by a member through headsets. We get fed a LOT here!!!! We have dinner every day with members and sometimes even twice a day, it's awesome. In Worthington we had about 3 dinners a week max from members so that is a big difference! I'm going to look like a marshmallow by the time I leave here haha. 

I already feel like my Spanish ability has improved a ton since I got here! Hermana Gubler is amazing at Spanish and she has been helping me so much. We basically only speak Spanish together which has pushed me to grow a ton! It seems to me that there are a lot more opportunities to speak Spanish here so that has been huge.

A huge miracle we saw this week is that a person we are teaching named Borys came to church this week!!! Hermana Gubler said it has been extremely hard for people to come to church for the past few transfers. Borys was a referral from a former missionary that taught him when he lived in Guatemala! She recently got in contact with him and found out that he moved, and sent his address to us. He usually works every single Sunday and can't get it off. But there was a snow storm on Sunday so his work got cancelled! Miracle! 

This week I thought a lot about a scripture we memorized in the CCM. "Y Jesús le dijo: Si puedes creer, al que cree todo le es posible." (Mark 9:23) I know that if we believe, and have faith in Jesus Christ, all is possible. We CAN get through hard things! Heavenly Father has a plan for us, and everything will work out in the end! 

Love you all, que tengan un feliz dia de amor y amistad! 

Hermana Hansen 

Pictures:

1. The Hermanas at transfer point! From left to right: Hermana Gubler, Hermana Espinoza, Hermana Esplin, me!

2. Us with Borys and at church! (Borys is in the middle and his fellowshipper Pedro is on the end)

Polar Vortex and Baptism!

Feb 4, 2019

Hola familia y amigos!

This week was definitely different than others!!! We were indoors for almost 3 days straight due to the "polar vortex." We couldn't go outside because the windchill was in the -50 and -60 degrees! We only left if we had appointments or dinner with a member scheduled. It got pretty boring stuck inside all day. We studied,  covered the all of our drafty windows with plastic (our apartment dropped like 20 degrees because it was so cold), contacted people through technology... and when we got really bored, Hermana Esplin put cornrows in my hair. And we had a dance party! Good times.

Other than the cold, we spent a good portion of this week planning for Crystell's baptism. She is the 11-year-old girl we have been teaching for the past 2 transfers. Her mom is a member but less-active. Everything was going according to plan. She passed her baptismal interview on Thursday and we finished teaching her the lessons! Everything was set in stone to have her be baptized on Saturday at 6:00. Her mom reached out to us and told us she might end up having to work a double shift that night so she was afraid the baptism would have to be moved! We hadn't heard back from her on Saturday morning, and we were stressed. The Branch was counting us to tell them what time the baptism was happening, and we were afraid it wouldn't be happening at all! I prayed about it so hard. Every time I prayed, I felt so much peace. I felt like Heavenly Father was telling me, "Calm down!! I have it under control." We went forward with faith and told everyone to come at 6:00, and we went early to the church to fill the font. At 6:15 everyone was waiting at the church, and Crystell still hadn't showed up. Hermana Esplin and I were stressed and trying to keep ourselves together, but they walked a few minutes later! We were so happy. The baptism went SO WELL!!! Her fellowshipper/young women's president spoke about Baptism and it was amazing. Crystell was crying! The Spirit was so strong and we were so proud of her. She was so prepared, and we are so happy that she made the step to make this covenant with God. She got confirmed the next morning in Spanish Sacrament meeting!

This whole experience helped remind me that God really does have all of this under control. Although He confirmed to me in prayer that everything was going to be okay, I still had doubts and stress that the baptism would crash and burn. It helped me realize that I never needed to doubt. Heavenly Father's hand is here in this work. He will not let us down, and He keeps His promises!

Tomorrow I find out if I am being transferred! Whether I stay or go, I know that I'll be where Heavenly Father needs me. Love you all! Have a great week:)

Con amor,
Hermana Hansen 

Pictures:

1. Cornrows in my hair

2. Us bundling up to go out in the -60 degree weather after dinner with the Kinser family!

3. For our last district council of the transfer we made breakfast together!

4. Crystell's baptism!!!

5. Me and a member named Flor that I love!