It's true. I'm Mexican.

So you know you're a Mexican: when you actually start to like and somewhat even crave  Mexican chocolate that you hated when you arrived; when you put chile on everything (even fruit); when you can eat from a taco stand in the street and it doesn't even phase you; when you can't eat a meal without a tortilla; when jaywalking across a busy street in the middle of the day doesn't even bother you because there's no such thing as crosswalks; and when you don't even notice the bugs in every single house that grossed you out when you arrived. Welcome to Mexico. Miralo vos (watch out), because this guera is officially a Mexican.

 Hermana Salazar from Sonora and Hermanas Hansen & Juarez

This week was awesome because we had a multi-zone activity on Tuesday!! Which means I got to see a bunch of my friends from other zones, and I got to wear PANTS. Which was only cool until about 1 pm when I was blazing hot, uncomfortable, and wishing I had on my airy skirt to keep me cool and feel the breeze on my legs.

Hermanas Hansen and Coronado

All in all, I learned that skirts are way better than pants (triste (sad) missionary brainwashing.... whoever thought I'd say that?) The only thing pants are good for is for doing headstands. So, I did a lot of them. Unfortunately, I don't have any photo evidence because I was doing them spontaneously....but just know I'm practicing (just for you Hermana Bunderson!)

Remember the head standing Hermanas during those good old MTC days?

During our activity, we went to the zoo, played futbol on blazing hot turf, and watched 'Meet the Mormons' (in Spanish of course) which was freaking awesome!!

Hermanas Allen, Hansen & Juliana

When David Archuleta sang the favorite song of every missionary in the world at the end (Glorious), Hemana Juarez and I about died...and then we realized he was singing in Spanish and we both screamed and I dropped my camera. It was super awkward, and I'm pretty sure Presidente George along with all the elders who were sitting behind us were just shaking their heads. Hahaha. OHHHH GLORIOSO ES.

So I had a weird experience yesterday that really made me think about being a consecrated missionary, and how Satan tries to get us at the littlest things...because he knows we are smart enough to avoid the big and obvious ones.

 Hermana Hansen, President and Hermana George, Hermanas Coronado & Juliana

 Por ejemplo (for example)....yesterday we were teaching a new investigator. In the house right in front of us, they were watching MOCKINGJAY. I saw a flash of J-Laws face, went pale, and about died. To resist the temptation (because I could see the TV through the window literally right next to the head of our investigator), I stood next to our investigator across from my companion and turned my back to the window with the TV.

Hermana Dansie from Idaho

The lesson went great. As I was inviting her to pray, I turned a bit to look at her...and right behind her I caught another glimpse of FREAKING PEETA STRANGLING KATNISS! I hurriedly turned my back again and composed myself quickly. But, it didn't matter...woof the spirit was gone.

Luckily the spirit was still with her. She prayed great and no pasa nada (nothing happened). But, it really made me think about all the tiny things that Satan puts in our path to try to distract us.

As missionaries, there is two things that are our downfall. Disanimo (discouragement), and distractions. Mexico is full of the world. Billboards, music in the streets, media, just everything. And it's literally impossible to avoid every single form of worldly media when living in Mexico.  But we can do things to keep us focused, to keep us from getting distracted. It's one thing to live in Mexico... and another to live of Mexico. 

 We (Mama & Papa Hansen) enjoy reading Elder Portlock's blog...they thought it would be funny to get a picture together...since Hermana H's parents are his "blog stalkers".

But, Satan tries to get us with the smallest things. He knows I'm a Hunger Games freak, and tried to get me. Even though the small glimpse of the movie was unintentional, it was enough to drive the spirit away and distract me for a small second. Distract me, as I'm teaching someone how to communicate with God. With their Father in Heaven. This is the LAST THING that He wants. And if we are not careful... not just as missionaries but as people in general, that's how he can get us.

 Hermana Hansen saw her cousin from Idaho at the multi-zone activity

So that's my goal for this week...to be a more consecrated missionary. To completely focus myself in the work, in these children of His that he's entrusted me with. In this world, it's easy to get distracted. But, if we do things to constantly have the spirit with us and guide us, we can conquer Satan.

LES AMO MUCHISIMO.

Hermana Hansen

Letter Love!!

Thanks Petal!

Hermana Juarez's first letter in the mission (Thanks Beckham)

More Photos from Hermana Hansen's Week

 

 La Hermanas de mi generation!

 

 At the Zoo

 So funny story. Right after we took this pic the freaking cat thing swiped me!! You can see it's paw moving in the pic! It was awesome.

Futbol squad... enjoying bolis after playing a hard game on the flaming turf.

 Making our own weights out of sand....because we are poor and fat!

 

Making Potato Chips!!

 Fried Bananas I hope you are all jealous

Hermanas Being Healthy

Warning: This is Not a Miracle

Pozol

So there's this thing in Mexico where everyone is super honest... and that's not a bad thing until you've been in the same area for 6 months and the members have started to notice your fattening up. And they tell you. like, "Ohhhh hermanita gordita. Me recuerde cuando llegó y estuvo bien delgado (oh chubby sister, I remember when you arrived and were so thin)." And I'm just like... k thanks bye. But it's all good, cuz Hermana Juarez majored in nutrition. So we are GOING ON A DIET. Well... we will see how it works out. I'm just enjoying my mission OK?!

So we had a very un-miraculous experience this week. We contacted this Señor named Renato Miguel in the street... absolutely sure he was ESOGIDISIMO (super chosen).   He told us he´d met the Mormons in the states, and been to church 3 times. So we took down his direction and set up an appointment. 

We went looking for his house on Friday in Los Altos de Sur...but the direction he gave us was wrong. He told us he lived in Mansana D Lote 15... but it wasn't him.

We thought we might have heard him wrong or something. Since he was freaking chosen, and the colonial is relatively small we decided to go looking for him. After asking people if they knew a Renato Miguel (nobody did) and looking for Lote 15 in a few of the other Manzanas (rows of houses), we had an idea. 

We've heard a bunch of stories about missionaries looking for someone or whatever and they say a super specific prayer, complete with what they say they will do, and end up finding the person. So we were like, cool. We have faith. Let's do it.

Cute Hermanas at the Tuxtla Gutierrez Temple

So we said a prayer promising that we would contact 3 people in the street and ask if they knew Renato Miguel. If they didn't, we would go down to the very last street on the block and knock on 3 doors. If we didn't find any info doing this, we would walk back to where we contacted him in the first place at the beginning of the colonial.

We started doing this... and logic got the best of us and we decided this was probably a stupid idea. We decided to say ANOTHER prayer and change the promise...that we would go to all the Manzanas in the Col (A-J)...and knock on the doors of all the Lote 15s looking for him. 

So we did this for about two more hours. Finding ANYTHING BUT Señor Renato Miguel. We did find 3 dogs with rabies, a Catholic shack (well I guess it was a church..but it was in a shack so...), a Christian women´s prayer group (which we got invited to join), a basketball court, a creepy store, a Jehovah´s Witness, and some Catholic member missionaries...that although they failed in their attempt to try and convert us...they did give us some delightful information that changed my mission life. 

They told us about this lady who has a megaphone thing where she charges 10 pesos and makes announcements that apparently the whole colonial can hear. We didn't really believe them but we said,  "What the hey!" and went looking for this said megaphone thingy. 

When we finally found the house it was dark, and we were feeling a little sketchy because this is one of the more dangerous colonials. We had never been there at night before. But we knocked on her door. She invited us in. We told her who we were looking for, and who we were. She left to make the announcement. 

Just as we were asking her son how it works. We heard a voice from the heavens.We jumped and as we were looking around wildly trying to discern who the heck was talking (if it was God or what), we realized it was the lady making the announcement!  

"EL SEÑOR RENATO MIGUEL," she said. "LAS HERMANAS MISIONERAS ESTAN AQUI EN MI CASA ESPERANDOLE." (Mr. Renato Miguel.  The sister missionaries are here in my house waiting for you). And she repeated it 10 times.

We were laughing so hard we were crying. It was like the most random, sketchy thing ever...but the whole colonial could hear it!!! Welcome to Mexico. It was definitely the most graciosa (funny) experience of my mission.

We waited for El Señor Renato Miguel.... and he never came. But, we did end up teaching the megaphone lady's son and his kids the gospel...and invited them to come to church and be baptized. Also, we contacted 55 people... so it wasn't all in vain.

 

Who knows, maybe if we would have followed our first prayer we would have found him. Or maybe Renato Miguel was drunk or just having some fun messing with the Mormon missionaries. And God is probably laughing at us right now. But whatever, it was a very un-miraculous, super graciosa (funny) experience that I will never forget.

Love you all!! 

Hermana Hansen

It's Never too Late to Change!

The mission life: P-days and the "Work and the Glory". Could I ask for more? I vaguely remember watching this movie back in the days before the mish.... and I don't remember liking it. But here in the mission...it's like the best thing ever to happen to P-days. THE THRILL. THE TREACHERY. BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER. It's better than the vampire diaries. Thank goodness it has 3 parts.... (we will be finishing up the third one today). Needless to say.... it just goes to show how desperate we are for entertainment.

Hermanas Hansen & Juarez with Hermanita A (baptism date...28 de feb) and recently baptized Hermano A

So I don't have a lot of time but this week was SUPER MEGA BIEN. Hermano A. got baptized! He really has lived a super hard life. I don't have time to go into detail. But the gospel was exactly what he needed.

He's 81, blind in one eye, and is the perfect example of how it's NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE. Never. God always will accept us with open arms.

Hermano A's baptism day

Hermana Juarez and I also completed the Normas de Excelencia. (weekly mission goals) Which means we WORKED FREAKING HARD. This is super hard to do and usually only about 3 companionships complete the Normas cada semana (each week) in the ENTIRE MISSION. But we did it!!! 

And we are happy, and tired. And glad for P-day. I know we were able to do it because we've been amping up our obedience. Trying to be exactly obedient in EVERYTHING. The Lord DOES hear our prayers, and HE DOES bless us for our efforts. 

This is BOLIS. It's ice cream in a bag that everyone and their dog sell out of their houses.....it may seem sketchy...but it's actually delicious! And like 5 pesos. Welcome to Chiapas.

Q&A with Hermana H

As a gringa senior companion still learning the language do you get to talk on the phone in Spanish?

Lol! Yes! I always talk on the phone in Spanish! It's usually not too difficult. The only problem is at times they can't understand me. But I can understand them! It's all good because when I don't understand...I just say, "Bueno aqui es mi compañera" (ok here's my companion) and she takes over.

What is your goal for weekly street contacts? 

The mission goal is 140 a week...so that's 20 a day. But our record is like 65 in one day! Haha! It's fun contacting all the people in the combis. There will be like 20 people crammed in there and I'm just like, "BUENAS TARDES SOMOS MISIONERAS DE LA IGLESIA DE JESUCRISTO DE LOS SANTOS DE LOS ULTIMOS DIAS". (good afternoon we're missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) Then we continue with passing out pass a long cards, taking down names, and sometimes even inviting people to baptism right then and there! Haha it's pretty fun. 

Do you participate in Ward Council on Sundays?  Who is your ward mission leader and how does that all work? 

 

Well our wards pretty inconsistent with that. We go when we have it. Mission leader? Haha we don't have one. Or currently a bishop. Hermano G. was our old ward mission leader, but now he's the secretary and they haven't called a new one. So it's all the 1st counselor, Hemano M. and the missionaries can do to just keep it running!! So it's a work in progress.

More photos from Hermana Hansen's week in Tuxtla Central...

Hermanas Juarez & Hansen with Hermano D (investigator) and his girlfriend Hermana A (menos activo). They are gonna get married but unfortunately couldn't get a date til April....we are trying to sniggle their date up sooner because I'm pretty sure I'll be gone in March

  

 Our favorite taquitos

We need to take Beckham to this playground

Gorditas....the best in the world!