A Marvelous Work!

FELIZ DÍA DE PADRE!!

It has been an interesting week to say the least.

First off.... WARNING: THE DOG REPELLER DOESN'T WORK. In fact I think it just makes mad dogs madder. And calls dogs. Because as always, we had an incident with the crazy missionary eating dog, but this time it broke through the barrier. Not so luckily I pulled out my nifty (cough cough SUPER CHAFA) dog repeller just in time..... to call out 2 more dogs that were inside the house.

Our missionary eating dog was constrained by a chain, but the 2 other dogs WERE NOT. And so I officially receive the award as "worst companion ever" or maybe better put... "Triste Gringa". Because I just stood there safely at the top of the stairs frantically pressing the button on the dumb dog repeller as the two smaller but equally as feisty dogs tried to eat my companion. Luckily my companion was wearing boots and was able to somehow avoid the teeth of the wild beastly things... just as one of the kids ran out and calmed them down. She's fine. Just has teeth marks in her boots and a dumb companion as evidence that it all went down. Word to the wise: DON'T TRUST SKETCHY DOG REPELLERS. THEY WONT DO YOU ANY GOOD IN YOUR TIME OF NEED. 

Second, as we were heading back to Tuxtla from intercambios with Chiapa de Corzo, we got caught up in terrible traffic from the triste maestros manifestaciones. Our taxista was like, "Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm heading back to Chiapa." 

We were like, "Uh no way. we have to get to Tuxtla and you said you take us there!" So he ditched us on the side of the freeway, telling us that we would only have to walk like 1 or 2 kilometros to get on the other side of the teacher bloquade. LIES. We walked for like 1 kilometro and we were like okay... we are nowhere close.

 Ditched on the side of the freeway because the maestos had blocked off the way to Tuxtla

So luckily we found a random combi headed to Tuxtla to take us. But with all the traffic, it took us 3 hours to get there!! It was so hot that we ended up giving out pamphlets to all the passengers to fan themselves (mwahaha missionaries in cada momento). Many of them started reading them because they were so bored and asking us questions. So we ended up teaching a lesson about the restoration to everyone in the combi. Woo! 

Now, for the miracles.

We had two baptisms this week!! Hermana P and Hermana R! Both were completely prepared and golden investigators with miraculous stories. I´m more and more amazed by just how much God prepares his children every day.

So, Hermana P. We found her about 3 weeks ago. Our zone leaders had set a goal and made us a promise that every companionship could help 4 people to the waters of baptism this transfer..if we all strived to be consecrated missionaries...and if we exercised all of our faith in the Lord and completely relied on Him. We took their promise to heart, and got to work. We started praying specifically for these miracles. We put our faith into action and dropped all of our investigators that weren't progressing...even though it was hard and we loved them. And, the most important, we strived to be exactly obedient.

 

So we did all of this, and randomly after sacrament meeting the Hermanas de Palmas come up to us super excited, "We have a super escogido reference for you!! She´s been to our ward 3 times but she lives in your area! And she wants to get baptized ASAP!!" And that's how we found Hermana P.

We visited her in her house the first time and immediately knew she was totally prepared. There were trials for her. Her step dad wouldn't allow us to visit her in the house because he doesn't believe in religion.

But, she was determined to learn more, so we ended up teaching her in the house of different members. She progressed so rapidly, she even started coming with us when we were proselyting. She even came to a district meeting with us! She always dressed up in her cute skirts or dresses (all totally modest) and so all the members thought she was a missionary!! They would ask, "Oh! So you´re in a trio now? Where are you from Hermana?" Haha it was super funny!!

Next, Hermana R. Along with all of this other stuff we started doing a BUNCH of service, and trying to gain the Bishop's confidence. I wrote about this story in another email, about how because we gained the bishop's confidence through service he presented her to us.

She also had a super fast and amazing conversion. We had a really powerful moment with her when we invited her to be baptized. The date was for last Monday (because it's the only day her husband doesn't work and she wanted him to be there). She was super scared to be baptized, so we invited her to kneel down with us, right then and there, and ask God what she should do. It was one of the most powerful prayers I have witnessed in my whole mission. So sincere we were all practically crying.

 When we asked her what she felt afterwards, she said, "Well, I honestly don't feel like I should get baptized Monday. I'll get baptized Saturday. Hopefully my husband can get work off." We were so happy! The power of praying in the moment really is amazing. 

The baptismal service was amazing. Both of them were crying almost the whole time. We sang "Daughter of a King". Haha it wasn't very good but the spirit was super strong. 

The next day when they were confirmed, the spirit was equally amazing. Hermana P's confirmation was more like a public patriarchal blessing...haha the Hermano giving it said that she should go on a mission two times! And said that she would be sealed in the temple. It was awesome. I really can see that these investigators have had a true conversion. Just like in Mosiah 5:5 "And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a neverending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God."

I'm not worried about them. These are converts that really will endure to the end, serve missions, and get sealed in the temple. I can feel it. And it's all because God prepared them. 

 Aún mas es que we miraculously were able to complete with the Normas de Excelencia. We tried something out this week that I honestly don't know if I've done my whole mission.... 20 contacts daily. Usually I just think of it as we need 140 contacts every week... it doesn't matter how we get there...even if it's 15 one day and 30 the next. But we really tried to get 20 every day this week.. and we saw miracles. According to Elder Diaz, there's a promise in this mission made by an apostle that if we contact 20 people every day we will have a baptism every week. So we did it. And we had not one baptism, but two, and miraculously 4 investigators in sacrament meeting. 

 

Sunday morning, we stopped by to pick up Mario and his son, only to find that he had gone to run an errand, which meant his son couldn't come either. As we were walking back, we found another investigator who was supposed to come with his two daughters drunk in the street (Seriously....worst part about being a missionary... is seeing the people you love and pray for fall back into addictions and bad habits.... heartbreaking). His friends then cat called at us as we walked past...triste borrachos. 

 
But, Hermana J. came!!!!! POR FIN. Unfortunately, her son was sick and couldn't come. So we walked in with 1 investigator instead of the 6 we had planned on. Luckily, Hermana A. showed up, along with a random joven who doesn't want to listen to us...but likes the church and has friends there so comes pretty frequently. But we still only had 3, and the meta is 4 por lo menos. I honestly had lost hope, like there was no way it could happen, and it really sucked because we had all of the other goals President had set. Then suddenly I look to my right, and there sits Hermana J´s dad!! He had come to church to surprise his son for Fathers Day! QUE GOZO LA VERDAD.

I now know more than ever without a doubt that when we try our hardest, God completes. D&C 82:10 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." 

I know this promise is real and oh so true. Although we weren't perfect, we tried. We tried to be obedient. We tried to have as much faith as possible, and we contacted 20 people each day. And God completed with His promise.

God is a God of miracles, and I'm loving being a part of this marvelous work.... you should all be jealous you aren't here in Chiapas doing the same!!! ;)

Love,

Hermana Hansen

Delcious fruit!

 Best meal ever!

Full taxi in teacher protesting traffic on intercambios with Chiapa de Corzo... 

craziest elderes in our zone hahahah

 

Lice is the secret to beautiful, healthy hair (TMI?)

So, the only big news I have this week is that I had lice. Not just like, your normal, I live in Mexico and so I'm bound to get one or two kinds of lice. But like.....80 of them. I mean, I´ve been lice free for 20 years. Guess I was bound to get it sometime.

What's super awkward...is that I had so much lice it took us about 3 days to clean it all out. So on my second lice-hair filled day, I went out to work. For some reason like 10 people commented on how shiny and good my hair looked. I guess a little lice is the beauty secret to healthy looking hair....... HA NOT. Ew. So gross. I still have phantom itches. Luckily my comps the bomb and is a pro lice killer.

Well, miracles happened this week. We found 2 new investigators. They are so ready to get baptized that they are practically jumping in the font as we speak.... haha.

One is a reference from the bishop, his niece! We´ve been really trying to gain the confidence of the bishop and his family lately. So we went to their house to do a little service. His niece was sitting there with her baby. I've seen her in church a few times. So we starting talking to her. 

When we asked how long she's been a member, she said, "Oh, I'm not yet. But I've actually been thinking about it a lot and I would love to get baptized." 

 

UM WAT. We´ve had a super escogido investigator sitting right under our noses all this time and we didn't even realize it!!! We looked at the bishops wife, like, "What the heck? Why didn't you give us this reference forever ago?" And then she whispered to us, "It's that she just barely moved in your area and I really wanted you guys to teach her!!" It really goes to show that we are gaining the trust of the bishops family!!! A little service can go a long way...

We also received a reference from the Hermanas de barrio Palmas in our zone. It's the girlfriend of one of their members. She had been going to their ward, but came with us on Sunday. We talked to her, and she also wants to get baptized as soon as possible.

She told us, "I just really think its important that we can preach the word of Christ to everyone. That we can help everyone come to church to change their lives for the better." 

Wow..... yeah future missionary right there. 

 
And for the last miracle...God protects His missionaries. We have an investigator on the 3rd floor of a building. On the 2nd floor, just around some sketchy cement stairs..there is this devil dog that tries to attack us every time we pass. Usually its chain is too short to do us any harm. But these last couple of times the chain has been longer and this freaking dog has jumped the barrier and almost killed us. Well... bit us. 

 

So I was on intercambios with Hermana Zamora, who has an injured  foot and can't do stairs very well. It was time to come down the stairs. We had to go super slow for her foot, and the whole time I was praying that this dog wouldn't hear us and come out and attack us. 

Literally as soon as we get out of the kill zone, this dog comes out of nowhere and almost takes of the ear of the member we were with. Seriously, a miracle, because usually it comes out right when we are in the middle of the stairs. We can run from it, but Hermana Zamora can't. MILAGROS.

Needless to say, I've taken out that weird dog repeller mom sent me that I haven't used at all since I've gotten here...but we used it on the dumb dog and it seemed to work!! woohOo!! 

 I'm loving the mission, the pozol, being a sister training leader, my companion, Spanish, my investigators...and just love helping them really change their lives.

Being a representative of Christ is literally the best. 

LES AMO UN CHORRO. 

Hermana Hansen

God never Forgets about His Children

 
Well it's a new cambio (change)! And I'm still in Pimienta with Hermana Guarcax!!!! No se preocupen (so don't worry) :)

This week we were teaching Hermano J, and I said, "I know you have received an answer J! Stop denying it!"

He said, "How do you know?"

I responded, "El Espiritu Santo me dijo!" (The Holy Ghost told me)

He said, "Este Espiritu Santo es muy chismoso." (This Holy Ghost is very funny)  Hahahahaahha

Pozol the right way

This transfer has been a transfer full of trials. Honestly, we started out this last week a little on the down side. We had baptism after baptism fall through, only had one investigator go to church last week, and only one progressing.

At the beginning of the transfer, President George challenged the whole misión to find a family of 4 to teach, and have 2 baptisms. Well, it was the start of the last week of the transfer, and we still hadn't completed any of this. We couldn't even find a good, progressing family.

It was a little discouraging...because also...as sister training leaders...we should be the example to all the girls in the zone. But, it seemed like in a lot of aspects, the girls in our zone were doing a lot better than we were. We have fasted every week of this transfer minus the first one, and we were praying UN BUEN. We determined we were going to complete with these goals.

So, we went to the primary last Sunday, because God ALWAYS answers the prayers of little children. We told them we were looking for a family to teach, and challenged them all to pray every day that we could find this family. They were all super excited to do it!

Hermanas Hansen and Peini

 

The whole week, we went searching for this family. Then on intercambios (exchanges) with Hermana Peini, we found them. It was a reference we received from the other Hermanas, and completely escogido (chosen). The lesson was super spiritual, even with the random drunk guy next door singing at the top of his lungs.


We asked Hermano M, the dad, to say the closing prayer, and it was amazing. The spirit was super strong, and he ended it crying. Que milagro (What a miracle)! But, they still needed to go to church for them to progress towards their baptism date. So I wasn't getting my hopes up yet.


The next day with Hermana Guarcax, we passed by, and found the guy who had been drunk the day before...sobered up, outside with his kids. We contacted him, and set up an appointment for the next day.

We came back, and this lesson was equally amazing. Hermano J, this tattooed and pierced man... was super humble. He had been going through some really hard times with a separation from his wife, and was taking care of his 3 kids all by himself. He also committed to being baptized....but he still needed to go to church. So again I wasn't getting my hopes up quite yet.

So on Sunday morning, we go to pick the families up. There they were, Hermano M's family and Hermano J's family....sitting on the curb waiting for us. LIKE WHAT? I seriously almost cried. As I took the hand of the little four year old girl to walk with them to the church, dodging puddles and dogs, I felt so blessed. I felt like God hadn't forgotten about us.

All of the missionaries serving in Tuxtla collected plastic bottles on the streets for a "Helping Hands" service project.  We filled up a big truck by the end!

We walked into the church 10 minutes early...and there sat Hermano O, un hermano who had gotten baptized with Hermana Yorgason and Hermana Park, but never was confirmed...he just didn't want to. He was sitting up front practicing with the choir for Ward conference!!!! He came down from the stand, and told us he decided to get confirmed today. AGAIN LIKE WHAT! We have been trying to explain to him for 3 months why he needed to get confirmed, but he didn't want to. Otra milagro (another miracle).

Then as we are sitting down, randomly our investigator who we had abandoned this past week...walks in. She came up in her purple jumpsuit with her jazz hands and gave us a huge hug saying, "Hola mamitas!! Aquí estoy!!!!  Quiero ser bautizada. hablamos luego. (Hi Hermanas, I'm here!! I want to be baptized - let's talk later)" OTRA VEZ (again) LIKE WHAT??

Then, as we are singing the opening hymn, I get a note passed to me. It says, in English, something like "Hi Sister Hansen. You are very nice person. We love you, so fun, never change. Love, The  family Lopez de Tapachula." I look behind me to see this cute family smile at me, a family who was visiting from Tapachula who were sitting alone. I had noticed them before the meeting started, and had introduced myself, and welcomed them to the Ward. I think they must have felt loved or something cuz I'm pretty sure I was the only one who had talked to them.


This really was a sweet answer to my prayers, because I had been feeling a little bad this week. Usually I don't care what people think of me, but one of the Hermanas in our zone had made a kind of rude comment to me that I need to learn how to listen. She has been making comments the whole transfer about how I need to be more serious or professional or something..because I'm her leader. This was such a comfort to me that as long as I'm doing MY BEST to be the person I AM. I don't need to change for anyone besides God. 

So, it was just another testimony to me, that God has not forgotten us. Even though we have had a transfer of trials, all the hard work has paid off. Hermano O. was confirmed, we completed with the Normas de Excelencia (weekly mission goals), and we found two amazing progressing families to teach.

I know this góspel changes lives, and la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias is the only true church on this earth.

En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen. 

Enjoy more Pictures from Hermana Hansen's week!

Hermana Hansen's 20th birthday is almost here! June 1st! We were so excited her package arrived in such a timely fashion...less than 48 hours with www.mymissionaryshipping.com!

My birthday package arrived! Twinner (birthday) bag con Elder Lynch!! 
His is 18 months old and still is amazing!

Thanks for the photo book, Dad!

Enchiladas de mole....like the best meal ever! Mole usually consists of: bananas, chocolate, peanut butter, animal crackers, chile, tomatoes... etc etc

We were only supposed to pick up plastic bottles...so there was a bunch of other trash in the street that we just walked by...I'm sure all the Mexicans were like tristes gringas hahaha

Elder Hansen (Hermana Hansen's cousin from Idaho)