Fasting, Miracles..and God Prepares His People

Sup homefries?

SO this week went great. Interviews with President George are always a blast. He pretty much (not so subtly) suggested that for the next transfer I will be opening up a branch in Comitan and training. But we won't really find out until transfers roll around 2nd week of November! 

 Hermanas Baker, George and Hansen in their newly made skirts!

I love interviews with President George. It's the best learning experience, and it's always more like a conversation with a cool general authority than an interview!! Afterwards we went emergency fabric shopping with Hermana George and she made us skirts. I love Mama and Papa George!! 

So the 40 day fast that we have been doing has brought MIRACLES every day!! Hermana J is preparing for baptism this Saturday!!! Also, Hermana D, our investigator, came proselyting with us!!!! She's preparing for the mission.... and she hasn't even been baptised yet!! It rained a bunch and we got soaked but she loved every minute of it. Then we met up with Hermana Y and Hermano E at the church and ate pelliscada....which is like a pizza taco thing..... BEST DAY EVER. 

Mmmmmm....pelliscada!

On Wednesday our zone leaders challenged us to pray and fast for 3 people that we could find that day who could accept a baptism date. So even though we had just fasted, we did it... and MIRACLES HAPPENED. 

The day before, we had contacted a family in the street, and went to visit them with a joven who is preparing for the mission. Immediately when we entered, we could feel a different and beautiful spirit. They are a family of 4, and 3 of them are of baptising age. Getting to know them, we could see how God has prepared them. When we contacted them that morning, they had just been talking about what church they should join, and how they should get baptized so they can raise their kids right. And then we found them! 

They told us how pretty much every time they talk seriously about a religion, they run into a Mormon!! They all accepted baptism, but the father of the family said, "Okay, I know I should pray, and go to church, but what more do I need to do to prepare my family for baptism??" 

We just stared at him and shock, and explained a little about the commandments, especially the law of chastity. (note....NOBODY is married in Chiapas.) He said, "Well, we aren't married, but I guess we'd better get on that if we wanna get baptized in November!!" 

Haha.... miracles. 

LOVE YOU ALL......

Hansennnnnn

Intercambios with Hermana Larsen

  What happens when you don't wash clothes for a month....these are all mine

 Mole

 Platano frito lleno de FRIJOLES

 Casual Volcano

 Right outside our house

 

 Zone Leaders sharing the gospel

40 Day Fast with 40 Miracles

OK OK OK!

I gotta do this fast!

So first off HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON THE 13TH TO AUZ AND SAV!!!! Birthday pics are coming your way.... next week.

Funny story. Hermana Baker and I both sleep talk. And at times we seem to have conversations. So this morning, at 3:30 AM, (apparently in my sleep) I told Hermana Baker it was time to get up. So she got up, knelt down, and started saying our companionship prayer. 

I woke up, groggily looked over to see her praying in Spanish, and say, "Hermana Baker, Que en el mundo esta haciendo.... es las 3 30 am!!!" 

She said, "Ughhhh no invente en serio? Bueno." Got back in bed and went back to sleep. 

Hahahahahah reminds me of the time she was knitting in the dark in the MTC. We are quite the pair.... 

Sooooo this week was a week full of random MILAGROS!!!! We had a great leadership meeting from Presidente in Tuxtla which pretty much went right along with what we wanted to focus on with our zone.... which would be Obediencia --- Fe----- MILAGROS. 

So we had our zone conference on Wednesday and it went a ton better than we had even planned. It really showed me how if we just try to follow God's will.... he makes us instruments in His hands so others can feel His spirit. No matter how weak we are! We went in with a pretty good plan that would make for a cool zone conference.... but it ended up being completely CELESTIAL. 

Elders Jarrett & de Jesus and Hermanas Hansen and Baker

We were able to show the missionaries the power of obedience. As we were talking about it like 3 missionaries said that during the conference they felt a spirit and a peace like they were in the temple. Elder Jarrett, Elder de Jesus, Hermana Baker and I left the room all calm--but as soon as we got into the other room we started freaking out like, "WHAT IN THE WORLD! HOW WAS THAT TEMPLE STATUS! WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING!!!!" Yep, God is great.

 Also this transfer we are doing a 40 day fast (we made a list of everything we wanted to change about ourselves). But we tweaked it a bit to be a 40 day fast with 40 miracles. Every day we have to write down the miracles we are seeing and our progress in letting go of things of the world and selfishness and becoming more like Christ. So far, we have already seen 2 miracles GRANDE. 

 Reunited with Hermana Juarez

 

First off, Hermana D. She is the little sister of some members, but is only obligated to go to church because she has a deal with her mom that she will pay for her school if she goes to church every week. But she has had NO DESIRE to be baptized or even go to church or put on a dress. So she came to us and said, "Hermanas I think I want to be baptized. I feel good about it." 

Second, Hermana Y, who is the girlfriend of a member, has been coming to church for almost a year. She goes to all the activities, has almost finished her Personal Progress, and has wanted to get baptized for a while now. Unfortunately, she doesn't live in our area and her mom won't let her. 

She went to all 4 sessions of General Conference. And this past Sunday she ran up to us and said, "Hermanas! I have something to tell you. I'm gonna get baptized. My mom hasn't given me permission yet, but I'm 18. When I heard the prophet talk in conference, I felt a strong impression that I shouldn't wait. I should get baptized like right now. Will you help me get baptized next week?" 

So we were gonna work it out so she could get baptized in her real ward. But since she's being coming here for a year she really wanted to be baptized here. So we talked to Presidente, pulled some strings and he gave us permission!!!

So yeah, when we make an effort to consecrate ourselves, God gives us miracles!!! 

 LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!! 

Hermana Hansen

The Book of Mormon is True

 
We had interviews with Presidente this week again!!! Which means instead of quiz me about random normal missionary interview stuff like the law of chastity, I got to talk with presidente for almost an hour as he shared his secret stash of chocolates and gave me advice. Yeah, I love Papa George.

Stopped into visit the G Family from Central

This week was full of two more ant explosions, three crazy rainstorms, rivers en la calle, mole and pozol (like the best Mexican dish everrrr), fasting miracles, and (sadly) dropping investigators. 

 I think what I learned most this week is just how important the Book of Mormon is, and my testimony has grown from it. During this week as we were pondering on what stopped our investigator from getting baptized, we realized that the real problem was her lack of a testimony of the Book of Mormon. The worst part is.... we KNEW that she didn't have a strong testimony of it. (oops)

 But, she was coming to church, accepting all the other lessons so nicely, and had such a strong desire to get baptized that we kind of pushed it to the side. We focused on teaching her the commandments... so she could be ready for the baptism interview...instead of focusing in the real problem. That's why everything fell through at the last minute.

Even though she had been going to church every week, praying, and had received a vision where she felt like this is the church she should join..... she doesn't believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Her biggest doubt was, "And where does it talk about Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon in the bible? LA BIBLIA ES ÚNICA!" (The Bible is the only truth)

Although we can show her evidence, scriptures in the bible that talk about the Book of Mormon.... she wont accept any of it...because she never ever even once prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true. Sure, she prayed about the church. But, never once about the Book of Mormon. And she said she never will. She won't ask God that question because the Bible is única. And if she doesn't ask, we can't do anything more to help her. 

So fun to see Mama C and her crew from Central again!

As we explained her all of this in our "drop talk"... how we could still be her friends but until she made the decision to pray about the Book of Mormon we couldn't help her any further...she got super upset. She screamed at us, "Me duele mamitas ! Estan cortando me a mi corazon!" (you hurt me, you're cutting my heart) And I thought of all the times in the Book of Mormon, when a prophet speaks the truth, and the people feel as if something has cut their heart, because it's true and they are denying it...and all of her comments made sense. She's denying the truth. She's felt the truth, and that's why she's saying it hurts her. 

Visited with Hermano A from my last area

For me, my testimony soared as this point. I now know again without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true, because I can see its prophecies coming to pass right before my eyes.

Baptism! Of a kid in the ward who turned 8. (No, we didnt teach him. Don't get excited haha)

On a better note, the power of fasting is real, and also our authority as missionaries is real. We promised Hermano J in the name of Jesus Christ that if he fasted, went to church, and studied his heart out that he would pass all of his super hard medical exams. And he did!

A lot of people questioned us, "Why would you promise him he will pass?? You guys cant do that!" But we knew that if he followed the steps we gave him that he would pass. Christ can do anything, and we promised it in His name. Now, it's just up to Hermano J. to act on his newfound answer. Hopefully his answer will strengthen his testimony, and we can help him get baptized pronto. 

Tuxtla Rainstorm

LOVE YOU ALL 

Hermana Hansen 

Enjoy more photos from Hermana Hansen's week 

Bolis with Hermano Carlos, Hermana Luis, and Hermana E!

Ant explosion round 3...but this time with giant ants with wings

 Crossing the gross sewer water river to change into our water shoes hahaha

 

 The view from Hermana Luis apartment!

Intercambios, Chasing Butterflies and a Baptism!

Intercambios with the best Capacitadoras in el mundo (Hermanas Juarez, Hansen, Coronado and Juliana)

Dudes, tomorrow I turn 5... months. I don't want to talk about that actually, because time is passing way too freaking fast... so moving on.

We had intercambios (exchanges) this week and it was possibly one of the greatest experiences on my mission thus far. I worked with Hermana Coronado from Texas for a day and honestly it was a day that changed my mission life! 

 

I learned so much. I feel like I can now be a more efficient missionary with UN BUEN ESTADO DE ANIMO (a good frame of mind). She taught me how to work hard but still have fun. 

For example, while we were trying to find a reference we ended up finding a beautiful butterfly and chasing it down an entire street trying to catch it..until we lost it when it went inside a huge Christian "temple". 

Pancake tacos cuz we are Mexican

When we turned around, we found one of our menos activos (less actives) in the ward staring at us... After which he waved and said, "Uh... buen dia hermanas" and ran inside. Hopefully he keeps coming to church even though we are weirdos... haha. 

And Hermana Coronado is going to BYU when she gets back so the chasing butterfly madness doesn't have to end! 

 Hermanas Coronado & Hansen & cute Chicas

With mis chicas

 

 

This week I was able to witness a huge miracle. One of our old investigators got baptized! I say old because he's technically not our investigator anymore...but here's the story. 

The former Hermanas de la Salle found Hermano A. and helped him start to change his life around. After they both got transferred, the new Hermanas de la Salle started teaching him...until they looked at their map and realized that he wasn't in their area. They assumed that he must be in ours.

All of the Hermanas who taught Hermano A

So we started teaching him. We fasted with him and helped him to STOP DRINKING! (He's been sober ever since the fast). We worked with him, encouraged him and taught him and everything! Only to realize that he wasn't in our ward...but the ward Juarez.

So they taught him for one more week and he was baptized in their ward. But through it all, it really doesn't matter where he was baptized. We really are just instruments in the Lord's hands. 

 
I'm so happy for him to start his life over, free of his old habits. It just goes to show that with God, nothing is impossible. 

He had tried to stop drinking many times before, but only with fasting and prayer he was able to do it. 

 

What a great way to start off the New Year! 

Love you all and hope you have freaking awesome goals in 2015!

Hermana Hansen 


A few more photos from the zoo visit last week, holiday fun and missionary life in Tuxtla Central.

 

christmas dinner yummmm

 

feliz año nuevo pues

I was feeling sick so mi hija took my backpack (LOL) boyscout style

Dad you asked for some 'real life' photos from the streets...