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

Tapachula.. the land of Miracles...

My joy is FULL. Because we baptised an eternal investigator!!! Well, honestly we didn't do much of anything... it was all the Spirit and the Lord. We just filled out the baptism record.

Hermana M. is the wife of Hermano P., who joined the church 3 years ago. She listened to the discussions with her husband, but never once went to church. She had been baptized Catholic when she was little, later got baptized Baptist...and she was never getting baptised again and that was that! 

But over the summer, she started praying to God. She wanted to know what she should do, because her husband was baptized in a different church. She knew if she wanted to be with him forever, they needed to have the same baptism. She asked God that if the Mormon church was true, that He would let her know through some sort of sign. 

A few weeks later, her husband lost consciousness and was in critical condition for a few days. This experience really scared her, she thought she was going to lose her husband. But, she felt a manifestation of the spirit that this was her sign, that she should get baptized in the Mormon church...now she just needed a testimony.

So, she acted with faith. She went to church with her husband for the first time, without us even inviting her to do so! She actually went to church 3 times before we could even find her in her house and start teaching her the lessons. Poco un poco, her testimony grew. She completed all of her commitments, even the little extra reading assignments in the back of the pamphlets! 

Seriously, in the lessons she has taught us more than we taught her, I'm sure. So, she sewed her own baptism dress, and got baptized on Saturday. 

The only problem was, because of her health, she needed to get baptized in warm water. (Note: warm water in Tapachula IS UNHEARD OF. It practically does not exist) So we decided maybe we could heat up a few gallons of water in the Relief Society room and throw it in right before her baptism. We did it... and we prayed a lot that it would work. So, Hermana M steps in the water... and starts shivering like no one's business. Our attempts to heat up the water DID NOT WORK... not at all. 

 Afterwards we were apologizing, saying we did everything we could... and she said, "Oh sisters, don't worry. I'm sure you did everything you could do... but Jesus didn't want my water warm!" 

Ha ha! I guess it's true...a test of her faith! Although she was very cold in the moment, miraculously the next day she wasn't sick! She said she woke up with a cold, but by ten in the morning it was gone!!! FAITH PEOPLE. FAITH. 

Right after she was baptized, I said, "Well sister, you've been baptized Catholic, Baptist, and now Mormon. How do you feel?" 

She said, "Well it's my last one that's for sure. It's the only true one anyways." :) JOY. 

Love you all! Tapachula is good! We are loving the rain, and staying off of the freeway (Since we saw a hit and run yesterday. Luckily, the ambulance came quickly...I think. :/ Pray for him)! 

Hermana Hansen 

 Laundry Day

 

We might have left the keys in the house...

(this is the house of the Hermanas de Vistahermosa...We were on intercambios!) 

 One hour later!!!!

 

More Christmas Miracles and I'm a Mom!

Welp it's official! I'M A SINGLE MOM. 

Welcome to Central Daughter - The Best Area in the World!

What's weird is that my daughter is older than me and we look nothing alike. 

Nah Chiste...

But, my new companion is Hermana Juarez de Michoacan. She is amazing!! She probably doesn't need any training, because she definitely knows more gospel doctrine than me. But she is such a hard worker and I just love her!

She's also really healthy....she only eats like 2 tortillas during comida (meals) and I average.... let's just say a lot. Which is completely un-mexican of her if you ask me, but to each their own. 

My Spanish has improved so much just in this last week because I'm directing all the lessons...and talking with all of our investigators and members because Hermana Juarez doesn't know any of them. 

But really training has given me a lot of confidence in my Spanish. Four months ago, I literally didn't know anything...and now I'm living in Mexico...training a Mexican....and somehow getting by. My Spanish is nowhere near perfect but I really feel more confident now. 

I have a feeling I'm gonna learn a lot from Hermana Juarez! She is so amazing. I'm so happy that she's my companion! 

I miss Hermana Martinez. But, I'm sure she's doing great things in Tapachula. 

Hermana Martinez says goodbye to Mama C and G

So this week A. got baptized!! It was so amazing! His story is another miracle. Hermana Martinez and I found him through an inactive member....who we also found while contacting in la calle (the street). 

We invited him to church... he came... and lo and behold he came A SECOND TIME without us even inviting him! We didn't invite him because he doesn't live in our area, and we were gonna pass the reference on to the missionaries in his area. But, he said he felt something at church, and he really wanted to change his life for the better....so he came back.

 Last District Selfie

  Final Meal with District Hermanas

We got special permission from our zone leaders to teach him, and he didn't miss a week of church. He lives about 45 minutes away. But, he comes to church at 8 AM and comes to all of our activities... even cleaning the church! 

 

Seeing the light in eyes grow has been truly amazing. He went from a lost 19 year old kid to an amazing representative of Christ with such a strong testimony. He is so much happier now and his life has been blessed so much because of the church. I'm so happy to be a part of the start of his journey! 

I love you all and hope you continue to share the gift you have... the gospel with everyone around you especially during this holiday season. 

Cuídense mucho,

Hermana Hansen