sweet.

August 6, 2014

Hi everyone.....

Questions:

1.  What sad day does Finch go home?  

He bounces on the 20th! He will be up there for my homecoming haha and if he's not, he's told me that I can kill him

2.  Any chance Luis could get taught and baptized when we go down?  What would need to happen? 

He would have to go to church 3 times before and all of the charlas. We will see what we can do. I think that we are going to go and make bricks with president and I will see if we can pass by.  

3.  Tell us about your mission travels.  It would be fun for me to hear where you have been.  We had to leave the country a few times to get Fe de edades.  Do you have to do that?

No we can't do that. Now if they want that stuff from other countries, they have to go do it themselves. We did have to go down to Tiquisate (super far zone) and drop off some money to the elders that had gotten robbed hard core. It was sooooo awesome. It was actually super funny because they saw the guy take stuff out of the  house and they just stood there with their mouths open. We jsut have a lot of late night runs to the office and to do stuff around the mission and that is sick!

We had a siiiiiiiiiick experience last night with President Duncan (the President of the area) and it was me and Elder Finch, The assistants from the east mission and the sister trainer leaders from the south mission were invited to a metting at the CCM to answer questions from the youngins. One of the most spiritual things that I've done in my whole mission. Man it was SSSOOOOO COOOLLL!!! It was a great time there. The CCM is soooo different from what it was when I was there. The coolest thing that happened was that at the first of the meeting I just had a thought how cool it would be to see someone that I knew, as we finished the meeting, a tall skinny Elder came up to me and said, "Are you Gabe Hanson's brother?" I looked down at his name tag and saw that it said "Elder Dunshee". Chad Dunshee! Gabe's young friend. Man it was so cool. He just thanked me for my testimony and it was the coolest thing ever. A little miracle/tender mercy. Then we had to take the sisters from the South mission home in the truck which was a little interesting hahha but it was an awesome night. Super super memorable.

We baptized this weekend! C got baptized and it was so cool. In all the pictures she wanted us to bend down because she is soooooo short! She is 28 years old and looks like she is 18 haha. She is such an awesome girl. 

Highlight of the week! Tomorrow we are going to the temple with the most chosen person that I've ever known in my life, A! She is so happy. Me and Elder Hernandez baptized her and he son in El Carmen and now the rest of their family has gotten baptized pretty much. She is a single mom and she is the most awesome lady ever. It is going to be an awesome thing to go totomorrow! I'm seriously so stoked!!!!!!!!

I don't really remember anything that happened this week. But is was a great one. I love you all so much and am so thankful for you and what you do for me! I'll send pictures of my suit next email! I just haven't taken any of the suit yet! I love you!!!!!!!!!

A week of surprisesssssss

July 14, 2014

Hey everyone......

Well here are the questions.......

Preguntas

1.  Give us your new responsibilities day to day.  Maybe a sketch of your day as an AP.

Well thus far it has been pretty crazy haha. We don't sleep much and when we have time to work, we have to go sooooo hard. it is so nice to be with President and his wife and learn from them just like being in the car or something, it is going to be a great time with them. This week we took the ones that were going home to the airport at like 3 in the morning and we have interviews with the whole mission in the next two weeks. I don't  know how much I'm going to be able to email but I'll get one out at least once a week to you guys. Huge humbling opportunity.

2.  Money.  Getting you a debit card might be tough in the time you have left.  Is there a western Union where we can wire you money for your remaining time?  I'm going to talk to Elder Hunt today when I see him about this. I'll tell him to hit you guys up with an email. But the sister here said that in 3 weeeks it gets down to here. I don't really know much about that. But I will let you know how you can get it down to me best.

3.  Tell us about your new area and ward.  I imagine they're downright sick of you in that Stake, huh?

Well, I am now working in El Carmen....!!!! YEEEESSSSSSS President gave me permission to go up there and work and I am soooooooo happy. I am now in Boca del Monte, El Porvenir and El Carmen. We sort of just roam and go wherever we want. It is soooooooo sweet.   

4.  Do you travel with the Pres. to Zone conferences?  Do you speak at most conferences?  Yeah we are always in that kind of stuff. We do practices with all the missionaries all the time. These 2 weeks we have to be in interviews with President with all the zones in the mission and that is going to be sweet. It is just a sweet oppotunity.

Well We are doing good. I actually have 2 companions right now, Elder Finch and Elder Oseguera from Honduras. Elder Finch will go home this change and Elder Oseguera and I will stay when he leaves. Man I am loving it right now. Super blessed and happy to be here and super stoked to be able to learn all that i am going to learn in these next few months.

I'm excited to be able to drive haha. That is going to be sooooo cool. We had interviews with Villa Hermosa today and that was good. I think one of the best parts of being here is that I am in my old ward and my old area. YES! Man yesterday was awesome in church and to see all of my converts in church and see all of the members in the ward. All of yesterday me and Elder Finch worked in El Carmen and that was so cool to be able to show Elder Finch around a little bit up there (we got  permission yesterday to be able to go up there)! Boom! Super excited.

President Markham is awesome. I had a great interview with him today and we talked about a lot of stuff. He talked to be about a lot of stuff and we talked a lot about Gabe and some stuff with that and he has similar experiences. Very spiritual. I love Hermana Markham. She reminds me sooooooo much of mom when I see him and talk to her. 

I'm just stoked to be with Elder Finch again haha. We are going to kill it so much. We will baptize too. We should have a baptism this weekend. Man I love it here. This place is so sick.

I love you all. I am so thankful for you and everything that you guys do for me. All the support and the prayers. Thank you! I love you. Thank you, Jesus!

I don't have any pictures at all haha. I will try and send you some next week! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!4

Well here are the questions.......

Preguntas

1.  Give us your new responsibilities day to day.  Maybe a sketch of your day as an AP.

Well thus far it has been pretty crazy haha. We don't sleep much and when we have time to work, we have to go sooooo hard. it is so nice to be with President and his wife and learn from them just like being in the car or something, it is going to be a great time with them. This week we took the ones that were going home to the airport at like 3 in the morning and we have interviews with the whole mission in the next two weeks. I don't  know how much I'm going to be able to email but I'll get one out at least once a week to you guys. Huge humbling opportunity.

2.  Money.  Getting you a debit card might be tough in the time you have left.  Is there a western Union where we can wire you money for your remaining time?  I'm going to talk to Elder Hunt today when I see him about this. I'll tell him to hit you guys up with an email. But the sister here said that in 3 weeeks it gets down to here. I don't really know much about that. But I will let you know how you can get it down to me best.

3.  Tell us about your new area and ward.  I imagine they're downright sick of you in that Stake, huh?

Well, I am now working in El Carmen....!!!! YEEEESSSSSSS President gave me permission to go up there and work and I am soooooooo happy. I am now in Boca del Monte, El Porvenir and El Carmen. We sort of just roam and go wherever we want. It is soooooooo sweet.   

4.  Do you travel with the Pres. to Zone conferences?  Do you speak at most conferences?  Yeah we are always in that kind of stuff. We do practices with all the missionaries all the time. These 2 weeks we have to be in interviews with President with all the zones in the mission and that is going to be sweet. It is just a sweet oppotunity.

Well We are doing good. I actually have 2 companions right now, Elder Finch and Elder Oseguera from Honduras. Elder Finch will go home this change and Elder Oseguera and I will stay when he leaves. Man I am loving it right now. Super blessed and happy to be here and super stoked to be able to learn all that i am going to learn in these next few months.

I'm excited to be able to drive haha. That is going to be sooooo cool. We had interviews with Villa Hermosa today and that was good. I think one of the best parts of being here is that I am in my old ward and my old area. YES! Man yesterday was awesome in church and to see all of my converts in church and see all of the members in the ward. All of yesterday me and Elder Finch worked in El Carmen and that was so cool to be able to show Elder Finch around a little bit up there (we got  permission yesterday to be able to go up there)! Boom! Super excited.

President Markham is awesome. I had a great interview with him today and we talked about a lot of stuff. He talked to be about a lot of stuff and we talked a lot about Gabe and some stuff with that and he has similar experiences. Very spiritual. I love Hermana Markham. She reminds me sooooooo much of mom when I see him and talk to her. 

I'm just stoked to be with Elder Finch again haha. We are going to kill it so much. We will baptize too. We should have a baptism this weekend. Man I love it here. This place is so sick.

I love you all. I am so thankful for you and everything that you guys do for me. All the support and the prayers. Thank you! I love you. Thank you, Jesus!

I don't have any pictures at all haha. I will try and send you some next week! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

EARTHQUAKKKKEEEE!!!

July 8, 2014
Well Hey everyone....

Preguntas profundas:

1.  Did you eat any Zompopos de Mayo? NO!!! I'm soooo bugged! There weren't hardly any this year and I'm sooooo bugged! I ate some last year and they for sure were super crujientes!!!

2.  All I've heard is that it's been raining fosos down there.  True?  It actually hasn't rained for a while. It's weird haha. Maybe only here in the cap it isn't raining but who knows in other places. Last year it was going soooo hard at this time.

3.  Did you finally get your package?  A big fat nel! But maybe tomorrow in changes!

4.  Let us know if the Markhams do "parents coming down" any differently.  We're close to reserving stuff.

I don't think there will be any problem. I'd actually say that he wants you to come down haha. He's so awesome!!!

Well this week was crazy haha. We totally got earthquaked! I was totally asleep and it was like 5:20 and I thought that my companion was shaking my bed and i was like come on man! But then I realized that he was asleep and that the ground was shaking by itself. I thought, there are two options, Demons or Earthquake. It was an earthquake thank heavens. I'M ALIVE!

We had a good week other that the fact that they took my feet out from under me and are changing me! I seriously have no idea where I could be going or what could be happening. But it's all good. Dios sabrà right! (God Could know) I'm excited and super nervous. Pte Markham talked to me yesterday and said that I am going to love my change and I feel Like it has something to do with an area or ward that I was in before. I haven't been this nervous for changes in a while! I guess we'll see.

I'm glad you had an awesome 4th of july. Honestly I almost forgot about it.... The mundial is supppper crazy down here. They all want Argentina or Brasil to win but I want Holland and I love messing with them because they get so frustrated haha It's awesome.

I thought I was going to stay and we had some miracles coming up and I'm a little disappointed to leave them and the people that we are teaching but it's all good in the hood. The zone has a lot of weird changes and we'll see que ondas ahi.

We had an awesome conference with President Markham this week and he talked about a bunch of stuff that helped me a lot. As I walked in, I felt like I was going to have to talk if they were to call out randomly and have people talk, sure enough they did, and sure enough I had to talk. I gave my testimony to the rest of the missionaries and it was a really cool experience to see how much I have really changed in my testimony of this Gospel and my love for these people. President came up to me after the meeting, gave me a huge hug and said " you got the message didn't you?" Refering to me talking. It was soooooo cool. Man President Markham and Sister Markham are soooo great.

I'm sad to leave the zone. I love this place. I've been in this zone for 6 chages now and I know literally everyone in the stake haha. We will come here to see General Conference! I went to El Carmen this week and got to see my converts. Man I love that place. I get more baggy for that place than I do for home... Hermana A will be going to the temple soon and I'll be able to go with here. That' is going to be very satisfying.

Well Jovenes! I love you all! Muchas Gracias! Jesus! Those are the most important words we can say in this life. I love you. Thank you. Jesus.

BUENO!!!!!!!!

I got attacked by a bolo. queria un su quekzal! extra emphasis on the K! If you know what I mean dad....

Children converts :)

umm...

May 20, 2014

Hey everyone.....

Question timmmmmmeeeeeee

Questions:

1.  Will your comp go this change?  We have changes for sure we just don't know who is going to leave. That's the advantage of being like best friends with the secretary and the assistant haha they won't tell me anything more. I'll let you know next week!!!!!! I just hope I stay. 

2.  Any word on whether the Brough's will report their mission anywhere?  I have no idea at all. It crossed my mind to ask him but I didn't. I'll see what I can do there.

3.  Any more thought to the college stuff? I will have an answer for you this next week. I need to pray hard about it and maybe fast and I'll let you know!.

4.  Do you hear from Diaz at all?  Yeah I have heard from him a little bit. He's kind of a chambon and doesn't write me all the time but he's good!

Well this week was straight packed of craziness!!!

We had interviews with President Brough for the last time and I just wanted to die. I love this man so much and he presonally has changed my life. He talked to me about how the mission has changed the way that I look at a girl to choose her to be my wife hahaha I was like.....do you really want me to answer that?? That is one of the things that has changed so much in me. I talked to him a little bit about that and here is an exact quote "well Elder Hanson, just remember that you still need to marry someone that you're attracted to!" and we just sat there and laughed for a second. I love him haha. We then watched a siiiiiiiiiick new movie that I guess the church just put out. Probably super ancient out there but it's called "Ephraim's Rescue" Man it was AWESOME!!!!!

I feel like if I stay here this change, I could be here for the rest of the mission. I HOPE! Everything is going well in the area and in the zone. I am going to El Carmen today!!! WHOOOOOO!!!!! That is going to be so great. I thought that if it is even a chance that I leave this area, I've gotta get over there before! So we're gettin it done.

I imagine that mom was super super pilas on here speech. Super tough situation but I'm sure she got it done. I don't remember who Art Neilson is. Refresher? Thanks. Crazy that school is almost over! I can't even believe that. I feel like yesterday I graduated haha.

Mom's biking stories always make my day hahahahahha I can just imagine here getting it done on her bike. We're going to go biking! I'm sure my bitt is chafed enough to put up with the bike seat. That's what 2 years of boo will do for you.

If you send me a package any time soon, send me some cadbury eggs if you can find them.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!! Can't even believe that he is ready to legally drive. Tha's so weird. hahaha. COOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLL

Sorry I don't have any pictures for you guys today. We haven't taken any this change haha. But that's okay right? I'm just working instead.

Love you guys all soooooooo much!! I hope everything is just straight nítido por alli! Thanks for all the support and everything that you do for me!!! LOOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!

I love my mom

May 14, 2013

Hi everyone.....

This week was great and seeing that there are no questions I guess I won't write much.

I'm doing great. As you could SEE I'm pretty skinny hahaha. But that will only get worse unless I get onto my muscle milk diet...... oh wait, that doesn't exist here hahahaha. good joke. 

We have this guy named Mario that is getting ready to get baptized on the 25th. He is pretty solid. He wants to get baptized with his wife but his wife is not interested at all haha so that's not gonna happen right now. He is pilas though. He'll be baptized.

I love it here. The members are awesome. I hope I stay here. Love life!

We went to the temple yesterday and it rained like CRAZY!!!!!!! It was so insane. We got to the temple and were just straight soaking wet. It was so funny. I love the temple. I love it so much. We are so blessed to have temples so colse to the house. I'll never take that for granted again. I'm gonna be in the temple so much that the workers are gonna get sick of me asking if I can watch it in spanish. LOVE IT!

I pretty much just saw you like yesterday and I loved it! It was a little weird. I had nothing to say and it was just like a staring contest. Love it. But it was good to see youfor the first time in 20 months! I loved the YOMO shirts too. SUUUUUUUCH a nice touch. LOVED IT!!

I have the best mom in the world. Sorry if you don't agree. HAPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYY BIIIIIIRRRRRRTHHHHHHHHDDDDDDDAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY ANNNNNNNNNDDDDDD MOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR'SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS DAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

So stoked for Elder Noah. SOOOOOOO awesome for him. Love that kid sooooooo dang much. He's gonna be so great as a missionary.

I love you guys soooo much!!!!! I hope you all have a great weeek and just go hard and just get it done! WHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! ORRRRRRAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEE

Birthday card to mom from Elder Hernandez

screen shot of Skype!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

November 12, 2013

Hi everyone.....

THIS WEEK WAS AWESOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE. We got the familia R down into the water!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSS!!!!!! So great. I will tell more about that story a little bit later. We were the most successful district in the mission this week and so we are going to have district meeting with President in his house and he will be giving us lunch!!!!!!!!!! SOOOOOO STOKEDDDDDDDD. Great week. Very blessed.

I liked what you told me mom about how God loves us no matter what we do. I totally believe that. But I do believe that as we are obedient and as we do all we can in our hands to do all we can, we are more blessed. I feel like if we do everything that we can do that is actually within our hands, we will be blessed. Maybe I can't control the amout of baptisms that I have in the mission but I can control how dilligent I am and how obedient I am. I can control how blessed I am too. I love that about our Heavenly Father. He always will bless us according to our obedience and dilligence. Not according to our success. He controls our success and knows what our numbers are going to be before we even came to this earth. We have our agency and we can choose for ourselves what we want to do, but let's just do it the right way and let's be blessed! LOVE IT!!

Well we had a scare with the familia R this weekend haha. Baptisms are just not allowed to go smoothly haha. Satan is a rascal. The lady totally started her period on Saturday night and I was like "are you freaking serious????" COME ON MAN!!!!!! But we went to their house in the morning on Sunday and talked to her and gave her a blessing and then once we got them in the church, I knew it was done. I've learned a lot about how Satan works in the mission. He always starts by trying to get us to doubt the things we know. Like President Uchtdorf said, "Doubt your doubts, don't doubt your faith!" LOVE IT!!!

One of the most blessed weeks in the mission. I now know why me and Elder Hintze are still together. We are seeing a lot of out little puzzle pieces come together nicely and it loooks like we are going to see the fruits of our work together. He is a great companion and a great missionary. He really just gets it done and I love it. Good to be in white this Sunday together.

I love this Gospel. It's the best thing in the world. I am so thankful to have been born into it and have known it all my life. Awesome leaders that helped me do the things I needed to. Awesome bishops that helped me get it on track and get my butt out here. Awesome friends that always lifted me up and helped me be a good dude. Awesome parents that always helped me keep it on track. An awesome little brother that is always watching over me as I am obedient. That's why I'm obedient, because if I'm not, Gabe can't be with me as much as I need him. I love you all!!! Thanks for everything you have done for me and what you still do for me!!!!

Oh puchica la boo me pego como loooooccccccooooooooooooo

March 26, 2013

Hello everyone....

First the question of the week from mom.... Where do you send your emails from? We have to go to another city to send them because there aren't internet cafes in my area! That's pretty awesome. Please ask questions!! It jogs my memory and I can write a little bit more and not just ramble on.

This week was another frustrating one in this change. Not really so much because of my companion but for the lack of success that we had. It was really weird for us to have baptisms 2 weeks in a row! That hasn't happened until now in this area in the whole time. My companion is still annoying but I've learned to handle that... I just burst off walking really fast and then he can't catch up to me and then he has to catch his breath, I've found that uit's a pretty good way to get him to be quiet and give myself a little bit of peace. One thing that makes me more mad than anything is when people give us food and the people don't eat or finish the food. We went to have dinner with a member family with a single mother and my companion did't eat all the food because he ''doesn't like vegatables.'' The killer is that this food was ABSOLUTELY COVERED in cilantro, and if you know me, you know I hate cilantro! But I ate it becuase this family literally has nothing at all, literally nothing! Afterr the dinner I told my companion, ''Never ever ever again leave food on the table with a family that has nothing like that again. If it happens again I'll call President.'' Then he got all butt hurt but now at least he eats all the food. One thing that's hard about him too is that at the end of the month he has no money because he just spends it all at the beginning of the month and so when we need to go somewhere or do something, I have to pay for him. I'm just thankful for my mom and the way she taught me to be with my money and now that I have such a good knowledge of how to work with my money and write literally everything down, I always end the month with enough money to get through and have extra because mom always taught me about my money. And I'm not a retard and living off of instant ''tang'' for the last week of the month.

This week I got hit really really hard with THE BOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOO hahahaha I've been thinking all week... ''Now i know how that dude in ''Dumb and Dumber felt when harry gave him the laxatives and he was going crazy in the bathroom at thaty girls house...'' that's how I feel right now hahahahah it seriuosly sucks so dang bad. It's a hard one to work through because in a city like this there aren't bathrooms anywhere haha so I just have to be really strong...

Yesterday we found an iguana in the house that was running around and causing a lot of racket. So me and my companion decided to block off all of the exits and we trapped it and just killed it and we took it to a family and they ate it!!1 It was so awesome! Now I have found in the house and exterminated frogs, rats, mice, bats and now an iguana!! WHOOOO

 ''Hopefully the members will fellowship Arnulfo so that he stays in the church.'' That's what dad said to me and all I have to say is... This guy fellowships himself!!!!! He's literally the perfect person to be around because he just comes to church and sits with a different person every week. It's so funny to watch him because he just seems like someone that has been a member all his life. One of the biggest problems is that the members don't do anything to help our converts or our investigators, but this guy is totally automatic! This week he thought we started at 10 and we were sitting there in sacrament meeting waiting for him to show up so that he could recieve the Holy Ghost. But he never showed up in sacrament"! Then sure enough he came rolling in at 10 with his bike ready to be conferred. I told him that we already started and the sacrament meeting was ever and he was so pissed. You should have seen the look in his eyes hahaha It was so funny! Love this guy!!

Joseph Smith might just be my idol. I can hardly watch his movie without crying. The first vision is something that I really hold dear because it is something that just has a different Spirit to it. You can read the words in Joseph Smith History and just know that it happened. One thing about the First Vision is that even when we're teaching a family that couldn't care less and isn't paying attention or anything at all and thre are kids running around and freakin out, when we start to say the words of Jose smith, The Spirit enters and we can just see everything calm down, the kids stop making noise, the people start to pay attention and the Spirit is there. It is so amazing. 

I'm trying really hard to just keep myself focused on this area, it's a little hard because I don't know if I will have a change or not. I'm just trying to think about it like I'm not going to have a change. I'm super stoked because next week i can email anyone I want!!! Whoo!!!! I better have like 6 emails at least this week! and not counting the ones from the mission home!!! ;)

Just trying to keep my head up and do what I do and work hard and walk fast. I love you all and I'm so thankful for the support that each and every one of you give me! I hope you all have a great week!!!

Love Elder Hanson /:

WHOOOOO ARNULFO MA BOI Wedding and baptism!!!!! (Boda y baptismo)

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH you literally have no idea how happy I am!!!!!! Literalmente ustedes no tienen ninguna idea de como feliz estoy!!!!!

WHOOOOOOO WHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

March 19, 2013

WHOOOOOOO WHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone.

First I go to answer the questions...mom in the package can you send me some 5 blade razors?? They don't sell anything other than 2 blade because no one grows facial hair haha

1. Companion. Tell me what he is like. My companion is really nice and loves to talk...aka never ever ever ever ever ever shuts up. We can only have lessons for up to 45 minutes and sometimes I just have to cut him off while he's talking and end the lesson. He is just super annoying and overbearing haha.  Does it bother him that he isn't the senior? Yes haha. Because of this he has no respect for me. He wants to move up the chain but he isn't gonna do it any time soon.  Does he have special needs of any sort? I really wish he did so that there could be some kind of explanation for the behavior. He also chews like a freaking llama. I can't handle that. They will invite us over to have dinner and he's over there mascando como un freaking coche!  Give me someone to compare him to. let me think about that one and I'll get back to you. 

2.  How's your cook?  Give me another idea of what you eat everyday, ok? Well she is literally absolutely terrible hahahahaha the food is so bad and after 5 months of eating the same hot soup every day, I've gotten sick of it. I've just heard that after the coast everything is downhill from there! I pretty much just eat hot soup and weird stuff that she cooks. Most of the time I just ask her if she can make me eggs and beans and nothing else and she can't even hardly do that haha.

Okay there are your answers!!!!  One of the members went on a little vacation and brought me back a little bag to send to you mom. I thought it was the sweetest thing ever that she did. I'm gonna just keep is until I can send it to you like the bracelet that I have for Natalie. I had a really good week and I'm about to tell you the secret to my success haha.....

ATTITUDE!!!!!!!! Attitude literally changes every single thing in this whole life. I don't think that a single thing changed with me and my companion but my attitude changed and I just found some patience deep down inside of me haha and we had a really really awesome week and worked together really well. I just tried to be a little more there for him always and just tried to have the confidence that he wasn't going to ruin everything every time he talked haha.

I think I had the best moment of my mission this Sunday with the baptism of Arnulfo Lima. It was so amazing to finally get it done after all this time that I'd been with him and to get it done before I leave the area. We had the wedding on Saturday and everything went so so good haha we had a ton of members there and it was really good to see that for once the branch could show some support. One Sunday I had the opportunity to baptize Ma Boi Arnulfo Lima. There is literally nothing esle that compares to helping someone open the door to heaven in such a special way. I LOVED IT!!!!!!

I can email everyone in 2 weeks but that doesn't mean that I will have time to email everyone.  Please still email me if you can, and look at the blog to read my letters if I can't respond.  My boi colin got his visa and his in Brasil right now killin it and not understanding anything at all! Don't worry I've been there! haha

I'm having a good time and not letting my circumstances take control of me, I'm taking control of them! Lovin life out here in the mission and am happy to hear that Natalie finally got something from me hahahaha 3 YEARS LATER!!!!! I love you all and am so thankful for everything that you're all doing for me!!!!! Have a great week!!

Much love, Elder Hanson

Alligator & Virgin Guadalupe Towel

Alligator

Virgin Guadelupe Towel

This place is crazy!!

March 13, 2013

Hi everyone.

This week was CRAZY!!!! We didn't teach a ton and all of that good stuff but we were still working super hard and absolutlely killing it. We had a conference today with President Brough and I talked to him after just to talk about some stuff that's going on with me and my companion and they he told me that it looks like he might have to leave me and my companion together in Sipacate for another change. As much as I hope that doesn't have to happen, if it happens, I know that there's a reason. I can't say that I wasn't looking forward to a little bit of a change in scenery in 3 weeks but if it's not going to happen then I just need to buck up and get it done. There's a reason for every single thing that happens to us in our lives. And there's a good reason for what I'm having to do right now.

It was so weird to know that Dad was in Nicaragua this weekend haha. SO WEIRD!!! I could have hopped on a bus for 3 hours and been right up to him. The picture of the Chickys killed me because right before coming to internet, I ate some Chikys hahaah. So cool that you could go to church down there, it's so much different but I like it because it reminds us that we are all going to church because we know it's true, not because a bunch of other people go. I see that a lot down here, people don't go to church because someone has offended them in some way and they don't want to see that person in the church. I hate that beccause that's not a good reason to lose your salvation! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!!!!! It's so sick to see that Ben is going to Peru!! SPANISH BABY!!! And so awesome to see that Doug Hintze and My Boi Cody Sorenson got called to this mission! They're going to get down here and realize what it really means to work hard and walk fast. Other missionaries in the rest of the world have no no no no idea what that means!!! I know Cody really well and same with Doug and they will be just fine down here! The Haack attack has to wait till August??? I'll have almost exactly a year and he'll just be starting? QUE LOCO!! But everything is on the Lord's time!

I'm still struggling a lot with my companion and getting used to someone that is really arrogant and doesn't want to listen to me haha. With Elder Diaz he always listened to me and my ideas even though I was new and I didn't know anything. Now that I am Senior comp and don't have very much time, my companion doesn't have the respect for me and doesn't really listen to me and so that's really hard for me but I'm going to have to get used to all types of people and it will be even that much better when I can actually choose my own companion (wife) for good! It's a little hard but I know that I can handle it! I hope... haha

We baptized two young men this Sunday and that was so dang awesome! The best thing is that these two guys I know for a fact will always stay active in the church. Edgar Camey is 17 and lookes like he is 10 years old but I remember the first day that we contacted him in a bus about 3 months ago and really didn't give any thought to it but know I know that it is all the will of the Lord how things turn out! Ramiro Monzon was just awesome from the start. He's 21 years old and just wanted to change a bunch of stuff in his life and he just did it. He loves the Book of Mormon and takes it to work and reads it every day during lunch. It's cool to see in such a young man that he has the desire to do that. The thing that I'm loving the most right now, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE WEDDING OF ARNULFO LIMA AND HIS BAPTISM THIS WEEKEND!!!! AHHHHHHH I'm freaking out for this haha and am so dang excited. I've been working with him for so long and I love this man with all my whole entire being haha I'm so stoked for this!

I had a good week and pretty much all ]I can do through all of the advirsity is just kill it and work really hard and forget about everything. Thank you for everything you guys do for me and I hope that you have a great week this week! Mom you can send me whatever you want! Just make sure it will fit my stupid arms through all the growth that I will have in the mission!! I love you mom pray for you every day!!! 

Love you so much!!!!

Elder Hanson

BOOM Here comes the BOOM LOL

March 5, 2013

Hi everyone.

Well this week was a pretty interesting one!! First of all, I found out today that starting April 1, I can email any person that I want!!! WHOOOO YEAH lol. My boi Colly wolly got temporarily reassigned and is gonna kill it in Billings Montana. Tole me that he was pretty bugged at first but he got over it! Haha it was a good week over all and I'm really trying just to last out this change haha.

Well with my companion, it's still pretty dang frustrating and I'm having a hard time adjusting myself to his way of being. He just has literally every characteristic that gets on my nerves, even one that would get on Gabe's nerves, which is chew like a freaking CAMEL!!! But I actually like that one because it always reminds me of Gabe. He's always trying to give it to me hard and tell me after lessons what I should do and what i shouldn't do, then in the night I call my district leader and tell him what happened and everything is all good and that I should continue what I'm doing haha it's actually kind of funny. I'm trying really hard to keep the patience and just be loving and care about him but it isn't easy. He hardly ever stops talkikng and expects me to listen to him but then when I talk, he doesn't listen. One time we were in comp study and I was trying to tell him something pretty important and he freaking fell asleep! I was like HUHHH?? But I'm literally dragging him by my coat tails and running all about and teaching like crazy because I don't want to lose the trust that President has in me. Working hard is literally all we can do and the blessings are coming!

This week in Sacrament meeting we had a miracle. 12 investigators that came to church!!! WHAT?? 12??? Oh yeah baby!! It was so amazing! We also put in 2 dates for baptisms that are sure to happen this Sunday! Edgar Camey and Ramiro Monson! This guy Edgar is 17 years old and has the most awesome desire to go to church. On Sunday he told us that he had to go dig a huge hole and had to work, but he got up at 5 in the morning to go get his work done and then he came to church and loved it. He told us that he didn't want us to look at him bad if he missed a sunday and then wanted to be baptized the next! How awesome it is to see that there really are people that are prepared! With Ramiro, everything has literally fallen right into place with him. He also had work on Sunday and couldn't come the first couple weeks, but he asked permission and got work off and has come these last 2 Sundays and he has a really strong testimony. He brings his Book of Mormon to work and reads during lunch and takes a bunch of crap from this one guy and he just says to them to go away because he knows it's true and it's what he needs to be doing. With Arnulfo! I love this man so much and always have. I made a promise to myself that I would do everything possible to baptize him before I left this area. He almost has all his papers to get married and is still coming to church and teaching the lessons there haha He is so dang AWESOME! All we need is the wedding and then the baptism!! Everything is coming along good because we're working so dang hard.

Something that is crazy! With the making of this new mission in Coban Guatemala, we are recieving a new zone and losing two of ours that we have now. There is a posibility that I could change missions depending on where I am in like June when they split everything. That would be so dang weird. All the missionaries that are in these two zones would go and join up with the South Mission. I'm hoping that doesn't happen to me but that would be where the Lord wants me.

I loving doing the Lord's work. It's hard, yeah for sure, but we're getting it done. I'm trying to leave everything behind me and just lose myself and I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job of it. Grandpa H is always in my prayers. It's weird that dad is going to be so close to me! WHATTTTTTT???? I'm happy to be where I am and in this position of leadership that I have. I'm thankful for all the support of you guys and all that you do for me! I love you all so much!

Elder Herson (Hanson)

HERE WE GO!

February 26, 2013

HI EVERYONE

1.  Where is your companion from?

 My companion is from Honduras again but he is from a part of the Capital Tegucigalpa

2.  Does he speak English? 

Yeah he speaks a little bit but I prefer to talk in Spanish with him haha because sometimes I just get annoyed and don't have the patience. By the way, mom thanks for the lack of patience hahaha JK

3.  Are you getting a new mission leader now that the old one left on a mission? 

Well the thing is that before he left there were three people that had the Priesthood that lived in the area, Me, Elder Diaz and Fabricio. Now we just have two missionaries haha. There isn't active priesthood here in the area other than us two

4.  What are the fun things you do on P day? 

On P day there really isn't anything to do because we have to go about two hours out of our area to but all of our stuff for the week. Normally we just sit in the house and rest because there literally isn't anything to do here haha. But it isn't that bad really, it's nice to rest and write some letters if we have time.

5.  Feet totally healed?

No not totally. I'm starting to get little ingrown toenails hahahaha I just don't know when the madness will stop!!!!!!!!! But it's not that bad and I know it's only for the heat that I have so many stupid little problems.

6.  Anything else you would like in your package? Items that you can't get there, that you are craving?

I don't really know. There really isn't anything where I am at so anything is good. The airheads were Heavenly haha I loved those, even though I was supposed to give them to the kids... But whatever is good, I'm good! And I won't get it for a while!

Well this week was a tough one to say the least haha. It is so so so so weird to have a new companion that is literally nothing like the one that I just had. Elder Diaz was just totally chill and down to do anything and was totally obedient and just loved life and being in the mission. Now my companion is literally just the opposite. That's all I have to say about that...

So sweet that Diondra is getting out there!!! WHOO!!! There is a missionary in the mission right now from Australia and he is so sick! She will be so great! I got some really good letters this week and that made me super happy. I got a letter from Natalie that was the best thing ever! She sent me little pictures of us and all the fun stuff that we did together! LOVED IT. I also go a letter from Nicolle and that was funny to hear the difference between my mission and her mission. She mentioned metal sink and my heart sunk just like it was made of metal hahaha METAL SINK??? I want a metal sink hahaha. Also I love the letters from Dave and his family. The funny stories always cheer me up. I needed some serious cheering up this week haha.

Our investigators are coming along pretty well. We're trying to get all the papers for Arnulfo so that he can get married. The dude is on fire! He comes to church and practically teaches the Principals of the Gospel class hahah he's so awesome! We also have a kid named Ramiro Monson and he's 21. We've been teaching him for a little while and this week he got work off especially for church and is working to get it all off so he can come every sunday. STUD! We found an old man with his grandkids that had already went to church a bunch of times and they all want to be baaptized but he is going out of town for a little bit. I hope that one happens!!! But everything is woring out right now because I am really really trying to be super obedient so that I can have success in this change so I can show to my Heavenly Father that I can be trusted with this responsibility in the mission.

I'm really trying hard to learn two lessons. First is the Attitude and second is patience. I find that when my attitude is super good, my day is super good. We can take that lesson and apply it to every single day in our lives! With patience, I'm trying really hard to just keep it all in during the day and then pour it out into my journal and the pray it all out to my Heavenly Father. I love to pray. I'm literally always in constant communication with my Father in Heaven because I know that he really listens to what we have to say and it is important to him. I love my Heavenly Father so much.

I hope everyone has a great week and that eeryone can kill it! I guess Parker is going to Peru this week or something because his visa came in!! Super stoked for him. Chris Bednar couldn't get his visa to Mexico and got reassigned to Salt Lake.... ouchhhhh But the Lord has a reason to do everything.  I love you all so much and am so thankful for all the support!

Much love, Elder Hanson!

Cool bracelets I found

Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan

CRAZY WEEK!!!!!

February 20, 2013

Hi everyone.

This week was CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tha sucks to hear about the split of the ward but I know and am finding out more and more that the Lord has a plan in everything. It's going to be really weird without a million people in the church when I get home. But who knows lol? 

First of all!! WE FINALLY HAD A BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!! Maria got dunked! But it wasn't easy haha. She got sick the night before the baptism and couldn't come to church because she had to go to another city to get some special medicine and none of her family had any idea when she would get home. So there goes the baptism at 2 o'clock. But we didn't lose the hope! We returned to the house like 6 times and finally she was there around like 5. She told us that she still wanted to do it, so we took her and went to find a bus that could take us to the next city to take us to the baptismal font. There was no one!!!!! But after that we found some guy that could take us, so that was all good. We got to the other church and everything was ready to go! I baptized her, but let me tell you, it was not easy!! She didn't understand that she had to go all the way under the water. So after the 5th time, she finally went down!! I said the words right and everything but she just refused to go under. The last time I just basically took her feet out from under her and threw her under and there it was! It was a crazy experience but it was really good. I had been praying for a baptism really really hard so that we could have one before Elder Diaz left. I know that it happened because we worked super super hard and I was literally praying really hard. It was a miracle!! Abdias....well he decided to move to another city and go live there! Whoo!!! Haha I have no idea what people are thinking! And with Arnulfo! We taught him and he came to church and loves the church and wants to be baptized still. We just need to get his papers so that we can have someone marry them!! And then it's a baptism for sure, if he doesn't leave again...but it's all going good with the investigators!

Well with changes....of course Elder Diaz went to a different place, Chimaltenango, and there he is district leader. Our district leader called us a couple days before the changes and told us that yeah we did have changes and that both of us had interviews. WHAT?? haha only leaders have interviews and I had no idea what was going on! So we left the house on monday at 4 in the morning to get to the Cap for the interviews. I was really nervous, first of all to have a new companion, second of all to have an interview for who in the heck knows what, then to literally be left with this whole area in my hands because Elder Diaz left and our ward mission leader went on his mission today! I had no idea what was going on... I talked to President Brough and I am now Senion Companion to an Elder that has a year and a half in the mission, named Elder Ucles! What in the heck haha now I have a companion with a not great reputation and a whole area to lead haha. I seriously have no iead! I'm really stressed out haha. But I know that I have this calling for a reason and that I'm supposed to help someone in this change, whether it be me or my companion, I don't know, but we'll find out!! President Brough told me that this is really weird and hardly ever happens haha my second Companion and I'm senior! SABER!! hahaha But it's going to be good and I will be able to do it.

I'm glad to hear that everything is going good at home. I had a great Valentine's Day with Elder Diaz and we killed it listening to church music and working in the work of the Lord!!! BOOM!!! haha Well everything is going good for now. Excited for Jarom and B-town! I love you guys! thanks for all the support always!!

Love Elder Hanson <3

HAYYYYYYYYY

February 13, 2013

HAYYYYYYYYYY

This week was one of the best that we've had here. We taught like 55 lessons haha. Pretty much we just ran all over the city and just killed it! The best thing though that we did was put the date for the baptism this week for Maria! LOVE IT!!!!! Yess!!!!!! I've been praying and fasting like crazy so that we can have this baptism before Elder Diaz leaves. I know that the Lord is answering my prayers and is aware of what I want. The difference in this case is that I have been praying for Elder Diaz so that he can have this baptism before this change. He's itching to get out haha, but we've still got some work to do in this week to make sure that this baptism happens!!!

One thing that we did this week that was freaking awesome.... We went to the city San Lucas and went and saw the Lake Atitlan! That's where Alma baptized 204 people in one day in the Waters of Mormon. It was really cool to go and see a place like that with all that historic significance. The water and the things all around it just make it so dang cool. It really is such a cool and spiritual place. I have a ton of pictures but I couldn't send them this time so I'll send them next week! They are really cool. Maybe a once in a lifetime thing that I got to do yesterday!

The return of Arnulfo!!!!! Hahahaha este chambonsito!!!! He came back this week and we went to visit him this week and he was working haha. I want to go and talk to him so bad and just see what's going on with him and see if we have another potential baptism! We're working with Abdias and seeing is he can get his school changed and that's looking like it's going to happen! Super stoked for that! I'm really trying hard to work hard and be obedient so that these things can come to pass.

The mail system sucks way bad, trust me, I know. But everything that I have sent out will get there eventually and everything that yu guys send, I'll get it hopefully before my time to go home comes haha. I'm still writing a certain person every week so don't worry they will get there! Happy valentine's to everyone! My Number 1 Valentine, MY MOM, and my Number 1a valentine.... CHODE ..... Just kidding haha you know who you are LOL ;)

Not really much happened this week but the next time that I email, I'll probably have a new companion.... haha I don't know how I feel about that haha. My spanish is really coming along well. Lots of people don't believe me when I tell them that I only have almost 6 Months haha. I know that I'm really blessed to be able to pick it up quickly and be able to help theese people faster. I'M LOVIN' IT!!!!!!! Have a great week! I love you all!!!!

Love, Elder Hanson 3

Za Nigua

February 6, 2013

HEYYYYYYYY YOUUU GUYSSSSSS

First of all don't ask me what Za nigua means, because I have no idea at all... Neither does my companion hahaha. My district leader just always yells it. 

I'm still lovin' the packages and the stuff that you guys sent me! It really gave me a little boost in the temporal side of things. I'm still enjoying it and I'm still learning a lot from Elder Diaz and jsut hoping that we can have a baptism before he gets changed. I can see the frustration a little bit with him sometimes because he's not used to this happening haha. I'm really praying hard for a miracle for him. I have emailed Colin a couple of times and just to say something, The nickname ''Chode'' can't even escape him in the MTC! You seriously have no idea how proud I am! He says that the language is way weird and that the Spanish that he took in school is really messing him up haha. Also that the time is going by really really fast for him! It's crazy how the time flies out here.

This week we reencountered Abdias in the street and he has been reading and praying like crazy and is changing his schedule of school so that he can be able to go to church and be baptized!!! WHOO!!! That won't happen for a couple more weeks but I'm really hoping for that and praying like crazy. Also we have this little hermanita that is looking at having her baptism on the 17th. She has gone to church a bunch of times before and has always had the desire to be baptized but she hasn't been able to talk to the missionaries for a while. She came to church this week and loved it! She says that she's ready to do it on the 17th and I'm really hoping it can happen because that's right before Elder Diaz would leave. We're working really hard with her because she doesn't really understand way quick, but understanding isn't the requirement, it's to have a desire to do it!!

One of my baptisms, Maribel, She was pregnant and this week she lost her baby...she only had like 10 more days until he was due. It was really hard to see them in the pain that I've felt. I remember walking into the room and just feeling like ''I recognize this feeling.'' It's so hard because even now I have no idea what to say to people that go through these things. I just try to say what I can and it's even harder in Spanish. But we had a lesson with the family last night and she wanted to know where the babies go when they die and of course we read Moroni 8. It was a really spiritual lesson and I know that Gabe was there helping me to be able to say the words that I needed to say to this family. Things happen for a reason. And our Heavenly Father knows why. He knows why Gabe had to go a year and a half ago and he knows exactly why I'm here right now. It's amazing to know that we have a Heavenly Father that loves us and is aware of us in every single situation. I love this Gospel and I'm so happy to be a missionary and serving me Heavenly Father. I LOVE YOU ALL and am so thankful for everything you're doing for me.

Elder Hanson 3