It was quite a busy week...(so, short letter)

Alright here we go. So Monday - Tuesday was EXCHANGES. I have officially hit every zone in the mission now. Goal accomplished. Houghson is so cute. LIterally the cutest little town. Exchanges were great. We had a lesson with one of their Investigators that has a baptismal date and she is AWESOME. Wow so cool. The house there was tiny so fitting five people in that little house was... fun and hot and exciting and small and yeah. Twas a good day.

My temple socks!

Wednesday was Zone Conference!! Literally this day is my favorite day in the mission. When all the missionaries get to come together and council and just be together. Wow so much fun. It was quite a uplifting experience. President Palmer was very concerned about our safety and our well being. It was just so good. Then after Zone Conference we had a meeting with our investigator, Monica. She is amazing. We met with her and she told us how much she loved these two conference talks. She sent them to her friends and everything. WE DIDN'T EVEN TELL HER TO. She is so amazing. She is so excited about coming to church and she has this adorable son. His name is Liam. She is amazing.

It was quite a busy week. But I don't have time to write it all down. So sorry! Hope you all have a wonderful week!

LOVE,
SISTER HANSEN

I honestly cannot even title this email

Let me start from the beginning of the week...
Monday the weather was wild. It down poured then it was beautiful weather, "Blue skies and SUNSHINE!", then it hailed, then it was "Blue skies and SUNSHINE!" then the whole parking lot at the church was just steaming... it was quite scary, then it rained some more. Crazy. We went to help someone at their house and before we went in, there was a pile of snow at the bottom of their gutter. Obviously we took a picture.

Some Utah boys who are in Modesto working summer sales.
They stopped to say HELLO when they saw the sister missionaries!

Happy Birthday to Sister Eliason. We had such a good missionary day! I guess we should have more birthdays around here because we were able to meet with two of our investigators in 8th ward and have lessons with them, we got lunch and can't forget the ice cream.

Sister Peterson and me playing with snakes.

Then Miss Halie Goulding. Man I love her. She was able to come to our District meeting and share an awesome mission experience/training with us about the atonement. (if only our district was reverent). I don't know why, but this girl like loved me, we barely even know each other. I have only seen her twice, but we were like besties. She is so cute, she left right after District meeting to go to Utah for her sisters wedding then she is headed out for BYU-I for school. She was literally home from her mission for less than a week... remind me not to do that. Wow. I need a little more time with my family. Like wow.

We got a really solid referral from Head Quarters. His name is J.S. He started chatting with missionaries online and he ordered himself a Book of Mormon and Bible and told us he had already been looking through it. He told us that he just wants to find the Lord. Although he has great faith he wants to expand his faith and come to know Christ even more. When we called him, he sounded really young and we were sorta bummed because we would have to pass it on to the YSA Elders but we asked him his age and he said 15! So we have to get parents permission but we were so impressed with this 15 year old boy looking for the truth... sounds familiar.

HOLY COW. JENNY MAY! This crazy lady gave us a call this last week and told us she would be moving into the ward and that she may need some help moving in. We told her we would love to help and oddly enough Sister Palmer called that day and said she wanted to have lunch with us, we told her about the situation and Sister Palmer (mission president's wife) said "GREAT! I'll come!" This lady is an angel and she is hilarious. The May family is AMAZING. They told us they haven't been to church in a while but told us that they would like to be fully active again. THEY WILL BE. Sister Eliason spoke in church and they come strolling in! Very exciting.

LOVE MODESTO clean up crew (aka missionaries!)

#L❤veModesto was this week! This is a giant service project thing that the whole community gets together and spreads throughout Modesto to pick up garbage help build stuff and just make Modesto a better place. There was a TON of people there. IT WAS SO FUN! Sister Petersen, Eliason, and I as well as Elder Longman, Beus, Andersen, and Pasikala we all went to Agnes Baptist school and did yard work and some other stuff. Seriously so much fun.

Have a great week!
Sister Hansen

CHIN UP AND CHARGE THE MOUNTAIN

WHAT. A. WEEK.

Alright people, this week was wild. everything about it, and I honestly can't even believe it has only been a week. We are so overwhelmed with all the work we have to organize between the 8th ward and the 10th ward. We have been so busy with moving in and organizing dinners and all that other stuff. Just when I thought I was going to have a break down because of all the stress, Sunday came.

My new companions: Sister Peterson, Sister Eliason and Me!

For all those who have been on missions Sundays are a day that we, as missionaries, all look forward too. To sit and listen to the prelude music, sing hymns with the congregation and the people we love, partake of the sacrament and renew our covenants with our Heavenly Father, listen to the speakers and be spiritually fed with wonderful news and further knowledge about this wonderful Gospel we have been privileged to be a part of. Well, this particular Sunday was very stand out. In Ward Council we had a very nice discussion about how to prevent abuse in the homes. It amazed me that the church is time and time again taking the bigger step, what a good look we must have to cover this and be so concerned about the Family. I was reading a Conference talk from April 2013 (We can do that now with smartphones ❤😍) A talk by Elder L. Whitney Clayton he said "Humility means that both husbands and wives seek to bless, help, and lift each other, putting the other first in every decision." This is only one of many references that apostles and prophets and not to mention our Father above have mentioned about families and the respect we should have for each other at all times. May we all "Cleave" unto this Gospel and families and not let go.

Sister Eliason and me sporting our awesome helmets!

Whoops went on a tangent... anyways back to church. So there was a missionary homecoming this last week and she honestly changed my mission, and my life. She spoke about her mission in a way that was just amazing to me. She cherished the miracles that she was able to take part of and expressed her appreciation for the spirit directing her to decide to go on a mission, if she wouldn't have listened she wouldn't have been able to take part in anything that she cherished so dearly. It made me think, "That is what I want". She also talked about the Atonement like I have never heard and it just opened a whole new eye to the gift that we have been given. Wow, she was amazing.

The rest of church was wild because we had to go to both wards, ward councils and so forth. BUSY BUSY BUSY.

I am grateful for this wonderful opportunity to serve. I have been very blessed.

Met up with one of my favorite families from my first area. Love these people!

Sister Hansen

VERY HAPPY TEARS PEOPLE.

I am so overwhelmed with everything I have to cover today. But guess what? The internet is down at the church, so I have to use my phone which is not fun. Next week hopefully I will be able to tell you more...

So here are some main points for this week...Sister Rose is a strong individual and God put us together for a reason, it was no coincidence. God has a plan for each of us and he has a heck of a plan for Sister Rose. We love her very very much.

Conference was AMAZING! And wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. So many changes. But one of my favorite parts they saved for last! New temples! LAYTON UTAH. SAY WHHAAATTTTT! I wish my reaction was on video. I was all sitting back on the couch then he said that and I shot up faster then I ever have, gasped and then started to cry... very happy tears might I add. VERY HAPPY TEARS PEOPLE.

No more visiting teaching? I'm almost a little bummed about this, but I know it is Gods will. I remember in Tracy when Bishop Hendricks talked to Sister Bustos and I in one of our meetings. He said "a visiting teacher will be one of if not the most important calling of your life. Please preform faithfully." I appreciated that so much and at that moment I committed to be a faithful visiting teacher when I returned home from my mission. And now I will minister to whomever I am assigned. These are souls we are talking about, treat them with so much care, just as the Savior would.

Sorry for the short email... But I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Really random pictures this week... oops

Also very foggy morning.I don't know if I have told you guys this but we have been playing frisbee every morning and I have been teaching them how to throw a frisbee. They are killing it!

Sister Hansen