Ok, so do I just pick a date then?

Don't panic mom. This last week was Zone Conference and Mission Leadership council. Lot's of changes in the  missionary department, along the west coast. From Hawaii to Alaska, 31 missions included will now have a designated "finding" time from the hours of 5:00-7:00 p.m. Included we will not be eating dinner - or any meal at that - with members. There are a lot of reasons behind this, one of them being that this is the time of day that people are coming home from work and are home as families. Another reason is that we want members to be involved with our missionary work, OTHER than feeding the full time missionaries, (which isn't really missionary work). Other missions have put this into play already and their convert baptisms have doubled. WE are ready for this change, we are ready to see miracles and to see Gods hand in our missions on a whole new level. So Mom, your email with a recipe is very fitting now that we are cooking for ourselves from 4 -5:00 every night for the rest of my mission. It will also force me to learn how to do something in the kitchen, besides spaghetti sauce.

Sisters at the Mission Leader Conference

"K" is on date to be baptized! We had exchanges after Zone Conference and Sister Naraarj (Nada-ad) from Thailand. She is just the cutest little thing, brand new out of the MTC this last transfer. We had a lot of fun together, learning about her culture, having language study, and learning about some traditions.

Sister Naraarj from Thailand

We were able to schedule a lesson with "K" and we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I can honestly say that one of my favorite feelings in the world is knowing that the spirit is speaking through you and that you are being used as an instrument in Gods hand. 

This lesson was so amazing. We didn't have a team up, and we tried really hard to get one that morning. We asked Sister "B", but she had work. We were prompted to ask her if she had any names or ideas of who we COULD ask to come help us teach. From this list of four woman only one could come, She was a PERFECT match. I would have never pulled her name out of my head but honestly it was perfect. The spirit was so strong in this lesson. "K" was asking awesome questions and expressing her concerns to us. We felt that we should invite her - yet again - to be baptized. She said at some point she knew she needed to but kept expressing different concerns, one being what her family and others would think and how they would react. I remembered a story in Preach My Gospel that was along these lines and I decided to read it to her, knowing that it might have been harsh, but also knowing that it was exactly what she needed to hear.

This is the story...

“When we invited the Sniders to be baptized and confirmed, Sister Snider was ready, but Brother Snider said, ‘Don’t get your hopes up, Elders. I don’t know if I can ever do this!’ Although Brother Snider accepted what we taught and was always warm and friendly, he was deeply concerned about how his family would react to his joining another church.

“After several weeks of watching Brother Snider struggle, my companion and I felt impressed to again read 3 Nephi 11 with the Sniders. I will never forget what happened that night. As we opened the Book of Mormon, my companion explained, ‘This chapter, as you might recall, recounts the Savior’s visit to the people in the Book of Mormon. Here we read about the Savior’s love for these people and what He taught them.’ We each took turns reading a verse or two. After reading through verse 5, my companion interrupted and said, ‘I have always been impressed with the description given here of the voice they heard. The voice was not harsh, it was not loud, and although it was a small voice, it had a powerful piercing effect on them. This voice was not only heard with their ears, but it spoke to their hearts.’ I watched the Sniders as they listened intently to my companion.

“After some discussion about prayer and listening to the Spirit, it was Brother Snider’s turn to read: ‘And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them: Behold my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.’ Brother Snider paused, looking intently at his Book of Mormon. Then he looked up at me and said, ‘Heavenly Father was really proud of His Son, wasn’t He?’ ‘Yes,’ I said. Brother Snider looked back at his book again and stared at the open pages as if deep in thought. Finally he said, ‘I would want Heavenly Father to be proud of me too. I wonder how He would introduce me. I guess, if I … well, if I want Him to be proud of me then I had better do what He wants me to do.’ ‘Yes, I think that would be important,’ I replied. ‘Well,’ Brother Snider continued. ‘I think I’ve been worrying too much about what everybody else thinks and not enough about what God thinks.’ After a brief pause Brother Snider nodded and with a determined look said, ‘I think I had better be baptized.’ His response was so unexpected that my companion and I looked at him with blank stares. Finally, my companion said, ‘Yes, that would be the right thing to do. In fact, later on in this chapter the Savior teaches …’ As my companion talked I felt a burning in my heart and gratitude for the power of the Book of Mormon.”

************

After reading this too her with tears in my eyes barely able to finish it, I looked up at "K" also wiping away tears, and she said "Ok so do I just pick a date then?" We were all ecstatic. We are aiming for November 24th, two days after Thanksgiving and the day we find out about transfers. We are so grateful for the spirit that resided in this lesson. We have had amazing members that have helped support her and friendship her and literally do anything that she is in need of. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and if you don't know that for yourself please take time on your knees. God needs us all to step up and know how to discern the spirit. Please take the needful steps to find and have your own testimony of the Savior.

I hope everyone has an amazing day and week and life! See you soon - ish

Love,

Sister Hansen