Well this week was FUULLLL of service.

Seriously, I barely had any REAL clothes by the end of the week. So ok...Monday was obviously Preparation day and my district is the literal best. We played sting, gator ball, and then waterfall. After all that we were all super sweaty and so we set up a table in the middle of the gym and put chair around it and played uno... yeah. Love this group of humans.

Goofing off with the district

Tuesday we started riding and got to like the whole other side of Ione and then the lovely Sister Valgardson got a major flat tire and we had to walk... all. the. way. back. SO that was fun, and hot, and sunny, and tiring. But hey what even is the missionary experience without a flat tire? After we got home we had to head out to Modesto for the New Missionary Training. I WAS SO PUMPED FOR THIS BECAUSE I NEW I WAS GOING TO SEE SISTER ROSE! It takes about an hour to get to Modesto from our area so once we got there I was so anxious to see her. As we walk in (If sisters walk in the room all the Elders have to stand) All the Elders stand up and Sister Rose looks back and we just run to each other and hug. UUUGGGGHHH it was so good to see her. We traveled back and went over to Sister Gentry's again to keep helping her pack. The moving truck comes tomorrow and Sister Val and I are soooo sad we don't want her to leave!

Back together again with my MTC District!

Wednesday we had our normal day of going out but obviously we were walking. So it took us a lot longer to get places and we didn't get as much done because we just walked the whole time. The coolest thing happened though. As we were walking this man had parked his car and was walking inside but we just happened to cross paths at the perfect time and talked to him for about 45 minutes! He just told us sooo many stories about his life and all else. We ended up giving him a pass along card and telling him we were going to come visit him again. HE WAS HILARIOUS! (This is like an OLD man ok). Then we had to walk all the way back home (again walking the perimeter of Ione) and headed out to Lodi for Interviews with the President and his wife. Went well I passed. So that's good. He is a TRULY inspired man.

Sister Gentry's pup

Thursday not much happened, we tried all morning on doors and no one answered. But HEY "No effort is wasted". Then we went to district meeting. Let me tell you YET AGAIN, I LOVE MY DISTRICT. This meeting went VERY well and the spirit was there with us. We talked about a lot of stuff and it was so nice to hear from everyone. They really are such good missionaries. Our Bishop has really been encouraging us to do stuff with the YSA to pump some of them up for missions, so we went over to their FHE and made an appearance and then shared a message with them at the end and that went really well. There were three returned missionaries there and we got them involved in sharing some stuff. Great guys in this ward, once even went to Antofagasta Chile and knows of Austin Francis! It was a really nice get together and it was at Mom's new favorite person's house, SISTER CRAMER! LOVE HER!

Now Friday was very different. In the morning we were doing some finding and we saw a less actives van in the front of this house that they bought. We decided to go knock on the door and see what they were up to. Well we walked in and they were re-modeling the house and we offered to help and so we did... in our missionary clothing... We got SUPER sweaty and dirty and all together gross. But construction is fun! Dad thank you for teaching me to hammer like a man. I was tearing tiles off and scraping tile vinyl off the ground. We ended up being there for a while, they fed us sandwiches from the local market, YUMMY. Then we went over to their house they are living in now and helped clean up and do other things. We ended the day giving a really nice lesson to a lady we teach every week. But let me just tell you, construction and cleaning smells makes you TIRED!! I was exhausted! We got home and wrote in journals and prayed and I CRASHED. One of my favorite parts of the day is climbing in my nice cozy cool bed and sleeping.

Elder Stock on the HUGH tree platform

If I were a bug...

HOLY COW BUSY WEEK! But Saturday we jumped into a fairy tale basically. Or in other words, the Roberts home. They were preparing for a work Luau for that night and they needed A LOT of help. MOM THIS YARD WAS INSANE. There was like four layers and every single inch was covered in flowers or shrubbery. They had really big upper layer that was just grass and then on the side they had a cute little play house that matched their actual house. The next layer they had a built in deck with a pool, it kinda looked like the Great Gatsby pool. The next layer they had a HUGE outdoor kitchen with a bar and barbecue and a ton of matching furniture, they called that Pixie Hollow. Beautiful and so much shade! The next layer was a beautiful man made creek with two bridges on opposite ends. THIS IS THEIR YARD! It was sooo beautiful. We were there.... ALL DAY. After we left we went home and showered up and cleaned up and then went back, because they signed up for dinner and so we just ate at the Luau. It was a lot of fun and there was probably 125 people there and obviously most were not members. So it was good that we were seen! Fun night, but also EXHAUSTING.

Then today! Today I am writing late because again MY DISTRICT IS AWESOME! We all went up to BIG TREES TODAY!!! Yay something we have all been dying to do and we finally got to! It was amazing and REALLY hot. But a super beautiful place. SO expect quite a few pictures!

If you need motivation this week to be a good missionary read: Alma 18:36-40. It is an amazing chapter and SUPER MOTIVATIONAL. Read it with the mindset of a missionary.

Sister Hansen

First Zone Conference

Holy cow TIME FLIES WHEN YOU ARE ON A MISSION! I cannot believe it's preparation day again.

Two UNIFIED sisters

Well Tuesday night we taught the Plan of Salvation to our investigators and it went really well. They really do ask so many questions which is super nice. But overall it was a good lesson. I am still like super nervous to teach the lessons. But I have to remember that I know this stuff and I can't just be all panicked! So that night for dinner we went up to Fowler Hill. Which is that place at the top of this super long dirt road. (that little puppy was one of their 7 dogs) and the next day we had Zone Conference so we knew that the car would be inspected. So after we got home at about 9:45 (already late) we had to wash the car, I was so bitter about it, but you gotta do what you gotta do!

Our lime green kitchen. MOM: Does it give you a head ache? ME: nah, you get used to it!

MY FIRST ZONE CONFERENCE! I was actually super excited about this because I knew I was going to be seeing some of my MTC pals and some people that went to Davis that Sister Val knew was in our zone. Conference was in Stockton which I've heard it's a pretty scrappy place but I didn't mind it! We walked into the chapel and first thing I see is Elder Palepale's afro hair... I was SO excited to see my little MTC brother there. He told me that a little boy came up to him the other day and just said "Elder Palepale, I want you to baptize me" and so he did! Super Exciting! Then Elder Kessler walked in and we both got excited. He hasn't changed a bit, still Elder Kessler. Then I saw Elder Mutchie (an old friend from school). He came up to me and shook my hand and was like "NOOO WAAAYYYY". It was pretty funny because he obviously didn't know that I got my call to Modesto and probably didn't even know I was going on a mission. So that was exciting!

District goofing off

My friend, Elder Mutchie. We know each other from High School!

After Zone Conference we actually had exchanges with the Sister Training leaders. That was a good experience except I was SUPER overwhelmed because it was a new companion, new area, and we were just expected to go teach new people. It was different but it went well. My companion for the next 24 hours was Sister Bell. She is from Bountiful! Super cute girl. She was an awesome teacher, and a great example. The next morning when we had personal study, I said one of the most sincere prayers I have ever said just blessing my family and I got SOOO emotional. I literally went to the bathroom and had a "I miss everyone" meltdown and then pulled myself together again and went and studied. It was crazy. You could say that I was a little homesick, just a little. But then I was fine. For exchanges we went to Delta. It is a community college in... Stockton... I think. I haven't street contacted since my first day in the field in Modesto so I was NEEEERRRVOOOUUSS. But again Sister Bell was such a good example and it wasn't TOO bad. We actually got a potential investigator while we were talking to him and we invited him to church and he said he would be there (when I say we I mostly mean she). Super cool experience. Overall exchanges weren't too bad. (Except for the beds we had to sleep on :(...)

With Sister Training Leaders 

Soooo lately for a message with people Sister Val and I have been singing hymns to them! It is so nice to be able to share that with people. One lady said to us after we finished "it was hard for me to listen to the lyrics or feel the spirit because I was just so over joyed to be listening to that!" It was so funny. OH AND THEN WE HAD DINNER AT THE HARMONS THE NEXT NIGHT. We had a disney/broadway sing along and me and this beehive in the ward sang For Good from wicked and she KILLED it. It was so much fun!

In honor of Aunt Laura

We got to visit Sister Wittmer again, we were so excited to go see her! We walked in the home and she ran to us crying and told her husband to leave as she was hugging us. Her breathing was very irregular, but the longer we hugged her the more she calmed down. She exclaimed to us that she REALLY needed some girl time, so we just talked with her and ate strawberries, bananas, and nutella. She is seriously the funniest most wonderful lady that is SOO full of the spirit. All of her hair fell out this last week so she was wearing a bandana and then she showed us all of her bandanas and scarfs that she wears around her head and taught us how to tie them. She then gave each of us a scarf to have. Such a sweet lady, so we put them on and had a photo shoot! It was a lot of fun! I honestly just eat up everything she says.

Me, Sister Wittmer, Sister Valgardson

Sunday night we had dinner at the Cramers, (Mom you got a fun message right?) They were so much fun! They reminded me a lot of my family, always teasing each other and finding ways to have fun.Then she pulled out her SNAKE. I don't like snakes... at all. But I held it cause #Yolo and it wasn't even a very big one. It totally wasn't even bad, I am totally brave. But then I walked in front of its face and got the shivers down my back. BUT HEY I HELD IT. I'M BRAVE OK!

This is Rex and I am SOOOOO brave!

Overall It was a very fun week and we took lot's of pictures, SO ENJOY!


Have an amazing week!
Love,
Sister Hansen

Are you an Iron Rodder or a Liahoner?

This week has gone by so incredibly fast. But to start off, P day last week was so much fun. My district is just a ton of lunatics. We set up the volleyball net and it was just complete nonsense, but it felt good to laugh. I seriously laughed so hard I ended up on the floor holding my abs. They are such fun Elders.

So we have been helping this lady Sister Gentry move out and every time we go over there her three little puppies just run out to greet us. Sister Gentry puts little dresses on them, and changes them every day or every other day. They are adorable. But the other day as we were moving her stuff out, she asked if she could feed us dinner, we already had a dinner that night but she asked if we could come an hour earlier because her dinner was worth eating. We decided to have two dinners that night... BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. Sorta. She made us ALLIGATOR. WE ATE ALLIGATOR. And let me just say, it was really yummy but it didn't agree with either of us. We were sick to our stomach for the next week. And I still am paying for it. But it is still exciting. There were so many bones in it. Like BIG bones. I kept one and am going to bring it home. She is awesome and we are REALLY going to miss her and her little pups.

We had an amazing visit with a lady in our ward that has just figured out she has terminal cancer. WE LOVE HER. Everyone loves her. She told us that there are two kinds of people, and Iron Rodder and a Liahoner. She said Iron Rodder's are people who are book smart and doctrine smart and just really good at scriptures and stuff, and Liahoner's are good at connecting with people and sharing personal experiences and being loose. The perfect companionship is one of each I think. Her husband told us some funny family history stories (Some people down here are SUPER into genealogy, and I have actually kinda gotten into it. I studied and read over everyone on the chart dad sent me and read the stories as well. Looking through that chart, I can pick out where my personality has come from... little bit of her, little bit of him, it's kinda fun.

Last Sunday a couple in our ward brought a nonmember couple into church with them and they gave them a Book of Mormon and they accepted the discussions with us. We went over there last Monday and it went really well. We had some members there with us and THANK HEAVENS we did. This couple was a part of another religion and was VERY faithful. They were asking REALLY deep questions, that made us VERY grateful that one of the members was able to answer. But overall the lesson went really well and they seem pretty interested, we are teaching them again Tuesday night so hopefully it goes well and they want to keep hearing more!

Tracting is not SUPER effective. We will ride around the whole area and knock on LOTS of door but no one will answer or they say they are not interested, or they don't have time. It is a little frustrating at times, but we just have to shrug it off. We laugh about rejections because they aren't even willing to listen to us say ANYTHING. The ward is  really great and every week I have been learning more names and meeting new people. In ward council we have discussed that the Ward needs to do their job with inviting and finding so we have more people to teach. I hope they follow through because the finding and tracting we are doing is not really working.

YES there is a prison! A lot of the people around here work there and the only reason the population is a decent number is because of the Prison. We aren't allowed to teach there, but people in our ward have callings to go minister there every Sunday. We ride past the area and here them having target practice and it's pretty cool. We actually had dinner with one of the Psychologist at the prison and she had so many CRAZY stories. She said one time this guy wouldn't come out of his cell and they were gonna tranquilize him but they called her down and she was like "Guys Please" and held out Noodles and he came... She said that she works with a ton of Over grown Kindergartners. I can't imagine some of the mental people in there. I don't think I could do what she does. But she is Hilarious and that's probably why a lot of the inmates like her and will talk to her. An answer to My mothers question: Do I feel Safe? Yes. I feel safe. I have the best Body Guard in the world on my side 24/7.
I hope you have an amazing week, full of fun and happiness.

Love you all! Keep on keepin on!
Sister Hansen

Parent's note: Sorry, no pictures this week, but we love her letter!

WATER BUFFALO, ZEBRAS, and A GIRAFFE

Wow, what a week. So I'll just start from the beginning...

Day 2: The day we have been waiting for... we woke up and ate breakfast. Sister Rose and I were like inseparable because we new that we were going to get new companions. But we were also suppppper excited about it. They sat us down and brought in all the trainers. But we were in the bathroom when that happened so I didn't get to scope them out. President Palmer starts talking and then says "Ok now the moment you have been waiting for." He starts reading off a list and I am just listening SOOO intently. He starts reading about this area called Ione (sounds like I own) that is so important to him and that the bishop is super missionary minded and then he says and they will be blessed with two great missionaries... Sister Hansen and Sister Valgardson. I look around and see her stand up, I stand up and give her a hug and then we sit down. First day jidders and first day meeting her. SUPER CUTE girl.

Me and my bike

Then we go straight to Down Town Modesto to proselyte. We get out of the car and they say, "Ok go talk to people". It was insane. I was like ummm ok? But it went alright. There were a lot of homeless people that were sorta interested but we couldn't really set anything up because, I mean... they were homeless.

Sister Valgardson

After Lunch we headed off to Ione, which is like one of the farthest cities in the area. It took about an hour and half to get there from the mission office. We had a really nice drive there, getting to know each other, laughing, goofing off, we get along really well. We pulled up to a house.... yeah a house. This is our house that we are living in. Three bedrooms, bathroom, full kitchen (its like lime green tho), living room with two lazy boys and a love seat, and A PIANO. Yeah we have a piano in our living room. We just dropped off my stuff then left to meet the Bishop, who you will hear about more, maybe next week (I just don't have a ton of time). We met with a couple more members including the secretary and the mission leader, then we headed back to unpack and retire for the day. WOOOOOO and there it is Day 1.

Tired puppy

The rest of the week has just flown by. It is painfully hot here. I feel claustrophobic because I can't escape the heat. My hair and my clothes get so hot and sweaty. My favorite seat after we get back from tracting is a bench by the swamp cooler, until my body temperature stops screaming at me.
But I love it here so much! Ione is beautiful, in a way it sorta looks like Africa. (You'll understand when you see the pictures).

Africa

On the drive up to the Bishops house this house (they call it the mini zoo) has a TON of property and they have, cows, WATER BUFFALO, ZEBRAS, and A GIRAFFE. WHAT? It's pretty cool. I haven't seen the Giraffe yet, but still.

The creek we pass

The families are amazing down here and I seriously love the ward. There is so much love. The Bishop is awesome and super funny. There is this lady that said that she was at a store and over heard someone say yeah my priest charges $100 for a blessing, she said she told the bishop that she heard that and he said "Man I would have done it for $75!" It was super funny, obviously he was kidding.

In conclusion, I love this area and I love the people and I love, I love, I love. This mission experience has already been amazing. I don't want to take one day for granted.

Love you all, Keep on Keeping on!

Love,
Sister Hansen

Twinning is winning (Sister Rose)

Q & A:
Dad:
Q: How hot is it?
A: Really Hot.. President Palmer is aware of the heat so we are supposed to be back in the house around 12 for lunch and Companion study, so we don't die...
Q: How is your new bike?
A: I was really worried about it because the seat had no cushion, SERIOUSLY NO CUSHION. The first day was ok, second day was not ok, my bum hurt so bad. I probably looked so awkward riding because I was trying not to put pressure on my bum, but I had to sit down. By the third day I was able to sit down without wanting to cry and now i'm doing alright.
Q: Companion, and City?
LOVE<3 and LOVE<3. Sister Valgardson is from Provo and she was a commercial dancer for Odyssey. So I'm pretty much dying to see her dance...

Mom:
Q: Seeing Jennifer?
A: I DID NOT CRY THE WHOLE TIME! I cried when I saw her and then I was fine the rest of the time. I loved seeing her and catching up and being dorks, and goofing off.
-SIDE NOTE: Those pictures of her coming home and everyone for sure made me cry, Sister Valgardson was just staring at me like I was crazy.
Q: Elder Holland?
A: Amazing and so special

My bike

1ST DAY: THE SPIRIT WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS

Well I am in the field as of today! I am soooo tired, this morning we woke up at 3:00 in the morning... NOT FUN. It's hard to stay focused on all the orientations when my eyes are pulling themselves closed. But I can honestly say there is no where else I would rather be. Flying in and looking over the valley, I had so much peace come over me and it felt so nice to have a feeling of confirmation.

At the airport. Photo compliments of Sister Rose's dad who happened to be at the airport and ran into them!
Sister Rose, Elder Kessler, Elder Palepal, Sister Hansen, Elder Heramsen

On the flight here I sat next to this super nice lady, her name was "E". On the other side of her was an Elder going to my mission but Spanish speaking. He started the conversation with her right away, like even before we took off. He started out with a question, then right to "Do you believe in God" I was shocked. She explained that she was Christened as a child then baptized in the Southern Baptist church when she was older. She just kept asking questions and this other Elder doesn't speak very good English and just kept saying random stuff. We started lifting off and he got really excited and just gazed out the window like an insect going into light. She resolved to me and we had a really nice discussion about her life and what she believed in, and she asked a TON of question (Which was really nice).

Sister Hansen and Sister Hansen get to meet for an hour at the MTC!! Tender Mercies!

She asked me a question that was NEVER asked to us in the MTC, and that was, "What role does your religion play in this world?" CAN I JUST SAY THAT THE SPIRIT WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS? Earlier my Protein shake spilled in my bag and so I was holding my PMG, B.O.M, pamphlets, and my journal... on my lap... like a little bible girl (that's kinda what I am for the next year and a half). I pulled out my Scriptures and read to her, 2 Nephi 31:21 and explained to her the Book of Mormon. It went really well and it wasn't stressing me out at all! She asked me some questions that I thought people just joked about, like I thought everyone knew that. Like she asked if we have arranged marriage. I was a little surprised. We ended exchanging emails and the Elder gave her a pass along card. What a way to jump right in, I'd say!

Jennifer, Elder Wittwer, Allison

So far so good, tomorrow they are having us go to the city Modesto and just approach people and talk to them... PRETTY NERVOUS FOR THAT but whatever. I'll send pictures next week!

Love,
Sister Hansen