Women's broadcast

This week has been full of visiting people and SERVICE!!

We felt that we needed to go and see a less active lady in our ward, so we did. We got there and her garage was open and her two little girls were riding their bikes around the garage. We pull up and they wave at us and then their mom comes out and says "Oh hey girls". We ended up helping her clean and build a bed for her youngest girl. We got to pray with her and she taught her girls to pray it was actually kinda nice.

Elder Powell Made us Skirts!!

Guess what?! YES MORE VOLLEYBALL! The YSA class invited us to share a message with them and so we did and then we got to play volleyball! There were A LOT of people there. It was just a ward thing but a lot of less actives and non-members showed up to play from Galt and Sacramento and so forth. It was a good show. Then Friday we got to play a little bit with the Fowler's after we shared a message with them as well. I recommend studying and pondering on Exodus 14:14. A VERY short scripture full of so much truth.

Saturday morning we headed out to Murphy's for an Emergency Preparedness Fair that a lady in the Murphy's ward was in charge of and she asked if we could come and help out. Murphy's is about an hour and 20 minutes away from Ione and we had to be there by 8:30. It was a busy morning and a long day at the fair. We were NOT aloud to proselyte so that was sorta hard, but we were seen. After we got home within the next 5 minutes we were out the door again to go build a shed for a member in the ward. Westy and Booboo came and helped and we had a hoot. We just messed around and the shed was up in a matter of... 4 hours or so... HAHAHA. Ok it took a bit but the shed was 7' by 7' and 8 feet tall. So it was sorta fast. ***BAD MISSIONARY*** It overlapped into the women's broadcast so we actually watched it the next day.

Sunday morning! Beautiful testimony meeting. It sort of had a trend. Christ LOVES us, and no trial or tribulation is put in your life without knowing you can overcome it.

Sunday we got to watch the Women's broadcast with the lady that we built the shed for. Since she was helping and neither of us watched it.
QUESTIONS OF THE SOUL:
-Why didn't I say that...?
-What does Jesus Christ mean to you?
-What is mattering to you?
-Can you Recognize the Spirit?
OTHER:
-"Bound to Him by loving ties"
- COMMIT TO FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST!
This conference was amazing and just like my mom said, I AM listening with different ears now. These are LOADED with helpful information. Grateful for the opportunity and resources we have to listen to talks and partake of others knowledge of the restored Gospel. Their testimonies have strengthened mine.

I remember in the MTC at our Goodbye devotional, the MTC president said "You will experience heartbreak on your mission, much more than a dear John or dear Jane letter. This heartbreak I am talking about is when an Investigator that you have been working with no longer would like to meet with you." Well I have received my first heartbreak on my mission. This morning we received the text that E and M can not read the Book of Mormon anymore. My heart LITERALLY hurt. But I just had to realized that we planted a seed that may grow later down the road, but for now we have to let go. These things happen and I am so grateful for my companion to lift me up and say KEEP MOVING FORWARD. Cause that is all you can do. Loved them and wish them the best.

Sister Hansen

Spiders, Snakes, yodi's! Oh my!

Highlights from this week in Ione, California:

This week has been FULL. Trials, happiness, joy, tears, and everything.

I can't explain the feelings in my heart, but something I can say is God is so wise. He new exactly where I needed to be at exactly the right time. My whole life has been a build up to the moments I have had on my mission. I thought that I would have to calm down my personality so everyone didn't think I was crazy, but my personality, my loud, obnoxious, bold, "tell it how it is" personality is what has helped me connect with people. Many people told me before the mission to "be myself". That is exactly what I am doing. God sent ME to Modesto, California.God sent ME to Ione, California. Why would I be anyone else?

I want to bear my testimony that this church is so VERY true and that God knows all. He has put people into our lives for a reason. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve and to meet these people.

Note from Mom: I woke up to a text Monday morning that had this picture attached and it said "We love Sister Hansen". We love the good people in Ione who send random pictures and take such good care of Sister Hansen and Sister Valgardson.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THE YSA DEVOTIONAL FROM BEDNAR. IT IS AWESOME.

I can't eat Chinese anymore because we eat it literally all the time, as well as Mexican
and pizza.

Everyone is super pumped about Halloween and they take it super serious here.

Sister Val ran over a snake on her bike, We ran over a tarantula in the car, and we almost hit a coyote.

I beat a member at speed 10+ times and he won 1 game... so that was fun.

Ward Choir has started again and it was nice to have some music practice again. I LOVE MUSIC.

AND HUSKY PUPPY. Members got a new pooch. He is so cute!

"I don't need easy, I just need possible." - Bethany Hamilton

SORRY ITS JUMBLED BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME!

Love,
Sister Hansen

BE YOURSELF

I have officially been out for a whole transfer. I can't believe it. This email probably isn't going to be super long because the week seriously consisted of service. A LOT of it.

But it has been an amazing week. Full of the spirit and amazing people. I have realized that every single experience in my whole life has led me and prepared me to my mission today. Even my nic-name has helped me connect with people. I am so happy to share my corky personality with others. One piece of advice that I got multiple times before I left on my mission is "Be Yourself" and I LIVE off of this advice. It is seriously the only way you are able to connect with people.

Note from parents: Allison's dad always called her Boo Boo when she was little. I (mom) got a text with this picture late Saturday night that said, "We have a Boo Boo too!" So here are two Boo Boo's!

I GOT TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL. Seriously felt so good and it has led to less active members participating in church activities! Again learning how to play volleyball has blessed other peoples life. At the end of Volleyball someone said "We didn't know we were playing with a professional volleyball player and a professional dancer!" I WAS SERIOUSLY HONORED.

Some of Boo Boo's family. They have 12 kids and their house reminds me of Grandma Hansen's. I LOVE IT UP THERE!

While out tracting we ran into missionaries from another religion also knocking on doors and wanted to talk to us. He showed us a video about Christ (or so he said) it was more like a video of happiness... then gave us pamphlets. Then it was our turn. We gave him a #princeofpeace card and bore him a quick testimony. Cool experience, but I don't think he is gonna be watching that video... We knocked a lot of doors that day and it was pretty hot outside, but again NO EFFORT IS WASTED! (Alma 29:14-15)

 I LOVE my district!

Transfer calls were yesterday and we are both staying in Ione! I am so very grateful! One of our less active members said that she would go to church if we both stayed here. So this morning she texted us and said "so?" and we said back "start picking out your outfit, you are coming to church with us!" So that is a blessing.

I love it here in Ione and there is much work to be done. But I encourage all those who are reading this to continue your own missionary work where you are. It is so very important that as members of the church, even if we do not have an official missionary tag, we understand our role. That is to spread the word to all those who are willing to listen and to fellowship those who don't want to listen (for now). If you don't have an official name tag then write it on your heart. I love you all and I pray for you. This is my challenge to you this week as well as study Hymn number 134, which is 'I Believe in Christ'.


LOVE YOU ALL AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Love,
Sister Allison Hansen

YEAH MORE SERVICE!

This week has seriously just flown by and it has been AMAZING.


So yeah Monday we went to big trees and we had so much fun! Then we finished packing Sister Gentry up and said goodbye. It was so sad. But she gets to be with her family so she will be watched over and taken care of. WE LOVE HER SO!

BIG pine cone in Big Trees

Tuesday was wild. I did learn how to read and write a Ancient language and I am totally not kidding. I am still practicing and I have no idea how to speak it. It was just a random thing... I am a random thing. I'll send pictures of scriptures I have been writing in Phoenician. We worked at the Hawkins, painting stripes and such for quite some time and then our dinner got canceled so they fed us dinner. This family REALLY takes care of us. And we LOVE LOVE LOVE them. After dinner we had to go back and clean up cause we were the definition of disgusting. Paint mixed with sweat AND dust. Yummy. We taught a great lesson to Matt and Erin that night with the Fowler's and  Matt Busi (the bishops son) giving GREAT insights and comments. We have been thinking a lot about them and we think they are just in it to learn and we want them to be in it to come unto Christ not just to learn more information. So we are going to keep trying and bring up our concerns with them and ask if they understand why we are meeting with them. They are seriously so awesome and they ask SUCH great questions that lead to SUCH great discussions.

Writing in Phoenician

 GUESS WHAT HAPPENED WEDNESDAY? GUESS. Yeah so Sister Valgardson got another flat tire, but with her flat tires it's not just like a pop its like it slices the whole tube. So we walked... again. But we stopped by a members house to visit with them because they have been asking us to. We were just sitting talking and then he was like well I need to go to the store, do you folks need anything. Sister Val was like uhh no I don't think so. Then I was all, WEEELLLL actually. Long story short he brought her bike into the shop and got a strong tire put on and it has done good! Grateful that.That night we had dinner with Sister Bishop and she drove us all the way to Pine grove to this little place called 88 Burger. We got one order of fries that could have ended human hunger, and it was only 2.25. AND IT WAS A SMALL. Write that down because when I come back to visit the mission we are going there. She was so much fun!

Thursday morning we went straight to the Golds house. They were moving out and back into a house down the street. We cleaned the kitchen and gee that was nuts. There were spiderwebs every where and then I FOUND THE SPIDER AND I SCREAMED FOR SURE. It was terrifying. After we finished moving them out we literally ran back to the house to get all cleaned up and ready for District meeting (oh btw I love my district). It went really well but we were all in kind of a silly tired mood. But the spirit was still felt and we got a lot accomplished. We got to go over to Bishop Busi's after the meeting and had dinner at their house and we shared a message with them and it went really well. After we taught we all sang hymns like 4-5 part harmonies and it was AMAZING, and so much fun! They are very musical and it was nice to wind down with some good ole music. Their house is amazing and has a beautiful view. (picture included)

Night view from Bishop Busi's

Friday morning we were out and about and Sister Valgardson's (that poor thing) front tire's brakes were not even clamped on to her tire. She tried to fix it and her finger got sliced a little bit. So we stopped by the closest members house and got her cleaned up and got a band-aid and he fixed her tire. They had a non member cousin there and so we thought we would share a message, so we did. Totally unplanned but I just started teaching about was I learned that morning in personal study. It was in Alma chapter 11-15 when they are teaching Zeezrom. I told her that no matter how many mistakes you make you can always be accepted into God's hands again. HE IS SO MERCIFUL. So it was awesome and they gave us referrals!!

Guess what else we did Friday? YEAH MORE SERVICE AT THE HAWKINS! It was so fun, more painting and mopping dust up. Sister Hawkins really does make it feel like home, we love being there. That night we taught Sister Stowell again and we taught about miracles and Thomas S. Monson. She showed us the church news that was pretty much dedicated to him. What a wonderful man. Our prayers go out to him and his condition.

Saturday... Yup you guessed it. Back finishing up some painting at the Hawkins.

Sunday we taught gospel principles, and there was a Family History Potluck to break the fast after the last hour. There was actually quite a good turn out, and we had some fun with family history! I HAD TRI TIP FINALLY! The huge meat of choice here! I finally had it and WOW YUM. We also had a jam session with this family as well. There is so much talent in this ward! The lesson for them Sister Val and I went at it differently. Usually someone just says lets teach this then we build off of each other's comments. This time we both said what we were thinking of teaching then picked one that we were both thinking about and worked together and taught a lesson that went really well and we balanced it really nicely between Sister Val and I and the members communicating. Teaching is getting easier for sure.

This week has been wonderful. I challenge you all to read Alma chapters 11-15. I have learned to LOVE these chapters when Zeezrom changes his whole life and wants to live the gospel AS WELL as share it with others. He is the ULTIMATE CONVERT. Get motivated and love God.


Have an amazing week! Love you all!


Sister Hansen