I'm getting TRANSFERRED!

HEY EVERYBODY! You are not going to believe this but I am getting TRANSFERRED! To the smallest boundaries in the mission:) MODESTO 10th ward. More BIG news: I will be serving in a Trio! with...... *DRUM ROLL PLEASE* Sister Turnetti and SISTER ROSE! Yes that is right. My good ole MTC companion. I am BEYOND excited. Can you even handle anymore news? Sister Bustos will be serving in Manteca as a SISTER TRAINING LEADER! Dang this girl has changed my life and we have become best friends. My prayers go out to her and I am excited for her progression.

BLOSSOMS!!

Wow onto this week. We were meeting with a Less active Melchizedek priesthood holder and after the lesson he gave us a tour of his home. Pretty amazing! This family is our all time favorite family. We have a vacation planned out with them when we are both home from our missions. VEGAS BABY! They actually are moving there so the transfer isn't AS hard. I actually feel really good about this transfer. EXCEPT, we have found a new investigator and already just fallen in love with her, we just got a ball rolling and YANKED. That's alright everything happens for a reason. But we taught her an awesome lesson about the Plan of Salvation and she was very interested in the Families can be together forever thing, as well as the idea of being sealed to her parents, hopefully the Elders coming in will be able to grab that real quick.

Ok so I definitely learned how to juggle and guess what else I have learned to do?! WATER COLOR. The other night at a members house we ate pizza and painted. While we were painting we had an amazing gospel discussion. There is something about painting that is so relaxing. When you are relaxed you are more prone to the Spirit and it was definitely present. So that was a cool experience. I will send you pictures of some of my paintings.

      

Here is a scripture I have found solace in... 2 Kings 20:5 "I have heard thy prayers; I have seen thy tears; I will heal thee". No matter what we are going through the Lord's arm is ALWAYS reached out to us. WHATEVER we may be going through or how we are feeling. HE KNOWS. I have been studying a lot in Jesus the Christ and there is a section in it that is talking about "Relative Perfection" This is the section:
Relative Perfection.—Our Lord’s admonition to men to become perfect, even as the Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48) cannot rationally be construed otherwise than as implying the possibility of such achievement. Plainly, however, man cannot become perfect in mortality in the sense in which God is perfect as a supremely glorified Being. It is possible, though, for man to be perfect in his sphere in a sense analogous to that in which superior intelligences are perfect in their several spheres; yet the relative perfection of the lower is infinitely inferior to that of the higher. A college student in his freshman or sophomore year may be perfect as freshman or sophomore; his record may possibly be a hundred per cent on the scale of efficiency and achievement; yet the honors of the upper classman are beyond him, and the attainment of graduation is to him remote, but of assured possibility if he does but continue faithful and devoted to the end.

This has really brought me comfort. "Comparison is the thief of Joy." All this has just been ingrained in my head and is SOOO important. But the important part of it is that if we mess up THAT is what the atonement is for, we are always able to make it back. Each time we slip and make it back we become stronger. What a beautiful gift we have been given.

Brought back happy memories of being in Moonlight Serenade in High School!

Love you!

Sister Hansen

Email me at: anhansen@myldsmail.net

Discussions are so Full of Truth

HEY Y'ALL! First of all I just want to say that Sister Bustos is one of my best friends. Take it how you will. I love this chick. So here is a quote from her, "Where is my coat of many colors?" Now let me explain, so the other day I had a dream that was REALLY vivid and I could not stop thinking about it, I was like "IT HAS TO MEAN SOMETHING". That morning while tracting we discussed different details of the dream and then BOOM we interpreted it. I was so excited I have never thought through a dream that much until then, so THANK YOU SISTER BUSTOS!

In honor of the Olympics we had to get as close as we could to "watching" them.
So we knocked Olympic Road. 

Not a ton happened this week... BUT MARDI GRAS AND VALENTINES DAY! WOOT WOOT. Except Valentines NIGHT was so hard to get appointments with people, all OUR "Dates" canceled on us. But we figured some stuff out. It was a lot of fun giving out chocolate on Valentines day and the Book of Mormon chocolates actually sparked some conversations about the Book of Mormon! So that was great.

Chocolates mom sent Allison for Valentine's Day except they were all in Book of Mormon wrappers.
Glad she had fun with them!

Mardi Gras art

We found a potential while we were knocking doors and let me just say WOW and that this never happens, She LET US IN AND WE TAUGHT THE WHOLE RESTORATION. AND SHE INVITED US BACK! I was TOTALLY pumped. So good. That day was BY far the best day of my week. There is something about the missionary discussions, they have the capability to bring the spirit in the room SO fast. Wow they are so full of truth and the spirit just takes over the conversation. I am so grateful to be a missionary and to feel that spirit. WOW. Grateful.

Service with my District

Also an investigator that found HIS way to church that we have only been able to teach him at church came to church again this week. He is from Israel and he is a Jew. This conversation got SO heated. He says that he doesn't really believe everything our church believes in but he feels SO much love and peace when he comes, so that is why he is going to come back. he refuses to "Convert".

Also It was 44 degrees this morning. NOT COOL.

I don't really know what else to say. LOVE YOU!

Sister Hansen

Best proselyting day!

Alright. So there has been a lot of talk about the Greatest Showman out here and what are the odds that I would learn how to juggle? Yes sir I LEARNED HOW TO JUGGLE! Life long goal ACCOMPLISHED.

This week has been very good at the beginning but it got REAL slow by the end of the week. On Tuesday the Elders (District Leaders and Zone Leaders) were on exchanges and Elder Mutchie and Elder Wade were together. They called so Elder Mutchie could ask us to give a training in District Meeting and after they asked what our goal for handing out copies of the Book of Mormon was. Well long story short they pushed us to our limit and it was the best proselyting day I have ever had. 3 Book of Mormons, 2 Pamphlets, and 6 pass along cards. Wow. Thanks Elders :).

Emailing with Elder Mutchie
(We're friends from high school and he's now my district leader!)

This last Sunday I was "So Privileged" I got to speak in sacrament, do a musical number "How Great Shall be Your Joy" and we taught a VERY short lesson in Gospel Principles. Big day. And it was our Bishops sons homecoming as well and DANG they do it differently here. He didn't even talk about his mission! Crazy.

I am ready for a new week. But hope everything is well.

Love,
Sister Hansen


Email address: anhansen@myldsmail.net

Mailing address:
Sister Allison Hansen
California Modesto Mission
4300 Dale Rd.
Modesto, CA 95356

They call it Valley Fever

DANNNGGG this week has been wild. Let me give you a table of content so if you don't want to read the other stuff you don't have to...

1. Sister Bustos' kick butt analogy of the Gospel
2. Modesto Mission being dissolved details
3 Allergies and Migraines
4 Sunday night week moment

1. So we were talking to Justin before he moved and Sister Bustos gave him like an awesome analogy that I was like WOW I NEED TO PUT THAT IN THE EMAIL. She was talking about the blessings of getting baptized and going to the temple, this is what she said... "Our whole lives we live the free trial but once we go to the temple and take out our endowment we have the PREMIUM subscription to life and the Gospel." Isn't that awesome?! I loved it.

2. Alright, so Zone Conference was on Wednesday and that is when we figured out about the mission being dissolved. Let me just say. MANY TEARS WERE SHED. A lot of people/missionaries are confused and really scared. I really really was. I don't want them to separate all the missionaries, that is going to be so tough leaving those that aren't going to whichever mission I am going to be reassigned to. Well we don't know when we are going to know which mission we are going to but it will be by the end of June. President Palmer and Sister Palmer opened the mission and they will be closing it. Very sad. I was having a very hard time with it but that night when I was writing in my journal I truly believe that my hand was being guided by the spirit so I could write what I needed to hear. I went back and read through it and the whole journal entry was about trusting in the Lord. Well Saturday night we had dinner at the Stake Presidents house and he said, "You were called to serve a mission, and ASSIGNED to the Modesto mission." Which means assignments can change and it was something I really needed to hear. So yes very exciting news, definately take some getting used to.

Comp kicking back on the sidewalk

3. I was literally dying this week. FINALLY accepted the fact that I have allergies and took some stuff. I was in denial like all week, "I don't have allergies I promise!" I totally do, apparently they call it the valley fever here. So yeah I got it.

My new temple socks

4. Sunday night we went to one of my favorite homes the Klafkes and they were playing Phase 10... YES WE PLAYED OK!! Gosh, so worth it. This is an awesome family that can switch from fun and games to so spiritual. The message we got to leave with them was so awesome. We shared about the light of Christ and the power that it gives us. Also I am learning how to juggle thanks to Sister Klafke. She got us addicted and I ordered juggling balls, truly addicted.


Have an amazing week! I love all of you so very much!

Sister Hansen

MY HANDS WERE NUMB AND RED AND COLD

This week feels like it has been forever long. But here we go. I went to church on Sunday and that was sooooo good. The spirit was so strong:) It was a regional Stake conference, but the best part of this week was District meeting which was held by Elder Stock and Wade!! Probably the best District meeting that I have had on my mission. Great missionaries that's for sure.

Ok now on to the real stuff...
Wednesday we had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders in Manteca let me just say THIS WAS SO HARD. Exchanges are hard. But we always leave learning A LOT! We literally did finding THE WHOLE TIME. IN THE RAIN. WE WERE SO COLD. MY HANDS WERE NUMB AND RED AND COLD. I was so bitter about it and I was literally praying THE whole time. We were getting no success and people were not being SUPER nice to us. I prayed that we would just run into someone or knock on someone's door that would be nice to us, it was already like 8:30 at night and just reminding you, raining and cold and dark and cold and raining. I literally prayed "Prove me wrong that we could find someone". We knock on this door at 8:40 or so and a man opened the door that was not interested but he had Mormon friends and he was asking us a lot of questions. Let me tell you this man was the answer to my prayer, he was so kind and get this... when we left he asked if he could leave us a prayer. This prayer was literally exactly what I needed and it was one of the best experiences for me. I am very grateful.

SOAKED!

I am VERY sad because both my necklaces (Bird and Bike) BROKE! What the heck I was ticked. The bike must have broke when we were biking or something because I could only find the chain, the bike was GONE. I was so sad.

Sister Bustos and me with the STL's

In Presidents letter this last week, I read it at a time when it was very relevant to me. Here is the last paragraph Take it as you will but it really touched my heart...
"So whenever our heart is heavy or troubled and life seems over-burdened by worldly distractions, difficult companions, discouraging news from home, or disappointment resulting from investigators not keeping commitments or following guidance given by the Holy Ghost, may we never weary in serving the Savior. With even greater determination, let us “never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls” (Alma 37:34). Further, we must always remember that “Jesus never will forsake us…He will leave us never, never…so look upward in joy and take hold of His hand; He will lead (us) to heights that are new.”

One of our investigators is actually moving on Tuesday. He still has a desire to be taught and to be baptized it just won't be us teaching him. We wish him good luck in the new place though.

Until Next week! Love you all so much!
Sister Hansen

Email me at: anhansen@myldsmail.net
OR write me a letter!
Sister Allison Hansen
California Modesto Mission
4300 Dale Road
Modesto, CA 95356

R.I.P. to the Tracy Elders

First week without the Elders in the ward AND taking on their area. WOW BUSY BUSY BUSY. So far so good, we are still alive so that's good. 

Not much has happened this week so sorry it is sort of boring. Thursday we had District meeting with the new District. GUESS WHO IS MY NEW DISTRICT LEADER?? Elder Mutchie from my graduating class! Except they are in Oakland because his companion got a collapsed lung so he actually had surgery yesterday and is doing so well. The doctor said it is amazing, he healed so quick that it looks like he didn't even have surgery. MIRACLES BABY! Being a missionary is so flippin awesome. 

Our investigator is doing very well. We had a member come with us to teach the Law of Chastity and he REALLY understands it. It was an awesome lesson and we felt very uplifted as we left, except he can TALKKKK, I'll just leave it at that. 

Me, happy to be up at 6:30 a.m.

Also I challenge all of you to read "Finding Joy in the Journey". President Monson talks about a guy in Prisoner of War and he had 25 words to send home. He didn't mention anything about being safe or being alive, he talked about the things that are important to him, he mentioned mission, temple marriage, and education and other things. My challenge to you all is to write 25 words talking about WHO YOU ARE. I would LOVE to hear back from you **whether it be hand written or in an email.** p.s. LOVE LETTERS

My 25 words:

Life is about joy, happiness, gratitude, and fun. Smile oft, say "I love you" Believe in Christ, pray more, pursue what makes you most happy. 

Love you all!

The rain was SOOO much fun!

This has been a LONG week. Let's start from the beginning Tuesday we had a lesson with Justin, and Sister Palmer actually came because she was doing her "Stop in's" that day and we were on the list.

Transfers were this week and we were NERVOUS! But good news we are BOTH staying in Tracy! BUUUTTT the Elders that we were sharing the ward with us are both getting transferred and are not getting replaced. We have the WHOLE Tracy area to ourselves and I am TERRIFIED. I thought that the area was big now, well it just doubled in size. I am so sad that the Elders are leaving, they were so awesome and the ward loved them. This will be good for us though. We gained three new investigators through them and so we will be busy busy busy. Please send prayers our way.

Samuel the Lamanite?

The rain was SOOO much fun, I went through like four outfits in two days because they were completely soaked. Wouldn't change anything. Sister Bustos and I are excited to keep learning and growing together. We are so pumped.

Before tracting in the rain

After tracking in the rain

We very much enjoyed the Broadcast of President Monson's funeral. He truly did live a life worth emulating and he has been an amazing example to all the Latter Day saints. He lived "A Legacy of Love and Service". I LOVE THIS MAN but I am so happy that he is with his wonderful wife.

I hope everyone is doing swell. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Sister Hansen


Email me at: anhansen@myldsmail.net

Teaching discussions in my sleep

First off, Justin did not get baptized this last week, in his interview they decided that a little more time would be best. These guys (elders/district leaders/missionaries) are such inspired guys we appreciate them very much. Justin is doing VERY well and is still progressing towards baptism. It will happen he just needs a little more time. Sorry to get everyone all excited! 

Rainy Days. LITERALLY SOAKED

HAPPY NEW YEARS! We were lucky enough to be inside at 7:30 that night so we didn't have to get hit by drunk drivers, or blown up by fireworks... Very Grateful. I had a HUGE migraine that night, like while we were studying that night I had to turn off all the lights because my head was on fire. But everything was great, I actually got a ton of sleep that night like 10+ hours, very nice and I felt good the next morning so that was good. 

Sister Bustos trying to stay dry.

For the past couple weeks I have been sleep talking and sleep walking... not only that but I have been teaching missionary discussions in my sleep, LITERALLY WALKING AROUND THE ROOM KNOCKING ON DOORS. (I know this because my sweet companion told me so) Pretty funny just thought I would share. 

Last week my subject was strong, but my email was... terrible. (Sorry about that). Let me explain. In a district meeting Elder Hacking (District Leader) explained to us that we needed to "Wake Up". This lesson HIT ME SO HARD, and made me realize that I needed to wake up and start my mission, live the Gospel to its fullest, EMBRACE Christ. He told us that a lot of people think of themselves as a five gallon bucket trying to get as full as they could. "In reality we are the ocean, how many five gallon buckets can we put into the ocean without it overflowing?" The answer is we don't know... obviously, but it gave us a mental picture of HOW MUCH potential our Heavenly Father has in us. If only we could see a little glimpse of that. I was brought back to a thought, My wonderful trainer Sister Valgardson used to pray that we could "be the missionaries that thou knowest we can become." Heavenly Father knows, our job is to work hard enough to reach that. I invite all of us to recognize what keeps us asleep, what wakes us up, and what are we going to do about it? "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Sister Bustos and me

It was Stake Conference this last weekend and Elder Auna of the 70 was presiding. He spoke with such authority and power, but with such simplicity. He was an amazing man. Things that touched my heart...

-Instruct 

-Inspire 

-Invite to act

-As disciples of Jesus Christ, what can we do to improve how we "instruct and edify each other" in the Savior's way?

-Simplicity

"The Savior is the master of simplicity, the devil is the master of complexity."

- The Holy Ghost..

1) Teaches us

2) Brings to remembrance what we have learned

My goal in this life is to do what President Monson has simply said, "They live lives worth emulating"

Have an amazing week! Love you all!

Sister Hansen

anhansen@myldsmail.net

JUSTIN IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!

This week has been amazing and has gone by so quick. It is hard to believe that Christmas was last week and I talked to my family... but this week has gone by so quick.

Me and Sister Bustos just chillin'

JUSTIN IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!! We had a lesson with him the other day and we were planning on inviting him to be baptized but then he said "I want to get baptized, how do I do that?" We were so excited. So this Saturday we are going to be holding my first baptism, and I could not be more ecstatic. We have been teaching him every single day and have been seeing him twice a day whether it be to read the Book of Mormon with him or to just check up on him (Word of Wisdom help). He is so receptive of everything that we are saying and is excited about his life after baptism. I hope for the best for him and am excited to keep working with him. 

The Zone Christmas picture

I am so sorry that i am so bad at emailing now. There is just so much to do on preparation days. 

Sister Hansen

anhansen@myldsmail.net

California Modesto Mission

Sister Allison Hansen

4300 Dale Rd.

Modesto, CA 95356

Christmas was so good!

Sister Bustos and I in front of our Christmas shrine!

This last week has been some of the best days on my mission. Full of testimony builders left and right and wonderful moments.

My picture wall in our apartment

This last week we had something that happened that put both of us down. In companion study that day we discussed things that we could do better as a companionship and figured out ways that we could be back to where we needed to be to receive the promptings of the spirit. Well shortly after we prayed and left the apartment we received a call from the Tracy Elders saying that they just passed by Justin's house and that he was outside. Well backup a little bit, we have been trying to contact Justin for the past week, literally knocking on his door every single day, so we seriously bike our little legs off to his house and got there in like a good two minutes. It was so good to see him again! He told us that he was planning on coming to church the next day and then we told him about Hidden Lakes ward as well and he ended up coming to both sacrament meeting with us. Anyway so when we did get to talk with him, we went over church the week before and then we also read a chapter out of the Book of Mormon. Reading with investigators has become one of my favorite things because I love seeing their eyes open to how simple this Gospel really is. He is enjoying reading and we are excited to keep working with him.

Christmas Eve we decided to put our mattresses in front of the tree, so we did.

Christmas was so good and I was SOO looking forward to talking with the family. It was so good to see you all and I hope you have an amazing week!

Please take the last day of #lighttheworld to heart!
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." -Matthew 5:16
Make some plans or goals to continue to serve throughout 2018.

LOVE YOU ALL! Hope to hear from you soon!


I would love to hear from you. Email me at:
anhansen@myldsmail.net
OR write me at:
Sister Allison Hansen
California Modesto Mission
4300 Dale Road
Modesto, CA 95356

Short and Sweet

This week has seriously been so crazy busy. Which is good. We met up with this investigator that Sister Bustos and her last companion met like a month ago and we had THREE lessons with him, Restoration, Plan of Salvation, then we read the Book of Mormon with him AND he came to church yesterday! We are so excited. He is really taking this stuff in.

My new district

We also got to help out at this event called Brighter Christmas. Which they were planning giving a Christmas to 500+ families. We sorted food and toys and it was so cool because it was all donations. I have really started to like Tracy, the first week was REALLY rough. But now I am meeting people, getting more comfortable with the area and so forth.

Mom's note: So happy that Allison got her Christmas packages!
 Jennifer never did receive hers and that still makes me sad.
Staying state-side definitely has it's perks!!

I am excited for Christmas because I GET TO TALK TO YOU FOLKS!

Sorry I am so distracted this week. Have a good week!

Sister Hansen

Email me at: anhansen@myldsmail.net
Write me at: Sister Allison Hansen
                     California Modesto Mission
                     4300 Dale Rd.
                     Modesto, CA 95356