Swahili Elders

Hello my family.  How are all of you?!?  I hope you are all doing well and getting excited for Christmas!  Im excited.  It will be a lot different than a normal Christmas though, but its all good. Thanks for all the packages you have sent!  I haven't opened anything from your package yet Natalie... should I wait for Christmas??  Anyway, thanks so much.

Well this week has been an interesting one.  We have done some missionary work and helped some people, but we have had a lot of personal troubles and stuff.  We went to the doctor 10 times in the last 2 weeks....  Its annoying.  Mostly physical therapy and other appointments for Elder Helmstetter, but its been just very time consuming.  Also just not feeling well at all.  I am doing pretty well now, but Elder Helmstetter had trouble for a lot of the week.  I'll probably tell you more in the email next week about some changes that are probably going to happen.

Anyway, enough of that.  

Life is okay.  Just trying to work and stay focused and keep feeling well.

I've been working out more because Elder Helmstetter was as trainer at a crossfit gym in California so he makes me work out and wants me to get strong.  Its pretty funny.  He would punch me in the stomach for 1 minute straight to try to toughen up my abs.  He doesn't hit as hard as he can of course, but enough to make it very red and even bruise a little... ha ha he is funny. 

Anyway, I don't know why I am even telling you all this.  My mind is a little scattered, and I don't remember what all happened this week.  

We drove up to bountiful though and went to a pawn shop to buy a guitar for our recent convert Pascal!  He played in the Congo, but hasn't had a guitar since, so we were going to buy him one.  The owner of the pawn shop is mormon and he knew we were missionaries and so he asked why we were getting a guitar.  We told him the reason and he ended up giving it to us for free!!  It is a $300 guitar and he gave it to us for free!  It is awesome the spirit of giving and love that comes with Christmas time.  I love it.  That man really blessed the life of this refugee from the Congo and he doesn't even know him.  Its great!!

Well Im going to send you a picture of my stitches and of Elder Helmstetter's leg (about 3 weeks ago when it was really bad) so that you can see what happens to the Swahili Elders.  Ha ha its awesome.

Im going to keep it short.  I don't know what else to say anyway.  I'll let you know more next week.  

Keep on being awesome everyone.

I love you all!

The church is true.

God lives and He loves us.

Jesus is the Christ.

Godspeed.

-Elder Hansen