Welllll.... yeah! I got transferred. And guess where I am? I told
Paula and Brian that there was one place that I didn't want to go.
Wyoming. And where am I serving?? EVANSTON, WYOMING!!! hahaha it was
pretty funny to see that. But it is actually pretty great out here.
The work is moving along very quickly and the stake that we cover is
so awesome. The members are really willing to help us out which is
nice. So I am glad I am here and I know I am here for a reason. There
are specific people that I need to find and teach in this area that
will be influenced by the power of the spirit and the gospel as we
share it with them. I am excited and after the initial shock, I am
happy to be here. Sometimes it still hasen't hit me that I am here
though. Its pretty funny.
Anyway!
Holy cow, a lot of stuff has happened this week. We had a baptism! An
older man named Dave Hoover. He is such a great guy. His baptism was
very powerful. He was so prepared and ready, and it was such a cool
thing to see him make this promise with the Lord. Getting to see
people actually get baptized and confirmed and see the change in them
is the best part of the mission in my opinion. The highlight of my
week for sure. So yeah
We met with all of the Bishops and the Stake President within the
first 2 days of being here. Which was great because it was what the
mission president asked us to do. And all of them are excited to have
us here and willing to help us with the work. We asked each bishop to
give us 3 to 5 names of hard-core less-actives. The names from the
bottom of the list that say "do not contact" ... ha ha it will help us
test and build our faith and the members will see us working very hard
and will be more willing to let us teach their friends and family that
aren't members. That is the idea at least. I think it is going to
work. Im excited for the experiences either way!
Well another change is that there will be another new mission in Salt
Lake City! The Salt Lake City East mission. It was announced along
with the announcment of 58 new missions being made on July 1st.
Because of all the new missionaries that are coming out since the age
change, they need to make more missions and more places to put
missionaries. So the Salt Lake Mission (my current mission) will be
splitting again on July 1st!!! (For the second year in a row.) Since
I am currenlty serving in Wyoming, I might be part of this new
mission. If I stay in this area until then. We don't know the
boundaries of the new mission yet, but it is just crazy. I might
serve in 3 missions. With 3 mission presidents. Its ridiculous. ha ha
so yeah.
What else major happened? Well this one is a pretty funny connection.
So you remember the other week when I talked about Mike Newbry and
that I met the Kingstons?? Well the Bishop of the 5th ward, Bishop
Kennedy happened to know where Louisville was. Because his daughter
got married to someone and they moved into the Coal Creek Ward! Guess
who the daughter is married to?? Mike Newbry!! Ha ha so I met both
sides of the family within a couple weeks without even trying! It was
a pretty funny coincidence. Bishop Kennedy also has another daughter
that lives in the Coal Creek ward. I think they are the parkers? I
don't know if I remember correctly though. But yeah. Bishop Kennedy
has even been to the Coal Creek ward that meets in our building back
home! It was crazy to find all this out. What a small world. The only
thing is I don't think I have ever really met Mike Newbry! or his
wife! Just their families while I am out here on a mission. ha ha
Well this email is really long!! A couple more crazy things... There
was this random little pillar of fire thing outside of town that we
saw one night and so I took a picture. I'll attach it to the email.
It looked so crazy. Elder Edstrom (my companion who is from Buffalo,
Wyoming!!! funny right? we both live about 6 hours away from where we
are serving now... ha ha) and I were joking aroung that the 2nd coming
was happening! It seriously looks like a little pillar going up and
lighting up the sky! If you look closely you can see it. But we
decided that it was most likely just a refinery burning some gas or
something. Sounds a lot more realistic.. ha ha.
Alright.One more thing to talk about. We went to teach a couple
less-active people at a members home last night. The members are the
Turners. They are awesome people. The father converted a while back
and his conversion story is sooo cool. I'll probably tell it to you
another time. But yeah. Awesome people! The Dad gives me a hard time
though. He keeps on trying to set me up with his daughter. It is the
most awkward thing ever.... ha ha like at church he comes up and says
"This is my daughter! So when are you going to have dinner with her?"
and Im like ... uhhhh "With your whole family, we can come by
sometime! :) ha ha" and then he says, "But you are going to sit next
to her right??" ....uhhhhhh! ...... I didn't know what to say... I
didnt have any witty come back or any way to get out of it! hahaha it
was so weird. I've already become that awkward missionary! :/ ha ha
but its all good. The experience we had last night with these
less-actives made the situation better. So we taught the whole family
and these two less-active members that are trying to stop drinking. We
taught the first lesson, the restoration, with a young man that is
preparing to go on a mission. It was very powerful. We asked them how
they felt and the man that was there said that he misses it. He
misses the church and he misses everything that he had. He had the
priesthood and was married in the temple but something happened and he
fell. We promised him that everything would be better if he followed
the doctrine of Christ and read the Book of Mormon. We engouraged him
that he CAN come back! It was so powerful. And then the member bore a
testimony that was one of the most powerful testimonies I have heard.
It was truly amazing. At the end we gave the man a blessing. Brother
Turner anointed and my companion Elder Edstrom did the blessing. In
the blessing my companion was prompted to cast out the bad spirits
that were trying so hard to bring this man down. It was intense! One
of the craziest experiences of my mission so far. At the end the man
seemed a little shaken, but I think he will be good. Brother Turner
will take care of him and we will help him as well. I really hope and
pray that he will come back to church and feel the cleansing and
healing power of the atonement in his life.
Well this is like the longest email ever..... A lot happened though!
And a lot more to come!
I love this gospel and I know it is true!
I know God lives and He loves all of his children.
Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.
Godspeed.
Love you all!
-Elder Hansen
Peak The Strategy
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