Transfers!

Hello Family!!!  I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to write!!  I keep telling myself that I will be better about it, but then other things just keep coming up and every time I sit down at a computer to write an email I find 5 other assignments that we need to get done by the end of the day or sooner.  Still, there are no excuses.  I hope you know how important you all are to me!  I love you and miss you so much.  I read your emails and enjoy hearing about what is going on in your lives! (even when things are not the best sometimes)

That being said, I am going to take about 10 minutes more to write you a quick note and let you know what has been happening lately! 

The greatest things that have been happening lately were two baptisms!  One was the first week in January.  That was Marlen Olmedo.  I believe that I have told you a little bit about her before.  She has had a very wonderful experience learning about the gospel and although it took about a year and a half from start to finish she was finally baptized!  She said the whole reason that she started listening to missionaries in the first place was because I sister missionary from temple square came into the store where she works and she felt the spirit that she brought with her.  She could see and feel a difference! She started being taught and then was off and on for about a year.  Then we got the referral and started teaching her with the sister from temple square.  It was a group effort along with the efforts of the friends in the ward that were so incredibly supportive of her that helped her feel a sense of belonging and gain a testimony of the gospel.  The cool thing about Marlen is that she has already been interviewed by the bishop and last week she went and did baptisms for the dead with the 3 YSA stakes in Salt Lake City!  How sweet is that??  

The other baptism was the other day (second weekend of January).  It was Justin Palmer!  He has a similar story.  He was taught by elders from the family ward about a year and a half ago and he kept reading and going to church and then the referral was passed to us!  It was my second week in the area when we started teaching Justin.  He has grown so much and was prepared for his baptism.  He also wants to do baptisms for the dead. He wants to bring his mother's name to the temple and be baptized for her as soon as he can.  I am so excited for him!!!  So both of these were highlights from the last 2 weeks and I will attach pictures as well.  

Other than that we had Zone Conferences last week!  It was a long week. We didn't have a preparation day either.  We had a zone conference every day Monday through Thursday.  We traveled to each zone and the conference went from about 8:30am to 4:30pm.  It was fun though!  We gave some trainings.  I would love to send you a slideshow that we made for it as well and you can watch it sometime.  It has great music to it.  

Then we finished up work on the transfer!  Lastly, I found out that I am staying here.  I will still be in my current assignment with my current companion, in our area.  We are both staying.  I thought for sure that I was going to move, but President and the Lord must have thought otherwise.  I know it is because I still have so much more that I need to learn here from everyone that I am serving around and with.  I am grateful for the time that the Lord has given me here to learn and grow and try to become the missionary that I need to be.  I love the work, and I love the Lord.  And I love you all!  

Alright, that was a little more than ten minutes. Oops.  I have gotten a little faster at typing than I was before though!  

Have a terrific week!!  I hope you know that you are all in my prayers!!!!!  

Love,

-Elder Hansen

Peak The Strategy

P.S. Here are the first pictures.  More to come in another email!