Happy Valentine's Day!

Dear Family,

I have to say, valentine's day in a YSA ward as a missionary is not the best day to get things done.  Ha ha not many people want to meet with you.  And all the members are out on dates so they can’t come to lessons with you.  So tonight will be an interesting night!  Ha ha anyways, it is good to have a couple minutes to write you.  I am sorry that it has been so long.  I have been getting all of your emails and letters and I truly appreciate the updates on everyone!  It gives me comfort to know what is going on even when it is not the best news.  I hope and pray that everyone continues to recover well and that there will be fewer problems in the future. 

Life has been pretty great out here!  I am finally better from being sick!  I wasn’t even that sick compared to what is going on back there!  I hope the pneumonia goes away quickly since you caught it early.  The work has really picked up though.  We have been teaching a lot more and they are bringing their friends to appointments too!  Also we got the coolest referral I think I have ever received on my mission!  His name is Josh.  He grew up in a home with Catholic and Christian non-denominational backgrounds.  He didn’t know what was right, so he has been searching.  He moved out here for work and his family came for military.  He works as a pharmacist at the LDS hospital. He was curious about the LDS faith so he got a copy of the Book of Mormon and just started reading.  He read at a very quick pace and wanted to get a feel for it before meeting with missionaries.  He finished the whole Book of Mormon in 6 weeks! He said that at the beginning he had a lot of questions but as he read the Book of Mormon all of his questions were answered and he believes that it is true!! So epic.  His friend from Ogden got him a nice set of scriptures (a quad) and he just wanted to keep reading! So he read all of Moses and all of Joseph Smith History.  He started reading the Doctrine and Covenants and is already at section 44.  At this rate he will be done with all of the standard works by May!  He sent himself as a referral on LDS.org.  And then we got the referral from some sisters in the mission when they received it!  How cool is that???  He is one of the most prepared people that I have ever taught.  I love being able to work with people who actually want to learn and grow and are sincere about finding the truth. I am so grateful for the miracle it is to be able to teach him and help him come closer to the Savior. 

Hmmm what else has been going on… We had a lot of meetings lately.  We had an MLC and Leadership Training.  Both were great.  They might have been some of my last meetings that I will get to attend.  We have been working on transfers and I will most likely leave this transfer.  I might be a Zone Leader, or maybe a District Leader.  It is all up in the air, but we worked on it a lot yesterday and I think I have a couple ideas of what will happen.  Either way I am excited.  By this time in my mission I have learned that the Lord will put me wherever I can be the most effective and wherever both myself and those around me can be lifted and grow to become what He needs us to become.  It is a good feeling to know that because now the changes I go through are not as hard.  And that also translates to life in general.  Life is full of changes.  And even though I do not prefer to go through so many, I can always be confident that the Lord has a purpose in it for me and that I will become what he needs of me. 

Well that is about it.  We had some other sweet miracles.  A girl in the Capitol Hill ward who thought she was a member turns out not to have records.  So she already knows everything and she can’t really remember being baptized so we have started teaching her and she will be baptized in the next week or two.  She is awesome. Also we have started meeting with a girl in the Westminster ward that has come a couple times.  We went to temple square with her and had a great time talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ and sitting in front of the Christus.  It was an awesome experience.  She is prepared as well.  She also is full of desire to know the truth.  What a blessing it is for us to be able to work with these people.  I am so grateful for the success that the Lord shows us as we put forth our faith and act as true Disciples of Christ. 

I have to go, but I hope you all know how much I miss and love you!!!!!  Keep healing and keep me posted.  You are all in my prayers.  I love you so very much.

Have a terrific week with school and work and all that!

Love,

-Elder Hansen

Peak The Strategy