With the Alvarez family to celebrate a baptism!
Hello Family!!
Thank you for the updates once again. Im so sorry Carter that things didn´t go better in volleyball. Sounds like you guys had a tough weekend. But I´m so glad that you were able to enjoy it and make lifelong friends. Winning championships is always fun, but I believe you will remember the friendships and the good times for much longer than anything else. They really are the things most valuable.
I´m so excited Carson gets out there so soon, he has waited a long time for this and I know he will be a great missionary. He will bless so many people in the process, and he will be able to learn so much himself. I can´t even explain what I´ve been able to learn so far on my mission. It´s something so different than you could ever imagine. I love it. What day does Makenzie leave?? I´m super excited for her too. Get that Spanish going so one day we will be able to talk fluently haha! I still have a long way myself before I am fluent, but everyday the Spanish gets a little bit better.
I don´t know how or where I will contact you for Christmas, but Elder Valdes said it´s usually over Skype on the 24th. So I will keep you updated more and more. They do celebrate Christmas here yes, but I don´t think it's as big of a deal as it is in Canada. I guess I will have to wait and see. Plus its going to be super weird with no snow. It´s probably going to be 40 degress outside, so crazy for Christmas. Usually we still proselyte on Christmas I believe, it´s a good time to share the Love of the Savior with others and talk about his birth. I hear there is always a special blessing for missions during the month of December, lots of love, so I look forward to being able to share it with others.
Last Monday on our Pday we went out to eat as a District to celebrate our success. We went to an all you can eat restaurant, it was the first time I've eaten out here in Argentina! It was so good. There was all kinds of meat and sausage. But they all looked exactly the same... and I ate 2 things of cow intestine haha, They looked exactly like the sausage. I ended up being sick for about 2 days but I feel better now. What's a mission without a little sickness right?
The 24th really was a day I will never forget. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I could never have imagined a day like that, and am so glad I was able to be apart of it. It´s truly amazing what the Gospel does for families. I sent you a picture of a family just 2 weeks ago I believe, the Family Alvarez. I am going to send another picture of them this week. They are all members but they have been inactive for about 3 years now. Federico is their cousin and has been living with them for about 2 months and was one of the people baptized last week. I can remember the first time we taught them, they were so timid, there wasn´t much conversation, and they were a little hesitant to invite us in. But every lesson their faith grew and things began to change, and now I can honestly say I love them with all my heart. They have such a special spirit with them. The day of the baptism there was 12 of them that attended, and yesterday 8 of them went to church. The gospel has given them a new light and in reality a new life. They have so much joy, and every time we go over there they are laughing and truly enjoying themselves. And even though they often make fun of me for my Spanish, I have grown to love them so much. This Gospel really does unite families like we can´t imagine, it is something so special that you can´t explain but only can feel. And I´m so grateful we have it in our lives. Yesterday they invited us over to eat at their house and celebrate the baptisms and the birthday of one our their cousins, it was a good time. We had a big meal outside and share stories about the baptism and about our families. I tried my best to explain you guys with my broken spanish haha.
Also on Sunday our 3 converts Alberto, Federico, and Fransico were able to receive the Aaronic Preisthood! It was awesome. I´m excited to see them progress and continue to grow and build their faith. Alberto has a wife who has been a member for about 10 years, and they want to get sealed in the temple! And Federico has been expressing a sincere desire to serve a mission one day! The day of their baptism is something special, but even more its the gateway to so many opportunities and blessings! I can´t wait to be able to see what things they will accomplish in their lives!
We have transfers this Wednesday. Elder Valdes and I will likely go our seperate ways, one of us will probably stay in our area and the other will be transferred. I love Elder Valdes, we have become great friends and I will miss him. But it´s part of the mission. Whatever happpens I look forward to the new opportunities I will have and the other great missionaries and people I will be able to work with! I'll let you know what happened in one week!
I love you with all my heart family. Have a fantastic week.
Love, Elder Hansen.
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