Monday, November 17, 2014

Hey fam!

We have had another great week here in the mission! I was super happy to hear about the awards, congrats Carter that is so awesome! An award definitely deserved for all the hard work. I hope that the Zone tourney finishes well today. I'm excited to hear all about it! Sounds like the weather is quite interesting up there as always, the other day it was like 31 here and -30 there. Quite the difference. Hope you´re all enjoying it! Some days I miss the cold!

This week has been another quick week filled with lots of miracles! Last Sunday I was actually given the opportunity to speak in sacrament meeting, a sister missionary and our ward mission leader spoke as well. Missionary work a full! It was the first time I have spoken in awhile so I was pretty torn between what I should speak about. But I was definitely excited! I had been praying and thinking hard about what I should speak about when I came across a talk by Elder Eyring "A Voice of Warning". I had been thinking a lot about missionary work and the best way to express this importance to others.. and when I really thought about it all I could think about was love for others. How the true love of Christ helps one have the desire to share without being forced or obligated, but how really understanding that others need the Gospel to be eternally happy helps us become people who desire to share with our friends. This is the part of Elder Eyring's talk that really hit me, and that I shared on Sunday.

"Why should I speak to anyone about the gospel who seems content? What danger is there to them or to me if I do or say nothing?Well, the danger may be hard to see, but it is real, both for them and for us. For instance, at some moment in the world to come, everyone you will ever meet will know what you know now. They will know that the only way to live forever in association with our families and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, was to choose to enter into the gate by baptism at the hands of those with authority from God. They will know that the only way families can be together forever is to accept and keep sacred covenants offered in the temples of God on this earth. And they will know that you knew. And they will remember whether you offered them what someone had offered you.
It’s easy to say, “The time isn’t right.” But there is danger in procrastination. Years ago I worked for a man in California. He hired me, he was kind to me, he seemed to regard me highly. I may have been the only Latter-day Saint he ever knew well. I don’t know all the reasons I found to wait for a better moment to talk with him about the gospel. I just remember my feeling of sorrow when I learned, after he had retired and I lived far away, that he and his wife had been killed in a late night drive to their home in Carmel, California. He loved his wife. He loved his children. He had loved his parents. He loved his grandchildren, and he will love their children and will want to be with them forever.
Now, I don’t know how the crowds will be handled in the world to come. But I suppose that I will meet him, that he will look into my eyes, and that I will see in them the question: “Hal, you knew. Why didn’t you tell me?”

That question really hit me. As I shared that story I was inspired to share a few personal stories about times that I was failed to share what I know is true. And how the Lord is willing to forgive us, but also expects that we learn from our mistakes and share with those who need to hear this message.

Apart from my talk Sunday's are our only day to work out in our area all day. So after church we definitely take advantage of the time we have. Last Sunday we found and taught a pretty great family, he's a captain in the army and she's a artist.. and they have a 9 year old son. They are definitely super firm in their Catholic beliefs but they were interested and had some great questions as we shared the Restoration with them. We are hoping they will progress because they have a ton of potential.

This week we also saw another miracle. Our Stake President (President Catron) has a son serving a mission in Chile. His son has a friend who isn't a member that lives in our proselyting area so the other day he sent a message to his dad saying he wanted us to visit him. For the last 3 weeks we have gone like 5 or 6 times to his house but their was never anybody there.. one of the frustrating parts of the mission haha. On Thursday we went to his house and ended up talking with his neighbor but this kid still wasn't home. So yesterday we were waiting to pick up some missionaries that were out in the mission field here in Ramos when this kid who we have been trying to contact just showed up out of nowhere and asked "hey excuse me but can I ask you guys a question? yesterday 2 missionaries like you guys showed up to my house and talked to my neighbor, and 10 minutes after they left I showed up, so when my neighbor told me and got in my car to look for them. do you know who they are??" As we asked him his name and he responded we were seriously amazed, like it says in Preach My Gospel "The Lord will guide you to meet prepared people, or he will led them to you." It truly was a sign of a miracle for us as this kid (Nikolas) accepted a Book of Mormon and invited us to go to his house. He also invited us to go to his house to eat!

Well I'm about out of time. Today like you guys heard we went to hear Elder Christofferson speak! Yesterday he spoke here in our Chapel to all the married couples so we had to clean the office like never before! haha it was spotless. And then today we had to take 240 missionaries at 6:30 in the morning to the North Mission Office. it was quite the process and I am exhausted! But it was an amazingly spiritual experience and I will be sure to share some of my thoughts next week after I have a little time to study what I learned! But after hearing his words I have no doubt that our leaders are called by God and that they speak in His name. I hope that we can always be humble and willing to listen and follow their counsels.

Have a great week. Love you all!!
Elder Hansen.

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