Happy Halloween!

HERMANA MARTA the birthday girl!! 

She is our investigator that I have been talking about :)

The son of Hermana Marta, cutest little boy

HOLA MY FAVORITES :)

Happy Halloween! Literally nothing is different about this day, and you couldn´t even tell if it was Halloween or not here! Apparently halloween here is SUPER sketchy, like dangerous and stuff! So luckily we will be inside, don´t worry mom :) 

I had a HUGE mistake in Spanish this week. So I was calling a taxi, and the lady that we had just taught told me the address, and it was, ¨Imbo 3, la primera muerto¨ and I said ¨Imbo 3, la primera MUERTA!¨ so I basically just said the first death, instead of the first speed bump! How embarressing!! They were laughing SO hard, and it was quite funny. Oh well, the only way I will get better is making mistakes, verdad? :) 

So this week we had a SOLID district meeting. Basicallly Satan is working way hard, and we need to work twice as hard to combat him :) It was such a spiritual meeting! Afterwards, I got a blessing from a grengo elder, and it gave me SO much peace! I was worried about the fact that God wasn´t pleased with my work, and that I am doing things wrong. BUT the blessing gave me SO much comfort and it said that God is so pleased with my efforts, even though the work is hard at times! It was so comforting! PREISTHOOD BLESSINGS ARE THE BEST AND SUCH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD! ah. :) 

Also, so during district meeting, we talked a LOT about pride, and doing things our way, or the Savior´s way! I learned SO much, about how we reallly need to be in tune with every prompting we receive, and ACT on it. That is something that my friend Mariah is SO good at, and I am striving to develop :) We are trying to be more in tune with the spirit and worthy of the companionship of the spirit :) 

I learned SO much about pride this week. really, we must be stripped of pride to be effective missionaries. Pride includes withholding a compliment, not allowing help, or being slow to forgive. WOW I have SO much to work on, but I have learned so much! I am never going to recieve the gift of tounges if I have pride! Super humbling :) 

SO our investigator, Hermana Marta, was going to get baptized this week, but she couldn´t get her papers from Nicagraua to get married! BUT, she is going to San Jose on Thursday and she says that she is going to get them the 12th, which is her new baptism date! We are super pumped and have a TON of hope! This is especially important, because transfers are the 14th, and Hermana Henao has 7 months here, so she is probs gonna get transfered. So we want to have a baptism together and see a miracle! PLEASE pray for her!! 

Sidenote: in Spanish, there isn´t the word ¨it¨ well there is, but if you are talking about a watermelon, you say ¨she¨ and not ¨it¨ anyways, i find it super funny, calling fruit, umbrellas, and books he or she! (if this makes no sense, I am so sorry) 

Sidenote two: I show everyone my baptizm picture, and everyone laughs! Hermana Henao thinks it´s hilarous, and I don´t know why! Everyone says that I look the same, hair and all. so there´s that :) 

I LOVE YOU ALL MORE THAN YOU KNOW! Thanks for everything! Shoutout to my parents for getting married in the temple and raising me right, so I can tell people that I have an eternal family :) 


Hermana Hansen :) 

PUPPY!

ummmm sister missionary lunch fail...so gross hahaha

Just a little halloween prank on my companion....don´t worry, it´s new

4 month mark!

Hello my favorite people in the world! 

How are you all? This week was CRAZY, so many things happened out of the blue, and I learned and grew SO much. Literally everyday I was out of my comfort zone, (even more than usual haha) but this week was definitely a week of growth and humility. :) 

So this week was the week of miracles, and we had a different activity each day. We worked together as a district each day, spending a day in each of our areas. SO two days in San Ramon, one in Naranjo, and one aqui in Grecia! We would contact in the park in each city, and then have lunch, and go out tracting for the rest of the day! It was super fun to have a change of pace, and be able to work and help out our district! We also had a lot of success finding new people, and we have a TON of referrals, so we are way excited about that! One day we were in San Ramon, and one of the hermanas was sick, so Hermana Henao stayed in with her, and I went out teaching with her comp, who only has a transfer more than me! But she is Latina, so that was a blessing :) It was SO fun to see different teaching styles and be able to learn to how become a better teacher!!

So Hermana Henao has a sickness called gastrities, and it´s like little holes or scars in her stomach, and she is super dizzy all the time. SO we did splits twice this week! She stayed with a member, and I went out with a member named Katherine, and she is 19, getting ready to serve a mission! IT WAS SO HARD BUT SO FUN! I basically just carried all of the lessons, and it was tough, but I learned SO much! Yesterday we did splits, and we taught some pretty incredible lessons and everyone was SUPER receptive. :) I am ALWAYS learning how I can become a better missionary. Hermana Henao is teaching me every day, lots of times a day, how I can improve my Spanish and as missionary. Talk about ¨refiner´s fire¨ I am definitely in the middle of it, and it is humbling me like crazy! :) 

Everyone is talking about their fun things they are doing, and their fun vacations and everything, and so I am going to share an exciting piece of news - WE ARE GOING TO SAN JOSE TODAY! yaya! We are headed to the doctor for Hermana Henao! So everyone,   it´s ok to be jealous of my luxurious life :) It´s about an hour and a half bus ride, and you bet I am gonna take a nice nap :) 

We didn´t have ANY investigators in the chapel yesterday. It was pretty embarrassing and devastating to say the least! We were thinking, ok, we have sufficient faith, we have called, texted and went by people´s houses, but no one came! WHY? I learned that we just need to trust in God´s timing, as hard as it is sometime. We need to have the faith, that He knows better. However, we can have a mountain of faith, but God cannot violate another person´s agency. No matter how hard we try. So this week, I learned the importance of faith, and how really, God´s timing is perfect, and we need to trust in Him with our whole heart, as hard as it may be. 

I AM LOVING IT! The mission is SO hard, and there are like a million things to do, but it´s so fun! I get to teach others the gospel, and represent Jesus Christ. I am so lucky! Also, we have a fridge full of fresh fruit and veggies, so I mean what could be better? Spanish is COMING. :) a poco a poco. 

I love you all! Thank you SO much for your support and prayers and emails! I would not be here if it wasn´t for the support, and I wouldn´t be here without my family, and to share and declare to others that they can receive the blessings of the gospel in their lives too! i love it :) 

all my love,

hermana hansen 

Family Rivera!!! We have FHE every Sunday with them

HOLA :)

Good morning from Grecia, Costa Rica :) 

SOOO many things happened this week! We had splits with the sister trainer leaders, and I went with Hermana Escalera in her area in Tejar. It was SO awesome! Their area is a ward, and they had zumba, and we taught the Word of Wisdom! I also just learned SO much from her, and how I can be a better missionary :) Its so helpful to have spilts, because all I know as a missionary here is teaching with Hermana Henao, and so it was SO fun to have a different perspective :) We have a saying in the mission, and whenever someone asks how we are, we say, ¨viva y dinamica¨ which means Alive and Dynamic. Its super awesome, and reminds us to always be quick and smart with these 18 months or 2 years that we have. I learned from Hermana Escalera to be more smart and productive with my time here. And to be more alive and dynamic in every moment of my mission, even when I am dead tired :) 

So we arrived at our house at like 9:25 one night, because we were in a lesson, and I COULDN´T FIND OUR KEYS! We called our DL, and went to a member´s house. While we were there, I was searching through my backpack, and I found them! HOW EMBARRASSING! I will know be forever known as the sister who lost the keys, when really they were in my backpack. AH. que pena. at least we found them :) 

So, if it isn´t obvious, we haven´t had any baptisms yet! It´s super discouraging, but we have a few lined up for the 5th of Nov. Please pray for Marta, Jessi and Issac, they are our solid hope for the 5th!! Jessi and Issac are a couple with the CUTEST little girl, and they are going to be such a solid family in the church if they accept it :)  It´s hard because sometimes I feel like it is my fault for not being able to help a ton, or know what is going on, but then I realize that those thoughts are from Satan, and that I really am trying my best, and that is what God asks of me :) 

HOLY COW this church is so true. I am learning SOO much each day, and I love teaching lessons :) The spirit is SO strong when we testify of the Gospel, it´s something that is truly amazing. I started reading the New Testament, and I am learning SO much about Christ´s mortal ministry and how similar His life and experiences and feelings were with my feelings! I have definitely felt dark times, and I will continue to feel them, but I realize that the dark times exist so we can know the JOY! and what a joy is it to testify of Christ each day, and wear His name each day :) 

This week is Semana de Milagros, and we are going to have SO MUCH SUCCESS :) (sorry I cannot spell to save my life) and this week we are going to have different activities each day to help us focus on finding new people! I´m pumped:) 

Our branch is small, but the members are SO nice and they feed us, so it´s awesome :) Our branch has a attendance of 45. Our Relief Society has like 7 ladies! Super small. But it´s gonna be a ward here real soon :)

This is so hard, but I am so happy! God is helping me and lifting me through each day. Every day I am pushed to my max, but I am growing SO much. I am learning more and more Spanish each day :) Thanks for all of the letters, love and support. I wouldn´t be here or who I am without all of my family and friends!! I LOVE YOU GUYS! 

Also, the scripture that has changed my mission is in Mosiah 23:10. READ IT :) I can testify of it´s truthfulness :) I also gave the spiritual thought in Zone Conference about this scripture, and I just love it. 

All of my love and prayers,
Hermana Hansen

Divisiones con the STLS! Hermana Escalera is the one wearing red :) 

Divisiones con the STLS!

Divisiones con the STLS!

Recreating the MTC photo

PANTS!!
(they might be three sizes too big....
but they are not too short)

a regular missionary meal lol

when we were two sick missionaries

happy happy happy

Hello people I love very most!

First off, lets talk about time. Time is the weirdest thing. This past week, every day I would look at my watch and we would have only 2 more hours of the day left! Time is FLYING by, and I fully realize that it is just going to keep going. Hermana Henao told me congrats, the time is just going to go more fast! And wow its so true! I only have 5 more weeks of training left, which blows my mind. I am also a different person, but not it a bad way. I have learned the importance of humility and patience. I am learning SO much about myself, and how I can become a better disciple of Jesus Christ :) 

So we get into a lesson, and before I could say anything, the lady says ¨are you Tica??¨ so I may not be able to talk like a tica, but hey, at least I kinda look like one? :) 

Apparently there is a hurricane in Haiti? Anyways, because of the hurricane it is raining the CRAZY here. Like all day, and we get so wet! But people are so nice and let us some into their homes and teach them the perfect gospel :) I am super grateful for my Crocs!

Spanish. Oh boy. It so coming! Seriously people here are way nice and patient, for the most part:) A veces hay personas that are super mean about it, but hey, its all good. When people hear that I have a month and a half here in Costa Rica, they are amazed! and I just want to tell them. GIFT OF TONGUES :) haha 

Lets see. We have a few solid investigators, and if we can receive a miracle, we might have a baptism the end of this month :) Her name is Jazmin, and she is the daughter of one of our investigators named Luisa :) Luisa is the kindest lady. We were teaching her and at the end of the lesson, she comes and sits by me and just gives me the biggest hug. AH it reminded me of my mom. :) Hopefully she will be baptized with her daughter :) They are both SO patient with me and my Spanish. 

We have this family in our branch, Familia Rivera, and we have FHE with them every Sunday, I think I may have already told you all that. But they family are members, but the dad is not. They have a missionary out, who started his mission just as I came here. Anyways, FHE is super awesome and it makes me feel like I am at home and that I am around my family, just my Spanish family :) 

I am so happy here. Attitude really does determine altitude in the mission, and I am so grateful for this happiness. I am SO grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ, and for the fact that really, He helped me and carried me through those first few weeks, when everything was spinning out of control! I know that really, truly, Christ LIVES! He truly did suffer every single thing that we would go through in this life, so that he KNOWS how to succor us in our trials, and in our happy times. I love this perfect Gospel, and that I get to share it with those who don't know about it!! 

I love you all! Thanks for all the support :) I am so happy. 

Hermana Hansen

ew

Yes this really happened! A cockroach on our toilet paper

Just a few selfies with my "mom" - 

3 MONTHS!

hi. 

I'VE BEEN A MISSIONARY FOR 3 MONTHS. I don't even know how I feel about that! It's been some of the hardest days, but I have learned SO SO SO much these past few months! I love being a missionary, even though at times people laugh at me because of my Spanish, or I don't understand something, I LOVE it! Its such a cool feeling to be on the Lords errand :) 

GENERAL CONFERENCE! So to answer everyone's (my mom and dad's) question about Conference, yes I watched it all in SPANISH! Yes it was SO difficult to understand. We watched in the church building, which is just a cute little house turned into a chapel! It was SO HARD to understand, but it was really amazing to feel the spirit. Plus I am super pumped to read it in the Liahona next month :)

I wore PANTS this week! Shoutout to Michelle from my home ward for giving me pants! I LOVE wearing pants! I feel so free! And also SUPER professional! haha It's super awesome. My companion calls me an Elder, but I love it. :) 

We were sick this week, and stayed in the house from 2 days :( I was sick on Tuesday, and my comp on Wednesday! We basically just slept and recovered. BUT here is what I learned: no matter how sick I am, working, teaching, and sharing the Gospel is SO much better than staying in the house. We both felt so cooped up, and we were DYING to get out and work on Thursday :) 

So I remember when I had splits with Hermana Brown, I had like 5 days in the mission field. I remember her telling me that the hardest part of the mission is when people don't accept the Gospel, and you just have to move on. I felt this for the first time this week. One of our most solid inv texted us and told us that she didn't want us to teach her anymore. IT WAS SO HARD! Like if these people only knew how much the Gospel can help them!!! So that is the hardest part of the mission. It's like what Elder Oaks said in his talk, Investigators accept the Gospel when they are ready, not when we are. HOLY COW! it's so true and so hard at the same time :( 

If I understood correctly, President Eyring gave Bountiful a little shoutout, right? In the midst of Spanish words I heard Bountiful, Utah! yeahhhh! 

I heard the new Justin Bieber song this week in the street. I most definitely did not enjoy listening to it for 30 seconds :) 

We are reading the Book of Mormon as a mission, 5 pages each day. We also carry BOM in our hands :) It's SO AWESOME! I am learning SO much Spanish from reading the BOM! I got a blessing when I was on splits with Hermana Brown, and it said that I would have knowledge as I study the scriptures in Spanish, and I can already see it coming! I love the Book of Mormon, and I know with all of my heart that it is TRUE! I know that really, the stories in there really did happen. Man I love that I get to share that with the people of Costa Rica :) 

I love you all! have a great week, and keep me in your prayers if you want ;) 

Hermana Hansen 

Bummer - no pictures this week.