TRANSFERS.....

BAUTISMO DE ELEN!!!! 

Christmas day at church

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! 

I hope everyone had a great week! I sure enjoyed the Skype sesh with my family :) and Christmas here was CRAZY! It was a day that started at 5:00 am! We had to get everything all set up at the church for Elen and Deivin's baptism!! And so we filled the font, set up the chairs and went to go pick them up. We picked them up, helped them get ready, and then arrived. There were like 50 gringos here for Christmas! We got everything ready, but it was late, so we just had a prayer, the baptism service, and then she changed for sacrament meeting. BOY, when she came out of the water, I could just see her smiling, shining face, and I knew that I came here in Santa Cruz for her. :) I have such a testimony in the Lord´s perfect timing. 

Sooooo, right after Skype yesterday the AP's called us, because today is transfers! AND I AM GOING TO BE A TRAINER!! I am SO nervous, and I didn't think it was really real. I thought for a second that he was confused. Everyone has been telling me that I am going to be a trainer this transfer, but I think deep down I didn't want to believe them! So I am going to receive her in Wednesday! I am so excited for this wonderful calling that I have to have a daughter :) I feel really nervous because I only have four and a half months here. I had my training, and a transfer with Hermana Carrillo and now I am a trainer!! I feel really honored and I know that the Lord will help me, just as he has done in the past :) 

We went to San Jose on Thursday afternoon, which means a five and a half hour bus ride!! We got to San Jose around 9:00 pm, and then the next day, Friday, we had a meeting with three other zones! It´s a big deal here when we get together as a mission, because it doesn't happen often!! And then after we went into the cultural hall and there was SANTA and trees and a whole bunch of presents and music and food. I felt like I was living in the Capitol (Hunger Games reference for Hannah my bff) because normally we NEVER eat like this. It was way funny!! And then we walked around San Jose, and then took the five hour bus ride home! 

I love you all. Thanks for all the support and love and prayers that you send me way! I am so happy here. I told my family on Skype, that this is so hard, but I love it. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Time is going by so fast and I feel like I just wanna pause and enjoy EVERY second. :) Also THANK you to everyone who sent me something in the mail, or an email, you made my Christmas even better :) 

Hermana Hansen :)

ps Think of me Wednesday when I meet my daughter!! YAY! 
ps One of my STL cut my hair for me last week, a couple of inches

lol my dad from Honduras :) 

SANTA, I KNOW HIM I KNOW HIM 

My compi, I love her to death

I saw Hermana Henao because we had cambios this morning!!!

Hair cut

TOTALLY AWESOME CHRISTMAS DAY SKYPE WITH HERMANA HANSEN

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!

We went caroling with our whole zone!! :)

Elen and her daughter and niece!! :) yo la amo. 

THE VIEW FROM OUR PORCH!! 

Hi everyone :) 

Wow another week went by!! Each week comes with it´s own ups and downs and adventures. If anyone thinks that the mission is only a certain schedule and the same thing everyday is WRONG!! 

So this week was the monthly week of miracles! You all know and are familiar with it, that it is basically a week just dedicated to finding!! It was a really different week though, because we just focused on basically spreading the Christmas spirit. We went singing in the hospital, visited an old folk´s home and went caroling. It was so fun, and nice to have a change of pace, although we didn´t find a whole bunch of new people!! 

We had our ward Christmas party this week! It was NOTHING like one in Utah, but still way good!! We had a good turnout and we had a lot of investigators show up!! We had dinner, watched a video about Christmas and had karaoke and dancing!! It was so fun. We just set up outside of the church. Ticos are so so so joyful, it´s the best. Everyone is so happy. Plus FREE DINNER! And we never eat dinner, so it was a win win :) 

Elen and her son, Deivin are gonna get baptized this week!! I am so happy for them. They love the church and really truly have a desire to be baptized, which is the most important. I am just so grateful that God let us find them and get know them and help them :) 

It literally doesn´t feel like Christmas here! I feel normal, and the only time I feel like it´s Christmas is when we sing hymns of Christmas!! But, I truly am grateful for this time that we have to reflect and think about Christ, His birth and His life here. 

I love you all, and I love being a missionary!! :) I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas, and a happy new year!! I will be here, happy with a sunburnt neck and a smile :) Thanks for all the support and prayers!! 


Hermana Hansen

The crazy statue here in Santa Cruz :) 

WE SAW MONKEYS!!! 

Miracles and Sunshine

HI MY FAVORITES!!!

This week was crazy! Time is a weird thing, I feel like it has been forever since I wrote you all, but then again it was just pday, I don't understand it haha.

On Tuesday we had Zone Meeting in Liberia, like a two hour bus ride! It was really nice and we learned a TON about unity and love. We also have goal of 100 souls that we are giving o the Lord, like baptisms, as a mission this month!! After the meeting, we had divisiones with the STLs :) I went to their area with Hermana Buckles. She is a gringa also and it was so fun! I learned so much from her, and it was so fun to switch things up a bit :) She is so increíble, and we had some REALLY powerful lessons. Its so cool to see that even when you are just companions for a day, we had so much unity.

So we have an investigator named Elen, and she is the sister of a recent convert. She is livng with her sister right now, because she had a really abusive boyfriend. She has three little kids, and its quite the time when we go over. They are both single moms with five kids total. Hahah it gets a little crazy :) She investigated the church like four years ago, but never got baptized. But we were in our second lesson with her on Wednesday, and I felt like I needed to challenge her to be baptized, and I felt like the 22 of Dec was right. I challenged her, and she started to cry. She said that that was her exact date for her baptism four years ago. She said that she didn't go to her baptism because her boyfriend had hit her, and she had a bruise around her eye! But that she loves the church and has been WAITING. Man, isn't God and His timing just perfect? :) She came to church with all of her kids and said that she felt at peace in the church, and her kids loved Primary. We are just working with her to prepare her for her date :)

I gave a talk in Church yesterday. Of course I talked about missionary work :) I had like two days notice, and so I just had like 20 minutes to plan it! Welcome to the life of a missionary :) and I talked for like 15 minutes! #giftoftounges :)

Mom, I eat american cheese now. I mean when its cheap and my mom likes it, I eat it. lol :)

I had an amazing personal study today, I was reading in Hebrews 12. It says in verse 2 that Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith. I was pondering on that, and realized that really, when we have faith in Christ, He is our Author, He is why we have faith. We have faith in him, His plan, and His timing. He is the finisher because sometimes our faith isnt totally perfect, and sometimes we have doubts, but that He is there to help us and finish our unperfect faith :)

I know that my Savior lives  and loves us, even in times of dificulty or when we feel alone. I am so happy for this time of year we have to celebrate Him and His birth :) I love you all! Have a great week and enjoy the snow :)


Hermana Hansen

5 meses

The little girl in primary :) 

The only day we actually get ready is for district meeting!!

HI MY LOVED ONES!!! 

So literally does not feel like Christmas AT ALL here! Yeah, people have trees and lights, but without the cold and snow and Christmas music, it feels missing! Oh, and the fact that I am a missionary :) That makes Christmas season a little bit different :) 

So this week we were walking away from lunch, and I looked up to the trees, and there was a monkey!!! We were like three feet away from it! Then I looked up even more and THERE WAS A WHOLE FAMILY OF MONKEYS! I am talking like 15 monkeys! And of course I didn't bring my camera that day, because we went to a kinda stetchy part of Santa Cruz! But we stopped for a few minutes and took it in, because we had to remember it only in our heads! I have def only seen monkeys in a zoo. Such a cool experience :) 

On Sunday morning it was raining WAY hard here! The whole presidency of the primary was sick, so we got to sub for them and help out another sister!!! IT WAS THE BEST THING EVER. It just made my decision even firmer that I want to be a teacher when I am older. There is a family from the US in our ward, and there are three kids! So I took them aside and taught them about Jesus and it was the best thing ever. It is SO hard to not be able to hold the kids!! 

So I have discovered the two hardest parts of my mission: accepting the agency of others, and having constant faith. Sometimes it's HARD to accept that people don't accept the gospel, or don't come to church, or don't want to hear more. BUT faith is KEY. I learned this week that really, faith is a belief in something that we can't see, but we believe. For example, we need to have faith that we can have three baptisms this month, even though we can't see the outcome yet!! So I have been focused on faith this week. 

We have a few SOLID investigators and we are just fasting a praying for them!! And having FAITH that we will be able to see our efforts :) Pray for Michael and Martha :) 

I love you all!!! Have a good Christmas and listen to lots of Christmas music for me!!! :) Remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas, Christ. All that He did for us, and because He was born, we can have such a happy life and happiness in life. 


Hermana Hansen :) 

My zone and three other comps of the other zone! 

We played volleyball and made sandwiches today! Super awesome :) 

Our DL bought us dinner. It was sweet! Def not gonna turn down free food :) 

But we walk like 10 miles a day, so I am not getting fat don't worry ;)

HURRICANE OTTO!!

We bought smoothies last pday and went shopping in a DI type of store. 

I almost felt like I was back in Utah....:)

 Hahah We are so tired. 

This is my district, minus Hermana Carrillo :) 

Ummmm we were told to stock up for 7 days of food for the hurricane....

and so we bought the XL loaf of bread....

I am alive, don´t worry mom :) So in case some of you didn't hear, there was a HUGE hurricane that passed through COSTA RICA this past week! Everyone was constantly updating us, and it was pretty crazy!! Luckily, there wasn´t too much of damage here in Santa Cruz. President had us buy a bunch of food so we could be prepared for a few days if anything happened!! We spent all of our month's worth of money that we had left on food!! 

So Thursday (Thanksgiving) was totally normal! Of COURSE I thought of all the things happening in the US with Thanksgiving (TRUNKY) but it was just another day here! The only thing that happened was that Guanacaste was in a red alert, so we had to go back to our house at 5:00 for the day! So I spent my Thanksgiving night studying, while listening to rain and wind outside. I was pretty nice to be safe from everything!!! :) But then on Friday we worked like normal!! 

We saw a miracle this week! (well a lot, but I only have time for this one to tell :)) We have an investigator named Michael (reminds me of my grandpa!) and he came to church with us! It was the primary program, and he LOVED IT! He's 11, he loved primary and went home and told his mom, "I want to go to this church every week!!!" :) He also really wants to be baptized!! USH!  yaya miracles!! We are working really hard with him so that he can progress towards his date!! 

I know that this church is true. Some nights I kneel by my bed, crying because the day was so hard. I realize that everyone has different missions, and God knows exactly what I can handle!!! I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have to be here. I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and that we have this wonderful gift from God to help us in our lives!! I love testifying of the gospel in every lesson. I am so happy, with all of the trials that come from a mission. 

Have a good week!! Thanks for everything! I love you all!! 

ps Last night we were on the phone with our DL and we had our front and back door open (that is what ticas do) and  a CAT ran into our apartment!!!! WHAT! hahah Hermana Carrillo was chasing it all over, trying to shoo it out! Pretty hilarious :) 

pss We also literally live in a hotel. I can't remember the name, but it's literally a hotel! They are building a pool...hahaha 

All my love and a sunburn.

Hermana Hansen

Ummm welcome to Costa Rica in November....

Perks of a Colombian comp...she makes delicious food for me :) 

Enjoying the puesta del sol :) 

Fresh Starts

just two happy sister missionaries studying :) 

HELLO!!! 

So I literally don´t have any time, so sorry in advance if this email is crazy and doesn't make any sense :) I am also starting to lose my English, so if words are mixed up, this is why!! 

SANTA CRUZ! Literally I feel at home here. As much as I can feel, surrounded by Spanish speakers and being gringa :) Pero our area is HUGE, I haven't even been to every part of our area! It´s like the size of Salt Lake, but ALL of Salt Lake. There are buses about 20 minutes out, to get to the outer parts of our area :) Also, there is a BEACH in our area, but we can't go around there because of.....well swimmers. hahaha. 

Hermana Carrillo and I are literally the best. We are just laughing all day long in the street, as we walk to our appointments :) I am literally so happy. She is 28, and yet seems so much younger. She is so happy all the time, and it helps me and raises my spirits!! 

So we are in a ward, and there are elders in our area as well! We eat lunch with them everyday, we have a member that cooks us food :) and our ward has about 85 members! There are a few gringo families, and yesterday I was talking to them in English, I realized that I have started to lose my English!!! I am like in the awkward halfway stage, I don´t know everything in Spanish, and yet I am loosing my ability to speak English!! It´s pretty cool though that I am so immersed in the culture that I am loosing it! Hermana Carrillo was a English teacher before her mission, so she knows English, which is helpful! She also helps me with my pronunciacion!! 

I GOT CALLED UP YESTERDAY IN SACRAMENT MEETING TO BEAR MY TESTIMONY AND HOLY COW IT WAS SO SCARY! But it went really good! The people here tell me that I don't even have that bad of a gringa accent!! YAY! :) 

I know with my whole heart that this church is true, and I am so happy for the privilege that I have to represent Christ and preach this gospel to others!! I also LOVE having the ability to learn Spanish!! I am so happy here and I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here!!! I love you all and THANK you for all the support! My testimony is growing each day, and I am loving it here. Know that a girl in Costa Rica is thinking of you all and praying for you!! If you aren't saying your morning and nightly prayers, DO IT!!!! 

Love you all,

Hermana Hansen!

ummmm we did service this week....:)

mi agenda!! ( it´s ok to be jealous, other missionaries :)) 

TRANSFERS

Our last bus ride together :( 

HAHHAHA our DL, entonces somos una familia! 

The CUTEST little girl of one of our investigators! 

We were having a lesson over the phone, and she came outside and sat by us, 

closed her eyes during the prayer and like was so reverent! I was dying. 

HOLIS! 

Hi family and friends!! Literally my world is turned UPSIDE DOWN. I got transferred today!!! So we knew that one of us, either Hna Henao or I would be transferred, because she has almost 6 months in Grecia! We were standing in the street, just got out of a lesson, and we get a phone call from the ZL´s. Literally my heart was pounding SO hard! They said "do you have something to write this down, Sisters?" and then told us that HERMANA HENAO IS STAYING IN GRECIA, and I am GOING TO GUANACASTE!! The city is called Santa Cruz. Immediately we started BAWLING our eyes out, and rightly so! I was all ready to take on the area, I had taken down the names of all the cities, the less actives, and everything! But the Lord needs me here in Santa Cruz!! 

My new comp is named Hermana Carrillo, and she is also from Columbia!! She is 28, and so nice! I think that we are gonna get along just great :) I literally have no idea what is going on or where anything is, but it will be good! She just told me "we need to find nuevos, because we just baptized all of our investigators!" haha so I´m pumped!! It´s literally so hot here. 

Let´s talk really quick about saying bye to everyone last night. WOW I never even realized how hard it would be!!! i was literally crying saying bye to Hermana Marta, and Joselin. I don´t even wanna talk about saying bye to Hermana Henao! literally the hardest thing. It was like saying bye to everything I know, every person, routine, and member! But it is how the mission is :) Our DL was literally so sad to say bye to me! Man the hardest and best part of a mission is all the friendships you make!! 

President came to our Zone Conference! So we have to memorize a ton of things, and he was there, with Sister Laboriel, asking everyone the whole thing that we have to memorize. LUCKILY I knew every single thing that he asked me!! It was SO nerve wracking, in front of the whole zone! We also had interviews with him, and of course I cried. But he said that my Spanish is so good, and he thought I had a transfer more than I actually do!! He wrote down next to my name `5 months` and I literally don´t know how I feel about that!! 5 MONTHS!!!!!!! I just can´t describe how I feel about that...

SAYING BYE TO JOSELIN WAS THE HARDEST THING! She wasn´t in her house yesterday, for us to pass bye and say bye!!! I just told her bye over that phone, and we both started to cry! But she will be baptized this 10 de diciembre, and she will be such a strong member! She is literally the perfect investigator!! :) She has an answer, she doesn´t drink coffee, and she is married! ah. This is the hardest part of the mission!! 

I know that Jesus Christ lives. God is helping me in every step of my mission! He is with us in our lives, and HE WANTS to hear from us, we just need to pray! I learned a TON this week about charity, and serving others. I am totally becoming a different person, and changing. I am going through the refiner´s fire. President said something this week during the conference `the mission is a marvelous opportunity to change` and it´s SO true!! I literally am different from 5 months ago :) But still Emily Hansen, just a better person :) 

I love you all! Have a great week, and I´ll be here sweating and preaching and learning :) 

Hermana Hansen

My life...scriptures and a nice durable cellphone :)

Just a squirrel eating a banana...normal :)