WEEK #53

It's alright that I get to stay in my area.. but like you know, I am super impatient and I get bored really fast. So, with 3 months already in an area, I start to get a little bored and ready for something new.. but it seems like I always end up having about a month and a half more. Either way, that is definitely a positive that I already am friends with all of the members here and will have good nice people to pass Christmas with. And with the safe streets... those really dont exist haha all of the people are crazy here, but it seems like there is always somebody there to watch after the Elders which is good(:

 People are telling me that the climate is changing like crazy in Argentina as well.. this week it says that we should reach over 100 degrees... and with the humidity.. I really dont know if I am going to live haha but lets hope so.

The 8 pack that I had is already starting to fade. But I can honestly say that my butt has increased in size. And I'm not sure if the Top Ramen and milk every night is helping with the problem.

Well to tell you the truth this week has been a little tougher.. we find people, then we find out that they are too lazy to get baptized.. then we have to drop all of them. It has been the weekly cycle lately. So we are spending a lot more time with the members hoping that they will be able to help us find people to teach. Mom, if the missionaries pass by the house, they are really hoping that you will know somebody that they can visit. So, it doesnt matter if the the people will reject them or accept the message, just give them all of the names that you know that arent members and I promise you the missionaries will love you.

But anyway, that's just a thought haha cause really it is super tough on the missionaries without the help of the members.

Well, sorry that I have had what seems like such a boring week.. but it was really just a ton of hard work in the sun. Pero igual es tan importante que disfrutemos esta obra porque realmente es algo marvilloso.

WEEK #52

Thanksgiving was a little better even in a country that doesnt celebrate Thankgiving haha.. Yeah this Thanksgiving we got together as a mission super early for a devotional type thing. It was super crazy the things that we heard to tell you the truth.. Our President had the chance to talk with Elder Cook over Skype and he told us about the miracles that are still happening now days with the apostles, it's just that sometimes those miracles are so sacred that they dont find it fit to talk about them. But this is what he said in his testimony "I know that the Lord lives cause I know his voice and I have seen his face" is what Elder Cook said and after that we were all just like woww. But anyway, with Thanksgiving we really didn't eat anything haha We went to go pick up our lunch from a members house and they werent home.. and it was the end of the month so we didn't have very much money to buy things either, but we found some noodles in the apartment and thats what we ate. So, it wasn't the best Thanksgiving food ever, but at least we lived.

Right now I think a 5k would kill me haha We dont have much time to run and play sports and things like that now days. Haha I already way 163 lbs. but I promise its not all fat... a big portion might be fat but I might be just a little stronger too hahaha(;

It is so werid to see snow..... although it did hail here super hard the other day. I wish I had my camera with me the other day cause really the weather is so werid.. one moment it was super hot and sunny, and in about 1 minute it was so dark that the automatic lights turned on at the church at 4:00. Then it started to rain and hail harder than I have ever seen in my life. And it rained for about 45 minutes.. then it was sunny and about 70 degrees again. Super weird.

Other than that with our week... hmmmm not much. A few drunks again.. annnnnd listening to my comp. talk to the members on the phone about their tuppers that we need to return but he didn't know which goes to who because when they were explaining it by color, they didnt know that he is 100% color blind hahaha that was funny.

But anyways things are going great for us here, today were transfers and since I'm training I get to stay in this area until January and so we already have had about 10 invitations for Christmas and all of that so we do know that we already have a house to be able and skype from this Christmas.

Anyway, thats about it for now.

WEEK #51

Voy a decir feliz dia de accion de gracias ahora porque bueno ya viene el jueves y no creo que vamos a celebrar aca en Argentina/: pero igual ese dia es mas o menos tonto igual jaja. (talking about Thanksgiving because its this Thursday right?)

Is it already starting to get cold there in the valley as well? Yes please send me some photos of all of that.. Mountains and snow and all of that good stuff because it is starting to get to hot here in Argentina.. summer is coming in super fast with a ton of humidity. Actually it's weird because one day there is a huge rain storm all day and all of the streets are all flooded but then the next day it's like high 70s low 80s and horrible. I definitely like the winter better.

Wow, Christmas is already coming up.. I think Christmas will be a whole new experience here because they dont celebrate here quite like they do in the States. It's basically like a mix of all of the holidays with fireworks and a ton of food.. then while everybody is outside at night Santa Noel puts the presents under the tree so they open everything at night. But they dont get very many presents because their big holiday is Kids Day. Hahaha a little different but either way it will be a fun experience.

Well, my experiences for the week.. hmmm it was definitely a weird week. First of all I dont know why but I think I had a run in with the drunks just about every day of the week. One of the really funny ones that happened was when we were in a kinda sketchy neighborhood searching a couple directions, and it turned out that we had to go down a street with a couple kids on the corner (which is never a good sign here) but we felt that it was alright to pass by. So we started walking trying to pass them, and one of them talked to us about who we are and what we do.. and we explained to him that we were missionaries of the church and all of that.. so were going to leave him with an invitiation but we wanted to see what he wanted to get to know him a little more.. so my comp. asked him "What is the most important thing in his life?" and he answered "Rob" and by this time the member who is a future missionary was basically crying which was super funny.. but then we said "Wow thats the most important? Are you sure there is nothing more?" and all he said was "Kill" hahaha and we got a little nervous cause some of his friends starting coming closer and one of his friends was drunk but started defending us saying that we were kids of God and that he has to respect us and things like that which was super cool. So, we left him with the invitation and we left. But anyway, it was cool to see how calm we were in that whole experience and I'm not sure if the drunk with just trying to mess with us or what.. but it was also really funny of the member that was with us haha He literally had tears in his eyes.

Also they just had the Presidential Elections here yesterday so we were locked in the pension again which I decided is a little boring.. but either way it was nice to be able and take a sunday nap while being in the mission because that almost never happens.

But anyways thats about it for this week.. just to let you know that next week is transfers so I will be writing Tuesday morning(:

Jake

WEEK #50

I wish that I could share all of the things that I'm learning here with you guys because right now all of our leaders are talking about the faith necessary to work miracles in every one of our areas. And the best thing that you can do to increase your faith is start your daily reading of the Book of Mormon.. also in the priesthood session of the conference that just passed, about everyone of the talks were about the faith. The first talk by Elder Neil L Anderson is one of my favorites so you should definitely watch it if you haven't already. In the end of the talk he gives the example of a missionary and the things that happened to this kid.. haha I never cry but I wanted to cry when I heard this example. Just remember "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Well, this week was a weird one for me. A lot of ups and downs well, I don't know really with my comp. he is a great friend but I'm just nervous that he thinks that I am going to be here forever. He has fear to accept more responsibility and it's possible that I am going to leave him in 2 weeks and the next missionary that comes is going to be like what the heck, cause my comp. right now doesn't know the map very well or how to plan or anything cause he doesn't show the desire to learn. So I'm not mad just a little nervous for that reason. But anyway, a super big positive that we had is that Thursday night we received a message that we would be able to go to the temple Friday.. so we took a last minute trip to the temple and it was super spiritual to be there with the whole mission like over 200 missionaries. And yeah, that was the highlight for this week.. however I feel like I am starting to fall into a rut or like a routine in this area so I need to something different or crazy, but I don't know what I can do. So, if you can think in something funny just let me know haha.

Well that's about it for this week

WEEK #49

It's really is crazy to look back to the day  I was left the MTC, it feels like it was forever ago but it doesnt seem like a year either.. I dont know its weird. Sometimes the days feel super long but the weeks and months go by flying. Who else was thinking about the mission from back home, it would be interesting to see where they all go so keep me updated in all of that!

Yeah, really they don't have much from the states or any other country here becasue they have a lot of laws that don't let them import things.. it's lame. But either way we went to a big supermarket named Coto which is kinda like the Costco of Argentina, I think, and they just ran out of kit kats and snickers so we are going to have to go back this week.
And things with my son are going great! Hes a stud, my fav comp. Obviouisly he's new and so he can't really help out a ton in the work and in things like that, but that doesn't bother me.. but just as a person he's the best. Super humble and willing to learn and he told before that he had his own band and things like that but I didn't really think too much about it.. but this last week his parents sent him his guitar and man he is super talented, both singing and playing the guitar. So yeah, it's pretty cool.

As far as the work goes in this last week... a little tough. Well, we broke the record I think for the most lessons in this area Jose C Paz 1 in a single week. The highest that I have seen on record here by far. But we still didn't find other people with a strong desire to be baptized.. so I hope that we will start to see the fruits of that work. To tell you the truth we had 3 people that were going to get baptized this next week, but they arent showing very much desire right now so we are going to have to drop them and keep on looking for new people which is always super hard and sad to do cause they are super good kids but for leaving them Im sure we will be blessed with new people.

Wowww the best day of my mishhh.. thats a super hard question because there are a ton. uhmmmm last sunday was a great day. I was able to see 5 of my converts in the church.. 1 got confirmed, 1 blessed the sacrament for his first time, and I was able to give the other one the priesthood.. and in the gospel principles class we gave them a minute to bare their testimonies and it was super spiritual to be able and see that I have really been an instrument in the lords hands to guide these people to the gospel. Yeah that was a great day.

The biggest challenge is to get along with your comp. by far. Well, it depends on the companion but during the mission every missionary will have at least one companion that will drive them crazy but just to be patient and humble enough to keep on going until transfers haha. And to be united as a companionship is the most important as well cause if you dont get along, youre not going to enjoy the work or the even have the spirit to help you out so everything just goes down hill.

And with the scriptures.. wow I honestly don't know which would be my favorites because I'm honestly addicted to the whole Book of Mormon haha so really, all of the scriptures. But recently I have been sharing a scripture with the members that is Mosiah 2:5 and when I share it a lot of people are confused I think because it doesn't have any straight up doctrine. But I like to think in the story.. King Benjamin (a prophet) calls of his people to come and listen to him give his last speech.
 5 And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another.
And I like how when all of the people went to listen to the prophet, how it says that they went as families and pitched their tents at the temple and I'm sure the spirit there was incredible.. When we think about that, that really is the most important thing in this life is the family and to be able and enter the temple to be sealed to one another and to keep on having spiritual moments together even after. I always tell them that this is something that I have always known.. but now that I am in the mission far away from my family I know without a doubt that the family is the most important that god has given us so that we can be happy. When I left for the mission I had a lot of things in my mind that I thought I was going to miss, like driving, my friends, music, and just a ton of things.. but now really the only thing that I miss and think about is my family. So with that I always give the commitment that we can set goals of things that we are going to do as a family to be able and have even more spiritual moments together.. the things small and simple like read a scripture together every night, family prayer, family home evening, or literally go to the temple together to do baptisms for the dead or do a session as a couple.
They don't have Thanksgiving which is a bummer and we have already had a family invite us over for Christmas which will be super cool and different seeing though its going to be summer and like 85 degrees haha so we will se how that goes next month.

Love Elder Hansen

WEEK #48

This week was by far one of my best of the mission  and there couldn't be a better time to do it than during my 1 year point!

Matias got baptized and confirmed, one of my converts, Norberto, blessed the sacrament for the first time, and my other convert received the priesthood.. and we had 27 lessons with members and found 5 people more to get baptized in the next 3 weeks. And President Gonzalez of South America and member of the 70 came to talk to us about raising our vision and faith which helped a ton. It was an awesome week.. and to top it all off, President Ayre just called me to congratulate my comp. and I especially for our week which has never happened to me in the mish, so it was pretty cool. 

Yeah, Halloween here was pretty boring... I didn't see anybody, not a single soul dressed up.. or trick or treat or anything. So, it was just a normal day. So, if you see a big dent in my bank account, it's because I went to go buy a lot of chocolate especially since I just found a place that has kit kats and snickers.. oh, and I saved the tootsie rolls that I brought here until my 1 year point so even though they are already super expired we are going to start eating those.

Yeah, if you guys dont want your old mattress you can send it here.. I just barely got done asking the mission for a new mattress too because I could feel the wood from the bed frame under me the mattress is so old. I think I would be better off sleeping on the floor haha but now that it is warming up we are starting to find bigger and bigger cockroaches. so, I don't want to sleep on the ground actually. 

Well, it's crazy to think that we have already made it one year here in the mission and they tell me that the second one flies by even twice as fast so it sounds like I'll be arriving home semi-soon haha. Sorry the computer isn't letting me send pics right now, so I'll have a few for the next week.

Love Elder Hansen

WEEK #47

So, I received my new son and its another Argentine! haha I think there are only 2 Argentines in the whole mission and I trained both of them. This Argentine is super humble and a great kid. So, I think I lucked out(:

Other than that, it's cool to be a trainer because there are always miracles.. for example that Matias kid that has been coming to church on his own for the last couple months that we dropped (stopped teaching) came walking into church yesterday in white shirt and tie with a huge grin.. so I asked him why he was so happy, and he just showed me his paper signed by his mom! So after a couple months she finally decided that she wasn't going to win the battle and is going to let him get baptized this Saturday!

And one more interesting story. Yesterday was the presidential elections here in Argentina.. so on Saturday we received a message that Sunday we would have to go to church and right after straight to the pension for the rest of the day. So that was the first time I have had 2 rest days in one week here in the mission. But yeah I heard things get crazy here with all of the riots and stuff, so yeah.

Here I haven't heard anything about halloween so I dont think they celebrate it.. and if they do they would have to do it super early becasue when it starts to get dark it's too dangerous to be out. So, I guess we will see what happens, I'll let you know next week.

I think its crazy how I can say"1 year" now.. time is flying. I will officially only have 1 year left on Sunday, because my finish date is Nov. 1, 2016.

 

Jake