WHAT THE GLADSOME TIDINGS BE

hiiiii loved ones!!

"Kok Tebe while we were walking to church yesterday"

This week was a crazy one with lots of service opportunities and goodness, but one of my favorite things that happened was this morning.  I was thinking about whether or not I'm the kind of missionary I want to be yet or the kind of missionary Heavenly Father wants me to be yet and yet again, I felt like the answer was no.  And as I was making a mental list of all the things I need to do to change or do better, I felt SO DANG OVERWHELMED.  I talked to Sister Waldie about it and she brought it all home by reminding me of the simple truths of the gospel.  She reminded me that we're here to seek to live more like Jesus Christ lived (background: yesterday we found out L's son is coming home from his mission and arrives at the airport at 5:30 tomorrow morning and we asked President for permission to go and he said something like, "YES!!  Rules and commandments are important but they are there to help us be more like the Savior" and we were really touched by that and found it pretty profound), and that I can and do seek to do that every day.  And then at the end of the day, we just reevaluate, repent, change as needed and work with the Lord to do what He needs to get done here.  She then said to stop worrying about all these other factors and to just be Anela Hansen.  To remember that Heavenly Father sees me as I am and knows what I need to do, and that only with Him and the Savior--not with other people or crazy expectations--will I become that person I can be.  Then she said, "remember that you're already doing a good job.  Take the time to thank Him for everything you already are and then ask Him to show you what you can become."  AND LIFE WAS GREAT.  

 "the photo of my hand was for dad.  This week we did a service project for this woman in our ward and we weeded for like 4 hours.  My allergies KILLED me that night and those were blisters that had died on my hands afterward but I loved it so much.  I love that kind of work and we were literally in the Huntsville of Kazakhstan and it was BEAUTIFUL there.  Sure love yous." 

Life got even better after I read President Uchtdorf's talk Of Regrets and Resolutions.

That talk is MONEY  And it's so true!  I know that as we follow those steps and really seek to make our faith real and personal, seek to love and serve and see and BE with others like the Savior would, and then choose to be happy TODAY, we will see miracles.  And even more, we will just be happy, good people that the Lord wants us to be.  And for the record, that's a pretty dang good thing to be.

Pretty much, the Lord has blessed me a lot, and this church is true.  I know that as we seek to apply the gospel, and especially to apply it outward, everything else works out because our Heavenly Father lives and loves us and our Savior already paid the price.  Life is a good wave.  And it's a happy one, too  

Last thing: yesterday we sang Lord I Would Follow Thee 

in church and the last verse in Russian made me cry.  In the last verse, like in English, it asks for the Savior's help to love others with the same strength He does us, but in the last lines it says this: 

Я смогу любить так сильно –

Я за Тобой пойду.

And that word "смогу" means that I WILL be able to.  and we just sang it and I cried, because I am that person.  I want to love like He does but I'm human and flawed and get in my own way of being able to love like that.  But I believe with all my heart that as we feel the Savior's love for us individually and seek to share that love with those around us, His strength overcomes ours and we are eventually able to do all He has asked of us.  He is the author and finisher of our faith and I know that with Him, we can do whatever He's asked us to.  Do what you can and He'll do the rest.  And all really is well.

I love you!  I pray for you and I am so grateful for you.  Have a wonderful day and have a bonfire and make someone's day okay.  Also be ready because CHRISTMAS SEASON IS COMING BOOYAH I CAN FEEL IT IN THE AIR HALFWAY THE WORLD AWAY BEST TIME OF THE YEAR (tom haverford voice)

ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD,

Sister Hansen