hope hope hope

hi loves!!

decided to make a rash decision and not just forward my president letter along...whaaaat.  it'll be short, but here are the thoughts for the week:

1. gratitude!  this is seriously such a powerful principle of the gospel.  it keeps us humble, helps us keep faith and increases our love for the Lord.  so here are some of my gratitudes for the week...

- alexander pushkin 

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Portrait_of_Alexander_Pushkin_(Orest_Kiprensky,_1827).PNG

and his works and life

- sister i and her turning a pushkin themed fhe into a great thought on fidelity and why exact faithfulness is so important--in marriage and also in terms of our relationship with the Lord!

- seeing how something as simple as card games and real interaction soften hard hearts

- finding miracle people in the area book

- the Book of Mormon

- learning how to not be a doofus and buy ice cream in a muslim country in public during ramadan...(i bought it to give to a little kid that looked SO sad but then he disappeared and i was stuck with the guilt...score) sorry everyone

- mlc!!  prepping with the turkey zone leaders and elder t and President our plans for zone conference!  the turkey zone leaders are even coming and we're talking about a passion for finding and it will be JOY

- the fact that people change and that i get to see that miracle of the Atonement and the Lord working in people's lives every single day

- sister A!  the relief society president here who is just a QUEEN and such a good example of how to be a missionary and a person.  helped her, ate ice cream, felt the spirit, cried, etc

- "thank you for talking to people" - brother g

- saw the miracle of V, a woman we contacted because we contacted another man who ended up speaking english...she asked us if we could translate the terms on her microwave that were in english and that she'd written and carried around with her just in case...SO CUTE.  and she wants to come to church!!  so much potential!

- obedience and diligence

- repentance

- mosiah 28:3

"3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble."

- sister symons and our laughter and our humility and how she keeps me sane and makes me better

- g, a former that moved back and is praying about a baptismal date

- the fact that brandon flowers is a mormon ("ah, mormons!  the leader of the killers is a mormon!" (shoutout to sister symons for thinking the girl we contacted that said this was talking about the kkk.  hahahahaah)

- sketchy corn dogs

- sunsets

- the sacrament

- the power of the Atonement!

2. really just feeling the acute need for repentance in my life.  every day, i see that i've come a long way and then realize HOW MUCH MORE the Lord deserves out of me.  and sometimes, when i'm trying to save the world and myself singlehandedly, i feel sad.  but most days, when i remember that truly, ONLY by grace we are saved and only through Christ are we justified, life is something we can do again.  grateful for humility.  grateful for the "new life" we find and new creatures we can become through Christ every day.  if i sound like i'm dependent and clingy, it's probably because i am!  and we all are.  and it's okay that we experience the valleys of godly sorrow like Nephi does in 2 Nephi as long as we ALWAYS remember the "nevertheless, i know in Whom i have trusted", too.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, … no never forsake!

people can change!!  that is the promise of the gospel and it applies for everyone we know and love and maybe don't love and always for ourselves, too.  what a hope!  what a miracle!!  what a thing to work towards and live for and embrace and appreciate!  and what a privilege to see that daily.  which is neat because it's the promise of the Atonement, not just of a mission.

3. work work work.  this is such a sacred time and daily, satan's like "hey get distracted because THE ENTIRETY OF YOUR LIFE is coming up or at least just remember that THIS IS A REALLY SAD THING TO LEAVE and dwell on that okay or second guess that you've done enough or that you'll do enough before you leave or that you can change" and lots of similar things.  and there are moments when he gets me and i waste time being sad and doubtful and afraid and overwhelmed.  but that is the exact opposite of everything i have come to love and appreciate and work for and believe in, and i hope with allllll my heart to be able to tell the Lord that, along with Paul, I also fought a good fight, finished my course and kept the faith.  and that's something i hope i and you and all of us hold to and never ever ever stop doing for the rest of our lives.  missionaries, members, friends, whatever it may be, we're all people and we're all children of our loving Heavenly Father.  the people around us need the blessings of the Atonement as much and as often as we do and that's just our calling in life.  alma 43:1.

"1 And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth."

we can't rest.

so yeah.  just working on loving the moment, loving the Lord and loving these people a little bit more.  and it's joy.  leggggo.

the church is true and it's the Savior and it's our only path and hope for joy and for peace and for forgiveness and for purpose.  and the BEST NEWS is that if you don't know, you can know!!  He wants to share with us and to help us know and grow and become!  the Lord lives and loves us and loved ones, how good He is.

allllll the love and prayers always,
sister hansen