do you want to build a snowman?

Actually, no, because there's no snow here.  What the heck.

Hello from Kazakhstan!!!  I have ten minutes left of email time (#awesome #stillbadattimemanagement #buteverythingisawesome #duh)

okay sike i'm literally out of time.  but i love you!!  and i'll write more next week!!  

ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD EVER,

Sister Hansen

Sis. Martin & Sis. Hansen in front of Novosibirsk airport (Russia) at 5 AM

(Photo credit:  Sis. Williams)

From Sister Williams, wife of President Williams, Mission President of Russia Novosibirsk Mission:

Dear Hansen Family,

We were so happy to welcome your daughter to the Novosibirsk Mission, and we have enjoyed getting to know her. Her Russian is amazing and she already loves it here! She is with a great Russian companion, and they are on their way to Kazakhstan today. They will be serving in the beautiful city of Almaty.

Kazakhstan is a great country, and the people there are so friendly and kind. There is an established branch there with many good members of the church. She will be learning Kazakh along with Russian! It is a challenge for many reasons but we are confident she will do a wonderful work there. This is a wonderful mission and we know she will do great things!  We will be going to Kazakhstan in two weeks and will be excited to see her again.  Thank you for sharing your wonderful daughter with us!

Love,

  President and Sister Williams

President and Sister Williams, Novosibirsk Russia

 (Photo credit:  Sis. Williams)

These two get to go and serve. 

(Photo credit:  Sis. Williams)

While they were in Russia, they met up with Sis. Hansen's first companion from the MTC!

(Photo credit:  Sis. Williams)

(Excerpts from my correspondence with Sis. Hansen in Kazakhstan [KZ])

"hello!  it's all good!  right now we're sitting in a mall and it's kind of weird because there are a lot of Americans here.  okay...not a LOT, but the last time we were here (we came for lunch on Saturday with Sister C.) i saw more americans in the space of 2 hours than I saw the whole time i was in Russia.  so weird.  but the people here are honestly so so so kind.  and BEAUTIFUL.  church yesterday was awesome.  this week has been kind of crazy and i sort of feel like i've done nothing because it's mostly been traveling, but yeah.  kind of weird though because it's a city but it also has an undeveloped feel about it.  like, it's so beautiful and really nice but i still smell like dirt at the end of the day and our apartment's unfiltered water smells really weird.  hahaha but honestly i really like it here.  the weather is BEAUTIFUL and the people are so good and the food is also awesome.  also my companion is a native Russian and she's seriously amazing.  although it's been humbling to realize that i know like no Russian...ha!  but i have the foundation.  wowowo sorry this is so long and scattered...

"i hope you know i love and pray for you always.  seriously ALWAYS.  yous are in on every fast, too.  i haven't been too homesick (unless i allow myself to dwell on things which is when life is a little harder...proof that selfishness is the worst idea ever.  boom.) but i love you all so deeply.  maybe even more than before, if that's possible.  but all good.  I seriously am SO GRATEFUL for this gospel.  This morning Sister E and I were role playing the first points of the first lesson--God is our loving Heavenly Father and the gospel blesses families--and it was seriously so humbling but so so HAPPY to realize that I have a testimony of these things myself.  Our family is so happy and so blessed and we love each other so much and I know that's only possible through this gospel.  How sweet it is.  And even though I miss you a LOT, I could never deny this opportunity to share the happiest news that's ever been--the news that our Savior died for us, lives today and enables us to do everything happy we could possibly imagine.  Never ever.  I am so blessed to be here.  And I know the Lord loves His people here so much.  It'll be super cool to see how it all works out here.  There isn't much traditional stuff we're allowed to do, even after we get permission to preach, BUT we don't have to preach to love and serve and edify like our Savior would.  Also, Sister W is AWESOME and blinis (bleenies) 

are the best.  Also food here is really so good.  Super fresh. And the chocolate is amazing.  I might gain weight...we'll see.  hahaha...

"it's weird because people here really are super fashion forward.  it's a lot like Russia.  everyone is super beautiful and well-dressed.  I'll look like a hobo here (bc guess who never takes the time to get ready...heh heh.  but in my defense I smell weirder after I shower than I do before, soo!  haha) and come home and shock the world bc I'll know how to be a babe from the people here.  also kids here are SO CUTE and look like tiny eskimos because they're always super bundled up.  so so so cute.  and the people are really friendly.  i'm rambling again.

"got to go unless i want to pay more but love you all HEAPS.  more to come :) loves loves loves."

Sister Hansen