the greats weren't great cause at birth they could paint, the greats were the greats cause they paint a lot

ALOHAAAA FAMILY!!  

First and foremost, HAPPY LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR!! (sang the "treat yoself" jingle like 12 times and no one understood.  Maybe was the saddest moment of the day.  BEST DAY OF THE YEAR) Thought of yous a lot and about what we were doing a year ago.  Baking in New Mexico

and falling in love with the world cup.  

Good times.  Seriously so grateful for you people at home, but I LOVE this gospel because it's perfect, and in Heavenly Father's perfect love He gave us a plan that has no ends--only beginnings.  And so we begin.  The best is yet to come :)

The trio: Sisters Johnson, Hansen and Waldie, KZ

For real though, this week I have learned so dang much about so dang much.  I learned that it's possible to clean a babushka's rug with a toilet brush and that sometimes the bus conductor WILL close the door and leave the station even if your body isn't all the way on the bus (and as a result, when the third member of your companionship comes up to laugh with you about it, the bus driver WILL slam on the brakes and cause your comp to fly into a woman and have the entire bus explode of laughter and only speak to you in very, very slow Russian) and that thunder is the best sound in the world and that the greats were the people that saw the opportunities in setbacks and that the Plan of Salvation is real and SO MUCH.  I think I'm learning a lot about happiness.  But one of my favorite lessons came in a few different parts.

the view from our gondola adventure! KZ

FIRST, one day I was having a midlife crisis (because sometimes that happens and apparently I have a very low life expectancy) and was thinking about how much I want to do with life and the improbability of it all and all that great stuff.  BUT then I read this talk by Joseph Wirthlin called The Abundant Life.

The Abundant Life, by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin 

(courtesy https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/the-abundant-life?lang=eng)

It seriously changed my life, I think.  It helped me remember that Heavenly Father loves us so much.  He wants us to be obedient and to be good and to follow Him and those are all so so so important.  But He also wants us to be HAPPY!  He wants to help us use those gifts and talents HE gave us and to pursue the passions that He put in every person.  It was super inspiring and helped me remember that we CAN do everything we dream of and that it CAN be done by living the gospel simultaneously.  One of my favorite quotes: "we are sons and daughters of an immortal, loving and all-powerful Father in Heaven.  We are created as much from the dust of eternity as we are from the dust of the earth." every person has a spark and God is the one that put it there.  He is anxious to help us and it's never too late to start.  And that's beautiful.

THEN, yesterday, we were contacting in Panfilov Park (met some super good people there.  Like this man who was a born again Christian.  He's a leader in his church and I don't think he understood that we wanted to teach him about a different church, but he just invited us to come to one of his meetings so we could testify to the youth there.  He saw our testimonies and loves the Savior so much, he just wants to do all he can to help other people know Him, too.  That was super humbling.  Good people really are everywhere, and even though this church is true, there's a lot to be learned by how people of other faiths live their lives.  The love is real, man.) and my favorite thing happened.  We were getting ready to leave and the sun was setting and it was beautiful and we saw this little old man playing accordion with a group of people around him.  One of those surrounding people happened to be someone that used to come to the english classes we teach and my comp recognized him and he started chatting and he GAVE THE BEST PEP TALK IN THE WORLD.  He's this ADORABLE man from Turkey and was talking about how he fell in love with accordion music and was like, "I saw this movie and felt in my heart that that's what I wanted to be.  My friends made fun of me and said I was too old but I said no!  I know my heart knows the notes and the rises and the falls.  It's already in my heart.  It's just my FINGERS that are lazy.  I have the soul of a musician.  I already know it all.  I just have to educate my fingers!  And everyone deserves to find love like this!" he was smiling so big and it was so sincere and I was like, you know what, THAT'S RIGHT.  My heart is right.  All of us already know what we love and how to do it.  We just gotta educate our fingers.  And if it's written on your heart, that already ain't no thang :)

tl;dr God lives and loves us, and His mercy and grace extend beyond anything we could ever imagine.  He's your Father and you're made of universe dust.  Go dance or something.

[the view from hiking kok tebe (which was an accident btdubs) (holla at that "trying to have a transition meeting with a friend from english" life)!  it reminded me of diamondhead]

Also, I am learning so much about love.  I used to think I was a loving person but the closer I've come to understanding the perfect love of the Father and of the Savior I realize that I actually know nothing.  But I'm starting to understand what it actually means to love people sincerely and how much work it is and what it means to live by that but especially, that it is everything.  HIS love is everything.  And that's something that never gets old. 

Lastly, this morning I was reading in Alma (remember when I said I wanted to finish the BOM before my six month mark?  ha.  ha ha ha.) and 19:22-23

" 22 Now, one of them, whose brother had been slain with the sword of Ammon, being exceedingly angry with Ammon, drew his sword and went forth that he might let it fall upon Ammon, to slay him; and as he lifted the sword to smite him, behold, he fell dead.

 23 Now we see that Ammon could not be slain, for theLord had said unto Mosiah, his father: I will spare him, and it shall be unto him according to thy faith—therefore, Mosiah trusted him unto the Lord."

reminded me of you and everyone there and every missionary family or person that has supported a missionary ever in the history of the world.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS.  Thank you for your faith.  Thank you for your love.  This is the work of the Lord and it goes forth in His power, but I know that His hand in our lives is fueled by your faith and I am so so so very grateful.  So thank you.  You the real MVPS.

I love you so much.  I pray for you always and hope you are the happiest people in the world and know how important you are to our Heavenly Father.  He lives and loves you and knows what He's doing with you.  So carry on. :)

Sisters Johnson, Waldie and Hansen with Mission President's wife, Sis. Williams (KZ)

ALL MY LOVE,

Sister Hansen aka the human state of eyebrow emergency