Mommy and family,
Awww, the secretary emailed you? How sweet! Yes I had
a Cheesesteak! That was our dinner when we arrived at the mission home
from the airport. It was good! My companion, Sister Whitaker, is from
Utah! Like 80 of us our here hahaha. Yep hot and humid and rainy! I
think the highest it got here this past week was 92, so you got us beat
by a couple degrees. The rain has helped to keep it cool. It is
totally a mix of Va and Wa!! My first area is pretty big. Lots of
cornfields but there are a few friendly neighborhoods as well. The ward
is nice and it is hard to remember and keep track of names! I'll get
the hang of it. Bethnay Beach/ Middlesex is in our district but not my
area. They have Elders there; one of which was in my District in the
MTC as well.
My usual Pdays on Mondays but the new mission President
and his wife came and visited my zone and another zone yesterday, so we
swapped days. My address here is 177 Old Airport Rd./ Harrington, DE/
19952 This will be it until I get transfered, which we won't know until a
day or two before transfers. Transfers are every 6 weeks. My
companion has been here for a little over 3 months and this is where
she started. From the picture, how old do you think she is? Ugh! I
hate this whole age thing hahaha. It is a common question when doing
introductions, even with members, not just other missionaries. When I
remember, I have them guess! I cannot see that being a deal at all in
the past. It will possibly die down within a year or two, but we shall
see.
Our ward also has a 4th of July Breakfast. Thursdays
are meeting days for us... so if it is a District meeting, we will be
able to go to the Breakfast but if it is our Zone meeting, we will not
because it will be longer and further away. With mission presiden
changes, things are kinda wacky. No one has invited us for dinner and
no one seems to do anything around here for fireworks, so it'll be a
pretty sad 4th of July. Now if we were in Philly, that would be a cool
Independence Day! I am SO thrilled you will be inviting the neighbors
to the ward's breakfast! Hopefully they will come. If not, then you
tried and it is just as good! Keep it up! Plant seeds and Water
others! Sister Missionaries!!!! Yay!! Emergency transfers could be for
several different reasons. I was going to challenge Sean and Cameron
to go teach lessons or go door knocking with them, but not if they are
Sisters now. Mom, you could offer to help teach a lesson with them one
week. It is a weekly goal to have members in on lessons. They are
usually only about a half hour long, on lessons in PMG (but they should
give you a heads up on the lesson anyway), wear casual clothes to help
the investigator feel at ease, just add things here and then as the
missionaries allow or ask. The bottom line of having a member present
is to have another friendly face there, bringing the Spirit, and that
has a testimony of the Gosepl of Jesus Christ.
So I had three firsts on 6.28.2013--> First door
slammed in face/ door rejection; First person trying to convert us to
her religion; First ward member dinner (with these sweet elderly ladies;
Sister Townsend and Sister Furnish. Funny Story: Sister Townsend was
saying that Michell Obama had sent her a letter to send to the President
for his birthday (which is on July 4th...? Huh? I don't believe that..
but anyway) and I was about to say something when she continued on to
say that she had sent one to him and soemthing else. In the front room
later, I saw that she had a framed picture of the President. I am
grateful for keeping my mouth shut!)
Today at Walmart, Sister Whitaker and I had a first! A
gentlemand asked us if we were nuns! Whooohoooooo!! It was a neat way
to explain to him who we are, what we do, why were are here, and a
brief testimony.
Braydon, research the dates Dec. 25, 1977 and May 15, 1829. This is what makes my mission the best mission ever!
Some missionary advice:
As a family, for FHE
or something, you should go through Preach My Gospel. I know we read
through it as a family in the past before, but have different people
teach it now. There is a neat article on it in the Sept. 2005 Ensign
called "Preach His Gospel." It is great to study in the home, as a
family, and practice role playing members/ missionaries to friends/
investigators.
Last transfer, Sister Whitaker and her companion had read somewhere
about having families set up a "Home Visitor's Center." They
challenged a few people in the ward to do it. This is where you have
Book of Mormons on a shelf to give away at any time as well have have
pass along cards and mormon.org cards on a front table or near the entryway to the house. That could be a neat thing to do!
President McKay said, "Every member a missionary." I
though that that was a more recent quote but it has been around for a
while!
President Ezra Taft Benson said, "I have
often said one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a
missionary works, he [she] will get the Spirit; if he [she] get the
Spirit, he [she] will teach by the Spirit; and if he [she] teaches by
the Spirit, he [she] will touch the hearts of the people and he [she]
will be happy. There will be no homesickness, no worry about families,
if all the time and talents and interests are centered on the work of
the ministry. Work, work, work- there is no satisfactory substitue;
especially in missionary work."
I testify that this is true. I am happy! I had a few sad moments
this week missing all of you, but I know I am here for a reason. I know
this church is true. Prayer. The importance of prayer cannot be
stressed enough. That communication should be ever constant with out
Heavenly Father. I wish I could have been there for dad teaching! I
bet is was amazing! Keep up with STOMP!! I am in Mosiah. I have lots
of study time and it is great! I truly have come to know that the first
3 hours of the day are the foundation to the day. That is another
reason why early morning seminary is so vital! Tell Sister Larson I say
congrats! Also congrats to Emily Padilla! (Janae was the first to
tell me a couple weeks back.) Tell Shelley, Mike, and the kidlets I say
hi back!
All my love,
XOXOXOXOXs
Sister Hanson
Girlies!!
I wanted to share an experience with all of you! So
this first week in the field, newbies (they call us Goldens here. It
has a more positive sound that Greenies) are suppose to challenge
someone to be baptized. The work is slow here. (Nick Name of area:
Lower Slower Delaware) We have three progressing investigators. One is
away at the moment, the other too busy this week, and the other already
has a baptismal date!
Sister Whitaker and I were invited into Primary on
Sunday to talk for a few minutes on baptism. It was so much fun. The
children have such sweet Spirits!
Sister Whitaker
had the idea that this was the time for me to invite/ commit to
baptism! So I did! I committed 13 people to baptism and they all said
YES! What a great story for my first commitment, right! Hahaha! Yes,
the Junior Primary, all under eight (except for one eight year old who
had been baptized already). My District leader was so confused when I
had told him I have invited 13 people to baptism and the said yes.
Details there are important!
I think most of the work here will come from helping
less actives. Keep them in your prayers! Someone told me once that
they are just as important as Baptisms for investigators.
All the love in the world, until next week,
Sister Hanson
No comments:
Post a Comment