Monday, April 13, 2015

Week 45: We have a branch president!!!

Hello, all!

This week somehow felt eternal but also went by in the blink of an eye.  Let me tell you about it in positives, negatives, and funnies!

Positive:  One of the sister training leaders, Hermana Rivas, worked in trio with us on Tuesday!  I loved the way she kept the work fast-paced and invited everyone to be baptized.  Sometimes I hold back from extending the baptismal invitation if I don`t think they`re going to progress, but I have to remember that God is in charge and he knows which of His children are ready to accept the invitation to act.  So I can`t be afraid to invite people to baptism in a street contact!  Basically everyone accepts anyway, because that`s how Nicaragua works, haha.  The hard part is helping them progress and come to church.  Which leads me to my next positive...

Positive: CHURCH!  They called a branch president!  Pancasan has progressed from having only a branch secretary in January to now having half a branch presidency!  The negative is that we arrived after the sacrament because we were bringing investigators and President Russell was there, but still... Anyway, more positives: many of our investigators came to church, and several less-actives that we had visited this week as well.  Ah, my heart is so happy to see people I love at church!

Funny:  We went to explore el Fortìn, a part of our area that we had never been to before, to visit some less actives.  Wow, it was `` puro campo`` and so pretty!  I understand now why they don`t come to church; it`s like a 45 minute walk through super dusty shade-free roads and there is zero form of transportation other than bikes or horses.  Anyway, we contact this one house and a 20-something year old guy comes out and pulls out chairs, greets us cordially, and acts like he knew we were coming.  So we ask if he`s a member of the church, and he says he got baptized 15 years ago.  We start asking questions about his family, how he`s doing with reading the Book of Mormon, etc.  He answers that he hasn`t been to church lately for work.  We even read part of a chapter in the Book of Mormon and call him to repentance (with love).  As we`re leaving, we ask to meet his mom, who was cooking in the back, and we ask when she`s going to join us at church.  She answers, ``Which church? We`re Catholic.``  Turns out the baptism that the muchacho was referring to was his Catholic baptism.  They`re not members at all.  Oh, it was so hilariously awkward.  We invited them energetically to church, left quickly, and then died laughing on the forever long dirt road back to our regular area.

Negative:  Nohebia hasn`t talked to her mom yet about her baptism and postponed for next week so she can tell her with time to adjust to the idea.  Our zone leaders told us we lacked boldness for letting her change her date, but I love Nohebia and the Spirit told me it was the right thing to do.  Praying that all goes well with that when we visit her again tomorrow and that she can be baptized on Saturday.

Positive: We had a barbecue at the mission home today as a zone for being the most successful zone during the month of March.  We ate hamburgers and brownies with ice cream, played ping-pong and foosball, and watched Meet the Mormons.  Ah, it was so good!  And made me rather trunky, but I loved it!

Turns out there were a lot more positives than negatives.  Probably because it`s just more fun to tell you about the good things!  Know that I am learning and working and loving my mission.  There are so many hard moments, but I know I`m where I`m supposed to be and doing what I`m supposed to be doing!  Heavenly Father loves me and He loves all of you!

I love you too!

-Hermana Hansen

photos:  I got brave enough to cut my hair!  Ten months of sun damage and split ends finally motivated me to take action.  I look like a trout in my scared face photo, but everything turned out well with the exception of one awkward piece right in front that is half the size of the rest.  Oh well, nothing time won`t cure.

Sweet Hermana Dorita, who is one of my role models in this life.  She`s emaciated with diabetes and a multitude of other health problems, and basically all of her children are inactive and don`t do much to support her.  But she is fiesty and hilarious and never loses the faith!  She does all in her power to get to church on Sundays and pay her tithing.  I took this photo to send to her daughter who is on a mission in Brazil.  I hope she doesn`t get too alarmed with how skinny her mom is!




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