This week has been truly crazy, but really wonderful. Last week I wrote that I found out that I was training. Later in the week I found out that I would be staying here in Tempe. On wednesday we had transfers and I got my new companion, Hermana Taylor. To be honest, this week has been full of really mixed emotions. Tuesday Hermana Norton said goodbye to a lot of people in the ward. It was so hard for her to leave because she had expected to stay and there were a lot of people here that she had needed to help. A lot of people were really sad to see her go too. Our little friend, Juan in the ward, cried when he found out. It was so sad. It was also just hard saying goodbye to her myself. She has become one of my best friends and has helped me in so many ways. It's so hard to say goodbye to someone you've been with nonstop for 6 months, but I did it. And Hermana Taylor has helped to fill the space.
Hermana Taylor is really amazing. She is from Minnesota and she was at BYU before her mission and she's convinced that we know each other somehow, but other than figuring out that we have friends in common, we haven't figured it out. The title of this letter is a quote from her. She's a water baby! She has such a love for the people already and is just so fearless and loves to teach with the Spanish that she does know. And her spanish actually is so much better than I expected. This week we have bonded a lot, and you'll see that in the pictures. This morning we went on a hike up A Mountian with our zone and read a chapter from the Book of Mormon and some of the pictures are from that. Also you'll see from the pictures that because of our heigths, we are a funny pair. :) But we love it! Basically, this week went a lot better than I had expected. I feel the Lord strengthening me and really making me capable of this new calling and I am so excited to have Hermana Taylor as my new companion.
This last week's zone meeting was probably the best of my mission. Each of our zone leaders and the two district leaders chose topics that really touched all of our hearts. They talked about sacrificing and giving up our weaknesses and our greatest fears for the Lord. They talked about how we can show love to the Lord through the time that we are giving to Him now. And then they talked about the power of prayer. This last transfer I have gained a huge testimony of the power of prayer and I have been able to see a weakness that I have that is keeping me from focusing on the work and to learn to overcome it through the power of prayer. I have realized that prayer is the way that we can tap into the Atonement of Christ and overcome any weakness that we have. I love the Lord and the ability that we have to be able to talk to him personally everyday. To finish off the zone meeting, we had a testimony meeting. It was amazing to hear the other missionaries and see what things they personally were learning from their missions. It's amazing to see how we are all so different and we all need to learn different things, but then how much we can all learn from each other. The Spirit was so strong in that zone meeting and I think it will be something that I always remember.
This week our area has been doing good. We are still struggling to find, but our two little investigators that are preparing for baptism and just striving so hard to be ready! Patricio has almost given up smoking and he is so strong. Luis is just so depressed a lot of the time and we are trying to help him through that. But we feel such a deep love for them and love working with them. This week Hermana Taylor bonded with Patricio and his family. We were eating some tomales that they gave us (which are one of my favorite) and Hermana Taylor got one with really hot chiles. She's still trying to get used to hot foods, so when she ate it, she kind of screamed because it was so hot. Her face was all red and she was trying to tell then how much she loved it, but that it was just hot, but she was just having a hard time saying anything. We all started laughing so hard and Patricio actually had to leave the room he was laughing so much. We had a good time and everyone loves her.
Well, life here in good ol' Tempe is just going well. I can't believe how fast time flies by. I'll turn 8 months on the mission this week and it's kind of crazy. Who knew how fast it would fly by. I'm just trying to love it as much as I can. Have a great week everyone.
love,
Hermana Hansen
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