November 30, 2017 COMING HOME!

Last Week!

This last week I don't think we have stopped to breathe! It has been so busy and so much fun! I am dead tired though! It has been so wild! On Thursday we get a call at 11 from an elder in Old Harbour about 30 minutes away, telling us that his companion was missing... so we go on a search at 11 in the night! Long story short we found him and had a GOOD talk about the rules of sight and sound with missionary work... 

Then the next night (Saturday) we get a call from President Pearson at 1 in the morning telling us we needed to go pick up a elder from Linstead (45 mins away) and take him to Kingston hospital (1 hour away). So we do that and stay with him until 8 in the morning, ran home and went to church so I could speak! We then had a great Sunday full of visiting people and continuing on with the work! Then this morning I went to the doctors in Kingston because my legs were swelling from an allergic reaction to some bush we were chopping during the week! But all is well, got some medication and I'm great!

Also on Saturday morning we got to have Christopher Gregory baptized! He was part of a part member family that wants to go to the temple. Christopher is 10 years old and wasn't baptized due to some concerns with the parents but with some teaching and the working of the Spirit the family was finally prepared for this day! A lot of people showed up for the baptism and it was really spiritual!

This last week has been such a struggle! It is so hard saying goodbye to these people we have been working with for the past 2 years! I love them all so much and truly want the best for them! The work of the Lord will continue and we will continue to see miracles as we diligently do the Lords work! I am so grateful for these last 2 years and how much I have learned! I am so glad that I actually have a testimony now as for before my mission i did not! I do know the Lord lives and that Jesus Christ is our Savior! Through Him we have the opportunity to live the gospel so we can be forgiven and eternally progress to live with our loving Heavenly Father! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen!

Elder Hansen

November 20, 2017

Well we had a special stake conference where one of the 12 Apostles came and spoke to the stake! We were asked to sing in the choir, which also provided a way for us to sit 3 feet behind Quentin L. Cook and his wife. The stake conference was broadcast to Spanish Town and other mission dependent units so we wouldn't have got to see and talk with him unless we were in the choir! I don't think we sounded too good but he told all of us, "You guys were amazing, you look as good as you sounded". haha maybe he was just telling us we were ugly?? haha a joke but yea it was a really awesome experience! He spoke on a few great topics; 

1. We live in a tough world. There is so much evil in the world that we need to build Zion in our hearts and in our homes to have the spiritual strength to avoid the world!

2. Be an Example. Be upfront and bold about what we believe! Let people know what our standards        are without seeming better or more righteous than others.

3. Honor the Sabbath and TRULY make it a delight. 

4. Focus all of our goals towards the temple.

5. The Atonement of Jesus Christ. Really using the gift of repentance in life and to have the strength      because of Jesus Christ!

I can strongly testify that Jesus Christ has called Prophets and Apostles in this day to lead and guide His church! These men are real! They truly have the Spirit and Authority of God to preach! Their testimonies can strengthen so many others testimonies!

Everyone felt the Spirit so strongly as he spoke and testified of Jesus Christ! It made all of us want to be better and to be better Disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Elder Hansen

The gospel of Jesus Christ is SO true!

This last week we had zone conference and were able to find a lot of new investigators through member referrals! All of which are awesome!

Zone conference was way good! President spoke on the Divine Companionship of the Holy Ghost in our companionship's! We have to have the Spirit with us or we are forbidden to teach! The Assistants taught on how to work with part member families and uniting all the families in the church. We taught on our zone goals and teaching interactively as the Savior would! It was a great meeting! Everyone left more motivated and receiving revelation on what we can do better at! 

We also found a great family through some members! We had a lesson with them and she has four kids under the age of 16. All of them sat in the lesson quietly, patiently, and participated in it! They are so awesome. The family has gone through a lot the past few months and so the mother, Sonita, just kept telling us how she feels different when she is around the missionaries and members of the church! She said she feels so much love and peace that no other church and people bring to her! She is really excited to come to church this next week and is going to start reading the Book of Mormon as a family! It was a very spiritual lesson! The member was crying and we were able to be tools in the Lords hand to help these people feel the love of God!
Man that just brings a lot of joy and happiness into my life seeing that! The gospel of Jesus Christ is SO true! HE can change lives! 

Elder Hansen

Pictures

1. Playing a game called lughty with the elders on monday.

2. Try to read what some likkle pickne wrote on our pickup!

3. Some awesome pickne

4. tree doing the rock on

October 30, 2017

The week was awesome! Our investigators are doing great and they are doing soo good! 

On Sunday morning we called two of our investigators named Jay and Jt to see how the preparations for church were coming along. They told us that they were already at the church waiting and nobody else was there. These 2 brothers, ages 15 and 12, were at the church before anyone else. The next person to show up was bishop. Bishop let them in and they went to work setting up chairs and preparing the chapel for sacrament. They are on date for the 11th of November! They just love learning. Anything we teach they just soak up like a sponge and want to learn more! It has been so much fun teaching them and we really look forward to all they will do in their lives, including serving missions!

Also on Sunday we had Cameisha the investigator that lives an hour away, come to church. She has been scared and nervous about getting baptized so we had some members sit down and encourage her. By the end of church 3 or 4 different members sat down and talked with her and helped to encourage and lift her so she will be confident in baptism! She is also on date for the 11th of November! 

At church we also had 2 other investigators that loved church! They said they will be back to church next week! 

Sunday was just such a joyful day! I love the members and the people of Jamaica! The joy of Christ is among all of us as we are laboring in His vineyard! 

Elder Hansen

October 23, 2017

This week we had MLC. It was such an awesome meeting. It always is and we always learn so much! It gives a great idea on how the mission is doing and how our individual zones are doing! So some of the statistics of this last year. Our mission has baptized around 180 people this year which averages out to be about 3 baptisms per companionship for the year. Last year it averaged to be 2 per companionship. 

We also learned about the Divine companionship of the Holy Ghost within a companionship! We need the Spirit with us always or we shall not teach! WE need to live worthy and always be doing the activities that invite the Spirit into our lives! We have been trying to do better on this so we can teach more powerfully with the Spirit in our lesson! That way the Holy Ghost can take the truth to the heart of the investigator! 

We fasted with one of our investigators to help her resolve one of her concerns for baptism! She called us as we were almost done with the fast telling us that she is ready to be interviewed for baptism! She passed her interview! Baptism soon forward!

We also had 5 investigators to church on Sunday! It was GREAT! They all loved it and are doing well! Overall it was a great week! I have had such a great time helping others this week and it really does bring a lot of joy!

Elder Hansen

When it rains!

This last week has been full of rain and great teaching opportunities! It has rained almost every day and in turn cools the area! I have actually slept with a sheet over me for the past 4 nights! So that is pretty nice to have some colder weather! 

This week we had so many awesome lessons! Lessons that are really powerful and recharging! We have been working with this member named Brother Pryce. He served a mission here around 7 or 8  years ago! He is now in the stake. He is a machine at sharing the gospel! He is really bold! We had a lesson with one of his friends and she just wasn't really having any of it! He boldly testified of how he came to know this gospel to be true! She shrugged it off and he boldly brought her to church the next day! Turns out she loved church! She was participating in all the classes, talking with everyone, and really just wanted to learn more! The Spirit can truly work wonders! We were able to see that with another investigator, a referral from the same member.  He showed up to church unexpectedly and loved it the same way! It was such a great and spiritual Sabbath day yesterday and I am just way grateful for the Lords help in the work! 

Every day is a great day to be in JAMAICA! EVERY DAY I am coming closer to Christ and also helping others to find Him and that brings JOY! 

Elder Hansen