Service in Jamaica!

So this week has been great! We did a lot of service for the members of the branch. Earlier in the week we helped a sister cast a pit for her house... She lives up in the mountains so she doesn’t have any sewage. So you dig a super deep pit and then put a concrete pad over it! So that was good and really hard! It was a super humid day and the sun was out so we were all just drenched in sweat by the time we were done but it really helpful to her because nobody else would help her with it! 

Then, throughout the week we had a great time visiting all of our investigators! We have really been blessed these past couple weeks with a lot of investigators through the members and most importantly through the Lord! We are working with around 10 to 12 people that should be baptized in the coming month!! So that is really exciting!!

Also our truck is down in Kingston so we have been walking and using taxis for the past couple of days! Man i got to say the AC in the truck is pretty nice!! haha but it’s great we get to talk to more people as we are walking around anyway!

Then on Saturday we had another service project of helping a member cast their roof! Luckily the forms were already set up but we had to mix a lot cement to make the roof! It’s really good getting back in the concrete life! Overall we had a fantastic week doing service and doing the Lords work! So grateful that I can be here serving the peoples of Jamaica!!

Elder Hansen

April 18, 2017

This week has been so great! We did a lot of great things and accomplished a lot! That is always nice! We even had some time to proselyte this week! Through proselyting we found some awesome people especially while using the Easter initiative to bring more peace to people’s lives! It was really good! With this one lady we found we have really been able to see the light of Jesus Christ flow into her life! She said to us yesterday, "When I get home I always think of smoking but, then I remember the BOOK!" The Book of Mormon has really helped her to find more peace in her life just as all of us can find more peace through the Book of Mormon! She and her two boys came to church also and they loved it!! We are excited to work with them to baptism here in a few weeks! 

This week we also traveled down to Kingston for an emergency preparedness plan! It was pretty cool to go and participate in the plans for this year on all the different emergencies! 

Overall a fantastic week bringing more peace into people’s lives because of JESUS CHRIST!

Elder Hansen

April 10, 2017

The week has been great!! We have been having so much fun finding and teaching new people! We had a lot of vehicle problems this week that took time out of proselyting but it was OK because we still tried our very hardest to go and talk with everyone! We love contacting! It’s a great time to be able to go and build our teaching pool with those who are ready for the gospel! This week we found a couple that is looking to get married! We have had very spiritual lessons with them and they have made it their personal goal to read and pray about the Book of Mormon every night! It is a really great time being able to teach them because they are so willing to act and learn for themselves! They even came to church this Sunday! They were 30 minutes early and the man was wearing a white shirt and a tie! The members thought they were members from another branch! I am so excited to continue working with them in the coming weeks up to their baptism! Finding them and being able to help them has been the greatest miracle among the many this week!

Elder Hansen

The Old MTC District!

"Zone Conference and White Storm"

Letter from April 3, 2017

Well this week was so so awesome! We had zone conference, our "white storm", and then General Conference! It was a great week to be in Jamaica! 

So for zone conference we taught on how we can apply the Easter initiative into the work here! It was really good! Role played a contacting situation to share the video of peace! Then we had 2 former missionaries from like 20 years ago speak to us! They were some great people! They spoke on how their missions have influenced their lives! They spoke on how much our attitude plays a role in the way our life goes! If we have a good attitude towards everything even if what we are going through isn’t fun then everything will be alright! Everything will be much more enjoyable! But overall it was just a zone conference to big up yuself! 

After zone conference we had our white storm for the zone! The whole zone came together and went contacting in one area!!!! It was so awesome! We were driving around at the beginning handing out supplies to the missionaries and every street we turned down there were missionaries talking to people!! It was a really neat experience and all the missionaries loved it! This was the first time a white storm has happened in the mission because Elder Walker and I brought it up to the missionary leadership council last week! But based on the results it will be happening a lot more now!! So we are super excited for that!! 

Then General Conference to finish the week off! What a great week! I really enjoyed all the talks but one that I really liked was by Elder Stevenson on how the Holy Ghost can help us!!! There really is so many ways the Holy Spirit can help us if we but let him!! I am grateful that we have a Prophet who is led by God and receives Revelation for us!! May we all follow and listen to his voice on the Book of Mormon and having Charity!

Elder Hansen

Montego Bay...Finding!

This week has been so so good! I got to Montego Bay on Tuesday and since then we have been working really hard! On Wednesday we had to drive to Savannah La Mar for a district meeting, then on Thursday to Ocho Rios for another district meeting, and then back to Kingston for Missionary Leader Counsel! So, we did a lot of driving! But it was all very good and we have learned a lot from the different meetings we've been to! 

Our area here in Mobay is really awesome! Super beautiful! Since we have a truck we have a huge area that goes through all the surrounding mountains and into a bunch of little villages in the middle of nowhere! 

The branch here is also really strong! There were about 90 people at church on Sunday and they all have really great testimonies! I am super excited to be working with them!

My companion, Elder Walker is a really great missionary, he just got done being the assistant to the president! I have already learned so much from him and look forward to continue that! 

Something that we have been focusing on is finding! Wherever we are, whether at district meetings, in Kingston, or wherever, we talk to EVERYONE! It has been so good and makes us feel like we are really doing our part to talk to everyone and share the gospel with them!

Elder Hansen

Back to Montego Bay!

Well, we got the call and I will be going back to Montego Bay in Jamaica as the north coast zone leader! I leave here in a couple hours. Super excited but I also am sad to be leaving the Turks!! The Turks has been a great place and I have learned so much from being here!! The Haitians are such a humble people and it has really influenced to just be grateful for what I have! The Turks has definitely been my hardest area I’ve had just because of the different and unique challenges such as not speaking the main language, or contacting for 8 hours every day! But you know what; I enjoyed these challenges because it has helped me to become a more patient person and just being able to do Heavenly Fathers will no matter what!

Also Patrick our recent convert was able to receive the Priesthood yesterday and that was really good to see him keep moving forward in the gospel! i am so excited to see where this branch is in a couple years as the Priesthood continues to grow! 

Well as normal we had a great week! I am excited for the future and what is still to come and I know that whatever it is, I will be sharing the gospel with everyone!

bless up yu self!

Elder Hansen

The sun is shinning and the water is still blue!

We had a great week this week! We did a lot of contacting! Contacting is great,its hard, but its great! Getting to go out and talk to every single person you see about Jesus Christ is enjoyable. Some people we talk to are less excited to see us and others more excited! But we are here to find those that will receive us so we will continue until we find them!

Patrick, the guy who got baptized a couple weeks ago was finally able to be confirmed this week! I had the opportunity to confirm him and that was a wonderful experience for me! 

Other than that the sun is still shining and the water is blue!! Elder Shepherd and I are having a really good time together and we are excited for the upcoming week!

Elder Hansen