Hola Familia,

Wow, your week was kind of exciting.

So we have just completed half of the training program for Elder Gaspar and I still wonder if I am doing alright. We had interviews with the President this week and he told me that Elder Gaspar is right on track but that I need to learn how to enjoy my mission more. ha ha. You know it's true when the President of the Mission has to tell ya. I loved his counsel. He gave three things that are basically in my mind the key to life:

1. Be obedient

2. Learn the Doctrine

3. Work

I loved it and I am begining to be excited again. The thing that I have noticed that I don't really like in my mission is confusion and not having the ability to do something. So when I get direct counsel that I just apply to my life it becomes a source to put all my frustrations.

So this week we also had the Stake Conference. It was a broadcast for part of it and included General Authorities. My companion and I were waiting outside for some investigators and missed the excitement. But it sounded like there was a bit of counsel and planching regarding a drop in our duties as saints of God. I can't believe how much the mission is connecting with every phase of my life. I feel that with the skills that missionaries obtain in their missions they could have a great foundation for anything if they applied it when they got back.

Well that's about it,

Elder Hanson

Another Gringo In Mexico!!!!

Hey Family,

So I found a Gringo in Mexico the other day. He came up to me and asked haaabla engles? so naturally I said yes....in spanish. ha ha. It turns out that he is trying to teach Spanish (I think he meant English) here in Mexico. I gave him a few tips for when I was trying to do the same thing in my first sector. I then connected it somehow to the Apostacy of the church and we talked about the bible. It turns out that he has been interested in the Mormons for quite sometime and was actually trying to find God. It was really cool but as we left I didnt expect what happened at church a few days later...

We showed up at church and found that our members we had asked to pick up our investigators... didn´t find them. So we were a little bummed. We left church early to go contact people in the street. When we returned one of the sisters told me that some gringo was trying to find me and couldn´t speak spanish. I literally jumped up and down. We later found him in a christian home where he is staying and talked about the Apostacy some more. It´s a really good thing that I had been reading Jesus the Christ because I used alot of James E. Talmage. He is really excited and interested in his really quiet sort of way. When I asked him if he would be baptized when he feels that this message is true he said...irrmaaaakeeee....or in other words he doesn´t know BUT I have alot of hope for him because he absorbed James E. Talmage like a sponge and seems like he is spiritually intune. We will see him Tuesday so I will try to keep you guys updated. My companion is also learning spanish (I think he meant English) and said I like to preach about Jesus Christ....I was proud (=

That´s all for now,

Elder Hanson

Be Nice To Angry People At Work!!!

Hey Family,

So I love my job even when it is really hard. My companion is really helping me out and I am really improving in all aspects as well as starting some others. We have had a lot of emotion this week. This last week we had an expectation of 6 or more people in the church...we got one. BUT HE IS AWESOME!!! We hope that he will get baptized this week. I think he had been using drugs for 15 years and he really wants a new start. We passed by to pick him up on Sunday but couldn't find him. We were a little disapointed and headed to church in a van full of invisible investigators. We looked into the chapel but didn't see anyone so we visited one of our investigators across the street from the church but he was leaving so we headed back to church empty handed. As I walked in the front doors I looked into the chapel as they were passing the bread....WAALLAAA....there he was sitting next to our Ward Mission Leader. He was dressed up, clean shaven, and looked ten times better than we did. Aparentely he had walked to church and was the first person there. He lives about 30 sandfilled blocks from the church!!! YEAH!

One of our investigators this week described to us how she is fighting someone inside her to be a good person. She described instances at work where she just couldn't hold it in and just let out anger. She is an amazing person with a huge desire to do good but I am sure that to many of her coworkers she could be labeled as that "angry person". The thing she really needs is help, concern, and the Savior. I thought about how easy it is to be mad or frustrated with an angry person when really they are the ones who need the most love.

One thing that has been a treasure for me in my mission is these three questions: What? Why? and How? What is usually really simple it could be the problem the person or the idea, why is the reason behind the problem, person, or idea, and how is the application, what we can do to help or maybe the actual action that the subject is doing.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, be nice to the grouch! They could be in the prayers of some missionary.

I love you all tons! but I need to go

Elder Hanson

I Love You Guys!!!

Hey Family,

I love you guys and your emails. I want to take the one C.J sent me and print it off and take it to the apartment, it was awesome and I am super excited for the future as well. Our family is amazing!!! Dad, the advice you gave is really good and I need to apply it more in my mission and just focus on the people and the work, not me. Mom I love your heart, you can feel it come through the computer monitor.

So, Mom, asked me what a Mexican Christmas is like, well I will tell yall. They usually make bonfires in the front or backyard and they make tomales....lots of tomales. We have about 20 or so in our refrigerater. There is also quite a bit drinking and lots fireworks.

Last night we visited an investigator and her family. She is awesome and we put the chairs outside and they gave us tomales as we talked about the plan of salvation. We
spoke of how she is a daughter of God and how the death is something that everyone faces, spiritually and physically. The spirit was really strong as we testified through the God given doctrine of repentance and an opportunity to receive Eternal Life or happiness. The whole time she was fixed on my companion and I. She soon confessed to some bad choices as a result to alot of confusion and stress in the family recently. We then related this feeling with the feeling she had had about a month ago when we started with an earnest prayer to God and then reading 1 Nephi 1 for the answer. We walked away from a determined women in the process of returning to Christ. She is so spiritually intune and we will see her this week.

Elder Hanson

WOW

Hola Familia,

So I am a trainer now....I am learning alot really fast and most of all I need to learn more Spanish. My Trainee is Elder Gaspar from Veracruz. I am also learning how to run an area. I love you guys so much. There isn´t much time to explain a lot of things because I am a little bit distracted. I am learning really fast the importance to rely on the Lord. In the morning I read about how to find people, what to say, and how to....live. By the Spirit. I am so grateful that I really do have my Heavenly Father up there. Praying is a whole new thing. I am really pretty scared to be a parent.

¡¡LES AMO MUCHO!!

Elder Hanson

Answers To More Of Mom's Questions

Have you received your Christmas Package yet?

Not yet. It's probably in the offices so I wont get it until transfers, conferences, etc. because we are pretty far away from Tijuana. We are actually in a different state of Mexico. I think I am the farthest east that you can go in the mission.

I was wondering if Wednesday is transfer day again. I assume you will be staying in the same area? With the same companion?

So transfers are always Mondays but we are ending a transfer this week. We will find out what is going to happen Saturday night, I believe. My companion is thinking that he is going to transfer. He has 6 months in the same sector, a really long time.

The photos you sent last week were great - Elder Ibanez looks like he is a lot of fun. I hope he stays as your companion. It would be fun for him to get to do your Christmas package with you. And I loved the photo you were in! We need to figure out a way for us to get your photos without you taking your e-mail time doing it. I need more photos of you!!!

I am trying not to tell him about it just in case I get a new companion next week.

Have you looked into getting them burned to a CD at a store and then sending the CD home? I will reimburse you whatever the cost is. If there is any way you have access to a Costco there, you can have them copy your photos and I can actually pick up a burned CD here. I am not sure if Walmart or any place else does it that way but it might be worth looking into.

I can look into it but to be honest I am a little more preoccupied with the whole trying to bring souls to the Gospel and saving them with the ordinance of Baptism. But because your my mom and I love you so much! I will try to look a little harder into what I can do.

We really are looking forward to our Christmas phone call and I am starting a list of questions. It would be helpful to know how much time we get to talk with you as well.

So...the word on the missionary street is that we can use Skype. If thats the case then we won't need a telephone card and it will be free. We also will be able to talk face to face, cara a cara. Which reminds me of a favorite false doctrine of missionaries here. They always say that Prophets see God face to face. If you guys have the opportunity try to find a reference. I have but cant find one. Neither can any of the other missionaries

Were you able to even think about it being Thanksgiving or were you busy doing your usual "missionary work"?

Nope, I didn't even realize it really. ha ha. But some people do celebrate it here because it is in the frontera. I heard that it doesn't really exist in the rest of Mexico.

So, are you still experiencing summer temperatures there?

Yeah!!

How is the biking going?

There is a lot of sand but we try to stay on the pavement....and my calfs are going to be HUGE! when I am done here.

Tell us what this branch or ward is like?

The ward is awesome and they really love the missionaries. They cater to every whim. My companion likes to ask for food a lot.

How is the Spanish?

YO VOY!!

I assume your new scriptures are in Spanish?

Si, senora....yes, mam

How is the cooking?

I try to keep it simple so I can study more

Your apartment/flat looks awesome. Really nice. Is it just the two of you there?

Yup!

Any stories this week?

Nope, out of time.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Elder Hanson

Umm.......yeah

Hey Family: In mexico we have a couple different holidays but I am not sure about thanksgiving. Christmas is going to be really exciting! Everyone makes a huge bonfire in front of their house, cooks stuff, gets really drunk, and shoot pistols up into the air saying arriiiba!!! Really, they do say arribba when they get excited/happy etc.

Also the Music is really interesting in the Frontera (places next to the border) they really like "Banda" which is a type of music that is basically really funny stories put to music. It is the stereotypical Mexico music but it fits perfectly here.

Update: I am learning a lot about Jesus Christ. My life is changing and I am so grateful for you guys. The testimonies I have and the moments in the homes of families when I feel power and I can really cut through all the different philosifies with the power of the truth has been in part from the many years of growth that you all have provided. I will continue to use this gift and try to maintain it for all of you.

Thank you.

Elder Curtis Hanson