Missionary work is hard. Life is hard. But life was hard for Christ.

Hey everyone!

Happy memorial day! I hope you all are having a great time! Be sure to take lots of pictures! I am determined to take A TON today....be prepared. How are you all doing? I'm doing great! Everything is going great here in Chelyabinsk. I can't believe it is already the last week of this transfer - I hope I get to stay here in Chely. I really love it here. I love my branch and my investigators and I feel like I finally can find my way around the city without using my map constantly. I think I'll be here at least one transfer longer.

This past week we met with Gulia of course. She is amazing and very committed to reading and coming to church. But, she is having a hard time right now with her family situation and everything. Amongst many of her family struggles, her father doesn't want her to get baptized until we build a church building in Chelyabinsk....well, that might not be for a while. Please keep her in your prayers.

We also met with Lung Jee Y, FINALLY! yay! I still have high hopes for him. He will get baptized someday. He just needs to prioritize a little better, but don't we all. Oh, we also were blessed with a new investigator. His name is Aleksay. He is very shy and very sincere about learning the gospel. He wasn't able to come to church because he was out of town, visiting his family, but he committed to continue to read the Book of Mormon and pray. It really was such a great week!

We spent a lot of time contacting. One day we had about four hours of straight contacting on the street, so we decided to go up to an area that we don't go to very often. It is at the very top of Chelyabinsk and has a lot of factories and stuff. We have never had so many positive responses about our message than we did that day. The first lady we talked to after we got off the bus wasn't very interested in our message, but she said we were filled with 'such light' so she went and gathered up three of her friends and we taught them the message of the restoration and they all were eager to read the Book of Mormon. They all have work off this week, so we are going to be going back soon to meet with them again. It was so miraculous. That has never happened before and I know it is partly because we have been working so hard on being EXACTLY obedient. The Lord really is preparing people for our message, His message, and this really is His work. I want to truly be an instrument in His hands.

I love my Savior. At the end of every day when I am feeling so inadequate and exhausted, I just try to lay my head down on the Savior's lap and wake up the next day ready to do it all over again. I love missionary work. I know that I have been called of God and that I am exactly where the Lord wants me to be. I love the peace that comes from the atonement. Thanks to the atonement of Jesus Christ, we all can receive a happy ending! I love my membership in the church. This really is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the same chruch that he organized when he lived on the earth and it teaches the same doctrines that have been since the foundations of the world and forever will be. I love my family. I am so grateful that I have been blessed with such a phenomenal family and that I get spend eternity with you.

You know what? Missionary work is hard. Life is hard. But life was hard for Christ. He has felt every moment of exhaustion, every moment of disappointment, every pain and every sorrow. He has also felt every moment of peace, every moment of happiness, every laugh and every smile. He comforts me in my bad moments and blesses me with the good, despite my many shortcomings. This is true and this is why I am here.

I love this work and I love you all. Your prayers and felt and appreciated. I love you soooooooo much! Take care and have fun!
xoxoxoxxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxo
love always,
Sister Hansen
ps. Mom, you wanted to know what the weather is like...well I'm baking like a toasted cheeser...it's so hot here. I think I am going to have to go buy some secondhand clothes that aren't so heavy. (maybe you could send me one of those skirts I sent home?...if not no big deal, I'm getting along just fine.)

I hope Guatemala was all you hoped it would be and more! ENJOY Havasupai! xoxoxoxoxox