Good News: Cilantro CAN grow in Russia!

Dear family and friends,

This week was great! I am loving Ufa. It is so beautiful and green. There are forests everywhere (not all of them are naturally there - sometimes the trees are in perfect rows, but they are still beautiful). The city is very hilly with lakes and rivers. People go to the 'beach' which is just the muddy beach on the edge of the lake, but they all come back sunburned and can't come to church because it hurts too bad. haha. Don't worry, I'm trying to help them understand the gospel a little better. :) This week Sister Jensen and I set some really good goals to help us work more diligently and efficiently. It's gonna be good.

This past week, we seriously talked to EVERYONE we could about the gospel. That is partly because we contacted all day, every day, because we have no progressing investigators and no one willing to meet with us. The miracle is, now, I am not afraid to talk to anyone...anytime, anywhere, anyone - it is possible to talk about God in every situation. That's something I have been trying to do my entire mission, but it finally clicked this past week. We were passing out brochures and invitations like crazy.

Here in Ufa, people are more willing to talk to us on the street than they were in Chelyabinsk or Ekaterinburg. I think it is because there are so many divers people here. SO many people are Muslim. They are Bashkirian, Tatarian, etc...so they are more accepting of something different. In Chelyabinsk and Ekaterinburg, everyone is Russian Orthodox or Atheist and they don't know any different and they don't want to talk to anyone who does. But here, well, there's a difference. I like it.

We went to a beautiful Masque on Monday and watched the devout Muslims pray. I love Masques and I love the Muslim people. They are so religious and good. We are just trying to help them understand the need for a Redeemer, a belief in Jesus Christ. I can't imagine life without a knowledge of my Savior. I can't imagine having to carry a heavy load of guilt that builds up from all of our daily sins, and have no one to relieve me of it. I just want people to find that happiness that I have in the gospel! I will find those that want it. They are here and they are numbered. The Lord knows who they are and He will lead me to them. This is His gospel and He will accomplish His purposes. I just have to keep working on doing my part. Oh my goodness, I love missionary work.

My companion, Sister Jensen, and I are still getting along great. She is so fun and cute and outgoing. She is from SLC and has the cutest missionary clothes I've seen. She only has a few transfers left and she is such a hard worker. Everyone loves to talk to her, because she makes everyone smile and liven up. We have so much fun while we work. I love her so much. We water our Cilantro plants every day and they are sprouting! And we sweat, laugh, work, cry, and work some more...every day. I love it.

Oh, something miraculous that happened this week:
We planned to go contacting in this big park in our area. So we went, contacted for a couple of hours, had some great lessons, talked to a ton of people, and then we decided to go home and eat some dinner. It was hot, and we were hungry. On our way out of the park, I wanted to talk to one last girl sitting on a bench. We talked to her and she totally recognized us as missionaries, she knew of our church, and had apparently met with the missionaries before. We asked for her name and come to find out she is one of the investigators that we hadn't been able to get ahold of! She is adorable and speaks fluent english. Adelina was supposed to come to church yesterday but didn't make it, so we are going try to meet with her this week! I have high hopes. :) The church is so true. I am so glad I decided to serve a mission. I think that I always had a testimony of the gospel and of my Savior, but it is now in the center of my soul - it is the biggest part of me and it is what guides my every decision. I hope that it stays rooted there and grows for the rest of my life. I love this gospel. I love my Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and I am so grateful He restored His church once again on the earth. His message truly is a message of peace. I love being a missionary!

Hope you all have a great week and an incredible 4th of July!!!!!!!!
Oh yeah, Sister Jensen told me how she knows the Henries! It IS such a small world in the church. Oh, and their son, Tanner, WAS in the MTC with me. I saw him all the time, it was so fun. I have a picture with him! :)

Anyway, enjoy the 4th! The USA really is the promised land, just stay righteous and it will always be that way! I love the 4th of July! I'm so proud to be an American! Light a sparkler for me! and keep me in your prayers, for you are always in mine.
I love you all soooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
love always,
Sister Hansen