Monday, August 30th - Yesterday was one of the best days of my mission! (The Work of the Lord Continues to Roll Forth)

Hey everyone,

Well, I feel like I just wrote you all yesterday. Isn't time just the craziest thing? Think of all the things that have happened in the last approximately 11 months. CRAZY! Anyway, that was just a long way of saying that there really is not much new. This past week we spent A LOT of time on the street...we couldn't get any meetings, so we decided to just drop by some inactives, and contact in between. We got a lot of phone numbers and some good prospects. Oh, and we set a goal with Anastasia to be baptized on September 30!!!!! I'm so excited for her!

I'm sad I won't be here to see it...yep, I'm getting transferred! I'm going to Perm! If I remember correctly, my companion will be Sister Karpeshinko (from somewhere in Russia). I'm kinda nervous, but really excited. I am going to miss Ufa!!! I love it here, but alas, it is time for me to go.

Yesterday was one of the best days of my mission! We stayed at the church all day and watched the Kiev, Ukraine temple get dedicated!!!!!!!!! It is the first temple in Eastern Europe!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness, it was such a great day. Sister Mezinets (who is from Ukraine) was sooooooo excited and happy all day. Our companionship study consisted of us singing hymns for 15 minutes before we studied together, because she couldn't hold in her excitement. :) Oh, it was so great. It was also so great to see members we have been working with, come with their temple recommends. Oh my goodness, I was filled to the brim with love, excitement. President Monson, President Uchtdorf, and Elder Nelson all spoke, it was an incredible dedication. There were 3 different sessions, each one was incredible, and each one consisted of President Monson making plenty of jokes or singing. I love him!!!! I can't help but compare him to some of the priests in the churches here who are so serious and so angry at the world. I know that President Monson is a prophet of God.

So, this week we had a neighbor of ours pass away, it was so sad! I didn't know the man personally, but we watched our neighbors cry over his body in front of our apartment building as part of the funeral. Without a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, funerals are sad and horrible things. To think that you will never see your loved ones again, has got to be completely devastating. I almost cried just watching them mourn. To say "goodbye forever" is much more gruesome than to just say "bye, see you soon." Don't worry, we took them cookies and a Plan of Salvation brochure that night (and the woman who answered the door is here right now from the Siberia zone and has a friend who is a member and has met with the missionaries before) - MIRACLE! :) The Lord is aware of all of His children. He loves us. He would NOT send us here to earth to go through heart ache and then die ourselves. There is a purpose to all things and there is a life after this one. I am so grateful for my knowledge and faith in the Plan of Salvation. If I live worthily, I can be with my family forever! That is incredible and that knowledge can make funerals a holy and special experience. Of course it is sad, of course it is hard, but of course it is not the end. Life is short and we all die eventually. Time flies by so fast.

Oh my goodness, I have the best family in the world. Thank you for always being quick to forgive me of my faults. You are all so incredible and I don't know what I ever did to deserve such an incredible family. I love you all so much! Thank you for all of your prayers in my behalf. Please keep them coming! :) Have a great week! xoxoxoxoxoxox
love always,
Sister Hansen