WEEK 25

Hello My Wonderful Family & Friends!

Having a latina compañera is la MAXIMO. (<--- esta palabra es la favorita de mi Compañera Hermana Pazmiño!) Ella es en serio capaisisimo like fortisisisismo in musica (She is seriously like very strong and compassionate music). My head is spinning with Spanish and English. At times it really is much easier to speak in Spanish.

MOM!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY!! You were in my thoughts and I was like Yes, today is a special day! My wonderful mom, this is her day! Lately I have been thinking of how to help a dear friend of mine here in Uruguay. Her kids have been acting up and yesterday (possibly due to it being your birthday) I received promptings of how to help my dear friend here with her kids. I remembered some of the things that you have done for me and taught me. I created a 10 Steps to build a happy home chart. Remember all those charts you use to make us?! Chore charts, exercise charts, love of learning charts, charts for bed time, charts for practicing the cello, etc. LOL!

Those were helpful to keep us on task, yet it was other things that made a bigger difference – it was all those times you read aloud to us, those quite hours on Sundays when gospel truths were shared, the example of prayer, and the scripture insights you were always giving us. It was those times when I was angry over a decision and yet you still stayed firm knowing it was best --that has made me who I am today. It was the hugs and consolation when I was sad that helped me overcome my trials and challenges. Mom, I may be lacking certain things, yet I know that God sent me an angel to watch over me.

This week was WOW --stressed filled, spiritually building, and an opportunity for new lessons learned. A major stress was that we found out that one of our investigators is lesbian… that was a bit of a shock and we realized she had been hitting on us. We asked our leaders what the steps were to help her and teach her. They said that it was not a good idea for us to help her – even a bit dangerous for us to stay involved. It was difficult to know how to end our relationship with her with kindness and friendship.  After time some stress built up on that topic and it looked like we were avoiding her and it seemed like none of our leaders were helping us --because they had work and families. We lost our cell phone too and the whole world felt a little like it was falling apart. We talked with the bishop and well he said he didn´t have the keys to help us... great. There is still so much I lack in the Spanish language and so I think he thought I didn´t respect him as a leader --which was not the case at all. My hope is that we can still work on the same page! 

Anyways, I ended up crying it out and Hermana Dutra—and she helped me so much!! She helped me see the perspective just like you would, mom. Right now I feel as if many lessons have been learned through this experience and I am so grateful for the things I have learned. It is important to understand that God really does have a reason and it is important to honor our leaders and respect their decisions. It is okay to cry and to feel emotional, but it is also important TO RISE ABOVE the things that are bringing us down and to stay strong! We must work hard and only give it our best! I have learned to hold my tongue more, to speak only kindness, to not compare, to make specific goals, and then keep them! Wow! The Lord is really helping me. I desire to be an instrument in his hands! To be shaped into more than I ever could become without him. He has really helped me this week with patience and Christ’s love. 

There is a need for patience with some of the members here, and to feel love for my new oro who is so far from home for her first time. Distance is relative for me, actually. I feel like you guys are still close--practically the same distance as it was when I was attending BYU-Idaho. IT is not that far! LOL! I feel that way nearly every day. I look forward to writing yet in all honestly I LOVE THE MISSION!!!!! I LOVE getting home at the end of a long great day full of miracles and my feet burn and my mind feels tired, but my spirit feels enlightened and I know I have done all I could do! WHAT A FEELING. I love this work! I love the testimony building experiences, the ability to express in both languages now and for the blessing of a spiritually empowering companion.

This past week we have had an incredible investigator to teach and work iwth. She is incredible! The Lord has prepared her to receive the gospel! She will be baptized next week! I am so excited. She has such a love for the Lord. Her name is Isabel Olivera.

My leaders here are astounding. The new Mission President came up and visited us this past week and Wow! He spoke with such power of his calling. I needed so much to hear the things he said. He talked about discipline  and obedience. Wow! Powerful! So often we are obedient for spurts of time, yet it is when we are self-disciplined to stay strong and to press on, well, that is when the miracles begin. I am so glad to have heard his message. I am grateful for the leaders who help us to make good use of what we have for work of the Lord.

The other night Spanish made a firmer click in my head! It was so amazing to listen to a conversation without having to focus on each of their palabras (words), translating and trying to gather the meaning.

There is a scripture story I have felt really strongly about this past week. It is covers the topic about how the Lord cares about the one. In a journey to another city, Jesus and his disciples stopped just outside of Samaria to buy food and rest. The dusty roads lingered on their feet and the exhaustion of teaching all day, healing the broken hearts, and infirm souls that the life of mortality bares down with its weight on the body. I can see it now. All day no one has been listening to the Son of God. They are hungry and tired. The Savior sends his disciples into Samaria to buy food. Yet, does Jesus join them, walking through the markets? NO. He waits and stays back. Then there comes a woman who is a sinner and recognized as such. She comes as she always does to the well. 

The Lord is waiting there to talk to the one. Perhaps it was this Samaritan woman that needed to hear His message the most the afternoon. Perhaps it was this woman that needed the love and redeeming joy of forgiveness the most in her life. It is a beautiful example from our Lord. He gets to know this woman and her heart and literally raises her broken heart and sin bound soul to a higher level of forgiveness because he was willing to patiently wait for the one who would accept him. It says at the end of John I think, that not enough books could fill the works of Christ. Can we not find reason to rejoice?! We are all beggars; we all look to God for aid. Look to God and LIVE. This is a special insight gained this week!

Love you all so much

Hermana Kaitlyn Hansen