Dream to Reality- Served a mission in Uruguay Montevideo Mission

It is oddly terrifying standing in front of your whole life. For 20 years I worked towards the opportunity to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I could always count on that goal. And now, I have done it. 

It is harder than I thought yet worth it because I enjoy a good battle every now and again, there is no set goal of "TIME" ( Don't get me wrong, this can be liberating as well!!). You cannot say when I am ___ age I will be married, or at ___age I will have a job or 12 kids. Or in two months I will find out what my career will be. The mission was that for me! I knew, when I am 21 I will go on a mission (that changed by a year jump-start but hey! Loved every moment of it!) And I could always count on transfers every 6 weeks! I could count on my companion. I could count on the Time frame! 18 Months (not nearly long enough I might add). I could count on it. I built my life around it. 

So... Now what? ( I'm Glad you asked!)

Life has so many roads. I am just trying to find out what my next dream is! ( I hope you didn't think I was done) Oh no! I BELIEVE I CAN DO ANYTHING through Christ who strengthens me.

So stay tuned! Another dream is about to be born and you don't wanna miss it-- the sky is not be the limit with this eternal soul! (wink-face)

Photos -- Me and my Yerbal Sisters!

Look at these crazy awesome people I live with!

Hermana Peterson

Hermana Pazmino

WEEK 30 – “Spiritual Atomic Bomb, Miracles, and Our Saints Are Ready!”

Dear Familia y Amigos!

My heart is so full of joy for you all!! I love you all so much!! I thought about you all many times through out the conference. The powerful talks! The inspiring messages! The unity of our leaders in defending the faith of God will never be forgotten. As the conference ended, President Monson waved to us all. I could not help but feel the Savior’s arms around me, or the angels that protect me…offering me a sense of belonging, a sense of love. I had tear filled eyes as I watched as our beloved prophet when he left the conference center. Conference had come and gone all too fast, yet thanks be to the Lord God, the spirit still dwells here, it abides, I pray ever fervently that it shall not leave. 

The work of salvation is in every moment of this world. I FEEL so honored to be apart of this work! It is in every thing. I agree with the words of President Monson, it was one of the most uplifting and inspiring conferences. The Heavens are open, our saints are ready, and our leaders are united in the Lord. I know that they are inspired, righteous men and woman of God. This is His work. Thank you for your prayers. I feel as though our Lord and God prays for our success daily. Shall we not go on in so great a cause?

More than ever I know that I am a worthy Daughter of God. I am a part of the work. I am already doing a part of my life mission! I am AM A MISSIONARY! What prayers are offered. What strength we have…though agency plays a role, who can deny the Holy Ghost? I know that the Holy Ghost will carry our message into the hearts of those we teach and into the hearts of those who are ready. I LOVE THIS GOSPEL! I love this feeling I have. 

During the conference I could not help but think of you guys. There were so many times when I felt your comments or felt your hugs. LOL…or wished I could eat the crepe breakfast with you! :P Haha! 

One of those times was during O´Divine Redeemer. Wow! I could almost see the tears through my own mommy’s eyes!  :). When President Monson talked about a “Heart of Gold”…I thought of you Kaleb. When Hermana Carole M. Stephenson talked about the priesthood and covenants…Daddy you were right there. When I thought about the work of salvation…I also thought of you Karina Darling girl! When Elder Dyches talked about The Hiding Place I remembered all those times, Mom, you would read aloud to us great books and classics. :D I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!

Our investigadors (investigators) are PROGRESSING!! YES this is a huge blessing of the Lord. I seriously felt like I could go no more. My heart and faith said to hold on though after a very discouraging week. Then the day dawn broke!! It was beautiful to see. As we were diligent, as we kept good attitudes, and we pressed on the Lord gave us the opportunity to find nuevos, place fechas, and change lives. We found a boy about 19 who had so many questions. He declared, “How do we enter the presence of God?” We asked him how he would do it. He said, “I need to repent. Yet I am not perfect.” Then he thought, “How can I be clean? I want to be clean!” This was a beautiful moment for my companion and I. It was wonderful to teach him that God has a plan for him, and that he can be clean of his past, and that he can feel the Love of God for him and enter into His presence after this life.

We had a milagro (miracle) this week, a powerful faith building real milagro!! It was with an incredible woman who was vibrant and full of love. About two weeks ago, we met with her. SHE set her Fecha (baptism date)!! That was wonderful. She came to church and then…she was hit with an illness. We had not seen her for two weeks, until Viernes en la noche. It was 8:52pm. While heading back home we felt that we needed to stop and see Shirly. She came stumbling out of the house. She was instantly scared when she saw us. We cautiously and quietly said, “Shirly”?? Her health had deteriorated her image a lot. She openly stated she doesn`t feel anything and desired to not even live anymore. The beautiful light was gone from her eyes. She looked like she was walking dead. It was awful. We took her hand and I began to pray out loud. I began to pray that God would heal her. We don´t have the priesthood, yet I know the Lord heard and answered our prayers. I know that God is the God of the living. I know that God answered our prayers. She healed quickly after that night. She is happy. We are going to meet with her today. The Lord God has blessed us and her!

The Lord God is with us. We are His children. It says that the truth angers those who are wicked. I know that the truth is at times hard to listen to. Yet my soul illuminates with such love for God, for my faults and weaknesses, yet I know he makes weak things become strong unto me. 

Thanks for always being here for me family! I know I could never do it without you! LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. Until next week. ¡¡¿VAMO ARRIBA!!!

Hermana Hansen

Hermana Pazmino & Wonderful Memories!

WEEK 29 “The Day Dawn is Breaking & He is Shooting Himself in the Foot”

Dear Familia y Amigos! :)

Wow! This week has felt long in some ways and short in other ways. I know that the Lord has really helped me overcome some things though. I am still in Yerbal. Sad to say it has been a battle—and lately, every day to think, wow… 6 more weeks of Yerbal. There has been many a time when I have felt like I couldn´t go on...yet something inside of me said "hold on". When there are transfers it’s often a good time to make new metas, GOALS. You know me. I am so much my mother´s daughter... Goals! How can I improve? What lack I yet? Sometimes that list gets pretty long. Yet I guess that’s our way of saying, I am not perfect. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole. To which the master siempre (always) responds, "I will, be thou whole." First it is by our faith, our actions, and our diligence that we become clean, whole, and free from the sins that hang on our hearts and minds.

I AM SO FREAKIN EXCITED FOR GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!

This past week so many answers came…so many moments of comfort. I know that Yerbal is preparing me for different types of trials that I will have in my life. I know that the Lord is in His work and though my efforts are not shown in numbers or on paper I am changed. I love my companion and I have come to know the Lord in a way that is beautiful to me. 

This past Sunday I gave a talk that I call "Teach Me To Walk In the Light". Thanks be to the Lord that I was able to deliver a message about the Love of Christ and His light—which is a part of each one of us. I spoke about how we should forsake those things that are no longer worthy of light and put them in their place with the Love and healing power of Christ. (Romans 13:12 and The Light of Gods Love by: Dieter F. Uchtdorf). Teach me Dear Lord to walk in the Light.

A few nights ago I had the chance to walk along the streets. We were looking for an antinguo investigador. We came across this elderly man named Flor Pinto. He has had a tough life. He lives in the country to care for live stock and garden, yet recently moved back to the "city" (which isn’t really a city) to care for his health. He told us of his many experiences and openly admitted that he doesn’t believe in God. He talked with us and asked us "why do people suffer? Why do we go through things that are bad?" He kept talking. Finally he slowed down and took a breath... Then it went silent. We started to talk with him. My companion shared with him the Book of Mormon about opposition in all things. Yet he didn’t want to listen... Finally I felt the testimony grow within me. I felt such love for this man, and at the same time I was tired that he wasn’t even caring to hear the beautiful promises of the Lord. I know with all my heart that God is the God of the living and that agency is a precious gift of God. We are free to look on the positive or the negative. That will be moments in our life when it is dark and when it is full of hurt and pain, yet I know with out a doubt that there will always be light after the dark of night.

I told this man that if he desired to know for himself that this church was true to come and see for himself. I encouraged him to look and ask questions, to open his heart and let the Lord talk to his soul, because I always know the Lord has something to say to me when I do this. I told him about how God is patient. He is loving. He is the Lord of our souls and the author of our salvation. I know that today is the day that Flor can accept the gospel of Light and the Love of God. That he doesn´t have to sit in darkness, but to have a peace and the knowledge that his life has purpose. He looked at me with a lot of concentration. He didn´t blink, he looked at me. I saw such light enter his eyes. Then it happened and this scripture entered my mind…for the natural man is an enemy to God and has been forever and ever unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and putteth of the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ." HIS NATURAL MAN KICKED IN. He denied the spirit which I know testified to him of his divine origin.... It was quite frustrating... He started to talk again... about trials and suffering. I kindly invited him to pray and that if he wanted to know more we invite him to come and see... Only the Lord knows if he will or not

After this experience we went to a house of a member to see if they could accompany us to a lesson with one of our investigadors named Leonardo. Elias Goygochea came with us. It was at first a odd lesson.... lots of sarcasm… if Spanish has sarcasm.... lol. Elias had been told some background about Leonardo but not much. As we started the lesson, I was amazed at how calm Elias was. He sat and then rose to make a statement. He told of his dark past and how he had been alone, hurt, and made a lot of serious mistakes in his life. He invited Leonardo with such love and power of "every member a missionary" to come to church, to see what the church is and sealed this invitation with a solid testimony of the Church has changed my life. I have felt the Loving power of the atonement in my life and I know that I will forever be changed because of this knowledge. Come and See for yourself. 

I finally translated all of this (in our visit)... By the time I did I felt an overwhelming love of God for Elias, for my sisters, for my life that I have, for the knowledge and for the answers of Hope that I have received. I was amazed and I felt the redeeming power of the Savior flow through me like a gentle waterfall. I did get emotional. The spirit hummed throughout the room... it was silent. It was clear, my words were of encouragement and a second witness of the truth to what Elias had testified.

Yet when all was said and done, Leonardo stated frankly that he had no desire to attend church. I looked at him in surprise. His obstinacies were negative... I felt a little perturbed... I was thinking to myself, this is kind of like you are shooting yourself in the foot. The Heavens are open unto you, Leonardo, and I know not more what you need?! I felt frustrated yet full of such pure love for this man and desired him to put down his defenses, pride and social status and come to the Lord God. I felt like the lesson ended well though. The Lord is in this work. He testified to my soul that He has a plan. This deep knowledge has brought me closer to my Lord and Savior. Though Yerbal be like a millstone around my neck, may I constantly remember the Lord God, may I forever be an instruments in his Hands. Though I be but a mortal woman, I know the Lord gives and the Lord takes (and He has given me mucho).

2 Thes. 5-24 has really helped me this week – Look into it! 

THERE IS ALWAY SUN IN THE MORNING, NIGHT HAS NO POWER. The DAY DAWN IS BREAKING!!!!

Hoy Es El DÌA!!!!

Hermana Kaitlyn Hansen

With Friends & the Savior

WEEK 28

Dearest Familia y Amigos,

There are so many people who have emailed me this week! WOW I feel loved! It was at first hard for my brain to switch over to English and wow... I have been able to write many people and have found so much strength for the coming week.

Mom, to answer your question, there are areas to print of things, if you send me a link to another area that is not in the LDS web page we have been asked not to open it, if the talk is in the email I can print it out for later. We are not using the social network things yet. Uruguay is behind in the technological sense.

Uruguay is going well!! My area is good. I feel like this week has flown by. Quite frankly there are so many different things to write and so little time. Recently I went to Chuy, which is right on the border of BRAZIL and Uruguay. It was sweet! I went to Brazil this past week too. We did an Open House for the church and wow, amazing things happened!

The Casa Abiertas “Open Houses” are for the people who don´t know much about the church and would like to learn more. There are a lot of things that we teach and discuss at these. The first 3 lessons in “Preach My Gospel” are taught and we do what we can to help bring the spirit. I have so many amazing stories I could share. There was this couple that came in near the end of the night. Raul is an Atheist and his girlfriend was very religious. There was a special spirit in the Sacrament room. I saw Camilla take the hand of Raul and a few tears entered her eyes. I felt like angels were softening the heart of Raul and that we were perhaps the answer to many silent prayers of this devoutly religious woman. They were from Santiago, Chile and this was the first time that they had heard the gospel. 

We might be having a baptism next week! I am so excited. Her name is Shirly. Wow! She is so prepared. We have had so many people fall through, yet not this one. She herself personally set the date for her baptism. She has a strong love and faith for God. I know that He has prepared her for us.

Thank you, Daddy, for your words about faith and being able to change a whole city. I think that is exactly the difficult road the Lord has called me to bare here. I feel overwhelmed at times. The salvation of so many is waiting to be done, yet there is peace in knowing that the Lord’s plan will always succeed. I know the Lord is God. That he will always help those who trust in him and who are exactly obedient. I know the Lord lives and that he Loves His missionaries. The more I am out here in the field the more I love and am strengthen by the counsel of the Prophets. I AM SO EXCITED FOR GENERAL CONFERENCE!! My poor Liahona… it is so battered and worn... lol this is not good, but I know conference will help!

I love you all! I feel so much strength from you all! This church is true. I hope to grow a lot this Transfer.

I love this work!
Hermana Hansen