January 26 2014

This week was amazing. 

I don't have too much time to e-mail today but I have lots and lots of things to tell everyone!

First all the little things that made me happy this week: Finding Taco Bell hot sauce, tortillas, and beans, Ikea, Ikea hot dogs, and Cap 'n' Crunch. 

Is it sad that it is all food? I can't help it, I miss the little comforts of America. 

Saying that though I am absolutely in love with all the food here in Singapore. So good. I love Seafood, crazy! My current obsession is the green curry with prawns. Delicious. I did have a mishap this week with food though. Haha so Sister Wynn and I went to meet a investigator at Starbucks, haha we ordered juices, just juice....nope, that wasn't the case, as I was drinking it I knew it tasted like tea, but I thought "Nah" it's just extra delicious. I was wrong, ha definitely green tea. Ooops but we repented and all is good now. 

We have been praying to find more men for our ward, you know, future priesthood holders and it is insane to see how quickly prayers are answered, INSANE. We have so many new investigators, all men. We are thinking of doing matchmaking on the side with all the YSA. Haha. 

So missionaries can only listen to approved music right? Well something horrible has happened, I actually like the church music we downloaded. Haha we have all the music from the youth page on lds.org on our flash drives and we listen to it nonstop, it's bad. I am obsessed hopefully I don't come home one of "those" sister missionaries. Either way it's a good thing.

Missions truly do change you, but it's always for the best, I am excited to see all the changes that happen to me over the next 15 months! :)

Sister Emma Lou Hansen

P.S. we have this investigator and he is probably one of my favorite people. He is super humble and righteous and Christ-like. All his views are the same as the churches and all of his values and beliefs, everything is what we believe as well. So we have been teaching him and invited him to be baptized and no dice. I was so frustrated, I just love him so much and I want him to have the happiness and peace I know the gospel can give him, but he is afraid. I turned to him and almost yelled my testimony about the Holy Ghost and said, "I just want you to have this so bad!!! You need this!!!" Now he is finally coming around. I love being a missionary. My story didn't do it justice.....

January 19 2014

Well Here's an update from last weeks activities. I had my first zone conference, it was a blast. It came at just the right time. We had an area 70 come and talk to us and I realized how badly I need to focus more on the work. I have been getting so distracted lately, I don't even know what's distracting me. It's annoying. Haha. Luckily though I snapped myself out of it and I have been laser focused on my investigators and ward members. 

Sister Wynn and I got to attend on of our investigators weddings 2 Saturday's ago and it was a blast. I think I sent a photo of it. Filipinos truly know how to have a party. Not only that but we contacted our entire table and the table next to us and we have a several appointments set with them this week! So stoked. 

My first transfer cycle was last week and I am in the same area with the same comp. I have to say I was a little sad about it. Haha more about that later. Elder Crosland, one of the AP's, was transferred out to a different ward and I was so sad. He was/is a great missionary and I learned a lot from him. The new AP is awesome though, he looks like the quintessential missionary. Haha I am super blessed to have my first area with the Assistants. They are so good to us. Sadly my roomies are leaving us in a couple weeks though. It will just be Sister Wynn and I in the apartment and I am beyond depressed about that. I love Sister Tai so much, we have a heart to heart every night and it helps me out so much. 

Training. Wow. I want it to be over. I have been feeling like I am stuck in rut lately. I have learned so much from my trainer and I love her to death, we've become really good friends and I am so grateful, but our friendship has definitely hindered my training. I was flipping through the book and realized I haven't been trained at all, I haven't taken the lead in lessons, and haven't been given responsibility. It's stressing me out. Haha. I talked to her about it, and how I have been feeling and hopefully things change. It's been a couple weeks and it hasn't, but I have to keep the faith right? 6 weeks is a long time. 

On the bright side we've been working super closely with the ward lately and really focusing on the members and trying to get them to become missionaries. This has in turn given us so much work to do. Me, the worst public speaker, now gives a talk once a month in sacrament, does a missionary moment in sunday school weekly, and does training in Relief Society weekly. That is so much instruction from a not very wise 21 year old. Haha. I am happy that Bishopric trusts us and encourages us. We are planning the activities for the year with the ward mission leader since this years focus is missionary work and this quarter we are doing a mini MTC for the members. We are typing up call letters and making name badges. They will be in districts and we will have a welcome meeting, games/instruction, and a departing devotional. It is going to be so good and hopefully really push the members to reach more. People are so scared to share the gospel with friends and co-workers, but it should be the opposite. Missionary work is just caring for people as God's children.

I really urge anyone who is reading this to invite a friend or co-worker to church. Even just giving them a Book of Mormon and the missionaries phone number. It's so much more meaningful coming from a member than a missionary. 

Sister Lou

January 12 2014

Things are really starting to pick up in terms of missionary work here, and I am so excited about it. As I have learned to really focus on what matters and turn outwards, instead of inwards towards myself, the work has grown exponentially. Investigators are getting handed to us, lesson go smoother, and the desires of those we teach turn to baptism. It has been a week of lots of HARD work but a huge pay off and so many miracles. 

Ken e-mailed me about crocheting, I think that is great and it sounds like it is really helping her. I didn't know she was taking lessons from Grandma Johnson though, that must be fun for her. 

NO WAY DID TAN AND LAKEN GET A DOG. That's crazy. The little poop never e-mails me either. You will have to send me a picture. It's a little eerie that their dog is named after our dead dog, but that cool. Is it a puppy? or did they get an older dog? I am happy for them and I super miss Miss Ava. She's adorable and you picked the perfect photo of her to go into the photo book. 

I have to admit at the beginning I would just stare at the photos and miss home a lot but now I really do use it as a tool to show people families and talk about how the gospel has blessed my family and that I know we will be together even after Earth. 

Jer's kitchen looks amazing. I am so happy for her.

I truly do love serving a mission and I don't want to be anywhere more than I want to be here. 

Love you and Miss you,

Sister Hansen

Chinese Gardens. This place is mind blowing. So Gnarly.

Haha caught red handed eating a PB&J right before comp prayer

Jan 5 2014

I You Guys:

This week was a rough one, but first let me talk about all the good things.

New missionary training happened this week, and I definitely, definitely needed it. I was able to see missionaries from my MTC district, and really just learn how to be better at what we do. 

Haha I guess that was it. 

The rest of the week was gnarly. It was a rough one, real rough. It seemed as though no one wanted to talk to us and all our appointments fell through, we were both just so unmotivated and it has been killer. I really think I understand the quote forget yourself and go to work. It something I need to work on I have been so distracted with missing things at home and school. Last night though Sister Wynn and  I really sat and called everyone and created a vision for ourselves and made appointments and I think finally exerted ourselves as much as we did in the beginning. Anyways, I felt so disappointed in myself and I will never ever be selfish about it again. 

I am so blessed with the opportunity to live in Singapore and work with all the amazing people I work with. Not only that but I have the support of amazing family and friends, I couldn't do it without you! 

All my love, 

Sister Emma Lou Hansen

P.S.

I didn't get to tell you how much I loved everything in the package you sent family. It was perfect I stare at the photo book all day and have shown so many people the Calendar, I think they are kind of jealous they aren't a Hansen. Love you guys!

Palau Ubin. After a bike ride around the island

Us after the aquarium at Sentosa. It is so pretty there!

Genie pants. Of course we are doing the tree pose because well how else do you pose?

Christmas dinner at 9 pm...haha... 3 of these girls are taking lessons from us.

This a mural we found painted on a building in Little India. Hahah The Elders. Of course I am awkwardly posing.

Lunch with Brother Vince. Shortly after this was taken he told me I looked like David Archuleta...

Christmas Eve dinner with the Millers. I love them. That night was so fun!

We discovered our roof and the view is awesome!

Rooftop modeling.

We found a Narnia lamp on our roof. Mr. Tumnus.