February 23 2014

All:

This week was a blast. So busy. The work is picking up in 3rd ward and it is fantastic. I can't believe how far a little prayer goes. 

So we have really been struggling with getting dinner appointments, which are so important, (FEED THE MISSIONARIES), and this past week we had an appointment every night and things have been on an incline ever since. The ward is more focused especially with this sweet activity the missionaries planned coming up on Saturday.(update on that later). Basically everything is going just great. 

Transfer news came in on Saturday morning and I got word that I will continue to be in 3rd ward. At first I was sad, not because I don't love my area, because I do with my entire heart, but because I wanted to see Malaysia, (selfish reasons), so I am STOKED that Heavenly Father really knew what I needed. I will be getting a new companion, Sister Lenhart, I meet her tomorrow and I am ecstatic, an update on that next week! :) I am sure it will be so great, there is something to love about everyone and I know that companionships are divinely inspired. 

I realized I don't talk much about my area in my weekly e-mails, so here it goes, we are really focusing in on part-member families and less-actives. I am actually really happy about this. The referrals from members are kind of at a standstill right now, and to go out contacting is almost a waste of time. I know that as we focus on the ward and who needs help there, to really strengthen all the members the referrals will flow naturally as they come to love the missionaries.

-Side note, i really challenge all of you to find one person for the missionaries to teach in the next couple of months, I am going to follow up. Do it prayerfully, but I know that Lord places prepared people in the path of members.-

So on Tuesday we were on splits, Sister Zhang was with the woodlands sisters so at 945 we went to pick her up after our appointment on the other side of the island. We were late but definitely in for a surprise when we got there. Haha. She had been bitten by a wild cat! Insane. So we spent the whole night in a sketch, like SUPER sketch clinic, so ridiculous, but it was a lot of fun! That didn't do it justice but the clinc was just creepy. Flickering lights, strange noises, doctors that don't speak english. Sister Zhang survived luckily and we went on our way at about 2 am to get to bed before a jam-packed day! 

There were lots of fun adventures this week and I am truly having the time of my life on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure! 

I love you and I miss you all!

Know that Heavenly Father is watching over you and waiting for you to come to him in prayer. He knows what you've been through and are currently going through, your thoughts, desires, and emotions. Prayer has been the biggest source of comfort for me right now on my mission throusands of miles away from my loved ones. I promise it can help you too! 

Sister Emma Lou Hansen

February 16th

Family and Friends

Well lots has happened in the past couple of weeks, since I am horrible person and didn't really e-mail last week....

Do you want the bad news or the good news first? I'll give you the bad, brace yourselves, it's heart-breaking....

FORTUNE COOKIES AREN'T REAL. They aren't even a thing in China! When my Sister Zhang told me, my heart broke, so so sad! But the good news is America does and that's what is important.

On Friday Sister Zhang went on splits with the Woodlands sisters, so Sister Wynn and I bought a ludicrous amount of chocolate and ate our feelings in our blanket fort. Weekly planning for the win!

So as you all know I have been stuck in a rut lately with missionary work and not really understanding what in the world I am doing here! But wow, exact obedience is so key to happiness in missionary work. You've got to put in the effort to get the rewards. I badly needed an attitude check this past week, I was way to self-centered and a mission has to be the worst time ever to be selfish. I have been praying for help though and the Lord has really blessed me so much. Since being more grateful and less selfish, our ward has really pulled together and we have appointments everyday with members, which is seriously a HUGE accomplishment. 

We had a super sketch lesson with the Clementi Elders on Saturday night. A woman they contacted had told them she wanted to meet with them, but the sms's got progressively more forward if you know what i mean, so they had invited us to come along with them, since she is in our area anyways. When we had got to Botanic Gardens to meet her with them we did not know what to expect, and at the beginning it was clear her intentions were not to learn about the gospel. As we continued to try and talk with her about the gospel her intentions quickly changed and we were able to talk with her about the Atonement and now she is a legitimate investigator. Blessings!

Also I finished the Book of Mormon all the way through and I am well on my way to finish D&C and the pearl of great price. I decided early on in my mission that I needed to do that to strengthen my testimony and everyday I read from the BOM and prayed to gain a witness and everyday I have. Now when I testify of it's truthfulness there is so much more power. 

Missions are amazing and force you to grow so much. I love being here I wouldn't trade this experience for anything! 

Love you!

Sister Hansen

February 2 2014

You Guys:

UPDATE: I am now in a trio. I am so sad, my housemate Sister Tai had to leave Singapore because of Visa issues, and there was just a lot of random shifting of sister missionaries i feel like this last week, so now my other housemate Sister Zhang is in our companionship in the 3rd ward. I am so excited because I love Sister Zhang so much but I am also very nervous because an odd number of anything, especially girls, no, especially sister missionaries can be rough. We all love each other so much though so I am not too worried about it. I guess I will have to update you about it next week. 

It's hard to write this week. Mostly because I am very disappointed in myself. I was not a missionary. This week I was Emma Hansen living in Singapore, not Sister Hansen serving in Singapore. Sister Wynn and I were dropped by 3 of our investigators this week and I am so depressed about it. You really love people so quickly here as you are teaching them the gospel, and inviting the spirit into their homes. It is beyond depressing when you see them making choices that aren't so smart and aren't helping them. Sadly instead of trying harder both of us kind of gave up in a sense and we weren't living up to our potential. There were numerous times when I thought about how badly I wanted to be home and to be normal only for a day, just to have 24 hours of normalcy, but then I realized that I have an eternity to be normal and only 18 months to be a missionary. I need to get my act together. There are no excuses for being lazy especially when I am called and set apart to do this sacred calling, to be a missionary and represent this church. 

We did have a lesson this week with an investigator that had "tried" to drop us on Sunday. We pulled the crazy ex-girlfriend move and asked to just meet him one more time in person to hear what his thoughts are and to answer his questions. IT WORKED. Haha we had a 3 hour lesson with him in a park and that's why I have that horrible sun burn and it is only on one side of my body. So ugly. But it was amazing to be able to sit with him and answer his questions and calm his stress. He is one of the most stressed out nervous people I've ever met, but he is so prepared to be baptized. Things are really looking up for him. 

We also have another investigator on date for baptism right now for February 16 and I am so so so excited for her. She has been investigating the church for awhile and has had a previous baptismal date, but this is the one, I can feel it. 

I have seen so many miracles this week even though I don't really deserve it. It is so cool how the lord blesses us despite our worthiness, because he loves us so much. I have a feeling next transfer I will be leaving 3rd ward, I am not positive but I just have this gut feeling. I will be so sad to leave and now I will definitely make the most of my last 3 weeks of this transfer. 

I love all of you and I miss all of you so much. Remember the church is true and can do nothing but bless your life if you let it.

Make good choices,

Sister Emma Lou Hansen

chinese new years dinner missionary style because we are so cheap. Haha hot dogs and eggs and 100 plus. Real fancy.

Well I got the worst sunburn ever, haha and my housemate Sister Zhang insisted I put milk on it to help it. Haha here are the photos. I smelt so horrible.