August 17 2014

This work is so amazing! Dad, you were right it was transfers last week, and I am still in Kuching! I am so so excited for this transfer. 

Last week was so crazy! Transfer news came in on Monday and everything after that seems like such a blur! Sister Leavitt and I are still together but Elder Chong and Elder Mitchell left. We were heart-broken. They have moved on to bigger better things, Elder Chong finished his mission and Elder Mitchell is now a Zone Leader in Johor Bahru (almighty ZL Mitchell..) The first 3 days of the weeks were spent going to as many members as we could with the Elders to say good-bye and prepare them for the new elders coming in, Fletcher and Greenie (Pierce). It was so good to be able to see the love the elders had for their area, investigators, and members! We still miss them a lot and reminisce on all "the good times" but we are already tight with the new ones! The following 3 days were planning, visioning, planning, and more planning.

We are going to blow the members minds this transfer about the Atonement. I have been struggling in this area the past 3 months with trying to find ways to excite the members into missionary work. That was where I went wrong. Yes, they are exhausted of trying and seeing no results. Yes, they are converted to the gospel. But, THEY HAVE NO HOPE! I don't know about you but the only sure thing that gives me hope no matter what is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They don't need to be excited into missionary work, they need to be loved into missionary work. This lesson has been so great for me to be able to prepare, to grow my testimony of the Atonement and to see my desire to share the gospel increase in just 2 weeks. I will keep you updated on how it all goes, the first official lesson is tonight! 

This e-mail is short and boring, and I'm sorry I can't send you photos, i forgot the camera chord......

The Atonement is real and this church is so amazing.

I can't believe I hit my official 9 months on Wednesday! This mission is going by insanely fast. 

I promise to have at least a couple funny stories for you next week and LOTS of photos!

Sister Emma Lou Hansen

August 3rd 2014

So let me tell you about my P-day! Haha

It was Hari Raya, a gigantic Muslim holiday, and we went from Melayu house to Melayu house eating chicken curry, glutinous rice, and rendang...all...day....

So at the end of the day after about 4-5 house of eating the exact same thing we met up with one of our less-actives who took us to a Muslim Kampung and it was such an adventure.

-back story so we can not talk to Muslims about anything relating to religion, and there is animosity between Christians and the Muslims and this is the only day of year that we could go into the kampung let a lone their actual houses, such a neat experience.

When we got to the kampung that had just had a black out and so everyone was in their dark house feasting by candle light and the air-cons are out and it is just sweltering. We walk up to our first house and talk for a little bit and then they make us eat food, and the hosts don't eat, they just serve the guests and watch them eat...so uncomfortable haha....keep in mind it is pitch black so i just go and i get a spoonful of each thing, thinking it was safe, all the houses so far had the same food so this one wouldn't be different right? WRONG! As I am chewing on my first bite of what I assume to be rendang(beef) I thought to myself, wow the texture is funny, the taste is funny, this isn't quite right. Immediately as I am thinking this the host says, "oh, how is the HORSE?" I ATE HORSE, BISCUIT WAS EATEN, PEGASUS IS DEAD, BLACK BEAUTY WAS DEVOURED. I hated myself. The worst part was the fact that the host was a horse jockey. Hahah I can't believe my life. 

Anyways so after the horse meat fiasco, we went to travel to the next house and we were swarmed by the kids living in the village because the wanted to see the Orang Putay (white people) and we legitimately ran around the kampung in the dark laughing and joking and playing with sparklers. It was an experience I will never forget, it was so fun, and legitimately once in a lifetime for me. I can't wait for the chance to teach Muslims in Malaysia one day when the law is lifted. 

I am out of time I am so sorry I can't include anything spiritual but I will next week, I promise!

Love all of you!

Be missionaries! I am going to follow-up!

Sister Hansn