Consejo, Zone Meeting, Going back to Bluefields

Consejo.  (the lighting is super bad hahah)   

Familia y amigos

Que pedo? (What’s up?) I hope that all of you had a super great week, things went well here.  This week was a week full of contacting and getting the zone excited for these next couple of big months.

On Tuesday Elder Naupoto and I went to Consejo de Lideres (Leader’s Conference), which is always in President’s house.  We had to get up like at 3:30am to be on a bus at 4:30am to get there on time.  It was rough waking up early and going to Managua 2 days in a row, but there was not much I could do.  We got there and our presentation went well, President was happy with what we had for September, but we need to do a lot more.  We raised the goal to 2300 baptisms for the year, so that means we will be having to do a lot more.  The Lord wants more from us, so it will be a lot more work and pressure to get it.

On Wednesday we just worked, normal in the area.  We found out that the investigator that we had progressing for baptism this week drank coffee, so she has to wait all the way until after General Conference to get baptized.  It was a little sad, but she’s excited to get baptized, so pray for her please!  One thing we have been lacking in is the norms (standards) and new investigators, so we just worked hard to find new people, and as always the norms just kind of fill out.  We have been putting a lot of emphasis in finding new people here in the zone, so the missionaries are putting like 3 baptismal fechas (dates) a day.

Thursday was the same.  We found a couple of cool people, one of them was actually a guy that came to church on his own on Sunday.  He accepted a fecha (baptismal date) super fast and was telling us he wanted to get baptized, I love when people are prepared like that!  A couple of our investigators that we had with Elder Hartley fell, they were positive but let other people get into their heads.  The missionaries from Bluefields came in because we were going to have Zone meeting on Friday.

Zone Meeting was on Friday and that went pretty well, we were just trying to get the missionaries excited to get to work, and to complete with the goals that we have.  The missionaries are working pretty hard and it looks like we should have a good month in October.  We forgot to take a picture (sorry mom!) but the zone is doing really well.  We worked with the Elders from Bluefields in our area and found a couple of people.

Saturday we didn’t have a baptism, verified all day with the zone to make sure things were going well, and tried to commit our investigators to church.  It was just like last Saturday and there wasn’t anyone home.  We put a lot of fechas and committed them to church, but none of them were too promising.  It is getting a little boring just finding people that aren’t progressing, we want to be teaching lessons but we can’t teach if we don’t have investigators.  We´ll bounce back soon here though.

On Sunday it was an alright day.  The branch council was a little rough.  Everyone in the zone got confirmed and we finished out the night well, I found a cool family so we will see if they progress!  

Today nothing has really happened either, just got my hair cut, we went and got smoothies and I’m just getting ready to go back to Bluefields tomorrow!! I’m super stoked to go and say hi to some of my converts, and see how all of the members are doing.  Next week I’ll have pictures from there!  Thanks for all you guys do, love you all!

Elder Hanson

Batidos with the district

Training, New Companion, Mondays I Live in Managua

Elder Smith and Me

Familia y Amigos,

How’s everything going?? I don’t have a ton of time this week, I’m doing a presentation for Consejo de Lideres (Leaders Conference) in Managua tomorrow.  It always takes forever and I got off to a late start because of today so things aren’t going so hot.

This week was awesome, Monday was normal and on Tuesday we found out cambios (changes).  Elder Hartley ended up having changes, so that meant that Elder Vasquez would be staying.  They told me I would be training also.

Wednesday we got up bright and early so that we would make it to cambios on time (last change meeting the Juigalpa bus showed up late... not good) and we were able to make it.  I found out that my new comp would be Elder Smith, who is from Riverton, UT.  He just barely finished up in the MTC and has a great desire to work.  I am now ZL1 here, and Elder Naupoto from Hawaii is the other ZL.  He dies (finishes his mission) in 2 changes, so I will probably be killing him here, which means that I'll be here until like January.  Whoooo!  We got back from changes after a little training meeting, and then got to work.

On Thursday we just visited some of our investigators and we contacted.  I was showing my comp around the area, letting him get a little comfortable, and putting him to contact.  Asi esssss.  He has a desire to work, his Spanish is pretty good, so we just have to get the nerves out and he has some great potential.

On Friday we did the routine cada otra semana (every other week) in Boaco.  I’m still the DL there too, so we went and worked with the hermanas.  That was an interesting experience.  I pulled out a baptism in their area for Saturday so they were happy, they’re not doing so hot.  We got back late so we planned and then went to bed.

On Saturday we just went and committed people to come to church.  Like nobody was home, nobody really let us in or anything, so it was kind of a rough day, but we just pushed through.  It was my comp's first taste of real rejection so he got a little discouraged but all is well.  We didn’t really commit a ton of people to church, so that stunk also.

On Sunday we were blessed as a zone and got everyone confirmed.  We have 16 baps right now as a zone, trying to get above the norm of 20.  Pray that we can do it!!  We didn’t have a ton of people in church, but our bap for this week passed her interview so that was cool.  We should have a baptism this week.  Other than that we just got back to work again.

And then today, we had to go to Managua.  I feel like I make the commute every Monday, but whatever.  My comp had to get some papers done for his cedula (visa).  It took forever but we got to eat Pizza Hut again and I got to take a little nap.  Now I’m just rushing to finish this presentation.  I hope all of you have a great week, love you all!!!

Elder Hanson 

Entrevistas, #WhiteOut

Baptism

Familia y Amigos,

This week went super well, we got back to baptizing and had interviews, which went super well.  I’m super happy because this week I should be getting a new companion here because it is changes.  I do not plan on leaving here but who knows what will happen because the last time I guaranteed I wasn’t going to have changes I ended up having them. I’m going to let you all know what went down.

On Monday we just finished up p-day, didn’t really do anything else.  Bluefields showed up in the night so we all got ready, cleaned the house up and made sure everything was ready for entrevistas (interviews).

On Tuesday we had entrevistas (interviews) with president.  They were supposed to be 10 minutes each and be over at like 1:30, but we ended up finishing around 8 pm.  We were exhausted.  Overall things went really well.  We started out the whole zone with just me and Elder Hartley going in and talking to President, then everyone in the zone, and then at the end we had our personal interviews and then again Elder Hartley and me went in.  President is really happy with us and he told me that I am doing a good job.  That was good.  We are just trying to get things rolling here but it has been really hard with just 3 people.  After the interviews not much went down, just visited a couple of people and went home.

On Wednesday we had plans to work with a member but when we showed up to his house he flaked, wasn’t there and wouldn’t answer his phone.  Story of my life the last couple weeks here.  Nobody wants to work and then when we go to ward council they just all tell us how willing they are and how they always work with us. Frustrating but whatever!

On Thursday we worked with our ward mission leader who is a super awesome, but he is a little old so gets tired.  He has a big desire to help us, but we had a ton of mandados (errands) to run, setting up our investigator’s marriage that we were going to have and everything.

On Friday the member worked with us for half the day while Elder Hartley and Elder Vasquez were in Boaco.  We got everything set up for the marriage, but of course the investigator started to have doubts.  He works in a barberia (barber shop) so everyone just feeds him stuff, saying bad stuff about the church.  We got his doubts out and resolved, and he was excited to get baptized again.

On Saturday we had the baptism. We got everything ready, our investigator and his wife showed up early for the English class and then we got them married and baptized.  The wife is preparing for baptism later this month.  Not only did we pull through on Saturday, but BYU did too, so that’s why this email has the title of “whiteout.”  We had a white happy night and so did BYU.  But anyway the baptism went good, he asked me to baptize him so I couldn’t say no, and they were happy.

On Sunday he was confirmed and we had a good day in church so things went well.  Looking forward this week to get a new companion and everything.

I hope you all have a great week, want to give a shout out to my little sister Lily.  Happy Birthday!! Love you lots!!

Elder Hanson

The marriage before the baptism.

HUMP DAYYYYY

The shirt we burned to celebrate my 1 year mark.

Familia y Amigos,

What’s going on??  This week was a pretty good one, I hit my one year mark in the mission, and we spent the week trying to strengthen the zone up.  Working as a trio has been dragging us down, but we have been super blessed in our work, things are just kind of working out right now.  Just trying to do our best and hoping that the Lord will do the rest.

The area was pretty much mine this week as Elder Hartley did divisions with some of the companionships.  I worked with his hijo (trainee) and things went well.  On Tuesday Elder Hartley went with our District leader who is struggling a little.  He worked with him for 2 days, trying to get things rolling.  We just contacted, put a lot of fechas (baptismal dates)and tried to find some people that would progress.  Looking back on it, not any of the people we put fechas with went to church, oh well.

Wednesday was the same, just contacted some more.  We are just preparing one of our investigators for baptism this week, so we focused on him a little, pulling out doubts and making sure everything will be smooth this Saturday.  We also have an investigator who is the husband of a member.  The wife really wants to go to the temple and get sealed but he is duro (hard), let me tell you.  He supposedly studied with the testigos (jehovas witnesses) for a while, but he doesn’t believe in anything.  He doesn’t even really believe in the atonement.  We explain it so clearly, but he is so closed up.  Think we will be leaving Alma 30.  He came to church so that was cool.

Thursday I hit the one year mark in the mission.  We didn’t really do anything.  Me and Elder Nave talked for a good rato (while) in the morning, it was cool to talk to him.  We didn’t do anything too special, but I burned a shirt.  Time is flying by, and this cambio (transfer) is almost over too.  

Friday I went to Boaco, the hermanas (sisters) egged me for my 1 year, that stunk.  I smelled all day long and had to do interviews.

Saturday not much went down, lost a ton of time with a baptism that fell in the Hermanas area, but in the end she got baptized so that was good.

Sunday we had an apostasy testimony meeting, and the kids were all going wild so that was really hard.  One of our investigators walked out early, we think it was because of all the junk.  We haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet.  Other than that things are going well.  We should have a baptism this week so I am excited for that!  I hope all is well, and everyone is enjoying the weather.  I love fall.  Have a great week!

Elder Hanson