laugh or cry

hannah and little girls. you are all amazing babes and swimmers. mom I love you! thanks you for the advice i will buy the best i can. ill withdraw next week. and hahahahahahahahaha this weeks letter is called laugh or cry. There is no option c, and also adventures with rice cheeks.

Soooo yeah I got a suprise phone call saturday night... why hello president. Will I follow up train an american? yyyeeeeees? I suppose. Ha I've been here 10 weeks and its still struggle town with the language I feel very inadequate. and then my new comp I think has been sick a lot... so ADVENTURE! ha I'll get her tomorrow. So whoever is reading this I encourage you to drop to your knees right now and pray. PRAY like theres no tomorrow for me. the Lord really does hear prayers. 

In facccctt... that morning i prayed for him to put me through whatever I needed to to become the missionary he wanted me to be and learn the language. then president calls. ha funny joke. I take it back I TAKE IT BACK! joke. ha I can do this because the Lord is with me. 

but I'll tell you right now missions are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hard. guarantee it'll top the hardest thing you've ever done before but they are also so rewarding. its like stretching your legs... i have famously painful and not flexible legs. you push it till it hurts then hold... till it starts to feel comfortable then you push it till it hurts again... aw yeah. love the pain. love it. ha really though this work rocks more then anything. 

We had baptism number 2 on friday.. his birthday. How awesome is that? Then like 50 less actives came to church on sunday. I sat in church grinning like a weirdo and trying to keep a bunch of adorable kids (from the family that we're teaching) occupied while my comp gave her "farewell" to the ward talk. Note to self. do not give 5 and 8 year olds pens. haha. 

oh and my face is rounding out. I was told that twice this week. let me just tell you the word fat isn't an insult here. its like telling someone they have long hair or their eyes are blue. only problem is I don't want rice cheeks.... ehhhhhh. no worries im throwing the nutella out the window.

 oh and this is a picture of Lamoni. In case you havent read the picture book bom lately.. reread it. Lamoni is basically the best looking cartoon I've ever seen. If I die a martyr before I train i'm going to go to heaven and hook up with one of his decendents. joke ;) 

hmmm what else. Oh sister else the other american in our appartment I didn't think I would like at ALL at first but now I adore her more then just about anything. A few of her quote I wrote down this week "when I see couples i just think yall are cute... I wish that would happen to me in the milenium." hahaha and I said"some guy just told me im getting fatter... I'm pretty sure its definate I'm getting rice cheeks. then she said: well some filipino just said I was getting tan but im pretty sure im still white.." hahahahahaha what would I do with out all these wonderful people I'm surrounded with.

I'm going to miss Sister Gadiano. she's awesome. and Sister Storey my mtc comp is staying I'm my appartment TONIGHT!!! I love her SO SO SOOOO0OO MUCH! well thats it for now. please pray for me this week... its going to be a ride. but the lord is with me. no need to fear. except a little. keep being awesome family and friends :) I love you all! 

sister hansen :)

Wowza!

Wowza!  a family of 10 moving in... sounds like a party! make them feel welcome. thats really what we need in the church. unity and brotherly kindness. and dad im mailing you a birthday letter home soon :) did you get my fathers day one? 

but now... stories for this week... hahah mom and dad don't worry about my creepers. I'm a head taller then all of them. I've toned down the helloing. especially cuz "ronny" sent us a creeper text saying he liked me... weirdo. i could sit on him and he'd be crushed tho. he's only a teenager. so president said stop teaching him and avoid seeing him... president is wise :) im going to carry that with me through my life. or just punch them. probably the first though ;) 
Plus I'm becoming maitim (tan) so I probably won't stick out so much. They think its nuts I want to be tan. I think they're crazy for going for the white. ha so basically I love them. I pray every day to become a filipino. 

and this week I think I made progress. We were chunted (cheerfully punted) but I let things just slide of my back. I don't worry about numbers and time limits so much anymore... like a beach head just go with the flow duuude, also my filipino squat has improved drastically, I can now make adobo.

 My face... *sigh* is becoming more rice cheeky every day. I can smoosh ants WITH MY BARE HANDS. ha yeah I was pretty proud too. I killed a 2 inch spider that moved faster then what should be humanly possible with just a flip flop. pinoi pinoi pinoi!!!!! 

also I want a motorcycle. thought you should know. I rode on the back of a tricicle... man its the life. life should be viewed on the back of a bike. not kidding your. I will marry the man who drives me on a bike to some scenic over look and says "an arrangement of marriage would please me" (the testaments) gahahahah k not really. marriage is for old wrinkley people ;) not missionaries. 

We had a zone activity today and it sufficieth me to say everyone knows I can throw a football now. Felt soooooooo so so good. some elder said I had a cannon for an arm... why thank you :) I love this work. There's nothing more satisfying then helping other people. serving other people and loving other people. We have another baptism this week! yayayayayayayaayaa the gospel changes lives. true story. test it out. nothing is cooler then seeing people change. our first baptism tatay Abraham comes to church every week at 8 and stays till 6. he goes to like 10 hours of church and in 3 weeks he's already practically done with second nephi. do I feel like a proud mother? yes. yes I do. :) 

I love you all and couldn't do this with out  you

the work goes forth. till next week :)

sister hansen 

3 months...

Famila and Friends... 

We gather together now to celebrate... HAPPY 3+ MONTHS. and in one week on papi's birthday my happy 2 months in the Pines. Sometimes I wish time would hold up. Eh. Life goes on. And so does the work. 

well this week was... interesting. Line of the week: are they drunk? sounds sketchy right but let me explain. On Friday we're walking down the streeet past some teens and I get an overly enthusiastic HI! so i say hi. then they say you're so beautiful! me: slamat po! (they're way too outgoing and friendly is what im thinking) then they yell can we talk with you?! I about just keep walking and sis Gadiano goes: want to talk with them? my first question: well are they drunk? nope. (they are actually 2 super cute outgoing friendly girls who know different missionaries and wanted to discuss my eye color but they let us teach them and they're basically golden) tapos... Saturday comes around and another investigator (we'll call him Ronny) comes uop to us just as we're headed to give a different stroke victim investigator a blessing. His eye's are serioiusly wider then a deers. "sisters I want to be taught!" (now our sweet but unknowing Nanay fellowshipper is all YES! lets teach him|! ( umm ... nanay, Ronny likes to send us good morning :) texts and not let go of my hand when we give hand shakes and be creepily friendly and interested)) so we're all.. um we have an appointment and he's all i want a lesson. I said great! then come to church. he never showed up but afterwards sister G goes do you think he was drunk? I just started to laugh because whenever anyone is abnormally eager to hear our message we assume they're drunk. 

haha its life so now for the spiritual matters: this week we got punted and basted (dumped) and punted and punted. we got a hard core text from one investigator telling us she has her own God and religion. (um same God silly. aaaand you're wrong so be baptized) and is kinda is lame being basted cuz they're throwing their salvation that you're working so hard for out the window. So we got dumped by 3 people then I got bit 32 times on my legs in one day(the red cross could get liters of donations from my mosquito friends i give to so generously) and i got made fun of for being white (uncommon occurance but it happens) So by friday i was kinda done with it all. and just enduring. 

But then we committed Arnel and Jane annnnddd.... FAMILY to baptism!!!! a family a family a familiy!! and not jsut any family they live in a house aqbout the size of 2 of our closets down stairs. six people in a 4 by 12 ft space. so SSUUUUPER poor. and we taught about tithing and im all this lesson will be taough. Um want to know what they said? money come money goes. Basically we'll pay tithing and save money for a marriage license too. and Tatay Abs (abraham) is still coming to like 12 hours of church. both wards and mcm. I feel like a proud parent. sorry for all the spelling mistakes I was trying to type fast (I tried to fix most of them before it went on the blog- rachel's sister) . BUT THIS WORK IS amazing. truly. be thankful for the trails because the rainbows always follow the storm if you keep your vision high and youre attitude up. love you all. mom get better please :) and read the scriptures yall everyday. theres power there. Tell kirst sarah and emily I love them and im proud of them :) 

love you all :) 

oh... and this is what I do with uneffective mosquito nets. 

love sister hansen 

i love wash. MIRACLES HAPPEN

so basically my week was stellar. what's new. I love this work. like nothing else. nothing makes me happier. Im just waiting for the announcement where they say in general conference: so like the scriptures we've decided to Let you go on a mission for 14 years... alma the younger status. SIGN ME UP! jokelang but kinda serious.

 There is SO much work to do and nothing is more satisfying then seeing this ward and all the people we know change. its awesome.It's really like Ike said in an email one week. You understand everything one second and the next its day gone again. 

Soooo what to tell you about this week... there was one man we contacted on the street. He is a tan taller version of the old man on UP i kid you not. THEN he proceeds to tell us how his son goes to University of the Philippines... UP college. oooohhh this is too great. sometimes I have to learn to contain my excitment.

 I feel like Im finally starting to feel like I'm not in a dream. probably because im starting to understand people. im in a time warp still though. 3 months?? sayyyy whhhhaaaa??? nonoooonononononon No. ive got work to do. time can't go by. 

oh and heres the miracle of the week... probably not what you were expecting but I now love doing wash by hand. yes yes. i know pathetic thing to be happy about but it was my goal for the week and you know what?? God help you achieve righteous goals so I changed my attitude and now its this glorious mindless work of squatting and scrubbing. may i never be cured of this condition.

 I've also realized this week how selfish i am. forgive me friends and family. I'm working on it. I will never be the same. I want to be a Filipino. they're... so cool. you've got to experience this culture some time. sorry this week was more boring then most letter wise. I'll go for some cool stories this week. SO prepare for my next letter. its coming. and as always pray for me :)

 I LOOOOOVVVVEEE THIS WORK AND THESE PEOPLE AND EVEN THE MOSQUITOS. joke. not the mosquitos. but really it rocks. and I love you all. i hope you had a happy 4th. you sound like youre killing it in meets and everything else. mom I miss your letters. have someone teach you how to email:) missionaries need members. true story.

sister hansen signing out

love you :) again and the pic is of tatay (that actually means father its a term of respect you call old people here his real name is) Abraham's baptism

Here is the one from this week

hahaha im thinking you maybe felt to pray for me on transfers day. it went glorious. 

buuuuutttt.... STORY TIME. let me just quote my journal. "ha so today i finally had a creeper mcCreeper experience.

 ready? So we're outside April's house (she's a nine year old part member with a baptisimal date and attitude. i pretty much love her) and we see her so we're all can we teach you? and while we're bartering with her theres this dude like 3 feet away staring.... ok. so i say hi. he then goes siiiissster... Hansen (creepin on the name tag) I had a dream. (me: um.. great!) ... about YOU!! ( mom this remind you of your creeper at college?) you need to touch me so i can be free (ok you're now on the weirdo list get lost) Sister will you touch me? me: sorry its bawal (forbidden) (obviously he is more off his rocker then moms college creeper who said he dreamed about her then proposed) him: why is it bawal?? (did i tell you he was speaking english) me: because we're missionaries! (at this point im all april do you know him? she says no then shouts something probably not super respectful at him... love her) sister will you show me how to pray? teach me your lessons! me: later right now we're going to teach april. him: i will follow you sister!!! i have the same face as Jesus (ok dude you've gone to far) at this point we start walking away and true to his word he starts following us. so we like sorta run and april is all get in my house! so we do and he starts yelling creeper stuff from outside the door. weirdo. luckily he disappeared after. what can i say? filipinos love me. i actually was pretty pumped after cuz i finally had a weird missionary story. so there it is. The gospel is for everyone. except the creepers (see fine print) 

and WE BAPTIZED TATAY ABRAHAM THIS WEEK!!!!! he is so awesome. when he got sustained a member of the church yesterday he cried a ,little. he is such a changed man. you don't know the half of it. he told us how he was in manilla and just felt like he should come to Laoag. then his family was being taught. then he came to church and had the sacrament and knew this church was true. and now he smiles all the time and is pretty much a rock. he comes to church at nine and goes to both wards! golden? i think so. we got to see the work of salvation yesterday. soooo so SOOOO GOOOD. MISSIONARIES NEED YOU! I NEEEEEEED YOU. k that sounds creepy (that seems to be the prevailing word in this letter) but its true. everyone needs to find a reason to have the missionaries over. find the less active. find the investigators. because it is SO crucial they have a friend when we leave or good luck keeping them in the church. anyway i got to go. transfers this week. i didn't get transferred BUT im training an american in 4 weeks... pray for me. I LOVE YOU ALL :) Life is good and the church is true and filipinos are my favorite. 

till next week

sister hansen :) 

this one is the letter from two weeks ago

(sorry this one is late... I wasn't able to update her blog because I was at girls camp so today you get two!
-Hannah Hansen aka Rachel's sister)
Dad i guess im supposed to ask about some crazy hike you dragged everyone on... sounds like you ;) do tell all. k that day was vacay (vacation but i wanted it to rhyme) for like 4 hours. i was in heaven playing capture the flag.

 soooo news for this week... it was zone conference and elder teh of the 70 and his wife were there again. and we were all asked to prepared 3x3 minute talks on various subjects. im just thinking. k. i JUST talked in sacrament and in their stake auxillary leaders meeting. im good right? well they get up to anounce the speakers. very first one... of course its me. again. love it. ha and the subject is the one that i struggled the most to write... well so im not sure how that went but i did it. 

so i hugged elder teh's wife again. we're basically tight now. she said she went on a mission to pay back God for her awesome life and ended more in debt then ever. that's how i feel. missions ROCK. still cant speak or understand much. its a bit pathetic. but let me quote ursula "you've got your looks, your pretty face. and DONT underestimate the power of body language" hahahaha i kill myself when quotes pop in my head that fit. its struggle town usa (as sister storey would say) and its great. 

We were teaching tatay ooohhh... who by the way IS BEING BAPTIZED THIS WEEEEEEKKK!!!! FIRST ONE. im a little pumped. but he said a prayer at last nights lesson in which he said he couldn't have come to know this church was true. yyayayayay spirit. seriously it made my life. he is a new person. i kid you not. he didn't smile once for the first 3 weeks we taught him. he smiles all the time now... he exudes the light of christ. he knows he's been forgiven for past sins and it is honestly the most amazing wonderfully awesome thing ive EVER seen. to see how the gospel can totally change a person and fill them with just this hope and light... it makes me so happy. ive never been happier. each day is a struggle. but tatay... tatay abraham is making it all worth it 10 times over this week. i love him.

 latest adventures. i woke up the other day with over 30 bites on my ankles. im at war with mosquitos... they may have the upper hand but i have stratgem. here comes the net. i seriously am resorting to buying a mosquito net. haha i said this week to sister gadiano " im going to have THE most HIIIIDEOUS legs when i go home and i wont care because i sacrifice them in the service of the Lord" it happens. im over it. OH. most import thing. rice face is REEEEAAALLLL curse round faces. ive got the beginings of one and someone tell ike this week to tell me pronto what to do. i refuse to have a rice face. kanin mukha (rice face in tagalog) its totally unacceptable. it doesn't compliment any of my outfits. we cant have that. well missions rock and everyone should go on one. they're seriously the best struggle but so awesome experience you can have ever. i wish sometimes the days would speed up and the weeks slow down. live it up and have no regrets. talk to everyone. that's what im trying to work on. hope you enjoy my rants cuz time is so short. well i love ya'll. till next week

sister hansen :)

ps i got a little homesick thinking about round up week and summer games but i got over it so no worries. ive got to put my whole mind and heart into the mish. IIIII LLLOOOOVVVVEEE YOU ALL :)