Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Mailed Letters: "I feel my Grandpas with me..."

September 20, 2010
Dear Mom,
I’m sitting in the branch house. It’s a really really nice day outside; cold crisp fall day, sun is shining, and I just feel really happy. I got the package Friday, the letters, today? beats me. Thank you for everything. You truly are an amazing Mother. I feel your love all the time.
Yesterday, we went tracting. Yeah, after 2 very success filled splits I finally got my comp to tract and street. But we found a lady and knocked on her door, she opened it and had a remote in her hand as if it were a sword or some kind of weapon (ha!) and she said, “Ha!”, like “I got ya!” and laughed and we talked for a few seconds, said she was Atheist but would like to talk, like “why not, you two are nice, sure!” Talked and taught and I shared the story about ___ being Atheist for 14 years and how it turned around in one day. And yes, I did this in Hungarian! I got a lot of help. It was so smooth, just like I had felt a few times in the MTC where I didn’t think, it just came from my heart. The spirit was there! I knew she was feeling it too because I saw her countenance change. She agreed to read and pray. She figured, why not. She answered her own question, “we gotta have faith to find it out.”
That was very uplifting for me. It has been had a hard transfer, ha. As missionaries we need a solid understanding of rules, and why they are there.
I’ve been on two splits this transfer. One kid is from Bulgaria, by Russia, he knows like 8 languages including Arabic… He is a good missionary, we found 5 people that day. The most recent is from Idaho/Wyoming, Kunz. Loves to hunt and works hard. It was so nice to talk with someone about hunting, finally! My comp has a Hungarian bow and thinks he’s pretty Magyar vadász, (Hungarian Hunter) but has never hunted in his life. He says he loves the Hungarians more than any missionary, but didn’t bother to learn the language. Says he speaks more like a regular Hung than anyone else, but tell that to my ears and brain when he double accuses or doesn’t accuse ever! Ahh! I will show them that I more than love them. I appreciate them, and am willing to learn it right out of respect and honor.
I really love Pápa. By the way it’s, Pá (áh!) puh, like apple. So I found out that Agi, really, technically is Ahgi. Because in Debrecen (this is where Agi, our backyard neighbor is from. Her parents, not yet members, live. Agi, Aaron and their family are now in Switzerland), they have an accent, and it’s in Pápa too where they don’t say like cat they just deepen it and hold it out longer haha. Which can be very confusing for non-native speakers to understand because that can mean 2 different things; hat-6 or hát- well…
So yeah. Thank you so much for the leaves! And the dirt (pine chips, from clearing the land on the mountain). My comp thinks I’m nuts. He pretty much hates pine trees. He’s from Washington and lives in the pines. Something about being here has made me such a Patriot. I love our Country. And I’m becoming more and more of a Hick, haha… I can’t get enough of the outdoors. That is why I need animal pictures, old ones even! It doesn’t matter; elk, deer, sheds! Hunting trips. They help me wind down sometimes, very relaxing. Well, I’m gonna go email you ….Now
I love you so much. You can share with Dad, vise versa.
Sok Szretettel,
Elder Hansen

Dear Dad,
How are you? I’m just chillin’ on my bed, it’s just before 10 p.m. It was nice to talk to you today. I’m excited to have a hoodie to wear and sleep in. haha I have looked and looked but they are all either way expensive or just terrible looking, like not something a missionary should wear…
Today was nice to rest. I didn’t want to go on an excursion today and my comp, I think, wasn’t thrilled about it but I needed a day to power down and recharge. I’m trying to get the elk calling down but it’s hard! I hear familiar sounds and similarities in it as I try but can’t get it consistent. Any tips? Top of mouth, where is the tongue and what does it do?
My comp thinks I’m insane I’ll smell the pine bough (wrapped in a bag) or the chips from time to time. Haha. I think the mission is turning me into a big hick. The things I liked at home are magnified like crazy! I like dropping by the hunting sore once in a while to take a look, again. I’m gonna buy a couple hunting videos before I come home, it should be fun to watch because they still hunt very traditionally. Ha
Missions are special, Dad. I feel so protected and uplifted. I can honestly say that I feel my grandpas with me almost constantly. I know they are with me. It’s great to feel that family comfort and security so far away from you all. I really am trying so hard to do my best here. It’s been a harder transfer but it will be for my good. I have seen what things I don’t want to be. My comp skipped everything in the language and tried to learn like a baby would. It didn’t and doesn’t work. We’re too old for that to work. As it goes, “Victory Requires Payment in Advance”.
My back has been doing great since I got that pull up bar. I don’t really worry about it anymore. It’s way nice and therapeutic to hang for a few seconds here and there.
Today was a good day. Nice crisp bright fall morning. It made me feel so happy.
We met with the Piroskaé, today, Recent converts, SO strong, Mom and daughter. We cooked a little with them. It was just a way fun. I talked a lot, and we laughed a lot. Those are the little battles that go the furtherest.
She (Piroska) helped me along with her daughter and son who isn’t a member, yet, when I was sick. Amazing people!
Tomorrow we go on splits again. I stay in Pápa :) I love splits!
I have decided to actually get serious about reading the Bible. I read a few little things in the book of Psalms and Proverbs. Now that’s fantastic writing! Wow. That would make me an amazing song writer! I read in a Liahona, about a tail guide in Asia somewhere who compared us to mountains. Building Mountains, Awesome! Neil A Maxwell said in short, “How can we guide naively through life asking for experience but not wading through sorrow, not being abandoned.” Because to be like Christ we will have to experience much of what He did.
Well it’s time, I love you. Please share what you would like with mom. Especially about my Grandpas…
Much Love,
Elder Hansen

September 20, Email

I'm doing good, i finally get a rest P day haha i just wrote a letter to you mom, and ill write you one after this dad...
so how are you all???? how is the fall feeling?!?!?! oh i got the package, with everything. the colodial silver tastes like the juice haha um....
package was nothing... totally straight!!! haha hey, i need to know what i should do... i reallly really need a hoody.... like bad. the ones here are ridiculous... could you possibly send one in a small package or what? because i need it to sleep with and wear on p day, we have like no blankets in our apartment but a million gas wall heaters, its just not quite cold enough for that though...
Ok hoodie... the sportmans warehouse hoodie fit me the best... the red, or if you would like to make sure, it needs to be xl probably, all my shirts are too small haha well all the missionary mall shirts are anyway... and send my white underamour long sleeve also..... haha that would be so nice to have here... if possible haha
Well a lot of that is in you letter, we just got done with consencration week... 30 hours of work time... we got it. um that guy didnt show up to church, had to work again but oh, they love us hahaha we could go over right now if they were home and they would cook us food haha they are awesome...
oh and dad, i would love to hear hunting stories, they are way fun to read!!! How are the hunts going???
ok haha i will try it.... hey i need everyones email address, i have jeffs and ambers and tylers and thats it... haha
hey i will have to buy a coat soon, probably not this week, but soon so i will let you know about when i will need to do it... it probably shouldnt be more than 50 or 60 bucks, at a hunting store... i will see if i get transferred and check out what they have there...
oh yeah, so i got your letter you mailed on the 10th and the 13th today, haha but i got the package friday..... interesting....
i guess all i needed was angies.... haha jared has wrote early when i first got here....
hows tyler? Jeff, Jared, Angie???
dang, ill just build another part onto tylers shop and build snowmobiles or something haha why not, everyone else is? haha tyler deserves to be successful... i think ill paint my truck when i get back if he adds that onto his place... haha.
i hope jared is doing ok, tell him to keep going on.... thats all we can do...
tell angie to read....
Tell them all i love them. Tell tyler to make sure my sled gets ridden this year.... anytime.... seriously. If someone wants to go, use our sled... Devin will be using it this year too.... i told him too. so dont think he is stealing it haha

i love you all,
Elder Hansen

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Things Are Good - 9-13-10

Things are good. Hows the family?

I think im just growing. I feel taller, like i cant bend over for things like i used to, or maybe its just my ubersensitivity to my back.... im still about 170... but the missionary mall shirts make me look like a little kid... its pretty bad... and they dont stay tucked in... I got your letter (mom) and i got your letter a week ago (dad) that was printed, not exactly sure what it said.

Its been cloudy for 2 weeks... im kinda sick of it... not gonna lie...

My health is good, im still fighting my back... i got these Chi Herbal patches that you put on your feet when you sleep and they take the toxins out of your body, they are white when you put them on and black in the morning... haha so maybe that will help improve healing... the acid thing is pretty much gone, i feel it once in a while but not really... My goal is to get my back muscles so strong that my spine wont have to do anything haha so im working into strengthening my back and a lot of abs and just exercising... i hate that i have to bother with this... its ridiculous.... i just wanna be a normal kid...i just want it gone so i can put my mind to other things!!!

Yeah the shirts i have that arent missionary mall are good, the long sleeve missionary mall are ok but the short sleeve are terrible... haha hold off on sending them, we are going into winter so yeah.... were you planning on sending a package? sometime in the future?

(We let him know we sent one from Richfield on Friday…packed with a ton of candy so he was not to expect one for Halloween!!!)

Alright, sounds good! cant wait for the package, i am gonna have to buy a hoodie here today, its starting to be fall haha and i didnt bring a hoodie with me, hey for Christmas, send them to the Mission home, and surprise me but.... i would like A1 sauce hahahahahaha i miss it...

Oh yeah, had a little cold the last few days, but im pretty much over it now...

well, went on splits, 5 finds in 3 hours! so hopefully my comp will realize we need to tract and street... but yeah, still working on Zsolt, that one guy, met with his whole family again, they need this church, life is just so much better with it... everything else is meaningless, because it cant last... and hope for tomorrow doesnt exist, i watch people on the street and realize that they are scared. What will tomorrow bring? And why? Why? WE KNOW WHY!!!! its so sad to watch, i can tell that they have no direction or goal in life.... its sad. i wish they were more open, the difference between members and nonmembers here is seen much easier.

Hey send me some more pictures, like especially of Elk and Deer and the cabin, Elder Smith has your email now mom, to get in touch with you to go to the cabin sometime...It was in the letter, and He is at school at BYU right now so hes there in Utah... he will email you if he wants to go.

hey so did tyler sale his sleds???

(Trev had uploaded some pictures on Walmart and one stuck out ... so we wrote: "we already peeked and loved the fuzzy Bomber hat you found...or did IT find You?")
haha that was at szent endre, didnt buy it, i will wait to buy stuff like that till about my year mark haha that piles up fast...

see ya later....
Love ya!!!!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Hello???? Email-Sept 6, 2010

(We were having some problems with the internet again today and used texting from the cell a couple of times. Trev told us he has been having some problems with what sounds like to us, acid reflux or heart burn. Trev said, "I have never been in health like this my entire life!!!! what the heck is going on???" He could use our prayers not just for his health but to prepare and find those ready to hear the gospel. I had just received a copy of Elder Elder's email to his mom so I forwarded it to Trev.)

Oh Rean Jean... haha i havent heard from him or trevor or morgan yet!!!! what the heck? haha wicks wrote quick.... i will write back, he sent the letter the 30th and i got it today haha wow!!!
At the training in Budapest (3 days) i met Elder Hintze.... He was from Kaysville.... and knows Trevor personally... apparently the LeBarons are a famous family there... haha he was on Trevors city league ball team...

Our investigator wasnt able to go to church, went to his house to eat, met his whole family, he is still good as ever but we gotta get him to church and show him the entire truth and get his family in on it!

ok just uploaded a bunch of pictures... so take a look, you have seen a lot already, i feel kinda bad that you wont get a sweet surprise when i get home, like you have already seen all of my pictures, but i guess i will just get to actually explain them :) let me know....

ok sounds good. hows the family??? Jeff wrote me and gave me a sweet description of a hunt with the tines up boys... you wanna send me a sweet huntin shirt when you send a package? it was cool to read it....

Sometimes i miss hunting but i really love this place, even though they do some ridiculous stuff here hahahaha the work is difficult here... we have no one progressing, and ultimately, we have no one to teach, so we find, but my comp is super negative and im kinda sick of it.... thats just how Pápa is, its small, ya know? we just gotta work hardER... he isnt a fan of language study, or exactness.... i am. and i thank my trainer for that.... he really was awesome.... i was just in a dumb ornery mood when i got here haha i told him to go to the cabin so ill give him your number if he wants to go for a day, its the least i could do, he helped me so much and showed me how to really work and care. and speak! my comp cant speak very well.... no wonder since he doesnt like language study... i have to help him sometimes... and i should correct him constantly but what ever... haha

well i gotta go, tell the grandkids to email! Jacis letter was awesome! Hows everyone?? keep praying.

OHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so i found out... that PENNSYLVANIA LOOKS JUST LIKE HUNGARY!!!! A MEMBER MY COMP KNOWS SAID THAT.... HE SAID ITS THE CLOSEST THING TO HUNGARY HE HAS SEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD..... SO TELL AMBER WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE, STRANGE NEW LAND, BUT THE SAME HAHAHA

i actually gotta go...so i love you all!!!!

LOVE YALL
ELDER HANSEN