Keep on Tractin'!

​This week we had chapped on a woman's door named Penny and she was really interested and we were so excited because she wanted us to come back on Saturday and we got dermott as a joint teach, he's just the sweetest member ever but when we went by, she didn't answer the door. Pretty much the same thing happened with Sam, we scheduled another appointment but he must have forgotten because we got no answer.  We also were tracting near the university this week and met a girl named Edna but when we went for a return appointment, she said she was busy at the moment. This email sounds pretty depressing but that's all that happened this week. We have one investigator still, Neil, and he's still doing good.  We still have a lot of work to do but I'm lovin it. There's lots of tracting, but I'm still having a blast. It's hard to think of things to write when you tract a lot. The work is slow, but it's still work. 

On Tuesday I went to Port-a-down with Elder Cavalero and it was just a blast. He's from Italy so he taught me a little Italian and I just love him.  He's a lot of fun to be around. He didn't know any English before his mission and now he has less of an accent than most people that have been speaking English for years and years. We did service, oh man, I love service! Then we went over to the Carrie's for dinner and finished the night with getting a carton of ice cream each, because it was the hottest day ever, and we stayed up late just talking and eating ice cream. 

Another thing I realized is that I sweat more then any other person on earth. We got let into a less active family's home and it was another ridiculously hot day and they don't have fans because it never gets that hot so I was afraid to get up because I knew that when I got up, there would just be a shadow of me from sweat, haha. The humidity makes it pretty bad. I had to go home and change my shirt because it was mangin (nasty) but I just thought it was super funny.
Dad, you are going through so much, more than I ever hope to go through, but I know you are strong and will be for many more great years.  I know that the members are great and that they care and have helped our family forever and I feel strength every time I think about you.  I love you and hope this week goes better.

I shot Elder Simpson!

He has Chrones and has to get a shot every 2 weeks.

Always Finding (tracting)

On Monday I had sent an email to President about Adam and he called me later in the week and explained that because he was taken early or just the fact that it came to the end of his life kinda like Jeannette, that it's kind of more incredible because it means that Heavenly Father must need them and that they have work to do that's even better than being here on earth, because coming here is so amazing, I just can't imagine the great things they are doing. 

Tell Devin he stinks at emailing even though he can just do it on his phone whenever he wants. 

Yeah, the picture of me without a jacket was just a normal day because I've just gotten so used to the rain it was raining all day. It's been so hot and humid here that you're almost as wet inside your jacket as on the outside if its raining so I don't usually wear it that much this time of year. We are going to see the Brysons on Wednesday but we haven't been able to get in contact with the boy that came to church last week. We are now teaching a man named Neil, that should make things exciting. We just got a new ward mission leader, Bro. Sheerer and I'm pretty excited.  He's stoked and he has already been a ward mission leader before and a Bishop before so I see a lot of good things coming. I'm pretty sure I've only had like 3 or 4 investigators since I've been to this area and it's weird because apparently in other missions they never get that few but I guess I've just gotten used to the dificulty and this is all I know.  I have no idea what it would be like having trouble fitting in time for people and this mission is so different. I dont think I'll have a day on my mission where I'm not just finding for most of it, but I've gotten used to it. We always talk about our other friends on missions that are upset because only like three people get baptised instead of five, but I don't think I've had anywhere near that my entire mission. So it just makes me think just, 'Why is this so hard?', and I was reading just about Lehi and that just like Noah, he was commanded to teach the people but not a single person went with him outside of his family. Then I thought well why would God command someone to do something if He knew no one would follow him. Well it was because God needed him to do that to prepare Lehi to be able to travel to the Americas and the same with Noah saving his family. So it's funny because I'm really gaining from all this hard work even though this is the most selfless thing I will do, I'm pretty much getting more than I would ever have thought. 

Through all the trials that I have gone through in the last 13 months and will go through, it has been a struggle non-stop and as soon as a trial is accomplished, another much harder one comes following right after.  But I know if I did go through the previous ones that I would be able to make it through the next ones. I have learned so much about myself and am truly thankful for you allowing me to have the privilege of bringing me up with wanting to go on a mission and now going out. Most importantly, I have gotten to know who Heavenly Father is and that's something priceless.  I know that He really is there and hears mine and your prayers and knows exactly what we are going through and he most importantly, knows who we are going to be after this life and I just love Him for that. Thank you dad, in your trial at this time it gives me strength. Its almost ridiculous how hard this mission is, I just know I can make it through.  I love you with everything I have!  

Love, Rick

Monday July 14, 2014

​That's just so crazy to hear of Jeannette's passing. I don't know what it would be like with her not around but that's very beautiful that she and Bruce will finally be together again and the thing is that I'm so happy I have gone through all that I have on my mission to KNOW that they will. ​
This week was pretty intense.  I waned to hold off on talking about the 11th and 12th as long as I could so you wouldn't freak out haha. This time of year in Belfast is when they start the marches and riots and the BON FIRES.  People have been putting up flags and signs all week about the orange order and Protestant things all over along with celebrating their independence from Ireland. This time of the year is kind of hard around here because Catholics and Protestants are too busy fighting and being angry with each other so it's hard to get them to focus on something else. We had to go in early both on those days but other than that, things are starting to look up we got back in touch with Sam we have three more people that will become investigators if we see them next week.  Yesterday at church, two young guys walked in and we talked to them and one is visiting from America and brought his non-member friend Jordan to church and they both stayed all the way through and we ended up teaching the young man, so it was perfect. We will hopefully see him this week.  I could tell he was pretty prepared and his friend already gave him a Book of Mormon. 
Love. Elder H.

Pallet tower set up to burn later in the day.

View from my window later that night of the fire burning across the way.

It's the Best

July 7, 2014

Elder Simpson is great. He is from Battleground Washington.  He came out the same day as I did.  He's a really nice guy. This is his first time in Ireland. The work has slowed down even more because of all the moving around and me being busy all the time with helping other missionaries. Over all it was just a crazy week. We got to talk to a couple of people and and gave out a few Books of Mormon, we just keep working at it. I don't know what else to say about finding and tracting because that's pretty much all we do. Nothing especially exciting has happened this week, we have a couple of people that we might try by later to see what they thought of the Book Of Mormon. I'm still kinda keeping the letters up, I just keep forgetting to send them. I knew that when the summer picked up that things would get pretty exciting. 

This week was just crazy.  So Elder McDonald left on Monday and then I was with Elder Benson because his comp went home also (Elder Holbrook) until Tuesday, then I was with Elder Dalton and Fisher for a day and THEN I was with Elder Carter, oh man, I love Elder Carter.  The zone leaders needed us to drive people and get their luggage back and forth all day and I haven't had more fun. We also had service in the middle of this so we had to change and do a bunch of stuff but the Bangor elders (Elder Benson and Burch) let us borrow their car for the day and I miss being in a car so much.  I couldn't drive because my licence won't work over a year. That's just crazy that I've been out that long. Elder Carter and I just had a blast being busy non-stop and helping people all the time. But since Friday, I finally have Elder Simpson and things are going really well. He is amazing at the guitar.  The ward is helping us out a lot this week with a lot of service projects.  Bro. White also got released as ward mission leader and he was the best one I've ever had, but now we have Bro. Sheerer but I just know he's going to be amazing. I love you.  I love this mission, it's the best in the world. 

Love,  Elder Hanson

In a car!  Going to do service.
Elder Carter and I in the front, Elder Burch and Benson in the back.

I love Elder Burch!  He's huge!

June 30, 2014

My birthday was actually pretty lame. Elder McDonald was sick so we ended up going in early that day and other than that, it was just a normal day. Later this weekend it made up for it because members had us over because they wanted to say goodbye to him and I got a t-shirt from the Bryson's that says Belfast on it and I've just had a blast every day since then because we were just packed with things Elder Mcdonald wanted to do before he went home. On p-day we went to a couple places, we went to the dark hedge and the carrick, a red rope bridge and it was pretty amazing that's why our emailing was cut a little short. 

We haven't gotten in touch with Sam again for a while but we are going to keep trying. Yeah I'm going to miss Elder McD like crazy!  It was probably the hardest to say goodbye to him than I have had before.  My new companion is named Elder Simpson coming from Paisley zone and I won't get to meet him until Wednesday.  

People blame God for the struggles they've gone through here, but they don't really understand everything behind it.  I've seen that people see the church more as man-made, if you look at all the churches around here that were set up by people, and they just connect the two, and I think that they blame God mainly just because its easier. 

That's also their choice. I am inspired by the steady members in this ward. 

PIZZA!

This week was a fun one.  We had a lot to do.  My companion, Elder M. went home and he just explained that it doesn't feel like it's possible and that time passes so fast. I am now starting to see time move like crazy and there is just so much I have left to do and I feel like there is so little I have done, but I'm just excited for my growth. 

Love, Elder H.

The suspension bridge!

Ehhh, I'm used to rain

I'm just going to keep on working

Yeah, I got the card in the mail on Saturday. 

The world cup is massive over here and you can't go a couple of feet without seeing something about it. England already got out. 

For the last couple months in this ward the Priesthood and women has been getting a big toppic and it's just amazing how the fathers and husbands all respect the women here and praise them for all they do.  

We have not seen Sam recently but we will hopefully see him in a couple days. It's pretty hard out here and I'm pretty sad because of how much I love these people and their hearts are so hard because of all the conflict this country has gone through.  It makes me admire those that are strong right now so much because they are so much stronger than I am and they go through a lot more than I think I can, but I know that no matter what, I'm just going to keep working. 

Elder McDonald goes home, next Monday will be his last day.  I assume I'll stay here in Belfast, that's pretty much what happens.

Love you all!

Elder H.

Interesting Week

So this week was an interesting one. On Wednesday we had zone interview training and when I was interviewed by President Brown, it was like a movie, like it didn't really happen, but he read to me the email Mom sent him saying that Dad has cancer. I didn't really react to it or it didn't really hit me but it's all I could think about all day, but through it all, I was just really calm and knew everything was going to be OK. 

I also got sick on Friday night and was throwing up all the time and I was still sick until Sunday, but now I'm a lot better. 

We also got a new investigator whose name is Sam. He started off reading the Bible, just to bash with religion but since he had kids, that changed things for him. He knew nothing of the Book of Mormon and agreed with everything we said. He just said "You know, it would make sense for there to be prophets still" and he said he was going to read and we are going to see him again on Saturday.

-Elder Hanson 

  

A Blessing

So this week we went on a bunch of exchanges and one of them was with the zone leaders. When I was with them, it was just a day of everything falling through, even our back-ups fell through. I was with Elder Brown for the day and he just came from Aberdeen. It was a pretty long day of tracting non-stop.  But, it was ok, I’ve learned how to make anything a good time. At the end of the night what we did was in Bangor they challenged the members to write their testimonies in a Book of Mormon and pray about a name or street and the missionaries will give it to that person. Well, at about 8:00 that night. a member, Bro. Peacock, prayed about a street and we just went and chapped it.  When we got there it looked like we were just going to be getting a lot of doors in our face. the odds weren't really looking good.  The zone leaders already chapped the entire side of one street and so when we got there, there were only a handful of houses left.  I was pretty doubtful because I haven't had a lesson on a door step in a long time, let alone given a person a Book of Mormon.  Just right on the door step. we started chapping some doors and it looked like everything was going as I thought it would.  But, I was more than happy to be proven wrong. We knocked on a door and a woman answered and we just said "Hey, we are sharing something that will improve your life." and I just thought right after saying it ‘Who in their right mind says that?’, it’s pretty much telling her that we think her life sucks.  She just answered "Actually, yeah that's interesting because I’ve just been going through a lot in my life and that's just what I need."  Every single word we said was exactly what she needed. We gave her a Book of Mormon and we explained that we actually had a member pray about this street to find her individually and that his testimony was in the back. I haven't seen someone so promising and needing the gospel. I know that she might not be in my area and I may never see her again, but I know I needed to see that miracle.