Here Comes the Sun...

Hello All!!

The weather is getting TOASTY. But at least that means more people are out and the nights are longer (especially excellent for missionary work). I pray that humidity won't hit hard at LEAST until June. Fingers crossed.

This week was amazing! We met with nine less-actives and recent converts - the bulk of where our time was spent. But it paid off! We had four less-active friends come to church yesterday and three of them hadn't been in a matter of MONTHS. We saw our good friend Mary. We took her to the temple visitor's center a couple of weeks ago for her first time in YEARS. And this week, there was a break through in her path back to righteousness! She works at Chipotle, and after three weeks of working there, she told them that she can't work Sundays anymore! MIRACLE. We hadn't really even asked her to do that [yet] - but the Spirit whispereth! Taught her about the Plan of Salvation, and she told us about a cool missionary experience she had at the bus stop. Hope she can hand-out those pass-along cards we gave her :) She's on top of it! Excited to see her at church this Sunday, and she may even bring her boyfriend who isn't a member of the Church. WOO. 

Speaking of the Visitor's Center, we took our friend Bre on Saturday night! She's originally from Hawaii and is out here going to George Mason University for school. School is ending this week for summer, so she heads back home this Friday. She hadn't been to the DC Temple AT ALL yet, so we knew we had to get her to those beautiful grounds! After our short and spiritual tour, we went to this cultural show held by a group from Orem, UT called Remember Our Culture (ROC). It was a bunch of college-aged kids doing dances and songs from all over the world. There was lots of clapping and interaction from the audience, and even some Beyoncé music was thrown in there. It felt so strange as a missionary haha but it was actually really fun... and Bre liked it too!

Guess what? We saw practically the ENTIRE Oakton Ward there. What a treat. But GET THIS. The Ward had brought my old investigator, Elena, and her two daughters! What in the world?! Elena found me after the show and I nearly cried. Sister Mitchell told me that Elena had dropped them long ago, so it was tender to be reunited.

To end the week with a BANG, we found a new investigator! Eee! She's actually a former investigator named Konnie and she's from Sierra Leone. Since Andrew is officially leaving us this week, we are in definite need of more people to teach so this is a blessing FOR SURE. And this girl is so hilarious, I can hardly stand it! I think she stopped investigating because of lack of commitment, but as soon as she let us in, she mentioned she wanted to come to church and meet her future husband - we can arrange that! And she was watching HGTV when we came, so I knew we'd be fast friends :) Pray for Konnie! Pray that she will have a renewed desire to learn about the gospel and to seek those blessings.

A reminder this week about who Christ really is, from Elder Holland:

"Sometimes—and this seems the greatest irony of all—these folks invoke the name of Jesus as one who was this kind of “comfortable” God. Really? He who said not only should we not break commandments, but we should not even think‍ about breaking them. And if we do think about breaking them, we have already broken them in our heart. Does that sound like “comfortable” doctrine, easy on the ear and popular down at the village love-in?"

Christ taught love. But he also taught that there is law and order in God's kingdom. May we remember that as we strive to keep the commandments each and every DAY!

Loves,

Sister Hansen

Photo:  Me, Sister Kartchner, and Bre at Wash DC Temple