First off this is the longest letter in my life!!!!
I apologize for not emailing yesterday! We have been really really really
busy!!! So all is alright, just no time! I remember one time Jace didnt
email and Mom started to cry, so I had that picture in my head and was like
crap! haha I'm just messin! Well, I am exhausted! My brain is full of things
I have learned this week! Dad, A lot of those things you mentioned were what
we learned in our Mission Tour, especially the Doctrine of Christ but I will
talk about that....Tyson man! Hes a stud! Mom, awesome story! haha I know
you did great!! Well there is a lot to write this week, so hopefully I will
have time!! Oh yeah I wont send pictures this week, the computer is a little
sketch. I am in Lautoka right now and tonight go back to Suva for another
meeting. Well before we went to Suva here is the what happened. We found a
new Indian family. They are brand new Christians! A lot of different pastors
have told them this and that and this and that. We sat together and asked a
ton of questions! So obviously they are still confused! So we just briefly
talked about the Restoration and Joseph Smith and how the Gospel of Jesus
Christ is meant to be simple and pure and what not. So we have to go very
very slow. They don't understand English very well unless its Fiji
english...I bet you didnt know that existed did you!? haha well it does! So
we teach very simple and easy. Here is a fun fact...not very fun
actually....This District that we serve in is very young and new, and a lot
of work needs to be done here. Well they as a district went
$12,000 over the budget. The budget was out in June. We have 3 sr couples
serving in this District and trying to help all the leadership but
unfortunately all three leave this year so hopefully we can get some new
ones. They are big big shoes to fill! So here is a pretty cool story...Inkoe
that 81 year old said that this man came to see him and said he had a dream
that a kaivalagi (white person) talked to him about going to church in the
LDS. Haha we have no idea who it is but we want to find out!!! OYM!! You
never know! So we took a bus to Savusavu to Labasa, its about 3 hours I
think, it's across the island. Well I read the whole book of Matthew on the
bus ride haha..It was sweet! I actually was paying attention and learning it
was sweet! I have really had a desire lately to learn and study more about
Christ. We also met with this couple. They are very smart in the Bible and
the nicest people, they have lots of potential so we are excited to work
with them. Things they said were things that we can really add too and clear
up and back up with the Book of Mormon. So it will take time but I think
they have a lot of potential. We also contacted some German lady in town
too. She was not interested at all!! She said she met with some Chinese
monk or something and he said to be free and what not...SO she is free!!!
She told us nothing we could say to her would make her more happy...She was
way happy but that happiness ends! ha I was thinking about after that, how
many different views of life there are and what not...its crazy!
Well we flew to Suva on Thursday and slept in Nausori and then Friday
Morning had our Zone Leaders Council...(ZL secret meeting) hha jk that was
really good. President talked about the change in the age of missionaries
and how we need to prepare and get ready!! We will lead this, if we do
things right, all these new missionaries will do it. We have changed the
attitude in the mission over the past few months. Before a lot of
disobedience and what not but now it's a lot better! It's awesome! He shared
two scriptures and talked about them for a little...D&C 88:73 "Behold, I
will a hasten my work in its time" and D&C 58:56 "And let the work of the
gathering be not in haste, nor by flight; but let it be done as it shall be
counseled by the elders of the church at the conferences, according to the
knowledge which they receive from time to time." Just told us we need to
take it up a notch and prepare and get it done! It was cool!
On Saturday we had our Zone Conference and it went really well. Our training
went well, everyone was kind of rushed because of the time but it was still
fine! We talked about Doctrine and understanding the doctrine. Standards are
based on Doctrine and so we read the white handbook and looked for the
doctrine. I was on the temple garments and it was way good! It represents
your covenant you made in the temple and if you dont keep your garments
clean or only partly wearing them, that shows you are partly committed to
your covenant...It was cool. I thought about lots of things I never did
before. Also talked about our will...One of Sister Klinglers and I favorite
word..."willingly". I really enjoyed this scripture Mosiah 15:7 "Yea, even
so he shall be led, and crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject
even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the
Father." That is a perfect example of willingness. That's how we need to be!
So here is a fun fact for you!! We have set a mission record for baptisms
this year and they year is not yet over!! We have had over 500 baptisms and
last year was a little over 400. Our new investigators increased as well by
41%. All the key indicators have gone up this year, its awesome! The APs
gave a good training, too, about harvesting. We are all weak and dont do a
lot by ourselves. But if we all do all we can and as a whole we can do big
things! Just like Elder Ballard in conference about the bees.. They shared
this scripture John 4:35-36 "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then
cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the
fields; for they are white already to harvest.36 And he that reapeth
receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that
soweth and he that reapth may rejoice together." We need to look with both
eyes, in heaven and in earth...Elder Hamula also talked about this a little
in our Mission Tour yesterday. We don't know what field the Lord is
preparing for and the reason he is sending all these missionaries. Field of
baptisms or less actives or maybe the field that is not even visible now.
Your children and their children to come unto the gospel and serve...We dont
know...As long as we are doing all we can, we are harvesting...Realize the
work that has been going in Fiji, its incredible! The next few years from
now, Fiji is going to change! Its a great opportunity be able to start it!
They finished talking also about preparing and getting ready to go with this
scripture...one of my favorites..
2 Nephi 1:21-23 "21 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my
heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not
be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my
sons, and be men, and be determined in bone mind and in one heart, united in
all things, that ye may not come down into captivity; 22 That ye may not be
cursed with a sore cursing; and also, that ye may not incur the displeasure
of a just God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction
of both soul and body. 23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness.
Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of
obscurity, and arise from the dust." AWAKE, ARISE, SHAKE OFF THE CHAINS, BE
MEN, BE ONE MIND AND ONE HEART! haha man I get the chills!! So that was the
zone conference and we all ate at the mission home, ha packed!!! So
crowded...about 80 or so of us....They spent I think like 2 grand on food.
For this whole weekend, I think it was about 20 grand ha expensive !! We had
our talent show at night. It was better last year, but it was still really
good. Our zone did a Christmas carol skit. We had a trainer and a greenie
who didnt want to work and then we went to mission past and the fijians
wanted to eat him, because he didnt know Fijian and then went to the future
to see what would happen if he didnt change and what not...It was fun and
had a principle to it so it was good! Sunday we had a missionary fireside
in Suva, it went pretty well too....All of us sang....I got to see a lot of
people from Tamavua and Wailoku, it was awesome!! Tavanisa and Bro Buke that
I taught there are getting baptized this week! yeah!!
Then monday morning, we rode a 3 hr or so bus ride to Nadi and had our
mission tour with Elder Hamula...It was sooo bomb! Oh yeah we stayed with
the APs so we had to wake up like at 5:30 every morning and we went to bed
at like 11-11:30 ha exhausted! Mission tour was soo good!! President and
Sister Klingler did trainings and a lot about charity. I have been trying
really really hard for that attribute! Sis Hamula had a great training about
charity, our will and Christ...Showed some videos of Christ and watching the
videos and listening to the words of the songs. Christ birth has had a
bigger meaning to me now....It kind of hit yesterday! She talked about are
we still in the getting attitude for Christmas or are we in the giving
attitude?? We need to be in the giving if we want to be like Christ..Birth
of Christ means that the world now has a chance to change and He is real and
everything else the world offers is not real...What gift can we give Christ
this Christmas? The talk from Elder Holland came to my mind...He needs
disciples! Elder Neal A Maxwell said "As you give your will to God, you are
giving the only thing you can give which is actually yours." That is the
only thing that is ours, our choices and will....Everything else is His. So
will we give it? It was awesome training....Elder Hamulas turn!! He talked
for 2.5 hours! ha it was bomb! He talked about the new missionaries at
first. He said this is like a seismic event and a tsunami is coming! Get
ready!! You asked for Hindi speaking missionaries, they are coming, you
asked for cars, they are coming, you asked for help, help is coming!! haha
it was soo cool!! It was like a snap of a finger, done! A unit in the west
zone has like 80 people in it and not yet a branch....He said "We'll fix
that!"
haha he is the area president for the pacific and he's got the power! So how
do you prepare?? He talked about training and how training is one of the
most important callings in the mission. He said to prepare and to give your
will, you need to choose to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation..
Three scriptures he shared with this...Matt 16: 24-26 "Then said Jesus unto
his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what
is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matt 19:16-22 27, 29
"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall
I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest
thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt
enter into life, keep the commandments.18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus
said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt
not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honor thy father and thy
mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 20 The young man saith
unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast,
and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and
follow me.22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away
sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 27 Then answered Peter and said
unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we
have therefore?29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or
sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's
sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life."
Last one Acts 5:1-4 "But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his
wife, sold a possession. 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also
being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles'
feet.3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to
the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it
remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine
own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not
alied unto men, but unto God." It was sweet to have him. For most of the
time, he broke down "The Doctrine of Christ" from 2 Nephi 31 and 3 Nephi
11...It was ridiculous! I wont even begin to break it down, this is already
the longest email I have ever sent in my life!!! haha It just made sense! He
went back and forth through those two chapters and how baptism is the first
thing they talk about .After all the destruction in 3 Nephi, he doesnt help
build houses again first, what does he do first? Gives Nephi the power to
baptize! Why? Whats the primary concern of heaven? People not being able to
return the the Father...Imagine if you were knocking on the door and you
couldnt get in, or the person inside couldnt let the person in. That's not
how God wants it to be! He talked a lot about that stuff...Also broke down
Mosiah 25 explains very well the organization of the church, in different
lands and what not...Everything is the same!! D&C 52:14 "And again, I will
give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for
Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations" .
This is how we help...teach the doctrine of Christ...Yes, building homes and
what not helps, but that doesn't get them salvation. It all just clicked and
made sense. 60-70% of the pacifics baptisms are 17 years old or younger. He
said Fiji is weak because there is a lack of priesthood....We need men..We
need the power of God...You can have the scriptures, the teachings, even the
name of the church the same, but if you dont have the priesthood, there is
no use..He also talked about families and temples and things like
that...Teach the temple...That is our goal...SO yeah haha it was an intense
2 hour lesson! It was sweet! There is more, but its too long! haha He
interviewed some people after and I was interviewed by him. It was really
good, he just asked how I felt the direction of the mission is going and I
said its going really good, there has been a lot of progress and he agreed
and what not...So it was pretty sweet! A very good opportunity! The spirit
in there was not a piercing or something overwhelming, but the thing that
the Spirit told me was...This is true...Everything that just came out of
that mans mouth is true! He is that special witness of Christ and I know
that he is...It was sweet! So yeah I am just sitting here in Lautoka, its
really hot! This is a ridiculously long letter! You probably wont ever get
one like this again! haha I will be going to Suva tonight for another Zone
Leaders meeting with Elder Hamula and then go back to Labasa Thursday and
give another training to them on Thursday and then that same training to
Taveuni the following week...SO yeah that is all!! Way busy!! Love you all!!
It probably took you a few hours to read this thing!! So im out! Moce mada!!
Elder Hansen
