10/2/2023 - Week 11 - Thunder thighs, GenConf, "Think Celestial"

Hey friends,

This week's been an adventure to say the least. I'm gonna try and keep this email shorter so someone other than my parents actually reads the whole thing (potentially).

So this week we had our first district counsel of the new transfer with our new District Leader, Elder Stevenson! We also found out that we were gaining some new members to the District, the Northern Kentucky STL's (Sister training leaders). So our district is officially huge (10 missionaries strong) and we had interviews with President McGuire as well at district counsel. We ran out of time for interviews so my interview with President was very brief and left me with only questions and no answers. But he was pressed for time so no disrespect to the man.

This week we have biked a ton. We probably biked more than 12 miles each day this week, which may not sound like too much, but the hills here are killer and everywhere. So needless to say, I'm gonna leave this area with some killer quads.

As many of you guys know, this week was General Conference (if you don't know what that is send me an email and I'll fill ya in). We were lucky enough to watch several sessions of Conference with some of our friends we are teaching and see what they thought of it. We also had the major blessing of being able to watch sessions with other missionaries! The building that our area covers has 12 missionaries (Me, Elder Carr, Spanish Trio, YSA Elders Trio, YSA Elders companionship, YSA Sisters companionship) between the family and YSA wards that meet there so all 12 of us were able to watch some sessions of Conference together, which is a rare and crazy occurrence and I was glad to be able to share such a special and sacred moment with them as well as our friends and ward members. I could share an entire lengthy email full of my takeaways from General Conference, but I'd much rather invite all of you to watch/ rewatch the talks again (over time, don't burn yourself out) keeping in mind President Nelson's challenge to "think Celestial".

Yesterday, before the sessions of Conference, Elder Carr and I were able to go out to the University of Cincinnati Children's Hospital (one of the best in the world) to administer a Priesthood blessing to a girl who is recovering from surgery. This girl was not actually a child (probably mid-20's) and was married which threw us a curveball. But apparently her condition (the reason she needed a blessing) was a birth defect so it was handled by the Children's Hospital. I am very glad for the opportunity I had to assist in giving this lady a blessing because I know that the power of God is manifest in Priesthood blessings and I marvel at the fact that I have the power to utilize such a divine and holy power to help others. I don't know now if the lady I helped to give a blessing to is healed currently, but I know that she is comforted and that she and her family will be blessed because they sought the power of a Priesthood blessing and put their trust in the Will of God, allowing His will to be done and not focusing on their will. 

I know that everything that happens in this life happens for a purpose. I know that is a tough thing to wrap our heads around but I was extremely grateful for the references to Doctrine and Covenants 122 throughout General Conference this past week because it had brought so much peace to me in my difficult times and I know that it can to all of you as you allow it to. 

Doctrine and Covenants 122:7-9

Context: The counsel of The Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith, while he was being held prisoner in Liberty Jail

7. And if thou shouldest be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

8. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

9. Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever. 

I love this counsel because it really answers one of life's toughest questions, why do bad things happen to good people? I know that everyone that's getting this email is a good person who has already had difficult and hard things happen in their lives and will continue to have difficult and hard times. Luckily, we know that these times are not forever. They do have an end. We can make it through them as we rely on Christ and His infinite power and atonement. These times are not without purpose either, they strengthen and help us to grow, becoming better equipped for the challenges ahead, growing our faith like a muscle. God's plan for us is loving and has our best interests at heart. We may not know now what their purpose is, we may never know what their purpose is, but I can promise you there is a purpose to every difficult thing we go through and it was necessary for us to go through it. Our Heavenly Father loves us perfectly, don't assume he forgets about you or lets you suffer without reason, He is there. HE LOVES YOU.

I love you too,

Elder Hansen

(I failed to keep this email short, sorry)

My fav talks from Conference: Elder Daines, President Oakes, Elder Sabin, Elder Pingree Jr., Elder Uchtdorf, Sister Freeman, & President Nelson.

Pics (I did a bad job this week, sorry guys)

1. Wearing Elder Dahlke's tag he left at the church (ignore the 'fro)

2. A cat friend 

3. Another cat friend???