12/18/2023 - Week 22 - I cannot leave the big cities

What's going on everyone?

This week we had transfers and I sadly had to say goodbye to Lakeside Park and Kentucky too and head back to the Ohio. 

Before I left Lakeside Park, I was able to say goodbye and talk one last time with both Carol and Don as well as Willie and Tamia. Those guys always made me laugh and were just a light to be around! Most of my last days in Lakeside Park were spent cleaning up the apartment and making sure it was all good for the next Elders (because Elder Avery and I were getting doubled out -- aka we were both getting moved to different areas).

So on Friday, we went to the Mission Office in Western Hills and I was able to meet up with my new comps (yes. plural) the Dayton ZL's! So Elder Simpson and Elder Barker (with very little help from me) were able to get everything coordinated so that everyone in our new zone would be accounted for and have a way to get to their new areas, which means we were driving around the zone for most of the day making sure everyone got the bikes and cars that they needed. It was a very crazy day which all wrapped up with us having a lesson with our friend Breonaa who is very close to having a date to be baptized! We also had dinner with a Part Member family in the ward who were awesome and fed us pizza (my favorite)! They were in a very precarious situation and they really have strong faith and a desire to do what is right and really have decided to make some tough decisions and show their dedication to the Lord despite the crazy circumstances they are in.

This new area is super cool and I could keep on writing about it, but I'll just sum up real quick. In our apartment complex we have 3 sets of Elders living in it (which is always a blast). We have me and the ZL's, the Swahilli Elders, and the Spanish Elders all close by which makes P-days fun. We also live above a really cool shoe shop, whose owner loves us missionaries (Elder Barker especially) and will give us sick discounts on some cool shoes (Prayers up that I don't spill my wallet there... I don't have enough space in my suitcase or money in my pocket for that). Also me and my comps are all from Idaho so I'm finally back with cool people from the Lord's State (even if Elder Barker is from Pocatello aka Diet Utah). 

Last little side note, our apartment doesn't have blinds on our MASSIVE windows yet, so we have city lights shining into the apartment ALL NIGHT LONG and it's kinda annoying... but we should be getting blinds soon. Also my companions, in their mischievous wisdom decided to give me the bed that takes the brunt of the city lights so I'm blocking it for the rest of them... thanks guys.

Spiritual Thought:

Isaiah 1:18
"...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool"

I've always loved this scripture (mostly because it's the only one that is easy to understand in Isaiah). It makes it very clear that through the Atonement of Christ, all of our imperfections, no matter how deeply they have stained our soul, can be cleansed as we rely on Christ and believe that He can do ALL things, even to heal us from our sins. The only question is HOW do we rely on Him? Well, we rely on Him as we show our faith through our actions. James Chapter 2 tells us very clearly that faith which is absent of actions to back up that faith really isn't faith at all. Without the actions to back up our beliefs, we become like the Pharisees who drew close to God with their lips, but were far from Him in their hearts. So, faith is a principle of action. We need to do to have it.

There is a great talk called "Believing Christ" by Stephen E. Robinson that I would invite you all to read because it gives a very good picture on very subtle ways that the adversary tries to get us to diminish our faith. It's a good read. 

Anyways, if you made it to this point, you're a trooper and I love and miss all of you guys more and more every day. Also shoutout to Ty and Alexa for finishing their missions this week. Y'all are amazing!

7 days until Christmas!
Elder Hansen

New Address:
35 S St. Clair St., Apt # 324 Dayton, OH 45402 United States

Pic:
1. My Grandpa, Elder Stanger, before he finished his mission
2. Dinner with the other Elders in Lakeside Park before we got booted
3. Sent this photo to my parents! He's related to us somehow.





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