12/4/2023 - Week 20 - Ups and Downs

This is gonna be a shorter email (hopefully) because I'm not feeling great today.

This week has been tough. We were able to do service at the same food pantry on Tuesday and Thursday which is always fun. We also had our exchanges with the other Lakeside Park Elders on Thursday and we had a great time because we all know the area and were just able to be with different companions for a bit. We also had a ward Christmas party here, and that was super fun to go to and get to know the members a little bit better!

For the not so fun stuff, I got robbed. On Wednesday morning we went out to our car to get ready to go to our District Council and found out that someone had gotten into our car over the night and searched for stuff to steal, deciding the only thing they wanted was my rain jacket in the backseat (the one time I forgot to take it inside 😡). Later the same day we had to go file a report to the police and as we were driving to the station, we witnessed a car crash (pretty bad, but everyone was ok) and stayed behind to be witnesses if the police needed it. It was a long day of crime I guess. 

Luckily we've had some great lessons with members! We were able to find some new people who were interested in learning more about the Church at the Ward Christmas Party. Also, some guy walked into the church building on Sunday and asked who he could talk to to learn more about the Church and he got directed to us! Unfortunately, he lives outside our teaching area, but I'm sure the Sister Missionaries will do a great job teaching him.

I also got a ton of Christmas decorations from my mom so our apartment is very festive this Holiday season! 

Spiritual thought:
I've studied the story of Alma the younger and the Sons of Mosiah this week and the last bit really stuck out to me. It's Mosiah 27:35-36. This is after Alma the younger and the Sons of Mosiah had been chastened and converted to the Lord after their wicked past. And it says 
"they traveled throughout all the land Zarahemla... zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them.
And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to a knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer."

I love this because it really focuses on the important part of repentance, which is change. I know that personally, I am not perfect in any sense of the word, but I strive to do the Lord's will so that I can be an instrument in His hands. There isn't anything we can do in this life that can't be forgiven if we change our ways and do what the Lord has asked. It's not always easy to do the right thing, in fact it's usually hard. But as we make those right choices we WILL be an instrument to the Lord and help His cause, the greatest cause.

Love you all,
Elder Hansen











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