Pa Pa 👋 to the Boonies

 Bună Bună!!! 

Highlights:

- Exchange in Oradea!!! I got to exchange with Sora Reeve!! She has so much enthusiasm for the work and we had such a fun day together!!! Also got to meet and talk with a member there in Oradea, her name is Sora Geambasu. She is so cool. She is a language wiz, served a mission, translator for the church, a convert to the church and apparently really likes me despite the fact we've only meet in person like 3 times. Hey I'm not complaining though, she's awesome!

- Went to Sora Lidia's again this week!! It was on Thanksgiving too so that was a bonus. (She did not know it was Thanksgiving haha). She fed us amazing food (normal), and there was enough for it to feel like Thanksgiving.

- Later that day we also decided to try a restaurant someone told me about on the tramvai one day. The have super cheap papanași (papanași is basically like a donut with this cream and berry sauce on it, so good). We went and they also had super cheap Shaorma so you know we had to try it. The Shaorma was so gas. The sauce was actually spicy (ish) !! The papanași however did not wow me too much, but it was only 6 lei ($1.50) so ehh, no worries. 

- Friday night the STLs came to Arad for our district activity the next day and we had a Waffle party!!! It was so good!! 

-Our district activity was amazing!! We went to this sat (village) and helped with the renovation of this old school to be a cultural hall. At first they only let the girls cleanup... but after about an hour and a half of us sweeping, there wasn't much left. So we just asked the Elders to show us how to help and went crazy. We had a fire lunch there (șnițel and fries) and then Sora Barnett and I worked outside moving wood and trying to clean cement off of tiles. 

- I played a musical number in church (Gethsemane) and it actually went pretty good despite my hands literally shaking through the entire first verse.

Not-so-Highlights:

- We weren't able to meet with any the people we wanted to this week. We even went to our families house for a lesson, and waited and no one answered. Then an hour later they told us they weren't home. 

MIRACLE:

- Last Pday we get into this crowded tramvai, and I mean crowded. We were like sardines in a can. Basically we ride all the way to our stop get off and I put my hand in my pocket... my wallet is gone. I was freaking out. It had everything in it: my permis (visa to live in the country), my credit cards, my American drivers license, insurance card, and even my tramvai pass. I was so frustrated that I had allowed that to happen like how did I not think twice while on the crowded tramvai? Well I called all the people I needed to cancel my cards and then there wasn't much else I could do and the frustrated me even more. Amidst all of this one of the Elders suggested we pray. My first internal reaction was no absolutely not, I'm too angry to pray right now, but immediately after that was a humbling thought, then I definitely need to pray right now. We prayed and went about the rest of our pday. Right when we start our working hours we get a call. It's the police here Arad, they had my wallet!!! So we traveled all the way across town and when I got there, everything was there. The only thing the thief took was my cash and they left the rest 😱 I'm so thankful for the Elder who prompted us to pray, and that the Lord was and is truly aware of me. 

And last but certainly not least... TRANSFERS!!!! 

- We got transfer calls on Saturday and I'm heading to București and have been given the assignment as Sister Training Leader Leader (I know it's a bit of a mouth full haha) so basically I get to work with Președintele and Sora Fowler and the APs and help train our STLs (Sister Training Leaders). I am beyond excited for this call, and so grateful for the opportunity! Plus you know how I talked about that awesome sister I went on an exchange with last week, Sora Wolsey? Well she's going to be my companion!! So excited!!

Oh yeah and I almost forgot, guess who's also getting transfered to the same branch as me??? Well only THE Sora Reynolds (my last comp)!!!! So for any of you that thought our shenanigans were finished buckle in cause it's gonna be a fun next few transfers. 

Gând Spiritual:

-"You will never be happier than you are grateful"

  -Elder Gary B. Sabin

We shared this quote this week to Sora Lidia for Thanksgiving. I know this is so true. I have met many people who circumstances aren't great. But they are so grateful and have so much faith that the Lord has had a hand in their lives. And it has truly humbled me and I realized that I have no excuses. I need to stop complaining and be grateful!! And the best part is, is that we can almost immediately become happier!

Sorry for the long email!! But I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!! If you have any questions or just want to give me a life update I would love to hear!!! 

Vă iubesc!!

Sora Hansen

Not your basic Sora

 Bună bună!!!

Highlights:

-Met with the Branch President's wife and kid, super fun!!

-Had another eventful English class. This week a lady came, we were vibing and then she goes "I like you, you should marry my son". Her friend agrees and then they start showing me pictures at the end of class. Mans is probably like 30+. Ahhhh. My list of Romanian prospects continues to grow. 

-Lesson with Sorin and his family!!! I literally walked out almost skipping. His wife and kids were so cute, they all were so excited to hear our message, and begged us to come back at the end. I literally was on cloud 9. 

-Lesson with Mariana, it was good and she always is glad for a visit. 

-Went to Buc and got to go on an exchange with THE Sora Wolsey. We have gotten to know each other, but never served together. In our mission right now we have "Sister Training Leader Leaders" or basically a fancy way to say Sister APs, so Sora Wolsey and Sora Nunez are serving as those right now. We got to do service (and I actually got to do manual labor, letttsss gooo), Sora Wolsey and I taught a lesson and tried parking lot finding (ended up being pretty successful) and it was just a fun day all in all. Sora Wolsey and I have very similar views when it comes to missionary work, so it was so fun to just grind all day. 

-Gave a talk in church on the Scriptures it was lit. 

-Met with our friend Ovidiu. He came to church a while back and has been to busy to meet with us since, but he finally made the time. It was amazing. He is so humble and so ready to change some things in his life. I'm excited for him!! 

Not-so-Highlights:

-Alright time for your weekly dose of Sora Hansen complaining. Our branch president asked us to plan a branch activity on a specific day and time. We did. We set up everything, spent all week getting everything ready. Literally 1 person came. Not even the branch president showed up...uggghhhhhhhhh. I need to get over it I know. Anyways but that's it a pretty good week, no bed bug bites (yet) 

Funny:

-This week I went a little crazy. It started with me kindly asking one the elders to STOP BLASTING CHRISTMAS MUSIC BEFORE THANKSGIVING, and ended with me trying to sling refried beans at him. Yeah we don't need to talk about it. 

Gând Spiritual:

"He then asked me, “Have you done everything in your power to solve this?” I responded I had done everything I could. He then said something I have never forgotten: “So leave this in God’s hands, and everything will work out fine.”

-Elder Joni L. Koch

Just love this quote. Need to remember more often the Lord's part in this work. I can't control everything, and thank goodness for that! 

Vă Iubesc!!!

Sora Hansen

Buggin

Bună Bună!! 

Highlights:

-Prânz with Sora Lidia!!! She made this bomb potato and egg casserole, sausages, and apple pie. And as per usual we practically rolled out of there because she filled us up so much

- English Class was bopping. We always end the class with a spiritual thought and this week's actually sparked a full on discussion!! It was lit!

-Looked at a possible church location with Sora Mogoş. The location was cool but way too big for us. We then walked through center with Sora Mogoș and it was super fun!

-Zone Conference!!! Got edified, pumped up, felt the spirit, ate good, and got lit with the Homies!! It was a good time for sure. 

- We had to run into a store real fast to get a few things we needed and as we were checking out the cashier looks at my tag and goes "oh hey I know you guys. I've been to your church before" I then asked her what she thought about it, sad she said she really liked it! And then she said she really likes our church because of our views on premortal life. 😱 She said she would love to go to church again but is waiting on her driver's license so she can drive there. But we got her number and have been talking to her ever since!! She also told us she had a nice feeling and had to talk to us. We testified that was the Holy Ghost and how God communicates with us. She said she knew we would say that and agreed 😊

-Saturday was super rainy but we had planned in the evening to go streeting. Romanians basically like water as much as the Wicked Witch of the West, so streeting in the rain is never a safe bet. But we still felt good about it so we went anyway. There were very few people on the street but we ended up stopping Sorin. He said he's religious but isn't with a specific church. The last one he went to said he had to baptize his baby, or leave. But He's a dad to 6 kids and just expressed how much he wants to make sure he teaches them all about God. He was super excited and wanted to come to church, but for personal reasons wasn't able to make it. But... he said next week for sure!!!

-We have officially been keeping out goal of 1 mcflurry comp study (at least) a week! Let's go!!!

-Sunday we had a lesson with our cute friend Mariana who is going through a hard time right now!! Any prayers sent her way would be much appreciated! She wants desperately to go to church but she can't leave the house for another 4 weeks!!

Not-so-Highlights:

-BED BUGS ROUND 2!!! Sleeper trains I swear. Also why do bed bugs have to be a thing??? I'm going to have to have a long talk with Heavenly Father about it one day. I will say this time however we didn't take any home, we only just got EATEN ALIVE when we slept in the train. We have to take another this week 🤦‍♀️ I'm not ready. 

Funny:

-Alright I might be the worst. But at least it's a little funny ok... so we are at our meal with Sora Lidia and she tells us to eat everything we can cause she made all the food for us. She did however say that if we were going to be sick, don't over do it. But she continues to load our plates. One Elder is still in training and he's just looking at his plate with wide eyes, probably contemplating whether he could eat one more bite. Well he couldn't understand our member... and I thought I would be funny... so I told him that the member said we had to eat everything (truth) and then I said that she would probably be offended if he didn't (absolute lie) haha. Then his companion heard me and played along too. So this Elder shoveled in more and more food before he did finally call it quits and to which we informed him that it is OK and she doesn't care. Yeah writing this I do in fact realize I am the worst. But it was hilarious I promise you that.

Gând Spiritual:

Our Mission President shared these scriptures from Come follow me this week:

Hebrews 10:35-36

35) Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 

36) For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

I love this verse because it's a good reminder for us to have patience and to not lose the confidence we have in the Lord by forgetting what he has already done for us. 

At first glance that may seem like all that's there: a reminder, a warning, or a command. 

But there is a powerful statement of truth in here. 

"Cast not away"

Casting means that we have to consciously make the choice to let go. It doesn't say "defend" your confidence, because the only person who can take it away is you. And this gives me hope. Satan is real. He's out here trying to trip all of us up. He can try with all his might to rip away our confidence in the Lord, (and he does, and does a pretty good job) but we are the only ones that have power to throw it away or keep it close. 

Este atât pentru săptămâna aceasta, vă mulțumesc c-ați citit!! Vă doresc numai bine!!

Vă iubesc!!

Sora Hansen

 

Livin' it up in Arad România

 Bună Bună!!!

Highlights:

-Halloween English class. We had decorations, goodies, and a spooky story to read. Unfortunately only 2 people pulled up, but it was still fun!!

-tramvai passes -> acquired 

-Immigration work -> finished (🙏)

-When getting the apartment contract for Sora Barnett's immigration work, we found a paper titled "Contacts not in area book". Area Book is the application we use to track of everyone whose been interested and talked with missionaries. Ours had problems when we got here because there hadn't been Sister missionaries here in months, and it had to be deleted. So we had to start from scratch. This paper is like a gold mine for us cause now we actually have people to bother 😈

-Tried to find some more inactive members this week!! We actually managed to find one that was home!!! He does remember being baptized... but he was cool!!!

-We've focusing this week on practicing lessons in comp study, cause well we haven't many actual lessons. After a few days of practicing we actually got an opportunity to share one in a streeting session, she wasn't interested, but glad for the opportunity!

-McFlurries on a rainy day 

-New mall opened here!! Went and checked out during our lunch break!!

-Lesson with Irina, we actually were able to stay on topic (mostly :)  more down below) grateful for that!

-Played piano for church and went much better than last time!!

Not-so-Highlights:

-Keep running into people who say they are interested. When we start talking though they tell me all about their religion and beliefs, I listen patiently. Then when they ask me about mine, I get approximately two words out before getting interrupted. This week I've been brave an actually interrupted back (Romanian culture im still not quite used too), but then they quickly just negate everything I say, and yeah. I'm sure every missionary ever has had to deal with situations like this. We just had an abnormal amount this week. The Lord really said, let's try Sora Hansen's patience this week. Yeah, if you were wondering I've still got a lot of work to do. 

Funny:

-Ok we're in our lesson with Irina, said a prayer, read a scripture, and all of sudden she's asking us about English swear words. She then tells us she was watching an American TV show where she learned a few. She then proceeds to "show off" her new skills, by sharing with us a few choice words. There goes the spirit of our lesson. Then she was telling us about swears in Romanian and one of them was close to the definition of our swear word. So I was like, don't say that word, it means the same and this other word in your language!! She then proceeds to further explain the Romanian swear word by using the English one 😑😐😑.  Luckily we were finally able to move on to another subject. 

Gând Spiritual:

1 Peter 1

6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 

7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Found these verses this week, and it was just what I needed. Life is hard. Sometimes the answers and miracles we are waiting and hoping for just don't seem like they will ever come. We may feel anxious and ready (and well like it's about time for something to happen). But God has his plan. He has his perfect timing. And sometimes the wait is actually for our benefit. Because its the times like these when we grow the most. When we are giving the Lord everything and it seems like the blessings we seek, that we've been promised even, haven't been given. This is the trial of our faith. And though in the moment all you want to do is see the end of it, these are the times and experiences that will be most precious to us, even more so than the blessings we may be waiting for. So we truly can "greatly rejoice" and know that the Lord’s got it all under control.

Vă iubesc!!! Și sper ca veți avea o săptămână plină de bucurie!! 

Sora Hansen