Friends, storms, and little miracles

 Bună bună!!

Highlights:

-We have a new friend!! Diana! We actually met her about a month ago but have now been able to go visit her at work. We shared the book of mormon and ideas on how to study it! During one of our lessons her mom and sister came in too, so we got to meet them too!

-Had an exchange this week în Iași!! I got to be with the one and only Sora Reynolds!! The day was so awesome. Last year at this time we were comps so it was cool to see how much we've grown and learned în a year!! (Its for real, we saw those domnuls sitting on the benches and just walked right on by with just a "bună ziua!". Progress.) But of course a Sora Hansen/Sora Rey Rey day would not be complete without a little crazy... 😉  We decided to head out to this little town outside of Iași to visit a referral and her family. We get an uber after the sun had just been beating down on us all day, and start driving. Soon dark clouds form and it starts sprinkling, then raining, then pouring, then dumping buckets and then hailing!! After a 30 minute ride we step out into the middle of nowhere, ankle deep in puddles, and we have no clue if we are in the right place. But luckily our friend Nicoleta came out and met us, and then we followed her into her tin roof house to teach her and her family. The storm continued and it was hard to hear but we were still able to share the Book of Mormon with the sweet family. All the kids gathered around and had so many questions... so awesome. Then we may have barely missed the bus back (despite being 10 minutes early for it) and almost didn't have enough signal to get an uber back. But luckily God is good and we didn't have to walk! ☺️

-Lets just say... I have the best friend ever, on a whim she decided make a stop in Romania on her trip through Europe, and I got permission to see her!! Such a good day 😁(shaorma+Roz+Jesus=best day ever)

-Visited our cute member Sora Matei this week, and helped the Frandsens record her conversion story. She is an amazing lady. At the end we asked her what keeps her going to church after all this time, she said that she goes for herself and her relationship with God. Nothing anyone else does could keep her from going. Such a stellar member. I just love her 🥰

-Gave a talk on Sunday and it went well!! I was trying all week to write and nothing seemed to be connecting. But then miraculously Sunday morning it all the pieces i had written came together. So grateful for the spirit #savedmybuttonceagain

-Miracle!! On Sunday we went and heart attacked a member who for family reasons hasn't been able to come to church too much. We didn't think much of it, just a few pieces of heart shaped paper taped to her door... but then today the Elders ran into her son (an inactive) on the street. He told them that someone had heart attacked his mom and that it had made her so happy. He said that this was a reminder to him that he needs to go back to church. Super cool.

Not-so-Highlights:

- Didn't get to meet up with either of our progressing friends this week

Funny:

-For games night this week we had a movie night!! So we watched Monsters Inc (dubbed in romanian). One of our members, Alex, absolutely loved the movie and died laughing multiple times over the jokes, and Mike Wazowski. He was the funniest part of the show 😂

Gând Spiritual:

"The intent of the Father’s great plan of happiness is your happiness, right here, right now, and in the eternities."

-Elder Patrick Kearon

I'm not sure if I've already shared this or not, but it goes along with my talk this week. One thing that I've come to realize on my mission is this truth. We are meant to enjoy the blessings of the gospel right now!!! We don't have to wait until eternity to find the joy, peace and rest we need. These things are available through our covenants, today!!

Vă Iubesc,

Sora Hansen

Hostages

 Bună bună!!

Highlights:

- Cristina!! We had a few lessons with Cristina this week and it has been so awesome!! She has started reading the BOM a lot, and came to one of our lessons and told us she knew it was true 😁🔥 She also has carried the BOM everywhere she goes and told about and experience she had sharing it with someone she was sitting by at the bus stop!!?! Me and Sora McCombs were freaking out cause she's literally already a missionary!! She is progressing super well but please continue to keep her in your prayers!! 

- On Saturday we had an awesome branch activity, where we all loaded up into the bus and went to the woods to hangout and have a barbecue. It was so fun to see everyone and Cristina came too and talked with all the members!! So awesome!!

- We have had a hard time meeting up with Ioana lately, but we were able to have a lesson with her and it was so spirit filled. I love teaching Ioana because she is here for all the right reasons and just wants to hear what we have to say. We also continued to talk to her about baptism and she still needs time, but already has a goal to go to the temple!! We are so excited for her! 

Funny:

- We visited a member this week and I didn't know if we were ever gonna be let back out 😬🫣😱 It was a surprise visit and we said we only had 30 minutes but she did all she could to keep us there. Massive pieces of rum cake, orange soda filled to the brim, and about 30 rants later we were able to share one short thought and make it out alive. She super awesome though so we'll have to plan another visit with more time next time.

Gând Spiritual:

"To do one’s best in the face of the commonplace struggles of life, and possibly in the face of failures, and to continue to endure and persevere with the ongoing difficulties of life—when those struggles and tasks contribute to the progress and happiness of others and the eternal salvation of one’s self—this is true greatness" 

-President Howard W Hunter

Vă iubesc!!

Sora Hansen

(Also finally got some zone conference pics!!)

July 15, 2024

Bună Bună!!

Highlights:

- Had zone conference this week and it was awesome!! We went to Brașov and we did zone conference one day and did service the next. The missionaries in my zone are so awesome and it was such a party with them 🥳🥳

- MIRACLE!! So our member offered to drive our friend, Cristina to church. But then when Sunday morning rolled around Cristina was nowhere to be found and wouldn't answer any calls. So our member just came to church without her. But then she called him so he went all the way back to get her and bring her to church. Cristina absolutely loved church!! After we had a lesson with her and our member and... we set a baptismal date!! She told us she really wants to make a covenant with God. So cool!! Her date is October 30th, so please pray for Cristina!!

Funny:

- We were walking outside of our apartment building and I hear this swooping sound. All of sudden I get hit in the head with this cardboard yogurt package??? Someone from the apartment block must of thought I looked like the trash can?? 🤷‍♀️🗑

Gând Spiritual:

-2 Nephi 27:26 Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, yea, a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.

Cristina shared this with us in our lesson today. So grateful to be part of this great work. 

Vă iubesc!!

Sora Hansen

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 Bună bună!!

Highlights:

- Ioana!! We set up a lesson with her before our english class. We were waiting and she didn't show. She then came to English though! So after we asked if she had some time to discuss. She said yes!! We did a lesson on temples (since last time she came to church that's all they talked about), and covenants and eternal families. It was an amazing lesson. She expressed to us the peace she felt going to church and we were able to testify it was the Holy Ghost!! Then at one point in the lesson she just turns to us and says, I was thinking I want to get baptized before you leave! What?!?!🤯 I was like speechless. She obviously has some more steps to take but please keep Ioana in your prayers!!

- Carmen has been a friend of the missionaries/church for at least the last two years. Recently, she has stopped being taught cause she wasn't progressing and it strained the relationship between her and the missionaries. But she still faithfully come to church and games night every week. We went out with her and Sora Frandsen for Ice cream this week and was so good to minister to her!! She is super awesome we just are trying to support her until she's ready for baptism.

- Last week we got a call from a random number. Turns out it was a woman named Cristina. We gave her a pass along card and invited her to church, and she was interested!! She hasn't come to church yet, but this week we had an amazing lesson with her. We felt prompted to make and effort to get a member there, even though we had reserves, it being the first lesson. But the member that came was perfect. They have had very similar life situations and our member bore such amazing testimony of everything. Towards the end of the lesson Cristina expressed to us that she recently has been praying to find a church and God. She had just been praying to herself on the street when we came up and gave her the card. She knew that we were a sign from God. She also told us about her desire to come closer to Christ. I then began to testify of our purpose here as missionaries, and then without realizing it, I invited her to be baptized. She said yes before I could even finish my sentence. So please also keep Cristina in your prayers!! 

- We played soccer for games night and it was super fun!! It was super hot but so worth it to play 😂

- This weekend there was a festival in Ploiești and so many families were out in the evenings. We were able to have lots of good contacts, and a few people we are excited for!! 

Funny: 

- On the way home one day we got caught in a crazy storm!! But when we went through center there was a massive crowd gathered around a giant screen... what on earth could be keeping Romanians of all people out in the rain (their relationship with rain is comparible to that of the wicked witch of the west). We go over and it's a stream of the Romanian national team playing in the Eurocup 😂 so awesome. We also got absolutely soaked on the way home while singing called to serve and we'll bring the world his truth. It was great 😊

Gând Spiritual:

- "Left on our own, we may not know our own good. When “I choose me,” I am also choosing my own limitations, weaknesses, inadequacies. Ultimately, to do the most good, we must be good. Since none save God is good, we seek perfection in Jesus Christ. We become our truest, best selves only as we put off the natural man or woman and become a child before God."

- Elder Gerrit W. Gong

This talk is so good!! Worth a read! 

✨️https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/04/25gong?lang=eng

I'm so glad that in this work and in my life I am never left on my own. I'm thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows what's not only good but what's best for me. 

Vă iubesc!!

- Sora Hansen