Last letter from the MTC

Mi familia increible,
Thank you all for all of the letters I have gotten over the past week! It has been grand. :) So I am not writing until today, because today our schedule is weird this week and today is my P-day. I promise I didn't forget you. But yesterday we were in In-Field-Orientation for 13 hours. It is essentially just 13 hours of workshops, but I did learn a lot. I learned a lot about how bold I need to be, and about casting out the fear of sharing the gospel. Which Landon actually talked to me about in his last letter. He is awesome. NBD. (I still don't understand exactly why we are all so afraid of sharing it. It is difficult to bring up at times right? But it is the thing that will bless peoples' lives the most? I just don't know why we have fear). I also learned about the importance of members int he work. This work is impossible without member missionaries. If you all can just think of a single person who is ready,and needs the gospel in their lives, have the courage to ask them if they want to know more about your church, and meet with the missionaries (If the missionaries there are being obedient and diligent). The members are so important in giving people the drive to listen to us, and especially in the actual work and conversion process. Also, be a friend to people who the missionaries bring to church. Go out of your way to get to know them. I wish I had done more member missionary work before my mission. So that was yesterdays orientation,and I also got mostly packed during meal times.

It is so crazy that this is my last letter from the MTC! Time has gone by so fast. I cannot believe that it has been two months. It is ludicrous. And I loved my experience. I have grown more as a person than I have ever thought possible, and I never been at such a spiritual high. But I am excited to get to the field and watch the gospel change peoples lives.
So, travel plans. I don't have them with me, so I will just say what I think is happening. We meet at the travel office at 3 am. Then we drive to SLC and I don't think our plane leaves until around 7 or so. Then we fly to Dallas. We have a 2 hour layover there, and then I will be in Chihuahua by lunch. :) SO EXCITED! We got to drive to Salt lake on Wednesday to go to the Mexican Consolate. It was CRAZY. Who knew that there was an outside world?! I saw a woman with blue hair. People were smoking everywhere. We were calling them to repentance. They were lining up for baptism. It was wild.
But really, it was fun. There was a cute little old Mexican couple in there that I talked to for a while, and the woman there helping us served her mission in Brasil. And all of the missionaries were smiling because we were so excited. At the same time, it was kind of scary, being outside the walls of the MTC where everyone is a spiritual fountain (we think, we really are just crazy 19 year old boys, and the work we are doing is so weird. Who would expect that two young men in suits on their porch on a Saturday morning aren't there to sell them something, but just want to bring them a message of eternal happiness).


Uncle Jim wrote me a great DearElder this week too! Let him know i say thank you. And I will try to respond soon. But i am out of time today.

This week, we got a new district in our zone, 5 elders, 5 sisters. Which is wild cause we had 0 sisters for a few days after our old ones left. But this new district is solid. Elder Labar and I got to do the orientation for a few days. And then yesterday one of the elders mentioned how he wished that Elder Labar and i were sticking around here for a while longer because we have been such a help to them. It made me sad that I do not get much time with the new district to watch them grow, and to grow closer to them. But i know that they will be great missionaries.

I love you all so much. And I am so glad that I get to live with you for eternity. I cannot wait to write you from Chihuahua next week! It is so crazy. And i am so excited. Ok. Love you all. :)

Love,
Elder Hansen