Another Week in the MTC

The report this week sounds like this past week was a little tougher than the rest. She has been surrounded by sick missionaries in her district including her companion. So far she has managed to miss it, and I hope she is still feeling well. She has also dealt with some stress, and some mean words from others... I am glad she has a good companion to be there for her. She also must have picked up on some of Dads nursing skills, who was recently in nursing school. She had already ruled out appendicitis when a fellow missionary had sharp stomach pain and had to go to the ER... I am sure Dad is proud! Also, if you know Taryn at all her weakness is cheesecake... but apparently the MTC can't get cheesecake right! We got some pictures again this week, it looks like she is enjoying the beautiful paintings at the MTC and took pictures of some of her favorites to share with us. She also included a video of her and her companion making the trek to the temple... It was so nice to hear her contagious laugh! Hope you enjoy her letter as much as I did... It sounds like she is really working hard, and putting her trust in the Lord. Love and Miss her!

Hola mi familia.! Y mis amigos tambien!!!

This week has been a little more stressful than the others. It started out by Hermana Sanft and I being assigned to do both the District meeting lesson and the Relief Society lesson on Sunday. They both had to be about 40 minutes long and I just did not know how we would be able to do both with all of the other stuff that we had to do as well! It did make me feel better that the two Hermanas in the other district had to do the same thing.

While studying for our lessons this week for our lesson with Javier, I remembered an idea about teaching him about Alma the Younger. Hermana Sanft and I were so excited to teach him, but we have yet to for reasons I will explain later. :(   We didn't plan as much for our lesson with Carlos, so as to be expected the lesson did not go as well as we would have like it to. I was in a really bad mood after that and had a meltdown after someone I didn't know said something that I don't think was supposed to be rude, but was. Hermana Sanft was so kind! She comforted me and helped me feel better. I am so grateful for such a great companion. It just goes to show that you shouldn't say anything that could be considered mean. You never know what people are going through. 

I now have the first vision and my purpose memorized in Espanol!!! Be proud!!! It was so hard to memorize! I would walk around the track repeating it over and over in my mind. I am now working on the baptismal invitation.

The week was going good until Hermana Taylor got sick with the flu. She was out all day Thursday. Then the next morning Hermana Sanft came down with the flu as well! I was so nervous about getting it. I had to stay at the rooms all day! I was so restless! I did take several naps though :)

Hermana Taylor ended up staying with her the next day, because she wasn't feeling so good again. I ended up staying with the STL's one night because I just couldn't stay in a room with a sick person making sick person noises. I do feel bad for not being more of a comfort to my companion though. 

We have become really good friends with the other Hermanas in the other district. Hermana Landrin, and Hermana Maw. They really kept me entertained while we were all stuck in the residences with sick companions. I was so grateful they kept me happy!

For dinner on Saturday Hermana MacDonald got the last cheesecake! I was so sad!!! I really wanted some! So after begging, she said that I could have a bite. I waited as patiently as I could for this delicious bite... finally I was able to put my tiny morsel into my awaiting mouth... EWW! The worst cheesecake that I have ever tasted!!! HOW CAN YOU MESS UP CHEESECAKE! It tasted like warm Sherbert. Yuck! I know never to get the cheesecake here again.

On Sunday Hermana Taylor had to go to the ER because she was having this sharp pain on her right side right below her ribs. I ruled out appendix already because it was way to high of a pain. They gave her a lot of pain medication and she has had to go back for several tests over the last few days. They still don't know what is wrong but has a hunch about her gall bladder. I am really worried but I have this feeling that she is going to be OK. I just hope that they can figure it out and get her feeling like her normal self again.

So during the Sunday Devotional they gave us a challenge to choose a Christlike attribute every week and work to gain that gift. I decided that I would work on Charity. It takes me a little bit longer to trust people and show my love. I am trying though. Yesterday while it was raining I gave two sisters my umbrella because they didn't have jackets or umbrellas. I was able to put my hood up. Even though I hate the rain it made me feel good to give away my umbrella so that those girls didn't have to get soaked. I know that it was something the Savior would have done.

So we now have a TRC (I have no idea what that stands for). It is a person who is a member that we teach about the gospel, but they pretend to be investigators. Her name is Maribel and she is from Mexico. I believe our lesson went really well! Our teacher told us that we should have asked her to be baptized! That was only the first lesson! I find that to be a little weird, but he said it gets you an idea about what they need to learn about the gospel to get them prepared to be ready to be baptized. 

This week we have a service project for Thanksgiving and guess who got volenteered to be one of those in charge? ME and Hermana Sanft! Ahhh! So scary! I know that the Lord will help me so that I will be able to do the job correctly and to my best ability. I also got asked to give the opening prayer at the next Sunday Devotional!!!!!!!!! WHY! I guess the Lord wants me to get out of my comfort zone.

Well, that is about it for this week! I love ya'll so much (It is a rule not to say guys, but I can say ya'll). I know that the Lord is helping me and blessing me during my stay here and that he will continue to bless me through out my whole mission. I am so thankful for the gospel and how my family is being blessed while I am serving. It is so comforting to know that he is watching over them! 

Until next week!

Hermana Hansen