Another week here in Arkansas

Memphis Temple

Iakwe aolep

I just wanna start out and give a quick shout out to two of my great friends Grace and Abbey. It's their birthday so everyone go wish them a happy birthday. 

This week was pretty crazy. With the world opening up the Marshall Islands decided to start getting their citizens back home. This is a pretty big step because the Marshall Islands used to be completely shutdown to people coming in. Everyone please pray that the borders will be able to open soon and the rest of the missionaries and I will be able to return and help out the 6 we left behind.

On Wednesday we drove a total of 7 hours. My comps had a lot of ZL stuff going on. We also found out that I would be getting a new companion so that's cool. We got 15 new missionaries. We were supposed to get 50 but 35 didn't come. We drove to little Rock and then to Searcy. It was pretty boring. 

Thursday we drive about another 4 hours to pick up my comp. His name is Elder Smith from Lehi. He's a cool guy. I also got to see the Memphis temple so that's cool.

The rest of the week was just trying to find people. We are opening an area so it's pretty hard. We had a miracle tho. We were doing some online finding and Elder Smith looked out the window and saw some people trying to get their keys out of their car. We went and helped them. As we helped them we taught the restoration and set up another lesson so we picked up a new investigator. It was really cool. I am also working with mostly Marshallese people. I had the opportunity to reach out to a Marshallese family and set up a lesson. Im super excited for the lesson because I miss the Marshall Islands and the people so maybe this will help me out haha. 

It was a great week and time is flying. I love you all and hope you all have a great week. I would love to hear from all of you. Stay safe!

Elder Hanson

We like to go to the field to workout

" Kōjām jeļā kajin m̧ajōl?? "

This week was pretty good. Life is crazy but also pretty boring. We mostly just online find and call formers. This week we had splits with Jonesboro. It was so much fun. In Jonesboro they have this huge church so I decided to take a picture of it. We also had interviews with my mission president. It was great.

On Saturday I got to go on splits with Elder Nordstrom who is another reassigned missionary because my companions had to go to MLC. It was great to be with a missionary who knows what it's like to be reassigned haha. During the split I felt like I should message this Marshallese family. Well I did and we set up a zoom call with them. So on Wednesday we will zoom them and have a lesson. I'm super pumped. Hopefully my Marshallese isn't too bad. 

Today we went shopping and then went and got gas. I saw these girls and thought dang they might be Marshallese. Then the girl said "we go to lds too" and I knew they were Marshallese. I asked where they were from and theysaid they were from Pocahontas I continued to ask if they were Marshallese and then I saw their mom and I knew. I started speaking in Marshallese and they were so surprised haha it was hilarious. The mom replied in Marshallese and was like "why do you know Marshallese" haha. I explained to her that I served there and now I'm here. It was hilarious. It definitely was the best thing that has happened to me so far.

Everything is going great. I hope you all have a great week. 

I would love to hear from you all!

Elder Hanson

Here are some pics of the church and me and my comps shopping.

The life of the Zone Leader's companion

Well another week here in Arkansas. It was a pretty crazy week. My companions are constantly getting calls and I just chill and read a book or something. 

This week we went to Memphis so that was cool. I saw this big ole bass pro shops. My companion's said dude perfect did a video in there but I don't know much about that. 

We were trying so hard to find a new person this week but were having no success. Its definitely different than talking to people on the streets. I don't think Marshallese people are very tech savvy so its kinda hard to message them hahah. I can't wait till I can meet with them face to face and hopefully make some connections with them. I typically try to focus on reaching out to the Marshallese while my companions find other people. 

Yesterday we were going through he area book and felt impressed to call this lady. She answered and was so happy we called. She has a great knowledge of the gospel and has met with the missionaries before. We taught her a little about the Book of Mormon and then set up a return appointment. It was such a miracle because we haven't found anyone new in so long. Also my companions challenged everyone in the zone to find 1 more person in the last 30 minutes of online finding. In that time the zone found 13 people. It was crazy. It was a huge testimony builder. 

I honestly think that's it from this week. Just a lot of online finding and studying. I love you all and would love to hear from you! 

Have a great week!

Elder Hanson

Arkansas

Well currently I am out here in Paragould Arkansas. It's a lot different than the Marshall islands. But I will try and learn as much as I possibly can until I return to the islands. Speaking of the islands, everyone please pray that the missionaries will be able to return soon. 

I am in Paragould Arkansas. A lot of Marshallese live here so I will be able to use my language which will be nice. I am in a trio with the ZL's which is different. They are pretty busy. 

I got to Arkansas on Wednesday. We got in pretty late and went to the church and ate some fried chicken and potatoes. Good ole southern comfort. Then we went to a hotel and stayed a night. Then on Thursday we had a long day of training. It was rough. There are so many extra rules and stuff. It's pretty crazy. After that we went back to the hotel and stayed another night. 

On Friday more missionaries came and we had another day of training. It was tough haha. We had interviews with president and I figured out I was going to Paragould. Everyone went to their areas except for me because president was waiting to assign me a comp.

On Saturday there was another day of training. Instead of training I did some online finding. It was so weird. Its definitely going to take some time to get used to it so hopefully I will. Then that night I was driven to my area and met my comps. It was a good time. 

Yesterday was Mother's day and I got to talk to my family which was much needed. It was great to be able to talk to my mom and wish her a happy Mother's day. 

Well I'm locked up in an apartment struggling so I would love to hear from you all. Talks/spiritual thoughts are much appreciated. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Elder Hanson

Coming home...

Well this week was pretty crazy. On Tuesday the zone leaders came over to our house and we were just talking about how crazy it is that everyone is going home and that how we would be the last ones to go home. Then my district leader walks down the stairs and starts reading a text he got from the AP's saying that we are getting sent home. It was heartbreaking. I definitely do not want to leave the Marshall Islands. After that we received some information about what was going on and what we needed to do. We still have no idea when we are leaving, but I should be home within the next month. 

That being said that work continues here in Delap and the Marshall islands. We are still proselyting and doing our best to stay busy and work hard. This week me and Elder Langrine were waiting for one of our lessons and we saw some eels in the water. Elder Langrine grabbed a stick and started going to town on them haha. We didn't get any...  But the next day we went back more prepared. We brought our machetes.. hahah. We got a couple and are gonna cook them up pretty soon. It was super fun and I definitely lightened up the mood.

We had a great lesson with one of our investigators about the plan of salvation this week. This guy asks so many questions so I prepared myself with some bible verses and all this stuff and went into the lesson. Man it was crazy. The spirit was guiding me throughout the whole lesson and telling me exactly what to say. The words were just flowing haha. I loved it. 

Things are going well. We are doing our best to continue to work hard and focus on the work. I hope all is well at home and everyone is staying safe. I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Hanson

One year mark for Elder Garr!

P day fun

Elder Hanson & Elder Jolley

Another week in Majuro

 

Iakwe!!! 

Everything here in the Marshall Islands is great. I'm probably in one of the safest countries in the world. We are so isolated haha. We are basically quarantined because no planes can come in or out of the country haha. It's great.

This week was pretty good. We taught some great lessons and worked super hard. Yesterday we gave sacrament to 5 families. It was rough not gonna lie haha. It was a long day.

Earlier this week we were walking around and there is this guy who thinks he is so good at fighting. So elder langrine started to pretend to fight him and the guy was swinging so hard haha. Elder langrine was just dancing circles around this guy and he almsot fell down. It was so funny. I was dying laughing.

We invited one of our investigators to baptism this week and had such a spiritual lesson with him. It was crazy. His wife is a member and he wants to get baptized. We were teaching him about baptism and the spirit was so strong. 

Also this bubu told us she had a dream where Jesus visited her and showed her the celestial kingdom and she was so shocked about how beautiful it was and how much food and stuff there was. It was crazy but a pretty cool experience. 

On Saturday we were doing service and this guy told us to remove this huge stump. Haha we were hacking at that thing with a machete, ax, and shovel for a solid 3 hours. We had no success at getting it out. It was rough.

This week was good tho! I love Elder Langrine and all I'm learning from him. Its a great time. I hope you are all doing well and staying corona free. In both ways... I know the marshallese are because there is no beer on island haha. love you all. Have a great week!

Elder Hanson

Corona chaos

Iakwe aolep!

Sorry that I didn't send an email last week. Things have been pretty crazy ever since I flew into Majuro.

To start off I "killed" my companion Elder Tune. He is done with his mission and is in Kiribati right now. The couple of days I had with him were so crazy. Elder Tune doesn't really know English and my other companion Elder Langrine is from Ebeye in the marshall islands so we just talked in marshallese to each other for 4 days. It was dope. Also since Elder Langrine is a native speaker I have learned so many things. It's a huge jeramman.

Getting to know a new area is different but its been good! Delap is way cool. It is so much bigger than Ebeye so it's pretty weird. I'm pretty sure that my area now is bigger than all of Ebeye. Majuro also is not as hot as Ebeye. There are more trees and so much breadfruit. 

Elder Langrine is visa waiting here and is supposed to go to Ghana soon. He just received his  visa so he should be going to ghana anytime soon. I don't really know what will happen with me and if I will stay in Delap or not.

Earlier this week the ZL's came to our house and told us that we weren't allowed to go to church, shake hands, meet in groups bigger than our district, and that we needed to immediately go buy two bags of rice and a bag of flour per companionship. It's pretty crazy. Usually every p-day all the missionaries get together but now I don't really know what we are going to do.

The work here in Delap is good. It's great to have a native companion because whenever we are thirsty we just go grab a coconut cut it open and drink it. It is the best. We had 2 baptisms this past week which was great! 

Anyway I love you all! Stay safe from Corona. I hope you all have a great week. Oh btw my pday is now on Monday or America's Sunday. 

Elder Hanson