In honor of my Grandpa Hansen

Happy Easter everyone, and what a wonderful Easter it was. Sister Guild and I had the opportunity to speak in the long-distance branch, which I always enjoy doing.

Guild, Olsen, Hansen, Bottorff (The MTC gang!)

I also went to my first MLC (Missionary Leadership Conference) this week, and it was wonderful to be taught up close by President and Sister Harper as well as our other mission leaders. The Harpers talked a lot about being positive energizers in the mission- he referenced Elder Mark Bragg's talk from this last conference about the heliotrope effect, how plants will follow the light of the sun, and how as we look towards the light- the positive- the Lord will be able to work through us so much better, and we will also be able to lift the spirits of our other missionaries.

Clockwise, starting from 12 o clock: Shreeve, Bottorff, Tilleman-Dick, Guild, Olsen, Hansen

Sister Guild and I also went on an exchange with sisters Battsetseg and Gangabymba in Baganuur. It was a beautiful 3 hour long bus ride through the countryside, and a tiny, quaint little town in the middle of no where. I guess I've just gotten use to the hustle and bustle of the city, because everything felt like it was going in slow motion- but I really loved it. I felt a lot of feeling when I was meeting people in Baganuur. Most of the people I met were very sick and struggling with health. My heart broke for a woman with a bum leg that was wrapped in a slab of sheet metal because she couldn't afford proper care or treatment, when I myself had a sprained ankle but had a nice big walking boot to prevent any trouble. Yet they don't complain. They never complain. I don't know what it's gonna be like to leave this place.

Visiting Baganuur

Elder and Sister White, Sister Sutphin, Guild, Me, Elder (Dr.) Sutphin, Pres and Sister Harper

To close, I want to share my quick testimony about the Plan of Salvation. In honor of my Grandpa Hansen departing from this life, I want everyone to know that there is not a passing doubt in my mind that because of the atonement and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we will meet again. When we do, he will be strong and happy and healthy. That is the glory of this gospel, that death is not the end. I am so grateful for the faith and hope of my grandma and family, who I know have unshakable testimonies of the restored gospel. I'm love my Savior, Jesus Christ. He lives, and because He lives, we all will live again!

Where's your sting now, grave?!

[Note from Jennifer's parents: Grandpa Bruce Hansen passed away on April 13th. We notified the mission home, and they notified Jennifer when she returned from her splits in the country. She got a special pass to call home and talk to us and Grandma. We read her dedication to him (above) at the funeral.]

Grandpa (from my farewell). He told me he would see me in the Spirit World

Grandpa and me from a few years ago.

Sister Hansen

a.k.a cheese raptor (name given by my companion, Sister Guild and the Sutphins after devouring a whole plate of grated cheese at dinner. I haven't seen cheddar in over a year, give me a break.)

Two Sisters who came into the city

Christmas = Skype

[From Jennifer's parents]
After months of buildup, Christmas finally came this year, and culminated in the Skype call with our missionary.

Trans-world family reunion over Skype.

Some tidbits from the Skype call:
- 1 hour
- The cold doesn't bother her, much.
- She misses American food
- She plays the piano every week in sacrament meeting

Merry Christmas from ninus 30 degrees

Holiday Greetings from her English Class

Kirby, Lichtenberg, Me

Me & Sister Mason (companion)

Nomin is a good hugger

The MTC gang back together

Christmas advent calendar from the Kerrybrook ward with pictures of
Christ and a message from ward members behind each day!. 

Elder Cowles family sent a bunch of t-shirts from a soccer tournament which were well received.

My MTC companion and good friend

Jennifer send a few videos to the family, including this one featuring Erdenbayer (from Sep 19):

I am grateful for traffic laws

You know those days where everything just flows perfectly and all goes exactly as planned?
Yeah, me neither. Like the time I went on a split with Sister Nelson and she got ran over by a bus.

On splits with Sister Nelson (just before she got ran over by a bus)

We had just come from teaching a great lesson with my investigator "B", and were going out to meet the bus to head back to the BZ for adult session of stake conference with Nomin. Sister Nelson and I both slipped on the ice at the same time, but I regained my footing, and Sister Nelson went all the way down and the back tires of the bus ran over both of her legs. She was screaming, I immediately called President Harper, and Nomin dragged her out of the road before she got plowed over by another car, then she called an ambulance. It was a miracle that Nomin was with us, because in the adrenaline of the moment, I could not understand any Mongolian that was being spoken to me, and she saved the day, and Sister Nelson's life. There was a lot of traffic, and we were still in Jargalant, which is a pretty far drive from the BZ, so I knew it would take President and Doctor Sutphin a long time to get there, and it was really cold. I wrapped my scarf around Sister Nelson's legs and Nomin even gave up her coat so she wouldn't have to sit on the ice.

I was never grateful for traffic laws and medical care in America, but please do not take our blessings for granted. We sat out in the freezing cold for over a half hour, not knowing if both of Sister Nelson's legs were broken or not, waiting for the ambulance to come, because in Mongolia, it doesn't matter if the sirens are running or not- nobody moves, and you are stuck in traffic just like everyone else. Once they finally arrived, it took nearly another hour to get to the hospital- sirens running the whole ride there, don't ask me why, it didn't make any difference.

In the Ambulance with Sister Nelson

The hospital was so cold! All the patients and people there were still wearing their snow coats and hats inside. It was a mess. Nomin was running around like a mad woman talking to police men, doctors, and I was trying my best to translate for President, Sister Harper and Doctor Sutphin who met us at the hospital shortly after.

Now let me talk about the miracles. We received the x-rays, and neither of Sister Nelson's legs were broken. They had been severely crushed and bruised, and her right shin bone has been bent and dented a little bit, but that was the extent of the damage. The girl got run over by a freaking bus and didn't break a bone. How? Because Heavenly Father watches out for and protects His missionaries, that's how. We can be so grateful that it was only her legs and not her head, and after a few days of rest she can return to her missionary service.

I am grateful for traffic laws and obedient citizens that clear way for ambulances. I am grateful for warm hospitals. I am grateful for a loving mission President and wife who care for us as their own children. I am grateful to be serving a mission so I could learn to be grateful for all these things.

Sister Mason crossing an icy road

Teaching English in the BZ in amazing. Everybody that is there is there because they want to learn English. I have already made connections with several students, and have even met a boy in 11th grade who wants to go to USU! So cool!!

#mongolnomlol

Sister Hansen

Right after I melted my coat on a hot stove. Sister White has fixed it since then, so we're good.

When its too cold for my favorite boots, I wear these Reindeer Boots. It was -30 degrees F this week.

Camel/Yak Leggings, Socks, & Mittens

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; pray always, that ye may not faint until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly." -WINTER

Our little friend, Erdenbayar!

Yes folks, Mongolian winter is coming. It has come to the point where we don't leave our house without tights and a scarf now. Today we are headed to the big narantul zaakh to stock up on camel/yak leggings, socks, mittens, and all that good stuff you can't get in America.

We hike every day in our area. So what do we do on P-day? Hike some more!!! :)

Zone conference was this week, which you already know! It was great! Sister Harper talked about battling Satan with our words, and avoiding spreading the fire of negative comments. She was raised on a farm so she shared a really great experience of a fire during harvest season and related it to negative thoughts and speech. It was awesome.

The little choir also did so well! I was so nervous because people had kind of stopped coming to practices, and I didn't know how many would actually sing, but it was so amazing to have more people on the stand than in the congregation! They did great, and the spirit was super strong, and I'm just really grateful I had that opportunity to bring some music!

School! School. I don't know what to say about school. I think it will be better. We've made an agreement that there must be a Mongolian teacher in the room at all times, and if there's not then we won't teach a lesson. The Mongolian teacher is responsible for all disciplinary issues and classroom behavior, which will hopefully make it possible for us to teach a lesson. We'll see how it goes! Sister Kofoed and I teach two 6th grade classes and two 11th grade classes, and I also teach with Sister Lichtenberg at her school on Fridays.

Thanks for all the little letters from the Kerrybrook ward! It was so fun! For language study one day I translated them all to Mongolian :) 

Sister Lichtenberg and I were having a little problem the last couple weeks where when our alarm would go off in the morning, we would just kind of lay there for like, a minute... 2 minutes.... it was bad. So we're like, "something's gotta change." So, we made it into a competition. Last one's who's knees touch the floor in the morning has to do the dishes. Well, either we just really hate doing dishes, or we're both ridiculously competitive, because I don't think either one of us has gotten out of bed so fast in our lives. We FLEW. I'm pretty sure I hit my head on her knee on the way out. Hahahaha it was awesome. I don't even know who won, because we both moved so dang fast. Needless to say, we've been doing really well at getting out of bed on time now :)


Mongolia is great, missionary work is great, my life is great, and I'm so excited that Bekah is a missionary now!! I was thinking about her this morning during my studies. She'll be awesome. I'm so excited for all us Hogan girls to be back together....someday!!! :)


Ok hairtai shuu!
Sister Hansen

Some of our dog friends:

This one is Delilah. She is our dog. We love her more than her owners do :)

Ward activity TO THE COUNTRYSIDE!!!!

The highlight of this week was that we got to go with the Selbe ward to their ward activity TO THE COUNTRYSIDE!!!! WOOO!!! Not super crazy far, but we were about an hour outside of the city, and it was AMAZING!!!

So remember that time I was awesome and held an eagle? Well. I just one-upped myself, and held A VULTURE. There is a vulture on my arm, ya'll, and it is not light! I know I should have looked at the camera to get a good picture, but I was too distracted by the VULTURE ON MY ARM! 

A traditional meal in Mongolia is called Horhog, which directly translates to "poisonous garbage". It's cooked on a giant flaming pile of poop! So here's us with our tasty chunks of mutton :) Pretty dang yummy. 

Horhog

Tasty chunks of mutton

Also, where else are you going to drive down the road and see 2 humped camels, just, there

So this computer is super slow, and I spent a lot of time sending pictures, so this will probably be pretty short. But the ward activity was so incredibly fun and to leave the city is just a dream come true.

Jump roping champs! We won juice :)

Transfers are on Thursday so we're all getting pretty anxious around here. We have 3 new sisters coming so we're all excited to see who will train and also who will be our new STL's and AP's and what-not.

I was informed this week that school starts on September 15, so just a few weeks away. Sister Olsen, Bollwinkle, Koefoed and I will all still be teaching at New Generation.

Last district meeting before transfers

So cool to see Allison all moved in! Feels like that was me just a few weeks ago. And now I've been in Mongolia for 5 months. Crazy how time passes.

Sister Jensen and I

Here's a quick scripture for ya:

Mosiah 23:21-22 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

Sometimes we make plans for ourselves, and they're really good plans. And we work diligently and obediently, and somehow things still don't work out, and we still have really hard stuff. Like pain, or fear, or any other trial. That's because the Lord has to test our patience and faith to see what we are willing to endure for Him. How much are we willing to endure for Him? Are we going to show Him that we'll give up everything to follow Him? If the Lord were to come to you today and say "Lovest thou me more than these?" what would your "these" be? What would He be asking you to give up to prove your love? Let's think about it.


Have a wonderful week!

Sister Hansen

The choir Jen is directing (see last week's post)

EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE WHAT I JUST SAW

NADAAM. WOW. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE WHAT I JUST SAW.

Opening Ceremonies - NADAAM

Nadaam is the huge summer festival of Mongolia, and cultural overload, and it was so amazing. We were allowed to go to the opening ceremonies, and it was so incredible!! We had so much fun, and saw so many cool things! I think my mission is making me more travel hungry than ever before.... there's just too many wonderful things in the world that I need to see and experience! I've been so blessed to have experienced so many things, but I think that my mission has definitely been my greatest adventure yet :)

Genghis Khan is back!

Jensen, Hansen, Harmon, & Harker enjoying Opening Ceremonies on P-day

So, even though Nadaam was amazing, it makes it really difficult to meet with people, so our lessons have been next to nothing this week. It's been pretty frustrating to not be meeting with people and doing lots of good work, but there still have been little miracles, and next week will be a lot better.

The Eagle Huntress

Am I starting to look Mongolian?

Hahaha little fun story, some people know that the 4th of July is my favorite holiday, and I was not homesick, but a little bummed that there were no fireworks that day. But last night when we were praying before getting into bed, we heard fireworks going on outside! We opened the curtains and because our new apartment has an amazing view of the city, we were able to see the fireworks all the way from Sukhbaatar square!!! It was so cool. It was like Heavenly Father saying, "Hey, I know you're working your butt off, and I'm sorry I can't give you people to teach right now, but here's some fireworks to make you feel a little better. Happy 4th of July." Then Sister Jensen and I sang the Star Spangled Banner and went to bed, and I felt a little better :)

Let the games begin!

Don't let President and Sister Harper know we are here. OOPs that's them right behind us.

Have a great week ya'll. Love you lots. Come to Nadaam.
Sister Hansen

[Dad Question: What is the 42 book]
The 42 principle book is our lesson plan notebook. In PMG there are a total of 42 principles through chapter 3, and Pres. Benson challenged us to write a lesson plan for each one of those principles by the time he completed his mission. I had it completed in English, Mongolian, checked and edited by a Mongolian, and re-written in Mongolian by the time he left. So I can now successfully teach any principle out of PMG ch.3 :) Yay!

Mongolian parking lot.

Regarding Mongolian clothing... it wasn't required for Nadaam, although it would have been pretty fun if I would have bought something. There was a pretty top that I liked (sent a picture) but I wouldn't wear it until Tsagaan sar in Feb, so I don't want to carry it around for 6 months. I'll probably buy something around Christmastime.