Sister Mission- COMPLETE.

Hey so tomorrow I turn 18 months old out here, and Wednesday I finish my sister mission. Haha, it's pretty weird because I feel about half done right now. Also, transfers are here, and it's a good one this time. President called on Tuesday, and he told Elder Leavitt he was going to train a new missionary, and then he said, "Elder Hansen, you are going to go really far away." Haha, I'm going back to Euless, aka my last area, aka the area closest to my current area. It'll be super good though I'm excited to work with the pack over there. More q&a-

So please tell me about some of the people you contacted this week- President asked us to go on a 2 day exchange with some elders, so I was with a new missionary for the 2 days here in Bedford. One day, all of our appointments canceled, so we were just walking around this apartment complex talking to people. We saw this guy with a huge laundry basket on his shoulder, and I contacted him. He just kept walking, so we started to walk with him. We walked and talked all the way into the laundromat, and ended up teaching him a lesson and leaving a book of mormon. That was a good one. 

What was your funniest experience? -  Not really that funny, but one of the elders asked "who are the 5 women named in the book of mormon?" and I guessed sariah, abish, and isabel pretty fast, but I almost couldn't get mary(the mother of Jesus) or eve. Ok, that wasn't funny at all. Haha, anywhey... 

What was your weirdest experience? - Not too weird. Ok really not weird at all, just awesome. So we went to this taco shack in the middle of po-dunk, nowhere texas, and I got a brisket burrito and it was sooo good. Hahaha, tex-mex at it's finest. Texas Forever. 

Did you eat at member’s homes this week? We got dinner from members tueday, wednesday, thursday, and Sunday. They always cook real good. This week was a mix between real mexican food made by a mexican lady, and american food (also made by a mexican lady haha). 

And the bonus question from Dad - How are you? - I'm doin real good. I've been here in this ward for a real long time, but I like it a lot. I'm looking forward to this transfer (and truck) and my new comp Elder Hagen. Haha, I'm in the 4th quarter now, so it's all good (not trunky I promise).

Love,

Cole

Texas Forever

Questions, Answers.

I feel like nothing happened this week kinda, so I'm gonna answer all of momma's questions. She (or you) asked, "I am wondering what this week was like.  Did you have Zone Conference?  Did you have any appointments?  Did you have any baptisms?  Did you meet some new investigators?  How is your new area?  What are some interesting things about your companion?  What are you studying in the gospel right now?  I really would like to hear about your day to day life."

Did you have Zone Conference?  This week we had MLC, it's a meeting with all of the zone leaders and sister training leaders from all over the mission. It's fun because I get to see old friends and whatnot, but really because Pres. trains us up right about what he/ the big man upstairs want us to do that month. 

Did you have any appointments? Yes. Haha, jk, I'll be more detailed. We had a buttload of punched appointments this week, but we had a few good ones. We got one of our investigators to go to a fireside by Pres. Ames, and he (pres.) did a way good job and taught about the godhead and it was awesome. Elder Leavitt and I translated.

Did you have any baptisms? Nope.

Did you meet some new investigators? We met a couple new ones. Almost every time we meet someone, within 10 seconds we're talking about where they're from. We told this lady we were from mexico just jokin around and she laughed and said to Elder Leavitt- "no, tu te ves muy white boy" Hahaha. 

How is your new area? Good. Still going strong here in Hurst. Haha, it's a good ward. My area is pretty much pure apartment complexes. there's tons of houses, but it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack looking for spanish people in there. So, apartments all day yay.

What are some interesting things about your companion? Haha, not a whole lot. Not that he's not interesting or anything. 

What are you studying in the gospel right now? Right now the whole mission is reading the book of mormon from cover to cover, in 65 days. So I'm focusing on that, and then just whatever the people we're going to teach that day are going to need. Some interesting study topics in the past have been-

Perfection and the Gospel

Faith, repentance, baptism, gift of holy ghost, endure to the end

The Fall of Adam and Eve

Grace

Justice, Mercy, and The Atonement

The Godhead

and some other fun stuff. 

I really would like to hear about your day to day life.  Technically that's not a question, but here it is. At 6:20 I wake up and brush my teeth, then we go run a mile or so. I eat breakfast and get dressed and whatnot, then we study for 3 hours, (personally, companionship, then spanish). Then i eat lunch. We hop on the bikes and go contact people or tract, and come home for dinner. Then we usually have a member come out with us at night. 

I pretty much don't speak english unless someone is there that isn't a spanish speaker. I like to eat chicken and brown rice. I like to take 20 minute power naps during lunch. I decided that I only want to listen to really churchy music, but I'm just not a big fan of motab, so I don't really listen to anything anymore. But I really like silence and thinking about stuff. 

Whelp, that's about all. I am good at question answer I think.

Love,

Cole

P.S. i don't really have a ton of pictures, sorry. I'll be better next week probably maybe.

**Photo's from the Facebook page of the MLC Conference**

"Real teamwork is created when leaders value the differences, encourage cooperation and involvement, and recognize that, like them, the people they lead are changing, growing individuals".~ Lloyd D. Newell 

 "In all of living have much fun and laughter, life is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured"~Gordon B Hinkley 

"At council meetings both individual and organizational needs are considered. recognizing the unique circumstances surrounding a particualr unit, geographical area, or set of individuals, the council identifies the programs and activities that need to be planned and correlated".~ M. Russell Ballard 

 "Regardless of the size or makeup of the council, the things that really matter are loving motivations, an atmosphere that encourages free and open discussion, and a willingness to listen to the honest input of all council members-as well as to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit as it comes to confirmtruth and direction." ~M Russell Ballard

"Wise shepherds recognize the need for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual revewal...From that renewal, positive change will flow." ~Alexander B. Morrison

Happy Birfday Dad!

Hey, Happy Birthday Dad! I hope it's a good one! 

We had a pretty chill week. Literally, it was super cold here and there was actually snow and a little bit of an ice storm, it all started on Monday and it's been off and on since then. There was like 3 inches or less of snow, and EVERYTHING shut down haha, it was so bad. I miss Utah and real snow and whatnot. 

So in Mexico there is a soap brand named FAB. In gospel principles the Ward mission leader was teaching and he told us that through Jesus Christ we can become clean through FAB

Fe (faith)

Arrepentimiento (repentance)

Bautizmo (baptism)  

Haha, it was the best lesson ever and I can't wait to teach it to someone haha. 

So because of the snow pretty much nobody left their house all week, and you'd think, "hey, that's good, advantage missionaries," but what really happened was a lot of people told us "come back when it's warmer." Hahaha, that is the top 3 worst excuse I've ever heard haha. When church started at 8:30 on Sunday morning, there were 17 people in the building, including 8 missionaries. Haha, Hurst 3rd spanish group yay! More people filtered in all day, but it was so small and empty in the morning. 

One of our investigator's name is "Perfecto." Hahaha, we've been having a lot of fun with that (good fun). 

That is about all for the week. Hope y'all have a good one!

Love,

Cole

Dear Leena

**To Coleman from Leena**

I miss you very much Coleman!  I wish you could bring me something in the mail.  I wish you could come back right now.  Send me a picture of your friends and you and your home.  Do you see any animals?  Take a picture and send it to me.  The end. 

Love, Leena

**To Leena from Coleman**

I cut my hair this week Leener, check it out-

​Before (ignore the double chin)

During (I only shaved the side like the kids are doing these days)

​after woo yay

heart, Cole

You Only Mission Once

Hey, there was a huge ice storm here yesterday/Sunday night so we didn't email yesterday. It's a "huge ice storm" meaning there was a third of an inch of snow/ice on the ground, and everything shut down completely haha. Oh, Texas,  I love you. Texas Forever. 

So, pretty much the only cool thing that happened this week is that I realized that you only get to mission once (well, most of us), and I just want to mission as hard as I can for the next little while. Being a missionary is so special and weird and different and there is nothing else like it. You get to talk to so many people from all over the world, but we all have stuff in common. 

I went back to Denton for a day and I love it so much up there. I just feel way more like a missionary up there in Denton! 

#YOMO

Heart, Cole

Texas Ice Storm at its best. 

Que Paso Early Bird

Hi I have no time this week so y'all get the highlights

1. So we were talking to the mailman on valentines day and he told us "hey, y'all have got to do more than just bike around all day with your mormonites, check your mail every once in a while." Hahaha, mormonites. Later, he was telling us about his radio preacher or something that did a sermon about "If I were the devil..."

2. From talking to the mailman, we went directly to our investigators house. Haha, turns out, his house-mate set up a booth in the front yard and was having a women's underwear sale hahaha. I turned to Elder Leavitt and said, "If I were the devil..." Hahahaha.

3. When we were leaving a members house he told us "ok, bye, take care, don't talk to strangers" haha.

4. Could you please send me a up calender next time your feenin to send me somesing?

5. We went to 3 buffets this week with members and then y'all sent me packages (thank you, by the way!!) and so I feel like pure #fatcole. I'm starting my "6 months to sexy" diet early.

6. Haha, so I have killed 2 missionaries and I replaced a dead elder so now I have like 15 shirts and 15 pants haha I've got clothes for dayz.

7. The elders truck broke down so we had to find a ride to church from a member, and the only ride we found had to be there at 6 instead of 7 for a meeting. When we walked in, the member who gave us a ride goes "the early birds are here!" and Bishop yells out from his office "Que Paso early bird!" Hahaha, it was so funny at 6 in the morning.

Anywehy, I think that was longer than my normal emails. Talk to ya next weeek.

Love,
Cole

Bad Penny

I forgot my camera but I'll send pictures soon(ish haha).

So our new apartment is pretty nice. I'm a big fan of it. I miss my old bed and study chair though. One of my favorite things is when I go to a new apartment and I can just throw out all of the old, useless garbage that people have left, and re-organize everything haha. That is literally fun to me. I am mission-weird. 

The new area is good. It's a bike area and it's super small, but there are probably 20 or 30 if not more apartment complexes full of spanish speaking people. We don't have tonz of investigators right now, but it's warm outside and we're on bikes so it shouldn't be too hard to find a guy or two. 

Elder Leavitt is from Gunlock, Utah, near St. George ish. He's a cool guy. Even though he's a ginger. Haha jk. 

I got all moved in and it was super easy because I just threw everything into the truck and drove over, so packing wasn't hard. Haha, almost all of the spanish missionaries serve in Hurst twice, but I've achieved the rare triple-dip. I might as well move my records over here, I'm like a bad penny. 

But yeah, I think that's everything. If you have any questions let me know because I can answer questions but I never really know what to write y'all when I sit down here. Anywhey, have a good week!

Love,

Cole