Elder Quiñonez & Elder Hansen
Hi mom and dad!!
I got my new companion! His name is Elder Quiñonez! He's from Spanish Fork, but he was born in Sonora Mexico (he moved to Utah when he was 2).
He's a stud! I love his excitement and enthusiasm for the work! It's fun having a companion who speaks awesome Spanish, so he can just jump right in the lessons. We are doing super good!
Last Wednesday we went early to transfers and President talked to all of the new trainers, he had some awesome stuff to say, I love every chance we get to talk to President Schmitt. When Elder Nielson of the Seventy was here for mission tours he talked about how sometimes we aren't really assigned to a specific mission, but to a mission president, and how President Schmitt has things to teach us that only he could teach us, so that's pretty cool. I really admire him and his family. After the new trainers meeting we went into transfer meeting, which is always the longest meeting of my life. You just want him to announce your zone...We saw all the new missionaries walk in and I was just sitting there wondering which one was mine. Then he announced Elder Quiñonez! I was super stoked. We got back to our area went and bought him some food and got to work asap!
Thursday we weekly planned at the beach like we always do, and I was explaining to Elder Quiñonez who all of our investigators and our members are. We went and met with an older couple named the Camachos. I feel so bad for them. Sister Camacho is really lonely, her husband is very sick and has mental problems as well, so she just loves to talk to us when we come by. She is such a sweet lady. She is really worried about how hard it will be when her husband dies, even though it's hard for her even right now! We are also teaching an awesome guy named Jose Campos, his wife is a member, and she has always been sad that he hasn't had interest in the church, but he is listening to our lessons and he seems to really like it! We are hoping that we can get him to set a baptismal date, and continue to search for his answer that our message is true!
Friday- Elder Blackley put on a sweet district meeting about helping our investigators listen to the spirit, and how important it is to help them recognize it when they feel it, so they can know that getting baptized is the step to take. We taught Johnny and his mom, he has some very interesting ideas and beliefs, and he asks a lot of irrelevant questions, but hopefully we can keep him on track better next time.
Saturday we taught Carolina, and she is doing super well! She is continuing to progress, we are hoping she continues to read and pray so she can be more sure about baptism! But I am confident she will. We had to pass off one of our most solid investigators Brissa, because she wants to go to the English ward :/ but i'm sure the English elders will take good care of her. We taught a fun lesson to Pamela. She's 8, so we drew out the plan of salvation with her. She is sharp so she remembers a ton!
Sunday was an interesting day at church, we didn't have a pianist...because the sister missionary who played got transfered... so we had to sing Acapella...which was awful. But it's okay. We had the best gospel principles class of my mission. Because sister Reyes is the new teacher and she recently got home from a mission. It was awesome!
Yesterday we taught a bunch of lessons! It was a busy day, we also finally got Elder Quiñonez his bike, so we can zoom around our area. It's also good excercise :). We went and knocked on a door of a referral named Yolanda, and she talked about how she wants a responsibility in the church! Like a calling...She's stoked! We will be going back at the end of the week, so we can tell her a little more!
It's great out here in paradise! It's like 75 and sunny. We are having a great time! I love the mission! It's fun going through training again so I can get back to basics! I hope everything is going well!
Love,
Elder Hansen
Elder Hansen - San Diego Temple
