Regan, May 24, 2010

This past week has been filled with change and improvement as we set our goals and began to press forward in putting our trust in the Lord and striving to fulfill the challenges and designs of which he prepared for us to face this past week.

Monday we began the morning having a really great lesson with Melissa. We were able to teach her the Plan of Salvation which went really well. We shared a lot of great scriptures and as she shared her thoughts and feelings many new doors opened up for us to pursue. We left her with Alma 32 and 3 Nephi 11 to read. We continued the day with emails and spent sometime with the Semmes Elders before dinner. We had a great dinner with the Hearns and prepared with them for next week when we would do service and help them load and pack up for there move to Indiana.

Tuesday we had a really great District Meeting and His Spirit was able to teach us many new things. Elder Bawden directed us into some role plays which really prepared us all for future things that would come our way. I really love role plays because it really can help us better discern the reactions people may have. After lunch we traveled and had a really great lesson with Joe and followed up with his reading in Ether 12. He was able to read and apply different things within to his life that should give him a greater and improved strength. We then visited with Brother Serrano and gave him a blessing and asked him about how work was going for him. We then continued with tracting throughout the day and making visits to members which went really well. We were able to share our testimonies and be strengthened by so many people faith. We had dinner with the Fairchild's which went really well and we gave them the commitment to be at church on Sunday.

Wednesday we started the day by visiting a few referrals within the Prichard area and had some great success. We were able to talk with a couple and set up some appointments which should help us to continue to stay busy. We tracted a few streets while we were there and talked with a few people that commended us for our dedication to serve the Lord. We had great lesson with Sister Kimberly Evans and re-focused with her on continuing to read everyday. We left her with a few chapters to read and will be following up with her. We had a great visit with the Juarez family after and were able to invite them to a few activities of which the youth are having. We then made a few phone calls to media referrals and set up an appointment with Julies who we will be seeing on Tuesday. After doing some tracting we went to the family history potluck that the youth did and they had a lot of success.

Thursday we started the day by doing some service by helping some members with their food storage and preparation for that which went really well and we were able to accomplish a lot of different things. We came back and did our planning really well and continued to prepare us to finish out the week strong and help everyone that we can. We then started our trade-off and Elder Tolley and I stayed in Mobile. We went and visited with the Johnny's and they were doing really well. We went tracted for a bit before we had dinner with Sister Pacetti which was great. We received a phone call and on short notice we were able to change our plans and do service for Sister Olsen which went really well.

Friday we began the day by trying to visit a few people that bishop has asked us to see and went and tracted. We were able to find Laura and had a really good brief Restoration lesson with her. We set up an appointment with her which we handed off to the Theodore Elders. We visited with the Campbell's and had lunch with them which went well. We discussed teaching the lessons to them each week and they are fine with it and now we are waiting to see when the rest of the family will be able to come over. We are going to be following up with them in a couple of days to see what will work best. We then tracted for a few hours which went really well and we were and to find Mary Kelly. We had a great visit with her and we found out that in the past her family was LDS. We are excited to visit with her this coming Wednesday. We then ended our trade-off which I felt went really well and had dinner before activity night. We had a lot of people show up which was great and now we can see that as we invite and are patient people will come.

Saturday we started off at the Bishop's Storehouse which went really well and we stayed really busy getting orders organized and even having to deliver a couple of them. The Morris's took us to the church and we put Brother Larubi's order there and then went and deliver Brother Serrano's to him because with the new job he wasn't able to make it. We went to the Fairchild's to pick up a few things and then took them up to Sister Parkes since they were on our way to some areas we were going to. We were able to do some tracting which went really well and we talked to some great people. I was able to call Brother Blackmon as I told him I would and he said that he would be at church on Sunday. We had dinner with the Fairchild's which went well and we helped Brother Fairchild do a few things.

Sunday was really great and we had some experiences that strengthened my testimony. We had a really great time at church because even though we didn't have any investigators we had the Fairchild's, Brother Blackmon, and a few less active members we had been visiting. After church we decided to not go and have lunch. Even though we were hungry we decided not to. We were traveling to visit with a few members and the thought came to go and try and visit Sam Smith again. We showed up at his door and he told us that we couldn't of come at a better time. He has been dealing with a lot of different things and asked us if we could give him a blessing. We found out after that 10 minutes before he had been praying and seeking for help to bring him some peace. We came to find out that we were the answers to his prayer and together we had one of the sweetest experiences. I know now that it truly is the sweetest experience to follow and act upon promptings in which we receive. We then visited with the Farrel family which went pretty good and we are hoping to get them back to church soon. We did a little bit of tracting in between and visited with a few other members before we had dinner with the Martyn family. It was really great spending sometime with them and discussing over the lessons we learned at church.

This week has been a confidence booster for me and being able to receive the knowledge for myself the understanding of how true it is of the Joy that comes through following a the promptings of His Spirit.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Regan, May 17, 2010

It Looks like Elder Hansen Has received his Release Date on July 14, 2010. Time has sure flown by, It's a short 2 years. He thinks he will finish his mission in the Mobil Alabama area.

Paul Hansen

Well this past week has been really good and we are still continuing to strive and always to become better at the patterns of success we are establishing within the success of the Lord. I have truly felt his strength as we have been able to try and be consistent and diligent within our efforts in daily service to Him.

Monday we had a really great preparation day. Elder Bawden had a doctors appointment first thing that went really well and he is only having to go back in a couple of weeks and we will see from there. We then went and got the oil changed and did all of that fun stuff to get the car ready and looking good. We went and visited with Brother Serrano and he has now officially been hired on for the job and is very excited about it. His dedication of sticking with everything and enduring through the trials he has faced; has built my testimony up in strength being able to see is example. We stopped by and helped Sister Parkes with a few things and then traveled and had dinner with the Hearns which went really well.

Tuesday we started off with District meeting which went really well and His spirit was able to direct us and be able to feel his love. We were able to go over quotes from conference and Captain Moroni's message. We went over some role plays and watched a few video clips that brought out some new understanding within the quotes that had touched us. After lunch we had a great lesson with Joe Hickman and he is doing well. We followed up with him and he was able to read over 3 Nephi 11 and he prayed about it. We didn't commit him to pray but were excited when he shared with us that he felt it was true. We then left him with Alma 40 to read over. We also visited with Joyce and set up an appointment with her for Saturday. We continued throughout doing a lot of tracting which was really great. We were able to testify and ask for referrals from many different people and found a few potentials and Irena who we will be seeing this coming Tuesday. We had dinner with the Fairchilds which went really well and Brother Fairchild has now committed to come back to church which is great. We had FHE with Sister Byrd which went well and we learned different things that happened in the church before the Book of Mormon was published.

Wednesday we went to see a investigator we had but he wasn't home and we decided that we should drop him because he hadn't been following through with his appointments. We then went and continued to tract near there and had the opportunity of finding Melissa and having a Restoration lesson on her doorstep. She had a lot of the same questions that Joseph Smith had and His spirit was teaching and confirming truth to her. We had a great visit with Kimberly Evan's after and talked a lot about her continuing to read an pray everyday. She has been very inconsistent with it and we could tell and this should now help her have that consistency once again. We then came down and tracted before we did some service for a member. We helped Sister Huff get some things moved with some other members which went really well and I was happy that we were able to help her. We had dinner with the Martyn's which went really well.

Thursday we began with some really great planning which allowed us to be able to set up a few appointments that same day for us which we were excited about. We set some really good goals and we are seeking to find new investigators and keep our teaching pool up so we can teach more and more people. We then went with Brother Morris and traveled up and saw a few media referrals which we had. We had a great lesson with Jessica Quinn and hopefully we will be able to stay in contact with her. We also say Sister Rush which was great and met her husband for the first time who isn't a member. We had a great visit and she is working on getting off work on Sundays so she can make it to church. We visited the Robinson's after and set up a time that we can come and see their daughter. She has been less active for a little bit and wants to get back into the routine of things. We finished the night with some tracting and had dinner with the Odom's which went really well.

Friday we started off the day with Elder Bawden going to the doctor to get some antibiotics and he is doing a lot better now. We then went to see Melissa but she was busy so we set another appointment with her. We then tracted and talked with a few people that really didn't like us but we just shared our testimonies and thanked them for their time. After lunch we visited with Joe Hickman and had another great lesson with him. He had read Alma 40 and really enjoyed it and is now wondering why the bible doesn't teach about the spirit world. We shared with him how having two testimonies bring us more confirming truth and he loved it. We left him with Ether 12 to read because he has been going through some things and it stuck out to us both to leave it with him. We went and tracted for a little bit and visited with Sister Thompson before dinner. Sister Thompson is doing pretty good and her husband's back has been doing better. We had a great dinner with the Parkes and then went to activity night and how some new people show up which was exciting.

Saturday we started off by visiting with Joyce and had a great Restoration lesson with her. She was really excited to have a Book of Mormon and we left her with Alma 32 to read and pray about. We're hoping she will be able to make it to church with us on Sunday. We went to the Fairchild's right after and did some service for them which was really great. We then hurried of after lunch to visit a few focus families. We talked with Brother Blackmon and invited him out to church. We are also now going to call him every Sunday and invite him to church and we are hoping that this simple invitation each week will bring him back to church. We visited with the Wyser's which went pretty good. We found out the Sister Wyser had hurt her leg and her daughter Hilary found out that her car started on fire when she was in school and it had to be totalled. They are still working really hard an are hoping that everything is going to get better, which it will. We then continued to tract in and out between those visits and were able to talk with quite a few different people.

Sunday we had a really great PEC meeting and really helped the bishop see who we were working with and how they were progressing which he is always happy to hear. We didn't have any investigators at church but were able to talk with all of them and invite them to church next week. The Johnny's were able to make it and we had a great lesson with Brother Johnny in Gospel Principles. Sacrament meeting was very uplifting and the messages shared brought to me new insight. After Potluck we went and visited with Brother Serrano and gave him a blessing. He wanted some direction on what he must do as he is now working 12 hours a day and really doesn't want to lose touch with the spirit. He has been very nervous because he doesn't want to fall away again because he has truly felt the happiness of the Gospel. We then went and did some tracting before we had dinner with the Fairchild's which we helped prepare with them. We then had some cupcakes at the Parkes house as we celebrated Elder Bawden's birthday with them.

This week has opened my eyes to different understanding and had enabled me to want to work even harder because of the Joy we have been receiving even when all we are doing is tracting. It is amazing what a testimony can do when it is sincere and heartfelt.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Regan, May 10, 2010

This week has been really great and we have finally been able to go out full force and do the work that the Lord has set for us. Elder Bawden's recovery has gone well and our strength in the Lord has given us more opportunity to succeed in working hard and being diligent in His cause.

Monday first thing Elder Bawden had a doctors appointment that went really well and the doctor expressed that his swelling has gone down and he is healing really well. We then went and did some shopping with some members and helped them carry there food out to their vehicle which was fun. We talked with a few Sister's that came out from Utah to ask about the Marquee sign and we spent some time expressing how it has helped and built upon the work of the Lord here. We had dinner with the Hearn's which was really great and we were able to meet Melissa's dad who is from Brazil. He shared with us many stories from his mission and expressed for us to continue to work hard day in a day out and I am taking that to heart. I am going to press forward working up until the day that my work is finished in this life.

Tuesday we had a really great Zone Conference and the spirit was very strong. I was very happy for the silent rebukes that I received that humbled me and allowed me to greater see where and how I needed to improve. Oh, how grateful I am that the Lord loves me enough to rebuke me to change. I have learned so many great things from this past general conference and am grateful for the quotes that we were able to study over. After zone conference Elder Bawden went back to the doctor to get some different medications and as he was there they did some other stuff to his nose and said that even just from yesterday it was dong even better which was great to hear. We had dinner with the Fairchild's that night which was great and we got some one on one time with Brother Fairchild and found out some of the reasons that have been keeping him from church and we will be setting goals with him later this week on how to overcome those obsticales. We then went and visited with a few less active members and shared some spiritual thought with them.

Wednesday we had the a great time starting out after studies tracting. It was great to be out again working hard full-time and not having to worry about anything but doing the Lord's work. We visited with the Campbell's and had lunch with them which was great. We are going to re-teach them the lessons and include some of their family who are less active and non-members and we are excited about it. We had a great lesson with Sister Kimberly Evans on shared a lot of testimonies from past Prophets with her. She had some non-member friends over and we were able to answer some of the questions they had and hopefully will be able to work with them. We came back and did service for a member and helped her move a treadmill into a car. We visited with the Johnny's which went really well and we gave them some bibles that they had ordered and shared a message with them. We got invited over to dinner with a less active family which went well. We then went to the Mason's and talked with them and hopefully when Brother Mason gets back this week we can set some goals with them.

Thursday we had great beginning of the day and were able to set up some really great plans for next week and were able to make some calls which was also great. After lunch we visited with Sister Byrd which was great. We are working with her on coming to all the church meetings and she is planning on coming to family home evening on Tuesdays again which is great. We visited with Joe Hickman on of our investigators and had a great lesson. We followed up and found that he had read Alma 32 and really enjoyed it and commented that it made total sense. We shared about Faith and Prayer with him and left him 3 Nephi 11 with him. We then went and tracted for a bit before we had dinner with the Parkes. We had a great dinner with them and were also able to do some service with Bishop Parkes which went well. We then got a call and went and did some service for the Fairchild's because their air conditioner went out and their neighbors gave them an old one that we helped them install.

Friday we started of the day by visiting with a the Henderson's who are a part-member family. We were able to share a little thought and set up a return appointment with them. We then went and tracted a bit before lunch which went really well. After lunch we continued to tract for a few hours which went really well and we set up an appointment with Joyce which was great. We had dinner with the Curtis's which went well and we were able to do some service for them. We then visited with Sister Hoy's daughter who isn't a member but she wasn't too interested. We then went to the Klug's which went well.

Saturday we started by serving at the Bishop's storehouse which went really well and took a little bit longer than it normally does. I really love serving at the Bishop's Storehouse and serving with great members. After lunch we started visiting less active members and tracting around there home which went really well. We visited with the Johnny, Harris, Thompson, and Binkerd families. We were able to get into the door with some of them and share some thoughts of upliftment to them. We were able to tract which was great and talked and testified to a lot of great people but didn't get any referrals this time.

Sunday was really a great mothers day and everything went really well. We started the day off with a great PEC meeting and really focused on many great things. We had Mathew at church which was really great and as a non-member he gave a talk in primary. We are still teaching him and working on getting more consistent appointments with them. I was able to give a talk which went really well and throughout church you could feel how much Love Heavenly Father has for all of the Mother's. We were able to visit with a few less active members and were able to also call our families which was great. This week had been really great and I am excited to continue to work hard here in Mobile. The ward has continued to bring us much strength and friendship that will continue to carry into our investigators hearts.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Regan May 3, 2010

Well this passed week I will sum up in a few paragraphs because with Elder Bawden's surgery and recovery time we did a lot of our work from in the apartment or at members homes that we were able to visit. This past week everything went really well with Elder Bawden's surgery and Sister Parke's and Sister Odom were there to support him. Throughout his recovery I was able to do a lot of righting in my journal about different things that had been on my mind that I had been thinking and pondering over. I was also able to have some really great studies for Zone Conference and also marking promises within the Book of Mormon. We were able to call and stay in contact with a lot of our investigators and by the end of the week we were able to make a few visits with some members and investigators. I was able to do service at the Parke's home while Elder Bawden was inside. I was able to finally fix their water leak and has now brought much relief to their family. We were also able to do service as a ward for Sister Olsen while she was in Utah for Brother Olsen's burial. It was as her yard was completely changed and it didn't look the same. We were able to weed, rake, and fix parts of the fence. We ended up filling a 14 foot trailer up twice and emptying it. Throughout the week we were able to set up appointments for Saturday and Sunday. We had a great lesson with Laura Teague and shared with her some miracles within the Book of Mormon which allowed His spirit to teach her gospel truths. Even though this week wasn't filled with traveling His spirit was still able to attend and teach us many new and great things. With the extra studies I was really able to take a step back and really ponder and explore many great options that I know the Lord is willing to bless me with the opportunity to be challenged and succeed.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Regan, April 26, 2010

This past week has been really great and we were able to witness of the truths of the Plan of Salvation. With Brother Olsen's passing it brought sadness, but it also brought hope to many of those people who were needing the understanding of gospel truths and reassurance.

Monday we started off the morning by doing some service for Brother Curtis. His son was picking up a few things and taking them back to Louisiana, so we helped them pack all of it up. We then continued our day with cleaning the apartment and making sure that we had everything planned out and ready for Elder Bawden's surgery next week. We had a great dinner with the Hearn's and Mason and set up a time to do some service for the Mason's. We finished the night by visiting with the Byrd family. Sister Byrd has been feeling really ill lately and we were able to help her out a bit. We are working on finding her a ride to church because her husband works so much that he rarely gets a day off.

Tuesday we had a really great district meeting. As a group we were able to keep our thoughts and actions focused on the true meaning of the Atonement and strive to become a better group of missionaries. We were able to have some great role plays and focus a bit on our goals and what we are doing to work effectively throughout the week. After lunch we continued the day with tracting which went really well. We were able to talk with quite a few people that were willing to give us some referrals. We also talked with Frank Watts and set up an appointment with him. We visited with a few less active families in between and invited them back to church. We had dinner with the Fairchild's that evening which went really well. We're keeping our focus on Brother Fairchild so we can be guided on how to encourage him to act and come back to church. We finished the night with Family Home Evening with the Parkes family which went really well. We showed there family how to mark the promises in the Book of Mormon and committed them to continue every day.

Wednesday we went early to the Doctor so Elder Bawden could have his pre-operation appointment. All went well and everything is still continuing to go as planned. We came back and had studies which went really well and we learned a lot of great things but more importantly we have continued to learn how to be continually consistent. We went and visited with Sister Evans and had a really great lesson with her. We have been working on helping her to be consistent in involving her husband in more gospel discussion when he is at home. We then visited with Sister Colvin which was really great. She has been dealing with a lot of different things lately because of her mother have kidney cancer and multiple tumors but she is doing as good as projected. We're hoping that we can get everyone in the ward involved in helping her out during these trying times. We finished the night by going to the young men and young women's combined activity which went well. We invited a few less active youth earlier throughout the week and a few of them were able to make it which was awesome.

Thursday we started off the morning by cleaning up the church before Brother Olsen's wake and funeral. Sister Singleton has had a lot of different things that she has been having to do, so we figured we could help lesson the burden which has been upon her. It was really great being able to do all of that for her and for the Olsen family. We then did a lot of planning and really focused on what we were going to do this next week because it is the week of Elder Bawden's surgery. We were able to set up with individuals that we are focusing on having daily contact with but also those we are hoping to set up appointments for later on in the week. We went and visited with Brother Felton after and he is doing really great. He has done some Chemo treatments but it is just a precaution even though he is cancer free which is awesome. He shared with us that he has been able to watch part of conference from the sessions that he recorded. We finished of the night with Brother Olsen's wake and funeral. The spirit was very strong and you could really feel the love that was there. Brother Olsen has really been a great example to me and really everyone that he has ever associated with. As it says in Elder Cook's talk at General conference "The symbol of Christ for the Latter-day Saints will be found in the meaningful expression of our faith and the way we live His gospel." This is what I know by heart what Brother Olsen did each and everyday of his life.

Friday we had the opportunity first thing to do service for Brother Mason. We were able to remove a lot of things from their yard including plants, cement, and other odds and ends that needed to be removed. It was really awesome being able to do that but not only the service but being able to spend time one on one with Brother Mason and talk with him about what pushed him away from church. This time has really allowed us to figure out how we can help him recognize for himself to come back. After lunch we had a great visit with Joe Hickman and we shared some scriptures that really helped him out. We are now going to stay in daily contact with him and give him something new to read everyday and he committed to it. We went and visited with Brother Baylor who isn't a member. He shared with us about Brother Olsen's service and how he thought it was really nice. He invited us to come back sometime for dinner with the family which is great because only 2 out the six family members are members of the church. We finished off the night after tracting by having activity night at the church. We had a decent turn out and are really hoping to invite more people and get the members more involved by inviting their friends.

Saturday we started off the morning by doing the Bishop's Storehouse. It went really well and on the way back home we dropped off some food for some members whose car broke down on the way to the chapel. After getting cleaned up and having lunch we went and visited with Sister Gover which went really well. We were able to get a new number from her and also we are working on pin pointing a date for her to come to church and she is really excited about that. We then visited with Sister Byrd and found out that she has to work on Sunday but she is hoping that soon she will get her work schedule figured out so she won't have to in the future. That night we had dinner at the Mason's home with the Hearn's which was great. We were able to here a lot of different stories of both Brother Mason and Brother Hearn's missions.

Sunday we started off the day by going over to the Fairchild's and helped administer a blessing to their son Tyler. We then went to PEC which went really well and we are now working on refocusing on 20 members to work with. We had the Johnny family at church which has been really great and we also had Mathew along with his family. It has been great seeing the Kelly family come back to church and being able to teach Mathew. After church we visited with the Johnny's and helped them fill out some paper work for their application to move to a new apartment. We were able to talk with the kids for a bit and offer service. We were also able to visit with the Millers, Jeffrey Booth, Sister Hall, and Sister Binkerd. It was amazing to see that even when things looked dim that we continued to press forward and we were able to visit with quite a few members and have some great spiritual thoughts with them. We also visited Laura Teague and will be teaching her this coming week.

This week has brought me more growth within my own testimony especially even as I had said last week, that as we press forward and work throughout the week consistently we will continue throughout the week strong. I feel that we started off this week with a bang which propelled us into finishing our week with a bang. Oh, how I love this work and the consistency that it brings into my life.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Regan, April 19, 2010

This week has been a really great week and we set some really great goals last week and this week that continued to propel us into having a week full of great blessings and receiving a continual growing testimony on working hard and not having a fade out finish.

Monday we had a great opportunity to spend some quality time with the Parkes family. We went with them to Fort Gaines and were able to experience some of the history of America. It was a wonderful to read and see of the different experiences and dedication that many men and women put forth for what they believed. We came back and had a great opportunity to talk with a less active member as we were doing our emails which was really great. We had dinner with the Martyn family which was really great. We also visited with a few other less active families before the night was out.

Tuesday we had a really great opportunity to continue to allow ourselves to be more directed by our Heavenly Father as we obtained a stronger spirit from district meeting. As we were able to go over the Atonement and shared different thoughts and feeling that came to us as we pondered and discussed we were all mutually uplifted and inspired. After lunch we went and continued to tract near a potential investigators house because he wasn't home at the time. We had a great time being able to testify of the Restoration and really allow other to feel the spirit speaking to their hearts. We ended up being able to see Kyle which was really great. We had a really good discussion where he truly opened up as we asked him questions and it directed us to teach him about different things within the Plan of Salvation and also the Restoration. We then went over and visited with Rachel and read 3 Nephi 14 with her. She has been doing pretty well and we are continuing to help her pack up some things so her move won't be as hectic in a couple weeks. We had a really great dinner with the Fairchild family and shared with them about weaknesses and read Ether 12:27. We were able to commit them to try and plan how to overcome their weaknesses and then put it to action.

Wednesday we started the morning off after studies by going to the doctors, so Elder Bawden could get all of his tests done before his surgery next week. We then went and visited with Brother Van Zant who has been less active for quite sometime but moved out here for work. He hasn't had much success so he told us that he was probably planning on going back to Utah soon. We immediately went and had a really great lesson on Temples with Sister Kimberly Evans and as we were there her dog gave birth to another puppy. We had dinner with Brother Klug which went real well. We then visited with a few less active member that lived near and were able to talk with them. Sister Wyser has been doing a lot better since she has been busy with work but is still trying to see if she can get some Sundays off for church.

Thursday I experienced one of the most profound things that I have been blessed with. We were asked to visit a member of the Monroeville Branch who had just had a child. Their little daughter had been having some difficulty breathing and they asked if I could be voice for her blessing. When I placed my hands on her the greatest sence of peace encircled and she gripped my hand with the most amazing grip. I was able to be voice for that amazing blessing in which she was promised and her family was promised many great things. As I pondered and thought about this experience throughout the day I received many great things about my future concerning about being a father and a husband. I feel truly blessed because of this great experience. We then continued our planning session which went really well and we focused on really improving and setting goals that would stretch us and keep focused on His work. We then went over to the Parkes and did some service for them. We were able to finally fix a leak under there house which had been causing them some grief. I was glad that being small I was able to make it in to where I could fix the problem without any further complications. We had dinner with the Hearn family that night which was really great and we discussed with them about the Atonement and how it has blessed our lives personally and collectively.

Friday we started off the morning by going over a little bit of the plans that we set and refocusing some goals that we were able to refine so we could receive greater direction. As soon as we were done with that we got ready and went over and did some service for Rachel which she was really grateful for. We were able to rip out a bunch of carpet and fix a few cosmetic problems in and outside of the house. We then came back and traveled up to Saraland to have dinner with the Mathies but it also gave us some great opportunities to be able to visit with a few less active members. We came back down from Saraland having visited with a few people and were able to make some calls to some of our potential and other investigators.

Saturday we found out early in the morning that Brother Olsen had passed away from his short bought with cancer. His funeral is going to be this Thursday at 7 and we are looking forward to being there to support his family at their time of grief. We then began tracting which I was really happy to do. We came to find out that almost everyone on the street had little dogs in their homes and many of them were catholic. We were able to have a few good discussions and were able to ask for referrals from everyone that would allow us to. After lunch we went up near the church to help Sister Parkes with a few things after a Relief Society thing and then went and visited with the Blackmon's. We found out that Brother Blackmon was in the hospital and we ended up giving him a blessing later on that night. He had some complications some medicine to help him pass a kidney stone and he is now doing a lot better. We were able to visit with the Johnny family and they are doing really great. We got everything set up for them to make it to church and we are really grateful for the members helping us get them to church. We finished the night by visiting with Brother Serrano which went really well. He has been doing pretty good and we read some scriptures with him.

Sunday was a really great day for us and I would almost say that it was our best day of the week. We had a great time at church and really the spirit was very strong throughout all of the meetings. The Relief Society sang a beautiful intermediate hymn which brought the spirit in even stronger during sacrament meeting. After potluck we went out with Brother Norwald who is getting ready for a mission and tracted. We had a great time and found both Harry and Adi. It was amazing being able to go out and tract and really see that if we put our full effort in and finish the week strong blessings do continually come. We went and visited with the Wyser's that evening to let them know about Brother Olsen and invited them to church next week. We also received a referral from them which was really awesome. We visited with the Ferrel/Gower family which was really great and we are really hoping we can get them back to church. Brother Ferrel isn't a member but he does strongly support the church. We came back home that night and had a little bit of study and dinner time which allowed us to continue to press forward in our marking of the Book of Mormon.

This week has really been a great week and as we continue to build and strive to increase our happiness by being Obedient we will truly experience the true Joy that Heavenly Father has waiting for us.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Regan April 12, 2010

This week has been very wonderful with the opportunity to have seen Keno and Valentine Johnny enter into the covenant of Baptism and Confirmation. We have been able to see what hard work has allowed the Lord to bless us with and we will continue to re-boost and seek to talk with everyone in which we have the ability to speak with.

Monday we had a really good preparation day. We found out that Elder Bawden is having to have sinus surgery because of the illness that he has had but all will go really well and as planned. We were able to prepare for different things and really had the opportunity to shop and get a few things for when his surgery will be. We had dinner with the Hearn's and found out they will be moving soon. They are heading up to Indiana for school and we will have the opportunity of helping them get ready for their move in a few months.

Tuesday we had a really good district meeting and were able to talk about getting rid of any distractions that could allow things to get in the way of the Lord's work. We then traveled to see a potential investigator that we had but they weren't home so we started to tract a little bit early. We were able to talk to some really great people and were able to ask for referrals from many of them. We had really great lesson with Rachel and she was able to read over Alma 40. We read over it with her and were able to clarify things that she had thought about or was wondering about. We had a great dinner with the Fairchild family and we are hoping that with us going over every week that it will propel them to want to be more active. We then visited with a few other less active members which went really well.

Wednesday we started off the morning by seeing and investigator we tracted into but he wasn't there at the time so we talked with her wife for a little bit. We then went and visited with a few less active members near the area. After lunch we were able to visit with Kimberly Evans and finished watching over some of the church history DVDs with her. We are now going to be watching General Conference with her in our next visits. We stopped by a potential investigators house and shared with him the Book of Mormon and he was really excited to be able to read it. We tracted a little bit around the area and then traveled to Keno and Valentine's to begin filling out the Baptismal Records. We had a really great visit with them and had the opportunity to learn a little bit more about their family in the Marshall Islands. We then went to part of Bishop Parke's daughters soccer game and were able to talk with him about different things that are happening.

Thursday we began the day with Elder Metcalf and Morrison and traveled to Saraland to sing and have some lunch with a group of elderly people. It was really a lot of fun and they really enjoyed the opportunity to sing with us and to have us there to support them. The spirit was really strong as we were able to sing. We then came down and planned those things of which we needed to and it allowed us to get the baptism ready and other crucial things. We then went and did some service for Rachel and helped her clean and fix a few things around the house. We tracted after and had the opportunity to find a few potential investigators and were able to ask 8 different people for referrals in those few hours. We then met Elder Krieser and Tolley for Keno and Valentine Johnny's baptismal interviews which went really well.

Friday we started off the day by trying to see a few investigators and getting the baptismal program completed and set up. We were able to talk with a few investigators and set up some appointments with them. We then visited with Brother Serrano and he is doing really well and getting over the sickness that has been bothering him for a bit. We then went and tracted near a few less active members home while we were waiting to get the programs typed up. We were also able to see a few less active members before activity night happened at the church. We had 2 families show up and we were able to have a lot of fun and are continuing to invite more and more families. We were also able to set up a few things for the marriage and baptism.
Saturday we had a really great morning helping out with the bishop's storehouse and then immediately going and doing service for the Mason's who are a less active couple. We had a great time with them doing service and had a great lunch with them. We are going to keep doing service for them and hopefully it will propel Brother Mason back to church. We had just enough time to get ready before we had to go to the church and get more things set up for the marriage and baptism of Keno and Valentine. Both services went really well and there was a lot of support from the ward. The spirit was very strong and Love was truly felt. We then traveled up to the Kelly's for dinner and also were able to help them do a few things since Tim broke his hand just a few days earlier. We are trying to work with Mathew and it looks like he is really close on making the commitment to be baptized.

Sunday went really well and we were able to really feel of the His spirit. I am truly grateful for the priesthood and how it is used to bless so many lives. During PEC we were able to discuss the needs and pray for individuals who are struggling at this time. We were also able to be voice to the ordinance of confirmation for Keno and Valentine. After lunch we went and visited with a few referrals and had a few really good lessons. We then continued to tract and found Bill who we are really excited to meet with again. We finished the night by having dinner with the Parke's family which went really well and we were able to get everything signed by Bishop Parke's on the baptism and confirmation records.

Though this week had many ups and downs at certain times we were able to press through and felt much love and joy with our investigators and members in which the Lord blesses us to be able to serve.

Love You
Elder Regan Hansen

Tyler April 5 2010

hello,

Well you asked some questions about favorite companions, I am on the 13th companion, I have enjoyed being around a lot of them but my favorites have been Elder Probst and Elder Marshall because I can relate to them and with Elder Probst we can continue the friendship when we get home and go snowmobiling. Elder Maja is an alright guy but with him being from another culture and being raised in different ways things just dont relate the in same way.

Well this week has been kind of deppressing. We found out that the Odells are going to be going to Port Alfred, Elder Odell is going to be a branch president in Port Alfred, it is going to be kind of hard to cope. There are going to be no senior couples here for a couple of months from what President Probst has said. We will look forward when all the Utah missionaries can take a trip to the Odells and be with them. We were not able to watch any conference since the area presidency made the announcement to all the branches and wards of South Africa. It has been a really strange Easter but they are going to just show the recorded version of conference to all of South Africa on the 24th and 25th of April. I guess a major part of why they didn't show satellite broadcast was because they wanted better church attendance at the chapels. It seems like everybody in South Africa just takes a break during the holidays and so I guess it was directed by the Lord even though it is difficult to understand. I am actually emailing at Deserees who is a recent convert in George because we could not find any emailing shops open and the town has been shut down about the whole weekend. So instead of watching conference on Sunday we had an hour of sacrament meeting and then after we went tracting. We were able to find quite a few potentials this past week and found a guy that has really impressed me because he is looking for the truth and has really been humbled by having a deaf daughter and helping her throughout her life but then again he is kind of lazy and doesn't like to read too much and doesn't have a job and says God will give him everything so I don't know some things are interesting around here. I have a feeling this upcoming transfer is going to be a changing experience for me if I stay in George, I hope this area can be a 6 week area for me but I know it probably won't happen. We are having a hard time getting member help and so I can only come up with a few other options which is tracting and street contacting which isn't as effective. We have one baptism coming up from the area which is Elizabeth Dagean, we have a date for the 17th of April but other than that it has been pretty tough for the others that we have been seeing. We have a really good feeling about Sis Johanna who was a referral from Deseree but things are slowly progressing. I just hope that everything will work ok here in the branch with no senior couples here because from what I understand they have been keeping things rolling taking major responsibilities which aren't supposed to be theirs in the branch. Today we are going to go golfing with Elder Odell since it is the last p-day with them so we better go. I will have to send some pictures next week. Have a good week stay well.

Love
Elder Tyler Hansen

Regan, April 5, 2010

Well this week was by far one of the most uplifting and spiritual weeks that I have had on my entire mission and I am sure that His spirit won't make it be the last that I have. I am truly grateful because of the humbling messages and events that I have been able to witness this week.

Monday we had a a really great preparation day. We were able to do all of our shopping and cleaning that we needed to do. We were able to spend some time with Brother Martyn and his daughter which was really fun. Chloe is such a funny little girl and she is very smart for only being 4 yrs old. We then had dinner with the Hearns and had a really great time sharing topics of the gospel. After we went to Providence Hospital and gave a blessing to Sister Causey's Brother in the Lucedale Branch. He isn't a member but he was able to have his family there and the spirit was voice for what he needed.

Tuesday we started of the day by visiting with Sister Milburn who was in a retirement home. She really can't speak much but her spirit was so strong. We were able to give her a blessing and also read out of the Book of Mormon with her. She is such a great example to me because I have now seen for myself what true dedication to the Gospel is even when physically circumstances can become challenging. I felt the Love that Heavenly Father has for her and it was truly a savoring experience. After we tracted for a little bit before lunch which went really great. After lunch we visited with Sister Thompson who is a recent convert. We found out that her mom is now cancer free and is now going to be able to get back into the routine of things once again. We then tracted and talked with 7 different people before we were able to find some really great potentials. We are very eager to follow up with Brain and Allison about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We had a good lesson with Rachel and offered service. She didn't read Alma 40 this past week so we testified of the truth of the Book of Mormon and re-committed her. We had a great dinner with the Fairchilds and spent some time with their kids and asked them how they were enjoying primary. We had a great family home evening with Sister Byrd and invited her to General Conference.

Wednesday we started the morning off by seeing the Campbell's and they ended up feeding us an early lunch which was really awesome. We then traveled up to the Chickasaw area and tried to visit with a few referrals on the way. We ended up talking with a few other people and followed up with some of the less active members to see how they were doing. We had a great lesson on church history with Kimberly and this week we will start to leave her with a few chapters out of the Book of Mormon to read. We came back down and visited with Sister Wyser and she is doing a lot better. She has had quite a few setbacks but is still pushing forward and keeping her head held high. We received a call from some members who lived really close and gave Brother Klug and his granddaughter both blessings. It is truly amazing to see that there is always and will always be multiple reasons why we go to a certain place each day. We then had combined activity with the Young Men and Young Women which went really well and they are still working on inviting their friends out.

Thursday was a really great day of planning for us. We were able to update all of the records and also right up on the board all of our investigators who are progressing or not progressing and all those we need to follow up with and are hoping to teach. It allowed us to see who we needed to continue to keep our focus on but also those we needed to stop by and let them know we would have to be dropping them. We then visited with Melinda and asked about how all of the family was doing. Her husband Dave is the only member in the family and he has just signed with the army reserve and is now very busy and preparing for his trainings. We then went off with the Monroeville elders and had some really great opportunities tracting. I went with Elder Merkley and the others tracted on the other side of the street. We were all able to talk with some really great people and set up appointments with a couple and will be following up with the other this week. Elder Merkley and I then went and visited Jeffrey Booth and talked with her for a minute before we went and shared a message with the Parkes family. Elder Bawden and Shumway had a great lesson with Keno and Valentine and everything is still lined up for them to be getting baptized on April 10th.

Friday was truly an amazing day at Zone Conference. His spirit was able to testify to all of our hearts and knit them together as one in Unity. I felt truly blessed to be a mouthpiece for the Lord at the times that I was asked. I was strengthened through His Spirit and in increased my faith and desire to continue to act. I am truly grateful for those things of which were testified to my soul that I will be able to share with others of which I have learned for myself and will be their guides so they can learn for themselves. We immediately left and visited with Brother Serrano who had been having some really bad health problems and gave him a blessing. We were prepared to give that blessing and His voice was manifest unto Brother Serrano of the things of which he needed to hear and receive. We then had dinner with the Mathie's which went really well and then went and had activity night at the church and we had a lot of great participation.

Saturday and Sunday were both truly amazing days and I don't know how I couldn't not just combine them as with they were all such a great pattern of revelation revealed through His chosen servants. I feel from the bottom of my heart that conference was truly meant for the things of which I had been thinking and questioning within my soul. I received much comfort, peace, and guidance which is truly going to bless me as I seek to apply and use this knowledge and action in my life. We were able after Sunday session to give Sister Pacetti a blessing and then traveled and taught Keno and Valentine with Brother Nordwald. It was great to have him with us to testify and prepare himself for his mission which is hoping to be leaving on very soon. He working on all of his interviews as we speak and I am very excited for him. We truly had a great lesson and the spirit was able to speak through us and open Keno's heart to the truth. He shared with us such a powerful experience of agency that it testified to me. He had the desire come to use some chewing tobacco and his shared this with his wife and she said that he didn't need it anymore. He then immediately picked up the Book of Mormon and began to read from its marvelous pages and before he knew it that desire had been taken from him. It was a true testimony builder for him and also for us.

I am indebted and grateful for what the Lord has allowed me thus far in my life to witness and I look forward to receive more knowledge for myself and continually striving to be a guide for those who desire to know for themselves of this wonderful truth.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Tyler Mar 29 2010

Hello family,

Thanks for the messages and the pictures.
We had a baptism with George this past Saturday. The branch doesn't have a font so we baptize in the river or if the river is not full then we go to the ocean. To see George be baptized has strengthened my testimony a little bit about tracting and finding people that are prepared to hear the teachings. Elder Wilson and Elder Moyo found George (the investigator) about a month ago and he was just baptized Saturday, he has been one of the quickest progressing investigator that I have seen from his preparation. he is working for a logging outfitter and is doing the grunt labor for them but he is away from his family that live in Limpopo which is basically the same area from where my companion is from. He is a great guy and has decided to change his life around so it was good to witness the baptism. I spoke at the baptism because Noone came who was assigned to speak and then in the branch on Sunday on the topic of Jesus Christ our chosen leader and savior. This upcoming week we will have the conference rebroadcasted but we wont be able to see the priesthood session and also the Sunday afternoon session which the branch needs to really change because the priesthood here is really struggling along. We have been tracting a lot around George (city) which is hard because there really is a lot of white people here and not really many of them want to here from us. We have been able to meet a lot of people that missionaries have met before in previous years and so we have set a few appointments with these people. We are trying to get some referral work going here but it is quite difficult with the members I don't know if missionaries in the past have not put on a good image to the members so it makes thinks a little bit difficult at the time. Well carry on!

Love
Elder Tyler Hansen

Regan, March 29, 2010

This past week has been going really well. We had some really great experiences and the Lord has allowed us to become and instrument in His hands. Everything is still going right on course for Keno and Valentine to be Married and Baptized on April 10th. They have been able to get there marriage license and everything is now being set up for this great day for them.

Monday we had a really great p-day. We didn't do to much but what we did has helped us out a lot. We were able to spend some extra time in studies that allowed to to receive His spirit stronger and also caught up on letter and our journals. We had a great dinner with the Hearns and shared with them some of our investigators that we would love to have them help out with. They said that they would help us out and we are really excited to introduce them to Paul Hawkins and his family.

Tuesday we started off the day with District Meeting. We had a great discussion that allowed us to reflect on different things of the Zone Conference packet and how they had changed our daily efforts of service. We had a great visit with Sister Binkerd after and found out that with her MS she is starting to have secondary problems that are taking effect. She has such a great attitude about her situation and has the brightest spirits and Love for others I have seen in her situation. After we tracted for a few hours and were able to testify and ask for referrals from 7 different people we tracted into. We had a great lesson with Rachel Bartlett and she expressed how much she enjoyed reading Moroni 10. She read Moroni 10 to us and we discussed with her about her thoughts and feelings. We left her with Alma 40 to read in preparation to teach the Plan of Salvation. We had dinner with the Fairchilds which went really well and we finished the night out by having family home evening with Sister Byrd and gave her a blessing for her asthma.

Wednesday we started the day off by saving a few miles and biked to a few places near the church to tract and also visit a few referrals that we had received. After lunch we traveled and visited with Kimberly Evans and watched some church history DVDs with her and will be following up on how her reading has been going. After we traveled towards the Parkes home and tracted. We were able to talk with Jennifer and had a really good visit with her. She is a grad student and is very busy but we are hoping to be able to teach her. We had dinner with the Parkes that went really well and then we went and visited with a few less actives and made calls to some investigators.

Thursday we had a great day of planning and continued to have building studies throughout the week that have prepared us better on helping our Investigators. While planning we were able to set up some appointments with some investigators who haven't been progressing as well to see if we need to drop them. After lunch we continued to tract for about quite sometime. We had some great miracles happen and we were able to find Renita, Chiquita, and Jasmine. We had a great first lesson with Chiquita and left her with a Book of Mormon to read and then to pray for herself. She was really excited to receive the Book of Mormon so she could read Alma 32 because from the overview she feels that it closely relates to a few things she is going through. We had dinner with the Odom's which went well and we followed up with Sister Odom on her commitment to give a Book of Mormon to a friend, which she will be doing this week. After we left to visit a few members that we were hoping to see.

Friday we tried to visit a few investigators that we were thinking about dropping and had to drop them. It was truly sad to see how they had progressed so well but didn't quite want to finish. We continued to tract a bit and talked to quite a few people who had some potential. After lunch we continued to tract and were able to talk with Kyle who we should be visiting with next week when he comes back into town from his business trip. We were able to testify and ask for from 8 different people as we tracted. It has been a blessing to see that with a simple testimony many people really think more about those that they could refer us to. We then visited with Brother Serrano for a quick minute just to see how his studies had been coming along. After dinner we visited with the Baylor family which went pretty good. There daughter has had some health problems recently but is now doing a lot better. We invited them to activity night which they are getting more and more excited about coming to.

Saturday we had a great day of service start with Bishop's Storehouse and ending with helping the Fairchild's plant some of their Garden. After we went with Elder Orgill and Elder Shirley to visit with a person they had tracted into and handed Alex and his wife of to us. They weren't able to meet with us at that time but we were able to introduce ourselves to them. We then tracted for a bit which went really well and allowed us to continue to testify of the Restoration. We finished off the night by calling some investigators that we had and invited them to church which will be trying to implement more and more each week.

Sunday was just a really great day and really hard to explain how I felt throughout the day. Church went really well and the spirit was very strong. Mathew was able to come with Sister Kelly his mom and she expressed to us that she wanted him to talk with us about teaching him so he could get baptized soon. It was a blessing that we didn't expect at the time but we are now grateful that we will be able to teach him. After the fast we went and had an afternoon meal with the Bedwell family. We shared with them a thought in Ether and then went with Brother Bedwell to visit Sister Johnson who is in the hospital. She is doing alright but she doesn't know how long she has to stay for right now. Before we left Saraland we visited with Sister Thompson and her husband. They are doing pretty good and we found out that he is going to be pretty busy with work for the next 6 months. We then had dinner with Brother Serrano and had a really great lesson with him. He is getting excited about being able to get his patriarchal blessing and also receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.

This week even though we have had to drop a few people the Lord blessed us by opening the doors and having the opportunity of being able to find those that we can continue to help on their personal Journey to Him.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Regan, March 22, 2010

Well right now my joy is very overwhelmed at this point. I received and email from Elder Mortensen. I shared with me this real joyful expression of love that has brought me me to tears and I would love to share it with you.

"Hi Elder Mortensen. Jeff told me that you are home from your mission. We often talk about you guys and how great you were. Jeff and I will be getting married on April 1st. Soon afterward, we will be getting baptized together. We are really excited to grow our eternal family and are very thankful for your contribution in my faith. You and Elder Hansen really made an impact on me. The most memorable thing that you guys did for me was invite us to The Sanders home. For the first time in my life, i was exposed to an eternal family and what it actually means to be an eternal family. Since that day, we have continually worked together to bring the holy spirit in our lives like we felt that night. After we left Florida (and settled in Seattle) Jeff and I started attending the Ward by our home and made them our family. I have a calling...the activities committee which I absolutely love. Jeff has become active in the church as well and has decided to be baptized with me. Thank you again for teaching me the gospel! Please let us both know how you are doing... "

I never knew if I would ever see or hear from them again but I always believed with all my heart that this Gospel was going to change their lives.

This past week has went really well for us and has continued to open new doors for the work of the Lord. It has been a week where the spirit has continually stayed strong and we are striving to continually have that spirit even stronger.

Monday we had a great Preparation day. We were able to get all of the cleaning and shopping done right at the start of the day. We then had and activity with some Ward members and played some soccer with their kids. The turn out was great and we had a lot of fun. That night we were able to have dinner with the Hearn and Mason families. It has been amazing to see how much of an impact the Hearn's have been for this less active family. It has propelled Sister Mason to come back to church and she now has a calling. Brother Mason is coming around and I feel will be right their with very shortly. I am truly grateful to be in such a great ward that is willing to sacrifice to help us and really go and find there neighbors. We then traveled and visited with the Byrd family. They are a part member family with a lot of potential that we have been trying to see for awhile. We are now going to be able to visit with them every week.

Tuesday we started off the day by biking down to see a few investigators that haven't been progressing very well. As we were visiting with some of them we were able to know if we should drop them or not. We were also able to do some tracting. After lunch we continued to tract and went near an appointment we had for later. We had a great time and were able to share our testimony and ask for referrals from 8 different people and talked with many others. We found Sandra and set up an appointment with her which we are looking forward to. We had our appointment with Rachel. She was able to read some of 3 Nephi 11 and we were really happy. We finished reading the chapter with her and answered the questions she had. We left her with Moroni 10 and will be inviting her out to General Conference this week. We had dinner with the Fairchild family. They have recently had some hard times and haven't been attending church but we were able to set up a continual date to visit with them every week, which will allow us to continue to bring the spirit into their home. We had a great Family Home Evening lesson with Sister Byrd and we discussed about temples and the importance of them.

Wednesday we went to visit Sandra but she was able to meet with us so we continued to tract near here home. After lunch we called a few of our referrals that we had received and had some really great luck. We talked with Paul Hawkins and he is really amazing. He shared with us that his family reads the Book of Mormon every night before they go to bed. He has read the Book of Mormon and knows that it is something that he must pursue. We were able to set up an appointment and are very excited for that. We had a great lesson with Kimberly Evans. She has been progressing really well in the church after her baptism and will soon I'm sure have a calling. We had dinner with the Bromgards which went well and then visited with the Johnny family. We are moving there Baptismal Date back to April 10th so we will be able to help them become more prepared.

Thursday we had a really great day of planning. We were able to get some great lesson plans set up and were also able to update all of the records that we needed to. We were able to discuss of those things that we thought that would help our those people we are focusing on and the spirit directed so beautifully. After lunch and planning the Monroeville Elders stopped by before their doctors appointment and we then traveled and gave Brother Tindle of the Toxy Branch a blessing. He has been at the hospital off and on. We then visited with Heather Hall which was great. We have been trying to see her since before Christmas and we were finally able to talk with her. We are now going to be able to meet here husband and hopefully be able to bring her back to church. We did some tracting until dinner time. We then traveled with the Monroeville Elders and visited with the Martyn family.

Friday was a very amazing day. The spirit was very strong as we were at Zone Conference and His Love could be felt by everyone so strongly. I learned a lot of great things and wrote day a lot of great things that came to me through His Spirit. After we traveled to the Kelly's family and had a great visit with them. They are still struggling since Sister Coker's death and we are helping them to continue to work their way back to church. After we tried to see a few members that live up near them.

Saturday was a really great day and the spirit continued to be around us. We started out the morning by doing some service with Brother Klug. It went really well and as we were there a less active member stopped by and we were also able to talk with her for quite a bit. After lunch we went to visit Keno and Valentine Johnny. We found out that Keno wasn't coming home until Tuesday now. We are still hoping for their Marriage to now be 27th of March. We then tracted near there home and talked with 5 people. It was amazing to see that by bearing simple testimony and asking for referrals that those people even though not interested they sincerely tried to think of someone for us to visit. We had dinner with the Hughes family and then traveled to the Adult session of Stake Conference. We found out that Paul wasn't going to be able to make it for stake conference so we will be setting up an appointment with him this week. As we were at conference I received a beautiful prompting which allowed us to set up a lesson plan on how we could better adjust to the needs of this Part member family we are hoping to teach.

Sunday went really well and the spirit continued to uplift and edify all of us as we attended Stake Conference. There were many beautiful messages shared and the Primary choir that sang was truly an amazing spirit felt group of songs. After we visited with Joe Haskins and talked with him about some of the struggles that he was having. He recently began to read the Book of Mormon that one of his friends had given him and he has really like it. We left him with commitments to remove distractions that he has in his home and he said that he would. The spirit and through the testimonies that were directed by him prepared Joe to make the commitment. We then visited with Brother Serrano which went really well. He has been reading a lot of different things within the Book of Mormon and we also helped him with some family history questions that he had. We traveled to Chickasaw for our dinner appointment with Kimberly Evans and her husband Danny. He is slowly but steadily being prepared for the Gospel since she was baptized but he isn't ready yet. We were able to talk with him and really were able to understand a lot of things of which he likes and really is looking forward to.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Regan, March 15, 2010

This week has been really great to get out and do some great service and being able to have a few splits this week with some of the members. Being able to follow the prompting of service and doing it for a less active member almost brought me to tears seeing her appreciation and thanks for what the Lord asked us to do.

Monday we had a pretty great P-day. We spent most of our day near our apartment and getting a lot of different things done we needed to do. As we traveled closer to our dinner appointment that evening we visited with different members to see how they were doing. We had a really great dinner with the Hearn's and the Mason's. It has been great that we have been able to have them both there because the Mason's have been less active and Melissa and Eric Hearn are around their same age and they have formed a great friendship. We had a great evening with them and shared a spiritual thought that the spirit testified to them.

Tuesday we had a really good district meeting. We prepared by going over the Zone Conference packet and had a really great time. The spirit was very strong and we all committed to do all of those things for Zone Conference that would prepare us a individuals and companionship's that would allow us to be prepared to receive direction. We tracted near Rachel Bartlett who is one of our investigators before our appointment with her. We were able to share the gospel at the doorstep with a few people. We had a great appointment with Sister Bartlett and were able to read Alma 32 with her and discuss it. She was very happy when we showed up and we could tell that she was excited to hear more. We committed her to read 3 Nephi 11 and to going over the Restoration Pamphlet, which she gladly accepted. We left and tracted near our dinner appointment that evening and found Campbell. He is a really nice guy and we are hoping when we go back he will be interested in having a Book of Mormon. We had dinner with the Klug's that evening and then traveled to institute with a less active member who is coming back to church.

Wednesday we went to visit a few people we had appointments with but the fell through so we tracted near them. We stopped by and visited with Sister Binkerd for a moment to bring her the Relief Society Manual so she could study it until she is able to attend church. After lunch we had a great lesson with Kimberly Evans. She has been feeling a lot better and was happy we were able to make it. We watched some church history with her and as she asked questions and we discussed we all learned many new important truths. We continued to tract near Campbell's home and talked with a few people. That night we visited with the Baylor's who we are hoping to get the kids to come to the Young Women and Young Men activities. We then went and splits with Brother Emmertson and delivered a referral to Jackari. We had a great lesson with him and committed him to watch the Lamb of God DVD we delivered and we discuss it when we came back next.

Thursday we started of the Morning by getting all the tools for the service we did for Sister Binkerd. We saved a lot of time with the help of members and were able to clean her entire front yard. It truly felt great being able to serve her. I had received a prompting to do service for her a few days before and as we discussed it we planned on when we would do it and then we did it. It was such an amazing spirit felt morning and she truly blessed us with her spirit as we served. She told us that she was hugging us deep down inside and she was truly filled with gratitude. We visited with Janice Thompson after service and had a great time being able to talk with her for the few moments that she had. We then traveled to take back the tools to the Parkes and I ended up doing some service there for the family. We ended up having dinner with them and visited with Brother Serrano who was also there helping them with service.

Friday we did our planning first thing and had a really great time. Following the assignment for Zone Conference really allowed me to see a new and better perspective to planning that I had never felt and received before. I am really grateful for this experience and will continue to follow planning the same way to continue to receive and improve each and every week and day. Elder Bawden had a doctors appointment that went well and they put him on some more antibiotics to try and treat the problem he is having. We visited with the Fairchild's and found out the kids were feeling better but Brother Fairchild was under the weather. They haven't been to church a lot because of illnesses and we are hoping that they will be over them and be back to church soon. We traveled to Saraland to our dinner appointment and visited with Sister Wilson on the way up. She has had a crazy work schedule that has been keeping her from work but she is applying for new jobs so she can attend church. We also visited with a few other members who had moved or joined another church. We had dinner with the Mathies which went really well. After, we traveled and visited with the Shelton's and got to know them a little bit better. Sister Shelton stays really busy with work and being a single parent with two kids that play sports and do other activities.

Saturday we started first thing at Bishop's Storehouse and had a really great time being able to serve there. After we traveled back with Brother Klug and gave on of his friends a blessing who isn't a member. We came back home and tracted near our house and talked with a few people. After Lunch we biked and tracted for a few more hours. We have been trying to save miles because we have now been going to Saraland almost every week and sometimes have had to go twice. As we tracted we talked with 10 different people throughout the day. Continuing to Testify of the Restoration has brought His Spirit stronger into my life and has continued to strengthen my testimony at each and every doorstep. On the way back we stopped and talked with Dave Mclaughlin and found out that he is going to join the military soon. They are doing really well for the most part and he is just waiting for some paper work to come through so he can be sworn in. We then traveled to the Mason's and spent another evening with them and the Hearn's which went really well. Brother Mason's trust has continued to build and we are hoping that he will soon be ready to come back to church.

Sunday was a really great day. Keno and Valentine Johnny were at church with the family. They haven't yet got there marriage license but they will get everything filled out this week so they can pick it up next Monday when Keno gets back in town from work. We had a great lesson with them and a few other member on the Sabbath Day. They all committed to strive to keep the Sabbath Day holy. We tracted after potluck and had were able to talk with 5 people. A few of them we have picked up as potential investigators and will be following up with them this week. We then traveled with Brother Lunceford to visit a few members. We talked with Sister Thompson who has been having a lot of problems with her new spouse and his drinking. We ended up giving her a blessing which really helped her a lot. We visited with the Harris family. Brother Harris has two sisters who are less active and we were able to talk with them. We stopped and talked with Bishop Parkes and filled him in on the problems that Sister Thompson is dealing with. We had dinner with the Martyn family which went really well and shared a spiritual thought with them.

This week has been filled with a lot of great experiences. We are still planning on Keno and Valentine Johnny's baptisms for March 27th. It is all depending on when they get the marriage license, but we do have all the rides set up for them so it shouldn't be a problem.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Tyler march 15 2010

Hello,
Thanks for the priesthood line of authority that is exactly what I am looking for.
Well this week has been pretty good for the most part. We spent two full days out of the area going to the zone conference in Port Elizabeth. I just wish president would just send me back to Namibia but can't really do anything about it. It took us 5 hours to get to Port Elizabeth from George. President Kolliker the area president and of the first quorum of seventy presided at the meeting and is really encouraging us to kneel down with the investigators and ask if what we are sharing is really true. Right now we have one person with a baptism date, her name is Elizabeth and she attends church regularly and is the daughter of a recent convert here. We hope we can just get some more member help on finding some new investigators just so we can use our time effectively. We have only a few people that we are teaching that seem to be really interested in what we are sharing so hopefully we can find some more people through the members. Well I have to go. I will send some pictures next week.
Have a good week.

Love
Elder Tyler Hansen

Tyler march 8 2010

Hello family,

Well this week has been kind of stressful but anyways ya I got transferred to George, South Africa. I will be the district leader here but I'm not as excited about the area, as Windhoek. My companion is from a small city north of Johannesburg but his name is elder Maja. I am really missing Namibia and being with elder Probst but love the people there. There has been a lot of baptisms in the branch of George but not as good of retention. I flew from Windhoek on Thursday but our flight was supposed to be at 11;00 when we got there at like 9:30 the flight was delayed until 1:30 that afternoon. Since the Windhoek airport is about 40 kilometers outside of Windhoek we decided to stay there and wait for a few hours. When the time came around the flight was delayed again until 4:30 so we waited for another few hours and then when the time came around the flight was cancelled due to technical difficulties. They had another open flight to cape town at 7:00 so we decided to go for this one. By the time this flight had opened up there was a lot of impatient people and a little bit of entertainment throughout the day. We finally made it on the airplane but I was really sad to go. The plane ride only took like an 1hour and 30 minutes to get there which was really quick, probably because of the impatient people the pilots decided to turn on the burners. When I got there it was about 9:00 at night and so we stayed at some boarding in Cape Town. Since the flight was cancelled I missed the bus ride to George which takes like 8 hours so the next day I got the flight to George at 1:30which was like a one hour and twenty minute plane ride. I finally got there at three oclock on the Friday afternoon and the senior couple the Odells fetched me at the airport. The Odells are great and a pretty fun senior coupe to be around. They are from Arizona and it seems like they just love the missionaries. This week is our Port Elizabeth zone conference and so we will drive like 5 hours from George to get there and so we will most likely drive on Wednesday afternoon to get to there and go with the Odells. The branch in George is very small and is a mission branch. There is a very good branch president here just like Namibia but I just hope we can find some people that want to hear the gospel which I hope we can get some referrals going here because I am not a fan of tracting to much, there is not much of a support system. We have one baptismal date established now with a guy named Martin but hopefully as thing go we can find some more interested people. I am jealous for elder Probst right now because there are just some sweet people in Namibia, like all the recent converts and investigators that we were working with. Well I am absolutely homesick for Namibia but hopefully things will get better as the week drags on. George is a nice town with a lot of white Africaans people and we are in the white area. Elder Wilson from Spanish Fork is in the district and is companions with elder Moyo from South Africa, so there is someone that I will be with from my transfer. well when I left John was very excited to come and he sent me an email on how he is doing. When he comes to see you in a month he will bring my painting by and also paint some stuff for you around the house. Elder Probst I miss, but his rash is about the same, he is being sent some cream that might help out the rash so hopefully that will work. Well have a good week and hope to hear more about what is happening.

love
Elder Tyler Hansen

Regan, March 8, 2010

This past week went really well. By the end of the week we were still looking for some great things to happen. As we continued with our plans and steadily focused on having a sense of urgency the Lord used us to bring more work for us to perform in his strength.

Monday we had a really great preparation day. After we finished with our emails and other things we helped the Theodore elders move into there new apartment. Not a better way to spend a p-day by doing service. We had a great evening with the Hearns and set up some times with Brother Hearn so come out with us for some lessons.

Tuesday we had a great district meeting. Everything went really well with role plays and the spirit was very strong as we continued to learn of the gospel through His Spirit. I traveled with Elder Peterson out to Semmes to see everything that we needed to bring or prepare for them moving in the next day. We tracted for a few hours near Bishop Parkes home and were able to Testify and ask for referrals from 5 different people. My joy continues to grow as we are able to apply these principles in our service everyday. We had dinner with the Parkes family which went really well and finished the night with family home evening with Sister Byrd. We had a great lesson on Talents and Abilities.

Wednesday we traveled to transfer spots and saw everyone off. We traveled out to Semmes and began to get the trailer set back up for the missionaries who were coming there. Throughout we were able to make calls to our investigators and recent converts and set up quite a few lessons with them and were able to have our daily contact with them. We were able to help them get everything established before we left and continued our day. We were able to tract a little bit which was great.

Thursday we visited with John Pugh. He began to have some doubts about the Book of Mormon so we shared our testimonies with him and committed him to read Alma 32. He said that he would read and pray. We were able to set up a new appointment with him so we can follow up with his progress. We then went to the courthouse to get the marriage application for Keno and Valentine Johnny. We are hoping they will get married in the next few weeks and then they will be ready for their baptism on March 27th. We continued to tract near the Parkes home and were able to testify and ask for referrals from 8 different people. Now I could never imagine what it would be like without testifying of the restoration because it brings such an amazing spirit continually. That night we visited with the Johnny family and took over the application for them. Valentine wasn't home at the time but we talked with Keno and asked if they had been reading as a family everyday. They have been trying but he recommitted to doing it again.

Friday we traveled close to downtown and tried to visit a few referrals that we had received. None of them were home at the time but we were able to stop by and talk with Latashe Tucker and set up an appointment with her. Sadly, we found out her mom Mary Tucker who we had been teaching had passed away a few days earlier. We were saddened to hear about it but just reminded her abut the Plan of Salvation and it brought her more comfort. After lunch we tracted near the Fairchild's and had a really great time. We talked with 3 people and ended up having a great lesson with Rachel Bartlett. She has recently been struggling with a few things and as we were able to share about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of the Gospel her countenance changed and His Spirit bore a beautiful witness to her. We had dinner with the Kelly's that evening and had a really good time. It sounds like very soon we will be able to start teaching Mathew and hopefully Sister Kelly's husband will join in on the lessons even if he isn't interested.

Saturday we stopped by in the morning and visited with the Binkerds. We have been trying to see them for quite awhile now and we were able to set up do have dinner there this coming week. We are also planning on doing some service for them without them knowing. Sister Binkerd as Multiple Sclerosis and her husband is still in school as a doctor so they are not able to take care of there yard. We then tracted near there home and talked with 3 different people. It was great being able to get out there and tract. We traveled up to Prichard and visited with Gwendolyn Thomas. They have been having some recent struggles but she wants to come to church. Her son is not a member but has been taught in the past and wants to join the church. It is amazing to see all the doors the lord opens when you are willing to work hard and do what he asks of you. We attended Mary's funeral service at the baptist church. It was a really nice funeral. Thought a bit different, there was a lot of family there for support. We then traveled to the Johnny's and had a great lesson with Keno and Valentine. We had a great Restoration lesson with them and they told us that through their prayers and their daughter being baptized that they know that the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. It was great hearing them bear there testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. We had dinner with Brother Curtis which was really good. He is planning on supporting us in helping Keno and Valentine which we are really happy about. We talked with Brother Felton that evening and found out that he is having Chemo again. He said the cancer isn't back but they have to do it every 6 months. He is planning on being to church in a few weeks. We visited with Brother Serrano and he is doing well. We followed up with his scripture study and it has been going well for him.

Sunday was a really great day. We had a great lesson on fasting with the Johnny's and Brother Serrano. We had a really powerful testimony meeting and the spirit bore witness strongly of the truth that was being shared. Keno and Valentine had a really good time at church, as well as did the kids. We had lunch with the Bromgard's and the Johnny family which went really well. I am truly grateful for their service in helping the Johnny family and being a support for them. We then went to the Johnny's and installed some locks on their doors because they live in a rough area and recently people have been walking into their home during the day. We had a great visit with Jeffery Booth and hopefully we will be able to meet his family. His wife and children are not members but are familiar with the church. We tracted near his home and talked with 5 people which was great. We then traveled to a lot of potential investigators home and set up an appointment with Janice Thompson which was really great. That night we visited with the Baylor's and invited them to church and activity night.

This week has been really been really great and has opened the doors to so much more potential opportunities that will come.

Love You

Elder Regan Hansen

Tyler Mar 1 2010

Well
This week will be my last in Namibia unfortunately, We had 5 baptisms this week all in Windhoek and then the Katatura branch had 4 baptisms. I will not write much because I dont have the time, I need to do as much as possible here in Windhoek. This week has been great as far as teaching, two of the recent converts that were baptized Ndepewa and Inonge said they want to go on missions. They said they would like to go in like a years time but I hope that they go to Salt Lake so that I can go and see them. This Thursday is transfers and my visa is going to expire so I will go back to South Africa somewhere. Bro John is pumped to go to America and interpret so he is really busy painting. This past Friday he stayed up until 5 in the morning working on one of my paintings and then woke up at 8 to come and clean the church with us. We had the movie night this past Friday evening and it was a great success there was like 62 people who came to it and there was many first time member referrals who came.
well have a good week

love
Elder Tyler Hansen