Not much is new here at the CTM. I'm still loving it and I'm still learning português. How are things back in MA and at BYU? Let me know! I am at the point though where I'm ready to just get out! I'll miss my district and the people here, but I'm ready to go and help real people change their lives. I'm so excited. I have a lot of português to learn this last week though. (Ahhh!)
Here were some of the highlights from this week:
-
This one's for you Liz. In português, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is "Diário
do um Banana." Hilarious, right? Banana also can mean a dynamite stick
in português. Who knew?
- Windows here at the CTM open from
the bottom, and one of the many times I was laughing hysterically here, I
went to lean against a window and IT WASN'T LOCKED. I literally almost
fell out the window. One of the scariest seconds of my life. Good thing I
have Sister Curtis!
- The thunder storms here are crazy! It'll be all sunny one second and then pouring with lightning the next. I love it! (I probably won't like it walking out in São Paulo though.)
- The thunder storms here are crazy! It'll be all sunny one second and then pouring with lightning the next. I love it! (I probably won't like it walking out in São Paulo though.)
-
Our district decided which animal and food everyone would be, and I'm
an apple and a beaver. I guess I work too hard here. Hahaha! My district
definitely thinks I'm more focused than I really am. They caught me at a
good time because I really AM focusing because I'm doing stuff I really
do care about a lot!. (Don't make fun of me, but I literally have
earplugs that I sometimes wear in the classroom when everyone's getting
a bit too rowdy. #dork)
Spiritual Thought:
I've learned a lot about love while I've been here, especially about
charity, the pure love of Christ. Love is powerful. Look at what Christ
did for us because He loved us. Jesus Christ suffered and died for us
and our sins and all of our trials, the hardest thing that anyone has
ever had to do. Charity, His pure love, for God and for us was the only
thing that could have motivated him to do something like that. In the
Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni exhorts us to pray with all the
energy of our hearts that we can have this love. This love that has
motivated me to learn português and give up 18 months to others. This
love that has motivated God and Jesus Christ to do everything for us.
This love that can make you a better, happier person. And now, no way
could we ever deserve or earn this love. It's a simply a gift to those
who ask for it and who are prepared to use it. One things I love about
this gospel is that we never are required to be perfect or expected to
be good enough; we simply do what we can and God will work with us at a
pace we are able to handle. He has the perfect plan for us and He knows
all of the details down to the day. He knows how to make us happier and
how to make us better. All we have to do is choose to follow that plan,
by praying to know what we need to do next and acting on the answers and
feelings we receive. I know that as I've been praying for this pure
love, I've received more and more. This has been such a blessing in my
life, and it has helped me focus on others more. I've been able to
become more like Christ and focus on others' afflictions while I've been
wading through my own.
Love you ALL,
Sister Hansen
