Rocked socks! Rocked the boat!

A shot from when we clmbed Devil's Saddle. Look at that water!! I just wanted to pitch myself overboard the whole hike! So pretty!
Another Pic from our hike.

This is a fairly good view of the city.

Anziano Pittson - my district leader

Anziano Pace - this is his first transfer

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I will entitle this week: Rocked socks or rocked boat? You'll understand as I continue...So we had an appointment with our DOLL of an investigator named Adele. She's quite possibly too adorable for her own good. I love her so much. She came to a baptism and to church over a month ago and hasn't come back since. When she saw the picture of the first vision she got goose bumps so we decided to teach her the Restoration and watch the film called, who'd a thunk, "The Restoration". It's such a wonderful film and helps bring to life the fact that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. Well, we were to the part where we were going to watch the movie and 4 minutes into the movie.....it's freezes! Not even joking. I took it out and cleaned it and we tried again. Four minutes into the film....freezes yet again! (It was kinda scratched.) I couldn't believe it and we probably sat there staring at the screen for like 45 seconds and I was just praying with all my heart that it would work because it hadn't even got to the first vision yet. Well, after a painfully long wait, it played and she loved it. We're trying to be more bold as missionaries so when she brought up the whole praying to the saints thing....we told her that that's not how it works (but with love!) and we bore our testimonies that she needs to come to church with a question in her heart and we promised her that she'd receive the answer. Well, she came to church on Sunday!! (Aka my socks were rocked!) On the flip side....she told us that she didn't want to come again. (Aka...the boat was rocked) She tells us that she gets a really hard time from her family about coming to our church and they tell her that she can't join the church. So she told us that she came to church because she promised us. ALSO she told us that when we get transferred from the island that she doesn't want to see the missionaries anymore because she loves us too much and it will be too hard for her to sat goodbye. As soon as she told me that I was like, "Oh no no no!" And I frantically started introducing her to members. ha ha Oh dear. All of the members that know her, love her. And that's saying something because she's only come to church twice and she's left that big of an impression on them. I love Adele. I want to help her receive the blessings of the gospel. She is certainly getting tried but I know that if we rely on the Lord and do everything that we can that she will feel of our sincerity and of the power of this gospel.Another story to go along with the theme of this week is Giuliano. I don't know if you'll remember this but I met Giuliano my first week here in Cagliari and he was our first new investigator here. Well, Socks rocked: we found him at the piazza!! Boat rocked: He got up and walked away! I'm actually not joking. I think I laughed just to keep from crying. Oh dear. I just goes to show that it's 534% normal for things to not work out perfect. The hard part is figuring out exactly what we're supposed to do about it.Well, to keep this e-mail from sounding like I have nothing positive to say (because on the contrary!) I will tell you about someone named Walter. I met Walter last transfer and Mostra. I was drawing the plan of salvation on a sheet, on the sidewalk and...I forgot how to spell the word "veil" in Italian. (It's not even hard to spell but that's beside the point!) So I looked around and motioned to this guy watching to come over and I asked him how to spell it, and then ended up giving the chalk to Anziano Pace and I talked to him for a while. Well, on Saturday we did Mostra again and Walter was there! We talked the whole time and he's great because I can be bold with him and he can take it. ha ha Well I asked him if he'd come to church on Sunday and he said maybe. We exchanged phone numbers and right before sacrament I called his phone because he still hadn't shown up---no answer. I was sad and just took my seat. Then right before we were about to start Walter walks in with his cousin! It was so cool! I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped...in fact, indeed it did! The problem is that he's very non-committal. We always part with him saying something like, "Se Dio vuole..." like "if God wants...then we'll talk again." The thing that doesn't work about that is that we have each others numbers! Come on! Well, I called him Tuesday morning and invited him to English class that night. He came! And he took a Book of Mormon and we talked a lot. But we parted with the same thing. "Se Dio vuole." WELL, I am unsatisfied with that kind of an attitude and I called him today (Thursday) to tell him that we'll be singing as a Zone in a park if he wants to come. He said yes. ha ha So hopefully we can make some progress and I can help him find the desire to come to church again. He really is so great. He's very studious and curious about everything. He's just a good person....just not very committal. ha ha I really hope that he comes tonight because he would be such an amazing member and he needs the gospel. Everyone does. But...you know.Anyway, I love you guys so very much and I'm trying to do my best to share the gospel with all of Heavenly Fathers children here in Italy. He really loves them you know? And I do too. Thanks for being your wonderful selves! I pray for you and your happiness. Take care and know that Sorella Hansen sends you tan-ish Sardegnian love! Sorella Hansen

Transfers results..., branch activity, tearful language study :)

Sunrise in Cagliari. Hard to hate your life when there's beautiful moments like this.

We went with the Elders to study on a really high park so we could watch the sunrise. Do I look ravaged by wolves to anyone else??

My first view of Cagliari from when I stepped off the boat.

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Well first of all let me start off by apologizing for my previous letter. I haven't gone back to look at it but I can only imagine how spazzy and spacey it sounded. Especially since....transfers....nothing changed. ha ha Yup, I'm STILL here in Cagliari and Sorella Bjarnason and I are doing a third transfer together. ha ha I honestly didn't think that we'd do three transfers but alas, here we be. So when we finally found out on Wednesday, everything was fine...except for the fact that I think I almost gave myself an ulcer. ha ha Most anti-climactic transfers? Yup. ha ha It's good though. Sorella Bjarnason and I have set some really great goals and it's going to be a great, nay, slamming transfer. So to the goods: We had a branch activity on Saturday and it was so much fun! We went up into the mountains and gathered around a little spring and had a spiritual thought and then did like tug-of-war, jump rope, and Frisbee. It was a good time. We were a little misinformed as far as the whole "location" thing worked out and I officially looked like a git, clomping around in my awkward, frumpy, 3-inch Sister Missionary Mall shoes in the mountainous terrain. Best of times! I will be better prepared next time. But, until then, I probably won't cease to be amused by the little things that make my missionary life wonderful but oh-so awkward. Love it! It was a great activity. it was fun to get to know the members better and I think it really helped us to have a better relationship. I had one of those movie moments. Like, if you've seen While You Were Sleeping, then you'll follow me. You know the part when it's Christmas time and they gave Lucy a present and there's just music playing while it shows her watching the Callaghan family and you can just tell that she's just soaking everything in. Yeah, that's what happened at this activity. I just watched Fratello Ances playing Frisbee with my companion and Sabbrina; Pier Luigi and Fratello Floris doing the jump rope for the little kids; and the members calling Anziano Pace to get the ball out of the tree because he's so tall. It was just a moment that I just stepped back and thought, "Yup, it's official: I love my life and love all of you guys." I love moments like that.We did some more house yesterday and it was looking a bit discouraging. Either nobody was home, or they weren't super nice. In fact, there was one old lady that I was talking to and she was pretty harsh. She was just so impatient and short and I guess it just shocked me because she seemed like she'd be a sweet old lady. What's the deal? I remember after that door just thinking, "Alright, one of two things is going to happen: Either this day is going to wreak, or something great's going to happen." Well the thing that I love, is every time I have that thought, it's a couple of doors later that we find someone. That's pretty much happened before we found Sergio. So a couple of doors later we met a girl named Elica. She's young too. Probably like my age. But we're going back tomorrow to see her. I just love that when we really try and refuse to give up, that it's THEN that we see the fruits and the progress. It's so rad.English class was last night and so much fun. We just have so many characters that come to English class. It's one of the many moments in my life that I wish were on film. I really need to take some pictures at English class so that you can get a feel for what my Tuesday nights 7:15-8:15 consists of. It's a joy! I gave the spiritual thought and then end of the class and just read the last 2 or 3 paragraphs of one of President Monson's talks. BY-THE-WAY, for part of language study I read President Monson's talk and...okay, so whenever I read talks...I read out loud. It just helps me be able to hear how I'm talking and where I'm messing up...anyway, so I'm reading this talk and it's the story about the woman that has to bury like 4 of her children. So...I'm sitting in the living room, reading out loud and every time one of these kids die, my voice gets a little shaky and I'm like, "Well oh dear, what's this? I'm not going to cry right?" ha ha and by the fourth one...I was almost done for. My poor companion, when she came out of language study and I'm sitting on the couch, reading a talk in Italian out loud, and trying not to fall apart at the seams! ha ha I can only imagine how hilarious it looked. ha ha But, it is a good talk if you wanna give it a look.Things are going great here. I'm happy and excited to still be here for another 6 weeks (hopefully more!). I keep learning and find things everyday that make me laugh and learn and love. I hope you're all healthy and happy and loving everything about your beautiful lives. There's a missionary in Sardegna that's sending lots of love your way. Sorella Hansen

Italian Photos...

This is the beautiful boat that was going to take me to my new city.

FACT: Boat bathroom is awkwardly small.
You could easily go to the bathroom, shave yourleg in the shower, and wash you hands in the sink at the same time.

Me and my girl Sorella Swenson.

This was at transfer circles, It's at a Rome train station before I headed to Cagliari.

Transfer calls!, Sergio, 16 turtles‏

Well happy...Nine months in the mission to me! It's so crazy that I've been out nine months. I still feel like a little kid in the mission in some senses. But in reference to where I started I can see that I've grown and gotten better. But perhaps I just started at such an awkward level to begin with. ha ha I can't decide if the mission's going fast or slow. Time is just a different thing here. Days don't really mean anything. Every day is just a day where the forecast is work! Sometimes I laugh about it being Friday or something because to everyone around me, that means something...but in these days, it's just another day to go out and get some work done. I've really learned so much from my first nine months and have oodles left to learn. I'm happy to be here. It's where I'm supposed to be and I'm very grateful for the opportunity.SO...transfers. Oh dear I'm kind of stressed out to the max but I'm trying to be cool. So usually we find out what will happen for transfers on Monday and then on Thursday is when you go to Rome and make the change from your old companion to your new companion. Sardegna has always been a little different because everyone who gets transfered on the island has to leave Wednesday night in order to get to Rome on time Thursday. So we get one less day with the news--to say goodbye to people, take pics, exchange addresses, and have our last appointments with our investigators. This transfer President Acerson decided to change things. He decided to tell the whole mission on WEDNESDAY what's going to happen for transfers. So...it's 11:00 a.m. here and we still haven't heard anything about transfers but, for instance, if my companion or I have to leave, we have to get all of our stuff packed by like 5:00 TONIGHT and get on a train. AH! So...I would love to tell you if I'm still going to be here next transfer or if I'm getting a new companion...but I have no clue. I don't know if I'll be sleeping in Cagliari tonight...niente. SO...Next week? ha haOn to something of greater importance: Our appointment with Sergio last Wednesday went great! I asked him why he let us in to his house the first time and he said that he'd heard only good things about our religion and wanted to know more. But the thing that killed me was he said that he's looking for the truth! I feel like he's going to write his own article in the Ensign some day. He has so many questions but they're all really interesting and show that he really thinks about these kinds of things.ALSO we had an appointment with Roberta. We asked her if she'd prayed about a baptismal date and she gave us a not direct answer. She said that sometimes she wants to be baptized. One thing that was pretty huge is she said that she went to some event or something in the catholic church and she said that she missed our church. We talked to her about the law of chastity. I was slightly nervous about it because she's a young girl and it just had potential to be slightly awkward with the language barrier and other factors. But it actually went really well and she even asked us some questions!--which was grand because I seriously worried she'd be uncomfortable and quiet the whole time so...success!! We talked to her about how she's feeling about being baptized and she said that she just needs to be sure. We bore our testimonies about how important the little things are in a testimony. That she really needs to be reading her scriptures and praying and it will help her receive her answer.On Sunday we went to track down a woman in our area book who is a former investigator but also an English class student. So...we just showed up to her house! ha ha She let us right in and we read some scriptures with her and as we were about to leave she said, "Do you want to see my garden?" I know it's weird but I just couldn't resist! I just find all of these cute little Italian gardens adorable! So...we went out and it was huge! She was walking around in an interesting way, pushing away leaves as if she was looking for something on the ground. She started pointing to something and it was a turtle! They were everywhere! She has 3 big ones that aren't penned off, and they're the ones that lay the eggs and stuff and then she has 13--I kid you not---that are penned off! I just died laughing. I mean really, I had no idea when I woke up that morning that I would run across 16 turtles just kicking it in our former investigators backyard. So she let us take a couple of pictures with them because...how often to you get to mix and mingle a woman who has her own land of turtles in her backyard. Good thing she's adorable.Well, I'll wrap it up there for this week. In case you were wondering....still no transfer calls...not even since I've been writing this e'mail. ha ha Oh my life. Well I love you all. The Italian people are just the ticket. (What I mean by that is...I love them.) I hope you're all healthy, happy, and saying your prayers. Love from Cagliari! Sorella Hansen

~~ Alright avid readers, it's that time again... Time to leave some 'Happy 1/2 way' comments for our favorite sorella! She loves to hear from you, let's make her day!~~