So this email is going to be SUPER short. We had zone pday today and I have hardly anytime to email.

This past Thursday we had a farewell meeting with President and Sister Samuelian. They're going home on the 30th :( Let me tell you, saying goodbye to them is way to emotional for my comfort! I love both of them so much and they have done so much for me and every single missionary in the OSM. I know that they were called of God, and I am so grateful that I was called to this mission because it's the BEST MISSION IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD AND NOBODY CAN TELL ME DIFFERENTLY. I'm excited for the privilege that I have to serve under two mission presidents. And I'm just as excited to meet the Tateoka's. God has incredible things in store for myself as well as the Oregon Salem Mission (which is the best mission on the face of the planet).

Love,
Sister Hanna

PICTURES: Saying goodbye to President & Sister Samuelian ~ This is the Keizer & Forest Grove zones. We all signed the flag

Hello from Woodburn!

Guys! This transfer was AWESOME! I'm serving in Woodburn in the Woodburn 1st ward in the Keizer stake/zone. My new companion is Sister Erickson and WE ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN!!! I knew her when both of us were serving in the Bend/Redmond area, so when they announced at the transfer meeting that we were to be companions I could not contain my excitement! She's been out for 9 months.

I am LOVING it here in Woodburn! And we walk everywhere! A previous sister crashed the car twice, so it got taken away 😂 Walking was a missionary experience that I didn't think I would get! So I'm excited about it! And Woodburn is actually a city! Not small town like my last two areas were. Don't get me wrong, I love LaPine and Monmouth with all of my heart, but I FINALLY HAVE A WALMART! 😁 Also, in LaPine and Monmouth, we were pretty secluded with no other sisters to hang out with. It was lonely and boring sometimes haha, but here in Woodburn we're surrounded by other sisters! Sister Erickson and I, along with four other sisters went out to lunch today and went shopping at the outlet malls! Fun was definitely had!

This past week was a bit of a blur because of all the new people I've met and from trying to get used to a new area. But nonetheless, sister Erickson and I saw many miracles! On Wednesday we went to go see a new investigator named Matt. As we got to talking, he asked where I was from, so I told him Mesa, AZ. Come to find out, he graduated from Mesa High School in 1990!! WHAAAAT!? It's ridiculous how excited it made me, but what a cool experience! Matt is a cool dude. #instantbond #jackrabbitalumni #arehashtagsstillathing? #ivebeengoneforayearsomeoneupdateme

Another miracle we saw happened last night! We were doing what we call "phone tracting." AKA going through all of the contacts in our phone and calling the people we don't recognize. We called this one guy named Elli, and to our surprise, he was excited that we called! It turns out that he is a past investigator, and according to him the missionaries just stopped coming one day. Anyways, we talked about the scriptures, Thomas S. Monson and Joseph Smith. As we talked about all of these subjects I could hear the love and affection that he had for the gospel in his voice. And anytime he referred to church members, he would say "we." This guy already considers himself LDS! As he was talking, I felt that I should ask him about baptism. He said that he had been invited to be baptized by missionaries before, but nobody ever followed up. I asked him how he felt about baptism now, and he said that his heart filled with joy and excitement at the thought of it. Do you guys see where this is going?? So...we invited him to be baptized! Over the phone! AND HE SAID YES! A baptismal invite over the phone! It was such a cool experience! We're seeing him on Tuesday!

I'm so excited to be here in Woodburn! Good things are going to happen here, I feel it in my bones!

Also, shout out to my soul sister, Sister Munford, for saving her neighbor from a fire last week!

Love you all!
Sister Hanna

PICTURES: Sister Erickson ~ This is pretty much our companionship summed up in one picture ~ Monmouth Goodbyes, Sister Kimber Klopp & Emilie Varner ~ This is Lexi. She has a mission call to the Arizona Mesa mission serving at the Mesa Temple visitors center! She leaves in July and I'm so pumped to see her when I get home ~ Autumn Wilburn and her family ~ Brolin and Sarah Johnson ~ Cecily Hart

Hello!

Guess what? You got it, transferred. After being in Monmouth for 6 months, they're ready to get rid of me and pass me off to someone else. Haha just kidding, they love me here! (I say that with humility haha). Tomorrow I'll be transferred to my new area, and where that is, I don't know yet. In this mission you don't find out where you're going or who your new companion is until the transfer meeting. I'm excited to meet new people and experience a new area! I am sad though to say goodbye to so many people here in Monmouth. The weekend has been filled with lots of hugging goodbye.

Nothing much to report from this past week. All of our investigators are out of town for vacations and graduations, so it has been pretty quiet in this little town.

Here's something about the Oregon weather - it's nuts! Last week it was in the 90s and now it's in the 60s! Get it together, Oregon! It's a pretty common thing around here to say "just wait 5 minutes" when the weather starts to act up, because it'll change just as fast as it begun haha.

I'm anxious to see where I'll be transferred! Tune in next week to find out!

Here's a scripture that I discovered the other day:

1 John 1:5 - This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Love,
Sister Hanna

PICTURES: Our district (featuring Elders Hebdon and Alger on the left, they're not in our district but as the zone leaders they were visiting) ~ Hermana Holt. She's super tall (I'm talking 6 feet 3 inches tall! She rocks it!!) and super nice and beautiful! ~ Said goodbye to Lorna! She's one of our eternigators (eternal investigator). I'm wearing a pair of her "Woody Allen glasses". It's a joke and how it got started I'm not sure haha! ~ This is our sisterhood wall up in the apartment. Every companionship who's served in the area is up on the wall along with the dates they served ~ One of the families in the ward lives on a giant blueberry farm ~ We have a cherry tree in our front yard. We went cherry pickin!

Hello!!!!!!!!

This past week has been unforgettable!!!!!! On Saturday we had a mission wide conference with President Russell M. Nelson!!!!! Holy. Heck. Getting to meet and shake the hand of an Apostle is like getting spiritually punched in the face. IT. WAS. AWESOME! At the beginning of the meeting, President Nelson took the time to shake every missionary's hand, which was almost 200 people! He is the sweetest, kindest, and funniest guy! I had an incredible experience at this meeting. President Samuelian suggested that we prepare for the meeting by praying and fasting that the spirit would confirm to us that President Nelson is truly an apostle of the Lord. So I decided that it would probably be a good idea if I did that. I had been praying and fasting the Friday before and the Saturday morning of the meeting that when I shook President Nelson's hand, the spirit would swell within my heart, confirming to me that he is an apostle. Well let me tell you...the moment I stood up from my seat to go shake his hand, the spirit burned within my heart, confirming to me Russell M. Nelson is an ordained servant of the Lord Jesus Christ! I didn't even have to wait to shake his hand! I had already received my witness by the time I got to him. I know that God still calls prophets, and I know that He will never leave his people alone or forsake them.

So! Now that you all heard that fun little Sister Hanna experience, let me tell you another one. As President Nelson was giving his closing remarks, he left all of us missionaries with a blessing. It included multiple things, like finding joy in our work and being safe in our travels. But my favorite was when he invoked a blessing of healing on all of our families, and my thoughts immediately turned to some family members who are in desperate need of healing and comfort. Tears filled my eyes as the spirit hit my heart, and I knew then that my family would be okay. The gospel is so real, and it is the medicine that will heal any broken heart!

Now obviously, I don't really remember any of the rest of the week because meeting the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles just blows all of it out of the water, haha. But! We did have zone pday today, and we hiked this beautiful trail up to what is called the Cascade Head. Upon reaching the top, you get this breathtaking view of the coast line and horizon! As much as I hated the mile trek up, it was absolutely worth it! Pictures to come :)

I love you all!

Sister Hanna   

PICTURES: Hiking Cascade Head