July 27th 2009

Hi! Well that’s way cool you got to talk with President DuVall, he is one amazing person, I am curious did he say that he was looking for a car too? I told him to go and see you, so I am just curious to see if anything happened there.

But otherwise the rex (Honda CRX) project seems to be moving along, but are you really going to just put the hatch and the spoiler on the car black!? That would be pretty funny. But how much can you save from the other rex as far as dash or seats and stuff? I assume a lot of it is bent and banged up, but just curious to how much you can salvage.

Things this week flew by, we had Zone Conference, and that was great, it was a little different with the new mission president, but we had a great time getting to know everyone, and it was good.Then I went on comp exchanges to another city, Avilés, it is the smallest city in the mission, but I had a good time. Then we had little exchanges here in Oviedo, because we cant do them this week because I have to travel back to Santiago tomorrow to finish up my residency, and then the day I get back it’s transfers, and then who knows!

Things are moving right along though, we are finding and teaching more people all the time, and my companion and I are getting along really well, it's nice when you figure out what the strengths and weaknesses of each companion is, and you can just get to work, and help each other.But that’s about it for this week! Thanks for the mail! Send some pics of the REX!!!!!

Take care, have a good week!

Love you,

Elder Hanson

July 20th 2009

Holy Cow Dad!

Well that is good that everything is going alright on the project, but why did newt want to change the color? I liked the white! But, that should be cool to have all the things put all back together, it seems like a nice rig.

So how about the trips and all that? How were those? I haven’t been getting too many mails from anyone, and I’m just guessing that everyone is just on vacation!

So the city is pretty awesome, I do like the big park, we live right there next to it, and then we have the rest of the city that is really nice too.
The thing I like about this place is how clean it is, I mean Google maps doesn’t really show that, but it is awesome here, it is known to win the cleanest city in Spain award every year. You can’t take your trash out until like 9 pm, and they are just good on keeping everything else up too.

Besides that, the branch is good, everyone is a recent convert, over half of the branch was baptized within the last 5 years, but they are all really cool, and they like the missionaries, so that’s a plus.

The new mission president is way cool. We had our interviews the other day, and they went well, his wife is sisters with the Chappels, and so that was a nice ice breaker for the conversation, and otherwise they seem great. We have our first Zone Conference with them tomorrow, so we’ll see how that goes too.

Everything else is alright, and normal, it’s humid here, and we sweat all day, but you get used to it I guess. We had a wedding the other day, but we had to set up and serve everyone, but we did eat too, so it was alright.

But besides that, the rex (Nate’s Car) seems like a project and a half! Man, you’ve got to send me some pics of something! I think that would be pretty fun for Newt, I hope everything else goes alright.

Well, that’s all for today! Have a good week!

Love you,

Elder Hanson

June 29, 2009

Well Hello!

Yes we heard all about the deaths this past week, it’s what everyone is telling us, and how the US beat Spain in the soccer tournament, that was pretty big news.

But things are great here in the new city, my comp is really cool, and the city is big, and kind of crazy. A lot of bums, and drunk people yelling all the time, it is pretty famous in the mission for that I believe.

Anyway, you know what else this city has?... A lot of Schnauzers! Everyone has them, I have never seen so many, and they all are barking loud when they see other people that they know, I just think it is funny.

**Desmond** **Stockton**

We live here at:

C/ Martínez Marina 16 3 C

33009 Oviedo (Asturias)

So that’s about it! I’m very excited to get to work here!

Thanks for the photos, newt finally emailed me, and told me about the rex (HONDA CRX), and what the plans are. Branson forgot to email...something to do with the

Freddy situation I am sure.

By the way I never really got back to you on names...because I just really don’t like the names of Spanish people, or their dogs, but I do ask what the names of some of their dogs are still out of curiosity. But did you name the dog yet? If not, I’ll continue searching.

Anyway, that’s about it! Take care, have a good week,

Love you,

Elder Hanson

June 29th 2009 (to Shelly)

Hello!

Thanks for the mail, and the info, and the pics!

Yes Will Davis did email me actually, that was really great to get something from him! I haven’t talked with the guy forever!

Things looked good on Pioneer Trek, it seems like you had a good time taking all the pictures of everyone!

But, I am on the slim side for time this week, new area, it’s all strange to me, anyway gave the address to dad, but here’s it just in case.

C/ Martinez Marina 16, 3 C

33009 Oviedo (Asturias)

Have a great week!

Take care,

Elder Hanson

June 15h 2009 (To Shelly)

Well Hello!

So, about the package, I wear a 15 1/2 neck, kind of like every other person in the world! It’s pretty funny. But if you don’t send any, no big, I’d be happy with just the package. But whatever, I’m moving anyway, you know it’s been a transfer since we talked! I’ll find out this week where I’m moving, and I’ll see if I can get an address before next week, but if not, no big.

But wow, no other mails from anyone, what happened with the CRX?

Good luck on Pioneer Trek, taking pictures would be pretty fun!

Hey and I know of a guy named Ashby, I’ve never met the guy, but his dad’s a mission pres in South America somewhere. How does Colette know him?

Well things are all well here! Have a good week!

Elder Hanson

June 8th 2009

Well thanks for the mail!

I got everything; I thought that I’d just respond on this letter. But that sounds like you had a good time in Texas, and that Nate’s graduation went well, and wow the story about the lawns that is nuts!

Well we all actually heard the story about the thing in Africa, PresidenDuVall told us in Zone Conference, and he said it was quite the example of strength, because the next day, they everyone continued on like normal.

But things are going pretty good. The rain is back, and it’s fairly cold, quite strange for early June. Anyway the week went by pretty quick, we had zone conference, I went to Lugo to do some comp exchanges for a little, and then we had pday pretty late, so that was fun. But besides that nothing too new or strange to report.

Just curious about the package, because if you still haven’t sent it, I think it might be better to just hold on, I think I might be moving soon, so just hold on, but if you send it tomorrow, or it’s sent already, well that’s different, but otherwise ya, just keep it.

I didn’t know if you had any further insights to the whole school thing, or the summer, but if you did, just let me know.

Otherwise, have a good week, take care!

Love you,

Elder Hanson

Playin' around

P day doesn't mean Preparation Day... it means PLAY DAY!

Pig Car?

May 18th 2009

Well Hello!

First of all nobody is keeping me updated on the restoration, and I’d love to see some pics, and hear what he’s done! I haven’t talked with him the whole mission, but if you wanted to give him my email, I'd love to email the guy.

But wow the political news is a little nuts huh? Things look good though, that was what I took from it.

Well things are pretty normal, nothing too new to report this week, so that is a bit sad. Thanks for the news updates, I do enjoy reading them once I go and print them off. Like I had to wait to do that with all the car company info, but wow that sounds like things are a sure mess, I hope that they get better.

Fill me on with everything else you know!

Oh yes and I would love to get into the spring semester, but the only thing is that I am just afraid for the cash. Like I know that I can go for the semester and everything, and maybe even for the summer, but to then do fall and winter, well that’s the problem I am looking at. So I don’t know if it would be wise to try and get in the spring semester, fix my 4 crappy classes that I didn’t do anything, (because if you just retake the classes it replaces your grade) and then try and get a scholarship to ride off of for the rest of the year? (All you need for a scholarship is a 4.0 and it’s like paid tuition) It seems a bit risky, so you tell me what you think, and we’ll figure out what we can do. Or if you find a big mountain of cash that would just solve a bunch of problems too. You know, whatever is the easiest!

Well that’s about it! Take care! Have a good week!

Elder Hanson

May 4th 2009 (To Shelly)

Hey!

Thanks for the mail, I do love hearing about all that good stuff that has been going on! Well here’s the thing, I would be ok with the phone call at 3:00 but that is going to put me pretty late with the call, and the thing is we usually get our Sunday night phone calls all done you know, plus I just think it would be better a little earlier, but sorry to make you jump ship early, I hope that you understand though. The 12:30 is going to have to be it. Ok and to make sure that you have the number, it’s 607-513-044 and I’m pretty sure you have to dial a country code before hand, and it’s 34. So that’s about it for that!

Wow but as far as anything that I need, actually yes, I would love some more socks, even though you just sent me some this past little while, I am just getting rid of some of the crappy ones, but those are like last on the list. Fist would be the full sized journal pages, second would be the D&C soundtrack on CD, and third would be newer short sleeved shirts, I’m just pulling them out again, and wow I forgot that I got the most of them from other elders on the mission, and they are in pretty rough shape. But that’s too much to ask I think, so just wait until the phone call to really put together and send the package, because also it’s transfer calls this week, so who knows, even though I don’t really think I’m moving, that’s when they get you.

Well now look who’s rambling!

Take care though, thanks for the email, and I will mention a thing or two to Newt.

Have a great week! Happy Mothers Day (in advance)!!

Love,

Elder Hanson

Just a few pictures to break up all these letters!

No, i'm sure it's not alcohol...I bet it's olive oil or something.

April 26th 2009

Hey,

Thanks for the mail, and yes I am having a pretty good time out here, but my videos that I have been taking lately are way better than those ones! So send me back the memory card, and I’ll send you the next one as soon as you want. But I’ve been thinking that if you just sent me a pen drive thing that might be easier you know? Just a thought, but you should try and send that as fast as you can.

Well things are pretty good here, you know the weather has lightened up a bit, and that always helps. The work is getting better and better, I think we taught the best lesson that I’ve ever been in this week, I hope things keep going that way.

We’ve been trying to speak as much Spanish as possible, and it is really helping me, I am glad that my comp is as willing to help me with all of it, and is determined enough to keep going.

The food has been quite boring this week; we’re almost towards the end of the month, which means we’re all out of money! Rice and Pasta!

We met a some ladies yesterday that came to visit the branch, one served a mission here, and we talked for a while. The other one is a Samoan lady who is married to a Tongan guy who knows Jeff Kaufusi! Small world. She said shewould say hi to him for me the next time that she could.

Well I do quite enjoy the news updates, I have to read them once I go back to the church, and that isn’t always every week, but you know I do read them! It is just tough to read them while on the computer.

Oh yes I am learning all these British words, like that a hood of a car is called a bonnet, and the trunk is a boot, and these sayings and that pissed is a swear word, and you know just funny little things that I’ll tell you about in the phone call! Tell me when you’d like to do it, and we’ll set that up ok!

Take care! Have a great week!

Take care of the roof! And yes send me some pics of the Mustang ASAP!

Elder Hanson

April 19th 2009

Well Hello!

First off, I have been taking lots of videos of us two, so don’t even worry about it, it’s classic I can’t even believe that I can understand the guy sometimes. We had Zone Conference last week and I was the one translating for people, it’s pretty funny.

Well I have been enjoying the fruits of the package! Thanks so much for the socks; they really are so nice, I can’t even tell you.

Everything else here is pretty good, nothing too new or interesting. We have had some rough weather, but I think it is on the turn around.

We have been working and studying better than I think I have ever done in the mission, it’s just hard to really express that over email, but you know I just feel really good, and blessed to be out here.

Having a convert of just a few years in the lessons and in contacts is such a blessing, and it makes me really think about a lot of things. He asks me questions all the time about the fam, and about how I grew up, and that makes me realize how fortunate we are/I am.

Well I have been learning how to cook more recently. None of us really know how too cook, but we both want to eat well; so I made some chimmy changa things the other day, they were really good!

We have had a bit of a rough week as far as people cancelling, or just not showing up to visits, but you know, that’s how the cards fall sometimes.

Oh ya, so yesterday when we were in church, the branch pres came up to me and asked me to give a talk in sacrament! Thanks for the heads up! I really can’t believe that I did it. I was pretty calm before, and during the talk, which is really strange, I never am that way. I think I have learned and have grown so much already, and I’ve still got another year. It’s incredible sometimes.

So it sounds like things are pretty good! Mom sounds...well you know, kind of what I expected. I guess no mothers day call?

You can call me on mother’s day, you know like Christmas. What time do you want to do that at? Feel free to change the day, whenever you would like to do it.

Alright, take care,

Elder Hanson

April 12th 2009

Hey,

Well sorry for not getting back for a while, but we had Zone Conference, and then we had a really busy day yesterday, and now we’re here.

Anyway, I got your package! Thanks so much for that, and the socks are great! Thanks so much. By the way I don’t need any face cleaner, we found some, so don’t even worry. The candy was really good though; we are still going through it.

Well actually I didn’t get the package until Monday night, even though I got the slip like Tuesday. Well with the wonderful holidays that they have here in Spain, (they are all atheist, but they sure love to celebrate them Christian holidays) we didn’t have the post office open again until Monday. It was Holy Week, it was pretty good, but the streets were empty except for the old town, the place was packed with tourists, and everyone that we stopped was from out of town, but we had a good week still.

I’ll be sending the memory card home this week, so you can see some of the stuff we’ve been doing over here. But all is pretty well and pretty normal. I haven’t heard a single thing from Newt, and I am curious to see where he is going to school!

The weather is back to some pretty cold and rainy stuff, but oh well.

Otherwise my understanding of Scotland is growing, and I don’t have to ask my companion what he said all the time, but some things are pretty tough still. We have been speaking a lot of Spanish, and I had a few dreams in Spanish last night, my head is spinning a little bit.

Well that’s about it!

Have a good week, and I’ll be to emails normal time next week!

Elder Hanson