E mail letter from Brett!

Well good morning to the Land of the Free!!!


I just realized that I really don’t have much time here to email, and I am going to be in the field on Tuesday I thought I might have to just write one letter, and just have you forward it to everyone, I’ll be able to write others when I have the time, but wow how I really don’t have any time!!!!

So here’s what’s going on over here:

I leave on Tuesday to Bilbao, and get on with my mission!!! Monday is the 2 month mark since I’ve been in the MTC...doesn’t feel like it at all. As the saying goes "the days go by like weeks, and the weeks go by like days" I cannot express to you how true this statement truly is!! I mean we get up at 6:30 every morning, and start going, going, and going! And all I do is sit inside all day, and when it is time for me to go to bed I’m all tired, and fall right asleep at 10:30, I cant imagine when I actually get out there, and walk and walk...and walk some more. (Did I mention our mission has no cars, bikes, and apart from the city mission, no trains or other public transportation. the average weight gain on our mission is minus 30lbs. Well some Elder told me that, I believe it too, because the first 10 pounds will just be coming off what I put on here in the MTC. (Actually I think I’ve gained 12 lbs...But who’s counting right?) Brett could use a few extra pounds! :)

I just have to mention Elder Rob Swenson. I love this Elder, I think you’ve mentioned him to me, but he is one of my favorite people here. He is in my district, and we just talk a lot. For sure after the mission we will be friends, but I could honestly see us rooming together. He didn’t go to BYU, but he’s gonna go to UVSC and we’ll just hang out. He and I talk about Cardin sometimes, he always mentions how much he loves the Cullimore family, and how cool Cardin is too.

Well today was the last time I’ll go to the temple for 2 years (ok 22 months...but again who’s counting?) But I just loved being in there with everyone, especially my companion. Elder Moore, who has been with me all these 9 weeks, is the man. I am so blessed to have such a great first companion. I hope we can be later in the mission, and throughout our lives.

I got my hair cut again today. It’s the 3rd time since I’ve been in the MTC. It grows so dang fast. Well I guess I should mention my wonderful 89 euro razor I bought. Yes I did spend just short of my life savings on it, but it’s ok because every morning when I wake up I have something wonderful to look forward to. That’s what I spend my money on. That and McDonalds...5 euro for a Big Mac meal. (Don’t do the conversion it just hurts more and more every time)

Well I’m loving the food here, fish is getting better to choke down, and all sea food really tastes the same when you use half the bottle of Tabasco on it, so that’s my little trick I can pass on to you!!

I will have to stick up for Spain and say we get the best chocolate here, it’s straight out from Germany!! And it’s way cheap!!

Anyway I’m almost out of time; I’ll email you later if I get the chance!! Otherwise the next time will be in Bilbao!!!

-Elder Hanson

Email from Brett May 8th.

Spain Madrid Temple.

Brett Lives about 150 feet away from it, on the same property. 

What a beautiful view to wake up too.

Hello!

well first off we´ll cover the business...We are going to the stores today for p day so i´ll see if they have the paper or whatever...i heard the chinese stores have some cheap paper, mainly it is just strange here to buy things, and with the dollar exchange rate at 1.7 dollars to 1 euro things aren´t looking cheap. However i must say that the church gives us 30 euro a week while we are here in the MTC so that should help!! I´ll email you later on today to let you know how the trip to the store goes. 

Anyway glad to hear the trip to st george was fun!! I mean you did it all for me...essentially...i´ve made you do a bunch of junk since i left, sorry about that, but just know that i am exrteeeeeemly greatful for it, and with my praying at least 20 times a day (and no that is not an exageration) you all find your way in there somehow....

But the volley ball thing, I swear you are good! You´ll be fine don´t worry, just try and not get kicked out for yelling at the kids or the other coach or something!!! (Morgan's V- ball Coach had to work so he told me I was Coaching last Saturday YIKES! Luckily his wife Celeste showed up and we team coached.)

Also if you see Bryce´s mom tell her hi for me, me and Elder Sansing talk a lot, agian it is really nice to see anything that has some resemblence of home....

But things are pretty good here, the food though...maybe it´s just me but Provo had it way better than here. I mean i´m getting used to the whole sea food thing, but in provo  it was unlimited seconds and the lady´s wouldn´t get mad if you didn´t eat everything off your plate!

We had to do some visa stuff yesterday...we went into town in a car, that was so strange....i haven´t been in one of those for a while.

But the best thing here by far is the park. Every saturday we get to go to the park and preach the gospel for real! i was so scared, ¡¡¡¡¡i dont speak spanish!!! we are supposed to talk to everyone on the metro on the way there and all we see in this huge park once we get there!! We got new companions for the day (that had been in the ccm for a while and could speak half decent) and we went out. half the time as we would start to talk they would get into some random conversation and i wouldn´t know what they were saying. but after some hard times we got talking with an older man, just about the birds and the trees, and he was helping us with our spanish, and then we started to bring up the gospel. with him knowing that we were his friend first, and that we actually cared about him and what he thought, he was more readily able to accept what we wanted to teach him. We gave him a Book of Mormon, or Libro de Mormón, and then it was time to go. but i can tell you it is amazing to actually work and see what we will be doing for the next 2 years!!

i´m excited to get out there, but first i´ve gotta learn this language!

I´ll get back to you in a few hours...

Love Elder Hanson

Some day I'm hoping he'll send some pictures. I'm having withdrawals.  :)

First Email from Brett at the Madrid MTC!

Well hello!!
i am in a different country, and i don´t know what to even think! I dont know how to change the caps or anything, the keyboard is all crazy. anyway i hope you get this i´ll write to you more in a sec

(Dad makes a brief comment back)

yes!! Hello!! I am glad to see you are on! we get to write our families right now and tell you that we are ok. but i am more tired than i have ever been in my life right now, it is almost 5pm, and i havent slept really since i got out of my bed in provo. i did for a min. on the plane, but not enough to balance the fact that we got here at 9am spain time, but 1 am provo time, and have been going ever since!!!
I will have to say that this place is the most georgious place on the planet!! This mtc is the bomb!! We went for a walk, and saw all around the town, we get to go into town on our p days!!

Brett Called Home from Atlanta!! WOOHOO!

Well, he's really on his way to Spain today! He called his Dad this morning from SLC International and then he called me from Atlanta, Georgia. He says he's excited but a little scared and he's worried because he's boarding right now (6:00 pm) and in 6 hours he'll be in Spain and it will be Wednesday, 9:00 am! yikes! Are these 21 Missionaries going to get any sleep? Will tomorrow possibly be a free day for them to catch up? The mother in me says IT HAD BETTER BE! oops...sorry. The Lord knows best hehe ;)
Nate and Morgan got a chance to talk to Brett. The boys talked about guy stuff and Nate told Brett not to get killed by extremists! Hello?!?! don't say that in front of me!!!
And Morgan told Brett about going skating at Classic tonight and then asked him if he had a girlfriend yet...um...well...MAN! I'm a bad LDS parent...how does she not know that LDS missionaries don't go looking for girlfriends while they're out? how?

By the way, Brett says that McDonald's in Atlanta...possibly all of Georgia...possibly the entire south; I don't know,... has a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich that is Deep Fat FRIED! It's #5 on the menu in case you're interested. I can feel my stomach churning just thinking about it.

He's really going, he's heading to Spain. Leaving the continent, for 2 years.

Before I go, I'll tell you about the first Blessing I feel like I've received since Brett left. It's sweet for me, the kind of sweet that makes me tear up.

I've always loved Mikes boys like they were mine, but I've never felt comfortable telling them that I love them. I don't know why; everyone needs to hear it, but I just didn't want to embarrass them...or maybe I didn't want to be hurt by their possible reaction. But I love them. Always have.

But it's different now. They're getting older and they're leaving and I don't want them leaving not knowing how I feel about them. What if something happened to Brett while he was gone and I never told him I love him...I couldn't live with myself!

So that's the blessing...I love my step son and I can tell him so. AND he tells me he loves me too!!!! yeah me!

Watch out Nate...You're Next!

Our Final Goodbye's

Wednesday April 9th, 2008

As we walked to the front of the MTC, to take the pictures that every LDS family takes before their son or daughter embarks on the biggest adventure of their young life, I'm amazed at this picture before me...(below) of our two grown sons walking with their Mother Suzy. So big! SERIOUSLY...so much bigger then I thought they were. I see them every day in my home and I know they're bigger then me...their Step Mother, but to see them next to their Mother...

She looks like she's walking with two men.  

Amazing

Doesn't Brett look great in a suit?

This is Brett's friend Andy Hulka. Andy was going to BYU and thought he'd run from his classes on Campus to the MTC to see Brett off.  We were so happy to see the University approved 

MULLET gone from his head...till we saw the RAT TAIL he left in its place!  GOOD GRIEF MAN! But he's a great kid and we feel so luck to have had his family move into our neighborhood years ago, to become one of Brett and Nate's best friends. 

So we took Andy into the MTC as one of our Sons so he could get 30 more minutes with Brett.

That's our guy. I love him so much. I miss him like crazy, 

but I couldn't be more proud.

Brett's last night home or,...OMG! what are we going to do without BRETT!

Well, if you read my "meadow on a ledge" blog a few weeks ago then you know how I was feeling on this evening...these pictures were taken after Brett was set apart as a Missionary. So here he is with his mangy looking companion for the next 24 hours. 

AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE DOG

MY BOYS...boy do i love them

The setting apart was a sweet experience; and I don't mean saaaaweeeet...I mean sweet. I just wish I had a better memory because I have nothing that was said, in writing. Everyone got a chance to say a few words to Brett about how they felt about the gospel, about this choice he was making, about our pride in him. His Mother Suzy was so gracious to Mike and I. Her comments were toward us and the gratitude she felt for the way we'd raised her Sons.  That was so kind of her.  The blessing given to Brett was beautiful and I felt the Lord was with us. Brett's countenance seemed to change as we said Amen. The smile wouldn't leave his face. His testimony of the work he was about to do was sweet and ambitious. 

Let the adventure begin!   

Farewell...oops, I mean Testimonial; sorry Mom

Brett's Farewell (testimonial) was Sunday, March 30th. He did a great job, a little shaky at first but he got comfortable fast and gave a great talk. My favorite part was his comments about his Dad and the great time he had working on the truck late at night for years. Brett felt like he learned a lot from his old man and he wanted to make sure the Ward and Mike knew that it was appreciated. 

Mike gently cried, with a smile on his face.

Lunch was a little shocking! That boy has too many people who love him; and that's not counting his mothers side of the family who had a party for him the night before. I fed at least 100 people. The office was filled with shoes!  I was never this popular as a teen.  Of course I don't think I was this  cute either. 

We had ten days to go at this point. We thought for sure MTC day was forever away...