The Last Arkansas letter-- 23 March 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

    To quote from "Bye, Bye Birdie" 'The day I knew would come at last, has come at last'. this is our last Monday in Arkansas, at least on this Mission. Mom has boxes strung all over the house. I will need something and ask her, "where's this" she will say "oh, I packed that away." Yesterday at church our mission president showed up. he was interviewing the missionaries in Paragould. So we had our closing interview. Thankfully he came at the third hour of church, so we were able to give our Sacrament Meeting talks, without worrying about him being there to hear us. In some ways it is really hard to leave here. This place and these people have become a big part of our lives.  

    This is funny, at least I think so. Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed my 'Old Spice' deodorant stick on a shelve above the toilet. I noticed some writing on the back and read it. It says: 'Contains odor fighting "atomic robots" that "shoot lasers" at your "stench monster" and replaces them with fresh, clean, masculine "scent elves" '. That is funny.

    Last night we were watching a PBS documentary  on history and the Bible. On the program it said that concept of a one god teaching didn't come about untill about 1200 BC, before that all people believed in the multiple gods and idols concept. They had their religious scholars and archealogist spouting off all these facts and discoveries. Finally we couldn't take it any more and turned it off. I'm reading in "The Pearl of Great Price' right now. So I read Moses chapter 6 right before going to bed.  I am so thankful for the restoration of the gospel, I'm so thankful for the Prophet Joseph Smith. I'm so thankful for all the truths that were restored through him. I haven't spent years digging up ancient ruins nor spent years studying ancient script, but I do know light and truth when I see it. So thankful for all the light and truth that has been restored.

    Saturday the branch elders quorum had a shooting activity. It was scheduled for last fall and most of the branch showed up for it, but the gun range was closed because turkey season had opened and they were afraid all the shooting would disturb the wild turkeys in the area. So Saturday was a good day and they held the activity. This time we only had about half the people that turned out last fall. Mom stayed home and packed and cleaned,  I rode out with Cowboy, although neither of us shot any guns we did have a good time socializing and eating grilled hot dogs. One of the guys had a 50 caliber gun. I don't know much about guns and I don't know what 50 caliber means, I only know when that gun went off, it was like someone set off a stick of dinamite. I was 30 feet away and had in ear plugs, but the concussion physically hit me.

    Mom here  The packing goes slowly onward.  Sister Kirksey offered to come and help me pack and clean the apartment then she said that since she doesn't want us to leave so soon she maybe won't help.  I think that most of the packing and cleaning I can take care of without a lot of help.  If I waited until the last min. then things would end up just being thrown into containers and I wouldn't know where anything was.  I'm hoping that the few things that will be left here will help when it comes to loading up the car.

     We have completed all the things that we were called to do.  We have done our ahomteaching\ Visiting teaching, Dad taught his last Sunday school lesson, I have taught my last 4th Sun. lesson and we gave our farewell talks yesterday.  All of the birthday cookies have been delivered and I made cookies for the seniors Sat., that they will get today.  We still have to pick up our Arkansas flowers that I am really excited about.  I am going to put in an Arkansas flower bed where the sign is.  That spot always has weeds so I am going to try to fix that this spring.

     We have made so many friends here and it is hard to leave them behind but it is time for us to go home.  I guess the 6 months is good because no one get tired of us before we leave again.  We didn't have the tears as much this time but it was still hard to say goodbye to everyone again.  They wanted us to promise that we would be back but I'm not sure that  is even going to happen.  Actually I am ready to stay at home and do our last 6 months at home, not sure about Dad tho'.

     We still have missionary work to do.  We have our last District meeting tomorrow at the church.  Elder Cook said that it was going to be a farewell party but I will be very surprised if he really means that.  Wed night it is our turn to do the Scripture class, I don't just want to read a chapter in the Book of Mormon randomly and then discuss what it is talking about, most of all that comes meaning the three sets of missionaries should already know what the scripture is saying.so I would like to try something a little differently.  I'm not sure if it will work or not.  President Wakolo  wanted all the missionaries to read the New Testament.  Then using the New Testament we were to show how Christ taught the same thing in the Americas by using the Book of Mormon.  I hope that makes sense but anyway that seems to work better here in the Bible Belt area.

     We saved a little boys life Thurs. late afternoon.  The weather was very warm and the little boy went outside without any supervision because his babysitter was fast asleep in the house.  This little boy decided to either cross the street or to play in the street we don't know which since he might have been 18months old.  Thank goodness the other drivers on this very busy street saw him also so most everyone came to a stop.  We pulled over and I chased him back to his front porch and then I started looking for the care giver.  The older brother or what ever was sound asleep with the door wide open waiting for a little boy a way outside.  It was a tragedy waiting to happen so we were able to help this little boy.

     Well my dears this will be the last letter that you will be getting from Paragould Arkansas We have enjoyed writing to you, I guess that we have to depend on phone calls when get home

Love Mom and Dad, Elder and Sister Hansen 

16 March 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

    Mom here: Well the snow is gone and now we are having more spring like temps.  I was dressed in winter type clothes today and about roasted I had to get into something that was much cooler.

     We took the Sisters to the temple today.  This will be out last temple trip to the Memphis temple.  I had Jill send us 4 names so that we could do some family history done.  We might as well since we are going to be there anyways.  The temple workers were having problems getting things to run right.  We sat in one room for about 30 min. at least waiting for them to figure out what was wrong.  Remember girls camp?  All the huggging going on and the tears and talking.  We found our Sisters and we left relatively early.  But we did find out that President Wakolo is coming to Paragould to interview the missionaries that are here and best of all it will be at the church.  I did not want him to come here because it is a mess. 

     I have some things packed but I really have to get serious about packing everything up.  If it is in the kitchen I have anything that I can get along with out , then it is packed up.  Some things we will not be taking home.  We have been so careful not to buy anything that will take up a lot of room in the car.  Unlike other Senior couples we do not need a trailer to bring home everything extra that we bought.  I'm still not really comfortable about luggage on the top of the car but Dad is very sure that it will all work out.  So I hope that it will work out as well as he thinks it will.

     Dad gets his toenails worked on tomorrow.  Of course they tell us that it is easy and won't be a problem and he will be able to drive to Searcy the next day.  I hope that  they are right.  The Elders might not be impressed if I am doing the driving.

     We have five more birthday cookies to deliver.  We delivered cookies to the upper country Sat.  When I see grown men get emotional over a little bag of cookies and their hearts have been touched that someone cared enough to make them cookies.  Then I know that even though I can get tired of making cookies the miracles start to happen and it is worth it all.  Two men told us that no one has ever done that before for just them.  So as silly as birthday cookies are, it does make a difference.  We went to one home, this the lady who wanted to do the fireside, her children were watching Book of Mormon stories.  She so wants to come to church but it is a long way to come.  The children had most of their cookies eaten by the time we left.  I want to make a batch for our senior friends then I think that I will be done until after I get home.  I am about cookied out

     The lady that we worked with last year has been having a hard time with her foot.  They thought that it was healed but she now has more infection in her foot.  So she is on complete bed rest.  Her husband on the other hand is trying very hard to die.  He is tired of constant pain , unable to breath well, and no quality of life.  He has given up and just wants to get it over with.  Dad will give him a blessing of comfort tomorrow morning.  They have made no plans about what needs to be done so I hope that the blessing will help.  Lloyd just flat out says that he will not be around much longer and I think that he knows.

     We have baseball games going on next door, finally it has gotten warm enough to play ball.  We saved an 18 month little boy this afternoon, he had escaped the babysitter and was walking unto an extremely busy road.  We stopped and the little boy ran back to where he lived but could not get into the door.  I woke up the teenager that was suppose to be watching the little boy and told him to take better care of his charge.

Dad Now: We left at 8:00 am this morning and got back about 4:00 pm. The sisters used our computers for a couple of hours then we took them home. The sisters are grounded from using their car for a week because they slid into a pole. it didn't make any dents just scuffed the paint a little, I took a rag and some cleaner and rubbed off the scuff marks. At least they weren't red dotted. That means they don't get to drive the rest of their mission. The Samoan sister doesn't even have a drivers license. I guess there aren't many cars in Somoa.

    I sure am looking forward to having my two nice big toenails yanked off tomorrow. After they are ripped off they put some dehorning type salve on the nail so they won't grow back. Today at the temple we were asked to be the witness couple. I was very careful how I got up and down, but I made it through. As soon as I got home I took off my shoes and socks. That has become a daily ritual, plus soaking my feet in hot water and epsom salt. For the past two weeks I've had very clean feet, sore but clean.

    Yesterday at church they had a potluck dinner afterwards. Instead of about 40 people a church we had about 80. If it works, it works. Gonna miss this little branch.

    On the 28th we plan on driving up to Chuck's. Spend Sunday with them and then leave for Joyce's Monday Morning, hopefully getting there late that night. Tuesday we plan on driving to Christie's for supper then out to Sharon's at Tooele. Leaving Sharon's on Thursday morning and heading for home. The timing seems awful tight maybe it won't work out as planned.

Love Mom and Dad, Elder and Sister Hansen

9 March 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

      Time is drawing to a close. Big news here, we got about 9" of fluffy white snow on Wednesday night -Thursday morning. The wind blew, so it made drifts that were even deeper. Over at the Elders apartment it was about 12" in front of their place. It hadn't been walked on. Elder Fisi'iahi a Tongan from California couldn't resist. It was his first snow. He gave a flying leap into the snow landing on his stomach then he rolled in it. White shirt, tie and all. The Elders found a game of Risk in their apartment. Neither of them had played it before. Since they had been told not to go out that day. They invited me to play with them. While I played Risk mom packed up more of our apartment. (Just so you know, there is a reason why Tonga has never taken over the world.) I got the car swept off but we never went out anywhere all day. The next day we ventured out to visit a few members, but stayed close to home.

    On Saturday we decided to make an escape. The main roads were mostly clear so we drove about 60 miles to the south and visited an Arkansas State Park Museum. We have wanted to go since last year,but it never worked out. The only day we have a little time off is on Mondays and the State Parks are always closed on Mondays. I decided if we are going to go at all, we will just have to do it. So we didn't tell anyone we just got into the car and fled. The Park is in Parkin, Arkansas. It is built on the site of an ancient Indian Village. We could still see the moat that surrounded the village. The village cover a seventeen acre plot. They had dug a moat about 60 feet across and about 8 feet deep. Then they built walls out of vertical poles and then applied a hard clay to the poles, that was just inside the moat. It must have been an impressive fortress. The reason all this is known is that when Hernando De Soto (in the 1600's) and his men explored America they came to this village and three of his men kept journals of their travels and they are preserved and translated. Since no one ventured out to the park that day we had it all to ourselves and the Rangers spent time with just us. I bought a DVD of the film that they showed at the museum. It is real good.

   Mom here: This day light savings time is doing me in.  I went to sleep alright but was woke up at 3:00 am by someone singing, it was Dad.  I finally said shush and told him to stop.  I did not want to get up this morning.  We had our missionary correlating meeting at 8:00am so they can have Branch correlation by 8:30 or 9:00 am.  I'm not really sure why we all have to be to the Branch correlation since we have just discussed every thing with the Branch mission leader and he is in both meetings.  We didn't really want to say anything since we are leaving so soon and will have no part in the future activities.

     We will be very busy these next few weeks.  When I started taking things off of the walls Dad thought that I should wait and do all that the last week.  I plan on being all packed the night of the 27th so we can leave relatively early on the 28th and that means I pack most of everything these next couple of weeks.   I have lots of birthday cookies to give out plus there are a few that still need cookies from other months.  I also want to give birthday cookies to our friends at the Senior Center.  I plan on making a batch of cookies and taking them to the Seniors this week.

     Well Dad's swollen up toes are still sore but on Tues. he will have his big toe nails removed and the Doctor will drain any pus that is still there.  The Doctor wanted Dad to take antibiotics before he surgically removed the toe nails..He probably should have planned a little better since we have to be in Searcy for Specialized training Wed. morning.  He thinks that it will feel so much better that there shouldn't be a problem but I'm thinking that perhaps this won't be as easy as what he remembers from 30 years ago.  Next week we go to the temple on Mon. and on Wed we go back to Searcy for Zone meeting.  We will then finished with driving missionaries to all of their meetings.  The Branch members will have to pick up the slack or the mission will have to let them drive their cars to meetings.

     The huge snow fall is now dirty and melting very quickly.

Dad again: Word to the wise, when you go to the bathroom don't just let you pants drop to the floor, especially if you are barefoot and have an ingrown toenail. Those belt buckles can cause a lot of pain. In all actuality I have gone barefoot this past week longer than I've gone barefoot in the past year all put together.

    Well it has started raining, the snow we leave even sooner.

Love Mom and Dad

2 March 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

    It is so good to get your letters and emails, We love hearing from all of you.

    In the musical "1776" Ben Franklin says "I wish King George felt like my big toe." Well I wish President Obama felt like my big toe. For over 30 years I have not had to worry about ingrown toenails because I have had nail fungus so bad they just turn all narly and gross and fall off. This past summer I took that nail fungus medication and I now have nice fingernails on my right hand. It also cured all my toenail fungus, only it took twice as long, because toenails grow twice as slow. So now I have nice toenails, but I now have two nice ingrown toe nails. I am always in dress shoes and I wear socks always except in the shower. Since I haven't had to worry my toenails I wasn't paying that close attention to them. This last week all of a sudden, bamm, there where two bright red swollen toes. Going to the temple last Saturaday and wearing my temple shoes that are 30 years old. (Feet and ears are the part of the body that keeps growing as we get older) so my shoes are extremely tight. By the time I got out of the temple I was in pain. Yesterday I had to cut the end out of my sock so I could wear my shoes to church. I have been soaking my feet in hot water and salt and it helps. Scot told me Travis Youngberg told him to stuff toilet paper under the toenail and it helps hold them out. It works on my right toe nail. But my left toenail hasn't grown out enough to stuff anything under. "I wish King George felt like my big toe."

    Saturdays temple trip was a wonderful experience, the branch had scheduled it. President Milne asked us to help get Danny VanFleet prepared for the temple, we gave him the lessons and helped get all the clothing he needed ordered. It is always scary the first time not knowing what to expect. It seemed to go well. Another member of the branch that has always been active since we have been out here also got himself ready with the help of the branch president to go back to the temple for the first time in 25 years. He use to live in California and his dad was a Stake President and Temple Sealer. That was a good thing also.

     We had a new member of the branch over for supper last night. He moved into the ward about a month ago, he has been out to church the last three weeks. He recently suffered a stroke, he has been working on getting better, he can now get by without using a walker, however he moves very slowly.

    We had transfers this past Wednesday, Elder Brich finished his mission and left for Rancho Cucamunga,California. Sister Foster from Nampa was transferred to Jacksonville, Arkansas where she will be a trainer again for her last six weeks of her mission. Elder Cook was made a new trainer and our new district leader, his new companion is right out of the MTC Elder Fisi'iahi a Tongan from Oakland California. Big and quiet. Sister Taylor new companion is from Somoa she is small and extremely quiet. They are both very cold here.

    Saturday I finished reading the New Testament. Before that I read the Book of Mormon clear through. Now I'm in the D&C. Mom and I have been asked to speak in sacrament meeting here in Paragould March 22.

Mom Here: It is so hard to give a talk and have the 4th Sunday lesson to give.  This happened the last time we talked here.  I think that they kind of forgot that we will be going home soon.  I don't even know if there is a topic that we are to speak on.  We didn't have church last week because of the frozen parking lot at the church.  I had the lesson to give but since there was no church I just put it aside and forgot it.  Bad choice, I was asked to give the lesson yesterday because the person that was suppose to give the lesson did not come to church.  I wasn't asked until we were seated in Relief Society.  I had prepared for last week I should be able to do this and remember what I had planned on doing.   Well I gave the lesson and with a lot of inspiration was able to remember most of what I had prepared.  The one thing that I really  wanted to have was a downloaded version of Gethsemane.  That song really is beautiful and would have fit perfectly into the lesson but since I didn't know in time I was unable to use it.   No one here even knows about the song but I am thinking that it won't take long and there will be others that will have heard it now because it is on you tube.  I told everyone how to find it and I think that they will now look

     We have had bad weather and because it is so cold we still have snow that has turned into ice.  It will melt eventually but without warmer weather that is unlikely for much longer.  I am tired of walking very carefully so I won't slip and fall.  At the Seniors I just about slipped under the car sideways.  The ice on the curb was very slippery and it was all I could do to grab onto the car.

     Well it is true we will be leaving soon and I have started packing anything that is not being used.  The Sisters are here to use the computer so I need to close.   We love you all

                                                                   Dad and Mom