10/10/13: Our MTC district, rice farming, and the first week in Arkansas

(from Dad)
 The local Utility company also provides internet and cable service, so on Thursday we went down and signed up for internet services. They scheduled us or 11:00 am the next day. He got here a little late, but he was pleasant and got us hooked up with a modem and all. He use to live in Washington up by Seattle somewhere, so he didn't have that southern drawl that everyone back here seems to have.

    After he left, I called a local farmer, I had contacted the day before. He had invited us to his farm. He runs 6,000 acres, he is very busy. He was in his new big John Deere combine, combining rice. Because the rice is grown in standing water, the rice fields stay flooded all of June, July, August and into September. Then they drain the fields and aerial spray on salt water, which burns the top of the plants back. Then in about a week they go in and combine the rice. They buy special stripper headers from England that mounts to the JD combines for about $30,000 It's 28 feet wide and does an amazing job. I rode in the combine with the farmer Doug Threlkeld, Mom was game and she rode in the 2nd combine with a hired man for over an hour. Doug's son drove the third combine. Because the fields are still very muddy, the combines are 4 wheel drive and the front wheels are dualed up. They hold 100's of bushel of rice. They don't dump into trucks because they would get stuck in the fields, they dump into huge grain carts pulled by huge JD 4 wheel drive tractors, that take the rice to the grain bins where it is stored and dried. While in the combine, I got a call from the sister missionaries who needed us to go with them to teach a single fellow a discussion. So we had to leave

and go with the Sisters.  I am going to try to attach some photo's of the combine and also our district and trainers at the MTC, but I don't see the attach place on this version of AOL. But I will try.

I think I have attached our district picture. The older couple Elder and Sister Stucki have been called to be Employment Missionaries to the Navajo Indians. The white haired sister is Sister Graham, she went on a mission when younger, never married, teaches accounting and economics, she is called as the financial secretary to the North Carolina Mission. Sister Mortensen is a convert from

her youth. Her husband died 3 years ago, she was called to work in the Virginia Mission Home. Elder and Sister Gordon are called as Military Relation Missionaries in Germany. He was a career army man and his wife was a military nurse. Our MTC trainers were Sister Mart an unmarried RM and Brother David ????? a married RM and a convert to the church.

Love,

Elder & Sister Hansen

the grain cart being filled by the combine

the big 4 wheel drive JD tractor pulling the grain cart through the mud

 the stripper header looks like from underneath that's a stainless steel drum with rows of stainless steel strippers that strip the rice heads off the stocks.

across this huge rice field, if you look close you can see levee after levee across the field following the contours of the land so that flooding the field all summer can take place

Mr. Threlkeld standing on the platform of his Combine

 (from Mom)
So yes we are settled in our apartment and starting to get settled in our new life.  We met the mission Pres. Wed morning.  He is enthused about missionary work but a little overwhelmed with all the missionaries that will be coming into the area in the next couple of months.  They are trying to figure out where to put everyone.  In this area there are a set of Sisters, a set of Elders, and Dad and myself.  It is almost over kill but the Elders are in another little town that comes to Paragould for church.  We met the Branch President Wed. night.  Dad and I are teaching the youth the Sunday School Lesson.  That is our first assignment plus we were given a list of people that the old set of missionaries want us to contact and reactivate back to church.  We found out rather quickly that if you want to meet anyone you will find them at Wall Mart, well they find us and introduce themselves.  The Branch President is young but he is doing his best to fill positions but I think that the problem is not enough active people that are dependable.

    Well Dad wanted hot and we are trying to get used to this kind of heat.  It has been in the high 80's so I am looking at my closet to find clothes that are cooler because that kind of heat this time of the year is something that we are not used to.  We had a humdinger thunder storm this morning with rain coming down in sheets of water.  It is now clearing up and it feels like there is a lot of water in the air.

     Yesterday we went out on a friendship experience to a rice farm and met the owner.  He offered us a chance to ride in the rice combines which we did for about an hour, we asked all kinds of questions and they answered them.  I was told by the hired man that he liked going to church on Sunday, come home to good Sunday dinner, and spend time with his kids.  We weren't trying to act like missionaries we were acting as a friend and just introduce them to the church in a non threatening way so if they are approached they might listen to the missionary lessons. This was a man that Dad found by calling the Farm Bureau office here and they suggested that Dad call Mr .Threlkeld  who owned rice fields and soybean fields.  He thought that we were a branch of the Amish or Mennenites  but if he had really known about the Amish he would have know that we weren't dressed the right way.  Anyway it was a great experience.   We went with the Sisters to visit a man who has been taking the lessons for at least 5 years. He has some big issues and the Sisters really need to stay away from him.  I don't think that they realize what pornography entails because they are very naïve and have no idea what that really is about..

     The Sisters and Elders are coming to dinner tomorrow, I have a roast so it should be pretty easy meal to fix.  It is so good to fix my own meals.  After the MTC food I was ready for something that I could eat.

     Yes we like e-mail but we go to our mailbox and there is nothing there.  So this is our address

                                                                                                  Elder and Sister David Hansen/or Elder David Hansen and Sister Luella Hansen

                                                                                                 2626 Erin Way

                                                                                                Paragould, Ar. 72450

The Farewell Talks

These are Mom and Dad's talks from Sacrament meeting, or at least they were the talks that they prepared.  They didn't have a lot of time for their talks and did a lot of summing up and testimony instead.  I really felt bad that I couldn't make it to listen to them speak, but feel a little better that no one else got to hear these talks either.  So enjoy!

Mom's Talk

When I was 12 years old, I received my Patriarchal Blessing.  I was promised that I would serve a mission.
All through my life up to this time, that thought was always in the back of my mind.  As we sent six of our eight children on missions, that thought was there. 
How have I prepared for this opportunity?
I was baptized when I was 8.
I was taught by my parents and good teachers.
I was able to attend seminary.
I went to Ricks and that's when I learned more about Priesthood blessings, temple marriage, and my own testimony.  I met David at Ricks.  I was married in the temple.
I am a wife and mother.
I have served in the wards that I lived in.
I am now ready to do something different to step out and serve in a way that I have never done before.
Paul wrote in 1 Cor 13:1-8 what charity is:
1.  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4.  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5.  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7.  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8.  Charity never faileth:  but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Moroni 7: 46-47 expounds on charity:
46.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.  Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail--
47.  But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
Moroni goes on to explain in Moroni 10: 20-21:
20.  Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.
21.  And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope.
All of these things tell us that we need faith, hope, and charity or we are nothing.
We have to have faith, the ability to believe in things not seen, hope that there will be a better life, charity to have a Christ-like love for each other.  In D&C 19:18 it is very straight forward:
18.  Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit-- and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink--
All we have to do is to look around at all people on the earth and know that they chose to follow Christ's plan of redemption.  It is our job or calling to have Christ-like love for them.  There are times when it would be easier not to care, but that isn't what we are supposed to do.  We have to have unconditional love.  Christ never said, "I won't love you if you don't do as I say."  He said, "if you keep my commandments, I will bless you."  He keeps his promises and he always loves us.
We have to open our hearts, have ears that hear and eyes that see.  We have to be aware of the people around us that need to know about the pure love of Christ.
I don't know anyone who exemplified charity any better than Christ did.  there are stories in the scriptures that show his love and compassion for the people of Jerusalem and the Book of Mormon people.  So my in calling as a missionary in Paragould, I need to have faith, hope, and charity to serve the people there.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Dad's talk:
Years ago when Lou and I were first married we basically had nothing.  I had just gotten off my mission, I had nothing except some clothes.  Dad helped me buy a used car.  Lou had been living with her parents.  She worked, but all the money went to attending college.  Now I have never been what you would call a really smart person.  So being a not smart person and having nothing, I asked Lou to marry me, not at some time in the future when I had finally accumulated something, but right then.  Now, I knew Lou was cute and I thought she was smart, but as I look back I wonder how smart she was when she said yes, she would marry me, however she was very brave and we started our life together with basically nothing.
In the book of Luke chapter 14 verse 28 it states:  "For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counted the cost, whether he hat sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish."  Now I'm not sure why the Savior told this story or exactly what it means, but I think over the thousands of years and the many translations of the Bible, the text has become corrupt and the name David Hansen was lost and the words "which of you" has been inserted.  Because this story is me.  Every time I read this scripture or hear it read and her the words "which of you" I feel like raising my hand.
Like building a tower, this holds true with having children.  Lou and I have never asked ourselves, "can we afford to start of family, or can we afford to have another child?"  We have never, ever, asked ourselves or discussed those questions.  Maybe because we know the answer would be no, we can't.  The same thing holds true with buying the farm, building a home, sending our kids on missions, paying tithing, or serving in the church.  I simply am one that "sitteth not down first and counteth the cost".  I am one that has simple faith, that somehow things will work out.  That might not be very smart on my part, but so far it has worked for me.
This also holds true with going on this mission to Arkansas.  We have not asked ourselves, "Can we afford to go on a mission and pay all of our own expenses, or can we afford to be gone for six months for the next three years?"  Our mindset is simply "let's do it!"  Most of you remember Bishop LeeRen Walker.  Visiting with him after his and Beverly's first mission, he gave us this advice about serving a mission.  "Set a date when you will leave on a mission and then don't let anything get in your way of meeting that date.  There will always be a reason you can't go, but go anyway."
A lot of my grandchildren are here today. How are you guys doing down there?  Is the coloring and drawing going Okay?  Have you ever noticed how little children draw?  When children first learn to draw a person, they usually first draw a circle, then they draw to eyes and a mouth, then sometimes they draw some hair on the head, then the legs come right out of the head.  At home we have a toy box I made when our first kids were very little.  I asked them to draw a picture.  Mark drew a car.  Two year old Jill drew a picture of a person.  I then routered those pictures on to the toy box.  Jill's person has two eyes, some hair, and legs coming right out of the head.  That's the way it starts almost every time.  As they mature and get older, their pictures improve and they become more realistic and recognizable.
The same holds true with many of the principles of the gospel.  A child has a really hard time feeling things like empathy, that is, putting themselves in someone else's place or situation.  As we mature and prepare ourselves, that ability can become easier for us to do.  When I was first called to serve on the high council, one of our assignments each year was to speak at the prison in Ontario.  I was a little apprehensive about the assignment and going to prison, not knowing what to expect.  My assignment fell on Mother's Day so I carefully prepared a talk and felt good about giving it.  However I found out that I was not prepared emotionally and mentally for that experience.  I came home feeling sick and I was physically ill for about a week.  As I tried to put myself in their place and their situation, it became overwhelming for me.  They were men just like me.  They had mothers just like me.  They honored and loved them just like me.  They had weaknesses just like me.  They hadn't always listened to the Spirit's promptings just like me.  They gave gospel lessons just like me.  They loved the Lord just like me.  They sang the songs of Zion just like me.  They prayed to Heavenly Father just like me.  They pleaded and sought for forgiveness just like me.  Each year as I went back to the prison it got a little better; I had prepared myself better.  Then finally the prison branch was given to the Weiser Sake and Brad Roberts was called to be the Branch President and he asked that I serve as his executive secretary.  I really had my doubts in fulfilling that assignment.  It was still hard to attend those prison meetings.  President Roberts shared with me some advice he had received years before.  He said, "We are not called to judge these men for what they have done, that has already been done by the courts.  We are called to serve these men and help bless their lives through the gospel."  That was good advice.
It has been three years now since I started serving at the prison.  That has been a life changing experience.  I have learned so much about serving in the church.  I have had the opportunity of working with some wonderful people in and out of the church.  The people that volunteer at the prison are amazing, not that's not the word, wonderful, no that's not the right word either, special, not that is also not it.  I guess the best description for them is that they are Christ like.  They give of their time, without any pay or reimbursement to help those in need.  Not only do those in the church do that, all of the volunteers that I know, do that.
The apostle Paul in writing to the Corinthians made it very clear:  "For as in Adam all die, even so in  Christ shall all be made alive."  Not just those who confess Christ as their personal Savior, not just those that are baptized in his name, not just those that are married in the temple, not just those that live a good life.  Every man that has ever been born, every man that has ever lived, every man that has ever died, Jesus Christ saved them all, after all He is the Savior of the world.  He is the Savior of all mankind.  That was his calling long before this earth was ever created and he fulfilled his calling.  He paid the price, he atoned for the sins of all mankind.  The scriptures are also clear, he did not do this for His glory, he did not do this so he could boast, he did this out of His pure love for all mankind.  That is was Lou talked about, charity.  The pure love of Jesus Christ, the perfect love that Christ had for all mankind.  So what did the Savior save us from.  He saved us from death.  "As in Adam all die, in Christ all shall be made alive".  All will be resurrected.  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  Not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. (Eph 2) it is a free gift.
If salvation is free, then why should we strive to live a good life?  Why should we keep the commandment of God?  Why should we abstain from indulging in the lusts of the flesh?  Let's read from the writings of Abraham to understand this a little better, starting in Abraham3:24:  "We will go down for there is space there, and we will take of these materials and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell:  And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever their Lord shall command them:  And they that keep their first estate shall be added upon: and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever."  Being the Savior of all mankind and freeing them from death and sin is something Jesus Christ chose to do, and He did it and he did it perfectly.  On the other hand, becoming exalted and having glory added upon our heads forever and ever is something that we must choose to do.  Of course, we could never do this if it wasn't for Jesus Christ who overcame death and sin.  He opened the way, He is the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father but by Jesus Christ.  John 14:6.
Jesus Christ mad it possible for us to choose to follow Heavenly Father and to keep his commandments.  He gave us someone to have perfect faith in.  That is Himself.  He gave us the principle of repentance, which is a way to overcome our personal sins.  He gave us the ordinance of baptism so we could have our sins washed away and become clean before the Lord.  He ordained men and gave them the power and authority to confer upon us the gift of the Holy Ghost.  A gift that can enable us to have the knowledge and power to avoid the temptation of the adversary.  A gift that can help purify and sanctify us from the sins of this world.  He gave some apostles and prophets, stake and ward leaders for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  Until we all come in the unity of faith, and knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Romans 10:13-15 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they be sent unless a prophet shall send them.?
Lou and I are going on a mission, we are willing to go.  However we did not call ourselves, we are not sending ourselves.  Our call came from a prophet of God.  We have been sent to Arkansas by a prophet of God.  We did choose the length of time we would like to serve.  We are grateful for that.
I am so grateful that Jesus Christ has restored the fullness of the gospel to the earth in these the latter days.  I am so grateful that He directs the direction of His gospel through a living prophet and apostles.  I am so grateful to have the health and the means to be caught up in this wave of missionaries that are being sent throughout the world this last time before He cleanseth the world with fire.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Helpful links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paragould,_Arkansas

http://www.paragould.org/index.php

http://www.mission.net/arkansas/little-rock/

www.mormon.org

www.lds.org

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/memphis/

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=3695

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_in_Arkansas

The First Letter

Dear family,
    I thought that perhaps it would be good if I shared with you what is going on concerning our mission call.
     We will be serving in Paragould, AK, which is located in the north eastern part of Arkansas.  It is the 19th largest city in Arkansas and is 88 miles from Memphis, TN.  The church doesn't even rate a mark on the religion scale.  The Southern Baptist is the church that most people who live there attend and this is the famed Bible Belt area.  We will be trying to help make the branch into a ward.  At least that was what we have been told.  Paragould is the home to four colleges so I guess it could be said that that is what makes the money in that area.
We have an apartment that we will be living in.  Apparently there is already a set of missionaries living in the same apartment complex.  The financial missionary told us that they will have our apartment furnished when we get there but we might have to buy a few things at Walmart.  He told us that there is a Walmart in just about every town and apparently there are a lot of little towns all around Paragould.  Members who live in the little towns come to church in Paragould.  We will be going to Memphis for Zone Conferences and we were told to bring temple clothes because we will be attending the temple in Memphis.  There is a chapel in Paragould, so that is nice.
     We have to report to the MTC on September 30th between 10:00- 11:00 am.  We are leaving here Saturday and spending that night with Sharon and then Sunday night we will be spending the night with my cousin who lives in Orem. 
     As it stands right now we will be speaking September 15th.  We meet at 10:30 am for Sacrament meeting.  You are invited to come and share this time with us if you would like.  There will be dinner after church.
     We still have lots to do and the list that we made is getting longer instead of smaller.
  
     Our email address will stay the same:  dlhfarms@aol.com
   
     Our new address will be:  Elder and Sister David Hansen
                                               2618 Erin Ave Apt 2408
                                               Paragould, AK       72450