July 12, 2013 ~ Goiania Brazil Mission, Rio Verde ~ letter sent June 3 - received July 12

Dear Family,

Hey guys!! This is actually the first letter that I've written in Brazil haha. I sort of know how the whole Brazil Mission system works now. Where to fudging start... Brazil is CRAZY! Like literally crazy. There are interesting people everywhere here in Rio Verde. I see cray people and things that I didn't see in Goiania lol. THE FOOD...I freaking love the food here! I hated beans before my mission but now beans are like my favorite part of lunch haha. Guarani is amazing!!!!!! Like my favorite drink ever. It stinks that this drink basically doesn't exist in the United States. The only drinks that exist in Brazil are Sprite, Guarana, Fanta, & Coke. We're not allowed to drink Coke in the mission which is fine by me because I hate Coke..

My area in Rio Verde is ginormous!!! We literally walk everywhere. Our Chapel is considered close to where we live but it is still far away lol. Every house has a huge locked gate outside of their front door, so we either have to clap at the gate or knock on the gate really loud. It's weird but it's probably because people are always stealing stuff. There are churches EVERYWHERE!!! There are at least 5 different churches on my street. People from other churches are always screaming and casting out demons when we pass by hahahahaha it's so funny. The MUSIC I hear in the street is awful. Elder Lima says that the songs have awful lyrics, like stuff Lil Wayne has on his songs lol. There is this super popular music called Funk and I absolutely hate it with all of my heart. All of the songs have the same beat and the lyrics are awful too. It's sort of like retarded rap like Pitbull or 2 chainz...mix them together and you get Funk. The worst type of music of all time. I'm so grateful for American Music :/  Brazilians like most American music so we hear it on the street sometimes but they never play the stuff I like haha like Coldplay.

THE PEOPLE OF BRAZIL ARE AWESOME!!! I love the members and all our investigators that we teach sooooo much... The people are humble, kind, yet blunt at the same time haha. There's this lady named Macilene Desculpe that Elder Lima baptized before I came here and she seriously is the nicest person ever! She makes food for us every time we visit her because she absolutely loves us! It's crazy how much happiness the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings into the lives of  the Brazilian people. Macilene lost her daughter a year ago and was so happy when she learned from Elder Lima that she could be with her daughter again for all Eternity in the Celestial Kingdom with Heavenly Father. She is so Awesome!! I love Elder Lima, he seriously has helped me so much and I'm super bummed that his mission ends June 24 :( So I'll have some other annoying companion lol.

It hadn't rained once since I've been in Rio Verde until this week. Now it rains everyday!! June - August are the "cold" months in Brazil. I've been freezing my butt off this week but not really because I think it's only a few degrees cooler than it was :/  It's so funny, everybody here has been wearing hoodies because they think it's so cold but in reality it's 85 degrees instead of 90 degrees.

It seriously is so crazy how much my testimony of the Gospel has grown on my mission. Seeing the change that Jesus Christ Church brings to the lives of the great people of Brazil is amazing. I'm so happy that I received my call to a place where tons of people are willing to accept this Gospel. I feel so freaking blessed. Sometimes I'll get a little homesick but God helps comfort me and keeps me in line with the things that I need to accomplish during my time here. This work and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are so true. I love watching the Restoration of the Gospel with the Investigators because I know that they are feeling the Spirit so strongly while watching it. Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. There is no doubt in my mind that this Church is true and it's exciting to share this truth to all who are willing to hear it. Eu Sou muito greto por esta oportunidade que Eu tenho para servir Meu Senhor. Ele me-deu muitos bencaos em minha vida. Mas, o Melhor bencao em minha vida, e minha familia :) Eu amo voces com tudo o meu coracao. Eu oro para voces cada dia e estou sentindo Seus oracocs por mim tambem. Esta Igreja e verdadeira! Eu espero que voces estao Ben. amo voces de novo KKKKK English Translation ~ I am very grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve my Savior because he gave me everything I have in my life and my family. I love you guys with all my heart and I pray for you guys every day and I hope you are doing well. I love you and miss you kkkkkk

Love Elder Hanson

BTW- FELIZ ANNIVERSARIO NOE! You're the best! I love you!

July 8, 2013 ~ Goiania Brazil Mission, Rio Verde ~ Week 24

Dear Family,

Oi!!!!!!!!!!!! What's up??? Haha so this week was not as crazy as last week, but it was still kind of doido. Anyways! We have two new roommates that arrived in Rio Verde the other day. Elder Lobos (he's from Chile) and Elder Lee (he's from Texas). They don't bug me at all haha so that's good. Elder Lee is new and just arrived in Brazil on Wednesday. I know exactly what he is feeling haha. He was in New York in a Portuguese speaking mission while he was waiting for his Visa for 11 weeks! So he had 11 weeks longer than I did to improve his Portuguese before coming to Brazil. He actually speaks pretty well and he has a super good trainer that's actually helping him (unlike me with my first trainer :/) haha

So this week, Elder Di Giordano and I were focusing on this guy named Kcyrtap (name change) (not sure if I have already talked about him, I don't remember lol). He was supposed to be baptized on Saturday, but we got to his house before the baptism and he wasn't there! So we waited for a little bit and he still didn't come home. We talked to some of his friends and they said that he went to the gym ://////. Weird!! Anyways, later, like 8:30  at night, we passed by his house again and he was there. We talked to him and he said that he had to work but he said that he still wanted to be baptized Sunday Morning. He wasn't there again!!!! It was so frustrating. I think that he feels like he's not quite ready to be baptized yet?!?!?!?!?! Also, we are going to teach our investigators lessons with members present. I think that Kcyrtap not being ready was our fault, because we haven't been teaching him with members and he needs somebody at church that he can sit with during sacrament meeting. But we'll try harder this week with him.

There is another Awesome family we found to teach. They have a mom, whose name is Maria and she has three daughters, whose names are Larissa, Laus, and Laissa and they are all teenagers. We have been teaching them and they have a baptismal date set for for July 20th. So that's pretty sweet!!! My Testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has grown so much during my time here in Brazil. I am truly blessed with all that I have. So many people here in Brazil have basically nothing and it's difficult to see. The beautiful people here are so humble as well. I'm really thankful to have this opportunity to serve my Savior and bring Brazil the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Not much else happened this week. For the Fourth of July we sang the National Anthem with our District Leader (who is also an American) in the morning and then we sang it again at night haha. It was pretty sweet! That's all we did, nobody in Brazil knew that the Fourth of July was a holiday for us! Their Independence Day is September 7th.

Anyways! I hope you guys have a great week! I hope your Independence Day was amazing and that you're all doing okay. Good Luck to Chris on his Wedding this week! I can't believe I'm missing it. I'll try to send another letter this week, but if not I'll definitely send one next week. Let me know when you get that letter that I sent! Love you guys! Tchau!

Elder Colin Hancao

July 1, 2013 ~ Goiania Brazil Mission, Rio Verde ~ Week 23

Dear Family,

Hey Guys! Entao, esta semana passada foi doida demais kkkkkk :) Anyways! We had an unexpected baptism this week! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' Haha it was totes cray. My new companion is Elder Di Giordano, he is the one I already told you guys about haha but whatevs. He is the Elder that has been staying in the same house as Elder Lima and me. He's from California and he is Italian but he does not speak Italian. He's sick and we work really good together.

This is what happened this week. So we went to Goiania on Monday with our zone and Elder Di G. and I stayed with the Assistants there.. Their house is soooooooooo nice haha, it's huge! But anyways, we haven't met the new Mission President yet because I'm pretty sure he arrives today! President Prieto left the mission yesterday :(. But the Conference was great! I got to see some of the friends that I've made on my mission as well as a certain past companion :/......haha (you know what I mean by this). But I learned a ton and what was totes cray was I almost understood everything that was said there lol. It was crazy good to see the Elders that were in my MTC district because they've all changed so much even during this little time that we've been in Brazil. They've improved so much with Portuguese. But it was WAY FUN because the whole Goiania Brazil Mission was there and the Spirit was so strong.

Elder Hanson and President Prieto (Mission President)

The Brazil Goiania Mission (Colin is 6th from the right on the back row)

Elder Moffit and Elder Hanson

Elder Hanson and Elder Wallace

Elder Dahl and Elder Hanson

Anyway! After we got back, we sort of struggled. I think I told you guys last week about Nosidan (name change), Elder Di G's investigator. So we went by his house pretty much every day and he was never there! It sucked because he was supposed to be baptized this week. We called him on Saturday, the day of his baptism and he said he was working all day. He also didn't go to church on Sunday and so we had to drop him as an investigator :(. It bites because he understands the doctrine so well! Way better than any person that I've taught so far. It was really weird and it makes me really sad for him. But!!!! We had a miracle happen this week! On Friday, we were thinking that Nosidan probably wasn't going to be baptized this week so we kept stopping by this guy named Andre's house and he also was NEVER there. However, we fasted (for a lot of reasons) all day Friday, but the main reason was to find Andre. So we were walking down this street by the Church trying to find people to teach, when a thought came to us that we should stop by his house one more time. We did and Andre was finally there!! We hadn't taught him all of the lessons yet but we did teach him about the commandments that prepare our investigators for baptism, so he was practically ready. We asked him if he wanted to talk with our District Leader, who is the person who performs the baptismal interviews, and he said YES!! Our District Leader talked with him and he accepted to be Baptized on Sunday! It was AWESOME!!! He was baptized and Confirmed yesterday! Just goes to show what fasting can do :).

Elder Di Giordano, Andre, Colin

Also, we had a crazy experience that has never happened to my companion or me in our lives. On Saturday night at about 8:45 pm, we filled the baptismal font in preparation for Andre's baptism on Sunday. When we were finished I started to feel super strange and as we were leaving the church, this bad feeling kept growing stronger and stronger. We were walking down the street that we usually walk on when we go back to our house and Elder Di G. said do you feel strange and I told him yes, like something bad was going to happen to us strange. We were both feeling the same thing so we went back to the church and went a different way, a more dangerous way back home haha. This street is always filled with druggies and drunks and its super dangerous so we always avoid it. But what is weird, is we felt so much more safe walking this way. And we made it home safely. It was like the type of feeling you get when you watch a scary movie, but WAY worse lol. But we're safe! And nothing happened but you never know what would've happened if we hadn't listened to the Spirit. So always listen to the Spirit! Haha

Anyways! That's about it this week! My hair is really blonde now and I've officially lost 20 pounds haha I weighed myself for the first time the other day. It's totes Awesome. Have a good week! BTW, I still haven't received your packages other than the CTR ring one... It's totes slow lol, Tchau! Love you guys more than you know!

Elder Hanson

June 24, 2013 ~ Goiania Brazil Mission, Rio Verde ~ Week 22

Dear Family,

Well, this week was not the best of my life haha! We didn't baptize Nanyat (name change) :( what happened was we went to his house practically every day this week and he was never there! It was so stinking frustrating!!!! We sort of know now that he doesn't really want to be baptized because I think he wants to continue doing what he did before we started teaching him. I don't think he wants to change :/ but anyway, that's that.

Also Elder Lima went home on Friday :'(. It was super triste (sad in Portuguese) and I'll miss him like crazy. He really didn't want to go home haha. We had a super successful companionship with 8 baptisms in 7 weeks together! But now it's just me and Elder Di Giordano in Rio Verde (Bairro Popular lol) for now because his companion went home on Friday as well. We're going to Goiania today for the huge Conference with President Prieto since it's his last week being our Mission President. They said that two more missionaries will come back with us this week, so I hope they're not annoying hahaha.

I actually didn't hear about the missionary announcement that you guys told me about until I read your emails haha. They didn't allow the missionaries to watch the broadcast yesterday so I didn't hear that missionaries are to use Facebook, blogs and other social media to expand the the Lords work or anything about it. But, honestly I don't really want to use Facebook Haha. Maybe when I learn a little more about what we are going to do on Facebook then it'll be fine, but I don't know, whatever lol.

Nothing much else happened this week lol. This past week has been kind of a drag because we haven't had much success. We are still looking for more people to teach because the work has been a little flat this last week even though Rio Verde is one of the most successful areas in my mission haha. It's been frustrating but The Lord has a hand in everything and we need to trust in Him. One of Elder Di Giordano's investigators, is going to be baptized this Saturday, maybe. He was supposed to be baptized this last Saturday but it fell through. He says he wants to learn a little bit more about the Church before he's baptized, which is fine but he didn't go to Church yesterday! So weird!! We pray everything will go as planned and he will be baptized next Saturday.

 I heard about the Brazil manifestations in pretty much EVERY CITY in Brazil, but only because one of our recent converts was talking about it haha. If they hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have heard anything about it. We live in a bubble lol we never hear anything as missionaries. I honestly have no idea what's happening in the United States other than what you tell me.

K, Cooper is dominating his mission in Guatemala! Have you guys talked with Tyler or Kristin about what he's doing? He only has 9 months into his mission and he is already a trainer. Crazy! He taught 93 lessons this week. That's insane! I'm working my butt off teaching 30 to 40 lessons a week haha. I also sent a letter today to you guys haha even though I wrote it like 2 or 3 weeks ago lol. Sorry, I forgot about it :/!

Anyways! Love you guys! Keep going strong through everything. I pray for you guys every day and night! Have a good week!

Elder Hanson

June 17, 2013 ~ Goiania Brazil Mission, Rio Verde ~ Week 21

Dear Family,

Hey Family!!!! I hope you guys are doing well this week, HAPPY LATE FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!! Father's day isn't really big in Brazil haha I barely even heard about this week. Weird because Mother's Day is huge here!!! I hope you had a great Father's Day Meu Pai ;) Love you!!!

Anyways! We had one baptism this week, we almost had two but Anyat (name change), backed out literally at the last minute. He said something happened that day but he didn't want to say. Then yesterday at Church, he told Elder Lima what happened but I was talking to someone else at the time, so I didn't hear what happened. Yeah,  I literally have no idea what happened but he says he wants to be baptized before Elder Lima goes home. So we're hoping he'll be baptized this Friday!! Bom DEMAIS!!!!! We could use your prayers for him.

The BAPTISM that DID happen was this guy named Amaury ( Ah-man-dee lol). He was actually a contact that my zone leader had a few months back when he was in this area. This was before I came to Rio Verde. They taught him the lessons and were hoping to baptize Amaury. But apparently there were a few issues and so he couldn't be baptized. He really loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ so he always kept going to Church. Then, Last Sunday, he told Elder Lima and I that he wanted to be baptized this week! Everything lined up so we literally didn't do anything haha but he was Baptized!!! It was SUPER COOL because he wanted to be BAPTIZED MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD!!! It was Awesome!!!! The Spirit was so strong!!

Elder Lima, Amaury, Elder Colin Hanson

Cooper taught 90 lessons this past week in Guatemala!! Holy Fudge! How is that even possible?!?!?!?! It is our goal to teach 40 lessons every week. This makes me proud of Cooper and it makes me want to work my butt off and go hard as well! BTW! We didn't have the Big Conference this last week haha. No one knows why we didn't have it or when it will take place?! Elder Lima goes to Goiania and it is the end of his mission this Friday, which means that I will get a new companion this week :( I'm hoping it will be one of the Elders that's staying in the same house as us, Elder Di Giordano. His companion also goes home this week. Elder Di Giordano is an Italian from California, he is really cool, and I'm praying we'll become companions!

Portuguese.... I feel like I can have a decent conversation with people! But it depends on the people haha. There's some people that speak a different dialect of Portuguese haha so it's tough to understand all that they say. I'm still working on conjugating all the verbs properly but it's coming. Elder Lima understands everything I say so it's getting so much better! We haven't been robbed for forever because we've been smarter about everything!

Nothing much else has happened. I hope you guys are doing well and that Erik and his gurl aren't getting too serious (soulmates). I hope Noah isn't doing DRUGS hahaha!!!! I hope Mom & Dad are doing well lol. Love you all! OS AMO MUITO!!!!!

Elder Hancao

June 10, 2013 ~ Goiania Brazil Mission, Rio Verde ~ Week 20

Dear Family,

Hey! How are you guys doing? I hope this last week of school was great for you guys :) and I hope Noah had a crazy Birthday!!! Way to score awesome grades Noah, I'm proud of my little Brother.

This week blew chunks big time. We didn't have a baptism this week because our investigators are struggling. We're teaching this kid named Nanyat (name change) (15) and he's cool but he is kind of a brat to us haha. He is a good friend of a member of the ward and so we began teaching him. He says he really wants to be baptized but he won't go to Church and he is afraid that he's going to have to "change" after he is baptized. We asked if he wanted to be baptized on the 8th of June and he was like "no I want to be baptized on the 15th of June" so hopefully he'll be baptized this week. Kind of frustrating haha!!!

We have a conference in Goiania this week because President Prieto and Sister Prieto are ending their missions at the end of this month. The whole mission is going to be there! It'll be fudging crazy. But I'm worried because Elder Lima is ending his mission on the 22nd of June and he's thinking that he'll be sent home early because of this conference. It's expensive to travel from Rio Verde to Goiania by bus, so he thinks that he'll end his mission this week :'( I really don't want another companion haha because he has been so Awesome!!!

We're also teaching this other family. I can understand most of what they say haha because they're from São Paulo and they speak clearly and they don't speak as fast as the people in Rio Verde. They're pretty sweet and they love to talk and talk, so it's hard to get a lesson in haha when we visit them. They made us mad yesterday though because they didn't go to Church! So dumb! That honestly is the hardest part of the mission is getting people to go to Church. Our area is big, so people have to travel a long distance to go to Church, but still. GO TO CHURCH!!!!!

Nothing much else happened this week. My Portuguese is improving every week now and I'm understanding what people are saying to me most of the time. Usually the only times I don't understand somebody is if they use a word that I don't know. Which is just about every other time I talk to somebody haha. Anyways, I'm feeling a lot better about the language and about teaching. I really love all the members and the investigators so I'm having more fun.

 My favorite scripture of all time is Ether 12:27. "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I think that scripture has helped me out so much in my life and on my mission. I'm so hard on myself and this scripture just brings me so much comfort with everything. I have many weaknesses but God gave me these weaknesses so that I will be humble. I know that someday, these weaknesses will become strengths. When I go to members houses to have lunch, we share a message as well and I love sharing this scripture with them. I feel like this scripture was written just for me haha.

Anyways! You guys know that I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true Church. This work is Awesome!!! I know that it will be hard but it will be so worth it. Love you guys! Tchau! Ate a proximate semana!

Love Elder Colin Hancao (this is how the Brazilians pronounce my name)

June 3, 2013 ~ Goiania Brazil Mission, Rio Verde ~ Week 19

Hey Guys!

What's up??? Haha this week was really good. We finally baptized Mateus and Marcos!! Bom Demais!! (Too Good!! thumbs up)? It was so cool and WE TOOK PICTURES! My testimony on fasting also grew this week like crazy.  We were struggling with Mateus and Marcos because they kept saying that they didn't want to be baptized. I think it was Wednesday or Thursday, Elder Lima and I fasted all day for them and for other things as well. But that night, we went over to their house and they were super excited and said that they wanted to be baptized! It was so weird, I have no idea what happened but I know now that fasting helps make miracles happen lol.  Before I had always questioned fasting, no not really, but I've always hated it! lol

Clarisse' mom, Clarisse, Elder Lima, Mateus, Colin, Marcos

Anyways, as you can tell, my English is rapidly declining. I seriously can't remember how to correctly put words into sentences and you guys are probably reading this and saying, Wow, we seriously raised a brilliant son, Not :/  I seriously am really worried haha because right now I'm speaking Portuguese but not amazing and so I hope I don't get stuck somewhere in the middle of English and Portuguese mode haha. I honestly don't know why I'm telling you this :/

By the way! I got your packages a few weeks ago haha I just keep forgetting to tell you guys.  Thank you so much!!!! I almost started crying when I got new G's because my old ones have sweat stains and are basically yellow :/ it's awesome. I don't really think I need you to send me anything else yet, I'll let you know if I think of anything.

We are walking so much! I seriously think that we walk like 10 miles a day at least. Our area is ginormous!!! We found a cool abandoned city haha yesterday but I didn't have my camera with me :( . I can't bring my camera with me everywhere because I'm afraid that one guy who assaulted us will steal it. Then we found this cool little forest with a pretty waterfall and everything.  It was really cool!!! But you'll never see it because I didn't take any pictures.....lol

I'm going to write a handwritten letter today and explain everything about what's going on here in Brazil because I really don't have very much time to email haha.  Let me know when you get it. I feel so bad for the Barnetts!  They are like the nicest family in the world but all these trials keep happening to them. Tell them that I'll be praying for them. I'm happy Grandpa's surgery went well, I didn't even know he had to have heart surgery again. You need to tell me things.

Congrats to Cody and Sharwan on graduating! I can't believe it was only a year ago since I graduated, it seems like 5 years ago haha.  Sharwan going to BYU Hawaii is Cool. I figured Cody would go to USU but whatever haha.

FELIZ ANNIVERSARIO NOE (Noah in Portuguese) ESTA QUARTA-FEIRA! VOCE E MEU MELHOR AMIGO E EU TE-AMO DEMAIS! EU ESPERO QUE VOCE E SUA NAMORADA TEM UM DIA LOUCO KKKKKK (Haha in Portuguese). AMO VOCE BICHA! English Translation: Happy Birthday Noah this Wednesday! You are my best friend and I love you too. I hope you and your gurl have a crazy day. HAHAHAH. Love you Dude!

Anyways! I don't have anything else to say.  Tell Grandma, Jacque and Dave that I'll email them next week because this computer that I'm using is so retarded and I don't have very much time to email. Oh one more thing, I understand what Dad goes through with the Jepperson's now!!! I hate dogs more than anything in the entire world now.

Love You!

Elder Hanson