Hello Family!

It was great to see and talk to Tyler yesterday. To see him wearing a headset, as he so often did on his computer at home, was a nice flashback. He is so happy - truly filled with Joy. But it was one of the few glimpses we have seen of the 'old' Tyler. He has already changed so much in the short time he has been gone. And it's good, very good :)
Here is what he wrote this week:

Skyping for Mother's Day yesterday was tons of fun. Next time we should try and coordinate a way to get me and Brett on together for at least part of the time. I'm glad that Jake and Matt were excited to hear from me, and that they followed the rules about standing in front of Mom and talking in turn. I'm also pleased that you guys saw how excited I am to be here. It's definitely a pleasure to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. I haven't had this much drive and purpose in my life in a long time, probably ever.

I had a phenomenal experience last week in the Library. One of our investigators is living out a halfway home right now, so we meet him at the Library to teach him the gospel. He's super committed to reading the Book of Mormon, and wouldn't leave us until we had assigned him seven chapters to read. The halfway home is a private number, and we're not allowed to call him there, but he calls us every single time he says he will, and he's always kept his commitments. I don't know when we'll be able to baptize him though, because he's still on parole.

Anyway, we just got done teaching him about the doctrine of Christ, when my companion and I stopped to get a drink of water by the door to the library. A young girl asked us if we were missionaries, and wanted to give us her address and phone number. Turns out that she and her mother had taken the missionary discussions in Ontario, CA two years ago, and were ready to be baptized when they moved around and lost contact with the church. The very next day, we met with this girl, her mother, and her twin 8-year-old sisters, and they all wanted to be taught and start coming to church, ASAP. Elder G. and I praised the Lord for this blessing as we ran out to the car to grab a few Books of Mormon for the twins, and decided to ask them if they wanted to get baptized on June 10. Turns out that is the mom's birthday! And all four of them want to be baptized then. What a gift from God! So excited!

I've got a few choices ahead of me that perhaps you guys can help with. Anyone who's known me for any length of time knows I like to bake. I'm tempted to buy a bunch of flour and sugar and butter and start baking cookies for my investigators and companions. But that money may be better spent on staples like peanut butter and spaghetti and milk. (Look at me trying to be all responsible! Next month I'm buying nothing but ramen and root beer, haha.) [Editor's Note: Money will be deposited this week for baking supplies - no need to send flour, sugar, or butter]

If anyone can hunt down a granola recipe, I think Brother and Sister Smith made some delicious homemade granola. My friend Megan Somes may have posted one on her food blog, too. I think it's called Recipes From the Pickle Boat or something like that. I just remember really liking it, and I hope it's more economical than buying cereal.

I've also inherited a decent amount of canned goods that have been donated to the Elders and nobody wants to eat. If anyone knows a palatable way to eat canned salmon, I have nine cans of it. There was also Jello, popcorn, and three muffin mixes in this pile of unwanted food, which surprised me. But then I found that this apartment doesn't have anything to bake on, so I bought a muffin tin at the dollar store so I can actually make use of the muffin mixes.

Jared made the comment that I'm probably tired of people giving me advice. The opposite is actually true. I'm open to any and all suggestions for being a better missionary. I would like it if you could label the source of this information, though, as either something you did on your mission, something you heard from an uncle's best friend, or something that was taught to you at the MTC or from the mouth of an apostle.

Finally, a scripture for you all to enjoy:

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Mom and Dad, thanks for putting aside your lives that I may enjoy mine, and for supporting me until I finally got my chance to serve this mission.

Love you guys tons!

Elder Hansen