July 24, 2017 -"...but care... for the life of the soul."

Hello All,

Things are going well down here in Key West. We are running into a lot of roadblocks but we are working through it! We weren't able to find anyone this week and it was hard to even find people to talk to. There are a lot of people that are on vacation, either visiting Key West or live here and are on vacation elsewhere, so it's a struggle but we are holding on. We are hoping that we will be able to make some progress with some of our eternal investigators here in the Branch and have a miracle right before I go home! 

This week we helped an older couple clean up their yard, which is a little different in Florida when you are working with palm trees and banana trees and using a machete! It was fun though! Another day this week we were a little low on miles so we had to bike 9 miles to an appointment and they weren't there.... so we biked 9 miles back down the Keys. It nearly killed Elder Te Hira. I think he would have preferred one of those boats from Johnny Lingo, or maybe a cow... who knows! We cover 30 miles of islands south of the Marathon branch, but have few miles, since we have to travel so far for meetings and transfers, so we bike a lot.

Anyway, it has been UNBEARABLY hot lately, it says it's only 93 degrees but it feels like a thousand... It's good though. Lots of water... and sweat...

In my studies this week I came across a couple scriptures that I would like to share, 

"And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy." (Alma 22:15) "Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full. Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul." (D&C 101: 36-37)

What I love about these scriptures is that they both mention Joy. If we are willing to give up the things of the world, and care for the life of the soul, more than we care for the things of the flesh, then we will be able to have Joy, Eternally!

-- Love

Elder Hansen

Florida, Fort Lauderdale Mission

Haitian-ing the Work

Elder Hansen and Elder Te Hira are the Southernmost Missionaries

in the entire Continental United States! 

He said they went to a restaurant out on a pier and they looked into the water and saw a shark swim by.

That never happens in Idaho! Love the hat and the shirt!

They're closer to Cuba than the rest of Florida.

This is the map of their Branch Boundaries.

We love that it includes a bunch of uninhabited islands to the west :)

Pretty views of the ocean from just about anywhere!

The storms of Florida - these clouds are looking threatening!