Refiner's Fire (April 30th)

Here is Brett's email from last week:

Hey guys! I´m glad to hear everything's going well in your lives. I really do enjoy reading about your lives and hearing about you guys.

This week was pretty great! I learned a ton, mostly in humility. So we had an activity this week where we went out and shined shoes for free. I thought it was a strange idea, but our Zone Leaders thought it was the cats pajamas, so I supported it with 100%. We also had a table full of church material, and the 6 of us in our District were out there talking with everyone and trying to shine some shoes. Turns out we only shined 1 pair of shoes, but that's okay. After lots of talking, we ended up with 4 contacts after 2 hours of work. Not the most fruitful activity I've had, but I did learn a lot from it. This week we've had lots of trouble finding people to teach. Its frustrating when you finish the day and every single lesson falls through. You call them 3 times, pass by earlier and leave notes, but when the hour comes for the lesson, they aren't home. Also, we´re not having too much success with contacting, and we´re doing tons of activities as well, but they aren't working as well. But this week I prayed pretty hard, and I felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost that everything is going to be okay.

Jared sent me some conference talks that are really freaking good. Lessons from Liberty Jail, by my good old friend Elder Jeff Holland, probably was one of the best talks I've ever read and was definitely an answer to an aching soul. I highly recommend it to anyone who is having a bad day. The truth is that our afflictions make us better. It is the refiners fire that turns ore into precious metals. Like it says in Ether 12 and Peter 1:7, our faith isn't faith until its tried. We have to be tried in all things so that we can prove that we will endure to the end. I really like the 13 Artículo de Fé, when it says that we believe all things, we  hope all things, we have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all things. Trials are good! Trials are blessings, so put a smile on and enjoy it! Wooo hoo!

I love you guys a lot. Thanks for the love and support.

Elder Hansen