zoo zoo zooo i love the zoo :D

Brother Jackson (brojack) took us to the zoo today! It was fun! I've seen tons of animals this week! there are live animals for the pageant and then a lizard ran in the VC this week! I tried to wear it as an earring but it got anxious :D

  Oh yeah! and happy birthday to me too! 4 months! I swear I just left gracie girl and her dirty looks hahahahahaha I can't believe you guys are in Utah now!!!

 

Pageant is AWESOME! there are SO many people comin in! It's cool cuz I know tons of miracles and baptisms come from pageant, but it's a little hard because sometimes I really just feel like I'm herding sheep for sure. there's so many people and no time to be personal. but it's still awesome!!!

 

I'm pretty sure over half of the people are from Salt Lake though! and I met Dan Tisdale's companion, he's sweet! I guess Dan's comin down next month, I'm excited! I can't believe my friends are getting home and I'm not there :( oh well. "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven!"

 

Random story I didn't get to tell about last week- we met with the Nahle and Dechezare family and wooowwww their conversion stories were AMAZING! Brother Nahle's brother was the first convert baptism in Lebanon and they got to sign the paper to establish the Chuch in that country! This is the coolest part though- He's an artist,and he said when I get married, I can come down to see him and he will give me and my cute lil hubby a piece of his artwork as a wedding gift! I know it wont be for a looong time. but that's freaking sweet! his work is AMAZING!!!!!!! I'm excited for that. My poor cute lil future hubby, he's gonna have to go through a lot of "Father's Interviews" as I've been told from President Ostler, and Elder Dechezare and Bro Nahle. and I'm only 4 months in! I'ma have a lot of extra daddies by the time I get back! Don't worry Daddy, I still love you the most :D!!!

 

 We definitley had the most awkard lesson the other day. just kiddin't it really wasn't awkward at all, but it was us and 2 male investigators, having dinner outside. he almost brought out candles... we said noooooooooooooo :D hahahaha

 

So we talked to Casey for a long time they other day... and when we left, she called to us- "Sisters... I know I don't say it enough, but thank you. I really do appreciate all that you do for me and Cierra" ahhhhhhh  the BEST! That makes it ALLLL worth it!!!

 

Sunshine Story

Gingerbread story- Life Changing

      There was an elementary school teacher who made all of her students beautiful, intricate gingerbread houses as a Christmas gift. She knew each of her students very well and took hours to make each house exactly to every childs' liking. When they got their beautiful houses, they were thrilled! Each chilled oooing and aweing at their perfect creation. Then after a moment, the children looked around at each other' houses. They realized how different they were. Then they got jealous.

       "teacher! My house has skittles! Everyone KNOWS M n M's go better with Gingerbread!" and other comments were shouted and screamed and plead to the teacher.

        The teacher very hurt, quietly explained why each child got the gingerbread house witht he candy and decorations they did.

       "Suzie, I gave you skittles because I know they're your favorite. You don't even like chocolate..."

       But many of the kids didn't even listen.

        How do you think that teacher felt?

        How different do you think each student and the teacher would have felt if they appreciated the beauty in the difference of each house, rather than be jealou?

       How many times do we shout and cry to the Lord for the blessings He's given us?

       We must appreciate what we've been given. We must give grattitude for them and then we must share them. That's why I'm on a mission.

 

   How many times have I been silly little suzie? In my talents, my body, my life, my family, and especially my call I told the Lord what I wanted and begged and plead, but I don't always get what I want. What is "best", what I need, and what the Lord knows I'll appreciate can all be different things.

    "But God, everyone goes and has cool experiences on their mission! I'm ready to live in a hole and boil my water and eat bugs and learn a crazy language! Everyone KNOWS that's what a missions for!!!"

     And I'm sure it hurt Him...

     "Stacey, you hate bugs and gross things. You can hardly kill a baby spider. You can learn Spanish in the Visitor Center. Plus if you went Spanish speaking, you'd get totally fat! Don't you know you're my princess?"

     He knows me much better than I know myself. My mission is perfect. He is perfect.

 

 

Sunshine Silly Statements

"And social security number"

     "not all of us have those!"

   - Spanish Hermanas :D

"Eat" -Man 6:12 -AJ bahahahahaha

*"At least I'm SOMEONE'S Missionary!"

 

Sunshine Solid Statements

*** For every bit of "things" you might be missing; you really aren't missing anything that will change and bless your life more than a mission will.  It's seems such a small price to pay for the benefits you receive that will last through eternity.

 -Lee Anne Cox

*"Prayer is NOT like a fast food order"

 -Pres Ostler

****"Service is the universal antitidote. It always makes you feel better."

*"Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly"

***"Shut up, stop complaining, and get busy!" :D

Easter Pageant starts TODAY!!!!

Maybe I'll win the CROWN! Oh wait... different pageant... and way different crown.. and way better prize... who could ask for anything better than eternal life?
And if any of you are bored or cold, come down and watch! it'll be amazin! also, I guess they're puttin it on lsd.org for the first time? sweet!
Sunshine Sermon-- What I learned this week
Your family is THE most precious thing you will ever have.
And dear family, I'm so sorry for not being as appreciative as I shoulda been, or never there, or driven you crazy with all the sparkles and crowns, and I DEFINITELY never babysat enough- so here's your promise. I promise that I will babysit your kids once a month so you can go to the temple when I get home for as long as I can. If you all do it the same nights I'd probably just have like katie or chan chan come and help me out too. I want you to all go to the temple with your hubbies and wivies as much as you can. Cuz the temple is the BEST! PLUS I love my sweet nieces and nephews and miss them SO much and want to be a part of their lives. You can print this out and hold me to it, I'll do it. Because I love you :D

We are here to be with our family and go to the TEMPLE with them!!! I love love love love love the temple and can't wait until I can go once a week again!!!

Mommy and daddy- you are the BEST!!!! thank you SOOO MUCH for all of the blessings and love and everything you've given me!!!! You took care of me, gave me piano and dance lessons, always supported me in everything I did. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I will ALWAYS be in debt to you. always always always. But I love you SOOO much and will do all I can to make you proud.

Bestest Friendses-
holy moly I have THE BEST friends in the world!!! Tay, Tay, Jess, Jess, Chan Chan, Chase, Michael, Aric, Chelsie, Ashley, Ashley, Katie, Celeste, Aubs, Princess Bre, Scott, Lacy, Nate, Cheri, Kaitlin- holy moly I have so many best friends! (no order of course and I know I'm missin out please don't be offended!) THANK YOU for always being wonderful examples to me and always making me want to be a better person! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH and am learning how to be a better friend. I know a lot of times I was just so busy, but I've realized you're all wayyy more important than crowns or dresses or even pay it 4ward. that's helpin out random people. I love Pay it 4ward and Miss Murray stuff. But I love you more!

Conference
I'll keep adding in bits and pieces of what I learned in conference, but we're always told to bring some questions to conference and these were my questions
1) How can I help my family- both now and in the future?
2) How I be a better missionary?
3) What more can I sacrifice for the Lord?
4) How can I help those people who know they need to get baptized set dates and realize how important it is?
And I kept getting the same answer for every single one

Serve your companion!!!!

Yup. That can help me remember how much my family did for me and be grateful.
That can help me know how to serve my future eternal companion
that can help me sacrifice more and give to her
that can help me gain more charity so I can connect better with my investigators.

SO. That's where YOU all come in
cuz I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!

I need good ideas on how to serve my companion and help her out
I definitely have always tried hard to do that.
I make her bed every morning, I open the door at every chance, I try to make a lot of the phone calls so she doesn't have to, I complement her and tell her I love her- that one I know I can always do more, I write her notes of encouragement. And I want to know if anyone has any more ideas- Grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, friends, family, I need your help!!!! tell me what else I can do to serve her!!!

One other thing I really need all ya'lls help on is ideas for my calling.
I just started a "Sunshine Egg" which is super fun cuz the sisters put scriptures in them and put them in someone else's cubby and its really successful and everyone is doing it! it gives a way to Scatter sunshine with everyone and everyone can serve each other!!!
Does anyone else have any other ideas?
Usually the sunshine sister writes notes of encouragement and stuff to the other sisters... but you know I'm not normal and I always want to do more, so I'd love to hear your ideas!!!!!

that was a tangent... the other answers I got from conference that applied to all my questions were:
"Give thanks. Repent. Teach them about the Temple"
And that's what I've been able to do! We've had so many lessons about the temple this week and I LOVE THE TEMPLE love love love love love!!!! I'm going to work on all of those too!!!!

Sooooo. I love my mission. yup. I wish I could write about every single miracle. but I'll just tell you the best

Sunshine Miracles
***Lindsay (Name has been changed just in case). So. Some of you may remember an Elder that just left from Mesa, Jake Stapely. He's the one where I got a very distinctive answer "He is the answers to your prayers"and I've had more answers to why that is. Basically Lindsay and Jake just met and connected very quickly and they're totally getting married when he gets home and I had no idea that any of this had happened. We talked about it for a while and I told her my experiences with Jakes farewell and we realized something. God's timing is perfect. They had both fallen away from the Church and they wouldn't've been ready for each other earlier. IT all works out perfectly, now he gets to go on his mission and be more prepared for her and she's gonna go on a mission now too! We decided that at the Visitor Center! Which made me realize something for me,  This is exactly where I'm supposed to be and if it wasn't He'd tell me! I know that I've known that for a long time... but it was just another reason why it's STILL true! there's so much more that goes in to this story... but... yeah. no. time. and kinda personal or whatever. BUT I just know that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be, even though I used to wonder if I should be somewhere else. But I was wrong. He's always right. I just need to be more humble and accept His will quickly so He doesn't have to prove it to me. ahhhh i love miracles and answers to prayers.

***Katie came to the VC again! She's doing well! (She's the junior who i committed to baptism at the VC) she'll get baptized as soon as she can, but her parents wont let her until she graduates. She came in with her friends looking for me (she came in twice last week lookin for me how cute!) and we had an AWESOME lesson about temples!

***Africa!!! So this guy was at the place where we got our car fixed, and he told us about how his friend wrote him on his mish about how she'd found his future wife. He was in africa and her name was africa! He was like no way! and he told his mission president, and his mission president was like "you're totally gonna marry this girl!" how easy is that for direct revelation from God. Hope it comes that easy for me haha there's way more to that storyyyyy


*TANA GOT BAPTIZED! such a good baptismmmmm! She's the one I committed the first day I was here! When I asked her how she felt after, she said "like a mormon!"

Other Fun stuff!
Cierra is doing a pageant
Some strong members moved in to 4 peaks! woot woot!
We set a date for Katie... in December. They're getting married in Novemeber... but it's still progress
I've now been out of the mission 4 times. (twice lost, twice to get our car fixed haha) thats what happens when you live in a TINY mission!
we ate with the rubens this week!
We had 9 lessons in one VC day!!! woahhhhh!
I sooooooooo want to be a YW leader somedayyyy!

Sunshine Silly Statements
*My BOAT!
     Sis Everette started a boat fund with all the money she picks up off the ground. hahahahahah
*"Ya know, if I just walked the subways and streets, I could TOTALLY get a boat in like 3 years!!"
       "Or you could just get a job"- me :D
*"I'm a celebrity!"-me
*"At least I'm SOMEONE'S Missionary"-me
     so being a vc sister is pretty sweet. I LOVE it when people come in and ask for ME and we have a lesson! It's sweet! i know I'm here because of those people! (Katie:D)
*I love mormon view!!!
    Spent time at the Seminary this week to talk about easter pageant... they're so mormon ;)
*"I look like a hobo selling newspapers" -sis everette :D
*"Conference is like a good chili... it's better the second time!" President Ruben


Sunshine Solid Statements
***"Chose the right companion"
        When we go to dinners with members, we always ask them what we need to do to have a successful family. this is the first answer we get EVERY TIME!  I'm not lookin or thinking about it too much now, but I pray every night for him- where ever he is. Definitley gonna be the coolest guy EVER!
*When I work hard it will change who I am
  So i can find me a dang good man!
*If you work hard, you'll attract those people who could have anyone else
*I've always wanted to be the best at everything,
 Now all I want to be is the best mommy!
uhhh why are all these about marriage? but for realsies, for the first time in my life I'm actually looking forward to getting married and can really see myself doing that... in less than 20 years from now haha. And I know I can put everything else below it. Even pageants (say what?) yes, even pageants. Who'da thunk. better print that one out folks.
*Those who are greatest in the Lords Kingdom are those who look for opportunities to serve- E. Perry!

I love you allll!!! You're the BEST! Thanks for all the letters you've sent and all the letters you'll send ;)
love, Sister Sunshine!

______
Murray Missionaries!
Hola mi amigos! Miracles are alwayyyys happenin' in Mesa and I'm so grateful to be a part of them! The Easter Pageant starts this week and runs through Easter and I'm totally stoked for all the miracles I'll see!

A quick quote I wanted some of ya'll to hear:
"Some people think that preaching is the greatest part of the business in building up the Kingdom of God. This is a mistake... Anybody can preach, he is a poor simpleton that cannot, it is the easiest thing in the world. But as President Young says, it takes a man to practice."
-John Taylor. Mission Report in Salt Lake of Europe
August 22, 1852
You should all read that talk! It's AWESOME! It's like in the very beginning of the discourses.

Another one from the same talk which I needed to hear...(from same talk)
"The First Presidency asked us if we would go. Yes, was the reply: we can go anywhere, for if we cannot do little things like these, I don't know what else we can do. Some people talk about doing great things; but it is not a good thing to travel a little, or to preach a little. I haer some of our Elders saying, sometimes, that they are going to do great things- to be rulers in the Kingdom of God, Kings, and Priests to the Most High and are again to exhalt thousands of others to thrones, principalities, and powers, in the eternal worlds; but we cannot get them out of their nests, to travel a few miles here. If they cannot do this, how will they even learn to go from world to world?"
Slam down on Sister Hansen for sure. I got my call... and cried for 3 hours. Total failure. Now I can confidently say, I'll go anywhere where he wants me to go because he goes where he needs me and where I'll truly be happiest in the long run. Even a Visitor Center... which is my favorite part of my mission by the way. who'da thunk?

plusssss since some of you wont be preachin the gospel full time pretty soon (sorry to mention it) but I just want you to remember that you can ALWAYS preach by the way you live!!! "Always teach the Gospel, if necessary, use words."

No really, I've committed more people to baptism in the VC than my area. It's amazing!!!! some I'll never see again, but some like this sweet girl Katie (shes a jr) come in all the time and I teach her the lessons cuz her parents wont let her have them in her home! hahaha
The other day this woman millie came in from Canada and I taught her lesson 1 2 and 3, W.o.W. L.o.C. temples marriage, EVERYTHING! She's totally gettin baptizedddd!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the VC!!! Miracles happen there that couldn't happen anywhere else!

I LOVE it here in Mesa! Miracles are happening EVERY SINGLE DAY! I'm so happy to be here!
Wasn't conference amazinnnng??? and if you all end up taking... well i guess EVERYONE talked about it... so everyone's advice and get married before I come home, I guess I don't die cuz I know this is where I'm supposed to be... but I DO hope to have a few friends still around when I get home bahahaha

I love you all! Keep praechin, teachin, and livin the Gospel!!!!
"The Church is true, the book is blue, God loves you, and I do too!!!!"
Sister Sunshine
Stacey Marie Hansen

I'm shaving my head. It's official

If you disagree, speak now or forever hold your peace.
JUST KIDDING! haha thank goodness to all of you for pageants because that's the only reason my hair isn't cut up to my chin yet! I can't even wear pony tails or messy buns at the VC so that's annoying.
But while it was BLAZING down here, YOU GUYS HAD SNOW! bahahahaha just sayin.I don't miss it.

BEFORE I SAY ANYTHING ELSE--- THANK YOU MOMMYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR SENDING THAT STUFF AND FOR MY SUPPPPPER CUTE NEW EARRINGS! I WEAR THEM EVERY DAY!!!!!! YOU KNOW JUST HOW TO MAKE ME HAPPY!!!! Betsey Johnson earrings and a love note? WAHOOOOOO!!!!! I LOVE YOU MOMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! and I hope you had a fun time at Disneyland on your birthday and I hope you're having a BLAST in the cook islands right now!!!!

My letter is gonna be super random today cuz I didn't get time to really collect my thoughts.ummmm ok.

So, last P-day I had the most AMAZING preisthood blessing from Elder White (director of the VC) and I got CRYSTAL CLEAR answers to my prayers! HOW COOL IS THAT?!? usually when I have questions and I get a blessing to help me out, they're usually just blessings of encouragement, but this one came out and ANSWERED my question- even talked about the person I had questions about. coolest thing ever. The only other time I've felt so much peace was my 2nd year at Miss Murray when I knew I'd done my very best and what ever was supposed to happen would happen. When I didn't win, I knew it was all ok. I knew it was all for a reason. I love the Lord and the peace he gives!

Gloria and Dick left Wednesday morning. I am sooooooooooooooo so sad!!!! I will miss them so much! I hope I get to see them again!

I am helping a lot with the work at the VC, Elder White gives me a lot of random responsiblitities. This week, I wrote up a report for him on CMRs, PMRs and Top Boxes... none of those make sense to any of you... but it was really interesting to me and I LOVE responsibilitities and being useful and helpful :D

We're working with the Leivas family on going to the temple. There are like 12 of them and most of them are adopted. I'm so excited for them to be sealed together for eternity!!! They are a really cool family!

Sis McKenna gave me some new hideous dresses for Jody/Jumper Wednesdays (when i dress super ugly :D) I was excited.

Elder Dursteler told us the coolest story. It's called the "Bruised apple" story... if anyone wants to find that story online and email it to me I would be eternally grateful, but basically it's about these businessmen who were walking to their flight and they knocked over a little girls apples from her apple stand. only one man came back to help her and gathered all the apples off and gave her $20 for the damage. The little girl was blind and when he turned to leave she said, "Sir, are you Jesus?" we need to make our actions Christ's actions. I want to be more like Him every single day :D

OH MY GOSH JESSICA ROSE- I met you in 30 years! The Jacobson family reminded me SO much of you! she even has your same gorgeous eyes and does her make up the same way and she looks like you! She's gorgeous! and her husband looks like ben and is FREAKING HILARIOUS! I LOVE their family!!! He kept makin fun of my companion cuz her boyfriend totally lives in Mesa... Long story. basically they met at BYU-I but she had already gotten her call. he's been in ID the whole time untillll next month he's movin home. bahahahaha

Another family we ate with this week was the Wilson Family. Rick- they reminded me a ton of you! He was SO goal oriented and had the kids chanting about attitude and all this stuff. it was crazy i loved it! AND he only speaks portugese to his kids. THEY KNOW PORTUGESE! it's freaking SWEET! I wanna learn spanish so I can do that to my kids. or marry someone who can do that. cuz I want my kids to speak more languages that just english. that would be sweet. Ahhhhh but at the end he
Brother Wilson taught me something really cool. So... a lot of people on their missions write like a "list" of what they want in their future companion, which is a super good idea, cuz you see a lot of families and you have a lot of examples of good and... not as good families on the mish. But instead of writing a list of what he wanted in his future wife, he decided what HE wanted to become. Much better idea I think, so I'm starting my "Super Sunshine" list bahahaha I'm cool. Yes!, I love sharing the Gospel, but this next year and a few months can help me shape the rest of my life and by becoming the best me I can be, I can shape a happy eternity :D how cheezy.=D

Random story... I burned my neck with the curling iron 2 days ago. it looks so so so bad. NOT cool!!!

Saw Meredith this week!!!! I LOVE HER SO MUCH! it was so confusing when she walked in though, for some reason I wasn't expecting her, then when someone walked in that looked just like her I just thought "wow she looks like Meredith" what a dork! She's so cute!! yayyyy! She's comin up to BYU in the fall though so I told her she has to visit a bunch before then!
haha got a letter from jake this week from when he was still on his mission! He got switched to Elder Prince and Elder Morris' Mission! He saw the letter that I had written to Elder Prince and stole the addy from there and sent me a letter! It was nice, but I can't write him back cuz he lives in my mission! like 2 seconds away from the VC.

Melissa got bit by a Brown Recluse. GROSS! She found her hand was just swelling in random places... it put her in the hospital and they gave her the wrong antibiotics so now her kidneys failed and she has to do dialisis 3 times a week! HOW AWEFUL right? however... the scar was kinda sweet. staples all over. she looked like frankenstein. gotta look at the bright side I guess.

We have a new VC sister- Sister Crowe. She is the PERFECT sister missionary. Curly permed hair, HUGE smile, ugly shoes. I LOVE HER! She went to Atlanta georgia on her mission, but got sent home for medical reasons. so now shes a service missionary at the VC. She serves 36 hours a week then just lives her life. its pretty sweet.

I've seen a lot of miracles from being dilligent and sacrificing....
MIRACLE STORY! :D
Sooo... I'ma make this short... but I hope you all realize the amazingness of this!
Ok, so during conference, Elder White came in and grabbed me and asked me to help out at the VC, there were a few nonmembers there that wanted tours. So I met Millie. We started it off with a prayer, I taught her the basics of lesson 1 2 and 3, the word of wisdom and law of chastity, temples and families, prophets, and at the end, SHE COMMMITED TO BE BAPTIZED! saaaaweeeeeeeeet!!!
When I told her the first vision, she was just like "woah!" "wow!!!"  she LOVED it!
She's in her 60s and from Canada. And is totally getting baptized by the end of this month, I'm sure of it.
She is very strong in her faith, but realized the truth of what I taught her.
HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH YEAH!!! TRANSFERS!!!!
me and sis everette are staying togetherrrrr!!! and sister McKee is coming to my zoneeeee!!!! I"M SO STOKED!!!! elder dursteller is leaving :(

Super Sunshine List
*I gotta learn another language so I can teach my kids another language :D
*I'ma have pics of the temple in every room of my house :D
*I'ma KNOW the scriptures! I'm getting really good at being able to just pull up random scriptures- one of the reasons I'm glad I came english speaking. I know my scriptures. It's sweet. way more than just scripture master.

I don't really have anything for my sunshine statements cuuzzzz I didn't get it all ready. there will be a plethera next week.

The CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD LOVES YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I DO TOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
***Sister Sunshine***

and the best part of my whole weekkkkkk!!!
NAN IS GETTING BAPTIZEDDDDD!!!!!!!
(rene's sister!)
I"M SOOOOO EXCITED!