Saying good bye.... and meeting some GA's

Aug 7 2017

What an ammmmmazing week this has been wow, three great weeks in a row!! Well to be honest every week is a great week but this is an especially great week. Hit my exact 2 year mark of serving my mission on August 5th, (happy birthday A.J.) so crazy to think it all started 2 years ago! 

So this week we had the coolest opportunity. We had ANOTHER APOSTLE come to the mission. We had an all mission conference with Elder M. Russell Ballard, and with him was Elder Patrick Kearon Presidency of the Seventy, and Paul V. Johnson, Brent H. Nielsen missionary executive director, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom all of the Seventy!! Wow so powerful got to hear from all of them! 

The whole England Leeds Mission !

with the visiting General Authorities! 

What a great meeting!! Wow to shake his hand and then receive counsel from him it was the greatest day ever. He is hilarious!  I wish everyone could see this side of the apostles. But he spoke all about coming into Christ ourselves and our investigators. Here are some of my favorite highlights. 

Elder Johnson said, "when do we ever look past our challenges rather than looking right at our challenges." And related to us the Story of Ammon at the waters of Sebus, and how he viewed the scattering of the sheep as an opportunity to open up the kings heart, and not as a challenge and how we need to be doing the same thing.

Elder Nielsen shared a cool statistic, he said "it took from the year 1830-1930 to get the first 300,000 Converts to the church. Now you as missionaries get that in one year!"

Elder Kearon shared about challenges as well, he talked about how most of the scriptural characters learned the most when things weren't going their way, and that's when they saw miracles. 

Then elder Ballard. His was sooo good he talked mostly about coming unto Christ and being cleansed through him. He read a few scriptures with us about Christ and it was so amazing somethings that he said that I really liked was, "on your mission, the Lord is learning more and more about you" it really makes you think what impression are we giving off to Him. He also said,  "as missionaries we are on the frontline in the War in Heaven. So don't just stand there but defend what you believe, we are not here to share mortal opinions we are hear to teach Eternal truths!" 

Then we got to ask him some questions it was really amazing!! Haha crazy to think that lived in Utah for 18 years never met and apostle, came to England for 2 years and have met 2 of the 12! Blessings of missionary work. But the sad part was everyone at the mission conference kept saying bye to me and saying I'll never see you again and it was really sad knowing that I won't see a lot of these people again! I have just loved being able to meet so many amazing people here on my mission. 

Nothing like burritos after the conference! 

Awwww.... the england sunsets!

Other than that we did some service for our friends C..... and C....., a cool family. The I..... family are doing good we took them to my last mission home fireside on Sunday and that was really fun! More people saying bye to me again! Haha but it was great! So the I..... kids are going on a Stake youth camp this week so that should be a really cool experience for them! But yeah that was our week! 

Have a great Week!! 

Elder Hanks ínéLÀÏ

getting drenched in the rain!

                                   
          My posterity from left to right( great-grandson, me, grandson, first son, second son)

Enjoying the sun at a bus stop!

Doing service the fun way!