LDS Blog Challenge Day 15

Sorry guys, I got out of the habit again!!  I will try to do better for the second half.

15. A church leader (priesthood/YW leader, Bishop, or General Authority) who changed your life and how.

Hmm...who has changed my life?  I would have to say Sister Nancy Hansen.

How I will always think of her. The fun loving woman.

This lady is truly, truly amazing.  I love my mom and she was definitely a good example to me growing up.  But I needed a Mormon mom.  And Sister Hansen was more than willing to fill that role for me.  I was always welcome in her home (probably because I was best friends with her daughter) and she was always such an amazing example to me of how to be a good LDS woman, a good mother, a good wife.  And she always believed me and wanted what was best for me.  When I was thinking about getting married civilly, she told me in a very nice and motherly way that she was thinking of me and wanted to remind me of the blessings of a temple wedding.  When I took out my endowments, she was my escort and helped me every step of the way.  Made the whole experience a lot less overwhelming.

Always making time for us girls.

I remember one year at Girl's Camp, they had the parents write their daughters expressing their testimony.  I got a very sweet letter from my second mom expressing her sweet, sweet testimony to me.  It touched my heart then and still does.  I still that letter and when I run across it once in a while, it always brings a smile to my face thinking about this wonderful woman and touches my heart to read her testimony of this wonderful gospel.

She clinked her glass to make us kiss. Turned out to be one of my favorite pictures from that night.

Like I said earlier, she was also a wonderful example of being a strong LDS woman, LDS wife and LDS mother.  She has seven children, biological and in her heart (Rebecca, Tina, Katherine, TJ, Jeremiah, Sean and Madison).  She had a miscarriage as well.  She never talks about it, at least to me so I can only imagine the pain she experienced.  But I can see in her life and in her testimony that it has only made her stronger.  And that is truly inspiring to me.  She never ceases to amaze me.  With seven children, you are sure to have your ups and downs.  But I know she will always love her children no matter what happens or what they do or what decisions they make.  She is an absolutely wonderful mother and I consider myself blessed to be able to call her my second mom.