August 31, 2010

Buenas Familia,

Thank you for the letters and the packages they are great. So I picked up the mail on Saturday last week and forgot that the mail room closes at 2 pm on Saturdays so I didn't go to pick up the last package in time and had to wait until Monday. I was dying to know what it was and when I read mom's email at the end it said, "I hope you liked the Apple Pie haha." I read it out loud to my roommates and they were all bummed out I didn't get it in time. But we have it now and it is great. I'll answer mom's questions really quick before I run out of time.

The names of the people in the district are Elder: Hardy, Woodruff, Tonga, Brough, Hildebrandt, Brown, Adams, Durfey, Wade, Tholen, Cartwright and Lovell. That doesn't really mean anything to you now but I am sending some pictures of the District and me and my companion today. I was going to try and plug the camera into the computer and see if I could attach photos to the email but I forgot to bring it.

Elders Tonga, Brough, Hardy, Woodruff

Lovell, Brown, Wade (in back), Durfey,

Adams, Thollen, Cartwright, & Hildebrandt

Only Elder Woodruff, Tonga, Brough and I are going to Nicaragua. Elder Durfey and Adams are going to Guatemala and are leaving in a week to go to the MTC there which would be crazy. The rest of the District is going to Chile.

As the DL I just have a couple of extra responsibilities and things to do along with the normal stuff everyone has to do. I lead the start of each class time and assign prayers and spiritual thoughts and stuff like that. Every week I interview the Senior companions to make sure they are doing alright and there are no problems. I have been interviewing everybody because my Branch President said that would be a good extra thing to do. Our District has some issues with companionship's and as a whole but I am trying to help everyone work it out. It's no big deal. We have become pretty good friends which I have been praying and working for but the problem now is everyone is comfortable with everyone else so there has been a lot of talking and distraction. So I have been praying and working on trying to fix that and yesterday I wore my lucky tie and we had a great experience which answered that prayer too. Sooo doing good.

I haven't seen my cousin Elder Stark yet but I guess I will start to look for him.

Nobody has really sent me anything except for family. Which is fine, I really like all the family stuff. Anna sent me a post card and a Dear Elder, I just haven't written anything back yet because I don't know her BYU address. So somehow I need help figuring that out.

I don't think I have time to write my daily schedule this time. But I will try to send it in the next email or maybe a letter sorry. I work out a little, I'm not fat yet. A couple of Elders like to do that stuff at night. We have been playing Volleyball as a district during gym which I think is better. It’s fun and is building unity.

Sorry I am running out of time and don't want to get cut off so Love You I will do better in the email next time.

Amor,

Elder Jonathan D. Hardy

P.S. Jenny wrote me and I'm not sure I can write extended family but I will check for next time.

August 24, 2010

Hola Familia,

I'm not sure if I can send this email to the whole family or not so I am just sending it to Mom's. Everything is going great so far and I am very well and yes my Departure Date is October 18th. But we just received some memo's that say we don't need visas to get into Nicaragua so I don't know why they made us do all that stuff.

After I left you guys they put me in line, gave me stuff, I threw my luggage in my room and went straight to class. There I waited for my companion for a while. His name is Elder Joshua Lee Woodruff. He is from Bluffton, Ohio. He is perfect and exactly what I need to become a better missionary. He worked on a farm so he likes getting up early so we get up a little before 6 before anyone else gets up. I am actually all right with that.


Elder Woodruff & Elder Hardy

I can't think of anything I need right now, I am doing great. I have seen all my buddies plenty of times. It is great seeing Tyler and Ethan and it makes me look cool when it seems like I know a lot of people here ha ha not that it matters.

Elder Hardy, Elder Ontiveros, Elder Smith

So we met the Branch Presidency on the second day and had a meeting with them. After I introduced myself and bore my testimony it seemed like they were staring at me a lot. After we had our initial interviews and were listening to the zone leaders, they asked me to come outside and asked me if I would be the District Leader. So it has been a little stressful being called as the DL the second day and having no idea what I am supposed to do. But I am figuring it out and I think I am doing a pretty good job earning the district's respect, they seem to like me.

But sorry I am running out of time. Elder Woodruff couldn't get on to his email so we had to go get his membership number. Things are going great, it just seems like there is always so much to do and not too much time to do it.

Thank you so much for the secret letters you hid in my luggage, it was a great treat. Thank you Hannah for sending me another letter and an email, I love you very much and miss you but don't waste any time crying about me. I love you Emily, thank you for your letter. You too Alexis, I love you. Mom and Dad thank you for your letters and support it really helps me. Thanks for the journal stuff dad. Running out of time LOVE YOU ALL. I will write letters that hopefully are better. Ha ha don't have much time for those either. Oh and thank you for the packages.

Amor,

Elder Jonathan D. Hardy