October 12, 2010

Mi Familia Amado,

Thanks for the Bon Voyage wishes! I am starting to get super excited. In less than a week I'm in Nicaragua. This time next week I will probably be saying, "Donde esta el bano" and my mouth will slowly open as a try to understand what they are saying. I have my travel info!!!  We got it last week. We have to be at the Travel Office at the MTC on Monday with all of our stuff at 3:00 AM ugh. Our flight from SLC to Dallas/Ft Worth, TX is from 6-9:45 AM.  Is there a time change there? Ha ha. We have a big layover there. We leave at 2 PM for Miami, Fl and arrive at 5:45 PM. We leave Miami at 6:50 and arrive in Managua, Nicaragua at 7:30 PM!!!  It is already coming so fast, it hasn't really hit me yet. I figure that the best time to call home would be during that big layover. I am not sure how that works though. As far as I am aware, I can call home whenever while I am at the airports. Please let me know soon what time works and I will try to call then. I am sending home a copy of the Travel Itinerary today too.

I would like to share my testimony with everyone before I leave to Nicaragua. My testimony is very simple and it isn't very long or elaborate. And I certainly have not obtained my testimony by any magnificent means. I have not had a vision or a grand manifestation. There has not been one defining moment in which I came to know the things I have a testimony in. Rather, my testimony is the result, the culmination of countless small and simple things. All of these small and simple things have been blessings from God. Small manifestations of a kind Heavenly Father's love and tender mercy for His child. Many of these blessings (that I have realized) have been answers to my prayers. Without fail, when I bear my testimony about prayer I am overcome with love and appreciation. Love and Gratitude to that Being whom I know beyond a shadow of a doubt has answered Every single prayer uttered by my mouth or conceived in my heart and mind. If there is one thing in this world I know, it is that I have a God, whose love for me is that of a Perfect Father, One that knows me Perfectly and desires for me to be happy. I know this because He in response to my earnest and sincere prayers has shown to my eyes, my mind and my heart His Love for me. I will never forget or be capable to deny this.

I feel my Eternal Father's Love for me when I ponder how He has helped me learn this Eternal Truth. Through my knowledge of His Love and my Faith that He will answer my prayers, I have come to enjoy the happiness from knowing His Plan for me. First and foremost is this answer I have received from Prayer: I know that my Redeemer Lives! This is the most important and joyful answer I have ever received from my Heavenly Father. Through my trials, pains, afflictions and even mistakes I have come to know my Savior Lives and by the Atonement of Him: Jesus the Christ, I am Healed. This I know from Experience. Time and time again in Prayer I have felt my Savior's Love and Healing Power, made possible by His Infinite Sacrifice for me. By the small and simple means of Prayer, my Testimony has grown piece by piece, block by block into the foundation it is in my life. Through Repeated small and simple answers, through the Love and Peace and Comfort the Holy Ghost has provided me my Foundation: my Testimony, has been built upon The Rock. The Rock of My Master Jesus Christ. Though Prayer, with the knowledge of these things and the faith that my prayers would be answered I know that His Church is this Church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And has been Restored by His True prophet for the Latter Days. I know the Book of Mormon is True. I Know the Prophet of God Leads This Church. I know my God, my Heavenly Father Loves me. I know His Son Jesus Christ Loves Me. I know through Him and His Atonement I can live with God again. This is MY Testimony.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all. Thank you so much for your help, your love and your support on my mission. I pray for you all every night.

Love,

Elder Jonathan D. Hardy