January 31, 2011

Hello my Family!

Look who tried to snuggle up!

I think it is great that you tried some pupusas! Yeah, we always eat them with the orange sauce and cabbage. I have a great idea to make American pupusas but I can’t tell you or someone will steal my idea.

Say hi to the Grandparents for me. And tell Grandpa Weiler thanks for the update on Highland Basketball.

About time Emily gets her license. I don´t actually have any form of identification on me right now. No, never mind, I still have my Utah driver license in my white book with my manual misional.

And yes, they have traffic lights. Here in Boaco they actually only have two. I haven’t ever seen the lights working on one and the other if there is a taxi waiting at a red light but there aren’t any other cars they usually just ignore it.

I think that is awesome Alexis and Hannah got on the JumboTron and won the coca cola challenge. They must have pretty good dance skills. We can’t drink coke here :( not that I was ever really big into coke.

This week was great. We are working hard and we actually brought the most investigators and recent converts to church this week than in a while.

Unfortunately, we still have several weeks to go before we can help anyone be baptized because they haven’t come to church enough. So that is the lucha (struggle) right now, help our families understand the importance of the Día de Reposo (Sabbath Day) and to go to Iglesia (church). Hopefully next week two more of our families will be able to come to church and progress.

We are always talking to people. We try to spend most of our time contacting families. You always start with a Buenas Dias and walk up to them and introduce yourself. Ha ha and if you are ever in doubt you can always just act lost and ask where you are ha ha.

No, but we always tell them that we have a message we would like to share with them about el Evangelio de Jesucristo and we tell them about how the family is central and the blessings the Gospel brings to families.

Ha ha I noticed too that I look really thin in all my photos. It’s too bad but it’s not because I’m sick or anything. I guess I just need to do more exercise every morning. We found a scale in a farmacia once and weighed ourselves. I still weigh about 185... I guess the weight has just shifted a little.

Right now the family (we live with) is in El Salvador. Only the Doña (Hermana Elsa) is here right now to keep the restaurant going with the help of Ramon (nice guy, 18 yrs old, leader of the Evangelica Youth) and Katya (21 yrs old, faithful member of the branch).

So I don’t have any photos of them right now I am sorry I forgot to do that the first change ha ha. And with my new comp I am not sure if I have a nice photo right now of the two of us. I will make sure and get one if no.

Hannah asked if they have root beer in Nicaragua. No!!! The first package you sent with the little root beers in it Elder Coj was amazed because they don’t have root beer here. They have Coke, Orange Fanta, Red Fanta, Rojita, Sprite, occasionally Grape Fanta more coke and alcohol. Not the biggest selection but I have always liked orange soda.

Thanks for the journal entries and the “share your missionary” in Primary, Dad. Ice fishing sounds fun, I remember when we did that it was great... not sure if we caught anything either.

I am sorry you feel sick mom, hope you get better. You can get pretty much any medicine here, I think. They have a farmacia (pharmacy) on every street. And even more pulperias (little stores). But I haven’t had to buy any medicine yet. Just some Alka-AD once.

Hannah, I still have your silly band. It is safe in my closet. But guess what, they have silly bands here too. But they aren’t as cool.

Spiritual Thought:

Alma 48:17  Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that he can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace." - Ezra Taft Benson

If we turn our lives over to God and trust in Him, He will help us become like Him. It is amazing to see the change, and have the opportunity to be on a mission and see the change in others.

I love you all,

Elder Hardy