Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. ~Alma 37:6

Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. ~Alma 37:6

May 28, 2012

Hey Family,


I hope you have had a good Memorial Day. We had the baptism of a sister and her three children!

Sounds like you have had a really cool week. How did you guys get in touch with a foreign exchange student from China? I hope Bingo Bango Bongo was fun today. Who won? Hannah again? I’m thinking she is a little big now for the bonus points. When I get back, you guys are going to have to give the bonus points to me! Ha ha. 

Sounds like you guys had a great Hardy Family Reunion! They turned great great great grandpa's house into a Walgreens?!!! Ha ha. 

You asked about Zone meetings? At least one time a month we have a Zone Conference. Those are always fun and it gives me a chance to teach all our new missionaries and get everyone excited and motivated to keep working hard. Sometimes we do activities as a Zone on our PDays. 

My comp. and I have just started doing new meetings called "Zone Council Meeting." We talk with our District Leaders, help them on things (like how to do a good baptismal interview… nobody ever taught me, I had to learn the hard way) and help them make their own goals and plans for the month for their District. We need to travel a lot more to our Districts to work at least with the District Leaders and maybe a couple companionships that need help. The next change we plan on doing divisions at least once a week. 

Oh boy, we have been busy this week. We are working with 9 families. Even though a couple we still need to give more follow up. But some of the best lessons have been with a good family. They have been around the missionaries for Many Years. Almost all of the family are members, but some have not been able to progress with the missionaries. But now things are different in San Marcos ha ha. 

Saturday in the night we had our first "real" lesson with them. It was Great! We taught to them the Restoration, (even though I’m sure they have heard it lots of times) and we watched the short film of the Restoration. 

After we bore our testimonies to them, we answered their very good questions and taught them how to know (prayer). We then invited them to be baptized and they accepted (on the condition of receiving and answer to their prayers). Then we presented them the Book of Mormon. And we taught them how it would help them receive the answer to their prayers. 

It was cool because the mom got all excited because that same day her sister who is a member shared her testimony too. Perfect timing (or inspired timing). The dad was sick and in the house for a couple of days and loves to read. Yesterday, in the night we had an appointment with them too. We taught them the principle of the Word of Wisdom and had a great time getting the whole family to commit themselves to follow the commandment. 

We also taught the son a little bit better the lesson from the day before because he wasn’t there and he goes to an Evangelica church. But he was really positive. He is going to be such a great missionary. 

We plan every night and morning what we are going to do for the day. But I don’t think in the whole mission I have had a day were my plans were completed "perfectly." That doesn't take away anything from the importance of planning every day. It just means that we do our best to plan the time of the Lord our best and then during the day if there is something that He decides that we should do, well I guess you just got to do it. 

So: Do your best to plan it out asking for inspiration from the Lord. Then do your best to prepare everything needed asking for help from the Lord. Then do your best to get it done asking for strength from the Lord. Then do your best to handle changes asking for guidance from the Lord. 

Ha ha ha hmm. The most useful thing I brought me on the mission? CTR rings. Ha ha ha they are great! For baptisms, marriages, even for a surprise gift when you show up to the house of a member and they say, "Elders! Thank you for coming to my son’s birthday party!" (even though you had no idea) ha ha. 

But there are lots of things. Grandma Weiler´s medicine kit WAS great. Not so much for me but for all of my comps. I think I probably used like two bandages ha ha but it was well used throughout the mission healing sick comps. The sewing kit, even better. I have great news. I have repaired various shirts and pants, it was a little rough at first figuring out how to do it but the latest rips and tears have come out good as new! 

You know what I wish I would have brought? A good pillow. I found and bought a pillow in my first area but I left it there thinking of the next missionary that would come. But even though last year the mission provided new pillows to every missionary’s house. It seems that I go to my new area always stuffing sweatshirts and stuff into my pillow bag to sleep... who knows what happens to all of the pillows. 

The best buy I have made in the mission? Ha ha an awesome alarm clock with the bells on top that rings in the morning. Ha ha it is probably the cheapest thing a missionary has bought in Nicaragua but I love it. 

So I am running out of time. But Dad for your talk, I would like to help but I’m not too sure what to say. 

Say hi to everyone in the ward for me. Thank them for the love and the support they have given me. For the things you can see and the things you can’t. Even every time they have thought and prayed for me or for all the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ has helped me so much. I have no doubt of that. 

The mission has been the most wonderful experience of my life, with the Holy Ghost and the message of the restored Gospel, I have had the privilege of being an instrument in the hands of the Lord to bring many of his sons and daughters to Christ and the truth. The joy that sharing the gospel has brought to me has been amazing and everyone there in the ward who has helped influence my life for good or helped someone else come closer to Christ should feel that joy too. 

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. My testimony in the Son of God and in the restored Gospel has been greatly strengthened in the service of the Lord. And my faith and trust in the Love of my Heavenly Father has become unbreakable. I truly do know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that the importance of sharing this message with the rest of our brothers and sisters is the most important work in which we can be engaged. 

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Love you, 

Elder Hardy 

ps I love you

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