June 25, 2012

Hola Familia!

Oh no Mom!!! You broke your ankle!!! I am so sorry to hear that, but good work toughing it out in the youth conference! I bet all the kids are impressed. Just be more careful... did you fall down then fall down again?... ha ha

Ok, this Sunday the attendance was a little bit low. 110. But in San Marcos they have a SIMI of about 300 members maybe. The average every Sunday is about 120-130 it was going up but I think the rain discouraged them. The youth group is cool, but there aren’t enough worthy young men to do the sacrament alone. But there are lots of adult priesthood holders here.

No, we don’t usually go to youth activities, Mom. We are working on getting the ward more excited to help out in the mission work.

What do we do when we don’t have appointments? Well, the night before we always plan what we are going to do for the next day. And for all the hours that we do not have a fixed appointment, we put someone we are going to pass by and teach.

There is always an investigating family to pass by. And we always put a back up plan in case they aren’t there. It can also be a recent convert, or a less active family, or a member family we want to teach and invite them to help in the mission work with their neighbors and family.

If all else fails we go tracting. But references are ALWAYS more effective. But for example last night we had some time before the last appointment and we had previously decided we needed to contact all the houses that are on the same block as the chapel... you’d think we would have thought of that before... ha ha and it seemed to have results with a few new families. Ha ha especially the family of 7 that lives literally touching the fence of the Church.

Last week we went on 2 splits. Tuesday we went and worked with a younger companionship that needed some help. It went great. Those were divisions of 24 hrs. Then Thursday we went to work with the Sister Missionaries of Masatepe. Mainly to go to a Rescue 911 with two families they are teaching.

We were able to interview the two families and it was Awesome. We felt the spirit very strongly in the interviews and they are prepared to be baptized in the first weeks of July. We are thinking we like doing divisions Tuesday and Thursday with our Zone. Mainly we need to do divisions with the District Leaders.

When you say splits, do you mean with the other missionaries or with members? If it is with members, we have been having a little bit harder of a time being able to do lots of splits with members. The pilas Ricky who always left with us already went on the mission ha ha to Mexico. And we have another future missionary named Julio who always helps us.

Well, Saturday we had a lesson with a new family. They are awesome and super chosen. I think I might have commented once to you guys when we first contacted them sitting on their porch and he told us about how he was talking to his pastor and his pastor told him that all scripture stopped with the Bible. He didn’t like that and told us he thought it would be nice if God kept reveling to us today too.

Well, we followed that prompting of the spirit and shared with him a Book of Mormon. But that was a week or two ago. Saturday we had a great lesson with them, he expressed to us that he really felt good about what we have been talking about and had a desire to learn more and that he felt like he wanted to get baptized when he was ready (before we even asked him).

The problem is that he has worked every Sunday for like a year in his current job. And he already tried to convince his boss to let him off Sundays. But after the lesson Saturday and  after reading 1 Nefi 3:7 he said, "I’m going to Church next week, I don’t know how but I’m going" It was really nice to see someone with that kind of faith.

Well, it sounds like you guys are all doing good. Except for Mom´s ankle. But when you have the Harmon´s electric shopping cart chairs who needs ankles? Ha ha

I love you,

Elder Hardy

ps. I love you

And yes, Hannah, I still have the green silly band, that still appears to form the shape of a Seal I think.

June 18, 2012

Hola Familial!

This is the Nicaragua #86: The Case of the Lost Email. You know what is really crazy about it...? I had a dream last week that it was going to happen. I really did! But it is ok.

This week has been good. We got to go to a Multi-Mission Conference Friday! With Elder Maynes from the Seventy Presidency. It was really Good.

Also, earlier in the week, we had a meeting with the Stake President and Mission President. But they only need one Zone Leader in the meeting so I tricked my comp into going and I went with Elder Leiva (now Zone Leader in Jinotepe) to go show him where the Bishop lives and get him motivated to start working better with the new missionaries.

Bishop Alvaro is new, he started when I was in Jinotepe and we were good friends so it helped him a lot to meet again and encourage him, there have been some difficulties in the ward with the members.

Well, our one family had to postpone their baptismal date because they couldn´t come to church Sunday. The biggest family in the Ward had a wedding Saturday night so there weren´t too many people in Church yesterday.

But a really positive new family came! And they really liked it! We met them Thursday and he told us that he didn’t like to go to Church, (for a few social reasons) but we persuaded him to come to the Church of Jesus Christ to see how he felt. They came and they left asking us when we were going to pass by the house this week.

Another new family we found this week lives close to our recent convert’s house. We contacted them as they were sitting outside their house one day last week and they invited us to sit down. The husband started talking about how he was talking to his pastor and his pastor told him that everything finished with the Bible.

But he didn’t like that and said that he thought that God should always talk to his children and that he is not limited to a book. So with smiles on our faces we presented them a Book of Mormon and began to explain the Restoration and how the Heavens have been opened once again.

I love you all,

Elder Hardy

June 11, 2012

Dear Family,

It has been a busy week here too!!! But not because it’s summer. But sounds like the first week of summer break has been great. What swim party is Hannah having?

Ha ha ha that’s awesome that you went to dinner with the Woodruff family! Geez seems like you guys are getting along great!

It´s too bad Elder Woodruff and I have never been in the same District. Not even in the same Zone! Maybe President will move him over here for his last change ha ha ha.

Oh it’s going Awesome with Elder Gomez! He is super pilas. Ha ha he has a great sense of humor too and therefore puts up with me great. He is going to be a great leader in this mission.

Our families are Great! Our one family came to church Sunday! They still need to gain a stronger testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, so let’s keep praying that they get it! Their baptismal goal now is the 23 of June and I know that they can be ready in time.

Ah ha, thanks for the suggestions! San Marcos doesn’t have very much touristy stuff, but we will figure something out. That would be cool to get a signed jersey from Denis ha ha.

Oh ha ha the puppies were from recent converts from a few months ago. But there are lots of animals like that here. We should have taken a photo yesterday when I was running around trying to catch a baby bunny that got out at the house of a family that got baptized a couple of weeks ago. Ha ha.

Well... everyday a missionary should have an awesome story or two if you ask me. Maybe not every day you heal a crippled man or baptize somebody but if you are diligent the Lord will always work through you to bring about His work.

But you can tell if you were a good missionary today if you can look back in the night as you pray and ask, "Father, are you pleased with my work today?" And if He is, you should usually be able to see how He helped someone that day through you.

So today, we organized a Zone PDay and we played soccer and basketball together. Afterwards, we decided to go eat. My comp. and I were tempted to just go eat in our pday clothes and then after go change, but for one reason or another we decided to go change before leaving to lunch.

When we got to the restaurant the others had already finished eating and were leaving as we walked up to the lady to order. She asked who we were and how come we were here in Nicaragua (because of the ties and name tags.)

We explained to her that we are missionaries from the Church and started to explain to her why we are here. She acted surprised when we told her that the other Elders that just left were missionaries too, she said she thought they were just tourists because they were dressed in clothes to play soccer.

As we sat down she kept talking to us about her life and her family. Her name is Aura, she has two kids and lives in Miami Florida and works as a hair stylist for the television news channels. She is visiting her family and her restaurant here in San Marcos.

As we ate lunch, she kept talking to us until finally as we were finishing, she sat down at the table. She wanted to know about things like why we don’t drink coffee and why they call us Mormons. We presented her a Book of Mormon and I was amazed at how receptive she was as we talked to her about the Church and answered her questions.

We taught her the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ including the first vision and invited her to read and pray and come to church Sunday. She said she would, and that she would try to come to Church but she is leaving Monday for Miami again. But she said she would look for the missionaries there.

I am going to be honest, I was tempted more than one time not to do my job. I was tired, burnt and hungry and I will probably never see Aura again, but I know that we were instruments in the hands of the Lord today to help one of his daughters come closer to Him.

If we are loving, obedient and diligent every day we should have an awesome story. So tonight before you go to bed, ask the question, "Father, are you pleased with my work today?"

Hannah, yes they eat watermelon! The favorite summer fruit is... I don’t know there are a lot. But for a nice ice cold natural fruit drink, la calala is a great one. I always like a good mango with salt.

But in Bluefields, definitely a big coco (of the green kind). freshly cut with machete is Awesome! Before the mission I don’t know if you remember, but I didn’t like Coconut. Ha ha but that all changed. You will all be amazed to see the other fruit/vegetable things that I can now eat without throwing up. You might not even believe it is me.

Sounds like everything is going great!

Good luck with youth conference Dad! And for your talk... HAPPY FATHER´S DAY!!!

Good work with the mission work, Mom. Just remember to keep opening your mouth. I remember reading that one day in the beginning of the mish. That I had the responsibility to open mouth and share the truth that I have been blessed to know.

But it is hard sometimes and looking for help, I read the scripture that if I open my mouth it will be filled. One time sitting down on the bus next to someone I was nervous and didn’t know how to start the conversation and I remembered the scripture and took it too literally and opened my mouth... I think the person sitting next to me thought I was a fish opening and closing my mouth so much. Ha ha ha but just be happy and talk.

Wow sounds like Girls State was neat, Emily. I hope you weren’t too corrupt as City Auditor ha ha. I luh you. Have a good summer.

Hannah, sounds like a very important spiritual experience. You should write it down in your journal so that you don’t forget it.

I love you,

Elder Hardy

ps I love you

June 4, 2012

The hills are alive, with the sound of Cambios! (Changes!)

Ha ha that’s right, Changes! Well, Elder Leiva went super far away now, in Jinotepe.... ja ja. Not in my old area but the one right next to it. And my new companion is...

Elder Erick Emerson Gomez Bamaca!!

He is so PILAS! (Strong!) He actually only has 4 months in the mission. And he is eighteen. But he is already a Zone Leader and is a really good guy. I am so grateful to have him in these last changes. Maybe Presidente was worried I was going to get trunky or something. Ha ha.

Hey and guess what?! I’m a Grandpa! That’s right, my son Elder Batz is training this change! I am so happy. He is also a District leader.

So my comp is from Guatemala City, really close to the temple. His Dad is from El Salvador and is a Beauty Salon technician. And apparently, very successful at it too. His mom owns a beauty salon in their house. He has 7 brothers and sisters and his 3 older brothers have served missions. One was in the MTC with him as a teacher ha ha.

Awesome! Summer is already here! But I thought you always had to watch Sound of Music in the Spring Mom? Sounds cool that you are going to have dinner with the Woodruffs on Thursday.

Good luck Emily with Girls State! You ought to try to be President and then put a bunch of ridiculous rules and make everyone buy you a soda every day or something. Ha ha.

Wow! Austin is married and Hayden is getting back from the Mish! Hey can you send me next time a list of all the get home dates and emails of all the guys?

The week was Excellent! Yes we had several investigadores in Church on Sunday. 2 families and an older man (his wife couldn’t come this week).

Well Saturday was awesome. We had a lesson with a Super Beautiful family. I think I have already mentioned them. But this time we put a baptismal goal with them for the 16th!!! I know they can do it. Pray for them too! They couldn’t come yesterday but they are still really positive, just need to keep it up with not drinking coffee and keep reading and praying about the book of Mormon to receive an answer.

The Zone is doing GREAT! We had Zone Conference on Friday. We taught and had an activity about Unity. We talked about our achievements from the last month, our goals for this month and how we are going to do it.

For PDay today, we did not do much. But the office asked me to fix up a program for them in excel for the weekly and monthly numbers we have to report and it has taken a lot of time.

Sounds great that you have some more time to golf and work in the yard this year, Dad.

Mom, patience and diligence are part of the work. But you should invite a familia over to the house so you can be a Familia Amulek. Ha ha. Be bold and follow the direction of the Spirit.

Well Alexis, if you sell cookies. Buy me a few boxes for me. Ha ha I hope everything goes well.

Good Luck Emily!

Ah! You are already running the city Mayor Hannah! Will you let me live there when I get back?

Feliz Verano!!! (Happy Summer!!!)

I love you all,

Elder Hardy

ps I love you