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