July 9, 2012

Querida Familia,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

¡¡¡FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!!!

To Grandma Weiler and Rob!!!

I hope you guys had good Birthdays, the next one I guess I will be there to make it even more fun.

This week has been good. My Comp. and I have been making progress. We went to a place a little hidden in our area where the missionaries haven't been for 10 years and found a lot of new families to teach!

Hey, Sounds like you guys had a great Fourth of July! I am so jealous that you don´t have to go to Wyoming anymore to get Fireworks. I bet they went crazy with a bunch of Firework stands there. Just be careful not to set grandma´s hair on fire again.

Wow, the Humphries boys are already home, that’s great. Alex too. Ha ha send me a picture of Alex at his homecoming!

Things are Great! I put some personal goals down for the Attributes of Christ that I need to be better in before the end of the Mission. My Comp and I are starting a fast so that we can purify ourselves and be more in tune with the spirit and teach with more power. I think I already said that we (well actually my comp. with another missionary in divisions) found a new neighborhood in our area. So there have been lots of new families.

We’ve had some great teaching experiences, Yes! We taught a man that lives to the side of the Church. (I think I might have mentioned him before). He has been searching for a church and a few months ago joined the church of the Adventistas del Septimo Día.

As we taught him the message of the restoration, he began to open up and we were able to explain to him the importance of the restoration and how he could know for himself. He really understood the message and accepted the commitment to pray and find out for himself. He was very interested in knowing how he could receive his answer through the Holy Ghost and how he would feel.

He told us that a long time ago he had talked with the missionaries, but that they weren´t able to answer all of his questions. He started saying that it was because we were trained better but we told him that it was the spirit and that maybe this time he is finally ready to hear and believe in the Restored Gospel.

A funny story to tell, well, Friday night we left from the new neighborhood I said that my Comp had found. We had gone a little late in the last lesson and it was already like 7:30 pm. And it got really dark... (This neighborhood is in the jungle where there is nothing else and no lights for about 15 minutes on the dirt jungle trail).

So as we were talking, my companion started joking about how the Coyote was going to come eat us. And as we were walking the wind blew a big dark bag from the bushes on the side of the road towards us and I yelled and grabbed my comp. (as a joke) and scared him. Ha ha. I think I did really scare him bad. He was pretty silent for the next couple of minutes.

There have been Mighty Miracles. So, I have a really good friend named Leo. He is family of the family where we live, and he works in the Fritanga there in the nights. So we always say hi to him before ending for the night. Well he is a member. But was baptized when he was a kid and has been inactive for quite a while. He is 23 now. But he is a great guy and is really intelligent and talented too.

Ok, so the Mighty Miracle is that yesterday as the Sacrament meeting was starting, suddenly he came and sat next to me!!! I was so surprised and happy because we have been inviting him to church every week since I came here and he finally came! He even brought his cousin who is less active too.

We have never been able to teach him much doctrine, but I think he really just needs a friend more than anything. The bigger Miracle and Mercy of the Lord would be if he would come next week and begin getting ready to go on a mission. There´s still time!

Sounds like everything is going great with you guys!

Be careful with fire Dad!

I hope your ankle gets better fast Mom. And I hope the Llama festival is... fun.

Wow! Congratulations Emily on nailing the Cafe Río Job! Good Luck! Be confident and take initiative!

Congratulations on winning Cuckoo Hannah!!!

I Love you all,

Elder Hardy

ps I love you