April 16, 2012

Dear Family!

Oh, well sounds like we have been having opposites in the weather this week! It has been... hot here!

Wish them luck to Hannah and Emily for their Ballet Performances.

Do we use that Object Lesson Book you sent? Ha ha Yeah! Me and my comp. call it the "Apostasy Book". Just because it isn’t in the Missionary Library. But we use it when we are planning for a lesson and we want to have an object lesson. First, we try to think of Ideas for a while and if we can’t think of one we say, "take out the apostasy book!" and we find one there. 

We have already used some, like the one using "Goo" (Corn starch goo) to show that when you work with your testimony it stays strong and firm. But if you let it sit for just a little, it starts to run through your fingers. I used it in a District meeting about our testimonies and the Book of Mormon (the kids... I mean missionaries loved it). And my comp. and I used it in a Noche de Fortificación of the Ward.

What did I do for my Birthday? Well, not tooo much. Thursday we worked the whole day like normal. I want to take my comp out to eat today before it’s too late. And I bought myself a Coool Gift. (the hammock). We´ll see how I am able to send it home.

Well, I still don’t know if I have changes this week. But I guess it is very likely.

Our one family did not get baptized this week. They couldn’t come to church enough times still. Yesterday, something happened with the land lord of their house and they had to stay there to talk to her so that they don’t lose the house. 

But if I go, I know Elder Batz will do a great job helping them. He will have to send us photos when they get baptized. 

But this week a future missionary got baptized! Manuel got baptized!!!

Elder Nelson, a returned missionary that has become friends with him these last few weeks was the one that baptized him. The Baptismal service was pretty good. The hymns were a little slow, but Members came to support him and everything.

So, in the actually baptism, after the prayer, Elder Nelson began to submerge Manuel in the water, but Manuel wasn’t able to plug his nose very well and ended up taking in a bunch of water. But at least he went all the way under. I think he tried to hold it in until he got to the bathroom but then he started coughing and everything like he had almost drowned. 

I was joking with him after and told him it was because he had to clean himself inside and out. He is 19 and would be a great missionary. I hope everything works out so that he can go.

We had a lesson with Agustin and Maria and they are Super Excited to go to the Temple next year! Last night we had a pretty "awesome" experience with a New Family we found.

Hannah asked if I have seen any crocodiles. Hmmm. Sorry Hannah, no. Do they have crocodiles here?

Ok, thanks for the updates. Good luck with the Party! Didn’t busy season already end?

Congratulations EMILY on the ACT! That’s Awesome!

Good luck on the CRTs Hannah!

And about the coming home the week of the 13th. Well, I am going to do what you said, Dad. I guess it is a big decision. Maybe you guys could pray too so that everything works out miraculously like it has many times in my school and education. Thanks Mom for all your help, you have always helped so much with my school. But don’t worry; one day when you are old it will pay off! ha ha ha.

Love,

Elder Hardy

Ps. I love you.

April 9, 2012

¡¡¡Gracias!!!

Well, I guess this week I am going to have 21 years. But it sure doesn`t feel like it. Ha ha ha I feel the same age as I entered the MTC. I just might have a little bit less hair on my head... ha ha ha

But thanks for the birthday cake Mom!

Easter was great. Even though here it is a little different. The Easter Bunny didn´t hide me an Easter basket this year. For the Ward, the program was the same, but the talks were good, focused on Jesus Christ and his Atonement. It is always the most important thing to remember.

Thanks for the Birthday money! Well, I think I kind of already spent a lot of it. But it is apparently for the most tuanis Hamaca EVER! I actually got it right now! Thanks to a pilas sister in the Ward that was going to Masaya and agreed to bring the Hamaca as well. But, we dropped it off in the house really fast before coming here to write so I still haven’t taken a picture...

Well, I don’t have anything special planned for my Birthday. I was thinking about taking my comp. out to dinner. But now that I am thinking about it I think the Sister Julia might do something when we go to dinner there so I think I will go with my comp. Friday.

Our families are Good.  Saida and Jose Luis couldn´t come this Sunday. :(  But they are still very positive. The only thing is that they will have to be baptized after I go now.

We baptized a family in the district!!! And a nice older Sister named Rosita. Ha ha she said I was "muy simpatico y guapo" (very nice and handsome). The Dad is named Fran. He was to complete a family and he asked me if I would baptize him. We were able to help a little bit to help him get to baptism.

I bear my testimony that I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. I know that my loving Heavenly Father sent his Son to the world with a mission. And that mission was to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, through an Atonement.

I know that Jesus Christ in his love for each of us suffered the pains and price of sin and death. And has broken the chains of death both spiritual and mortal through his perfect life and obedience and through his resurrection.

My testimony in the Atonement of Jesus Christ has strengthened in the last two years. I have been able to feel the power of the Atonement in my own life, and I have seen it work in the lives of others.

One of the ways my testimony of the Atonement has strengthened the most is through studying of it and Jesus Christ in the Scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. If each one of us can diligently study and pray about the mission of Jesus Christ (the Atonement) we will not only strengthen our "faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement" but we will also feel the blessings of the Atonement (most important part of the plan) applied in our lives.

I bear my testimony that I know Jesus Christ Lives, that he love us, and that through his Atoning Sacrifice we will return to live with him as a Family. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Thanks for the updates everyone!  Good luck with work dad! Yes, you can still call me Jonny Honey mom... Elder Jonny Honey.

I Love You,

Elder Hardy

ps I love you

April 2, 2012

¡Feliz Semana Santa!

Happy Easter!

I don’t know if you guys remember from last year but Easter week is called Holy Week. And depending on your religion, you participate in activities during the week. The most common are the Catholic traditions. They carry a cross around the city every Friday for a month before Semana Santa and every day during this week has a specific activity of the life of Christ assigned to it.

It would be interesting to look up, I don’t remember the name assigned to each day. But the most common thing for everyone is to go to the beach! (Supposedly it’s the hottest week in the year). Too bad the missionaries won’t be participating in the cultural traditions of Nicaragua.

But Conference was great wasn’t it!?!

I got to watch all the sessions. Most of them I watched in English. But I watched the Priesthood session in Español because we came together with a couple of investigators and I didn’t want to just leave them.

From the Priesthood session my favorite phrase was from President Monson: Haz tu Deber, haz tu mejor, deja el resto al Señor. (Do your duty, do your best, leave the rest to the Lord.)  I liked that because I would like to be a good leader and fulfill my duty, but things never go perfectly so I just have to do my best and confide in the Lord for the rest.

But my favorite talks always seem to be from Elder Holland. I guess I just like his very direct, "machete" style. But this conference I received much revelation and I was also very pleased because various investigators came and had inspired leaders of the church talk about exactly what they needed to hear.

It was a great week. A couple issues with the District but in the end everything will be ok. I guess we could work on our unity. But we had a fun activity today for Pday with the whole mission that helped everyone have a little fun and relax.

We were going to go to the Vulcan Masaya (Masaya Volcano) but they closed the Volcano today, so first we went to see the Caterina Laguna. It was pretty. But not much to do for a missionary at a laguna. But I bought a cool Nicaraguan bag because I told myself I need to buy more souvenirs.

Mirador de Catarina, Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Fotos de la Carcel (Photos of the Prison)

Oh, and because all the mission was there, I talked to my comp. Elder Gaytan, who is in Masaya and gave him the down payment for a really nice Hammock. I told him to get one of the big ones (for like 2 or 3 people) and to make the colors like the Nicaraguan flag. He said I could put letters on it so I told him to put Hardy, and on the other side Nicaragua (so we don’t forgot from where it came).

This week was the best because with the most positive family we are teaching we invited them to be baptized and they accepted. For the 21st of April. The only problem is that I am probably going to get transferred before that. But it was a neat spiritual experience we had with them last night. We taught them the lesson of the Restoration.

But it was hard. Because their two year old little girl Emily, decided to be a big distraction this time. (Normally she is really sweet and shy) But this time she was running around throwing things on the ground and bugging her mom and dad ha ha. I think she was just tired.

So, as we struggled to have the spirit and their attention throughout the lesson we testified to them of the love of God and of the restoration through the prophet José Smith. After testifying, my companion asked the Dad if he would ponder about these things and ask his Heavenly Father in the name of Christ if José Smith was a Prophet.

We sat there for what felt like a long time but he didn’t answer. My companion repeated him the question and we waited for what felt like forever but he didn’t respond. I then explained to him again what it would mean to his family to know if these things were true and explained again how he could know through prayer.

Then I asked again, "¿Orará para saber si José Smith fue un profeta verdadero?" (“Will you pray to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet?") This time he replied, with a strong, "NO". We were a little bit astounded by his answer, because they have been very positive and during the entire lesson they seemed to have understood and liked the message.

But we weren´t discouraged. I asked him, "¿Que le impediría orar y preguntar a Dios si José Smith fue un profeta de Dios?" (“What would prevent him to pray and ask God if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God?”)

And after thinking for a second he said, "No creo que debería preguntar a Dios, si ya sé que José Smith fue un profeta." (“I do not think I should ask God, if I already know that Joseph Smith was a prophet.”)

Ha ha ha, well after he said that all the tenseness left the room and me and my comp smiled and said, Well that’s great! We then continued to explain to them that they can still pray and ask their Father in Heaven to strengthen their faith and testimonies and help them to follow Jesus Christ. We then invited them to be baptized the 21st of April and they accepted.

That is so amazing to hear that Aunt Annette is going through the temple next week!

Ha ha ha NO! I have not gotten any Trunky Papers. But Mom, I think with the way the changes are going to fall I am going to come home with everyone the Thursday of the week of Aug. 18th. Is that going to be a problem? Do you think someone can go to my classes the first two or three days?

I remember the snow caves dad! And I remember that mine and Jordan Stewarts was beautiful! But as we were making it, Jordan was scraping away at the ceiling to make it higher and right as I said, "I don’t think we should go any higher..." The cave collapsed ha ha.

Thanks for the spiritual thoughts about conference Mom and Dad. It was great. And it had lots of advice and blessings for the family.

I have had a lot of faith building experiences in the mission, Alexis. But I would have to say that normally the best for me are the answered prayers. Especially a few that have been answered through the fruits of the Holy Ghost. How would you build faith in investigators? Through WORKS. Anybody here can listen to someone talk about Christ for an hour. But not everyone ACTS upon what they hear. Those that read, pray and come to church progress and receive a REAL Conversion. Those who don’t, stay in the same condition they are in for the rest of their lives. Unless one day they Work their faith and Act.

I love you all,

Have a Happy Easter & Spring Break!

Elder Hardy

ps I love you!

March 26, 2012

Dear Familia,

Elders Tonga, Hardy, Woodruff & Brough

Mission Conference, Granada 2012

My week was AWESOME! And sounds like your week too. I think it is great that you guys are going good on the Book of Mormon goal. 

This week was so great because we have another super escogida familia (chosen family) that came to church yesterday. They remind me of the family of Everardo and Daisy in Bluefields. So they came with us to Church and we had fast and testimony meeting. It was the best Fast and Testimony meeting I have ever had! It was very spiritual. 

A new investigator that our friend Agustin brought to church even went up to the pulpit and some of what she said was, I have been searching in many churches for my whole life and today, is the first time I have felt the spirit like this in church, I feel like this is the correct church and I hope that I might be able to join it one day. Wow! 

Also, a really sincere Mom went up with her baby and shared her testimony about how the Gospel changed her life and about her eternal family now. It was very touching, and I think the family that came to church felt the spirit too. 

We are going to watch General Conference about as close as you can if you aren’t living in Utah ha ha. Across the street. Our Ward attends in the Stake Center across the street from the house and this Saturday and Sunday everyone from the Stake is going there. 

Sounds like a great Birthday gift, thanks family. I will be sure to fulfill the three birthday money requirements, it will be great. I will even see if I have any connections in Masaya for a cool hammock. 

Bishop asked about the Missionary Journal. Ok, in my email to President, I asked him if he has the Diary format saved on the computer and if he would send it to me. If so, I will send it to you guys (Dad will have to translate). If not, I will take a photo of each page and send it to you guys next week. 

The point of the diary is that the family that has the Journal finds, befriends and baptizes a family each year. So these 10 families every week fill out the dairy of their missionary experiences and the families that they have contacted and that they are working with. 

Well, it starts off on the first page with all the Ward Mission Goals for the year (very important that all the members can know the goals, or why would we make them) like baptisms, retention and church attendance. Then it has two pages with a place to put the photo of the families they have helped baptize and their names. Then it has a couple of lessons that we are teaching to the missionary families. About how to do Member Missionary Work. Then it has lined pages to put their missionary experiences and progress of investigators. I will have to try to send it to you guys next week. 

Sounds like everything is going good. I will have to send photos next week. 

I am very proud of my Member Missionary family. 

Alexis, we don’t have a temple in Nicaragua. But my first impressions of the Temple were great. I feel like I was prepared and that I was able appreciate at least the covenants I was making. But obviously a lot went over my head. I can’t wait to go back to the temple and receive more revelation. 

Love, 

Elder Hardy & Elder Batz 

Elder Hardy 

ps I love you 

Sorry the power went out and I lost a bit. I am just signing on now to send the draft. 

Love you!!!

March 19, 2012

Happy Spring!!!

Hey Mom, I don´t know if I have ever told you but thanks for all the thought you put in sending me an email every week. Even the cool photos made out of text are really cool. Where do you find those? 

Ha ha well no, I did not see any of the fresh water sharks. I guess I didn’t get close enough to the water. I was going to send you photos today... but I actually lent my camera to some recent converts... but I am sure it will come back. Ha ha. 

Elder Nick Sessions? No, no nos invitaron a los cambios porque... 

just realized I was writing in Spanish. 

No I haven’t met him yet, but we have a conference activity in Granada this Wednesday and I will see him there. It is with the whole mission. 

Elder Gochnour already came back? No way. Sounds like he had a good mission. 

This week we continued to work hard. But the good news is that we took a good time in our weekly planning figuring out how we could work better. Not harder, because we already have that down, but work more effectively to be able to find the people and families that God has waiting for us. We made several plans and goals, lots having to do with Member Missionary Work. 

Last week they also changed the Ward Bishopric. The new Bishop and one of the counselors are returned missionaries and they are all pilas. We met with them yesterday in the house of the Bishop to start off with a good page for the relationship between the missionaries and the ward leaders. 

We had some plans and ideas and we are going to present them to the ward council next Sunday. We went to the Bishop first so he has a head start and will be able to support us. One of the plans is from the mission. It is the "Missionary Journal." 

Bishop Arevalo is going to pick 10 of the most pilas families in our ward and we are going to give each one a really cool pamphlet/journal that they have to fill out. The idea is that they pick a family that they know who are not members and they are going to help them throughout the year. The goal is that each family baptizes a family each year. 

We had an interesting Stake Conference this Sunday, it was actually with all of Central America. We listened to President Packer, and President Clayton of the Seventy and a few more in a conference from Salt Lake City to all Central America by satellite. They had some very good consejos for the members. 

We found three new, positive families this week. One, the husband has been a member for 12 years (since he was 16) but hadn’t talked to the missionaries in two years, and his wife is Catholic. We watched “Together Forever” with them and the Dad was a little emotional. He came yesterday to church and we want to help him and his wife so that they can go to the temple. 

For PDay today, we left the house and 11:00 am after studies and went to get our hair cut. The Doctor stopped us before leaving the house and wanted to talk to us. She said that the electric bill has gone up a lot ever since we started to iron our own shirts in the house. So we decided we are going to look for a sister to do the laundry for us. 

Then we left the house. I bought a bag of freshly sliced mango in the park on the way to the barbershop (so I could have something to snack on as we waited). After cutting our hair, we went to eat lunch at our lunch appointment. And we put an appointment to meet with Stephany (a daughter of the family where we eat) and a friend of hers that she wanted to introduce to the missionaries for tomorrow at 4 pm. 

And we came here to write. Ha ha. After, my companion wants to buy some shorts for the activity this Wednesday and I am going to buy a couple of white shirts. 

No baptisms this week. But the goal for April is Two Families. 

Hannah asked if we have Spring here in Nicaragua? Ha ha it is always Spring in Nicaragua!!! Well, that’s not true. But I would say the closest to Spring is right after the dry season. When it starts to rain again is when the ground explodes with plants and it is very green. I will take a photo of a cool flower! 

Ah man, you gave me a bad bracket dad! Thanks for the journal entries. Love you. 

Thanks for the spiritual thought and awesome idea about the Patriarchal Blessing mom. I am going to do it tomorrow in my personal study. Sounds like the activity is going to be awesome mom! I Love you. 

Wait, I thought you already left school Alexis. What are you schooling? Who is this new guy again? Love you. 

Good luck in the last night of Concert Emily!!! I luh you. 

Sound like you are doing Great Hannah! I Love you. 

I want you all to remember the goal that you guys made! ... I hope you guys are already half way through the Book of Mormon as a family! 

I love you all, 

Elder Hardy 

ps I love you

March 5, 2012

Hey Dad, 

Thanks for sending the email. I am sorry to hear that everyone has been sick. It´s funny because this weekend I got hit with the "Chitarro" (I´m thinking that pretty much means the common cold). Ha ha I was fine. I was able to deal with it but it was a little annoying in all of our lessons Friday and Saturday with a super runny, stuffy nose. 

Ha ha Friday I bought a huge handkerchief and filled it with moco (mucus) every time I had the chance in order to be able to teach. The worst was that this Sunday was fast Sunday and the choir director didn’t come on time so they called me up to direct the hymns. Ha ha I was feeling pretty light headed trying to sing loud and keep everyone on time with the hymns. 

Hey that is awesome to hear that Jordan was ordained a Priest. ¿How many young men do you have Dad? (Priests, Teachers, Deacons). Maybe you could send a few extra Priests over here to help me out. 

That is neat that the Young Men are excited about planning Spiritual Activities like going to the Temple, sharing the Gospel and helping others in their conversion. It is pretty much the best way to help your own conversion and spiritual progression. Sounds like you’re doing a good job, Dad. 

FELICIDADES to Emily and Hannah for their Piano Recitals. They need to come here and play the hymns Sundays. Like I said, this Sunday, I directed the Hymns and Elder Muzo "played" the piano. But it is computerized and Elder Muzo just has to touch a key every beat to play. And so he got ahead in the opening hymn and didn’t know how to slow down to get back with the congregation and the stress almost killed me (remember I was sick and empty stomached too). I could use you guys! 

Hey we got a package! It was the little one for Valentine’s Day! Thank you so much, the tie is very artistic. The cartas (cards) were great, Happy Valentine’s Day! (haha, a month later!) 

Ha ha ha no no no. It wasn’t a bug in the pictures I last sent. I sent 2 pictures. You have to see what the difference is in between the two pictures (of the PLANT) ha ha. Try to see the difference before you read the answer: 

There is a really cool weed here in Jinotepe. The leaves are all spread out and sticking out. BUT if you touch it, it MOVES really fast and HIDES its leaves and shrinks. Ha ha so I tried to show it in a picture of before and after. 

(Sue's note: This plant is called the 

Mimosa pudica: The Sensitive Plant)

We had a GREAT lesson last week. We are teaching a Sacerdocio who is really Pilas. His name is Porfilio. He has come to Church now for three weeks straight. The thing is, is he is really evangelico. Which is great because he is going to be one of my most pilas converts because he has so much Zeal for the gospel. 

We have been teaching him a few times these last weeks but it is tuff to go through the lessons because he likes to talk about the gospel so much. But we decided we needed to teach him the entire restauracion before Sunday. But we were actually pretty nervous because we weren’t sure how he would react to the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith as a prophet, because he is so dedicated to the Bible. 

But we prepared ourselves and practiced and Saturday in the Night, we went to his house. And we gave one of the best lessons I have had in the Mish. (and my comp. said the best lesson he has had of the Restauration in his mission ha ha). 

It actually almost surprised me how he accepted immediately that Joseph Smith was the prophet that started the dispensation of the fullness of times (we focused on Gospel Dispensations, Apostasies and the Priesthood). And that the Book of Mormon, as a fruit of the restoration and the key of our religion could be true and he accepted to study and pray without delay. It was Amazing. 

Sacrament yesterday was excellent. I actually am a little nervous every first Sunday of the month as I show up with Investigadores. Because you never know what might be said up there when people start to share their testimonies ha ha. 

Sometimes investigadores can think bad with a great testimony, but that was focused much on Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and start thinking that Joseph Smith is our God and that the Book of Mormon is our Bible. (One of the reasons that it was very important to share with Porfilio the Restauration before Sunday). 

And the testimonies were great. I especially felt the spirit when I had the opportunity to share mine. The best part was that Porfilio stayed for all the meetings and said he had felt the spirit very strongly in Church today. 

Thank you for the updates and the questions, I have to go already! 

Feel better Mom! 

Love you all, 

Elder Hardy 

ps. I love you. 

pps Good Luck Emily with all that dancing!

February 27, 2012

Dearest Royal Family, 

(Sue's note: Not sure what we are looking at.

Is it "la cucaracha"? See below)

Ha ha wow, that is Awesome! 21st Great-Grandson of King Edward III. Hey, if you trace your lineage to a royal line or two you can pretty much trace it back to Adam can’t you? Ha ha I think that is kind of cheating but I think that is really neat. Thanks. 

That is such a sweet photo of when you guys got married in the Temple. I am going to print it off today to share with people. 

Well, this week no baptisms. But a miracle can always happen. Sometimes investigators that are ready to be baptized fall from the sky. 

We are teaching a couple of families now. One is named Georgina and Francisco. Georgina came to an activity of the Stake Saturday. The activity was about the Plan of Salvation and was titled "A Trip to Heaven." She said she was a little bored waiting to go through the course (each step of the Plan of Salvation had its own room and a ward assigned to do it) but that she liked it in the end. She said she especially didn't want to go to the spirit prison or the Telestial Glory. Ha ha she said it scared her and her kid. 

I actually don’t know what they did, my comp and I could never go through, we were busy making sure everything went smoothly. I just know that one little girl left with her mom crying (good thing the mom is an active member). 

Yesterday we had a spiritual experience as we were in the street. We have been behind on our goal of finding new families to be able to teach, so Saturday night we made the goal to go crazy Sunday contacting new families in addition to doing all of our scheduled appointments after Church. 

We started the day off good because we contacted two families before even going to Church! And in the afternoon, we were hurrying to an appointment to the which we were already late when we passed by a man and a woman standing in front of a really big, deep hole in front of their house. 

We passed by the hole in a rush but I felt prompted to go back and talk to the man. It was easy to start the conversation, I told him I thought that was a pretty cool looking hole in front of his house ha ha ha. And that I always liked digging holes ha ha ha. But it turns out that the man and woman were neighbors. 

He lived next door with his wife and his three sons. (One is already married too). So I asked him if we could introduce ourselves to his wife too. Turns out they had received the charlas from the sister missionaries 10 years ago. But they moved to here and lost contact. So we are going to pass by this week and teach him and his son’s families. 

So... if the Spirit prompted me or I just really like holes, it’s the same thing. I have found that following the Spirit many times is just when you receive a prompting in your mind or heart to do a good thing, and you do that good thing. Like talking about holes with the intent to invite a family to come unto Christ. 

We usually try to help our male converts receive the Aaronic Priesthood the following Sunday. And then they have to prepare for some time to receive the Higher Priesthood. 

Hannah asked if I have ever been to the big lake to see the sharks. No! Never been to the big lake. But I have seen lots of Snakes! 

I think that is Asombroso that Jordan Harris got baptized Saturday. Tell Cooper congratulations from me too on his first baptism. The elbow of Yamileth, my first baptism, stuck out too ha ha. Dad, seems like you´ve got a couple of great future missionaries there (including Jordan) better keep it up with them so that they are good to go. 

Sounds like you are giving great lessons Dad, keep up the good work. Hey, make sure all your young men have a Preach my Gospel. I should send you a list of scriptures they should all try and memorize as quorums that help in the mission! Love you Dad. 

Ward Party! Good luck Mom. Hey tomorrow we are having the big "Night of Fortification" where all the different groups in the ward are going to come to the Church. And this month we even invited President Monestel! He and his wife are going to give the lesson, and President is going to meet an hour before with all the Priesthood to talk to them too. Pray that everyone shows up!!! Love you Mom. 

Alexis... no, nobody has ever proposed to any missionary here. The missionaries usually have to help all the families get married before they can get baptized. And the thing is, I was blessed with brown eyes. Here, everybody has brown eyes too and they go crazy for the missionaries with "cat eyes" (colored eyes). Especially blue. Love you Alexis. 

Hey good luck with Dance Concert and Piano Emily! I luh You! 

Wow Hannah, great job with your Amelia Earhart report, and good luck with your performance as Cinderella! I hope you guys are videotaping all of the performances the family does so I can see them later. Like the "Mixed up Fairy Tales" Love you. 

Love, 

Elder Hardy 

p.s I love you

February 20, 2012

I am doing great! 

Here with my new compañero (but I told him that after the first 2 days you aren’t new anymore). The best news is... 

We baptized a Family!!!!!

Well, a couple of months ago, a Priesthood holder came back to church after many years. We were able to help him and get to know his family. At the end of the last month, we baptized Yuran, his Grandson.

We have been working with his wife (who was not a member) and having a real wrestle trying to help her finally make the decision to be baptized. She has been thinking about it for about 12 years (since her husband was baptized). 

It was one of the best baptisms I have ever been able to help with in my mission. She was baptized and confirmed yesterday and she even shared her testimony afterwards and it made me so happy. 

Wednesday, my comp and I are going to Managua for a Conference for the Missionaries that are training and being trained. I bet you we will get our packages there!

Ward responsibilities? Um, well I guess I could be the pianist. Elder Kunz (who actually knows how to play) left last month. So we haven’t had anyone to do it. But Elder Muzo is doing it right now. The best part is that it is electronic. He actually has no idea how to play, but he pretends he is playing and I don’t think many members have realized it yet. 

We give the Gospel Principles Class sometimes when the teacher doesn’t show up, but the best part about Jinotepe is that it is already a Stake. So they are actually pretty self sufficient. 

My best experience? Well the best was yesterday when María Concepción got baptized, confirmed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and received the Holy Ghost!

The worst experience is when you have taught very powerfully to a family and come back to the next appointment hoping that they tell you they know everything is true and want to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized, but instead they hand you the Book of Mormon and ask you to never come back. 

Ha ha yeah the questions are great. I just feel like I don’t have the time to answer them my very best. But don’t worry, the Book is BLUE the Church is TRUE and Families can be GLUED, together forever and I have the chance to share it with the families in Nicaragua for 6 MORE MONTHS! Nothing negative to share. :) 

I have a question: We are going to help Maria Concepcion and her Husband Agustin put a goal to go be Sealed in the Temple in one year. Do you think you could send me some photos of your temple marriage Mom and Dad?

I know you’ve got a dorky hair do (Sue’s note: gee thanks! haha) but I think it would be really special for me if I could share it with them and tell them about what blessings are awaiting their family. If you send them to my email I can print them off here. 

Ha ha ha you guys bought a cat! That was really nice, I am sure Grandma Weiler is very happy. (Rob too). 

Hey, Congratulations Emily on the killer talk you gave Sunday!!! Sounds like it was great. That is really neat, no. That is AWESOME that you have a friend that is going to get baptized. You will have to tell him "Felicidades" from me. Make sure you help support him so that after his baptism he can keep strengthening his testimony and prepare to go on a mission. That would be so cool. Tell him he’s got to keep on reading that little blue book. 

Ha ha ha ha the water heater BLEW up?!?!?! That is Crazy. I remember in myth busters when they did that and it went through the roof! How far did ours go? (Ha ha I also seem to remember them saying that it is pretty much impossible to happen unless you deliberately tamper with the emergency pressure release valve... hmmm). But I am totally jealous that now we have a new water heater that will never run out! Only after I left the house.... 

Hey Dad, good work with the Young Men! That is neat that your young friend is going to come back to church. Help him feel comfortable there in the ward. And make sure he has a good relationship with the Bishop too ha ha. 

Hey, I don’t know how the Young Men would react, but one thing I wish I would have been able to do more before the mission is get to know the Book of Mormon better. It is actually a pretty cool book. But I’m not sure yet how to make it fun for the Young Men to be able to read it more. 

I know that when I get back, we are going to have a family Book of Mormon quiz every once in a while. President did that with the missionaries once, he and his wife did like a hundred questions about the Book of Mormon and it was pretty fun how we played a game to see which Zone knew the Book of Mormon best. I love you. 

Wow Mom, the Big Band Night sounds great! I bet you it will be fun! I hope I haven’t forgotten completely how to play the Saxophone. This Saturday we are doing a Stake Missionary Activity. It is called something like: A Trip to Heaven. And each ward has assigned one of the parts of the Plan of Salvation. I think we are the Terrestrial Kingdom. And everybody is going to do a tour of the Plan of Salvation. I love you. 

Good work with the Cat, Alexis! I love you. 

Sounds like you are having fun, Emily. Congrats on the talk again. Keep stretching so that you don’t hurt a muscle again! I love you. 

Hello Amelia Earhart! That will be neat Hannah. Send me a photo! I love you. 

I love you all, 

Elder Hardy

ps I love you

February 13, 2012

¡Feliz Día de Cariño! (o de San Valentin)

Hey everybody, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hannah asked what the Nicaraguans do for Valentine’s Day? Well, as far as I know it is like what we do in America. More than anything it is for couples. Give a little gift or something. For us the missionaries, it is one of the holidays that we especially don’t really celebrate ha ha. 

Does Elder Batz speak English? No, but he is learning really fast. He is really motivated to learn English and always works in his missionary English book when he should. I will tell him the root of his name. I asked him once and he said he had no idea. His dad is from the same place in Guatemala. 

Last night we had a great experience with a family teaching them the Restoration! They are a little bit older couple, we actually contacted them through their daughter and her husband. 

One night we were walking to our dinner appointment looking for families. We passed by one house and it looked like a family. I was like, hey I think that was a family. And my comp. was like, listen, I think they are fighting. But we went and talked to them anyway. They were getting ready to leave with their kids and a stroller but when we came and presented ourselves at the door they said, oh come on in. And we talked to them for a couple minutes. 

Well, it turns out that the super chosen family lives in the Sister’s area. But the next time we passed by we got to know the parents of them that live there in our area. And so last night, we were answering a lot of their questions and stuff like that. 

Finally the Mom asked the inspired question, So how did your church start? What makes your Church so different from all the others? And so we gladly started from the beginning and taught them. It was a great lesson because we didn’t really teach a lesson, we taught them. There were lots of questions and it was a conversation. 

And in the end as we testified, we felt really good. And the best part was that it seemed like they understood really well. And the next time we come back, we will see if they are ready to follow the example of Jesus Christ. 

Hey you will need to tell Aunt Debbie thanks from me for being so nice and giving me a Hardy Boys book from 1965? That is awesome! I think my Hardy Boys book collection is sweet. 

Do I ever get snail mail letters or write back? Ha ha ha well, the snail mail letters are awesome, they always seem to be more than an email. But I guess I might have been slacking off a little bit in writing back... 

Sounds like everyone is doing great!!! 

Thanks for the updates, sorry I don’t have time to write everyone back individually. 

I love you all, 

Elder Hardy 

ps. I love you

February 6, 2012

Hey Gringlandias!

That is awesome that you are sending the Greenie Package. I hope he gets it. I will try and explain it to him. Sounds like some cool object lesson that you are going to send us. That will be perfect for training and maybe even for District Meetings.

Elder Batz and I don’t have too many photos, we have been pretty busy this week. I had Leader Council on Wednesday, Interviews on Thursday and Zone Conference on Friday. Ha ha so we have been packed. But we will take more photos. The photos I sent are a human pyramid we did in the Interview Conference to show why "Fundamentals" are so important.

We had a good experience yesterday. So sometimes in the mission you just have one of those days. You know, when it seems like everything is going bad. People reject you, all your appointments fall, your backpack starts getting heavy and your feet hurt and it seems like nothing is going right. Here in Nicaragua it’s called un día Salado. A "Salty" day. 

Well, yesterday was a pretty "Salty" day. We got up and left the house extra early to go pass by our families to make sure the adversary didn’t throw anything in the way so that they wouldn’t come to church. But in short, we ended up having extra time on our hands before church started. We even found one family (our most positive for being baptized this month) in the street on the way to their house. 

But our one family was dressed up and everything and we asked them where they are going, church doesn’t start for another 2 hours. And they told us that the family had called with work and so they were going to another city for the day to work. And then they told us they were talking and that they decided that they didn’t want to talk to us anymore. So we shared our testimonies and gave them the special edition Liahona about the Book of Mormon that we brought for them.

In short, not all the families came to church and for the rest of the day all of our appointments fell and we were pretty salty. BUT, in spite of that, we didn’t lose hope and decided we needed more faith. And we decided that we needed to find a new family before going to eat dinner and we did it!

We found a really nice new family, we explained why we were there and they invited us in. We talked about the plan of salvation with them and it turns out that the missionaries even lived in the house of the grandma a couple years ago. It was great. And at Dinner we decided that instead of getting "salted" we needed to be the Salt of the world and keep finding chosen families. Because when the life gives you rice and beans... you got to make Gallo Pinto.

Um, yeah I think I’ve had companions celebrate birthdays while we were together, but only with one or two. I think with Elder Valenzuela we went to eat pizza. You know with most of my compañeros their birthdays have not been in our time together (max time together has been 3 months).

Yes, President kept me as the District Leader. Which makes a little more work. Especially because I do divisions with the district and Elder Batz is still getting to know the area. In our District are Elder Muzo and Elder Nielson (Zone Leaders) Elder Hardy and Elder Batz, Elder Buc (training) and Elder Bray (New, from California), Elder Burrola and Elder Reyes, and the Sisters Hermana Vasquez and Hermana Rivas.

Sick days? NO!!! There are no sick days. I have been great. And with my new compañero we even did exercise today and we are planning to keep it up.

Hannah asked if I have had any jungle diseases? Ha ha no never anything too weird. The worst Jungle disease that I have gotten is the Picazón. Or the "Itches." Ha ha but that just means I should probably wash my sheets, put my mattress in the sun and put baby powder where it itches after taking a shower. But the worst I have heard of is that of a missionary getting is Dengue Fever. That’s no fun. But here where I am there aren’t many mosquitoes.

Hey I love you so much, thanks for the updates and the great object lesson Idea. I think I am going to use it tonight.

Love,

Elder Hardy

ps I love you

January 30, 2012

Hey Family!

My new son/comp. is Elder Kenneth Berkeley Batz Garcia! He is from Juchanep, Totonicapan, Guatemala. He is super awesome, pilas (strong) and nice. I am pretty sure he came pre-trained. He has a great attitude and is very tranquilo. He is doing great here. He has 1 brother and 4 sisters and his mom. His dad is working in the United States right now for the family.

Ha ha hey, that would be really neat if you sent him your famous Greenie Welcome Kit! Something like that to help him feel welcome and have some treats for the start of his mission. Remember, he is my son ha ha my legacy has to live on through him.

And I got to stay in Jinotepe!!! Elder Gaytan went, I think he went back to the Masaya Zone. Here it is great. The ward is starting to relive thanks to the Noches de Fortificación Plan (Fortifications Nights Plan) that Elder Gaytan started with me and the Elders Quorum President.

Ah! I can’t believe I am actually going to say it but it has been... COLD. I don’t know why but it has been really cold here in Jinotepe lately it’s great. It isn’t supposed to be raining right now but this last week has had a few showers. My comp calls it "Llovisna" (light rain showers).

Hey my new comp and I have had a couple great lessons about the Book of Mormon with a couple families this last week. In one family, we brought enough copies of the Book of Mormon so that everyone including the kids could read along as we explained the Book of Mormon and why it is so important.

They had a lot of questions. But in the end the whole family was able to understand why Joseph Smith said the quote that is in the introduction of the book. We were even able to show them how the Bible and the Book of Mormon work hand in hand by reading, Matthew 3:13-15 and 2 Nephi 31. 

Hannah asked why I was on a yellow tractor last week? Ha ha ha well, we are teaching a young man named Leonel. And right now they are fixing the dirt streets where he lives and they park the tractors in his yard when they are not using it. So I had to take a few photos.... But we did service the week before with the ward, mowing the futbol field (with machetes) of a local school.

I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to train. I hope I can do a good job and that Elder Batz will have the patience he needs to train me too. ha ha. He is going to be a great missionary here.

The updates are great. Good luck everybody with the stuff you’ve got going on! I am always praying for you!

Love you,

Elder Hardy

p.s. I love you

p.p.s. I like the obedience golf game idea.

Thanks Mom.

January 23, 2012

Dearest Familia,

Thank you for the notes about the funeral, family. Sounds like Grandpa's funeral was beautiful. I'm sure Grandpa was proud. I just saw the video of the military service at his funeral, that is really neat. I am so proud of my Grandpa.

Yes, I have changes. But not just that... I'm going to be a Dad!!! Ha ha that means I am going to train a newby this change! I am so excited, but nervous at the same time. Last week they told me because I had to go to a capacitación (training) to learn about the new training program. (Well I guess it’s not that new. But for me, sí.)

Now training a new missionary takes 12 weeks (two changes) and we get an extra hour and a half of study time! You guys need to send me ideas and tips for me with my new comp. so I can train him good and so he doesn’t get bored in our extra hour long companion study.

We still don’t know who is going to change from the area, me or Elder Gaytan. But I am hoping I get to stay. Plus, if I left I would have to open up a new area and I don’t think that President will do that.

OK, so recently in our area here in Las Villas 2, Jinotepe, we have been doing great. We haven’t baptized for a little bit which is bad. But we are teaching about 9 families right now, and I am planning to baptize all of them with the help of the Light that is going to come with my nuevicito.

There is a future missionary that we have been teaching for the last two weeks. He is totally ready for his baptism. He tells us that he doesn’t have any more questions about the Church and he is reading and learning lots from the Book of Mormon. He was going to be baptized this weekend but he couldn’t come to church Sunday because everyone in his family left Sunday morning so he had to stay and guard the house.

Of the 9 families we are teaching, I think I already told you about our one investigator. Her husband is super pilas (strong) and after a month of being reactivated is now the Young Men President and is helping a ton. She knows the church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. And she has come to church for the past two months. But she still doesn’t feel like she wants to get baptized. So maybe you guys could pray for her too so she can finally make the decision.

We have another new family that we have started to teach, a husband, wife and their two kids. They are very positive and the Dad wanted to go to church Sunday but he had to do an errand for his work and didn’t get back in time. The last lesson we had with them was very touching. The Mom started to say the last prayer and started to cry and the Dad stepped in and finished it. It was great.

Well this last week, I didn’t not have any baptisms in my area. But I got to go to the baptisms of two really pilas kids in El Rosario. I was able to get to know them and help them out a little bit before they committed to be baptized and I also got to go do their interviews and so they and their family invited us to the baptism. They are both really excited to be future missionaries. I could only help a little in their conversion, but it was really neat to see, from the first time we got to know them to the baptismal interview, the change in their eyes. And how strong of a testimony they could gain.

It started when Elder Buc and Elder Styles found them one day. They talked to the Mom and she confessed that she is a member for a long time and that she went inactive when she moved from her home town. When I passed by with Elder Styles and we got to know them and the Dad a little better too. We wanted to invite the family to be baptized, but the Mom confessed that she was still waiting on some divorce papers so it would take a while for her and her future husband to get married. But the kids were still excited and said that they wanted to follow the example of Jesus Christ. I told them as we left that I looked forward to the day when I could come back and see them (for the interview) and that day came a lot faster than I thought.

Hey I sure did get to meet Elder Nelson!!! Like most of the times every missionary got to shake his and his wife’s hand. He asked me what my name was and she asked me where I was from. And I said, Utah... Salt Lake City, Utah. Ha ha that is neat that Mom got a letter from him a long time ago.

I love you sweet family,

Elder Hardy

ps I love you.