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 28, 2011

Buenas de Monte Fresco!!!

Heysel

Ha ha that’s right, I got transferred to the Area: Monte Fresco II (Serrania), Zone: Universitaria. And so far it’s Awesome.

My new compañero is Elder Valenzuela. He is from Honduras! He´s a pretty cool guy and last change they baptized two families. Right now I think this is the highest baptizing zone in the Mission. I´m super excited to get to work here. We have already found a couple families and hope that they will have the faith and be prepared to be baptized by the end of next month.

Yes! So Monte Fresco is on the Carretera Sur de Managua. I don´t think we are actually in Managua, just outside of it. So the whole area runs along one side of the main highway. Ha ha and the other area runs along the other side.

There is this one barrio (neighborhood) called the Cañon. You walk off the highway and down into this really forested valley.

There are recent converts and investigators that live more than 4 km farther south in the valley and Friday we went to visit them. It was the most ´tropical rainforesty´ walk I have had so far. Just on a dirt road with dense trees on both sides. Unfortunately, my camera was dead. We talked to two new investigators (now they are) the whole 4 km. It was Fun.

We live in a very small room off the side of a house here in Monte Fresco. It is across the street from the big Catholic Seminary Building haha.

The family that lives here is super nice. Three families actually live here. The Grandma, Grandpa, their two daughters, their husbands and one of them has twin kids about 2 years old. The other a baby girl 3 months old. The baby's name is Heysel. They are so cute.

Familia de Escalante

So I think they actually have a microwave. We have all our food citas (appointments) there too. Except for breakfast (which I hope will change). Same with having to wash our own clothes... We were spoiled in Boaco!

Ahhh! There was no package for me at Changes!!! I tried not to believe them, I think they are hiding it at the office because it is so awesome. Ha ha no, I’m just kidding. I don’t think they stole it. But still I haven’t gotten it.

I did get some letters from Grandma. And, thank you Grandma, I do love your letters to me. They are the best, ha ha and the Happy Valentine’s Day one was great. I hope everyone is feeling well. Even Charlie, I hope he stops pulling out his tail feathers soon.

CD Player? I can definitely go buy one. I’ve been thinking of investing in an Ipod Nano too. Elder Bailey’s family sent him one and they are pretty cool. I don’t know, what do you think? And if I do get one, do you think you guys could help fill it with good Tab Choir and church music?

I am going to send a package with the memory cards intact very soon.

Carnaval Alegria por la Vida (Happiness for Life Carnival) in Managua sounds pretty cool. But unless it passes by the Carretera Sur, I probably won´t see it.

Thank you for sending me all the names of the Missionaries serving in our Ward. I think it is Awesome there are so many serving.

I would now like to give a shout out to all of them, (even though they should never look at the Blog until after their missions because the Missionaries from the Grandview 1st Ward and the Wilford Stake are Obediente con Exactidud. (Unless their Mission President says they can. And I think the couple missionaries probably can).

To the 11 Missionaries currently serving from our Grandview 1st Ward: Les doy felicidades y mi amor a ustedes por su servicio a nuestro Señor y quiero lo mejor para mis compañeros en la obra mientras ayudamos los hijos de nuestro Padre Celestial venir más cerca de Cristo. Buena Suerte, Dios sea con Ustedes hasta nos vemos.

(I give congratulations and my love to you for your service to our Lord and want the best for my colleagues in the work while helping the children of our Heavenly Father to come closer to Christ. Good luck, God be with you until we meet).

Dad, I don´t know what this chanchada (hype) is about trading Deron Williams, but hopefully we can get some good draft picks then. Woopdy doo for BYU ha ha but that’s great that they have a chance at a number one seed.

That’s so awesome Mom that you and the Activity Day Girls donated to Heifer International. I do hope someone in Nicaragua gets a flock of chicks because of it.

Time will go by fast and before you know it I will be eating your Sunday Night Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes and not rice and beans. Ha ha but until then I’m not complaining. ¨¡No pregunta, solo comelo!¨ (We do not ask, just eat it!)  is my motto.

Alexis, Congrats on the Study Abroad! That is exciting. Don’t succumb to the dark side. And if you don’t find your exaltacion in these ´lots of guys´ there are plenty of dorky missionaries here that want your email address.

Emily, that’s great that you have been dancing. And guess what, I may be a little scared that you are getting your license, but it’s ok. Because the people driving in Managua are Crazy!!! They must give out licenses like gift cards or something.

Ha ha no, just kidding but they are super aggressive. And I don’t think I have seen a car yet that doesn’t have at least a few scrapes on its sides. Ha ha good luck, I love you, drive safe.

Hannah! ¡Felicidades! (Congratulations!) That is sooo tuanis (cool) that you won a trophy at the District Science Fair. Second Place is a big deal in a competition like that. I am so proud of you and I know there are more big things to come, right?

The exciting news today is I found a way not to have to wash my own clothes for today! But it came at a price. The story is that today we found out the First Counselor in the Ward has a washing machine. But, he doesn’t have a house...

So we made a deal with him that if he would help wash our clothes today we would help him move some dirt to build his house. So this morning, it turns out we moved one side of the valley of Cañon ha ha. Turns out faith, a couple of picks, shovels, wheelbarrows and blisters can move a mountain. But I love doing service! Now I just need to find someone to help iron... :)

Love You Muchísimo también!!!



Elder Hardy

February 7, 2011

Buenas!

Ha ha so a package for me from Jenny and her family is being held hostage in Managua!?!? Oh no! I don’t know what I can do... I will see if I can tell the office today. (Which is convenient because I´m at the offices today.)

We came to Managua today to finally get my Cedula (ID card). Ha ha I don’t know if I have been illegal in Nicaragua for a while but now I have my ID card and I’m good to go.

We also ate McDonalds which was a nice treat and we came to the office to pick up some stuff from the distribution center and to write.

But I don´t think there is anything the mission will do, is it just asking that we pay the tax or is the package confiscated? I hope not. Tell Jenny and her family thanks ha ha it’s the thought and not the Nicaraguan postal service that counts.

So like I said we are at the offices and we are writing on the computers in the Church´s Employee Search Service program (I forgot what it is called) and I am not going to have the time I should because I think we are leaving at 4 and I am only going to have a 1/2 hr. to write.

This week was a lesson with the family of Jorge and Sandra Conzales. I think I have already talked about them before but we went to a leccion (lesson) with them on Saturday with member Hermano Jorge. It was a great lesson. They have 4 kids, 3 daughters who are a little older but not daughters of Jorge and a little boy.

They still aren’t married but know that they need to be and are going to work on it. They have had some problems with the family but in the leccion we talked about how the Gospel with bless and strengthen their family. And how with the help of the Atonement they can change the problems and differences in their lives and bring their family closer together.

It was very spiritual and the Dad said that he couldn’t go to church this Sunday but pretty much gave us an oath that he and his family would be in church next Sunday. We committed the whole family to baptism on the 26th of Febrero (February). I really have faith that this family can make it. One day even to the temple.

One night last week we were heading to our house from a lesson with the family of Hermana Elba. It was late (but not too late because we were teaching a lesson) and we were walking past a row of houses with their doors open (I love that they leave their doors open because I can look to see if there is a family in the house (not creepy, because I’m a missionary).

We had just passed an open door, When Elder Leiva suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. We both knew what that meant and walked up to the door where we found an Hermana watching TV.

Turns out she is an ancient investigator, and has already been to church a bunch. We got to know her a little better and why she wasn’t baptized. Long story short, the next cita (appointment) she asked if she could be baptized. We have been praying hard to find people that could be ready to be baptized, and our prayers were answered.

Last week I was in Juigalpa on splits for 3 days. We got a call yesterday after church and left last night at like 5:00 to go to Juigalpa so we could wake up at 4:00 to come here to Managua to the Immigration Center. We are probably going to get back to Juigalpa around 8 or 9 so we won’t be able to do anything else.

BUT I got to see all my buds from my room in the MTC so my Pday was Pretty Great in the end. Plus I’m legal now!

Ha ha I am doing great. Ok, but I just remembered something. So Elder Bailey’s family sent him the scripture stickers for every lesson in Preach my Gospel. They seemed pretty sweet because they are coded with all the lessons and stuff.

But I’m not sure if they are really Awesome or dorky and not good for a nice set of missionary scriptures. Which reminds me, I still have not used my really nice scriptures because I am going to need nice individual cases for each of them first. I am using the ones from the MTC right now and they are getting pretty beat up.

Dad: Congrats on BYU, that’s a shame the U is struggling. Ha ha they were watching the Super Bowl on every TV here in Nicaragua last night. Love you Dad.

Mom: Valentines! Ha ha they have decorations up here in the big mall in Managua. But they still have the snowflake lights and Christmas decorations too? Ha ha. That is awesome to hear of a package. There is always much anticipation. The mission is great. I can’t wait to get the Primary letters and pictures.

I am slacking on the photos. I don’t even have my camera right now. (But I have 2 4gb SD cards full of them and I need to send them home with some other stuff!!! I don’t think I have a free Pday next week either! I love you so much.

Alexis: Congrats on the study abroad!!! That sounds so fun, and Falicidades (congratulations) on your Promotion. That is awesome. So you are the boss now entonces (then) you can tell them that you are taking 5 weeks off for study abroad. Love you.

Emily: Ha ha oh no not SYTYCD again!!! You should try out! The one British dude practically already knows you! That is pretty cool you got to go. Love you.

Hannah: Huh? Dun dun dunnnn!!! Well, I am not mad at you. And I think that is very good that you are taking responsibility for your grades and understand their importance. That’s an A in my book.

I am doing good. How about you? Yes I am very happy, and very happy to be writing you. Are you happy? I hope you are! And I am sleeping well, even on the floor in someone else’s house. I must just be really tired. Good luck with your science project Hannah! And good luck with your crush. P.S. I LOVE YOU TOO!!!

Love,

Elder Hardy

December 20, 2010

¡¡¡Feliz Navidad!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

That is so nice of my Grandparents and Rob for the Christmas presents. I am going to try and thank each one of them individually but please make sure they know how thankful I am and my compa too.

For the call, that is great if you really want to call me Christmas morning. Elder Geddes called and asked what I was going to do so I said I was going to do the same thing as Elder Bailey which is that I call Christmas Morning at ten.

He said it is the best way because then I will get a booth in the phone place (which is open on the 25th).

He says it feels a little weird for some reason to have all the Latinos standing around you listening, even though they don’t understand. Jaja (this is Spanish for Haha) but I don’t know. If you really want to call I guess you can tell him that. P.S. I can’t wait!

This week went by super fast. On Tuesday, we had a meeting with the mission president and the elders that go around to teach the "eight lessons". They just taught us about how we can be better missionaries by focusing more on our investigadores and not on lessons. But it took the whole day.

We ended at like 7:30 p.m. and hurried outside to catch the last bus to Boaco. (The bus stop is right outside the church). But Elder Bailey has been having some bathroom problems lately and had to rush inside to go.

When we came back outside we saw the bus driving away. And we were like... Great, now what? We were going to try and hitch a ride but it turns out another bus came that passed by Boaco. We got back to our house pretty late. Pretty exciting jaja.

Oh and for the better part of this past week Beto has been trying to get rid of the annoying pigeons that have nested on top of the windows of the restaurant. Jaja they are always pooping on the porch.

One time we went to leave the house and stopped to look at our agendas and Elder Coj got dinged right on the top of his head. It was great. Right, but Beto can’t seem to get rid of them and has resorted to trying to blow them up... but they still keep coming back.

Plans for Christmas. On Wednesday we are going to Managua for a big Christmas activity with all the missionaries in our mission. I’m excited. We also each have to bring a present worth 80 cords (cordobas). So we spent this morning looking for presents.

So Christmas happens on the 24th here and we are planning on having an awesome Christmas dinner at the house of Roberto y Yamileth. And obviously my Christmas call on the 25th.

President Henry B. Eyring, of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, told us that one of the greatest ways we can honor our Savior is to bear our witness of him through our testimony.

I know that my Savior lives. Why? Because He has shared a little bit of the love He has for each one of us with me. I cannot explain it but I have started to love every single person here in Nicaragua. And every time I start to teach them I feel the Lord trying to help them. I see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bless their lives and help them return to their Heavenly Father.

Have a great Christmas and remember what it represents to us.

I Love Each One of You,

Elder Hardy

October 25, 2010

Buenas Familia!!!

This is so awesome! I am finally in the mission field and can´t believe it. I am having so much fun! I am glad that Hermana Monestel emailed you, she is so nice. So is President Monestel, they were waiting outside the airport for us with their family: two daughters and a little muchacho.

So I guess I will start from the beginning to answer your questions. So we got our luggage, walked out, shook the President and family´s hands and this beat up old red truck pulls up and people start throwing our luggage into the back. Turns out it was a local bishop’s truck that came to help out. So we pile into this old van/bus thing and start driving. I think he told us we were going to get some dinner first before getting dropped off at the house.

So I was so excited. Just this Chele (Nicaraguan term for white American aka gringo (everyone likes to call me this, for a while it was the only word I understood) grinning ear to ear with my nice suit and bags. I was super excited when I finally figured out we were driving around to go eat.

So Hannah, guess where we went to eat, for my very first meal in Nicaragua. We slowed down and turned.... right into the drive way of a MCDONALDS!!! I was so mad! We actually got out and went in to eat. And I am pretty sure it was better than in the States, but still, I purposely ate a hamburger my last meal in the MTC because I wasn´t sure I would (I was hoping I wouldn’t) eat another for two years. But that dream was shattered. Oh, but our drinks were Nicaraguan. Some soda that tastes like bubble gum. It was alright I guess, apparently it is their unique soda. It’s called Rojita, I think.

So we drove to the house where the office missionaries live. That’s the Mission Home right? Anyway, they have a bunch of bunk beds there and that is where we slept for the next two nights. It was pretty crowded and not the cleanest but wasn’t too shabby. Just like a dirty house that you are scared to walk around barefooted (especially in the shower). Don´t worry, I didn’t Mom. But I liked it.

At first all the new Latino missionaries and cheles were kind of separated in their groups. Probably mostly because there was a bit of a language barrier. But I tried talking to them and there were a couple patient enough to talk back and eventually everyone was joking around.

Oh so I forgot, when the plane landed, before we made it to the actual gate, all the windows were fogged up. When I walked off the plane it was like walking into a cloud. A hot cloud. The first night I was worried about sleeping. First, because I was afraid I would be eaten in the night (there was an open window right next to me) and second because it was so hot. But I slept great.

The next day, I woke up with only one or two bites. It took a while to get ready because it was so crowded. And then we went to the Church. The Church was actually really nice, it’s pretty new too. The President, his wife and the AP´s talked to us. We actually had the white AP translate for us because the President and his wife don´t speak a bit of English. They said they are trying to learn though.

So that was interesting during my interview with the President. He kept saying blah blah digno blah blah blah digno... And I am just sitting there smiling because I didn´t understand a thing he was saying. Turns out digno means worthy. So after I finally figured that out, the interview went great.

We had breakfast at the church (just like a roll and a drink). That was funny because they gave us programs for the day and on the program it said who was giving the blessing on the food. So all us cheles were sitting there waiting... while everyone else including the President and his wife started eating. Finally, she looked up and realized it and I think she said that it was for lunch. So we said personal prayers and ate.

We went to lunch at a nice Mexican restaurant which means it was pretty much the same as the Mexican restaurants at home. I think the President was trying to be nice, or he just didn’t want us to be sick while we were still with him.

At about six was when things got interesting. We went to another Church in Managua to meet up with a zone and do splits with the new missionaries. I got paired with a Latino companionship and another Latino new missionary. The senior comp spoke a little English so that was nice. We walked for a while and waited for a bus for a while. Ha ha the bus was fun, totally packed. You are mushed between people. Oh and the driving in Managua is crazy.

We got out and walked and they decided we were going to split to visit people. And for some ding dang reason they paired me with the Guatemalan comp that doesn´t speak English. We walked for a while and came to this block where all I could see were giant blanket tents like the ones we would make at home.

We walked to the investigators´ house, it was literally just blankets held up by sticks. The older man there was about to get baptized. But as we talked to them I think he was trying to make up an excuse about his back and not being able to. The mom and girl had not read their scriptures either. Now you have to remember that I am just smiling the whole time and nodding my head. They are talking a ton and really fast. They asked me to say the opening prayer (pretty much everyone does this still).

For some reason during the opening prayer I started crying. I don´t know why. I guess I just really cared about these super humble people I hadn´t even met and really wanted to understand what they were saying so I could help them. Anyway, after I finished the prayer their whole attitude kinda changed. Probably because they felt bad for me. But whatever it was they went and got their scriptures and we taught them. I bore my testimony about the scriptures and prayer in broken Spanish and (I think) after we left the man was still going to be baptized and the mom committed to read her scriptures.

I think my comp for the night started to get a little annoyed with me not understanding or being able to talk but the night went alright I think. I think he was flirting with this one girl we talked to and this one girl was trying to flirt with me but no big problems. We went to his casa to meet up with the other two and the bishop’s car (the red beat up truck) and they climbed into the back. I am pretty sure the Pres. had said that day not to do that but I´m afraid I don´t think I could have done much anyway. So I got in and went back to the church.

My MTC companion was in the bathroom and it turns out he threw up on his splits, he said it was because he was dehydrated. I actually ate a lot of stuff on my splits. A banana and pineapple at the house made out of blankets. And some drinks at others and a hot dog bun. Guess what! It has been a whole week and I have not been sick at all. My stomach feels better now than it did the entire time in the MTC, seriously. We had pizza for dinner.

Next day, we went to the Church and had a big companion exchange meeting. People talked, the people leaving and the newbys bore their testimonies. I tried to make a little joke but I don´t think it made sense. Then we had an activity where we hit piñatas! (outside). The whole meeting everyone was having fun. Then we got to the comp changes. They had a PowerPoint with pictures.

Elder Coj and Elder Hardy

Anyway, my trainer is Elder José Patricio Coj Bocel. (Elder Coj). He is from Guatemala, it is his first time training, he has never had a chele companion and he doesn't speak any English!!! It was a little interesting as we went to our area because we couldn’t communicate very well. But I love him. He is awesome, he is a good teacher and we get along great. We joke around all the time with each other now.

We are in a place called Boaco! It is beautiful! In the mountains in the jungle. So cool. The people are awesome. Ugh no time. But it is great. Our house is so nice we live under Beto´s Restaurant. They are members and feed us great food which is why I’m not sick.

I Love You,

Elder Hardy

Sorry we have to pay for the internet in a place and I ran out of time. But I love you.

P.S. Boaco is the safest place. No worries, seriously very tranquilo people.

October 21, 2010

Queridos Familiares del Elder Hardy,

Soy la Hermana Monestel esposa del presidente de misión de la misión Nicaragua-Managua Sur y quisiera informarles que el llegó muy bien a Nicaragua ya esta trabajando en el campo. Su dia de preparacion es el lunes y tiene una hora para escribir a su familia y leer el correo. Gracias por el apoyo que le brindan.

atte Hermana Monestel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Family of Elder Hardy,

I am Sister Monestel, wife of the Mission President of the Nicaragua Managua South Mission and would like to inform you that he arrived safely in Nicaragua and is already working in the Field. His Preparation Day is Monday and he has one hour to write to his family and read his mail. Thank you for the support you provide him.

Sincerely Sister Monestel