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

November 28, 2011

Gobble Gobble!

Looks like Thanksgiving dinner was delicious! And how was Mom´s Birthday?

I think that is great that Grandma and Grandpa Weiler were able to come too. I am so grateful for my Grandparents (from both sides) and for their examples and their love. I hope Grandpa Weiler is doing good. I could never be able to repay the blessing that I had to spend I little bit of time with him before going on the mission. It really helped me out, and I enjoyed the company of him more than anyone knows.

I am really hoping and praying for his health, and that he can make it around for a bit more so I can give him a hug and tell him how grateful I am for him. He has fought a good fight if you ask me and his legacy will live on through me, he has left a lasting impression on my life.

My new comps name is Elder Axel Antonio Gaytan Real. He is Nicaraguan! Ha ha well, by birth only I think. He told me he left Nicaragua when he was very little and grew up in El Salvador. He is a big guy, and we are getting along great. He also eats a lot. He is a convert, and is sealed in the temple with his adopted family. And has a great testimony.

Being District Leader is fine. I don’t think I am doing all that great. But I think that is one of the problems, I should have more confidence. So I am going to work on that this week.

The missionaries are good, but we haven’t had any families come to church for the last couple weeks. So that would be great if you guys could pray for us here. (I know you already do). There are 10 missionaries (2 sisters) in my District, including me. And yeah, actually Elder Valenzuela and Elder Muzo are in my District ha ha. So that is great.

Well, I actually haven’t made any plans for Christmas. That might be tough to work out with the converts and investigators. We will probably have to go to various houses Christmas night.

What am I thankful for? Well, I was waiting for that question because it is Thanksgiving. But it is tough, because I don’t actually have enough time to type all the blessings that I am most thankful for. But thanks to your spiritual thought from President Uchtdorf I think I found a way.

First and foremost and forever I am thankful for my God. For my Heavenly Father and the relationship I have with him. This blessing obviously involves my Savior Jesus Christ as well, and the infinite love they have for me that I can still not comprehend.

After God, the blessing most grand and marvelous in my life is my Family. And what is even better is that this family is not a temporal blessing, it is an eternal one. And the eternal blessings and exaltation that we will receive together is a blessing that is too great to describe.

I am also grateful for the opportunity I have to serve mi Prójimo (my fellowman). The opportunity I have as a missionary right now to serve God and my Fellowman is something that I will always be grateful for.

Ya que (As) I am serving my God with all my heart might and strength, representing my family, bringing more families to the fullness and blessings of the gospel and at the same time, it is changing me to be ready to be faithful to God for the rest of my life. Really there are very many blessings temporal and spiritual that I have in my life and above all I have to thank my Heavenly Father for his love.

Love,

Elder Hardy

P.s. I love you!

P.p.s. Yes I still have the sincere tree!

October 24, 2011

Hey Familia!

Well I hope you all had a good "Staycation"! Sounds like it was fun. Tell Grandma & Grandpa Weiler, Rob and "Big Bertha" I love them too.

The Tropical Storm? Ha ha ha oh boy, well I´m thinking I would run to the hills if I have to evacuate. Nothing bad has come this way at all so far. But the last time they had a hurricane hit Bluefields (20 years ago) it wasn’t pretty. We will see how it goes.

Saturday we had a super super good lesson with our most positive family. I took the Branch President there to get to know them and to share about his family and how they have been blessed. The President has a very young family and they are preparing to go to the temple this December to be sealed. So he talked about that and his experience as an investigator and marrying his wife.

It was great because this family needs to get married too. Then we shared Una Familia: una proclamacion para el mundo with them and watched Juntos para Siempre. And the end of the lesson the Husband asked what they had to do so that his family could be sealed for forever. It was very spiritual and awesome.

My toughest challenge in Bluefields has been time. We never seem to have enough time to get everything done that we need to. Ha ha we are always a little behind schedule, so I would say my challenge is to manage my time better. But hey, when everyone wants to talk to you what can you do?

Argh, I wrote a very nice spiritual thought but the Internet errored when I tried to send the email and the last draft didn’t save it. But here it is again:

From Elder Maxwell's talk "Remember How Merciful the Lord Hath Been":

"Brethren, as you submit your wills to God, you are giving Him the only thing you can actually give Him that is really yours to give. Don’t wait too long to find the altar or to begin to place the gift of your will upon it! No need to wait for a receipt; the Lord has His own special ways of acknowledging.

"I testify to you that God has known you individually, brethren, for a long, long time (see D&C 93:23). He has loved you for a long, long time. He not only knows the names of all the stars (see Ps. 147:4; Isa. 40:26); He knows your names and all your heartaches and your joys!"

And from Elder Maxwell's talk "Consecrate Thy Performance":

"In pondering and pursuing consecration, understandably we tremble inwardly at what may be required. Yet the Lord has said consolingly, 'My grace is sufficient for you' (D&C 17:8). Do we really believe Him? He has also promised to make weak things strong (see Ether 12:27). Are we really willing to submit to that process? Yet if we desire fullness, we cannot hold back part!

"Having our wills increasingly swallowed up by the will of the Father actually means an enhanced individuality, stretched and more capable of receiving “all that [God] hath” (D&C 84:38). Besides, how could we be entrusted with His “all” until our wills are much more like His? Nor could His 'all' be fully appreciated by the partially committed.

"Frankly, it is our prospective selves we betray by holding back whatever the 'part.' No need therefore to ask, “Lord, is it I?” (Matt. 26:22). Rather, let us inquire about our individual stumbling blocks, 'Lord, is it this?' We may have known the answer for a long time and may need resolve more than His response.

"The greatest happiness in God’s generous plan is finally reserved for those who are willing to stretch and to pay the costs of journeying to His regal realm. Brothers and sisters, 'come, let us anew [this] journey pursue.'"

Ha ha yes these quotes come from the spiritual thought Anna sent me. But I can’t look up quotes to send so I am borrowing hers.

The point is that God has blessed us with a lot. And there really is only one thing that we can give back in return. Our will. I have to make my will His will here in the mission so that I can be an instrument in his hands, and I have to do it when I get back from the mission too, just like you guys have to.

It isn’t easy, it requires a lot of faith, confidence (in Him), humility and obedience. But it is the only way we will ever have everlasting happiness. Our Savior did it, now we have to too. Not our will be done, but His.

Hey! Oh no! Well I hope the Bentleys trip went well, but there is a big problem. The office doesn’t have the package! I called them this morning and they said that they never got anything.

They also reminded me that the office is closed Saturdays!!! AHH!!!! I hope it wasn’t too big of a pain for the Bentley´s to drive there and find it and find it closed. I feel bad, I hope they have a fun trip. I don’t know if you have their number or anything to call them and find out what happened.

No! I haven’t sent the SD cards. The office has not sent the bag in a couple of weeks. And I am not too happy about it. But I am going to send them this week in the mail. I already have them all on backup on the hard drive. And I think they will get there safe in a couple of weeks... or months. Maybe they will be a good Christmas present.

Well if the Office gets the package, the best would be that they send it with the new missionaries that will come to Bluefields this next change. (Changes are next Wednesday).

Ha ha ha mom, I wish I could see the face of the Insurance agent that receives your case. Ha ha Duck Assault. Keep up the good bowling Mom, Love you.

Sounds like everything has been going good Dad. I will write in my journal today. Love you. Good work on the Duck House.

Good luck with Dance Emily. And School! I Luh You too.

Hannah, ahh! A Vampire! Oh nooooo. Well I love what was your favorite part about the playcation. We will study the scriptures as a family when I get home too right? ps I love you!

Happy Halloween,

I love you.

Elder Hardy

September 5, 2011

Hello Awesome Familia,



My week was Awesome. We did lots of stuff. The biggest things that happened are we had a baptism, and President Monestel came to visit and changed the Branch President on Sunday. But we got to eat dinner with him Saturday night, it was pretty nice.

I am doing great. I hope you liked the photos. I actually have about 4 4gb SD cards full of photos that I would like to send you.

Hey, but Felicidades to Grandma and Grandpa Weiler!!! 64th Wedding Anniversary! That is quite an accomplishment isn’t it? The tradition here is to buy silver plates when you hit 25 years and golden plates when you hit 50 years. And not too many people have them here so congratulations Grandma and Grandpa.

Say hi to all the family from me. I will try and think of some things that they can help send in a package. It is very nice of them.

Hey, and how was the Bingo Bango Bongo Game?!?! I am going to need a lot of practice when I return to get back into the competition!

Hey, you should eat the duck eggs!!! We don’t have a breakfast appointment so I decided to buy eggs. I bought a big carton of like 30 and it almost lasted the whole week. But the eggs here are different... they aren’t the pure white steroid enhanced eggs I was used to ha ha.

Why were we wearing white shirts on PDay? Ha ha, oh well, on PDay we still wear white shirts and ties the whole day, unless you are doing something that you just can’t wear a tie to do. But since we were just going to take photos by the rock I figured I would wear the tie. Ha ha even though, we went back on a trail by a creek and got lost in the jungla. So it probably would have been better in normal clothes there haha.

My favorite snacks? Bueno, this is always tuff for me. Ha ha but at least I have learned that I don’t have to have personal revelacion before I make all the miniscule decisions. God blessed me with an intelligent brain that can decide what snacks I like. And there is actually a lot less stuff here in Bluefields than there in Managua. We have like one supermarket, and it doesn’t have anything ha ha. That is why I am only eating pure eggs for breakfast.

So, as far as the drink flavors, we will just talk in powders right? Really my favorite Gatorade flavor is grape. I always like the Smiling Back Goldfish. I do like the jerky, but the Latinos aren’t too fond of it so maybe something else. I do really like those nature valley bars, I think the oats and honey were my favorite. You know what would be great with my egg omelet in the morning is a bag of bacon bits ha ha. Kind of random.

Really, without fail, the cliché classic send your Elder a tie is Awesome. You can never go wrong with a tie. I have actually grown to be quite fond of them. Ha ha I think I have achieved the goal to be able to wear a different tie everyday for the change... ha ha ha and I even like the ugly ties.

The great thing is you don’t have to worry about being pretty as a missionary, just look respectable. So the "Grandpa ties" are really in for me. And a tie is something I always like to give my comp before we separate, but the majority of my comps don’t like grandpa ties, they like the stylish sleek ties. Well, remind me next time if I thought of anything else.

The funniest thing that happened to me this week was probably last Monday. Because lots of funny things happen. But from the side of gringo jokes and funny things happening with bolos (drunks) on the street (they are pretty funny) I can only remember Monday.

When we were taking pictures by the creek, we took a picture that looks like my comp is pushing me in the water. As I was leaning back for the photo and I slipped! I almost fell in but at the last second I grabbed my comp (ha ha) and he went flying over the top of me and almost fell in too but jumped and saved himself on a little rock and I did a spider man move to balance myself on the rocks laying down on my back. We didn’t fall in. (Water is bad for Elders). Everyone was like wow, what just happened, and we laughed.

Challenges? Hey, I really am doing Awesome ha ha I wasn’t joking! Of course the mission isn’t the color of roses (cliché phrase here: that the life isn’t "el color de rosa") But it really is Awesome. It’s the best time in my life right now.

I am learning lots and gaining many many attributes of Christ. Really any challenges or difficulties that come my way all get blown away (ha ha even though it might not be easy), because I have a testimony, I understand why I am here, and I love all my brothers and sisters that are around me, therefore I must do my absolute best so that I can be a worthy vessel of the Lord to bless them. So everything is Awesome.

If you really want to know one of the challenges más grandes (larger) that I have found in my mission, it would definitely have to be trying to help other missionaries that haven’t quite yet understood why they are here yet. But you just need to have patience, humility and love and try to be a good example and everything works out. 

No, I don’t have to pay the rent. Since we live in a house with the other companionship they are receiving the money for the house. It is 3 hundred dollars each month for the rent. It is pretty expensive here. Usually it has to be less than 100 per companionship, but they justified it this time because there used to be 3 companionships. We have to pay the energy bill too. Which is like 300 cords each month. But we have become quite energy efficient.

Am I learning Miskito or Creole? Ha ha ha kind of.  I haven’t really talked to enough people that speak Miskito. But Creole is cool. It is pretty much a really slanged version of English. They usually understand me if I speak English. And I can understand most of it when they talk.

Hannah's Question: Did you see any snakes on your Jungle Cruise?

No, only the Hippos! And the tour guide had to shoot his pistol to scare them away! Ha ha no. But I did see a big tortoise on a log in the river! But we passed it too fast and I couldn’t take a picture.

But sounds like the family is doing great. Dad, if you get Jacob all riled up, you have to tire him out before you stop! haha. I hope the campout was fun.

Hey Mom, congratulations on your following. I guess you are famous now. But what does it mean when the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers ask you to speak? Thanks for praying for me mom. Hey, can you pray that me and my comp. can be more unified and find more families to teach? Family baptisms are pretty hard to find here. I love you so much my mom ♥

Hmm, well say hi to Alexis for me. But if she doesn’t have any homework she has time to write, right? ha ha. I love her too.

Hey!!! I can’t wait to get the letters from the Young Women!!! How is school going Emily? It is good to hear that the football team is doing good. I luh you.

Hey Hannah. I am glad the quack is good. And yes of course I still have the silly band you gave me. It is my lucky charm. P.s. I love you.

Thanks for the news family, I hope you all have a great week.

Don’t forget to pray for us here in Bluefields! I am praying for you guys.

Love,

Elder Hardy

January 31, 2011

Hello my Family!

Look who tried to snuggle up!

I think it is great that you tried some pupusas! Yeah, we always eat them with the orange sauce and cabbage. I have a great idea to make American pupusas but I can’t tell you or someone will steal my idea.

Say hi to the Grandparents for me. And tell Grandpa Weiler thanks for the update on Highland Basketball.

About time Emily gets her license. I don´t actually have any form of identification on me right now. No, never mind, I still have my Utah driver license in my white book with my manual misional.

And yes, they have traffic lights. Here in Boaco they actually only have two. I haven’t ever seen the lights working on one and the other if there is a taxi waiting at a red light but there aren’t any other cars they usually just ignore it.

I think that is awesome Alexis and Hannah got on the JumboTron and won the coca cola challenge. They must have pretty good dance skills. We can’t drink coke here :( not that I was ever really big into coke.

This week was great. We are working hard and we actually brought the most investigators and recent converts to church this week than in a while.

Unfortunately, we still have several weeks to go before we can help anyone be baptized because they haven’t come to church enough. So that is the lucha (struggle) right now, help our families understand the importance of the Día de Reposo (Sabbath Day) and to go to Iglesia (church). Hopefully next week two more of our families will be able to come to church and progress.

We are always talking to people. We try to spend most of our time contacting families. You always start with a Buenas Dias and walk up to them and introduce yourself. Ha ha and if you are ever in doubt you can always just act lost and ask where you are ha ha.

No, but we always tell them that we have a message we would like to share with them about el Evangelio de Jesucristo and we tell them about how the family is central and the blessings the Gospel brings to families.

Ha ha I noticed too that I look really thin in all my photos. It’s too bad but it’s not because I’m sick or anything. I guess I just need to do more exercise every morning. We found a scale in a farmacia once and weighed ourselves. I still weigh about 185... I guess the weight has just shifted a little.

Right now the family (we live with) is in El Salvador. Only the Doña (Hermana Elsa) is here right now to keep the restaurant going with the help of Ramon (nice guy, 18 yrs old, leader of the Evangelica Youth) and Katya (21 yrs old, faithful member of the branch).

So I don’t have any photos of them right now I am sorry I forgot to do that the first change ha ha. And with my new comp I am not sure if I have a nice photo right now of the two of us. I will make sure and get one if no.

Hannah asked if they have root beer in Nicaragua. No!!! The first package you sent with the little root beers in it Elder Coj was amazed because they don’t have root beer here. They have Coke, Orange Fanta, Red Fanta, Rojita, Sprite, occasionally Grape Fanta more coke and alcohol. Not the biggest selection but I have always liked orange soda.

Thanks for the journal entries and the “share your missionary” in Primary, Dad. Ice fishing sounds fun, I remember when we did that it was great... not sure if we caught anything either.

I am sorry you feel sick mom, hope you get better. You can get pretty much any medicine here, I think. They have a farmacia (pharmacy) on every street. And even more pulperias (little stores). But I haven’t had to buy any medicine yet. Just some Alka-AD once.

Hannah, I still have your silly band. It is safe in my closet. But guess what, they have silly bands here too. But they aren’t as cool.

Spiritual Thought:

Alma 48:17  Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that he can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace." - Ezra Taft Benson

If we turn our lives over to God and trust in Him, He will help us become like Him. It is amazing to see the change, and have the opportunity to be on a mission and see the change in others.

I love you all,

Elder Hardy

January 24, 2011

¡Pupusas!

Buenas familia, ¡hoy hicimos papusas con la Doña! (today we did pupusas with the Lady of the House!) Ha ha it was fun. So you said you are going to an El Salvadorian restaurant today. You will have to tell me how were the pupusas. I bet mine were better. Haha son bromas (Haha just kidding).

Thanks for thinking about me! Why did you guys write essays? What do they say?

The Conference with Elder Christofferson was Awesome. I even got to shake his hand before the meeting! (Well, everybody did) It was really spiritual, and all he did was answer our questions the whole time. I got a bit of personal revelation from him too.

Unfortunately, I was not part of any special choir. Elder Tonga and a couple others did a special musical number of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief with a flute and violin. It was great, but Elder Tonga is always stealing the show with his singing haha.

My new compañero’s full name is Nery Josue Leiva Rivas. Hard Worker. Obedient.

So I guess the biggest challenge right now is taking control in the lessons. I am trying really hard to talk, teach, testify and not be timid but at times it is difficult when I have a compañero who´s native tongue is Spanish and can talk really well in lessons.

But I am overcoming this, because I know that I know the Gospel pretty well too and a little Spanish, and have the spirit to tell me what the Lord wants to say to His children through me.

Hannah, about Llamas... I am sure they do have them. But unfortunately I have not seen one yet. I will look, and maybe I will find a "¡Talking Llama!"

Yeah! Last night we left a great lesson with the wife of Luis Gonzales and we started walking back to the house when we saw a woman taking down her laundry. I said hi and asked if we could help with something. Her husband walked out and we had barely introduced ourselves when they invited us into the house.

They don’t have electricity so they lighted a candle and we taught a little bit, but they basically taught themselves and the husband said, "We need to get married first to get baptized don’t we?" Ha ha so we said, yes. Those kinds of lessons are the best. Because "El campo blanco está ya para la siega." (The field is white already to harvest). They don’t even work on Sundays... It was very spiritual and the Lord trusted us with some of the elect.

I’m out of time. I did send some photos that must not have downloaded. I will send some today but it is being slow.

I love you all,

Elder Hardy

November 29, 2010

Hey!!!!

Guess what!!! We baptized two familias (families) this Saturday!!! It was soo Awesome! Ha ha and oh yeah, we married both of the families right before we started the baptismal service too!

Ok, so to start, the families are Hermano Roberto and Hermana Yamileth and the other is Hermano José Noel and Hermana Martha. We did exchanges with the Zone Leaders on Tuesday after District Meeting so they could interview them. So I served in Juigalpa with Elder Salgado for a day.

The next day, we met up with Elder Coj and he said that they were ready but needed more time. I was pretty disappointed but then they started laughing and said we were going to baptize on Saturday!

So we spent a lot of time throughout the week working with an abogado (lawyer) to get all the papers and stuff we needed to marry them first. It took a lot of time but we finally got everything we needed.

Ha ha but it was really funny as we went to government buildings and stuff to try and get the right stuff. We didn't need anything to get the information we needed, only a little money. The government works a little differently here. Maybe it helps that we are missionaries too.

So Friday night, we decorated the meeting house for the marriages. We had to wake up super early Saturday to go pick up the Baptismal clothes at the Bus stop in Empalme (The Zone Leaders sent them in the bus early in the morning).

So we got back in Boaco about 8 and we were walking back to the house when we realized that we didn’t have the clothes! So we ran back to the bus terminal but the bus wasn’t there. There is another terminal above Boaco so we grabbed a Taxi to see if we could catch the bus before it left back to Juigalpa. We got to the terminal and it was still there so we grabbed the clothes real quick and rushed back to the house to get ready.

The marriages started at 9 in the morning. When Hermana Yamileht got there, she told us that for next time, plan the weddings later in the day. I feel bad. I think she was probably a little stressed out getting ready. But Hey! I think it is awesome that two 19-20 year old kids managed to plan two weddings.

We were a little preoccupied that morning with something else... The baptismal font in the church only had about 2-3 feet of dirty water in it and there was no water for the city. Usually, if the water doesn’t work in the morning when we wake up, it works an hour or so later. But on Saturday, they said there wouldn’t be water for the whole day!!!

I think somebody didn’t want them to get baptized.

The weddings went well. Right after, we started the Baptismal Service. So... while we started, Elder Coj went on splits with Beto (I stayed with the President) to try and find a truck that could drive us to a RIVER to do the Baptisms. They did, right as we finished, and we all hopped into the back of a truck. We found a perfect spot on the La Presa River and it was Beautiful. I baptized all four of them and after, we returned to the Church for pupusas. The Best Day Ever.

I suspect that I am staying in Boaco another change with Elder Coj! I am so happy we get to be together here for another month and a half. We can keep making each other better and help Boaco. I think two more missionaries are coming on Wednesday. I think beds and stuff are arriving today.

That’s great that Elder Coj wrote you and he said your email and Spanish were great, Dad. I have his family’s email and I am going to try and write them in Spanish today.

I am glad to hear Thanksgiving was good, I miss the mashed potatoes. I haven’t taken Elder Coj to a Thanksgiving dinner yet but I would like to. I need to figure out where first.

Happy Birthday again, Mom. I love you. I have to admit, though, that the package hasn’t been sent yet. We have figured where to go to send it to you and I have a gift for you. But there was a store that we found that was selling unique hand made things of Nicaragua but when we went to go get your gift the store was Gone!!! (It was kind off a big tent store on the street and turns out it’s portable)

The AP told me the first day, if I found something cool I wanted to get, buy it then because I might not ever get another chance. So hopefully it will come back. Boaco isn’t one of the cities with a lot of cool stuff but I am going to find some cool stuff for you. I might send Christmas presents with your birthday present next week so I hope that doesn’t make it less special.

I am going to miss not having Christmas with you and I am bummed I am going to miss the German Christmas Eve Dinner. I am excited to have Christmas here in Boaco this change. Of course, I will get to call home for Christmas and I can’t wait but I don’t know the details yet.

Well Hannah, for breakfast we usually have some eggs and beans or something like that. Today, we had these really good pancakes but they are really different. I am going to try to get the recipe from la Doña. I actually did have some cereal in Juigalpa for breakfast but it was just plain corn flakes. I would like some cereal but it is ok, you don’t have to send it, packages are expensive!

Thanks for the updates!!! That’s great the U won. I am sorry I can’t help shovel snow. Good luck with the Molly Mouse performances this week Emily and Hannah, I am soo proud of you two.

Rob, thanks for the tip with the spiders. But do you have one for geckos? There is always a gecko if you look for one. Most of the time, I notice them when we are in a house teaching and I see one scurry across the wall behind the person we are talking to. Also, they make a really loud chirping noise.

My first week, I thought that people had birds in their roofs. But turns out they are geckos. One even found its way back into our room. Elder Coj chased it with a broom while I was just trying to take pictures of it. (I have photos but I forgot my cord, we are going to run and get it and send some really fast.)

Most of them are really ugly, all white and pasty and my compa says really dirty too. I bought a sling shot on the street to get them (and dogs if I have to) but it reminded me of 1 Corinthians 13:11 so now I’m thinking about throwing it away.

But oh boy, what I miss the most? I am sorry but I am really not sure what to say right now. Maybe carpet. But you wouldn’t want carpet here with the humidity and it would get really dirty so I will have to live without. I am going to have to get back to you on that, Rob, I don’t have much time. But thank you.

Thank you for the spiritual thought. I always love them.

Oh! I just remembered, I gave a talk on Sunday! I gave it about Missionary Work (for the members). I was pretty nervous preparing it and going to the Church. But I found out once I got there, I was fine. Maybe it helped that the branch fits into the first floor of a house. I think I made sense (at least they told me I did) and I think I helped them think about what they should and what they can be doing to help strengthen and grow the branch.

Just remember, you don’t need to be a full-time missionary with a plaque to help your family and friends come to find the happiness of the fruit of the Gospel. Like Lehi in his vision of the tree of life, after he partook of the fruit, he desired his family to also. And we are all hermanos (brothers & sisters).

I Love You,

Elder Jonathan D. Hardy

November 15, 2010

¡Buenas!

Hey! So it has started to snow a little bit? That’s good because at night it is a little more fresco (cold) here and when we talk to people, they say they are cold. I tell them it is perfect (actually a little hot still) and where I come from it is snowing! So I’m glad I haven’t been lying.

We are teaching several families. But it has been a pretty tough week to be honest.  None of our investigators came to Church. Unfortunately, Fatima and her family fell through for being baptized. So we need to help her with her dudas (doubts).

We are still teaching Yamileth and Roberto. They still haven’t decided to get married but she has really opened up to us and we have built a lot of trust, so hopefully we can help now.

Hermano Salvador didn’t come to church with his family which killed me (We had a really spiritual lesson with him and he realized and told us he needed to come to church more than play baseball). We went to his house before church to go with him but he had already left to play baseball.

We are teaching the Lopez family, Edwardo y (and) Brumilda and we have contacted a few new families but they have really long names and I can’t remember them right now, sorry.

A great experience I had was during fast Sunday (last week). I was only going to go up and bear (try) my testimony if there was a pause or time at the end because people were trying to go and I think it is more important that the members bear (strengthen) their testimonies.

At the end, Beto and my companion went up together and took up the last five minutes. But when my compa came back, I asked him if they would be mad if I went up and gave my testimony and made the meeting go over. He was like, no, no it’s fine, go.

(First of all, Nicaraguans aren´t really big on being punctual. One time we waited for a half an hour after the time we set up for a member to meet up with us to teach and when she came she didn’t think it was a big deal. Second, I’m sure he knew it would be short...)

So I went up and I told a joke about sharing a little of my testimony because I speak really slow and they would all be asleep but I’m not sure if they got it. I gave my testimony about prayer and I think everything I said actually made sense and they understood it. My voice was a little shaky but I didn’t cry or anything. They all seemed to be paying attention and listening too.

(Sacrament meetings can be a little irreverent, lots of kids and the door and windows are open to the street.)

So it was either reverent because they felt the spirit too or because the Chele finally got up and they were all waiting to watch me. So I really liked that.

The meeting house is in a home. Well, it is connected to a home but it is actually pretty good size, it has two floors and is on the corner of a street. Ha ha the directions we tell people are Del Resturante Triky 1/2 al oeste.

I don’t know why people would know where the restaurant is but not the meeting house. We baptize people in the baptismal font in the church or in a river of their choosing. But I haven’t baptized anyone yet.

Church is normal church. Yesterday we had a primary program and it was really cute. Exactly the same as they are in Utah.

We taught a lesson yesterday. But that was because it was a little irregular, the District President came and had a meeting with all the leaders so we taught some recent converts. I haven’t given a talk yet. I probably only will if someone falls through.

Hey this week we had one of the AP´s come and work with us for a day. Hopefully it isn’t because everyone heard that the Chele in Boaco couldn’t speak Spanish and help his compa teach.

He told me that there is a package sitting in the office for me. I don’t know how long it’s been sitting there but it is probably with my letters too. So things get here. But they are going to send it to Boaco and usually I would have to wait till changes (every month and a half) to get it.

But a companionship in our District is traveling to Managua and back today and we have District meeting tomorrow so we called them and told them to bring it. So if everything works out I will cheat the system and get your package tomorrow! Ha ha in the next email I would like to hear what you put in it too.

Elder Coj is great. He was born in the church and has a really big family (11 people including his parents). He has been out for 11 months now. I love him and everyone else does too. He gains the confidence of our investigators really fast which is great. He is a good trainer and hasn’t killed me yet. Although he has tried to wrestle me a couple times ha ha.

Hannah: I am sorry to report that I have not seen a monkey yet. Lots of dogs on the streets, little periquitos (parakeets), a couple parrots, spiders and this HUGE black nightmare bicho (bug) that buzzed by me. No monkeys. Not yet. When I see one I will take a picture just for you.

Thanks for the updates everyone. It is great to hear how things are going. Congrats on the stuff. I don’t have time to write about them.

Love,

Elder Hardy