February 3, 2009

Well we have our P day today, because tomorrow is tranfers, and Elder Contreras is being transfered. It was sad yesterday, he said that if president doesn't call before 12 we would be good. So after 12 we were all excited. But then we got a call at 8:30 pm from president telling that Elder Contreras was going to be a zone leader in fijardo. So I am going to stay here. All is well. No, it was just me and Elder Contreras in the apartment. But before we lived with the Assistants, so that was interesting. Now we have a knew assistant, Elder Gonzalez. I have never met him but I hear he is cool. I am a little sad Elder Black is leaving, he was really nice. Elder Contreras was the old district leader, but now he is leaving. I dont know who my next companion is until tomorrow at the transfer meeting. And he will be the next district leader, because it is only me and the AP's in our district. We walk everywhere. Don't have a car. I was kinda hoping to be transfered just to have a car. Oh yea, and mom did you talk to Elder Archuletta from the mission office about sending my social security card. Because i need it to get my license, so if you could call him that would be great! And yes dad, that is awesome if I could use it once or twice a week! Thank you so much! That Cardinals game sounded amazing! I cant believe they actually put up a fight. That really makes me happy. Well the work is going great. The Fino family has been making great progress, and we were able to answer some of his questions yesterday, and we committed him to talk and pray with his wife, lucero, about being baptized. And he called us today and said that THEY WANT TO BE BAPTIZED!!! I am so happy right now. There is no feeling like it. He said over the phone, even though elder contreras is leaving, and that i am American, he considers me his son, and that I am invited over to their house any time. That was a big compliment to me that he called me his son. But we are going over their today to talk about a date for their baptism. Im guessing that their daughter franci is going to be baptized too. Also, two days ago something pretty amazing happened. We were walking down the street, and then someone called out, hey come back. We walked over to the house and realized that it was the town drunk. Everytime he see's us, he tries to talk about how he is better than us, and just wierd stuff. And everytime we have just testified and walked away. Well it turns out that works! We were kinda hesistant to talk to him, but then he started talking about how he has no purpose in his life, and how he wants to stop drinking. He said that when he talks to us, he see's a light in our eyes, and a happiness, and that he wants that happiness. So we taught him the about the word of wisdom. He was really excited, and really down to read about the word of wisom. Im not going to lie, i was a little skeptical, because he was a little drunk, and he lives with his 92 year old grandma, and she jsut kept yelling "He is a horrible man, he is a drunk". But the next day we had another appointment with him, and he had read everything, and hadnt drank. He looked like a completely different person. It was amazing to see a change in him. He looked happy. And he wanted to know more, he wanted to learn who was Joseph Smith, and what the Book of Mormon is. We taught a really good lesson, and he accepted a conditional baptism (if he receives an answer to his prayers, then he will be baptized). So that was just amazing to me. He was the last person who i thought would want to hear our message and change his life. It is going to be a proccess, but with prayer and faith, he can do it. His name is Miguel. Well that is what's going on here is Puerto Rico. I am loving the mission, and there is nothing else I would rather be doing right now. The Church is true. Sometimes we are tricked into thinking that there is happiness outside of following christ, and keeping his commandments. But I know that there is no other way to be happy than to strive to be like christ, and to keep his commandments. There is NO happiness in sin. I know that this is the most importnat work in the world. I am helping people to feel the love of christ, and to have more joy than they ahve ever felt in thei lives. Yesterday Alvaro said that before we talked to him he was stressed with work, and he didnt know if he could pay the house bills and everything. But when he received the Book of Mormon he knew that that was the answer. We are able to see miracles everyday. President Eyring said that we just need to have eyes to see, and ears to hear. We need to pray for the opportunity, and then look for the chance to bless someones life witht he gospel. Alvaro and lucero were really impressed with the church, because on sunday everyone excepted them. It was amazing, Elder contrereras and elder black taught the elders quorum about missionary work and their part, and they did it. Everyone was inviting them over for dinner, and for family night, and just being their friend. Alvaro and lucero said that they really felt loved. And thats all we need to do, is show our love, that is what missionary work is. Well I love you guys so much, you are everything to me. Love your son, Elder Hardy

January 28, 2009

Hey yall! Everything sounds great in AZ! You guys are so lucky to be able to go to colorado and see briley. Give her a high five for me, ok. Haha, I still can't believe the cardinals! If they win I will just laugh. haha, I can only imagine jake jumping off that ramp. He is so going to be the next flying tomato. When I get back I will teach him everything about snowboarding, wakeboarding, and skateboarding. Hes going to turn pro at the age of 10. Ok, and dont through away one of the greatest guitar players of the history of the world. That is JIMMY HENDRIX! No, just kidding, you can through it away, or sell it on ebay for 100 bucks. I dont care. I had forgotten where lance is going, that is awesome! We are pretty much in the same climate. He is going to die the first month. Ok here are some Puerto rico facts. it doesnt rain here, it poors. But it never gets dark, just one minute you are walking, and the next second it is like someone just turned the shower on. Then a minute later, they turn the shower off. It is pretty cool. Every night I try to capture this on video for you all, but by the time I get my camera out and get out to the porch, they turn the shower off. Another fact is Puerto Ricans use a wierd back hand style of sweeping. When you first see it you dont know what to think. But all of them use it. It is more like they are pushing the dirt instead of sweeping. its really funny, i will give you an example in a video. Ok, the ward doesnt feed us very often. Maybe once or twice a week, but it is never scheduled. We try to visit the members a lot and see if we can serve them. And when we do this they always invite us in for coke, and sometimes food. We dont tract a whole lot. Our strategie, which i dont like doing, is try to stalk our investigators. We try to see them every day. I dont like it, because everytime we go over they give us food or coke, and i dont want to always be taking. I also dont want to annoy them by coming over all the time. One thing we do to find people is the english class, i will tell you how we do that next week, because i have a good story. Ok, so we have been working with the Fino family (Columbians) for a while now, and i never was to sure on them. They are always willing to hear our message and talk with us, and they feed us every single time. They are a really nice family, but i didnt know if we were jsut friends, or if they really wanted to know about this gospel. But the father, alvaro, and his daughter, franci, came to a general conference for the caribe last week. it was super good. President Eyring, Elder Bednar, Elder Johnson, Elder Anderson, and Sister Allred spoke. They really liked it, and then after there was a baptism, and we invited them to that, and they liked that too. Then yesterday we cutt their grass and then ate dinner, and we asked him if he wanted to be baptized and he is down. He jsut wants a little more time, he says that he is not completely sure. So we will teach him again and get rid of those doubts. Ok, but then he took us to the English class. And we had a bunch of people, usually it is like 5 or 6 people, but we had 13 last night, and they were all really fun, and really active. it was great! Then at the end of class, whoever spoke in spanish had to go up and sing some hymns in emglish. And inbetween one of the hymns, alvaro started talking tot his guy next to us, and invited him to our church. He said, "Yea it s a really beautiful church, they ahve great messages of christ,a nd you should come". The he looked at me, and was like, right elder hardy? haha, my investigator was doing my job for me! I was shocked! Ok, so then, after we finished singing, i figured since my investigator was inviting some one to church i might as well do my part, so i invited everyone to church this week, and then he jumped in and said, "yes, you all should come to church, I love this church, this is the true church'. he said a little more, but thats all i remember, partly because we all couldnt believe it. We all had the biggest smiles on our faces.haha, i still cant belive it. Alvaro is such a stud! So we are going over tomorrow to set a date with him. Ok, another story. So I think it was sunday, we had jsut had a lesson with Rafael, and it didnt go the best that we had planned. They still arent married, and he says that he wasnt to wait until the lord tells him to get married, and to get baptized. So we tried to help him, but i dont know. Ok, so after we were both a little frustrated. Actually i was pretty upset. But i said a little silent prayer, for peace and comfort, and i asked the Lord to bless us with success, and for us to be able to find a new investigator. And this was as we were on our way to a big apartment complex. We go to this complext pretty much every night, it has 3 big towers, each on is 20 stories, and it is not what we would call the best place in the world compared to our standards. Just giving you a little more description of our area. But we walked in, and we were waiting for the elevator when this couple walked in with a BUNCH of groceries, so we helped them bring their groceries up to their apartment. They are both really cool. She is from Trinidad, and has a really cool accent. They speak english in trinidad, and they all have sweet jamaican accents. He is from puerto rico, and he is pretty cool too, minus the sweet accent. Haha, "We be tree seesta's in my fawmalee" Ok, but we shared a short message with us, and they excpeted for us to come back the next day and teach them. It was a really good lesson, the spirit was so strong. My spanish wasnt as horrible as usually,a nd we committed them to read and pray, and if they recieve an answer that the Book of Mormon is true and the Church is true, that they will be baptized. So we have an appointment with them again on thursday. I am so HAPPY! The Lord has been blessing us a lot. So i am pretty stoked on the work, but the only downfall is that i have 5 dollars for goceries this week. I did a poor job managing my money, but i hope its ok if i use a little money from the debit card to buy groceries today. Im sorry, wont happen again. Another thing, i was thinking, is that most of the time we eat at small little fast food places, and most of the time it is chinese food, because elder contreras loves chinese food. haha, its really funny, latinos love chinese food, except they eat french fries with it, it is actaully pretty good. But, instead of sending gift cards for fast food, you could just tell me how much money i can use for fast food on the debit card, and i can use that instead, because im pretty sure they dont have gift cards for palacio chino in arizona. It would also allow me to go to other places, and save you the trouble of going and buying cards from places. But tell me what you think. Well the transfer is almost up, it feels like I just got here. But I will found out on monday if i am being moved, or whats going on. I have mixed feelings, because I want to stay to work with alvaro, and our toher investigators, but I also like changes. it would be sweet to go out in the Campo and try to understand their horrible spanish out in the country. So I will find out on monday. Oh and thank you so much for the package, it came just in time, when i dont have food. I havent opened it yet, because the Ap's told me that it was in the truck as we were walking into the library to email. So i am really excited! So thank you very much. You guys mean so much to me, it is so true, you dont know what you ahve until you dont have it anymore. I know that i still have you, but I dont get to see you everyday and hear your voice. I just understand the importance of families so much more now. I love you all so much, you mean everything to me, keep close to the lord and you will feel his warmth and love. it is amazing to see people come to that realization, and to see the change in thier lives. Alright I will talk to you next week. Love Edler Hardy