¡Feliz Navidad!

¡Feliz Navidad! 

 

So this Thursday (Christmas Day) we do not have a very set time... I will call between 1:30/2:00 to 4:00/5:00 Puerto Rico time. (10:30-2:00 Utah time) I will try to have the member we will be with to shoot you a text so you don't have to wait around. We have 45 minutes to skype! I cannot believe I will be on the big TV in the living room, haha!

Christmas Eve we will be eating dinner with a member who invited all the missionaries over. Christmas day we will do the usual studying and our weekly planning until 1:00 then we will go over to a member's home to skype and eat and whatnot. No one who had the technology to skype could have us over so we will be going with the other sisters to a family in their ward.

 

I have all of my Christmas packages! I started laughing so hard when I saw that you sent me a REAL tree. I still can't believe it. I might have opened the package and things from Lexie's package already... :D...

 

Last week was rough lesson wise and I needed something to pick me up! I might have peeked at Grandma and Rob's, but the rest of the presents are still wrapped and waiting for Christmas Day! I spread them out over the days and enjoyed looking up each scripture to guess what it was! I received the letters from the Bishopric and Stake Presidency but I have not yet received the letters from the Ward. Please tell them thank you and that I love them and Merry Christmas!
 

I saw Megan Cundick last night at the President's home! I was so excited, it was so awesome to see her and see baby Maggie! I also saw Ms. Boucher, Hannah's teacher! It was such a wonderful experience being there as a zone and to feel the Spirit.

In my studies this morning I was reading in the December Liahona. I believe the author was Pres. Uchtdorf in the main article this issue and he spoke about how Christ was the perfect example of humility and giving gifts. My testimony grew so much from reading about how we can become like Christ by sharing as He did compassion, love, patience, comfort, and more. I realized that we can never give such a gift of the Atonement and Eternal Life as He did but bringing and inviting others to partake of these gifts is something that we can give to Christ and to the people we meet.

Yesterday our ward didn't really have a Christmas program per se but they did have members come up and share what their favorite hymn is and why and then everyone sang 2 verses. I didn't really have all of the numbers or time to practice so I learned some new hymns yesterday during Sacrament Meeting!

It wasn't too bad, The Lord has blessed me in my sight reading. I realized as the meeting started that because our schedule is backwards that our Sacrament Meeting starts at 11:00 Puerto Rico time, which is 8:00 Utah time. So Mom, Dad, and Hannah- we were performing musical numbers all at the same time!! That thought made me happy:) I hope you guys aren't tooo excited for the things I sent! haha, they are all small and a bit silly but I hope you like them! (for mom- have you guys tried the candy yet??)

We met a really cool family this week- I will tell you more about them next week! I am trying to send photos right now but for some reason this computer is really laggy and so I might just send them all next week.
 

 

Thank you so much for the beautiful Christmas you sent me! The smell of pine is so wonderful! I cannot wait to talk and see everyone on Thursday! Enjoy your Christmas and know that the best present you can give is the love of Christ and the Gospel!

Take care my beautiful family! I realized last night that around this time next year I will be returning (we will have to postpone Christmas so I can spend it with you in January haha). I am so grateful for the opportunity to dedicate all of 2015 to the Lord. Everyone says that after 6 months (Jan. 30 for me) that the time flies even FASTER I can't believe that because it has already gone by so fast.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love

Hermana Hardy

BIG NEWS!

BIG NEWS!

We had a sudden transfer this past Saturday morning because they needed Hna. Gawrych as a STL. We found out Thursday night, while we were on exchanges, so Hna. Gawrych had the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone at the party on Friday. I am super sad to see my mom go, but at least I had her for 2 more weeks! I am a bit nervous to be handling this area and showing it to my new comp.

So now I have a new companion! Her name is Hna. Gomez and she is from the Dominican Republic! (I am sorry, I do not have a picture to send yet..) (I will fix the Christmas gifts to say Hna. Gomez)She is super sweet, funny, and happy! My Spanish has improved already in the past two days. She has been out on her mission for 1 year and has absolutely no fear to talk to people. I really admire that about her. We get along really well and I am super excited to learn more about her and from her. I will tell you guys more next week!

Well we had a lesson yesterday and we ate dinner first then went into the living room to start with a prayer. We started out talking about her reading in the Book of Mormon, and the conversation turned to prayer. She says that we all pray so beautiful and she wants to learn how to pray like that but she feels like she doesn't know how. A thought came into my mind to share my first experience having my personal prayer at night in Spanish.

That experience is still hard for me to put it into words but I tried my very hardest to share with Heavenly Father everything I wanted to with my very limited vocabulary. I was feeling very upset because I felt like I couldn't express myself properly when I felt the Spirit comforting me, telling me that even though my words and grammar are simple and even incorrect Heavenly Father knew what I was feeling and trying to say.

 

I likened this to her saying that the language of prayer is just like learning spanish or english- we need to practice and it becomes easier with time but always Heavenly Father knows what it is our hearts and minds no matter if our sentences are eloquent and fluid or not. I hope that she takes the Spirit she felt into her heart. She says she will practice and out of her own accord she said, Ï'll pray the next time you come!' she was very excited! So I am happy!

Rain in Puerto Rico. WELL, it rained a couple times this week, one time it was while we were driving from exchanges, not in our area. Last night at 3:00am it started POURING and it woke me up but I was able to fall asleep to the sound (I love the sound of rain).

We have plans for Christmas Eve, a woman invited all eight of us over for dinner. We had tentative plans for Christmas day and that fell through. I asked almost everyone I know who has internet and a tablet or ipad and everyone said no because they're busy having family over and whatnot. So I am in a bit of a panic because as of right now there is no one who can have us over for Christmas Day to skype with our families.

 

There is one last person I know of that I am going to call but I am nervous that she will be in a different part of the island with her fiance and his family. So we will be praying for a miracle for next week because I do not really know what to do or who can have us over. I am trying not to feel anxious about it.

No baptism this week. We are still working on people. We have some neat potentials however! We are being a bit pressed to have one before the year ends so we are working hard!

Is Hannah performing Christmas Eve? I hope she feels better! You will be in my prayers!! I am excited for the Christmas packages:) Hopefully I will be able to email you next week in this library... If not, Merry Christmas! I would have to talk to President about notifying you for our call time. We will have to see.

I am curious to know what Jonny's secret oasis of Christmas presents is hahaha, I promise to not open his until Christmas!

Take care! Have fun with your performances Mom and Hannah! and good luck with Finals everyone! I love you all SO MUCH! It doesn't feel like Christmas at all haha because there is no snow and no one is here. I feel like it is still August:)
 

 

Hermana Hardy