What I Have Learned

Hello Family!!

I think this past week was the best week of my mission as far as getting work done and finding people and teaching! Although, I will say my very best and favorite week was when Ana was baptized. But this week we hit and over hit a whole bunch of our goals!!

But wow! So we started out great this week by finding 5 new investigators on Tuesday. Wednesday we had MLC and it was wonderful.

I do have to admit something though...

On the way up to Guaynabo for MLC I was driving and a pigeon landed in the middle of my lane just a few feet in front of me.... There was nothing I could do! It tried to fly away but it was too late and first it hit the front bumper and then the windshield in the left hand bottom corner.

It was just like the movies.... POOOF!! FEATHERS EVERYWHERE! I'm slightly traumatized, I feel so bad. But it was also a bit funny and we're definitely laughing about it now.

Okay, so the best part is.... or maybe worst.... is that we got to Guaynabo chapel and we looked at the front of the car and in the grill part where the bird hit first there were a whole bunch of feathers. See pictures. So sad.

So I think one of my favorite lessons this week was yesterday where we taught the wife of a less active member and she is looking for a church for their family and everything. We did L1 super sweet and simple and she is all set up to read and pray. She rocks, and is super spiritual, and already knows how to pray for an answer and everything. I decided to ask her to be baptized after the actual lesson- that seems to be a pretty effective way sometimes for some people because we finish the lesson and give them a break to think. 

While she gave us some dinner and we were eating I then asked her and she accepted and I gave her a date in February to prepare for when she knows it's all true and she accepted that too! so we're really excited. Hna. Helmick thought all was lost when we ended the lesson without inviting her but I surprised her. She was super excited. So yes, you can set a baptismal date while eating rice and beans.

I won't be here but that's okay:) what's important is that she and her family enter the gate and start the path.

I had a lot of neat experiences like that this week.... so I'm writing them in my journal and we can look back at them when I get home!

Sacrament meeting was wonderful yesterday. Our WML spoke and the ward has their baptismal goal for this year and they're excited. None of our inv. could come this week.... so next week!!

So today for PDAY, well we are having a sister's activity NEXT week so Hna. Helmick and I had to go check out where we're going to see if it works well. We're going to the lighthouse in Maunabo!!! Wahoo! Right in the left hand bottom corner of PR. It was really pretty! So we are excited getting ready for next week. The lighthouse is AWESOME!

My bucket list is going well! We are still working on finishing some. We are in the process with the sisters activity because that was one of them. I made Hna. Kirkland cookies. today we are getting fro-yo. alli vamos! We are having fun with it! I'm not sure if we will get to do ALL of them but just about!! We have a lot that will be done this week.

I definitely have some very good taste... that sounds like a great Baby Shower gift! Haha:)

MLC was wonderful, President taught us about declaring repentance and baptisma and focusing on those things. We need to be bolder in declaring that!

At the end of MLC all the missionaries going home share their testimonies and I was the first to share mine. I shared it and I didn't' get to really share all I had planned or thought about and I shared somethings I hadn't thought about. 

Part of it was sharing the gratitude I feel for my parents and how I have realized that everything I have taught to the people in the PR are the things that my parents taught me. I also shared that although I only have one convert up to today, I know that I will have more converts in my life because of everything I have learned here on my mission. I said that I will be diligent in teaching my children repentance and baptism and they will be my converts too and now I feel better prepared to go out into the world and start and raise a family thanks to everything I learned here.

I LOVE Lexie's pictures. She's so beautiful! Love to hear that Hannah is rocking everything!

Also, did you know?? Hna. Palacios is in Utah visiting her family and will be there until February!!! I think I'll be able to see her!

Well I'll send you pictures now! I love you all! See you soon! I promise to keep on working hard this week. I hope we have as much success as we did last week! Wahoo!

xoxo Hermana Hardy

When It Rains... It Pours!!!

Hello Family!

My email will be relatively short because I took more time on sending lots of photos! I hope you like them!

So Hna. Palacios will be finishing her mission on December 15 and I will have a new companion for Christmas. I'm not sure who it will be!

But our lessons this week although they were few were pretty good! I love teaching with Hna. Palacios. This week was super busy during the first part and in the second part we spent contacting contacting contacting. Not too many people who wanted to listen to us though. That's okay!

Funny Story... I am trying to think. Well it rained a WHOLE lot this week. We had a lesson in a really far away place and when we came back to the house it was pouring rain and we wanted to change into our plastic flats and everything. But I had left the keys inside and we were locked out!! 

At that moment the rain got 100x worse and we were getting soaked so we ran to our car and waited inside, studying, until the rain let up enough for us to start walking. so we went to work like normal and our feet and shoes were soaked the rest of the day. that was crazy. It rained a bunch yesterday too! All week really. It's good though- PR needs the water right now.

Another funny story is how I contacted a house. literally. I thought someone had called out to us from the window so I started introducing our names and who we represent.... it turns out that the person had gone back inside the house and was avoiding us and I was talking to a house. Hna. Palacios died laughing!

So our Mission Conference with Elder Cornish and Elder Christensen was awesome! Very spiritual and uplifting. I loved it. Elder Christensen spoke mainly about recognizing and following the Spirit and that helped me a lot. We also had a special MLC with them before the conference and they just asked us about the mission and what we as leaders think we need to improve on and what the missionaries needed to hear in the conference. That was really neat. 

I really like your theme for RS mom!! It's awesome!

Good luck Hannah with Dance!! Send me pictures of Molly Mouse?

This past week was crazy crazy crazy. Remember how last week you wrote and said that you felt that I needed hugs and felt like I had had a rough week? Well it turns out my week before you wrote wasn't that rough but this past week was and I really appreciated all of your words and thoughts and dream hugs! You truly did receive revelation and knew that my week would be difficult before it even happened. All of your love helped me through and now all is well! I love you all!

Hope you all have a great week! Love you!!

xoxo Hermana Hardy

Memorable Lessons

Hello Family!!

I haven't received the packages yet, but thanks for sending them! I think I will get them on Halloween. We have a mission conference that day, and Elder Cornish and Elder Christensen are coming. 

What can you do to help me be a better missionary? Well, I don't know! Prayers are always helpful. I think I need help having more confidence in myself now that Hna. Gallardo is leaving and I need to train a new STL. I am nervous about that.

My most memorable lesson last week was last night!! Haha. We visited a family of recent converts. A mother and her 17 year old son and 11 year old daughter. They are awesome and really faithful and strong. The son has some learning disabilities but we talked with Bishop and he says that the son can prepare to receive the Priesthood. He is pretty smart but we need to teach him differently with repetition. 

So we went to teach him last night with the new Young Men's president (a RM that got home four weeks ago) who is going to teach our recent convert everything he need to know. Well we used a Driver's License to show the importance of having permission to act in the name of God.

We showed a real Driver's License and I showed my fake Puerto Rican License that I drew with a sharpie. He understood it all really well. But the funny part of the lesson was my companion when she finished the comparison and said that just like the license, the Priesthood Authority is Heavenly Father giving us permission to drive. 

We all started laughing and she realized what she had said and fixed it. It was funny.

We help the other missionaries by going on exchanges with them and helping them apply what they learn in Zone Meeting and whatnot. I've had a lot of experiences with some sick missionaries and helping them out. There was a sister last transfer that was feeling down and felt like she wasn't learning anything here or growing, and we talked to her and helped her out.

Our investigators are doing pretty well. The ones that are coming to church (there are two) are pretty good self-starters! One of them comes with her member friend every week and the other one we had to call to remind the first week in the morning and this Saturday we called and reminded her and she came all right. Usually it's a lot harder getting an investigator to church!! They always have their excuses. Working with members also makes their church experiences better,

I am happy that the new Sister Babcock shared Stephanie's love with you. What a wonderful woman! I love you so much mama!! The Ralphs moved? Where did they go?

Sorry my email is so short! Last week was pretty long though, right? All well!

Well familia!! I love you so much!!! I hope you have a wonderful week! 

xoxo Hermana Hardy

Power Of The Atonement

Hello Familia!

Women's Conference was awesome, right??! I loved it. Pres. Uchtdorf's was my favorite. I will admit that it was a little bit different watching in Spanish because I couldn't hear Pres. Uchtdorf's voice but I imagined it anyways, haha!

Next week I will be able to watch all of conference in English! We have satelite in our ward building so we will be watching it here in Guayama!

Who from our ward went to the hospital??!

The weather in my new area... well it's still really dry! The mountains are a bit greener than when I came but it hasn't rained in a really long time. Every once in a while it rains at night. But let me tell you, this week has been the hottest week of my life! Summer is supposed to be over already but it's been extra extra hot. Also, our air conditioning broke this last week. None of us has been able to sleep! It's just too hot. I am also a little bit roasty toasty and sunburned... not bad, but everyone makes a big deal about it when they see me. I think I had at least three contacts Saturday that told me that I shouldn't be outside haha.

Someone that I taught about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I will be teaching it this week with one of our investigators. I think the biggest miracle I saw from teaching about Christ and His Atonement and Gospel was definitely Ana from Toa Baja. 

I remember that when we were going through the questions for the baptismal interview we asked her the third question about repentance and if she felt that she had repented of her past transgressions and she told us that for a long time she couldn't let go of the hurt feelings she has against people that had hurt her family. She said that she was trying to overcome that still and when we started to teach her the Restored Gospel she was able to let go and have her heart healed by the Atonement. 

She was so so so happy that she had finally been able to let it go. She felt so good inside and ready to be baptized. I think that is one of my most favorite experiences in my mission- listening to my friend Ana sharing how the Atonement had worked in her life and the healing it brought.

Yesterday in church we had ward council at 8:00. Then Sacrament meeting at 9:00. I played the piano. Learned a new hymn too! the members say that I was making a funny face and cringing at the end of each verse because for some reason it sounded funny and they weren't singing with me and I wasn't sure if I was playing or counting wrong or they were! I am embarrased! I am going to work on my poker face. Then we had Gospel Principles. None of our investigators came this week! Which was too bad. Then Relief Society. We were able to reactivate someone yesterday too, so that was awesome!

Funny story of the week:

We were helping a member clean her new house before she moved in... I was sweeping and Hna. Gallardo was cleaning the bathroom and she called me in saying that she didn't know how to use the bidet in order to use it.... Well of course I've never used a bidet but I assumed that it was really simple and easy to figure it out. 

So I walked in acting like I knew what I was doing and I turned it on a little bit but the fountain thingy in the middle wasn't working, so I turned the knob and the water started spraying like it's supposed to but it was really low................ So I leaned over and turned the hot water knob all the way and BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The water came up SUPER hard and sprayed me in the face!!!!! Right in my left eye!!!! 

Hna. Gallardo and I started shouting because the water was coming up almost to the height of my head and there was water all over and we didn't know what to do and we were just so shocked. Hna. Gallardo turned the water off and the member ran in to see what happened and she died laughing with us. She is 20 years old so she wasn't judging. But yeah. That's the last time I act like I know how to use a bidet, hahaha. That was humiliating! I had no idea that it would spray so high....

Hannah: Last week you asked if I want you to write me. Yes please! I would like for you to write me when you have the time! xoxo

Well I think that's about it. This week was something else. We found some new people too, so that's good!

Have a wonderful week! I love you all so much! I should be able to get mail next week! Tell Jonny!

xoxo Hermana Hardy

Lost In Translation

Hello Family!

So it turns out our zone conference is tomorrow! I am sure I will get the first BD package and I'll probably wait until the 27th of September to get the next one! That's okay.

So for investigators... we are in the finding phase right now. Remember the woman we found last week in the hospital? Well we went to go find her house... hahahahahaha.

She lives super far a way where we have permission to use the car and let's just say it was jungle and super hard to find and we got really lost because they don't have addresses here and in the end I took a turn just to see what we would find and we found a member outside his house! So then he and his daughter drove us around the entire area looking for this woman's house and we found it, then found the neighbor to verify and also tell us where the husband works so we could talk to him (the number we had for her wasn't in service) so we found the husband at his work and he gave us another number and in the end we were able to call her and make another appointment for the next week. haha. But these members were really awesome to help us out!

Lost in Translation Funny story: Last week when we went to go help a RC in the hospital eat her dinner my companion told me to cut or shre the meat that we were feeding her. Well.... she said "muelelo" which means "shred it". BUT.... I heard "huelelo" which is "smell it!" so I thought she wanted me to smell the chicken and tell the RC that it smelled good and help her have a desire to eat it....

So I went in to smell the chicken on the tray and there were about five other people in the room staring at me and my companion thought I had gone crazy because instead of cutting up the chicken I was smelling it. AWKWARD!

I haven't had very many animal experiences lately... there are a lot of cats here. Sorry! Well, yesterday after a lesson with a family of RC we played Memory which was themed with Puerto Rican birds. I learned a lot of more bird names and it was actually really hard because they all looked alike and that made memory difficult.

I ALMOST won.

This week I also chopped all my hair off! Okay, maybe just a couple inches. See pictures! 

We had a RS activity where someone's daughter and her beauty students came and gave us all free hair service and I opted for a hair cut and they straightened my companion's hair and everything. It was really fun!

Testimony meeting was pretty awesome. The members here are awesome.

And that's about it! This week Hna. Hoko was really sick so we took turns going on splits and taking care of her. She's feeling a lot better now but still pretty weak! 

Something I really liked this week was when a sister called us and she was feeling down because she was worried that she wasn't changing or learning here on the mission and I was able to talk to her and I told her that EVERY good decision we make we change a little bit for the better. Even though it's really small that we can't see it, we are always changing.

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo Hermana Hardy

Beans & Rice

Hello Family!!

Let me tell you about the Hurricanes Danny and Erika.

It was a storm alright... OF SUN!!! It was SOO hot!! It hardly rained where we are. It's a bit of a controversy because they said it was going to be a huge deal. But it wasn't for our part of the island. I do feel bad for the DR, they were hit really hard.

One night, I can't remember which, it started to rain a bit and the zone leaders called everyone to tell them to go inside. We had to go home 2 hours earlier than usual and it was hardly raining and I just about went crazy sitting inside. 

The next day was the best!! It was super cloudy but it didn't rain at all and we were thankfully able to work all day. I was happy because it wasn't hot.

This week for Pday!! Well we just went shopping. We live RIGHT next to the mall. We went to eat in the food court and when I started to eat my food I looked down and realized that I bought rice, beans, meat, chips, guacamole, and sour cream.

I don't know why I bought rice and beans on Pday!! I am going insane haha. But it was really good. Better than Burger King I say! that was the only other option.

We also saw a whole bunch of members today in the food court and they teased me because of the food I had and because it looked like a big plate. Which I thought was funny because what I had on my plate wasn't even half of what they give me to eat in their houses hahahahaha!!!! I love them so much. Really, the members here make Guayama Zion! They are our family.

We go on splits every week because we have five sets of sisters that we work with in a 6 week transfer. We don't do them the first week of transfer so that leaves us with one a week. 

Somthing humorous... I met three nuns this week! I guess it wasn't humorous but it was a fun experience!! Hna. Gallardo wanted to talk to them and we wanted to ask them questions about what they do but we were both too shy to talk to them but while we walked past we thought of a dumb question about the street name or whatever and then we started talking. They were really nice!! It turns out that these nuns are in social work with families. We helped them carry some boxes into the big catholic church. It was fun! They were really cool to talk to. One of them ran away from home to the convent at 17 and has been in the ministry for over 50 years.

My favorite teaching experience this week:

We had a miracle where we went to visit a 10 year old recent convert who knows more about the Gospel than I did before I came haha. She is doing alright, just some infection in her leg from a mosquito and they are operating today. 

But her cousin (thirty years old) was there to look after her while her mom was out. We read in the Bom with the little girl and she rocked it and understood and analyzed everything really well. The cousin is not a member but shared with us and in the end she told us that she feels that the Book of Mormon is true. 

We started explaining a bit of L1 and the little girl explained the first vision like I don't know what haha. Perfect future missionary. Anyways, we have a return appointment tomorrow and I am so excited to teach her! She's already accepted that the Book of Mormon is true and is willing to study it. YAY!!! 

She also shared with us a neat experience of how she is a cancer survivor. She had to have a bone transplant in her arm and she was number 1200 to receive one. The Holy Ghost came to her in a dream and touched her left hip and told her that is where they needed to take the bone for her transplant. The doctor didn't believe her when she told him but he did the analysis for that hip and found the bone matter that was compatible for her arm. Miracle! She is really prepared to accept the Gospel and has a lot of faith.

Something also funny: while we were in the middle of finishing 1 Nefi 7 and before starting chapter 8 two catholic missionary type people came in. They were going around visiting people and inviting them to believe and have faith in God. 

It was really funny because we accepted them with a lot of warmth and they were both staring at my name tag, really confused, and saw that all of us had a book of Mormon in our hands. Very nice people as well. But I'm telling you this 11 year old has more faith and knowledge than they realized. She is going to be fine.

Another hard but uplifting experience was with our other RC who is in the hospital. But she is 83 years old and has been there about a month. The thing is she doesn't like the food and refuses to eat so Hna. Gallardo and I went and figured out how to convince her to eat her dinner. She ate more than half of it in the end!! 

I had to promise her raisins in every bite with the potatoes carrots and meat. The prize was the apple juice! She can't eat salt because of her kidneys and dialysis, but she refuses to eat food without salt. But she likes sweet things like raisins and she is always thirsty but can only take some liquids. She really enjoyed the apple juice. But there were a whole bunch of us there cheering her on as Hna. Gallardo fed her. 

Yesterday almost all our RCs were in the hospital! One little girl (with her family there with her), the older woman, and then a family of RC were there to visit all of them!! It was a party in the hospital. I thought it was really neat that the family of RC came to visit all of the others. This ward is amazing.

I am glad Hannah enjoyed her Birthday!!! I can't believe she is already in Company at 14! Way to go Hannah!! I always said that she would be better than me haha:) She truly is our little rockstar! Get ready broadway!

I have my very first MLC this week. I am excited to see what it is like! (Mission Leader Council). From what I heard it is a very strong, spiritual meeting.

Well family, I love you so much!!

I hope you all have a WONDERFUL week! Take care!

xoxo Hermana Hardy

All Back 110%

Hello Family!

 

Progress report on injuries: completely gone! Well, slightly discolored and tender but I am back 110%!

Stories about lessons and memorable experiences: Well, we had to recommit our lady who was going to be baptized to read the Book of Mormon and to pray because she doesn't have a testimony yet:( but We are back on track! We had a slightly paranoid lady tell me that I look like I would be a nun in another life (she has some pretty neat conspiracies... and thinks the neighbors have a vendetta against her and pay men to through stink bombs at her house)

 

At one point she said : "there! they did it again! can you smell that?!?!' (we couldn't smell anything...). Someone thought Hna. Gawrych was my mom. Our WML almost got my name right this week! He called me Hna. Gardy. The funny thing is is that the Elder Boren in our ward transferred and we have another Elder Boren that transferred in and the WML still can't remember his name. haha.

This Sunday I actually understood what was going in in Relief Society! (well, I usually understand other Sundays but this one more than others). Our lesson was on prayer and how it is a blessing and commandment. The Gospel Principles class (we had lots of people this week!) was about the Signs of the Second Coming. People on the street talk to us about those sometimes and get way into it and worked up and all I can really say to them is that if you are righteous, you don't really need to worry! Also, I suppose I can say that the signs about the Restoration and BoM have come to pass!

Testimony was amazing this week. We have a less active who is very old and can't come to church sometimes because she just physically can't but her testimony is so strong. She tries to come as often as she can and I was sitting next to her during the meeting and she decided to bear her testimony and we all had to help her get up there. Her testimony was amazing and the Spirit was so strong in that meeting. She is so sweet and firm in her faith.

They decorated the plaza with lights! Some people decorate their houses but not many. They have pasteles for Christmas, and lots of treats and dulces. There is one called Tembleke which is like a coconut pudding and it is my favorite! I have the recipe and I am going to make it. I also sent a package with some of the treats inside for everyone to try.

I received the package from Aunt Jenny and cousins and the letter from Family Beck! I am so happy to hear that Natalie is doing well and I cannot wait to read her emails home!

Good luck everyone with finals and with Christmas decorations! Keep your eyes out on the mail. I cannot believe that it is Christmas already because I feel I left home last week! I love and miss everyone but you all feel so close to me anyways.

Hannah can take my converse! Be careful that you don't hurt your ankle dancing in them! They can be tough to dance in sometimes. When is the Nutcracker for you?!?! Pinky Luck!

I loved the pictures from dad! did Jonny and Hannah run too??

I love you all take care!!

 

Love Hermana Hardy