God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Hello Everyone!

A lot of things happened this week! I think my favorite was that our part member family made it to church!! They came a bit late, but they loved it and I'm so happy they came. The wife has a baptismal date set for February.

I feel strange writing this email today... I am writing about investigators and people we teach and I feel like I'm going to be teaching them this week and helping them to read the Book of Mormon and come to church. This is so unreal!

My favorite moment from this week was Saturday. We went to the part member family and Dachira- the non member, has been reading the Book of Mormon. I have always said like the introduction, anyone who reads the Book of Mormon and prays sincerely will be converted. The trick here is getting the PRicans to read and pray specifically. Sometimes they just don't get it. 

But Dachira gets it! She read so much, she kept on texting us during the week to ask for more passages to read. She read it all and marked it. She told us her favorite parts. I asked her if she prayed to ask if it's true. She said yes. I asked if she feels that the Book of Mormon is true and she said yes! I am so happy for her!

Out of all the missionary work and teaching and everything we do, my favorite part has been and always will be the Book of Mormon. I have such a strong testimony of this book. I love inviting people to read. I love explaining where the Book of Mormon came from. I love promising people that their lives will change if they only open up and read. Because as I have told a lot of people lately, all of this is either true, or it's not. And the Book of Mormon is the key. Christ is our Savior, Joseph Smith was His prophet, and the Restored Gospel is true. Writing that just makes me so happy!

I want all of you to know that I know that Jesus is the Christ. I feel that I have come to know Him better in many ways. One of those ways was through the example of the pure love of Christ that I have seen in the members here in Puerto Rico. They have taught me so much. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be His representative. 

I know that His Gospel has been restored by a living prophet. I will be sharing my testimony of this until the day I die! It's all true! The Gospel, the Church, the Book of Mormon, all of it! This message has made me so happy. I was already converted to Christ and this Gospel when I came on this mission. 

But little did I know how these 18 months would help my testimony grow into something a little bit more. I feel so much more sure in my testimony and my knowledge. I feel so much more prepared to face life head on. I can't imagine how I would pass through the rest of my life if I had not served. 

I have already shared this feeling with you before, but as I said several months ago I am sure of why Heavenly Father had me serve a mission. I feel that Heavenly Father kills three birds with one stone (or mission. About killing birds... see my second to last email :) ). 

He secures the conversion of the missionary, He converts and blesses others through this missionary, and He also prepares the conversion of this missionary's future family. I can't help but think that what a mission really is for the young youth of this Church is to not only bring others unto Christ and salvation, and not only teach selflessness to a generation living in a selfish world, but also to prepare our youth for the rest of their lives. 

I know that Heavenly Father did not just send me on a mission to bless the people here in Puerto Rico or just me. I can't help but feel that He sent me because He knows that my future children need me to be ready to teach them to live the Gospel and be prepared to be lights unto the world. So I may technically only have one convert up to date. But I know that my experiences in this mission will have a much longer and greater effect than I can see from where I am right now. 

I think the best and only way I can end this testimony is to say that I am grateful. I am grateful to my Heavenly Father, I am grateful to my Savior Jesus Christ, I am grateful for my wonderful parents who taught me everything I have taught the people of Puerto Rico, I am grateful for my loving family and their support, I am grateful for President Boucher and Hermana Boucher and what they've taught me, 

I'm grateful for each and every one of my companions who have also taught me something unique, I am grateful for the members and the people I have met here, and I am grateful for Puerto Rico, la Isla del Encanto. This isn't even half of what my testimony is and I know that I could not really give it justice here in an email. But I love you all very much. I love my Savior, and I this is my testimony of Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

xoxo Hermana Hardy

Be an Example and a Light

Hello Everyone! Second to last email!

So our week was pretty great as well! Not as statistically amazing as last week. We did walk 9 miles yesterday.... and it was worth it because we had a very spiritual first lesson with a woman who seems like she just got it! It was very nice! We put our feet in hot water when we got home to make the weekly Sunday night calls to all the sisters. As far as the sisters, we found more investigators than even last week! They all worked really hard this week.

Today we had a sisters activity!! I am so glad I did one before I left! We went to Maunabo Lighthouse and it was amazing! We had the sisters read Pte. Monson's talk from GC, Be an Example and a Light, and have them choose attributes they want to develop to strengthen their lights to help other people. We also had them write their testimonies down and we put them in bottles and threw them in the ocean!! I will try to send pictures from H. Helmick's camera because I forgot my cord today! It was so much fun!

This week we also taught our inv. with a baptismal date but she didn't come to church... so we'll work for her to come this Sunday! I think my biggest commitment helper will be telling people it's my last Sunday, haha.

We had exchanges with both sets of the Caguas sisters this week! I was with Hna. Tanner, this is her first transfer. She is rocking Spanish! She also has such a Spirit and excitement with her that it made me excited! I was also able to work with H. Garcia from Nicaragua for one last time too! She was my last exchange. I love the sisters in our Zone. Each and everyone of them are amazing. I loved working with them and seeing all their different personalities and talents in the obra del Senor. 

We also had my last Zone Meeting and I taught about our mission culture and somethings we can do to improve our culture even more! It went really well. Our mission is amazing and I have seen it progress so much since I have been here, all thanks to Pte. and Hna. Boucher. I'm so excited for the future of this mission! I'm sad that my journey in PR and in the mission is ending here and I won't get to see what more miracles this mission will see but I am so grateful that I came and I'm grateful for everything I have seen here.

I am sorry to here about Brother Cundick. He was such a wonderful friend. He always made me feel so special. Did you know that every time I played in Sacrament meeting he would call me over the phone that day or that week and thank me and tell me how wonderfully I played? That takes such a special person to do that and it made me feel so loved and appreciated. I am sad that I will not be able to see him one last time. 

But I know that it is all in the timing of the Lord. and I am positive that in the Lord's Second Coming that Brother Cundick will be leading the angels' chorus. Please tell Charlotte that I love her very dearly and she and her family are in my prayers. It sounds like his funeral was quite beautiful.

You don't have to worry about preparing too much for me to come home! If you could just wash my bed sheets. Really that's all! I can take care of organizing my closet and everything. If you could just bring me a coat to the airport! That would be wonderful haha:) One of my red coats would be great, but I also think my brown pea coat goes better with my outfit. I am worried that all my clothes and skirts and blouses and dresses are all summer colors. I'm going to have a funny time adjusting to wearing winter colors!

I love you all so much! I can't wait to see you NEXT WEEK! So this is my official last week in the mission. I won't have time next week to actually work... next Monday I will be packing, Tuesday I will be driving sisters all over the island, Wednesday I will be in the office having auto sufficiency classes, and Thursday I will be on a plane and home to you! I am determined to make this the best week ever and enjoy every moment of working in the sun and teaching the people here in Puerto Rico. 

I love this mission. I'm sad to leave but I decided to just be happy and positive about it. Many missionaries get depressed before they go home and I figure that I could be panicking or really sad that it's coming to an end, or I could just appreciate that all good things end and appreciate my last moments instead of wasting them being sad! So I promise to be positive and happy! No matter what I have to come home! And of course I am excited to come home! So I'll just focus on the positive things and enjoy every moment!

I love you! I'll try to send photos!!

xoxo Hermana Hardy

¡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

Mercies, Miracles & Gratitude

Hello Family!
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!! I love you so much! I hope you have a wonderful time and that your marathon goes well!

I am feeling much much better today. I am exhausted and a little bit bruised but to be honest I am not nearly as injured as I would have thought I would be for being hit by a car (which means that I have been blessed very, very much). We have been given permission to use the car if we really need to. For the most part we have had members drive us to appointments. We have had almost all member presents this weekend!

I have to admit something.... several weeks ago I DID say to my companion that I would rather be hit by a car than to be bitten by a dog... Sooooo I had it coming.

I would like to say that even after being hit by a car I would still rather deal with that than be bitten by a dog.

Thursday we kinda chilled out at the apartment for the day. We took our time doing weekly planning, wrote letters, cards to members for Thanksgiving, we cleaned the apartment (I kinda helped a little bit but not much) because Hna. Boucher came to let me call Mama and to do an apartment inspection.

Friday we visited people (member present and then with a less active and then English class). It was exhausting. Saturday we rested a bit more but still had 2 member presents (Hna Broyles went with Hna. Gawrych to the one in the early morning because I was not walking or moving very well that morning).

Sunday, of course I went to church! I received all sorts of attention by people who have never spoken to me before (usually they all talk to Hna. Gawrych) and I had no idea what was going on but I am pretty good at saying I got hit by a car in spanish now. We had a total of 4 lessons today and I am tired. The members are very sweet and they all thought that my leg is broken (some STILL think that it is broken because someone spread that rumor around). NADA ROTO! I'm really good at saying that too.

So for the accident part!
 

 

We were on the side of the road contacting a man in front of a chain link fence, he even said we could return and teach his family and Hermana Gawrych was writing our number and I was looking at the man thinking that I didn't do very bad at contacting him (very prideful of me so yeah).

 

 

When completely out of nowhere I am hit and I just remember looking at the ground and seeing grass as I rotate around towards my right shoulder and being hit again (I realized it was the side view mirror later) and then I was facing towards the road and I saw the mirror roll away into the grass and then I was down against the fence looking at my leg.

 

 

My left shoe flew off my foot. I never actually saw the car as far as I can remember, just grass. I knew what had happened though right away and I screamed a bit and a man that had been sitting on the porch with our contact ran out right away and he was holding my hand and a woman who saw it all happen was standing in front of me and they were helping my companion call 911 and it hurt. Then a huge group of teenage boys came running around and after a while they left as more people came.
 

 

(Please see pictures for reference and explanation for how I was hit)

All I knew is that there were lots of people around me shouting in Spanish and I only understood a little bit. However I did see a white car drive past and stop and I saw a woman get out and I thought it was a member but I wasn't sure as she got closer and then her face was in front of mine and it was Hna. Franqui!!

 

I cannot describe how relieved I was to see her and she was just saying that I was going to be okay and she would take care of everything. She speaks a lot of English too so that was very nice. There are no members in the area we were in (30 minutes away from town driving) and I know that Heavenly Father planned for her to be driving by at that exact time to take care of me.

 

[On the phone, Emily also told me one of the EMTs and one of the police were members of the Church as well. She was well ministered to and the Elders were knocking themselves out to give her blessings :) ]

Her daughter Alanis was there too (9 years old) and her husband just got back from the states and he helped my companion a lot too. So I rode in an ambulance for the first time, went to the ER. There were 13 people there for me not including my companion and me. Apparently more members had shown up where the accident was and I didn't see them there but they showed up at the hospital (Metropolitan hospital of Cabo Rojo or something for Jonny haha:)) and the elders came and brought me a blanket and East High sweatshirt (they have a lot of nerve haha) and socks because it was freezing and I was shaking and everything.
 

In the end, nothing is broken, I am just scraped up and bruised but the bruising isn't too bad at all and my leg is the worst of it and even that is healing up very quickly. Everyone in Puerto Rico knows and even random people in the U.S. that the members know and called (hahaha). The nurse showed up right before they wrapped my leg up after they took x-rays. I never hit my head! My neck is sore from whiplash so my headache is sometimes worse than my leg when we are out visiting for a long time but I am still smiling!

We don't really know anything about who it was and all the members are really upset about that but I am fine, the person must be freaked out of their mind! Hopefully they are okay.

Miracles! Lots and lots of them! I had so many people who just so happened to be driving by after it all happened and so many people were there at the hospital with me. Hno. Franqui just kept on saying to me ""Look! There are so many people here for you, you two are never alone" That was a wonderful comfort to me.

 

We have had strangers call us to ask us how we are doing and one woman invited us to Thanksgiving!! Awesome, right? We have had the members help us with just about everything. My favorite part was speaking to Mama on the phone and tell her that I am okay. The missionary work is moving forward despite and because of what has happened:)

So for Thanksgiving we have two appointments- one at 12:00 and the other at 5:00 (we were invited to more but we had to decline). There are lots of people willing to drive us to those appointments.

Well, I do not know that more to say! I know that Heavenly Father has protected me and that He has a purpose in everything. I am excited to see what else will happen as a result! The past few days have been ridiculous and crazy but I have never felt so loved. The people here are so kind (even if they are dramatic) and they have the biggest hearts. I am hoping to accomplish even more the next few weeks with their help.

I love you all SOOOO MUCH! Happy Thanksgiving! Remember to be grateful everyday because that is more important than being grateful once a year:)

Love Hermana Hardy

Turn That Frown Upside Down :)

Hello Family!

 

 

We had one investigator come to church! She is slowly progressing.

Something really funny I haven't told you guys yet is about a sister in our ward. When I first got here she was not interested in helping us and all of that. Slowly we convinced her to drive us to her less active daughter's family.

 

HOWEVER, she was supposed to pick us up in the plaza and we were walking there when some other kind of investigator started talking to us and would not stop talking. (this was in Sept. or something) so this member was waiting forever for us and when she found us we got in the car and she was so mad and chewing us out. I didn't really understand what she was saying but I could tell she was unhappy and I didn't know what to do. I was in the back seat and she looked in the rearview mirror at me and my very first reaction was to smile really big and sweetly at her.

 

She gave me a funny look then said to my companion, "She doesn't understand what I'm saying does she?" and Hna. Gawrych said, "No she doesn't really understand spanish yet." That made the member laugh. Then we had a super spiritual lesson with her daughter and family.

Since then she has warmed up a LOT to us and is more willing to help us. It has been neat seeing her change and she absolutely loves me. Whenever she says something to me and I don't know what's going on I just smile. Then she laughs REALLY hard and grabs my shoulder and shakes me around and says "'OH, HARDY!!! HAHAHAHAHA.''

This happens a lot. She is also in Primary and was super happy to have me play the piano. At one point in our saludos she took my face in her hands and squished and wiggled my cheeks together and said something in Spanish and hugged me.

 

This past week we were visiting with her and before we went to go see her daughter she would see people in their houses or on the street and would stop the car and have us contact them, haha. She also likes to bring us taco maker and juice and treats when she visits with us and it is just so neat to see how much she has changed over the past few months where before she didn't want anything to do with us and now she treats us like her children.

 

She just thinks I am super funny with my smiles and not knowing what's going on. I think she thinks I am a bit of a ditz... but she loves me anyways. I told her the story in Spanish of how when I was little I thought Jonny ate the moon. She thought it was really funny and just says, ÖH HARDY! My favorite part is how she just laughs and laughs at me. I don't really know why, but as long as she is happy and willing to help us out I am happy!

 

 

Apparently I have a really expressive face now... Which is good and bad. One bad funny story is how one woman (who only speaks English) was going on about bills and whatnot and I was TRYING to make a concerned face and she thought I was judging her and called me out on it and I had to explain that I was just worried for her and not judging at all. Hna. Gawrych and all the sisters think that it's really funny haha.

I am going to practice my "concerned" face in the mirror this week.

 

Relief Society is in Spanish. They all talk at once. I am naughty and zone out sometimes but I will try to be better. The past four weeks I have been in Primary anyways to play piano and practice for their program, but now that's all over and we are back in Relief Society. Here Relief society is first and then sunday school then Sacrament. I will tell you more once I start understanding more. We did have our service project on Saturday, the men and young adults served in a school, cleaning out all this old stuff and whatnot abandoned whatnot. Women served in el hogar de ancianos, and we sang and shared scriptures. Older people are even harder to understand in Spanish and they didn't understand me either so that was fun. There was one old man who LOVED the Spanish Christmas songs they sang. He was tapping his feet and waving his hands and he was so excited.

 

 

They do not really have carpet here at all. Some people have rugs, but I haven't seen that very often. Pretty much every place in the pueblo has the exact same laminate flooring, haha. As far as funny manerisms I cannot think of any right now. I think it's because I've gotten used to them. They really do talk a whole awful lot here. It's hard sometimes to teach and get stuff done. They are very dramatic here. they exxagerate a lot haha. If someone waits for you for 5 minutes, they say they've been there for half an hour or more.

 

That makes me laugh that Hermana Boucher thought I was talking about Dad. I sent them a text saying that the package was from my AUNT, I didn't say anything about dad or uncles haha, we have a zone conference this week so I will clarify then:)

I did receive the medicine! Thank you so much! I also found gummy vitamins in Walgreens. I didn't buy them because they seemed expensive but I might today because it is probably the same price that you guys would have to pay to send it down here!
 

Penelope looks like Perry! Is she a black cayuga too? she even has white feathers! Is she cuddly?

The Rhapsody of Hymns is my favorite and I would LOVE those other ones you mentioned. The yellow christmas book should be in the bench, it is a skinny one, really simple songs. I used it for What Child is This and Silent Night (they are the last two songs.) The very first song is Have yourself a very merry christmas or whatever it's called.

 

 

I loved the Puerto Rican pumpkin!! Beautiful work! Good luck with your test this week Jonny and with the job you want! You will ROCK it! There should be a bulletin with all the music performances going on at the U and in the community. Right now is a great time to find a Jazz performance because I bet everyone is doing their senior recitals around this time. It shouldn't be too hard to find one to go

to.

 

 

I am carving a ring out of a coconut shell! I had my first real coconut this week and the elders opened it with a machete for me.

This week someone gave us 100% juice! MIRACLE!

I love you all! Take care and remember to SMILE!

 

 

xoxo Hermana Hardy

The Waving Campaign

Hello Family!!!
 

 

Transfers were last Tuesday. They tell us the Sunday night before. Next transfers are December 2 and I will probably stay here because Cabo Rojo is the furthest you can get from San Juan and people usually stay here for a long time. (random thought, if you haven't sent my one book of arrangements yet, can you also send the yellow christmas arrangement book as well?)

I played the piano for the Primary Program yesterday! It went very well. I learned a lot of new songs the past few weeks and it was great. Now the Primary President is a lot more willing to go out on visits with us :)

As far as toys or games I haven't seen anything different here than in Utah. Sports, video games, smart phones, etc. I played hopscotch with a little girl last week when her mom's car broke down (we were all on our way to a lesson) so we didn't have a lesson that night but we did draw with chalk in the plaza! I will try to send a picture. There is a hand sing song game that some girls taught us and is funny. It took me a while to pick up the words but they are pretty much nonsense anyways.

I think the best thing I have had was lasagna that a member made for us!! haha, it really was the best lasagna I have ever had. But lasagna is also a rarity here. Umm, I think I really love fried plantains. Any fried fruit like that is called a tostone, so yesterday I had tostone de pana, which is a pretty starchy fruit like everything else. I liked it just fine, but the elders had gone on about how good it is so when I actually tried it it wasn't as good as they had led me to believe haha. I LO VE aguacate though too. AND last night they gave us APPLEJUICE!!! wahoo! I was so excited, no one drinks apple juice here!

I do receive all of Grandma's letters! They make me so happy:) It only takes 3 days for letters to get to me! Pretty awesome!

An interesting event and a spiritual message! Yesterday NOTHING worked out. We ran all over town for all these lessons that were supposed to be member presents but all the member's cars broke down this week (seriously, a whole bunch of them) so we were going to have normal lessons but no one was home. The only thing that worked out was a half active family (husband active, wife not).

 

That lesson was pretty amazing and simple. If we had had all those other lessons we may not have been able to have that lesson. We think that everything fell through just so we could visit that family and give them the lesson they needed to get comfortable with us so we can help them get back to church and progress to the temple (people LOVE the picture of our family and of mom and dad on their wedding day outside the temple). They were the ones that had apple juice too! And doughnuts from Krispy Kremes! They have doughnuts here but they aren't the same as Krispy Kremes (which is in Mayaguez). So my message is that sometimes things fall apart because Heavenly Father really does have another, much bigger, purpose for us.

This weekend President and Hermana Boucher dropped off something for me! Haha, apparently Hermana Boucher ordered something from the LDS art store and aunt Joann saw the order and called Hermana to ask to send something to me with the package of art! So I received goldfish and the most beautiful bookmarks to give out! Tell Joann and Grant I say hello and thank you so much!

 

 

I am so grateful for all of you and your prayers for me! There are lots of ups and downs but I am loving it here! Waking up in the morning is pretty easy (most of the time) because it is so light outside early in the morning.

Did I already tell you guys about The Waving Campaign? Well, I realized a month ago that I tend to look at the ground while I walk around so I made it a goal to start waving at all of the cars that drive by us so that I don't look down. So we started to smile and wave at every car. Then we started counting how many people wave back at us and I reported the numbers to President just for fun and he loved it. He calls it the Waving Campaign and always asks about it now and thinks it's great. My original goal was just to meet someone one day that recognized us as the girls who waved at them. Well now about the whole town knows us and people start to honk and wave at us before we even start waving at them! People also honk and wave at the other sisters because they think they are us, hehehehe. So that's pretty cool. We have been bad at counting lately but I think our record one day was over 60- pretty awesome.

I hope you all have an awesome Halloween- send me pictures of the pumpkins!!

I can't believe Hannah has a triple turn on the left side- get out!! haha, that is awesome! Hannah, you should write me a letter and let me know what all your rehearsal schedules are like and what dance at school is like, and about your friends and EVERYTHING! write as much as you like please!

I have coconuts and the elders are going to tell me how to carve a ring out of a coconut! I am excited!

I don't know what else to say! There is so much and I am just so happy here and I still feel like it's July haha.

I want to give everyone a BIG hug and tell them that I love them. I am so grateful for everything that you have taught me.

I love you all!!

 

 

Hermana Hardy

Feliz Cumpleaños Hermana Hardy!!!

Hello Everyone!!

 

 

Mom and Dad: Did you get the email from Hermana Boucher with the pictures? I hope so! [Sue: we didn't :( ]

There is so much to tell you, I cannot even think of where to start! Well, we left the MTC at 5:15 and got to the airport where I called you (I was so happy to hear your voices) and the flight to Puerto Rico was only an hour.

 

We met Pres. and Hermana Boucher outside and the first thing he said to me was "How's our favorite Titan". I totally fell for it too, he knows I'm a Ram.

 

But anyways. If you hold out your left hand in front of your face with your thumb held close that is a map of Puerto Rico. Cabo Rojo is at the heel of your hand :) other than that I have no idea where I am.

 

It was a 2-3 hour drive from San Juan to here. We didn't get in until 11:30 so I was exhausted. You will all be glad to know that my bag that I brought is water proof, tried and proven in the rain. I'm so glad that it is or else I would have found out the hard way :)

Also, when I arrived at the mission home someone said, "Hermana Hardy? Oh, you're the one with all the packages." So yeah, I have all of them :) I have not opened up my presents though! I am waiting for tomorrow! I opened the package from Jonny first because I had no idea what it would be. I almost started crying and I did start laughing when I realized they were his basketball shorts!! Thank you so much. Having these shorts brings me so much comfort and I am so grateful for you Jonny and surprised at how quick you sent them out! We also love the Greenie package!

My trainer is Hermana Gawrych and she is from Sandy Utah!! I will try to send a picture. She studied at UVU nursing before coming here. She has a twin brother who is serving in Mexico. She is very sweet and patient with me.

 

Why were mom and Geoff in emergency blankets?? Are you guys okay? I am so proud of you! Jonny, start running with Mom and Dad. [Sue: they gave us Mylar blankets to keep warm before the start of the half marathon. We looked like 2500 baked potatoes sitting on the ground jaja :) ]

As far as language: I don't understand what the Puerto Ricans are saying. I can speak Spanish at them all day long but when it comes to listening to them I have no idea. The only thing I can do is bear my testimony. So story...

We were contacting in the streets in between lessons. We started talking to a woman when a man came up and just went on and on and on. I didn't understand much but I did understand that he was a part of a different church and he has some pretty strong opinions about Joseph Smith and the like. He really did go on forever.

 

While he was talking I began to feel so sad that he would not pause and let us speak to him. I began to feel the Spirit so strongly and I knew that I needed to bear my testimony of Joseph Smith. I tried to when he finished talking but he didn't give me a chance. He shook our hands and ran off. So I bore my testimony to the woman that had been standing next to him. I think she felt the Spirit. I hope so.

 

It was very upsetting to me because how on earth am I going to be able to bear testimony and teach people if they won't even listen to me! However I have learned since then that it is my responsibility to talk and bear testimony to people and their responsibility to open their hearts. Since then there have been a few people who have listened to my testimony!

We had a lesson yesterday afternoon. It was to an older couple. All the lessons before that (besides one lesson about the Word of Wisdom) I hadn't been able to contribute much besides my testimony because I didn't understand what was going on. But this time I recited the First Vision and I KNOW that they felt the Spirit because they told us so. It was so wonderful.

 

Also, the WOW lesson I was able to help teach a lot! It was amazing because that morning this woman had run out of coffee and had a strong impression that she shouldn't drink it anymore. Then we taught her, and she was so receptive and accepting of it! Wahoo! That was amazing:)

Okay... I hate to gross you all out pero... Well, our living conditions are pretty good. We live on the second floor in an apartment. We have stairs that are pretty steep but not too bad. We clean and we are all clean people anyways. But there is a bit of a bug problem. I am used to all the little brown ants however and they don't bother me.

 

However, Sunday morning I was making my breakfast. I was really excited because it was my favorite flavor of oatmeal (apple cinnamon, in the instant oatmeal packs) and I opened it and poured it into a bowl. I don't want to underplay it and I am not exagerating. There was a SWARM of baby cockroaches all crawling about in my oatmeal. Now, before coming here I would have screamed.

 

Surprisingly, my first reaction to this was sadness because it was the last packet of apple cinnamon and it was a waste of food. We try to put most of the food in the fridge but now the fridge doesn't work so our milk (which is a whole six dollars a gallon oh mi madre) went bad so that is sad too. They have gone through 3 fridges in the past 2 weeks and now we have to call our dueno again. Fortunately he is really nice and helpful!

I am so proud of you Hannah!! Way to be a soldier! I am so excited :) Chikungungya comes from mosquitos. I am putting lots of repellant on. The only thing is that I sweat it all off. I have been eaten alive but it takes 12 days for chik symptoms to appear so I will let you know ;) I am feeling great.
 

I HAVE NEVER SWEAT SO MUCH IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I cannot describe it. It does not bother me though. Beside mascara I have given up on makeup because there is no way. Makeup for church and pictures but that's it. My skin is fairly clear so I don't look too bad.

 

It is hard to find time to write in my journal. I am trying to do better because there is so much I want to write! Apparently this is a wait gaining mission. I will do those exercises and mark my words, I refuse to gain more than 10 pounds. I am keeping myself accountable for this by writing it in this email :) wish me luck.

Church was wonderful and a bit overwhelming. They made me introduce myself over the pulpit and all the old women (some just recently baptized) would follow me around and continually speak to me. !Linda linda linda! is what they usually say and they all think I am beautiful. I like it here. OH, the couple I was telling you about with the First Vision? She kept on staring at me and told my companion that I look really familiar. Then she said that she likes looking at my face too :) So that is nice.

I am out of time, I will try to send pictures really fast.

What is my pin for my mission card? I think I have it confused with my normal one. I haven't needed it yet though.

I love you! I am going to miss you on my birthday!!

Hermana Hardy