Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday, April 25, 2011; Week 6

 MTC-Provo, UT


Madre,

     Primero, yo amo mi familia y el templo.  Yo gusto mi companeros y mi districto.  I'm glad to that i am on a mission and in the mtc at the time of pascua (easter) its really givin me a lot of time to really think of the meaning of easter and also think of the atonement and what it really means to me in my life. I hope you were all able to think about that this year. The atonement to me means everything, i have such a strong testimony of the atonement and of Jesus Christ. I often think about the things i have done in my life and how many second chances that i have received because of the atonement. And then i think about all the second chances i am going to continue to receive.  And then i get so emotional because of how much the savior loves me.  I wish that i could understand the depth of love our savior has for each one of us. I wish i could understand the pain that i personally put him through because i feel if i did i would be more careful on the choices i make.  There is only one reason that i am on a mission, its not to become district leader or zone leader and to look cool for baptizing a lot of people or to please my family. The only reason i am serving a mission is because i have a testimony of Jesus Christ and his infinit atonement. I have testimony that it works and i am going to Indiana for the one purpose of telling people that because of Jesus Christ we dont have to go through this life alone.
     Anywho.  I'm glad to hear that all of my family is doing good. Its fun that Harm and Harper and Josh all came down over the weekend. I did recieve the packages. Beths first and then yours. Everything is super good. I was planning and making some chip dip with that chili, so i went and got some cream cheese and i was going to make it tonight and while i was sitting in the temple i truely recieved revelation!!!! I dont have a dang can opener. Oh well... some kid left me a pocket knife so i will try my luck with that.  I love going to the temple and i get more and more out of it everytime i go. It will be sad when i dont get to go anymore.
     We got a new schedual that just started today and that is why my p day is now on Monday. We are now in the class room from 7:30 in the morning to 9:45 at night.  Every single thing is planned for us. We now have 3 hours a day for personal study instead of 1 and we dont get comp study which is weird because when Elder Scott spoke to us he said that the hour of pst and the hour of cst is the times when he learned the most about the gosple. Oh well, all that matters is that this new schedual is inspired and we just need to follow it.
       Easter yesterday was just another day in the mtc. Come to find out, i am the only Spanish elder in the mtc who will be serving in Indiana right now. But this Wednesday the mtc will be getting missionaries who are going to Indiana speaking English so I'm hoping to meet a few of them.  Things are going good here for me. I'm getting kind of sick of the food and i just want to be out preaching right now but thats ok. My time will come. Its funny because sometimes when i see missionaries I'm like "oh look, missionaries" but then i remember i am one.  Pretty funny sometimes.



Elder Hardman

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Wednesday, April 20, 2011; Week 5

MTC-Provo, UT
Happy Easter!!!!


Hey Momma,
         Sooo, guess who came and spoke to us last night? Elder Richard G. Scott of the quorum of the twelve.  That talk was in my top 5 most spiritaul excperiences i would have to say. He said a couple things that really stood out... well more then a couple but i wanted to share with you a couple things. First thing i wanted to share with you is the apostalic blessing that he gave us " I invoke upon you the blessing of the gift of tongues, in your stiving to communicate you will have an additional help and support. I confer the gift of tongues upon you, you still have to study but you will feel that it comes easier"   -Elder Scott.
    How awesome is that? The spirit was so strong and that blessing just meant so much to me because the language seems a lot harder for me then others. I can basically say what i need to but it just is so hard for me. Second. He shared with us his testimony. It was the most powerful testimony i have ever heard in my life.  I wont share with you exactly what he said, but i wanted to share with you something. Every time he would say something he would say, I dont believe, I KNOW!!!! How powerful. He doesnt believe that Jesus Christ is a resurrect being, HE KNOWS IT. It was just incredible. All of us that heard him has a little more to strive for in our testimony.
     The mtc is going good. Im getting kind of sick of the food now, but i only have like 3 and a half more weeks so i can live with it untill then. We taught our first lesson in spanich on Monday. It wasnt as bad as i thought it would be but it was still pretty rough. We are teaching again in spanish tonight so hopfully it goes better. 
    My testimony is continuing to grow everyday. And i love being able to go to the temple once a week. It will be hard when i cant do that anymore.  Oh... starting on the 26th our P day is being switched to Mondays and since the 26th is a Tuesday we dont know if we wont get a p day next week or what. but just to be safe, write me on Monday.
    I want everyone in my family to know that i love you and i pray for you every single day. Individually. I havent forgotten anyone so i hope that you can feel my prayers.  Last night Elder Scott said something about when Jesus Christ was crucified that really helped me.  This last week ive been studying the atonement and Christs death and there was a scripture that i read. Its talking about when Christ was on the cross and he asks God why he forsake him and ive just been thinking about that.  "Why did God forsake His Son" well last night Elder Scott talked about it and he said that he has often wondered the same thing. Then he said that he came to the conclusion that Christ was not forsaken. God knew that Christ needed to earn the full blessing of the atonement by enduring everything alone... how hard that must have been to have to watch your son go through that and not being able to do anything.
   Well time is up. I love all of you. Have a great Easter Sunday and remember why we celebrate it



Elder Hardman

Monday, April 18, 2011

Wednesday, April 13, 2011; Week 4

MTC-Provo, UT
Hey Momma,


    Things are going good here at the mtc. Like always i went to the temple this morning, and like always it was just amazing. I was able to go through for someone from INDIANA!!!! Super special for me. I'm already doing missionary work for my state and I'm not even there yet.  When we left the temple 2 older men stopped us and talked to us for like 20 minutes. One told us that he has placed over 40000 books of Mormon in his life time. They told us that they have a lot to give back to the church because they come from the families of the mobs the persacuted the saints. It was really nice to talk to them. Super crazy people but really nice.
         Everyone in my zone is starting to leave. This time next week my district will be the second oldest here.  So that just means that we willl be giving a lot of talks in Spanish... which brings me to my next point, me espanol es muy malo. (NY Spanish is very bad) We have to start teaching in Spanish next week. So pray for me please.  Teaching is gooing really good. Me and my companions have 4 investigators right now.( I'm in a 3-some now)  one of them we just picked up. Her name is "Taylor" she is the hardest investigator in the mtc.  Everyone tells us that you have to teach her like 4 times before she will pray in the lesson. But we went the first day and prayed for the spirit before hand. And we just listened to her and what she said and we were able to teach to her needs and bear such strong testimony that she prayed the very first lesson. Listening is the key for missionary work. Elder Holland said that if you listen to everything they say something that is said will highlight a truth that you can bear testimony. I'm learning to be a good listener.
    Things with my comp are getting better. We are now in a 3 some and me and the other elder get along super super well so thats nice. His name is Elder Bakker. Heres a poem that me and Elder Bakker wrote.  The reason we wrote it is because the sisters in our zone kept asking us to write in their journals and we didnt know what to write so we wrote this and gave it to them all...

             WITHOUT A HAULT
As we sit here writing in this journal,
   we cant stop thinking about life eternal.
Mothers, fathers, children too,
   God loves us all we know its true.
we read of prophets young and old,
  Their words of scripture more valuable then gold.
Jesus came to save us all,
  through faith in him we cannot fall.
He healed the sick; caused the blind to see
  untill the great apostasy.
A verse in James sparked a thought,
  and in a grove he found what he sought.
Before his eyes they did appear,
  they told him truths, and not to fear.
A message brought by a heavenly friend,
  led to a git that god did send.
We know in our hearts the truth in this book,
  all we ask is that you take a look.
The truth restored, his church on earth,
  the gosple fullness invites rebirth.
If like Joseph you pray as well,
  within your heart a burning will swell.
Try as they might to find a fault,
  His work moves forward without a hault!!

How did you like that? Not bad huh?
Well time is short so i need to end now. But because of Easter and what is symbolizes i wanted to share a fast testimony about Jesus Christ... i know the Jesucristo lives and i know that he not only suffered and died for me and my sins but also for the entire world. Everyone!!! Whether it be Indiana, Mongolia, Russia, Oklahoma, Washington, he atoned for all of our sins and the reason i know this is because i have felt his atoning love in my life. I have felt the peace that can only come from being clean.  I know that no matter how many mistakes someone makes or how bad of a person he/she feels they are, nothing is to bad or to much. Christ atoned for everyone. The stupidest thing i have ever done in my life is having the gift of the atonment sitting right in front of my for so long and my not using it. My purpose is to help people come unto Christ and help them repent and i promise I'm going to do it untill the day i die.

Love Elder Hardman

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Wednesday, April 6, 2011;Week 3

MTC-Provo, UT

Hey Momma,


     Conference was very good, I got so much out of it and i only fell asleep a couple times during the girl talks so thats ok :) Priesthood session was super amazing i love how the apostles are just so straight forward about everything. But thats how they have to be because of the stubburn society we have today.
    I love the mtc and all of the firesides and the talks and inspirational message that are givin to us. Every Sunday night we have someone from the mtc give us a talk and every Tuesday night we have a general authority come talk to us. Its so funny to hear people that have been here for 7 or so weeks complain about getting ANOTHER 70 member. haha Only in the mtc will people complain about having a member of the 70 talk to us.
    Every talk that has been givin is so good. This Sunday and this Tuesday were so good. The guy who spoke to us on Sunday played football for byu. He was the first poly to get a scholarship for sports there. Then went to the nfl and played for the eagles and then greenbay and he just had an amazing testimony and message about missionary work.  Elder Oaks talked to us yesterday. he is a former member of the presidency of the 70 and he is a 4 star general. It was amazing to hear him speak because you would think that every story he was going to tell would have been about the airforce, but it was the exact opposite.  Every story he told was about the church and missionary work and how gosple changes peoples lives. He has traveled to every part of the world you can think of to visit missions and speak and just various church duties and he told us that out of every place he has been to the mtc has the strongest spirit.  Its so true, 2000 missionaries all having one focus in mind and all of us having to give all we have to the Lord. Its amazing.
     Its so hard for me not to feel inadequet (dont know how to spell) because everyday i see such amazing missionaries and how strong their testimonies are. They have all lived their lives in such a way to where they were worthy and ready and willing to serve a mission. I just wish that i could have been more like that. But i know that i have learned a lot and i am a better person for it and i know that when i feel inadequet all i have to do is pray to my loving Heavenly Father and ask for help and guidance and i will recieve it.
        Things with my comp are starting to get better. I love him and i want the best for him and i know that God will help us with the problems we have with eachother. Well times up. I love you all.
         Oh and back to the subject of dear elders, i do recieve them but they dont print them on Saturday. so if you plan on sending me a dearelder for my b day on Saturday i wont get it till Monday. And i was planning on getting you a name tag for mothers day but they told me that its against the rules so I'm sorry about that.
    I dont know if i have told you lately, but i love the temple. When i went today i felt like i needed to pray for the person that i was going through for and to ask for HIS spirit to be with me so when i prayed for that the spirit hit me so strong. probably the strongest that i have ever felt at the temple and i just know he was so grateful for what i was doing for him. You probably already do that but if you dont i challange you all to do it. 


Elder Hardman