Indianapolis~
Mom,
Summer is almost over!! are the kids ready to go back to school. wooh i just remembered that you are only going to have 3 kids in school this year. super super crazy. things are starting to seem small in our family. the last 2 weeks have been absolutly killer. its been 94 and higher pretty much everyday. one day it got up to 101. the news said that with the humidity and that heat it was like 120. i dont think i have ever sweated so much in my life. i drink like a gallon and a half of water every day and my pee is still not clear haha. its pretty bad. but the work is still going good. yesterday guess who came to church? Hermana Marcos. i was so excited to see her walk in. to bad it was branch conference and all they talked about were things that needed to happen to make the branch a ward. she said that is a different and had lots a questions. so we have a apt. with her tomorrow. well me and the zone leader does. more exchanges. hate them. but the zone leader doesnt speak spanish so i will be solo again. I'm excited to see how much spanish i know right now.
Oh and speaking of church yesterday. since it was conference the choir had been preparing a musical number and the bass didn't show up so guess who had to sing? yup, me. haha dont worry, i did darn good. it was pretty cool actually. so last week i was only in my area for 3 days because of exchanges again. first i went with Elder Everton who is just a super solid missionary and i have a really strong respect for him. i learned a lot and he helped me a lot with my spanish. I'm starting to understand more and more and speak more and more so I'm excited about that. then this weekend i went to Cumberland again. that place is so sketchy. the elders there are supper not obedient so i left there not being liked very much. but i think they learned a lot so that was good. that area is just super hard to be in with those elders.
Hermana Figaroa decided that she still doesn't want to have anything to do with the church. she is another that me and the zone leader are teaching tomorrow so please pray that she will be there. I've been thinking a lot about the lesson that we are going to share so also please pray that she will be open to what i have to say. we have lots of people we are teaching and all of them seem to be progressing nicely. we picked up another investigator this week called Hermano Hernandez. he is like 23 and he is just the nicest man in the world. just smiling all the time and just loves that we are teaching him. i think he will progress fast then the rest, the best thing about him is that he isn't living with anyone so we don't have to worry about that. it is so hard to get ilegals married. harder then it should be i think.
I had some more lengua over the weekend. i actually really like it now. and i had a pickled habanero. when things are pickled it makes them more hot so lets just say that i about died. I'm sure it was entertaining to those who were with me tho. and i found out how to get any meal i want out of the members. i just walk up to them and say. "will you teach me how to make....." haha this Friday i will be learning how to make tamales. I'm so excited. oh and i learned how to make horchata so I'm happy about that.
Anyways I've got to get going but i hope all is will and i hope you all stay safe whille you are in yellow stone. oh and thank you so much for the package. that makes me a little less mad that i didnt get an email. the bread and cookies are super good and the calender Kenny made me is sweet and the thing Jeremy gave me is also way awesome, everyone is jealous of it. haha i show it off alot. you definitely give really good packages.
I know that what i am doing right now is what i am supposed to be doing with my life. I'm glad that we went through the things we did to get here because i have already felt blessings from it. I'm so grateful for this opportunity i have to help the latinos in Indiana. this really is the best work in the world. its going by fast and I'm trying to do all i can to not have regrets. the thing i love the most is learning something knew and then praying about it and feeling the spirit confirm the truthfullness of it to me. i love being able to use the priesthood as much as i do here. that power is amazing. i love you momma and i love the family. love you.
Elder Hardman
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011; Week 18
Indianapolis~
Momma,
Well, no letter again. It's always hard to write when I haven't recieved a letter because I cant talk about how my family is doing for the first half of my letter. So I guess i will just start right into how things went this morning. Oh and i hope you have a good excuse on why i didnt get a letter this week. just kidding. I know you are busy. It's just sad when I open my email and see that my biggest fan didnt write me.
This week has been pretty rough for me. I had to go to Cumberland on Monday and Tuesday. Cumberland is the most ghetto and nasty part of Indy. Super hard for spanish elders. There are 4 strip clubs within a mile of the apartment. But I was there for exchanges and then there was a leadership conference on Wednesday and Thursday so after Cumberland i had to go on splits with other elders till Friday so I was out of my area from Monday to Friday and that just sucks. But on Friday me and my comp set a babtismal date with a guy called Hermano Cortez and it was so awesome. After he accepted he told us that he used to see us on our bikes all the time and he would hide from us because he just hates when missionaries would talk to him because he would always say he wasnt interested. So anyways he would always hide and then one day he said that he was unlucky and he couldnt get away from us and it just so happened that that was the day that he really felt the truthfulness of our message. Then he says that he thanks God every night for his unluckyness. We set his date for August 13. We talked about the law of chastity because i felt like we needed to and come to find out he has a wife in Mexico and has a girlfriend here. But he hasnt talked to his wife in Mexico for like ten years because she kinda disowened him. But he cant get married untill he gets divorced so help us pray that he can get divorced please. His girlfriend told us the first time we went over there that she has her religion but it wont hurt to listen. But she was pretty sure that she would not at all change. haha guess what? She is changing:) She has truely felt the spirit and she is not at all denying it. This gospel is so amazing.
Not very much happened this week because i was gone for so long. oh haha in the other area they have an investigator that is mexican who doesnt speak a lick of English and he has a wife who is white who doesnt speak a lick of spanish. hahahahahahaha how the heck does that work? I laughed so hard after that lesson. She tried to pray in spanish so that her husband could understand and all she did was say english words in a spanish accent. Super funny. But the guy, the elders were going to drop him that day but he asked for a blessing and now he is a super solid investigator. its amazing how that happens. After every blessing we have givin to investigators they just become super solid because they feel the spirit so strong.
I've been studying faith a lot. Well last week i did. This week I'm studying hope. I'm trying to take a Christ like attribute a week and study it. But i learned so much about faith but the more i learned about faith the more i realized how little faith i have. It's so hard not to lose faith in this work because of how many people we talk to that arent interested. But its so easy to gain faith as well because of how God speaks through you to the investigators. That is the greatest feeling in the world. Feeling God speak through you and feeling the love he has for the people you teach. Thats probably the greatest thing about missionary work. Along with the personal growth and friendships and what not.
The family seems really good from what i hear. Jordan is impressing me so much with the things he writes me. He is such an exammple to me. I wish i could be more like him. He will be such and amazing missionary if he can keep this up. How is Jess liking work? Whats Baylee and Jaron up to? oh and when do i get the family pitures?
Well my time is up because I stilll have to write dad back. Hope all is well and just know that I'm praying for my family everynight. I feel so blessed to be here and i know i couldnt have made it without my family. Oh and James told me today that my spanish must be doing super super good. I think he was meaning because my english sucks. im sorry. im really trying. its just dificult. love you all.
Elder Hardman
Momma,
Well, no letter again. It's always hard to write when I haven't recieved a letter because I cant talk about how my family is doing for the first half of my letter. So I guess i will just start right into how things went this morning. Oh and i hope you have a good excuse on why i didnt get a letter this week. just kidding. I know you are busy. It's just sad when I open my email and see that my biggest fan didnt write me.
This week has been pretty rough for me. I had to go to Cumberland on Monday and Tuesday. Cumberland is the most ghetto and nasty part of Indy. Super hard for spanish elders. There are 4 strip clubs within a mile of the apartment. But I was there for exchanges and then there was a leadership conference on Wednesday and Thursday so after Cumberland i had to go on splits with other elders till Friday so I was out of my area from Monday to Friday and that just sucks. But on Friday me and my comp set a babtismal date with a guy called Hermano Cortez and it was so awesome. After he accepted he told us that he used to see us on our bikes all the time and he would hide from us because he just hates when missionaries would talk to him because he would always say he wasnt interested. So anyways he would always hide and then one day he said that he was unlucky and he couldnt get away from us and it just so happened that that was the day that he really felt the truthfulness of our message. Then he says that he thanks God every night for his unluckyness. We set his date for August 13. We talked about the law of chastity because i felt like we needed to and come to find out he has a wife in Mexico and has a girlfriend here. But he hasnt talked to his wife in Mexico for like ten years because she kinda disowened him. But he cant get married untill he gets divorced so help us pray that he can get divorced please. His girlfriend told us the first time we went over there that she has her religion but it wont hurt to listen. But she was pretty sure that she would not at all change. haha guess what? She is changing:) She has truely felt the spirit and she is not at all denying it. This gospel is so amazing.
Not very much happened this week because i was gone for so long. oh haha in the other area they have an investigator that is mexican who doesnt speak a lick of English and he has a wife who is white who doesnt speak a lick of spanish. hahahahahahaha how the heck does that work? I laughed so hard after that lesson. She tried to pray in spanish so that her husband could understand and all she did was say english words in a spanish accent. Super funny. But the guy, the elders were going to drop him that day but he asked for a blessing and now he is a super solid investigator. its amazing how that happens. After every blessing we have givin to investigators they just become super solid because they feel the spirit so strong.
I've been studying faith a lot. Well last week i did. This week I'm studying hope. I'm trying to take a Christ like attribute a week and study it. But i learned so much about faith but the more i learned about faith the more i realized how little faith i have. It's so hard not to lose faith in this work because of how many people we talk to that arent interested. But its so easy to gain faith as well because of how God speaks through you to the investigators. That is the greatest feeling in the world. Feeling God speak through you and feeling the love he has for the people you teach. Thats probably the greatest thing about missionary work. Along with the personal growth and friendships and what not.
The family seems really good from what i hear. Jordan is impressing me so much with the things he writes me. He is such an exammple to me. I wish i could be more like him. He will be such and amazing missionary if he can keep this up. How is Jess liking work? Whats Baylee and Jaron up to? oh and when do i get the family pitures?
Well my time is up because I stilll have to write dad back. Hope all is well and just know that I'm praying for my family everynight. I feel so blessed to be here and i know i couldnt have made it without my family. Oh and James told me today that my spanish must be doing super super good. I think he was meaning because my english sucks. im sorry. im really trying. its just dificult. love you all.
Elder Hardman
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011; Week 17
Indianapolis~
Momma,
Where does time go? It feels like i was just here emailing. So many amazing things have happened this week. I wish i had more time to write but i dont so I'll just write what i can. First, thanks for the package. It was a good one. I really enjoy those peanut butter bars and as for my favorite cookies, i really like the ones Baylee made and also i really like snikerdoodles. But I'm not picky. Thanks for everything. Those study journals are awesome. I'm recieving lots of revelation that i can now have for the rest of my life. I was so sad about brother Sadliers passing. so so so sad. But i can promise you that he is in a better place. That's one of the perks of being a representative of Jesus Christ. Being able to feel the truthfullness of the plan of salvation when you teach it. Please please please give his family my best and tell them they are in my prayers.
First I want to tell you about my joy this week. I dont think i have ever realized the joy this gospel brings untill this week. We have been doing a lot of work with non active families and we have helped 7 families find their way back to church and i was just thinking about it this week and thinking about how happy they are now and how much their lives have changed in this short amount of time and i just had an overwhelming feeling of joy and the spirit testified to me again of the truthfulness of this gospel.
As you know, Hermana Figaroa is a non active member of the church and because of that her husband will not get babtised. We have been trying so hard to meet with her so we could figure out whats going on and she wont meet with us. So one day we felt like we needed to stop by and she answered the door and told us she was sick and asked for a blessing. So we gave her a blessing and the spirit was so amazing and so strong and so beautiful that she invited us back the next day to talk to her and her husband. So we went back and talked to them and half way through the lesson i was prompted to ask the hermano why he wants to be babtised and he said because he knows the church is true and knows he needs to be babtised into this church to be saved. Then i felt prompted to ask the hermana if she wanted her husband to be babtised. "yes". Why do you want him to be. She said for the same reasons he wants to be. Then i felt prompted to say something else that I wasnt completly expecting so I had to wait for a second to make sure that its really what needed to be said. yup haha... so I looked Hermana Figaroa straight in the face and said.... your husband will not be babtised because he is afraid that he will go less active like you. This is your husbands salvation that you are messing with. This is your salvation and your kids salvation. This is the only church that makes it possible for families to be together forever. If for no other reason you need to come back to church for your family.... the spirit was very strong and they were both crying and she told us that she couldnt come to church this week (yesterday) because she already said she would work but she is for sure going to be there with her family next week. So when she comes a couple times Hermano Figaroa will get babtized.
We also set a babtismal date with a lady called Leticia for the 6th of August so pray that everything will good good with that. Her son is 16 and already has a 1 and a half year old son and is just super addicted to drugs so we are trying to meet with him to help him. We have another investigator named Alejaundro H who is progressing really good. We have this thing once a month in the chapel called Why I Believe. It's where new members go and bare their testimonies. Super good missionary tool. The spirit is so strong there. Alejaundro and his family came and he cried a little bit and at the end he said it was beautiful.
Last night I also ate another habanero. Not a good idea this one was hotter then the last one. Burnt my face off again. Well I hope all is well. I need to write dad a quick note now.
Momma,
Where does time go? It feels like i was just here emailing. So many amazing things have happened this week. I wish i had more time to write but i dont so I'll just write what i can. First, thanks for the package. It was a good one. I really enjoy those peanut butter bars and as for my favorite cookies, i really like the ones Baylee made and also i really like snikerdoodles. But I'm not picky. Thanks for everything. Those study journals are awesome. I'm recieving lots of revelation that i can now have for the rest of my life. I was so sad about brother Sadliers passing. so so so sad. But i can promise you that he is in a better place. That's one of the perks of being a representative of Jesus Christ. Being able to feel the truthfullness of the plan of salvation when you teach it. Please please please give his family my best and tell them they are in my prayers.
First I want to tell you about my joy this week. I dont think i have ever realized the joy this gospel brings untill this week. We have been doing a lot of work with non active families and we have helped 7 families find their way back to church and i was just thinking about it this week and thinking about how happy they are now and how much their lives have changed in this short amount of time and i just had an overwhelming feeling of joy and the spirit testified to me again of the truthfulness of this gospel.
As you know, Hermana Figaroa is a non active member of the church and because of that her husband will not get babtised. We have been trying so hard to meet with her so we could figure out whats going on and she wont meet with us. So one day we felt like we needed to stop by and she answered the door and told us she was sick and asked for a blessing. So we gave her a blessing and the spirit was so amazing and so strong and so beautiful that she invited us back the next day to talk to her and her husband. So we went back and talked to them and half way through the lesson i was prompted to ask the hermano why he wants to be babtised and he said because he knows the church is true and knows he needs to be babtised into this church to be saved. Then i felt prompted to ask the hermana if she wanted her husband to be babtised. "yes". Why do you want him to be. She said for the same reasons he wants to be. Then i felt prompted to say something else that I wasnt completly expecting so I had to wait for a second to make sure that its really what needed to be said. yup haha... so I looked Hermana Figaroa straight in the face and said.... your husband will not be babtised because he is afraid that he will go less active like you. This is your husbands salvation that you are messing with. This is your salvation and your kids salvation. This is the only church that makes it possible for families to be together forever. If for no other reason you need to come back to church for your family.... the spirit was very strong and they were both crying and she told us that she couldnt come to church this week (yesterday) because she already said she would work but she is for sure going to be there with her family next week. So when she comes a couple times Hermano Figaroa will get babtized.
We also set a babtismal date with a lady called Leticia for the 6th of August so pray that everything will good good with that. Her son is 16 and already has a 1 and a half year old son and is just super addicted to drugs so we are trying to meet with him to help him. We have another investigator named Alejaundro H who is progressing really good. We have this thing once a month in the chapel called Why I Believe. It's where new members go and bare their testimonies. Super good missionary tool. The spirit is so strong there. Alejaundro and his family came and he cried a little bit and at the end he said it was beautiful.
Last night I also ate another habanero. Not a good idea this one was hotter then the last one. Burnt my face off again. Well I hope all is well. I need to write dad a quick note now.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011; Week 16
Indianapolis~
Momma,
Well another week has gone and passed and I'm left here wondering where in the world the time keeps going. Things have been going really good and we are teaching good people as always. Everything is pretty much the same with the investigators. Hermana Diaz still likes what the buhdists teach and wont pray about the B of M becase she already knows its true. haha we cant help her understand. Maybe we are just bad teachers. But everyone is the same. We have one new investigator who is super awesome. he is called J he is 21 and an ex gang member. He got his girlfriend pregnant like 4 years ago and had a little girl and i guess she softened his heart so he got out of the gang and moved. Now all he wants to do is make life better for her and change the world and make it safer for her. She is so dang cute. I dont know what the deal is but Latinos know how to make some good babies. But he is a super super good guy. covered in gang tats, told us his dad raised him saying "no mercy for the weak" so he has a tatoo on his forearms that says that. I just have a strong love for him. He was raised catholic but never really got into and is confused why there are so many churches. He has about a billion and one questions and every single one of them are answered by our message. God really does prepare people for us.
The other night i heard about 3 gunshots in our apartment complex so that was pretty cool. oh ya, before i forget, i sent a letter to you with pictures on Monday. That is the second time i have sent them and if you dont get them this time I'll just send my memory card in a couple months. I'm sorry because i know you wanna see my cute face but its expensive for a missionsary to develope pictures all the time. Last preperation day I rolled my ankle super super bad. My whole foot and ankle and calf was just a big bruise. It's amazing tho because it only hurt that first day. God has really blessed me to be able to work even tho i was hurt like that. But it seems to be healing good. I bought an ankle brace and played basketball again yesterday and it held up pretty good. I know, you probably think I'm stupid for playing basketball again this week. but its boring just sitting there.
I didnt get a letter from you this week so i dont really know what all is going on in the family. Dad told me a little but not to much. It seems like everyone is doing well tho. I guess kade told dad what mexicans put in their food so now dad is grossed out. haha I like it tho. Lengua is tongue. Dad said you didnt know what it was. Hows everything else going with the family? I hope all is well. I hope Jordan is still being a big brother and getting in fights for Baylee and i hope Jess is still liking her job. And i hope Jaron and Baylee are enjoying their summers. I wrote them all letters. Did they get them? Please tell me if you guys get your letters.
James informed me that my inglish sucks now so that must mean I'm getting better at spanish. I feel like i am getting better at spanish and i feel god helping me a lot. But i still am not that good. I'm good at baring testimony and rebuking people. But other then that i struggle. But its coming a long. We taught this guy from Cuba the other day and i didnt understand one word that came out of his mouth. Cubans and dominicans i struggle with and i always feel bad about my spanish when ever we teach them, but i can understand mexicans pretty well.
Me and my comp gave a lady a blessing yesterday. She is a less active and her husband will not be babtised because he doesnt want to go less active like her. We are trying to get her active again but she doesnt seem to want to. He has been investigating for 6 years and told us that he wants/knows he needs to be babtised but wont because of his wife. As soon as we can get her then i know we will babtise him. The Figaroas are their names. Please pray for them. During the blessing the spirit was super strong and she seemed like she really wanted to meet with us. So we have a meeting in a couple days.
Well time is up so i will leave you with my testimony. I know this is the only true church. I know the atonement is real. I know Jesus is the Christ and that he suffered for me personally. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet and i know President Monson is a prophet. I love this gospel i love my family and i love mexicans. The only way we can become like God is through the atonement. And i know that God loves me. I know the book of mormom is true and i say these things in the name of my savior Jesus Christ. amen.
Elder Hardman
p.s. please send me more stamps and those nice study jornals i asked for and maybe some home made cookies or something. And the family pictures would be nice. love ya
Momma,
Well another week has gone and passed and I'm left here wondering where in the world the time keeps going. Things have been going really good and we are teaching good people as always. Everything is pretty much the same with the investigators. Hermana Diaz still likes what the buhdists teach and wont pray about the B of M becase she already knows its true. haha we cant help her understand. Maybe we are just bad teachers. But everyone is the same. We have one new investigator who is super awesome. he is called J he is 21 and an ex gang member. He got his girlfriend pregnant like 4 years ago and had a little girl and i guess she softened his heart so he got out of the gang and moved. Now all he wants to do is make life better for her and change the world and make it safer for her. She is so dang cute. I dont know what the deal is but Latinos know how to make some good babies. But he is a super super good guy. covered in gang tats, told us his dad raised him saying "no mercy for the weak" so he has a tatoo on his forearms that says that. I just have a strong love for him. He was raised catholic but never really got into and is confused why there are so many churches. He has about a billion and one questions and every single one of them are answered by our message. God really does prepare people for us.
The other night i heard about 3 gunshots in our apartment complex so that was pretty cool. oh ya, before i forget, i sent a letter to you with pictures on Monday. That is the second time i have sent them and if you dont get them this time I'll just send my memory card in a couple months. I'm sorry because i know you wanna see my cute face but its expensive for a missionsary to develope pictures all the time. Last preperation day I rolled my ankle super super bad. My whole foot and ankle and calf was just a big bruise. It's amazing tho because it only hurt that first day. God has really blessed me to be able to work even tho i was hurt like that. But it seems to be healing good. I bought an ankle brace and played basketball again yesterday and it held up pretty good. I know, you probably think I'm stupid for playing basketball again this week. but its boring just sitting there.
I didnt get a letter from you this week so i dont really know what all is going on in the family. Dad told me a little but not to much. It seems like everyone is doing well tho. I guess kade told dad what mexicans put in their food so now dad is grossed out. haha I like it tho. Lengua is tongue. Dad said you didnt know what it was. Hows everything else going with the family? I hope all is well. I hope Jordan is still being a big brother and getting in fights for Baylee and i hope Jess is still liking her job. And i hope Jaron and Baylee are enjoying their summers. I wrote them all letters. Did they get them? Please tell me if you guys get your letters.
James informed me that my inglish sucks now so that must mean I'm getting better at spanish. I feel like i am getting better at spanish and i feel god helping me a lot. But i still am not that good. I'm good at baring testimony and rebuking people. But other then that i struggle. But its coming a long. We taught this guy from Cuba the other day and i didnt understand one word that came out of his mouth. Cubans and dominicans i struggle with and i always feel bad about my spanish when ever we teach them, but i can understand mexicans pretty well.
Me and my comp gave a lady a blessing yesterday. She is a less active and her husband will not be babtised because he doesnt want to go less active like her. We are trying to get her active again but she doesnt seem to want to. He has been investigating for 6 years and told us that he wants/knows he needs to be babtised but wont because of his wife. As soon as we can get her then i know we will babtise him. The Figaroas are their names. Please pray for them. During the blessing the spirit was super strong and she seemed like she really wanted to meet with us. So we have a meeting in a couple days.
Well time is up so i will leave you with my testimony. I know this is the only true church. I know the atonement is real. I know Jesus is the Christ and that he suffered for me personally. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet and i know President Monson is a prophet. I love this gospel i love my family and i love mexicans. The only way we can become like God is through the atonement. And i know that God loves me. I know the book of mormom is true and i say these things in the name of my savior Jesus Christ. amen.
Elder Hardman
p.s. please send me more stamps and those nice study jornals i asked for and maybe some home made cookies or something. And the family pictures would be nice. love ya
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