Indianapolis~
Momma,
This week was cool. first i want to share an experience that happened yesterday with hermana marcos. it was probably the most spiritual lessons i have had on my mission. Monday night i felt like we needed to talk to her about trusting in god and the prophet and the then both of us sharing spiritual experiences that we have had while reading the book of Mormon. when we got to that part of the lesson that we were sharing the personal experiences i still didnt know what i was going to share. so my comp went first and then when he ended i offered my testimony to what he said and opened to my scriptures to my favorite scripture. ether 12:27. i told her why this scripture was important to me and she is only the second person i have told. i told dad probably half the story so ill tell you now because i know you would want to know and I'm working on being more open. i started off telling her that i was denied the opportunity to serve a mission a few times before i finally got to come. now this next part was really hard to explain in spanish is now that its in English ill be able to share it better.
Everyone always tells me how great of an example i am and how proud they are of me for how much i fought and stayed strong and never gave up.always just moving forward with my desire to serve a mission. what people dont know is how often i wanted to give up. how many times i was so fed up with the church that i didnt care if i served a mission or not. the last time that i really felt like that was the saddest point of that trail. i remember just praying to God and telling him that i cant go anymore. this is to hard on me, please help me. i need help. please help me. after that i opened my scriptures and the first thing i saw was ether 12:27 when i prayed to God i came to him in the deepest humillity that i could muster and i begged for help. i showed him my weaknesses. i cried to him. and then when i read that, the lord told me that his grace is sufficient for ME!!! and that the things i struggle with and my weaknesses will pass if i just have faith in him. the lord gave me my weaknesses he knew what i was going to struggle with most. he knew how to make me humble (and I'm not trying to say that I'm humble right now or anything. just that I'm a little more humble) he knew what was gong to make me grow the most. i didnt notice this at the time, but now i know that i was at my lowest point and it was then when Jesus Christ lifted me up. sometimes it takes untill we are at our lowest point before our savior will save us. because sometimes it takes till then to learn what we need to learn. that scripture is why I'm on a mission. its the reason i have a testimony of the book of Mormon. that scripture did for me what James 1:5 did for Joseph Smith. it changed my life and this is why i know the church is true and the book of mormon is true.
Anyways, she was just blown away from the spirit and now I'm pretty sure she'll be baptised soon haha. after that lesson tho we were riding back home and this black guy calls us over and asks me who Jesus Christ is and so i tell him and i guess he didnt like my answer because he told me i have the spirit of the devil in me. i laughed pretty good. then he goes in a 45 min discription of who Jesus Christ is and it blew my mind. but the difference between what he said and what i said is he knew that stuff becuase he studied it. i know who Jesus Christ is because i have felt it. he didnt like when i said that either because i just walked away.
So on Sunday or Saturday, i forget the day. it was 98 degrees. on Monday it dropped to to 60 as the high. haha it sucked. so you know how we didnt get any winter stuff? well can you send me a couple sweaters i can wear with my suits? my black suit i wear for tracting so if you could send me one or two for that it would be great and also maybe one for my blue suit. i probably need an extra large. i wont need them for a few weeks tho.
Last Monday we were walking through a dark ally and 3 black guys run up to us and are swearing and what not and were getting pretty sketch with us and almosst take our bikes and bags but then i just tell them we are missionaries haha and they just left us alone. they told us we were lucky we are church people because we wouldnt have left with our stuff. the guy i was with was 6'4 and pretty big and he almost peed his pants.; it was super funny.
Real quick before i go. hma figaroa!!!! she came to church on Sunday!!!! wooohoooo!!!!!! I'm pretty sure she is still blind tho. God wont heal her untill she is active. but something interesting happened. We set our mission baptismal goal at 46 baptisms and we only have 45 who have dates. so i prayed and i felt like hermano figaroa
My time is up. i hope you liked the email. i love you much and i hope things keep going well.
Elder Hardman
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011; Week 23
Indianapolis~Momma!!!
Good email this week. super long tho so it took me a long time to read and think about the things i want to say so if i dont get to write very much I'm sorry. sounds like the whole family is doing really good. good thing too because fasting for you guys is making me lose a lot of energy. glad to here dad got a lot of work. oh i miss the temple so much. i really hope they finish the temple here soon. have you heard anything about that? oh, have you heard about the I'm Mormon website or whatever its called. well they are doing a great big thing with it here in indy so that means there are gonna be lots of billboards everywhere that say I'm a Mormon. its going to be exciting i feel.
Things this week have been good. starting to pick up again and we are starting to find new people. i was struggling really bad with having faith in tracting and finding people but we had a training on it and i just started looking at it a completly different way and i feel like my faith in it has really growen. we were able to find a few cool people this week so hopefully we can hold on to them. oh ya. something super crazy happened Monday night last week. i was on exchanges with the district leader and we were in his area and we were teaching a guy that has a baptismal date and all the sudden some big giant black lady bangs on the door and starts yelling at the guy and getting up in his face and saying super super naughty words and was yelling for like 5 minutes and the whole time i was like. he doesnt speak english. and then she would yell at me and then start at the guy again and me and the district leader were kinda freaking out a little. well finally her daughter got her out and got her settled down. come to find out she was super high. but i said we need to say a prayer to invite the spirit and while we were prayig we both felt like we need to teach the word of wisdom. so we did and it was a super spiritual lesson and it was just amazing. we werent planning on teaching that at all yet so its super cool how the lord works.
Hermana Marcos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well we hit a little snag with her. ever since we talked about about how she needs to get married she has been acting super weird. canceled our last cita and didnt come to church so we are a little worried about her. we have a cita tomorrow with her so we will get to the bottom of it. oh. this week we have a GA coming for our zone conference. guess who it is??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! the PROPHET !!!!!! wooohooooo!!!!!!! just kidding. its Elder Robbins from the presidency of the 70. he gave the talk on being instead of doing or something like that. I'm super excited for it.
Not much else happened this week. we have just been tracting a lot trying to find new people to teach. there was a few people who let us in right then and had really good lessons with them. we'll see if they are there for the next cita. latinos just love listening to the word of God. but they only like it once are twice so hopefully we blasted them with the spirit so hard that they will be there on our next cita.
This week we had interviews with the president and his wife. they both just love me so much. i dont know if i told you how the first night went but we go to the mission home and have a training and then have a testimony meeting. well when i was with Sister Collins she told me that she has been here for 14 months and she has never had a testimony change her as much as mine did. so that was pretty cool. this week I'm studying humility :) haha they just always tell me how much they love me and how they cant wait to see what i do here so its a little stressfull because i dont want to let them down.
well Ive got to end this here i only got 20 minutes left and i need to write dad and the president so I'm sorry. i hope all continues to go good with the family this week. ill make sure to read fast next week. i love you. oh and ps. look up MARY ANN EVERTON on face book and be friends with her and talk with her all the time.
your son Elder Hardman
Hey dad. i have only 6 minutes to write. I'm sorry I'm always running so low on time when i write, sounds like everything is going good for you and for the family. mom said that you recieved a lot of work from sun river. I'm so happy about that. how is your health. i feel so bad that i can be there working in your place and i pray every day that god is giving you strength and that your not killing yourself. hows glens baby doing? how is glen doing?
thats something that i never realized or noticed before the mission. God really does love his children and he is going to all he can to help. even if its just sending a missionary to help you feel the spirit.
well I'm out of time again. i love you so much dad. thank you for all you do for me. i hope that someday i can be the man that you are. i look up to you so much
elder hardman
Good email this week. super long tho so it took me a long time to read and think about the things i want to say so if i dont get to write very much I'm sorry. sounds like the whole family is doing really good. good thing too because fasting for you guys is making me lose a lot of energy. glad to here dad got a lot of work. oh i miss the temple so much. i really hope they finish the temple here soon. have you heard anything about that? oh, have you heard about the I'm Mormon website or whatever its called. well they are doing a great big thing with it here in indy so that means there are gonna be lots of billboards everywhere that say I'm a Mormon. its going to be exciting i feel.
Things this week have been good. starting to pick up again and we are starting to find new people. i was struggling really bad with having faith in tracting and finding people but we had a training on it and i just started looking at it a completly different way and i feel like my faith in it has really growen. we were able to find a few cool people this week so hopefully we can hold on to them. oh ya. something super crazy happened Monday night last week. i was on exchanges with the district leader and we were in his area and we were teaching a guy that has a baptismal date and all the sudden some big giant black lady bangs on the door and starts yelling at the guy and getting up in his face and saying super super naughty words and was yelling for like 5 minutes and the whole time i was like. he doesnt speak english. and then she would yell at me and then start at the guy again and me and the district leader were kinda freaking out a little. well finally her daughter got her out and got her settled down. come to find out she was super high. but i said we need to say a prayer to invite the spirit and while we were prayig we both felt like we need to teach the word of wisdom. so we did and it was a super spiritual lesson and it was just amazing. we werent planning on teaching that at all yet so its super cool how the lord works.
Hermana Marcos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well we hit a little snag with her. ever since we talked about about how she needs to get married she has been acting super weird. canceled our last cita and didnt come to church so we are a little worried about her. we have a cita tomorrow with her so we will get to the bottom of it. oh. this week we have a GA coming for our zone conference. guess who it is??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! the PROPHET !!!!!! wooohooooo!!!!!!! just kidding. its Elder Robbins from the presidency of the 70. he gave the talk on being instead of doing or something like that. I'm super excited for it.
Not much else happened this week. we have just been tracting a lot trying to find new people to teach. there was a few people who let us in right then and had really good lessons with them. we'll see if they are there for the next cita. latinos just love listening to the word of God. but they only like it once are twice so hopefully we blasted them with the spirit so hard that they will be there on our next cita.
This week we had interviews with the president and his wife. they both just love me so much. i dont know if i told you how the first night went but we go to the mission home and have a training and then have a testimony meeting. well when i was with Sister Collins she told me that she has been here for 14 months and she has never had a testimony change her as much as mine did. so that was pretty cool. this week I'm studying humility :) haha they just always tell me how much they love me and how they cant wait to see what i do here so its a little stressfull because i dont want to let them down.
well Ive got to end this here i only got 20 minutes left and i need to write dad and the president so I'm sorry. i hope all continues to go good with the family this week. ill make sure to read fast next week. i love you. oh and ps. look up MARY ANN EVERTON on face book and be friends with her and talk with her all the time.
your son Elder Hardman
Hey dad. i have only 6 minutes to write. I'm sorry I'm always running so low on time when i write, sounds like everything is going good for you and for the family. mom said that you recieved a lot of work from sun river. I'm so happy about that. how is your health. i feel so bad that i can be there working in your place and i pray every day that god is giving you strength and that your not killing yourself. hows glens baby doing? how is glen doing?
thats something that i never realized or noticed before the mission. God really does love his children and he is going to all he can to help. even if its just sending a missionary to help you feel the spirit.
well I'm out of time again. i love you so much dad. thank you for all you do for me. i hope that someday i can be the man that you are. i look up to you so much
elder hardman
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011; Week 22
Indianapolis~
Momma,
First before i forget, that story about Jacob was such a good one. god must love him so much for how much he helps and cares about the missionaries. Everything happens for a reason thats for sure. That's one thing I'm learning more and more of as i am out here. The Lord truely does know what every single person in the world is going through and it doesnt matter what it is, if your doing the best you can in life he is going to find someway to bless you. Second, hahahahahahahahaha so you remember how i recieved that calling last week? well this week i got released :( hahahahaha half way through a song the piano had a malfunction and started playing a christmas song. so my cover got blowen and now i dont have a calling. it was so incredibly funny tho. everyone gave me crap for it at church.
Sounds like the family is really doing good and you all are enjoying yourself. That makes me happy to hear and it makes me not have to lose sleep from worrying about whats going on. ( oh and before i forget, one of our investigators told me to tell you and dad thank you for raising me.) as much as i love being here and wouldnt trade it for the world i worry about you guys a lot and sometimes i wish i could be there to make sure everything is going alright. but i know God is watching over you and is taking care of you.
I have a new comp. he is named Elder Lyman and he is 23 and from Delta Utah. he served in the mariens before this so thats why he is older and he seems pretty cool but a little different. haha i guess what person isnt different. but i think we will get a long well enough. he has been out for 9 months but his spanish is not at all better then mine so i think I'm going to learn a lot this transfer because i am having to talk a lot more and explain a lot more. but i like speaking spanish so thats all good. oh!!! so Hermana Marcos. i love her so much just a good good lady. we gave her the baptismal interview ?'s to look over and then next time she had some ?'s like... stuff about the homosexual question. so that was interesting trying to explain that in spanish. but she was just wondering if our church kinda turns our back on people like that. then we taught her tithing and the word of wisdom. she said that she has no problem paying tithing and then we asked if she had problems with the wow and she got a sad look on her face and said yes. then we said well we are here to help you so what is it? haha she only drinks coffee twice a week at most and she just felt like a horrible person for it. i kinda couldnt help but chuckle. but she is so ready to be baptised. all she needs it to get married and we are probably going to set a date this week so pray for that please.
Other then that me and my comp are just trying to find more people to teach so if you could pray for that that would be awesome. oh and one last thing i wanted to share. the second week of every month we have a meeting called why i believe and its when recent converts share their testimonies about why they believe. its so amazingly spiritual and some of the people who talk just lived the worst lives that you could possibly think of and they just changed and its so amazing for me to be able to hear these testimonies they have about how the gospel saved their lives. well after those meetings i always make it a point to go and tell the people thank you for their testimonies (because they have all touched my life and strengthened my testimony) so i went and told them thanks and every single one of them said "thank you for letting me be apart of you" or something a long those lines. how incredible is that? " thank you for letting me be apart of you" this is just one big family and i have a testimony of that. you are never alone in this church no matter what you are going through someone is always there to help you. i know this church to be the only true church in the world. i know that the book of Mormon is truely a gift form god and i know that Joseph Smith saw God our Father and our brother Jesus Christ and i give thanks to god every day for the opportunity i have to testify that to people as a representative of Jesucristo. i love you so much and i love the family. thank you for everything. oh and congrats to uncle glen
your son
Elder Hardman
Momma,
First before i forget, that story about Jacob was such a good one. god must love him so much for how much he helps and cares about the missionaries. Everything happens for a reason thats for sure. That's one thing I'm learning more and more of as i am out here. The Lord truely does know what every single person in the world is going through and it doesnt matter what it is, if your doing the best you can in life he is going to find someway to bless you. Second, hahahahahahahahaha so you remember how i recieved that calling last week? well this week i got released :( hahahahaha half way through a song the piano had a malfunction and started playing a christmas song. so my cover got blowen and now i dont have a calling. it was so incredibly funny tho. everyone gave me crap for it at church.
Sounds like the family is really doing good and you all are enjoying yourself. That makes me happy to hear and it makes me not have to lose sleep from worrying about whats going on. ( oh and before i forget, one of our investigators told me to tell you and dad thank you for raising me.) as much as i love being here and wouldnt trade it for the world i worry about you guys a lot and sometimes i wish i could be there to make sure everything is going alright. but i know God is watching over you and is taking care of you.
I have a new comp. he is named Elder Lyman and he is 23 and from Delta Utah. he served in the mariens before this so thats why he is older and he seems pretty cool but a little different. haha i guess what person isnt different. but i think we will get a long well enough. he has been out for 9 months but his spanish is not at all better then mine so i think I'm going to learn a lot this transfer because i am having to talk a lot more and explain a lot more. but i like speaking spanish so thats all good. oh!!! so Hermana Marcos. i love her so much just a good good lady. we gave her the baptismal interview ?'s to look over and then next time she had some ?'s like... stuff about the homosexual question. so that was interesting trying to explain that in spanish. but she was just wondering if our church kinda turns our back on people like that. then we taught her tithing and the word of wisdom. she said that she has no problem paying tithing and then we asked if she had problems with the wow and she got a sad look on her face and said yes. then we said well we are here to help you so what is it? haha she only drinks coffee twice a week at most and she just felt like a horrible person for it. i kinda couldnt help but chuckle. but she is so ready to be baptised. all she needs it to get married and we are probably going to set a date this week so pray for that please.
Other then that me and my comp are just trying to find more people to teach so if you could pray for that that would be awesome. oh and one last thing i wanted to share. the second week of every month we have a meeting called why i believe and its when recent converts share their testimonies about why they believe. its so amazingly spiritual and some of the people who talk just lived the worst lives that you could possibly think of and they just changed and its so amazing for me to be able to hear these testimonies they have about how the gospel saved their lives. well after those meetings i always make it a point to go and tell the people thank you for their testimonies (because they have all touched my life and strengthened my testimony) so i went and told them thanks and every single one of them said "thank you for letting me be apart of you" or something a long those lines. how incredible is that? " thank you for letting me be apart of you" this is just one big family and i have a testimony of that. you are never alone in this church no matter what you are going through someone is always there to help you. i know this church to be the only true church in the world. i know that the book of Mormon is truely a gift form god and i know that Joseph Smith saw God our Father and our brother Jesus Christ and i give thanks to god every day for the opportunity i have to testify that to people as a representative of Jesucristo. i love you so much and i love the family. thank you for everything. oh and congrats to uncle glen
your son
Elder Hardman
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011; Week 21
Indianapolis~
Momma,
Transfer calls came first thing this morning and................................................................ I'm staying here so i am so happy about that. we have had some heart felt moments with some of our investigators this week and it made me not want to leave yet. i will tell you about some of them. first, Hermana Reyes. she is an excommunicated member. but we have been teaching her for about a month and a half. our last lesson with her we were talking about what we needed to do to get her baptized again and it was going really good and the spirit was really strong. and then she just started bawling and she told us that she doesnt think she can get baptized again because she thinks her "husband" is still married to a woman in mexico. it was so sad. then on top of that we had to tell her that we were having transfers this week and might be leaving and then she started crying again and told us how much she loves us and how she knows god loves her because he sent her two angels into her life right when she needed it most. then she said a lot of other things that was nice.
Then we had a lesson with hermana Lara who is a less active lady. we baptized her son Arturo. we told her that we might be leaving and she started crying too and told us that she considers us part of her family and she says that we saved her family and saved her life. it was really really sweet of her.
Then,,,,, almost a month ago we met this family and we taught them and they seemed really really sweet, but after that first time they just didnt seem at all interested so we dropped them. fast forward a couple weeks. we met a guy who just barley got over the border from mexico and set a return appointment for the next week. fast forward to this last Friday. we went to teach him and he wasnt home so we were like, lets go knock on those peoples door that we dropped. they answered and let us in. had a super spiritual lesson and at the end of it the mom of the house told us that that morning she prayed to god and said sorry to him for not praying in so long and that if he was really there and really cared to send her a sign to help her know what to do with her life and how to help her family. then guessed who showed up that day. the MISSIONARIES. i love how god works sometimes.
Me and the other elder from St. George, the one that me and him kissed the same girl! well me and him went on exchanges this week and taught hermana Marcos and was able to answer her questions about the church and clear up her doubts. we were able to make her feel at peace with it. so she came to church yesterday and loved it so much. i think that if she comes a couple more times then we can set a baptismal date with her because she will like it so much. well thats the plan anyways. you never know whats going to happen with this branch. oh speaking of this branch. guess who got a calling? me!!! guess what my calling is? i now have to play the piano in sacrament meeting!!!! haha i wish i was joking but I'm not. well I'm kinda not. they have an electric piano that plays all the hymns so they just told me i have to sit up there and act like I'm playing it so that no one knows its fake. i got so many compliments after sacrament tho:)
I'm out of time. i have to write dad. as for my package that you want to send. whatever is fine. and for pictures,,, i will try and send some soon. and i think thats all.
I love you and i hope all is well. i love this work and i love the things I'm learning. love you
con amor
tu hijo
Elder Hardman
Momma,
Transfer calls came first thing this morning and................................................................ I'm staying here so i am so happy about that. we have had some heart felt moments with some of our investigators this week and it made me not want to leave yet. i will tell you about some of them. first, Hermana Reyes. she is an excommunicated member. but we have been teaching her for about a month and a half. our last lesson with her we were talking about what we needed to do to get her baptized again and it was going really good and the spirit was really strong. and then she just started bawling and she told us that she doesnt think she can get baptized again because she thinks her "husband" is still married to a woman in mexico. it was so sad. then on top of that we had to tell her that we were having transfers this week and might be leaving and then she started crying again and told us how much she loves us and how she knows god loves her because he sent her two angels into her life right when she needed it most. then she said a lot of other things that was nice.
Then we had a lesson with hermana Lara who is a less active lady. we baptized her son Arturo. we told her that we might be leaving and she started crying too and told us that she considers us part of her family and she says that we saved her family and saved her life. it was really really sweet of her.
Then,,,,, almost a month ago we met this family and we taught them and they seemed really really sweet, but after that first time they just didnt seem at all interested so we dropped them. fast forward a couple weeks. we met a guy who just barley got over the border from mexico and set a return appointment for the next week. fast forward to this last Friday. we went to teach him and he wasnt home so we were like, lets go knock on those peoples door that we dropped. they answered and let us in. had a super spiritual lesson and at the end of it the mom of the house told us that that morning she prayed to god and said sorry to him for not praying in so long and that if he was really there and really cared to send her a sign to help her know what to do with her life and how to help her family. then guessed who showed up that day. the MISSIONARIES. i love how god works sometimes.
Me and the other elder from St. George, the one that me and him kissed the same girl! well me and him went on exchanges this week and taught hermana Marcos and was able to answer her questions about the church and clear up her doubts. we were able to make her feel at peace with it. so she came to church yesterday and loved it so much. i think that if she comes a couple more times then we can set a baptismal date with her because she will like it so much. well thats the plan anyways. you never know whats going to happen with this branch. oh speaking of this branch. guess who got a calling? me!!! guess what my calling is? i now have to play the piano in sacrament meeting!!!! haha i wish i was joking but I'm not. well I'm kinda not. they have an electric piano that plays all the hymns so they just told me i have to sit up there and act like I'm playing it so that no one knows its fake. i got so many compliments after sacrament tho:)
I'm out of time. i have to write dad. as for my package that you want to send. whatever is fine. and for pictures,,, i will try and send some soon. and i think thats all.
I love you and i hope all is well. i love this work and i love the things I'm learning. love you
con amor
tu hijo
Elder Hardman
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011; Week 20
Indianapolis~
Momma,
First of all you need to know how bad i feel for getting upset last week at you. after i left the library and was driving home i was just rebuking myself the whole time because i was just thinking about how much you and the family do for me and and how selfish i was to be getting upset about an email. i was just having a tuff week because a lot of stuff had been going on. a lot of our investigators are deciding that this gospel is to hard for them to live so they have been dropping us and we have been trying our hardest to find new people and no one seems to be interested and it was just hard on me so i was looking forward to read some uplifting things that you always write and i didnt get anything so i just felt super bad. so i am sorry.
I'm very glad to hear that every thing went good with the trip. it would have been fun to go with you but this work is more important for us right now. i am recieving mail now so all seems to be better with the post office. are you going to start going up there every year or are you changing the place every year now? well things are here like i said are a little bit harder but thats ok. its helping me rely on the lord more and grow more personally. we were able to do a big service project in the ghetto where we clean up a home for troubled kids. it was really cool. some 15 year old black kid thought he could beat me in curb ball ( kids in the ghetto play curb ball where they stand on opposite sides of the street and try to hit the curb with a ball, they do this because not very many people can afford basketball hoops) but i represented for the church and for my family and i beat him pretty good. but then he asked to play again for money and i figured he was just hussling me so i thought it would be bad to play again. but the service project was good. it was super super hot and hard work but it made me feel good. i love serving people.
I went on exchanges with the zone leader again who doesnt speak spanish and i felt really good about how much i could do. my spanish does seem like it is coming along so I'm happy about that. this is the last week of the transfer so we made a lot of goals to find new people so that next transfer we will have some new solid investigators. Hermana Marcos like i said come to church last week and said that she had a lot of questions about it and we have to keep canceling our apt. because lots of other things come up. we have a lesson with her tomorrow so i hope it works out to where we can meet with her and answer the questions and remove and concerns. she is a really good lady and she has told us that she wants to be baptized but wont do it without her husband. but her husband still wants nothing to do with us. how do we change his mind?
Hermana Figaroa is still being stubburn but last night we found out what exactly happened to make her so offended so now we are meeting with her on Wednesday so hopefully we will be able to help her. i was talking to Hermano Figaroa on Saturday night and he says that he wants to be baptized so bad but he just cant untill his wife is reactivated. i used to think that he was just scared that he would go inactive to but now i really feel like he is just not getting baptized because he wants to help her re activate. maybe he is trying to guilt trip her into it kinda. well whatever it is we will get to the bottom of it this week.
Not much else have happened this week. oh we had one lady make us some chicken tacos with homemade tortillas. it was probably my favorite meal that i have had out here. she is one of our investigators too and she seems to be progressing too. she is having a lot of problems with her husband though so we dont know how soon she will be able to get baptized. i heard that Daniel Reed got his mission call. i was so happy about that. i think he is probably my last friend to get it. when does Payden leave again?
Well that is going to have to be it today. but i want you to know how much i love you and how grateful i am to be your son and to be in this family. i know this church is true and i know that god answers prayers. prayer is so powerful and i love being able to bare my testimony to our investigators. i know that god is blessing my family right now and i know that he is watching over you. i pray for you everynight and hope all will continue to go well.
your son
Elder Hardman
Momma,
First of all you need to know how bad i feel for getting upset last week at you. after i left the library and was driving home i was just rebuking myself the whole time because i was just thinking about how much you and the family do for me and and how selfish i was to be getting upset about an email. i was just having a tuff week because a lot of stuff had been going on. a lot of our investigators are deciding that this gospel is to hard for them to live so they have been dropping us and we have been trying our hardest to find new people and no one seems to be interested and it was just hard on me so i was looking forward to read some uplifting things that you always write and i didnt get anything so i just felt super bad. so i am sorry.
I'm very glad to hear that every thing went good with the trip. it would have been fun to go with you but this work is more important for us right now. i am recieving mail now so all seems to be better with the post office. are you going to start going up there every year or are you changing the place every year now? well things are here like i said are a little bit harder but thats ok. its helping me rely on the lord more and grow more personally. we were able to do a big service project in the ghetto where we clean up a home for troubled kids. it was really cool. some 15 year old black kid thought he could beat me in curb ball ( kids in the ghetto play curb ball where they stand on opposite sides of the street and try to hit the curb with a ball, they do this because not very many people can afford basketball hoops) but i represented for the church and for my family and i beat him pretty good. but then he asked to play again for money and i figured he was just hussling me so i thought it would be bad to play again. but the service project was good. it was super super hot and hard work but it made me feel good. i love serving people.
I went on exchanges with the zone leader again who doesnt speak spanish and i felt really good about how much i could do. my spanish does seem like it is coming along so I'm happy about that. this is the last week of the transfer so we made a lot of goals to find new people so that next transfer we will have some new solid investigators. Hermana Marcos like i said come to church last week and said that she had a lot of questions about it and we have to keep canceling our apt. because lots of other things come up. we have a lesson with her tomorrow so i hope it works out to where we can meet with her and answer the questions and remove and concerns. she is a really good lady and she has told us that she wants to be baptized but wont do it without her husband. but her husband still wants nothing to do with us. how do we change his mind?
Hermana Figaroa is still being stubburn but last night we found out what exactly happened to make her so offended so now we are meeting with her on Wednesday so hopefully we will be able to help her. i was talking to Hermano Figaroa on Saturday night and he says that he wants to be baptized so bad but he just cant untill his wife is reactivated. i used to think that he was just scared that he would go inactive to but now i really feel like he is just not getting baptized because he wants to help her re activate. maybe he is trying to guilt trip her into it kinda. well whatever it is we will get to the bottom of it this week.
Not much else have happened this week. oh we had one lady make us some chicken tacos with homemade tortillas. it was probably my favorite meal that i have had out here. she is one of our investigators too and she seems to be progressing too. she is having a lot of problems with her husband though so we dont know how soon she will be able to get baptized. i heard that Daniel Reed got his mission call. i was so happy about that. i think he is probably my last friend to get it. when does Payden leave again?
Well that is going to have to be it today. but i want you to know how much i love you and how grateful i am to be your son and to be in this family. i know this church is true and i know that god answers prayers. prayer is so powerful and i love being able to bare my testimony to our investigators. i know that god is blessing my family right now and i know that he is watching over you. i pray for you everynight and hope all will continue to go well.
your son
Elder Hardman
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011; Week 19
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
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
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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