Week 24: Pies, ripped skirts, and broken plates‏

This week was pretty fun. Sister Marshall and I had the chance to get into the Christmas spirit. We got to help a woman in the ward make Christmas candies and we had the chance to be deliverers of an anonymous gift to a family. We got pie-d in the face at a mission meeting, and Sister Marshall broke a Corelle plate. Yes. She shattered one of the Corelle plates at a member's home. It was hilarious, but then I got payback for laughing when I tripped up the stairs and ripped my skirt. Needless to say, I will be mending that very soon.

We met this amazing couple, Tonia (Toni) and Jason. They have three children and are a really strong Christian family. Toni answered some really awesome questions and it was wonderful to see her expression of understanding. We have an appointment with them this week and I am really excited. Toni and Jason have some LDS friends, so they know a little about the church. But, they agree with a lot of things that we believe!

We had a mission Christmas devotional and that's where we got pie-d in the face. But there was this man named, Keith Handy, who is an archaeologist and he spoke to us about evidences of the Book of Mormon in Meso-America!! How sweet is that?! He talked about symbolism--on the ancient temples and on how the ancient peoples there believed in a descending God who visited them in the Americas. They also have these stories that they have passed down for centuries about these three brothers who lived for hundreds of years and lived among the people there in the Americas!!! Three Nephites anyone? Wowza. It was amazing--the Spirit was so strong.

We were able to meet with Maryanne this week and Linda. Linda came to church and we were able to help her clean out her basement. It was enjoyable. It is so much fun doing stuff for other people! I'd much rather clean someone else's house than my own.

Then there was Kenna. Kenna is a chef and he is a member of a non-denominational church here in the Denver area. He is the kindest man! We met his girlfriend, Liz, too. We had the chance to pray with them and it was amazing. Kenna told us about how he has a strong testimony of prayer. Thirteen years ago, his dad was suffering from lung cancer. He said that his dad was really struggling and in really bad shape, so he prayed and asked God to take his father. That afternoon, his dad passed away. Holy cow! How incredible is that?

Well, I hope all of you enjoy the last bit of your Christmas season. Remember what the Savior has done for you. He loves you and His arms are extended towards all of us. I know that. I know that He was born in Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago. I know that he came to atone for our sins because he loves us.

I love you all! Merry Christmas!

Love,

Sister Hardy

 

The first  picture is of our zone after we went bowling a few weeks back!

The second one is of one one morning we woke up and the trees were all covered in frost!

 

 

 

Week 23: Training. Take two.

Yes! I am training a new missionary again. I think the Lord is trying to teach me something, but I don't quite know what it is yet! But, I am still serving in Thornton and Sister Holladay got transferred to Woodglenn ward down the street.

My new companion is straight from the MTC! Yeah! And her name is Sister Marshall and she is from West Valley, Utah. She is twenty-two and enjoys long walks on the beach and "hates medium walks" (as one of the elders here would say). Just kidding about the long walks. BUT, she does love sign language! She is fluent, so she's going to teach me some!

This past week was pretty eventful. I was sure I was getting transferred, so I wanted to see everyone, but I didn't get transferred! Yay!

The most eventful thing that happened this week (other than finding a mouse in our room--Sister Holladay insisted that we name him Harold) was that we met Jason and Toni. They have three children and they were referred to us by some members in the ward. They were so kind to us and showed so much love! It was awesome!

AND! I almost forgot! On Friday, after we planned, Sister Holladay went out and tried to contact some people and EVERY SINGLE PERSON WE TALKED TO WAS NICE. It was the weirdest thing! But it was amazing! We met this one woman who told us that she would love for us to stop by and share a message with her! How neat is that!?

I have to go, but I will write more next week. I love you all and I know that this gospel is true. It is the only way to happiness and all of you can find peace in your lives by coming unto the Savior!

Love,

Sister Hardy

 

 

Week 22: The weather outside is frightful.

Remember when I used to say that winter was my favorite season? Well, I have had a change of heart. This past week we have gotten a fair amount of snow--like a snowfall we get back home--but no one plows the roads!! The main roads are decent now, but the side streets are still covered in snow and ice. Oh, and Mom, remember how you wouldn't let me drive in the snow? and how I never really learned how to drive in the snow? Well, I had to take a "crash course" (maybe that was a bad choice of words) this week. It was eye opening.

Our furnace also broke, too, so that was interesting. Luckily, our bishop and his wife let us use their space heaters. Those were lifesavers! It was so cold in our house and the house has mostly hardwood floors and we have to go up two floors to get to our shower, so it was brutal in the morning. But the furnace is working now and we are nice and toasty!

Sister Holladay and I had to get some fleece lined tights and I am not disappointed.

On Tuesday, we were wrapping trees for service to protect the trees. Essentially what we were told is that the sun shines on the snow and the snow reflects the light on the trees and the water moves to where the sun reflects and the water freezes, which kills the tree. Well, so we were wrapping the trees and I was wearing jeans and a hoodie (we can wear jeans for service). I thought I was going to be warm in my sweater, well I was wrong. The temperature dropped thirty degrees in two hours! From 11 to 1. That's when we were doing service outside. We were so cold and so the people that we serve warmed up their truck and let us take turns in the warm truck. They tried to send us home, but we protested and so they let us finish.

Linda, an investigator, came with us to the ward Relief Society Christmas party and it was good for her. She met so many people from the ward and then a woman, Sister E., invited her to come to dinner with us on Thursday. That was SO kind of her. Linda appreciated it so much that she gave us a copy of the book that she wrote to give to Sister E. It was a good experience for all of us.

We also met with Glenn again and he is just such a cute old man. He continues to repeat his stories, but it's so funny. Lee wasn't there, but Glenn told us that Lee wants to get baptized! How wonderful is that?! We didn't get a chance to see him this week, but we are going to try this week.

We met with Lisa and Richard--Richard is a less active man who is a butcher. We invited them to church and had an amazing lesson with them Friday night. Lisa was so engrossed in the lesson-it was wonderful! And she really asked so many questions so that she could understand! It was wonderful! We talked about the tree of life with her and so that was confusing, but she really wanted to understand. It's incredible to see people grow while meeting with them! They weren't at church, unfortunately, but hopefully we will be able to find out why they didn't come.

Sister Holladay and I were contacting some referrals on Friday and we met Steve and Sharla. They are devout Catholics and incredibly wonderful people. They let us in to share a message with them about Christmas and it was great. We talked about families and about how in this world, Satan is really attacking the family. So what did we do? We gave them "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." I am interested to see how they like it!

Well, I miss you all and am so thankful for all the emails and letters and packages that you have sent to me! Thank you! Remember what Christ has done for you and remember why he was born--to save all men and women from sin.

Love,

Sister Hardy

 

Week 21: "Lady Elders"

This week was incredible!

On Tuesday, we met Glenn, an eighty-four year old less active man, who is a Korean War veteran...I think, who also takes in homeless young kids. He is the cutest old man, EVER! Oh my gosh, he is so adorable! We met him and found out that he was robbed and that he now only has twenty six cents left to his name. BUT. Because the ward here is AMAZING, we were able to gather food from different families in the ward to give Glenn and the people in his home. It was wonderful. Glenn called us his angels--it was ADORABLE and he cried when we brought over food for him. And! Drum roll please! Lee, his "grandson," has been looking for a church to go to for some time and now we are teaching him!

Oh, and the best part is that they BOTH came to church yesterday! I prayed so hard that they would and they did!! Glenn even got up and bore his testimony during church. It was cute.

We also tried to go see Randy with a young woman in the ward and I think one of Randy's neighbors thought we were casing the neighborhood. They pulled up to our car and I think they wrote down our license plate number because they were behind our car for a good 30 seconds. Anyways, luckily the police weren't called. I mean what would they say? "There are some young girls going around dressed as Mormon missionaries casing the neighborhood."

On Wednesday, we had a lesson with a family in our ward and Brother F called our mission president to get permission for us to hold his little girl Madeline. IT WAS AWESOME. President Toombs said yes and I just wanted to hold that little girl forever! She is so adorable! Not getting to hold babies is really difficult--probably the hardest rule to follow.

Thanksgiving was great! We got to have lunch with a family in the ward and we also had appointments lined up throughout the day so that we wouldn't have to worry about trying to tract or find less actives. We went and visited the ward mission leader and his family Thanksgiving night, and that was fun. Their extended family was there and before we left, we left with a prayer and our ward mission leader's father said, "Make sure to bless the Sisters in the prayer." I'll admit, I got teary eyed--it means so much to me when people extend loving arms to us. It makes missionary work so much more meaningful when I know that someone appreciates our service. That may sound completely selfish, but it helps me work that much harder knowing someone is relying on me.

On Saturday night, we had a zone meeting to start our fasts together. We fasted for everyone in our zone and their missionary concerns. I think that was one of the hardest fasts I've ever had. The adversary really didn't want us to fast for all of the other work that is going on in this area. But, Sister Holladay and I held strong! It was incredible the strength that I felt after the fast.

The icing on the cake was that we had two investigators as church--Lee and then Linda, as well!! AND we had Glenn! AND the Elders had Raul there. Remember Raul? Oh yes. There is strength in fasting. Anyways, church was bliss to say the least.

My thoughts, when we sat with Linda, Lee, and Glenn, were "MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!" I was on Cloud 9 for the rest of the day. It was amazing.

Sister Holladay and I ended our week with a quality gospel conversation with a family in our ward. For our spiritual thought at dinner, we shared Doctrine and Covenants 122: 7-8. Read it--you won't regret it! And, the father was talking about how if adversity is for our benefit, then is it really all that bad? The answer is no. As I look at the hard times in my life, I remember when I leaned to the Savior and I can see the growth that I had. It's incredible! Those hard times turn into times where we can grow closer to the Lord and to our Heavenly Father.

I love you all so much. Remember what the Savior has done for you. He went through pain, suffering, and death, so that you might live. He lives!

Love,

Sister Hardy