Week 28: Filled With Service :)

This week was filled with service! And teaching of course. We helped a sister in the ward wash her windows and blinds. We helped another sister and her family move some stuff. We also volunteered at four retirement centers and I honestly LOVE OLD PEOPLE. ---Let me tell you about Berta. Berta is from Germany and she has lived in Colorado for the past several decades. She loves Bingo, sparkling punch, and exercise. She is the cutest woman. Mom, can we adopt her when I get home?

AND top everything off, we got to go to the temple this week. I may or may not have fallen asleep.

On Tuesday, when we did service for one of the assisted living cent Fiers, there was a deaf dog show and we went upstairs to get the residents to come down (knocking doors for service? piece of cake.). It was hilarious. We met so many funny people! I loved it! Maybe I shouldn't go to school for English....Kidding.

We met up with some former investigators and it was awesome. We met Miranda and Ben. They let us in and we sat and talked with them. We set up a time to go back! I am so excited. They have two little boys and they are the kindest most down to earth people you'll meet!

This past week three of our investigators were dropped. Two dropped us and one we dropped because she wasn't progressing. So, this week, we will be doing a lot of finding.

We also got to go to Lori's house! Remember Lori? She was baptized a few months ago! And we were able to have dinner with her and it was a blast. Speaking of baptisms! Remember Randy? Well, he and his son Dorian are on date to be baptized! I am so excited for them. (We gave them to the Elders because we felt that it was right. Although I fought God on that one, long and hard.)

An exciting thing that happened this week is that we finally got to contact a referral from some members. This referral wasn't ever home when we stopped by, but on Saturday they were! We went in and visited with them, asked about what they believe, and we prayed with them. It was a great experience especially when we almost didn't stop there.

Well, that's all I have for you this week. Remember that Jesus loves you all so much. Oh and if you don't know yet, the Broncos are going to the Super Bowl. Yep. That means in two weeks, there will be a lot of craziness here.

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Hardy

 

 We received a Bible from a former investigator's wife. She told me to read John and that it would answer some questions.

 We went through the car wash! It's nice to get Monty (our car) all cleaned up.

We went to the temple on Wednesday! You can see all the missionaries outside. Love it!

Week 27: The Adventures of Sister Flash‏

There are some cons to being a missionary (e.g. We don't watch TV). Because we don't watch the news, I had no idea that back home had (or is still having??) a MAJOR FREEZE! Is everyone okay? I was told that the temperatures got to negative 40! If that's true, that is insane!

**Because I have a blog, anyone can read what's going on in my life right now. There are several members in my ward out here that are keeping tabs on me :D. Well, there is a man in the ward (remember the Christmas pickle? That's the same family) who has now given me the name Sister Flash because I ran a red light and so I got a ticket.

This week was a lot of fun. On Tuesday, a member in our ward took us to Chick-fil-a and of course it was delicious--(the only downside to the East Coast is that they don't have Chick-fil-a, but they have Wegmans). Anyways, I think I might have an allergy to something in the Chick-fil-a sauce because it has made me feel really icky. But it's so good!

Afterwards, we had some appointments fall through (three to be exact), so we tried contacting referrals. We knocked on this one house and the music was blaring!! It was so loud you could hear it from outside. Yeah, she didn't answer, but we knew she was home.

We went and saw this less-active woman, Sister T. She is hilarious! I can't remember if I have mentioned her in past entries, but she is this awesome old lady! She is in her late 80s and she is just so sassy and I absolutely LOVE it! We also give her chapters to read from in the Book of Mormon and she loves it. I love having a quality gospel conversation about the scriptures! It brightens up my whole day!

We had some open time in the evening because our appointment cancelled, so we went and tried to see less actives. It was actually a blessing because we got to visit a family that we haven't seen in a while. They are doing some finishing work in their basement, and they said they'd call on us to paint. Hopefully, they will! I love painting!

Wednesday came and we had interviews with President Toombs, which went very well. I had some questions about investigators that he was able to answer, obviously. I had to fess up to him about my ticket, and apparently, the vehicle coordinator (Elder Langford) showed him the ticket because it's a photo-cop ticket. President Toombs laughed and said that there was no doubt about me running that red light.

Later on Wednesday, we went to Elm's Haven (an assisted living center) to help the residents there play Bingo. Oh man. Who knew that people would get so excited about Bingo! It's hilarious! There was this cute old guy named Orlando that I helped out and he was just so adorable!

We also finally met with Christiana and we taught her a little bit from the first discussion. She is such a wonderful young woman! I am excited to go back this week and talk to her! Her two little ones are so adorable!

On Thursday, we had a meeting with our zone and one of the elders shared a scripture that helped me feel Heavenly Father's love. It's 2 Nephi 1:15. I'll let you look it up because I don't have enough time to type it.

AND to top off the wonderful morning/afternoon, we actually had people attend our scripture study class! Sister Marshall and I had to wing it because no one was really prepared to teach.

The next day, we went to an appointment with Glenn, but he was sick, so we asked Lee who we could go pray with out of his neighbors. He told us of three of his neighbors and so we knocked on all of the doors right then. We knocked on this one door and it was hilarious! Here is just a snap shot of what happened:

Me: "Hi! How's it going?"

Odd man:.................

Me: "Ohh...okay. Uhhh, well, we are missionaries and we are offering prayers of peace over people's homes. Could we do that for you?"

Odd man: "There are five people sleeping right now in here."

Me: [Thinking "Sir, it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon."] "Oh, um, we're sorry. We didn't know anyone was sleeping."

Silence for about 15 seconds.

Odd man: "Sorry." [He shuts the door]

I couldn't help but laugh! It was hilarious! Despite our bad luck with him, a couple doors down we were able to pray with this one boy, Logan. He was very appreciative. It was awesome!

Then! On Saturday, the MIRACLE HAPPENED. Remember Michelle? I taught her when I was in the Malley ward and she got baptized! Well, her dad, Mike, got baptized on Saturday!! Isn't that incredible?! I was ecstatic! In a year, they can go to the temple together. How wonderful will that day be?!

Well, that's all for now. I want you to know that I love you all so much! And if I love you so much, how much more does Jesus Christ love you?

Love,

Sister Hardy

Week 26: My first ticket‏

This week was a week of firsts. We had to stay home for Wednesday night and some of Thursday because I've been sick. It also was my first New Year's Eve going to bed early on purpose--I was actually in bed by 9. I didn't accidentally fall asleep! And, lastly, it was my first ticket.

Story behind the ticket, we were on our way home from a meeting in Aurora (which is about an hour drive away from where we are in Thornton) and I ran a red light. Everyone who has been in the car long enough with me knows that I don't do well with heavy traffic for long periods of time. No one was hurt and the intersection was clear.

So remember Lee? Well, he dropped us, but that's okay! Because he said it was still okay to go over and visit his grandpa. It was really sad when he told us that he wasn't interested in meeting with us. His father told him to not have anything to deal with us and he trusts his father. The best thing to do in this situation is to show him love.

Now with the positive things that have happened this week! We were able to meet Christiana--a mother of two. She was really kind and said we could come back this week and talk to her. We will go see her tomorrow. It's kind of a cool story how we found her. Sister Marshall and I were trying to contact referrals when I made a wrong turn. I turned into a cul-de-sac and so we had to turn around. Anyways, there was this woman--she had just gotten out of her car and was heading inside. We drove off and I felt like we should go knock her door. Well, I pushed the thought out and again, I felt like we should go back and see her, so we did. I don't know if it'll go anywhere, but we'll see!!

Because Sister Marshall is so new and because we don't have a huge teaching pool, we've been teaching members in the ward as if they were investigating the church. It's been really cool. We've been able to practice and the members have been able to remember their conversions stories/see how it would feel without the gospel.

We met with the Lisa and Richard again this week. AND CAN I JUST SAY THAT LISA GETS IT?! We had asked her to read from the Book of Mormon and pray before reading and it made all the difference! She told us that she prayed before she read and that she believes in the Book of Mormon! Not only that, but in past visits she's expressed a concern about her dyslexia and how it's harder for her to understand what she reads because she is so focused on the words. BUT. This time she understood the reading! IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I wanted to cry I was so stinkin' happy!

We've met with Linda a lot this week. We've tried to emphasize the Atonement and the healing power that it has. She has been struggling and we've been trying to help her in any way we can. This week will be one of mighty prayer. You know Enos in the Book of Mormon? That will be me.

I love you all and I miss you. I know that the only way to find peace is through Jesus Christ. Rely on Him and everything will fall in place. I've said it once and I'll say it twice. I did not come out here on a mission to teach people about something that is a bunch of nonsense. I came out here to help people come to know Jesus Christ. I know that He can heal you. He has healed me.

Love,

Sister Hardy

 

The first picture is of Licorice. We call her "Lu." She mostly lays around and stuff. But, we love her.

While we were studying we found a sacrament cup in the couch. It's not everyday you find one of those!

 

Look at all the snow! Plows do not come to the back roads. We live in a cul-de-sac now and it's all iced over

 

Sister Marshall and I went to contact a referral and we saw this!! The weird part about it was that you can't see the face from the road. You can only see it from the porch.

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Week 25: CHRISTMAS‏

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who sent me cards/letters/packages! It made my Christmas so much more enjoyable!

Second, this week was full of fun! On both Monday and Tuesday, we went caroling and it was so incredible to see how thankful people were! It was awesome! On Monday, we also were allowed to watch a movie. Remember the Titans, anyone? We all went over to the Malley sisters' house (where I lived when I served in Malley) and yes, Denzel Washington made a guest appearance. We ate, we laughed, we cried (when Gerry Bertier gets in that accident, gets me every time)! It was so much fun.

On Christmas Eve, we had dinner with these family who is Japanese--well, the father is--and it was so much fun. They made chocolate covered peanut butter balls. MY FAVORITE THINGS (that and lemon bars--which were made for me on Christmas!).

We then watched "Joy to the World" with our ward mission leader and his family. It helped me to remember my gratitude for the Savior and His sacrifice. I am thankful to know that Jesus came here so that we might live.

CHRISTMAS DAY. Well, obviously, I got to call home! It was so wonderful to see and talk to my family. The girls have grown so much. It's crazy! We had dinner with the Packer family and I guess the picture went viral. I found the Christmas pickle in the tree after all their kids looked forever. I got my flash light and went under the tree. It was awesome! That thing was really hidden. Then, we played the game speed Uno. It was hilarious. So basically, it's like regular uno but you can lay down even when it's not your turn.

That night we went on exchanges and so Sister Mailau (the sister from Tonga--my great-grandmother) came here to Thornton and Sister Marshall went to Malley. We saw Glenn (the 84 year old man) and spent the first twenty minutes practically yelling so he could hear us--turns out his hearing aid batteries were dead. After we got him new batteries, we were able to talk to him. Then, we went to see Lisa and Richard. Lisa really wants to know if the Book of Mormon is true before she does anything. Sweet, right!?

After we saw Lisa and Richard, we went to the Forsyths (we are actually moving into their house today). We went over there and their oldest son had a friend over visiting him (because their son leaves for BYU-I this week). So, we were able to teach him the first missionary discussion and it was awesome!

The next day, after we had a training meeting with our mission President, we were in our car and I had already started driving when we saw a woman walking her dog. I pulled over, parked, and we got out to talk to her. Her dog was really defensive, so we didn't get to share the gospel with her. But we knocked on a couple doors and saw these two men outside. I about ran over to them and said, "Hi!! Did you have a nice Christmas?!" To which they responded, we aren't Christian. We talked to one of them for about ten minutes about what he believed and it was awesome. But then, what topped it off was when we noticed that lights were on at this one house that had been referred to us. We went over there and we actually saw the woman, Tara, outside. She let us in and we said a prayer with her and her family (her cousins and their children were over). Cool, right?

I love this gospel and I know that Jesus loves all of you. Have a Happy New Year! Make some resolutions that will bring you closer to the Savior!

Love,

Sister Hardy

This is me and Sister Marshall!

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who sent me cards/letters/packages! It made my Christmas so much more enjoyable!

Second, this week was full of fun! On both Monday and Tuesday, we went caroling and it was so incredible to see how thankful people were! It was awesome! On Monday, we also were allowed to watch a movie. Remember the Titans, anyone? We all went over to the Malley sisters' house (where I lived when I served in Malley) and yes, Denzel Washington made a guest appearance. We ate, we laughed, we cried (when Gerry Bertier gets in that accident, gets me every time)! It was so much fun.

On Christmas Eve, we had dinner with these family who is Japanese--well, the father is--and it was so much fun. They made chocolate covered peanut butter balls. MY FAVORITE THINGS (that and lemon bars--which were made for me on Christmas!).

We then watched "Joy to the World" with our ward mission leader and his family. It helped me to remember my gratitude for the Savior and His sacrifice. I am thankful to know that Jesus came here so that we might live.

CHRISTMAS DAY. Well, obviously, I got to call home! It was so wonderful to see and talk to my family. The girls have grown so much. It's crazy! We had dinner with the Packer family and I guess the picture went viral. I found the Christmas pickle in the tree after all their kids looked forever. I got my flash light and went under the tree. It was awesome! That thing was really hidden. Then, we played the game speed Uno. It was hilarious. So basically, it's like regular uno but you can lay down even when it's not your turn.

That night we went on exchanges and so Sister Mailau (the sister from Tonga--my great-grandmother) came here to Thornton and Sister Marshall went to Malley. We saw Glenn (the 84 year old man) and spent the first twenty minutes practically yelling so he could hear us--turns out his hearing aid batteries were dead. After we got him new batteries, we were able to talk to him. Then, we went to see Lisa and Richard. Lisa really wants to know if the Book of Mormon is true before she does anything. Sweet, right!?

After we saw Lisa and Richard, we went to the Forsyths (we are actually moving into their house today). We went over there and their oldest son had a friend over visiting him (because their son leaves for BYU-I this week). So, we were able to teach him the first missionary discussion and it was awesome!

The next day, after we had a training meeting with our mission President, we were in our car and I had already started driving when we saw a woman walking her dog. I pulled over, parked, and we got out to talk to her. Her dog was really defensive, so we didn't get to share the gospel with her. But we knocked on a couple doors and saw these two men outside. I about ran over to them and said, "Hi!! Did you have a nice Christmas?!" To which they responded, we aren't Christian. We talked to one of them for about ten minutes about what he believed and it was awesome. But then, what topped it off was when we noticed that lights were on at this one house that had been referred to us. We went over there and we actually saw the woman, Tara, outside. She let us in and we said a prayer with her and her family (her cousins and their children were over). Cool, right?

I love this gospel and I know that Jesus loves all of you. Have a Happy New Year! Make some resolutions that will bring you closer to the Savior!

Love,

Sister Hardy

This is me and Sister Marshall!

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who sent me cards/letters/packages! It made my Christmas so much more enjoyable!

Second, this week was full of fun! On both Monday and Tuesday, we went caroling and it was so incredible to see how thankful people were! It was awesome! On Monday, we also were allowed to watch a movie. Remember the Titans, anyone? We all went over to the Malley sisters' house (where I lived when I served in Malley) and yes, Denzel Washington made a guest appearance. We ate, we laughed, we cried (when Gerry Bertier gets in that accident, gets me every time)! It was so much fun.

On Christmas Eve, we had dinner with these family who is Japanese--well, the father is--and it was so much fun. They made chocolate covered peanut butter balls. MY FAVORITE THINGS (that and lemon bars--which were made for me on Christmas!).

We then watched "Joy to the World" with our ward mission leader and his family. It helped me to remember my gratitude for the Savior and His sacrifice. I am thankful to know that Jesus came here so that we might live.

CHRISTMAS DAY. Well, obviously, I got to call home! It was so wonderful to see and talk to my family. The girls have grown so much. It's crazy! We had dinner with the Packer family and I guess the picture went viral. I found the Christmas pickle in the tree after all their kids looked forever. I got my flash light and went under the tree. It was awesome! That thing was really hidden. Then, we played the game speed Uno. It was hilarious. So basically, it's like regular uno but you can lay down even when it's not your turn.

That night we went on exchanges and so Sister Mailau (the sister from Tonga--my great-grandmother) came here to Thornton and Sister Marshall went to Malley. We saw Glenn (the 84 year old man) and spent the first twenty minutes practically yelling so he could hear us--turns out his hearing aid batteries were dead. After we got him new batteries, we were able to talk to him. Then, we went to see Lisa and Richard. Lisa really wants to know if the Book of Mormon is true before she does anything. Sweet, right!?

After we saw Lisa and Richard, we went to the Forsyths (we are actually moving into their house today). We went over there and their oldest son had a friend over visiting him (because their son leaves for BYU-I this week). So, we were able to teach him the first missionary discussion and it was awesome!

The next day, after we had a training meeting with our mission President, we were in our car and I had already started driving when we saw a woman walking her dog. I pulled over, parked, and we got out to talk to her. Her dog was really defensive, so we didn't get to share the gospel with her. But we knocked on a couple doors and saw these two men outside. I about ran over to them and said, "Hi!! Did you have a nice Christmas?!" To which they responded, we aren't Christian. We talked to one of them for about ten minutes about what he believed and it was awesome. But then, what topped it off was when we noticed that lights were on at this one house that had been referred to us. We went over there and we actually saw the woman, Tara, outside. She let us in and we said a prayer with her and her family (her cousins and their children were over). Cool, right?

I love this gospel and I know that Jesus loves all of you. Have a Happy New Year! Make some resolutions that will bring you closer to the Savior!

Love,

Sister Hardy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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