Saturday, July 19, 2014

I'm getting a Reputation!

Holy Guacamole!

Yeah I bet the tours are super different now. I'm gonna have to get trained! haha

Yeah those other sides on the saddles.. Tyler and I were changing them all out so that they tied on both sides and then checking both sides when we saddled the horses. 
Ohhh I'm so Horse Sick. I miss them SO. MUCH. I hate that riding horses is against the mission rules.. the only rule harder for me than that is the no-holding-kids-on-your-lap rule hahaha
Most the rules I love and understand though. And I TOTALLY know why they don't let us ride horses... I can't even imagine taking my Zone for a trail ride.. that would be WAY stressful hahahah
I'm so happy to hear Lily has been a dude horse! I didn't know that! That's awesome!
And I'm glad they love Junebug. I bet I will love her too!
And the horses will get a day off! Yay!
Ok,, so your super fun tour Alaska day this week was all over facebook hahah
Every missionary that got on facebook asked me about it.
My zone leader, Elder Randall always says "Hey Sister Hardy, How was your day? I saw Elder waite with your family on Facebook!" hahaha
Sorry about the hay crop this year... wish I could help. I'll pray for you(:
I'm SOO sad about Blitzen! I love her...
Glad Jarett survived his talk too hahha
I really loved this email this week mom! Thanks for writing so much!

Oh what a great week. 
It was a super sad say goodbye week. I got to see Hermana Bryant at Transfers! I haven't seen her in 3 months! 
My new companion- Hermana Wickline- is SO stinkin funny.
So yeah she went to Peru for 4 months, then went home for 4 months to get feeling better, then came here! So she has been in the field for like 5 months, but she still has to go home at the same time so she goes home before me. I was saying my spanish will get really good cuz we are at like the same level of spanish... so we are learning and growing together!
It was a super fun week!
I think my favorite part was on Sunday night we had the stake meeting for all the missionaries SO WE GOT TO SEE ELDER PHILLIPS AND HERMANA KAISER AGAIN!
Ohhh i was so happy. 
So as soon as we get out of the car, Elder Alcivar, Elder Phillips' new companion, walks up to me and shakes my hand and says "Hermana Hardy! I've heard so much about you! I can't wait to serve with you!"
hahahah 
And Hermana Kaiser's companion, Hermana Santiago, gave me a big hug and said "She loves you! She's right, you're really loud."
hahahah
Both hermana Kaiser and Elder Phillips said they already miss my laugh...
So I guess I'm getting a little bit of a reputation for myself. Hopefully a good one hahha
It's gonna be such a great transfer! I'm gonna send you my memory card soon. This week we finished exchanging pictures before transfers, so I think I'm safe to send it home now.
I love you guys tons!
Youre always in my prayers!
Love
Hermana Hardy

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

7/7/14

Transfers!
And I'm STAYING!!!
It was not at all what any one expected. Hermana Sommerfeld is going
to Winters in Woodland, and Hermana Kaiser is leaving after only 6
weeks here. She is going to Rhonert Park. Not too far away.
Elder Phillips is leaving to Petaluma also, so we will see those two
at stake and zone things this transfer(: Elder Jeske and I are staying
together! At the end of this transfer it'll be 7 and 1/2 months that
we will have served together! Crazy!
Hermana Gonzalez is going to Fairfield! Her very first area! So it is
possible! Hahha
This was a great week!
Tuesday we had our last Zone Meeting all together. It was pretty good.
I taught about creativity. We played a fun game.

 Fourth of July was SO SO SO MUCH FUN,
We went to the Golden Gate Bridge with signs and handed out otter pops
hahaha how fun? People took pictures with us and of us and videos. We
waved to the buses driving by! It was amazing! Really, we met a TON of
people, and left a huge impression! Haha EVERYONE knew who we were.
Then that night we ate dinner with the Novato English elders and had
Apple Pie and hit dogs and hamburgers! American food!
On Saturday we met a guy named Bogden. He is crazy but he looks and
talks just like Gru from despicable me! Hahaha
Today we went out to lunch with the branch president. He is awesome.
I am super sad this transfer is coming to a close... We had SO much
fun! And I have made some friendships that will last forever. We
already planned the God Squad Reunion Road Trip!
My new companion that is coming in is named Hermana Wickline, I met
her once, she is coming from SANTA ROSA! So I'm sure we will have lots
to talk about. She is a transplant from Peru. She was only there 4 1/2
months so I think I am actually older than her in the mission,
Ahhhhh! My Spanish will get really good this transfer!
I'm nervous about all the changes... And I will be staying here in
Novato longer than I was in Rosa! It is like my new home. I love it.
But I am REALLY bummed this transfer is ending...
I'm excited for the next one. But my two companions are so great! I
will miss them so much!
Now I'll only have one companion again!
And I'm going to continue to be an STL(:
So anyway,
I have tons of journals to sign and I have to help my companions
finish packing...
I love you tons!
Hope you have a great week!
Sounds like last week was crazy! Hahah
Con amor,
Hermana Hardy

6/30/14 Valleys and Peaks!

This was a wonderful week! We saw so many miracles!
On Tuesday we had a wonderful district meeting! Elder Phillips and I team taught and we were blessed with Zone Leader Sacco and AP Greenwood in attendance. We had fun, edified the missionaries, and learned a lot. I really loved it! That evening my companions saw miracles!
Wednesday was an emotionally draining day. That morning we taught a lesson to our progressing investigator Daniel. Between our last lesson and this one, he had found a bunch of Anti-Mormon material. It really broke our hearts to have that lesson with him. He was so close to knowing the truth! And then he took a U-turn the wrong direction.
Then a member of the branch offered to take us out to lunch, and while we were in the restaurant another one of our investigators came into the restaurant drunk. We walked him home to make sure he made it safely. Another heartbreaking encounter. And the day continued. It was really exhausting. But my companions and i were able to lift one anothers spirits. I really do love Hermana Sommer and Hermana Kaiser. I have learned so much from them this transfer. They have helped me form the type of leader and the type of missionary i want to be.
I really enjoyed MLC on Friday as well!
Elder Randall and Elder Sacco and I have big plans for our Zone Meeting on Tuesday! It will be amazing!
Saturday was another exhausting day because everywhere we went we were ignored. But we always come home at night exhausted, not defeated. My companions and I are really good at lifting each other up.
On Saturday night we had a miracle. We were walking around after a whole day of being ignored, and we were just praying we could teach a lesson that day. We were getting back in our car when we saw a family walking to the store so we contacted them and walked with them, then we started to turn back and saw another family. Then we contacted them. Then we saw a party in the apartment building next to us. We stood outside and contacted people as they came out of the party. Then a neighbor from upstairs ran downstairs with his dog, we asked if we could pet his dog. He said yes, we chatted for a while and then he invited us back to his apartment to share more! We got our lesson!
It was amazing! His name is Jacob. He is awesome.
He prayed "Lord, please bless these nice young ladies might get a day off, maybe a Tuesday"
It was super funny haha

So anyway, it sounds like you guys have had all sorts of crazy stuff going on at home!
I can't believe you have been so busy!
Hey I love you guys!
I hope you have a great week!
Transfers are THIS FRIDAY!
ahhhhhh
and thus ends the best transfer SO FAR!(:
Con Amor,
Hermana Hardy

6/23/14 Interviews

Wow! It sounds like a lot has been going on at home!
I am so jealous that ERIC got to hike the glacier! and go to the Musk Ox farm! AND GO RAFTING???? I am so glad to see that he is having fun(: 
 
MAN! Camden's bday party looks so fun!  The whole family together!!! And Jada is getting baptized! yayyy! That is sooo exciting!
Yes! This week I got the other skirts and shirts! They are super cute! And the MOTAB CDs I got a while ago, we LOVE them!
How is Packer doing? We had interviews with President Alba this last week, and he asked me about Packer(: And Elder Waite haha
Ok, when I read your email earlier this week I was SO HAPPY!
This is the beginning of week 5, so not this coming up friday but the friday after (4th of July) we find out who goes and who stays! I can't believe it is already so close! This transfer is just flying by! I am loving it! I pray every day that Hermana Kaiser, Hermana Sommer and I will get another 6 weeks together... but I don't think so:(
 So this last Thursday we had interviews with President. That was SO good! I missed President and Sister Alba so much! It was really good to talk to them. Both of them told me they are so proud of me, and that they only hear good things about me from the other missionaries. And they are both really impressed with my leadership skills. It was awesome(: And I had my whole interview with President IN SPANISH! Last time we had interviews, President scolded me and said I needed to be better (I had only been on my mission 8 weeks at that point) but this time he said my spanish was really good! So that made me feel a TON better!
Also, the last time we had interviews, Elder Waite was asking President for permission to extend his mission... that was a while ago!
So let me tell you about this MIRACLE we had yesterday!
So we went to a scheduled appointment with this guy named Ernesto. We knocked his door and this teenage kid answered. And he told us Ernesto is his uncle and that he doesnt actually live there. (RUDE!) But we asked if we could share a video with Kevin. We shared Because of Him, and it really touched him. He asked us "Do you think God, would really fogive some one like me?" It brought tears to my eyes. It was such a sweet sincere question...
He went on to tell us he was 16 years old, on probation, addicted to weed (but trying to stop, he knows it is not good for you) and has a 16 year old pregnant girlfriend. Their baby is due in December. So he is working his tail off this summer to be able to afford a baby and everything it needs. He has already picked out names. It was super sweet. I was so proud of him for stepping up and taking that responsibility instead of ditching the girl, or running away. And he has the goal that he and his girlfriend are both gonna finish High School too.
It is really amazing to see so much potential in someone like that. He has done everything. He has hit rock bottom. And he is really rising from those ashes. We are gonna go see him on Thursday. I am super excited to help Kevin, I know the gospel will bless his life. The best part is, he does too. He wants to raise his baby going to church, because he has been the difference in his life when he goes to church and when he doesn't. How cool huh?
And if we would have gone there, asked for Ernesto, realized he didn't live there and left- we never would have met Kevin! He wouldn't have told us about his life! It was amazing.
So yesterday night we also had a BBQ in the park with a member, Alma Jara, for dinner. And Hermana Amabilia brought these two kids she babysits. SO. CUTE! I took pictures with them! I love them! Ricardo, the little 2 year old, told me he wanted some ice cream, but I didn't have any money (Plus it was Sunday) but these other random people bought ice cream for him. It was super nice! They asked me "Is he your son?"
And I was like "Noooo! I am a missionary!" 
And they were really impressed that all of us missionaries were helping take care of these little mexican children, so they bought ice cream for all the kids. It was super sweet!
Yesterday was an amazing day. Probably my favorite day all week. 
Oh yeah! Tuesday was super good too though! 
So I taught in District Meeting for our district (In Spanish) and we were talking about what type of things might stop us from being diligent, so I cut out paper swords, and we wrote on the swords all our fears and then buried them outside in the dirt like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies! It was really cool!!!!(: And fun!
This week district meeting is gonna be awesome. District Leader Phillips and I are working together, because AP Greenwood is coming! 
So it has to be super good!
Today we are playing the World Cup! For Pday! Soccer! 
So the Zone Leaders assigned teams and countries, there are a lot of costumes involved. We are excited(: hahaha
I will take lots of pictures! Promise!
Well I love you so much!
Have a great week!
I am LOVING my mission! Every day! 
Cant wait to hear from you!
Love
Hermana Hardy!