August 25, 2014

It didn’t

The subject of this e-mail comes in response to dad's comment that the zone has calmed down. It actually just got worse (as in more mixed up not as in it is bad. I don't mind the changes, it just requires me to do much adjusting on the fly). Elder R went home this morning so he can start school like next week or something. Rather than do another transfer, President has put Elder L and I in a trio with Elder Y. We had to move to their apartment this morning. Elder Y and I get along really well and I had hoped to be his companion anyway, so I'm actually pretty excited. Plus when we put all three areas in the ward together (yes I'm technically serving Chinese right now! I'm going to try and order a tag) it comes out to one very busy team. Luckily a busy missionary is a happy missionary.

Speaking of fluctuating levels of business on Tuesday the Elders from Abitibi made the 6 hour drive to Ottawa to attend zone conference, then President cancelled the meeting. They were 5 and a half hours into the drive when it was cancelled so they just came and stayed the night. We did splits with them and I went with Elder L. We had a bunch of lessons that day but had to split them up. This left us with un-planned for chunks of time. In the vicinity of our first lesson I had noticed a spot with lots of students walking around in weeks past. On a whim (more like prompting) I took us there and we started knocking doors and talking to the people. It was amazing!! First off everyone was home at 2 pm on a Tuesday (major miracle, like splitting the red sea big) and it seemed that every other door contained someone who was interested or at least willing to meet. We took down tons of numbers and at the end some Indian guys invited us in and became new investigators. In that day alone (accounting for the pre-planned lessons) we bested our numbers from last WEEK! Numbers aren't our focus but they illustrate well how awesome that day was! Truly the Lord strengthened us (Elder L is a boss as well). 

Other than that the week was pretty normal. Lots of cancellations and got stood up a few times. On a whole it was a positive week, but only Tuesday stands out.

One of our investigators B needs prayers. Her Mom found out she was meeting with us and now it's a big problem. She wants to keep learning, because she feels the spirit, but her mother is very against the church. She needs a miracle. I pray for her many times a day. She needs more help though. Any prayers will be appreciated :)

All seriousness aside I'm feeling really good right now. I am truly improving, and it's all thanks to the Savior (woop guess we're going back to serious). I am blown away constantly as I inexplicably (if we ignore the Atonement) improve. They're small improvements, but they are improvements I haven't been able to make by myself. I feel the love of my Savior more abundantly now than I ever have before. It just makes me want more!

Thanks for all you do. Even if I don't see it with my eyes, I can feel your love and concern for me and the people around me.

My commitment for this week is to read and study James 2. If someone wants to understand faith versus works that chapter contains the answer as clear as day.

I love you all!!!

Elder Hardy

My new companionship

August 18, 2014

WE GOT INVESTIGATOR'S BUT AT WHAT COST?!?!?!?

Hello family!!

So our teaching pool more than doubled yesterday. Not because we found them though. One of the Sisters in our ward has to go home mid transfer so she can make it to school. President decided to send her Greenie away and close the area. The result is that we now cover all their people. We are sad to see them go, but we aren't sad about the increased teaching pool. They had some pretty solid people so we have a serious responsibility to take care of these people. It should be fun.

I spent most of last week with Elder M in Petawawa. That place is tiny. I wish I had remembered to take pictures. Elder M. really likes board games, so when we weren't proselyting or studying we played Settlers of Zarahemla. We got really fast at it and by the time I left we had played around 15 games. I only won 3. 

Super excited to hear about T going into the MTC! I've already set up a three-way e-mail which should allow us to talk to eachother. Tanner's schedule will be interesting in Bulgaria, but it should work.

What else? The madness should be over, until next week when Elder R goes home. Who knows how President will chose to handle that. They have way too much work going on to be closed, so I think he might just send me away half way through. We'll see though.

Also Elder M taught me how to play this Chinese card game (Bang is actually a rip-off of it). One of the Chinese Investigators overheard me telling Elder Y that I know how to play it, so now the investigator is going to bring some friends to the church and play it with us today. Card game missionary work!!!!

I know the Atonement is real. I have felt it in my life, and I know what I need to do to feel it more.

Love, Elder Hardy

Me and Elder M

August 11, 2014

Hi everyone!

Hah chicken Lalas! Haven't heard that in a while.

Well five minutes ago I finally saw my companion again. Elder M decided he didn't want to spend half a week with me, so he brought Elder L again (that's a joke...I hope). So I have been with the Chinese Elders since Thursday. It's fine since I really like both of them. They're fun to hang out with and work with. Then Elder Y's horrible ugly rashes that he has had for weeks were diagnosed as Pustulus Empotus or something like that (I finally made him call Sister P). Apparently its SUPER contagious, so Elder Y has been stuck in the appartment since Yesterday, and can't leave at all until Wednesday at the earliest. I drove with the Zone Leaders to Haweksbury to pick up the medications that President went to the U.S for and gave to the Assistants to give to the Zone Leaders to give to Elder Y as fast as possible (good thing President is like a gajillionair or something). My shins are really itchy so don't be surprised if I get it next. (don't worry apparently it isn't dangerous). 

So yea things have been an absolute mess for the last little while, and I've been stuck in the middle of it. I've been doing my best to make sure we at least visit the people in my area that we can, but things are still slowing down without my companion to help me. Oh well. Nothing terrible has happened, we've just not really had time to try and find new people much lately.

I've been studying Grace a lot lately. I have always wondered about how much of salvation depends on me, and how much comes from grace. Recently I've felt a more urgent need to understand it. I've spent a lot of time praying about it and studying in the scriptures about it. It started with a book called "The Worth of a Soul" that Elder Ballard had. It's about a man who was excommunicated and then came back. His struggles were much more extreme than mine, but I learned a lot from his story. 

The understanding I have arrived at starts with the scripture 2 Nephi 25:23, which is an amazing scripture and is my new favorite. The key phrase is "it is by Grace that we are saved after all we can do" The man in the book struggled for many years to overcome some very serious addictions and problems, and gave it all he had. In the end however it wasn't enough. He couldn't change WHO he was. He realized that only the Atonement can do that. His struggles and efforts brought him the faith and humility (Alma 32) to rely entirely on the Lord. In reality all of our efforts, our "works" so to speak, serve to deepen our reliance on Christ. The more we do that, the more his Grace is able to change us and make us more like Him. 

This means that YES we are saved only by the Grace of Him who is mighty to save, but it happens little by little as we do our best, see our inadequacy, and humbly turn to the Lord for help. In the end we end up being responsible for our own salvation (Phillipians 2:12) while relying on the free gift of Christ's Grace, which we can in no way pay for or earn (Romans 3).

This is what I've been learning lately. I'd appreciate any insight or direction to help me understand even better. This has been making a big difference in my life and missionary work (it also helps me understand what the heck I'm doing out here).

I love you all!

Elder Hardy

Me and Elder Y (the infected one) 

Me and Jordan's husband Kyle (we already arranged it)

August 4, 2014

Well it's transfer season again. I feel like it was like two weeks ago that I last said that. I'm staying for transfer number 5 in Ottawa and number 3 with Elder L. I am so excited and happy at the chance to stay here and keep working with the people I have grown to love! The only sad thing is that it may not last long. First, Elder R, a district leader out in Petawawa, is in the U.S for a surgery right now, so our district has been assigned to help his companion make sure their area is covered. A routine split with the Dows Lake Chinese turned into a camping trip on Friday as Elder L was carted up two hours north to help Elder M. They came back last night, but I've been in the other (less comfy) apartment the whole time. They're going back tomorrow, then coming back Thursday and I have to go up there. This pattern will continue for a few weeks. Then half way through the transfer Elder R of the Dows Lake Chinese is going home so he can make it for school, along with half the sisters it seems. So we'll get another transfer call in week 3 of the transfer and who knows what will happen. Things are a mess right now. Oh well, at least I don't have to stop doing missionary work, I just won't get to be with my companion for more than a day during the first half of the transfer.

Not much other news. Started teaching a girl named Bianca. She is the girl I talked to a couple weeks ago on that day I finally started contacting again. She's cool. She wants to be baptized but hasn't felt ready yet. She is only 18 so maybe she'll get baptized and go on a mission!! That's my dream as a missionary. Elder A came to the first lesson and it was funny because he complimented her so much it almost got awkward. 

Also Yicela the less active finally came to church. I really wanted her to meet the ward, so during fast and testimony meeting I went up and told everyone to say hi to her after the meeting. They did. It was awkward, but it was a start. Now we're going to bring those people to the lessons and see if she'll make friends. She felt the spirit at Church, so now we just need to keep things rolling.

Well that's all. I'll include some pictures maybe.

I love you all! I love how Tanner is "practicing" baptizing. People will likely tell you T, that Bulgaria is a "low-baptizing mission." Don't believe them. The people there who aren't prepared might be more closed, so you may teach a few less lessons than Brazilian missionaries, but the number of prepared people there is the same. A missionary who follows the spirit 100% will baptized everyone the Lord needs them to. Good luck out there my brother!

Elder Hardy

I got tar all over the pants on this one:

Jammed my finger playing basket ball

Couldn't resist when we saw it in the Church parking lot

July 28, 2014

Hello!

So I got the package. The vitamins helped immediately. I started feeling better within a few hours of the first multi-vitamin. Thank you so much for the pictures and cookies. I need to go slower with the cookies though. One case is gone and the other one is only around because I drank all our milk eating the first one.

This week was pretty good personally, though rough for the area. Didn't manage to see very many people. Our struggle isn't so much talking to people, it's finding places TO talk to people. The students and young people are all in hiding; we suspect in the sister's area since they are doing great. We might have to pull a Vladimir Putin and start taking over parts of their area (that one was a joke) (I live in a capital city where half the married members work in the American consulate of course I am up to date on world events). Been improving in my habits and work-ethic. I have included a picture of my new exercise goal:

In other news I found a hat someone left in our apartment that says "Obey" on it. Not only do I look like a thug during studies now, but it is my new "obedience hat." Every time I see it it reminds me to be obedient.

In further news my glasses have been broken again for a while. I need to get them fixed but keep forgetting. Also my debit card has expired so I can't pay to get them fixed (that is why I am never wearing my glasses in the pictures (My spares are scratched up too bad to see out of). On the bright side the expiration of my card kept me from using it for Wendy's while I wait for the beginning of August to finally roll around. My previous companions had to be convinced to eat out, but Elder Laouto loves it even more than I do. It's all we can do to make sure we have enough for groceries.

Sorry for the rather silly e-mail this week. The work in our area is struggling and I'd rather not send home depressing e-mails. So I prattle about the unusual things in my strange missionary life that are not so sad. I hope you forgive  me. We're working really hard right now, but the Lord is trying our faith. I just fear I'll be transferred before we see the fruits. Ah well. That's missionary life.

Love Elder Hardy

A few more pictures:

Me by some weird art thingy at a park looking out at the city (the can is NOT mine): 

Me by some weird art thingie at a park looking out at the Ottawa river (the bike is NOT mine):

Me by some weird art thingie at a park with a statue (the guy on the bench is NOT mine):