Sep 16

2013 09 16 m

Hola Todos!

So I got transferred down to El Camino Real district, and my area actually is mostly in the city of Reseda. We're opening a brand new area in this district, which is a great sign of the increase in missionary work here in the valley. There are now 6 companionships of missionaries in at least half of the Spanish wards in the valley! In our ward there are 3 companionships of Elders and 3 companionships of Hermanas. Opening a new area is always a different experience, and this one is no different. When we came in we had no current investigators when we came in so we get to spend basically all day every day contacting. It's a good thing my favorite activity is knocking doors! Some of you will know my former roommate Sandra. She is a return missionary and she would always want us to go with her to knock on random apartment doors to get to know people. I thought it was a little weird and very uncomfortable so I was never willing to do it, but now I understand the feeling. I love the hope of walking to the next door and knowing that if they open I'll get to share a little piece of the gospel of Jesus Christ with whoever opens. I will admit that doing it for 4 hours straight is pretty tiring, but such is life. We got a ward list yesterday at church and I went through and found the families that live in our area. There are 20 member families that live in our area, and I'm excited to go meet them and get to know all of them. That is Hna Anderson and my fist project this coming week (a nice break from constant contacting).

The best part about my new area is that it is completely and totally flat! There's not even a hint of a hill anywhere in it, and I love it. It's been especially good because I think I bent my rims (well...Elder Linford from my last area told me I bent my rims) when I fell over at the library the day after Labor Day... The bike shop where we got Hna Anderson's (my new companion) bike did something to it that was supposed to fix it, but my brakes have been rubbing really badly ever since. We're going to try to go back some time this week to see what can be done. Meanwhile it's still been possible for me to ride since I don't have to go up any hills! They said it was supposed to start cooling down/raining in September, but I don't think I believe them. It was over 100 a couple of the days this week, and not really showing any signs of cooling down. It's made it so that sometimes I base the success of a contact on whether or not they offer us water. Probably not the best indicator though because I think they sometimes do that because they feel bad for not wanting to listen to us...

We did have one really cool miracle this week that I can share with all of you. Our first day with bikes we were out looking for some of the previous investigators that the other Hnas gave us and not having any luck. We then decided to go contacting on a street, but the first person we talked to told us that no one on that street spoke Spanish. As we were standing there trying to decide what to do we got a text on our phone from the referral system. It was a referral for a part member family who had just recently moved into our area and had taken the lessons before. We decided that we should go check out that referral right then. When we got to the house, the mom (non-member named P) opened the door and invited us right in, and had her kids stop doing their homework to come listen to us. As we talked she told us that she'd actually gotten mad at the missionaries in the last place she lived, but now she felt bad about it and had decided that she wants to get baptized! The two oldest kids also want to be baptized. The dad (J) who is a menos activo doesn't seem super willing to listen or come back, but we'll work with him as well. I think that will be our biggest challenge because P and J aren't married so in order for her to get baptized they need to get married. However, despite the challenges that are ahead, I know that the referral, and finding P was truly a miracle from God to give us the hope that we need as we start this new area.

I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the one path for people to find true happiness in this life and salvation in the life to come. I know that this is the gift that we bring as missionaries. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the one true church of God again on the earth and that living by the principles and ordinances that it teaches is the only way to find lasting peace. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that the priesthood has been restored to the earth and that through it we can receive the ordinances of salvation. I love being a missionary! I love sharing the love of God with each of His children! This is truly the best work that anyone can do.

Love,

Hna Marin Hardy