Oct 11

Buenas Tardes!

Wheew, I'm not sure if Mama posted on the blog that I couldn't email last Monday, but I couldn't... :) Instead we took preparation day today so that we could go to the temple!!! It was SO good! I would love to write more about that, and all the other great things that happened this week, but I have to have something to say on Monday, so I'll just write about last week instead.

Preparation day was great last week. One of our members Hna R took us grocery shopping which was a huge blessing because it meant that we didn't have to walk.

Tuesday we had a kind of weird day because I was a little sick early in the afternoon, but then I got over it so we were able to go out. We had a Noche de Hogar with the R family, and were able to drop off some cookies we'd made for a few members and investigators.

Wednesday was a really weird day but for very different reasons. Weird thing one was when we tried by one of our investigators (who we'd never met because the Elders found him during a district finding activity in our area) and realized that it was a house that we had previously contacted, and his mom told us not to come back... Needless to say we called him instead of knocking on the door, but he had decided he wasn't interested anymore. Then we went to the house of another potential who had told us he was a 7th Day Adventist, but on his door was a Jewish thingy (not sure what its called, but Hna Anderson says they're supposed to touch it every time they go in). We're not sure what religion he is anymore, but he didn't answer the door anyway, and his phone didn't work...

Thursday was weekly planning and lots! of contacting. Hna Hansen and Hna Redondo came down and did some contacting with us in splits. Hna Redondo and I talked to one guy for a half an hour straight (at least). He was very nice, and seemed to have a true desire to follow Christ, but he was just so blinded that he wouldn't really listen to us or agree to read the Book of Mormon. He prayed for us before we left, and it was sweet because he asked that God send angels to protect us. I just hope that some time down the road he will be more prepared to hear the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and make those necessary steps.

Friday we had zone training meeting. We practiced contacting with folletos (pamphlets) and I played for another Hna while she sang a musical number. Then after most of studies we had to ride to correlation, which is 3-4 miles from our apartment. Normally it's not bad, but this time we had a furious headwind. We booked it anyway in order to be on time (4:00) then when we got there (4:01) we got a text from our district leader that it had been moved to 4:30... Then the rest of the district didn't actually get there until almost 5:00. Hna Anderson and I did some language study and took a nap while we waited.

Saturday was a reall good day all around. Conference was AMAZING!!!! If you haven't had a chance to watch or read the Saturday sessions you have got to go back and look at them. I especially loved Elder Holland's talk! We also had a miracle after conference. We had set a cita last week with one of our antiguos named N, and when we went on Saturday she was there! We taught the first lesson, and she received it really well. We haven't been able to get back to teach her yet (because she had to cancel her last cita because her dog had gotten lost and was in the shelter), but we're really excited to work more with her.

Sunday was also good. First, it was Hna Anderson's birthday. Second, Conference was superb otra ve (again)! I was so inspired by Elder Ballards talk, and I loved that he spoke specifically to full time missionaries and told us that if we want to teach more we need to talk to more people. I was so inspired that that afternoon Hna Anderson and I stopped and talked to literally every person we saw. We found several good potentials from that, and I am excited to continue putting that into practice, and getting better at it.

I love that we can receive so much personal inspiration and revelation from things that are said to such a general audience. I know that this church is lead by a prophet of God, Thomas S Monson, and that he and all the other general authorities are inspired in what they say to us. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that we can find all the answers we need within its pages. I know that if we trust God then truer happiness can be found within the Gospel of Jesus Christ than anywhere else.

Love,

Hna Marin Hardy