Feliz Navidad!!!
This week was
crazy, and I didn't get a lot written in my journal (and we all know
how terrible my memory is). I will include pictures from the temple
trip, and from the two exchanges we did this week. (In separate emails
though.) The first one is Hna Barnes (my companion) and me. The second is
Elder Linford and Elder Bowman and metogether again at the temple after 6 months. Sadly all of our trainers are missing...they've all gone home. The third one is my current district.
That is part of the reason that this week was so crazy.
We had to fit in two exchanges around the temple trip, district
meeting, ward Christmas parties, and weekly planning so they ended up
being back to back. That means we started one exchange at noon on
Wednesday, finished it at noon on Thursday, and started another one at 1:00 on Thursday to finish it at 1:00 on Friday.
It was a little bit hectic, especially since we got a little lost on
the way to our second exchange so we ended up starting a little late...
The Hermanas forgive us though, and both exchanges were wonderful. I
feel like I always learn so much about life and missionary work and
myself.
The exchange with Hna Sanchez was the first time I've
stayed in our area for an exchange, and although it was a little bit
stressful to think about it all worked out well in the end. All of our
citas canceled so we had lots of contacting time which was actually
really good because that's what we've both been working on. We were also
able to find 4 new investigators in the space of about two hours
through two miracles! The first 3 were actually a family of past
investigators that we had written down to go visit again. We knocked on
their door, and they let us right in and we taught them right there. It
was so exciting, and I'm excited to go back and teach them. The last new
investigators was a man named Armando. He was a miracle be because we
just knocked on his door and he was so open to learning more.
The exchange with Hna Blacker also went well. We were
in her area, but I was driving... Luckily we had a good map in the car,
and we never got lost. :) Nothing particularly notable happened, but I
was just so impressed with Hna Blacker. She's a new missionary who just
came out into the field on the 4th of December (not even 3 full weeks
yet) and she is AMAZING!!! Her Spanish is already so good, and she
already has so many good missionary skills. Mostly I was inspired by her
drive to work hard, and to be the best missionary she can possibly be.
Saturday
was a slow day because Hna Barnes was sick all day and we had to stay
home. I got a lot of time to read the Book of Mormon and finished more
than 100 pages. I might actually finish it finally on my mission. (I
have a bad habit of starting over...) This is a special copy that I
started where I'm marking whenever I read something about the atonement
or grace or God being with/strengthening us and anything else like that.
As of this morning I only have 30 pages left to go!
Sunday
was a good day. However, people just keep giving me shorter and shorter
notice for things. Last week they asked me to give a talk the night
before. This week the ward chorister (Hna Morales) came up to me as the
bishop was starting the announcements and pulled me up to the stand with
her so I could sing an intermediary hymn... It went well, since it's
just a hymn, but it was so funny. Then after church we had studies, a
baptism, and finally some contacting time!!!
I love you all, and I'm looking forward to this week as
well. I truly am grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary on
Christmas. What better gift to give Christ than sharing his gospel with
all the world. He gave us the priceless gift of the atonement. The least
that we can do for him is to accept and act on that gift in our own
lives, and help others to do so in their lives as well. I hope that each
of you will take some time to ponder and think what gift you will give
to Christ this Christmas season. It doesn't have to be the same as
anyone else's, just very personal. Let Him know that you love Him.
Merry Christmas,
Hna Marin Hardy
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