Feb 10 2014

Buenas Tardes,

 

I've decided that I'm going to stay a missionary forever! I never want to go back to normal life.

 

Monday we did studies and then took miles reports for all the cars in our zone up to the office. The zone leaders normally do it, but they had such a busy day that we offered to do it for them. (Really we were just being selfish because we wanted them to be able to join in our district/zone activity later that day.) The activity was SO much fun. We played flag football with socks as flags. Then that night we started an exchange with Hna Clifton and Hna Rodriguez. I got to stay in their area with Hna Rodriguez and we saw an amazing miracle. We were contacting some of their potentials, and when we'd finished the ones on our street we decided to just knock a couple of doors. Hna Rodriguez picked one door (she said b/c there was a light on) and a man answered. He came out on the porch and let us teach him right there. He told us how confused he's been about all the different churches and that he even had a dream once where God told him that none of the churches were true. I think the Joseph Smith story rung true to him on that one. :) I love being a missionary and being able to find and talk to so many people that God is truly preparing to hear the gospel.

 

Tuesday was basically a normal work day, but we didn't have district meeting this week because of Zone Training Meetings on Friday.

 

Wednesday we had Mission Leadership Council all day. It was an absolutely amazing meeting. We talked so much about teaching simply and what that means and how to do it. We also did some roleplays, and that was the scary part. Hna Barnes and I got called on to do a roleplay in front of the entire Mission Leadership Council (all zone leaders and sister training leaders English and Spanish) on the spot with NO WARNING!! I was shaking so hard. Honestly though, the worst part of the roleplay was that we had to do it in English. ;) The roleplay itself turned out really well though, and Hna Barnes and I learned SO MUCH from all of the comments and suggestions that were made. In truth it was an answer to some of our prayers trying to figure out how to teach more simply and what we need to change about how we teach the Restoration to help our investigators progress more.

 

Thursday was weekly planning, and then we also had a ward Noche de Hogar that night. We were so happy because two of our investigators came! One of them we ended up setting a baptismal date with him at the noche de hogar, but we decided to stop teaching the other one. He just wanted to know about lots of 'deep' things that we really don't focus on and that aren't a part of the basic doctrine of the church (or of Christ...). I am so grateful for the focus that we have as missionaries of learning and teaching the basic principles of the gospel over and over and over again because there is always something more we can learn.

 

Friday we had Zone Training Meeting. The meeting was really good, and we had the opportunity to go and help the Van Nuys zone leaders with their training this month. It was really a great training, and we enjoyed being with their zone, but Hna Barnes and I both missed our zone SO much! I really do feel so at home there. Then that night we had a lesson with L and C. We just read with them from the Book of Mormon, but it was so amazing to see how they are progressing as they take the time to keep their commitments.

 

Saturday and Sunday were normal work days. We went to a baptism on Sunday so I could play the piano for them, and as always it was just such a good experience.

 

I'm out of time, but I also wanted to share one funny story from last week that I forgot about. On Sunday night (the Sunday before yesterday) We needed to get the miles from the zone leaders so we could take them up to the office the next day. Sunday is always a busy night for them so we were going to meet them at their dinner appointment to get them. They didn't give us the exact address though so we totally stalked them and found their car and parked nearby and just sat and waited until they came out. :) It was hilarious! and so much fun.

 

I am so grateful for this opportunity to be a missionary. I know this gospel is true!

 

Love,

 

Hna Marin Hardy