The Adventures of My Life

SOOOO HOOOOOOT!!!! Yup, it was really hot a couple days this week. Reached a high of 95…but that wasn’t the bad part. The humidity was unbearable…the second I walk out of the car, I start sweating…I’ve never experienced anything like it! But at the same time, it’s pretty sweet. It’s even going to get worse, the worst months are July and August. I need to get a camelback to help me through these summer days walking around. But anyways, enough with the weather, I actually have a few things to mention this week. First off, on Wednesday I think, Elder Christensen gets a letter from his mom (Diane Weaver) mentioning that she knew some Hardy’s from her school and church. She starts naming a few in her letter…Jeff, Cheryl, Kathalyn and she also stated, “I think the mom was named Berniece but I can’t remember the dad”. So, that’s how I found out that not only Elder Christensen knew Alicia, Emily, Bryce and Neal but also his mom knew the whole family!! They grew up in the same ward, in fact, the Weaver’s still live on Whiteside Dr, right by Dixie. He also told me that his mom had older siblings that might know you Dad! So, if you remember any Weavers… Also, we had this crazy black dude pull over his car to talk to us. He was like, “Hey guys, it’s great to talk to you again..I’m from Utah (found out especifically from Layton)”. He then told us he was a Davis Dart and I asked him what year he graduated and he said 1969. To the best of my knowledge…it’s the same year you graduated from Davis, Dad? I got his name, it’s Tony Langston…maybe you know him?? In all modes, it was pretty crazy. Well, it’s been kind of difficult to find new people to teach up here. There are tons of hispanics, it’s just a matter of trying to find those who are interested. It seems like here more than other places, there are just tons of men just working and drinking with their families in Mexico. It’s something that, quite frankly, i am getting sick of. Talking to these drunk guys…but oh well, that’s my job. It was especially bad this last weekend, because Mexico was playing in the world cup. But they lost to Argetina, so they aren’t going to be playing anymore, so it should improve things a little bit. But other than that, Wilson is a good place, people are really nice, there is just a lot of ghetto here. I’m sure Chris and Gordon are used to the ghettos, serving in San Bernandino and Brazil. We’ve been dealing with people that have lots of concerns lately. Especially about the Virgen Guadalupe. It’s tough, because you don’t want to offend them, but you gotta tell them the truth. I just go about saying that we worship our Heavenly Father and that Mary was a very special, chosen vessel to give birth to Christ, but we do not worship her. But still, they do not get it…it’s really frustrating some times. But, I just promise them through prayer that they can know the truth. Prayer is so important…when we stop praying, we stop doing every else…reading scriptures, going to church. Everything goes irrelavent, because you don’t have that motivation, the desire to please Heavenly Father. I’m so grateful for prayer and the love Heavenly Father has for us. This week has been declared by my companion, “the trunky week”, because on June 20th marked 1 year until I got home and tommorow, June 27th is officially my 1 year mark in the mission (although, I entered in the MTC 2nd time July 27th, I had 1 month before). So, tommorow, is my 1 year mark…pretty crazy…it’s all going down hill from here! I can’t believe though, that I already have a year…it seems like I just got here…and I heard the 2nd year goes by faster! Well, enough of that talk…I’m getting myself excited and depressed at the same time. Well, don’t know much else to say…thanks for the letters and support everybody, it rocks getting lots of mail (I still get about 1-2 letters a day, sometimes more). Especially, Dad (he is the definition of “Constantcy” and Julie (writes me alot) and Mom (and her letters on the back on sacrament programs and other misc. pieces of paper) and Grandma Cox and her letter a week, and Grandpa and Grandma Hardy and there letters, also Gordon and his emails, Brian and Crystal for cool letters with Kitty Comics and also last but not least…Christ and his 2 sentence emails…Thanks everyone! Until next week Elder Hardy PS: President Mabey is also leaving this Saturday and President Wallis is taking over…scary…

Things have changed…big time.  Let me start out by saying that I am not where I thought I would be about a week ago.  Well, last Tuesday, I was on exchanges with Elder Viola, a ZL, and I just had a freakin’ awesome time.  That same night, I learned that 2 of our investigators agreed to be baptized in July and our other baptismal date was moved to July 1st.  So, 3 baptismal dates and some good investigators is pretty sweet compared to what we started with when Elder Monforte left.  We really had 1 or 2 descent investigators and very few potentials.  Enter in Elder Banks and we took off running, we had Raleigh rolling, everything was clicking, Elder Morales came and it was even getting better.  Well, it was raining really bad (even flooding in some parts), and when we got home from District Meeting, there was a message from President Mabey informing us to call him immediately.  Someone tried to call, but he didn’t answer and then he called back about 30 minutes later.  Well, the phone was for me and I had no idea what it was going to be about.  It turns out that Elder Maxell (one of the spanish missionaries) had somehow contracted Mano, and was going home for a few weeks to rest up.  And I (being the senior in the threesome) was assigned to take his place in…WILSON, NC!!  So, that is my news…I have been emergency-transfered to Wilson, NC.  I am no longer in Raleigh.  It was a little discouraging, because I didn’t get the chance to say bye to hardly anyone and we had tons of things going for in Raleigh.  But, Wilson is a pretty sweet place…it’s a lot more country-ish.  There are about 45,000 in the county…it reminds me a lot of Cheyenne.

Pres. talked to me in the afternoon Wednesday, and I arrived in Wilson about 9 o’clock the next morning.  it’s about 45 minutes to the East of Raleigh.  There are not very many members here compared to Raleigh (about 30-40 at church, regularly).  In fact, we have to speak in Church every 3 weeks and a lot depends on us to keep the branch moving.  It has been a really good experience so far, this is the first time I’ve been in a smaller type branch.  There are just a few member families and also a few less-actives/part member families.  That is going to one of our focuses..working with the members and helping the branch get organized a little better.

I spoke in church yesterday, it went pretty well, I really felt confident delivering my talk in spanish.  I was the concluded speaker (that’s the first) and I had to talk for 20-25 minutes to end the meeting.  I talked about our 3 different types of families.  Our family as children or God, our family as a church, and our own families.  Our talk about our responsablities in each of those three different types of families and how we should follow the guidance of each “head” of those families (Heavenly Father, Prophet and Earthly Father).  I thought I did pretty well and it was one of the first times that I didn’t read most of it from the paper (because I didn’t have time to do that), so I just made an outline and expounded (I like that way a lot better!).  I am improving a whole lot with public speaking, although it still scares me to death.  But I feel I am stretching myself alot here in Wilson, because I’m required to do it…It’s fun.

Well, my new companion is Elder Christensen.  He has been out about 8 months and was actually trained by Elder Monforte.  He is a great guy, very very humble.  He’s still working on his Spanish a little bit and I’m glad to help him with that.  He is very cool.  In fact, he is from Layton, UT and went to Northridge High.  Now, I met him a while ago and asked him if he knew my cousins and he had actually graduated with Emily Anderson and knew her quite well!!  Well, I gave him her address and he wrote her.  So, I start talking with him again about it and it turns out that Emily wrote him back!  Haha, he read me a part that said that she thought it would be cool if we ended up being companions.  Well, here we are..it’s kind of cool the connection.

Wilson is awesome…this next Thursday, I will have my first “pig-pickin’.  They are going to roast a pig and be hushpuppies and have homemade rootbeer….PRAISE THE SOUTH!!  Seriously, the south is so cool, everyone needs to come down to check it out.  There is something for everyone here.  There is even lots of ghetto here in Wilson.  Christensen and I were walking down the street and we walked right by a drug deal taking place with the money and everything.  We just said “What up” and they replied casually…It was sweeet!!   Haha, well, I better get going…we got a busy day today, we are going to go shopping, then afterwards we are going fishing in a pond that a english member has.

Adios
Elder Hardy

Well, I guess I’ll insert something in the family letter since I don’t have hardly anytime at all to write (it’s been happening a lot recently and especially this week, some Elders were taking way too long to do e-mail and I got stuck at the end, so don’t have any time!).  First I would like to say that I have a new companion….that is WE have a new companion.  Elder Banks and I found out last Monday that we would become a threesome here, walking in the streets of Raleigh.  Elder Morales is his name and he is from Sonora, Mexico.  He speaks good English (dangit), which means he likes speaking in English..but nonetheless, another great opportunity to learn more spanish!  Well…it is starting to get humid…very hot…and we walk a lot.  But, being a threesome, I’m probably the first one to go next transfer..but I don’t want to!!!  Anyways, have a baptismal date the 24th..let you all know how it goes and I’ll write more next week!

Elder Hardy

This letter should be another short one, due to the fact that P-day is already winding down to nothing.  Well, well, well, where do I began?  It has been a pretty crazy week, like all of them.  On Thursday, we went to the temple down in Apex…it was wierd seeing my old country and refreshing being in the temple.  Also, found out that some people we taught in Apex, got baptized!!  About time, and also just found out from a Sister who lived in my old area that the whole family of the girl we baptized in Cary, they all have a baptismal date!!!  That freakin’ pumped me up!  It’s about time those guys came around…we were starting to work hard with them.  Well…the reason I saw a Sister from Cary was because there was a huge funeral today.  A councilor in the Stake Presidency here in Raleigh, suffered a heart attack a few weeks ago and passed away this last friday.  He was only 51 years old and from what I heard, he was an incredible guy…that is really sad.   There were a few comments from other missionaries that is was the best funeral they had ever been to.  The spirit was very strong…one guy completely taught the 2nd lesson in his talk..(about the Plan of Salvation).  There were tons of people there, not sure how many…but they were expecting around 2,000.   I and a few other missionaries helped direct the traffic and the parking…and afterward put down all of the chairs

Well, another transfer has come and gone..I am not going anywhere, but Elder Bourgeous, who came to Raleigh the same time I did, is leaving.  So, that is sad.  As, for now I’ll be in Raleigh when the New mission president comes, my 1 year mark and Mom’s birthday (also known as 4th of July).

Have fun everyone!

Elder Hardy