"All By Myself..."

Семейството Ми!

      Здрасти! It is so good to hear from all of you, and to see your wonderful faces! Sounds like it was a busy, wonderful, exciting, and hopefully not TOO romantic week. Here in Shumen, life is great, the weather cannot decide what it wants to do (it was goregous this weekend, now it is raining), and the work moves forward. So far, being the District Leader of just Elder Kingsley and I has been...simple! It has been hard being the only missionaries in Shumen in some ways, but great in others (we don't really have to worry about area boundaries! Yea!). In any case everything is good here in the lovely little city named Loud. 

      Happy Birthday Grandpa! I love you so much, and am so grateful for the example you are to me of what it means to be a true priesthood holder. I have always admired your social awareness and ability to make everyone feel welcome at a party or a gathering of family. Whenever I think of being a true man of refinement, I think of you. Also, whenever we talk (as missionaries) about being "fishers of men," I think of you. I hope this year brings many happy memories and lots of 18 inch Rainbow trout! I love you so much Grandpa

      Mom; the coat I have does well in the rain, and we have several umbrellas, so I should be good. I promise I'll keep warm (enough) and (fairly) dry! It sounds like the story about the deer was quite an episode! I am glad that no one was too scarred by Bambi's plight. When I read your last sentence ("Country Living") I laughed out loud in the quiet stillness of the very echoey Library. It was worth the funny looks. Also, thanks for the good advice--I will definitely be taking more pictures from now on. I never have been very good at that, and I need to get better. Also, thank you for sending the package--I will let you know when it gets here. I love you so much Mother, and am grateful for all that you have done for us, and continue to do for us. You are an amazing lady! Also, any more questions? It helps me to know what to write. I love you!

      Dad, thanks for sending the Newsletter--the whole family is growing up so fast! Some very adorable babies, and some rapidly maturing cousins. Everytime that I think I am tired, I think of you, and it gives me the strength to push on. The tiredness of Elder Hardy has nothing on the tiredness of Dr. Bishop Father Hardy! I love you, and am so grateful for who you are. (Did you keep any of the venison? Too soon?).

      Paige. Paige Paige Paige. Make sure Blake knows that he needs to treat you right, or he can expect a strongly worded epsite from a certain Elder brother (Ha!). I approve that he called first. I am sure that it will be fun--he is a good guy. Make sure to have a great time, know that I love you. Your hair looks super fun and exciting for the show, you look awesome. I love you so much, remember who you are, and tell Alex that he has a stern commission from me to watch out for you. (Jokes! But not really!). I love you, you are beautiful!

      Ronnie--you look sharp my brother! That is a fine looking tuxedo! I bet you just light up that stage. Know that I think highly of you. Love your Sisters, have a great time, try not to step on any of the young women who swoon as you walk by (that is awfully unpolite, don't you know). Remember that of all the places that you can have an influence for good, home is the biggest. When Dad isn't home, you are the priesthood holder! Always remember that. I love you, read PMG, break a leg this week!

      Lizzie--that is some costume, and a smile to go with it! You must be dazzling to watch! Keep smiling, keep singing. I love you a lot, little sister. Make sure that the family is reading the Book of Mormon every night together, alright? I know I can trust you. I love you!

      This week has been a good, busy week. Taking over the other half of the city has been an interesting process to this point, but we continue to adjust and make it work. This week has been a tough week to meet with our investigators, so no too terribly exciting news to share on that front, but I thought I might share a few fun stories that happened while tracting this week (what happens when lessons fall through at the last moment):

      1) Knock on the door, a very nice Bulgarian Baba opens up and begin talking to us. She doesn't hear very well, so we start talking quite loudly in the echoey hallway. After a while, we leave her with a brochure with our name and number on it--she reads Elder Kingsley's name, but cannot quite make mine out. "What is her name?" she asks Elder Kingsley. "HIS name is Hardy. HIS name!" She replies, "No, that is a woman. What is her name?" After several tries, we finally gave up. I was referred to as Sister Hardy for the rest of the evening.

       2) We start at the top of the block, and soon notice that all the doorbells have the same ring (very unusual), and that it is a song. After several doors, we come to realize that every doorbell in the entire Вход plays a tinney and thin version of Fur Elise! I immediately thought of Ronnie. 

        3) A lady opens the door, says she is not interested, but we talk with her about her plants for about 5 minutes, and she informs us that that day was actually a Bulgarian Holiday where younger people ask forgiveness from their elders. After a little more conversation, she decided she liked us (despite not wanting to hear our message) and promtly forgave us, and sent us away with chocolate. Nice people are everywhere!

       This week, I read in 3 Nephi 30, a little two verse chapter that is almost an afterthought to the great book of Third Nephi, but really has great meaning--in the first verse, Mormon declares that what he is about to say is the word of the Lord, not his own. That, as I have begun to realize more fully, is the great importance of having Latter-Day Prophets; if we know that the apostles and prophets truly have been called of God, and have been given authority, we can know that it is not some man giving us council, but the voice of Jesus Christ, the words and commandments of he who is "the author and the finisher of our faith." With that assurance, we can be sure that we are on the right path. What a blessing!

 I love you all, I know this church is true!

Elder Hardy

Students from our English Class--on the way up to the Паметник!

Ето, Град Шумен!

A Missionary's Valentines Day

Здравейте Семейството Ми!

     Честита Свети Валентин на Вас Също! Thank you so much for the wonderful letter--it is great to hear your voice and to feel your strength. It sounds like the dance was a success all around. I'm glad it was a family activity--that was both Dad AND Ronnie could keep an eye on Paige for me! Jokes! (Sort of). I am doing fine, moving right along. Life is good, the weather cannot decide whether it is зима или лято, and the work is moving forward, little by little. I keep doing my best to try and improve in little ways each day. Eventually I'll get this whole missionary thing figured out! Little by little.

      Mom, I agree--the treadmill is great, but there certainly is a different element to getting out there on the open road. It is tougher, but, in my opinion, more exhilarating. Keep it up! Also, thank you for keeping me updated about Sister Dilg--she might not be cringing at your playing, but she might get a slight twitch in the eye from my fanatics at the keyboard every Sunday morning. She truly was (and is) a wonderful lady. Tell Brother Dilg thank you for holding down that Men's Section--I love him. Alright, questions. So the group behind us were already here when we got here, but the group behind them is the one that is delayed. We didn't share an apartment with the other Elders here in Shumen, so they likely spent all day today giving their place a serious wipe down--the mission will still hold onto to it (because it is a very nice apartment), but it will just have to wait to be occupied again. Elder Kingsley has been serving for about 10 months (8 in Bulgaria). He has served here in Shumen and in Stara Zagora. We went to the store today to look at cameras, but they were all pretty pricey--I am fairly certain I can find a cheaper one that will do just fine, but it will have to wait another week. So sorry! I promise I will send lots of pictures in the coming weeks. Also, Elder Kingsley said that it usually takes about a month for a package to arrive, so you are doing just fine. If you have a chance, could you put some Day-Quill or something similar in there? Medicine isn't too expensive here, but that is one thing that is hard to find. Thank you so much, I love you with all my heart dear Mother. 

      Dad, I thought of you this week--we bought some Doritos (weird, right?), and I thought of the stories you would tell about eating Doritos with straight cheddar cheese. That gave me a good chuckle. I love you so much Father, and am grateful for the example of dedication to the Lord that you have provided for all of us children. Now, being on my own, I see more and more how who you are has shaped me and molded me. I still have a long ways to go, but thank you for your example, Father. I love you so much!

      Grandma and Grandpa--I am glad to hear that you are coming back to the old country! I agree about the walking program--if I had realized JUST how much walking I was going to be doing, I would have done a training program too! I love you, and am grateful for your example. Обичам те,  Дядо и Баба!

     Paige, every time I see a car with a big У (за ученик, or student) on the top, I think of you. Be safe, I love you. Treasure the time you have now in High School--who you become now will be a foundation for who you will be in the future. Make sure it is a good foundation! Say hello to the Choir folks for me. I love you so much, and I hope you didn't get TOO much into the Valentines spirit! Eh.....bleh.

     Ronnie, sounds like you are the star of the show--just make sure you don't "quack" under the pressure! Jokes! I'm sure you haven't heard that one a million times in the last month or so. In any case, I love you a lot, always be a good example--I promise people are watching you. Do all you can to always have the spirit with you, and you will be blessed with missionary opportunities. Seek them out, pray for them, pay attention, and they will come, I promise. I love you so much brother. Make the Hardy boy's proud! (Also, read Preach My Gospel!).

     Lizzie, I just love the image of you running around in that little pack of ducklings, blond hair flapping around, a big smile on your face. Keep singing, keep being a great example. Always remember that I love you, and that as people see who you are, even now, they will want to know what makes you that way. Share it! I love you so much.

     Valentines Day as a missionary...definitely not the same experience as in previous years. The celebration here is actually fairly large (many people had the day off from work, school, etc...), so we spent a good amount of time out on the streets talking to people as they enjoyed the wintery sun. We tried to talk with a LOT of couples that day. It was actually fairly funny--sometimes the man would stop, and the woman would brush us off, and sometimes vise-versa. It was quite funny. There were quite a few nervous looking young men with slicked up hair and roses tucked into back pockets running around that day as well--strange enough, they all seemed to be in quite the hurry. Funny how that works. 

      In any case, this week was a good week--it started off with a long bus ride to Sofia for some passport work. I spent the trip with Elder Slinker, our current District leader (he needed to do passport work as well)--he, even more than Elder Harkness (the other Elder I went on exchanges with) has very little fluency in the language (actually considerably less than me) even though he has been in country for a year; however, he is a great example of working hard, no matter what--he is absolutely fearless in talking to people, even though he struggles to understand what they say back to him. He talks with everyone and brother, and their dog too. It is inspiring. Great missionary. It is about doing our part, and letting the Lord make up the difference, without a doubt.

      The work is moving along, with setbacks along the way, but it still moves forward--we had three baptismal dates for this month, but they have systematically fallen through or had to be moved back as the month has gone along--we had a great lesson with Silvia this week, but when it came down time for her to choose whether or not to be baptized, she could not gather the courage. She felt the spirit, she understands what it will mean for her life, but now is not the time for her. That was hard, but we will move forward. We are hopeful for Suzana and Georgi and Nickolai in the coming month--we have work to do with all of them, but if we are diligent, they all have the potential to make this wonderful covenant with their Heavenly Father, to show their love and appreciation and trust in Jesus Christ.

      That is my testimony this week--the relationship that we have and make with Jesus Christ is so important. He love us so much, more than we know. I was reading in Isaiah 53:3-5 (and in Mosiah, 14:3-5 I believe), and I was just filled with an overwhelming sense of the love and care and desire the Savior has for us to be with Him again. He is there, waiting for us to turn to him, to just believe in him, to show a little bit of faith, and he will heal us. He will give us strength, he will give us peace. This I know. I encourage everyone to think a little bit more about the Savior this week, and what he means in our life. How lucky we are to know of his Gospel!

       I love you all so much, I am doing great, sorry if I didn't cover everything. This Gospel is true, read the Book of Mormon!

With lots of love,

Elder Hardy

Reach for the Sky!

Здравейте Семейството ми!

        Hello! Thank you so much for the wonderful letter, as always. The spirit that I feel as I read of your wonderful examples, escapades, and testimonies neer fails to give me a little boost. Sometimes one can feel disconnected from the goal of this work, but everytime I read these letters, it reminds me why I strive to teach these people--so that them and their children and their children's children can have the joy and peace and direction that are provided to one's family because of the Gospel. I love you so much! 

       Mom; the sickness has been going around here as well, but I believe I have managed to avoid it--I got a little cough, but soon recovered. It is so fun to hear about your running escapades--don't worry, it will get fun! For me, if I can get past the first 5 or 6 steps, it usually turns out all right. Keep it up! As for sending SD cards, it would probably be better for me to just buy them here--I still have my extra one, and the mission gave us a specific flashdrive to back up pictures onto, so I should be good. I had sent most of the pictures that I had taken (the important ones anyway), so as long as we have those emails, we are good. It is still a bummer though! No worries. In terms of a birthday package, Cliff Bars sound awesome, along with anything small and chocolate. Chocolate covered raisins are not really to be found here as well. Really, the things that you have sent before and the cliff bars...I trust you. I can probably get socks here, and the Hymn Books as well. Last request however, and it is going to sound wierd: Elder Kingsley has really been craving Buffalo Wild Wings Sauce--I am not 100% sure what flavor or whatever, or how one even obtains that, but if you could look it into that, it would be great. He is a great guy, and I think it would be fun to surprise him. You are the best Mom, and I love you so much!

       Dad, thank you again for you wonderful letter--your encouragement and advice speaks volumes. I hope that the EMR gets up and running quickly--one of the investigators here in Shumen is a doctor, and I always think of you whenever we interact with him. Thanks for the council about my investigators--it truly needs to be the spirit that softens their heart and leads them to want to change, to become more like the Savior, to join this Church, to live his Gospel. Dad, the more I serve as a missionary, the more and more I appreciate the weight and responsibility of serving as a Bishop--I am sure I understand very little of the breadth and depth, but I just want you to know that I love you, and have immense respect for you. If we could put one priesthood holder like you in every branch in Bulgaria...it would do immesurable good. I love you, you are my example!

       Paige. I love you so much, and just cannot get over how beautiful you are in that picture, and how much you look like Jordan! I am sure that you blew their socks off at Solo and Ensemble--don't worry about not going to State--if you were the girl who was a Freshman in Jazz Choir and a Sophomore at Solo and Ensemble, you might not be able to make it through the Hallways for the throng of people trying to get your autograph, and that would be annoying. I love you, keep strengthening your testimony of the Book of Mormon. It is so vital!

      Ronnie, you look like a champ on that court! No sleeves, no worries, right? Have fun, score some baskets. Good times! Also, know that I am so proud of you for choosing not to play on Sundays--remember that, make it a concious choice, feel the spirit from that decision. It will be a strength to you in the future. When you sit across from someone in a lesson, and invite them to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy, you will have greater testifying power because you conciously chose to live it yourself. Remember that! I love you, read PMG, I think you are one of a kind, a rockstar!

       Lizzie, I hope your finger gets feeling better! Jammed fingers are no fun! Also, have I already told you how awesome it is that you play the Cello? It is a very refined and dignified instrument for a very refined and dignified and disciplined young lady. And also a silly one! Always remember it is ok to be silly sometimes. Life is just better that way. When I grow up, I hope to be just like you Lizzie. I love you so much!

         Thank you so much for the news about Sister Dilge--please, give Brother Dilge my love. It fills me with joy to know that you are so in tune with the spirit as a family. We will see her again, of that we can be sure.

        This week, we have been pondering as a companionship about some of the council that we have been given as a mission about how to raise the bar with our work, to be even better than we have been, to really see the work progress. As I was pondering these principles, these high expectations and high standards, I came across 3 Nephi 26:9-11, and it really struck me about how the Lord expects his people to learn and grow--yes, he wants us to learn all we need to learn, to become all we need to become, do all we need to do. However, it is not wise or effective to try to work on everything at once--we must show true faith and application of those things that we have already have been given to learn and to understand and to apply before we move on. In essencse, I learned that you don't climb a mountain atttempting a standing broad jump from the base to the peak--it takes steps! It was a great revelation this week.

         Also, we learned this week that, due to new missionaries being delayed, we very well could be losing the other set of Elders in Shumen, so it will just be Elder Kingsley and I here in Shumen this next transfer (we are both staying). Consequently, I have also been called to be the District Leader--if we do get new missionaries, then we will still have another set here in Shumen, and that will be our District, but otherwise, I will be the District leader of...Elder Kingsley and I. Not exactly sure how this will work, but I know the Lord will be our guide as we strive to do his work. I only hope that, with his help, I can fulfill these new responsibilities, whatever they turn out to be. Missionary work is funny!

        I know this Gospel is true, I love it with all my heart, I want the world to know it, I know that the Lord will strengthen my weaknesses, which are many, if I turn to him. Mother, I agree--if we make it the desire of heart to know him, then will we be blessed with that opportunity. You are the best, I love you all!

Със трайна любов,

Старейшина Харди

"I search Hope, please?"

Семейството Ми!

      здравейте! Много се радвам да чета твоето писмо! Thanks for the wonderful letter! It sounds like another great week at the Hardy home. So much neat stuff. I got a wonderful update from Grandma B this week--she is a wonderful lady!

       Mom; we teach English classes in our church "building"--there usually aren't a ton of people, so it isn't too terribly difficult, but it is still fun. They are more "discussions" as opposed to actual courses (we basically teach them a slower version of the lessons, then help them with their English. We do everything we can to make it a spiritual experience. It is actually really neat). We find students by giving everyone we talk to who knows any English a card with the information on it. People will sometimes call out to us in English as we walk by, so we always backtrack and give them an English card. We shop for food on Mondays at Kaufland (a German-owned "super" market that is about the size of a large Walgreens), but if something goes bad during the week (there aren't very many preservatives in the food), there is a little tiny corner store in the bottom of about every block, so we can pick stuff up at one of those. We still take an hour for language study, and I am starting to understand more--specifics still are sketchy, but I am getting more and more of the main thrust. I'll talk about the phone in a second. Also, I changed my mind about the plaque scripture--could you put 1 Thess. 2:8 on there instead? Thank you so much! I am sending a picture.

      Sounds like you are working hard on your running goal (yea!), and that your Sunday School class is wonderful--we need to get some students for Sunday School before we merit a teacher of your caliber! I love you so much, and am so grateful for all you have taught me!

      Dad, you are a wonderful example to me--I was making some personal/life goals the other day, and I realized that I was planning my life to be pretty much exactly like yours. I love you so much, and am grateful for you. Keep on running--don't hurt yourself, old man! Jokes--you're still a spring chicken! Love you.

      Paige. Crazy fun and cool! You are going to Monterrey! Knock their socks off, little sister--when you went last time, you were the new kid on the block, now you are one of the leaders. Show them how it is done! I hope you know that I think you are beautiful and wonderful, and that I can't believe that you are almost 16. Too old! I love you so much. 

     Ronnie, it sounds like you are turning into the regular renaissance man; I just had an image of you coming home from your basketball game, pulling off your sweaty Nike Elites, and plopping down to just strum a few bars on the ol' guitar for the talent show. You know, just to pass the time before you take a lead role in the local musical, while simultaneously working on scouting and keeping up in school. You know, no biggie. You are awesome, I love you so much!

      Lizzie, you hair is so long! Also, that is a nice looking jacket.When I am feeling tired, I should just think of you and I will get a shot of energy--you do that for people! I love you with all my heart. Keep it up!

      Bad news first--I lost my camera, so I am sending pictures off of my companion's--I will get a new one as soon as possible. I most likely left it sitting somewhere, and it got creatively borrowed. That happens, no worries. 

      In other news, this has been a very interesting week--it started off fairly normally, but around Wednesday, Elder Kingsley started to feel very sick, and he broke out in a fever. Fortunately (but again adding another weird twist to the week), the Assistants to the President came down from Sofia this week to do a two-day exchange with us (they like to do exchanges with younger trainers, and Elder Kingsley is still fairly young in the mission). However, because Elder Kingsley was down for the count both days of the exchange, I ended up working with both Assistants--they switched off being inside with Elder Kingsley, and being out with me. They are both astounding missionaries, and I learned a lot--Elder De Saint Jour has an amazing ability to relate with everyone (we got everyone and their brother's number out on the street), and Elder Richard has a semi-photographic memory, and consequently has a larger Bulgarian vocabulary than a good number of Bulgarians. It was fun to work with both of them, and I learned a lot about what it means to truly be an effective missionary. After they left, Elder Kingsley still wasn't feeling good, so I have spent a lot of time on the phone and in the Area Book the last day and a half--if you had told me 12 months ago that I would go to bed feeling like a Bulgarian telemarketer the next Februray...I wouldn't have believed you. It was very good though--it definitely strengthened my Bulgarian skills, and generated the title to this Email. I will explain:

      In Bulgarian, to say that you are looking for someone in particular (on the phone, or at a door), you use the same verb for "to search or inquire." As I was calling potential investigators, I came across a woman named Надежда: hope. Consequently, when someone picked up the phone, I found myself saying "Търся Надежда," which literally means, "I search hope." I had a good chuckle about that one. 

      The more and more I teach and study about the Message of the Restoration, the more and more I realize how vital it is that we recognize the prophet-hood of Joseph Smith, and come to know, from the spirit, that he was called of God and that he received the AUTHORITY to act it the name of Christ. There are so many voices that proclaim so many ways to know God, or even voices that say it doesn't matter what way you know Him, just that you know Him. Family, my testimony is that this is the way, and that there is no other way. I know beyond a doubt that Jesus Christ taught one Gospel, baptized by one authority, and that authority is here in this Church, because here is found His Priesthood. How blessed we are to know! If only everyone we taught could understand that principle! I invite you, family, to read the Book of Mormon, and pray to know if Joseph Smith truly was a prophet. It is vital knowledge!

      In any case, I love you so much, and think the world of you. I am doing great. Love you!

Elder Hardy


Picture for the plaque - pick one!