Doing the Hard Things

Family Mine! 

     Thank you so much for the wonderful letter! It sounds like things are going great at home. I love you all so much. This week has been a great one, like usual! This week we had the opportunity to meet with quite a few of our investigators at the beginning and end of the week, which was great, and during the middle of the week, we were on exchanges in Pleven, with Elder Thorn and Elder Slinker (the 6-8 farmer from Kentucky). As we worked together, and as I prayed to know how I could best help this wonderful Elder, I was struck by how clearly and quickly the Lord led me to study where I needed to study to know what he (and I) could both do to improve as missionaries. If we are clean, if we desire, and if we truly search, the Lord will use us as his instruments. On the down side, I lost my Quad on the Bus from Pleven, but it is ok--maybe it is a sign that I need to start reading only in Bulgarian! Other than that, we have done our best to just work our brains out this week, and we have seen blessings from the Lord--they usually don't come in the way that we expect, but they always come. More on that later.

      Mother; I will probably end up giving some of it away--Elder Howard doesn't eat candy, so I better, otherwise I will end up with rotten teeth! Thank you so much, again however--I plan on reading the letters today, and I am very excited. Just a thought about the idea of persecution--when Elder Nelson came, some missionaries asked him how we should react to persecution, or how we can avoid it (something along those lines), and his response was wonderful--"the truth has always been laughed at and scorned--I would take persecution as a sign that you are doing the job right!". Obviously, it is more than ridiculous to seek out persecution, but we cannot let it stop us from being firm in the truth. I love you so much, have a great week!

     Father; High Adventure! I am glad that you are alive and well--whenever I feel tired, or think to myself, "Wow, that was a long day today!", I think about you and I feel better. I am glad that you all came back alive, with all of your limbs and joints in place. What is the name of the family that recently became active? How are the Yukl family doing? I love you so much Father!

     Rees; I love you brother. I ended up talking to a French man on the Tramvais this week, and as I was trying to talk to him in my broken and mostly non-existent French, I couldn't help but think "I need Rees right now!". Have a great week!

      Paige; I love you little Sister! Keep doing the right things, keep on dancing. Do you enjoy the Stake Dances now? I hope you do. I love you so much!

     Ronnie; have fun with the lacrosse! I love you little Brother, keep reading the Book of Mormon, keep doing what is right. I love you!

     Lizzie; I love you so much, Sister mine. This week, we met someone named Elizabeth, and I thought of you! Keep smiling, and being wonderful. I love you!

      This week we had a really neat experience with one of our investigators--he had been getting training for his new work for a month, with the promise of a job at the end of the training, and he was very excited. However, on the last day of the training, for no good reason, they told him that, despite his hard work for them, they were actually going to give the job to another. He was devastated. However, out of the blue, the next day, he was offered a MUCH better job, unexpectedly. As we sat and talked to him about the Restoration, and about the Joseph Smith story, the Spirit was incredibly strong. He kept saying how he knew that God had helped him, and that now it was up to him to find out exactly what God wanted for him. At the end of the lesson he said, "I see now--I am just like Joseph Smith!" We are extremely excited for him.

       Just a quick note, seeing as I am shorter on time than I want to be--as I read about the High Adventure this week, it reminded me of something that Brother Egan had always told us about the reason for going on High Adventures, that they were to teach us that we could do hard things. This week, as we have been focusing on working harder, on doing the things that we don't want to do, that aren't fun, but that we know are right, it really struck me how eternal that principle is. Everywhere around us in our life, we will eternally be surrounded by "the easy way out" or "the short-cut" or voices that will tell us that we don't need to go the extra mile, that we can stay where we are at and be fine, voices that will tell us that we don't need to do the things that really matter the most, because they are hard. As I have been a missionary, more and more deeply I have learned that the BEST things come the hardest, that they are always worth the effort. Overcoming the natural man in us is really a test of priorities--will we choose to follow the path our Savior has shown for us, though it be strewn with mountains and hills? What do we care for more--pleasure or comfort in the moment, or true peace and growth in the future? I bear my testimony that as we Follow the Savior's Path, we will become all that we need to be, and we will be happy. I love you all so much, have a great week!

With Love,

Elder Hardy

"There is a light!"

Dear Family Mine,

     What a jam-packed week! I am so glad that you had the chance to go and visit the Church History Sights again--do we really consider what a blessing it is to be able to go to those places and to feel the Spirit that is there, to feel our Heavenly Father confirm to us the truthfulness of his great and marvelous work in these Latter-Days? So many faithful members never have had, or never may have the chance to do so. No matter where we are, the Spirit bears witness to us of the truthfulness of the Restoration, but nonetheless, what a blessing. 

       This week has been a good one--again we were on exchanges, and I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Elder Hughs, from Texas. He is a great missionary. As usual, during the week there are the best of times, and there are the worst of times--we had an outstanding lesson with a wonderful young man with a real desire to learn the Gospel, but he lives and studies in Scotland, so we got him connected with the missionaries there. We were contacting in a park, and we started to talking to the tallest Bulgarian man who I have ever met (a former European Volleyball Star--he was at least 6'8"), and he actually showed some interest in meeting with us, which was exciting (though we may have to ask him to sit in the back row when he comes to church), and we had a Sports Activity as a Branch on Saturday (thank goodness for being on the dance committee--invaluable skills!). We had lots of lessons fall through this week, and people still don't seem to want to pick up their phone, but it is alright--we are moving forward!

      Mother; the package is here, and everything is as it was sent (I am assuming)--Thank you so much! It may seem sort of strange, but I think one of my favorite parts of receiving a package or letters is to see your perfect, pristine hand-writing, dear Mother. It is strangely comforting. Also, thank you for the hair stuff--it will go to good use! I love reading about your Sunday School lessons, dear mother--I feel like I am right in the class! I have read a good bit of Jesus the Christ, and loved it, but as of now, I am focusing on some other study materials. It is so well written however, I agree! Thank you so much for your diligent service. Also, да знаеш, I agree--your haircuts are great. I love you Mother, again, thank you so much for all you do for us!

      Father; back to the grindstone it sounds like! Thank you so much for how hard you work for us--please know that we really do appreciate it. We love you so much. How are the youth in the Ward doing? How are Steven and Austen? I love you Father, have a great week!

      Rees; do you work with Vaughn Durfee? All I know is that he used to do that job. I love you, Brother, keep being great. Onward, ever onward, tag or no!

      Paige, it would be very neat for you to be able to be in the pageant! Speaking of Pageants, how are the Moses family? Do you get a chance to interact with them much? Send them my love. Paige, you are beautiful, and you are a daughter of God. When was the last time you read For The Strength of Youth? That is a great guide for life. I love you so much!

      Ronnie; you are so much bigger than most of your cousins. Crazy! I love you little Brother. Don't forget what you learned at the Sacred Grove--I promise you that as a missionary you will hearken back to that experience, and that it will give you strength. Keep being wonderful, love your Sisters. I love you!

      Lizzie; those Zuchinni are almost bigger than you! Keep being a good example, I love you so much. Keep reading the Book of Mormon!

      This week, we had an interesting experience, which, in combination with a few other things, has really made me think about the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and about how much of a difference it really makes, and what blessings are available to those who live worthily of it. We were eating dinner, when a young man, a former investigator, called us to ask if we were doing anything, if we wanted to meet up. We had planned to go and do some street contacting and tracting that evening, so we agreed to meet up. Long story short, he ended up just wanting to talk, not necessarily have a lesson or anything, so we, jokingly, invited him to come and contact with us. To our surprise, he agreed! Throughout the night, he kept commenting about how different we seemed to be than all of the people that we talked to, how there was just a different feeling when he talked to them from when he talked to us. I wish I had more time to fill in the details on the rest of the story (they are funny--he did not react well to rejection, even if it was ours, not his. I never thought I would hear someone swear so vehemently while walking away from a street approach), but the moral of the story is that when we live righteously, when we have the Holy Ghost with us, we truly are made different. It gives us a light. We must always live worthy of his company. 

I love you so much, have a great week!

     

Elder Hardy

On The Road Again!

Dear Family Mine!

      Thank you so much for the wonderful letter and pictures! I really enjoyed the picture of Paige, Hailey, Maddie and Makayla--how time flies! I am glad to hear that the Family Reunion went well, and that no serious injuries were incurred. Family really is the most important thing--this week in Sacrament Meeting, for whatever reason, all of the families with young children decided to come, and fewer of the older members--it felt like primary for the first hour! It was wonderful however; family really is the foundation stone for the rest of our interactions with those around us--if we can learn to be followers of Jesus Christ together, as a family, we will be able to endure all the trials and temptations that are around us. Great things! This week we were back on the road for exchanges--down to Blagoevgrad again! I worked with Elder Green here in Sofia, and we had some good experiences together. He is a great man and a great missionary. It really is a privilege to work with so many great Elders.

        Mother; things are going great here! Summer is in full swing, and a good number of people have headed on their European Vacations (three, four weeks at the Sea; no big deal!), so Sofia is a little more dead than usual, but the work still moves on. President Barclay is from Idaho, and he does not really speak the language, but he and Sister Barclay are doing a good job learning--they have made improvement in just the short time they have been here! He worked as a Welder, then a businessman. He is really a wonderful, gentle man. I am glad that you got to go around Rees's mission--there are so many details that are just so hard to capture in letters. I love you so much, Mother. Thank you for all that you do for us!

       Father; this week, I learned a new word in Bulgarian--Трудолюбив (troo-do-loo-bee-v), which means diligent, or hard-working (literally "labor-loving"), and I thought of you. Thank you so much for all that you have taught me, I love you so much. Have a great week!

       Rees--what a blessing! I love you, and hope that you know that I look to you as a great example. I have forgotten most of my French except for "I studied French for four years, but I forgot. Sorry."--it usually gets me by! Love you.

       Paige--I love you little Sister. How much of the French did you understand? Keep being a great example to your friends, and to all around you. And stay friends with your cousins--it will always be a blessing! Ehh...bleh!

       Ronnie; that is some smile! I love you a lot Brother, always remember how important it is to serve a Mission, and what a blessing it is. We truly have been given much, and it is our responsibility to then give again. Keep reading Preach My Gospel, I love you!

       Elizabeth; did you have a good time seeing those Roper kids? I hops so--you are going to be (and already are) a great example for them (and for me!). If I could smile like you could, everyone on the streets here would want to talk with us! I love you so much, have a great week.

       This week we had a lesson about the Word of Wisdom with one of our investigators with a baptismal date, a great man who has seen a lot of hardship in his life, but really has risen above it in many, many ways. As we talked about the power of keeping the commandments of God, and of the blessings that come from it, it really struck me again, how the Lord really does look out for our every need, if we will just listen to his guidance. I know that through a Latter-Day Prophet, the Lord gave us the protection that we need for our bodies to not only be healthy physically, but to truly become like temples, wherein the Holy Ghost may reside. Our dear friend agreed, but said he wasn't quite ready for that at this point, but in any case, it strengthened my testimony of these principles. Please pray for him. He is a great man!

      I love you all so much, this Gospel is true, we truly are so blessed to know it! Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Hardy

 The street board! Good times.

Elder Howard...

The Changing of the Guard

Dear Family Mine!

      Thank you again, as always, for the wonderful letter! I really am so blessed to have such a wonderful, beautiful family. There is such strength in family, there is incredible power in being together, I know that the family is God's greatest tool for bringing us happiness. They are a key part of his plan, and there is no more powerful or more important social unit on the earth. It is my prayer that we will always remember that. Think about that this week as you enjoy a wonderful time with the Hardy Clan. Give my love to all of them!

      This week was a great week and a sad week, all in one; President Wilstead and Sister Wilstead are now back in the United States, which is extremely strange to think about--they truly have done so much for this mission and for this wonderful country, and they will be sorely missed. I will always remember the absolute confidence and boldness that President Wilstead exudes--he was not one to mince words or to pull punches, he told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, without exception, without hesitation. I will always remember him with enormous respect. On Tuesday, President Barclay arrived, and he is so different, but he is so wonderful--I have only known him for a few days, but it is impossible to not know that he is a man who walks with God. He is so humble and extremely gentle, but when he speaks, one can feel his love for the Lord, and his absolute trust in him. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to have known both of them. What a blessing!

      Mother; Thank you so much for the package! Whether it gets here, or whenever it gets here, thank you! I am so grateful for your letters and for your testimony. The garden looks wonderful--I still remember when the whole property was just cat-tails, dust, and brambles. Now it is beautiful! I love you so much, thank you for all you do for me. Give a big hug to the whole family from me!

      Father, thank you for the pictures, and thank you for the hard work that you do for our family. Sometimes when we are running around from appointment to appointment, we get so busy that we don't have time to eat, and I think of you--it truly is amazing however, how the Lord gives strength to those who are engaged in a good work. We will come to the end of the day and realize, "Wow, we haven't eaten since 11:00--how did we have energy to get through that crazy day?"--I know that it is the Lord. Whenever that happens, I think about Doctor Bishop, and smile. I love you Father, give a fish-hook to your brothers from me!

     Rees--do you remember those jousting things at Carbon Lodge? I will never forget the headache after Eric Larson hit you with one of those jousting things. Crazy! I love you, work hard!

     Paige; you are so beautiful!  Make sure and be careful on that tube! Also, say hello to Gracee Miller for me--I am glad that you two are still friends! I love you so much, keep being such a great example to all those around you, don't talk to boys!

     Ronnie; Free at last, Free at last! I am glad that you have such a good group of friends. This morning I was reading in Chapter One of Preach My Gospel, and it struck me how important it is to understand those principles not only as missionaries, but as members of the Church. Have you had a chance to read PMG recently? I love you little brother!

      Elizabeth; Again I will say, Free at Last, Free at last! You are so beautiful, little sister. Say hello to all the cousins for me, will you? I love you, little sister.

     This week Elder Howard and I have been hard at work, and it has been a lot of fun--the weather is good, people are out and about (those who are not on vacation at the sea), and the work moves forward. This week Elder Howard and I set up a street board, which was a lot of fun--I forgot to take pictures, but I will send you some next week for certain. The man who walked into church has been progressing, reading the Book of Mormon and praying, so we are excited for him, and there looks to be progress on a few other fronts, so we are excited. 

      As I have been pondering this week, I have been struck by the absolute necessity of two things in our life: first, constant and sincere prayer. There is real power in prayer. We cannot overcome ourselves and put off the natural man without it, we cannot stay on the path lacking it, and life is just plain-out tougher when we forget it. I have been thinking a lot lately about how I can improve some of the things in my work that are lacking, and that I know are lacking, but I just cannot seem to get myself to the place that I want to be. As I was laying in bed one night however, pondering, it struck me "Am I relying on the Lord to help me change these things, or am I relying solely on "grit, spit, and a whole lot of will power"? As we humble ourselves in prayer, recognize that we need His help to change, and ask for his assistance, I know it comes. In moments of weakness, comes renewed power, in moments of confusion, comes inexplicable clarity, in moments of discouragement, comes fresh hope. Of that, I am a witness. Second: we need to rely on the spirit, for without it, we cannot be effective servants of the Lord. The spirit is what converts, both us, and those we teach. The most eloquent argument will never convince, but if we can help those around us (and help ourselves) to have powerful encounters with the spirit of the Lord, we will come to stay, and never fall away. He knows how to do his own work, and if there is anything that I have learned in my time as a missionary, it is that I certainly don't! If we listen to his whisperings, I know we will be happy.

     Family, I love you so much, have a great week!

With a Smile,

Elder Hardy