Wow, I laughed and smiled so much reading this letter, I couldn't get a hold of myself! Thank you so much for your wonderful happy spirits and wonderful examples. I really cannot express how grateful I am to be able to open up my Email every week and truly be lifted up by your words and pictures and smiles and testimonies. God truly has been so kind to me, I cannot express how grateful I feel. It just envelops my whole being, from toes to nose and even higher! I love you so much.I am glad that you got my letter--I was starting to get scared that it got lost in the mail. I am glad that you like it, and hope you will smile at the corniness and feel of the sincerity. I told Rees's story about the Chinese to my companion, and they got a good laugh about it--I have definitely felt that feeling as well;when we walk past people who are talking to each other in other languages (especially Turkish), my heart skips a beat and I seem to flash back to those first few weeks being in Bulgaria, the feeling of seeing someone earnestly trying to communicate with you, and you not having the FAINTEST clue what they are trying to say to you. It really is a panic-inducing feeling! Thanks for that story.
This week we had a really neat opportunity to travel to a nearby village to teach the family of a Bulgarian man who joined the church while he was alone, working in Austia. He came back and made contact with us, and we went out with the Whitings to teach them about the Restoration. During the lesson, his wife and son committed to read the Book of Mormon every day (which they have been doing as a family!), and to be baptized as well. It was such a treat to see how excited and anxious the husband was to teach his wife--he practically was jumping out of his chair every other sentence, trying to make sure that she understood. It truly made me think--in every teaching environment, am I as excited as he was? Do I realize that when I am teaching anyone, I need to teach them as if it were my blood Brother or Sister were hearing it for the first time in their life? It was a great lesson, and a great miracle.
Mother; (snazzy robot!), it really is true about the handwriting thing. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I actually saved the Customs slip from the first package you sent, partially for a keepsake, but also because your handwriting is just so...familiar? Nostalgic? I am not sure. I still remember how, whenever you and Dad would go on a trip or even just out on a date, you would hide in our drawers and beds and everywhere, little construction paper hearts with little messages on them. It was great fun to search for them after you left the house, and truly always helped me to feel your love. Thanks for being a great Mother! Also, that is crazy about Audrey! Tell her that I have met a lot of Armenian people here (especially in Varna), and they are really wonderful people, with very strong faith. She'll do great! Also, thank you for getting things lined up about housing--one less thing to worry about. I love you so much Mother!
Father; Thanks for the pictures! I am glad that you had a chance to go out and to see the Yukls--give them my love and my support. Elder Hazelhofer has been training me how to be a Branch Clerk, and it has been a great experience in learning about how the Church functions, and how serious a responsibility it is to be a Bishop or Branch President. Those are things you just don't quite pick up on as the Priest's Quorm First Assistant! I love you Dad, and am grateful for your faithful service.
Paige; I love you little Sister! In the shower this morning I was singing a Christmas Hymn that we sang in Jazz Choir the year before you got in, but it still made me think of you. I love you so much!
Ronnie; you look very як (it is said like "Yak," the furry-horned-jumping goat thing) as they would say in Bulgarian. Go tell your friends, and they will either be really impressed by how multi-cultural you are, or will think that you have developed a sudden desire love of animals. I love you so much, have a great week, read PMG!
Lizzie; you are so beautiful! I am glad that you get to be around Paige and Ronnie--I hope that you spend every minute you can becoming as close as you can with them! I have learned as a missionary that no relationship progresses without attention being given to it, without some effort being put in. I know you already are very close, and for that I am grateful. I love you so much!
Hearing about Max entering the last 6 months of his mission frightens me, but it also has driven me to reflect a little bit more this week about who and what I have become during my mission, and what I need to do to keep moving forward. Time really jumps ahead with leaps and bounds, but I know that in reality, it moves with the same pace, that a day is still 24 hours, 8 hours sleep, 16 hours to give everything that I have to the Lord. Our time to serve as Missionaries (and as servants of the Lord here on the Earth, really) is so minuscule when compared with the rest of Eternity, there is no reason to be "weary in well doing," for our service is like a sprint! I am so grateful for the scriptures and the guidance that they give us. May we all use every chance that we receive to serve someone around us well, and may we seek them out ever more frequently. I love you all so much!
With Love,
Elder Hardy
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