Wednesday, December 22, 2010

O' CANADA!


Why hello, everyone!
 
I hope that everybody is enjoying the Christmas spirit! Sydney is alive and well with all the lights and the decorations! Thank the heavens for this wonderful time!
 
If any of you have ever been to Disneyland and have ridden the ride dubbed "Mr Toads Wild Ride" than you have some degree of how my week has been here in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia! And what a week it has been!
 
So I arrived into Canada at midnight tuesday. Was up til about two a.m. The guys were excited and we were all happy to finally make it to Canada. The next day we went to the Canada Halifax temple. This was remarkable for me! Thank the heavens that there is a temple here in my mission!
 
So Elder Gammell and I drove all day thursday back to Sydney. It was about a 5 hour drive. I did not realize how many little lakes there are here in Canada! They are everywhere! Here there, some over there, and it baffles me how much water some areas can handle! No need for sprinklers here in the maritimes of Canada!
 
So as I said before this week has been an extremely wild week! Elder Gammell and I had to move to another apartment down in sydney because the other elders that are here are opening up the north sydney branch and they need to be closer to north sydney. The town is actually wonderful. You see tons of sea cottages houses with white and blue coloring on them! They all look pretty much the same! Still, it was very wonderful.
 
So we do a lot of tracting here in Sydney. This was such an alarm to me. It tested my wits, my pose, but also my guts. Oh boy. I was so nervous. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what to say. I was twitching, my legs shaking, and my thoughts were running rampid. I approached the door...knocked....no answer. Phew. We went to the next house on the street, and Elder Gammell goes...again. I knocked and they opened it. It was an older lady and I said "Hi, my friend here and I are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints...' Her reply "Not interested." And she shut the door. All I did after I finished my line, was just to smile. We kept going and it is becoming easier and easier. Thank the heavens! People are that bad, and when you find the prepared people that really want to hear your message you feel like a million bucks! :D
 
On one of our outings for tracting, we came across a man named Byron. I was the one to knock on the door...of course...I gave a simple message of prophets and how they can guide us today through Jesus Christ. Elder Gammell gave some more information and he actually let us in. In my mind, I did not think that we were going to get inside of his home. But we managed. We got let in, he said he had 6 dogs, a parrot, and a rat. This guy, to my knowledge, must be an amature zoologist. Anyhow, Elder Gammell started from Joseph Smith and went into the book of Mormon. He said that I was to share about Joseph Smith and his prayer in the woods. I explained it and recited the first vision as stated in Preach My Gospel. (Future missionaries, memorize this...it does wonders for you. Its in the first lesson of P.M.G in the Joseph Smith section) He seemed to be intrigued. We said a prayer at the beginning and end of our lesson. Elder Gammell asked if he would say it...he said "Sure, how do I do it." And he said of the the most amazing prayer I have heard from somebody for their first time. So we set up a return appointment and we are off to the races with him! How exciting is that! :D
 
We also have an investigator who Elder Gammell taught before I got here. This was my first lesson here in the field of my mission. His name is Kimi. He is from china attending the local college. He really has the desire to know if the Gospel is true. He is very unique, he is a tad shy but has a heart of gold. He really has the desire to know if it is true. He has a baptismal date for Jan. 1st and I believe that he can make it to that date! If he becomes truley converted, he will do wonders for many! He is sooo awesome! He learns incredibly fast and considers us as friends...for I consider him the first chinese person I have met! LEGIT, huh! :D
 
Sunday rolled around and it was great! We have a little branch here in Sydney and the members are really really nice! They have looked after us and have welcomed me with open arms! We had Kimi come to church and he loved the hymns and the feelings he got there! Again, he has a heart of gold. So I will be speaking next sunday and the topic is on "get to know elder Hardy". Oh....my...police! (in the words of Michael Hoggard) Its a pretty big crowd of 50 members that you get to know very personally! Scary...
 
So we will be everywhere christmas day. From the Brewsters (recent converts who are sooo awesome and funny!) and the over to the Demeyeres (great...great food). We have a lamp decorated with lights for our make shift christmas tree at our apartment! Bwhahaha! It so legit! :D
 
My spiritual message for the week is simple. Remember why we celebrate Christmas. Remember to thank the heavens this year for this blessed time to be with families but also for Jesus Christ. Read the verses in Luke 2 and in Matthew 2 for they do invite the spirit of this season. So do this and I know that this christmas will be something to remember always! Have a merry, merry, christmas!
 
Love, yours truly, Elder Morgan Hardy!
 
p.s. For friends you must write me letters. Because I cannot email friends. So letters will be coming! The Canadaian mail is not as good as the USAs but it has to manage! Love you all!

Hello!

Hi everyone...

As you all may know, Morgan left the MTC this week and headed to Nova Scotia.  We got a quick email from the mission home letting us know that he arrived there safe and that he will be serving in a little town of Novia Scotia called "Sydney" which is as far as you can go north in Nova Scotia. 

I think this boy is in for an adventure -- not a big city feel but rather a layed back town that used to have a lot of mining.  I can't wait to hear from him and to learn of his travels -- we get to talk with him on Christmas.

I have attached one picture of them when they arrived....

thanks for all your support.
 

Morgans #2 Letter Nov 29, 2010

Hi everyone -- Morgan sent another letter by mail as he is still having a hard time to get on the computers at the MTC...  So I will be his assistant and type his letter for him.  It was sure good to get this letter as I hadn't heard from him since his first few days.   I was glad he had a good thanksgiving as I was a bit worried how he was going to handle being away from home during this time.  Thanks for all your support for my missionary boys...  Have a great week.

Dear family and friends.

Hey, I had a moment to write this morning as my companion is finishing his letter to his parents.  We just had a morning devotional with Elder Jeffry R. Holland, quorum of the twelve.  He got up and wanted us to be thankful for today, it being Thanksgiving.  I saw him with his family and thought of all of you with your families.

Sister Holland spoke and she was kind a like the mother for back home and gave us great insight.  Elder Holland got up and started talking about the savior.  He gave 3 reasons to be thankful for today...

1.  That the savior knows us personally by our first name.  powerful ain't it?  He told us to ponder this.  I believe this with all my heart and mind.  I believe this.

2.  Give compassion to the poor.  The savior always went to the poor.

3.  God and the atonement.  Jesus Christ had to do this alone.  Even when Judas betrayed him with a kiss, he still called him friend.  Amazing.  Poor Judas.  The Savior knew what was happening, he knew what Judas was doing and he called him friend.

The father could not be with the son.  He did that alone.  The father had to watch his son go through this alone as he was put on the cross (john 3:16)  For god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him, should not parish but have ever lasting life"

We just had Thanksgiving Dinner.  Oh how weird that was.  It wasn't a normal Thanksgiving.  It made me miss you all however know that two years is only 2 minutes 35 seconds to the Lord and know I don't have a lot of time to be a missionary and I must work hard and do my best. 

I love you all.  I love my savior.  God speed.

Elder Morgan Hardy (your son and friend)

Monday, November 22, 2010

First Letter from Morgan -- MTC

Dear Family.

Today was a very intense day!  I regret leaving you guys so fast and not hugging you guys for longer :(  But all is well.

I met my companion.  His name is Jason Marks.  He is from Boston and is a convert to the church.  He is a real hard worker and we are both committed to getting each other better.  I really like him.  The rest of the district is awesome.  Good bunch of guys!  There are 6 other Elders going to Canada (including me).  We have another 6 guys and they are going to Oregon.  Its small and I am curious why.  We have an Elder Farnsworth, Elder Biddneff, Elder Kenly, and an Elder Maddmeyer.  They are all going to Halifax.

Today was, like I said, intense.  We went and met the district, then dinner, but had a meeting before.  We did this investigator thing in a giant room.  This is when I felt like "what am I doing in here?"  I seemed to get everything wrong.  But I reassured myself and I prayed.

When you dropped me off at the MTC the Elders at the curb were like "oh my gosh - is that your sister?"  Yeah, I guess I am going to get that my whole mission! blah....

But all is well.  This is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever done.  I put my trust, my faith in him and thank him for this blessing.  It will be hard, but all will be well.  I love you all - pray for me!

Elder Morgan Hardy