March 7th

Okay, you all must be wondering whether I am being transferred or not....well....

 

The Lord has blessed me to remain here in Sydney for another six weeks! To be honest, it it is weird to see that I have been in Sydney, Cape Breton for about 3 months! Woah! Hopefully, within that six weeks we can baptize Byron and Ben! The mission is doing great. We have 33 people on date for the month of March. Elder Turner and I pray that we can accomplish that task of adding to that goal! Wouldn't that be nice? :D

 

So the week started off with a slow p-day. We emailed, shopped, then just relaxed at the other Elders apartment. We all took an hour nap. Oh my goodness, that was great! Then we ventured to another lovely meal at the Betts, so I shall tell more about that in just a second.

 

This week was a good week. We taught, knocked, and met a lot of nice people. Cape Breton has its own unique hospitality. I'm sure you've heard of the "Southern Hospitality" but this is kinda like that but just a little less laid back and not as re-fined. But The hospitality is just great! The Cape Bretoners welcome you with open arms and with open hearts. They welcome you and help you. I am so pleased with the attitude and the respect of Cape Breton. One man that we met said that Cape Breton is "god's country." Now, I have noticed one thing. :D When you wear the Cape Breton tartan people tend to be nicer. It is a bit odd but hey when you wear another persons colors that automatically let you in, despite that hospitality. Aw, the beauty of Cape Breton!  Ben, our investigator is always doing simple acts of kindness for us, like giving us candy, soda, ties...yes... :D and all manner of various items. Also Byron offered us to go get something on nearby's Kelly's Mountain. The Brewster's would have us over for every meal if they could! Again, the hospitality of Sydney. :D So I am so thankful to be here for another six weeks in Cape Breton!

 

Byron - I did not get the chance to meet with Byron this week because we were on exchanges. Pity. But Byron came to church yesterday. Now we were introducing ourselves to one another and Byron says "I'm Byron Buick. I am a veterinarian and I am learning how to become a new member." I just sat there and smiled. Just beamed. :D Aw, that was just great!

 

Ben - Now I'm not sure if I told you this, my gut says yes, but Ben paid a fast offering and again, came to church on Sunday! He really likes church. For 3rd hour we did this temple work/ Spirit world lesson, and some were given peoples names and basically acting as the character. begging for their work to be done. Ben got a southern gentleman and got really attached to the character. He asked if he could keep that paper! The little things bless people lives, it touched him, that's for sure.

 

Now one of the best blessing we have in this life is the Book of Mormon. We are read it, pray about it, and see it in a different point of view to gain more knowledge from God. Now when you read the Book of Mormon over again you see new insights every time. I had the spiritual thought at the Betts after dinner, now the surprising part of this is that I didn't know I was doing til I got to the Betts. So thus, sneaking off to the bathroom with a Book of Mormon on hand, I tried to find a thought. I prayed for the Lord to help me and started to flip through. Now the bathroom was intense, frogs looking at you and seemed to be saying "Hurry up...times clicking." Then it came. Jacob 3:2. I have read this over many times, but this one came differently. I had my thought. We had a lovely dinner and then it was show time. I read the scripture...2. "O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever." It is a simple promise. It reminds me of a math problem. 1. Receive the word of God through scriptures and the living Prophets add your heart to the mix and your answer; a feast of love and a mind firm in the truth of the gospel. Simple. Brilliant.

 

So do my math problem, become pure in heart, do not become prideful or arrogant, become submissive, throw your trust into it, and hope for that pure love that Jesus has for you individually, then comes the best part; your minds will become firm, steadfast and valiant. :D  Simple? Indeed.

 

Again, enjoy the week, and feast on the love that Christ gives. For it is the nectar of happiness. :D

 

-Elder Morgan Hardy

Holy Moley...

Hm, to the amazement of ones self and to the disappointments of others, I'm sure, I regret to inform you that your little Elder Hardy was so wrapped up in the final moments of his time emailing that he forgot to send out the email. To be frank, that line made me feel a tad dumb. But, yes, I forgot to email it so now you get double of me! I'm sorry.

 

This week was such an odd week. I really didn't know what was going on til it actually happened. See, planning prevents horrible performance. So thus, I was compelled to actually roll with the punches. But the main highlight of this week was a leadership meeting in a town dubbed Truro (pronouced Churro :D). From my area to that area is about a 3 hour drive. So we drove to New Glasgow to spend a lovely night with the zone leaders. Then another hour to Truro. To Elder Turner adn I's must amusement we were told that we were going to spend the night in Dieppe, New Brunswick. What a night.

 

I went on an exchange with an Elder Clement. A nice kid from washington. I was excited to get going to do get some work done. For when you are in leadership meeting, it is an all day event, so you want to stretch the legs. So the Elder and I went out and knocked some doors. Now President Simpson explained to us that we need to be talking with everyone that we meet including people walking on the streets. So we were at a door and Elder Clements steps back and walks up to these ladies walking by. We start talking to everyone and bam, he gets her number, address, return appointment and we give her a Book of Mormon. Miracle. So thus, being stoked on that we kept going down the street. Where we met this drunk guy who wanted a toonie, and Elder Clement abliged. :D We then knocked into this person named Jordan. We basically taught her the first lesson at the door. What power! Then I gave my story about Jospeh Smith and afterward Elder Clements stops and says, "I know that, that is true because I feel the Spirit." She says she does to and bam, another Book of Mormon out, phone number, address, and a return appointment! Oh the Elders of Dieppe were stoked! I was pumped! It was a miraculous night! To bad it wasn't in Cape Breton! Pity, but hey, that is soo totally awesome! :D

 

That was an incredible night, I was so happy! I remember lying in bed (well, my sofa/bed) and thinking; "Holy Moley, miracles." There is an old missionary proverb that says "Miracles happen on exchanges." By george, they do!!!!

 

The leadership training was amazing. I was so happy to see the old MTC district gang there and to here all about their adventures! I was so good to see them and to just reminiscence in the good o'l days. I was happy. I was glad to have a day of good notes, smiles, and a ton of laughs!

 

I have been out for 3 months since the 17th of last week and at the leadership meeting there was another Elder who just came in last transfer! Bwhaha! I felt so old being around him! It was great! I wasn't the youngest missionary anymore! But, hey, I am still a tad young, but, it was great to see someone younger! Woot! :D

 

This week was just a lot of travel, unfortunatly. I was bummed to be out of Cape Breton for a while. I showed my Cape Breton pride, (Which Elder Turner says is not healthy. :D) and said that it was the best area in the mission! WOOT! Which it is! The BEST!

 

So my message for this week is just to be happy for what the Lord has blessed us with. My other MTC district buddies seemed to really have a lot going in their areas and this and that, but I was just grateful to be a Cape Bretoner. I was so happy for them and their success and everything like that, but I am well pleased to be in Sydney, Cape Breton. :D So thus, I am "content with the things that Lord hath allotted unto me." (Alma 29: 3)

 

I pray that you all were not too disgruntled by me forgetting to send out the big email. Tis a shame, I was heart broken today when I found out that I didn't send it! So don't worry, I repented and we are all good now! ;)

 

I love you all and am so grateful for your patience and longsuffering for me! :D

Have a great week!

 

-Elder Hardy.

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

 

I pray that you husbands did something very very nice for your wifes. If not....well... :D

 

This week was an intense week from the start. To be honest, nothing could've told me the dealings of this week except that I expeirenced that myself. It was such a great week!

 

So I don't know if I have mentioned the Brewsters before or not, but just in case, we were with them for our Christmas dinner! It was very nice! So we ventured with Bro. Brewster to go and see his mom, who in turn agreed to meet with us. So we go in, give our first lesson and really emphasized the Book of Mormon and how to know if the book is true or not. She stops us and says that she knows it true already. We stopped. Paused. Thought. Didn't really know what to do...I looked at Elder Turner. His jaw is dropped. Then he finally comes back to life, we both do, and asked; "Do you believe that the Book of Mormon is the word of God?" She replies; "Yes." He continues; "Do you believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet?" Again, the same response. My heart was pumping. Bro Brewster is completly shocked, dumbfounded if you will. :D Elder Turner continues "Do you believe that there is a living prophet on this earth today?" "Yes." No movement from me. I do believe I was trying to discern on this situation....then Elder Turner asks her the big question; "Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the preisthood authority of God?" She said "Yes." Holy moly, I just wanted to get up and do a little dance! She didn't committ to a date but she is on board! What a lesson! We were all freaking out afterwards! I mean who wouldn't? :D :D :D :D

 

So then we had a great lesson with Byron. It was so great. Though I did find something that I do believe to be completly ironic. Most of you know that I am a Miami Dolphins fan and my birthday is on October 30th. Now Byron is a Miami Dolphins fan and was born on the 26th of October....weird, huh? I don't know if that is concidental or anything to that extent....but...anyway...so we had a very good lesson with the man. As we were waiting for a member to show we got to meet Pandora. Now Pandora is an 8 ft phython. :D  She is probably the most friendly snake I have ever met. Now Byron is draping her all over my head, neck (which in turn did give me chills...) arm, etc. She was so nice. So silky smooth. I was an adventure! :D Did you ever think that I would be playing with a python on my mission? Oh, and not to mention but that snake came up and gave me a big o'l wet on the lips. Nothing like some snake love! Then we sat down and had a beautiful lesson on the Book of Mormon. It was a lesson that I will never forget. For the details are small but they will hold a dear place in my heart. But, again, this expierence will be kept in my heart, and that is where we will end it. Great lesson and great expierience!

 

So my message for this week has to do with the Valentines day theme. Love. Love comes in many forms, shapes, and enviorments. One, that I expierenced this week was the love for my investigators. Do not think that I did not love them before, but as you get to know people more that charity goes into the little layers of the heart. So thus, when you start to sink in you feel that love, right there in the middle of your heart. Though you don't realize at first, it grows and eventually, well, you will do everything in your power to acomplish the task that the Lord has for them. That is when the Spirit testifies through you. That is when you can acomplish great things with people! That happened to Ben this week, as well as with Byron. So a little blessing from the Lord? Yeah. :D

 

So again, have a great week! Feel that charity for others and enjoy life! :D Those are just simple facts of the week but it made the most difference.

 

I love you always, and thank you so much for everything!

 

-Elder Morgan Hardy.