April 4th

Aw, the Cape Breton spring is something very nice and windy. Gotta love that sunshine! But alas, hi, how are you??

This week was such a busy week for Elder Turner and I. It was as if we were thrown into a den of lions. :D Well, happy lions.

 

This week started out with a wonderful p-day. Okay, Elder Turner and I love to go and see if there are any good ties around so that we can look "fresh", in the words of Elder Turner of course. So that is what we did. We went to the store called "The Bay" and I saw this beautiful striped tie. It was gorgeous. Price tag: twenty bucks. So I pondered on the matter and thus it resulted as "Its your choice." So I said, "Heck, lets do it." I am glad I did because there was a sale on these ties and I got an Italy tie for $11 dollars. See? It show that if you are living right you will be blessed! ;)

 

Tuesday we enjoyed a wonderful road-trip to Port Hawekesberry. It was fun as the other Elders brought in interesting conversations and happiness. So we traveled the two hour drive to meet with President Simpson for interviews. I got my wonderful mail full of packages and letters. Thank you so much everyone! Love you all. Then it got to my turn. I sat down and we had a wonderful interview. I think that Elder Turner was sweating bullets because he said that I was in there for a long time. It was good to be in Port Hawkesberry because we got to see the new Elders down there. And that was nice.

 

Wednesday happened, and also thursday with no great event. Unfortunately.

 

Friday was an interesting experience. We were knocking in Glace Bay and at this door and a thought popped into my head. The thought was "Faith." I came to realize that I was knocking doors for the hours not for the people behind them. I was caught up in the thought; "Every door, every person is not likely to be interested." That was my attitude. I lost for a moment why I was knocking on doors. So, as missionaries do, I said a little prayer in my heart to help me develop the faith at each door. We kept knocking and a little ways down the road we met Leanne. Ironically she let us in and we did a lesson. But for me I think that I learned a lesson about faith. See the Lord, I think. gently nudges us everyday. Silently guiding us. He did for me. I am not sure about how that lesson to one missionary as myself will hit me, but it did. I am not sure of the impact it has, or will have, but it did. Crazy huh?

 

Saturday. Oh my goodness. Conference was amazing! The Spirit was felt. Two talks hit me. One by Elder M. Russell Ballard when he gave the talk (the Saturday afternoon session) about the good o'l prospector. I really liked that talk because it had adventure, treasure, and the gospel! It shows, like my Friday experience, that god deals line upon line. So Priesthood session was soo great. It was an odd chance for us missionaries to stay out past our bed time. The session started for us at 9 o' clock and would end at 11. It was good, though Elder Turner and I really crashed after. BUT the blessing of that session were great. It show that we have so much work to do! To magnify! I loved President Monsons quote when he said "If you haven't read the Book of Mormon, read it!" What a good session! My hand was so sore. Oh my laws. It wasn't prepared for this kind of writing!

 

Sunday was great. We had a potluck between sessions so that we could mingle and do all that. Poor old Byron has developed the cold and came to two sessions of conference. What a trooper! I feel like he is so close. We had a lesson with him earlier this week at Brother Boutlier's home. (Bro. Boots is a hockey fanatic to the max. He hates any sport that deals with an item of play filled with air. He needs that football and basketballs are games and not sports. He is sooo funny! He could go on for days! :D) So yes, we had a great lesson and it seems as if Byron was space out. His 19 year old son doesn't really like it that his dad is investigating the church. I'm sure he is afraid of the change that will happen within the house. So we talked about that I hope we helped him out. Brother Boots was instrumental in all of that.

 

So I would love to share of you my testimony of living prophets. Though it is not as deep as other items, I know that Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet. He gives me the confidence to go forth and proclaim truth. He has that perfect love of charity. I am thankful for the example that he has set.  I am thankful for the blessings of Joseph Smith. For the restoration of the gospel through his hand and for all the things that make us who we are. I am thankful for their firm faith in Jesus Christ. Though life may throw us in the waves of a ravaging sea, we can hold faith to prophet and know that he will guide us this day, in our raging seas. Find the confidence in the him. Read the talks, ponder the messages and gather those "little flecks of gold that will turn into great sources of treasure." Often times the world would have us to be confused to try to rely on our own system of government when in reality that will not work. SO thus we must rely on the prophets today to help us. They are there to help. Thank goodness.

 

I hope that you felt and heard something that you needed. I did. It came so simply in a couple of lines that I felt moved. Touched. :D So good! I am glad that you loved conference as the rest of us! Have a great week!

 

Cheers!

 

-Elder Hardy.