Just Keep Swimming!

Hola mis queridos amigos!! 

Another week in the books, and this was the craziest and honestly one of the most stretching and growth filled weeks of my life! I said goodbye to my wonderful trainer Hermana Hunsaker who's headed off to be an STL in the canary islands and welcomed my new companion Hermana Haslam! I picked her up on Wednesday and we got right to work! It's my first time leading out the area so I'm learning, but it's super awesome! We have a lot of really lovely progressing friends right now so we spend a lot of our days just going around to all our lessons which is actually really crazy but fun!! Even though it's pretty stressful at times, I have already seen so much growth in teaching, contacting, my Spanish, but most importantly my relationship with Jesus Christ! I have had to say a lot of prayers this week and rely on Him for everything, and I know He has been with me every step of the way strengthening me and helping me find the JOY in it all 😁

Highlights/ Fun facts:
- We went to the Prado museum this week for pday and it was soo cool! So much art to appreciate and I just wished I had my sister Paige with me to explain the significance behind it all! It was still super cool to experience though!
- On Tuesday we had 4 member meals back to back for all the people who wanted to say goodbye to Hermana Hunsaker, and let's just say I didn't need to eat for a whileee after that day 😳
- I picked up my new comp from the office on Wednesday, and we made the long trek by metro all the way back to Móstoles with her suitcases! Thankfully we had the Elders we ward share with us so we made it back just fine! Our new Elder's name is Elder Miranda and he is from Paraguay! He is sooo funny and a great missionary and I'm super excited to learn from him this transfer!
- We got to go to the temple on Saturday for one of our Recent Converts named Silvia who recently reached one year since being baptized, and she was getting her endowments!! It was so beautiful to see her so excited and making such a beautiful decision 😍

Miracle: To be honest, the past few days have been some of the most stressful days of my life trying to handle navigating to all our lessons, explaining about the area, contacting all our friends, and teaching everyone especially when my comp and I are still both learning Spanish. BUT, even though I felt pretty stressed and a little alone at times, every time I turned to the Lord in prayer He gave me peace and strengthened me to keep going! We had some awesome lessons this week and were able to meet with all of our progressing friends in the past few days, and I know the Lord was strengthening me through it all helping me solve problems, understand what people are saying, and giving me the words to say to keep the work moving forward!! Now I look back and I am so grateful for His ability to use my weaknesses to help me grow, and use my imperfect offering to continue sharing a perfect gospel 💛

Spiritual Thought: I was reading in Alma 33 this week and I would just encourage you all to read it because it is amazing!! One verse that I specifically loved is this verse 23,
23 And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. 

I love how it says that as we nourish our testimony with our faith, God will make it grow, ease our burdens, and help us find JOY in His son Jesus Christ! But then it says, you can do all of this IF YOU WILL! It really is a choice to turn to God in faith instead of turning away when we face trials or thinking we can do it all on our own. BUT I just want to promise you that there is more strength and more JOY in turning to Christ and His beautiful gospel than any other thing in this world! I know that as we nourish our faith in Him, we will find comfort and strength to carry our burdens and joy amidst our struggles! I know that Jesus Christ lives, and it is our choice to have faith in Him 💛

I love all you so much, and I love hearing from you! Please feel free to reach and say hi any time! It seriously makes me so happy!

Con amor,
Hermana Hardy 💛 


Pictures:
- Hermana Hunsaker and I at Prado!!
- saying goodbye (don't believe our smiling faces there were a lot of tears) 😢
- Gael!!
- our friend Ricardo after volleyball!!
- Consuelo and her fam!! I seriously love them so much it's insane and I'm so proud of their progress 💛
- the clan after english class and volleyball!
- our Spain parents 😍 (first time meeting their new hija!!)
- beautiful sunset from our window 👀
- our bestie Adriana!!
- the Jabeneros!! Literally the sweetest couple ever!
- Wilson!! We had two helpers because institute had just ended so they both joined us in our lesson 😊
- Diana's fam 💛





























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