Miracles, miracles, and more miracles!

Hola mis queridos amigos!!

We had our first week of the new transfer and it was definitely a crazy but amazing week!! Every day was full of so many miracles and I just feel SO blessed to be here in Pamplona serving people that I love so much!! We got straight to work as soon as we made it back to Pamplona from Madrid where I went to pick up my new companion Hermana Chase, and we are just super pumped to keep working hard through this transfer! If there is one thing that I have learned since becoming a missionary it's that the Lord takes care of us as we trust in Him! I have felt like an instrument in His hands more than I ever have this week and I love it 😍

Highlights/Fun facts:

- We had a big party on Tuesday to say goodbye to the Elders and Hermana Amado who were leaving and a bunch of members and friends came which was super sweet and fun!!

- Wednesday was a super long travel day but it was super fun because I got to see some of my besties! I took Hermana Amado down to Madrid, stayed in the office for a bit, and then headed back to Pamplona with my new comp!! It was a long day, but so fun to see this place that I absolutely love from a new person's eyes! 

- We went to try and visit our friends Omar and Vera on Thursday and we got there a little early so we were waiting on a bench for a member that was going to join us in the lesson. We were sitting there when Omar and Vera walked up with their grocery cart on their way out, and we were able to have a great conversation with them before they headed out and I was so grateful we had been sitting there!

- We were walking home and I saw this girl on a bench that I really felt like I needed to talk to so we went to chat with her and she turned out to be super interested in coming to church and learning more! Her name is Jessenia and we sat by her on the bench to teach a quick lesson! Then as we were getting her number, we realized we already had it because she was interested in English class as well!! We were able to explain to her how to get to the church and plan to have a lesson with her there! It was so to see how cool God led us to her and put us in her path!

- We had another cute lesson with Rita this week and we taught about our purpose here on Earth! She was loving it and just explained how she had never understood it before and she was grateful to be learning! Also at church on Sunday they were talking about a temple trip in April and she said she wants to go so we are going to talk about a plan to get baptized so she can go!!

- We had a great lesson with Vivian and her family again and she made us foo foo  It was a much better experience than last time and it was so cute having her teach us how to eat it! I love them!

- We had an amazing turn out at family home evening in the church this week and one of the members showed up with one of our friends that we had no idea knew eachother!! They loved it and it was so good to be able to talk to them! 

- NIEVE'S BAPTISM 🌊😄 Sweet Nieves got baptized this Saturday and it was so precious! She was so nervous but so happy and her faith just shines through her beautiful smile and presence! I love her sooo much!! She also brought a friend named Veronica who is interested in meeting with us and I got to have a beautiful conversation with her, Nieves and our other recent convert Alejandro where they both just testified of the blessings of being in the true church! It was so beautiful to stand there and see these 2 truly converted people testify of Christ 😁

- Our friend Diego is absolutely awesome and he came to the family home evening, the baptism, and church and he loves it!!

- I have found so much joy in the work this week and even though it's been hard getting things going in the 2 areas, I have felt so much support and guidance from the Lord and I just love being a missionary 💗

Miracle: 

We were getting into our piso and I saw this lady with a dog that looked just like Winnie (my dog at home) so I complimented her dog and we got started talking. It turns out she speaks English, is from the States, a Christian, and our new next door neighbor with her 2 kids!! She was so sweet and invited us to come over some time to chat!! It was so cool! Also last night we were getting home and ended up going up the elevator with her and she said it was her son's birthday so when we got to the top, we wished him a happy birthday! Then a few minutes later someone rings our doorbell and it's her cute little son with half of his birthday cake that he wanted to share with us because we had been so nice! It was so cute 💛

Spiritual Thought:

I have struggled throughout my life with comparing my current self to my perception of who I think I was in the past and feeling like I'm not improving or even getting worse, and this week I read Elder Hollands BYU speech, "Remember Lot's Wife", and there is a quote that I absolutely loved and wanted to share! He said,

"God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go!" 

I love this because it is soo true!! We don't have to spend our lives beating ourselves up about our past or comparing ourselves to how we used to be. Instead if we focus on our desire now to follow God and our faith in His power to make us into even more, God will use us to bless the lives of so many others and we will have joy here and now and faithfully hope for the future 😀 

I love you all so dearly and please feel free to reach out any time!

Hermana Hardy 💛 

ehardy@missionary.org 

Pictures:

- fun pday bowling last week with Ana and Adalisa 💗

- our goodbye crew 😢💛

- on the train to Madrid!!

- my cute new companion Hermana Chase 😍

- Rita 💖

- Nieves' baptism 💗

- Saray 💖

- Angelica's family!! I love them!!