Joyful reunions, bittersweet goodbyes

Hola mis queridos amigos!!

This week flew by and it was a blast!! We were our of our area for 2 days, but the Lord has blessed us so much to be able to still see so many miracles this week and help our friends progress!

Highlights:

- On Tuesday night we had another family night with our friend Jaz in Briggitte and Carlos' house and it was so good! She accepted the invitation to be baptized and is now just trying to figure out her plan to get married so she can pick a baptismal date! The spirit was so strong and I'm so excited for her!

- On Wednesday we took the bus down to Madrid for Zone conference!! We had a dinner together that night and it was so fun! We ate delicious food and then we had a competition where each district acted out Book of Mormon stories and it was so fun!

- This Zone conference was President and Hermana Eastland's last one before they go home so they each gave trainings and did a Q and A and it was sooo good! The spirit was so powerful and I felt so uplifted! I also got to see all of my favorite people and it was soo fun to be reunited with them! It's definitely hard saying goodbye to the Eastlands and I am so grateful for everything I have learned from them!

- On Friday I got to go on an exchange with Hermana Takahashi here in Bilbao and it was so fun!! She is so wise and I just loved learning from her and growing together!

- On Saturday morning we finally got to meet with our friend Denis in person in the church and we had an amazing lesson! Hermano Kevin who has joined us in our calls with him came and we were able to answer his questions and explain about the restoration and the need for the priesthood and it was so cool! I just loved how spirit led the lesson was and the open and honest approach Denis has to learning more!

- On Saturday we met with a woman named Marta who I talked to in the metro the other day and we had a great lesson! She has a desire to learn more and I am excited to keep helping her!

- I called a woman named Julia who had been taught in the past on Wednesday and then on Saturday we were able to have a videocall with her and our amazing recent convert joined us! We taught about church and she wanted to come but didn't feel like she could because she lives out in a pueblo that is far away. BUT, it turned out that Lizbeth lives out in the same pueblo and she offered to take the bus with her and help her find the church! Then on Sunday they both walked in and Julia loved it!!

- Last sunday hermana Luzmy brought two friends Angela and Sandra to church and we got talking to them while we were there! Then, this Sunday night we were able to go over and visit them in their house and it was awesome! They are both so cute and we were able to teach them about the Book of Mormon! Then she made us yummy burritos and we chatted

Miracle: On Saturday we had a lesson planned with a woman named Cristina at the church at 5pm and every member we had asked to join us in the lesson wasn't able to come, but at 4:45pm the sweetest member named David called us and said that he had a free afternoon and asked if we needed any help! We told him we had a lesson at 5 if he could make it and he hurried so fast to the church and helped us in the lesson! Cristina turned out to be super interested! The spirit was so strong I felt inspired to simply tell her that God loves her and she started to tear up! She ended up coming to church as well and loving it!!

Spiritual Thought:

This week I have been pondering a lot about the importance of gratitude! In missionary work and in life it can be easy to focus and the things that are hard or that don't go the way that we want, but as I was studying I came across this scripture about gratitude!

"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

- D&C 78:19

My goal this week has been to have a heart of gratitude and although I'm not perfect at it, I know that if we focus on the blessings and little miracles God gives us every day, we will be more joyful and be able to spread that joy with others

I invite you all to join me in looking for the small miracles God gives us every day and focus on gratitude, and I promise that you will have more joy and hope in your life as you do so!

I love you all so much! Please feel free to reach out any time!

Hermana Hardy

ehardy@missionary.org

Pictures:

- Angela and Sandra

- weekly planning in the park

- the quad

- My bestiesss

- President Eastland is leaving

- Hna Dickey

- Mostoles gang

- Exchanges with Hna Takahashi!!