Sad goodbyes and exciting hellos!

Hola mis queridos amigos!!

This week was awesome and super busy! We had some super fun exchanges, lots of opportunities to teach our friends, and we welcomed our new mission presidents, President and Hermana Grow!! My companion and I got to go to the airport to welcome them and it was so fun!! They came with 3 of their kids that are so sweet and I'm so excited to get to know them more :)

Highlights:

- This Monday and Tuesday I had an awesome exchange in Alcala with Hermana De la Cruz!! She is an amazing missionary and I loved getting to spend the day with her!

- On our exchange I saw a girl on a bench and I decided to talk to her! Her name is Lucia and we ended up being able to teach her about the Book of Mormon and give her one! She said she was interested in meeting again so that was awesome!

- On Tuesday night we went to the sweetest member Nathalie's house and one of my other favorite members Gaby came with her family and our friend Vicky came! We chatted about the Book of Mormon and they ordered yummy food and it was so fun!

- On Wednesday we visited the cutest couple named Jason and Fabiola! Jason is a recent convert and has the sweetest story about finding the church and gaining his testimony! They are so cute!

- On Saturday we had English class and I invited a cute girl named Jessica to come! She came with her mother in law and after the class we asked if they would be interested in meeting with us! They said yes and we had such a cute lesson! They were super interested in learning more but they live in a different area so we sent their information to the Elders there so I have hope that they will continue to progress there!

- We have been teaching our friend Leonidas for a few weeks and he is progressing really well! He has a strong testimony and wants to obey the commandments but hasn't been able to come to church because he has work :( BUT he is working on finding a way to quit his job and find one with the weekends free, so pray for him!

- We taught our friend Vicky about the restoration and had 2 recent converts Antonio and Arissa in the lesson which was awesome! The spirit was so strong in the lesson and Vicky loved it!

Miracle: This week we got a reference from some Elders in the Madrid South mission who lives in our area and his name is Leonardo! He has a baptismal date for August and he is so cool! He came to church this Sunday and we are super excited to keep teaching him!

Spiritual Thought: This week during my studies I was reading in Alma and came across a scripture that described Jesus Christ as the good shepherd and it just struck me!!

37 O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice!

38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

(Alma 5:37-38)

It just hit me that there are so many people that are wondering and feel like they have no shepherd to guide them. I am so grateful for my good shepherd that is calling to me and you! I know as we hearken to his voice there is more joy and peace than we can even imagine

I love you all so much and thank you for reaching out!!

Hermana Hardy

ehardy@missionary.org

Pictures:

- exchanges with Hermana Santos

- welcoming the Grows!!

- Lucia

- The queen herself Vicky

- Hermana De la Cruz

- Jason and Fabiola

- Lina

- Jessica and her mother in law!!