MERRY CHRISTMAS; SKYPING HOME; THE TRAINEE BECOME THE TRAINER & STAYING IN CALVARIO

Hey everyone!!! I hope you all had an awesome Christmas!! I know I did! It was so nice to be able to Skype home and talk with my family!!!!

So, to start out, last week was the last week of my training! I have gotten through my first 12 weeks out in the field!!! I am so hyped to just be a normal missionary now! Not be one of the new missionaries who "knows nothing". Then, on Thursday morning of last week, I get a call from the assistants, and Foster picked up. They asked him to hand the phone to me, and when I said hello, the first thing they asked me was "Elder Harward, are you an obedient missionary?" I said, "Yes." They then followed up with, "Well, Elder Harward, President talked to us, and he has told us that you are going to be a trainer this next transfer." I almost crapped myself! I just barely got to the mission, and now I get to teach another missionary what it´s like. I am so nervous!!!! But it´s going to be the best thing ever! Out of every calling you can get in the mission, this is the one that I want. Being a District Leader, Zone Leader or anything like that would be so stressful, and this is stressful, but it´s different. The thing that scares me is that I make or break what this missionary will be like. It´s going to be a great adventure though! I will be getting my new companion tomorrow, maybe Wednesday, and then we will jump right into it! It´s going to be great!!! Last Friday we had a trainers meeting where the President and his assistants talk about how important this calling is and how to be a good trainer, and that lasted for about 4 hours. It was good, but didn't really help take away the nervousness.

The other huge thing that happened was just yesterday. I got to Skype home!!! I got to see and talk to my family!!!!!! It was the greatest thing in the world! I love them and miss them so much, and it was the best Christmas present I think I will ever, EVER get in my life. It was definitely a blessing, and helped take away some of the homesickness, but I think that those feelings will always be here, at least a little bit. But it was great!

So Foster has changes, which means I will be training here in the same area. Tonight we are going to go by to everyone´s house so that Foster can say goodbye to them all and get some pictures taken. It´s sad to have to change comps because he was so awesome, but I know that we will be good friends long after we both get off our missions.

The work is going good. It´s pretty difficult to find new people to teach. We stick at it, but they don´t want anything. Everything is possible with a little bit of faith though ;)

I hope you all are having an amazing time!! I love you and miss you all!!!! Merry Christmas!!!

Elder Harward

LAST WEEK OF TRAINING; LIFE LONG FRIEND; BAPTISM POSTPONED & 20-SEC. TO REACH OUT

So this will be my last week of my 12 week training, and I am so excited for that. The only thing that I`m not excited for is most likely changing companions. I have loved being with Elder Foster. He has helped me so much with the language, with my homesickness while being out here, with having fun, looking up once in awhile to enjoy everything. It`s going to be tough to change that. All I know is that I have made a good friend for the rest of my life.

So this week wasn't too interesting. We had divisions twice this week which was pretty cool. One was with our zone leaders, and the other was withe the other companionship in our district. I stayed in my area both times, which kinda sucked, but it was cool being with them. One of them,  Elder Martinez, is from Mexico, and only speaks Spanish, so I was worried that I wasn't going to talk much that day, but it actually wasn't too bad. I was able to talk so much more than I thought I was going to be, so I was super excited about that! We contacted a few people, not too many of them were interested, and that`s how it`s been lately. But we keep trying. We h ad a few lesson s with our investigators, and then did a few studies in between. Overall it was a good 3 days of divisions.

So I am getting a cold, and that always sucks when you are out on the mission because there is nothing that I would like more than to just be in my home, in my bed, curled up in my blanket, eating some soup from my mom, but it helps in growing up. Knowing that I can keep going even if I am sick, or hurting. It`s nothing awful, nothing to worry about. Just a little cold, some coughing with a stuffy nose and upset stomach, but everything is going good!

So this week was pretty hard at the end. We had a baptism planned for Saturday, and it was one that was supposed to happen last Saturday, but because of work reasons, she had to change it. Well, we get to this week, we fill up the baptismal font, we get the snacks, the clothes, everything ready for it, and then about 2 and a half hours before the baptism was going to take place, and told us that she wasn't going to be getting baptized that day. She wouldn't tell us why or anything, but we had to drain the font, and tell everyone that there wasn't going to be any baptism. It sucked... We are hoping for this Saturday, but we aren't 100% sure anymore. It`s rough. Then on Sunday, she came to Sacrament Meeting but nothing else, and all the members asked us why she didn't get baptized or why she didn't stay. We just had to say we had no idea, because we didn't, but it`s hard because the members here put the blame on to us, and it`s just annoying. 

Then in Gospel Principles class, a high councilman sat in, and let's just say he's a little rough around the edges. He asked us about Paty, because she has been to church now more than 20 times, and she still isn't baptized, and he was wondering why. We told him we weren't sure, so he said he was going to talk with her. After church he took all 3 of us aside, and talked with her. He first started off by asking me and Elder Foster if we knew a convert from another ward, Foster did, and he said that he was the reason that he got baptized. He then turned to Paty and asked how long she has been taking lessons and coming to church, she said since August, and so he asked her, so why haven`t you gotten baptized then? And she said because I haven`t gotten my answer that it`s what I should do yet. He then asked if she read the Book of Mormon, and she said not all, but I have read 1st, 2nd, 3rd Nephi, and some of Moroni, and some of Ether, and am now going back to read from Jacob all the way through. All he said was, "Wow... I have been a convert for 16 years now, and when I was an investigator, I read the Book of Mormon in 9 days. All of it." Then he went on to say she needs to be baptized, and then gave her a blessing that her answer would come Sunday night. I am not sure if the answer came or not, we are going to see her tonight, but it just made her feel really awkward, and a little embarrassed. It just seemed to ruin everything with her. He is just a jerk about things. To us, the missionaries, the ward members. Everyone. He just can`t not talk about himself and things that he has done in his life. It`s annoying. We will see what she has to say tonight.

So, one thing that I just wanted to point out, and it`s something that I have thought a lot more about while being out on my mission, and it`s the fact of how many people we come in contact with everyday of our lives, and even though it might be a few seconds or even 20 minutes and then never see them again, God has placed these people in our lives for a reason, and if we don`t take the opportunity to  reach out to these certain people, our lives could be changed forever, and we will never know it until the last day. So one thing that I think we could all try to focus on is to be more in tune with the Spirit, to see those people that we should talk with, to cheer up, to serve, to love, and who knows what it could  bring. Just a thought.

I love you all back home. I hope you are all doing well, and healthy! I hope you all have an amazingly Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!! Thanks for all your love, prayers, and support! Have an amazing week!

Elder Harward

MY FIRST LEGIT EMAIL TO THE MASSES! UPCOMING BAPTISM, MINI MISSIONS, & WARD CHRISTMAS ACTIVITY!

Hey everybody!!!   I am so sorry that I haven`t done one of these yet, but here we go!!!!!

This week started out really normal, we just had a few visits during the week with our investigators, and they are all doing very well! We have a baptism this week with a lady named Karem, and she is great!!! I am so happy that she has made the decision to be baptized!!!! 

The work is aggravatingly slow sometimes. Having door after door just slammed in our faces is rough. I honestly didn't think it would be that hard to have people tell me no. I just know how much this message could change their lives, and if they would just give us a shot, they would feel that too, but they just say they are busy, or they are getting ready to leave, or their parents aren't home, etc. etc. etc.   I could go on forever with excuses people use, and it`s hard sometimes, but I am trying to just keep my cool, and keep loving them. In the end, that`s all we can do right?

Then on Thursday, we participated in this thing called a mini mission where we had a kid from another part of Guatemala come with us for the entire day to our visits, we took him contacting, and just overall showed him a day in the life of a missionary. We had a really cool moment when we were contacting where we knocked on the door, and the lady said that we couldn't come in because she was leaving with her mom to the hospital because she was sick, and my comp shared a scripture about how Jesus would bless the sick, and asked if we could give her mom a blessing, and she let us in and we gave her a blessing, I anointed, and Elder Foster gave the blessing, and the spirit was so strong. And the lady`s complexion changed completely about us teaching her. It was really cool.

Then on Saturday, we had a Christmas activity at the church with our ward and we invited some of our investigators, and it ended up being really cool. I got chosen to compete in the Chubby Bunny challenge, and then me and Elder Foster did a magic trick, and we just enjoyed the company of everyone. It was so fun!!!

The work to find new people is a little slow, but it`s going!!! All in all, everything is great here in Xela!!!!!! I hope you all are having an awesome time back at home!!!! Love you all!

Elder Harward

PS, I know this is a couple weeks late, but this is the only picture we have received of Stoney in a very long time.  His companions mom sent it to us.  This was their Thanksgiving Feast!

DECEMBER IS HERE! TRUMP THROWS A KING IN THE WORK, A MOMENT OF FLUENCY, AND A BITING PARROT!

Hola Mi Familia,

This week has been really good! I can`t believe that the first week of December has come and gone already... Time is flying by out here!!! I can`t believe that I am coming up on my 4th month here shortly! That will be on Christmas Eve... That`s so weird!!!! The homesickness is starting to die again, which really helps with every aspect of being out here, so I`m really glad about that, I am getting really good with the language, nowhere near perfect, but I can understand a lot, and speaking comes more and more easy every day. It`s really cool to think that I can now speak another language. The guy who does our laundry told me there are missionaries that have been out more time than I have and he thinks my Spanish is better than theirs. It was a big confidence booster. It really helps to have Foster with this because he is amazing with the language! He says he isn`t fluent yet, but he definitely is, his Spanish is amazing. He also really helps me to be able to unwinding. He has been an awesome first companion and it`s going to be pretty hard to say goodbye to him, possibly at the end of this month.

I`m glad you were able to have a good time with family at Amber and Curtis’ wedding. I can’t believe they have been together for 10 years.  I’m glad they are happy. I really miss being home and getting together with the family. Saying that, the homesickness is dying down, which is really good because it makes it a lot easier to do everything I need to do here. So I am happy about that.  I`m really glad that you guys were able to go down to Salt Lake and see The Savior of the World and just spend time as a family!!! That`s really awesome!!!! I wish I could have been there. The principle of putting forth the effort in gaining or own knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ and this gospel is so true, and something that I have had to develop while being out here, but I have gained such a strong testimony about how if we do everything we can, even though we might not KNOW something is true, God will see our efforts and he will bless us and those around us. It has been a really cool thing to see while being out here for the past 3 and a half months. It is definitely knowledge that I count myself lucky to have come to know firsthand the way I have. It`s really cool and a really humbling experience. The quote you shared is so true:

If you only had 2 minutes to bear testimony to somebody who knew nothing about the gospel, what would that person learn?  Would they learn about God's love for them, about the Savior's sacrifice on their behalf, and about the purpose of the Holy Ghost? Would they learn about the doctrines and principles of the gospel? Would they learn about prayer, fasting, and the scriptures? Would they learn about the worth and nature of their own spirit?  Would they learn about the plan of salvation? Would they learn about agency?  Would they learn about the purpose of life and the pourpose of trials? Would they learn about life after death and that all mankind will be resurrected? Would they walk away pondering and thirsting for more knowledge?  Testimony:  You have to know what it is, before you can share it.    - Anonymous

It`s a little hard for me here to share a testimony like I would back at home just because my Spanish is still very small and simple which sometimes are the best kind of testimony. It`s really cool though to think that I can share this gospel with the people of Guatemala in their own language, and that I have the opportunity to learn this language. I can`t believe that I can speak at least some Spanish. It`s a really cool feeling. That is one thing that I have learned being out here, is that even if we can`t see something, but we have faith, and we act on that faith, the Lord is going to see our efforts, and he will bless us immensely. Thank you for your testimony, Dad. It`s awesome, and it`s so true. We just have to do our part, and we will see the many, MANY blessings, and rewards later down the road. It`s like in Doctrine and Covenants where it says, "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, you have no promise." And it`s so true. He watches over the people who obey and follow Him.

So on P-Day, we start off by waking up and we kind of just relax and chill for a while, and then we will either go to the internet for a little bit, just see the emails we got and things, and then we will go grocery shopping, and depending on if it`s a zone activity or a district activity, we play soccer or basketball, or like when I was first here, we went to the lake in the volcano, but most of the time we just relax and unwind from the pressures of missionary work. We have one Zone Activity and one District Activity every month, and those just depend on what people plan on doing. This month it will be a service activity for Christmas, but I`m not quite sure what we are going to be doing, so I`m excited for that.  We have a multi-zone conference in 2 weeks and we are going to have talks and watch some videos I believe, but we will see. It should be really cool. I`m excited! Transfers are going to be the 27th of December, and I think I am going to stay in Calvario, and Foster is going to be the one who changes areas because he has been here longer, and there needs to be someone to show the new companion around the area and things, so that`s what I think is going to happen. I`ll let you know though. We never know until the Sunday before change day though, so I`m not sure.

I love teaching! There are people you find who are just so prepared to receive this gospel, but then you get the people who just want nothing to do with you and it gets frustrating sometimes, but it`s a really cool experience to see how the Lord really prepares people for us to go teach. As for getting involved with the people here, it`s kind of hard. Don`t get me wrong, I love the people we are teaching and the members I am close with, but it`s a little different here for me and Foster to start playing with the kids or things. One reason is because our President is very strict and doesn`t want us "wasting time" I guess on playing with the kids or things, but also, because we are in a different country, especially with people who aren`t too fond of white people, ESPECIALLY after the win of Trump as President!  We have to be extremely careful on what we do around and with people or else people can twist what we are doing and we could end up in jail. It`s hard sometimes, but I try getting involved as much as I can.

Now, along with me saying I have a very strict President, I am experiencing Guatemala as much as I can be here in Calvario. One, it`s a really small area, REALLY small! Also, we can`t just get together with our District or Zone to do things all the time. We only have 1 time a month with each and that`s it, the rest we are in our area, and we can`t do a whole lot more. He says that we aren`t here to look around and things, we are missionaries and we need to be missionaries always, not tourists. It makes sense but it`s hard sometimes. So as much as I can be, yes I am. But don`t worry, Foster and I have plenty of fun. He is very good at that! He`s been great, and I am going to be very sad when we have to say goodbye. Yes, I am building very good relationships with my zone. They are all awesome people! I even have one Elder in my zone who was in my same district in the MTC, so that`s really cool. We get to see each other every week for meetings. But yes, we are getting really close, and it`s really cool to see these relationships building. I am especially close with my zone leader Elder Van Kat Wyk and my companion Elder Foster. They really help me unwinding and have fun, looking up and taking in the moments sometimes. They are great!  Now to answer the weekly questions: 

1. PEAK MOMENT:  Getting to December. It`s something that is really small, and not important at all, but the time out here is flying so fast, and I can`t believe we are in December and that 2016 is almost over already. It`s so weird!!!!

2. PIT MOMENT:  Probably Karem changing her baptism date. She is still for sure being baptized which is why it`s not too bad, she just got offered a new job and couldn`t have us teach her at all this week, so she just said she would rather be ready with the lessons then just jump into it. So that`s really cool, but it still kinda just sucks.

3. SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT HAPPENED: (2 stories to share) First one is, is that I started talking with one of our investigators and I didn`t even realize that I was speaking the most fluent I ever have!  It was just a really cool moment with the language and another testimony building moment for the gift of tongues. It was really cool.

Another interesting thing that happened was I probably broke my finger from being bit by a PAROT!  Yup, you heard me right, a parrot!  We were trying to teach someone, and they were showing us their pet parrot, and they said it was very friendly.  WHATEVER!  Foster went to pet it, and it tried to bite him.  So I tried, and the parrot let me pet it for a bit.  Then all of a sudden, CHOMP!  It totally bit my finger!  It hurt like crap!  I truly think it broke it, but I obviously won't be going to the doctor here!

4. SOMETHING I LEARNED:  I learned in Moroni 7 (A very good chapter by the way) verse 18 that we shouldn`t judge wrongfully of people, which sometimes is hard for me down here, because there are people always doing stupid things, that I kind of just silently judge them, but that we need to leave that up to the Lord, and everything will be ok.

5. SOMETHING TO PRAY FOR:  Please pray for Paty again. I have no idea any more what is going on with her. We have done everything we can with her, and honestly we have no idea what to do now with her. It`s pretty frustrating, but we are trying. Just pray to help her get her answer, because that`s all that she says is holding her up, but I`m not sure.

6. SOMEONE YOU MET:  Someone I met was a man today by the name of Luis.  He had apparently has been taking lessons, but then the missionaries left the area, and the new missionaries never went to visit him again.  We talked to him a little bit, and so we called the sisters from that area, and asked if they knew who he was and if they would go visit them. He seemed really cool. This was a testimony builder to me of God putting prepared people in our path, because as we were riding a bus before that, and we had the option to keep riding the bus for a little bit or get off and just walk back to the house.  For some reason, I just felt we should get off and walk.  That is when we happened to run into Luis! So we will see how things go. It was a really cool experience though.

7. WHAT IS YOUR MISSION PRESIDENT LIKE: My Mission President is great, but he is really strict, and to be honest he kind of scares me. J I just get so nervous when I`m around him. I don`t know why, but I do. His wife is amazing! She is so nice and loving. She`s great!

8.  WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR CHRISTMAS:  For Christmas, we are going to visit families for a little bit, Skype home, and then we are probably just going to go home and watch the fireworks from there, have our own little party, whatever we decide to do.

I love you so much, and don`t worry about me, I am having a blast out here. I still get the most surreal feeling when I think that I am an 18-year old kid living in Guatemala for the next 2 years and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It`s weird to think about, but yes. I am loving it here. It`s awesome!!!

I hope you have an awesome week!!!! I love you and miss you so much!!!! 20 days until we Skype!!!! I am so hyped!!!!

Love Elder Harward

A GUATEMALAN THANKSGIVING! - THANKS FOSTER'S, TURNING TO THE LORD, & NURSING (don't ask)

Hola Mi Familia!

First off Mom, please do not worry about last week and not being able to email me. I am just really glad that I was able to talk to you for a little bit. It would have sucked if I couldn`t have even done that, but really don`t worry about it. I am glad you sent one this week though!!! They honestly help more than you could ever imagine with homesickness, so thank you.  It also helped to hear that Gunner is starting to feel better. It made me really happy to hear! He honestly scared me to death for a little bit there. But I am so glad he is feeling better. I hope he keeps heading that direction!  I`m glad that all the kids were able to finish off the trimester strong, especially after how much they all missed. That`s really cool.

As for how I`m feeling, everything is getting better. It was still pretty rough on Thursday because it was pretty hard not being there with you guys, and we were also in divisions on Thursday, so I was with a missionary that I don`t know too well, so it wasn`t the same as being with Foster, but it`s all good. We ate the Thanksgiving dinner that Foster’s family sent.  We ate on Friday night, and it was awesome! We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, and then M&M`s for dessert. It was really cool. I`m glad that we were able to at least celebrate it in some way. On Wednesday morning we had pie, because I guess it`s a tradition in Foster’s family to have pie day the day before Thanksgiving, so we had some pies too. It was really cool. And don`t worry, I have pictures to send home that I will be sending soon today. Oh, and by the way. I really like that quote haha! I`ve felt that way a few times :)

"I'm in one of those moods where I just want to throw a book at someone's face and be like... "I just facebooked you!" :)

I`m glad that you guys were able to have a good Thanksgiving too. I really want to see that movie. Moana! I have only seen one trailer for it but it looks really good. Even though it`s the same thing every year it`s always nice to be there with family and just have fun together and chill. That`s one of the biggest things I missed this Thanksgiving, but it`s all good. 

I honestly already miss snow!!!! I can`t believe it, but I really do. It`s so weird to have it be December, and see no snow... at all. It hasn`t even dropped below like 60 degrees during the day! Mom, you would love the weather here, but I`m not too sure how you would like being here. It`s a pretty dirty place. At least in the city. It`s a cool experience, but I can`t wait to get out and go see the small villages that are like 6 hours away from where I am now. It will be awesome!

I`m so glad that Peighton is finally seeing her potential. She is such a good player and just needs to take the steps necesarry to get there. It might be scary at times, but that`s when we grow the most, is when we step right out of our comfort zone and go for it. If anything, that`s what being out here has done a whole lot of for me, is growing, these past 3 months. I can`t believe how much this matures and grows people out here. It`s really cool. But I am glad she could go to San Diego and play good. She always seems to be pretty hard on herself if she doesn`t play perfect, but I bet she did really good. I know it`s going to be hard to tell Aaron that she`s leaving again, but she`s tough. I`m glad they were able to do pretty good out there.

I`m really excited for the package! I can`t wait to have pictures of all of you. Every missionary has pictures of their family, and it`s cool to look at, so I can`t wait to see pictures! Haha I can`t wait for the tree!!! I can`t wait to read the notes you wrote for us! And don`t worry about the tape, because we have a ton in the house, so that`s all taken care of! I think we are going to try and find a real tree too somewhere to set up in the house. I don`t know where we will, but we are going to try! I think I should be getting it by like the 13th of December or a few days before, maybe. But sometime around then. I can`t wait!!!! As far as skyping goes, it will be on Christmas day, LESS THAN A MONTH!!!! I can`t wait! That will honestly be the best present I get ever, is being able to see and talk to you all. I honestly think it`s really cool to have my first Christmas here fall on a Sunday. That`s awesome to me! To remember why we really celebrate Christmas. I`m excited! Christmas, in Guatemala, is HUGE!!!! They go nuts for Christmas! Just 2 nights ago they had a firework show (weird right, fireworks for Christmas?) We were able to see them from the roof of our house, and they were nuts!!! Think of a grand finale for 4th of July, but have that last for about 25 minutes, and that`s what it was like. Don`t worry, I got pictures of those too and will be sending a few home :) But I guess it`s huge come Christmas night, the fireworks are all over the place, and it`s really cool because we are dead center in Xela, so there will be fireworks all over the place, all around us. It`ll be really cool, I`m excited!!!

Oh man... Paty, Paty, Paty. She is so ready... And yet, I don`t know what the deal is. Honestly, I just think the whole thing is is that she is waiting until Indira comes back from the States next week so that she can be there to see it. If that isn’t is then we don`t know what to do with her? We have taught her every lesson, multiple times, and now we just teach about certain questions she has. I mean for goodness sake, we taught her about transfiguration and she understood it all. She is amazing, she just needs to be baptized!!! It`s rough when they know it`s true and won’t “bite the bullet” to make the decision to be baptized. It`s hard sometimes, but it helps grow my patience.

With Indira and Edna, I`m not 100% sure what to do. They know it`s true too, but they don`t want to change their lives to live the gospel. That`s another hard thing. They know it`s true but are pretty much too lazy to try and change. We will see though. With God, anything is possible, right? New fechas? We found a new family 2 weeks ago with a mom and 3 kids who are all really positive, and we have a date with them Christmas Eve, so that will be really cool if we can follow through with them. The hardest thing with them seems like it will be trying to get them to go to church. But they are great. But that`s it for Fechas.

When I got my call here, everyone said that I was going to be having baptisms left and right, and teaching people always, but it´s the exact opposite. I don´t focus on baptisms, because I know that people choosing to be baptized is out of my control. But it gets hard sometimes. Especially when instead of teaching new people and baptizing our older investigators, we keep the same investigators for months, and they never get baptized. It´s hard, but I really do love teaching these people. The people we can get into to teach are amazing people who are so humbled. They are great, but then you get people who literally just slam the door in our faces, and that gets really hard sometimes too. I don´t know, I just got to keep working for it. That´s always the case, a day full of contacting, but no one seems to ever let us in to teach them. Our President always wants us having 60 new investigators every month, and he sometimes makes it seem so easy to just get into people´s houses to teach, but it´s really not. It´s hard and sometimes, it gets frustrating. But, I´m just trying to dig my head in and keep going. That´s the other weird thing.

Transfers are still the 27 of December, and we aren`t 100% sure what`s going to happen. It`s nearly impossible that we will be together again, but with the time that Foster has left in the mission, it could happen, at least that`s what we`ve been told by people, we will see though. And yes, it`s almost positive that I will stay here in Xela if we do have transfers, and honestly I`m ready, it`s just going to suck saying goodbye to him. He has been a great trainer, someone who has helped me with the language, homesickness, how to be a better teacher. He`s just been awesome, and it`s going to be hard to say bye to him. But ya, I`m ready. I will still be junior comp, most likely, unless I train, but I doubt that will happen, and I will show the older comp around the area here. It should be really good, and then I would be in Xela until February, and then I`m not sure what might happen then.

The ward here is great. There are a few people that I`m not a huge fan of, like the 2nd counselor and his wife. They got so mad at us for baptizing Brenda because "she lives outside of our area, and that is such a sin if you do." So they hate us, and honestly, I don`t have very strong feelings for them either. But for the most part they are awesome. There is a family called De Leon Castillo and they are amazing. They have 3 kids, a daughter who is 19, a son who is 14 and another son who is 7, and they are all amazing! I love them so much, and then the 1st counselor in the bishopric, Byron, and his wife are really awesome. And then Alex. He is a convert of 3 years, and just got home from serving a mission in Chile. We are teaching his girlfriend, Karem, who is going to be baptized on the 10th, and he is such an awesome guy! He speaks English and so that`s really cool, but he`s awesome! But ya, the ward is really cool. As far as callings go, I have none in the church. We have a pretty big ward, so they don`t need to give us callings, but there are areas where you could even be branch president, and that would just be nuts!!!!!

1.PEAK MOMENT:  Having Thanksgiving dinner because I was pretty homesick, and it was really cool to be able to at least somewhat celebrate it. It was awesome! I have pictgures that I`m going to send home.

2.PIT MOMENT:  Umm, probably not being home for Thanksgiving. It was pretty hard not being there for one of my favorite holidays with everybody.

3.WHAT ARE YOU READING:  I am reading in Alma 9 right now, and those first few chapters of Alma are about Alma the younger going around the land teaching people to come back to the commandments of God, because they are becoming prideful and forgetting their duty to God. They are amazing chapters with so much stuff in there that we can ask ourselves personally to see how we are in living this gospel. It`s awesome. I love it!

4. SOMETHING I LEARNED: It’s been the same every week I`ve been out here, to turn myself over to the Lord, and truly turn everything over to Him, He works miracles through us. He can strengthen our weaknesses and make our strengths even stronger.  I am reminded of this in Luke 1:37 – For with God nothing shall be impossible.

5.A PERSON WHO STOOD OUT TO YOU THIS WEEK: Probably my zone leader that I did divisions with this week. He finishes his mission in February and yet he still goes hard on the work, and I give him props because at that time in the mission, the last thing you want to be doing is working, but he`s still going strong, so that was cool.

6. FAVORIT SCRIPTURE: My favorite scripture of all time would be Ether 12:6 or Ether 12:27 but out of the ones I have read this past week it would be Alma 5:27

27) Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble?  That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

I just really like this scripture because if we ask ourselves this and we can answer yes, then that means we are living the way we should. It was just a cool question check that I really liked.

7. SOMEONE TO PRAY FOR: Pray for a girl named Michelle and her father. I haven`t talked much about her, but she is a 17-year old Girl who is best friends with Indira`s daughter, who is really interested in the gospel, but her dad hates us and forbids her from taking lessons, so we can`t do anything about it because she isn`t 18 yet. It`s really sad. So ask to have her father`s heart softened to at least allow her to take lessons.

8. SOMETHING WEIRD I SAW: A lady walking down the street and then she just pulled her shirt down and started breastfeeding her baby. It happens all the time, but I don`t think I will ever get used to it.

9.Pictures are coming, I promise!!!!!!!

I really like that quote, and it`s so true!!! I have come to love the scriptures so much while I`ve been out here, and if we just follow their teachings, we will be able to return with Him! They are amazing.

As you joyfully use the map your loving Father has provided for your journey, it will lead you to holy places and you will rise to your supernal potential.

I honestly miss the snow already!!! It´s pretty much December here, and during the days, it doesn´t drop below like 60 degrees. I love the weather, but I really miss the snow! I want to go skiing so bad right now!!!! Just shredding down the slopes sounds so good; 2 years and I will be there!! That´s cool that Gunner wants to go to Whistler for his senior trip. He is going to love it. I am so jealous I won´t be there to be able to go with you guys!!!!! Haha, Mom was telling me last week that she was already hating the cold and was doing her yearly threatening to either have you change jobs, or she was just going to move out and leave until Winter is over. I just don´t get how she can´t get used to the cold after living there for 8-9 years haha!

Ya, for the Halloween pictures I saw that you were growing a beird out. Is it pretty big? I definitely want to see some pictures!!! I really wish I could start growing a beird, because it´s getting to the point that I have to shave every day to keep it looking good. If I were to grow it out for a while, I bet it would come in pretty nice! But I have to wait 2 years for that too.

I´m glad to hear that Gunner is pretty much back to normal. The kid´s a fighter. Tougher than anyone thinks he is. Honestly, he is tougher than I think he thinks he is. But that makes me really happy to hear! So, Cassidey got another dog? How did she see it, or did you just find it and decide to buy it for her? How old is it? Is it big or smaller? With dogs on the brain, how is Koda? I honestly miss her so much!!!! Has she grown at all, or just pretty much stayed the same size? That´s awesome that Peity did good in San Diego!!! And even better that the team wants to keep her. She deserves to play on a team that will help her keep growing! Ya, I really hope Gunner makes the team this year. That would be so awesome! I just hate that I won’t be there to see him play. Haha it’s so funny to hear that Brody has started hitting puberty!! And even funnier is he thinks it´s so awesome that he finally grew some pubic hair!!!! Hahah but that´s how all boys are at first!

Also... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!!!!!!!! I wish I could be there to tell you in person, but I hope you have a great day!!!! Go do something with the family tonight. I don´t know just go have fun! Whatever you do, I hope it´s great!!! Thanks for being the best dad in the world. For always being there for me no matter what I might need. Thank you for all the life lessons you have taught me in my life. You are my best friend, and I can´t wait to be back home and have you by my side again! Happy birthday dad!!!!!!!!!

I love you all so much!!!! I hope you have an amazing week!! I miss you and can`t wait to talk to you guys over Skype!!!! Love you!!

Elder Harward