"We taught the latino elders how to play football!"

April 27,2015

Hola!

This week seemed so long to me, but it was a good week!

Monday for our activity we taught the latino elders how to play football Haha! That was pretty funny to watch. They can’t understand the rules or why we have rules too well, but it was a lot of fun! 

Tuesday we finally got in to teach Fernando, our baptism fetcha that fell through. But, It’s all good, we have a new one now! He has just gotta start coming to church. It’s always fun to teach him because his little brother is a member and always quizzes him to test him. His brother is solid. 

Wednesday was walking all day, no lessons, but at 8 we taught Fernando again! He told us his story that he received an answer that the church is true and his prayers were answered. The lesson was on the atonement and chastity because he has a girlfriend and his younger brother ratted him out when he wasn't there. Haha! He didn't look like he wanted to follow the ley de castidad but he said he will do his best... we have a cita with him today so we will see how he’s doing. 

Wednesday we had only contacting so we didn't even get one lesson in because everyone was busy or so they said. Haha! Anyhow, we were walking and saw this group of kids by the water and we went over and saw one of them had an alligator on his fishing line! Haha! It was like, 4 feet long and they were trying to lasso the mouth and bring it up on the bank but it broke the line. Haha! It was so funny to watch. 

Friday we taught Alfonso who I’ve been teaching since my first day here and he doesn't want to get baptized, he just likes to talk. But we taught him anyway. He has cancer and has had a change of heart and wants to be baptized but his health is bad so he can’t to go church. He just lays in a hammock all day, so we are going to keep teaching him so his testimony will grow so he will except it when he dies.

Saturday, we taught a hermano who doesn't go to church because he doesn't like a guy there. But he knows a lot about the church! It’s crazy, but he has a lot of drinking problems and it’s hard to find him sober. 

Sunday we taught the primary! which is always fun. Haha! I had a little girl sitting next to me complaining about how her sister is so bad for not paying attention. Haha! She went on forever! It was cute and funny.

Love,

Elder Harding

 Riding the bus on our way to conference

My friends from the ccm who are now serving in Trinidad.

"I never ran so fast in my life!"

April 20, 2015

Hola! 

Oh man, what a good week!! So, fishing... we didn't catch anything but it was still a bunch of fun and it was just what I needed! It was relaxing and awesome. I’ll send pictures after this! Oh, and there is a promise that if you read the Libro de Mormon in Spanish, when you finish you will be fluent in that language so I've started that and I'm now able to read without using my English scriptures, it’s awesome!

So Monday was the day of fishing and man, was that fun! It was a pretty spot to fish too! Later that day we had our weekly noche de hogar with familia Elsa. 

Tuesday my whole zone went to Trinidad for a conference with Elder Christopher Waddell de the seventy. We flew there and worked with the other elders in the area at night and oh, we ate alligator! It was so good! I fell in love with Trinidad, I want to serve there so bad! Haha! Its beautiful. There are so many guys from my ccm group that serve there. Wednesday was the conference and it was so good! My favorite part was when Elder Waddell said that if members and investigators aren't reading the Book of Mormon and are only reading the bible they cant be converted to the fullness of the gospel because the Book of Mormon is the fullness of the gospel! This was perfect because we have a menos activo who won’t read the book of mormon. Thursday was traveling back to Guayaramerin! Haha! Our last flight was crazy rough. The plane would just start dropping and all the people on the plane would scream. Haha! Elder Wertz threw up. That was so funny to me, he filled up three bags! I didn't get sick! 

Friday, we visited with the menos activo who won’t read the book of mormon and shared what Elder Waddell said and showed her a picture of him and challenged her to read it. Now she’s super stoked to read the Book of Mormon! Saturday we didn't have a lessons, but we had 3 blessings that day! Haha! I then received a call as I was going to bed that I had to talk in church the next morning, I was like, “What the crap?!” So on  Sunday I was all ready for my talk and rushed to get stuff together then we were missing stuff for the sacrament and we started super late so I ended up not having to give my talk. I was ready too!! Oh well. 

Oh, and one night we went to go check our spot where we measure the water to see how much it raises everyday. And freaking holy crap! We didn't have a light and we see this huge black thing, and it runs in the water, and there was a huge splash! Man, I never ran so fast in my life! It was a alligator! A huge one! My companion said by the time he thought to run, I was already down the street! Haha! It scared us so bad and a lady nearby said to watch out they have alligators all over outside her house! 

Love 

Elder harding

"We are going FISHING!"

April 13, 2015

Hola!

So you’ll never guess our zone activity for today? We are going

FISHING! I’m so stoked for it! Someone found a spot where its safe to

fish, so we get to go now! Finally!

So Monday I ended up getting my package mom! Thank you so much I

missed sunflower seeds and peanut butter! And cliff bars! Haha.. it is

all so good! Sadly the dog whistle doesn’t work very well. It does

every now and then. Haha! I also bought a hammock that I sleep in

because the mattresses have bugs and crap in them and I'm sick of

getting eaten alive haha! 

Tuesday was a long day of walking but we finally got in a lesson with a new investigator. Familia Martinez. The husband is a preacher for the evangelist church here and he is

actually interested and not wanting to bible bash! He is always

saying, “Yeah! Amen!” Haha, he's awesome. We are also teaching the

director of the catholic school here so its pretty cool how we are

teaching “important people” here. 

Wednesday we have been looking for a

menos activo and he live on the very border of our area and his house

isn’t even a house its just a roof. He says he gets alligators around his

house a lot. He is super cool and he is so humble. Whenever he sees us, even if he is leaving, he always turns back and goes to his house so he can listen to

us teach him. He is so awesome! Oh, and that night all of Guayaramerin had a black out.There was no power and it was so freaking dark! And there was no moon so

it was pretty much pitch black. 

Thursday, I solved a conflict that has

been in our house… haha! Elder Wertz wants “jesus sandals” and

everyone keeps asking where in the bible does it say what type of

shoes he wore or is it just in the movies! Haha, so I was reading in the

book of John and in John 1:27 it talks about his shoes and in the

footnotes it says “strapped sandals” haha! So Elder Wertz was so happy!

Friday was COLES WEDDING DAY! So of course I wore his tie in honor of Cole and Whitney’s special day! Everyone I talked to said, “whoa bonita corbata!” Haha, but it was a good day. We taught a familia and it was a great spiritual lesson but

the hermano had a cheek full of coca leaves haha, so maybe the word of

wisdom is next. 

Saturday we visited a Hermana and she is super stressed and has a million problems so we helped for what we could and shared some scriptures. Sunday was district conference and wow there were a lot of good talks given!

Love

Elder Harding

"Friday was freaking creepy"

April 6, 2015

Happy Easter!!!

This week was Semana Santa (holy week) and Easter is a week long thing here. It’s been a good week! 

Monday we had a bunch of rain so it started flooding again but it wasn't as bad this time. We had a noche de hogar con Hermana Elsa y her familia! Then after, she took us to our favorite chicken place to eat!! 

Tuesday was awesome! We went to visit Hermano Michael and his older brother answered the door and said that Michael wasn’t there but that he wants to be baptised! So we were like, heck yeah lets go! So we taught him and he said he has had the same dream 6 times where he said he watches his soul leave his body over and over again. So he’s scared to death about his soul, so we have been teaching him. 

Wednesday we taught he and his brother Michael again and they are so freaking funny together! Since Fernando had had one lesson, he thinks he knows more than Michael who is a member, so they like have a competition and when one answers a question they just look at each other its hilarious haha! 

Thursday was a slow day but we had a noche de hogar con Presidente Cali and his familia and they took us to eat pollo again, haha! 

Friday was freaking creepy. So, it’s Holy Week and Friday at midnight I was woken up by crazy loud drums out side our house and no one else was awake so I was like, “what the crap!” and looked outside.... and all I saw was a bunch of red devils! Here, this pueblo or people dress up like red devils and go around at midnight and make people hold these two by fours above their heads and dance. Then when the people start to slow down or try to stop they whip them with their whips and make them keep going and it literally looks like everyone is worshiping the devil! It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen! 

Saturday was conferencia!! We didn't get it in English so I had to watch it in Spanish. I picked up most of it but missed a lot so today I'm downloading all the talks onto a flash drive so I can listen in English! Sunday was conferencia too so after we had our tradicion con familia inavoldez and had a noche do hogar and talked about the story of almas hijo! 

Love Elder Harding

 My Zone 

"It's been a solid week!"

March 30, 2015

Hola!!

It’s been a solid week! Monday, we had a noche de hogar con familia Guasanave. Not many people showed up, but it was still a great lesson. Tuesday, we had a lesson with familia Bonilla, it’s been a long time since we visited them! The lesson was great its just frustrating because they think its hard to pray everyday haha. I don't understand but I guess it would be if you weren’t raised in a church. Wednesday were cambios I'm still in my same area with my new companion. He finishes his mission after the next cambio so I think I’ll be here for a long time. We taught a recent convert Michael Vaca, and asked him if he wants to serve a mission and he said, “Oh I'm going to serve a mission! haha eso!” He's the best. Thursday we had been trying to visit Fran and his wife because she isn't a member and he's a menos activo and she is super interested. so during the lesson we got a baptism fetch for her! The first one in my area in a long time!! We were so pumped for her! She thinks its super funny to talk fast so I can’t understand haha, but she's awesome! Friday we only got in one lesson. Literally, everyone was in their house and they were drunk! Gosh, we were tracking and we talked to 5 drunk people in like 20 minutes. And here, when you shake their hand and you realize they are drunk you have to jerk your hand out of theirs because they wont let go and its annoying...  Saturday, we had to stop working at 5 because there were elections but, we got in one lesson with a new menos activo we found. He has a strong testimony, only it’s been so long since he has been  to church that he lost the routine and he has drinking problems. Sunday was elections and we couldn’t leave the house so it was a super boring day! We've also had a huge storm and everything is flooded again!

Love Elder Harding

 My best Latino friend was transferred, I was sad to see him go.

 The floods are back after a huge storm.

 The capybara live along the banks of the rivers in Bolivia.

Elder Wertz, he reminds me of Cole, hahaha!