"Everything is coming along so perfect"

September 7, 2015

Hola!!

This week was a great week!!!! We have a new investigator and her name is Keila and she is progressing super fast. We have had 3 visits with her and we have finished lessons 1, 2 and 3! She has come to church 2 times!! She has a baptism date set for the 26th and is ready!! She wants to learn as much as possible so we are visiting her everyday! We are preparing her for the combios in case we are not here. Our goal is to finish everything for the next missionaries who come to this area after combios. They won’t need to do anything before her baptism, she is honestly ready!! She is super out going and loves to joke around and she already knows the Book of Mormon. When we ask her to open to a scripture, she opens right to it! It’s just amazing how everything is coming along so perfect. That scares us a little hahah. But she has been prepared and is ready!! Also, I've been with Elder Sanchez this past week who is finishing his mission tomorrow. He is from Costa Rica. He is super cool and super funny! I’ll miss him so much when he leaves.. I have learned so much from him!! 

Elder Harding

"President Zambrano came to visit"

Elder Harding with President Zambrano

August 31, 2015

Elder Harding

Hola!!! 

Entonces this week was a different week but a good one! President Zambrano came to visit! We had a meeting and holy crap, I learned a ton from him!! It is always good when he comes because we don’t really ever get to talk to him face to face because we are way far away from Santa Cruz where our mission home is. We all were able to have interviews with him and lets just say I don't think ill be leaving my area anytime soon! haha! He asked everyone at lunch how much time they had here in Guayaramerin and everyone is saying 2 months, 3 months or 4 months. Then he came to me and asked, “And Elder Harding?” and I said, “Well I only have 8 months... hahaha” and then he laughed and said the record for the last 5 years is 10 months in 2 areas. He said I might break the record, haha! So I don't know what will happen on the next transfer…we will see!

We have a new super good investigator! She was a reference from a member. This woman is super interested and I'm super excited to teach her Wednesday! 

We also found out the hard way about a bug here that makes a loud noise that hurts your ears. It looks like a cross between a fly and a cockroach.  If you get near it, it pees on you... My companion got peed on like a good 6 times this week! We learned that when we hear it, to not stop and look but to RUN!!! haha! My companion HATES all types of bugs so it was pretty funny that he was to one to get it!

Elder Harding

"Fernando is finally Baptized!"

August 24, 2015

Hola!! 

This week had its ups and downs for sure! To start off, we had some sick service projects this week! First we went out in los compos to work like all the local men do here.  We went to cut down trees with our machetes!! It was a lot of fun! we had to use long sleeves and long pants because of all the bugs and spiders. I think it is how my companion got dengue fever. It’s a disease you get from mosquitos and he is pretty sick. We've been to many, many hospitals and used a butt load of money of taxis... haha! He is alright now, doing much better. The other service project we did was harvesting yuca. Yuca is the root portion of a plant like a potato and I think I even like yuca more than potatoes! So this guy said he just wanted to cook for us and we went way out in the compos to eat haha! He has a sick little camp thing. It was like an outdoor house, like a dream camp to me! This turned out to be a good week. Fernando is finally baptized!!! He did it!!! It was a beautiful baptism with lots of support from the branch!!! it was a fun week!

Elder Harding

"My rat count is two"

August 17, 2015

Hola!!

This week was a pretty good week. We had so many family home evenings with members it was nuts! I kept getting calls from people wanting us to pass by and give lessons to their families for family home evening. It was good for us because we got feed really well! haha! 

This week my rat count is two. We have a huge rat problem. So we will be studying in our house and a rat will run by… so I grab my machete and I've killed two so far! The latinos are all scared to death of them! haha! 

For P day today we went to Riberalta and hour away and had a really cool activity with the zone. It was at this resort like place and it was really fun. We played volleyball, tennis, soccer, ping pong and a bunch of other games.

This week I've focused on helping Fernando read and some menos activos! This Saturday will be the baptism of Fernando!! he did it!!! I am so happy! Hopefully he shows up to this baptism... haha! I know he will. He is super excited and loves to read the Book of Mormon. I also showed him the app the church has and so now he listens to the book when he is busy! I am pretty excited for him! Other that that not much is going on. No other progress with people..I’m still working on that.

Elder Harding

"Day of Bolivia"

August 10, 2015

Hola! 

This week was a good week! It looks like Fernando is staying strong! I've been working with him a lot and we are continuing to read the Book of Mormon with him because that is the key of conversion and gaining strength. And it is working!! He keeps saying August 22nd is the day of his baptism and he will not fall for temptation! He is reading and studying the Book of Mormon and isn't going out on Saturdays so he can control his decisions! this week we have had the “6th of August” which is the “day of Bolivia". The zone leaders heard that nothing happens on this day and that we can work as usual... (but they were so far off!) So here we are working among the millions of parties that are happening in the plazas in the middle of my area..... and Holy Crap! I cant explain how nuts it was... all the Brazilians come over (from across the river) and get drunk, dance and fight.... We had to walk through like every single party just to hide in a house of Hermano Sosa a member. We stayed there and had a 3 hour lesson! hahaha! Later we had a video night in the church so the members would have somewhere to go because the members don’t leave their houses on this day. haha! It was a very interesting experience. This did turn out to be a good week and my convert Edwardo is doing so well. He hasn’t missed a Sunday! And most of the  time he comes alone without anyone and he is passing the sacrament! 

Elder Harding

"Elder Guayaramerin"

August 3, 2015

Hola!!! 

So you guys are waiting to hear about transfers... this is what happened… my companion, Elder Melo was transferred to Santa Cruz and my combio is......well..... uh still in my first area!!! haha! I didn't get transferred!! haha!! I’m now training another brand new missionary, Elder Bravo from Peru. So it looks as if i’ll be finishing this first 9 months of my mission in my first area here in Guayaramerin, haha!! I really don't mind because I really like it here and have a lot of friends. The people here are calling me “Elder Guayaramerin” hahaha, and are saying they need to change the name of my mission to Bolivia Guayaramerin. Everyone in my branch here all said how they are super happy and grateful I’m still here to work. There is usually a high turn over of missionaries and they enjoy seeing a familiar face. haha! So here I am training a new elder again and oh, I am also the new district leader too! For the work this week we started to read the Book of Mormon with Fernando and he showed up to church on Sunday! And, he brought his girlfriend which is crazy!!!!! S now I am hoping he can stay strong this month. If he does, we will baptize him at the end of the month!!! Other than that not much has happened. I've been really busy starting Elder Bravo’s training and after I got out of the trio this week I have had to find the people that I couldn't contact this week because we don’t have time to visit everyone in both areas when we are in a trio. I am really happy to have more time in my area and the opportunity to work with Fernando. haha! He is so close. 

Elder Harding

"Stay tuned, haha!"

July 27,2015

Hola!

This week was a good week. We have a investigator who is on house

arrest haha. He's a really cool guy named Luis Carlos and he was in an

accident when he was drinking and killed someone. We are teaching

him and he has completely changed his life. He received a blessing

from the other elders and he has stopped drinking completely and is

super excited to get baptized. The only problem is we can’t invite him

to church or we will have problems with the police here. So he is

working on getting permission to go to church. On the down side,

Fernando still is falling in the word of wisdom and so we don't know what

more we can do. We have one more plan for him that we will teach today..

If we don’t get through to him, I don’t know, we will keep praying for him. 

I want him to change his ways, I've worked so long with him and he

was ready... but he has a girlfriend who pretty much told us she won’t

help him either.

But this week is cambios! I was thinking I'm going to leave, but

President called my companion and asked for his passport number so

maybe he will leave and not me! Haha! I have no idea what will happen…

so stay tuned haha.

Elder harding

"We've been battling bats"

July 20, 2015

Hola! 

So this week I was very busy. Last week I was in a trio because Elder Maldonaldo was with the zone leaders and the zone leaders went to Santa Cruz and so I had Elder Maldonaldo all week. Then the companion of Elder Flores finished his 2 years and so we were thinking, oh sweet, Elder Maldonaldo will be the trainer of Elder Flores. But not so, Presidente said he wants me to be his trainer. So I am now training two missionaries at the same time! So I’ve been busy because we are working in two areas. I like being busy, its a lot of fun. The strange thisng is, I don't have anyone in my house to speak English with so now it is only Spanish! Haha, but thats alright, it’s good. 

This week we found Fernando and he was super sad because he couldn't go to his baptism because he fell in the word of wisdom the night before... just when he has been clean for so long.... so we continue working with him. He needs a little more time. 

This week one day the whole city lost power and everything was pitch black! That was pretty crazy, haha, then, the following day we lost water! So everyone was bathing in the rivers. That was awkward. 

We have been battling bats in my house. There are a lot of bats here who live out side. and usually aren't a problem but one day we left the back door open and they came in and ate a bunch of fruit and made a huge mess! We got them out of the house and  decided to try to kill them with our sling shots but we missed. We had to leave to work and I don't know how they did it but we came home and they were in our house again!! So we have to find a better attack form.... but this week has been fun! 

Love Elder Harding

"Patience is key here"

July 13,2015

Hola!

So this week was a little weird and frustrating… This week we are in a

trio with Elder Maldonaldo because his comp finished his mission. It’s been fun working with him, hes a good guy. Now we have a fairly new investigator Yony and he is really cool. He always has good sincere questions and we had a straight up lesson with him about baptism and authority and the gift of the holy ghost. For some reason he started to get a little upset during our discussion but we taught with love and calmness. Now he understands! He is now reading the Book of Mormon and is working on receiving his answer. He gave me a lamp he made out of a wine bottle, haha! We had a baptism for Fernando Saturday and he didn’t show up. So now I’ve got to go talk with him this week and hopefully he will have the desire to be baptized this week. I’ve worked so hard with him! And he is super ready. We don’t know what happened but patience is key here, haha! As for my health..I still have the rash and its a little better. I have to make a tea  from manzanilla which is a flower and rub it on my body.  The doctor said it won’t cure it but it will control it.

I guess it works alright, I don;t really know. Other than that, not much happened this week...

Love Elder Harding

 We were so close!

 Tea for my rash made with manzanilla flower

"I'm now allergic to the sun"

July 6, 2015

Hola! 

Wow! So much has happened back home! Congratulations on the new baby Kevin and Jessica!!!!! Thats awesome! and congrats to Morgan! Haha! I can’t believe she’s getting engaged! 

This week was a good week! This week was spent working on the baptism Friday for Edwardo! Haha, it was awesome! We had a great turn out and the afternoon before, the others and I cooked a dinner for the baptism with some of the members! it was a great turn out and we had a lot of youth show up! The youth sang a musical number. The Sunday after, his mom showed up to church for the first time in years! we've been working with her for a long time! But Edwardo is now baptized. I forgot my camera today so i’ll send pictures when I can! More good news is Fernando did it!!!! He is all ready for baptism!! He has completely changed his life around to prepare! His baptism will be this next Saturday!! I'm so excited for him. I've worked so hard with him and almost had to quit on him but he did it, he changed his heart! 

On the down side of things I went to the doctor for my rash on my body and the doctor said I'm now allergic to the sun... because the sun is super strong here. When I break out, I am supposed to take pills for 10 days and that is supposed to stop it for a month or so. I have talked with the president’s wife and the odds are I’ll be going to Santa Cruz next combios because it’s cold there. The last 3 days have been cold here and there is no sun and my rash went away. But its not too bad, I can handle it well. It just itches. 

Love Elder Harding

"We faced a lot of opposition"

June 29, 2015

Hola!

This week was difficult. We faced a lot of opposition in our work here.

We were supposed to have three baptisms next week but we will only be

having one.  

Monday, we were in Riberalta to play the other missionaries

in soccer which was a blast. 

Tuesday we had lessons scheduled to finish with our investigators who are preparing for their baptism interview on Sunday. But we couldn’t find any of them! 

And Wednesday we found Edwardo and got him ready for the interview. And we have his brother coming to church every Sunday with him so he brother will be active again soon, so that’s good. 

Thursday we were trying to find Amparo because we had

a appointment but she wasn’t home!! Then she told us to come back later that night

and we went back and she wasn’t home again…. 

The rest of the week was the same thing over and over, it was frustrating. But the good news is Sunday, Edwardo and Fernando showed up to church! So this Friday we

have a baptism with Edwardo!! And Fernando has all of his church

attendance required for baptism but when he doesn’t go to church he falls and has problems. So we are going to wait a few more weeks and see if he can continue to be

strong so he can be baptized.

Elder Harding

"Dust off my machette..."

June 22, 2015

Hola! 

This week was a good week! We didn't have many lessons but it was still a good week with progress! Today we went to Riberalta to play the other missionaries in soccer then we came back and there wasn't internet so thats why I’m writing so late.

Lunes, for our activity we went and played beach volleyball it was a lot of fun. 

Tuesday, we had a service project so i got to dust off my machette! That’s always a good time! 

Miercoles was combios and it was the combios to find out if we go to Capija and are changing to mission La Paz. Since I have 6 months in the same area, Everyone thought I would be going to go the La Paz mission. So at the night of cambios, my zone leaders told me if our pension shows up with a pepperoni pizza I'm going to La Paz and if she shows up with a cheese pizza, I have combios within the Santa Cruz mission and if she doesn’t show up with any pizza, I stay here. So my pension showed up and gave me the phone number to the pizza place so that meant I don't have combios and I have to buy my zone leader a pizza! Haha... So here I will stay, in the same area.... after the next combio I’ll have finished seven and a half months here! haha! Everyone is surprised. That just means the lord just isn't done with me working in this area yet. 

Jueves was walking all day, no lessons and contacting, didn't work all day. 

Viernes, we were training the new secretary of the branch how to use the MLS on the computers. 

Saturday we had a lesson with our branch president because he is not coming to church. It was a very spiritual experience, he almost cried and it was a powerful lesson but Domingo he didn't freaking show up. I don’t know what we are going to do. The good news is Fernando showed up to church!!!!!!!! So next week, if three of our fetchas show up, I’ll be having three baptisms that week!!!! 

Elder Harding