My Town - Monroe

Monday's are still my P-day which is awesome!

Ok. Take a deep breath, take your vitamin pills, and buckle up! I may not use very much punctuation, we'll see, it will also be very out of order, so sorry.

I'm in Michigan!!!!! So our journey to the airport and the flight were pretty uneventful, I met the other greenies going to Detroit and they are all super nice! Though I probably won't see any of them very much! Once we landed in Detroit we all piled out and went to get our bags from the baggage claim, and there was no one in sight! We were all huddled in a corner trying to figure out what to do, when President Cleveland walked around the corner with two elders who had gone to try and find him! There was some hubbub after that because their truck had broken down and the cops were sitting right next to them so they couldn't leave their car, plus everyone else had been told to pack an overnight bag, but since I was a transfer I didn't get the memo, so it was everyone with their little bags and me with my two GIANT SUITCASES, but it was all good. Finally we left the airport and drove to the Mission home. Michigan is super flat! We drove past some big hills and I got excited, but then sister Cleveland told us they were big trash dumps they had planted grass on top of... but it was still exciting to see not flat ground! The trees are all dead, but I can imagine how beautiful they would be full of leaves! At the mission home we had some really yummy pulled pork sandwiches and the office couple talked to us for a couple hours about driving in the snow. I won't get to drive though since I am a visa waiter. There is one other visa waiter, he had been in Madagascar for 8 months and then had to go home for a little while, but is now waiting for his visa to head back out! The next day we went to the chapel and got talked to a bit more about winter driving, and got interviews and some study time, and then we met out trainers! Mine in Sister Stephan and she is AMAZING! She has been out for a year and knows every missionary in the mission it seems like! She is really on top of things and her teaching style is showing you once or twice and then making me try! It is scary, but it works really well! We are in a trio with Sister Pierce who is an actual angel. She is so sweet! She says things like "so good" or "so cute" all the time about everything, and I've started doing it too! We work really well together and have a lot of fun! For thanksgiving we went to a recent converts house and she warmed up her leftovers for us and it was delicious! I tried pumpkin pie for the first time and it is SO GOOD! I am kinda obsessed with it now... Anyway, we are working in an area called Monroe. It is a big area with a tiny little ward, but the bishop is awesome! Sunday was a little crazy, the gospel doctrine class kinda got out of hand, but sacrament meeting was beautiful, all the talks were really wonderful! We had a linger longer afterwards with all the thanksgiving leftovers which was fun! The whole drive from the mission home to our apartment Sister Stephan was telling us all about the people we are teaching and the recent converts. We went out tracting that night, which was wack. The rejection is crazy! But it was all worth it for the one door that opened and was interested. We set up an appointment and taught them again, but they didn't come to church, hopefully we'll get in contact and teach them again! We have a baptism this weekend for a really awesome guy named Dwight. He is a black belt in martial arts! We met a recent convert named Theresa too and she is incredible! She just eats up the scriptures and loves the gospel so much! We also met a woman last night while tracting. She had a picture of the pope on her window (there are A LOT of Catholics in this area, and most of them are really not interested), but she let us in and we had a great conversation and set up an appointment for tomorrow! We do a lot of store contacting too which is TERRIFYING, I feel like a hunter stalking people who are alone in aisles. I had a cool experience though at the library! I woman walked by and saw my scriptures and commented on how they looked like the word of God. I remembered I had an extra book of mormon in my bag and went up and bore my testimony of it and gave it to her! I hope she will call us, but either way, I felt the spirit in that testimony, and I learned to be brave! There are too many things to tell, so that is going to be it for stories for now. The people in Monroe are really interesting, and pretty darn hilarious, but I love them so so much its crazy! I borrowed a coat and scarf from the mission home, it truly is freezing here! I haven't gotten boots yet, but we might try to get some today. When we go tracting its kinda funny because we are all wearing tights with socks under and over them, our boots, our dress plus a cardigan plus our giant puffy jackets, scarves, hats, and gloves! We look like odd colored marshmallows with tags! You can send mail straight to our apartment, but packages go to the mission office. I will attach the addresses for both of those. We do service twice a week with habitat for humanity ReStore and this saturday we swept and then the manager got pizza for all the volunteers! Most of the volunteers are doing community service for their probation, but they are all really nice. We are teaching one of them, but he didn't show up which was a bummer! I was going to try and make my e-mail sound as scary as possible, but I actually feel super safe here! We drove past one drug bust, and our neighbors yell a lot, and one of the recent converts we are working with is drunk almost every time we meet him, and EVERYTHING smells like weed, but the people are all really kind and courteous, and most people are willing to talk to you. There is always the random grumpy guy who yells at us to not solicit, but those people are everywhere! I love being in the field. I love knocking on doors! Getting doors slammed in your face and walking in the freezing cold is so worth it for the one person on the street who lets us in. I feel like I am handing out free gold, and I am so happy! No one lies when they say missionary work is hard, but they aren't lying when they say its the best thing they have ever done either!!! I love this Gospel! I know it is true! I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God!

Oh! One more story! We are teaching a young man (another black belt!) who is an atheist. He wants there to be a God, but has been struggling getting answers to his prayers. We met him a few days ago and I extended the baptismal invite, and he said no. But I asked him why and we worked together to resolve his concerns. By the end of the appointment he was on date to be baptized if he receives his answer! It was truly a miracle, and I am praying like crazy that he will be able to recognize his answer. 

Thanks for the Update! I don't have time today to do individual messages, but I love you all so so much, and it was so great to hear your voices the other day! 

You can be missionaries! The best and most important thing the missionaries need from you is to be a minister to investigators and new converts. THEY NEED YOU! Be an example to everyone you meet. If you are living the gospel, it won't be hard to share because it will be your life!

Tchau! I love you!

Sister Hardy

Addresses: 

Apartment: 1701 Mall Rd #9 Monroe MI 48162

Mission office: 23190 W Nine Mile Rd, Southfield MI 48033, United States