Paradise? I thought you said Portugal!


OLÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ!!!!!!!! TUDO BEM! I have now been in Portugal for a full week and a few days and it just gets better and better. I am starting to get used to the fact that I LIVE in EUROPE and I have started to be able to catch bits and pieces of what the people around me are saying which helps me not feel lonely. I don´t ever want to leave this beautiful place! Today we bought Portuguese bread and pastries for breakfast which were delicious and ate at this diner right next to a georgeous park for lunch! It was so fun! The food here is really fun. Some of it is going to take some getting used to, and it can be a little scary when you are at a members house and they are all like "eat all of it!" and I´m like "ahhh ok Ill try!" but for the most part it is really really good! Funny story though. Fun fact: I don´t like fish. First day my trainer says "we are going to eat at this members house, but don´t worry, they have never served us fish before." and what do they serve? fish. But I ate it all! A miracle indeed. I think God just wanted to make sure I knew that a mission wasn´t going to be easy but also wanted me to know that I can do it! (I realize now that I told that story in my last email. the days are blurring together a little.. and I still think it is a funny story. oh the irony.)
Learning a language and serving a mission are not easy things. Especially when you are trying to do them at the same time. Luckily the gift of tongues is a real thing, and the spirit is the actual  teacher, not me. Those who are prepared to hear the message of the gospel will recieve it, no matter how broken my portuguese. 
We did splits this week with the STL´s and I went to a city called Setùbal which was really beautiful and we taught an English class there! I loved all the people there trying to speak English in their cute accents and I was so excited when they were able to say something to me in
English and that just made me feel better because that is probably how they feel about me speaking Portuguese! No matter how thick my accent or broken my words, I have noticed whenever someone is able to understand me they get excited and are saying "sim sim, that was right!" It makes me feel really good. I can´t wait for the day when I can really talk to the people here though and get to know them. But all in the lords timing. It is necessary to struggle before we are allowed to see the blessings. How else will we notice the blessings when they come? 
I know this church is true! I am far away from home and family. Far away from everything I know, language, food, country, people. And why? Because Christ is everything to me. I have been blessed an immeasurable amount by the knowledge I have of His gospel, His love, and His atoning sacrifice. A year and a half dedicated to Him in exchange for literally everything I was, have, am, or have the potential to become in this life and in eternity? I would do it a million times over. Read the Book of Mormon, pray to know its true. Go to church. Follow the promptings of the spirit. Be obedient. Really God doesn´t ask that much from us. Christ gave His life for you, give your life to Him. Ok. Preach over. Love ya. I know that God loves me, and He loves you too. More than you can fathom. 

Love, Sister Hardy

Pics: I just threw some on here. I know there is one or two with some of our friends and some other sisters we had lunch with this week. And sister Hoffman loves to take funny pictures of me when we are studying... So, there you go.










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