I'm moving to a different country this year

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2020!!!! 🎉🎉 I have spent the whole of 2019 on my mission, and I can't think of a better way to spend a year, in the service of the Lord. Our week was a pretty normal missionary week. 

I bet you are wondering what we did for new year... Answer.... Nothing!! We were in bed at 11pm. We woke up at midnight took a picture yelled out the window and watched the fireworks for a few minutes. There were so many explosions and sirens and screaming it sounded like a legit air raid... After a particularly loud boom we decided it was time to go back to bed. Kkkk. 

Last week we met some cool Brazilian dudes while trying to find some less actives and they came to English class! We gave them both a book of Mormon and one of them, Rafa, said he wanted to come to church. Actually, in his own words, translated by me "I want to go to church more than English class." So on Sunday he shows up on a motorcycle, and sits next to Sister Darnell. I was sitting with some members. Apparently during the meeting he turned to sister Darnell and told her that he wanted to get baptised this year. Shocked she said, "really? Here?" he said that it would probably be the church he went to when he was living in France, but if he felt good about our church then he would get baptised here! After church we taught him with three Brazilian members around his same age (two returned missionaries and a recent convert) and they basically taught the lesson for us! It went great! Rafa said he believed everything we said, and believed that this was the true church, but he wanted to really find out for himself. We were like "yeah! Do that! Here is how you can know!" it was really cool. 

OK, I don't have any more cool stories to tell about this week. Yesterday we were doing some finding and looking for some less actives in a more touristy part of our area close to the river and it was so magical! I felt like the luckiest missionary ever to be working in such a beautiful place! And being a missionary is cool because we go to parts of the city that most people don't get to see. We walk down the back alleyways and we visit the neighborhood under the bridge and the poorer parts and the unknown streets. In my opinion those parts are the most beautiful because they are the most real. There we meet the humble people. The streets aren't well kept, everything is the exact same as it was probably 100 years ago or more, steep stairways, grafiti, abandoned buildings, and some of the best views of the river, in places few, if any, tourists would think of going. I feel so lucky! I had been feeling a little down yesterday, but once we got out there and I could see the reflections of the doors we were knocking in the river and the lights on the other side I remembered what an opportunity I have been given. Not only to be in another country or learning another language, I am so grateful to have the chance to serve the Lord. I know he is there. I know. It may be hard to feel his presence or see his hand sometimes. But he is there. Remember the story about the man on the beach. He reached the end and looked back and saw the two sets of footprints in the sand. One for him and the other for Jesus. But he saw on the parts of his long walk that had been the hardest that there was only one set of footprints. He asked Jesus. "why did you leave me? When I needed you the most why did you leave?" Christ answered "I never left you. Those were the moments I carried you." 

I know Christ lives. He loves us! He loves me! I know that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is literally Christ's Church. He leads us. I love the Book of Mormon and the Bible and I am so grateful for the truths they contain. I love you all! Have a wonderful week and a wonderful year! 

Sister Hardy

-We went to the beach today! It was a blast!

-yes. Yes I am a cat. 

-the view whilst tracting

-we did a really fun heart attack! 

-Denzel is official!