Letter #30

The day the Stake has been waiting for is coming next weekend. We were told when we arrived that we were cleaning up records so they could “right-size” the wards. Next Sunday night we are having a meeting to tell about the ward changes in the Stake. We were told today that we are the ones responsible for this. Yikes! We went to 2 Sacrament meetings today where there were lots of tears shed over the change happening. I don’t want to feel responsible! One lady asked me how long we had been here, when I told her she said it seemed like so much longer than that! Ha ha! I hope we will be allowed to go to church after next week.

The rest of the week was about the same. We fed 40 + people on Friday, we went to a meeting with another ward (and received assignments), we went to a baptism, we went to a lesson, we knocked on doors, I fixed a backpack. It all keeps us busy but it feels like déjà vu.

We have made a friend in the apartment complex. There is a man that walked his dog at the same time we go walking and then he started walking alone. We asked him about his dog and he told us how she had died. We now talk to him most mornings and one morning he asked why we are in Reno. Elder Hardman told him we are serving a mission for our church. The next day we were in the little gym working out (because it was raining) and he came inside to ask us which church we were serving a mission for. We plan to invite him and his wife to dinner.

The lesson we went to was for two fun ladies that have been less-active but are making an effort to return to activity. They already have a beautiful Christmas village set up in their home and they invited us back to their December Open House. I guess they have an amazing Christmas display, outside, inside and in their backyard! It will be fun to go back and visit them.

Sister Beutler is checking out! She is busy making sure we know that we are taking over! We have 3 senior couples that are leaving from the end of November until the first week of January. If you think missionaries get trunky! Senior couples are worse! Sister Beutler is still going to be in charge of the Christmas Party though and that sounds like a BIG deal so I am grateful for that! We have zone conference this week and zone training. The general authorities have asked mission presidents to have interviews with the missionaries twice quarterly instead of once a quarter. This is a lot more work for mission presidents. I just asked if it meant I would have to make another meal. Only thinking of myself!

Well the Gospel’s true and we love you!

Love,
Elder and Sister Hardman

Ps. We are having a contest this week. The first person to respond with the correct answer will win a fabulous prize! (I will decide what the prize is later!) What is the significance of this picture? You can text, email or respond on the blog. The more specific your answer the better chance you have of winning!