Letter #15

The Parable of the Farmer and the Mule:

There once was a farmer who had an old mule. One day the mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer decided neither the mule or the well was worth saving so he called his neighbors to come and help throw dirt into the well to bury the mule below. As the mule was being buried by clogs of dirt that rained down upon him he decided that with each shovel-full he would shake it off and step up. It was a painful as the dirt and the clods fell upon him and he thought of giving up and giving in, but each time he shook it off and stepped up. Shake it off and step up, shake it off and step up. Eventually the mule stepped over the wall of the well. The dirt that was meant to bury him, blessed him.

This parable was given in a talk today in sacrament meeting. It was meant as an introduction to the subject of pioneers and how they dealt with adversity but it felt appropriate for missionary work (and everyday life). Sometimes it feels like someone is up there shoveling dirt on us. How we deal with adversity determines whether or not it will bury us or bless us.

We were hit in the head with a few dirt clods this week but we also felt the light from above falling into the well. It’s funny but a little bit of hope takes away the memory of the hard things.

We were asked to pick up a missionary at the Mission Office. He was playing basketball on P-day a week ago and turned and ran into the pole really hard. He received a concussion and has been put on bedrest but his symptoms were not getting any better. They decided he needed to go home. This is another Elder in our zone. He only had a few months left on his mission. He had been left in the Mission Office all day but they close at 5pm. We were asked to take him home, feed him and keep him until his companions could pick him up. They took him to their apartment where he packed and left the next morning for home. While we were picking him up, President Chesnut told us another Elder in our zone would be going home on Monday. He has been having headaches every day and after going to many doctors, Missionary Medical decided he needed to go home too. Our poor zone has had 4 missionaries go home early since the last transfer. This week is Transfers. Our zone needs to have some positive things happen. We have felt the loss of our wonderful zone leader, no more “Miracle of the Day” reports. This makes us sad. The week before transfers is always a little melancholy but this past week
was especially so. We are hoping this next transfer will put new life into the zone.

Speaking of Transfer Day, this one is the BIGGY! We are having 27 missionaries leave (including the three recent ones from our zone) and 18 are coming on Tuesday. We had a Pow Wow with the President and the senior couples to talk about how we were going to handle this. We do the lunch for the incoming missionaries and then we will have to pack the outgoing missionaries and take them to the Temple for a session, then they go to the Mission Home for a nice dinner and testimony meeting. They are not even allowed to unpack their luggage after they bring it to the Mission Office. They have to bring an overnight bag to the Mission home. It promises to be a crazy day! In between all of this it is a regular transfer day with pretty much everyone coming to the Mission Office to drop off and transfer to new companionships or to pick up and train a new missionary. I can’t wait to see what it all will look like.

Our bright spot of hope this week came on Saturday as we were knocking doors. We met a fun lady, who is originally from Delta, in her front yard. She happily welcomed us and we had a nice visit. She told us she quit smoking a couple of years ago and has been thinking that it is time to go back to church. This is a lady who lives in a nice home with a well-kept yard, a job, a husband (Catholic) and everything! It’s too good to be true! She didn’t come to church today but we aren’t giving up. She told us she would like us to come for that “once a month thing”. See, it doesn’t take much anymore to get us excited!

Elder Hardman, Elder Hammond and President Chesnut even went and played 9 holes of golf on Saturday morning. I think President Chesnut was happy for an outlet. Elder Hardman said that he did okay. He was enjoying playing so much before we left that I hope he is able to go some more. It has to be worth bringing his clubs with us!

We took another fun drive on Saturday to Mormon Station. It was the first city, historically, in Nevada. Brigham Young sent some pioneers to have an outpost at Mormon Station. The first white baby in the State was born there. The history goes on to tell how the Nevadans hated the Mormons and kind of forced them out. Hum, seems familiar. Anyway, it is a cute little town (Genoa) and a pretty state park. It isn’t too far from Carson City.

We are so proud of Hunter for graduating this past week. It was hard not to be there. It is an end of an era for us. We paid our first college tuition to Ricks College and our last to BYU-Idaho, same place, new name. We feel so grateful that we have been able to provide this opportunity for our children. It makes us feel so blessed.

We now have the last of the names in our notebooks! We will still need to visit each of those names and we always have the new move-in lists but we are seeing the top of the well! We had a return missionary speak last week and he told how speaking to strangers and in church never got easier for him. I understand, I don’t think I will ever “enjoy” knocking on doors but I know what we are doing is needed and it isn’t something they have been able to do for themselves. I get worried about what assignment will come next. I will try to “Shake it off and step up”!

The gospel’s true and we love you!

Love,
Elder and Sister Hardman

p.s. Favorite quote of the week,
“I never lose. I either win, or I learn.”

Pictures: Mormon Station collage and the first page of our Transfer Day activities, it will be a busy day!