Letter #76

Here we are! The LAST letter from the mission field! Can you believe it? I feel like I need to have t shirts made that read: I survived the Transfer of 2017! Tuesday was a busy day! I have a hard time believing it was in this same week. At the end of the day we fed 75 missionaries! That will make your feet tired! We found out that a local sister will be doing the lunches for MLC and Transfer Day. Sister Chesnut will do the Transfer Day dinner at the Mission Home. We were told she would come on Transfer Day to see how it was done and to receive training. We had her in tears! Really it was because the sight of 29 brand new missionaries just touches your heart. Two missionaries coming from the Mexico MTC missed their connecting flight in California because of the earthquake and a late flight. They were supposed to be here at 11 am but didn’t arrive until 9pm. The two Temple Square sisters didn’t arrive until Wednesday morning and one poor Elder had lost his passport at the Provo MTC so he couldn’t fly, they put him on Amtrak by himself and he traveled all night. It was a crazy transfer day! Our replacement, Sister Giles was a witness to all of the craziness but I think she is still going to do the lunches. She helped in the kitchen on Transfer Day and we met with her on Wednesday (after we straightened the storage room and had everything ready) to give her a cookbook and the keys. She will do MLC on October 6 th . I know she will do great! I had 8 months of training from Sister Beutler, she had one insane day! It feels strange to hand over the keys but it was also good. I don’t know if I will believe that part is over until October 6th!

Friday we turned the rest of the “JustServe” materials over to the Penny’s. We had a little meeting at the mission office and then took them to meet Ellen at Kiwanis Bike. We had 4 missionaries serving right then and they liked seeing that. We also took them by the Nevada Literacy Center where we also have missionaries serving. Elder Hardman sent out the text that said the Zone Leaders will now report to the Pennys. We have done ourselves out of our jobs! There is no one to come and help with the wards though so that felt a little undone today as members asked if someone was coming to replace us. We finished off some names for the records on Saturday and turned everything into the ward clerks today.

We were able to go to 2 lessons this week. We have gone around and said a lot of good-byes. That is hard. We were asked to take a Lady that just moved here to church today. She was baptized two weeks ago. We only just met her but felt like we were telling her good-bye too! We will visit several more this week. I don’t like this part. When we went to tell Kathy good-bye she told us that she has lung cancer, and she’s never even smoked. Her son does. Poor Kathy.

We have given several “last” testimonies. We took around our final “Welcome to the Zone” treat. I mended my last clothing items. We’ve tried to do our best but I think you always think about the things you wish you had done better. We tried to tell Billie good-bye but she wouldn’t answer the phone and her son met us at the door and said she was sleeping. It makes us feel sad. We will go to dinner tomorrow night with the senior couples and President and Sister Chesnut. We will attend our final District meeting on Tuesday. I think I am going to have to show up at District meeting in Utah. I don’t know if I can live without it! How I will miss this sweet association with the missionaries. We had a special testimony given at the “Why I believe” fireside last week. Elder Werner was serving in the Truckee ward when he saw a young man carrying a guitar, being a guitar player he asked him what kind of instrument he had, that led to teaching this 26 year old the lessons and Elder Werner baptized him several months ago. Fast forward to Elder Werner serving in Sienna Vista where he received a referral for a man in the Single’s ward that was too old (31) for the Single’s Sisters to teach. When they contacted Daneil he had been befriended by a recent convert, Lex. You guessed it, Daneil was soon baptized by Lex, who was baptized by Elder Werner and they both had been taught by the same Elder. Elder Werner was able to hear these two testimonies two days before he left to go home. We have witnessed so many tender, sweet mercies on our mission. We are so grateful to have been a part of this. We love these missionaries! We have learned a lot.

Now we look forward to coming home. I hope it feels real by Thursday. I can’t stand too many more “lasts”!

The Gospel’s true and we love you!

Love,
Elder and Sister Hardman

p.s. It is apropos that Elder Hardman noticed one last bumper sticker this week. “Think, it’s not illegal yet”