What the Devil! - 06/25/12

Dear Family,

Guess what? I am getting transferred. I will now be serving in Castries St. Lucia. I am pretty pumped I found out a few days ago when we had to go get police clearances. Anyways, my companion will be Elder Blackburn, and I will be a zone leader there. The other zone leader is on a different island haha. Elder Blackburn came out with Elder Moya. I do not know much else but I guess they speak a french english language so that will be a lot of fun. I am flying out of Guyana Wednesday morning. Elder Moya is also leaving on the same flight, but he is stopping in Trinidad.

We had a baptism Saturday. My boy Onkar! The others that we had planned fell through. Mark and Rita are still not married as yet, mostly because Mark is always in the Bush. Sometimes I just really hate the bush. There is a lot of good things going in Linden though, I am kinda sad to leave, but more excited about my new area haha

I just read my last e mail from President Gamiette. So who knows what the future will hold. I heard there will be Zone Leader Council in a few weeks, if so I will get to fly back to Trinidad and be able to meet the Mission President.

I am thankful for everything that you all do for me, I have the best family ever.

Love
Elder Hartshorn

Miracle of Forgiveness - 06/18/12

Dear Family,

Let me tell you of the wrestle I had before God. It all started around Monday night. I was studying Why we are here on earth. I came to the great understanding that this time is not only to serve missions, but to repent. I felt like I could of just died Monday morning, you could probably tell.... I was determined to resolve these fellings the right way, so I called president. I scheduled an appointment. When I called he did not answer, It was not until Wednesday that I finally got to speak properly with him. Those three days were the closest thing to hell I have ever been through. I could not even eat! I felt sick! All I could think about was I am going home.... I let down everyone ..... How am I going to face everyone at home.... I also knew that I had to do this. Wednesday morning I had my interview over the phone. President and I talked about everything! He told me how satan will put those thoughts into our minds sometimes to think that we are not worthy to be on missions. I also learned a valuable lesson about Heavenly Father, He will always be there for us. I seriosly after our interview felt a remission of my sins. I felt like I could have flied! I have never been so excited to share the Gospel before in my life, why? I knew then with out a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ is our Savior and will be there for all who turn unto him. I love the Scripture King Benjamin shares in Mosiah 3:11-12, He Atoned for everyone,even those who have ignorantly sinned. We can make any change starting TODAY! Why wait to feel of the joy of repentance! This life is a time for men to prepare to meet God and to repent, if we are doing those two things nothing else matters. I love you all!! I cannot express my love to you that I have. The work is going good we have some baptisms coming up. Transfer ends this week I hope you had a great weekend and a Happy Fathers Day for Dad.I am so happy to tell you that I will return with honor.

Love
Elder Hartshorn

Love Serving the Lord - 06/04/12

Dear Family,

All is going good!

Guess who came out of the "bush"? MARK!!!! We are hoping to see some signed marriage papers either today or tomorrow! If so we will be having the sweetest baptism of the century! Nothing better then a family of seven preparing to reach back to Heavenly Father.

Well mom I have baptized two people in the river. It was a good excperience. I dont know if you can see in the back ground of that picture, but there is a big boxite plant. When we are baptizing we have tomake sure they are not dumping their waste into the river. haha

Christine did not come to church so we will see what happens with her maybe for the 16th or the 23rd. My boy Onkar came so he will be going down on the 16th. Mark and Rita and their family came so if married that big family will be going to the river on the 23rd.

Well I guess it is funny story time. One day last week we went to go by this less active family. They were not home, so as we went to leave Elder Moya catches his foot on their water pipe. Water is spraying everywhere and no is home to help us. We and up getting soaked using our man power to get the hose back together. I am a little ticked off at this point and say to Elder Moya, "Gosh, you have to look out where your going." I felt kind of bad as we started up the little hill by their house. not even two steps from where he had kicked the hose Elder Moya had tripped over something and was laying on the ground! haha I almost ended up on the ground next to him from laughing so hard! haha I am sometimes glad to have such a goofy companion to lightin the mood sometimes.

Well thank you for everything you all do for me and the support I recieve. I love serving the Lord. I hope to always be able to serve him. I also hope to have another good week here in Linden.

Love Elder Hartshorn

ONE YEAR!!! - 05/28/12

Dear Family,

 

It was great to hear about your adventure to Yellowstone, it sounded like it was a geat time. It is so crazy to think that a year has alredy passed. It is been one of the best years of my life though. Although being a missionary i not easy and some times it is flatt out hard, I have growen closer to my Heavenly Father. Being on a mission really prepares you for life. It is almost like living a entire mini life with its highs and its lows. it goes through all phases of the Gospel; Faith, Repentance, Baptism(or we could say becoming completely dedicated to the Lord), and Enduring to the end. Each an imortant step in Gods plan for us all, and each an imortant step for all missionaries. I have learned more about Gods plan for us just by the experience of a mission, not even going into the scriptures. I am indeed blessed to be on a mission and hope I can make the most of serving the Lord in the next year.

This week was a much beter week for Elder Moya and I. We have some baptisms comming up in the weeks. Christina for the ninth, Umpkar for the sixteenth, and Rita and her Kids for the twenty third(we do not know if mark will be out of the bush) Their family is all really intrested and excited about the Gospel. I am excited alsofor the success we have been able to find. Elder Moya and I added some fun to the work by adding key words in our contacting like snickerdoodle, Lord of the Rings, stinky fish, Bat man, ext... I think it helped us to feel more relaxed actually haha

I hope everything is going good at home, I have tried to write some e-mails and letters, but am not sure if they got through. I wish you all the best this week, and love you all.

Love Elder Hartshorn

The Path to Happiness - 05/21/12

Dear Family,

I was just thinking back on our conversation we had on Mothers day and I realized I talked about some of the same things I did on Christmas! haha sorry about that. It sounds like everyone is doing good though. That is great!

Things are going good over here also. We had a pretty challenging week. It just seemed like everything fell through. This it was the first time that Elder Moya really had to go through a hard time so it was really discouraging and hard on him.It rained yesterday morning and when it rains it seems like no one wants to come to church. One of the families that we are teaching did not come to church. We still hope to baptize them in the coming weeks. It is really lonely being out here in Linden all by ourselves. It is helping me to focus on having Christ more in my life though.

I am thankful for everything that you do for me. I truly am blessed and so thankful that the Lord allowed me to come on a mission, and to find joy in his Gospel. I know that he will help us if we cry out to him continually. The scriptures show us the path to happiness. If we search the scriptures we will find a new sweetness in our lives. No one can take away from a whiteness of the spirit and I am thankful that I will always know that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God, and that no other book can draw us nearer to God. I Love you all and thank you for the support.

Love Elder Hartshorn