Letting the Light Shine - 8/13/12

Good morning everybody,

I got my new companion Wednesday. He is from American Samoa. He is 23, and served in the army for five years. Dont worry it is still like training, hard and pretty much one sided all the time. When we were trying to plan last night he was writing in his journal instead of paying attention. I shouldn't complain, but it is hard. It is so much more fun when you have a companion that likes to work hard and knows what is going on. Elder Gibson is very loving though and here in a few weeks should be a great missionary. Elder Blackburn went to Trinidad. I sure do miss him.

On a brighter note the work is starting to pick up here. We have some baptismal dates for the 25th and a really solid one for September 1st. Also president is coming to the island Friday and Saturday. That will be really fun, President Mehr is so sweet. He is full of energy and very bold. He often in meetings will tell missionaries their WRONG! then say but i still love you, your such a good missionary.... it is always fun when he is
teaching.

Thanks for your e mail. I do not need garments or contacts. I bought some new garments in Guyana right before I left because they are very cheap. I bought all my garments for ten dollars. I am thankful for the spirtual note. I think there is no better way to do missionary work then letting your light shine and serving the people around us. I hope you can all have a missionary experience.

Thanks for the updates on everyone, it sounds like everyone is having a good summer. wait.... when does school start? how is the football team looking for this year? Anyone getting ready to put the sneak on some big bulls? A year from now I know I will be. What is the valley like now? Anyways I miss you all, but not too much... haha Let me know how your missionary work is going.

Love
Elder Hartshorn

People and Not Numbers - 8/6/12

Dear Family,

WOW! another week has already came and gone. This week was a superb week. We got r done. We tried to focus on people and not numbers and it made all the differance. we had TEN investigators at church! I about started to cry with joy when i saw them all. haha. It was pretty amazing to see the Lords hand in the work. It is starting to look brighter here. We should be having some baptisms next transfer. I feel like i should tell you about this lady. Her name is sister Marious. She is bed ridden, the only time she has left her bed in the last nine years was when she was carried out on a stretcher to be baptized. She was baptized about a year ago. She is probably my favorite member I have met on my mission. Her body may be sick, but her mouth is not. She shares the gospel with everyone that walks into her room. (And she shares it very boldly, almost forcefully.) She has done more for us missionaries then any other member, isnt that awesome! She is Boss!!! I wish I could send you some videos I have of her because they would make you laugh all day. Anyways if some bed ridden old lady can bring her friends into the gospel anyone can.

The people here are awesome, and I am starting to feel like I did for the Guyanese people.

We got transfer calls this Friday, I am staying here and Elder Blackburn is leaving me, I am pretty sad. We had a blast together. I am still zone leader and guess what? I am training again... haha His name is Elder Gibson. That is pretty much all I have to say about that. Bring it on I guess....

There is some more American things here I guess. Still not a lot of things. If you are going to send a package I could really use like two new white short sleeve shirts. The nice stafford kind. Maybe a cd EFY! a tie... just a few ideas haha

Well I hope all goes well this week thanks for the support.

Love

Elder Hartshorn

They Need What We Have - 7/30/12

Dear Family,

It is great to hear from you as always. We had a good week this week, we do have a lot of people to teach, but most of them do not want to follow through with their commitments. There are three areas in St. Lucia right now.  So the work is pushing right along. There is some great members here. This week we got up to a whopin 51 people at church. I guess it does beat the normal low 40's. Elder Blackburn and I are having so many experinces it is crazy! I do not know how to explain it but being in the West Indies on a
mission is quite comical. Everyday something crazy happens.

Thank you for the pictures they were great! feel free to send them through the e mail, that works perfectly find. I loved seeing the mountains. Hannah told me you got a new car is that true? Is Nate and Britt still enjoying their jobs? How is everyone doing? That is pretty crazy to think that Karli is married now.

Well you are all doing great things it sounds like. So keep up the good work. Remember that the Lord does not need to call you half way around the world to share the Gospel, "they need what we have" and we need to give it openly and freely to them. We can measure our charity by how well we love Gods other children.

Love
Elder Hartshorn

Figuring Things Out - 07/23/12

Dear Family,

This week was pretty interesting. Monday and Tuesday it was carnival here so we had to stay in. Carnival pretty much just means see how little of clothes you can wear and march around all day haha Elder Blackburn and I told a few good hunting stories to pass the time.

We had to work hard the rest of the week to try and make up for those two days. We had a lot of funny things happen. I dont know why but the vagrants hate us, and so when we street contact people sometimes they come over and cuss us out. Last night we were teaching this guy and this one came over and just started dropping the F bomb, and spitting all over us when she was talking I kinda laughed because here is this homeless lady getting mad at us for teaching true doctrine of Christ, I am not sure why people like that would act that way. She was probably drunk. Anyways it was pretty darn funny.

Lets see it is pretty cool being the Zone Leader, I have not heard from the other Zone leader yet. He doesnt see the point in calling so... I am just here by myself figuring things out haha

It sounds like everything is going great at home, from what I can tell... So that is good! I just want you to know I am having the time of my life and enjoying every minute of it. I am so lucky to be here, and I am learning a lot about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is no better feeling then helping someone out in life. Well I hope to hear more next week from ya, I love you all.

Love
Elder Hartshorn

Serving Our Savior - 7/16/12

Dear Family,

I had a great week. Trinidad was awesome! It is pretty much like America, and I learned so much at the training. President Muhr is a BOSS. I am excited to work with him. He is putting a lot more responsibilities on the leaders though, so I will be getting to know him well.

I am sending some pictures of Castries and also one of almost all of my MTC group at the leadership training. I hope you get them. Can you view my pictures when I send them to you?

There is one thing you could send me in a package is some sweet EFY C.D's we can now listen to them every day of the week! So feel free to send me a package :)

Well I am very excited to be serving our savior Jesus Christ, and I am thankful for all the support my great family and friends give me. I hope you know I love you, and I am so gratefull to be here. I hope everything is going good at home. It sounds like everyone is pretty busy so thats good. well.... I am not sure what else to say. so I guess

Until next week.

Love Elder Hartshorn

Working Really Hard - 07/09/12

Dear Family,

The work is going good here in st. Lucia, We it seems like the work goes pretty much the same here as it does in Guyana. The people are really accepting but do not really want to committ themselves to anything. Pretty much everyone here is African though.

We live in an apartment under the church. It is really nice though. It is so beautiful here though I will try and send you some pictures next week. it is very mountany. Well it is the top of a volcano haha That is so cool that somebody new the Summers. I miss them really bad. Elder Blackburn and I are doing really goods together, I have only known him for a little over a week but he is already one of my best friends. He has some pretty sweet hunting stories. We are working really hard together though

Oh yeah I almost forgot to tell you, but Wednesday I am flying to Trinidad to a leadership training and will be staying there tell friday. I am really excited to meet the new Mission President. I hope everything continous to go good at home and I love you all. and try not to let anything else die while I am gone.

Love
Elder Hartshorn

Warm Showers! - 07/02/12

Dear Family,

Oh wow! It is pretty close to a complete change here. I have really enjoyed teaching people that can read and understand everything, haha We are working with some people right now that are preparing for baptism, so that was nice to be able to come in to an area that was not completely dead. It is really weird here though because we see a lot of white people. There is a big old cruise ships that come and dock right by where we live. So there are a few tourist that come off and walk around.  I feel awkward around them, one even came to church. The local people sure are nice here though, one tried to scare us by coming out and swinging a long piece of wood at us. Luck fully he was just joking. haha I hope. Most of them are really nice though, and we even get to eat by the members here! It is so cool to have members with cars. Elder Blackburn  is sweet! He love to hunt that is his passion, his dad owns an archery shop. He shot a really nice buck with his bow also. He is from Beaver. We get along great! He is the man. We are going to have a fun and great transfer! It is so weird having air conditioning and warm showers though. I feel really spoiled. Sometimes I really miss Guyana though, everything seems super fast here. I will just have to get used to it though. It is sweet here though and I love it. I am sorry this was kind of random, but I am trying to hurry so we can go eat BK, haha  Well I love you and I am thankful for your letters and E mails. 

Love Elder Hartshorn
P.O box 5608
CP. Castries St. Lucia
West Indies