A Real Hamburger! - 3/26/12

Good morning Everyone!

Wow we have had a interesting week. Elder Porter came back and we went straight to work. His toe soon was hurting and swelling, so because of that we had to pretty much stay in all week except when the Summers took us around in there car.  It was Elder Porters Birthday last week so The summers combined our two birthdays together and fed us a really nice lunch, guess what it was? a real hamburger! it was sweet! The summers are a really nice couple. We were able to have a baptism! I have never baptized anyone personally entill I came to Linden now two people have asked me to baptize them it is pretty cool. Keisha wanted to have her baptism at 5:30 in the morning so that is what we did. Guyana sure is beautifull at 4:30 in the morning. I am so blessed to have such a great family like you . Elder Porter and I have been talking and we are so thankfull that we both had really great parents. You were and still are great examples to me and Everything that I have today I owe to you. Transfer call is this Friday. I will probably stay right here in Linden. I hope I can atleast serve a year in Guyana. I think it was Sister Davis in our ward who had a nephew ir someone serving here I cannot remember who it was but if you could find out that would be sweet. All is well our investigator that was supposed to be baptized this week did not come to church so there goes weekly baptisms out the window haha but that is ok we can stil work hard. I feel real lazy latley, probably from having to stay in so much. Well thank you all for the Birthday Wishes. Enjoy General Conferance because I know I will. Love you all.

Love Elder Hartshorn

Weekly Baptisms are Possible - 3/19/12

Good Afternoon Everyone!

We are e Mailing a little late today because we just picked up Elder Porter from the airport. His surgery went good, it looked like it was kind of a narly one. It is good to have the little guy back. I was here with what they call a mini missionary who is just a young man that stays with you so you have a companion haha he was a stud though, his name is Brother Coelho. We had a pretty good week, it reminded me of training again, but better because he knew how to cook some really good Guyanese food, and I knew how to help him more. Our baptism went great Devon asked me to baptize him so it felt really good. We are having another baptism this week, pretty sweet stuff. Weekly baptisms are possible.

So you are probably flipping burgers right about now! WOW! That sounds pretty sweet. I hope you get some good help with that. The snow is melting? Is the fish still biting sounds like everyone is too busy to know. That is pretty cool that Dallin ishome I am sure Nathan is excited about that. How is the Ward doing? Oh how I miss having a good solid Ward. This week with Elder Porter being gone I had to teach seminary, Youth Sunday School, and almost had to teach Elder Quorum but we just combined with the young men. I guess the Lord is just trying mold me a little. I love to teach, just not in front of everyone haha well I love you hope all is well.

Love Elder Hartshorn

Agency - 3/12/12

Dear Family,

One thing I forgot to say last week but made my day was to hear the Kolby and Tara are getting married in the Temple! That is really neat! We had a pretty interesting week, Elder Porter has had a really bad ingrown toe nail, so that slowed us down a lot. He is leaving to Trinidad tonight to get surgery. I will be staying here or in grove so that will be sweet. We also had a great Missionary meeting with Elder Cornish, the one who talked about prayer in general conferance. We got to spend a little one on one time with him because he looked Elder Porters toe so that was cool. One of my favorite quotes he said was Heavenly Father would rather loose us then Force us. That really hit me hard. We are having a baptism this Saturday. Well shoot Family I got to go but but just remember I love you and next week I hope I have more time.

Love Elder Hartshorn

Uncle Rico - 3/5/12

Dear Family,

I am sending a few pictures. I dont have much to choose from because I am on my second memory card and I left my full one at home. This one doesnt have very many pictures of Linden on it so here is one of Elder Porter and I eating some Chineey and another of the sweetest family ever after FHE. I am loving thenew shoes. The missonary shoe is pretty legit. They are way light. Elder Porter and I are having a great time. Not too much is new I am thankful for the support from home. That is crazy that you are opening a burger shop. What is it called? I hope everything goes well! How is Elder Durbin and a few of those guys doing do you hear much about them. Man! I seriosly cant remember what I was going to say. Everyting is going good though I cannot believe how much I have learned from my mission. One thing I have learned is that God only reveals things to us based on our understanding. So how do we get understanding... through reading the scriptures. The more we understand the more God will reveal his truths unto us. based on our intens. In Guyana they call the older men Uncles. This week we found a swet guy named Rico so naturally the name "uncle rico" fit. As we taught him he listened and he read and he began to understand more about the need for Prophets and Apostles by the end he had already commited himself to church and baptism. He understood and God revealed the truth to him. Uncle Rico came to church and is excited about his baptism. Brother Allicock is still sweet he did not come to church though... dirty little guy. Well I love you I hope you search for  oppertunities to serve each other. That is how we can show God that we love him.

Love Elder Hartshorn

Priesthood Power - 2/27/12

Good day everybody,

I got the shoe!! They are sweet I really like the a lot. It did not cost anything to pick them up. You can take some money out of my account to pay for at least the shipping if you want. I am sending some pictures of my old ones, but I dont want you to freak out or anything when you see them haha. This past week has been pretty dang good. We seem to be working pretty hard and we have three investigators that are really progressing nicely. Good ol Brother Allicock next week I will have to send you a picture of this guy, he makes me laugh all day just because he is so short and funny. We showed up the other day to teach him and he was asleep in a hard wood chair, but the funny thing was that he was in these little scampy underwear it was hilarious. Linden is awesome, it is whipping me in shape with all of its hills. We have been really trying to help the branch get home teaching going, but it is really hard when two of the four of Melchizideck Priesthood holders have had strokes and cant really get around and the other two are too old and grumpy and dont want to do anything, but we are trying. It has had me thinking about how great the church is when it is fully established. Also I have been thinking about my home teaching experiences and how thankful I am for my great home teaching companions I had before I came. How is Brother Monte and his family doing, You will have to tell them hi for me, and also Brother Roy, and thank them for everything that they did for me. I have also been pondering how to have more Priesthood power and the answer came to me in D&C 121:41 it is so simple all the great leaders and Priesthood holders have these attributes. It has just been so interesting to me to ponder over this verse. If I want Power to go with my Prieshood then I have to be more loving and patient. That is what I want to try and work on this week. I know that my testimony is growing and my roots are growing deeper in the Gospel. Elder Porter is doing great he is teaching me a lot. He is from Pleasant Grove Utah, and we came out together so it has been really fun I wish I could just serve with everyone from my MTC district that would be sick! We have our own appartmant haha it used to be the church so it is very big and open, it is really a funny place. Well I got to get but I love you all and I am doing great! Time is going by way fast I can not believe it!

Love Elder Hartshorn

Life is just good. - 2/20/12

Hello Everyone!

Linden is great! It is so beautiful. There is hills and sand and rainforest and clear water it is just stunning. I was going to send some pictures but the computer doesnt look like it has a plug in for my Camera. So maybe next week if we go to a differant shop. Everything is great here. Elder Porter and I are both new in the area so we are trying to get along. We are actually doing really well. We have a few more members to meet but we met a lot of them. The Church only started here about three years ago so there are so many part member families that we can work with and that is the best! We had an investigator come to church that we found also, Brother Allicock. This guy is the man. He is really short and awesome. If we can help him understand more about what we taught him he will be baptized soon. I am a District Leader but Elder Porter is the only missionary in my District haha so i am not sure why I am one. We are the only ones here, but the senior couple.Their names are the Summers. They are pretty amazing I feel kind of spoiled. Life is just good. I have noticed lately that I am starting to Love the people and it has just made me so happy to see them partake in the blessings of the Gospel. I am excited for my shoes. Thank you so much you all are so awesome! I have been blessed my whole life and am so gratefull to have been born in the Gospel. The Lords hand is in everything, may we strive to follow him and his commandments so that we can have true and everlasting happiness. Love you all. 

Love Elder Hartshorn

Sweet - 2/13/12

Well I am getting transferred, but my address will not change. I am kind of sad to be moving from Grove, Grove was a ton of fun. I cannot believe the time is already up here. I am moving to where Elder Khan was. Linden! That is where they farm all the pineapple so I am pumped! haha also I get to be serving with Elder Porter another Elder from my group. He is sweet. I have been so blessed on my mission with great companions. I am not sure what I did but I am really grateful for this. I am just happy to be a missionary in Guyana. It is by far the best place you could serve. I do not think I am a good enough teacher for the islands yet haha. The cool thing about Linden will be that it will just be me and Elder Porter there, and a senior couple so that will be sweet. I think we are part of the Georgetown zone so we will travel up here sometimes for zone meeting. I think that we are our own district though. Anyways it should be an adventure. Raymond did not come to church but he will be coming back soon. There will also be two baptisms here in grove next week that I get to miss by three days that is kind of sad but everything will be ok. Our baptism last week was this super prepared lady named Sister Williams. She was called to be the first councilor in the Relief Society this Sunday. That is just how prepared she was. She is sweet and we are excited about her. Everything is just going great here I love it! I never did hear if the Polaris runs better now or what. I hope so cause I think Elder Peck thinks I am crazy when I try to sound like one and pretend to be riding one haha I kind of miss that bad. Thats ok because I can do things like that the rest of my life but this only will last a little longer. Well I love you all, and I know that The Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses Families. Through Christs Atonement we can not only find comfort and joy in this life but also Eternal happiness. I feel like my letter this week was kind of confusing so I am sorry. 

Love Elder Hartshorn