ARRIVAL IN AZ - March 4, 2019

Hello everyone!!!! I don't even know where to start. This email might turn into a novel but theres so much that has happened. The work is GREAT down here in AZ! My first area is Peoria and it's small but we are teaching so many people! Also we are on bikes, ALL DAY EVERY DAY! Its us and our skirts and our bikes and it is always always an adventure. President and Sister Collins are the best people I've ever met and I love them so much. They were so welcoming and I felt instantly at home here. We spent the first night at the mission home. My first morning here President took us on a "hike" up what was called happy valley to assign us to our areas. When we got to the top of the mountain (which was actually a hill*) it overlooked all of the Arizona valley. He showed us the areas told us a little about each one. We then got our assignments and I'm the only new missionary assigned to this area. I then met my companion Sister Ashby! I love her. This is her last transfer and with it being her last and my first we are going hard all the time. She doesn't take a break ever and I love it. She's the most elite of all the missionaries here and everyone just told me to do my best to keep up with her. Our plan is to run alongside each other to to have the best most miracle filled transfer. Speaking of.... MIRACLES. I've seen so many miracles over the past week and everyone here is selling it my greenie fire Haha. But she is seriously the best teacher and is teaching me so much. I have to be ready to take over the area in 5 weeks when she leaves, so that'll be fun and means I have to learn lots fast... pray for me Haha. She trains me by example and through letting me have my own experience and often let's me fail, but I think that is why I love her so much. We work really well together and they've started calling us the dream team. WE WORK SO HARD. Every Thursday night between 6-7 is what we call HOUR OF POWER. Everyone of the mission leaders keeps that hour free and just prays for the missionaries to find people to teach. It is our ultimate finding time and all the missionaries in the mission are out finding with the knowledge that everyone is sending up prayers for them during that hour. We see so many miracles in that time. So if any of you back home want to join in and help the Arizona Phoenix missionaries out with prayers of your own, THEY WORK and are greatly appreciated! The weather here is perfect. It's so nice, sunny, and warm but not too hot yet so I am loving it. Everything that grows here is trying to kill you so that Is awesome. Cactus and palm trees are my Fav. Also the citrus trees are everywhere! We have so many fresh grapefruit, oranges, and lemons that we've picked straight from trees and they are so good. Funny story, I had a sore throat and was kind of sick leaving the MTC and almost completely lost my voice on the plane ride here. Everyone's first impression of me was me hardly able to talk. Somehow I was still able to teach lessons and the spirit took over every time. It was a struggle and a challenge, and I'm so glad that the spirit is the real teacher here. It hasn't completely come back but I'm making good progress. Everyone here says I sound like miley cyrus and I dont know how I feel about that. They dont know me any other way though and I'm just hoping it comes back soon because it's been a week and it's a little frustrating to be a missionary with no voice. Some of the highlights of the week: - on my second day I got to attend a sealing of one of Sister Ashbys recent concerts and it was incredible. The Phoenix temple is beautiful and it has my heart already. It was an amazing experience to see a couple who was new to the knowledge get sealed to each other for time and all eternity. - Timothy, one of the people we are teaching came to church and made it all the way through stake conference without smoking a single cigarette! (Usually he can't make it through a lesson without 4) and I was so proud of him! Being a missionary is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. It is not easy, in fact it's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but it brings so much joy and fulfillment. Nothing beats the happiness and spirit I've felt as I've sat on the front porch of someone we are teaching, and testified to them of the reality Jesus Christ and the simple truths that I KNOW. Or when we are biking down the road and I see someone who I feel could use the message of the gospel and go up to talk to them to find out that they've been searching for truth and that we have something that they want. I know that this is where I am supposed to be right now, and that I've been called here by a prophet of the Lord. I know that God is preparing people to receive the gospel here in Peoria and I'm going to do my best the bring it to them. I love this place and these people already. I challenge you to think this week about prayer. If you've never prayed before, I challenge you to pray, and ask your Heavenly Father if he's really there. If you pray every once and a while I challenge you to get on your knees and pray to start and end your day. And if you already do that, I challenge you to make your prayers more meaningful and led by the spirit. I know that He hears and answers every prayer no matter how small or simple it may be. The only way to know for yourself is to try it. Thank you to everyone who has emailed me I love getting and reading them and am so thankful for all the support! I so wish I had time to answer everyone, but I spend most of my time talking to my family on pdays. I LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL THOUGH! THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES. I included some pictures of my last week at the mtc and my first in AZ. Another highlight was seeing my best friends sister holland and sister soper! Saying see ya in 18 to them was sad, but I'm so glad that we are all serving together. They are going to make some stellar missionaries. Also check out the height difference between me and sister Ashby. People laugh at us all the time because she's so short and I'm so tall. Oh also that is elder and sister Harris in the picture with us. They are the very best. I'll probably talk about them more in my future emails. I believe you are called to your mission president and the leaders and people there just as much as you are called to the place. God has showered blessings down on me and I feel it every day. COME WHAT MAY AND LOVE IT. Love, Sister Hardy