Toronto, eh?: Thanksgiving....Canadian Style :)

Hello Family and Friends,

I have to give a shout out to my Mommy and Momma Barb for sending me letter this week. MADE MY DAY!

I have quite a bit to say this week because it's been awhile since I emailed last...

Last week I went to Brampton on an exchange with Sister Tuia. She goes home in three weeks, and she is possibly my favorite sister missionary ever. Next to Sister Belyea. It was so much fun to be in Brampton. We drove by the temple probably 20 times. It was a day full of laughter. Sister Tuia has the same sense of humor as me, so when you put the two of us together --- there is trouble. She is actually going to come stay with us next year when I get home, so you will all be able to meet her. :)

Cleveland. Ahhhh so much to say. If I had a dollar for every time he said "I'll try" when we leave him commitments, I'd be rich. Seriously. Every time he says that, I say "Okay, one more dollar in the jar." We get quite the kick out of it. He is going so well though. He came to church, got a Priesthood blessing and is listening to the Book of Mormon every day. After he got the blessing and we asked him how he felt he said, "I feel light." You can honestly see the changes in his life and it is amazing to witness it. We make daily contact with him, so he's probably my best friend. Haha. We even spent part of our Thanksgiving painting doors for him. :)

We had Zone Training Meeting this past week. Oh, I may have mentioned this already. But, one of my ZL's Elder Kenning is from Bountiful. He goes home at the end of this transfer so he will be hand delivering a letter to you all. :) Woot woot!

We finally made contact with the greatest Less-Active of all time. We call her Sister Liz and she calls Sister P and I "Sisters HP." She is a returned missionary, and she actually served in Indianapolis, Indiana. We talked to her for quite some time, and she is working on coming back to church. As we were leaving her home, she yelled out the door - "Pray Hard and Work Hard." So motivating. I love her!

Ready for the greatest miracle of my time in Hamilton so far?? Ya'll should be on the edge of your seats....The Healy Family. :) Sister Healy is less-active, and missionaries have been trying to work with her for months and months. Well, last Friday we were supposed to go blitz the area next to us, but nothing was working out. We got lost, we were running super late and had NO gas in our car. I didn't have a good feeling about going to the blitz at all, so we turned around and went to the Healy's. Thank goodness we did that. Her husband, who is only home every other weekend, was home. We talked with them and their two kids for well over an hour. They invited us back the next day to help do some work around their yard. We took things slow, trying to build trust, and it went so well. When we went back the next day, we talked to the husband for a long time. He told us how he has listened to the whole Book of Mormon as he drives (he's a truck driver). After we worked in their yard, we went in and talked to them for awhile. Laura expressed how she wants to be retaught everything. With tears running down her face she told us that she wants this for her family and her children. So therefore, we are teaching her, her husband and her two kids. Such a miracle. God softens hearts. God's timing is perfect.

Sis P and I got a call Friday night asking us if we would speak in Sacrament on Sunday. Suuuree why not. Haha, I wrote my talk the morning of. It was on chapter 4 of PMG, the commandments. I spoke on keeping the sabbath day holy and tithing. It went well. Did I mention how much I love the ward here? There is a rumor that this ward is the best ward to be in around Christmas time. The Bishop has already asked us for our "Wish Lists."

Sooooo let's talk about Thanksgiving. Thank you for the cute package first of all. :) Thanksgiving was spent trying to be productive. HAHA! No one wanted much to do with us because they were with family. Anyways, we had a wonderful turkey dinner at the Cantlon's (see picture). I was so full after. It was weird to not lay down and take a nap....Apparently Thanksgiving is celebrated in Canada because of the harvest...people get really into it. It was a great day though. Oh! As we were eating at the Cantlon's, I suggested that we all go around and say what we are thankful for, and I felt like I was home. :)

Yesterday was Skills and Interviews with President Scott. He is so funny. The first thing he asked me when I sat down with him was - "So Sister Hardcastle, how long have you been out? Almost a year right?" I started laughing. I told him that I only came out in May, and he didn't believe me. Funny, funny man. It was a much needed interview and of course it was amazing to see Sister Scott.

I'm working on memorizing The Living Christ again. I'm almost done. :) I carry around flash cards with the first letter of each word everywhere. If we're walking on the street, I just recite it and it's so great.

The weather is starting to get nippier and nippier. Winter is on it's way.............

The other night, the fire alarm went off at 2:30 in the morning. We had to go outside and tons of firetrucks were there. FALSE ALARM...someone just pulled it to be funny. It wasn't funny.

"I want my life to be like a pair of shoes, worn out in the service of my God."

I guess that is all for now. I hope everyone who is going to the cabin gets there safe and sound! I won't be mad if any of you write me a letter. I promise. :)

LOVE YOU.

Sister Hardcastle

"Have Faith, Have Hope, Live Like His Son, Help Others On Their Way"