MIRACLES, MIRACLES, AND MORE MIRACLES :)

Dearest Family and Friends, 

Sooo much to say this week, so bare with me. 

First of all - Yes it is true, I have hit my 6 month mark. I can't believe it, and it makes me want to cry. Also, I will be returning home one year from today. Ahhhh

Second of all - It snowed twice this week. :) Last night was more snow than the time before, and it is really cold. It's a bitter, wet cold that just makes you want to cry. Haha, it's going to take some getting used to. Thank goodness for a car with a heater. 

Third of all - starting in January 2014 our mission will be using Facebook! More details to come...but pretty exciting eh….Unfortunately Canada is not included with the whole IPAD thing, so we won't be getting those…

Fourth of all - This week I dyed my own hair. HAHA I just bought some at Walmart, and it actually worked. :) I'm happy about it. It was quite the experience. 

I have lots to say regarding the amazing people that we are working with, but first, let me tell you about Sister Woolf. Sister Woolf and I met over Facebook on the Sister Missionaries page. We knew that we were going to the same mission on the same day, so we talked quite a bit. Come to find out, we are basically the same person. In the MTC we had so much fun. We were in the same district, and we just instantly became such good friends. No one ever thought that we would serve together and look at us now. This week has been one of the best weeks of my whole mission. I'm so pumped to work with Sister Woolf. We witnessed so many miracles this week -

Number one - Kerry. Kerry was able to receive a Priesthood Blessing on Sunday from the Elders to help her overcome some things. When we see her tomorrow, we are going to set a date for her to be done smoking and be baptized. She comes to church every single week, and it has been truly amazing to see the change in her from the first time I saw her. 

Number two - The Healy Family. We saw the Healy family this past week. We taught Laura (Less-Active Mom), Brianna, and Ricki, the Plan of Salvation. Both Ricki and Brianna are going to be baptized, but a date hasn't been set yet. It was an amazing lesson. Laura was able to bear her testimony and express how she wants to come back to church. I love that family so much. 

Number three - Zeynep and Ayse. Zeynep is 15 and she was a former investigator from awhile back. We dropped by to see her this past week, and her mom was home (Ayse). They are all from Turkey and the mom doesn't speak English very much. However, Zeynep would translate for us and it was amazing. They were planning on coming to church, but then they got sick, but they are solid. I can't wait to work with them. 

Number four - Jackie :) She is a 12 year old daughter of a Less-Active member who has not been baptized. Well, not for long. She is going to be baptized on December 22nd. :) She also has a little brother, Xavier who we haven't been able to meet yet, but he wants to be baptized too. 

Number five - The Medina Family. Okay. I have a lot to say about them. About a month ago in Ward Council the Bishop mentioned a family with a lot of kids that he just received the records for. We got the address, and just this past week we went to see them. The first night that we went by we were able to talk to the 15 year old son, John and the Mom, Paula. We found out that they are from Columbia, and they had been living in the house for 2 years (but no one ever knew who they were). The mom doesn't speak much english, but she was so excited to see us. We set up a time to go back the next day. Unfortunately, when we went back they weren't home. Well Sunday night rolls around and we felt so prompted to go to the Medina's house. Well, my friends. They were home. Paula let us right in and that is when I fell in love with this family. :) So there are 8 kids. You ready? Kim (19), Juan (18), John (15), Frank (11 almost 12), Maria (10), Nicole (8), Ana (6) and Miguel (4). We told them that we wanted to show them a video (The Restoration) and the kids got so excited. They started jumping up and down and next thing I know, the whole family room is transformed into a theater. It was the cutest thing. Ana kept saying, "I want to sit by Sister Castle!" All the kids watched the movie so reverently, it was amazing. We watched it in Spanish, so I didn't really understand very much but the Spirit was so strong. When the video was over, the first thing that was said was Frank saying "So, can I be baptized?" Sister Woolf and I just looked at each other, and we said "Yes, you can!" He got so excited. We found out that Paula, Kim, Juan, and John have all been baptized, but Frank, Maria, and Nicole have not. So we committed them all to baptism on December 1st. :) They can't wait to come to church. When we told them we were going to come on Wednesday night, Ana came up to me and asked, "How many more days until Wednesday?" I told her that she would have to wait 3 days for us to come back, and she was really sad. Then she asked, "How many more days until church?" I said 7, then she got even more sad. The kids are adorable, and I am completely in love with them. I found my Spanish Family. :)

The work with the ward is going well also. We are receiving more and more referrals and the work is hastening! The Less-Active members are coming to church, and investigators are coming out of no where! Just an update on my favorite Less-Active, Liz Hughes. She is doing so well. We asked if we could come practice teaching to her, and she graciously accepted. She is a returned missionary, so she was really excited. The members are the best, as always. We had dinner at the Julian's again last night and I found a LIFE SIZE BUDDY THE ELF!! (See picture). Needless to say, it made me day. Then we walked outside to snow - TIS THE SEASON!

So as you can see, we are being so blessed right now. We are working with so many amazing families. It is the most amazing thing to be a tool for my Heavenly Father and helping His other children come back to Him. I never want this to end. I'm learning more and more about what truly does matter in this life. The two main things are the Gospel and Family. I am so thankful to have been raised in this family. I have the most amazing parents, grandparents, siblings, in-laws, cousins, aunts and uncles, nephews and niece, I couldn't ask for anything more. I am grateful for the support that you all give to me. I can feel your love and your prayers. I feel my Savior's love everyday, and I have never been so happy in my entire life. Right now, everything has fallen into place and I feel so much peace. I know that that peace comes from serving Heavenly Father. I hope everyone has a fantastic and safe week. :) I love you!

Love,

Sister Hardcastle

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

Funny :)

Dying my hair….

From left to right - Me, Buddy the Elf, Brother Julian :)  

Sister Woolf and me :)

Happy November :)

Dear Family and Friends,

Is it really November? What is happening to the time?

Okay. Best thing ever this week. I finally got the pictures from the MTC from Mom. I will admit - a few tears were shed as I looked through them all. That was the hardest/saddest/craziest/happiest/scariest experience of my life. Leaving behind my amazing family and going into the unknown. That is something that I have learned to love about my mission. Every single day is like walking into the unknown. You never know who you are going to meet that day or what is going to happen, it's the best. Hey, thanks to Jessy for the letter as well. :) You always know what to say.

Niagara Falls was so much fun last week. I'll make sure ya'll get lots of pictures. It was really cold, and really beautiful. It felt weird being so close to my homeland. :) I will admit though, the Canadian side is better....It was so fun to go with Michelle Oswald, Sister P, Sister Bradshaw, and Sister Mendenhall. Sister Bradshaw and I were the only Americans in the group, so we took a picture by the American side. :) It was a great get-a-way and I hope to go back soon. When we got back from Niagara Falls, Sister P and I were talking to Sister Oswald about winter boots. Next thing I know, she went downstairs, and brought me up some perfect winter boots. She graciously gave them to me, and I am so grateful. Now I am all set for winter. I have a coat and boots, and I didn't have to spend a dime. :) I'm so frugal….be proud Dad. ;)

Yes, it is true. I have basically been on my mission for 6 months. Which means, this amazing experience is 1/3 of the way over. This time next year I'll be headed home to my favorite people in the world. I'm glad that I don't have to think about that for another year though. It has been hard, but it's the best. I've probably mentioned this before in past emails, but I'll say it again. Before my mission when all the RM's would say "A mission is so hard, but it's the best," I would just agree with them but secretly think - "It can't be THAT hard or no one would be going." Well, they were all right. It's SO difficult and I've never been so pushed in my entire life. Yet, I wouldn't trade it for the world. There is a deep sense of peace that comes from helping others draw closer to their Savior.

Kerry is doing well. She wasn't able to come to church yesterday because she went to visit her daughter who is away at the University. She is still progressing though - I love her! Cleveland came to church yesterday! We talked to him last night and he told us how much he loved church. He's been to church a lot, and sometimes he just falls asleep. Yesterday he said he felt something different though. We are hoping that this helps him make some progress because as of right now, he isn't sure about baptism.

The Healy Family is great, as always. Laura had to work yesterday, so they didn't come to church. Also, her husband is only home every other weekend, so that's going to be tricky. We taught Ricki (9) this past week. We used a fun game that has a racetrack with spaces that say either things that will help us get to Jesus, or things that will not help us get to Jesus. He loves cars so it really caught his attention. He loved it. :) It was like playing a game with Brynn.

We are working with some amazing Less-Actives as I've said in the past. Sister Jackett has been LA for awhile now, but she has come to church the past 2 Sundays and is doing really well. Liz Hughes hasn't made it out to church yet - but she is introducing her friend to the gospel. We are going over there on Wednesday to meet her friend, Donna. Liz is so amazing. She just lives right by our apartment, and I'm grateful for that because she honestly would do anything for us. I am excited to continue to work with her. I'm pretty sure working with LA is what this area needs right now. There are so many who just need to be reached out to. I love working with them and seeing that light come back into their eyes.

This week a girl from the ward left on her mission to London, England. I have gotten pretty close to her so it was another tough goodbye.

Halloween was fun. :) We had to be in our apartment by 6 pm so we didn't go Trick-or-Treating. :(  Haha, but we did have dinner at the Julian's, AKA BEST FAMILY EVER. We are also going over there tonight for dinner.

Okay here is the moment of truth about transfers….I'M STAYING! Imagine that, eh??? Sister Puruganan is headed to the glorious land of Guelph, Ontario. I will be getting a new companion and her name is Sister Woolf. Sister Woolf and I were in the same district in the MTC and let's just say - we had a lot of fun together. We are going to have so much fun, and I am so excited to stay in this area. I made it through without a disruption Dad!! I feel really good about it. Although, I will really miss Sister P. I learned a lot from her, but the biggest lesson would be humility. She is the most humble person in the world, and she really knows how to love. She will do amazing things in her life, and it was a privilege to serve with her.

Canada is freezing. It's usually about 0 degrees when we go out in the morning. With wind. Thank goodness we have a nice car that heats up fast. Poor Sister P has been so cold. The leaves are still falling and freezing to the ground. There is frost every morning. I can't wait to see snow on the ground. :) Tis the season!

I love you all, and I hope you have a safe and amazing week.

You're all in my prayers.

Sister Hardcastle

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

Headed to Niagara :)

So beautiful.

Posing Pigeon.

Proud to be an American.

Sister Oswald - My Angel!! :)

The Americans on the American side ;)

I WANTED TO BUY THIS SO BAD!

Cute, eh?

Rippley's Believe It or Not

The Sisters :)

This is for Jackson :)

This is also for Jackson….

Last one for Jackaroo

Me at Niagara

Sister P and me :)

Saying goodbye to Sister Smith :)

Beautiful puppy :)

Happy Halloween. Cutest package.

Look at my cute fam :)

Our cute Sunday dinner. A member made us all of this food.

The Hamilton Zone

The Mountain District! And the ZL's

"Think Less + Love More"

Dear Family and Friends,

I'm sorry that I won't have the time to email you all back individually. I am actually headed to Niagra Falls shortly - I am so excited! Oh, and transfers are this coming week soooo hold the mail until I give you the go for next week. I tend to get transferred a lot eh???

I got a letter from my dear Grandma Shirley this week and the front of the card said - 

"Imagine yourself doing what you LOVE and LOVING what you do. Being happy from the inside out, experiencing your dreams wide awake, being creative, being unique, being you - changing the things to the way you know they can be - living the life you always imagined." 

I love that so much! It was super uplifting - so thank you Grandma :) As for the rest of you - feel free to write me a letter whenever!

I have to tell you all about the Julian family. They are amazing! Brother Julian works for the church - he does maintenance on the church buildings, so he travels to Salt Lake a lot. Anyways, they had us over for dinner last week and it was so much fun. They had this HUGE nutella container (see picture) and I about died. They said they would buy me one next time they went to Costco...

We have been working with so many Less Actives here. It is awesome. We saw Liz Hughes again this week and took Sister Watson. They were friends from another ward way back in the day, haha. They spent about an hour catching up while Sister P and I just sat there enjoying their conversation. :) Did I mention that Sister Watson looks like you mom?? I'll send some pictures. I love hanging out with her because it's like being with you - I LOVE YOU! We also went and got sushi with Becky this week. It was so dang good. I even used the chopsticks, which I knew would make you proud Dad. :) Also, another Less Active - Pat Jackett came to church yesterday. Her favorite saying now is "Doubt your doubt before you doubt your faith". Thank you General Conference....

So, in my email last week I mentioned a girl that just showed up to church that we are now teaching. Well her name is Kerry, and she is doing well. She came to church again yesterday and stayed for the baptism of one of the people that the Elders were teaching. She is working towards her baptism on November 24th.

Cleveland is doing pretty well. We gave him the week to think things through, so we aren't sure what is going to happen with him. Agency...

Okay. So picture this. Imagine a mix between Katie and Ciera. Doesn't that sound like the funnest person ever? Well, I met her this week. She is another less active's daughter, Stephanie. She is SO dang funny. She laughs like Katie and tells stories like Ciera. I haven't laughed that hard in the longest time. She is about 28, and I told her she should go on a mission because she'd be the greatest companion ever. Ahh, man I love meeting funny people. 

Miracle time - we were out walking the streets in the BITTER COLD CANADIAN WEATHER - when we started talking to this lady at the bus stop. It started off as small talk, then she said - "So how are all the people at the church doing?" It totally caught me off guard, but turns out she is a member! She is supppper inactive, and hasn't been to church in many many years, but she recognized the name tags. :) She told us her address, and we went to see her a few days ago. She is the sweetest thing. It was so amazing to run into her and to now be teaching her...

Another miracle this week. A member gave me a winter coat. We went to her house for dinner and as I was putting on my black coat she said - "That won't keep you warm out there." She went and got this coat that she has been meaning to give away, and now it's mine. :) It should be perfect for the winter. 

Brother Gillett gave us this huge box of chocolates just because he loves us - the members take such good care of us here!

You're probably wondering why this email is titled "Think Less + Love More." Well, those are wise words from the one and only Dallin Hardcastle. They have stuck with me ever since I read them several months ago. It has been the best advice to get me through. It is so true though. Think less about myself and love those around me more. So thank you, Dallin, for that profound statement. :)

We had the Ward Trunk or Treat this past week. I dressed up as a missionary. Best costume ever! Haha, it was fun though. I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable Halloween! Don't eat too much candy....

Oh, and I know you're all wondering about the weather here. It's freezing. Enough said.

Love you all forever!

Love,

Sister Hardcastle

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

HOLY NUTELLA!!!!!!!

Mom's twin - Sister Watson

Sushi with Becky!

Yum :)

Life is like a box of chocolates....

Baby, it's cold outside!!

Sister Watson as a firefly...

Sister Nantais - funniest costume ever.

Mckayla - My favorite little girl in the whole world :)

I can't think of a good subject for this email.

Greetings to my favorite people, 

It was so great to get a letter from Grandma Ida this week, as well as my soon-to-be sister Hannah. :) Thank you so much! 

There isn't much to say this week, considering I wrote just a few short days ago. I've come to realize that everyday feels like P-day. The weeks go by SO quick. This week I got the flu. I couldn't keep anything down for a good two days. Why do I get sick so much? Grrr.

We are still working with the amazing Healy family. I love them so much! There is such a sweet spirit in their home, and I love going over there.

We are also still working with Cleveland, and he came to church again yesterday! Woot woot! He is working towards his baptism in a few weeks.

Brother Gillett is an older member who gave us the most amazing treat bag this week. It was full of skittles and starbursts. Booyaa!

We saw a less active family yesterday, the Sepper's. Brother Sepper served his mission in Pocatello, Idaho, and he even served in Island Park and Idaho Falls! We were talking about it for a long time. He said that when he was staying up in Island Park he would just stay with members at their cabin and go talk to people who were fishing or something like that. Can you imagine?! Haha, it was so fun to talk with him about Idaho because it's one of my favorite places!

Yesterday, a member brought her non-member friend to church and we are now teaching her. Miracles!

I am really excited for this week coming up. We have a dinner appointment every single night (Hasn't happened since Ajax). We also have the Ward Halloween Party this Saturday night and it should be really great. Apparently it's super well attended and a lot of non-members come. :) Missionary work at its finest. 

Well, my dear friends, I realize that this is a short and lame email. I just finished the Doctrine and Covenants this morning. I loved reading it so much, and I'm sad it has come to an end. Starting tomorrow I will be reading the Old Testament. I wonder how long that will take. Haha!

I don't even have any pictures to attach this week. Fail! Next week will be epic, I promise.

Thank you so much for all the support that you all give me. I am truly so blessed. I love what I get to do each day. It is an honor and a privilege. I came here to invite others to come unto Christ, and in return, my life has changed. I thank my Heavenly Father every single day for entrusting this calling to me. I love you all, have a great week.

Sister Hardcastle

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

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"

No...I didn't buy them...

Sister Tuia :)

Happy 5 months last week :)

Mommy's letter :) :) :) :)

Me :)

I bought this one in Woodstock...the smaller the cuter :)

Thanksgiving :)

GREAT WEEK. 5 Months...

Dearest Family and Friends,

I have to start off by wishing my Daddio the GREATEST AND HAPPIEST 53rd BIRTHDAY on Saturday! I will be thinking of you. I hope that everyone is super nice and lets you watch Forest Gump or Cast Away or ELF. Haha, I love you Dad. Thanks for being my best friend.

I have so much to say this week - But let's start off with General Conference. 

General Conference takes a whole new spin when you're a missionary. Along with listening and taking notes, you're constantly praying that your investigators will feel the Spirit and gain a witness of the Restored Gospel. It was incredible. I can add my words to President Monson's that this past Conference was one of the most inspiring to date. I'll just highlight my favorite parts. :)

M Russell Ballard - "If EVERY member will reach out to ONE person from now until Christmas, MILLIONS will feel the love of God." Take this as a challenge my friends. DO IT. Reach out to at least one person from now until Christmas. Please.

Richard J. Maynes - "You must become the rock the river cannot wash away." I loved this talk, because it was all about endurance. One of my favorite things, which I stole from my sweet sister Jaclyn, is ETTE. Endure to the End. Spiritual endurance takes dedication, perverseness and self-disciple. RUN THIS RACE WITH ENDURANCE.

David M. McConkie - God Speaks. He spoke anciently, He spoke to Joseph, He will speak to YOU.

So what does this mean to us?

1. We are on the LORD'S errand. We are his agent, therefore entitled to HIS help.

2. We are called to Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you wear a name tag, that is your calling. 

3. We are commanded to teach the principles of the Gospel. Not only teach them, but LIVE them. 

In that case, where do we begin?

1. Live in a manner to have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

2. Obtain the word before you declare the word. STUDY.

3. LEARN TO LISTEN.

4. Stand as a Witness of the things you teach. 

We are all entitled to teach with the power and authority of God.

I loved this talk so much because he wasn't speaking to the missionaries. He was speaking to every single member of the church. I don't know about you all, but I think that the leaders of the church are trying to stress the importance of sharing the Gospel....

The last talk I'll highlight was given by Terence M. Vinson -

We need to love God the same way He loves us. When trials come our way, do we turn towards God or away?? We need to use ALL of our strength to endure trials. ALL of our strength includes the help of God. With His help, ALL things can be lifted. "The more I learn of Him, the less I want to leave Him." May we all return the love of our Savior to Him by giving Him our hearts.

General Conference was simply so inspiring and so motivating! Can you believe it was one year ago when President Monson announced the age change for missionaries. Look at me now, who would've thought that at 19 and a half, I'd be living in Hamilton Ontario. AH I love it.

There's another exciting event that took place this week - WE HIT THE STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE. The area of Hamilton Mountain West is a fairly new area. It was opened in March, and has never reached Standards. Haha, not anymore! We were so blessed this week. Investigators are coming to church and progressing. Prayer works my friends. Also, hard work works too.

Let's talk about the investigators. Our teaching pool is small, but that's okay. We're working on that. Haha, but we had the most amazing lesson with Cleveland this past week. He has been taught by the missionaries for about 4 months now. He finally decided to quit smoking this week! However, he still wouldn't set a baptismal date. We went to see him on Saturday evening and I felt so prompted to read 2 Nephi 31 with him. We did, and my friends, Cleveland is being baptized on November 10. The Spirit was SO strong. Sister Puruganan bore the most amazing testimony and I just sat there in tears. It was one of those times when I truly felt the love that God has for me and all of His children. When Cleveland was saying the closing prayer, all I could things was "Wow, I'm never going home." It was one of the most memorable experiences that I've had so far on my mission. Cleveland also came to a session of General Conference and loved it. SOLID!

Sam, we've been having a hard time meeting with her. Unfortunately - she probably won't be able to be baptized next week, but miracles happen! She is so great, and hopefully we can start meeting with her soon. Brittany is dating a less active, Andrew. We do service for them a lot, but they keep every single commitment that we leave them. :) They're awesome and Brittany loves having us over.  We are teaching a sweet single mom named Rebecca. She also keeps every single commitment that we leave with her, but she refuses to be baptized... we'll see about that. :)

I had a very special experience this week. I don't think I mentioned this in my last email, but I pulled my lower back last weekend. It was so painful, to the point that I couldn't even stand up straight. Every single morning I felt like I had been hit by a bus, because my body wouldn't move. Last district meeting, I was able to receive a blessing. My friends, Priesthood Power is real. Within seconds of that blessing, the pain subsided. The next morning, my back didn't even hurt anymore. In that amazing blessing, I was promised that I would be able to physically handle every obstacle that came my way. Such a miracle. I am so thankful for the Priesthood and for worthy men who carry that Priesthood. I am so thankful that I was raised in a home with a Father who honors his Priesthood, with brothers as well. I am so blessed!

Canadians like to celebrate Thanksgiving in October. Weirdos. So next Mondayis Thanksgiving, therefore, the next time I email it will be the 16th (Wednesday).

Also, I mentioned the Relief Society President (Sister Gallacher) here that my top retainer has fallen off. That was last Monday, and the next day she had me in to the place that she works to get it fixed. The orthodontist fixed everything, and ordered me a nice retainer on a killer deal... blessings.... Also, Sister Gallacher had been emailing Mom and Dad and next time I saw her she came and gave me huge hug and said - "This is from your mom and dad." It was the best!

This coming week should be fantastic. I get to go on an exchange this evening in Brampton with Sister Tuia. Sister Tuia is perhaps my favorite sister missionary in this mission. We then have Zone Training Meeting. Hey, one of my ZL's, Elder Kenning is from Bountiful..... We will also be able to see Patrick and Serena this week (The best member referrals ever).

I hope that you all have an amazing week. I love you all more than you will ever know. I love my Savior and I pray that we can all strive to be more like Him every single day.

Love,

Sister Hardcastle

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

P.S. Here is my current address:
Sister Corinne Hardcastle
Canada Toronto Mission
11 Kendale Court #504
Hamilton, Ontario
L9C 2T7
Canada

The front of the apartment

Picture of a picture :)

Sooo much to say!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Let's take care of business -

Happy Birthday to Karlee Vail tomorrow! I remember attending her birthday party last year. :) I hope it's great again this year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DALPAL ON WEDNESDAY! Woot woot! I love you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRYNNY ON THURSDAY! You're the sassiest, cutest littliest sister ever.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE MISSIONARY SISTER BELYEA ON FRIDAY! I hope that birthdays in the mission field rock. I miss you!

Alright, so here I am in a new area with a new companion. I'll start with my companion -

Her name is Sister Puruganan and she is from the Phillipines. She has been out for just over three months and she is 27 years old. She is a hard worker and the most humble person in the world. She was a school teacher back home, teaching English. So her English is pretty amazing, but it's fun doing language study with her. :) I love when she asks me what a word means, and I don't know the answer... OOPS. It's pretty funny.

So here I am in Hamilton Mountain West. There are two Elders on the East side of the "mountain." (It isn't a mountain, it's more like a tiny little hill). Hahaha, these Canadians are crazy. It is MUCH more populated than Woodstock, so it's a lot like Ajax. The apartment is pretty nice, but there isn't a washer and dryer.  :(  We did our laundry this morning and it was pretty pricey - so that's going to take some getting used to. I'm the designated driver, and oh boy it is so fun. We drive a nice 2012 Chevy Malibu and I love it. However, this last week we have had basically 0 k's for the month, so we've been doing a lot of walking. The weather is cooling down though, so walking isn't bad at all. Oh, one of the Elders here, Elder Lasley is from Idaho Falls and he played football at Skyline High School, just like you Dad!

We are working with a solid amazing investigator, Samantha. She is the girlfriend of a less active member, Cody, who is trying to come back to church. His whole family is active, and he started coming back when Samantha started asking him questions. She had only been taught once before we taught her last week. We went and planning to teach her the restoration, but we focused a lot on how much God loves her. She has had no religious background and had so many questions - which I love! We also talked a lot about baptism, and the Spirit was so strong. Cody was able to bear his testimony of the Holy Ghost, and there wasn't a dry eye in the whole room. We committed Samantha to be baptized on October 13th, and she accepted. After she said yes, she mentioned how a warm tingly feeling went through her whole body, then she started crying. You guys, it was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever been in. It is truly amazing to witness FIRST HAND the Spirit work in people. Ahhh I love it so much. We are going to see her and Cody again this evening, and I can't wait!

There are a few other investigators here, but we are really going to focus on gaining a solid promising teaching pool. Unfortunately, this ward hasn't seen a convert baptism in almost 2 years. Well, my friends, that is going to change. We were able to visit several members and gain their trust. I love the members here. Oh, and the ward is so huge. Yesterday I felt like I was sitting in the Sterling Heights Ward back in Utah, there were so many members. This ward has SO much potential, so things are going to change. :)

There are a few miracles that happened this week - I'll start with the biggest one -

I WAS ABLE TO GO TO THE TORONTO CANADA TEMPLE! We were barely in the Temple range, and it was such a tender mercy. It was so great to see President and Sister Scott, and all of my other missionary friends. It was the most calming beautiful thing to see almost 50 missionaries in the celestial room together. The Toronto Canada Temple is breathtaking, and I can't wait to go back soon. God answered my prayers, and He knew that I needed to go to the Temple. I was even able to see a couple from Ajax. I felt so refreshed and so full of peace. It was a beautiful day indeed, because that night was the Relief Society Broadcast. I always get chills when President Monson talks about his time as a Mission President in the exact mission that I am in!

The other miracle is a referral from a member that lives in a different city. We got the referral on my first full day here, Wednesday. But we didn't have time to contact it until Friday evening. The only thing we knew was that their names were Patrick and Serena, and that we should teach them the Plan of Salvation. Well we showed up on Friday night, and Patrick immediately let us in. We told him that Charity has told us to stop by, and apparently Serena and Charity are really close. Patrick and Serena just had a baby girl, Lyla back in May. They are the cutest/best couple ever (besides everyone in my family). Haha. Patrick has a strong belief in God, but doesn't like organized religion. Serena has a HUGE faith in God and so badly wants more in her life. We talked to them for about an hour and a half and taught the whole plan of salvation. The Spirit was so strong, and I can't wait to go back there. Patrick's heart was softened throughout the lesson and I could see him listening intently and feeling the Spirit. Serena bore her testimony on how much Jesus Christ has helped her in her life, and you could not deny the presence of the Holy Ghost. Serena texted Charity the next morning, and Charity forwarded it to us. Basically it said how amazing it was to visit with the missionaries and how she felt the most calm feeling that whole time. She also said that she can't wait for us to come back! Booya! We will be seeing them this week. :) Miracles miracles miracles.

Well friends, it's time to start another week of the great work of all time. The longer that I'm out here on a mission, the more I fall completely in love with it. I'm learning more about my Savior, Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father. I'm learning more about who I am, as a daughter of God, and who all of God's children are. They are precious in His sight, and it's humbling to feel that love. I love you all so very much. I think and pray for you often. Have a great week.

I would just like to share this scripture that I found this morning -  

D&C 112:14 - "Now, I say unto you, and what I say unto you, I say unto all the Twelve: Arise and gird up your loins, take up your cross, and feed my sheep."

Sister Hardcastle

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

Andrea and her fam :) hardest goodbye!

Woodstock - the dairy capitol of Canada

Tranfers! All of Sister Stats' "Trainees"

Sister Puruganan and I

Saying goodbye to Suzanne and Jade 

Beautiful Day!