Kerstmis is in De Buurt!

Fawaka Dudes and Dudettes! This week was filled with a lot of rain and just a lot of water in general. For example, there is currently a leak in our roof...But it's all good! Just got to wear flip flops and make sure nothing important is on the ground! Hopefully our land lord can fix it soon!
This week Elder Cooper got his Christmas package so we were messing around a bit with the stuff we got from his mom! <--- attached at bottom.
This week was pretty cool because it's been nice seeing Evelyn being able to do member things! We were teaching her a couple of days ago and we asked her how she felt at her baptism, she replied that it was such a wonderful experience, she was saying how it felt like magic with the way she felt! When we told her how it was the spirit that did that part so was just so happy! It was pretty cool talking with her about it. Every time I talk with a new convert to the church about how they felt at their baptism it's always such a wonderful thing to hear about, the comfort and joy they receive makes every day I've been soaked worth it!

Mi lobi jullie!

Elder Hardy

The Mirage Hotel has really gone downhill since I saw it last. haha

The caption he sent his brother "why moms are needed everywhere" - EWWWW!

1st Baptism & Happy Thanksgiving

Weekly Email (not weakly)

Hey guys! I'm happy to say that this week was my first baptism! Her name is Evelyn and it's pretty surreal having seen her be baptized. She's a wonderful example as to how you're never too old to be baptized (she's in her 60's)! Elder Cooper and I met her about 2 months ago contacting and two days ago she was baptized! At our second lesson with her she told us, "You guys know I'm not going to be baptized into your church, right?" Funny how learning more about Christ can change our desires.

Today I had the chance to have Thanksgiving dinner at Brother and Sister Salijo's house! It was so good to have American food again, mostly because it's pretty expensive here! I don't get fed by the members here too often so it's nice when they're willing to help! I'm so glad that I have the chance to be out here because everyday it just reminds me that I have the chance to change lives for the better! I'm excited as to what the rest of my time here holds for me and you guys will be the first to hear about it!

With buckets of rain,

Elder Hardy

Evelyn & Savio (a member we asked to baptize Evelyn) and us!

 Thanksgiving dinner with all the missionaries in Suriname served by Brother & Sister Salijo's. 

Casino in Paramaribo, Suriname

Vliegveld keer! Ik ben zo dankbaar dat ik heb de gelegenheid om een zending te dienen!

Hey guys!

As the title suggests, I had to do some flying this week! To be precise, I went to Guyana for 4 days! Due to some visa problems I was having I had to fly out of the country, talk to the people at the Suriname Embassy in Guyana and then fly back. The problem was a holiday called Duwali (close in spelling) so it made us stay longer in Guyana since the embassy was closed for it! I'm glad to be back in Suriname! I'm grateful to be back and my parents are glad to know that I'm safe! Elder Cooper and I are doing really good, this week we're washing our clothes at Paramaribo South's apartment because our washer has been broken for sometime and we're tired of dirty clothes! But now everything will be fine! This week was interesting with looking into myself as to how leaving my area made me feel. When I was in Guyana I couldn't help but feel that I didn't belong there. It was fun teaching with the Elders in Guyana, I learned how much I like teaching in English and I hope one day I can feel as confident in my teaching skills in Dutch as I do in English! While in Guyana I got eaten alive by mosquitoes. On the bright side I got to play Monopoly (Lord of the Rings edition) Phase 10, eat pizza, fall in a trench, get some Guyanese money, meet an Elder going to Suriname next transfer, got to fly in a tiny plane, got to speak English to random people, got to try Guyanese Coke and got to see a guy on a bike pulling a tire that was on fire behind him (see attached) This week was also Zone Conference but because Elder Lewis, Christianson and I had to leave early, we only got to see about half of it. At least I got another stamp from a different country in my passport! With Christmas coming up every now and then we'll be biking and we'll see a house with Christmas lights on and Christmas music plays in the cyber today! Also, today on my way to Paramaribo South I nipped a car with my bike! I stopped in front of the car with a scared face and this guy gets out, fortunately he was British and told me how it was a rental so I didn't have to worry about it (I think part of the reason he was so cool about it was because I spoke English) ! I got pushed off the side walk by the cars so that's how my morning went! 

Fijne dag mensen!

Elder Hardy 

Guyana, picture of a cool rainstorm coming in

The aftermath of when I fell in a trench! It didn't hurt too much, it was mostly just pretty gross!

Guy on a bike pulling a tire that was on fire behind him

Guyana; Elder Lewis, Christianson and I

Guyanese money: $1,000 = $4.82 US dollars