A Prophet!!!!

Bums man, two of the homies from the district left us this week.. Elder Voorhees and Elder Mason were going to Guatemala, Retalhualpa or something that started with an R. So they left us on Tuesday. It was pretty sad, but I quickly got over that at night once I was sleeping with 2 pillows instead of 1 :) Just kidding, it is pretty sad that they're gone, but it's easier to be focused because there's less people making noise.

So I didn't have time to tell you last week, but something awesome happened! A couple Friday nights ago we were in our apartment, and we were like it's Friday!! We gotta go party!! So we decided to go out on the town for Ice Cream. So we got all ready in our PJs and we went down to floor one where the vending machines are and we all got some Ice Cream! We went out on the town for a Friday night. We are total ballers.

I've made a new goal. We have to make a lot of goals everyday... Well, we don't have to, but my companion and I usually have like 5 (e.g. hit a 3 at gym and put on 3 goggles, play 4 square, make a District D Dynasty in 4 square, Eat 2 banani, get a baptism date, etc.) But I made a really good goal for my entire mission: While in Honduras, don't get capped. I think I can probably do it but it may be hard.

On Tuesday nights we have a devotional. And this week guess who came to talk? Nope, you're wrong. It was D. Todd Christofferson!!! He was a boss. He told us that they're thankful for us, and that we should work our hardest and everything. He's a cool dude! He also told us that when he was on a mission, his mission president's name was Richard G Scott! That's nuts. D Todd was 20 and Richard G was 38. That's a young mission pres!

Curtis I had that best idea for you: you should work for the MTC!!! All of my teachers are only like 4 months off their missions, and they all go to BYU while they work here. It's pretty neat, and you'd be a boss teacher and investigator. So you better do it or else we'll have to fight.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Or in other words Feliz dia de pavo!! This is gonna be a sweet day. It's our P-Day, but theres other thanksgiving activities going on, so we only get like half a p day. And the other people who don't have their p day today, I think that they have an easy day today. So we got a little jipped, but it's chill! They better bring in Thomas S Monson for us to listen to today that's all i'm sayin.

So a couple things about Christmas... Yeah I know it's only Thanksgiving.. But I've been thinking that it would be better to send Christmas presents (I mean if you were planning on getting me any) early like a couple weeks, because there's gonnna be TONS of packages coming here on christmas. Also I know you guys are excited to hear from me on Christmas, but I hope that a letter will suffice. Because we're not allowed to call home from the MTC :( yeah mom, I know. I'm sorry! And yes mom, I do know exactly what you said.

Thank you so much for the packages!! I look like such a thug in my bathrobe!! Elder Shields said I look like the guy from Twas The Night Before Christmas. It is so comfortable!! But yeah, I've gotten both of the packages. You guys rock! I'm feelin the love up in Provo. Palabra. Thanks for remembering all that I needed! Well I love you guys, and thanks for everything!! I'm working on being the best missionary I can!! I just gotta focus muore, but besides that I'm doing great. Peace out fam!! Love, Elder Harding

I'm two weeks in baby

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Vocal point is gone?!?! NOOOO :( That's a bummer. But that's ok, they had a good run. My p day is on Thursday here. I think it would be good if you guys just wrote me normal letters, and then I could e mail you back because I have so little time to write ya know? I had some money to deposit which I didn't, but I heard you can do it here, so I'm gonna try to do that. I don't remember changing colby's wi fi password, I hope he gets it figured out! And yes, I'm staying here nine weeks for sure. There are two people in my district going to Guatemala and they are leaving next week, as the rest of us thought we were doing as well. They have their travel plans and everything and the rest of us have gotten nothing. It's gonna be sweet to be here on Christmas and New Year's! AND Thanksgiving! I realized this week that I'm gonna have a white Christmas! It's all gonna be a party.

So our first investigator, Sergio, was a liar. We committed him to baptism, and then the next day he showed up in our classroom and he was our teacher! So really he's a fake. he's really just our second teacher with an alter ego! Or should I say two alter egos. He became our second investigator too! So he's really Hermano Goodman, who pretended to be Sergio, who is now faking that he's also Ruben!! I can't handle this. And our First teacher? Hermano Driggs? He's pretending to be an investigator too! So now he tries to trick us into thinking that he's Ronny as well as Hermano Driggs, but I see right through him. You can't get anything past me.

So this other district, District 44D, tried to challenge our district to Basketball... Mistake. They had a lot of talk how they were undefeated or whatever. They have two more weeks than us. But Elder Kenner and I just made it rain on them. They had no chance. We were up 9 to 2, then they got to 6, and then we were just like ok let's end this, so we simply made another 3. We wrecked them bad. The next morning in our classroom we had a message on our board: rematch today in the gym. We just laughed. So when we got to gym it was funny, because they didn't have any of the same three guys play! They had three new guys, and the one Elder who was doing all the trash talking didn't even play! i lol'ed big time. They were better than the day before, but once we started trying we came back and won.

This guy named Tad R Callister who talked in conference came and talked to us about the Apostasy. It was way powerful. And this other Brother came and talked to us about the importnace of tithing. He said if our converts pay tithing, they won't fall away from the church. It was neat.

Oh yeah I almost forgot.. I think that there's something wrong with my toothpaste. I've only used it like 3 times since I've been here but it has still given me like 4 cavities! What do you think the problem is? I can't figure it out.

Another random thing: Apparently I sing The Spirit Of God in spanish in my sleep. "cantemos, gritemos, con huestes del cielo hosana!" you get the picture. I did sing in the choir this week and it was really fun. We sang Be Still My Soul. A powerful hymn.

Well peace out fam, have fun in CAli!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Mellow Yellow Harding

I'm no longer a NOVO!!

I am no longer a Novo! That's the name that my district gave to the new kids who came in this week: Novo. So everyone with an orange dot we just say "what's up NOVO." But we don't say it TOO rudely. I forgot to say last week, but I DID see Elder Ramos. I see him like once a day, sometimes in the comedor and sometimes going to the gimnasio, and sometimes just walking around. This place rocks!! But we have a serious problem. The rule is we have to wear our suit everywhere, but then they also decided to say that we need to wear the pants that match our suit, not unmatching ones! I mean if I just had to wear the jacket everywhere that's fine cause that doesn't really get dirty. But the pants? So now I wear the same pants everywhere (except today cause it's P-Day). But yeah that's not really a big problem unless I start spilling my food or if I stop fitting in my clothes cause of the weight I gain del comedor sagrado.

But I do actually have a problem! Yesterday I got peanut butter EVERYWHERE during breakfast. I didn't even eat peanut butter! So now I need to get my suit cleaned except I only have one and I'm supposed to wear it always! so I'm going to be breaking the rules for a few days while they clean my suit.

I don't know if I told you guys, but we have an investigator named Sergio. He's from Argentina. And apparently he still thinks he's in Argentina. I don't know why. But he's the man! He believes everything we teach him and loves learning about Jesus and God. And guess what? He accepted our invitation to be baptized! So yeah, we got our first baptism. word.

On Sunday it was fast sunday, so we had a fast and testimony meeting with our branch. It was all in spanish, just like when we get taught by our teacher, Hermano Driggs, it's all in spanish. And I totally bore my testimony en español! I rocked it. I still understand pretty much everything that Hermano Driggs says to us, but I'm trying hard to not get complacent so that I don't improve. Because I still have a LOT to learn. I'm just glad I'm learning spanish and not some kind of chinese.

We do a lot of studying here. It's awesome! Except for when I start falling asleep. I'll read a few paragraphs of Preach My Gospel and then have to read them all again because I caught nothing from it. But I'm working hard. I just need to sit in less comfortable chairs. I love you all, and I love my district!! We have a bunch of thugs. I've realized that I better find someone good to marry. Because I have to love them enough to get over any little thing that might annoy me. Basically I have to marry someone who's perfect... So I'm never getting married. Oh yeah, I have some things to tell you!! let me get out my list.

Ok I want you guys to find this Orson Scott Card quote. I can't remember exactly what it says, but it says something like if you look at someone's desires you can find the same desires in your own heart, and for that you can love them. Also I found some scriptures for you guys to read! They are Matthew 10:21 aas well as Alma 46:40. Thanks for raising me! And Curtis, if you want something personal, you can write me a letter! Well, I only went 2 minutes over today... haha see ya later you Novos!

Love,

Elder Daniel "La Leche" Harding

Danny's First Letter

My first week at the MTC is going awesome!! I guess it's not really a full week, since it's only been... 3 days. Oh man only 3 days? That's crazy! I saw one of my friends, Elder Taylor Fox here, and he said: "Make sure you write down everything in your journal because time does not exist here. Like if you see a bird, write it in your journal. Because then 5 days later you can look and be like 'wow, I saw that bird 5 days ago!' " Haha he's funny. I totally lol'd.

Ok so homie sightings. The first Elder I saw was Elder Jeff Elsey! I saw him not 5 minutes after I got dropped off. He'll be hear most of the time I'm here I think. Oh yeah, the time I'm here! I'll have to tell you guys about that in a second. Anyways, the next person I saw was Sister Giraud-Carrier! I see her a bunch. I think our schedules are similar. Later that day, at the welcome to the MTC from President Brown, I saw Elder Jeremy Jensen! He came in the same day as me. He said he saw me when I was walking in with the guy who picked me up at the curb. I also saw him at dinner I believe... or maybe it was breakfast the next morning. I don't know, time doesn't exist here. The next day I saw Elder Fox, and that's when he told us about the bird that we might see. On Thursday I saw Elder Carson Wilde in the bookstore! He is a boss. He's got this big polynesian companion and when I saw them Elder Wilde's companion was bundled up like he was a character from Balto! Apparently Utah's winter is colder than wherever he is from. On Thursday or Friday I saw elder Hunter Cannon! He is leaving us for the CCM in the dominican republic I believe. He's leaving next Thursday or something. I have also seen Elder Lee Hasson from PG, who was one of Tyler's friends.

My companions name is Elder Shields. He is from Georgia, but he spent two semesters at BYU so he knows Utah a little. He's pretty good at reading spanish. Also, he's our district leader! So he runs the show. Also he's the one who picks up mail so I get to be one of the first ones to see the mail. It was funny, the first time he got the mail I got that letter you guys sent, but by the time we had made it all the way to the classroom, that letter was gone! I figured there wasn't much important stuff on it... but apparently our zone leader was walking right behind us so a little bit through class he slid it under the door for us. Zone Leader Wideen. What a man. And thanks for that letter by the way! It was cool to get that.

In our district there are 9 Elders only. 7 of us are going to Comayaguela, and 2 of us are going to the Guatemala retalhuahua mission or something like that. One of the elders is Elder Gunnell and he graduated with Tyler from PG. So that's cool. Our district is awesome and close knit I believe. One of the Elders who is going to Honduras is Elder Kenner, and he is really cool. I like talking to him. There are six people in our room and a trio in another room. So there are 3 bunk beds in our room but only 4 of everything else. I think they just threw another bed into our room so the two guatemala people could be in there too. Oh yeah, so I think we're going to be here nine weeks!! not in guatemala at all. it's gonna be sweet. Anyways, I'm nearly out of time. But I hope you guys have fun on your cruise you little dirtys! I can't believe you're going without me.

love elder harding.

I love saying that.

Dropping Danny Off at the MTC

The day finally came. We dropped Danny off at the MTC at 12:55 pm. It was exciting and a little sad too.

We first went to Costa Vida for lunch before entering the MTC,

I noticed Danny seemed to have that glow about him...

We then went over in front of the MTC to get a few pics,

and for Teresa to do one last workout with Danny...

One big last hug for Mom...See how happy she is, 15 minutes later the story changed.

Curtis saying goodbye, It was really cool that these two had a month together before Danny left. Curtis said, "It is so different being on this side of things. When you are the missionary it is so exciting and so many things are happening, it is awesome. But when you are dropping him off, it does make you kind of sad and you miss him."

So Long Danny, We sure will miss you...