Eyeballs‏

Eyeballs‏: April 6th, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was nuts. It was great, but like always, very crazy.

General Conference was so good! How could anyone not love it? The thing that struck me most is how amazing and inspired the leaders of the church are. I mean, if they can stay awake for 10 hours of Conference at 90 years old, then so can anyone. :)

Over the course of my mission, I've developed the love for spicy food, but this week I think I may have met my match.  Because I'm super white, I love to impress the members who give us dinner with how much chile I can handle on my food or just eat the peppers solo. At the Gonzalez house, la Hermana gave me and Elder Parry two little orange peppers and a warning that she wasn't responsible for any hospital visits. One bite and 30 seconds of chewing was the rule and I conquered that little challenge, but about 30 seconds after swallowing, my mouth exploded in fire and tears began to come out of my eyes. And this is where the biggest mistake I've ever made on my mission happened.

I touched my eyes with the hand that I ate the chile with.

So I knocked a couple of picture frames off the wall as I stumbled through their house to find a bathroom and desperately tried to wash the lava from my eyeballs for 15 minutes. Good news is that I still have sight in my eyes, I think. It was a great memory.

Other than that we've just been trying to find new families to teach. We found this family this week that we've got a return appointment with and they've already given us referrals. Things are looking up! Hang in there and don't let your Spring allergies stop ya. I believe I've sneezed a million times this weekend. My poor companions.

Mucho amor!

--Elder Beau Hart

(Shout out to La Hermana Villanueva who made a brief stop through the Kaw River Ward on her way back home to Arizona with her family. Bueno suerte Abuelita!)

Oh Chinos....‏

Oh Chinos....‏: March 30th, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was amazing.

So many blessings (and crazy stories to let you know about) happened this week.

First off, Jerardo got baptized and confirmed this weekend! What a whirlwind of events. About everything that could've went wrong seemed to happen and after correcting all of the problems (no program, no speakers, no people, no keys, filling the font) the last one and most frustrating of all was opening the curtains to the baptismal font. The curtains! After an hour of me getting so stressed to the point of ripping the metal apart, and 15 minutes after the baptismal service began, we got it open. I guess God was just running on Latino time. 

So after every muscle in my body relaxed after finally seeing Jerardo confirmed in Sacrament meeting, we had the blessing of going to the Independence Visitor Center to go through a tour with my family the Wilson's and Nana, from St. Joe. Man, I sure do miss them. It was like reuniting with family again. It was good to see my old comp Elder Garrick and be extremely short again. 

The final story of the week, just to be funny, is about Shelton. We found Shelton through a less-active family in the ward and he is super thug, but loves "the word, bro". Don't judge because I've never had someone explain Moroni 10 to me with such clarity after having read it only once. After our killer first lesson, we asked him for other people that we might be able to teach and he led us upstairs to his sister Monique. He then awkwardly abandoned us in her room, where she was half asleep and super creeped out by three missionaries, with "have a fun prayer session, Elders!" So, after a hasty prayer and dodging a sketchy situation, we have one more person to teach. Shelton's my man, ya know. 

Well sure do love ya'll. Mucho amor.

--Elder Beau Hart

Hello Kitty‏

Hello Kitty‏: March 23rd, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been really good. We've been doing a lot more service now, due to lack of afternoon appointments and trying to find people to teach through that. Tuesday we dug dirt from under a house for a family so that they can build a basement one day. At the rate we are going it's going to be about four years before that happens. Saturday we did a bunch of yard Spring cleaning for a part member family and got to eat some killer pollo afterwards. 

Jerardo is on date for this Saturday and gets home from his vacation today so we have TONS to do to get him prepped for his baptism. Pray that everything works out. Being a Spanish service, I know that something dramatic is going to go down. Man, I love drama.

So some random notes of business to let ya'll know about: We are officially professional squirrel hunters--we clean up road kill from the streets and make decorative rear view mirror ornaments for all the missionaries in the zone. Can you tell that Elder Parry is kind of a red neck? One of my companions told me once how many Latinos think that Hello Kitty is a symbol for Satan and now I notice it EVERYWHERE--every dinner appointment, every lesson, every other car. Yesterday we went the whole day without seeing Hello Kitty, but she made her appearance in Meet the Mormons when we went with a less-active family to the Independence Visitor Center. (Hello Kitty is on the boxer's shorts hint hint) Oh and Martez's mugger lives in our apartment building. So good, right?

Mucho amor and beware of Hello Kitty,

Elder Beau Hart 

Running Shoes‏

Running Shoes‏: March 16th, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Things are not calming down around here one bit. This week was nuts. Mom just skip to the end where I say "Mucho amor" and attach photos.

Just last night we came home at 9:30 and found a man laying in the street outside of our apartment moaning and begging for help. So we take our stuff up to our apartment, put on good running shoes, and went back out to help our new friend Martez. So Martez, despite being a little buzzed, managed to explain to us how he had just been tripped and thought he broke his ankle during a mugging. So my wonderful companions Elder Parry and Elder Gomez began to help him to his feet, during which, guess who arrived? His mugger! My first instinct was, "How can we help ya', Sir?" He just stared blankly at us in response. Then we explained that we were going to help Martez get to the nearby gas station so his main man, Lil Rob could come pick him up. Then we turned around and after 10 minutes of hobbling and waiting a bit, we made sure that Martez had a safe ride home. Still didn't get to share a copy of the Book of Mormon with Martez's mugger though. Next time, though, right?

Oh, and this week I went to my first strip club! We've been helping out a (very very very) less active member this week because a while back his business burned down. Things must have been a little too hot. Man, so many awful jokes, sorry. We are trying to help him take photos of everything so that he can collect some insurance. Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me, but I'll sure to send some pictures of me and the poles next time.

Other than that, we've been doing service out the whazzoo and trying to find new people to teach. Things are slow in that department, but I don't if I could keep up with it if it were with all of the other stuff we have going on in our lives.

Well, sure do love ya' all.

Mucho amor!

--Elder Beau Hart

(We have to take two pictures with most everything now because my selfie skills can't keep up with the trio)

It's.... ALIVE!!!‏

It's.... ALIVE!!!‏: March 10th, 2015

Hey Family and Friends,

This week was better and so much more crazy!

First off, the trio is back alive! Wednesday, after a meeting the Assistants to the President pulled me aside and asked if I would like to start training another missionary again...in two hours. So after driving literally half way around the mission, dropping off other missionaries we were carpooling with and picking up my companion, Elder Parry, we returned to Independence to pick up Elder Gomez from the sweet land of California.

We got in a car accident this week after someone rear ended us. The lady thought it was the oddest thing that the first thing out of my mouth, was "dang, I don't want to walk this week." She made sure to look at us like we were the strangest two teenagers in the world, before she took off. Kansas City craziness.

Funny story, Elder Gomez and I got up at 5:30 this morning to go sprinting, but after getting out of bed, we heard someone light up their pistol a couple of times and quickly decided that maybe it was best if we slept until 6:30. What can you do?

I just want to say that I love giving prayers with homeless/drunk people that ask us on the street. So much fun! So many people just come up to us and ask us, they must think that I give special prayers or something, but really I'm just a 19 year old in a tie, trying to keep it serious while cars zoom by and ladies shout out cat calls after me. (That last part is a lie, sorry. I'm a sinner)

Well, thanks for the prayers. I sure do miss ya all.

Mucho amor,

Elder Beau Hart

(Cabela's giant deer for the Post Family and also my friend in the District)

Rough Stuff‏

Rough Stuff‏: March 2nd, 2015

Hey Family and Friends,

This week was kind of rough stuff. Saturday, after having fought health problems for an extended period of time, Elder Enamorado went home. Man, do I miss him. It's been a tough period in my mission, having lost one of my best friends, but I know that this is the best for him. He'll always be a hero in my life. Thank you so much for all of the prayers and love on his behalf.

Sorry this is short. I don't feel like writing, but I just want to say that I am so grateful for my super funny and almost illegally happy companion Elder Parry. I couldn't for anyone better right now. 

Mucho amor,

--Elder Beau Hart

(P.s. I know that the Lord is really trying to make me laugh, because for the past 5 minutes I've helped a nun, in full proselyting clothing with her speakers here in the library. Coexistence! We exchanged numbers and some tracting info.)

Break Some Ice‏

Break Some Ice‏: February 23rd, 2015

Dearest Family and Friends,

Transfers came this week and now Elder Enamorado and I are rocking it with Elder Parry! It's a trio, baby! Members and even people we talk to on the street are super confused to see three Mormons walking around--people with alligators get less looks than we do. The great thing about having Elder Parry with us now is that he already knows a lot about the ward because he served here the transfer before I came. 

We are doing work here in the craziness of Kansas City now! It's freezing, but we are working hard and smart. We had Jerardo at church again on Sunday and he's progressing towards baptism in March. We might have to break ice to get him into the font, but it will happen. There's only one direction we're taking the great Kaw River ward and that's up!

Also, I wanted to let you know that if I appear chubbier in future photos it's because I'm eating my emotions due to my best friend, Elder Buehner finished his mission like a champion this past week. Love ya' buddy!

I'm drawing a blank and I want to go play some volleyball so next week will be a better and funnier email. 

Sure do love you all!

--Elder Beau Hart