Week 42 It has been an awesome week!

So this week was super sweet too! Yesterday J came to a members house and we all had FHE together. :) We met a lot of people, had lots of lessons, met more members, etc. 

Oh man. We were going to teach the Restoration to this lady, and we got like 5 words into it and ended up having an entire lesson just on prophets. I'm learning more and more about the Bible and I love it! There are so many incredible scriptures that teach powerful truths...truths that people are ignoring. In fact when we shared Exodus 33:11( Moses spoke with the Lord face to face) she told us that her Bible doesn't have that verse. >_> Hmm. Okay so both of those stories are about the same lesson. XD Anyway, I really don't know what more to say. 

OH. It was J's birthday on Saturday so we brought him a cake we made but when we put the frosting on it it just made a huge mess, but it tasted fine, and we even finally had a member with us. But he got lost so we were waiting and so we showed up an hour late. And he told us that his family wanted to take him out to eat or party or something but he told them he'd rather relax at home and have a lesson with us. Whaaat? Umm, okay.

 So basically it's been an awesome week. :) 

Oh wait one more thing. We taught WoW twice yesterday, and both people we taught had an issue with the coffee problem. One of them though said she'll try not drinking it. The other said she cannot give it up, refused to do so, and it was crazy. My favorite was when she said, "It's a good thing we get along so well or I wouldn't let you come back" and laughed. XD She's pretty sweet. :) I love these people so much! I've been feeling so happy recently. The weather is changing and it's getting cooler and I just feel excited! :D 

Ok well I love you all! :D

--Hermana Harris

Week 41 YAY for Miracles!

This past week we have had MIRACLES. Specifically, people are progressing! C told us that she's been reading and praying and she feels calm and peace, but that she doesn't feel like God has told her the answer yet. We asked her if she thought maybe we were an answer to those prayers. She said that yes, she had thought about that, but she wasn't sure. So then later we had a lesson about how to recognize the Holy Ghost. We shared several scriptures that talk about what the Holy Ghost feels like, and she looked in her eyes like she really understood and like she was coming to a realization of the truth. It was super cool. AAAAND then at the end of the lesson, we asked her daughter to give the closing prayer. She looked at us kinda funny and looked away and looked uncomfortable, like she was going to tell us something but didn't want to say it. We both thought she was going to tell us she didn't want to listen anymore, but instead she blew us away and said, "One of those scriptures you read... I've felt like that before." IT WAS SO SWEET.

And then there's J! He's the sweetest! He came to the MoBat and took a tour, then a few days later he came and watched the Joseph Smith movie. Unfortunately he arrived late so he didn't finish. :( BUT. Then he came to the branch party on Friday! :D Haha then he invited us to come with him and his family to a party on Sunday. We did not go... but then Sunday night he texted us and asked if he could come to the MoBat to finish the movie! :D Whaaat? So he came and finished, and the Spirit was SO STRONG there. Then last night he texted us and asked if we were going to come teach his family that night. So of course we said yes (we were planning already on being in that neighborhood) and had a lesson about prophets. He said he's praying to know about Joseph Smith. It has just been incredible. We are so excited for him! :D We also had member in our lesson yesterday with F. We've been trying to get this member with us in a lesson with her for months, but she kept having to bail on the lesson. So yesterday it all worked out and it was awesome! :D Members are SO KEY to missionary work. :)

So, you know how some people let hardships turn them from God? Well, F's husband is one of them. He had 6 siblings, and they all died super young from some sickness. And so now he's atheist and doesn't want to hear anything. It kinda tears their family apart. They all have their own beliefs and it's so sad to see. They don't have a unified goal. They all go their own ways, doing their own things, not really united in purpose or anything. It makes me so sad! That's what the gospel does for us. It ties us together and helps us progress as a family. We can all help each other! Well. That's enough ranting.

Well. That's about it for now. Ooh I've been reading in the Bible about prophecies about the restoration, the Book of Mormon, what Christ established in terms of church organization, ordinances, etc. So many incredible scriptures! I LOVE Acts 8. I've heard so many times that after baptism you just automatically receive the Holy Ghost. WRONG. Read Acts 8. There are so many scriptures too that talk about the need for authority, healing with oil, the 12 apostles, quorums of 70, baptism for the dead, temples, etc. It's SO SWEET. :) I love it all! 

Love you all too!

Hermana Harris

Week 40 The Gospel Is sweet and simple!

This week we had some pretty sweet miracles. One awesome miracle: J. came to the Battalion! He's the son of a referral we got, and they're not too interested, but he is, and he read when we asked him to, and then he came to the Battalion! I already sent the pic, but it was so sweet I had to say it again. :) We've been so blessed by Heavenly Father with people to teach. I feel like half the time when we make plans for the next day, we never find anyone we planned to visit. But this week we've been able to teach those who we planned to teach! It's so awesome. :D

Awww there is this super sweet lady named C. She invited us over again for dinner. During our discussion we asked if she had read more from the Book of Mormon, and she told us she didn't know where it went, that she put it on the counter, and the next day it was gone. It's not surprising since she also told us her son keeps telling her to stop letting us come over. She defended us though, and told him she's old enough to decide who can come over, and that we're her friends. (This is the son that started his own church.) Oh man. She's so incredible!

We went to the Fireside on Sunday. It was absolutely incredible! We were disappointed because none of the investigators we invited were able to make it... but it was a wonderful experience. Plus I got to see Sister Salinas! :D OH And one of the Sisters that was in our district the last week at the MTC (during our VC training) is here in San Diego for her outbound! :D Her name is Sister Marmol and she's from Spain and she is the sweetest! Hopefully we'll see her every once in a while. :)

We talked to a lot of people this week that have conspiracy theories and all these crazy ideas about what's truth and it was frustrating but also made me SO GRATEFUL. I don't have to smoke anything to 'feel peace'.' I don't have to 'cleanse my pinecone(?) gland to use my third eye.' I'm not worried about secret groups out to get me. I know that if I just keep repenting, reading, praying, going to church, listening to the prophet, etc. then I'll be happy, successful, and some day be able to live with my Heavenly Father again. What a relief!

Love you all!!

--Hermana Harris

Week 39 The Lord does answer prayers... specifically!

If you want to talk to God, pray! 

Transfers...I guess the subject is a bit of a misnomer since... well we're not getting transferred! Phew! That makes 3 transfers with Sister Salinas and 3 with Sister Contreras. :D Pretty lucky! I wonder if I'll have all my compas for 3 transfers. I feel like it just might happen dat way. :) Sister Mendez and Hall are gone... but Sister Romero is staying in Sweetwater, so Logan Heights is prolly closing one of theirs, so we'll be getting one of them. Don't know who yet! ...but we might get Sister Amendola! :D THAT WOULD BE AMAZING. I'll let ya know next week. :)

We had the best day ever yesterday. We ended up having 3/4 of the lessons we planned for. That NEVER happens! We found everyone! The Lord just put them where they needed to be so we could teach them. It was incredible. I love having specific prayers! We prayed that these people would be there so we could teach them, and they were! I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. But it was really sweet. :)

We finally contacted a referral we've had for a long time. We had gone by to see her a bunch of times but she was never home. But the other day she was, and her husband was too, and we taught them but they didn't take a Book of Mormon. So then yesterday we went to teach them, and their son was there with them. We taught them all and then at the end the son accepted a Book of Mormon and said he'd read it. Yes! The Spirit was so strong in the lesson. :) It was wonderful! :D

Oh man. Our branch had an activity on Saturday - Carne Asada in the park. from 8-1. We got there around noonish. It was the most delish ward party thing I've ever been to. :D And the really cool thing is we got to spend a lot of time talking to one of our investigators. So many barriers are breaking down. Yesterday in one of our lessons we really got to know another of our investigators better. She shared with us what she's going through. It's absolutely amazing the strength that people have when they're founded on the Savior. I love learning from these people!

Basically it's going pretty well. We're making progress, and learning lots and lots.

Oh wait. Cool experience. So we were contacting a referral, but she wasn't there because apparently she moved like 4 months ago. Which is weird cuz we just got the referral a week ago. But in any case, as we were leaving my companion asked her if she knew anyone who spoke Spanish, so she pointed to the apartment on the end of the row, so off we went. When we got there, this absolutely gorgeous woman in her 40s opened the door. She was poised and elegant, and just radiated power and strength, but you could see that she was incredibly upset about something. Like, rocked to the core. She looked like her eyes were seeing off into the distance, and she looked like she had been crying. As we talked to her, she told us that her heart and mind and everything was closed right then, but that she might be open later. We continued talking, and I shared an experience with her, and I was almost in tears and I think she felt it and it was so intense. As we left, we overheard her neighbor asking what happened, and she said something about "He's in jail." So basically Heavenly Father sent us to her right when she needed us most. It was way cool.

Well, there ya go! I love you all! Keep on being incredible examples, and keep on asking Heavenly Father how you can improve every day, and ask yourself what you can do to strengthen your relationship with your Heavenly Father today. :) Love ya!