Because He Loves Us!!

                                                                                                 May 12, 2014
Hola mi famila preciosa! It was so much fun to be able to talk to all of you last night. I´m glad to know that you are all safe even though the storm ended our skype time a little early. You are all amazing and I am so proud of each of you! I am especially proud that you are all amazing missionaries and are sharing the gospel with everyone you can! It is so important that we do this, because everyone needs the blessings of the gospel! Thanks for your righteous examples! 

 

This week was amazing!!! We have so many people progressing towards baptism. Mario and Yocelyn have a baptismal date for the 31st of May and they came to church for the first time this week! Fernando also has a baptismal date for the 31st, and Javiera will be baptized this Saturday!!! Javiera´s mom also came to church!! Please pray for all of these people! Thank you for your prayers! We have seen so many miracles this week, as people take steps to come closer to Heavenly Father and to follow the Savior so that they can return to live with them. 

 

This week we were thinking a lot about how we can help more people come unto Christ through baptism. I read a talk about being the type of missionary that challenges and testifies. The author was talking about how we can´t just teach the gospel doctrine to try and convince them that the gospel is true because it makes so much sense. Instead, we need to testify and challenge them to find out for themselves and be baptized. The author asked a missionary how he was able to help so many people come unto Christ and receive the blessings of baptism, and the missionary said, ¨well we just help them feel that their Heavenly Father loves them, and that He wants them to be baptized in His restored church.¨ As I read that, I thought, that is the key!! I had been so focused on teaching the doctrine that they need to know, that I kind of forgot that it is more important that they can feel the Spirit because the Spirit converts, and then they can learn about the doctrine. My companion and I immediately put this into practice. We made sure that everyone we taught could feel the Spìrit as we testified that Heavenly Father loves them, and wants them to be baptized in His restored church. As was applied this, they felt the Spirit testify of the love of God, and they wanted to follow Him and do what He wants. I know that as people feel His love, they will do His will. Because He loves us, He gave us the opportunity to come to earth and progress and choose for ourselves. Because He loves us, He sent Jesus Christ to be our Savior, and to suffer the punishment for our sins, and to give His life for us, so that we may all return to live with Him if we do His will. Because He loves us, He has given us the gospel in our lives to bless us. Because He loves all of His children, He is making it possible that everyone can hear the restored gospel. Everything He does, He does it because He loves us. I know that as we help people feel His love, and learn His will, they will feel the Spirit and they will follow the promptings to be baptized and join the church because they will know that they are doing the Lord´s will. It is my prayer that we can all be instruments in our Father´s hands to help others feel His love, and take the important steps to return to Him. 

 

That is what I am going to do for the rest of my mission, and for the rest of my life!!!

 

We learned a lot of other lessons this week too. One night we were hungry and there was a food place on the way to a lesson and so we stopped really fast to get something (probably not very diligent). While we were waiting for the food, I noticed a bee on the wall and pointed it out to my companion. Then this guy came over that was smoking and I coughed a little, and put my hand directly on top of the bee haha. I bet you can guess what happened. That little bee left its stinger in my hand, and the next thing I knew, my hand was on fire (don't worry, not literally). I learned a great lesson that night. We are never going to buy food again at night. We are going to be diligent in every moment, even if we are a little hungry. There are people out there who are waiting to hear the gospel, and if we aren´t diligent in all moments, they may never hear it! May we be diligent in all things! Maybe then we can avoid being stung by bees. 

 

On Saturday we had an amazing activity. The youth put on a talent show for all of the mothers in the ward, and they invited the missionaries to do something. We decided to dance as pillow people. I don't know if you have ever seen that, but its when you have a pillowcase on your head (we had really big white potatoe sacks instead), and you draw a huge face on it, and then around your hips you put a shirt, and stuff the sleeves with newspaper and pin the ends to the sides of the shirt. Then you dance crazily and it is really funny because the head is huge and the body really small, and when you move your hips, the shoulders of the pillow person move. I can´t describe it really well, you have to see it. You can look for examples on youtube. We have a video of us, but it is too big to send haha it was so fun. The ward loved it!!! They were laughing so hard. And we were laughing so hard. I love the mission so much! Every day is an adventure and I love it!!! 

 

Well, thats my week! Let me know about your funny or spiritual moments! I love you all, and I am so proud of you!!! Love you tons!!!

 

Have an amazing week! Hasta luego!

Love, Hermana Harris

Give It Your All!!

                                                                                              May 5, 2014

Hola mi familia maravillosa!!!! Estoy muy emocionada para hablar con ustedes por Skype ésta semana!!!  Thank you for your letters this week!!! You are all amazing and I love reading about your adventures and stories of success. You have so many! I know the Lord is blessing you at all times. I especially want to thank you for sharing your missionary experiences with me! I am so proud of each one of you, and I know that you are blessing so many people as you share the happiness and truth of the Restored Gospel. It is the best feeling ever!!!

 

I have some good news and some not so good news. Which do you want first? Lets go with the not so good.  We had a transfer this week and my sweet hija and best friend, Hermana Blau, was transferred to Frutillares! This is great news for her because she will love it there, and I know there are many people who need her there and whose lives she can bless with her bright smile and happy personality. I am so happy because that was my last area, but it was bitter sweet to say goodbye because we were really close. Maybe now I can kinda empathize with moms out there because I seriously feel like my daughter went off to college/mission and left me at home. haha its so weird, but I am really going to miss her. The good news is that Hermana Martinez arrived here in Coyquén and she is amazing! She is from the north of Chile, and we have the same time in the mission.  I know that we are really going to help one another, and I am happy to be together serving in Chillán! 

 

 This past week was amazing! We were really able to work with the members a lot and we have a ton of plans to work with them even more!  Speaking of members, there is an amazing lady who is a new convert that we had lunch with this week. She is unable to work and has a lot of health problems. The ward helped get together some food to give to her so that she has enough, and guess what, the next week she gave the missionaries lunch! She is an amazing example to me and I felt the Spirit so strong and such a deep love for her as she gave everything she had. 

 

That is one of the lessons I am learning, to give everything, and give it our all. Hermana Blau really taught me that, and I am so glad that I have the opportunity to learn from the Savior and the people that surround me. I know that this is the greatest thing we can do is give it our all. Today for p-day, we watched the movie The Best Two Years in Spanish. haha-- I love that movie. But it meant a lot more to me because I am serving the best 1 year 1/2 right now and I want to make sure I give it my all. In the movie, the missionary for a while didn't work as hard, but in the end, he learned what Heavenly Father wanted him to learn. I know that this applies to all of us, at whatever stage of life we are at. We need to give it our all, and as we do, the Lord will teach us what He wants us to know. We will become the best we can be, as we let Him teach us. I have a little bit more than a year in the

mission right now, but I am going to make the most of it!  

 

Good news! Javiera came to church again, and is progressing toward her baptism on the 17th! Also, we finally were able to teach her mom, who isn't a member! Thank you for your prayers! I know that we will be able to help them both progress towards baptism and receive the blessings together as a family. Please pray for them, and please pray that we can help other people progress towards baptism and find new people. This week, we found Maria Jesus, Mario and Josalyn, Teresa, and Mirza. Please pray for each of them! Thank you for everything!

 

This week we had a lot of funny moments, but I can't even remember one :( But, I will for sure right them down  so I can share them next time. I love you all! Hey, please write me at dear elder if you have time! It is free!!!

 

I love you so much! I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ! He leads the church, and I know that He loves us all! It is my prayer that we can give it our all to become like Him every day. As we do, I know that our Heavenly Father will change us so that we can become like the Savior. Have an amazing week! Love you all so much!!! Hasta Luego!

The Importance of Making and Keeping Covenants

                                                                                April 28, 2014

Hola mi familia y amigos! Gracias por todas las cartas! Me encanta leer de sus aventuras y las semanas exitosas que tienen. Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

This week was great! Some highlights! We had English/piano classes that were actually successful!!! A ton of non-members came!!! Woohoo! We also had a sweet activity with the Relief Society. we ate sopaipillas!!! They are like fried bread, and you eat them with chopped up tomatoes, onion, garlic, and salt. They are so good! It was a great week with many blessings and it was so much fun!  We are so excited for Cesar and Carolina, and their family! They are doing great! Cesar didn't receive the Aaronic Priesthood this week because he went to work out of town again, but he will receive it the upcoming week. They ward continues to fellowship them and help us teach them the new member lessons. We are so excited for the blessings they are receiving! Sadly, we didn't have another baptism this past Sunday, but we were able to help people progress towards baptism this week! 

Our new companion is Hermana Montañez de México. But we have some sad news. She got transferred to another area this morning, so we are just 2 sisters again. I am so happy to still be here with Hermana Blau, because she is amazing!!!! But we are both sad that our trio ended so quickly. We had an amazing week with Hermana Montañez before she left! She taught us so much about following the Spirit, and being bold, and inviting everyone to a baptismal date... we had kind of lost the focus of always doing this. But now, we are refocused and we are inviting everyone to baptism and to a baptismal date!!! It is extremely important that we do this, because without the invitation that we have to give them, they don´t know how to repent and change, or how to find the happiness that we have. That's why it is so important for us as members to share the gospel with everyone we meet/know. They all need to make the sacred covenant of baptism, and the other covenants necessary for salvation. 

That is something I learned a lot about this week, Covenants. What exactly is a covenant? It is a promise between us and God. God creates the conditions of the covenant and He promises to bless us as we follow these conditions. For example, with baptism we promise to always remember the Savior, Jesus Christ, to take His name upon us, and to always keep His commandments. In return for our obedience, God promises us the constant companionship of His Spirit. Without making and keeping the covenants, we cannot receive the blessings. There are a lot of covenants we can make. We make covenants as we participate in all of the ordinances that we need for salvation, but there are also other covenants. I was studying the Book of Mormon this week in Alma 53, and this chapter talks a lot about covenants. Here is the story of the stripling warriors, but I want to point out a few of the covenants that were made. In verse 10-15 it talks about the covenant that their fathers has made. It reads:


"10. And now behold, I have somewhat to say concerning the people of Ammon, who, in the beginning, were Lamanites; but by Ammon and his brethren, or rather by the power and the word of God, they had been converted unto the Lord; and they had been brought down into the land of Zarahemla, and had ever since been protected by the Nephites.

11. And because of their oath they had been kept from taking up arms against their brethren; for they had taken an oath that they never would shed blood more; and according to their oath they would have perished; yea, they would have sufferend themselves to have fallen into the hands of their brethren, had it not been for the pity and the exceeding love which Ammon and his brethren had had for them.

12. And for this cause they were brought down into the land of Zarahemla; and they ever had been protected by the Nephites. 

13. But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country. 

14. But behold, as they were about to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman and his brethren, for they were about to break the oath which they had made. 

15. And Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose thier souls; therfore all those who had entered into their convent were compelled to behold their brethen wade through their afflictions, in their dangerous circumstances at this time." 

Here we see that they had covenanted not to fight against their brethren ever again. They had made this covenant and it was so important that they kept it because when we don't keep covenants, there is always a consequence. But when we do keep covenants, there are always blessings. In this same chapter, it talks about the covenant their sons made. 

"16. But behold, it came to pass they had many sons, who had not entered into a covenant that htey would not take their weapons of war to defend themselves against their enemies; therefore they did assemble themselves together at this time, as many as were able to take up arms, and they called themselves Nephites. 

17. And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage."


These righteous young men made a covenant as well, a different covenant, but one that was so important, and they kept their covenant with exact obedience and all diligence, and because of this, all of them were spared in the war, and they were victorious. We all have made covenants or will make covenants. We make covenants at baptism, we renew our covenants every week. We make covenants in the temple.  The righteous men of the church make covenants when they receive the priesthood. I made a covenant when I chose to come on a mission, as do all other missionaries. We all make covenants, and we all need to keep covenants. The most important work we can do in this life is to help others make and KEEP their covenants. That is our role. I know that as we invited others to come and make covenants, and then we work with new converts and less actives so that we can help them keep their covenants, we will all be blessed, and we will all return home to live with our Heavenly Father and our Savior. 


This week we worked hard to help people make and keep their covenants. We worked with less actives, and the Familia Alarcon is becoming active again!!! we worked with our new converts and others and were able to help them come to church! We also taught Javiera, and she is preparing for baptism on the 17th of May! We also taught Carlos, an old investigator who came to church for the first time!!! He didn't accept a date, but we still invited him! We hope to work with him and a few other news we found this week. Please pray for Vanessa and Fernando, Carlos, Javiera, Cecilia, and Marcela. 


Thank you for all of your prayers and your love! I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ, where we can make and keep eternal covenants. I love you all! Thanks for your examples of missionary work this week! Keep giving away Books of Mormon! I love you all! Have an amazing week!!! Hasta luego!!!