Happy Father's Day!!!

                                                                                               June 16, 2014
Hola a todos!!!!!!!!!! Les amo muchisimo! Thanks for sharing your favorite scriptures and experiences from this week! I am so grateful for each of you! HAPPY FATHER`S DAY!!!!

I have to say that this week was amazing!!! We saw a lot of miracles and felt the Spirit guide us, but the best part is that we really felt our Heavenly Father`s love this week. I am so grateful that we got to celebrate Father`s day, and I am so grateful that it is on Sunday because that is our Heavenly Father`s day and we get to celebrate Him every week.

We had interviews this week and I love having interviews with President because he is so inspired to tell us what our Heavenly Father wants to tell us. I was able to express some of my feelings as a missionary and I know that the answers he shared with me come from a loving Heavenly Father who knows each of us personally and wants to help us more than anything. He is always there and He works miracles in behalf of His children! 

Good news! Hermana Martinez and I are all better! Thank you for your prayers! I know that that was a miracle that Heavenly Father gave us as we all joined together in faith and prayers! Thank you for your faith! We were able to work hard all week. Well, almost all week because the World Cup interfered a little with that. When Chile plays, the people start celebrating early and drinking. We had to enter on Wednesday night at 6, when we usually work until 9:30. That was quite an adventure, but it helped us get things organized in the house and as missionaries. It is crazy to be in a country where everyone loves fútbol!! I love it!!!! Let me know how the U.S. does in the world cup. 

We have been working with Crelia, Katti, and Martina, and also Cesar and Jasmin, but sadly, none of them came to church on Sunday. We only had 1 investigator in church. Anet came with her mom, Angie, as she is preparing to be baptized on the 6th of July!

 

We found a lot of new people to teach this week, including the mom and younger brother of a less active youth that we are working with. The young man is named Richard, and his mom is Maria Angelica, and his brother is Manuel. Please pray for them as well as all of the other people we are working with.

 

Last night we also taught Fransisco and Elizabeth. They are a couple that Hermana Blau and I had taught before but then they were never home. We finally passed by again after leaving them for a while, and they were home. As we taught about baptism, Fransisco expressed desires to change. They then told us that they are going to separate and get a divorce. I was so sad to hear this, but we realized why Heavenly Father sent us to this family again. He knows them because they are His children, and He wants to help them. I know that our Heavenly Father knows each of us and takes care of us always. We are blessed to have the gospel because He has given to us. We must share His love with others and help them to receive it too. Please pray for this couple, and that we will be able to be instruments in God`s hands to help them. 

The funny things that happened this week is that we knocked on a door and a little grandpa opened the door and he said something that I didn't understand but left the door open and went further into the house. We were waiting there for quite a while to see if he was going to get someone when suddenly we see him peek around the corner like he was checking to see if we were still there haha. I began to question why he left the door open if he didn't want to hear us. but about 2 mins. later, another man came out and talked with us. It was just so funny and random.

 

Also, last night we were teaching a less active family and the lesson was really spiritual about the Restoration. My companion had testified and was starting to talk about the restoration of the Priesthood. She said that Peter, James, and John had given the Priesthood to Joseph Smith, and then she second guessed herself and asked us if it was Peter, James, and John to make sure she had said it right. haha there goes our credibility. Not really, but it was more funny because she had said it in Spanish of course and in Spanish their names are Pedro, Santiago, and Juan, so when she asked me to make sure, I was a little doubtful because Satiago doesn't sound at all like James haha Its okay, we got through it, and yes Pedro, Santiago, and Juan restored the Melchizedek Priesthood. One more funny moment. We had a sister`s study on Saturday at 10:00 a.m with the sister training leaders and they asked us to prepare a part to teach. But I completely forgot about it until I received a call from Hermana Call at 10:08 in the middle of companionship study. Haha We walked there quickly planning our lesson as we walked, but it worked out great so no worries. I love the mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for everything! I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week! Remember that Heavenly Father loves you and He knows you! He will always help you and He will use you as an instrument to help His children! Hasta luego!!

Love, Hermana Harris

He Changes Willing Hearts

                                                                                            June 9, 2014

Hola mi familia!!! Gracias por sus cartas! I´m glad to know that you are all doing well. I´m so sorry to hear about Uncle Wilf! He is amazing and is sharing the gospel with those in the Spirit world. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation that God reveals through His prophets. I know that it is true and we can be with our families forever! It is amazing! I am so proud of all of you and the testimonies that you share with everyone! I love you all!

 

Highlight of the week!!

 

MARIO AND YOCELYN GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

They are so cute and we are so happy for them! 

 

 

Mario shared his testimony at the end of his baptism and testified that this is the true church and the spirit was so strong! They received the Holy Ghost yesterday. 

 

 

 

This week was quite the adventure. On Tuesday when we had transfers it began to rain. Hermana Martinez had had a bad cough for 2 weeks and so we got permission to go to the Clinic. The doctor said that she needed to be in bed for at least 3 days so that she wouldn´t get pneumonia. That is the worse news that missionaries can here. We had a baptism to prepare and people to visit.

 

Well we tried our best to take care of her and stay in, but sometimes we went out to work and sometimes I went with a sister and another sister came to stay with her. The worse part is that it was raining all week and this did not help at all. Then, I started getting her cold haha, but I don't have a cough. On Friday we worked out in the rain and then her cough got even worse. Our doctor had told us not to go in the rain and we got in trouble so Saturday we stayed inside. We figured it was better for Hermana Martinez to get better so that we can work this week, instead of staying the same and having to be in the house again for another week. We had specific instructions to not work when it was raining.

 

Well on Saturday it would rain and then stop and I would look out the window and say, Hey it´s not raining, we can work now! And then it would start raining. ha ha

But we had to go out for the baptism of Mario and Yocelyn.-- It was the highlight of our week!!

 

Our week was hard because we weren't able to work very much, and I don´t know why but I was super tired this week. I felt like I was losing energy. But Presidente Arrington received inspiration for the whole mission that we need to be more exactly obedient in every way. So as a mission he asked us to study the Atonement every day this week and apply it in our lives and then fast as a mission from Saturday to Sunday so that we can have the desire to be exactly obedient. I knew I was losing the energy that I needed to be exactly obedient, so I prayed earnestly to have the desire to do so for the rest of my mission, and after the fast, I know that God has changed my heart. I have the renewed desire to be exactly obedient like before and I am so excited for this week. It was hard to be exactly obedient while sick, but the Lord still blessed us on Sunday. 

 

Remember Crelia? Well, we started teaching her and her two daughters, Katti and Martina again. And they came to church on Sunday and are preparing to be baptized on the 28th!!!!!!!!! We are so excited to work with them!

 

No one else came to church, but we are still working with Cesar and Jasmin, and Anet and Angie. Thank you for your prayers in our behalf and in behalf of our investigators! Please pray for my companion so that her cough can get better. And please pray that it won't rain. And most importantly, please pray for these people! I know that God is watching over them and will continue to do so! Thank you for your faith. 

 

 I learned again this week that God can change us when we let him. I am so grateful that He has changed my heart and desires again so that I can keep becoming who He wants me to be.

I am so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

This week I read in Jesus the Christ about the Atonement. I have been reading it throughout my mission and I am almost done, but as I have been studying His life and His mission, I have come to know Him better. I love Him so much and I am grateful for all that He suffered for us. I know He did it because He loves us. Everything He does, He does with love. I am grateful that I can represent Him and help others come unto Him. I am grateful that He can change me, and I am grateful that I can work along side Him as He changes other people. This is His glory. Every baptism is His! I am so grateful!!! I love you all! I know this is the church of Jesus Christ! The only church that has His name, and all of His gospel. It has His authority, and His truth that blesses us and everyone! May we always represent Him! Have an amazing week!!!! love you all!!!

 

Love,

 

Hermana Harris

Mind Over Matter, Spirit Over Body

                                                                                                    June 2, 2014
Hola mi familia!!!!!!!!!!!! Estoy super feliz para saber de su semana! Sounds like you have all had an amazing week! I sure have! I am so proud to hear about your missionary work. You are all amazing! Keep sharing with everyone! They all need the gospel! 

 

On Monday night I received my Easter package!!! haha finally! I CAN´T BELIEVE I RECEIVED A CHOCOLATE FROG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was so amazing!!! haha I love my life! All of the package was amazing! I especially liked the bunny glasses. We put them on right away as we saw what else the package contained. Happy Easter!!! 

 

Today we found out the transfers for tomorrow. Hermana Martinez and I are going to be together for another transfer!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!!! She is so much fun!

 

 

We are going to have the baptism of Mario and Yocelyn this Saturday!!! They are so cute! They were struggling in their marriage, but now they are changing so much as the gospel of Jesus Christ is improving their relationship and changing them personally. Mario stopped smoking and drinking and they are going to family home evenings with the members. I love being a part of helping them, but I truly know that the Lord is who helps them! 

We had them come to church,and Cesar and his daughter Jasmine, and also Anet, the daughter of a less active member. They are all preparing for baptism. Fernando also came, and Maria Eugenia, who is the wife a member. We are working with her and she finally came to church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your prayers! Please keep praying for them! We need the power of your faith.

 

We had an amazing week, and we worked hard to talk to everyone and help Hermana Woodbury work in her sector too. We had so much fun in our little trio, that sadly is going to end tomorrow, but good news! Hermana Call is going to be Hermana Woodbury´s companion so I will be seeing her a lot! 

 

This week we had a ton of adventures!

 

On Wednesday we had a conference with all of the sisters from the mission!!! I got to see all of my old companions and it was so fun!

We had blueberry muffins for breakfast (that never happens!)

 

We had a conference in which they spoke about us as sisters and gave us ánimo to know that we are doing great and to not be too hard on ourselves. Hermana Arrington, our Mission President´s wife, has wanted to have a conference like this since a year ago and it finally happened!
She is so sweet and works so hard to help us.

The Spirit was so strong in the conference and I learned a lot. One thing  I learned is that when it comes to obedience, it is all about Spirit over Body. We need to let our spirits rule our bodies and not the other way around. We need to choose to listen to the promptings that the Holy Ghost whispers to our spirits so that we can control our temporal desires. That is why we are here on earth. We need to learn to control our bodies with our spirits. This can apply to obedience to all of the commandments. When we break a commandment it is because we let our bodies rule our spirit. We must strive to be constantly obedient to our Heavenly Father and His commandments. If we do His will and not our own, this is ruling our bodies with our spirits. The Savior gave us the perfect example of this! I am going to strive to be exactly obedient always, and to do what the Lord asks even if my natural man wants to do something different. I am learning how to do this in the mission and I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn this.

 

My invitation this week is that we can thing about a commandment we may be breaking, and that we can rule what our natural man desires with our spirit and strive to obey this commandment constantly. I know that with the Savior´s help, it is possible to put off the natural man and change to become like our Heavenly Father. I have seen this with my converts and investigators, and in my own life. 

So after learning this an other things, we then played some games in the conference. They were so funny! I will have to teach them to you after the mission because its hard to explain. We also had lunch at the conference and some members from our ward Coyquén served lunch!

 

The conference was amazing and really helped us feel the Lord´s love for us! I want to invite all of you to take time this week to feel His love. Sometimes we move to fast and we don´t take time or we dont remember to just stop and feel His! His love is amazing! It is the most desirous about all other things. Please take time to feel it. I know that He loves you!!! He knows you and He is so proud of you! Thank you for helping others feel His love too!!! 

I can't remember everything that happened this week but I have a funny story from last week. One day it was raining and when it rains all the streets flood. The problem is that some of the streets have holes that you can´t see when it floods. Well last week we were about to cross a street and I was reassuring Hermana Martinez. I said, "I know these streets, don´t worry, there are not any holes here." And I bet you can guess what happened. As soon as those words left my mouth I took a step and fell in a hole. The water was up to my knees and my skirt got wet. haha but it was so funny that it didn't even matter. Another funny thing about Hermana Martinez and I  is that we are constantly bonking heads. When we did that dance of the pillow people, we were dancing and bonked heads and we do it all the time by accident. It's horrible but we can't stop laughing. haha The mission is so funny and I wish I could tell you all of the funny moments that we have every day because there are thousands, but you would have to live it to understand. 

I love you all so much! Thank you for everything! I hope you have an amazing week and do your best to rule your body with your spirit, and to feel God´s love for you!!! Hasta luego!!!

Love,

 

Hermana Harris

Trio Again--Fiesta!!!

                                                                                                 May 26, 2014

Hola mi familia!!! I am so happy to read about all of your fabulous news! I hope you are enjoying your day off! I am! Hermana Martinez and I are going to take a nap later today! We are a bit tired after our mountain adventure last week.

 

This week was super crazy!!! We were in a trio again because a sister who had extended her mission went home at a weird time during the transfer. We have one more week until transfers and her companion, Hermana Woodbury is with us for that week. She is one of the sisters I will be living with in Provo after the mission. She works in an area next to ours, and she is our sister leader, so we work in her sector and in our sector! It is crazy and hard but it is fun!!

 

We started playing women`s soccer on Thursday nights this past week. You know how all of the churches in the U.S. have basketball courts. Well in Chile they all have canchas de fùtbol (street soccer courts outside) It is fun! But it is just starting so not many came, and then the lights outside didn't work so we ended up playing ping pong instead!

On Friday night we had an activity that we put on for missionary work. We organized it with our Mission leader and it was a like a advanced 18 de Septiembre. We had everyone come to enjoy a folk dancing night. So people danced la cueka, and ate sopaipillas and we had a folk dancing/singing group come and perform.

 

Javiera´s dad has a group of singers and dancers who play instruments and sing while others dance. They are all firefighters, or family members of firefighters. Their performance was amazing and the activity was so much fun! As missionaries we also did a funny skit! Everyone loved it and so many investigators came!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Relief Society provided all of the food! It was a great success and really helped Mario and Yocelyn who were able to come. 

Mario and Yocelyn came to church this week! As did Mirta, and old investigator, and Fernando. Fernando is struggling so please pray for him, we are going to teach him this week and help him prepare but he might not be baptized this Saturday.

 

Mario and Yocelyn are progressing but they need lots of prayers, as does Felix. We weren't able to visit him a lot this week because we need members to enter, but he didn't come to church. Please pray for him!

 

This week we found a less active sister whose family inactivated when she was 12 and now she is grown up with a husband and 3 kids. She wants to come back to church and so we are teaching her and her 10 year old daughter. Her husband is not a member but he is never home when we go because he works out of town, but we are working on helping their family. The mom is named Angie, and her daughter is Anet! Please pray for them! We are working on finding more people and helping them all progress, but we need to focus on these people right now. We also couldn´t visit Cesar and Jasmine this week because they were out of town, but we are still trying to work with them. Thank you for your prayers! 

The best thing that happened this week is that Cesar received the Aaronic Priesthood!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! So exciting because now he can baptize his other daughters!!! I am so grateful for the Priesthood that our loving Heavenly Father restored to Joseph Smith. I know that this power and authority is only given to men who are worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! This is the church of Jesus Christ, the only one that has His authority and His revelation. I am so grateful to be a member of His church and to have the opportunity to share it and help others come unto Him and enjoy the richness of the gospel!

 

There are so many things that I learned this week, but what I loved most is that in personal study I read a little of preach my gospel that will help our investigators, and I read the Book of Mormon, and the Bible, and Jesus the Christ. This week I was reading 3 Nephi when Christ comes, and I just was able to read and learn from our Savior and His example in all 4 of these books. I am so grateful for our Savior and for his forgiveness.

 

On Sunday, my companion gave a talk on forgiveness. She challenged us all to think about someone that we have not forgiven yet, and to ask for the Savior´s help to forgive. I want to challenge all of us to do the same. We cannot receive forgiveness if we do not forgive. Our Savior and our Heavenly Father can only forgive us if we forgive others. The best part is that they are so willing to help us forgive others. I know that sometimes it is hard, but as we look to the Savior,  and we ask for His help and His strength to forgive, He will help us. I love you all so much! You are so amazing and I and so proud! Have an amazing week and know I am praying for you!

Love, Hermana Harris

Climbing the Mountain of the Lord

                                                                                              May 19, 2014
Hola Familia!!! Les amo con todo mi corazon y estoy emocionada escribirles hoy.
This week was amazing!!

First things first, Javiera was baptized on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooooohoooo!!!!!!!!!

 

It was so sweet and she is amazing! I love watching people change as they learn about the gospel and the Spirit touches their hearts. They might be the most prepared people, but it still changes them so much, and you can see it in their countenance.

 

She was so happy on Saturday and she is going to love the church!!! We are teaching her mom, Mirza, please pray that her heart will be softened and open to the restored gospel.
We are also working on reactivating her father.

Hermana Martinez and I are working hard. It is so fun to have the same time in the mission because now we kind of know what we are doing. ha ha sometimes...

This week we had Mario come to church, and Fernando, and we also had a new investigator come to church with a baptismal date. His name is Felix, and he is an alcoholic. He has a disease in his liver and he is basically in the final stages and could die at any moment. So he is very important to us! He was a reference from member and the first time we contacted him, he didn't open his door and he yelled at us to go away, that he would never talk to the Mormons or go to church. After that, I felt like we needed to go back because that day, someone had said something about persistence, and it kept circulating my mind. We went back, and he was nicer the next time, but he didn't let us in. Then, we saw him in the street one night, and he had no where to run, ha ha and we talked to him. We asked if we could come share a message with him to help him, because God loves him and wants him to be happy and return to live with him. And Miracle! He said we could come the next day, and when we taught him he accepted a baptismal date and the invitation to come to church. On Sunday we walked to pick him up, and he was all ready, in clean clothes and shaven. He liked church, but sadly when we passed by with members later that night, he was drunk. Please pray for him. He needs to stop drinking so that he can be baptized. Please pray that his addiction will be healed. And please keep on praying for our other investigators.

We had another miracle. A young father came to church with his 8 year old daughter. His name is Cesar and she is Jasmin. They were just a contact, but they came, and we are going to teach them on Friday!! Please pray for them!! Please also pray for my convert Loreto. She is struggling and needs a lot of prays to stay active. Thank you for your faith and love!!!

Today we had an fun zone activity!
We went to the Termas de Chillan.
They are hot springs and a ski resort where there is snow.















We were so excited because Hermana Martinez has never seen snow before, but sadly, there was only a thin layer on the ground when we got there. It was okay because it was still fun, and we hiked up the mountain.


It was hard and tiring because the ground wasn't very good for hiking and it was steep but we made it!
A lot of times, the others wanted to turn back early, but I wanted to keep going and persevere until the end!



Climbing this mountain reminded me a lot of our lives. It is exactly like climbing a mountain.

We have to be steady and sure and keep going no matter what! We can't stop because we haven't journeyed this far in the gospel just to give up and lose everything!

When we were baptized, WE PROMISED GOD that we would keep His commandments, and remember our Savior always, and represent Him in all things FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!


This means forever and always!

We cannot give up! We made these promises and the reality is, that if we don't keep them, we can't have the blessings of eternal life with our families, and with our Savior and our Heavenly Father.

If we don't keep our promises and stay active in the church, then our Heavenly Father can't keep His promises to us. It doesn't matter how strong our testimony may be, we need to keep going to church EVERY SUNDAY!!! And if our testimony seems weak, we need to go so that He can strengthen us! We must always be active! It makes me so sad to see people go inactive for different reasons, because they may have made the promises before, but they aren't valid if they don't keep them.


It is my prayer that we can keep climbing the mountain of the Lord no matter how difficult. I pray that everyone will keep climbing until we can reach Him for eternity. That means we must climb for the rest of our lives!

I love you all so much! Thank you for keeping your promises. It is our calling to help those who are struggling to do so. Have an amazing week and know that I love you! 

Con todo mi amor, 

Hermana Harris