A great week!

This week has been an amazing one for sure. a lot of great stuff is happening down here. To start off missionary work is growing with the members in such great ways. We had a mini CCM for our ward this week and it was fantastic. We organized into groups me and my comp taught a bit about how to do door contacts and then sent them all out with names of less actives in the ward to go visit. I got to go with Samuel (one of the youth) and the first few stops where not so successful. but then we had one who the person on the list had moved away but her mother (who is not a member) was there so we talked with her and she was so nice so nice. She invited us back to talk with her. 

Also we went and visited a less active member that I was honestly afraid to cause the last time we talked with him it really didn’t go well but this time he opened up and invited us in and we talked about the church and the savior. he was not very receptive but he let us in so its progress. Also Samuel the youth who was with me was so awesome he would jump in and testify and teach- he is a lot braver then I was at that age for sure. Also, this was the first time going out without a experienced missionary by my side and it’s so true that necessity is the mother of invention. Cause this time, I had no one to catch my fall if I didn’t understand. The greatest thing is in that moment, I didn’t fall. The lord blessed me and I understood and responded to any doubt or problem that the people bought up. I know for sure the lord is in this work and truly blesses us in the very moment with what we need to say. 

Our investigators are doing great too. One in particular is Jacob. He is our investigator from Haiti who speaks French and he is just the nicest humblest and kindest guy ever. He is so willing to learn and want this gospel in his life I know it. he is so knowledgeable about the bible to for example we were talking about the 3 degrees of glory with him and ask us about a scripture in revelations that talks about the eternal fire and asked about that it’s so great.  He is so good. After our last lesson on Saturday in which he accepted a baptismal date :) (28 of December) he feels the need to be baptized but just wants to learn more first. Also he struggles a lot with Spanish so we promised him that he by the 28th of December he would know not just the gospel but Spanish too.  Me and my comp where talking and we both saw him as being a bishop or young men’s president some day he just has such a great attitude. I’m am very much looking forward to seeing him progress and keep learning.

We have had a struggle meeting with Carlos for the last week and a half or so and probably will have to change his baptismal date but still we are holding out for him knowing he can do it

Sunday in church Hermana Adda came which was awesome cause she has promised to come for 3 or 4 weeks and this week she did and she loved it. Also, we had Magerita (a investigator) come for the first time and it just happened to be the primary program that day and that touch her heart I could tell. Then after the ward was so helpful friendly, and acceptive of her it was fantastic. I know for sure that it was no accident the primary had their thing that day. That was planning in the heavens. I love this work all of it the ups and the downs it’s amazing.

Keep the savior close in your lives I know he is there

-Elder Harrison 

A SPECIAL MOMENT IN A MISSION

¡Hola! I hope everyone at home is doing great. This week was a big one for all the Santiago missions because on Tuesday we had the opportunity to have a meeting with Elder Holland of the quorum of the 12 and, wow, was it amazing. It was a meeting with the four Santiago missions (north south east and west) and it was the most fantastic thing. Elder Holland spoke a lot about how this work is on a curve and it’s getting steeper and steeper so enough we are going to be vertical and us as missionaries and as members need to be riding that curve. From what I have heard it seems like that same push is coming to the members the work is truly hastening faster than it has ever been before and we got to work harder than we did before. Also he talked about being a missionary is not just a 2 year or 18 month thing it is for life. Once we enter this road once we make this change there is no going back like peter of old how left his nets to follow the lord there is no going back. I want to echo his call to every missionary whether serving now already returned preparing to go and every member missionary. Let’s make the change we all have a work to do find out what you can do and do it. like the beloved hymn says ¨we all have work, let no one shurk, put your shoulder to the wheel´´ I love the symbolism there of putting your shoulder to the wheel not just pushing with your hands or on and off pushing but putting all you might and strength to the work. I know this work is the work of the lord and will bless us with all we need to succeed in it. I can promise everyone who puts their shoulder to the wheel will be rewarded amazingly with the rest of the lord for his burden is easy and his yoke is light. I know it’s true I do

Elder Holland spoke of a lot of things and with it all he was happy he was so happy I can tell he has the fire of mission work in his soul I can see it in how he talks, the way he acts, and the love he shows.  I don’t know that I could put in words the feeling that was felt while he was there. such power and authority. we were so blessed to get to hear from him. After he spoke we had a chance to meet and mingle with the other missionaries from the four mission and guess who I ran into, none other than Jacob Wilson from my ward. It was so great to see him he has been out oh close to 1 and 6 months I think and wow. From the moment I shook his hand I could feel the testimony that was in him. I know he is a great missionary and that inspires me to want to be a better one. 

Other than that this week has been a fast one it just flew by we were able to meet with our investigator Jacob from Hatii we talked about baptism and invited him to be baptized and he asked if he could go home and pray about it first and he did. He then had some amazing experiences that have lead him to want to be baptized but first learn more. Which of course we are happy to teach. Also we were able to give one of our investigators a blessing of health he has been having some real struggles lately. 

I got to go but I hope you all have a great week this week.

Elder Harrison

A rapid week

Hola! Did this week fly by to everyone else or was it just me? This week went so fast it feels like just yesterday I was writing. Over all its been a good week. I feel like I’m finally ´´in the groove´´ it’s weird because now missionary work just feels so right. It feels like I have always been a missionary and always will be. I know that’s not 100% true but it just feels so normal now. It’s kinda awesome to me to see the lord give me the focus I need for the work.

FOCUS now that is a hard word a hard action, but the most necessary. That was really my big struggle this week was being focused and not so much being focused on the work but on being focused on what the people are saying. I had to fight this week to keep my mind from wandering because as soon as I lose the slightest bit of focus I lose any chance of understanding the language. At times it’s really good and I understand what the people are saying at other times I will notice that I have no idea what the person is saying. With that though the lord has been a great strength to me I can feel him nudging me to focus and pay attention. He is teaching me to focus and slowly I’m learning.

other than that it was a great week Carlos came to church with us and afterwards we answers his questions about the church and what happened he is progressing well towards his baptism date which is coming up really really fast. Sadly though, we couldn´t have our lesson with Jacob this week (he is the one who speaks French) when the time came for the lesson we looked and called but couldn´t get in contact with him. I don’t know if I have said this before but we have a lot of work with less actives here this Sunday I had the ward secretary print us off a register for the ward and it had 650+ members on the books in our ward. That day in sacrament meeting we had maybe 75 but probably closer to 50 in attendance. So the big push by everyone here is for less actives getting back. So we do a lot with them. We had a great opportunity to give a blessing to a man in our ward who was about to have surgery. It was awesome because that really opened up the door for that family they are less active and haven’t been super open us coming and visit but after the blessing they were more open and when we went by a few days later they were happy so have us it was awesome.

I’m learning and developing the greatest love for service I love helping the people down here it’s great. It opens so many doors and makes me feel awesome inside. Quite honestly my favorite is helping people push cars because no one ever turns down help pushing a car. With other things people always say that they are fine and don’t need help but pushing a car. Ya no one says no to that. so my invitation for this week is pray for the chance to serve and then keep your eyes open if you look you will notice that there are an amazing opportunities to do good all around us I know I see it here and I know its back at home to.

Have a great week

-Elder Harrison

Almost 2 months

Hola well I have been out for close to two months now.  It feels like it’s been a week. I think I say this every time but so much happens here everyday- its amazing. I have been able to have so many spiritually strengthening moments. Overall the things here in Chile are just fine going great. The ward continues to surprise me with their kindness and joy.

We got two new investigators this week Andréa’s and Margerta (excuse the spelling) they are so good we gave them a pamphlet on the restoration and they read the whole thing asked questions accepted a book of Mormon and are going to read and pray about it. They are so nice I can’t wait to keep working with them. .

Also we had been having trouble meeting with one of our investigators Carlos but this week we caught him out doing yard work so we offered to help and then after taught lesson one to him and gave him a book of Mormon and he accepted to read and even accepted a soft baptismal date for the 30 of November we are going to go and confirm it and set it today but I feel sure he will accept. I know without a doubt it was the service we gave that opened his heart so we could teach him.

Okay one his name is Jacob ready to have your mind blown. So I’m a North American in Chile speaking Spanish teaching a man from Hati who speaks French. How cool is that!!!!! Ya its so cool. it would be impossible where it not for the fact that one of the members of the ward knows 5 languages 5!!!!! It’s so amazing and shows to me how the lord will place people where he needs them. 

That’s my spill for this week so much amazing things happen out here in the field I could never write them all but thank you to all of you for your prayers I can promise you we feel them we really do. 

Many thanks

-Elder Harrison