TRIO WEEK

¡Hola! I hope you all had a great week this week. This week here started out pretty normal. Lessons, contacting. One cool thing that happened is, we were walking down the street and found a group off Chileans around a man on the ground. Me and my comp head over. This man was beat up bad.  So my comp starts giving him first aid. Apparently he had been attacked by someone with a bar. My comp cleans him up and I keep him talking so he doesn’t sleep. He was drunk and couldn´t talk well, but he told us about his family and that he has a strong desire to change. The ambulance comes soon after and takes him away. We were able to get his street and where going to visit him during this last week but things got crazy- so we are going to try later to visit him. 

The crazy thing that happened this week is that one of the elders that live in a house near ours got sick and had to go to the hospital. As a result, me and my comp got blessed to be put with Elder Escobar. He is an awesome guy, so funny. We got put together Thursday in the morning thinking it was just going to be for a day. Well, he ended up stay with us till Sunday. This was awesome!  It was awesome to get to know another elder. We ended up having to do a lot of stuff for the other elder in the hospital, so our weekend in terms of work was slow but it terms of walking was high. 

For our investigators everything is going good. Pamela is right on track for her baptism on the 7^th. We had a great lesson with Sabina about baptism. The sector that I’m in doesn’t have a whole lot of life sadly. We are trying to find some new people and pump some life into in. 

Over all, this week was interesting. The weekend really made it and now it’s just a matter of jumping back on board and making things happen.  I hope you all have a great week and remember sometimes we just have to role with the punches. The lord is going to throw stuff at us that we are not ready for but it’s just a matter of us standing up and taking them. Keep on trying our best. Maybe we are not as good as we would like to be. Just try your best and the lord will cover the rest. He knows your situation and you personally and knows if you’re trying your best or not. 

-Elder Harrison 

FIRST WEEK DOWN

Hola! Well as any missionary will probably testify, the first few weeks in a new sector are always hard always. I’m still trying to learn the sector (which is 2 or 3 times bigger than my last).

So this week I met a ton of new people and did a ton of following my old comp. So a few people of importance one is Sabina. I just meet her but she is super good and really is interested in the gospel and really wants to keep learning and even the desire to change her life. This week we gave her a baptismal date for the 1 of March, I think. She has some stuff to work through but I believe that she will. 

The next is Pamela. She has been taking the lessons for a while. She has given up smoking, given up the boy friend, and is in the process giving up her job all for this gospel. That was all before I got here. This week it was like 10 or so at night, she calls and ask us what was the church’s stance on tattoos. So we tell her the church says “no,” cause our body is a temple. She says ´´Okay, then I won’t get one.´´ Me and my comp were surprised that she would do that. Then three days later, about the same time, she calls and ask about coloring hair- if that is okay. We explain that it was so awesome to see how much she wants to do what is right and loves this gospel. We are going to have her baptism the 8th of February. 

Other than that, I’m in the process of meeting people and learning the streets. Honestly, this week I can’t wait to get working harder and harder. I feel like we can do more, so we are going to do more. Okay so one cool story before I go. So today is p-day and my comp introduced me to a restraint call Corbatas. Basically, what they sell is complatos ( hotdogs but with other stuff on top.) The cool part this was 50 cm long!!!!! That’s 1.6 ft!!! It was super cool. I’m loving the sector more and more and more the more I work. I know the work is not easy but I know it is possible.  I know it. Go forth and help the elders near you trust me they will appreciate it :)

-Elder Harrison 

p.s. the pictures are old (last week)

TRANSFERS

¡Hola! That’s right we have transfers this week. I got moved out into a new area with a new comp but I will talk more about that in a bit.

The week leading up to it was a good week. We were able to work hard. Friday night we call the call about transfers and everyone, even my comp, was sure my comp was leaving and I would stay. But the call came and I’m the one who is leaving. It was hard to leave this ward. I had really come to love the ward. The members, the investigators, and less actives. I love and know them all so well. 

Honestly, the hardest to say good bye to was Jacob. He is so awesome.  But now I’m here in a different sector with a new comp. He is AWESOME. I love my comp. His name is Elder Dufour from Seattle. How awesome is that. I am now in the sector Los Robes (I think that is spelt right).  This sector is huge. 3 or 4 times bigger then my last. I’m really excited to work with comp. He has 10 months in the mission. He is super nice. I was a bit sad to leave my old sector and comp behind. But now in the new sector with a new comp, I feel great full of joy.

Naturally, I have been thinking a lot about changes lately. The changes we have in our lives. it’s been said the only thing constant in life is change. I fully believe that change is one of the most powerful tools the lord has. Especially in the mission field. For me the fact that I am in a new place with a new comp is for two reasons. First, cause there is something that Elder Dufour needs to teach me something that i need to learn from him, and secondly is because the there is someone here that the lord needs me to touch. Someone who needs my testimony. I’m one to believe that it is the same for all of us. It is not just chance that you are where you are. The lord has a work for you to do. There is someone near you, someone that needs you needs something only you can give. Also it’s been said by Hermana Cook (wife of our mission president), if you’re in a situation that is difficult and you don’t know why the lord is not pulling you out, its cause he is trying to change you. There is something that you need to learn. I saw this already in my mission. I prayed and tried to find what the lord was trying to have me develop. I found what I thought it was and worked my heart out to develop that. And once I got it, next thing I know the president calls and we have changes. 

I fully believe it’s like that for all of us. The lord is making us into the people he needs, to finish things to accelerate the work. If we are going to be part of this, we are going to need to be better than before.  Work harder, try more, and be willing to grow. If we do that the lord will help us grow. it may not be easy but it will be joyful. I Know it cause i feel that joy i feel it so much. i hope you all can find this joy in your life

I will try and get pictures sent next week sorry :)

-Elder Harrison 

FIRST BAPTISM

¡hola! This week was a really slow one. Honestly it was. The work slows a lot down here during this time because just about everyone in Chile is taking vacations. We were able to have some great stuff happen this week. 

First off Happy new years!!! It was different being in a big city this year. When the clock struck 12 we could watch 7-8 fire work shows from our window. It was way cool. 

This week was also the baptism of Jacob!!!! He is so awesome and his baptism was amazing. So we had planned to do the baptism at 5:00.  Me and my comp both hoping to do the impossible and start an event on time here in Chile. Well to no one’s surprise, 5:00 came and next to no one was there.  Not even Jacob. We call him and he is still 45 minutes away. So we start calling all sorts of people making sure that everyone can come. As the time goes on, more and more people come and then finally Jacob comes- and not alone ether. He invited three of his friends to the baptism. It was awesome! We have the baptism service and it was super spiritual. After words talking with Jacob, he said that today was the most important day of his life and indeed it was. It so awesome for me- his knowledge and testimony and love for the savior. Now he wants to share the gospel with his friends!

Next interesting story for the week is about Andres and Magerita. We have been working with them for awhile. Andres is less active and Magerita is a non member. They are great except they are living together but not married.  So recently, we were inviting them to pray about marriage. Well, Sunday we decided to talk more about that. We chose to invite them over to the Para´s house. We had another appointment to hit, so he left me with them to run the lesion. When we finally ask them about what they are going to do, they tell us that they are in the process of separating. That actually came as a bit of a shock for me. But we had prepared for such a situation. I was able to ask Hermano Para to share his feelings and he did so and his son (who is married recently) told a touching story about how he and his wife where close to separating. The spirit was strong it was great the two Hermano Parras gave Andreas and Magerita priesthood blessings to help them make a decision. When we finished the lesson, Magerita thanked us because she felt so much better than before. So right now they are open to listening to people and even want to talk to the bishop to work though the problems. 

This week has truly been great not easy but a lot learned. I am feeling the refiner’s fire for sure here in my mission. I can see the lord trying to change me.  it’s just a matter of being humble enough. Remember that though all the trial of life, there is a purpose that there is a reason behind it. Never give up.  Never. Keep true to this gospel even if you have lost your reason why.  Stay true stay true. I know that this gospel is true with all my heart nothing will change that. 

-Elder Harrison