CONTACTS AND FRUITS

¡Hola! Well, this week has been a good week.

Amigo has made it the whole week without drinking and seems like he has got the desire to leave it forever this time.

Octavio came to a ward activity this Saturday, but sadly due to stomach sickness he was not able to come to church on Sunday even though he wanted to. Also, so he use to work in tattoos and that was one of the big reasons that he didn`t feel comfortable being part of the gospel. But this week some guy (that actually has a design business in the same building that Octavio lives in) saw some of Octavos’ work and offered him a job. Truly the lord is preparing the way so that Octavio can come back to church.

Ariel Gallardo. (Pretty sure I talked about him last week) sadly this week we could not visit with him again cause he fell sick with pancrites (probably spelt that wrong) problems and is in the hospital. ummmm Guillermo Reyes is doing well, it’s a bit hard to teach sometimes cause of his hyper grandkids- but he is progressing.

This week we started going by for the second time knocking all of the doors. (Having already knocked them once) and doing park and street contacts and truly the lord is blessing us. It’s not that we contact and find 50 people for 50 doors, but more like for 50 doors knocked 15 tell us to come back, 5 answer o receive us a second time and 1 actually lets us in the door and becomes an investigator but for that one I am happy. Every person who receives the gospel is a blessing. Sometimes we are in the park contacting and find people who are amazing and really seem like they want to learn more about the gospel and when we ask where they live they live in another sector. I don’t feel mad nor cheated I feel equally as happy and send the reference off as soon as possible knowing that that means one more person is going to make it back to their heavenly home. 

The mission is amazing the good days and the bad days. With Elder Whitmore by my side we are ready for whatever the lord sends our way- be it teaching or be it contacting, we are ready. Knowing that we are here to do the work he needs done. Someone has got to plant the seeds. I find it an honor that the lord has chosen me to do it and I do it with joy.

I hope you all have a great week and can do the work that the lord has given you with joy in your heart.

-Elder Harrison

LONG DAYS MANY BLESSINGS

¡Hola! This week has been a great week with its ups and downs like always. The first thing I want to mention is our visit we had with Octavio. I don’t know if I mentioned or not but he came to church this week. it was amazing cause we had called before hand and he said he  had to wait for a tech to come to his house to fix his wiring then he could come to church so we though he wouldn’t make it when to our surprise as the first talk begins there comes in Octavio. He had such a light he was so happy in the Chapel and actually there was a member in our ward that was there when he was baptized. so they got together he met with the bishop and the whole ward was so strong in supporting him it was amazing. He came out of the Chapel just beaming that day. Then we had a day set up to visit him in the night and all day was just terrible we were being rejected all day long just walking in the street talking and knocking doors and just overall hard. That is untell we had our appointment with Octavio when we had that it all changed. It was a super spiritual lesson he was so much happier then the last time we talked more about the family and how what he is doing in the gospel will bless them. he is so ready to get active in the church again. it’s going to be step by step but he is so willing to take the steps which is the most important. After we left the lesson with Octavio me and my comp both looked at each other and we knew all the walking and rejects all day was all worth it to have that lesson with Octavio.

 

Also  this week as it was mother’s day we had the chance to do Skype and When me and my comp finished we were walking down the street when suddenly a man called out to us and we went over to talk to him and he asked us if we could come to his house we of course said yes and set to come by an hour We went by and started talking he told us a bit about his life and how he felt atoned by god and that he had been forgotten. We testified that god had not forgotten him and that he was watching over him. We then asked why it is that he stopped us on the street and asked us to come over. He said something when he saw us just said talk to them even if he didn’t know what it was but he kind of just did it. He also talked about how he has felt and emptiness in him that he tries to fill with parties and drinking but it never seems to fill. In That moment we felt the impression to give him a book of Mormon. we gave him one and told him that it would fill his emptiness if he reads it and applies what it says. the sprit was so strong in the room it even touched him he recognized it as a peace he had never felt before in his life. Truly the spirit told him to talk to us knowing that in that moment his heart was open. 

It’s amazing how the best things come on the hardest days when the days get hard the blessings come I know it’s true I know god knows each and every one of us and is preparing a way for us to come back to his presence if we will just walk the path he tells us to.

I hope you all have a great week and follow the guidance of the spirit

-Elder Harrison

P.s photos one is of what’s called a flaite part of the sector and me and my comp enjoying some MATE

OH THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW

May 6

OH THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW

¡Hola! so this week was a great week. We have continued doing a lot of contacts like before but know we are starting to see fruits. This week one man named Guillermo let us in the door we had contacted him about 1-2 weeks ago and this week he opened the door and let us in with him his wife and two of their grandkids they are great people. The wife had had contact with the missionaries before and is really ready to make and change in her life. Guillermo is a bit more closed off but I think with time the lord will soften his heart. Also this week as we were doing contacts we had one man answer the door who was deaf. For those who don’t know I was learning for about a year before my mission sign language. When he answered he signed that he was deaf and I thought I would see what I remembered and to his surprise and mine he understood. It was great now I was really rusty but I felt a blessing from on high as I remembered enough to be able to get his name where he is from and what he believes it was so much fun. I’m excited to head back later this week and see how things go. 

The thing that was most amazing this week was an experience that we had with Octavio. He is a less active member  I don’t know if I have talked about him before but he is a man with whom I have a strong connection. He is a very black sheep (in terms of the church) he has tattoos a lot of ear rings is co living and sometimes smokes marijuana, but below all that there is a soul of gold a soul That really wants to serve god and be a faithful member of the church. I Can’t even describe all the feelings we felt yesterday talking with him. he is really in a bad state he felt like all his world was falling apart. He was stressed out of his mind and didn’t know what to do so he called us. We came we sat and talked as he put all his problems on the table and asked what he could do so we talk about the gospel and the blessings we have gotten. Then to our surprise he keep talking and as he talked he began to find his own answers he began to realize his need for the gospel without us saying a thing. all we did is confirm what he say he began to by himself realize the need to come back to church to trust god and focus on the family and on the gospel. Now how did he the clearness of mind to find those answers when for days he could not find any answers to his problems. I’m convinced its cause we shared a little bit of scripture shared testimony invited the spirit and then the spirit began to teach the spirit is who taught Octavio that day the spirit gave him the peace he needed. The spirit is like the motor we just needed to give it a kick start and then the machine ran by its self. It’s just Octavio cant yet give himself that kick start. 

I feel blessed this week that I was able to be there and see the lord work here in the sector cause so many things happened and happened only cause of him not because of our skills or our powers it was by his wisdom and power and we are but tools in his hands. 

I hope you all have a great week

-elder Harrison

A FRESH CHANGE

Apr 22

A FRESH CHANGE

¡Hola! Well this week we had some big changes. it was time for changes and my comp and elder Hanni got sent away. It’s really different we had a strong feeling that Elder Ferloni was going to go cause he had so much time here in the ward. The surprise came from Elder Hanni we were all sure that he was going to stay. It was sad to say good bye to Him I had really gotten to be good friends with him. Now we have got some new people in the ward and its always a good change. My new comps name is Elder Whitmore. He is from Arizona he is super cool. We were actually in the same zone when he started his mission so I had known him and his trainer is from my group he is super cool. It’s a big change when there is so many people who change out of a ward really brings a fresh new look to the ward. New energy and everything. 

This week We got some sad news so Familia Amigo was progressing really well for there baptism this Saturday but yesterday we when by the house and The Hermano amigo Had been smoking so sadly we are going to have to wait a few more weeks we are thinking 2 weeks to get him really ready to take this important step. Really he took it well and we did to when people have addictions, a Refall is normal. He has smoked for over 30 years The fact that he made it as long as he did is a miracle and he is more committed than ever to drop smoking and get to his baptism. Really though I’m impressed with him I have seen him make so many changes in his life. He has done so much to try and get his life the way the lord wants him to live it. His refall is not a loss of hope nor more than our own personal refalls everyday are. Each and every one of us struggles with something some temptation that always gets us. Even Nephi had it he in 2 Nephi talks about how is surrounded but sins which do easily beset him. (I’m trying my best to translate that from Spanish) we have all got them. When we fall (which we all do) the savior does not hold back his hand and tell us we are lost, even more he holds out his hand and ask us to stand. We have the same plan for amigo. hold out our hand get him back on his feet and to his baptism. We are really excited. I’m excited to be with my new comp it’s going to be a fun few months together I love the guy already.

I hope you all have a great week and that we can all stand back up no matter how many times we fall.

-elder Harrison