May 19, 2014
"And the rains came tumbling down!"
Hello my incredible family and friends!
I love you all so much and I am having so much fun in reading all of your incredible letters and seeing such wonderful pictures! I will try to post a view pictures on my blog this next week or two, it's just been crazy the past few weeks. :) I love being a trainer and I hope that as we draw closer to the end of this next transfer, we will see what The Lord has in store for both me and Elder Godfrey. :) Things have been slow as of late, but they are now gradually picking back up. We've seen great progress in the people we are teaching and we are continuing to find and not be afraid to talk to everyone! That's really where it counts, don't be afraid of what you have to share, because you will never know how it may bless there lives. And what's the worst they could say? "No thanks?" You just smile and nod and continue on with live. ;) Any who, here is this weeks past events. :)
May 13: So, just as I was saying before hand, we were walking down the street and suddenly it hit me, "I'm a missionary, I'm wearing a black pants, white shirt and tie, wearing a missionary name tag. People know what I am (most of the time, sometimes they confuse us with other faiths, which is fine, it gets a conversation started.) :) I am simply going to not be afraid to say, 'Well, we're the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we are here to testify of how the world is attacking families on every hand, they are being torn apart at the seams and there is only one thing that can save it. That is our Savior Jesus Christ. Having a focus on Him in my family has given us that impenetrable defense that will enable us to overcome whatever the world may throw at us." Just simply testifying of truth, many people have a belief in Christ which is incredible, we want to find people who do or don't and tell them what more they can add to their belief and faith in Him. We are here to bring as many people as we can to be closer together as a family through that faith and actions on that belief. :)
May 14: Today we were able to recontact someone that we had been visiting and we actually were able to get down in the dirt and help pull out some weeds in our missionary clothes, and what's interesting is that a friend of theirs opened up and started talking to us when they realized that we can get down in the dirt and help. Even though we dress in the white shirt and tie, we try to help any way we can. :) Today we also received a couple messages from another person that we are visiting that said they know that The Book of Mormon is true because of recent experience they had confirming that what they were learning was true and they felt good and happy about it. :) It's amazing to see how if anyone will put forth that effort to Pray to Know, Read To Learn, and Act on their Desire, They Will Receive Their Answer. Of that I have NO doubt. :)
May 15: Today while we were making plans for the rest of the week and confirming appointments, we felt prompted to call one of the people that we were teaching who we had an interesting experience with a few weeks ago, I'm not sure what I said last time. But they answered the phone! And turns out that a relative of theirs told us they weren't interested, but they said that they were still reading and wanted to keep in touch, but that the neighbors are now watching the house. I think to myself, really??? Really??? As a missionary, you begin to recognize the tactics of Satan, he will do ANYTHING to keep people from learning more about the truth. It gets really.....really......really.....annoying. But we will not despair, we said we would call them in a few days and see if we can meet somewhere else if they would like to continue to learn. Just like yesterday when we were in the dirt in our pants and white shirts, we were in it again helping a family plan a garden just outside their home. We saw what they were doing and we asked if we could help. :) Their front yard is looking better every day!
May 16-17: Today we had our Training and District Meeting, and something incredible that I learned today was that last transfer when we hiked Spencer's Butte, we found this little box that had some written items in it, I believe it was a Geo-Cache or something to that effect, so we read what was inside and we left a copy of The Book of Mormon in it and a few Mormon.org cards. Well.....we found out that one of the missionaries who was in our zone that was transferred to an area just south of ours is teaching someone who was trying to find their answer to know if it was true. They were hiking Spencer's Butte and guess what they found!?!?! The Book of Mormon!!! :D It was awesome to know that we were there and placed it there for this person to find! It's a testimony to me that God works in mysterious ways and now that person is continuing to talk to the Missionaries and I believe is preparing to be baptized! :D Ahh! So Awesome! :D Later in the afternoon we went on an exchange with another set of Local Elders, we visited a few people and did some service.
May 18: Okay, so I think this Sunday has been about the best Sunday we've had in a while, why? Because we had two people that we are visiting come to Sacrament Meeting Today! :D I was so happy! We even gave a quick church tour before we started and they both stayed for the full 3 hours! They really enjoyed the classes after Sacrament meeting where we continue to have discussion and learn more about Jesus Christ and his Gospel. Afterwards we met online with someone we are visiting and used Facebook to chat with them. It's awesome that we can use these online tools to find and teach people! We are truly living in the latter-days. :) Later today though, we were walking and it started to rain and boy did it pour on us! I even forgot my umbrella! So Elder Godfrey and I huddled underneath his one person umbrella, but we still were soaked. Haha! But it reminds me of that song that goes, "I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain, And ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again. I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain. I want to be the best I can and live with God again."
Well, I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week! Be safe! Have fun! Remember I love you, but more importantly, He Loves You!
All the best,
Elder Harper
I love you all so much and I am having so much fun in reading all of your incredible letters and seeing such wonderful pictures! I will try to post a view pictures on my blog this next week or two, it's just been crazy the past few weeks. :) I love being a trainer and I hope that as we draw closer to the end of this next transfer, we will see what The Lord has in store for both me and Elder Godfrey. :) Things have been slow as of late, but they are now gradually picking back up. We've seen great progress in the people we are teaching and we are continuing to find and not be afraid to talk to everyone! That's really where it counts, don't be afraid of what you have to share, because you will never know how it may bless there lives. And what's the worst they could say? "No thanks?" You just smile and nod and continue on with live. ;) Any who, here is this weeks past events. :)
May 13: So, just as I was saying before hand, we were walking down the street and suddenly it hit me, "I'm a missionary, I'm wearing a black pants, white shirt and tie, wearing a missionary name tag. People know what I am (most of the time, sometimes they confuse us with other faiths, which is fine, it gets a conversation started.) :) I am simply going to not be afraid to say, 'Well, we're the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we are here to testify of how the world is attacking families on every hand, they are being torn apart at the seams and there is only one thing that can save it. That is our Savior Jesus Christ. Having a focus on Him in my family has given us that impenetrable defense that will enable us to overcome whatever the world may throw at us." Just simply testifying of truth, many people have a belief in Christ which is incredible, we want to find people who do or don't and tell them what more they can add to their belief and faith in Him. We are here to bring as many people as we can to be closer together as a family through that faith and actions on that belief. :)
May 14: Today we were able to recontact someone that we had been visiting and we actually were able to get down in the dirt and help pull out some weeds in our missionary clothes, and what's interesting is that a friend of theirs opened up and started talking to us when they realized that we can get down in the dirt and help. Even though we dress in the white shirt and tie, we try to help any way we can. :) Today we also received a couple messages from another person that we are visiting that said they know that The Book of Mormon is true because of recent experience they had confirming that what they were learning was true and they felt good and happy about it. :) It's amazing to see how if anyone will put forth that effort to Pray to Know, Read To Learn, and Act on their Desire, They Will Receive Their Answer. Of that I have NO doubt. :)
May 15: Today while we were making plans for the rest of the week and confirming appointments, we felt prompted to call one of the people that we were teaching who we had an interesting experience with a few weeks ago, I'm not sure what I said last time. But they answered the phone! And turns out that a relative of theirs told us they weren't interested, but they said that they were still reading and wanted to keep in touch, but that the neighbors are now watching the house. I think to myself, really??? Really??? As a missionary, you begin to recognize the tactics of Satan, he will do ANYTHING to keep people from learning more about the truth. It gets really.....really......really.....annoying. But we will not despair, we said we would call them in a few days and see if we can meet somewhere else if they would like to continue to learn. Just like yesterday when we were in the dirt in our pants and white shirts, we were in it again helping a family plan a garden just outside their home. We saw what they were doing and we asked if we could help. :) Their front yard is looking better every day!
May 16-17: Today we had our Training and District Meeting, and something incredible that I learned today was that last transfer when we hiked Spencer's Butte, we found this little box that had some written items in it, I believe it was a Geo-Cache or something to that effect, so we read what was inside and we left a copy of The Book of Mormon in it and a few Mormon.org cards. Well.....we found out that one of the missionaries who was in our zone that was transferred to an area just south of ours is teaching someone who was trying to find their answer to know if it was true. They were hiking Spencer's Butte and guess what they found!?!?! The Book of Mormon!!! :D It was awesome to know that we were there and placed it there for this person to find! It's a testimony to me that God works in mysterious ways and now that person is continuing to talk to the Missionaries and I believe is preparing to be baptized! :D Ahh! So Awesome! :D Later in the afternoon we went on an exchange with another set of Local Elders, we visited a few people and did some service.
May 18: Okay, so I think this Sunday has been about the best Sunday we've had in a while, why? Because we had two people that we are visiting come to Sacrament Meeting Today! :D I was so happy! We even gave a quick church tour before we started and they both stayed for the full 3 hours! They really enjoyed the classes after Sacrament meeting where we continue to have discussion and learn more about Jesus Christ and his Gospel. Afterwards we met online with someone we are visiting and used Facebook to chat with them. It's awesome that we can use these online tools to find and teach people! We are truly living in the latter-days. :) Later today though, we were walking and it started to rain and boy did it pour on us! I even forgot my umbrella! So Elder Godfrey and I huddled underneath his one person umbrella, but we still were soaked. Haha! But it reminds me of that song that goes, "I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain, And ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again. I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain. I want to be the best I can and live with God again."
Well, I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week! Be safe! Have fun! Remember I love you, but more importantly, He Loves You!
All the best,
Elder Harper