July 1, 2014
Happy July!
Hello Dear Family and Friends!
Thank you for being patient with me these past few days. :) It's been quite and adventure being able to meet our new mission president! :) He is such a sweet and tender hearted person and I know that this is the place that both he and I need to be. He and I just connected like two peas in a pod and it was such a wonderful experience being able to listen to what he shared and his testimony along with his wife. :) Can you believe it's July already? That's Crazy! Things have been warming up here and it's been interesting to observe the variations in the weather. One moment it will be sunny, then seriously no joke, it will be raining for 20 minutes and then goes back to being bright and sunny again. Well, here are this weeks fun & spiritual adventures!
June 24: We were able to help give service to a non member who is very nice and actually invited us back to a picnic that they will be having in their back yard and invited us as the guests of honor since we helped so much with getting her yard pulled together. We were also able to help a member clean up their yard of weeds and pull out what was needed. Then we had such an awesome discussion with a person we are teaching. We were able to plan well for this discussion and we really felt the spirit as our friend was learning more about the Gospel and specifically we were talking about the Plan of Salvation or the Great Plan of Happiness. It made a lot of sense to them and they were asking us all kinds of questions about it. :)
June 25: So last night we received another missionary who is actually going home tomorrow and so we were able to have him in our area for a day and to learn of what he was taught and to be able to experience all that learned. He showed us how to be more confident when talking to people on the streets that you literally are their chance right then and there to hear the Gospel and to learn about Jesus Christ and be able to return to our Heavenly Father. We as missionaries, that is our purpose, find those who are ready, willing, and prepared. :) Throughout the day I was being taught life lessons and good missionary ethics from this veteran missionary. There are always things that we can do better on and I was grateful to get some tips and pointers in how I can do better.
June 26: Today was an awesome day. Thursdays usually are. It's just because we have all these amazing people that we go and visit on Thursday! Haha! But we were soaked in the rain as we rode our bikes. Something that my companion feels adamant about is riding bikes 24/7 even in the heavy rain. My companion has a good work ethic, and I am willing to do this with him. It's just hard with you are trying to
write something down on paper and you are getting poured on. Thankfully we are working things out and it doesn't rain to much during the summer.....but today it did. Oh the irony. We met with three different people that we are visiting and it was awesome because they were all very engaged in our discussion and some of the things that we talked about was how Love is the Very Essence of the Gospel, James 2:17 where Faith without Works means nothing. And the Plan of Salvation! :D Today was an awesome day!
June 27: Today was also a great day because we were able to have a mission wide conference call with President and Sister Young. It was such a spiritual moment because we were able to receive some final
words of counsel. It was also a great experience because President Young asked us all to kneel where ever we may be and we offered a final prayer as a mission. President Young offered to our Heavenly Father many blessings upon the mission. It was truly an incredible experience to be able to know that he truly wanted the best for us and prayed to our Heavenly Father on our behalf. After wards we had our District Meeting. It was great because we were all very engaged in learning about how we can always do better in our teaching, when all of a sudden, President and Sister Young walk in! :D We were so shocked! :) It was a brief hello and goodbye because they needed to get going, but they wanted to stop by and give a talk that President
Young and written to the missionaries of the Oregon Eugene Mission. :) It was great being able to see them for one last time. I guess that's a perk of living close to the mission home. :) Afterwards we went on
an exchange with the District Leader and guess where we went for lunch! Home Town Buffet! :D I haven't been to one in years and in was so much fun being able to walk around and choose from all the different varieties. :) Then we were able to do some service by helping this wonderful person who is learning more about the gospel by cleaning out her back yard. They are super amazing and kind, but what's funny is that they preferred to call us by our first names only. Not Elder, but our real first names. Haha! :D Then we had a
baptismal interview for someone the other Elders had been teaching and they are so excited for their baptism tomorrow and they have been waiting a while but are so ready for this wonderful time to make that first step in promising to live Gods commandments. :)
June 28: This morning we were able to help a family move out of their home. And whats really funny is the way that we met them was by tracting into their parents, who aren't members, but who are super friendly and we were able to help them today in getting all the heavy lifting out their home and into their moving truck. :) Then afterwards we grabbed a quick bite of lunch and went to prepare for the baptismal service. And guess what! I was able to play the piano for it! It was so great! I was so nervous though, but I know that after I offered a humble prayer in asking that everything would be alright, it turned out great. I did make a couple mistakes, that's okay, everyone was able to sing along and prepare for the wonderful service. I was also
able to see a former missionary who was my Zone Leader for the first three transfers in my current area! :D It was awesome because he is awesome and such a friendly person. Then we taught this amazing family
their child who is preparing to be baptized about our Heavenly Father and why families are so important. I shared with them the picture I have of our family and why you are all so important to me and the different qualities you all have. :)
June 29-30: Wonderful church meetings that we had and we were able to see the confirmation of our newest member in church today. Then today we were able to meet our new mission president. As I already mentioned. :)
Well, Thank you all again so much for all your kindness and emails and letters and packages. :) I hope you all know how much I love you. I know that this work is true. I would not be spending my time and efforts, tears, sweat, laughter, smiles all for something of not. I Know This Gospel Is True. Doubt Not, Fear Not and look unto Him in Every Thought. :)
All the very best!
Elder Harper
Thank you for being patient with me these past few days. :) It's been quite and adventure being able to meet our new mission president! :) He is such a sweet and tender hearted person and I know that this is the place that both he and I need to be. He and I just connected like two peas in a pod and it was such a wonderful experience being able to listen to what he shared and his testimony along with his wife. :) Can you believe it's July already? That's Crazy! Things have been warming up here and it's been interesting to observe the variations in the weather. One moment it will be sunny, then seriously no joke, it will be raining for 20 minutes and then goes back to being bright and sunny again. Well, here are this weeks fun & spiritual adventures!
June 24: We were able to help give service to a non member who is very nice and actually invited us back to a picnic that they will be having in their back yard and invited us as the guests of honor since we helped so much with getting her yard pulled together. We were also able to help a member clean up their yard of weeds and pull out what was needed. Then we had such an awesome discussion with a person we are teaching. We were able to plan well for this discussion and we really felt the spirit as our friend was learning more about the Gospel and specifically we were talking about the Plan of Salvation or the Great Plan of Happiness. It made a lot of sense to them and they were asking us all kinds of questions about it. :)
June 25: So last night we received another missionary who is actually going home tomorrow and so we were able to have him in our area for a day and to learn of what he was taught and to be able to experience all that learned. He showed us how to be more confident when talking to people on the streets that you literally are their chance right then and there to hear the Gospel and to learn about Jesus Christ and be able to return to our Heavenly Father. We as missionaries, that is our purpose, find those who are ready, willing, and prepared. :) Throughout the day I was being taught life lessons and good missionary ethics from this veteran missionary. There are always things that we can do better on and I was grateful to get some tips and pointers in how I can do better.
June 26: Today was an awesome day. Thursdays usually are. It's just because we have all these amazing people that we go and visit on Thursday! Haha! But we were soaked in the rain as we rode our bikes. Something that my companion feels adamant about is riding bikes 24/7 even in the heavy rain. My companion has a good work ethic, and I am willing to do this with him. It's just hard with you are trying to
write something down on paper and you are getting poured on. Thankfully we are working things out and it doesn't rain to much during the summer.....but today it did. Oh the irony. We met with three different people that we are visiting and it was awesome because they were all very engaged in our discussion and some of the things that we talked about was how Love is the Very Essence of the Gospel, James 2:17 where Faith without Works means nothing. And the Plan of Salvation! :D Today was an awesome day!
June 27: Today was also a great day because we were able to have a mission wide conference call with President and Sister Young. It was such a spiritual moment because we were able to receive some final
words of counsel. It was also a great experience because President Young asked us all to kneel where ever we may be and we offered a final prayer as a mission. President Young offered to our Heavenly Father many blessings upon the mission. It was truly an incredible experience to be able to know that he truly wanted the best for us and prayed to our Heavenly Father on our behalf. After wards we had our District Meeting. It was great because we were all very engaged in learning about how we can always do better in our teaching, when all of a sudden, President and Sister Young walk in! :D We were so shocked! :) It was a brief hello and goodbye because they needed to get going, but they wanted to stop by and give a talk that President
Young and written to the missionaries of the Oregon Eugene Mission. :) It was great being able to see them for one last time. I guess that's a perk of living close to the mission home. :) Afterwards we went on
an exchange with the District Leader and guess where we went for lunch! Home Town Buffet! :D I haven't been to one in years and in was so much fun being able to walk around and choose from all the different varieties. :) Then we were able to do some service by helping this wonderful person who is learning more about the gospel by cleaning out her back yard. They are super amazing and kind, but what's funny is that they preferred to call us by our first names only. Not Elder, but our real first names. Haha! :D Then we had a
baptismal interview for someone the other Elders had been teaching and they are so excited for their baptism tomorrow and they have been waiting a while but are so ready for this wonderful time to make that first step in promising to live Gods commandments. :)
June 28: This morning we were able to help a family move out of their home. And whats really funny is the way that we met them was by tracting into their parents, who aren't members, but who are super friendly and we were able to help them today in getting all the heavy lifting out their home and into their moving truck. :) Then afterwards we grabbed a quick bite of lunch and went to prepare for the baptismal service. And guess what! I was able to play the piano for it! It was so great! I was so nervous though, but I know that after I offered a humble prayer in asking that everything would be alright, it turned out great. I did make a couple mistakes, that's okay, everyone was able to sing along and prepare for the wonderful service. I was also
able to see a former missionary who was my Zone Leader for the first three transfers in my current area! :D It was awesome because he is awesome and such a friendly person. Then we taught this amazing family
their child who is preparing to be baptized about our Heavenly Father and why families are so important. I shared with them the picture I have of our family and why you are all so important to me and the different qualities you all have. :)
June 29-30: Wonderful church meetings that we had and we were able to see the confirmation of our newest member in church today. Then today we were able to meet our new mission president. As I already mentioned. :)
Well, Thank you all again so much for all your kindness and emails and letters and packages. :) I hope you all know how much I love you. I know that this work is true. I would not be spending my time and efforts, tears, sweat, laughter, smiles all for something of not. I Know This Gospel Is True. Doubt Not, Fear Not and look unto Him in Every Thought. :)
All the very best!
Elder Harper