I leave the MTC September 9th

Answering questions!

How is missionary life?

It is amazing and strange, haha. It is really weird to always be required to have someone with you at every moment of the day. But hey the nice thing is you never feel like you are alone. Studying the gospel and Spanish all day long is amazing. My scriptural and gospel knowledge has grown so much in the last couple of months.

Relationships with companions?

 Amazing! I honestly feel like these two girls, Hermana Bauyon and Hermana Schwenke, will be life long friends. I have grained such a great love for these sisters. I am so grateful for both of them and their incredible examples in my life.

Spanish?

 mi español es muy bueno. jajaj My Spanish is getting better and better with everyday! This week we have, officially as of yesterday, learned all of the Spanish grammar.  Learned yes, understand it all, no. haha.  It will come with more practice. 

Weather?

It is sticky and hot all day long here. Lately we have had rain every single day. It does not rain very long, but when it does, it comes down! Plus we have major thunder and lightening storms. Oh, by the way I can't remember if I told you this but the power/electricity stinks here. Every time it rains the power goes out. hahaha. They have back up generators going so the computers stay on but the lights go out. It is hilarious when we are in the middle of teaching an investigator at night, and we have to wait 3-5 minutes in the dark. It is a tad bit awkward! :)

I leave the MTC September 9th at 4:30 a.m. here in Dominican Republic. So that would be around 2:30 a.m. in Montana. I am assuming, because I don't exactly know, that I will fly straight to Puerto Rico. Its possible that I will get to write a tiny letter saying I got here safely.  If not the next time I write will be the following Monday.

Mission plaque scripture? 2 Nephi 30:8 

Last question? Yes, mom I write in my journal every single night. It is a habit now! :)

Okay, so first with my week.  Last Friday we got to go on splits with the West missionaries!! It was amazing experience. My companion was Hermana Rivera she is fluent in Spanish and speaks a little English. She is from Guatemala. She was so sweet. She had four appointments for us to do, sadly though three of the appointments fell through because the people weren't home. At one of the houses the brother of the investigator was willing to sit down and talk to us. He told us all about his life. Apparently it is very common in the DR for people to be really open and share everything. He told us all about his lack of a job. We were able to share with him a message about Christ and our Heavenly Father that is just waiting to bless him if he follows the commandments and goes to church. It was amazing! My companion did most of the talking but asked for my input and my testimony. After that we hit the streets talking to everyone we saw and just inviting them to church! It was so amazing to see my companion go from Spanish/English with me to straight Spanish in seconds to someone on the street. I can't wait for a couples months in the field so I can do the same thing!

While we were knocking doors I was really paying attention to what was going on around me. First, can I say, wow, I am so grateful to be an American! It was so incredibly different to see the night and day difference. CCM or missionary training center feels close to home normal, then walking in the city the feel is definitely a third world country. It was a major shock. We knocked on doors that I never would have thought was a house. We went up staircases that I thought my weight would break. I saw roofs of houses staying up only because of the cinder blocks on the top. There was so much garbage in the streets that I had to watch every step I took. It is amazing in a place of so much poverty that the people look so happy. The women here during the rain stick grocery bags on their heads so it doesn't frizz their hair. It was hilarious the first time I saw it!

Last week at the CCM! I am so excited and ready to be in the field. Even more excited to be finally in Puerto Rico. I have started to love the people of DR but I know that the people Puerto Rico are the ones I am called to serve. 

Sorry it is sort of a short letter but lots of pictures to come. I will take more on splits this Friday when we go again. Only had the opportunity to take one this past time.

Te amor 

Hermana Harris