Testimony Building

Hey family!!              

           

The day has officially come... I have one year in my mission!! How crazy?? But literally, I would not change this year for any other in my life!

I have really come to know why I was sent to Puerto Rico in these last past months. I really feel if I had not served my mission I would have gone less-active. I know you are all thinking I am crazy but I now know that my testimony was not strong enough to test the trials that are awaiting ahead in my life. Yes, I knew that the church was true but I was just going through the motions. It wasn't until I truly had to test my testimony and build it to teach everyone else that I saw how much I needed to grow.

I have been taught so well in home, church, and seminary about all things of the Gospel to be able to teach the lessons. But it wasn't until I started testifying of the truth and I knew for myself that my conversion came. I know that I am serving my mission not only for the people here but definitely to build my testimony for my family, my future family, and for my future spouse. I am grateful for every investigator and less-active that sends me home from the lessons running to my Bible and Book of Mormon looking on how to help them. It really has taken helping everyone else to build my knowledge and my testimony.

We, as a mission, just finished this week reading the Book of Mormon all together. We had a testimony meeting of all missionaries in Puerto Rico! It was amazing! The spirit was so incredibly strong! I never thought how much closer we could come as a mission by just reading. It was incredible to hear the testimonies of others. This was a life changing experience for not only me but for everyone else.

I just want to testify that I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that the Bible talks of Christ and I can know him through its pages, but in the Book of Mormon, we all have the chance to get to know our Savior and our Redeemer more. I know that every time I have read it in my mission, I have grown a little closer to knowing my Savior. I have grown to have a love for this book that I cannot imagine my life without it. I know that Joseph Smith truly is a prophet of God to be able to translate the ancient writings. I know that the Book of Mormon really has its own Spirit. 

And that everyone who reads it with an open heart will feel this spirit. I know that one book can change people, their lives, and their futures. I know that it has changed mine for the good! I challenge all of you to pick it up and start 2 chapters a day. It can be less then 15 minutes in the morning either listening to the recording in the car, or a little break to make the day better! I can testify that you will feel the difference in your life and in your day. I'm not saying it will be easy. Satan will be trying hard to try and make you seem busy or distracted to not want to. But Heavenly Father will bless you greatly if you make the effort!!

I just want you all to know that I love you all so much and am praying for each of you every day!! I cannot wait to visit the temple with all of you when I come home!! Temple is really a holy place and something I miss greatly!  Promise me all that we can set apart one day to go in February?!? Pretty Please!! (and Saydi, we will go do baptisms too!!)

Con Amor Siempre

Hermana Harris