Reflections

Hey family!!!

Wow, I am so overjoyed to know that we have a new member of our family!

WELCOME CHARLIE ROSE!!

I am so happy for Aubrei and Aaron! I know that Heavenly Father really is sending us a miracle and a great blessing. The most precious gift he can give is the opportunity to give one of his heavenly spirits a body. We all are so blessed to receive this gift. I cannot wait to see the newest little blessing, Charlie Rose Call!!

Honestly, there were two quotes that really shaped my week. I would like to share them with all of you guys:

"The Atonement is individual, and if you have something that is bothering you-something so long ago you can hardly remember it- you put the atonement to work. It will clean it up, and you, as does he, will remember your sins no more." -President Boyd K Packer

"I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because Salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are the Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our eternal head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never easy for him?” -Elder Jeffery R Holland

I decided this week to take some advice from Daddy and reflect upon my mission. I felt that it really was these two quotes that summed up my mission. I have learned, more then anything, what the Atonement really means for me, in my life, and how I can use it my everyday life. I have learned that my Savior suffered so much so that I could return to live with my family for forever! I know that the one perfect man in this world suffered so much for my daily faults. And that on my mission, I could, only for a second, feel the pain He felt to sweat one drop of blood for me.

I know that missionary work is the most fulfilling work I could ever do. It is one thing to bring your own soul back to Christ. But the feeling of knowing that you can bring more then one is something indescribable! I am so incredibly thankful for the choice I made to serve a mission. I am grateful for the amazing parents I have, who the second I said I wanted to serve, started to support me in every step of the process!

I know that without a doubt that this gospel is the truth restored again. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I know that Thomas S. Monson is our leader and revelator in these days. I know that my family can be forever and I can’t wait till the day that we can all sit in the Celestial room together! I know that Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer. I know that He is always by our side in the difficult moments, along with the good. I know all this and doubt not a single part! I know that my mission changed me, but I never want to go back to the person I was. I just want to keep progressing!

I love you all so much and can’t wait to see you all soon!

Take care of yourselves this week!!

Con Amor Siempre,

Hermana Harris

General Conference 2015

Hey family!!!

Can I just say wow!?! WOW! Wasn’t conference amazing or what? I hope you all had the chance to watch the sessions and make a goal to apply the things that were said to your life!! Before I start how my week went, I would like to make a goal with each one of you! I hope you all heard the talk Ponderize... I would like to make a goal as a family to start this. Can we, as a family, focus on one scripture each week? I want to hear your stories, I want to know how it affected you, and I want to know what in your behavior or everyday activities changed because the scripture you personally focused on that week. I would love if each week you all could write me what your scripture is and what you learned. So out of the 7 of you, please make it a new goal to write a little letter every week to me so I can know how you all are doing and how the gospel and the scriptures are changing you. Thank you so much and I can't wait to hear all your stories!

For me this week, I am starting my first week of Ponderizing with 2 Nephi 25:26:

“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

 What is your verse?? ;)

I learned so much from conference this week!! I loved the influence they had on being strong in the doctrine and beliefs, keeping the Sabbath day holy, tribute to the prophets and apostles that have passed, motherhood and women!! Conference was so powerful!

One of the talks I absolutely loved was Elder Holland's talk. I just want give a huge thank you to an amazing mother that not only bore me in childbirth and carried me for 9 months but has carried me for me for 21 years. She is so amazing and she really has been a huge strength and a powerhouse to us four children. Thank you mama! We all love you so much. We are blessed to feel your spirit and have the opportunity to hang onto your testimony, along with daddy's, until we formed our own. I know that you both dedicated the past 26 years to each one of us. I know that it was not an easy burden to bear. We all had our ups and downs but you both always showed your love! Mama, thank you for being the most amazing woman in the world. Thank you for carrying me to where I am today and helping me be a little bit more like you. Mama, I hope you know that each one of us girls only can hope and inspire to be half the woman and mother that you are!! I love you mama! And I love you too daddy!! Thank you for being the father that has led and guided me all of my life! I can say that I definitely have the best parents in the world!

As for my week, we were in Bayamon and in Ponce this week driving like crazy to get my companion to the doctor’s office and get her foot checked out. Please keep her in your prayers along with President Monson! He looked super weak at Conference! My companion is now on meds to help her get a little bit better. We will find out the results of the lab work this week!

I love you all greatly and hope you all have a great week!! Jaren, congrats on taking the

Test. I’m praying that everything works out perfectly!! Ama a todos y espero que todos tienen un incredible semana!!

Con Amor Siempre,

Hermana Harris

Missionary Work & The Atonement

Hola Mi Quierdo Familia!!!!

Pues, mi semana fui un poquito dificil. Oh! Sorry, my week was a little hard. On this part of the world, everyone was in vacations, getting ready for graduation, or had like summer fever. It felt like we walked more this week then I have in so, so long.

We went from investigators, to less-actives, to recent converts, to old investigators with no avail. But I learned something very important this week. Endure to the end!!! Wow, it really got to points in the day that we would sit down because our feet felt like they were saying 'no more, no more'. I have only been at this point a few times after my first area. This might sound a little crazy but I really am grateful for these weeks. These are the weeks and the days that make every other week triumph sweeter. It makes those moments when the investigator is progressing more joyful. It makes the times that you find the golden investigator feel like the greatest moment in your life. It is times like this week make the mission something that is not only a testimony builder, but a life-changing event.

 I never would have imagined before a moment in my life that I really wanted to cry because someone else was not taking their salvation seriously. I could never have imagined how much joy it brings to my heart to see someone receive the priesthood. Or to know that someone is working their way to reuniting their family once again in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Every day it is hard, I remember those moments and it gets me through the day. Also, a talk by Jeffery R. Holland is my inspiration to keep on walking, talking, and trying.

Elder Holland: Missionary Work and the Atonement!!

Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have an occasion to ask, “why is this so hard? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?”

I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.

Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.

For that reason, I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul.

If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass,” and then little wonder that salvation is not an easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way.

When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I testify that the living God is our Eternal Father and that Jesus Christ is His living and Only Begotten Son in the flesh. I testify that this Jesus, who was slain and hanged on a tree, lives. The whole triumph of the gospel is that He lives, and because He does, so will we.

This really is my favorite missionary talk of all time. To imagine the Savior in agony is what makes missionary work worth it. He was the greatest example. He was and is the reason that we are here. I have gained a much great respect and love for my Savior then I ever had before. I know that my Savior lives and loves each and every one of us! I know that he suffered for not only my sins but for the hard times, for every tear I have split, for every one of the times that I felt like the world is against me. I know that he is the greatest friend that I can ever gain in this life. I know that through him he made it possible that my family can be eternal! I love my Savior!

I hope you all had a fun time together and just know I love each and every one of you!!

Con Amor Siempre,

Hermana Harris

Elder Holland!!

Hey family!!

Well, I think I can say I had a better week then anyone!! I got to talk to Elder Holland!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Wow, he is incredible! We all had mission conference with Elder Holland and Elder Martinez. First of all, it was amazing to get the chance to see everyone in the Puerto Rico Mission. I had the opportunity to see all of my old companions.  It was amazing to have all the missionaries in the mission together! 

Elder Holland was spectacular! He talked all about our futures, how we need to continue to make a difference, and plan now for our futures. It was inspiring to hear about how different he was before and after his mission. I want to be just like him when I get home. I want my mission to be the difference. I don't want to look back and say that my mission was just service I did for a period of time in my life. I want to say that my mission made me a better person, my mission shaped my future, my mission changed everything! He also told us that if we fall away from the church after our missions and pass by him in the street, we need to cross to the other side. He cannot handle when we lose the shepherds. A few sheep here and there, but never the shepherds. 

Elder Holland also talked to us about one symbol of the second coming; The Book of Mormon! He told us all about the blessings that we have received from this book. It is amazing to think that we have the knowledge and the evidence that Christ will come, and we have it in our hands. We have the answer for everyone. We just need everyone to actually read the book. If an investigator wants to know the truth all they need to do is read. If a less active has some excuse for not coming to church, they need to gain or regain a testimony of this book. Everything in Christ's church revolves around that book!

 Elder Holland's talk really impacted me and my testimony in the Book of Mormon. My goal now is to not only read the scriptures everyday but to find out how every page, every verse can help me today. I have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is holy scripture and that it was Joseph Smith who translated the plates that brought forth this great book. I know without a doubt that the prophets wrote each page with our generation in mind. It is just our responsibiliy to find the reasons why. 

It was an amazing opportunity to see Elder Holland in person. We all got to shake his hand, tell him our name, and where we are from!!! I know without a doubt that he is an apostle of the Lord! 

Well in other news, we have two investigators that are really progressing. It is a mother and son (Mariana 67, Emilio 45). We just happened to be contacting on the way to the Elders' baptism last week and met them. Wow, they have so many good questions. That in itself is a key that the Lord was preparing them. They both came to church yesterday and loved it. Mariana is a ball! We had a ward activity on Friday and she made the party. Everyone was laughing so hard! It was an amazing chance for them both to form relationships with the ward members before a serious church service. It really is incredible how much the members make a difference. The investigators can make such an easier transition from investigator to member when they form relationships. They really are entering a different world with different standards, different expectations, and different beliefs. With a friend at your side, it makes it less scary.

Well, I love you all so so much!! And I wouldn't be a missionary without leaving you with a challenge. I challenge each of you to start the Book of Mormon again. Really read it, as a family or individually. I know that it will make the days easier, the weeks faster, and the trials more bearable!

I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Con Amor Siempre

Hermana Harris

P.S. I am officially the insect killer in my house... spiders, roaches, and whatever else we find. Sigh... worst calling ever!! Hahahaha!! This spider was in my bag! I found it when we got back to the house after visiting a member. I really hope I had been only carrying it for 15 mins and not all day!! That photo is a normal 4x6 so the spider was huge!!