Hard Work

Hey family!!

The week was incredible! I feel like this week was one of the weeks in my mission that I have learned the most and been humbled a lot. I have learned that blessings always come, sometimes not when you expect them, but they always come.

 This week, we really hit it off running with a huge desire to conquer the world! Hahaha! But seriously, we are running off of the greenie fire that my companion has for the work! I love it so much! We have been contacting like crazy! The sad thing is that though it was a killer we just were having no success. We would walk and walk and talk to everyone we saw but nothing. We kept a positive attitude though and kept at it. We kept thinking, “Okay, wow so we just need to find a new part of our area that is might be more affective.” So we kept at it.

One of the days, we went and visited one of our less-actives. The lesson broke my heart… We learned that she wasn’t baptized though she knew her church was true. She never got baptized though she knew to follow Christ and that you need to be baptized by immersion when you aren't a baby. But she has a lot of places where her testimony is not there. We were prompted to teach her about the Restoration. I honestly had been scared to teach this lesson because I have heard rumors of her lack of faith that Joseph Smith was a prophet. It turns out that it was the best lesson we had all week. We started the lesson reading in Mathew 21, a parable that Christ told that works perfect with the Restoration. Then my companion explained the fist vision. As we saw our less-active quote with my companion the entire first vision, we could feel the spirit enter the room! I tried to end the lesson telling her about the Book of Mormon and how we are so blessed to have such a blessing in our lives. This is when she began to open up to us. She explained that she doesn't know if it is true, she doesn't know if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that she doesn't believe in all the things of the Church. As some background info: she has been an active member for the past ten years and has only gone in-active in the past 4 months. It broke my heart to know that no one has been there these past 10 years to help her develop a testimony, to teach her the true doctrine, and to show her what we really believe. We both shared our conversion story, about how we both came to know the Book of Mormon was true. It was so powerful to see her be brought to tears as we shared our thoughts and feelings. The most incredible part is when Sister Taylor began to testify. Even though every other word she looked at me to help her translate and the in-active Sister was helping, she brought a whole new spirit into the room. You could literally feel the determination she had to share her experience and her love to this member. I was so grateful in that moment for a companion that doesn't let anything bring her down. I know that she will do so great in her mission and has a testimony that will change so many lives! We challenged the L-A to read the Book of Mormon from the start and pray with a sincere heart to our Father in Heaven everyday to know if it is the truth!

After a week of working so hard, the biggest blessing and miracle came Sunday morning. From about 6:30am, we received call after call till it was about 5 times by two of our investigators that we just double and triple check that they had a ride for church and to tell us that they were ready! It was literally exactly what we needed to see after a hard week. Those are the fruits that make missionary work worth it. Oh, to see the true desire to change and to do the Lord's will like I saw in these three people this week! I know that this is the Lord’s work and I know that through him, I can do miracles!

My Ponderize for this week Mormon 9! Go read it. What’s yours?

I love you all greatly and hope that you all are spending a little time of your day to thank your Father in Heaven for a miracle and blessing that you have been given! I love you all so much and can't wait to see your lovely faces in little over a month on Skype!

Have a great week!!

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