New Experiences

Hey family!!

So new area, new companion, and new experiences!! First of all, my companion is Sister Dominguez. She is from Panama. She is sassy, and an incredible missionary. Already, She has taught me so so much! Before in my different areas, we really weren't doing much teaching on the streets and instead, it was more of the normal sit down lessons. Sister Dominguez has really taught me how to teach a lesson the second that we start talking to them. It has been so amazing to see how well people react when we  start teaching right off the bat. I absolutely love asking people about their beliefs in Christ and ending up telling them all about my beliefs. It is really great to not only be able to talk a tiny bit to everyone but it is a way better feeling to be sharing a little bit of the gospel with every encounter. 

As you may have heard, I live in an apartment without any AC, hot water, a dryer, an oven, and even some of the plugs don't work, and with three latins. It is a little crazy but it is an adventure! Hahaha, it is really great. The cold water is really refreshing when it is always hot here. And in the morning, I am definitely awake after I take a shower! AC doesn't really matter because before we only used it at night so a fan basically does the same job. But hey all these are character builders!! I am loving living with three latins! I have been learning so much spanish in just a short amount of time. My companion speaks the most english out of the three of them which is great so when I don't know a word she is the fastest to help me figure out the meaning. I absolutely love her! We get along great! 

The hardest thing about this area is that we live an hour walk away from civilzation which is super sad. So the street that we live on is an hour walk from our main area. So every single day we walk two hours with no one in our route to and from our area. Great exercise, but not great for use of mission prime proselyting time!! 

This week, we having been working on finding as much as possible! Because all the investigators that the sisters had basically were baptised in the past month. We did a lot of contacting! Honestly, in my last areas that was my least favorite thing to do, but Sister Donminguez is changing my opinion. I have been just watching everything that she does everyday to try to learn much as possible!

One person that has been a golden find is Juan Ramon. We contacted him in the street and just began talking about Christ. He was very into the conversation and we stood there talking for an hour! We set up an appointment for later in the week and gave him a restoration pamplet to read. He called us the next day telling us that he couldn't do that day but the next woud work. He called us three more times after that to make sure that we could still do that time and that we were coming. This is really strange, normally we are the ones doing the calling, and investigators don't ever call us! We taught him our basic beliefs without going into big details. He asked all kinds of questions on to make sure he understood our beliefs and the things that he had heard from other people was not true! It was so amazing to see how much he wanted to learn. He agreed to go with us to an church activity this Friday. I am so excited to see how he progresses!! I have the faith that he will!!

I love you all so so much and am working as hard as I can here to make you and my Father in Heaven proud! 

Con Amor

Hermana Harris

P.S. Sorry! No pictures this week. We are at a members house because with the holiday, all the places with computers are shutdown and the church is not in our area. I will send some next week. 

Temple Work

Hey family!! 

First things first, I am getting transfered again! I am going to Ponce, Puerto Rico tomorrow with a new companion from Panama! I am nervous, excited, and ready to meet the new people that Lord wants to put in my path. I am a little sad to be leaving Humacao so soon but I know that the Lord has a plan much greater then I can imagine.

Well this has been a very difficult week. With Three Kings Day, everyone is having fiestas. Puerto Rico is literally one big island of holidays. I swear there is a different holiday every other weekend. But it means that the families are home together! 

We tried contacting as many of our investigators as possible this week. It was very difficult! We were able to visit Reina twice this week though, which went amazingly. We had the chance to really see where her testimony is and if she truly is ready to see where the Lord can improve her life through the gospel. The spirit that was felt was incredible. When we were bearing our testimonies on the gospel, she told of us of her continuous desire to not only be baptized herself but to go to the temple to do the work for her mother. I am so grateful that we have had the revelation of temple work. Through this gospel, we are able to not only do the work for our eternal salvation but the work for all of our ancestors. I am so grateful to have the knowledge that there is a life after this one and that through the atonement every single one of Heavenly Fathers children have the chance to repent and return back to him!

So this week was Sister Sanchez's birthday! Plus, I think we had more food this week from members and investigators then in my mission thus far! It was ridiculous how much! We had three cakes this week, dinner basically every night and people that feed us in between! Missions are hard just with the food that everyone expects you to eat. It is like everyone thinks that we never eat and that we are always hungry. At times, yes that is true but honestly I would like to eat a lot less then people give. I think a big diet is in my future and a lot more hardcore exercise in the morning. Hahaha!!

Random Fact: I love the song Siembra Gozo (Scatter Sunshine). It the best to sing to wake myself up and keep me going throughout the day!! :)

Con Amor Siempre

Hermana Harris

Ten Times Better

Hey Family!!!

Wow! So this week has been great, crazy, fustrating, but always full of miracles!!

Here in Puerto Rico, everyone is on holiday!! All the kids got out of school around the 15th of December and they don't go back until the13th of January! So it has become a horrible and amazing time to find people! Everyone is with their famiies and at home but because it is the holidays, no one really wants to spend time learning from us. It has, though, been a great time to focus on the investigators that we have!! 

This is Hermana Lourdes that we went and visited in the hospital!

So Reina, our investigator who is almost ready for baptism, expressed how much she really, really wants to go to the temple already to do the work for her mother. Finally, this week she told her husband that she wants to be baptisted, but he said that for her to be sure, he wants her to attend the church of his sisters (pentalcostal) before she is baptisted... So we have had to push back her baptismal date back which is sad but she still wants to be baptisted. It is great to see how strong her testimony has developed  as she is preparing to enter the waters of baptism! I am so excited to help her make the first step back to her Heavenly Father!

Also, our other investigator, who is very close to baptism, is Jaxel. Jaxel is still incredibly nervous for his baptism which is great to know that he knows it is a huge decision. The problem is, that at the same time, it is also scarying him to the point were he doesn't want to do it. So sad!! We are going to visit him tonight to help reassure him that it will be one of the best desicions of his life. I know that his life will be completely different if he takes the time now to accept the Savior in his life. 

This is Jaxel.

This morning, we had Sister Conference for the Caguas Zone. It was great to get to meet all the sisters in my Zone! We talked and learned about how being on a mission now and having companions really prepares you for the life ahead. I absolutely loved it! I am so grateful that the things that I am learning on my mission here will help me prepare for my future which basically is everything a mission does. It shapes you into a person that is ten times better then you could have ever been without the gospel!!

I love you all so much and miss you dearly!

Hermana Harris

Merry Christmas

Buenas Familia!!

Wow, okay, so this week was really crazy!! 

First the normal part was teaching investigators. This week was really strong! We have a couple gems that are really starting to come out of the woodwork! This week we have had a couple of moments that were unforgettable! We were visiting a less active family and teaching one of the daughters, Mayley. I got told time and time again in the past that every time that the missionaries tried to set her up with a baptismal date that she either said no or that she just didn't really show interest. This time the spirit was so strong that when we asked she said yes to the date!!! She was so happy! Her mama just started to bawl! We asked her what she can do to help herself get her ready for that day. She said we can start reading the Book of Mormon together everyday. It was amazing to see not only the daughter, but the mother also realize that if they want this they can do it together! Times like that are why I am so grateful for the spirit that testifies to their hearts!! We would be lost without the spirit!

Also this week we have had great success with another less active family. It is a grandmother, daughter, and her two sons. The grandmother is mas o menos acitve. She has come enough to be considered active, but she doesn't come each week. While I have been here we have encouraged the daughter to come back to church with her mother. It has been amazing to see the progression in the family. In the past the daughter would never come.  I am pretty sure that I have wrote about the son last week. Jacksel, is the most brilliant 11 year old that I have ever met! He is really trying to do what is right. We have been teaching him all the lessons to prepare him for his baptism in the first week of January. I know that he is ready. He has the strongest testimony in his family. I honestly think that the reason that his mom has been coming back to church has been because of this amazing boy!!

The crazy part of my week has been because I have had a concert every night this weekend!! I was in San German, Ponce, and Toa Baja which is on the other sides of the island. It was a blast to be able to sing of Christ all over the island. It was an opportunity that I will never be able to replace! So for this weekend I was on companion exchange. I was with the Lovely Sister Human. She is a blast. She has 6 weeks more then me on the mission and was in Humacao the transfer before me. We have been getting along great!! We are finishing our crazy week tonight with a zone Christmas party at President’s house!! I will finally be able to pick up my packages!!! 

Can't wait to see you guys on Christmas Eve!!! I love you all so much.

Best wishes to Jaren and Hannah this weekend of their wedding!! I know that you will never forget or regret the amazing covenants that you are making to each other and the Lord this amazing day!! I love you both and send me tons of pictures!!

Con Amor siempre,

Hermana Harris

I Sing?

Hey family!! 

My week has been pretty great and pretty crazy!!

This week has been great because I still love it here in Humacoa!! It is beautiful. The people are friendly. My companion is crazy and awesome.  We get along so great. She is a powerhouse when teaching the lessons and has a very strong testimony. Also she is a ball. We are always laughing and smiling all day long!! 

This week we have been trying to work on as many less actives and recent converts as possible. I love teaching them because it is like review. We get to teach them something that at one time they knew to be true. Those lessons really just consist of inspired questions to get the Member thinking of what they know. It sometimes feels like I am teaching a child. Like those times that you are digging for a certain response so I ask two different questions to see if they remember. For example, who is our older brother, what did he do on the earth for us, what are some of the stories in the bible that you remember of Christ?

A first in this area is we are actually teaching children too. Just sounds strange to me. Some of the families are part members that we have started to reactivate have children 8-12ish that have to be taught all the lessons before they can be baptized. We have one boy named Jacksel. He is adorable. He is 12 years-old and really has the desire to know for himself. He comes from a whole family of less-active members.  While the sister missionaries in the past found the less-active mother, uncle, and mother they found out that the son hasn't been baptized. This little boy has been a powerhouse example to his family. They have been able to see his example and testimony. His mom and grandma attended church with him this week!! It was so amazing to the see the smile on his face when they all walked in together!! I know that from his example that he will be able to bring his whole family back to church!! 

So this weekend we had three concerts, one concert in Guyanabo, Caguas, and Toa Baja. It was so much fun to be back in my other ward and seeing everyone!! I had tons of hugs! The Caguas and Toa Baja concerts were huge and nerve racking but it turned out great!

So the big news this week is that my Bishop knew I was in the choir and heard us sing in Caguas. So this Sunday right before church he found out our stake president was coming. He asked me to sing a solo in church!! OH my, I was  freaking out!! I sang Angels We Have Heard on High! Oh my! I don't want to do that again. My voice is so not good enough to sing a solo. In a choir I am comfortable but solo no way. Oh and to top it off, I am singing a duet with one of the elders next Sunday for Christmas Sunday. Wish me luck!!

I love you all so, so much. I sent of a package of Puerto Rico Goodies filled with things for everyone in the family and a little thing for my adopted lil’ sis, Kyla. I hope you all like it. You can choose.

Con Amor Siempre!!

Hermana Harris

Transferred

Hey, so I love you guys so, so much!!

Wow! Okay, so this week has been amazing!!

My companion is Sister Sanchez. She is from El Salvador. She speaks very little (meaning practically no) English! It has been amazing.  My Spanish has grown leaps and bounds in the past week! She, Sister Sanchez, is a convert of three years and has an incredible testimony!!

The area here is BEAUTIFUL!!! I am next to the beach, the air is fresh, and the people are very, very nice! My ward is incredible.  We have different member missionaries go out with us every single day. Oh, and the best part of this area, we have investigators!!! 

We have an investigator that we have taught the last couple of lessons to. She now is only an interview away from Baptism!! Her name is Reina.  She grew up in the states with a Spanish-speaking mother and English-speaking Dad so she is fluent in both. She loves talking to me in English.  She says that she really misses it. She talked to me all about her family and her life for a good hour while she was cooking us dinner. Wow, she is incredible mother of 9 kids!! She has taken care of her sibling’s kids too! The only thing stopping her from baptism right now is she hasn't told her husband that she wants to be baptized. Which is a huge problem, but she said that she will do it this week! She said that she just doesn't want to cause contention in the house. She wants to be able to talk it all out with him first. She also told us that if she is baptized that it might make him more curious in hearing the message. Now he greets us and disappears. He will eventually have a softened heart I just know it!!

Wow, Sister Sanchez and I get along so, so well!! She told me today that I am the first American sister that she knows that is not boring!! :) Ha, ha, she told me that I must have a little Latina in me!! :) 

We also have been teaching another family. It is a family consisting of a Mom and her two children. She is very welcoming. We have taught her twice this week. The only problem is she has always got something going on, on Sundays. So now we have to get her to church so that she can feel the spirit!! I know that once she feels the spirit that is in the chapel that she will have the desire to truly know if these things are true! We were prompted to teach her and her kids the Plan of Salvation, which they have already been taught. Sister Sanchez said that last time they didn't really understand it fully. I feel like this time when we left they really did understand it and why we need to work while we are on the Earth to be able to be with our families for time and all eternity!!

I will tell you more next week!!

I love you guys more then anyone else in the whole World!!! 

Con Amor,

Hermana Harris