Esquina Blanca Week 16

Hola!!!!

¿Como están? Thanks for the emails and updates! It is always so fun to hear how you are all doing! I have had a great week and can´t believe how fast it has gone by! Thanks for being so supportive and loving over skype! That was so fun to see you all and it felt really natural speaking to you. After the call, I got really excited to get back to work and help those in my area! I love missionary work and know that there is nothing more important than sharing the gospel!

I love seeing the change that comes in others lives through obedience to the principles of the Gospel. Claudio and Mariela, our converts here are doing very well with their family history! Claudio loves it and was called as the family history consultant. He already has back to his great grandparents with pictures and stories. Mariela was called as the secretary to the Young Womens and the ward loves her and her treats! Osvaldo is the Sunday School class president and makes sure everyone get to class each week. If you don´t come...rojo!! haha. Luis loves participating with the High Priests on Thursday night and will soon get a calling/assignment in church. Vicente has lots of fun in the primary and is preparing to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. I know that the gift of the Holy Ghost is real and that when we truly receive it, it changes our life.

This week we had zone conferences! It was a lot of work, and I know that it was well spent. There are many great missionaries here!! The theme of the conferences was centered on improving our teaching, especially through the use of the Book of Mormon. I love hearing President´s testimony of the Book of Mormon. He said he was a young man who had just graduated from the top military school in Brazil, and was working in a successful job. He had an interview with his bishop, and expressed his lack of testimony. He had always participated in church since a young boy, but relied heavily on the testimony of his parents. Now older, and unable to do so, he was unsure of his desire to continue in the church. His bishop challenged him to read the book of mormon with the desire to know if it was true, and if it was to dedicate his whole life to the Gospel. He said that he got to Alma 14, and then knew for a certainty. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is true and changes lives. But we must read with real intent, or a desire to act. I know that we must continue studying to remain in the path toward Eternal Life. The more that I read it, I realize its not a book stories or history...it is a manual on how to receive the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our life! I know it is true!

I love you all and wish you a great week and Sunday tomorrow!!!

Love,

Elder Harries

Esquina Blanca Week 15

Hola!!!!

How great to hear from you! Thanks for the uplifting letters and great job going to the temple with the whole ward! That is an incredible accomplishment and I know the ward will receive blessings for the work done there! I love the temple! As a missionary, I don´t have very many opportunities to attend, but I remember often the central role it plays in my life and plan to attend very frequently throughout my life. 

How interesting that you asked about the first couple that we baptized here in Chile, Omar and Coni! I was going to write you about them. I saw Coni this week. President wanted me to go on an exchange in Villa Sur, my first sector. I had the chance to stop by their home and Omar was working, but Cony was home with her mother and some other family members. We caught up on what has happened since I left over a year ago. They are still attending church and have the goal of going to the temple. They past through some rough times, but they are working to stay strong. Coni has a calling in the Primary. It was so powerful to see them and feel the love that they have for me and the impact the Gospel has made on their life. 

I also saw I woman who I taught there who was baptized the week after I left. It was a powerful experience. She also remains attending church. I am happy for the experience that the Lord has allowed me to have a small role in helping other recieve the restored Gospel. It makes every door slammed in the face or person who yells at us etc., worth it. I know that what we share is true, and I love sharing it. 

We are still looking for a complete family, however the Lord has blessed us incredibly by leading us to his children who need the Gospel. Our area is an area that is a bit more well off than my past areas, and it has been a bit harder to find people to teach here. It has stretched me and made me depend a lot upon the Lord to find people to teach. On Monday evening after praying to find a family, we had been knocking doors and talking to people for about 2 hours without any success. Then, a 14 year old boy came up to us really excited while we were talking to a lady in her door. After she rejected to listen to our message, the boy told us that he had been baptized in another town about a year ago. He took us to his house where his mother and little sister lived. They are very receptive and want to be baptized. I know that the Lord listens to, and answers prayers when we ask in faith.

Have a great week and Happy Mother´s Day!!!!!

Love,

Elder Harries

Esquina Blanca Week 14

Hola!

Well we had a great week! We were blessed to have a baptism! Vicente, the 11 year old son of a recent convert, Jessica decide to be baptized! He is very excited and though quite timid, is a very bright child. I am happy for him and can´t wait to see him enter the mission field in a few more years!

I loved the 21 day challenge and hearing your experiences of sharing the Gospel with others. We have something similar in our mission to get the members involved. I attached it below. It is a card with some quotes from Elder Ballard that challenge the members to get involved. We then invite them to hold a Family Home Evening in their home with some friends our neighbors. We have had some success this past week. We had one with Claudio and Mariela and their neighbors (A young couple). They are going to attend church next week because this week they went out of town on vacations. We will have another family home evening tonight with a different family as well! 

I know that this email is short, sorry! I love you all. I know that God is a loving Heavenly Father. I know that we feel the power of the Holy Ghost when we act in accordance with God´s commandments. Obedience brings clarity to life´s purpose. There is no joy that can supersede that which comes from consecrating our lives to our Heavenly Father. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that His Church and Gospel have been restored on earth today!

Love,

Elder Harries

Equina Blanca Week 13

Hola!

This was a great week! A very busy one! Last Saturday we baptized Luis, in the middle of a downpour rain. Few were able to arrive for the service, but it was still a very spiritual and special meeting. He feels very happy to have made the decision to be baptized. We are working with a boy named Vicente, the son of a recent convert. He is being a tad bit stubborn, but wants to get baptized. I think he feels a bit of pressure from his grandparents, who are very Catholic. Please pray for him. We are searching for new investigators, especially families!

On Sunday the roads in all of Santiago overflowed! It rained more in two days than all of last year combined. Very few people were in church, but it made me happy to see all of our recent converts there. They are so faithful! I love their desire to keep the commandments and I have learned so much from them! I love the Gospel and want to live it to the fullest.

On Monday I got a new companion, but to my surprise, President did not make Elder Ballard a Traveling Assistant like we originally thought. I stay in a trio with Elder Peterson, my old companion from Talagante. The new Traveling APs are Elder Clegg(old companion) and Elder Brooks, with whom I shared my first ward. We then took all the old missionaries to the airport...I don´t like going there haha. It is very fun to all be together and I am excited to see how this transfer unfolds. I am happy to stay with Elder Ballard! He is very similar to Nathan in many ways:)

On Tuesday we picked up the new missionaries and took them to President´s house for lunch and interviews. They seem to be a strong group and I know some of them will be future leaders in the mission. Thursday was President´s birthday. I filmed the whole office singing happy birthday to him and send him the video. We made him a photo with one of his funny quotes on it. On Friday, when we had a mission meeting/training, we got all the missionaries to write one of his funny sayings (he has many) on a small piece of paper. We put them all in a protein bottle, because he had just told us how strange it was to hear that one missionary gave another missionary protein for his birthday. (I hope I make sense) Any way, he loved it. 

I love this work, and I love every moment I have to spend with people--be they missionaries or Chileans. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He directs this work. I am happy to represent him and want all to know of His infinite love! 

Con amor,

Elder Harries

Esquina Blanca Week 12

Hola!

This week was wonderful! Well, we have a baptism today! It is Luis, the cousin of Osvaldo. He is such a great guy and will make a great member. It is so important that we share the gospel with others! The new converts are so good at it, because it is new for them and they are proud of who they are and the changes they are making. I ask myself if I feel the same way a disciple of Jesus Christ, or if I am ashamed to share it with others. I hope to be like Paul and declare, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16).

I am anxious to see what happens with the transfers this weekend. Elder Stephens will be going home and I´m pretty sure that Elder Ballard will become a traveling assistant. I have a pretty good idea of who will be my new companion, but president will not give us the official transfers until tonight or tomorrow. I will miss being with Elder Ballard, but it will be fun to get a new companion and learn new things. I love the mission and how we are constantly stretched and exposed to changes. It has helped me become much more flexible and patient...although I am still working on that last one haha.

I loved what President shared with us in his email this week: 

"En DyC 59:21 leemos:

"21 Y en nada ofende el hombre a Dios, ni contra ninguno está encendida su ira, sino contra aquellos que no confiesan su mano en todas las cosas y no obedecen sus mandamientos.

"En sus estudios haga una relación de que aprendió, de las bendiciones recibidas y que necesita mejorar. Muchas veces los cambios pasan y no vemos la mano de Dios en nuestras vidas. Nos quedamos tristes porque no logramos nuestras metas personales o no recibimos las bendiciones que queríamos. 

"Yo muchas veces paso por esto, estoy corriendo de una tarea a otra y muchas veces no miro mis bendiciones. Por esto esta semana haga un inventario de sus bendiciones. Hable con el Senor en oración y dedique su mision a El. Tenga un corazón lleno de gratitud y sed mas feliz en la mision" (Dad, Shanel or Nathan can translate this)

I want to be much more grateful for what the Lord has given me. I have so many weaknesses, yet He constantly pours out his blessings on me: health, great companions, protection from "patos malos y flaites"(bad people and gangsters), food every day, clothes, a testimony, a wonderful family, and so much more! I know that God lives and that He loves each and every one of His children.

I hope you are safe and protected this week. Thank you for all that you do and the love and patience you have with me. You are in my prayers:)

Love,

Esquina Blanca Week 11

Hola!!

This week flew by! It seems like yesterday I wrote you all! I am grateful for the blessing you are in my life and for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord and to serve a mission. I know that He lives and that He has restored His Gospel to the Earth! I love the peace and joy that comes from living the gospel. There is nothing that is more satisfying and that brings more self-confidence than living according to the teachings of Christ. 

I loved the talks from General Conference. I especially noted a current theme that had to do with the essential role of opposition and trials as part of the Plan of Salvation. Many people whom we teach ask this question, "If God loves us so much, why do good people suffer?" or something of the like. At the commencement of my mission, I tried to explain what I knew as the answer to this difficult question--but the answer I gave brought little comfort. Some time ago, I stopped answering this question with my own words, and instead responded with a question, "What are you willing to do to find out the answer?" Those who were willing to act and read the Book of Mormon and pray, received an answer from the Spirit that brought far more peace than my own words. As I watched the conference, I realized the importance of the Spirit in teaching us the truths of the Gospel, and want to apply this principle more often. 

Elder Stephens was gone on divisions again all this week, and Elder Ballard and I did quite a few exchanges as well. Fortunately, the Lord has blessed our sector with people who are progressing and making steps toward baptism. We are teaching Luis, the cousin of Osvaldo. He is a humble man and has desires to know what the Lord expects of him. He has desires to get baptized and will attend church for the third time this week. He is a very quiet person, but is very sensible to the Spirit and when he prays, it is sincere.

I always take time every six months (right after general conference) to set goals and to make plans for personal development. I felt strongly this general conference that I need to stop focusing on myself, and dedicate my life to the service of others. I have tried to apply it in small ways by serving my companions in small things like ironing shirts or making them breakfast and have definitely been the greatest recipient of blessings. I know that the Lord´s statement it true that He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt. 10:39)

I love you all and wish you all a happy week!

Love,

Elder Harries

Esquina Blanca Week 10

Hola!

Well I have had another packed week! I love it and have been enjoying every minute with my companions. Elder Ballard and Elder Stephens are great and have helped me improve is so many ways. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve with them. Elder Stephens received a special assignment from President to go visit a zone, so he wasn't with us for the whole week. He got back late last night, just in time to watch general conference with us here in the chapel. 

We have been working hard to find some new investigators and have found some! We are using a lot of the recent converts to find their friends and family, and it helps the recent converts out a lot with their personal testimony, enthusiasm and knowledge of the gospel. We are teaching the neighbor of Claudio and Mariela, the son of a recent convert named Jessica and the cousin of Osvaldo. All of them have much potential, and we hope to spend General Conference with them! 

This week we had a special meeting with Brother Allen, the head of the missionary department. He came to Chile to inspect the MTC and as well meet with two missions. He met with President, us and the Zone Leaders. He asked a lot of very specific questions to see what we were doing and to better assess the needs of the missionaries in the world. He said he was not predicting anything, but asked if we needed more sleep, or a different schedule. It was interesting. He also asked what we were doing to have so much success as a mission. We shared some of the ideas. It was impressive how he basically did an X-ray of the entire mission in about an hour.

Can I just say that I am so pumped for General Conference! I have been pondering and praying for the past few weeks in preparation to hear the Lord's voice through His servants. I know that we have living prophets today. I know that this Church if guided by revelation and that those who obey the counsel of the Lord's prophets and the scriptures will be happier, have more peace and safety.  I know that God lives and that He loves his children. Have a great weekend and week!

Love,

Elder Harries