Esquina Blanca Week 17

Hola!!

This week flew by! I went on exchanges with a bunch of missionaries and learned a lot. One of the missionaries with whom I served is from Concepcion, Chile. He is 23 years old and a convert of one year. He said that he read a Book of Mormon and then searched down the missionaries to baptize him. His family basically disowned him, but he is a very happy and positive missionary. I learned so much from him! 

We had a meeting for all the new missionaries yesterday. It is fun to see all their energy and faith. We prepared a class about companionship inventory and did a funny practice. I have begun to enjoy teaching groups, and feel that I am getting better. I think it will be a useful skill going into the future.

President and Hermana Barreiros are so great! I love hearing them teach and the their testimonies. I feel that they are very sincere whenever we have a conversation. It makes me want to develop more love for others. 

In my studies today I learned something powerful about how hope is maintained by faith (Alma 25:16). It is so true--when we have faith, we obey and act in accordance with Christ´s teachings. Thus, we have a surety of receiving Eternal Life, or in other words, hope in Christ. 

I love you all and appreciate your love and prayers! 

With Love,

Elder Harries

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