yo yo what's up yo (What London said every time he would answer the phone)
anyways! it's cold! a cold that I have never experienced before, a
very wet, and long lasting cold! it really is bone-chilling, and I don't
like it! Thank goodness that I don't have to be focused on the weather
while I'm out here! Elder Pogue and I had a pretty good week!
Monday we had district p-day, ate a kebab, played frisbee, and football, and had loads of fun!
Tuesday
we spent a bit finding people in a town called Heanor. There was a lady
named Debbie who was sitting on a bench, as we walked by she said, "Hey
there! I'll listen to you!" She ended up pouring her heart out to us,
telling us that she did not believe in Jesus Christ, but that she wanted
to so badly. She wants to believe in god so badly that she started
tearing up talking about it. We ended up sharing a scripture with her
and that talk we had with her absolutely made her day! She wouldn't give
us her number or her address, but It was still a miracle for me. I love
that as a missionary, we get to talk to so many different people
everyday, and even if we can make a tiny bit of a difference in their
life, that's good enough for me! Us making her day, made my day 10x
happier. I love Debbie!
Wednesday
we had interviews with the president, and he answered loads of
questions that I had about various subjects, and gave me a lot of advice
that I have taken! He is a really strict mission president, which I'm
really grateful for, and at the same time, I don't like to be governed
under loads of additional rules, even though when we are obedient we
actually have more agency! Kind of a weird thing that I'm working out
in my head at the moment, and relying on the savior to decide what kind
of missionary I am going to be!
Thursday
I went on exchange with an Elder called Elder Shipp, he is a great kid,
and I learned a lot from him! One piece of advice I've really tried to
apply on my mission is "You can learn something from everyone," It's so
true. I think I learned the most in my mission during the time when I
was dealing with the people I struggled to get along with the most. It
was hard for me to accept that something I was doing was upsetting
someone that I cared so much about, and that it wasn't completely this
persons fault that I was bugging them, and that it was important for me
to change as well! It was a really humbling-important experience for me
to have!
Friday
we got flogged 3 times-flogged is when we have a lesson with someone
and they bail/don't show up/don't call or text to cancel the
appointment. So that was a bummer. One reason I'm blessed to have Elder
Pogue as a companion, is him and I are very positive. If something
doesn't work out for us, we know we tried our best! Then we are able to
move on and accomplish the next thing to the best of our abililty.
Saturday
we tracted in the rain for a few hours! I have so much respect for
those who serve in russia/finland/cold places! It's tough to stay
mentally focused when your body is so out of it's comfort zone! I now
know that I always need to carry with me my warmest coat! We met a
really great guy tracting named Daren! He was asking the most perfect
questions, and I'm so stoked to teach him later this week!
Sunday
at church was just kind of bizarre and didn't seem right for some
reason. Fast and testimony meeting was awesome! but other than that it
was really weird! Shaun came to church!! woo!! shaun's 2 daughters also
came to church, Louise and chloe, and Shaun's other daughter Katie
started investigating this week as well! Our investigator Rachel bore
her testimony in Sacrament meeting! We are so blessed to have
investigators at church and loving it!
Amy is doing really well also, she works on sundays, and won't be
able to come to church again for 2 weeks, which is a huge bummer,
because I will probably be transferred again. I say I'll be transferred,
but let's be honest I've said that the last 3 transfers haha. Our
investigator Sarah is loving the gospel! she sent us a text message
saying "When do you guys baptize?" it was such a miracle, and later in
the week she sent us another text saying that her daughter wants to get
baptized as well! They weren't able to come to church because Sarah was
in the Emergency room because of IBS! anyways the work is really going
amazing, and I love it soooo much!! Leaving Eastwood is going to be one
of the hardest goodbye's I've had in my life, and I'm not looking
forward to it, however, I have a feeling that I am going to love
wherever the lord will have me, and that I will learn so much despite
how fast or slow the work is progressing!
Alma 32 is obviously one of the most famous chapters in the book of
mormon because it describes the princible of faith so well!! As we
plant the seed, and apply what we learn, we will be able to find out if
it is good for us or not by what happens! If we live the word of wisdom
and see that it's good.. well... then it's good! haha it's just so
simple and I'm so grateful that what were doing as missionaries is
simply inviting people to come unto christ. We're not tricking anyone to
believe what we believe, or teaching them anything that isn't the
doctrine of Christ. We just say, "Read the Book of Mormon and pray about
it." When they see their lives continually improving, and recognize the
light of christ and the divinity of it, they choose to receive more
blessings by being baptized! and furthermore receive
additional blessings for each sacred covenant they make and keep. The
book of mormon provides us with protection that no other book can
provide us with, and reading it will protect us from the tempation of
satan!
I love you guys so much! thank you for writing me each week,
supporting me, and keeping Elder Pogue, myself, our investigators,
Eastwood, and the England Birmingmam Mission in your prayers! don't
forget to pray about for all the missionaries serving over the world,
what they are doing is so important and they need the prayers of
everyone!
Elder Samuel Joseph Harris.
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