Happy One Year! :)

I sometimes struggle to understand how much has really happened this past year.  I know that I've grown a lot, I've met a ton of people, had some really good experiences and some really bad ones.  But for right now - I'm loving every minute of it.

You know, I've never really thought about it until now when you mention it, but thanks, I appreciate it and know that it's so true that Satan is always trying to tell us that we're not good enough.  And even though he tried, Ramona was baptized this past Saturday and confirmed on Sunday.  I truly loved the smile on her face.
My companion is from Rio Negro, Argentina.  He's way cool and has a good head on his shoulders.  He's had a rough past and once told me that he was the only active young man in his branch back home.  He has a super strong testimony and teaches though questions which I'm slowly learned how to do.  :)  We teach very well together and he's probably one of the best of all my companions up until now.  I drops cane and I love him!

This past Monday we were thinking a lot about what we should focus on as a zone and we started to think that something that we were missing.  We finally realized that it's CHARITY for the people that we teach.  :) So on Tuesday we had a surprise zone meeting and taught on charity, the spirit and our true potential to become Gods. We let all of the missionaries bare their own testimonies and it was a very spiritual, uplifting meeting.  I was super grateful to be able to hear all of their testimonies!

After that, we worked as normal and had a few miracles.  We had 6 of our investigators attend church this week so Elder Suarez and I are SUPER pumped.  The first 2 that came are C and A.  They are probably in their 50's and C is literally "bound" to cigarettes and alcohol.  He wants to quit and we had a lesson with him on Tuesday and then again on Saturday.  Sunday at church he really struggled because his bod was shaking because of the lack of these substances.  He's determined to quit and isn't going to let anything stop him. We've set a baptismal date for them on March 15!

Then there was Alicia and Valentine.  Alicia reminds me a lot of Grandma Kris.  She's like the same age and does some of the same funny things as grandma does!  She's so great and progressing.  Valentine is her grandson who lives with her.

We had a lot of fun this week and we're trying to implement the importance o love in missionary work.

I love you guys and I pray that everything is going great for you!

Love,
Elder Harris

The Power of Perserverence & Determination

I can't send any pictures today because the good cyber is full so we had to come to this crappy one.  Sorry!

Since I've been in Goya I've found so many things that I haven't seen in a while.  Today I found M&M's.  Ya.  Peanut M&M's.  Dad would die.

This week was great!  On Tuesday we did divisions with the Elders in Bella Vista.  We took a collectivo at 5:30 am to Bella Vista then Elder Condori and I got back to Goya about 10:00 to work.  We had a great day and a good district meeting.

On Wednesday we got up and took the 5:30 a.m. collectivo again back to Bella Vista and then I came back with my companion.  That night (morning - 3 a.m.) we had to take another collectivo to Resistencia for a Multi-Zone conference on Thursday morning.  The conference was great and I learned a lot about what we can do to improve ourselves and our areas.

As for right now, we have a few solid investigators.  The problem is that we can find about 30 people in a week but only 1 or 2 will keep listening after the 2nd or 3rd lesson.  Most of the people are just too nice to say no.

We do have this investigator name Alicia.  She's great!  When we found her it was a little miracle.  We were super tired of talking to people that either didn't understand our message or have any intention to progress or repent - so we were walking and decided that behind this door we are going to find someone who understands.  We knocked on the door and she let us right in!  When we invited all of the family to join in with us this other lady (who was Alicia's sister) came running in the room.  We found out that she had recently been baptized in Buenos Aries.  It was a little miracle and now Alicia is reading and trying to find out for herself if the church is true.

As a zone we have a baptism this Saturday for Ramona.  She's super cool and even though she was recently robbed of every earthly possession she is a super hard working woman of faith and is pressing on to be baptized!

If nothing else this week I've learned the power of perserverence and determination.  I absolutely love it!  I love the mission, Mom.  I hope all is well in the family.  Be sure to keep the Smith family in your prayers

Love you,

Elder Harris

Best P-Day Ever!

This week was insane - like every week.  :)

We moved to a brand new pench since the 4 of us were crammed into that little one.  It's BRAND NEW with tile (just like all of Argentina) and honestly super nice!  We're blessed.  And we live in the center of the city so we enjoy the sounds of motos and cars all night long.  :)  We don't have AC, but it's alright because we're never in the pench anyway.  :)

The branch here is de diez!!  Seriously, it's so good!  We have plans to do divisions with each missionary on Saturdays (there are 8 missionaries that serve in this branch).  The priesthood here is super supportive of missionary work!

We have one family that recently went to the temple to be sealed and they're pumped as can be for missionary work!   They throw references and invite all of their neighbors to church and they bring to church in the bed of his truck!  They are also having super spiritual FHE's with the 2 best missionaries here in Goya - Elder Harris and Elder Suarez!  We're loving it, having a great time and doing a lot of work!

Our area is full of idol worshipers.  Its' super funny because some people have flags for which idol they worship. There are some houses with red flags for Guachito Gil and others with lights for Maria.  It's hilarious!  Corrientes is known for idol worshiping and I honestly don't understand it.  When we ask people if they believe in Christ everyone says, "Oh!  Of course!"  But then they have an idol flag, sanctuary or pictures of Gauchito Gil. San la Muerte, or Maria.

So last night we had this lesson with this guy who didn't understand idol worshiping and said, "Well heck!  You (pointing to me) seem like a great guy!  Let's just kill you now and we can all worship Elder Arrrreeesss.  (He was kidding.  He wasn't really going to kill me Mom, so don't worry.)  But just to prove a point!

We did find a lot of people this week.  We had 32 new investigators but only a handful have potential to progress.  We do have a few others that are just about ready for baptism.  We have this one boy named Johnny - he's about 14 and is friends with the family that just went to the temple - and will probably be baptized here in the next couple of weeks.

It sounds like you are all doing great!  I assume that you're pretty excited about the last President's Day baseball trip!  My question is what are you going to do next year?  Sit around and let me talk your ear off?  :)

I'm grateful for the mission, especially the time I've spent here in the Argentina Resistencia Mission.  I've learned more about myself and my personal potential in the past 3 months than I have in my entire life.  I kow now who I can become and the path to get there.

As I approach this milestone, I realize how fast this past year has come and gone.  I can't believe that a year is already done.  It feels like it was just a month ago that I entered the MTC with Elder Beach and now we're both Zone Leaders here in Argentina.

This week was really great and especially today because it was probably one of the best p-days of my mission.  So our new pench is probably a block away from this HUGE supermarket.  We spent the morning working on our new place cleaning, putting together the closets and what not.  Around 1:00 we decided that we were feeling pretty hungry and decided we would head on over to the market to get some stuff.  We were working in our normal clothes and I totally forgot to put my tag on before we left (ya - terrible I know!)

Anyways, we were at the market shopping and all of a sudden, I hear some random guy yelling at us "Elders!"  And it was in ENGLISH!!!  So he came over and started talking to us in English and I asked him how he could tell that we were Elders when we weren't wearing our clothes and tags.  He said, "Well, let's see - two young guys together, clean cut, one wearing an Angels t-shirt, a super awkward sun tan line on your neck, short and alpargatas (my Zuriick shoes) with socks - it's pretty easy to spot."

So we laughed and then introduced himself and his wife.  His name is Collin Whitehead and he served as a Zone Leader here in Goya 12 years ago.  He was on a return trip visiting all of Argentina.  He offered to buy us lunch and we ate at this super nice restaurant and then we spent some time helping him find some of his converts.  It was an awesome day!

But now we have to do some work!
Work, work, work!  I love it!
We're gonna go save some souls!  Yipee!

Love you all!
Keep loving the Lord, because HE LOVES YOU!

Elder Harris

Transfers!

Monday:

Hey Mom!  I don't have much time but I'll give you a run down of where I've been and I do have permission to write to you tomorrow about everything else.

Today we had Consejo in Resistencia and I'm now in the terminal waiting on my collectivo.  I've got some BIG news.

Transfers were this week . . . and I'm no long in Fontana.  I got transferred to Goya, Corrientes to be the Zone Leader. I'm still the DL too - so things are kinda crazy and I'm even busier than ever!!!  But I love it.

My companion is Elder Suarez and he's from Rio Negro, Argentina.  We're doing WORK together!  We also live in a pench with 2 other Elders - E. Toledo (Chile) and E. Sibaja (Mexico).

In other crazy news, there is a Sister in my district that is from ALPINE!  She graduated the same year as me and I didn't even know her!  YA!  Crazy, right??

I'll give you more details tomorrow.  Love you!

-Elder Harris

P.S. - I got a package from you today!  Muchisimo gracias  :)


And then on Tuesday:

Hey!  I don't have much time.  I've been sprinting all day and I finally have 20 minutes.

So dad is truck shopping?  Dibs on the Chevy . . .

To answer some of your questions:  That chapel in the picture was in Colonia.  I never did take a picture of the one in Fontana but the one in Fontana was a lot nicer.  It didn't have a piano but we did have a DVD player and speakers for the hymns but the one in Bartolome was the same as Russia - a little cassette tape player.

In Fontana we ate with a member once a week - every Saturday.  The food there was super expensive and so every once in a while we had some extra money so we would splurge and buy chicken or carne (beef). Other than that, we usually settled for rice and something on the side.  I think I've lost a few pounds . . .

So we had transfers this week and it was crazy.  We had our last District Meeting in Pirane and then I spent the rest of the night packing.  It's great here, I really do like it!  When I got here we just jumped right into the busiest schedule ever.  We work like horses and I love it!  I literally don't feel I've ever worked so hard in my life... We forget to eat sometimes.. ya. that hard.

One of the highlights of my week was the we had about 120 people at church!  BIG DIFFERENCE!  It was so nice to attend priesthood with more than 4 people.  So great!

We also had a missionary in our zone who had to go to another area so we took him to the terminal at 12 p.m. to get him to his collectivo - but it didn't get there until 2:30 - but our collectivo for Resistencia left at 3:30 - so after he left, we sprinted to the pench, showered, got packed up and sprinted back to the terminal where we made it just in time to catch our bus!  Consejo was great!  I bet President put pictures up.  He taught us some awesome stuff.

So the 4 of us live in this super tiny pench that's made for 2 - so the 4 of us in there is a little insane!  But they're super funny and we love it and are enjoying every minute of it!  Plus the weather here in Goya, es de diez!!  I't seriously like a vacation - but I'm running and sweating and everyone looks at me super funny.  :)

But hey!  I love you guys - I gotta go!

Elder Harris

The Week of No Sleep

Mom!

What up?!?  I'm glad that you and dad are enjoying a little bit on sunshine.  I don't know what the deal is, but it's been raining a lot here lately.  About 2-3 times a week.  It's crazy because it goes from super hot to super cold and rainy back to super hot!  It's completely bi-polar . . .

You wouldn't believe how crazy the last 3 weeks have been.  I haven't had much time to do anything but serve.  I'm honestly so busy from 7 am to 11 pm every day.  I get up and have so many personal things to et done in the morning since I never have time.  So we're living and I'm as happy as I've ever been!

The district is going great!  We're all getting along really well and having success - which makes it even better.  Like I told dad, and maybe I'm not being the right type of leader, but I haven't taught a district meeting yet on "how to commit someone to read or one of the lessons" - I have been focusing more on the boys.  On how they can be better people for the rest of their lives, not just as missionaries.  I'm honestly realizing now more than ever that the mission experience is a very short time and if we're not learning life lessons here then what's the point?  So I've been focusing more on the boys and helping them to before more converted to Jesus Christ - which in return is helping me become more converted to the Savior as well.

And a little bit of happy news for you - Today is my 11 month mark.  Can you believe 11 months have gone by so quickly?!?

As for the package, yes the spices were in there but I'm not going to lie - I'm a little bummed about the Nutella.

As for my birthday - if you could try to send some peanut butter and Nutella again - I'd love that.  I'm also going to need some type of sweater (that's what the other missionaries are telling me).  Also, not to sound like a fatty - but could you send more American candy?  Like Snickers and M&M's?  The candy here is so expensive and it's not that good - plus the Latino missionaries LOVE it!  I also need mechanical pencils please.  Oh, and ties!  Not silk - I need ones that can get wet.  I going to start giving away my ties to each of my companions.  :)

So about my muddy clothes last week - we have a pump and hoses and I spayed the clothes until they became somewhat white-ish - they're not perfect, but they're better than they were.  I threw them into this washing machine type thing that we have and they came out ok.

We also saw a horse this week that has something seriously wrong with his leg.  Show the picture to dad and tell me what is wrong with him!

Buyno che!

This week, like always, was crazy.
I think I might call it the Week of No Sleep.

So last Sunday night at 2 a.m. our collectivo went to Resistencia - but we missed it.  So we fought our way with a cumbi (it's like a short bus) and taxis to get to Resistencia.  We got to Consejo too late and then our collectivo left Resistencia at 8 and we didn't get back to Ibaretta until 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning.  We didn't sleep but a couple of hours and then got up and went to Zone Conference.  I helped give the training and it went great!  Right after, I went on divisions with E. Lastres (from Peru) in Pirane while E. Haselton and E. Zivic came to Fontana.  While in Pirane, I did a baptismal interview and then helped find a few more families to teach.

Wednesday I got a phone call from E. Zivic telling we that we were going to have a baptism this Saturday in the Colonia Bartolome de las Casas.  I couldn't believe it!  Wednesday night at 10:30 our collectivo went back to Fontana so I didn't sleep much that night either.  Thursday and Friday we went back  to Bartolome to teach our investigator, Carlos, all the lessons that he needed to know before his baptism.  The Zone Leaders came late in the afternoon on Friday and did the interview.  We were set!

On Saturday we went up there to fill the font and since their water pump in broken, Zivic and I carried our pump, 2 hoses and an extension cord to fill the font.  Did I mention that the water tank is 15 feet underground?  It's like a huge cement box with a little opening on the top . . .

To use our pump we have to siphon the water first or the pump doesn't work.  So we tried FOREVER to siphon this water from 15 feet below - but we had gravity working against us.  So I thought like dad and we put both hoses on the pump and I went to the baptismal font and tried to siphon the water the entire way!  And guess what!  IT WORKED!!!  It was a little miracle.

The baptism was super spiritual.  Carlos was super prepared and bore his testimony of how he received his answer and also that he made a promise to God that he would keep learning about God from His church.  It was honestly great!  PLUS his little brother came to the baptism and said that he wants to be baptized too!  We literally have received a TON of blessings lately!

I also learned something super awesome this week.  Someone said that the church isn't a building, but it's in our home.  I've thought a lot about that.  I've realized that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints isn't just a building, or a chapel or a temple - but it's a lifestyle.  It's how we live - it's what we do every day.  The church is made to improve the home, and the home was made to grow closer to the Lord.

That's my week!  And now we're getting ready for transfers!  Any guesses?  Am I staying or am I going?

Love you guys,

Elder Harris

I Love Being a Missionary!

I've got 10 minutes.

I hope you're enjoying your time on vacation and the same weather as me!  haha!  Maybe you should go buy one of my goofy hats!  :)

I think that this week has been one of the best weeks of my mission!  I loved it!  I freaking love being a missionary!

I just got back this morning from Pirane doing divisions.  I've been traveling since last Sunday so I feel a little jet lagged and I'm running on a few hours sleep for the week.  I did finally get the Christmas package that you sent.  I'm not sure if you didn't send a lot or if some of the stuff didn't make it through customs.  I got the presents, the tree, the oraments, reeses, oreos, tootsie rolls and a million taco seasonings.  Did you send more stuff?  Like Nutella, peanut butter, hair cutters?

Oh, and the watch, it isn't really "low profile" - it's pretty flashy mom - I don't want to get robbed!  haha!

I'll give you a quick rundown of the highlights from this past week.  I went on divisions with E Criado (from Cordoba, Argentina) and went to Bartolome de las Cases.  It's an Aboriginal colony and basically a laminate nation.  It's awesome.  We worked there and the two active members that speak the dialect (Toba) weren't there so we tried to find people on our own, but it just wasn't the same - but we did get some really cool pictures . . . .

On Sunday, the best thing happened!  So we got done with church and our studies and as we were preparing to leave, it started to DUMP rain.  So I put on my rain tie and we went out to work.  After walking for a little ways, we see this truck completely stuck in the sewer on the side of the road.  So us, being the great missionaries that we are, decided that we should help this family of 12 get their truck unstuck.  I had my boot on and we started pushing this truck but it just wouldn't go - I used my Ken Harris skills and started directing traffic - telling everyone what to do to make this happen.  So I got on one side of the truck - in the sewer - as we were pushing, the wheel started spinning and shot water and whatever else was in the mix ALL OVER ME!  It was great!  We eventually got them out and the family had a great time laughing at the gringo who was now covered in who knows what . . . . I decided that we should walk back to our place and I took a shower outside.  It's all good - living the dream.

Love you,

Elder Harris

It's Pretty Black & White

The mission is great.  It truly is.  I love being a missionary and learning and having stuggles and as my favorite song goes "Mountains to Climb".  We always have these mountains to overcome and I know that it's a long road to discipleship, and I have a long way to go.  I feel the more that I try to be obedient, do the things I should and strive to have the spirit with me that's when I feel the Favior nearest to me.  I absolutely love it!  The spirit is the greatest thing ever and I would do anything to have it with me all the time.

It really is the goal, for me as a missionary, and as for members of the church - to loose ourselves in the work.  I've really been trying to do that and now I finally understand how.  :)

As for this past week, we did work!

Monday:  We had our p-day as normal and then had a great family home evening with a part member family.  We started off by talking about how we are all in the Hands of God like we read in Mormon 6 or 7 or 8 - I can't remember and before we knew it we were talking about how we shouldn't worship idols.  And yes, Maria is an idol. (The wife is Catholic)  But anyways - it was great!  We felt the spirit and it's just a great time to be alive!

Tuesday:  We had district meeting and just I gave a little training.  I talked on the importance of teaching to the needs of the investigators.  Conversion isn't a math equation.  We can't expect to go in, teach the 5 lessons and expect them to be baptized.  It's just not how it works!  The only true converter is the spirit, and the only way that we can get the spirit is by living worthily of it.  God's rules aren't that hard to understand.  All you have to do is choose the right and you will be blessed!  You choose the wrong and you don't receive blessings.  It's pretty black and white.

At district meeting I felt impressed that we should have a testimony meeting.  And you wouldn't believe the spirit that accompanied us in this meeting.  I would have to say, one of the highlights of the mission.  Hearing 5 other Elders bare their testimonies on the reality of Jesus Christ.  That we know He lives, and called a living prophet to lead and guide us.  It was powerful.

Wednesday:  We had the opportunity to have interviews with President Heyman.  I love every chance I get to talk to him and he's seriously the man!  I shared with him my thoughts of when I didn't act on a prompting and he shared a similar experience that was very humbling for both of us and also taught me a lot about who I want to be. 

No matter what, I'm learning to trust in the spirit.  In those feelings that say "Hey, what about this door?"  And even when people aren't home, I feel fine and the spirit burns inside me because I know I'm doing what the Lord wants me to do!  (It happened a few times on Thursday.)  Presient is a truly a great man and always makes me want to be a better missionary.

Thursday:  We saw little miracles!  :)  In the morning we had planned to visit a family that gave us a reference to visit a lady but we could never get in contact with her.  So when we stopped by the house of a member, and the woman we were looking for was there!  So we sat down and got to talking about what we do and ended up inviting her to be baptized!  It was a great morning!

In the afternoon we had a lesson with a lady named Claudia.  She hasn't had much religious guidance in her life and now we're trying to show her how she can have that guidance in her life.  We had a good lesson with her!  :)

Friday:  We did exchanges.  I went our with Elder Vega and worked in Fontana.  We found a few people and then in the afternoon her told me about this other little city in our area!  It called Bartolome de las Cases.  Basically, it's where the Lamanites live.  We worked out there all afternoon.  It's a little "colonia" with about 2000 people who speak Toba.  There is also a little chapel out there that's awesome and it's literally a beacon to the people that live there.

It was just a great, spirit filled day.  I've never been able to feel the spirit like we did there.  The Lamanite people are truly blessed.  They may not have many worldly posessions, but they have a spirit about them that in undeniable.

Saturday:  It was cold!  It rained and for once it was kinda chilly here!  But we worked as normal and had some great lessons.

Sunday:  We saw miracles upon miracles!  We had 3 investigators attend church which means we had 18 people there!  We couldn't believe it ourselves!  I also had to give a talk so I decided to talk on the power of a testimony and why it's important to have a testimony.  As missionaries we get to bare our tesimony every day.  But how often do the rest of you?  I read the testimony of Joseph Smith in JSH 1:24-26 (I think) and I love where it says some thing like "I could not deny it, because I knew it, and the Lord knew it".

I talked about those great men who "sealed their testimonies with their blood".  Abinidi, Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ.  It was super powerful to talk about these great men who literally died for what they believed in.

I was cool thinking back on it and for once I didn't feel like I had to worry about conjugation or the right words.  I just spoke and it made sense.  The Lord definately helped me our on that one.

In the afternoon we stumbled across this lady named Manuela.  She was anxious to read, pray and go to church after we shared a lesson with her.  It was funny because we asked her if we coudl talk to her to 5 or 10 minutes and ended up talking for abou 45.  She is super prepared and we invited her to be baptized!!  She's awesome!!

But that there was my week - one of the quicker weeks of the mission.  I can't believe how fast time is going.  I love every minute of it!

Love you all, I pray for you, and thank you for all the support you give me.

Spread the Faith!

Elder Harris

PS - I got a call today telling me that my "HUMUNGOUS" package arrived so I'll get in on Monday when I go to Resistencia.  I also probably won't be emailing but will send you one sometime next week.

Here are some pictures from our Christmas Party in Resistencia and some other pics from Villa.

I was so happy to see my MTC companion, Elder Beach, again!

Elder Harris & Elder Leon in Villa Angela

 Yup, it's a pet monkey!