Follow the Spirit

This past week went well. We been working a lot to find new investigators and people to teach. Monday night we planned to go to a specific trailer park to find people. On Tuesday we finished up some appointments and the time came to go to and find. I put it in the gps and we started out. Then I thought, but that is at the top of our area and we have to go to the bottom afterwards and we only have this much time. I pulled the car over and asked Elder Graf where else he wanted to go. He was very firm and set that we were going to go where we had planned. I blundered out my excuses and he told me again that we had been inspired last night to go to that trailer park and so we should go to that trailer park. Grudgingly, but knowing he was right we went to the trailer park. We saw an older women leaning out her porch door in a chair and grilling some carne asada. I wish I would've gotten a picture of it. As we talked to her, her daughter, Guadelupe, pulled up. We expressed the desire to say a prayer with them and Guadelupe readily offered to let us in the house. We told her we couldn't unless there was a man. Surprisingly she told us to wait, walked past us, and went around the back of her home. We stood there for a couple minutes wondering if she was ever going to come back. To our surprise she came back with Ricardo, a recent convert who hadn't been to church in a month. We taught the family with Ricardo and both came to church yesterday.

I learned the importance of following the spirit and following through with impressions no matter what. Elder Graf had had an impression to go to that trailer park and I am very glad that he listened to it instead of me. This truly is the Lord's work and not our own.

Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260

Baptism de Pamela Padilla

Pamela got baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday!! It was so special and she was so happy. After her confirmation she was grinning from ear to ear and just glowing. She has grown a lot. When we first started teaching her she told us that she couldn't say a prayer in front of people and she wouldn't. Yesterday she said the prayer in Sacrament Meeting and she did just fine. I'm very happy for her and excited for all the changes she is making in her life.

Yesturday was crazy.

Saturday Night:

 President Bishop called us and told us that the couple that he assigned to speak in Sacrament Meeting had just told him that they were going to be in North Carolina for the weekend. So he asked us if we could speak.

Sunday Morning

8am-9am: 

Spent preparing our talks. Most of the time Elder Graf just kept asking me how to say things in Spanish. I studied a little bit and was able to organize a couple thoughts.

10 am:

We had a meeting with the Branch Council at . During that time I remembered that we had to make what's called a "Progress Report" for a meeting we would be having after church. Usually we fill it out on Thursdays with Hermano Paredez, but we weren't able to do that. So, I quickly jotted that down while my companion kept writing his talk (we weren't very affective in that meeting).

11am:

 We went to Priesthood meeting where the teacher read us a talk in a nice monotone voice. My companion continued to write his talk and I remembered that the next class was Gospel Principles. Which we teach. Usually we prepare a little bit in the mornings for the class, but we were writing our talks.

12pm:

We round up everyone. I quickly look through to book to see where we are at. Fasting. We say a prayer and I teach the class on the fly. I hope that they all learned something.

12:50pm:

We all file into the chapel. Someone tells us to go talk to someone by Pre. Bishops office. We find a couple with a little two year old. The husband immediately begins to complain to us about how they had been waiting there for 2 hours and how they are starving and his wife is pregnant and they want us to do something for them. All this while Sacrament meeting is starting. We quickly round up the extra bread that wasn't used for the sacrament, which they really didn't seem that excited about for someone who was starving. We get back in time for the sacrament. Pamela receives the gift of the Holy Ghost. We talk.

2:15

Correlation Meeting with Branch leaders. Lots and lots of meetings.

Of course the day didn't end there but it was a pretty exciting start. I can remember listening to some leaders and thinking that they weren't very organized and that I could write a better talk or explain whatever they were trying to say in a better way. I now know that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in leadership, and that it is extremely hard to take care of so many things. I have a lot of respect for all of my leaders, and especially for our living day Prophet.

Love ya'll

Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260

Pics:

1-2) Pamela and Alex at her Baptism

3-4) Mystery soup. We think it was intestines. Not the best thing I've eaten so far... 

Re: A part of the Dance

On Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 11:14 AM, Levi Harmon <levi.harmon@myldsmail.net> wrote:

We helped Rafael trim his trees.

On Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 11:13 AM, Levi Harmon <levi.harmon@myldsmail.net> wrote:

This weekend will be the baptism of Pamela!! We are so excited for her. She has seen a lot of changes in her life already as she has been preparing herself to take this step. Yesterday we gave her a quad and she was so excited to have all the scriptures and she loves to read and learn. Her husband is going to baptized her as he just recently received the Aaronic Priesthood and it is going to be a special experience for both of them.

Rafael came to church for the first time yesterday and he loved it! We went and saw him on Friday with the Branch President and his wife. They were able to invite him to an activity the branch was having on Saturday where they went to a lake. He went, met a lot of the members, and really enjoyed himself. I think that really helped him to want to come to church and be a part of everything.

I don't remember who said it, but I remember reading a quote that said that we don't have to defend the gospel. It can do that on it's own. But rather it is like a song that we sing and share with others. When Rafael was able to go and see members of the church in action and to interact with them, he realized that he wanted to be with them. He can see them dancing and he wants to join the dance. All we have to do is teach him the steps and let him hear the music.

Pics:

1) The District

2) The District Leader. He is the same guy who broke the record at the BYU Invitational my senor year. He ran it in 47 seconds flat.

Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260

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Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260

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Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260

The Noche de Hogar with the Alvarez Family went very well. A lot of members showed up and I think it was good for Eulogia to see all of the support she has from everyone. We watched the part of 'Meet the Mormons' about the man who is from Nipal. It showed how even thought he was baptized as a member of the church he was still able to respect and have a good relationship with his parents who were of another faith. Afterwards all of the members bore their testimonies and many of them talked about how they came from all catholic families as well and how their families had learned to respect them for their beliefs. It was AWESOME!

Pamela is good to go. She is learning so fast and just soaking everything up. She can literally see the gospel changing her life. It is amazing. Her baptism will be the 22nd of August.

 

Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260

All you need is Love...

We FINALLY went to the Temple again. I could stay there all day. We also had a Conference with our new mission President. I love him and his wife so much!! They are so happy and full of faith. It is impossible to be around them and not smile, I love it. I've been striving and praying hard to have that kind of love for everyone. And I am really coming to love all the people here.

We're teaching an older gentleman Rafael. He live alone and is from Columbia. Which is where Luz is from, from my last area. I'm thinking about hooking them up, but I haven't devised the plan yet. But we had a lesson with him the other day and as we were leaving he gave us hugs and told us that he loves us. It wasn't weird at all.

Moroni 7:46-47

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

  47 But ^acharity is the pure ^blove of Christ, and it endureth ^cforever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

The gospel is built on the foundation of love. The very reason we are here right now is because we have a Father in Heaven who loves us. I want to serve my mission, live my life, and always be full of love for everyone. And I hope that as I love those around me that they will be able to catch a glimpse of our Saviors love for them.

We are working hard. Elder Graf is very creative and he thinks of all of these fun ways to teach and help our investigators. We gave the Alvarez family cups and seeds and told them to plant the seeds and to water them everyday that they read the scriptures. Our lesson with them last week went very well. I know that they are going to be baptized and I'm pretty sure they know it as well. Right now the biggest road block is her family. She doesn't want to disappoint her parents or family by changing religions. But she comes to church every week and is already basically a member. We are going to have a "Noche de Hogar" of "Family Night" tonight at there home and basically the whole branch is invited. So we are excited for that.

Have a great week everyone!!

Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260

Power of Testimony and the Book of Mormon

We had interviews with President Foote this week. He is a very loving and humble man. We also were able to talk with his wife one-on-one and meet her. She is wonderful as well.

We had a dinner apt. with a member at 6 o'clock Friday night. We arrived at the trailer park around 5 o'clock and to knock on some doors and meet some people. We went to the neighbor of the member and approached her door. I tried to pull out the screen door but it got stuck so I fiddled around with it a bit and finally pulled it out. Elder Graf went to knock on the door the same time as Gaby opened it and her scared her half to deaf. It was a great way to break the ice. She apologized for some of the words she had said but we don't know any of the Spanish swear words so it was ok. She invited us in, but we aren't allowed to enter a home if there is not a man inside. So we went for the member.

We asked Brother Rangel if he could come and he was so-so, but said ok after dinner. We ate dinner and talked with him. He expressed to us how he feels like he is trying so hard and nothing is coming of it. He said his faith was running low and he felt like he didn't have the spirit with him. He didn't even want to come out with us because he didn't feel like he would be able to testify. I think we all feel like that sometimes. We have to understand that we aren't perfect and keep doing our very best. We talked with him for over an hour and then gave him a blessing. We then took him to his neighbors home and he testified of the Gospel so beautifully. He testified for nearly 40 min straight and Gaby related to all of it.

When we feel like our faith is low and we aren't seeing the blessing that are coming one of the best ways to lift our spirits is to help others and to bear your testimony to them.

Sorry this email is long, you don't have to read it all. But here is something from my studies. 

2 Nephi 30: 3-6:
 
 3 And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed.

 4 And then shall the remnant of our seed know concerning us, how that we came out from Jerusalem, and that they are descendants of the Jews.

 5 And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers.

 6 And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people.

These verses were powerful to me because I realized that I was a part of them. That over 2000 years ago Nephi was prophesying of missionaries who would declare the gospel of Jesus Christ unto the seed of his brethren and that that is exactly what I and my companion are doing right now in our lives.

I'm very grateful to be a missionary. I'm grateful to declare the gospel to the Lamanites here in Georgia. And I do it because I know "that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God." And that those who receive it will have great cause to rejoice.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It's prophecies are unfolding before our eyes. When we use it and abide by it's principle we become a "pure and delightsome people".

 

Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260

Cleaning and such

I consider myself a clean person. I like things to be neat and organized and have tried to keep things clean my whole mission. I'm very grateful to have a companion that likes to be clean as well.

Ever since Elder Graf has gotten into the apartment he has been cleaning like crazy. I didn't realize that our apartment was so dirty. It looked clean, but Elder Graf wanted it deep cleaned! As we've deep cleaned our apartment I've realized how easy it had become for me to get a little lazy. Not just in cleaning but in my life. I've had to do some inner searching and begin to deep clean my-self. Sometimes we feel like we have to just keep driving and driving and driving but if we never take time to check the engine and make sure it has all the fluids it needs and is running clean, then we are going to break down.

Oh, I almost forgot. We met the new mission president this week. President Foote. He is so loving and kind! I'm very excited to serve under him. His words of advice, "see the good in the world and in yourself."

 

Elder Harmon

1019 Marquis Way

Morrow, GA 30260