Jan 20th 2014

I feel like every week gets better and better!

Everything is going incredibly well with our investigators. We found out Cathy and Zed are living together, which was a really big bummer, and I was talking to zed about how they would have to move out if Zed wanted to baptize cathy, and yesterday at church zed told us that they are moving out on thursday!! How amazing is their faith? We are so blessed to have been able to find them street contacting. Zed's best friend Luis is looking really good for the 1st of February, and was at church again. Luis' invited his best friend Long to hear the lessons, and now he is on a date for the 1st of Ferbruary, and he loved church yesterday as well!!

On Thursday we taught a really sweet Nigerian kid named Chijoki for the first time, and he is pretty solid! he is now on a baptismal date as well and is loving the gospel.  Elder Unice and I were  teaching 7 chinese people at one time this week at the university. every time people walked by they thought it was so strange to see 7 chinese and 2 americans talking about god, but it was so amazing to see that we were making a difference in bringing the work forward.  I feel like part of the reason we are having so much success with chinese students, is so that after they accept the gospel, they can bring it to china and the china missions can open, and then the nation will absolutely explode with the gospel!! Something really sad happened later on Thursday as we were teaching 2 of our chinese investigators Nora and Sheri, as we asked about how they were feeling for their baptismal dates, they let us know that their parents in china said that they can't be baptized.  We have been fasting and praying that their parents will soften their hearts so that they can enter the waters of baptism, and I would love to invite you to also pray for them. they are probably my favorite current investigators, and they are so elect! they LOVED church yesterday. Nora was smiling the entire time. 

On Saturday we taught 2 new chinese girls named maggy and Amy, who are on a baptismal date now as well for the 15th of February! Maggy is solid as a rock and I am 100% sure that she will be baptized! she understands the atonement perfectly and is so exited to use it! We also received a media referral on saturday from the church head quarters (Hardly ever happens in England) and met a really sweet chinese student named Da Hua who is elect! he came to church as well!

Gifty and Roselyn didn't come to church again this week which was so frustrating, but so many of our other investigators did so it was a very bittersweet day! If it wasn't for the stress of getting investigators to church, missions would literally be stress-free! 

As of right now, Elder  Unice and I currently have 12 on a baptismal date! Which I never in a million years thought would happen on my mission, but when we forget about ourselves and go to work, the lord will assist in performing many miracles! Alma 26:12.. It's amazing how much smoother things run, when we are laboring for, and expecting miracles every day. 

Please keep Gifty, Rosalyn, Michael, Luis, Long, Chijoki, Cathy, Nora, Sheri, Da Hua, Maggy, and Amy in your prayers! (9 of them chinese, 3 african) When I opened my mission call to England, I never expected this.. but I would NEVER ask for anything different. I love Coventry, I love this work. There is honestly nothing like hitting the pavement hard all day and going to bed knowing that we gave it our all that day. I never want to come home! I miss you all like crazy, don't get me wrong, but this work is so addicting, satisfying, and incredible.  I love you all to the moon and back. Randomly throughout the week I will think of random memories I have with each member of our family, and I am truly best to have been born into such an incredbile family, I will forever be grateful the sacrifices and the love that y'all have shown me and continue to show me as you support me serving the lord's mission in England.  take care!

Elder Samuel Joseph Harris.