June 23

This week was intense! 

So.. remember Michael, the Zimbabwean former investigator?? Well, we were having a lesson with him this week on Thursday, and he was showing small concerns of why he wouldn't be able to be baptized on the 5th of July.  We read with him the promise in 2 Nephi 31 that baptism is the gateway to eternal life. we asked him to ponder about what eternal life was, and what it meant to him, and we all sat there in silence pondering for a couple of minutes. the spirit was on fire.  Elder Costigan said, "Michael, How badly do you want eternal life." Micahel said, "I want the surety as soon as possible," then we invited him to be baptized on this saturday instead of the 5th of July and we sat there in silence for a bit and then eventually he said, "absolutely".  so. Michael was baptized on Saturday. It was an incredible, heartwarming service. Elder Debeikes, my companion in Coventry who is now the district leader in Loughborough was able to get in his whites for the first time and baptize their chinese investigator named Feng.  He is the man! 

On Tuesday we went to go visit Ivy before she left for London for the week, and her and her roommates were doing some gardening, so we helped them for a couple of hours, and meanwhile, we were able to become mates with her roommates, to make a long story short, Barry, Ivy's roommate is one of our leading progressing investigators, he came to church, and has so much real intent! every time we go to teach Barry he has questions written down about things he's read in the book of mormon, or what he's read onmormon.org. He is a legend at guitar as well so he's been teaching me how to play bar chords, we will go to his house during p-day today because he wants to cook us chinese food.  

The zone is doing great! this week we have zone conference, and so that means that we get to buy 300£ worth of subway, which means it all goes on my subway card, which means I get 4 free foot longs :) life is good! #SubwayTenderMercies.  

After the baptism on saturday we went out to eat with some of our chinese investigators and recent converts, and it was a blast! 

Elder Costigan and I were studying patterns in companionship study, and we both realized that a pattern of success and growing in love and friendship with our investigators has been food. so we made plans for this next week of how we're either going to make meals for our investigators, bake them cookies, have them make us food, or somehow, be able to eat a meal together. We are really exited about how this is going to help us! 

Yesterday at church was a very special day as well! not only was Michael confirmed, but david, our recent convert from a few weeks ago, was interviewed for the aaronic priesthood and I was able to ordain him a preist yesterday, which was such a special experience! not only will he be passing the sacrament, blessing the sacrament, but he will be BAPTIZING Ivy on the 5th of July. He also came out teaching with us a few times this week, and he was incredible! The best way to help a recent convert to stay active is to get them to feel the missionary spirit, and we are exited for the way that david will share the gospel in England, but we are especially exited for the day when David, like so many others, will return to china and open the doors of the gospel to the most populated place in the world! I can't wait for the day that china is opened. 

Life is good, the work is great, being a missionary is the greatest. I've said this way too many times, but if any you have problems you need to sort out, just share the gospel and all of your problems will be fixed! It actually doesn't make any sense to me that by sacraficing other things that are important to us and putting the lord first we will be happier, but it's so true. Satan just does an incredible job of giving us reasons why this won't make us more happy. but it will. I know it! 

I love each of you so much! I will attatch some pictures of the baptism and some other pictures, I hope you enjoy them! and I hope you have an incredible week! take care :)

Elder Sam Harris. 

p.s. USA! 

June 16, 2014

Well, I just want to start out this email with a massive frustration of mine!

We can't watch the world cup. everyone we talk to on the street just mentions how they were up all night watching the different games and they ask us what we thought of certain calls the referree's made and everything, and it's the worst! it's like someone who's trying to go on a diet and everything the only thing they can see is chocolate cake! but all is well. just a small sacrafice. I should have about at least 15 more world cups to watch in my life so it should be fine! 

I was bummed to hear that England lost even though I wasn't able to watch the game, I still hope that they will be able to do well, and crazy how Netherlands laid down the hammer on Spain. good stuff! 

Other than the small bummer, the work is still going great! we have been continuing to see some incredible miracles.  Ivy is doing AMAZING. she is up there with a few of my favorite investigators from my whole mission. She's so humble and sweet and she has changed so much from applying the gospel in her life! she always tells us how she's so exited to join the church and share the gospel with her friends.  This week we were able to teach her temples, and forever families and in her own words, "that is the most beautiful thing I have ever learned in my whole life." It absolutely is. She is 26, getting her masters degree at Loughborough  University, from china. We found out this week she had a kid 3 years ago! we were way pumped to hear that! she would be the dopest mom. anyways she goes to London this weekend for a week so she won't be able to be baptized until the 5th of july but I don't really mind that we have to wait a few weeks. 

We felt prompted to go by a former investigator this week from Zimbabwe, he dropped the missionaries a few months ago. He has continued reading in the book of mormon and he now knows the church is true. He will be baptized on the 5th of July as well along with Ivy (Yung Shou) Henry, and Caroline (An Jinyi). the work is progressing!

I got my license this week! it was a miracle that I took my drivers test in downtown Nottingham because there was loads of traffic so I actually only drove around the corner before the timed test was over and I had only made a few mistakes. relieved to have that whole thing over with, it was honestly causing the most unneeded stress haha but it's done now :) 

oh, something weird that happened this week, when I was on exchange with one of the district leaders named Elder Sommer, we went to contact this guy and he straight away told me to take my helmet off so he could fight me. this guy was pretty persistant that we were going to have a fight, and all I said is hello. but eventually after us trying to calm him down it was just best that we rode off. We are so blessed that we do not have to act in these ways! 

I'll be completely honest and say that I hardly ever know what to say to you during these weekly emails, but I hope they aren't extremely boring like I feel like they are! well I love you! please enjoy these sporting events, they are probably the biggest sacrifice I am making to be honest, and sometimes it KILLS me, but I'm sure when I am home I would have no problem to sacrifice those things over and over again to be a missionary. 

Have a good week! I love you all so much!!! 

June 9, 2014

Hey family!

This week was another great one.  David was baptized and confirmed! enjoy the pictures of him. he is the one sitting down, and the one in between elder Costigan and I. the person who baptized him is a recent convert of 3 months who is such a beast at sharing the gospel, a great example to us of how we need to be when were members back home and we have something as prescious as the gospel. After the baptism we walked home with David, and he told us the story of the series of events that lead him to want to be baptized. The lord was with us every step of the way in our teaching process and it was cool to hear his conversion story from his mouth. On Sunday after his confirmation he was so exited! He is looking forward to receiving the priesthood in a few weeks and hopefully attending the temple to do proxy baptisms. 

The ward asked me to give a talk this week on developing Christlike attributes, I shared some quotes from preach my gospel and linked developing christlike attributes to repentance, by sharing the conversion story of Alma the Younger in Alma 36, and how he developed christlike attributes because of this repentance.  I hope they enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed studying for it.  

On Monday we got a call from an unknown number and he told us that he wanted to see us as soon as possible, we immediately went there and he told us that he investigated the church 4 years ago and wants to be baptized. So... that was a miracle! haha to say the least. he will hopefully be baptized on the 21st. His name is Michael, he is 60, is addicted to smoking, and is very depressed. He needs the gospel so much and we are exited to see what it will be able to do for him.  

Another sweet investigator were working with at the moment is Ivy. She is a chinese Uni student who will be baptized on the 21st for sure. It's amazing how much we have been blessed, I feel like we don't deserve half the things we have been able to see. 

I'm grateful for the gospel. I LOVE that the gospel is about becoming better each day, and not just an immediate elevator effect. I love the oppurtunities we have to learn and grow from our successes and our hardest trials.  I love Joseph Smith, he truly is my biggest idol besides Jesus Christ. 

If any of you are struggling or not content with something in your life, share the gospel! it fixes everything. have a great week!! 

June 2, 2014

Hello family and friends! 

I love you! I really do! 

This week was once again, phenomenal! it's crazy to see what has happened to the area in Loughborough. The Loughborough district of 3 teams went from teaching around 18 lessons a week, to about 45 on average. the work is going nuts and it's so fun to be a part of it! I'm still trying to figure out this whole pattern thing in missionary work. I'm thinking I've come to a conclusion that god decides when he wants the work to progress and when he wants people to learn from not having as much.  This week I really missed beto's. just a side note, but holy cow I feel like the greasiest breakfast burrito would change the world! 

I got to go on exchange with Elder Debeikes, one of my favorite companions this week and it was incredible. the whole day we just talked about how much we wanted to serve together again. Before the mission on our way to Lake powell dad told me that I would become just as close with some of my companions as with some of my baseball teammates. I thought he was absolutely off his rocker, taking the mick! but it is true, especially with Elder Debeikes and Elder Unice they are my brothers.  We were able to teach a few people and spend some good time finding, we went to a pizza place that was a massive pizza for only 4£ so that made me happy.  We made a lot of progress with david this week. his date is fixed for this saturday, the 7th! please keep him in your prayers as well. Not only are we exited that David is getting baptized, but what I'm more exited about is a recent convert, also chinese, named Ji, will be baptizing David! looking forward to showing you pictures next week! 

Here's a cool story from last week! so we had 10 minutes before 9 so we decided we'd do one last stop by before we went in, so we locked our bikes together, not to anything outside of our investigators house. When we came out of the house 5 minutes later, our bikes had been stolen! we were way upset and asking everyone if they'd seen our bikes, but eventually we gave up looking and because we were on exchange, Elder costigan came and picked us up and dropped us off at our flat.  4 days later, we were going by an investigator and she wasn't in, and for some reason I had an impression to go look in some random persons back yard, so we did, and our bikes were still chained together there! we called the police, and they were like, "if they're youur bikes than why don't you just go into the back yard and get them!" so we did. as we were walking out with them, one of the kids saw us, and started yelling for his parents, but we booked it out of there and now we have our bikes again! it was a way cool experience that I'll never forget! 

I know the church is true. I love being a missionary! Please continue to pray for me and for the missionaries, members, and investigators that i am working with! I love you all so much, have a great week!!