Feb 24, 2014

Hello Family!!

It was an incredible week to say the least, and I am absolutely exhausted. On Monday we had a really good P-day and it was nice to just chill for a day, we didn't do anything special. On Tuesday Elder Unice and I were street contacting, and I started talking to a guy, and Elder Unice felt like he needed to talk to someone who was walking by, so we were seperately street contacting, and the guy I was talking to needed start walking, so I walked with him, and Elder Unice and I got lost from each other, and we only have one phone for the 2 of us. So thankfully, I found another companionship that was at the city center and I joined with them street contacting. Elder Hall, who is one of my greatest mission friends, and I decided that we would really look for people until we felt compelled to talk to someone. We ended up talking to the sickkest guy ever wearing beats by dre. headphones. We talked to him about the purpose of life, then preceded to set up the return appointment, and he was like, I would love it if you guys could teach me right now! so we sat on a bench, taught him the Plan of Salvation, and put him on a baptismal date! it was a miracle! I have never done that on my mission yet but it was brilliant. And he is really solid, he has already read most of 1 Nephi. 

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we taught Gifty to get her ready for the baptism on Saturday, but unfortunately she didn't make it. however, she did come to church again!  Which is the 3rd time in a row, and she is developing really good relationships with the ward, so that's brilliant. On Thursday we taught lessons to most of our investigators who were qualified for baptism, and we found out that after that, only Luis, Long, and Cathy would be able to be baptized! 

Saturday was the most incrediblie day of my mission! Most of the day we were making preperations for the baptism which was in the evening, making food, picking up investigators and members, etc. The massive bus took around 60 people to the baptism, and then there were about 50 more people who made it out, so we had 100 + who attended.  Cathy, Luis, and Long were baptized and they loved it! the spirit was so strong and so many of the members were feeling it. Because 7 baptisms in one week for a ward is sooo rare in England, the members were so happy. After the baptism we went and ate at Coventry Chapel, and all of the members were so motivated to fellowship the investigators and recent converts that were in the room. Yesterday at a dinner appointment, the Reynolds family who we visited were basically begging us to get them involved with the work, whether it was referrals of their friends, teaching with us, lifts to church, etc. It was so cool to see the spirit of the lord not only soften the hearts of the nonmembers, but the energy it brought to the members was almost more incredible.  It is great to be in Coventry. Enzo, Sneya, Nick, and Carol were also baptized, and they are soo good as well. 

Sunday was amazing as well. I did back to back to back confirmations for our investigators, and then after the confirmations of all 7, I got to bless the Sacrament with Luke (the convert we baptized in January) for his first time! It was such an incredible experience. President Rasmussen came to our ward and taught a little bit of the second hour for investigators and recent converts.  After church I was exhausted. I just needed a break to chill and SLEEP. I'm still exhausted but P-day will be great. 

MEGGSSS!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I hope that you had an amazing day, and you should send me an email with your email address so I can get your address and stuff just incase I want to send you something haha.

MOMMMMYYY!! happy birthday to you! how old are you now? 35? you look it!!

Tell Spence to email me so he can give me details on this Mizuno sponsorship. That is sweet!  They make really good irons actually!!

For dad- I'm not sure of the full names for our investigators cause they go by their English names.  All I know is that Long Wang is the full name of Long. what a sick name huh!!  He's a legend. 

I have more pictures of this week but for some reason the computer I'm using at the moment won't allow me to upload them... soo I'm sorry!!

I love you all like heck, and I hope all of you are having the time of your life doing whatever you're doing! Mike and Josh, it would be good to hear from you!!

Have a great week,

Elder Sam Harris.

Feb 17, 2014

Hey fam and friends!

Another great week! we have completed the discussions with Da Hua, Michael,  Albert, Frank, Luis, Long, Cathy, Gifty, and Rosalyn! so those are the investigators eligible for baptism on Saturday. It would be outstanding if they would all make it, and again, I ask for your prayers for them to make it! if they don't make it on saturday, I know they will sometime in March or in the near future, but I would love to see them be baptized as I might leave Coventry soon!

On Monday Mitch sent us a text basically saying that his family went balistic when they heard he was going to church, and so he's not allowed to come to church anymore. He was so exited for his baptism! so that was a huge bummer. but we are still meeting with him every once and a while at the university when we can. Elder Unice and I have now been kicked out of the University hang out we were teaching at, and the public library. so we don't have anywhere to teach besides people's houses right now, which we could use help with! we taught a couple of lessons in ikea, and it was alright, but please pray for us to find another good place to teach!

The valentine's package was awesome! I love that book with some of my closest friends! I also LOVED all of the letters from spencers friends, and their advice for me on how to enjoy my mission and continue working hard. I really needed all of their encouragement and support while I am out here! I could sense in their writing their love for being a missionary, and it makes me never want to leave! also, thank you for the goldfish and for the puzzle. however with the puzzle, there is  no picture for me to look at! so I am just putting it together with no idea what it actually is! haha

On Saturday, and yesterday, we had dinner appointments with members of our church who are from India, and we had some AMAZING indian food. before my mission I wasn't a big fan, but I think it might be my favorite along with chinese food. 

On Sunday we had 10 investigators at church! Nora and Sheri haven't missed a week in like 5 weeks! they are coming to the baptism on saturday so they can see it, and tell their parents about it, hoping that they will eventually get the  consent ffrom them to join the church. they are incredible and possibly two of my favorite invesigators I've had my whole mission. 

Yesterday at church sacrament meeting was all about families, and so many different times throughout the lesson the spirit hit me so powerfully! the peaking moment when we sang families can be together forever. I absolutely know that to be true. All of my life I have been blessed with the spiritual gift of being very confident and sure of my belief in God, and the power of the atonement which was an excellent foundation for my testimony. Constantly on my mission I am reminded of basic truths of the gospel that will almost knock me off my chair. For example: WOW, Joseph Smith actually was a prophet.. Thomas S. Monson actually does have the exact same keys and power as Moses/Abraham/Adam/Joseph Smith etc. I love when these things become real to me, and nothing makes me happier. Seeing the people in England with and without the gospel is quite an incredible difference. And I have noticed that the difference is hope.  We have a hope that the church is true, and that we do have a purpose in this life. So many members of the church struggle with their testimonies in different areas and never develop a perfect knowledge, but their hope for a better world keeps them happy!  And it's amazing.   If anyone back home is struggling with their testimony and is confused about something, please email me! I would LOVE to help you get back on track and experience the great happiness which is the gospel of Jesus Christ!!  I'm not saying my testimony is perfect because there is so much that I need to learn and apply in my life to become more Christlike. My calling is to invite people to come unto Christ, not just to those in England! I love this gospel, and sincerely want everyone to hear the message and experience the hope that it brings.  Love y'all like heck!!  Que tengan una buena semana!!

Feb 10, 2014

   This was easily the quickest week of my mission!

We taught 25 lessons this week which was the most of my mission so far! On Monday we had a really good appointment with Da Hua, and committed him to everything, and finished the lessons with him! he is now ready for baptism, except he didn't come to church yesterday, because he slept in, but he's been 3 other times so all is well!

On tuesday we had an incredible lesson with Our investigator Mitch, the only English kid. He is so cool! we saw him nearly every day this week and each day the light inside of him becomes brighter and brighter.  Our investigator from Ghana, Gifty, fed us 4 times this week. She keeps the food warm for us every day just incase we come over haha she is the cutest! an absolute miracle happened with her. We were kind of stuck with Gifty, not sure what we needed to do to help her progress. She is going back to University, being 35, she hasn't done school for the last half of her life, and so she's needed a lot of help. She was praying at night, and for some reason she couldn't stop thinking about the church, and how she probably needed to take it more seriously. She prayed and asked heavenly father to help her confirm that the things we teach her about eternal famillies are true. she went to University the next day, and became friends with the kid sitting next to her named Morgan, who is a genius. So she called us and told us that she found a friend to help her with her class work, and she was really exited. We went over to her house later that day, and Morgan is a Yound Single Adult in Coventry ward, who is every active. She took this whole thing as a confirmation that she definitely needs to be baptized soon which is terrific and we are way stoked!

We watched the restoration DVD in Chinese with almost all of our investigators this week because they have been taught every lesson so we are now reviewing things before the 22nd! On last monday, the Zone leaders in Coventry decided that we should have a chinese activity at the church because of all of the invesigators, so we decided to have a chinese hot pot party! it was super last minute, and we ended up being able to bring 30 non-members which was a huge miracle!! I didn't take a lot of pictures, but I did take a lot of videos that you will be able to see when you get the sd card.

church was great! we had 10 investigators at church and they all loved it! The investigators all went around the room in sunday school and introduced themselves and why they were at church. some of the funny responses were Michael and Cathy. Michael said, "I am here because Elder Unice and Elder Harris Kidnapped me, and I had no choice" in broken chinese it was hilarious. and then Cathy said, "I am here because Elder Unice and Elder Harris are so cute! and they have helped me become content with my life, and the feeling inside my heart is always so warm and happy when I am worshipping god." We went to the homeless shelter again, and then we went over to Sam Bowles house later that night and it was a great day! today for P-day we are going to a transport musuem in the city center. should be alright! love you all so much, talk to you soon! The picture is me and Nora and Sheri! The scroll that our investigator Cathy gave us, and then Elder Unice, Michael Jordan, and I on Chinese new year!

Feb 3, 2014

This week was pretty good!

 

I cannot believe it's been a week since last monday! time FLIES. I cannot believe the seahawks just stomped on the Broncos. We had some amazing lessons and New Investigatos this week! so on the 22nd of February it looks like at least 6 of our investigators will be baptized, and hopefully 10 will make it! They have decided that because the font isn't going to be ready by then, the mission is hiring a coach to go to the nearest chapel, because within the whole ward, there should be about 12 baptisms! an absolute miracle in Coventry. 

 

We have a white investigator who is progressing!! wooo!! haha he is so cool, his name is Mitch and he's an absolute Legend. He came to church yesterday and enjoyed it, and will come again. His life has changed pretty dramatically in 3 weeks from learning about the gospel, and it's incredible to see the changes the lord can make in such a short period of time. 

 

On Friday we went to the chinese new year gathering at the University to watch our investigators perfrom. it was so awesome!! Ni hao ma is all I can say. I'm pretty sure the brethren messed up on my mission call.. I should have gone to Hong Kong. Just kidding, I know I'm in the right place for a reason but I wish I was sorrounded by purely chinese and their amazing culture and food and humor. 

 

Nora and Sheri REALLY want to get baptized, but still can't! because they still need their parents consent. so please continue to pray for them to be able to get baptized so they can have the gift of the holy ghost in their lives! This week i would love to ask to concentrate your prayers on Nora, Sheri, Michael, Da Hua, Cathy, Long, Luis, Frank, Aramide, Gifty, Rosalyn, Albert, and Jim. All possible for the 22nd of February. I love you guys so  much! so many incredible things are happening in our lives, and we are so blessed to have this time on earth to learn and grow from one another. I love you all!

January 27, 2014

hello family and friends!

The work is still great! I do not have a lot of time this week so please forgive me for not writing loads.  I missed you guys this week. a lot! every night I had a dream that had Spencer in it, and most of them with the rest of the fam as well! I loved it! We are working with the most incredible people of my whole mission! have I mentioned my love for chinese people? if I haven't let me just re-emphasize how incredible they are. on thursday we taught cathy, zed, louis, and long at the uni and had a great lesson for the word of wisdom, all of them committed to living it, and Louis and long haven't smoked since thursday. On friday we ran into long on the street and he said, "Elders! tonight we all cook for you!!" so we had a sweet feast with them at Louis' and Long's house.
amazing food. It was so fun to watch them eat with chopsticks and enjoy the chinese culture. AMAZING food! better than P.F. changs, and the way you eat it is so fun! you don't have a plate, you just have a little bowl of rice, but you just take the food with chopsticks, and then put it in your mouth, so the rice is basically just for if you eat something too spicy.  We will definitely be adapting some of their culture when I come home. We had a great time on friday, and then after we were done, Cathy and zed invited us over to their house saturday night for another chinese feast, and then we taught them after. They brought 2 of their non-member friends. So... from finding cathy and zed at city center, we are now teaching cathy, zed, tina, frank, louis and long as a result! they are amazing missionaries and their faith is so good! They all came to church and loved  it again. 

Some really bad news.. Coventry's baptismal font is not functional until March 1. we had a baptism on saturdayand 4 on the 8th that all have to get moved back, unless we travel to the nearest chapel which is 30 minutes away. so we will see what we decide to do. we had 8 investigators at church again, and would have had more if it wasn't for the terrible weather. we have 4 investigators that either cycle or walk. and yesterday  morning was a crazy storm so they didn't come which was sad but understandable. I definitely would not have came if I wasn't a missionary because of the storm. but cycling in the rain can sometimes be fun :)

on Friday we are going to the chinese new year party that the university is throwing, and our chinese investigators have agreed to introduce us to all of their friends! so it is going to be an amazing oppurtunity to find even more people to find! I sincerely don't want to leave Coventry my whole mission, but we will see what happens.  In Coventry ward we had 21 investigators at sacrament meeting, and we found out that our ward is now leading the mission! which was really exiting for all of us.  Miracles are happening like crazy!

Is everyone rooting for the seahawks?? I predict this will be one of the best superbowls of all time, so ENJOY IT. enjoy it for me, I will be missing you guys like crazy on sunday morning. probably the same as I did on Christmas! but ti's all good, because we've got every other superbowl of the rest of our lives together! Hows megs and lau and ky doing? So good to hear that you are all happy and progressing. 

Something pretty neat I've been studying in the book of mormon.. it's basically a book that tells us that when we are obedient we receive blessings, prospering, and happiness, and when we are not obedient we don't have the promise, and it's so true! I love this gospel, I love the chinese, I love our savior, I love you guys so much, and I appreciate your prayers. have an incredibile week! nothing is too hard for the lord! 

Elder Samuel Harris. 

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.

Pic of Sam at a Baptism

That is the Sam we know and LOVE!!! Check out that Smile!