Weekly Update from Sunny Santiago

First answers to questions:

I´ve been able to use my priesthood. We´ve given 5 blessings for health and 1 for comfort.

The ward is good, but the church in general is kind of weak in many areas because it's really like it's new here. We just had 3 missionaries come home to the ward, and the potential for 4 in the next 2 years. The ward mission leader is a returned missionary but has to work a ton, so can´t do alot. And honestly, many people in the missionary work callings in the ward don´t understand their callings so that's difficult.

We get to attend the temple 3 times in the mission. Once a year, and at the end of the mission.

I´m not just eating cold cereal, and if you know me, you know that that is rediculous to say :) No, I´ve made curry twice, pancakes or crepes every other morning, sometimes french toast, and various other things for meals including hamburgers, tortellini, and spaghetti.

Church meetings are like at home, with Sacrament first. Testimony meetings are amazing, and things run pretty smoothly, though we don´t have a first counselor in the Bishopric.

The house is good, small and it gets cluttered quickly because there´s four of us, but I´m surviving :)

My Spanish is good. I´m able to express almost all my feelings, and can understand almost everyone. In truth, I´ve been given the gift of tongues.

Mission Facts:

In the last 10 weeks me and my companion have contacted (in the street or in the doorways) over 1,500 people.

I´m already past a sixth of my mission - it's going way too quick :/

Scripture I liked a lot this week:

Alma 43:45 "What are we fighting for in our lives?"

Experiences:

One fun thing we did last week was going to the "Feria" or a street vending place and trying to talk to people with a table and everything. We got a lot of contacts for other areas and it was fun to do something other than "tocando puertas".

We´re teaching many people and there are at least 3 that have a lot of potential. Next week I´ll talk more about them, and the other good things that have happened recently.

Teaser for next week, a recent convert chastising a rude evangelical....

Thanks for the love and support. I´m thinking of you, but extremely focused in the work.

Mucho Amor

Su Missionero

Elder Harrison

Latest from Chile

Elder Harrison's latest:

This week will be mostly responses to questions:
-I didn´t change in this last transfer, but either me but more likely my companion will leave in 3 weeks. If he leaves I´ll have to show the new ZL the area which will be interesting :)
-From my current companion I´ve learned to have faith in the Lord´s power over this work, and not get down in difficult moments.
-I´m talking to many many people in the street and at their doors. In fact we´ve done 231 contacts this past week, which is by far the lead in the Zone. I enjoy the challenge. :) And of course the opportunity to find new people...
-A lot of my spiritual revelation is really only applicable to our investigators and what we´re going to teach them, and what they need right now. But I´ll be sure to advise you when I know what the book of Revelation means. ;)
-The food is fatty, European, and usually quite good. But the portions are outrageous. And while I feel terrible asking for smaller portions, as you know, I explode if I try to eat too much.

-The house is small, but sufficient.

-And the weather right now is very comfortable with wind and sun.
-The portion of people that continue with the lessons after first contact is very small because it's very difficult to encounter them in the house after. And even if we do, they´re really not ready. The two young boys aren´t progressing to their baptisms, but we´ve got to others - Marta and Jorge that are both going to church every Sunday.

Sorry I ran out of time today, but I´ll respond to more questions next week, and give more stories.

Con Amor
Elder Harrison

January Updates

Here are the last two weekly e-mails we have received from Elder Parry Harrison:

January 9, 2012

This week went really quickly. Apparently you all want to hear more about my investigators and such. :) I haven´t written much because we don´t have anyone that is really full-on investigating the church. Some are passively listening to the lessons, but at this point no one is really full-on involved in changing their life.

Yesterday, we taught a young couple from Peru named Angela and Alexander and their two kids Angie, 9, and Kevin, 3. I have a lot of hope that they´ll be good. It’s hard though because during this time of year practically everyone leaves for vacations for a month or more and it´s hard to get back in contact with them. This couple is going to visit their family at the end of this month to March, so there is a good chance they´ll have to be baptized in Peru. It’s going to be interesting. :)

We´re also teaching Kevin (the “joven” that’s 16). It’s hard because his dad is opposed to his baptism, and even though he lives with his mom, he respects his dad´s opinion and really hasn´t gained too strong of a testimony of the Gospel yet. But we´re working with him and hope the Spirit will touch his father.

We are working a lot and are the examples for the rest of the Zone with the # of lessons we teach and how many people we´re contacting (247 people this week). It´s hard to see the “desanimo” of the other companionships but we´re trying to help them there.

A drunk came into the Church this week and pulled out a knife on the Young Men´s President. But nothing horrible happened and the situation was taken care of. I love you a lot. And hope you’re doing well.

Su Missionero

Parry

January 16, 2012

First, here is a list of great scriptures I´ve recently found in personal study: Alma 5:6 with a statement of the previous mission president: "our faith is proportional to our remembrance". I also really like Alma 3:23, and Mosiah 10:12-17, thinking about if we choose to feel wronged and how we affect others with our bad example.

We´ve been having difficulties with Kevin reading, praying, and going to Church. And were about to say good bye, but then he said he´d received an answer that the Church was true! We recommitted him to read and pray every day and go to Church this Sunday and gave him a new baptism date for the 29th. Also, we´re teaching a golden investigator named Marta whose father is an inactive member. We can only teach her on Sunday because she works late all the other days. But she´s already gone to Church twice and is already loving everything.

I´ve gained a real testimony of the power of going to Church and paying attention while out here. I know that we can always learn something new, and “edificar” our testimony by sharing it. Also, I challenge you to read at least 15 minutes in the Book of Mormon every day. I´ve seen it change my life and view of the Gospel and the lives of so many investigators. And I know your faith and testimony will grow.

This week we heard a sound in our roof, and couldn´t make it stop. When we finally opened up the ceiling we found a tiny newly born kitten. We put it outside and the mom came and got it. It was really cute.

Much Love

Parry