February Updates

February 6, 2012

Hello, I hope all is going well

Answers to questions:

“Contacts”: It means talking to someone on the street or in their doorways, and asking to talk to them right then, or later. We don´t return to talk to them too much after the first visit because of two reasons:  First, they´re never home after that, or, second, they just don´t want to listen.  I´d say after the first lesson we continue teaching around 50%.  We haven´t been kicked out of someone´s house because they just wouldn´t let us in in the first place.  But a couple of people have said they´d like us to stop visiting them.

Our house: We do not have cockroaches! And the house is relatively clean.

The Ward: Church is pretty much the same, but with fewer people in the ward attending (about 100).  Testimony meeting is great because there are never awkward pauses and the testimonies are really simple and powerful.

The language:  I feel great about Spanish now.  I can communicate with almost anyone and while I don´t know all the words they use, I get along. I never really had culture shock, so I guess I´m past it :)

Spiritual Experiences: A piece of personal revelation came yesterday during Sacrament meeting - 11 people bore witnesses of the Gold Plates and the Book of Mormon, 1,000´s gave their lives in testimony to the truthfulness of the Book, and 1,000,000´s bear witness that the Book is the word of God every month.  What other singular thing has had so clear a testimony of its “verasidad”? It Must Be True! 

I´m finding immense joy in sharing the Gospel. Me and my companion are laughing a lot during the day.  And have many inside jokes.  Also, we were teaching a Seventh Day Adventist family for a little while. Testifying of the Book of Mormon to those who already think they´ve got a prophet (and are a little crazy) grew my testimony immensely.

I loved Elder Callister´s talk from Conference and challenge you to read it. I love those talks, and just finished reading the Ensign for the 2.5 time. Now, I´m reading past Conference issues left in the house.

Lots of love

From the other side of the world

Su missionero

Elder Parry Harrison

February 13, 2012

I´m so sorry but I´ve just spent 15 minutes getting great talks from lds.org to give to investigators and members. So I don´t have a lot of time to write.  But it’s sufficient to say that I´m changing companions, and I´ve learned a lot from Elder Dearden.  One day for service we carried around brooms offering to serve people. Just one example of service we´ve done here... I´ll tell more stories next week.

This is my letter to the President this week:

I´ve learned a lot from Elder Dearden.  Patience, Endurance, Faith, and Diligence.  I´m a little scared for this transfer. But, I have faith that the elders replacing us in our sector will be able to take care of those that are preparing for baptism.  I´ve never felt the Spirit more strongly in my life. I´ve never bore more pure of a testimony.  I´ve never felt more pure charity towards people that are almost strangers.  I am now a missionary. Trained for 19 years for this mission.  Special training from one of the best for the last 3 months.  And I´m ready to change the lives of those I serve, and mine in the process.

Lots of love and testimony

Elder Parry Harrison