July 22, 2013

Hola! It is another hot summer day in Sunny Tucson AZ! Actually this week has been cooler compared to the past weeks that we've had. We had a monsoon this week!!! It was a downpoor for about 45 minutes and felt so amazing to play in!

We were about 8 miles away from our apartment and we could see the storm clouds rolling in fast! So we biked our bottoms off through the tormenting wind and made it home just minutes before the rain started. It didn't matter of course because just as the rain started, we both ran outside and took videos and pictures in it. We were drenched within seconds of being out there.

So yesterday at Church I heard a pretty awesome story and I experienced something awesome too. I'll tell the story first.

A guy in my ward was hiking up the mountain by us and saw the storm clouds were right overhead. He was really worried cause the rain was starting to come down and he wouldn't have enough time to make it to the bottom of the mountain. So he hiked just a little farther up and got to a flat area where 3 large car sized boulders had stacked on top of each other to form an opening just big enough for him to crawl under. He did so and waited out the storm then emerged completely dry. He hiked up a little farther then started his way back down. As he got around the same area where he hid from the rain, he couldn't find it. The 3 boulders had disappeared somehow and were no where to be found. It truly was a miracle.

Also at church, we brought our investigator Frank to church with us. We had 8 people committed to coming and only 3 showed up. But that is still 3 people more than we were expecting actually! So as we were listening to the speakers, Frank leans over to me and says "Do you feel the Spirit?" I responded that I did and that it was here every Sunday. He smiled and said he didn't want to miss a Sunday from now on! He leaned back against the bench then tapped my shoulder again. I leaned over and he asked, "Will you baptize me?" I looked at him with a surprised/excited/happy/confused look and said much louder than I meant to, "I WOULD LOVE TO!!" The Speaker kind of looked over at me then continued on with her talk. I couldn't get that question out of my mind the rest of Church and unfortunately I can't tell you everything that was said in all my meetings but I definitely could feel the Spirit all day. The only problem is I can't get transferred next transfer or else I can't baptize him. I guess as long as he is baptized then that’s all that matters but I was the one to ask him to be baptized so for personal reasons, I want to fulfill his desires and be the one to baptize him! :)

I don't need to buy a new bike luckily! A missionary that is going home this next transfer has one that he was planning on leaving behind. And since he was in a car area, he gave it to me! It is about a $500 bike and has disk brakes which is a really nice feature. Another Elder is letting Elder H use their bike for the rest of the transfer. I am not sure what is going to happen next transfer but I really hope that we stay in this area and get a car! I doubt the car will happen but it would be amazing! ;)

Elder H and I were up till 11:45 last night talking about the Book of Mormon and the storyline in Mosiah. I am actually understanding what I'm reading! And it is changing my life for the better! We are giving out the same invitation to all of our dinners and I want to give you the same invitation. The most powerful tool we have in the Church is our testimony. Someone’s testimony can convert people and make them want to gain on of their own. So my challenge to you is to share your testimony with someone. It doesn't have to be like, "I bear my testimony.... Amen." Even just letting someone know that you missed them at church or that you love them will fill them with the love of Christ and can rekindle that fire inside of them. Will you do that? I want you all to say yes out loud on 3. 1.........2.........3!!!!!! "YES!!!!"

I love you all so much! Thank you for supporting me and helping me realize that I can do this. I can't wait to hear from you soon! Feel free to write letters to me that way I don't have to wait till next Monday to hear from you. Remember that with God, nothing is impossible.

Write back soon!

~Elder Harris