September 9, 2013

We were really working for Member Present lessons this week. Member Present Lessons are lessons to investigators with a member present. Other lessons are lessons taught to investigators without a member present. Our goal was to get as many MP lessons as we could as a Zone and have a high percentage of MP/Others (I hope that makes sense!) As a companionship, Elder H and I got 8 MP lessons and 0 others! WE GOT 100%!! As for our district, we got 69.1% which is still really good. The winning Zone would get some sort of prize. I hope we win! But if we don't then it doesn't matter. I am proud of Elder H and I.

This week was beyond amazing! I don't think I will ever see so many miracles in an area as we have in this one. I don't even know where to start! So we went to the bible study this Thursday. I was a little nervous because I don't know a lot about the Bible either. But there are just going through chapter by chapter so I knew they would be studying Exodus 25. I studied it of course before hand so that helped my nerves. We tried for 30 minutes to get a member to come to the study with us but no one could come. We accepted the fact that we would have to count this as an "Other" lesson. We showed up and only like 5 people were there this week. 2 of them were new! As we walked in, a little glum that we didn't have a member, one of the guys came up to us and agknowledged us as Elders. He said he was Dave's brother (Dave is the one who put it all together). He then told us that he was happy to have us there and told us he was baptized in our Church in 1986. So it turned out to be a MP lesson afterall! That was one miracle that happened there. The next few were while we were studying. We got off on some tangent about the Spirit world. Dave said, "I believe that there is a Spirit world before Heaven where people that didn't get a chance to hear about God will get a chance to by those who have heard about Him." We were stunned. No one that isn't apart of our church believes that! Right afterwards he said, "I'm the kind of guy who believes in different degrees of glory in Heaven." Our jaws both dropped instantly. I couldn't help laugh our of pure joy! He went on to say that the true church must have Prophets and Apostles on the Earth today. The also showed us a scripture that talks about how boys will see visions. We stopped him and told him about Joseph Smith and the restoration and the Prophets and the Apostles and he said he believed it! He asked us a question. He said, "Where did you get the authority to use the priesthood? I believe that it was taken from the Earth when Christ was killed." We told him how Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph and restored it. He said he loved the idea and wanted to learn more! We invited him to church along with 3 other people. Unfortunately they didn't make it but he and 2 others accepted a Book of Mormon and said they would start reading it right away!

So that day was full of miracles! Then we had the baptism. Roger A was baptized September 7th, 2013 and confirmed on September 8th, 2013. That was a HUGE miracle!!!! He has been investigating the church since 1995. He has since stopped drinking, some hard-core illegal drugs, problems with the law of chastity, and finally stopped smoking! 3 weeks ago, Elder H and I both were thinking we would have to drop him. He wasn't progressing and couldn't stop smoking. Then out of the blue, he was 14/15 days clean and our Mission President approved him for Baptism! When he was pulled up out of the water after being immersed, he stood there with his arms crossed accross his chest and he was shaking with his head down. He stood there for like 15-20 seconds. I was starting to get a little worried when he suddenly turned around, sniffled, and said, "Hallelujah!" as he walked up the stairs. Sunday he was confirmed. The ward has been here for him through everything. Chuck S was trying to get him moved out his apartment and into his house with him. Brother B hired him in his carpet cleaning company so that he would be in a better environment so he would quit smoking. Brother Chuck S confirmed him. It was the most spiritual blessing I've ever heard. As he was giving the blessing, he told Roger, "Know that your Heavenly Father loves you," then he stopped for a few seconds, then continued with tears in his eyes, "and know that the people in this ward love you." We saw him last night and he was litterally glowing. Normally he is ancy and anxious but he was so calm and there was a difference in his countanence. It is amazing what the Spirit can do to people! He told us he was past the addiction of cigarettes and turned down 5 people today that offered him some. I am so proud of him!

We went to the Temple this week! I LOVED IT!!!! I wish I could go more often but I have to wait for 4 more months... I had a great spiritual experience. I didn't want to leave the Celestial Room because of the way that I felt. The reason that I am telling you all of this is because I want you to go to the Temple this week. All of you. Please try to make it. I wish I could go sooner but I can't so I need you to go for me. Please try to make it. There is so much work that needs to be don't and I know that you will be blessed if you help!

My zone :)

I love you all so much! Write back soon!

Love, Elder Harris