February 10, 2014

HELLO FAMILY!!!!

I miss you all SOOOOOO MUCH!!!! Brother and Sister Lewis called one of the office workers because the number they were given didn't work. However, the person they were staying with knew one of the office workers really well so he just called them then handed the phone to me cause I just so happened to be standing right there next to him. We were in the office for about 2 hours this morning helping out the people in the office with filing papers and gas receipts. So it was just perfect timing when they called. It was SUPER weird to see a face from home.... But it was great too :) I could not believe how much you guys fit into that bag! The thing that got me the most though was the pictures. I showed everyone in the office all of the pictures at least 3 times over! I love it all! Thank you so much! (yes i do have a hard time with eating junk food. weird huh? too bad im not like that with money!!)

I wish that you could send me some of Connors music! Tell them to do a song about Christ then send it to me :) I’m sure that it is BOMB!!! To answer some of the questions that has been asked I am 6 foot 1 inch (almost) and weigh 180 on the dot. I haven't gained very much fat but I have definitely gained a lot of muscle!! You know how in the Old Spice commercials how the big black guy can make his chest dance? I can do that now :) It isn't as good but my muscles actually move when I flex them! Just thought that I would brag. ;) It took me a long time to get it this way. Lots of push-ups, curls, benching, and pull-ups. In order for the muscles to get bigger, you have to work them out and over time, they grow! I realized that this is a lot alike with people’s testimonies! I used to think that all it took to get a good testimony was just say that I knew it was true and magically it would come. Bologna!! If it was that easy then everyone and their dog would be converted! It is a lot harder than that. You have to work it out. Pray morning, night, and every minute in between. Read your scriptures daily. Humble yourself and repent frequently (daily preferably cause we all sin every day.) If we do these things THEN our testimony will grow. THEN we can say with our whole heart that we KNOW the church is true.

This week was a really difficult one for me. I know that numbers on a mission don't matter. Elder Alder and I worked our tails off tracting and visiting less-active members and even active members! But In all 7 days, we only taught 7 lessons and not a single one was to an investigator... We also don't have any dates, get any new investigators, and none of our investigators came to church. I didn't understand how we could be doing so much work and not have anything to show it. I honestly got down on myself pretty bad... Up till this point a mission has been pretty simple except for a few things with companions but that is expected. The work was easy! But this week wasn't so. And I didn't understand at all. I felt like a failure in my area and as a companion because Elder Alder and I were getting into more dumb arguments and we were getting further and further away from each other. I sat down and tried to figure out what the heck was going on and why I could feel so down if I was doing so much good. Then I realized that it was the Spirit. I know that in the lessons we had the Spirit because I could feel it. But I couldn't feel it anymore. I studied that topic for a while! I did everything I could to get to know more about the Spirit and I read in PMG that someone asked President Hinckley "How does one come to recognize the Spirit more in their lives. And he responded with "Now that is the life long test." This isn't just something that comes over night. It is just like a muscle! (See, there was a point to my bragging!) I have to keep working on listening to it before I will be able to go into a lesson and have the Spirit teach the WHOLE thing! So That is what I will be working on from now on.

Things are getting better with Elder Alder. We aren't getting into as many argument and we are teaching more as a companionship than just single people going back and forth on topics in a lesson.

I had a really cool experience on Saturday! We attended a baptism for a girl named Jessica. My MTC companion Elder Price got to baptize her!! We were also doing what we call a mini missionary day, which means that everyone in the mission prep class is assigned to be with a set of missionaries for the entire day! We only had ours till 12 cause he had work. But the cool thing was that everyone in the West Zone had a mini-missionary and we were all there for the Baptism. So there were 15 sets of missionaries, 13 mini-missionaries and a few members. Then Jessica had all of her family there too. NONE of them were members so the room was packed full of missionaries and non-members. After she was dunked and while she was changing, the ZL's stood up and talked about the restoration. I have heard the Restoration many many times and taught it even more times. But (and I swear this is true) while they were talking and bearing testimony, I saw them literally glowing. Both of them had a glow that just radiated from them and the Spirit was SOO strong! I told them afterwards and thanked them for the experience. I know the kind of missionary that I want to be and it is just like them.

I love my mission. And my testimony is stronger than it has ever been before. I just want to thank you all for your prayers and for the memories that I have to go back to when things get hard here. I love you all so much! Never forget that!!

I LOVE YOU!!!!

~Elder Kyle Harris

p.s. sorry if this one seems short... We ran out of time because dinner rescheduled to sooner... I will do better next week! LOVE YOU!!!