Transfers

                                                                                                    June 12, 2017
Hello to All!

Today is transfers and the big news is...no transfers for us! I will stay another 6 weeks in Alianza with Elder Campozano. I am not District leader anymore which will be nice not having to plan the meetings haha, but I will miss working with the Elders and Sisters in our District.

Not a whole lot of news this week. The blessings keep coming and we are seeing so much success with the teenagers and young adults here in the mission! The biggest miracle of the week is that yesterday eight of our investigators went to church- and all 8 of them were between the ages of 15-25! We have shifted our focus in the mission and we focus more on teaching the young people and we are seeing so much success with that change.

Abraham and his cousins Pablo and Kevin went yesterday and are progressing towards their baptismal date for the 24th! Also we are teaching Familia Tejerina, a single mother with three teenage kids and her nephew who is 19. The four kids went to church on their own yesterday which was amazing!

Carlos was sick yesterday and couldn't go to church which was a bummer, but he is going to have an interview to receive the priesthood this week which is exciting! Cristina went again yesterday and they are thinking about calling her to be a primary teacher which would be a perfect calling for her!

Bryan Miranda still doesn´t really have a testimony and has lots of doubts about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, so please pray that he can gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon and feel the Spirit as he reads this week!

Fun fact about Bolivia: People´s most formal family photos that they hang on their walls are almost always just their heads photo shopped into a stock photo. I am still trying to figure out why.

Please enjoy this photo of our district and a photo I took with a member when I thought I was going to get transferred haha.

Sisters and Elders in our District

Me with a member of our Alianza Branch

Love you all and hope you have a great week! Read the Book of Mormon and pray every day and you will be happy no matter what is going on in your life!!!

Love,

Elder Harris

Carlos' Baptism

                                                                                                   June 5, 2017
Hola Family,

This week was incredible!!! I don´t know how, but every week is just better and better in this area and I am just wondering when the blessings are going to run out and it is going to get hard again.

Elder Campozano and me with Carlos

On Saturday Carlos got baptized! He was so ready and it was such a good baptismal service. He is a really funny guy and one of the best friends I have made on my mission. I am super happy for him. We didn't do a very good job planning the baptismal service, but A TON of members came and it all turned out great.

 

Also, two of the young men we are teaching, Abraham and Bryan, both came to the baptism and really liked it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bryan and his brother went to church yesterday and stayed all three hours! In the afternoon Bryan joined us to do home teaching with the Elder´s Quorum yesterday! He is the only investigator I know who has already done home teaching and he did it like a pro. He shared a scripture during the visit and his testimony of the Savior as well. It is a total tender mercy that we found him and he is preparing to be baptized the 17th of June. 

Picture with the Branch Pres. and Stake Pres.- Carlos's baptism was the first baptism in the Alianza Branch.

Post Baptism Celebration with Carlos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to share one more picture of a multi-zone activity where we had a lot of fun playing soccer! 

 

It is winter time here in Tarija and it has gotten pretty darn cold. We were eating lunch with some members and talking about how cold it was and the 6 year old daughter said "I like the winter" So I asked her why and she said because of the snow. It has never snowed in Tarija in recorded history, but I guess that is true faith.

 

Lots of tender mercies this week and the Lord has guided us to so many people who are prepared to receive the gospel!

This week we watched a video called "The Mediator" with an investigator and it is such a simple and powerful video about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and what He has done to save us from the demands of justice. I am so grateful for the Savior and how He sacrificed all He had to pay our debt. Please watch this video if you can find it!

One scripture I really liked in the Book of Mormon this week is 2 Nephi 26:24:
 "Él no hace nada a menos que sea para el beneficio del mundo; porque él ama al mundo, al grado de dar su propia vida para traer a todos los hombres a él. Por tanto, a nadie manda él que no participe de su salvación." (English) "He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation.

I know Heavenly Father loves us and He does nothing save it be for our eternal happiness!

Never forget that and have a great week!

Love,

Elder Harris