Thank you for your letters and messages of support and encouragement, they inspire and strengthen me each week. I love hearing how fares the war at home.
The title of this week's email comes from something I said to one of the Assistants yesterday. I said that many Elders would participate in some of the things we do and think, "Wow what an awesome once in a mission experience," but when you're in the office, the thought is more along the lines of "Wow, I can't believe how amazing this week's once in a mission experience is!" Every week there are new lessons and adventures, some internal, and some external, and the office is just the right chemical pot to churn them up in.
This week's? It's external and comes in the form of taking care of six Nivaclé Native Americans who are committed to leaving on a mission. They are coming here (hundreds of miles away from home in Abundancia, in the Chaco Paraguayo), to get their dentist work and their physical examinations to be able to go out on missions. It's so amazing to be with them. There are two who haven't learned to read very well in Spanish (those two don't speak a whole bunch of Spanish either) and for personal studies we were teaching them how to read! It was so cool. They're really, really smart too, picking it up super well. And then we took a turn and they taught us some Nivaclé. It's super cool! I love it. I'm not going to lie, coming out into the mission, Guaraní was kind of not what I thought it would be, but now that my expectations are adjusted I've come to love it. But Nivaclé I have loved just hearing it. It´s a really harsh language that includes a few clicks and difficult sounds for us Americans (or latinos for that matter) to make. It's super cool.
So, we took them to the temple, which some of them had never seen before in their lives. They're doing well and moving along with the things they have to do. Enjoy the picture by the nativity!
Also, this week Elder Salazar was changed out of the office! He is now in Concepción 3B, where a good friend of mine in the mission (Elder Worsham) was just before. He will be sorely missed here in the office!
I'm doing a lot better administratively, getting organized, and I've even been able to close down on two different house contracts. All we need are furnishings and moving dates!
The work moves along as well. The less-active member, Victor Fariña, has continued progressing and we feel really strongly that he'll be reaching his goal to be totally active by the thirtieth. Last night we had a lesson about Tithing and how to pay it which also includes a talk about tithing settlement, and it went really well! He understands and is just showing an absolute commitment to follow the Way and make it. We still want to help him to improve his relationship with Christ and gain a firmer testimony, but he's really going well for now.
Araceli Alvarenga, our investigator, had to go talk to her parents about when they would be able to attend her baptism, which was a trial because it was tough for her to tell them that she's going to be baptized in the first place, but things are going incredibly well and they agreed to be there on the 1st of December for her baptism. Even though that date is kind of hectic with our schedule, we are going to move heaven and earth to make it come around! I'm so excited for that date. It feels so much more real and we're going to prepare very well for it.
That's the little update that I have to give to you all! The work moves along and the Lord never abandons us to our weaknesses. God is faithful and He will not fail us when we do as He would have us. I'm so grateful to Him for His forgiveness and His guidance and I want so badly to be worthy of everything He has given me. I know He lives. I know He speaks, and acts. I know He loves me and all of us. I know that He fights so hard and works so much to keep us afloat, to give us our best chance. I hope we all take that chance.
I love you all. I pray that God grant you all peace and reminders to follow His Son.
Love,
Elder Harris
P.S. Awesome Church event: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/vatican-summit-mormon-leader-calls-renaissance-happy-marriages
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