The Peak‏

Hello Everyone,

The day arrived! Today was my final interview with President McMullin, and it's been a wild ride to review together. I can't say that I've officially finished until Thursday when I get released, but looking over what it's been so far, I can honestly say that I've absolutely loved it. While there are many imperfections in my service and I know that I am far from perfect, I have no regrets about what I've done here. I have worked hard and strived to keep myself worthy. I have learned so much and gained so much love for the people here. I never expected that the hardest thing about finishing the mission would be how much I'm going to miss these people and these places. I thought I'd just miss being a missionary, or that thoughts of home would distract me in my last week, but neither of those things have been on my mind. What is on my mind is the sorrow at imagining that I'll not be seeing these people or places, that these have really become my family away from home and they've come to mean so very much to me. I didn't expect that. But I do love them. I'll miss them a lot.

But, at the end of the mission, I feel like I'm standing at the peak of my first big mountain. I can look out over the whole trail I've walked on the way up here and I can see the higher peaks and the paths that will be getting me to them as I keep hiking. I'm so happy at all that I've been a part of. All of the people whose lives God used me to change will always remain in my memory and my heart. I can't believe how kind He's been to have blessed me to find and strengthen His children here. I'm so happy to have contacted Sofía, Ismael and Victor. They stand out it my mind as the people who, start to finish, God was guiding us to strengthen. Then I also keep Araceli Gonzalez in mind, who is now active and continues faithfully. I wasn't there to find her, but God helped me as we got her to baptism. I think of all the members I've tried to strengthen and the families we've blessed in little ways. There's no way to measure the good that I and my companions have done as we've served, but the return we feel has filled our hearts until it pours over the edges. This mission has been a beautiful blessing and I'm so thankful to God for it.

This week was a roller coaster, but I survived and we worked hard until the very last. I even have a couple of lessons planned for tomorrow, so the missionary work just keeps going until the very end. ;)

I'm so excited to see you all and hope that you have a wonderful week. I'll see many of you on Thursday, more on Sunday, and so many more on Facebook. ;)

I just want to send this last email as a reminder to keep the faith and to endure to the end. Keep on fighting and I know that the Lord will bless you above what you know. He asks us to persevere even through the hardest times, but He promises us that He'll be there, and that in the end, it'll all be worth it. I give you my promise that it's all worth it in the end. I promise that it'll be so much better and more bearable if we serve people along the way and lose ourselves in strengthening and supporting those around us.

And that's all for this week.

Love,

Elder Harris

Keeping The Faith‏

Hello Everyone!

This week has been full of more great blessings. We have been able to continue finding a little bit, but the best part of the week was the great number of second and third lessons we were having with investigators that we'd found previously. Two different people accepted baptismal dates and it went well. Sadly, it wasn't reflected on Sunday, when none of our inactives, investigators, and only half of our recent converts attended Church.

But there's more good news. We had a really good lesson with Nancy, Ismael's aunt, and she really got firm in her decision to follow the answer that God gives her, even by being baptized. She seems a little hesitant about the idea of learning all the commandments and changing her life, but at the same time she seems willing. I believe strongly in the deep power of the Book of Mormon and the Holy Ghost to help her change her heart and become converted. I know that it can take people who see no need to repent and humble them low, bringing them down as it says in Mosiah 3:19 and helping them to submit to whatsoever the Lord seeth fit to impose upon them. I know that as she reads and prays, she'll feel a change.

Other good news: Ismael was sustained yesterday to receive the Aaronic Priesthood! He'll be ordained next week and attending the temple shortly! It's so awesome to see this guy progress! I love him so much!

It's funny too, because I've had to start planning some little farewells within the Ward and with other people throughout Asunción for next week, and we were talking about doing a big family home evening with Ismael and his family next week on Monday, and he said that that'd be great, because that's his birthday. I was dumbfounded! And then, I was talking with Sofía Ortiz to have lunch with her next week, and she told me that that would be so excellent, because that day is her birthday!!! How is it that two of the greatest people I've met and taught, from contacting them at the doorstep until the waters of baptism and beyond, were born on the very same date (even if in different years)? That was just an odd coincidence.

But I'm so grateful for these past few weeks. I title this keeping the faith, because I've not lost my faith that there's still sooooo much good I can do and there's soooo much work to be done in this area. That faith has been answered, and I have no idea why the Lord's timing has been such, but this has been one of the most successful times I've experienced. I love this work and I know that if we do our best to acheive what God would have us acheive, then He will not fail to answer our efforts, even if it takes a while.

I love you all. I'm still hanging in here and working hard! Keep praying for me to fight strong to the finish!

Thanks for all that you do for me.

Love,

Elder Harris

P.S. I'm including pictures from last week's Cathedral trip.
And awesome pictures with Elder DuFort!