Wow what a week‏

First of all Israel, Alex and Rosa were all baptized and confirmed! My companion baptized Alex and Rosa and I baptized Israel and the confirmations were done vice versa. It was such a sweet moment to baptize Israel. I've been waiting to do that for so long! The only problem was the water was cold. :( We filled up the font at 12:00 pm and there were three baptisms that day... Israels was the last, so the water ended up being a little chilly. With these three baptisms Elder Manumaleuna and I have reached our transfer goal of 4 baptisms!

Joshua was able to come to Israel's baptism and he said that while Israel was being baptized he felt a warm feeling and he had this urge to go on a mission. The member that gave him a ride to the baptism pulled $10 out of his wallet and told him to open a mission fund account. Joshua came to church the next day and he had a great time. He is praying the days go faster so he can get baptized already! He's a real great kid.

We also found a new family this week. We received a referral from the spanish elders. We've been getting alot of those lately because Elder Lau is the "king of referrals." We haven't really been able to contact them because we've been spending our evenings nourishing our baptism dates, but since they've all been baptized we were able to go and try and find these people.

We drove up and down one street to find one but no where in sight so we moved onto the next one, George VanDoren. We knocked on his door and introduced ourselves. He said, "I know who you are, please come in." We sat down with his wife Carrol and son Josh, and he said "I understand you have a message for us..." We then gave one of the most powerful first lessons I've been apart of. After we committed them for baptism on 12/26, holding the Book of Mormon he looked up at me and said "I'm really excited, this just might be what I've been looking for all my life." "Yes, George," I said, "It is." He then started to talk about a void in his life, he asked "have you ever done something and then came back feeling empty?" My companion made a joke about fishing, but despite that, the spirit stayed strong and he expressed his hope that this would fill the void he's felt all his life. I again testified that it would. But Satan is a little bugger and has stirred up their neighbor to contention and they are afraid to leave their house for fear of his damaging or stealing their property. They are a great family and I know they will be baptized! They are so excited to learn.

Life is good and the gates of heaven have truly been opened up upon Elder Manumaleuna and I.

Lots of Love.

Elder Andrew Harris

Missing and In Action

Hey everybody! This week has been crazy!

Alex and Rosa passed their interview and they're getting more and more excited for their baptism this Saturday! Israel is also going to be baptized this Saturday! He got off probation on Friday and so he had another interview on Sunday. This is where the story gets funny. Israel a lot of times goes to his sisters house on the other side of town and his sister works on Sundays, so for the last couple of Sundays he's been missing church. Well, he was stuck over there and we really had no way of getting ahold of him, we didn't have the exact address, only a general area, and his interview was in one hour. So me and a member take off and we're able to find him and get him back in time.

The funny part about the story has to do with my companion. While I was out running around trying to find Israel, my companion was back at church sitting with Alex and Rosa and waiting for Johnny to come so we could confirm him. Johnny shows up during the sacrament and so afterwards President Rob who was conducting the Ward Conference announced that Johnny would be confirmed by me (as planned)... the only problem I wasn't there. So he announced "Elder Harris if you're out in the foyer will you please come in for the confirmation." My companion goes up with all that had been invited and tells President Robb where I am so Pres. Robb asks him to do it. My companion didn't know what to say. President Robb explains it to him, and he forgets again, and again, so he had to say it in chunks but then President just told him to start over. His prayer was as follows "Johnny Ray Garcia, by the power and authority of the Mechizedeck Priesthood I confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and say recieve the Holy Ghost.... Amen" Most of the congregation found it quite humorous and we got a lot of crap for it when I finally got back. But it was a fun sunday.

Not only are those three ready for Saturday, but we also have 5 new investigators all preparing for baptism on the 19th of December! Brianna, Clarissa, Devin, and Mark are Johnny's Grandkids who have never been baptized and so we're working with them to get them baptized. After Johnny's baptism they're really excited to be baptized.

One of the Zone Leaders and I also found another part member family who had been inactive for 8 years and so they're youngest son was never baptized. Joshua is 13 and he is way excited to start coming to church and get baptized. His only complaint is that he doesn't have enough time to read the Book of Mormon! He's way awesome. His parents are also getting back to church which is good to see.

Elder Kikuchi's promises are already coming to pass!

I love you all so much and I love my mission just as much. I can't believe it's already almost been a year. No offense, but I don't want to come home :(

Love you

Elder Harris

Half of a Baptism

Hey Everybody! This last week has been kind of krazy

I told you about how my companion is from LA right? well we've been running into alot of people who speak "gangsta" lately. Thankfully my companion has the GiIft of Tongues in this sense, so we've had some really fun contacts.

No new investigators as of yet but it's still been a blast.

Johnny got baptized this week and it was a good baptism. In the Relief Society room there is a piano that can play itself. For the opening hymn I sat down and pretended to be playing. I had eveyone fooled. Then when Johnny was changing I went to play some intermediate hymns but pushed play and then stood up to go check on everything... my cover was blown :( But it was still funny. Johnny was baptized by Bro Vaughn, a member he knew from before. It only took him 3 dunks to stay all the way under. But then Johnny was feeling sick the next day and so he didn't come to church and so he wasn't confirmed :( But he'll be confirmed next week so all is good

Alex, Rosa, and Israel are all still on track for the 28th and we're looking forward for those.

No new investigators last week but there should be some new this week.

The other awesome thing that happened this last week was our Zone COnference. Elder Kikuchi of the 70 came and trained us on how we can achieve our potential. Right now we are averaging about 80 baptisms a month, but he promised us in the name of Jesus CHrist that if we sanctified ourselves, were 100% obedient to our morning schedule, became master teachers, and were diligent in our work that we could, double, triple and even quadruple those numbers. He promised that in 2010 we would see thousands enter into the waters of baptism if we followed his council. I recieved a powerful confirmation that he was a prophet of God and that we would achieve those goals.

I love you all so much and i hope that you all are doing well.

Elder Harris

What a week!‏

This last week was pretty good. We had all 4 of our investigators with baptism dates there at church. Israel, Johnny Garcia, and then Alex and Rosa Johnson. All are excited about their baptisms coming up! Johnny passed his interview and he is going to be baptized this coming Saturday the 14th!

Israel, Alex and Rosa are all scheduled for the 18th. We received news that
Israel should be off his probation on the 20th! We are way excited!
No new investigators this last week but we should definitly have a few this
coming week.

Elder Manumaleuna and I also moved apartments this last week.

Not a whole lot more to report other than things are going good!
I would send you some pictures but the computer I'm on won't hook up right to my
computer. :(

I love you a ton, see you next week!

My new companion? He's new all right!‏

So monday night I got a call from President Walker and he told me that he was stepping me down from district leader but he was making me a trainer!

My new companion's name is Elder Manumaleuna (manu-ma-leuna), yeah it took me a couple of hours to get it down. In lessons I still refer to him as my companion because I forget how to say his name. Elder M (there is already an Elder Manu in the mission so it's Elder M for short) was born and raised in LA, has lived in Alaska for the last two years, and his family is from Samoa. He's a really cool companion. He's fearless and is getting better at teaching the gospel. I'd send a picture but I don't have my cables.

We've had a lot of success so far. We've found a couple of new investigators who are preparing for baptism and things are still going well with Johnny and Israel. Adrianna was "uncomfortable" during the Law of Chastity lesson and we haven't seen her since :( we're not sure if she will be baptized this coming week.

The new investigators we've found are as follows: Monique is in her 20's and we found her tracting. She is very open to the gospel and has been prepared by the Lord. She's pregnant, so when we invited her to be baptized on the 28th of November she said, "well that's kind of close to my due date but I really want to be baptized." We told her we could move it around depending on her baby but she is really excited about her baptism.

The other is named Rosa. Rosa ran into some missionaries around town and was referred to us. We went and saw her and she is also prepared. She reminds me of Kathleen, in-active Catholic, driven away because of a divorce. We are going to be teaching her son and two granddaughters tonight. We're way excited for it. They are excited to learn as well. We also have a lot of potential investigators in the work.

Elder M and I will be so busy we won't know what to do. I'm not sure why but the area has just started to explode. When I got here we were lucky to get 5 lessons a week. now we're going to be teaching up in the mid to high 20's of lessons. The Lord is blessing us and I'm excited for all that is going on.

I love you all

Elder Harris

PS. I got all the spanish stuff and I appreciate it all. I'm learning basic conversation, teaching, and how to pray in spanish. My understanding spanish is alot better than my speaking it but it's getting better, I'm now able to contact people in spanish and they understand me.. for the most part. :) love you all thanks for all your support and prayers

PPS. What kind of baby is Vivian having?