This week I hit 204 pupusas! And this morning I did 70 consecutive pushups, so you know it has been a good week.
Sometimes people just say funny things to the missionaries. I still get asked if I am married and have kids yet. Nope. I also was on an interchange with Elder Taggart (Yet another missionary from Texas. I have never worked with an American that wasn't
from Texas. Or maybe once. Anyways, I like him a lot. He's solid.) Anyways, we were talking to this guy and mentioned that we do exercise every morning. This, combined with what he knew about things like the Word of Wisdom and law of chastity led to the following
highly comical rant in broken english mixed with spanish:
"Yeah, it's because you guys are disciplined! Really disciplined! Always very, like, 'Sir, yes sir!' Your parents must be very strict. And you know why (speaking to his friend who was present)? It's because they've seen so many wars! All the Americans
have a big cabinet or closet in their houses where they have lots of guns! A whole arsenal! I know because I lived there! And when something happens, they just run to their arsenal and suit up and are ready for anything! And they train their little kids to
hunt! Not just from here to there (motioning some 40 feet away) but with precision from 400 or 500 meters! Boom! Just like that!"
Anyways, I was laughing very hard during that whole conversation. Us Americans. Woot woot!
Another funny thing was that one of our investigators told us that (although he didn't believe them) when he started meeting with us, one of his neighbors came over and said, "Hey! Be careful! Those missionaries that come over, they work for the FBI! They're
just investigating you!" Kind of humorous. Another time we were trying to find someone's house, and we asked a guy in the street if he knew where someone lived. He said "Yeah, they're my neighbors, I'll show you." He took us over to the house and shouted,
"Ana! Ana! Some guys are here looking for you - the SWAT from America!" Good times.
Last P-day we went and played soccer with some Latino teenagers. Turns out I am not very good at soccer. But we went to this field that was by a bunch of farmland past lots of sheet metal houses. It was very pretty and a lot of fun. It reminded me a lot
of the soccer scene in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It was a blast.
We went and visited someone who was watching the Lord of the Rings in Spanish, so that was pretty cool to hear in the background.
This week we visited Stiven Zaldivar, part of a less active family. He's a super cool 9 year old and we've been working super hard to visit them, get them to church, and help them know that he is prepared enough to be baptized. The baptism was scheduled
for last Saturday, but when we went on Thursday, he said, "I don't want to get baptized on Saturday...because I want to get baptized tomorrow!" We were like, Ok, sweet and had everything planned, but they were doing more construction in the chapel and we couldn't
use the pila, so his baptism will be this Saturday! This week is transfers, so we will see if I am still here. But I like the family a lot. They live way far off in the hills and have cows and corn and things. When we got there, one of their dogs bit a porcupine
and they were pulling out all the needles. They also had an armadillo they caught, and I took a picture with it shortly before it was made into dinner. (Sorry, younger readers.)
We have also been visiting Miriam, an older lady whose kids and grandkids are members. She is totally like a pioneer woman. Her husband left her when she was 33, but she worked hard washing clothes and things to be able to raise her kids and send them
all to school, even though she didn't know how to read. So that is already pretty amazing, but now she has some health problems and doesn't get around much, so we weren't sure if she would come to church. We talked with her family, who are a little less active,
about bringing her so that she can be ready to be baptized. What a great surprise, when on Sunday morning, we got to church, and she was there all by herself even before us! She told us she woke up and got ready for church, and her family was all still asleep,
so she thought, "Well! I promised the elders I would go to church!" and went by herself. A friend tried to stop and talk to her on the way, and she said, "No, sorry! I've got to go to church today!" Man, that sweet grandma is a powerful example. She is cool.
And we are pretty confident she will get baptized in February.
For a quick spiritual thought, I was thinking about how repentance is a lot like the dog that bit the porcupine that I mentioned. Sometimes we do something bad and regret it, but we avoid the only thing that can heal us! You often have to tie up a dog
and hold it down to pull out the needles because they don't like it and resist it. But, if the needles don't come out, the dog usually dies because it can't eat. So anyways, sometimes repentance might sting for a minute, and it isn't always easy or comfortable,
but in the end, it is the only way to heal and have peace and happiness again! Don't avoid it, it is critical for our spiritual survival.
Another thing I have realized as a missionary is that almost EVERYONE has some tough problems. People tell us a lot of things as missionaries, and even people that seem like they are fine and have everything set have lots of struggles. Wayward children,
marriage problems, serious financial worries, death, sadness, feeling lonely or judged, and many more. It makes me wish I had been better at ministering before my mission. There are a lot of people out there who need some love, and you don't have to look very
far. Help people out and just be nice.
See you all on the flip side.
Elder Harris
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