Mar. 15, 2021 -- Life on the 9th Island

So, there are so many people from Hawaii that move to Las Vegas, that it is often referred to as the ninth island. Gives things a sort of tropical vibe. Here I am, then, living in Hawaii. 

It's actually been pretty cold lately! We had two whole days of rain! I haven't seen more than about 10 minutes consecutive since I got here, so that was really fun. We were out walking in the rain and trying to talk to some folks, which felt nice. Haven't had the 'wet hair sensation' in a long time. Then as we were driving the mountain tops had snow on them! Nice change of pace.

Today I cut my own hair, with some help from Elder Stewart for the edges. It reminded me of last time we cut each other's hair, though. We had dinner with the mission president and his family, and mentioned that we had cut each other's hair. The mission president's son said, "Wait, you cut each other's hair? I think Elder Stewart did a better job." We all laughed because he complimented and insulted both of us at the same time. I was both honored and offended. 

We had lots of moments where we saw some little miracles this week. We visited one member family that lives in a big apartment complex right of south Las Vegas Blvd. They lived on the 14th floor and had an incredible view. Now that I think about it, I don't know if I have ever been on a floor so high in my life. Also, they had us take off our shoes when we came in, which was totally fine, but I realized it was the first time in my entire mission where I've gone and done a visit and taken my shoes off. It was an odd feeling! We talked with them a little about sharing the gospel and had a good discussion. They mentioned their next door neighbor, who had asked once if they were part of the same church as another member in the building because she could see the same light around them. As we left, they were walking us to the elevator, and the woman they were talking about got out of the elevator we were getting on! We were able to say hi and invite her to come to our appointment that we were going to have the next week. It was just amazing how perfect the timing was. A minute earlier or later, and we would not have seen her!

We also had a super good phone call with a man we did not know. We found his record and decided to give him a call. He answered and told us he had been watching some basketball. His favorite team is Gonzaga, so I told him that I always love the BYU vs. Gonzaga games. After the phone call he texted us a picture and said, "I hope we can still be friends..." and the picture showed that BYU was playing Gonzaga the very next day! But anyway, during the phone call, he interrupted our basketball talk and said, "Wait a minute, I have a question." My companion and I looked at each other a little nervously, because often times when people say that, they start saying crazy things next. We braced ourselves and he said . . . "What makes your church different from other churches?" What a pleasant surprise! We explained a little about the Book of Mormon and living prophets. He said, "Ok, here's another question..." (another nervous glance) "...do you believe in Jesus?" We almost wanted to laugh out loud because his questions were so good. We assured him that we did. His next questions included:

"What do you believe in life after death?"

"Is it okay if I want to learn about your church, but my wife isn't ready to be a part of it?"

"Is it okay to just study and learn a little with you without joining first?"

and "Can I come and listen to a church service without participating and talking in it?" 

There really are people out there that are so ready for the gospel. We ended the call with him telling us he wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon and wondering if he could pick it up at church. He actually lives in Arkansas, in the same mission as my good friend Noah Stuart! We got him the information, and hopefully he'll be able to connect with the missionaries there. 

Another fun miracle was we just invited someone we had been messaging on Facebook whose church has been closed to watch the broadcast of our ward. They said yes, and after church said they would be willing to watch it again next week! It is pretty crazy how we can share the gospel with strangers online. 

Here is my last and favorite story of the week. Earlier this week we were on exchanges, and I was with one of the zone leaders. It was six o'clock, and we decided to go street contacting. This was unusual because it was already dark outside, and usually we haven't gone out street contacting at night because fewer people are out (and it can be intimidating to have two strange men come up to you in the night). But anyway, we set the goal that everyone we talked to, we were going to ask if they knew anyone else who could be interested in a message, even if the person we talked to was not. We went out, circled the complex, and had a few unsuccessful contacts with people that said they weren't interested (and that they didn't know anyone else who was interested). We were about to drive somewhere else, but decided to just take one more lap. As we did, we saw a man out with his dog and begin to talk. We introduced ourselves, and he said, "Hi, elders." We asked if he had met missionaries before, and he began to tell us his story. 

He had been baptized about 15 years ago, and was very active in the church. However, after some really difficult family problems and some tough mental challenges, he lost a lot of his faith in God and didn't know what to believe anymore. He said he was just very broken and empty, and that he had been angry at the church for a long time. But then he told us how he thought our meeting wasn't a coincidence. He said that he had recently been thinking about the church again, and he hadn't for a long time. Then, the other day, he saw us driving into the same complex. Now, here we were talking to him. We mostly listened, and then shared a scripture in the Book of Mormon about Jesus Christ and His Atonement. We asked if we could visit him sometime, and if he wanted to give the church one more try. He said, "I don't know," and seemed kind of hesitant. he gave us his phone number, but seemed sort of non-committal. As we went to go, though, he said, "Wait! Do you have an extra copy of the Book of Mormon?" We gave him one, and asked that magic question of "Do you know anyone else who could use a message of hope?" He said, "Well, I guess my fiancée. Do you want to meet her?" We were somewhat taken aback with the answer but readily agreed. He went inside to ask her if it would be okay, and then came back out to get us. He said that she didn't really want to, but had agreed to say hi. We went in and met his wonderful fiancée, who speaks both English and Persian. We just stood in the front room and got to know them a little, and she warmed up to us quickly. We shared a little about what missionaries do, and a one-minute summary of the restoration. She asked us what the prophet's name was today and seemed interested by that. She has almost no background in Christianity, but told us she has some Christian friends that have been trying to show her a little. After a short and pleasant discussion, the member told us he had to start work, which he does from home. We excused ourselves after praying for them, and went into the night. We were unable to set a return appointment, but it was still pretty cool.

Miracle, right?

We walked away, and then I realized we hadn't looked at their address to write it down. We decided to circle the little block and then check what their address was. As we circled back from the other side, the member was walking towards us! He said, "Hey, my work cancelled. Would you like to come back in and share a message?" We were overjoyed! We went back in, and his fiancée was already reading the pamphlet we had left! We sat down and shared a short message about prayer. It seemed to suit the member, who was feeling very broken, and also his fiancée, who knew very little about Christianity. We had some great discussion, and the member really enjoyed hearing about his fiancée's experience with religion, and was surprised to learn that she often prays for him, which she hadn't ever told him. It was just a beautiful moment. Afterwards, she grabbed his hand and said, "Do you feel better?" He mumbled something about not being sure, but she said, "I think you feel better!" We gave then each a reading assignment in the Book if Mormon and the invitations to pray. We asked if we could visit again, and he looked at her and said, "Do you want them to come back?" She said, "Yes! They can come back." And so, we set the return appointment! They both seemed to think the message helped the other person. The member told us once again how it seemed meant to be. He wasn't even going to take the dog out, but his fiancée made him. 

I just think about how many things came together for that interaction. What if we hadn't gone street contacting in the dark? What if we'd given up and tried another complex? What if he hadn't taken the dog out? What if we hadn't been sure to ask who else needed some hope? What if we hadn't turned around to get the address, or if he hadn't come out to look for us? A lot of coincidences. And I don't believe in coincidences. 

God truly has such an amazing and specific plan for each one of us. It is amazing to see a little piece of what he sees.

'Til we meet,

Elder Harris