We have a super funny ward mission leader. We had a mission coordination meeting at 1:00 and we called him at 1:10 because he hadn't started the Zoom meeting. He answers in a really high voice and said, "HellooOOOooOOoo -- OH NO, WHAT TIME IS IT!!??" Another time we texted and asked if our ward had a yearly baptismal goal, and he just texted. "Yes, 1000. Yay!" Such a funny guy.
Also, we were in a meeting recently and got a call about someone in our area that needed help moving. After the meeting, we ran on over in our suits and just shed the jackets. Things went pretty well until there was a really big box. Elder Stewart got on one end and I on the other, and I executed a wonderful example of lifting with your legs and not your back. Unfortunately, the stiff, non-stretch suit material was not quite as large a fan of deep squats and the stitching ripped open all the way up. After a shame-faced, backwards retreat, we were able to go and switch into some more flexible pants and finish the move. Now I have a holy suit from all this missionary work (haha, get it?). Luckily a member fixed me up.
This week we also met a member of our ward who is 97 and was a POW in Nazi Germany in WWII. He has a non-member care-taker, and we went over and listened to some of his stories. He is an amazing guy. He was shot down in his bomber plane, and most of his crew was killed. He showed us the newspaper clippings of when he went missing and then was confirmed captive. He gave us each a copy of his auto-biography which is super cool looking (I'll have to read it next summer when that is allowed again) and signed it "You are on an important mission." He is a real hero. It is incredible how almost nobody can really comprehend what it would have been like to go through what he did.
We were visiting an apartment complex to help someone move and were able to jump through the swinging gates just as they closed (almost as cool as a spy movie). We then heard a shout, "Hey! Are you representing your religion?" We looked around but could not see anybody through the fence and bushes on the outside of the gates. The cry was repeated again. Thinking it was an angry security guard, we replied, "Uhh, we are just helping someone move right now!" The other voice started to respond, and we finally peered through a gap in the bushes and saw that it was a guy just a little older than us yelling from his car. We said, "But, yes, we are missionaries and represent our church as well!" He said, "Hey, keep doing what you are doing! The world needs more people doing what you do! Lots of respect. If it gets hard or people reject you just [as he makes prayer hands] keep going!" We expressed our gratitude and shouted back through the 4-inch window in the bushes if we could get his phone number. We did! Later we called him and set up a time to meet. It was just a cool experience that someone street-contacted us instead of the reverse!
There's another woman that moved into our ward and had not gone to church for many years. She finally reached out and wanted to try again. We were able to videocall her and meet her young kids. She introduced to her two-year old and said, "This is the first time she has ever had contact with the church!" That is one thing that is so cool about being a missionary. You have a front-row seat to people changing their lives.
There was another lady who is coming back to activity in the church that is the only member in her family. We have been doing some videocalls. When we first met her, she was a pretty bitter person. We keep leaving her parts of the Book of Mormon to read, and then we discuss them in our next visit, and it is amazing to see the changes in her life. I don't even know if she notices, but she had not read the scriptures for about a decade, and now when we talk to her, she is so much happier. We asked her the other day if she knew anyone that would like a copy of the Book of Mormon, and she said no. Then, she thought about it and said, "actually, bring me one in Spanish, and I will give it to my cleaning lady. And if you give me another one in Spanish, I will give it to the guy who comes to clean the pool. And if you have one in English, there is one of my daughter's friends that I would like to give one to." It totally blew us away! Her faith has grown so much.
Also, a young man that Elder Gastelum and I helped find and teach just got baptized in my old area! We had his family very close to baptism, but at the very last minute, their grandfather passed away from COVID and everything got crazy. They worked through it, and he just was baptized. It made me very happy. That kid has overcome all sorts of crazy challenges but would diligently read the Book of Mormon and even fasted with us although he is only 17.
In our area, there are about 4 apartment complexes that have people walking around and you don't (necessarily) need an appointment to get in, so we spend a lot of time there trying to talk to people. In one, there was a guy standing by his door that saw us walking by and ducked to go back in. My companion shouted, "Hey, can I leave you with a picture of Jesus!" He paused his retreat but said, "Nah, I'm good." The elder I was with said, "It'll be really quick!" and kept walking towards him. The man said, "Well, okay," and we were able to have a great conversation and talk and laugh a little. We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and asked if we could visit his family sometime, and he said yes! I learned something about how far a little persistence goes.
Another time we were talking to people, and we talked to a man from El Salvador! As we finished our conversation, we walked about 20 feet and started talking to a woman -- from El Salvador! I don't know if either are that interested, but it was really fun to make connections and break out the Spanish again. And then, shortly after those contacts, we were approached by someone that worked there and promptly asked to leave and not come back. That was too bad, but as we drove out, I thought, "How many people have been cast out for Christ's sake? We just got thrown out for preaching the gospel! That is like Book of Mormon prophet stuff! Pretty cool if you ask me." Made me think of this scripture about the ancient apostles:
Acts 5:
41 ¶ And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Here we are, ceasing not to preach Jesus Christ. Life is pretty good.
'Til we meet,
Elder Harris
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