You know you live somewhere hot when you go outside in 102 degrees and say, "Ah, it's not so bad today!" I think this week we will be up in the 110+ range most the week. It is a great time of year to be in a bike area, haha.
Living near the air force base, we see a lot of cool aircraft. Today we saw the Thunderbirds out flying in formation. Recently we also saw several B1s with their deafening roar and fiery afterburners tracing a trail of light through the evening sky. The coolest ones in my opinion were the B2 stealth bombers. They are the big, black, triangular planes that look like a big bat. They have all sorts of alien looking anti-radar plating.
The other night we were talking and blending up some milkshakes with the two companionships in our apartment, when I thought I felt a piece of lint or something blow across my foot. I casually brushed it to the side, but I felt it again, and looked down to see a half-crushed, two-inch cockroach on my bare foot. It was pretty close and I leapt away before one of the other elders smashed it with a pop-tart box. It was pretty gross with its hairy-looking legs waving in the air, but luckily it is the only one I have seen so far.
From the foods mentioned in that above paragraph, you may also guess at the incredible cooking skills I have learned as a missionary. Here is a comprehensive list of the things I have learned to cook as a missionary:
- cereal and milk
- protein powder
- quesadillas (Thanks, Elder Parker.)
- cookies (but only if it is the kind you just take out of the package and heat up in the oven)
Last week, one of the missionaries in our apartment went to his original assignment in Bolivia, so now we are only four missionaries in the same room! We were sad to see him go, but it is nice to have a little extra room.
Also, a very proud moment this week was when we were talking to a Hispanic lady on the street, and she asked me if I was from a Spanish-speaking country. There has been a small handful of times where a native Spanish speaker thought--at least for a split second--that I might have some Hispanic blood (despite my less than tan complexion). So anyway, that is always the best.
The clock keeps ticking faster and faster in my time left as a missionary. I don't think it really felt like I would ever get here until this last transfer. We bought our milk today, and it expires after I will be at home. I also got a terrifying email that said, "Welcome to the Provo Utah YSA 8th Stake!" One thing that we found out yesterday, though, was that those of us departing missionaries will get to go to the temple before we go home! Nobody has been able to take part in that tradition for 15 months now, so we get the great blessing to be the first missionaries to go back. I've never gone in the temple here and haven't been able to go to the temple at all for about a year and a half now. I am really really excited.
But, this old dog isn't too old to still see a couple of miracles! I liked something another missionary said a lot about street contacting. In a meeting, someone mentioned, "If you are out street contacting and you go past someone, repent and plan what you will do better next time." Someone else got up and said, "I would add, have the faith to turn around." I love that thought, which I think perfectly applies to repentance. Sometimes it is hard or embarrassing to turn around. To admit you were wrong and go back. You may remember a story I mentioned last week about a man who walked past us who we then called out to and started talking to even though he had already passed us. We were able to have a great conversation and set up to visit him again.
So, we went to our next appointment and sat out on his porch with him. He told us that he had actually met with the missionaries before. We asked what he expected or hoped to get out of meeting with us. He said, "well, I want to start reading the scriptures again and go to church, and maybe even get baptized." That was when we entered one of those beautiful moments where you know God is in charge and you are just riding along on 'take your child to work day.' He is so spiritually mature. Talking with him feels like talking with a member. We opened the scriptures and read about Jesus Christ and how through repentance and baptism, we can start again. The spirit was very strong, and he agreed to be baptized. To make the story even more complicated, about one hour after we met this guy in the street, the missionaries who used to teach him before he moved and lost touch with them finally gave up on contacting him and referred him to the English missionaries in our area (which coincidentally, are my trainee's trainee and his trainee). They called him and set up a lesson, but he thought it was us setting up the lesson. Anyway, we got it sorted out and all went to the second lesson. He then came to church on Sunday and to a special multi-stake devotional for recent converts and nonmembers later that same night. He is doing really well.
I think one thing I learned from the experience is that God's plan is perfect. You can never say the wrong thing to the right person. Our friend that we met was going to be offered the gospel at this time when his heart was open whether we were the ones that did it or not. If we had never met him, the English missionaries would in all likelihood have had the same experience we did. But, I think that even though God has all these grand plans for people, what is left to us is to choose whether we would like to be a part of it. If we hadn't opened our mouths, we never would have had this humbling experience that was one of the happiest of my life.
We had another miracle where a lady saw a Church ad on YouTube and requested to talk with the missionaries, which was us! We met her on Saturday and talked about how the Book of Mormon helps us find answers in our trials of life. The next day, she came to church with her young daughter! I think seeing someone come to church for the first time is maybe the happiest I have ever been as a missionary. When someone gets baptized, you kind of see it coming, but someone coming to church for the first time is sometimes kind of a surprise or a mystery. It is really exciting. Anyway, she sat with us and a member family at church and seemed to like it. Several times during the meeting she told us thank you for inviting her. At the end, we asked, "so, what did you think?" She said, "I loved it! I loved it so much! I have gone to a lot of churches, but I felt so much peace! Thank you so much for inviting me!" It is very true that someone's conversion happens when they feel the Spirit. We just have to get them there! We then invited her to come to the devotional I mentioned earlier for recent converts and nonmembers. She said yes!
Later that same night we met her again at the devotional (this is now the second day we have met this lady) where several recent converts, some stake leaders, and one of the mission president's counselors spoke. One of the recent converts talked about his experience accepting the Word of Wisdom, and she whispered to us with wide eyes, "In your church you don't drink coffee?" We explained a little, and she nodded, and whispered, "I'll get off it then." Later in the devotional, the stake president said, "For those of you who have recently taken the step to be baptized, I can promise you that it is the best decision you will ever make. For those of you who haven't been baptized yet, I encourage you to do so as quickly as possible." We were just smiling huge old smiles with all these nonmembers in this very spirit filled environment hearing that invitation.
One last miracle was that right after sacrament meeting, we went to Elders quorum and to our astonishment, someone we were teaching was there! We had thought there was no way he would come to church, but he came without telling us. We hadn't seen him come in. One of the counselors in the elder's quorum taught the lesson, and after, he gave the man we were teaching a heart-to-heart motivational speech about some difficulties he was going through. Both had gone through a divorce and lost everything. I was so grateful for members of the church. They are the best.
Have the faith to turn around.
'Til we meet,
Elder Harris
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