WEEK 18 - Service, Service, Service

Kent with Elder Bridge

Kent licking the brownie spoon

Kent with their sausages, almost as tall as him - that is a lot of sausages

Monday Nov 28, 2011

Alright so it’s time for a real letter

So fam what is up with you this week, and the answer better be like pretty amazing cause that is what I pray for every day.

It sounds like it’s going pretty well and I’m so happy to hear from you every week, but anyway time to start so let’s go with service first.  And oh man we had a lot of service this week and I loved it!!! First off we go to teach this guy named F and he is 11 years old and his mom is inactive and we go there just expecting to share a lesson and a good thought with him cause he is preparing for baptism. They weren’t there and his grandparents live behind them and they are inactive and so we went to see if they were home, but to make this long story short what ended up happening is that we went planning to teach a lesson and we finished by re-roofing their house. We were still in our shirts and ties and so it was pretty fun but this week was way hot and so I was on the roof and we threw the metal off and then swept it and put new stuff on and then nailed it down but I was dying the whole time cause it was soo hot. And then more service that day we went and helped a less active family smash up their like I don’t know like side path way beside their house to make way for us laying pipe. This is an ongoing service project and we will be back to help them finish up cause we couldn’t do it all in one day.  Then other days we have helped move big cabinets out of people’s houses and smashed them up and ya so it’s been a great week for service and it feels so great to help people with stuff like this!! 

So next I guess I should talk about the service of making brownies and mom you should be really proud of me because through watching you make brownies so many times I think I’ve developed your sweet loving way in which you prepare and cook it well I guess bake it. But ya we made brownies this week twice for 2 different families and it turned out pretty well I think well actually one of the times I burnt the edges a little but the other one turned out really well so I’ll be using that for probs the rest of my mission.  I’ll have to make it when I get home but me and Elder L made this bomb salsa that tastes soo dang good and I’m not going to spoil the surprise but I know home time is a long way off but ask me about the agasani salsa when I get home ok haha.

Some other news is that this week I found out that I have to give a talk on the 11th of December so I need to start preparing now. Please pray for me cause its gunna be or I guess has to be about 15 min and all Spanish and ya I need to sound intelligent and like I know what I’m talking about so your prayers about that would help but just something in the life of a missionary. In other news I have a little bit of a story. 

Last week we were just walking down the street and this lady came up to us and she started asking if we were the missionaries and stuff like that and then started saying, like I need your help because I was talking to my pastor and he said he couldn’t help me but look for these people describing us and they are more spiritually prepared to help you!!  Crazy huh??  She came up to us and we set up a visit for later and then when we went to teach her she said there was like bad spirits in here house so we left with a prayer in her home and we will go see her again next week but I thought it was cool how her pastor said we were more spiritually prepared.

But hey I’m really proud of Sara for making the team that’s gunna be so great for her!! I’m excited to hear how the season goes and Erin from her last email sounds good, hope she’s having lots of fun and such.  No package yet but hopefully this next week I should get it, but ya sounds like everyone back home is doing well and just having fun. I’m always excited to get letters from them but ya it’s just fun chillin with the Elders here and this Elder B is way cool I love him and I’ll tell you more about it at Christmas but I might have some plans with him for when I get home but he’s my really good bud.  I am so happy though Dad that you are singing still and with Jesse and Peter too. I’m happy you involved them cause I think they will love it.  Sounds like you are doing some good exercising too and I am here, we go running every day well almost every day and I love it so it’s pretty sweet. The deacons are sounding great as well.

But I think that about sums up my storytelling for today and imp just loving it down here, the times are good and sometimes they are hard but really just prayer and faith is what gets you through.  Relying on the Lord for everything is key and it’s still a lesson I am learning and will forever be learning.  Life’s good for the most part and all we need to do is find ways to make it even better. The days that are tough will pass as long as you work on what you can do to change it and keep a positive attitude. So that’s my advice, a day may be hard but truly if you want it to become better go before the Lord in humble prayer and ask for his help and he will answer you because we are all children of God and he wants the best for us just like our parents on earth want the best for us. So that’s a little bit of Kentyboi wisdom for today but I’ll hit you guys up next week. Love you all and pray for you always.

Peace + Love

Elder Harker

WEEK 17 - Amazing week and flaming pig

Hey Fam!!! Great to hear from you guys!!

Sorry I got no new pics for this week so if you will please forgive me, lately I haven’t been taking as many and so I guess I better get on that but, I don’t really know how to describe this week but it was amazing!!

Well first off we had 5 people at church and so that was way ballin!! I was so pumped and these people are soo amazing I love them, I’m just soo happy to see the progress that they have made and they just continue to grow and it’s so amazing to see them keep pushing forward and keep working hard. We have this one investigator and her name is Adriana and man she is the bomb. She is pretty much baptizing herself and she is reading lots and loved coming to church she is my favourite and I know the Lord has things planned for her I’m pumped!

But ya to answer your questions I guess I sent those letter like I’d say about 2 and a half weeks ago so I guess it wasn’t too long which is pretty good considering our mail system so ya I’m happy about that. It sounds like you are all keeping busy with basketball and work and dates and playing rook.......without me!! hahah no but it’s all good and I’m happy you are having just as good of a time as I am!! About email we get an hour and 15 min and we can use it how we can so if we don’t use it all at once you can do it again but most of the time you don’t have time to go again so if you do it’s a blessing but we go to these comp places where you just pay a bit to use it for the time and so it’s not too bad and they are all over the place so you usually just walk to them. So it’s pretty easy to use I would say. About the language its coming slow but sure at times its hard and at times its easy but really now I’m understanding a lot more and I’m just trying to work on the technicalities and learning new words which will all take a while so ya its a work in progress still but hey that’s what life is about.

Really nothing to exciting happened this week just had a good working week and it was a blast but last night we had a little adventure. At first we went to this members house for dinner and we were already stuffed from having lunch and we don’t eat or at least I don’t eat too much anymore, and so this guy is like well I hope you’re hungry and also said I hope you have your camera, unfortunately we didn’t.  He brings out this huge pan with just this pig leg all cooked on it. Then he pours some kind of alcohol on it and lit it on fire and it looked so sweet I wish I got a picture and so for dinner we ate this flaming pig leg!! It was so delicious I wished you guys could try it. While we were there it just started pouring and there was so much thunder and lightning and it was coming down like no other, and the power went out and so for the remainder of the evening we were eating pig leg by candle light and it was very romantic. But ya it was super great I loved it!! At the end of dinner he always tries to get me so say to his wife, gracias por su pokeria, and that means thanks for your garbage but I didn’t this time and I did last time cause I did know what it meant but it was all in good fun hahah but ya so that was an adventure and then luckily he gave us a ride home after but the other Eders in our pension were not so lucky and had to walk home in the pouring rain in the rivers for like a half an hour so that was rough for them, but then it was just a good night..

That’s my adventure for the week and it’s just been a great week like I said for work and to grow spiritually and right now our companionship is as strong as ever and I love it. I’m doing great sorry I don’t have much time left, but I love you all and I’ll write you next week!!

Love Elder Harker

WEEK 16

Their apartment - cleaning up after it flooded

The new arrivals - Kent with his mission president and all the new missionaries

Blisters. ew.

Kenty's investigators.

Kent with his companion Elder Lerma

Roof top view!

Going for a little swim on the way to church!

Monday November 14, 2011

Hey guys so let’s see what should I say today

Well let’s start with a hello to all my family, friends and other loved ones.

So some exciting news for this week was that I got to talk with E Henry!!! We had a nice little chat for a bit and talked about oh the good ol days and such, but ya it was really awesome to be able to hear a familiar voice Sounds like he’s doing good and I’m pumped to work with him some day while I’m here!  To move on I had quite the experience yesterday. The streets were way flooded and so we took off our socks and shoes and rolled up our pants and walked bare foot to our investigators and this was to get them to go to church , and so ya to answer your question we do go out and get them all on Sunday morning but again about them going to church, it’s hard to get them to go out, but yesterday we were able to have 2 investigators at church!!! That was a great blessing for us, and one is way cool he is 12 years old and has bronchitis right now  but ya so he is a trooper and things are looking well for him. We really want to go over and give him a blessing though cause he has been sick for some time.  Yesterday morning was quite the adventure but it was all a good time too!! 

This week I was able to do a little bit of service while Elder L contacted this girl, she was separating dirt from rocks with this kind of grate type thing and so while they were talking I was throwing dirt! It was kind of a different thing to do but hey its service so I was happy to help out and that was a good deed for the day.  This week has definitely been a step up from last week and I’m excited to see the next few weeks cause I think or at least it looks like we are going to have some baptisms on the 26th of this month!  The work is moving forward and we are coming up with some good ideas to help out the members and the investigators!

Speaking of good ideas I did hear about that day of dedication from the Bishop. I got a letter from him last week and also a bracelet to go along with it. I was wondering if maybe you could send me more details on that or if he could because me and Elder L thought it was a really great idea and we want to present it to our Mission Pres so that we can work with the Stake to get something like that for our temple in Cordoba. Anyway I thought it was an awesome idea and we would like to use it if that’s all good with the Bishop.

 But I know this church is true I know the gospel blesses lives and I can see it when we teach people, I’m so happy to be here doing the work and it will only get better from here. I know what we share is the truth and that I can share this with everyone is a blessing in my life!

Anyway till next time

Love your son

Elder Harker

WEEK 15

Monday November 7, 2011

Well it’s that time of the week again PDAY

 And what a wonderful day it is, something like 36 degrees only so not too bad, but ohh man has it been hot lately and I’m not even in La Rioja or Catamarca where it gets to like 50 some and still it’s not even summer, so ya its pretty cookin and I’m still loving it. So far I haven’t been burnt but now that I say that I will probably be punished and get the worst burn of my life! But hey it’s all good, and yes mom don’t worry I am just fine and dandy and drinking lots of water on average about 3 or more litres a day so yes I do go to the bathroom quite a bit but most of the time I just sweat it all out and so I’m doing pretty well. About the incident ya I/ we did learn a lesson but we didn’t really get chastised too bad but hey lessons to learn and things not to do anymore, so anyway on with life.

There is really nothing too much to report, we are working hard that’s for sure, this week was a little disappointing because we didn’t really have too much success but it’s the calm before the storm and I feel that this week is going to be a lot better for us. We worked really hard last week to get our investigators to come to church and none came and that’s really the one thing that I find a little frustrating or just more discouraging with the people here. They love to make commitments and not follow through with them.  They will be all happy and such to do something or to go to church and then they will just not do it and be nowhere to be found.  So it just means we just got to work a little bit harder right? Just trying our best to get the work done and to help the people progress and feel the spirit, and it’s just sad when you know they are ready to receive this but they just try everything to get away from it. I don’t know if that makes any sense but all I want to do is help the people and some just refuse to be helped.  Anyway the ups and downs of the mission are what make it good and you can’t see the good without the bad so hey it’ll be good and bad sometimes and you just gotta accept that.

Well question and answer period, I’m glad to hear that everyone is doing ok and that you are still able to have fun at home without me but yes they have started the temple here in Cordoba I don’t know the specific progress on it but you can look online and find that one out.  We don’t do English classes here and I don’t know if it’s just something we don’t do but maybe we will start to, that’s a good idea but I guess first I would have to teach myself how to teach English ahaha cause I know how to speak it not teach it but I’ll figure it out.

I was happy to hear about the missionary weekend, I hope that went well and I remember my experiences and they were so sweet when Idid it, that was one of the best things I did in Young Men’s to help prepare for a mission cause it was 3 days of pure spirit and I loved every second of it!! But ya I’m glad they are still doing those and it really helps the young men I think.  I’m sorry I don’t have anything else to write really it’s just life as usual right now just doing the best that I can and trying to work as hard as I can!!  but I love you guys soo much and I love hearing from you every week, sorry I don’t answer all your questions there’s just so many that it’s hard to remember them all but I miss you guys and pray for you all too,

Anyway I guess until next time - Love you,

WEEK 14 - made it out safely and painting a seniors home!

Thursday, Nov 3, 2011

Hey Family!!

 So I’m glad you got a notice that I would not be writing until today so that was really nice to hear cause I knew mom would probably be freaking out if she didn’t know haha but anyway I’m doing fine and the reason it was delayed is because we had transfer call early and I don’t know why, anyway that’s the reason.  I am staying here in Renacimiento with Elder L so I’m excited for this next transfer and I’m looking forward to it.

So first off let’s say a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PAPI!!!! Its weird that I’m gone for your birthday but I hope it’s a good one and you don’t feel too old, and I’m thinking of you and hope that you can feel my love.  

Ok so what to say first well let’s start with the most insane thing first and then it can get a little more boring from there, ok so this is story time with Kent ---- So we have this red zone in our area that is more dangerous than all the other parts and last week we found this lady down there whose really interested in the gospel and then finding her led to finding like 3 other families so it was way good to go down there but one day aka Tuesday we were walking out of that area and it was like 430 or 5 and cause its dangerous we’re supposed to be out of there at like 6 so ya anyway we are walking out and I see this guy walking toward us and Elder L is on the phone with someone and we’re walking and this guys starts to cut across and is gunna walk in front of us, and I’m just thinking ¨he’s gunna try to take our phone¨ and my mind was going faster than my body and I wasn’t able to say it in time and so he grabs the phone and tries to take it away from Elder L and then Elder L’s marine past kicks into gear and they start going at it and the thief starts to back up and puts his hand near his belt and we are both thinking he has a knife or a gun or something and he’s gunna take it out and so Elder L charges him before he could take it out. It only ended up being a glasses case we found out later but at this point I was just in shock and was like what!?!?!?! is this really happening?? and then they were fighting and wrestling for a bit and Elder L got this guy in a hold from behind and he yelled at me ¨hit him¨ and so I went in on this guy and just started hitting him and Elder L is kneeing him from behind and then Elder L picks him up and slams him on the ground and while we were fighting there were 3 dogs around us and then they came and started biting him and Elder L,  luckily I didn’t get bit but we’re kicking this guy on the ground and he starts yelling stop stop and so we do and he gets up and starts running away but as we go to get our books we realize the phone is still on the ground and the thief picks up a pretty big rock and starts coming back at us so we run back at him and then he ran away  Then we got out of there cause in case he came back with friends and then to make the story shorter what ended up happening is cause Elder L got bit we went to our mission leaders house to check out the bite and then went to medical to get it sorted out and he’s fine just needs to take some pills so he doesn’t get rabies or any other viruses but ya we’re all good now.  We just can’t go back to that area in case they are looking for us and they want to kill us. These people and very vengeful and probs should have just given him the phone but what happened happened and we are fine we just need to watch out.

Well anyway enough of those kinds of stories but I’m doing good, just a little bit of an adrenaline rush here and there but ya don’t worry we’re safe. And we are doing our best to do the work, the last week we were also able to participate in service which was fun we had almost 2 zones there and we helped paint an old folks home and so that was really fun but it was soo tiring cause we were out all day in the sun so it made me really tired by the end, but we try to have service every week but it’s hard to find it sometimes but this was really something that was fun and could do with a lot of help.

Um so for the Bishop about the dates, well I’d have to say my top 5 would be ......... wow this is really kinda hard, but.  Zoo lights was a good one, ice blocking but that’s summer but maybe sledding, pumpkin carving slash making cookies, have two couples make a dinner for each other with a certain budget, rock climbing, lazer tag, I don’t really know just be creative that’s all I gotta say, I know my ideas cost money but you can do a lot of things that are really cheap and are super fun, like ice skating I’m just trying to think for winter I got a lot more summer ideas but it’s too cold for that. Anyway good luck.

 I don’t really know what else to write my mind is kind of at a blockage but I’m doing really well just trying to do the work as best I can and I’m having a blast out here. I am really trying to think of an experience to share but I’m totally blanking right now, I guess if I chose one it would be that fasting really works. We’ve still been having a harder time with our ward as I’ve said before, but anyway we decided to fast for help with them and as soon as we started to fast we had a meeting with our Bishop and the blessings start to come. Sometimes they are very hard to see or we don’t see them if we are not looking to find them. What may just seem like chance it’s not.  The Lord is there and wants to answer our prayers; I know that fasting really works and boy does it help!! I know this is true I know that God really does love us and wants to help us in every way possible, but just trust in him and have faith and its all gunna work out.

Well not too much else to report, but I’m doing good I’m hot always cause its way hotter here!!! It’s not even summer yet!!! It’s brutal but whatever that’s life now and I’ll get used to it hope all is well with you and Happy Birthday again Dad hope it’s a good one!!!

Love your kid 

Elder Harker