Hump Day!

It's been a year - time is flying!

Monday July 30, 2012

What’s up Harker’s!?!?!?!?!?!?

So I guess you’re all dying to hear the answers to your questions. I guess I’ll start with that.

How do you feel about that? (about being out a year now)

Well I don’t really know, the feelings come and go and change quite a bit, but really it makes me think about how little time there is left to work so I just need to get step’in and go back out to work. Its nuts to think how fast 1 year has gone and it scares me to think I only have 1 left. 

What has been the best part so far?

I don’t think I can put my finger on one thing that has been the best, but I can tell you that seeing someone make the changes necessary in their life to be baptized, and then to see them come out of the water clean is the most uplifting feeling in the world. To think of them when you first met them until that point is amazing to realize the changes people make for the Lord.

What has been the hardest/worst part?

This I can’t even point out either, but I really don’t enjoy my time when there are problems within the companionship. That does not make the time go by fast and it’s hard to work things out sometimes. It’s hard to teach and do what we do on a daily basis. 

What have you learned the most so far about yourself?

Probably I’ve learned the most about humility/pride, like I’ve said before it’s something that is present in all of our lives and it’s a constant battle. I always come back to thinking about that in my life and how lots of times that’s the causes to our problems. 

What do you hope to learn or want to happen in the next year?

I don’t really know.  I guess I’m not really thinking one year ahead, but I would like to become more of a selfless person. I just want to be able to serve others and I know that’s the purpose here in the mission but I want that to develop to be something that I do the rest of my life. 

Is your mission experience what you thought it would be – elaborate?

Yes and no. I guess I thought it wasn’t so much about relating with people, going to their level and helping them take the steps they need to while you are right there besides them. I thought it was more, we go, we teach, they change,  but I’ve come to realize it’s like fight through all the challenges of life side by side  with the people we are teaching. 

When you think of each companion you have had – what one thing comes to mind when you think of them and why you had that companion?

Who have you learned the most from and what is it? 

Well I did learn a ton from my trainer Elder L, but right now with Elder H I guess I’m learning a lot of things on my own. So it’s kinda a tie between the 2 because I think I’ve learned a bunch from both but in different aspects of life. I don’t know if that makes sense or not. 

Do you think you have changed and what are those changes?

Yeah I think I have changed, of course I’m still Kent, but my view of life or the big picture and my way of living I guess you could say has changed dramatically. It’s like life is one big chess game and you got to think of every move carefully. You never know what the opponent will throw at you but you need to be ready for each move. I don’t know it’s just like my mind is not in the here and now anymore, it’s in the future in the eternal perspective. I can’t name everything that’s changed but I feel I’ve changed in many ways.

How do you take these experiences and learning’s and keep them going after a mission?

I think really to keep them going after the mission requires me to be fully involved in the gospel, not in the sense where I have to go door to door still but to keep myself living what I just taught for 2 years. Keeping my focus on the eternal perspective once again. 

As you think about yourself before and now are there things you want to do differently after  - things you want a part of your life and/or things you don’t want in your life anymore? 

Yeah of course there are tons of things I want to change from times before, things to eliminate and things to add. Lots of the changes though I think just come down to time management, which is something I’ve always been terrible at. 

Well I hope that those answer satisfy what you were looking for and that you understand them.  I know some might have been a little vague but I hope not. 

So anyway I don’t have a lot of time left, but this week has been a great one!!! We have seen so many blessings in our lives and I’ve come to realize a few of the blessings we’ve received in the past that came to light in my mind. The Lord knows us so well and knows what we need at the right time. I’m still here with Elder H so I’ll be in my area here for 6 months but it’s been going great!!! We had tons of people in church yesterday and so that made me really happy to see that. We also had interviews with President this week and they came at the perfect time. Like I said last week was a little bit harder but after my interview everything started to look up and now I’m better than ever. Life throws lots of curve balls at us but if we keep going strong then we can eventually conquer them. 

Well that’s all for time but I’m super happy to hear that everything is going just great!!!! I hope Jonny is enjoying my room and that he doesn’t destroy it too badly while I’m gone. Anyway keep going strong fam. 

I love you all soooo much!!!!!!!! 

cya later

Love Elder Harker

Monday July 23, 2012

Hola Familia!!

Wow sounds like the week was super chill for you guys, really relaxing and really fun. It sure sounds like Sara had a good time at EFY and also that mom had some time to herself out in Arizona. I’m glad you guys could enjoy yourselves and get some stuff done. 

This week was one that has been pretty hard. It’s the first of the transfer and so something just seemed to change for a couple of days as soon as we got the transfer calls. We had a few little things that we had to sort out. We were working super hard all week but the thing is something wasn’t just clicking right and so we had to do some trial and error. We both had our times where we were frustrated and beaten down a little. We had a few good talks and we got back on our feet. It was hard, the Lord was sure testing us. We would go for hours and we wouldn’t get into a house, so it was just disappointing to talk to everyone and nothing would happen. Our rhythm was thrown off and so we had to work hard to work it out. With the help of the Lord we were able to come through it. It sure has been a humbling week for me cause there were things that I didn’t want to change that I had to give up in order for this to work out. So it shows that when we truly love others and when we want the best for them we will do what is necessary to help out. 

Then finally yesterday at the end of the week after a long hard week of work we found some great success. We found a bunch of new people to teach and they just seemed to pop out of nowhere. We really had to persevere and we could have given up countless times before but as we kept opening our mouths eventually people were open to listen. It sure was neat to see how that works. It’s like the Lord pushes you until you can’t go another step. Just like in Alma in chapter 26 with the sons of Mosiah in verse 27. We were comforted and blessed with success. What great and humbling experiences the Lord has us live!!!  Anyway, so it was a tough one but we came out on top again. So it’s time to conquer the next week.

This morning we had a little bit of cleaning to do so I thought I’d let you guys see the moldy fridge I had to clean out this morning!!! It was so wonderful to do it I just loved it!!! hahaha not really at all it reeked and we’ve been living without a fridge for a while but we get along. So ya, the adventures of the mission. 

Anyway that’s about all I have to say for now so I’ll let you know what’s up next week. 

Love you all!!!!! Elder Harker

Blessed to have some baptisms

Monday July 16, 2012

Well, well, well sounds like you guys sure had a good time down in Utah. I am so glad that you had such good weather and especially that the company was great!! I’m sure being together as a family was sure fun and you got to enjoy yourselves in the water. I’m super pumped for the day when I can enter into water once again hahaa but it’s all good for now. I  guess we’ll just have to wait for the next Harker family reunion. Actually the other day I was thinking about past family reunions and when Dad sung Hava Nagila at the last one and when we made the Harker reunion movie!!! That was all so much fun!!!

Anyway I’m sure you’re wondering what’s up because I wasn’t able to write last week. Well anyway it was Argentina’s birthday last Monday and so it was impossible to find anywhere to write. But I’m good. 

The big news is that we had another baptism this Saturday!!! It sure was amazing with a great spirit there too!! There were four people that got baptized, M, C, A, and M. They are all such angels and we were gunna have 2 more there but one was scared of what his friends would think, but then he saw his sister get baptized and he said he wanted to as well. So we had everything ready the font was still full and we had his clothes but we are going to wait till another day. Then another little girl who turned 8 this week, who was such a miracle, well she got scared and didn’t want to get baptized. So we saw some difficulties but hey we still saw some pretty amazing miracles!!!! I sure was happy with the way things went and it was just amazing blessings from the Lord. 

We’ve just had a baptism and now it’s back to work.  I’m super glad to be here with Elder H that we are working so well together, it really is a blessing. I guess I don’t really have much to say for today, sorry that it’s been two short weeks in a row, but hey I just hope you know that I love you all and that I love this work. I’m so grateful for every opportunity that the Lord has given me to grow. Well until next week.

I love you

Elder Harker

Birthday, Canada Day and a neat experience....

Happy Birthday from Home

Happy Canada Day!

Monday July 2, 2012

Hey FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Well, well, well, it looks like I’ve got lots to say so bear with me here. I guess we got to start somewhere, so let’s go with the Birthday. Well yes I did have a completely wonderful birthday and I know that you were all rooting for me on this special day and thinking of me. So I thank you for that. I really loved the banner that you guys made me. It sure made me feel loved and so that was probs the best birthday gift I could get ever!!!! I really did enjoy my birthday and that day we had tons of cool visits to make and I loved it!!! One of the families they got me a cake!!!!!!!! It was soo tasty and then we had to go so that was kind of a bummer but we had to catch the bus and so I was booking it with the cake in my hand it was way funny I bet for anyone to watch and I bet some people probs thought we stole the cake but we had to go and there was no other choice. I’m just lucky cause we ran by a cop on the way hahahaha but everything is all good. 

Anyway the work is going great I still love it like always and I just look forward to every day. Me and Elder H have had our rough spots and we are learning from each other every day but he really is a great Elder and I love him. We grow everyday and we are working super hard!!! I love everyday even though it can be discouraging at times but I love life!!!! The people are progressing and it is amazing to see people take these steps toward baptism. It really is a great work and a wonderful opportunity to be in the service of man and of God. 

I guess I should wish you all a Happy Canada Day as well. To be honest to you I kinda forgot about it until I got a call from Elder S to wish me a happy day. It was pretty funny because it was on their calendar and I forgot, and they aren’t even Canadian. I felt pretty ashamed. But then I got a call from Elder B too and that was super awesome!!! I haven’t seen him in the longest time but it will be great when we reunite. Then I called Elder Henry and we sang Oh Canada in spite of the day and I was dressed up in the most Canadian things I could find hahaha. But it was a good day at the end.

Well then to the most interesting part of the week. So this last week we had a run in with a testigo de jehova aka Jehovah’s Witness in a contact and so we talked to her like everyone else. We shared a little about the restoration and we actually got her address and set up a cita aka meeting for another day that week. So anyway we were pretty pumped to go and teach her and see what it’s all about. It was super exciting too cause I’ve never really taught a JW before. She also told us to come prepared cause she didn’t think we would be able to answer her questions. Well anyway she also gave us a quiz like where you find the name of God in the scriptures which is Psalms 83: 18 btw but not important cause that’s not even right. Anyway we went and started preparing in the days that followed and it just so happens that Elder Seymour when he left to go home (he’s an Elder I’m goods friends with and way tight) well he regalared me a JW bible so I have one and I have a few kinda anti jw talks by some apostles but really we were just studying to find common doctrine and start with that. The day came and we had to go to the cita. We also brought with us a youth that is preparing to go on a mission to show him how the mission really is. We went and she didn’t think we were gunna show up but we did and so we enter and one of the JW rules are a woman can’t be alone with a man unless it’s her husband or something like that so we thought he would be there. We found a surprise when 2 other jw women were waiting there for us as well. Anyway we talked and shared lots of scriptures but we told them when we first got there that we were not there to fight and any sign of a fight we would leave. So there was no bible bashing but just sharing of beliefs. I think it went really well. They said they would read the BOM and compare it with the Bible and we were totally ok with that. Then we invited them to church and they also invited us to their church. They said they wouldn’t come to ours cause its probs a rule but anyway they invited us and we left after that. We started and ended with a prayer and it was a good meeting and we left a good impression. They also gave us a yellow book that is called. (What does the bible really?) We took it and were on our way. One of the ladies was a pastors or anzianos as they call them daughter. We also found out that they actually have a book about Mormons and tells them about us. It’s pretty much like an anti Mormon book. But anyway the story gets better. They invited us to church and it is Saturdays at 7 - 9 which fits perfectly to our schedule. And so we decided that day that we would go to the church. 

We went to their meeting and listened. We didn’t make a big presence and we were just as respectful as possible. We followed along with the lecture and at the end we talked with a lot of the people. They were really nice tried to accommodate our needs, we talked for a little bit and met all their anzianos, and it would be bishops for us. It was nice, we saw the ladies we had the visit with. It was a good night and we left a very good impression of the missionaries and the church, and really we just tried to mend the relationship we have with the testigo church. I know that we may not see fruits of this visit immediately but maybe in a few months or years someone in that church will talk to the missionaries. We entered with the spirit and we left feeling the spirit because we weren’t there to fight. 

I really did learn a lot from them though. I learned how new investigators feel when they come to a new church or our church. That it is not the most comfortable thing in the world like we might think. We need to fellowship better, we need to be their friends. They want to have a good time. They don’t want to fight. Lots of what the jw do is good, they just don’t have the full truth, they seem to be living the law of Moses to the letter of the law just in modern day times. They are trying to find the path of God and trying to live by high standards it’s just not all the right standards. Everyone there was formally dressed which we see in our wards back home but here not soo important to some people. Everyone was quiet and respectful which is something the ward here needs to work on, especially the youth. I learned lots from my visit, and my testimony was really strengthened. I am so grateful I am living the true gospel with all the right standards. It really was a testimony builder and I’m grateful for the opportunity. 

I know this church is true and that my Heavenly Father loves me. He is there for me when I need him. I can learn everyday through the Holy Scriptures which I love and I know one day I will live with him again. 

Anyway that’s about enough for now but I love you all and I’ll talk to you next week

Love Elder Harker

2 great kids got baptised!

Monday June 25, 2012

Weeks come, weeks go, but this one sure went out with a splash!!!

We had a wonderful baptismal service this week of a couple kids that we have been working really hard with their family! Its A and M and they are some of the coolest people ever! She is 16 and is just super active; she goes to seminary everyday and is now like best friends with all of the youth. She really has made a lot of friends and has adjusted well. M is 11 years old and soo smart. He’s really grasped the gospel and just understands soo much, he’s gunna make a great missionary one day!

So that was like the best day of the week and just felt the spirit so strong in that service, We also are teaching their family members and one of the sisters that came was crying through out the whole thing. She has stopped smoking and is totally getting baptized in July. I’m soo happy for this family and all they are doing together to come closer to their Heavenly Father!!! 

Besides that it’s been a pretty chill week, we are still adjusting to each other trying to get our rhythm together. This week I’ve learned a lot and just how to deal with certain situations. Sometimes Elder H gets frustrated with me and he says he’s one to easily get frustrated and I believe him, but I’m trying to do what I can to change and do what I can do to work it out. When there is tension in the companionship nothing works the way you want it to. We’ve gotten better these last few days. Anyway that’s about all for now. Sounds like you guys are having tons of fun. I hope you keep doing what’s right and send everyone my love. 

Well until next week, know that the Saviour loves you all and so do I.

Elder Harker