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| Happy Birthday from Home |
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| 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.
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
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