the WHAT informs and the WHY transforms

April 16th - A very difficult week

    There have been times on my mission that I have come to a cross road between hopelessness and perseverance. I have come to realize that it is these moments that really change the way that I think. We can choose to be optimistic, full of hope and long suffering, if we understand the why behind every decision. If we don’t comprehend the mysteries of God why do we then conform to our ignorance? I have taught many people in my mission who have been members of the church for years and years, but fall away for the smallest of problems. HOW? I think it was best explained, as Elder Utchdorf said, in this last conference, the WHAT informs and the WHY transforms. I hope and pray that my family one day arrives together in the celestial kingdom and then we all make little worlds right next to each other. What a fantastic thought!

     I just had so many different problems this week. I guess it is in these moments that I just need to press forward with faith in Christ. 2 Nephi 31:19-23 I am super excited however to change this week into the best week ever in my mission so that I can pull myself out of the funk that I got myself in.

Thank you dad for being thoughtful, and sending me the list of movies that are going to come out this summer. It got me all pumped to fight like a mad man until the last day of my mission. I think the feeling of triumph and accomplishment after my mission has ended, knowing that I have fought everyday, will really give me the satisfaction. I don’t think that I would feel very good watching all of the movies thinking that they are my prize for serving a mission. In fact I think of the movies like a little add bonus, something that just comes with the bigger package. I love the fact that you guys at home are always pumping me up and I thank you for that. I can feel the love that you send to me.

Mom’s questions:

Companion?  My companion and I are doing really well. We have found the key to solving our problems and we are learning a lot from each other.

Food?  We are eating, ok, lots of top ramen and other things that we really don’t need like cookies.

Money? Yes, mom you can send me money from America if you want because I can change the money here. I have been going ok with the finances, not super great but ok.

Apartment? Our room is great but really hot after the sun has been on the window all day.

Health? My health is a little bit bad right now. Nothing to worry about just that I have had a nasty little cold for about 5 days… I am taking some pill so that I can break it.

I really don’t have a ton to say this week.

Just that I am a little bit excited for something that I was talking about with my best friend here in the mission Elder Emett. I have been making plans with him to come and visit him in his house for a week after the mission is over. He lives in the same place that Aunt Jill lives in Saint George. We are hoping to meet up sometime in November…. But I am not sure how I am going to get down there or anything like that. Well…. Right now is not the time to be thinking about it.       

I

 really love you guys a ton and I hope that everything is going great.

Tell the girls that I love them and that I hope everything is good.

Another thing that I thought would be really nice to know and see. PLEASE SEND ME A PICTURE OF WHEN YOU AND DAD GOT MARRIED IN THE TEMPLE. And it would be nice for you to send me that detailed version of how you met and how you fell in love and how much time it took, all the way up to when you guys when to England. 

LOVE Elder Harris