Hard Work, Love, and a Fulness of JOY... December 15, 2014

Well everyone, this is it. Today marks my last proselyting day as a missionary. 

There are so many emotions and so many thoughts all swirling around in my head at the moment, but I'm happy.

My mission has been the absolute most wonderful experience of my life and I will forever remember the wonderful times I've had here. I feel bad for anywhere else I might live in my life because California will always have my heart!

This week has been an emotional roller coaster. It has been a week of "lasts". Last District Meeting, last lessons with people I love, last Sunday in the wards I've spent so much time serving and loving. It has been crazy, but I've had a lot of time to reflect on the things I've learned on my mission and the habits I've developed. 

Before my mission, I was lazy. You all know that! On my mission, I've learned the importance of hard work. Not working hard just for the sake of working hard; but true, real work that represents your devotion and love for an important cause. 

I've also learned a lot about love. Not just love but charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ. It's the expression of the deep love you have for your Savior and for others. My mission has given me a sense of this type of love for all people. I have learned to see others as the Lord sees them. I'm still working on treating them the way the Lord would, but that's part of developing charity. My love for the Savior has increased tremendously and has grown so strong that I want to share it with everyone, all the time!

There are sooo many things that I have learned on my mission and believe me, you'll all hear about them soon! But I think the number one thing I can say about my mission is that I've experienced something very close to a fullness of joy. The joy that I've been experiencing comes from obedience to the Lord's commandments. I've learned the value of exact obedience and never want to let up. The commandments are worth keeping because they bring a fullness of joy and countless blessings. They also bring you closer to Heavenly Father. I've learned to obey joyfully. I obey because I want to; because I love to; because I cannot go one day without receiving the blessings that come from obedience. 

Serving the Lord brings so much joy into my life and I will continue to serve to the best of my ability. 

I love you all so much and I am grateful for the support and love I've received over the past 18 months! Thanks for your wonderful examples and testimonies. 

Ofa Atu

Signing out,

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Merry Merry Christmas!!! December 9, 2014

Good day everyone!

This week has been crazy crazy crazy! But I guess that's every week on the mission. haha.

We have been seeing so many miracles! We have been using He is the Gift to find and teach people and it has been amazing! It has been helping everyone to get into the spirit of Christmas!! If you haven't seen that video, go to lds.org and watch it!! This Christmas season has been a wonderful one. We have been helping people to focus on the true meaning of Christmas which is Jesus Christ. The whole world, whether they know it or not, is focused on the Savior during this season. It's amazing! 

We have been meeting with a family named the Kokas recently. They are a part-member family and they are wonderful!! The wife is not a member and they have two 15 year-old sons that haven't been active in a while. We have built such a wonderful relationship with them! We taught them how to play Speed and we've been having tournaments every time we go over, followed by a lesson of course. Haha! I love how creative we have gotten about the work here. Our mission president wants us to get as creative as possible during this Christmas season and we've been trying our best! 
We've also done a lot of Christmas caroling! We go to downtown Palo Alto at least twice a week and sing Christmas carols while inviting people to come to the Creche exhibit. I just love the feeling that is in the air. Palo Alto at Christmas time is gorgeous. We went to the Creche the other night and it is beautiful! It's a wonderful and cultural way to feel the love of Christ!

On Sunday, we had combined meetings with two other wards in the stake and we had an excellent program. It was a musical testimony meeting! Everyone was welcome to come up and share their testimony followed by their favorite Christmas hymn, and then the whole congregation would sing that song. It was so spiritual and awesome! I really developed a love for the song "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day". I love the peace and hope the Christmas season brings into the lives of all people. 

The best part about Christmas is that we're celebrating the Savior; not only His humble birth, but His whole life, His death and sacrifice for us, and His resurrection. I think that we should pause not only during the Christmas season but every day to think about what the Savior means to us individually. And then we can think about what gift we'll give to Him. There's so much we can do to show our gratitude for the Savior, especially at this time of year. What gift can YOU give to Christ this year?

I'm just filled with love and so much joy. Things are getting crazy now as I am approaching my last week in the mission field. There are so many different emotions that I'm feeling, but I continually find comfort in the scriptures and personal prayer. The Lord is so wonderful and merciful and He loves me and you. 

Ofa Atu

Ote Alofa Ia te Oe

Sister Julie Catherine Harris 

He is the Gift.... December 1, 2014

Happy Monday everyone!!

Today we started setting up for the Christmas Creche exhibit that is held here in Palo Alto and we had a lot of fun! We've been going caroling and inviting EVERYONE to it, so hopefully we'll get a great turnout! 

This week was awesome but rough. Sister Britton and I got sick at exactly the same time and it's been lingering for days. We both came down with sore throats while we were on exchanges this week! But we've been pushing through and eating soup and drinking tea. Gotta love winter time! The winter is beautiful here! It has been wet and rainy and it looks like Palo Alto's in for a very green Christmas!
The Church came out with a new video for Christmas called 'He is the Gift' and it's awesome!! It's the new 'Because of Him'! We have been showing it to everyone and it has been helping people to see the true meaning of Christmas. There truly is a special spirit that surrounds this time of year. Everyone go watch it! christmas.mormon.org

My companions and I were talking the other day with a member about the true meaning of Christmas. We were talking about how everyone just seems to be nicer and more giving for the months of November and December. We realized that it's because people are focusing on Christ. Whether they realize it or not, people are focused on the Savior at this time of year. Just think about how much better the world would be if people focused on the Savior year-round. Everyone would be aware of the needs of those around them and they would have charity towards them. So try to keep the Savior in your hearts always!

Everything is going really well. I am just so in love with this whole area and all of the members and investigators and trees and puddles and everything else!! There's just nothing like the bay area!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Ofa Atu,

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Turkey Attack Time! November 24, 2014

Sisters Harris, Britton, and Nelson

Hello everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!

This week was awesome! We have been seeing so much success recently and we have a lot of great ideas for the upcoming Christmas season! Thanksgiving is coming up and I've been thinking a lot about gratitude lately. 

I think it's sad that the world seems to only be grateful in November. i know I fall into it as well. The Book of Mormon tells us to live in Thanksgiving daily! I love thinking about what I'm grateful for. There are so many things that I can't even count! The gospel, my Savior, a loving Heavenly Father, eternal family, friends, my mission, the Atonement, repentance, missionary work, rain, trees, California, music, art, the scriptures, prayer, the Church, the sacrament, the priesthood, food, my body, water, and soooo many other things. It's amazing how the more you count your blessings, the more you receive. When you really sit and think about all you're grateful for, you'll discover so many more blessings! The Lord loves us so much and He wants to give us blessings. 

We have been teaching a lot and going on a lot of splits this week. It has been great and we've been working so hard! We come home every night exhausted and wake up in the morning just as exhausted, but we keep working hard because it makes us happy to serve! It's getting cold and rainy (my favorite weather) here and people's hearts are softening due to the holiday season. I love it here!

My companions and I made cute turkey hands, copied them, and are going to be "turkey attacking" people's doors with a plate of cookies this week. Happy Thanksgiving! We currently have three Thanksgiving dinners planned...bring it on! We've been conditioning for it though because we've been having double dinners a lot. So full!

I invite all of you to consider what you're grateful for and give thanks to the Lord or anyone else. Alma 26:8

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Ofa Atu, 

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

A strange meeting... Our friend, Sariah, was visiting friends in Palo Alto, and ran into Sister Harris! They were soooo happy to see each other, and Sariah reports that Julie is still Julie, only more grown up and beautiful!

2 Apostles, 2 Days... November 17, 2014

You guys!!
This week has been awesome! So transfers happened and here's the news.
Before transfers, we (the Palo Alto 1st and 2nd sisters) were roommates
with the Stanford 1st and 2nd sisters (YSA and MSA wards). One of the
Stanford sisters got transferred to Pleasanton and Sister Britton was added
to our companionship. So we're in a trio now and covering all 4 wards!!
Somehow I knew I would start and finish my mission in YSA! (:
So things have been really exciting! Combining areas seems to be a pattern
on my mission.. We have been so so busy and loving it! It's really fun to
be companions with my MTC companion again! The work has EXPLODED and we are
working really hard to combine and prioritize everything. Life sure is fun
when you have 4 wards that all want to feed you! haha oh man.
So we've been running around Stanford like chickens with our heads cut off.
This weekend was awesome! Today, November 17th, marks the 50th anniversary
of the Oakland Temple, so there has been a lot of celebration around here.
Between that and the World Series, the bay area is on FIRE! Elder Bednar
was up here for the weekend to address the entire bay area at the Oakland
Temple to celebrate. While he was here, he hosted a dual-mission meeting
with us and the Oakland mission on Saturday just for the missionaries!! It
was so awesome to be in a huge room with over 500 set apart servants of the
Lord and an Apostle. It was a wonderful meeting! He and his wife spoke to
us and we were all spiritually filled. It was also very joyful to see all
of our friends and feel the pure love of Christ!
Then on Sunday (yesterday), we were at the Palo Alto 1st ward. We always
stand by the doors to greet people as they walk in and give them programs.
As we were standing there greeting, Elder Neil L. Anderson and his wife
walked in casually, shook our hands, and took a program! When he first saw
us he said, "It's the Sister Missionaries!!" He was a super nice guy and it
was an awesome surprise to see him there in our church building. He went
and sat up on the stand and he was just a regular part of our sacrament
meeting program. He gave an awesome talk about being a disciple of Jesus
Christ in Palo Alto. I guess his son lives in the ward, and he and his wife
were just visiting for the weekend. Stuff like that doesn't happen every
day!
As you can tell, we are being so blessed! The work is hastening and great
things are happening here on the peninsula!!
I love this work and I love the Lord! He is blessing us soooo much!
Ofa Atu
Go Stanford! (:
Sister Julie Catherine Harris

P.S. We got a phone call from Jeff Smith, one of our NewZealand study Abroad students. I asked him where he was, and he said, "Well, I saw someone you know today." 
I said, "Who? Where are you?" 
He said, "Well, I saw Sister Harris! I said, 'Julie?' and when she turned around, I was going to grab her, then  I saw the name tag, and I let go!"
Jeff is in the Stanford YSA ward, so now she has a "big brother" there! Nice to know...   Sandy

Cookie Droppin' : -) November 10, 2014

Hello everyone! 

This week was so awesome! It strengthened my testimony of hard work! At the beginning of the week, Sister Nelson was sick, so we weren't able to get a lot of work done. We didn't know if we were going to hit our goals for the week, so we were really worried. Also, we did a lot of exchanges this week, so that added to the stress. But we worked as hard as we possibly could and as we counted up our numbers last night, we found out that we not only met our goals, but we exceeded them! It was such a testimony to me that if we work hard, the Lord will bless us in our righteous efforts and desires. Good things are happening here in Palo Alto! The work is hastening! I know I say that in every letter, but it's so true. 

To all you members of the church: missionaries cannot preach the Gospel to the whole world by themselves. We absolutely need your help. The work is hastening so don't get left behind! Please do all you can to share the gospel with someone because the truth is, everyone needs it! Don't be afraid! The Lord wants you to succeed in preaching the gospel! I love it.

Everything has been going well. Last night was the outgoing fireside (the fireside for all missionaries going home to bear their testimonies.). It was a very emotional evening! I watched my trainer and a few other of my companions bear their final testimonies as missionaries. It was really sad to see them go! ):

Sister Ferrin, Sister Bassett, and Sister Boyd are going home this week!

It's getting really cold here in Palo Alto, but I'm loving all the clouds and rain. 

Last p-day we went to Stanford! We had so much fun walking around campus and seeing everything. It's beautiful! 

I've been thinking today about Christ's example of obedience. Christ was exactly obedient to the will of the Father. Exactly obedient. If Christ was just moderately obedient, would we feel like He loved us? The answer is probably not. He obeyed exactly the commandments and will of the Father because He loves the Father and He loves us. As missionaries, it is so important to be exactly obedient. It's how we show our love for the Lord and for those we serve. Being exactly obedient does not mean being perfect. It means trying your best every day to continually improve your level of obedience and repenting daily of mistakes you make. I have absolutely loved living this principle on my mission. It has helped me to understand better the Savior's atonement and the fulness of joy that comes from faithfully keeping the commandments! He loves us so much!

I love you all!

Ofa Atu!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris 

P.S.  Regarding the subject line of this email, we have started something new in our ward mission!

Our Ward Mission Leader proposed a new plan of action of how we're going to help build up the work in the ward. 

Cookie Droppin'.

Every week, Sister Nelson and I make several batches of cookies and bring them to various less-actives, actives, and nonmembers in the area. I am amazed and blown away by how many doors have been opened to us in this way! 

It's amazing how showing love for someone in such a simple way can make such a difference. It has strengthened my testimony that everyone needs and wants to feel loved. It's wonderful to reach out to those in need and everyone else!

Make someone some cookies this week!

Sister Harris

Winter is Coming! November 3, 2014

Sister Harris and Sister Nelson at the Oakland Temple

You guys, it's getting COLD! I love it though! 

Things are going really well! Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time to write today, but I'll do my best to convey the general feelings of this week.

The work is picking up! The wards are going crazy in preparation of the Creche exhibit (google it!), so I guess Christmas is coming early this year. :/

Dang. 

Everything is great! All is well! I absolutely love the work and especially working here in this area. Our investigators are doing well and the the work is hastening! 

I love my life and I love the Lord!

Sorry it's so short, but that's about all!

Ofa Atu!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

http://www.christmascreche.org
https://www.facebook.com/ChristmasCrechePaloAlto
...sounds like a pretty big deal!!

I spoke with Julie's ward mission leader, who had her over for dinner and to teach his wife. He said they l ove Julie, and love when she brings her Uke and sings with them. They had her play the Uke at their daughter's baptism. Good to hear she is loved there!!!   -Sandy

Mission life has never been so good! October 27, 2014

Hello everyone! 

This week was magical! SO many miracles and so much potential just coming out of the woodwork. 

We taught our investigator, Geraldo and he told us that he wants his whole family to learn with us also. Yay! We also taught our investigator, Mark, at the Stake President's house. It was such a great lesson! He has been out of town, so we haven't been able to meet with him in a few weeks. We really wanted to know where he was at and how he was progressing, so we decided to just ask a few of the baptismal interview questions so we could know. The Spirit was so strong! We could tell that the Spirit was leading the discussion because it seemed like everything that was said was something that he needed to hear. He was very thoughtful at the end of the lesson and we were all just feeling the Spirit. Then we started to talk about goals and covenants. Pretty soon we were talking about a baptismal date. The Spirit constrained us from setting a specific date because we felt like it needs to be his idea. So good news, he's praying for a date IN NOVEMBER. We're really excited about him and we have faith that he'll receive an answer!

The Lord is so wonderful and has been blessing us so much! 

This week has been so crazy and we have been so tired! But it's just incredible how the Lord has been carrying us through it all. I can't even fathom all of the miracles and blessings that He is willing to give us if we just obey His commandments with faith. 

Sorry this is all over the place, I've just been having a lot of thoughts recently. I've been having some awesome studies and have been recognizing a lot of blessings. 

Anyways, I'm doing well and I'm still loving it here in Palo Alto. I'm still living the dream and loving every minute of my mission. 

I love all of you!

Ofa Atu!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Ukelele magic! October 21, 2014

This week was really great! We have seen so many miracles and this area has so much potential! I'm really excited to be serving here during this exciting time!

We have met a lot of great people this week and have had a lot of great experiences! 

Yesterday we had a mission conference and Elder Pino of the Seventy was there to speak to us! It was a long but great meeting and the whole northern half of the mission was there! So I got to see all of my Livermore friends!! It was a great time! I played I Believe In Christ on the violin accompanied by an elder on the piano. I was a little nervous, but it went really well! I was truly carried by the Lord and everything was perfect.  P-day has been switched to today, so that's a little weird, but nice. 

We were visiting a Tongan member of our ward when his 15 year old daughter, who's not a member, came out to visit. I had my ukulele with me and we offered to play them a song. I pulled it out and we played I am a Child of God. She loved it! She loved the ukulele! She then played us a song and we jammed for a little while! It was awesome and at the end she said, "You sisters are really cool! You should come over again some time!" We were excited. Okay!

There's a lot of good stuff going on. I don't have a lot of time today to write, but just know that I love all of you and I am so grateful for all of your support. 

Have a wonderful week!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris  

Timing, the Temple, Tender mercies, and Tongans! October 13, 2014

Before I forget, here's my new address: 3041 Alma St. Palo Alto, CA 94306

Good day everyone! This week has been full of miracles! We had so much going on this week: temple trip, Meet the Mormons, zone training meeting, ward luau, and other things. Even with all of those things, we exceeded our goals! 

The temple was absolutely phenomenal. It is always such a treat to go to the temple and feel the Spirit. We went with Sister Olive, one of the Tongan members of our ward. It was really stressful because we wanted to try and make the 9am session but because of traffic and getting lost and other things, we made it barely in time for the 11am session. So we went in there and who do I find in the dressing room? Sister Gregerson and the rest of my Livermore peeps! It seemed like a coincidence, but I know it wasn't. It was a tender mercy from the Lord because He loves me. Also, Sister Nelson's whole last zone was there so there were a lot of people we loved there. If we would've made the 9am session, we would not have had that experience. The session was so great and we all felt the incredible peace that comes when we enter the house of the Lord. Then we all ate lunch together in the temple cafeteria and had a great time. On our way out, Sister Olive ran into a long lost nephew of hers who is serving in the Oakland mission and just happened to be having District Meeting at the time we were there. The timing was just so incredible and it strengthened my testimony that the Lord loves us and cares about what we care about. We didn't NEED to have those experiences, but He knew that we would appreciate them and so He allowed them to happen. It was a miracle!

On Thursday, we all got to see Meet the Mormons in stake centers throughout the mission (because they didn't want missionaries in the theaters). It was a wonderful film! I loved the hope that it brought to me and all those who watched it. If any of you haven't seen it yet, do it. And bring a friend or two. If you have questions about Mormons or don't quite understand, watch it.  It will change the way you view members of the church and the culture of the church. So good! After that, we had Zone Training Meeting in Los Altos and it was fun to go back there for a couple of hours. 

On Saturday, the ward had a Luau and it was so fun!! I got to know a lot of the members of the ward (especially the massive Tongan population we have!). They roasted two huge pigs and had them for dinner! It was so fun! It reminded me of our time in Tonga and it made me really happy. I absolutely love working with those wonderful people. (:

Sunday was great. Since we cover two wards, we went to 6 hours of church! It was exhausting, but it was my first time going to church in the wards, so I met a lot of new people. It was a nice surprise when Steve Young got up to say the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting. He's in our ward; no big deal. 

SO I'm doing really well and this week was excellent!

Palo Alto is a wonderful place and we also serve in East Palo Alto. They are very very different but both awesome! I'm grateful to be serving here and I love the people and place so much. It's insane how you can grow to love a place and group of people so quickly, but it's all because of the Savior. When we can tap into His love for us, we can feel it for those around us. Especially as we serve with all of our hearts. I love the work!

Go see Meet the Mormons!

Ofa Atu

Sister Julie Catherine Harris     

Livin' the dream in Palo Alto! October 6, 2014

Hello everyone!!

I've been transferred and I'm now here in Palo Alto! I miss Livermore and all of the wonderful things I learned there, but I love Palo Alto so much! The weather is perfect and the best part about it is that there are lots of trees and lots of wonderful people!

My companion is Sister Nelson and she is amazing! She's from Idaho Falls and she has only been out a transfer less than me. So we are having a lot of fun. Another fun thing: I'm roommates with Sister Britton, my MTC companion! So it's a lot of fun here all the time!

The work is going really well here! This week was kind of an overload of new faces and names and area and everything, but it has been wonderful. I really really enjoyed general conference (the super bowl for missionaries)! It was spiritual and uplifting and overall amazing. I received a lot of personal revelation and am excited to apply the things that I've learned. The Lord is so great!

Mom and Dad, I hope you enjoyed the video I sent**- I guess our ward mission leader does that every time we meet with him. So there will be more to come!

I'm assuming you know Elder Hopkins; I cover a ward with him and he loves you guys!*** He also knows Jim Condie, so he knows a lot of our family..(weird?) haha.

Anyways, I'm happy and feeling great. Things are going well and I'm full of fire for this wonderful work here. I can already see a lot of potential in the area and wards and I"m really excited to see why I'm needed here. 

I know that the Lord qualifies those He calls. I know He loves us and cares enough about us to answer all of our prayers. All of them. He's the best. (:

I love you all and I hope you have a fabulous week!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

**Brother Mann, her ward mission leader, videotaped her testimony. It was fun to see - but I couldn't paste the link here : -( 

***Elder Hopkins was in our branch at the MTC! We told him to say "Hi" to Sister Harris for us, and he remembered!!

New Beginnings... September 29, 2014

Hello everyone! I have news: I'm being transferred. ):

Livermore has by far been my longest area and it's hard to leave! I sure am going to miss all of the brown hills, the vineyards, the people, the heat, and the wonderful experiences I've had here. It was hard at first, but I have loved every minute of it!
It was hard to say goodbye to Kevin and all of the members, but I'm a little bit excited to see what adventures are in store for me in my next (and last) area. 

Ah! Whirlwind! I started bawling during sacrament meeting yesterday because they had a musical program and they just happened to sing all of my favorite hymns. I felt like it was just for me! I was fine until we all started singing 'Army of Helaman' and then I lost it. Dangit!

I'm also going to miss Sister Gregerson and all of our fun times, but I'm also happy for her because she'll be training a new missionary! She'll do great!

The work has been going well and I know it'll pick up in Livermore. We have put so much time and hard work into planning for this next transfer. So needless to say, this weekend has been CRAZY.  

I feel sad, happy, excited, stressed, and a little bit nervous, but I know it'll all be okay. 

This transfer, I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned a lot about other people. I have learned about pure love and the importance of it in all that we do. I have learned of the desperate need for obedience to the Lord's commandments in today's world and I have seen that desire and need within myself. I have learned the importance of integrity and virtue and the relationship between them. I have learned that service to others really is service to God. I have made changes and goals in my life because I've been here in Livermore. 

I have had a wonderful experience here and I hope that my experience in my next area will be just as amazing! I love my mission so much! You probably get tired of hearing it, but I just love being in the service of the Lord and being in California. There will always be a piece of my heart here. <3

I love you all and I hope you're all having a fabulous week! 

Enjoy general conference; write questions, pray about them, and they will be answered!! I love how that works. 

 Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Life is a Party... September 24, 2014

Okay, so my life is a party. 

We had a Luau at Quail Garden, an elderly facility where we do service on Fridays. It was so much fun! I love all of the residents there and we get to do the funnest things with them! 

And yesterday, we got to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!! It was so much fun! We went with one of our ward mission leaders and his family. It was a blast! We saw a lot of cool things including jelly fish, an octopus, shark, sting rays, otters, penguins, and lots and lots of fish! It was so fun and I especially liked the jellies. (:

Things have been going really well! The work is going well and every day I get a little more sad to leave Livermore. This is the last week of the transfer, so we'll see what happens. I absolutely love each of the people here and I love that it's getting a little cooler! This summer has been waaayyy too hot!

Kevin is still doing well! He's in the same situation as far as his divorce goes, but he wants to get baptized soo bad! He is honestly one of the most prepared people I've ever met. 

All is well with the work. I'm loving it every day even though I've been a little under the weather. I'm happy. (:

I've been reading conference talks recently from last conference and I love them! I especially love the talks in the priesthood session. It makes me really excited to watch conference in a couple of weeks with some questions in mind. I absolutely love the spirit I feel when I listen to a prophet's voice. Ain't nothing like it!

Anyways, I don't have a lot of time, but I love you all and I know the Savior loves you all as well!

Love, 

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Set the pulpit ablaze!!! September 15, 2014

Hello everyone! 

This week was a little more rough than last week, but we're still alive! Mom, 

Sister Gregerson and I were freaking out because us and our families were 

having a slumber party at the same time!! So fun!

Anyways, things are good. Livermore is still good. I can't believe I've been here 

almost 6 months already! Time really flies when you're having fun. I have learned sooooo much in Livermore! 

Run down:

I have had 4 companions in 4 transfers.

I have covered 3 wards in the stake without ever getting in-zone transferred.

I learned how to work in a small town.

I learned to love all people regardless of who they are.

I learned that faith precedes miracles.

I learned that the Beatles were right: love IS all you need.

I learned the difference between table grapes and wine grapes.

I have learned that I can definitely do hard things.

I learned how to be a good friend.

I learned the relationship between virtue and integrity.

I learned a lot about the Atonement.

I learned to enjoy the good things in life instead of worrying or getting anxious.

All good things! 

This week was great. Yesterday, we had stake conference and Elder Alan Packer of the 70 came and spoke to us. President and Sister Mella also spoke and it was a really good meeting! A funny thing happened: While Sister Mella was bearing powerful testimony, the fire alarm went off! It was soo loud and no one really knew what to do. Turns out, a little kid escaped and pulled the alarm. It was funny because her testimony literally set the pulpit ablaze!

Kevin is still doing really well. We love him and Staci so much! They are some of my favorite people ever! 

Everything's going well; Sister Gregerson and I are still enjoying every minute of our work and time here in Livermore. All is well!

I love you!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Livermore is on Fire!!! September 8, 2014

Happy Monday! 

This week was soooo good! The Lord blessed us so much with miracles! Tons of them! 

Our first miracle is that we got a new investigator on Saturday. Not just any new investigator, a really solid one. Her name is Daisy and she is so sweet! We found her through her brother who we had met outside the week before. He said he was interested in learning more, so we set an appointment for Saturday. When we showed up for our appointment, he wasn't home but Daisy answered the door. When we found out Edgar wasn't home, we were about to leave but then we just had the feeling to ask if she wanted to learn more. She said yes and got really excited and let us in. We had a really good lesson with her and she is really sweet and sincere. The Spirit was so strong and she had a lot of really good questions. We asked her what it would mean to her if there was a living prophet today and she said, "that would mean everything for me and my family." It was a total miracle! We invited her to be baptized and she said yes! She said we can set a date this Saturday when we go back over. It was really exciting and just what we needed to break the drought in Livermore! It was an answer to our prayers and the prayers of our wonderful ward members. Miracles do happen! Even in places that may seem forsaken!

                           

On Saturday night, we got to go to the temple visitors center with Kevin and Staci. We had a wonderful time with them and it was so good to be able to feel the spirit of the temple with people I love. It was a wonderful evening and on the way home we had a really good lesson with Kevin about fasting.He fasted yesterday that he would be able to take the next steps to be baptized.

Sister Gregerson and I cannot comprehend all of the miracles that are happening. Things are so good and we're so happy. It makes me feel good because I've been working hard in Livermore for 4 transfers and now we get to see the fruits! I love my mission and I love the Lord!

I want everyone to know that the Savior lives and love all of us! Yes, that means YOU! The power by which He blesses us is our faith and our faith is exercised by action and work. Enduring to the end is the way to receive those blessings that He has in store for us. Those blessings are part of our divine nature! I love it. A lot. 

I also love everyone who's reading this! Have a wonderful week and stay tuned for more miracles next week!

Love, Sister Julie Catherine Harris  

yep! September 2, 2014

This week was so good! I can't express through email the happiness I feel right now! 

Yesterday we had a fun p day and now I'm sore (from a spill on the soccer field), but I'm so happy! I love my area, I love my wards, I love my companion, and most of all, I love my mission!

This week I learned more about love. That really is what it's all about. Without charity, we're literally nothing because charity is everything! It's how we can truly become like Christ! Good stuff.

So not much to report this week; things are going well and the work is moving forward at the classic Livermore pace. Slowly but surely with miracles along the way. 

I rejoice every day in the gospel and in the blessings and peace that come from it. It's just so goood! I also rejoice that I'm a missionary and I cherish every moment because it doesn't last forever ):

I'm learning a lot, experiencing a lot, loving a lot, serving a lot, working a lot, and enjoying a lot. 

I love everyone and I'm happy. (: 

Love,

Sister Julie Catherine Harris                                      

pics!!!

Sisters Harris, Swapp, and Gregerson

Zone Photo Scavenger Hunt - glam on the farm!

Stylin' at the cemetery - these three are having too much fun!

Love and Miracles Abound! August 25, 2014

Hello! 

This week has been sooooo full of miracles!! One after the other! Every day! 

So I've decided to go to BYU and the first miracle is that I got in! Then there have been countless miracles with all of the people we've been teaching and even that I get to stay in Livermore with Sister Gregerson. 

The theme of this week is that God is so good to us! He loves us! Sooo much!

Things have been going well. The work is really busy and still picking up! 

I've been studying a lot about charity this week and it has been such a wonderful thing to use and apply the insights I've received. Charity is such a wonderful thing! Charity is love, God is love, so God is charity! As we strive to develop Christlike charity, we're developing pure love for ourselves and all those around us! Charity is an attribute of our Heavenly Father Himself! Pretty cool!

I love the gospel and I love sharing it with those I love. This transfer has only been a week long so far, but I have learned this transfer that when you love the person you are and the person you're with, others will feel Christ's love through you. I can't even tell you how many people have pointed out how much my companion and I love each other! They feel it and through that love, they feel our testimonies and our love for the Savior. Cool how that works!

One miracle that happened this week:

We got a text from the zone leaders saying that they had just received a call from a man named Michael. He told them he had met with missionaries a long time ago and that he wanted to meet with them again. Since his address is in our area, they gave him to us! We went over and we talked with him a little bit. He told us that his wife had died 8 months ago and that he was angry at God. But he told us that he was going to give God one more chance and that's why he wanted us to come over! It was a miracle. We bore our testimonies to him and hopefully helped him to feel the Spirit. He didn't come to church, but we'll keep trying. 

Funny story, Elder Cormier is in my District! He's a really cool elder and he told me that he's already heard a lot about me (Thanks Mom and Dad!). Our zone has changed so much for the better this transfer and I'm excited for the miracles that will be happening here soon!

Things are happening and it's SO GOOD to be a part of it.

I love you!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris    

not even trunky! August 18, 2014

Hello everyone!

This week was wonderful! We had so much success and saw soo many miracles!

I'm sad because Sister Swapp is going home this week. ): But she's been great and a wonderful example to me. She's not even a little bit trunky! She's the best and she'll be greatly missed.

So Sister Gregerson and I are staying together, but tomorrow we'll find out if we get another companion or not. Either way, it'll be a blast because Sister Gregerson is amazing!

Things are going really well! Last night was the outgoing fireside and it was sooo spiritual! Sister Swapp did a great job and the whole meeting was just phenomenal. Even though it lasted 3 hours.

We taught one of our progressing investigators, Kevin, on Friday and he's sooo awesome! He really wants to get baptized and he's so sincere! We're super excited about him. Sister Swapp promised him that she would come back for his baptism whenever it is. We haven't been able to set up a date yet because of some things, but it'll be soon, so stay tuned!

On Thursday, we taught a ward missionary training in the 4th ward and it went soo well! Now they're all really fired up and they've all had missionary experiences since then! Miracles!
Sorry I'm a little scattered today. Things have been crazy this week and we have an awesome new transfer ahead of us here in Livermore. I have so much faith for this transfer because our wards are sooo awesome and they have so much potential. There are going to be even more miracles coming up! But we'll see.

I learned a lot about repentance this week. It's definitely one of my favorite subjects to study and teach. Read D&C 19:15-20 I think. It's so good because Christ really really wants us to repent when we do something wrong. People think repentance is scary but it's a wonderful opportunity to come closer to our Savior. I love that I get to call people to repentance every day as a missionary. Pretty much the best!

Anyways, I love you all and I'll try to send pictures as soon as possible.

Love, Sister Julie Catherine Harris  

Music and Miracles... August 11, 2014

Happy Monday! This week was great!! It started off with our trip to the Redwoods and they were beautiful! It was great to see green again!
We had lots of miracles this week! It's awesome when you act on a small prompting and then it turns into a huge miracle! We had a few appointments fall through on Thursday, so we were trying to figure out where we should go for a few extra minutes. A subtle thought came into my mind to visit a former investigator named Laura and her mother who's less active. The reason we had to drop Laura in the first place is because she was soo hard to get ahold of. So when we went over, she answered the door! We had a great chat and she told us that we were inspired to come over. That day was exactly a year since her brother had passed away and she needed some comfort and peace. We sang "Where Can I Turn for Peace?" and she was really touched by it. We set up a time to meet with her and now she's an investigator again! It was an amazing miracle!

On Thursdays, we contact near a Farmers Market downtown and there are always a lot of people there. Because there are so many people, we had to park a few blocks away. So after we had contacted there, we were walking back to the car and when we got there, we saw two women sitting on the porch of the house that our car was parked in front of. They seemed pretty friendly, so we went over and started talking to them. One of the women, Dorothy, told us that she was baptized a member of the church in San Jose years ago when she was 13. We talked to her for a couple more minutes and pretty soon she said, "Can you guys share a message with me right now?" So we opened the scriptures and shared a message about the Savior. Then she took us by surprise when she said, "You know, I've been breaking all the rules. I really need to get my act together. Will you girls pick me up for church this Sunday?" We were so surprised and excited! We sang for her and said a prayer and it was a really sweet experience. She hugged us and thanked us as we left. It was such a miracle.

It's amazing how the Lord organizes every little detail for our prayers to be answered or for our faith to be strengthened. If we had parked somewhere else, we wouldn't have met her. If we had left any earlier or later, she may not have been there. He really does have the whole world in His hands!

Another prayer answered: Sister Gregerson is trying to get a Christus made of Redwood as a souvenir from her mission. So far no one knows how to obtain one. Well, I spoke in church yesterday in the 1st ward and we were on splits. So my companions were in the 4th ward for a little while. The man I was speaking with had volunteered to speak on that Sunday because he likes to give talks. There was a brother in the ward that came up and talked to me about the pens that he makes out of wood that comes from Jerusalem. The man I was speaking with chimed in and said, "If you need any redwood, I've got huge beams of it at home!" Then he proceeded to tell us that the redwood he had was over 2,000 years old and that it was here on this continent when Christ came. I got so excited and had to ask him if we could have some! So he's going to give us some ancient redwood for Sister Gregerson! It was definitely an answer to prayers for her! Now we just need to find someone who carves wood...

To make a long story short, this week was awesome. And it ended with a bang. We had our musical fireside last night. Remember the one that we invited the whole city of Livermore to? It was wonderful. I had been praying so hard all week that it would work out and that all of the performers would be able to perform to the best of their abilities. Well, it was a wonderful evening filled with the Spirit! It was truly a miracle because us missionaries weren't able to practice our song with the pianist until 30 minutes before the performance. But as we performed, I'm convinced that we had a choir of angels singing with us. Everyone did so well and those who attended loved it! We had two investigators and a less active show up. It was the perfect ending to a perfect week. And of course, I can't go a whole letter without talking about my wonderful companions. I have learned and grown sooo much with them; in a good way! They are amazing sisters and I'm honored to be their third wheel.

Anyways, I love you all!

By the words of three... August 4, 2014

Hello everyone!!

This week has been FULL. Full of joy, full of unexpected/spontaneous adventures, full of cancelled appointments, full of miracles!

I cannot begin to express the way I feel. I feel like Ammon in Alma 26. God is great!!

We have had a lot of great opportunities this week to teach and find and we have met a lot of wonderful people! We have been spreading love and singing to everyone! There is probably no one in Livermore that hasn't heard us sing. I probably lose my voice every day!

I have been pondering a lot this week. I've been praying a lot and have been feeling the peace that the Spirit brings. I've also received a lot of answers to prayers! The Lord does love us! And He does answer prayers! It's kind of weird how my mission has been a huge long roller coaster of emotions, spiritual progress, repentance, improvement, and trusting in the Lord. He really is great to us. Sometimes we need a roller coaster; otherwise, how would we enjoy the ride? (:

This transfer has been one of love, development, and lots of learning. I love it! But most of all, I loooove my companions! They are so wonderful and talented! How did I get so blessed? I found a scripture on Saturday that explains it perfectly: "Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word." (2 Nephi 11:3)

It's true. Happiness comes when you surround yourself with people who desperately want to love and serve the Lord and His children. Then is His word established. I love it. So much.

Anyways, you've probably guessed that I'm doing really well. Today we are going to see the Redwoods with our ward mission leader and his family! It'll be fun. I'm excited!

I love you all!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris