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