Joyous Exhaustion... and A Heart Full of Love. March 24, 2014

My companion, Sister Tuala, and me - Sister Garcia-Gomez is the creeper!

The District!

These are all the sisters in my zone!

from left to right: Sister Garcia-Gomez, Hermana Santidrian, Hermana Mehr, Sister Tuala, Sister Harris, and Sister Poznanski

Hello everyone! The reason I'm writing late today is because we had an awesome zone activity at Golfland where we played mini golf and went lazer tagging!! It was so much fun!

This week was an absolute miracle! Things are going really well! First of all, Justo is still really solid. He had to cancel our appointment because he had an emergency and had to pick up his kids. But he called us and told us that he really wants to set a baptismal date and that he wants to get work off on Sundays so that he can come to church every week. He's so committed! So this week, we have been praying for him to get Sunday off and we invited members to do so as well. Well, everyone, prayer works!

Justo texted us just this morning and said that he would be able to make it to church this Sunday!! We're so excited! He's really excited and he really loves the Gospel. 

I don't know if I have room to even tell all of the wonderful miracles we experienced this week. But we were able to teach a lot of lessons and meet a lot of people with great potential. The other day, we had an appointment with a less-active family and they were't home. It was a bummer, but luckily, there was another less-active family that lived in that same complex. So we tried them and they weren't home either. As we were walking back to the car, we saw an older woman sitting on her front porch and we both felt strongly that we should talk to her. We approached her and started a conversation; she was really friendly! We talked for awhile and she invited us back anytime! The Lord sent us to that particular apartment complex for a reason. He tends to do that. It's not always for the reason that we're expecting, but the Lord will always lead us to the best opportunities if we're faithful. 

We also got to visit one of my favorite less-actives named Asinate. She's Tongan and has three little Tongan children. They're adorable! While we were there, the little girl, Ola Mae was just running around while we were teaching. Then she looked at me and got really fascinated as she started walking toward me. She started touching my hair and playing with it. She loved my hair so much! It was flattering. haha.

Everything is going well and Sister Tuala and I are tearing it up here. We're working hard and seeing blessings from it. This week I was again reminded of how much I love it here. I really do know that I was sent here for a reason and that I truly am supposed to be here at this time. 

California is full of good people. I love all of the people that I serve as well as the people I serve with. You know when you feel like people have been placed in your life for a reason? That's how I feel about everyone here. It's so great! I was also reminded of how much I love this work. Yes, I'm tired ALL THE TIME. But I love it. There's nowhere else I'd rather be and nothing else I'd rather be doing. (:

So this week was awesome and we're going to continue on with the Lord's work. Shall we not go on in so great a cause?

I love all of you!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Happy St. Patrick's Day! March 17, 2014

Top of the morning to all of you! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This week was great! We got 3 new investigators! 

So I may have told you about Justo, the guy who contacted us in the park a couple of weeks ago? Well, he is very prepared to hear the Gospel! We taught him the message of the Restoration this week and he loved it. He told us that he really wants to have a relationship with his Heavenly Father and that he really needs a spiritual side to his life. We invited him to get baptized and he said yes!! When we gave him a Book of Mormon, he treated it like a treasure. He placed it gently down on the table and then just looked at it fondly for a little while. He said he's anxious to read it and pray about it. Miracles! We're really excited for him and he should be getting baptized here pretty soon.

Our other two investigators are two 13 year old girls. Their mother is less-active, so that's how we met them. They have been to girls camp and loved it so they want to go again. We're not positive just how interested they are; well, because they're 13 year-old girls. But they agreed to let us come back and to read the Book of Mormon! We're hoping that they feel the Spirit.

We got ahold of Yvonne! She had her thyroid surgery and is in recovery right now. She can't talk and can barely move, but her faith is incredible. She told us that this trial is really hard for her, but she knows it'll be for her good. Her testimony is so strong! She lays in bed all day, so she's been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy! The doctors told her that recovery could last up to a year, but between our faith and her fortitude, that won't happen. She's a strong woman and I know that the Lord will bless her.

Last night, we had a special St. Patrick's Day dinner with the Fitzpatricks! Clearly, they're Irish, so it was really fun. They had green mashed potatoes, corned beef, and cabbage! So yummy! I love all of the wonderful families in the wards that we cover. They are all so great and they make us feel at home. 

So basically, we're being so blessed over here in this tiny corner of the Lord's vineyard. He knows exactly what we need and he knows the people who need us. This last week there were 5 baptisms in our zone!! It has truly been a miracle to see the work hasten here. There has been a huge difference between the beginning of my mission and now. The work is hastening and it's happening FAST. It's not because I'm becoming a better missionary, although I try hard to improve every day. It's because there are people who need to hear the gospel. There are people here and everywhere that are perishing in unbelief. So let's all work together in this wonderful work! 

I love all of you and I hope that spring has found its way to Utah. It has definitely found its way here, allergies, asthma, and all. haha. 

I love you! Oute Alofa Ia te Oe!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Talofa from Los Altos! March 10, 2014



Sister Harris and Sister Tuala

Talofa! 

As you all know, Sister Young has been transferred and she will be missed. But I have a new companion now and her name is Sister Tuala. She's from Western Samoa and she's awesome! She's really chill and a really good missionary. I've been having to adjust a little bit because she's the opposite of Sister Young in every way, but it's been good.

The work is going really well. We got a new investigator this week! His name is Kellan and he's the grandson of an active member. We were in her home, teaching a lesson about missionary work and we challenged her to invite someone to hear about the gospel. She turned to her 11 year-old non-member grandson and said, "Kellan, would you like to learn more about the gospel?" He said yes and we taught him right there! We're going back this week. His family is less-active, so he and his brother were never baptized and never go to church. 

Donald is doing well. He loves the gospel, but we're not sure if he wants to convert. He loves his church and claims he's already been baptized. We'll keep trying. (:

I played the violin in church yesterday and it was awesome! It always feels so good to play out here and help people to feel the Spirit. We played a special arrangement of Nearer, My God, to Thee and it was beautiful. Brother Fitzpatrick recorded it, so I'll see if they can send it to you! It was awesome. 

I've been having a lot of fun with the missionaries in my zone. I love my roommates and all of the other wonderful missionaries here. Things are good.

Awkward moment of the week: We were contacting on Casto Street (downtown Mountain View) on Friday night so there were tons of people and the place was reeking of alcohol. I saw this group of college-age kids standing in a circle and they were clearly drunk. But hey, everyone needs the gospel, right? So I contacted them. The guy I gave the first card to not only put it in his mouth, but he ate it. He chewed and swallowed a mormon.org card. I tried so hard not to laugh as I talked to his friends, but it was so weird! 

Spiritual moment of the week: We visited this less-active that we've been trying to get ahold of for months! She finally answered her door and invited us in. She was really nice and loved visiting with us. When we were about to share a scripture with her, she said "just a sec." She ran into her room and pulled out her scriptures! She told us that they were her seminary scriptures and that she hadn't read them since then. She opened up to my favorite scripture and found that she had it marked. We read with her and had a really good discussion about enduring to the end. We said a prayer with her and afterwards, she said, "I really felt the Spirit." It was a really good visit and we really connected. I love missionary work!

How are things going at home? 

Oh and guess what: my 9 month mark is this week! Ah! 

Always remember that Jesus loves you!

Oute Alofa Ia te Oe!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris



Do I need to bring socks???? March 3, 2014

This week. I don't know what to say. I'll start off by saying that Sister Young is officially getting transferred. I'm really sad about that because we had so many good times and spiritual moments. But it's time for a new chapter in my mission. 

So yesterday, Yvonne got baptized!!! I don't think I have words to describe the experience! As a missionary, you think that you'll get used to that feeling, but you never do. It's powerful and amazing every time someone you love enters the waters of baptism. It was amazing with Yvonne because she has had so many struggles lately and so much opposition. But her testimony is so strong that she knew she had to do this and she followed through! 

It was a wonderful service. I was able to play the ukulele and sing with an elder in my zone and it was awesome. We sang Nearer, My God, to Thee and it did more good that I thought it did. After the baptism, non-members came up to me and told me that it was awesome; surprisingly, it opened up a lot of people. Music is amazing, folks. We got to be with Yvonne back in the dressing room after she was baptized and it was a sweet experience. She was speechless and sobbing for lack of words. All we could do was hug her and tell her how much we love her! It was honestly one of the best baptisms I've ever attended. Afterwards, she was talking to all of her sons and she challenged them all to read the Book of Mormon and to take the missionary lessons. She bore her testimony to her family and they all agreed to do it! That was definitely a miracle. 

The icing on the cake? The ward was phenomenal. They were all so good to her and she met a whole new family yesterday at church and at the baptism. It was an incredible experience that I'll never forget. 

There were a lot of investigators and non-members there, too so it was amazing!

The rest of the week is a blur compared to the baptism, but it was great. We've been working hard and it's been raining! 

Oh and Mom: I was able to testify to Yvonne about the gifts of the Spirit based on that letter you wrote me that one time. The one where you promised that I would be able to memorize things if I could learn everyone's names. She thought it was so inspiring that I can now memorize songs, scriptures, and names. So thanks! 

The week was great and this next week will be an adventure! I'll have a new companion and will continue to work hard! Life is good on the mission and I wouldn't trade even the worst days for anything. If any of you are even considering serving a mission, do it. You will never regret the wonderful experiences and happiness you'll feel on your mission. I love you all!

"Then with my waking thoughts, bright with my praise; out of my stony griefs, Bethel I'll raise. So by my woes to be Nearer, My God, to Thee; Nearer, My God, to Thee; Nearer to Thee."

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Oh!

So the reason for the subject heading of my main letter:

Two hours before the baptism started, something very scary happened. We had just gotten finished setting everything up and filling up the font when we got a call from Yvonne. She sounds really run-down and tells us that she won't be able to make it to her baptism. I asked her why and she said slowly, "I've changed my mind." There was silence for probably a whole minute. Sister Young and I looked at each other and our hearts were not only broken, but strewn on the street and run over. It was a sad moment. Then on the phone, Yvonne says, "I'm just messin' wit y'all. Do I need to bring socks?" OH MY GOSH. We were irate. We started laughing so hard out of pure relief even though it was not a funny joke. When we saw Yvonne at the baptism, she started cracking up because she thinks she's hilarious. It was a cruel joke. haha. 

I love Yvonne. But we will get her back!

Just a funny story that I forgot to tell in my letter!

Love, Sister Harris

Sunny Days and Miracles... February 24, 2014

Hello from sunny California!

The weather here is ridiculously sunny and warm and it's still February! I'll never get over it.

This week has been awesome! Sister Young and I have been working hard and seeing a lot of miracles. Yvonne went through a really rough time this last week with opposition from family and friends. But we finally got ahold of her this week and she wants to get baptized as soon as possible. She's getting her thyroid taken out next week, so she wants to get baptized before then. Her new date is March 2nd!! This week is going to be spent frantically planning a baptism! I'm so excited for her. I know that she has a strong testimony and that she's ready. To make it even better, her son, Nico, heard part of the lesson when the elders went over and told Yvonne that he will start investigating when she gets baptized! Miracles I tell you!

I'm really excited for everything that's happening in this wonderful area! One of our beloved less-actives, Lisa, is attending church and just received a calling! 

So yes...I guess I can say that everything is going well. Sister Young and I are happy. Like really happy because we're in the service of our Lord.

I really love this work and am so excited to share the gospel with everyone! One downer, though, Sister Young is probably getting transferred. It's going to be okay though. She's awesome.

The mission is going so well that I never want it to end. It's crazy how fast it goes by; one day you're a greenie and the next minute, you've been out 9 months! It helps me to realize that my time here really is short and that I need to work as hard as I possibly can to build up the kingdom. I'm coming to the point on my mission where I'm realizing that I won't always be a full-time missionary and it's scary. But being here and working with people has helped me to see what kind of member I want to become. I may not always be a full-time missionary, but I'll always be a missionary. (:

Anyways, that was the cute, cliche moment for the day. Things are going well and California is exploding with the Spirit of the Lord.

I love you all!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Heartbreak and Healing, Hardship and Hope... 2-18-14

Greetings family and friends! Happy Belated Birthday Dad!!

This week has been an absolute whirlwind. It has been heart-breaking but fabulous and full of miracles!

On Valentine's Day, we were supposed to have a baptism. We had planned for Yvonne to get baptized on that day. I have never tried so hard in my life to get ahold of someone. The entire week of the baptism, she wouldn't answer her phone or door and she would never call us back. I'll be honest, we probably spent a total of 5 hours throughout the week trying to contact her. So we weren't able to get an interview with her and she wasn't baptized. It makes me really sad that she still hasn't gotten back to us because we know that something's wrong, we just don't know what. 

On February 13, we were running around, trying to find Yvonne, dealing with angry ward leaders asking about the baptism, and trying to work hard at the same time. It was a really rough day for us, but in the midst of it, we saw a miracle. Around 3 or 4, we made the final decision that there would be no baptism the next day. Then we went contacting and we were really dejected and upset. We contacted a man named Donald sitting on a bench and ended up teaching him the first lesson! Not only that, but he told us that he really wanted to come to church with us! Sunday comes and Donald walks in halfway through Sacrament meeting and ends up staying all three hours! He loved it and is looking forward to hearing more of the lessons. It was truly a miracle and I know that the Lord will bless us when we press forward in the midst of hardship. 

Valentine's Day was sorely underestimated. As a missionary, you think it'll just be a regular day; it was as bad as Christmas Eve. NO ONE answered their doors after 6 and contacting was terrible!! So advice to all you future missionaries: prepare yourselves for Valentine's Day.

Other than Yvonne not getting baptized, it was a great week. Sister Young and I have been seeing a lot of success and growth in our area due to faith and obedience! We have been able to teach a lesson on the street every day this week! That's a miracle considering the way things are in this area. So we've been greatly blessed this week and we hope that we will continue to be blessed. Yesterday for p-day, we got to go to Capitola and Pacific Grove with Sister Fitzpatrick. It was absolutely beautiful! For all you beach-goers, winter time is the best time to go to the beach. It was gorgeous and we had a wonderful time. It was much needed considering the way our week went. So now I feel rejuvinated and even more excited for the work! 

I'll send pictures when I can; I've been meaning to send Dad a birthday letter, but all of my p-days have been busy so it'll be late. Sorry!

I love all of you guys and I hope you are all being blessed as much as I am! I can feel the influence of your love and prayers and I appreciate them so much! 

Love, Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Highs and Lows... February 10, 2014

Hellooo! I cannot even begin to tell you all how amazing/strange/wonderful/blessed/crazy this week has been! 

The week started with Zone Training Meeting on Tuesday and that was really good. Our Zone Leaders and STLs are incredible missionaries! Then on Wednesday, we had apartment inspections/interviews with President and that was really good. It's always fun to see President and Sister Watkins, but we saw a lot of them this week! Then on Friday we went to the temple with Yvonne and Sister Fitzpatrick, a member from our ward.

It was such a great experience! Since we all fasted for rain last week, it hasn't really stopped raining, so Yvonne was scared that the roads would be bad and she tried to talk us out of going. But we really felt like we would be okay and we felt like she really needed to go up there. She wasn't feeling well, so the entire ride up there, Sister Young and I were praying that Yvonne would be able to feel the Spirit and have a great time. The rain never stopped, but it made for a beautiful foggy view over the bay! When we got there, we had the Visitor's Center to ourselves because their mission's conference was that day. So there was just one senior couple there helping us out. We decided to watch the Joseph Smith movie with her because we knew that her testimony of Joseph Smith was a bit shaky. We found out that they had a new Joseph Smith movie and it's awesome!! It's from his mother's perspective, which was perfect for Yvonne. By the end of the film, we were all crying and we had a really powerful lesson with her when it was over. She told us that her testimony of Joseph Smith was strengthened and that she really loved the movie. To make the day better, there was a Black History Month display in the center and it was perfect because she's black! She told us that her family had said that there were no blacks in the church and so she was really impressed by the display. It was just all-around a perfect day! 

Saturday was a crazy and awesome day! We had our mission conference in the morning with Quentin L. Cook! It was so amazing because we all got to shake his hand. The spirit in the room was incredible when we all started singing the opening hymn; I was expecting to see a choir of angels singing with us! The power that comes from 280 missionaries singing is amazing! Then he spoke to us and reminded us of the process in which missionaries are called. It reminded me of how sacred my call is. His wife spoke to us too and she had us all stand and sing Hark All Ye Nations...again, it was so powerful and every sister was crying! It was a really good meeting and when Elder Cook left the room, I felt like the people in the Book of Mormon. Christ told them He had to leave and they all just wanted him to stay. As Elder Cook was walking out, I felt the same way: I just wanted him to stay with us! It was okay though, because he came and spake at our stake conference that night! The rest of the meeting was really good; we heard from President and Sister Watkins and the whole mission presidency. 

That night, we had our adult session of stake conference and it was a really good meeting! It was all about Hastening the Work and we had Elder Cook and Elder Sabin of the Seventy there! The power that comes from those men is incredible. Yvonne came to that meeting and she enjoyed hearing from an Apostle of the Lord. He was at our Sunday morning session too! He gave a really good talk about following the prophet. He said that if you have doubts, put them aside and look to the prophet. If you focus on your doubts, they will never be resolved; but if you put them aside and have faith in the Savior, they will be swept away. It was a really good talk. Then he left with us an Apostolic blessing on the mission and on the stake. So I had a really amazing weekend to say the least. (:

Yesterday was full of miracles! Not only did we have an amazing stake conference, but a lot of other awesome things happened as well. We taught 6 lessons yesterday because we were just so pumped and working hard! 

Right before dinner, we were contacting and we ran into an angry man. So it takes a lot to make me mad...like really mad. This guy was successful. We contacted him and he proceeded to tell us that we don't know anything and that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were frauds. He raised his voice and yelled at us. Sister Young and I were so blessed to be able to be calm through all of this. I think the Lord blessed us to be as Christlike as we could to him. While he was yelling at us, I felt prompted to bear my testimony, so I did. I bore a simple testimony of the Savior and that I know that He lives. He scoffed at it and got so angry that he had to storm away. I think he was confounded...

It made me really angry for a long time and later that night we had some extra time to do some contacting. Naturally, neither of us wanted to go because we were still shaken up. Regardless, we went anyway. The Lord saw our faith and He blessed us. We were on our way back to the car to go home for the night and we saw a woman sitting at the bus stop. We went up and started talking to her and we ended up teaching the first lesson and having a prayer with her. We got her number and she seemed interested! Her name is Gwen and she is a really awesome woman! As we were walking away, we felt so happy and blessed that the Lord had taken our efforts and blessed us for diligently working even after our hearts had been broken and trampled on. 

The Lord is amazing and he will always bless us when we do our best to keep His commandments. Yesterday was a testimony of that to me. I saw the two extremes of missionary life and was able to end the day feeling the spirit. I feel like we needed to feel low in order for us to see the fruits of our labors later that night. So basically, we can all come to the conclusion that my mission is awesome!

I love this work so much and I'm so grateful for the opportunity that I had to see and meet an Apostle of the Lord. I was edified and strengthened and I feel like I'm truly living the dream!

I love all of you!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris