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