Giving Thanks! November 25, 2013

Happy Monday everyone!

This week has been FABULOUS! We worked so hard and have seen so many miracles!

We started doing exchanges this week, since Sister Bassett is an STL. So it's been stressful for me, because I'm always the one who has to take care of the area while she's gone. It's been awesome though, because I've gotten to work with some great sisters! On Tuesday, I got to be with Sister Ferrin again! It was so much fun to be together again and working in basically our old area. It was comforting to spend time with my mom(trainer)! on Thursday, I got to be with Sister Powell and she is just amazing! We kind of went crazy that day and had 5 lessons and 45 contacts! It was also a very crazy day! I accidentally held a child for a few seconds, seeing as he jumped into my arms and it was that or the floor. /:

We also got yelled at by an apostate Italian man at a part-members home. The wife was very nice, though and let us share a message. Then we met a man named Black Ice and he proposed to Sister Powell! Haha it was a very outrageous day. I love doing exchanges, though, because it's really been helping me learn how to be a leader and take charge in my area. I've gotten so much better at teaching and contacting because of it!

This week, we also got THREE new investigators!! In case you're wondering, that's a lot here. One of them in named Emily and she's 14. Her mom is an active member and has been helping her a lot. We inherited her from the elders, who have taught her all the lessons already. She wants to get baptized, but her father is very much against it. Bummer! But we're working with her and hopefully she won't wait until she's 18! Then there's Alisha and she's absolutely solid. The elders have already taught her as well. She has set a baptismal date for the 21st of December and she's so excited! It's amazing to see people that are so prepared! She has a 6 year old son who's been enjoying primary and yesterday we taught them about temples. The exciting news is that she's going to Utah for Thanksgiving, and her friends are taking her to temple square on Saturday!! So she's super pumped for the temple and for becoming a Mormon! Yesterday, we also taught Shelby, a referral from the Campbell elders. She's been meeting with elders since March, but we talked with her last night about the Book of Mormon and parts of the first lesson and she is starting to get it! We challenged her to give it 100% this week to know if Joseph Smith is a prophet and we invited her to be baptized! She has a date for January 14th and she's going to do her best to be prepared by then! Yeeee!

But that's not all. We have been in contact with a woman named Sally for a few weeks and she is awesome! The elders met her when she just started coming to church one day. They have never been able to make an appointment with her, but she comes to church every week. We got her number and also tried setting up appointments, but they all fell through. So we've been sitting by her at church and the ward has been fellowshipping her a lot. The other day, she called us and we were on the phone for half an hour! She told us about her whole situation and how she's living out of her car and has no money for gas. She's been working with the bishop and he's been helping, but she really just needed someone to talk to(us). In the middle of the conversation, Sister Bassett says, "Sally, would you like to be baptized?" And she said yes!! She came to stake conference with us yesterday and is so solid! So hopefully, we'll actually start teaching her soon.

Exciting things are happening here and the Lord is truly hastening His work! This week was great and I'm so excited for our three dinners on Thanksgiving!! The members are wonderful and our investigators are even better! The Lord has blessed us so much this week and I know that miracles will continue to happen.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Love,

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Little Miracles... November 18, 2013

Hello!

This week was great! A lot happened and the work is going well!
We were able to see a lot of little miracles this week! It is such a tender mercy; we felt weird most of the week because we missed church last Sunday. But Heavenly Father helped us to feel better by putting little miracles in our way all this last week! Yesterday was sooo busy! Actually, all Sundays are busy around here. We have to attend at least 2 ward councils and take the sacrament, but there are always other meetings! We had two stake meetings and a bunch of correlation stuff, so we were exhausted! Busy Sundays just make P-days that much nicer. One miracle that happened yesterday: we were fasting and all of the meetings and running around was making us very tired and sick. No one had signed up for dinner, so we were planning on just going home and making a sandwich or something. It was honestly kind of a depressing situation and we were a bit down. After our last meeting, we got a text from our wonderful Relief Society president saying that she had signed up for dinner and to come by after our meeting! We were so grateful! The story doesn't end there, though. So we broke our fast and went into her beautiful house and we see a home-made, luxury, steak and potatoes dinner on the table! AND she had invited an investigator! It was really a miracle and it went really well. The investigator's name is Alisha and she told us she would rather take the lessons from us than the elders! Sorry, elders! It was amazing.
On Saturday, we got to do a lot of service for a single mom in our ward. We raked leaves, pulled out dead plants, and got her yard all in order. At first, she was a bit embarrassed for us to see her yard like that, but she ended up being really grateful for us and our service. We cleared everything out and it looked so much better! She told us afterward that her kids loved having us over and her 17 year old daughter wants to do splits with us! It was a really good experience!
We had Zone Conference on Thursday and it was really long, but really good! The main theme was that we have high expectations put upon us and that we need to live up to those the best we can. He said that we have high expectations on us because of who we are-children of God. It was a really good meeting. Long though.
On Wednesday night, we got a text from our ward mission leader's wife saying that her daughter had just given out a Book of Mormon and that she has a friend at mutual right now that wants to learn more. So naturally, we dropped everything and rushed to the church! Makenzie was there with her friend, Rebecca and she seemed really interested. I guess she had been to a lot of activities before and had been given a Personal Progress book. She has already finished 5 value experiences! So we got to answer a few questions for her and help her with her personal progress. It was really awesome! Another miracle!
On Tuesday, our ward had a Relief Society Gratitude Dinner and it was really great! Our Relief Society president is so great and invited a lot of people, so it was packed with less-actives and non-members. We got to meet a lot of awesome people and build relationships with a lot of ward members. We met an investigator there who the elders are teaching named Kimberly. To the surprise of the elders, she was going around, inviting everyone to her baptism on December 7!! We were all so excited when she told us about it! Amazing things are happening in my wards!
So yes, this week was awesome. We saw a miracle or two every single day! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'll just say that I'm so grateful to be serving a mission at this place, at this time! I just love all of the people here so much and I love all of you!
Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Blessings... 11-12-13

Happy Veterans Day everyone!

That's why I didn't email yesterday...

Anyways, How is everyone doing? This missionary is doing mighty fine! This week was really good. Remember how we were struggling with our numbers last week because our area is brand new? This week, we hit the standards of excellence (20 lessons and 140 contacts in a week) and then some! We are working hard and the Lord is blessing us!

I love my area more and more every day and Sister Bassett and I are still best friends. Like really, we're probably too good of friends ( :

We had an adventure this Sunday! So basically, Sister Bassett and I had been feeling sick since this transfer began and Sunday was the climax of it. We woke up and didn't even feel well enough to get ready for the day. So we prayed about it and decided that we needed sleep. We missed not one, not two, but three wards. We missed all of church. We felt terrible that we missed church, but we felt better because we had gotten a lot of rest. The whole rest of the day, we worked really hard. We dropped in on less-actives for 5 hours! And we did a lot of contacting. And all this time we were fasting. It's amazing how the Lord lifts us at our weakest moments.  So that was an adventure. We promised each other that we would never miss church again! haha!

The work is going well here. We are finding a lot of success and everyone is so excited to have sisters!

We've been doing a lot with music recently; Sister Bassett is an expert song-writer, so right now, we're working on putting the lessons to songs. It's going to be so cool when we can figure it out! We'll have to send a video or something! People here absolutely love the ukulele! It really is a great missionary tool!

Well, anyways, things are going really well and I'm loving every moment of my mission.

Oh, and by the way, TODAY is my 5 month mark! It's just flying by!

Love you all!

Pressing Forward,

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

New address:
350 BUDD AVE P3 
CAMPBELL CA 95008


Me and Sister Livingston at the Oakland temple



Meet Sister Bassett, my new companion!

Greetings from Los Sarabell !!! November 4, 2013

Sisters at the beach

Good morning! It's beautiful here in the Saratoga California stake!

So here's the verdict, because I know you were all dying to find out where I got transferred.

I'm helping to start up a brand new area in the Saratoga stake and I'm covering three wards! Campbell, Saratoga and Los Gatos (Hence the name, Los Sarabell. That's what the elders called us, and it stuck!). Sister Bassett and I are doing some great work here and I love the area so much! Even though I'm in generally the same geographic area, it's a lot different! Family wards are so much different than YSA wards, but I'm learning. This area is ridiculously wealthy, so it's a little bit more difficult, considering the lack of humble people.  But it's fun! Sister Bassett is so awesome! She's a Sister Training Leader, so we do a lot of exchanges and she gets to do a lot of fun stuff! We have the same sense of humor, so we have a lot of fun! It's great being in the same stake as the Monta Vista ward, because I get to see the members all the time! Basically the whole stake knows me now.

So that's the update with my new area and companion! One awesome experience I had this week was when we went out to do some drop-ins (since we're starting a brand new area, it's been hard for us to find work the last few days, so we've been begging for names and visiting anyone we can get).  We went to visit this elderly woman named Sister Sandberg.  She is a convert of a lot of years, and she hasn't been to church in forever.  So we went by to visit and we sang "I am a Child of God" for our message. During the song, she started singing along, and then toward the end, she had to stop singing because she was crying. When we got done singing, she said, "How did you know? That was one of my favorites." I feel so blessed when I'm able to bring the spirit into someone's life through music on my mission.  I'm also blessed to have yet another musical companion!

I can't even express how much love I have for this area and the people in it, even though I don't know all of them yet. The beauty of this area only adds to the love I already feel for the people! I'll send pictures this week for sure.

I'm so excited to see what this next transfer brings and to feel even more love for this area if that's even possible!

I love you all! I hope you had a wonderful Halloween!

Much Love,

Sister Julie Catherine Harris 

Marcella's baptism

Bitter and Sweet... October 28, 2013

Hello family! Well, it's happening. I'm getting transferred! It's really exciting, but really really sad at the same time! I'm really going to miss the Monta Vista ward, but I know that the Lord has bigger things in store for me this transfer. I was told that I'm staying in the zone, so that means that I'm white-washing or going Spanish. yay. 

My District Leader joked with me yesterday about going Spanish. It wasn't a funny joke. If the Lord needs me there, I will go; but it would be so challenging!

We went to Santa Cruz today with the zone for the last time this transfer and it was so much fun! Lilli brought us and hung out with us at the beach. I sure am going to miss her! It was one of the best p-days of my whole mission so far and I am so blessed that I get to stay in the zone!

Things have been going so well this week. I knew I was going to get transferred because Sister Livingston got a training call on Thursday. We were told that half of the sisters coming in this transfer don't speak any English, so it looks as if Sister Livingston and I will both be up for a challenge this transfer! I really am excited for this next transfer because there are so many changes and good things happening in the Saratoga stake in Zion. The one thing I'm most scared about is being in a family ward. /: ahh!

I've been praying a lot lately that I would be made strong and able to handle the changes coming up. The Lord has been doing a fantastic job at helping me through all of this. Sister Palmer is getting transferred and it's possible that I could finish training her greenie. Scary! No matter what happens, I'm going to be stretched. I'm excited!

That's exciting about baby Joseph! He is going to be an awesome little guy! I have been feeling so blessed this last week. It's weird coming from a pessimist, but it's true! I feel so blessed and loved by my Heavenly Father! With all these challenges coming up, I feel like the Lord is letting me know that He trusts me and that I'm enough. 

I love you all so much and I love the beautiful state of California! God bless all of us! I'll give you more details next week.

Much love,

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

The Hills Are Alive!!! October 22, 2013

Hey so autumn here is gorgeous! I've always hated autumn, but here it's so pretty! I hear that winter's even better! (:

Anyways, I'm doing well. This week has been good! We contacted 252 people on the streets this week! Mostly at DeAnza college, but still! The work is going pretty well; it's slowing down a bit, but still going.  

I got to play the violin at church yesterday! It was so good to just be able to play and let all of my emotions out! The stake president was there and he only knows me now for my violin playing. Oh well.

I absolutely love the ward. Since it's fall, there are a ton of new people coming in all the time and they're all so awesome! The ward members have started helping us so much and we have a lot of love and trust for them! Also, every time we go to church, I can just feel the love in the congregation. If there was ever a good singles ward out there, it's this one. Everyone is so strong and lovely and they understand the atonement of Christ. 

Everybody wish me luck. I have a dentist appointment this afternoon for that toothache I've been having for months. Pray for me! Y'all know how much I stress out about the dentist! 

Anyways, I've been doing well. Lilli got her patriarchal blessing yesterday and we got to meet with her afterwards! The experience changed her life and has caused her to have a greater desire to go to the temple!! I love her so much! Marcella is doing well and is also in the process of getting a temple recommend and a patriarchal blessing. Meadow is in the process of reactivation and is turning a new leaf in her life! As far as the investigators go, it's a bit slow, but I absolutely ADORE our less-actives. I get to meet some of the best people on earth and help them feel the spirit again. I love how Heavenly Father gives us opportunities and places certain people in our paths.  Sometimes I feel like I'm not here for them; they're here for me. 

So much love for the babies here in California. 

I may or may not be getting sick, but it's okay because the Lord is watching over me. And He's put me in this beautiful place! This week, we've been teaching a lot about tender mercies and it's been cool to be able to see those tender mercies more in my every day life. This week has been really great and I've learned a lot about God's mercy and love for me. 

Jesus loves you.

The caravan moves forward!

Much Love,

Thanks to Kelly /Christianson for the picture!

Sister Julie Catherine Harris

Prayer and Faith - like PB&J! October 15, 2013

Good day everyone! As you may have noticed, I hit my 4 month mark this past week! It's crazy! 

This week was good, we struggled a little bit with our numbers, but it was a good week nonetheless.  So much has happened!  Daniel is progressing and he loved conference! Direct quote from him about conference, "It was informative, and focused mainly on principles of faith." Yes, Daniel.  We love him so much!  He told us he had already seen all of the anti-mormon material and that he trusts us as a more reliable source.  He's so awesome!

Lilli is doing really well and I am loving her more and more every day! She is working on getting a patriarchal blessing and a temple recommend.  Her divorce is finalized and she's officially a young single adult! Woohoo!

We got to go to the temple visitor's center this week with an almost-investigator named Jim.  He's roommates with one of our favorite ward members, Mace.  He loved the visitor's center and was surprised that there was a place that nice in Oakland. haha!

The ward is doing really well and I love them all so much! As sister Livingston would say, "They're all so adorable!" It is true, brothers and sisters.  The Monta Vista YSA ward really is where it's at. I love everything about it! 

Marcella is doing really well.  The ward is fellowshipping her so well and she is fitting in great! Her boyfriend, Michael, just left on his mission, so the ward is supporting her really well!

So that's basically it for the people we're teaching.  As for me, I'm doing better.  I was struggling a bit the first couple of weeks of the transfer, but things have been put in perspective for me and I'm doing really well.  I've gained a testimony of prayer and faith.  They really go together like pb&j.  You can't have one without the other.  Pray to Heavenly Father and then go out and act with faith.  He ALWAYS delivers.  

I've gotten better at teaching, too! The more you work at something and have sincere desire to be good at it, the Lord will bless you.  So this whole mission thing is going well.  I'm loving it.  It sounds cliche, but it really is the best time of my life! I love the gospel and I love the Lord! I love His work and I'm so blessed that He trusts me with this portion of the vineyard.  

Oh and a shout-out to the Harris Chronicles! Hello everyone! I love you all!

God Speed!

Your favorite Sister in Zion,

Sister Julie Catherine Harris