Area: Atascadero
Companion: Elder Canzona
Hello my dear family and friends!
There's a member from our ward that's a barber, and he always
plays Jehova's Witness whenever he meets a new elder. Luckily, another
elder that was in Simi told me about him so he didn't get me! He and
his wife are so politically red it's unbelievable. We were in the
barber shot one day and they gave me a pocket Constitution. She said,
"Study this every day, and when you get home, you'll be Constitutional
missionaries!" Oh they're funny... :)
Here I am in Atascadero, everything's going great! After transfer
meeting we all got in the car and it was about a 2 hour drive from the
Ventura stake center. The area is pretty nice, a little cooler than
Simi Valley from what I've seen, and there's some really nice people
that live here. The ward in which we cover is HUGE! It's about an
hour's drive from one end to the other.
meeting we all got in the car and it was about a 2 hour drive from the
Ventura stake center. The area is pretty nice, a little cooler than
Simi Valley from what I've seen, and there's some really nice people
that live here. The ward in which we cover is HUGE! It's about an
hour's drive from one end to the other.
Elder Canzona is my new companion. He's a lot different from Elder
Hall, and it's going pretty good. The apartment I moved into is a LOT
bigger, which is nice. He's from Boulder, Montana, really shy, and he
has a great heart. He shows genuine love for our investigators. I've
attached a picture of him.
Hall, and it's going pretty good. The apartment I moved into is a LOT
bigger, which is nice. He's from Boulder, Montana, really shy, and he
has a great heart. He shows genuine love for our investigators. I've
attached a picture of him.
Speaking of investigators, there are 2 investigators that are on
track with a baptismal date. Week 1 of every transfer is a little
hectic; we haven't had much time to meet with them. We are going to see
an investigator of ours tonight, David. He's in his early 20s and he's
agnostic. He wanted to meet with us tonight solely to answer his
questions, which I am very excited about. It is very easy to lead any
question into a gospel principle.
track with a baptismal date. Week 1 of every transfer is a little
hectic; we haven't had much time to meet with them. We are going to see
an investigator of ours tonight, David. He's in his early 20s and he's
agnostic. He wanted to meet with us tonight solely to answer his
questions, which I am very excited about. It is very easy to lead any
question into a gospel principle.
There's a member from our ward that's a barber, and he always
plays Jehova's Witness whenever he meets a new elder. Luckily, another
elder that was in Simi told me about him so he didn't get me! He and
his wife are so politically red it's unbelievable. We were in the
barber shot one day and they gave me a pocket Constitution. She said,
"Study this every day, and when you get home, you'll be Constitutional
missionaries!" Oh they're funny... :)
Ever since I've been in Atascadero, I've felt a new wave of
confidence spread over me. When I was with Elder Hall, I sort of felt
like I couldn't be to my fullest potential because, he being the
trainer, felt like he had to take the lead more and stuff like that.
Now that I am no longer with a trainer, I feel like we're more on an
equal level, and I've been powerful and bold in my lessons and
declarations. It's cool to be with a companion that's only a couple of
transfers older than you, because you're more on an equal level.
confidence spread over me. When I was with Elder Hall, I sort of felt
like I couldn't be to my fullest potential because, he being the
trainer, felt like he had to take the lead more and stuff like that.
Now that I am no longer with a trainer, I feel like we're more on an
equal level, and I've been powerful and bold in my lessons and
declarations. It's cool to be with a companion that's only a couple of
transfers older than you, because you're more on an equal level.
I have an experience that I would like to tell y'all about. On Saturday,
we went to see one of our investigators with a baptismal date, but she
wasn't home. As we were going down the stairs, a little chihuahua
jumped up on a patio flower garden and started barking at us. It caught
us a little off guard, but we went over, let it smell our hands, and
pet it. A lady there was outside smoking a cigarette, and we talked
with her a little bit about her dog and got to know her a little. I
asked her, "Out of all the times you've seen the missionaries go
upstairs to your neighbor, and all the other times you've seen
missionaries, what is it that you think we do?" She thought a little
bit about the question and she said that she thought we went around and
talked with people about Jesus Christ. We enthusiastically responded
that that was exactly what we did! We talked with her a little more and
the subject of baptism came up. She said that she had been baptized
twice, and she nailed the definition of what baptism was! She said that
she was raised a Presbyterian, but hadn't been to church in years. I
asked her another question. I said, "In those years when you attended
church, how did you feel knowing you had Jesus Christ to turn to?" She
then told us a personal story of how she had leukemia and the doctors
said she wouldn't live, but miraculously her fever broke and she
survived, and now she runs an agency that helps Afghanistan veterans.
By this point, she was very emotional, and we told her that we felt the
Holy Ghost speak to us as we heard her story. We found out that she
doesn't have a Bible, and so we offered to give one to her. She gave us
her contact info and we are going to stop by soon! It's amazing how
the Lord works. Who would have thought that a little chihuahua would've
started all this?? Like I said before, the confidence that I have been
blessed with to teach with power and authority has been wonderful. I
feel like I am becoming the missionary God wants me to be more and more.
we went to see one of our investigators with a baptismal date, but she
wasn't home. As we were going down the stairs, a little chihuahua
jumped up on a patio flower garden and started barking at us. It caught
us a little off guard, but we went over, let it smell our hands, and
pet it. A lady there was outside smoking a cigarette, and we talked
with her a little bit about her dog and got to know her a little. I
asked her, "Out of all the times you've seen the missionaries go
upstairs to your neighbor, and all the other times you've seen
missionaries, what is it that you think we do?" She thought a little
bit about the question and she said that she thought we went around and
talked with people about Jesus Christ. We enthusiastically responded
that that was exactly what we did! We talked with her a little more and
the subject of baptism came up. She said that she had been baptized
twice, and she nailed the definition of what baptism was! She said that
she was raised a Presbyterian, but hadn't been to church in years. I
asked her another question. I said, "In those years when you attended
church, how did you feel knowing you had Jesus Christ to turn to?" She
then told us a personal story of how she had leukemia and the doctors
said she wouldn't live, but miraculously her fever broke and she
survived, and now she runs an agency that helps Afghanistan veterans.
By this point, she was very emotional, and we told her that we felt the
Holy Ghost speak to us as we heard her story. We found out that she
doesn't have a Bible, and so we offered to give one to her. She gave us
her contact info and we are going to stop by soon! It's amazing how
the Lord works. Who would have thought that a little chihuahua would've
started all this?? Like I said before, the confidence that I have been
blessed with to teach with power and authority has been wonderful. I
feel like I am becoming the missionary God wants me to be more and more.
And there's my spiritual thought for the day. :)
I love you all. "Always be willing to give an answer for the hope
that is in you." Recognize how the Lord uses you, and take note of it.
It's such a blessing.
that is in you." Recognize how the Lord uses you, and take note of it.
It's such a blessing.
Elder Harper
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| Elder Harper and the sister missionaries |
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| Elder Harpers cousin Kevin's best friend Elder Bostrom |
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| Elder Harper and Elder Canzona |
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| Elder Harper and Doug |
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| Good-bye Elder Hall! |
Roxann Jarvis:
ReplyDeleteLove this boy. What a WONDERFUL week he had. It's all because of Sophie and how he loves her