Week 72

Hi Everyone,

I feel like I just talked to you guys! haha

But yeah so right now I am in Curasao and it’s weird because I am back with my old companion and my old area and it’s fun to be back and to see some of the people! I got to go to church and see all the members too, so that was nice because I got to surprise them and a lot of them wanted to have us over for dinner! So that’s gonna be nice for this week. I will be here until Friday because when the new year hits I am legal again in Aruba. They keep changing the immigration policy because of all the illegal Venezuelans and it makes it tough for the missionaries! We have to fly out about every 30 days until we figure something else out, but Pres. Yuyez is working on it.

 We spent Christmas Eve spending time with some different people who didn’t have plans or family to be with and it was actually really nice to spend time with some people. There was this dutch guy who has major family problems and he is a less active, and we went to his house and just listened to him complain for over 2 hours. We then shared a scripture and talked about the atonement and then we had to leave but he gave us a book as a gift and later he sent us a text that said Thanks for coming and listening, for the first time in 4 years he actually felt good and loved on Christmas. It really struck me hard because sometimes we take all the good for granted. Even out here as a missionary I was more focused on talking to you guys the next day than the work,  but the Lord was still able to use me and help out this lonely guy. I was very humbled by that and learned that we need to be grateful for what we  have and share the happiness we enjoy. And that is pretty much missionary work in a nutshell.

 Anyways in other news, I am here with Elder Walker and it’s so fun to be together with him again! We also sat down and had a war council on how we are going to get the work in these islands booming. I am really excited for these next few months! Also next week we go to Trinidad together for a ZL meeting with President Cornish of the seventy. Pretty excited about that! I hope you all had a merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year! Bon aña nobo!!

Love,

Elder Harsh

Week 71

Hi Everyone!

Well this week is finally over! Being a zone leader in the islands not only means that you have all the normal ZL responsibilities but also you have to do all the senior couple responsibilities for the island as well! It’s a lot of work and on top of that it was transfer week and so we had missionaries flying in and out and I had to get the car from the sisters which they don't like to share even for missionary stuff like that and all in all it was a tough week!

But we were able to get some normal missionary work done as well and we had a great lesson with the Chacon family! The husband was working late so we didn't get to start the lesson until like 8:50 because they wanted to wait for him and he had read the chapter out of the Book of Mormon and he said that he got his answer as well! It was a super great lesson and also super quick because we had a long bike ride home and they had a Christmas party that Saturday so we will hopefully get to meet with them this week!

Also this week we had the absolute strangest branch Christmas party I have ever been to.....It was a dinner but they made us sing like 5 songs with the sisters and then they had a weird skit by some of the members and then a guy who looks like a 1970 casino performer shows up and starts singing these crazy Spanish songs while we go and serve the people their food, all in the chapel! It was pretty strange but the food was delicious so it’s all good.

As for Christmas, my packages are in Curacao but E walker and I have a ZL meeting in Trinidad on Jan 8 so he is going to bring them to the meeting so I will have a late Christmas! Also Aruba is becoming really strict on immigration and so long story short after Dec 27th I am either going to Curacao or Trinidad until Jan 1st, so that will be exciting! Lots of flying! As for the most important thing, We are planning on skyping at 3 or 3:30ish ARUBA TIME. Wooo.

I almost forgot to tell you, I gave my first blessing in Papiamento yesterday!!!!!!!  mi ta prepara semper :)

See you on Friday!!

Love,

Elder Harsh

Week 70

Hi Everyone,

Welp-first things first we got transfer calls!! We had president come to Aruba and give us our transfer calls in person! Drum roll please......I am staying here in Aruba and training a brand new greenie again in an area I have known for a week, AND I got called as Zone Leader over the three islands!

Every transfer seems to be getting more and more difficult but somehow God always seems to work everything out! I am kind of excited to be a zone leader and E Walker is FINALLY coming back to the islands this transfer! He will be in Curacao but we will be working together so I am pretty excited for that!

We don't really fish anymore because Aruba has bad fishing but we have lots of fun like today we got together as a district and ate pizza at these rock formations. It was kinda sad because E Carrillo is leaving to Trinidad tomorrow. I am really gonna miss that guy. We have been doing tons of finding trying to get this area back into shape but the saving grace is the Chacon family. We brought the Yuyez family with us and talked about the Book of Mormon. Only the mom had read it but she could feel the truthfulness of it as she read and we had a long talk about the spirit and how to recognize it and the spirit was so strong. It was really one of those times where you can see the spirit working miracles in people’s lives. When we left sister Yuyez looked at us and said "Elders, they are ready" They connected right off the bat like they were old friends and they invited them to the Christmas dinner this week and they all committed to read and pray and come to church next week (not yesterday cause he had to work) and I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for this family!

It’s a really special feeling to be serving the Savior and I feel like sometimes I don't express that very much in the emails because there is so much going on in this mission but it’s the times like that where you see the people changing and getting closer to the Savior that you realize that this is where I need to be to help these families and people. Things happen all the time that I wouldn't trade for the world, and it all comes from letting the spirit guide and developing a love for the people and language(s).

It’s still blazing hot and it doesn't feel like Christmas time, also in Papiamento, the word for Christmas is the word for Easter in Spanish, so I get really confused when people tell me merry Christmas.

Love, Elder Harsh

Week 69

Hi Everyone,

Well this was kinda a crazy week! We were contacting a ton to build up the area again and we had our zone leader from Bonaire fly in to do exchanges and then for the rest of the week we had an elder from San Nicolas because his comp had to go to Curacao for imigration reasons. But we had a good time with everyone and me and Elder Hunt are having so much fun together! I hope we get more than just these two weeks together! We get transfer calls this Saturday and I am really anxious to find out where I am going. I REALLY hope I get to stay here in Aruba for a while. I absolutely love this island.

Also I have been doing tons of repair work because Elder Hunt's last companion was Elder Atkinson (yeah my old comp from Bonaire) and literally all the members hated him and the leadership now wants nothing to do with missionaries. He is an awful missionary. But I had an interview with the Branch President and now he likes us. Also slowly I have been gaining back the trust of the members but even the sisters have said that members have asked if I am like Elder Atkinson. Luckily I'm not so they all say no and members are becoming a lot more friendly. Some of the stuff he has done is legit ridiculous. Just be a good missionary and don’t mess up the lives of other people! That’s all. 

We found a really great family and we taught the entire family the restauracion(restoration) and the Book of Mormon. It is a mom dad and two daughters, 17 and 4 years old, and they are great! We had a really great lesson with them and the spirit was so strong! They all agreed to read the book of Mormon (including the 4 year old) and we are going back this Saturday with President Yuyez! Also I am kinda trying to get back into the loop of Aruba Papiamento, cause sometimes out of habit I start speaking papiamentU, and people laugh at me. The difference isn't that big but it’s just big enough that people notice! But we are loving our time here and have really been working on finding and building up this area, and for one week we have done a pretty good job!

Also the branch president took us on a hike in the national park today. It was maybe two miles and one of the sisters almost died from exhaustion. I know understand why it’s important to excersize every day. It was kinda pathetic.......haha But the members here are so great and are so ready to help I am loving it here and can't wait to see what this week has in store for us!!

Love,

Elder Harsh

ABC Island Zone December 2015

Week 68

Hi Everyone

Well I'm back in good ol’ Aruba!  A missionary in Aruba got denied his immigration extension so we are having an emergency transfer because he becomes illegal on Sunday.....so basically I am going back to Aruba on Saturday!(This was written on Thanksgiving day)

 I am going to a different area but same old Aruba. Also that means I am not going to be in Curasau so hopefully you haven't sent any packages yet... if you have dangit I will probably get them someday. I'm up in the Oranjestad area so that means that we have a super nice chapel and awesome members! This is the area I have been wanting to serve in ever since I got out to the islands! The members are so great and it’s such a good feeling to be back in Aruba! It is definitely my favorite island.

I am with Elder Hunt who is from Sandy Utah who went to Skyline and he is way chill. He remembers seeing me do my backflip when I went to Skyline's prom two years ago so that was fun to find out! The only problem was he was with E Atkinson before and so they only have 1 investigator....So this will be the third time in a row I will be building an area up from zero. But with E Hunt it shouldn't be too hard because we work really well together.  We are still on bikes but it’s been cloudy and it’s actually rained a bit! So that’s nice to cool us off and it got us in to a few people's houses! Haha!

As for Christmas, I have no Idea where I am going to be for Christmas but I will eventually be going back to Curasau so I guess I will get it whenever haha.

 I'm loving everything about Aruba but now I have to change my papiamento...again. Great. But besides that I couldn't be more happy with this transfer call!

Love,

Elder Harsh

Week 67

Hi Everyone,

Well this week was great! Every other transfer we have a zone conference with Pres. Egbert and so this Thursday we flew over to Aruba for the Friday zone conference and spent all day at the conference and then flew back Friday night! It was lots of fun to see other missionaries because we don't get to do that very often haha. Then President came to Curacao and he FINALLY re-arranged the branch presidency. The branch president we had was straight awful. There are tons of people who don't go to church because of that man. It was pretty bad, but we got all that fixed up and this week alone we had 20 more people than the average come so once we get word out we should start seeing a lot more people come back to church! Even with missing two days we still made a bunch of contacts and made a lot of plans to see less-actives because there are tons that were less active because of the President. Also, here in Curacao we have a CHAPEL! It’s so cool! It’s the first time in my mission I have had an actual church building instead of just a house or an old disco-tech...AND I LOVE IT. The outside is still being finished but it should be finished in the next month or so. The inside is done (mostly) and so we are able to have church in it.

Pres. Egbert had his interview with me and he told me his game plan for the Islands and what he wants me to do as a leader out here. He stressed Working with members, strengthening member's testimonies, and making sure the other elders learn and speak Papiamentu. He leaves today at around 4 but he is going to take us to the rib factory before he goes. Perks of being an island elder :) As for your questions mommy, I think the only thing I really need is a new pair of shoes. I have been on bikes a lot so it’s kinda preserved these shoes but they, like me, are becoming very holy with this whole mission experience. Buy the same kind because the dress shoes you can buy here are NOT made to walk in. Also that is my mailing address and E. Garcia said it should work. Haha! We live in a house with the four of us and it’s pretty nice. When I was cleaning under the sink I found a Hanna Montanna poster and so that is hanging up in my room!! I am getting along with Elder Munoz very well and he has lost 15 pounds! Elder Rios is from Mexico/Texas and Elder Garcia is from Honduras. We all have a lot of fun living together haha and it’s just us on the island. But that’s about all for this week, I hope you are all doing well back home! Send me a picture of our house with Christmas lights! (and snow.) J

Love,

Elder Harsh

Week 66

Hi Everyone!

Well another week has come and gone and we got lost a little less this week but I'm pretty sure my companion knows the area better than I do! His name is Elder Munoz and he has a really good sense of direction.  It’s crazy to think Caitlin and Jill are in the MTC right now.  Juan David is flying to Provo today to go to the MTC and he called me this morning to say bye. It was great to talk with him! I'm gonna tell them to find him!

Also we made a few really good contacts that are starting to progress and we are getting this area built up! One day we went to an old investigators house who has been investigating the church for about a year but his family especially his wife is pretty against him getting baptized, but he has a super strong testimony! So we went over one day and his wife was home and she started talking with us and next thing we know she is full on yelling at us! I had to hold back my laughter because when people get mad in Papiamentu it sounds hilarious-but my companion couldn't understand anything and he was terrified! She had problems because they have been Catholic their whole lives and she said that if he gets baptized in our church it will ruin her chance for salvation and a bunch of stuff like that. After she was done yelling we committed them to read the Book of Mormon as a couple and pray about it so I really hope they do that. I think we are going to bring a member with us next time we go.....

But as for Christmas, they say the best thing to do is just send it here to the island. Here is the address: #56A Kaya Arana, Mahuma, Curacao. I don't know if I will have to pay to get it but hopefully not!

Also I made the mistake of putting my camera in my checked bag when I flew here to Curacao and now it doesn't really focus so maybe a new camera would be good for Christmas because they are ridiculously expensive here!

But yeah this island is about twice the size of Aruba but only  about half of it is populated, and the rest is sorta desert but it’s the greenest of all three of the islands! We have two brand new missionaries with us so we hear about a lot of things that we have missed out on haha. I feel like I haven't been out that long but they make me feel like I’ve been out forever! But it’s a lot of fun. We are in a 4 man house and its tons of fun. I have only been in 2 man houses my whole mission and it’s kinda boring sometimes but with 4 man houses there is never a dull moment!

It has rained a little bit but usually its early morning or during the night. But one time we were out contacting and we yelled out to this lady and she came out and we had barely gotten her name when we felt a drop or two of rain. She got this really scared look on her face and all of a sudden the heavens opened and it started to POUR! Instead of inviting us in she yelled out "otro biaha!" which means like another time and ran inside, leaving us out in the pouring rain getting soaked. Thanks lady. Anyways that was our week in a nutshell! Hope everything is good back home!

Elder Harsh