WELL THIS MONTH HAS BEEN SUPER TOUGH FOR US....

Family!!

Well I was real trunky the other day cuz I heard the voice of my father and mother but couldn't speak to them haha. Yeah, Hermana Sanders had to call her mom for medical reasons. Their telephone was broken so they called outside of our room, and the hermana didn't know how the 147 card worked so I lent her the paper Mom wrote me before I left.  I guess she wasn't thinking so she dialed all the numbers haha, and she recalled to make sure that you guys weren't freaking out.  (Note from Baylor's dad: On Saturday morning we awoke early to our phone ringing a little after 5 am, 8am Peru time.  Michelle answered and a female voice said "sorry wrong number".  Michelle saw on caller ID that it was a call from Peru and we became worried.  Less then an hour later the phone rang again.  My dreams, as a seminary teacher, of getting to sleep-in on the weekend now shattered.  This time I answered.  It was the same young lady.  She introduced herself as a sister missionary serving in the same area as our son Baylor and just wanted to let us know that she was the first call and not to worry, all was well in Peru.  Baylor had just loaned her instructions he had on how to call home and she dialed our number by accident. So Bay was in the room and heard our voices but was being obedient and did not say a word.)

Well I honestly don't have much time cuz we got back late from a chacra (small farm) of a member where we ate empenadas and a bunch of fruit. Well this month has been super tough for us. We are gonna end January without a baptism which is real sad. We are teaching many good people that I know will be baptized this next month and that they just weren't ready before. Alex, Luis and Nicole all want to ba baptized but their dad wont let them (pray for the dad's heart to be softened). We finally met Saturday and he was real chill. We did some smooth talking and he's gonna think about it. And before he knows it, he will probably find himself in the baptismal font as well. That is the hope we have for this family.

We explained this week to Clara and Laura that Rony will be able to baptize them when they are ready. When they heard this, they were super surprised and excited.  We are hoping they will be baptized the 8th. The Hermana Sabina returned from the Jungle where her fam lives and we were able to reconnect with her and teach her.  The last time we taught her she wanted to be baptized but not until afther she returned. When we recently saw her she was a little cold cuz it had been over a month since she went to church and read the scrips but we were able to recharge her animos and she wants to be baptized the 15th of February.

Reina y Britza still haven't returned from their vacation but as for me, this week was awesome. I've really had some awesome spiritual experiences while teaching. As missionaries sometimes we get in the rut of teaching the lessons how we are and not according to what the spirit directs. A lot of the times I do this cuz of my lack of language skill but this week I was able to see how when I didn't think about what I was going to say but only about the person and their needs, the words just came and the spirit was there. I'm teaching a lot more cuz my comp caught on but I love him don't worry. He's a good guy. Well gots to go folks; it was nice hearing your voices and reading your letters!!

Love,  Elder Harper

THAT IS THE MISH AND THE LIFE, BEAUTIFUL STUFF…...

Dear Mi Hermosa Familia,

Well, it has been quite some time since I've seen y'all.  People keep telling me that I almost have 6 months in the miss, which makes me real nervous cuz at times I don't feel like I'm up to par and I should be.  But that is mish and the vida, beautiful stuff.

Well, this week has been a little stressful for todos because the zone has a big goal and there hasn't been baptisms.  And we have had some trouble with permiso de padres.  Alex, Luis, Nicole (siblings) and their cousin Zach all want to be baptized.  There  mom is a less active member who is awesome and is coming back to church and bringing her kids but the hubby is hard core Catholic and lets them attend church but won't let them get baptized.  Haha, we taught little Inisito to bless the food with his family and ask for his Dad to let him be baptized in the prayer in front of the father (if that makes sense).  He did it and told us his dad said he's gonna think about it.

We are also teaching Clara, the mom of Rony and her daughter Laura.  They still won't accept  a date to be baptized but they are reading the Book of Mormon and are coming to church.  My comp loves to teach with the Bible, especially the Old Testament.  Everyone here believes the Bible is the word of God and I guess sometimes we are a little reluctant or hesitant to teach from the Book of Mormon cuz we fear that they may reject it.  But we have also found that a few of our investigators aren't progressing cuz of a lack of testimony they have in the restoration and the Book of Mormon.  Clara has been super religious her whole life and is really familiar with the Bible.  She knows it very well but had some trouble accepting LDM.  Well this week we have been teaching her with pure LDM and showed them  2 Nephi 29 where it testifies that the testimony of 2 nations is a witness that God exists and loves all his children.  The spirit touched their hearts for sure and Laura said, "I want to read this book because it is super clear".  With a testimony of this book we know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, Jesus Christ is our savior and the church of Jesus Christ is the true church on the the earth today.  It has the fulness of the gospel and brings all to Christ.

We have been teaching a girl namer Britza and her mother Reina.  They have been super receptive and the times when we can't find them or we don't have time to visit them, they call us to set up an appointment.  The other day we were in the park and Britza came up to us and said, "Hermanos, I want to be baptized but how do I repent so I can be?" She also said her mom wants to be baptized but to not tell her that she said that, haha.  They traveled to Chiclayo for a week but we are gonna get a date with them when they get back.

Well this month has been slow but I'm certain that we are in the process of converting true converts.  Well, we aren't, the Lord is, but you know what I mean : )  Well a scripture that has been inspiring me is 2 Nephi 2:14.  I'm not sure exactly what it says in English but basically God has created in the world things that act and things that are acted upon.  This has helped me cuz naturally I'm shy and timid but I want to be the one to act and not wait for it to come to me.  This has given me confidence when teaching and talking to people in the street.

Well I think that is all for this week.  It's raining in Jaen every day almost, haha.  Well I love you all.  Thanks for the support and inspiration you give me.  I hope everything is alright down in the woods of California and them beaches aren't missing me too much. Well, love you all.

Elder Harper

THE MONKEY AND THE PARROT BOTH ACCEPTED A BOOK OF MORMON...

Hola Familia!!!

The monkey and the parrot both accepted a Book of Mormon,
but really the monkey almost ripped it out of my hands,
feisty little truth seeker.

Well the word is out and I'm staying in Jaen for another 6 short weeks. I'm happy cuz there is still a lot of unfinished work to do here. People that I want to see baptized before I go. There are a lot of great people in Jaen and they are very receptive and loving. I've been blessed to be in this zone and blessed to stay 6 weeks more. I've heard that Chiclayo can be pretty brutal and hard to teach and baptize there. Well this week was another great one. We had a lot of meetings but still taught a lot. The members here are starting to work with us by giving us references and coming with us to our citas; it has been a real blessing. 

Well I don't know if I have mentioned this family yet but a few months ago we were teaching this kid named Jose who wasn't realy progressing much but we went to teach him thinking maybe for the last time and when we got there, he was with a friend. We taught them both a simple lesson about the day of repose (rest) and afterwords we asked the friend of Jose if we could visit him and his family. He politly said yes and we took out a time to meet with him. When we went to teach them, we quickly found out that his mom and the whole side of her family are members and are all active accept for his mom. Ever since then, we have been teaching the Hermana and her chidren. The hermana is coming back to church and her kids are going to be baptized this Saturday. 

I just think it's soo exciting to bring families together because it definitely is the most important unit in the gospel and really is where true happiness is found. In one of our meetings we were taught that we should make sure that our investigators know that we aren't there to baptize them but to help them on their path to receive eternal life and return back to live with their Heavenly Father. Salvation is personal but there is no greater Joy then a family working together , living the gospel together and receiving the blessings that come with it so they can be together forever. It's hard being away from you guys cuz I love you and miss you but It brings me joy to know that we will be together for eternity..(so this refreshing 2 year break) and it brings me great joy to help other families attain this goal. 

We had a family night with the family of Luis and Jessy Garcia Rojas. Jessy is a convert of the hermanas and Luis of us. Right now we are teaching the whole fam, the mom and dad are super hard Catholic and were very resistant  and a little hard-hearted at first. Last night we were able to play some games and share a message of the restoration. The parents still want to continue with there Catholic traditions but last night they thanked us for visting them and their kids. They said that they have seen a huge change in their lives and cuz of that there has been more love and unity in the home. So hopefully poco a poco this family can become a family eterna. 

In the mission I've had lots of feelings of discouragement and incapability but each time I kneel down to pray or open my scriptures, I'm filled with the comfort and strength to carry on. Yeah, the mission is hard, and it really is not gonna get easier but for that I'm happy, because the more challenges I have, the more I'll grow. I'm hoping physicaly as well. Thanks everyone for the letters and support. I'm very happy and loving it out here and don't want to come home until I'm a bigger and better man haha. ( The monkey and the parrot both accepted a Book of Mormon, but really the monkey almost ripped it out of my hands, feisty little truth seeker) 

Love,

Elder Harper

THE STREETS ARE LIKE FILTHY RIVERS...

Hellllo Familia!!

Well it is dumping in Jaen right now. The streets are like filthy rivers but it's definitly gonna be super green here soon. Well it has been another Great week here in Jaen & this upcoming week may be my last. Half the people tell me I'm going and half tell me I'm staying, so I just don't know what to think any more. But either way I'm excited to teach and preach the Word of God like Missionaries Do. 

Haha I think I came to the internet unprepared cuz I don't remember much from this week, but like any normal week in the mission, it was very spiritual, uplifting and very frustrating. We have many investigators who we are trying to get ready for baptism but this week has been rough finding and teaching everyone. New Year's Day the streets were empty. It was like a ghost town. Everybody was sleeping our had traveled. But our investigator that is probably progressing the most is the mother of Rony. We have been teraching her for quite a while and she accepted to be baptized the 18 of January if she comes to know without a doubt that the church is true. She knows and reads the Bible a lot like her son and is very spiritual. I think she just lacks a testimony of the restoration cuz she says her baptism was by submersion in water and by the spirit but we are teaching her that it is necessary to have the right authority as well.

Well this week was frustrating cuz slowly and slowly my comp gives me less and less time to speak. It's been hard cuz I'm out here to teach the Gospel and when I'm not teaching, I feel like I have no purpose. But it was sweet cuz Friday we had inercambios and another gringo elder came to my area for a day and my comp went to a different area. It was sweet cuz I got to take the reins of the area again and I was able to open my mouth and teach. I was definitely guided by the spirit as I taught. It helped me see that I have grown a little in my language skills and my ability to follow the spirit.

We have been visting a menos activo that hasn't been going to church cuz she thinks the members don't practice what they preach and our sinners. She still has a testimony but does not want to go on Sundays. We got to bare testimony to her that she was right.  That the members are sinners cuz we are all sinners and that is the reason why we have churh and go to church. We go to church to partake of the sacrament and renew our baptismal covenants so we can be cleansed of our sins and recommit to keep the commandments and strive to live as Jesus lived. I also was able to bare my testimony of my conversion and why I am on a mission. Unfortunately, I'm a slow writer and there's no more time so this is the end of my short letter. I'll try to have some better stories and experiences next week Pops haha. Love you all,

Elder Harper

Happy New Year!