IT HAS TAUGHT ME WHAT KIND of MAN, HUSBAND & FATHER I'M GONNA NEED TO BE....

Family, Friends, Loved ones, Hooligans and Mommy, 

Well it was another good week getting used to the things here in Las Brisas. My comp and I are the bestest of friends even though I have to slap him around every now and then. haha One day this week my comp cooked a Bolivian dish in the house of an investigator. It was super tasty and made me a little jealous cuz I can't cook to save my life. We always have some good studies together as well in the morning. What I like about him is that he has a really good relationship with the people and really cares about them and is not just there to teach and baptize them. We are teaching a lot of people who have received the missionary lessons for years but aren't baptized cuz they aren't married or don't want to but a lot of them attend church. It's hard cuz we don't want to leave them but we have to find more people to teach. There just isn't enough time in the day. 

We are working pretty hard and it's a pretty hard area. In this area  there a lot of strong families and strong members of the church. But like every ward and every family there are always problems and we as missionaries try our best to help those problems work themselves out. I think it's funny also how sometimes members think that we are bishops and tell us all their marriage problems and things that they have done in the past. 

At times the culture here just makes me so sad. The husbands drink and beat and hit their wives and kids and they fight and yell at each other and they aren't even married and there just isn't happiness or peace. I have been blessed to be raised in a family that maybe isn't perfect but has the gospel and I have been blessed to know many other gospel-centered families as well. But there are many people here who don't have that. People can spend all day arguing about the doctrine of the church compared to others but the real evidence stands in the family. The difference is huge and that is what I have noticed here. It has taught me as well what kind of man, husband and father I'm gonna need to be in the future, even though it won't be easy, it is the way to have a happy life. 

Well we are still working hard with Karen. She still hasn't accepted a baptism date cuz she still hasn't stopped listening to the Adventistas and she is pretty confused. She also didn't come to chruch this Sunday, which was frustrating as well, but we are gonna see how she progresses this week and hopefully she will be baptized this month!  Well for some reason I have writer's block and I can't remmber anything I did this week but I promise to write a longer and more exciting letter next week, haha. 

Love you all and I'll see you soon. 

bestios

Elder Harper

Baylor mentioned last week that his comp was a famous Bolivian singer.  Here is a link to one of his videos.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vngRFDcYyIc

THERE'S RUNNER'S HIGH and there's MISSIONARY HIGH & it's ADDICTIVE & DANGEROUS STUFF...

Familia,

Well just a shout out to Riley Harper, Riley Jones and KidIzarus and I congratulate them for being one year older in life. Well I just wanna let everyone know that I'm safe and sound and probably Happier  than I have  ever been in my life. The mission is hard. I'm a little man but sometimes I feel like crying for the hardships and for the people that are so close to receive the gospel but just don't. But in spite all this I'm just super happy. Every day I can feel myself growing spiritually (and physically)  stronger and happier. 

Well friends I'm no longer in Chongoyape. It was really hard leaving some of the people behind. I feel like I abandoned my little sheepsies but I know that they are in good hands and I will never forget them and the experiences I shared with them. The good news is I'm in a ward with a bishop and all the leaders. I'm in Las Brisas, the stake is Chiclayo Central. I finally found my way to Chiclayo, which feels good cuz my call says Peru Chiclayo. Well my comp is Elder Lazarte from Bolivia, my second Boliviano. He has 20 months in the mish but President told  me that I'm senior comp jaja. Everyone told me that it's gonna be my Atonement, because he's a bit trunky and I think he was almost sent home but the President just told me to love him, serve him and help him return with honor.  

Well I have only had a week with him but I can probably say I already love the kid. He's super nice and he's a jokester. I think we have the same sense of humor which is chill. He also is a famous singer from Bolivia. But he's a great missionary. He just needs someone who respects him and who makes him walk a little faster :) I may not be the best teacher or the best Spanish speaker but I love to work hard. The best feeling is when you  get back to the apartment completely dead. It's like finishing a 5k  or something. There's runner's high and there's missionary high and it's addictive and dangerous stuff. 

Well we have 2 areas cuz they took out 2 elders. One area is super rich and the other is super poor and dangerous but there is a lot to do and there are a lot of menos activos. My pensionista is pretty sweet as well and is a good cook. She gives us yogurt every morning which is  pretty tasty. We already have someone who is close to  accepting a baptism date. She's just a little confused because the Testigos visit her as well. But this week we explained to her that Jesus is Jehova. We used a bunch of scriptures but we focused on a scripture that's in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi Chapter 15, and told her to read and to pray. Now she understands that her decision depends in her testimony of the Book of Mormon and she has faith that God is going to answer her. Her name is Karen. 

Well I got to go but I feel  blessed to be here and I'm ready to give it all to the Lord and try to be better every day.  I know that I lack a lot but with the atonement everything is possible my friends. It is something so beautiful and simple. Well I love you all and miss you but I'll  see you real soon.

besitos

Elder Harper    

     

HE'S PRETTY TALENTED but I can still TAKE HIM in my FAT STAGE...

Happppy Fathers Day Dadddyyy!!! 

I hope you had a great Father's Day Dad. I miss my best friend! Thanks for being such a great father and a great example to me. I taught priesthood this Sunday, (only one person was in the class) and the lesson was about the responsibilities of Fathers in the home. It talked about how the most important duty of a father is to lead and teach their family by example. When the patriarch of the family is faithful to the commandments and tries to be more like Christ every day, the family will follow his example. I know that I'm in the mission cuz of you Pops, cuz of your love for us and for the Lord.

Well I don't have much time cuz I have transfers...well I'm still in Chongoyape but tomorrow I'll find out who my new comp is and where my new area is. I'm sad to leave behind so many people I have came to love as I have served them, especially my little youth Group but I'm happy with my work and how I have changed here. I'm grateful to my Father in Heaven for this time he has given me here, and I'm excited to move on and meet and serve new people and hopefully grow more along the way as well. 

Well this week was a pretty good one. We did splits with the zone leaders and I got a taste of the chaotic life of a zone leader. I think I gained more respect for what they do and maybe one day I'll have an opportunity to be a leader as well in the mish. Well we have been teaching the stepdaughter of Tempora. She has been progressing and going to church and we invited her to be baptized. She has desires to change and wants to be baptized but she would not accept a date because tomorrow she leaves for Lima and is going to come back but is not sure when. So I hope my comp will still be there when she gets back cuz it took a while to gain her trust. She is very shy and after 3 weeks of teaching her, we finally got her to pray in a lesson! haha She is loving the gospel and knows that she needs to repent and be cleansed of her past life and be an example for her younglings.  Well sorry but this is all. I'm nervous to leave but I'm super pumped to continue in the work. I love you all and I'll let you know how it goes next week.

Besitos, Elder Harper

(a separate note to Dad)

Happy Fathers Day Pops!! I love you bud...I love the pic..I've been running with my convert Ricardo. He's pretty talented but I can still take him in my fat stage.  I trained him up for the Chongoyape Anniversary Race and he won!! I would of ran but it wasn't on Pday.  How you doing bud? is the surf any good?  I won't be able to send pictures today but next Monday I'll be out of Chongayape and I'll send a load of pics my friend.. How's your calling and how's your spiritual life? How are the wife and kids? Tell me all about yourself..

Well it looks like I'm gonna be senior comp from here on out. I'm a little scared but I'm stoked cuz I know the Lord has helped me grow a lot and it's my time to shine. I think I've let my comps hold me back a little in the past because of my shyness but I'm gonna explode this change buddy. I'll try to make you proud but most of all my Father in Heaven.. well I love you and miss you...should I go to BYUh, or BYUi..I'll go where you want me to go dear Tom.

DRUNKS are HARD to UNDERSTAND...

Familllyyyyy!!!

Well fisrt off, I've gots to say congrats Riley and Haley. You guys are just tooo cute and I'm super excited for the future of us 3. And sorry fam for not writing last week; we had to go to Chiclayo to do a few things and we didn't get back in time to write. The good news is I was able to take some pics but I think a lot of the pics from the past got erased, some are backed up and some aren't.

Well these past few weeks have been pretty good. I just don't know what to write anymore haha. We have been trying to find new people to teach because nobody is progressing. We teach all day and the people accept us in their houses but they wont commit to come to church! This week we had 26 people in church, which was a pretty good number but just about more than half are women. We have a big Relief Society, a normal class of youth and 1 or 2 priesthood holders that come. The sad truth is that this group doesn't grow cuz there's no priesthood and the majority of the men here don't work here. They work outside to pay for their wife and kids but don't see them often; its sad. But we are working hard to find some men that are ready to accept the gospel and progress. 

Rocita is super discouraged and really doesn't want to hear us or go to church. She won't tell us why but we all know it's cuz her dad doesn't want her to participate. Marcos and Isabel have had a testimony for  almost a year now but they are just too busy and won't come to church. It makes me sad to see people come so close but not partake of this gospel. Preach My Gospel teaches that we should take it seriously when people don't follow through with the commitments that we give them, including church attendance and baptism cuzzzz it all depends on their salvation!!!! 

This area is super hard. It looks like I only have 1 week left here but if I really have 8 more weeks, so be it. (The President is leaving to go home, so this cambio is 4 weeks and the next transfer is 8 weeks.) It's Gods will and not mine. There is a reason for everything and maybe I still have yet to give it my all in Chongoyape. But what I have learned is to love the people. Despite that they don't progress I really love the people. The youth are like my best friends and there are some families that treat me like I'm there son. I feel so loved here by the people and by my Heavenly Father. And I've been able to develop a love for many here. I'm a blessed boy and I'm excited to keep progressing and to keep looking for new ways to serve and love. 

Oh and I learned that wickedness never was happiness!! Maybe not from experience but I was approached by about 5 drunks this week and all of them came up to me saying that what we are doing is good and that they want to change and that they aren't happy and a bunch of other stuff that I couldn't understand too well cuz drunks are hard to understand.. Well I love you all keep on keepin' on and we shall see each other on the other side..

besitos

Elder Harper