WE WERE TREATED LIKE DIRT......

Family,

Well it has been a pretty good week. We are searching hard for them elect and knocking doors like crazy. To be honest, it's been a little tough.  We still haven't met anyone that has lots of interest in hearing our message. There was one family we met last week.  I think I told a story about them, but they are super hard to find cuz they work until late at night. We have been teaching this old couple that have recently been activated and they are awesome.  They both have gotten their callings in church and this week we taught them about the temple and sealings.  They have made goals to go to the temple and they are super excited to be sealed for the eternities. 

This week I was able to be reunited with my good old bud Diego from Las Brisas. He's a cool kid that always taught with us in the Brisas and we became really good friends. Well he heard that I'm back in town so he called us up and came with us to visit one day this week. It was awesome seeing him and hows he's progressed.  He will be going on a mish in about 6 months. 

Tuesday we went to a meeting of trainers and got to hear some inspirational words of President. Well I'm trying to think of things to say hhahaha   uhhhh....... 

We are also teaching this couple, Piero and Liz.  They have two kids and having been listening to the missionaries for almost a year.  They have the desire to be baptized but they aren't married and have a few other problems but they are  great examples to me.  They have a great testimony of the Book of Mormon and read it every day.  They say it's a page turner and sometimes they can't put it down, and whenever we teach them principles about the gospel they always relate it to what they are reading in the Book of Mormon and recite verses.  They are a great example of how to love the scriptures and apply them in our daily life.

Well my area is like half filthy rich and half poor and dangerous.  The sisters were robbed in the streets in the poor part but I'm a little familiar with the poorer part cuz it limits with the Brisas.  This week we spent two hours in the rich part contacting and we were treated like dirt.  I know I shouldn't be racist but I prefer the humble people haha.  But I know that there are good people everywhere and the Lord is preparing their hearts to hear the gospel. Well until next week.

Elder Harper

SHE just LAUGHED and TOLD ME it's IMPOSSIBLE....

Well happy Father's Day Dad! and Papa and Grandpa and all the rest of you! and happy birthday Riley 25??? Your old.  and happy birthday Isabel, 17 equally gross.  Our fam is too old now. What happened to the days when we were young and hip? 

Well I'm in 9 de Octubre, an area that limits with Las Brisas.  It has been a good and crazy week. I was super nervous to say goodbye to Marco and Jessica cuz they were hoping on having me for a month longer but everything went well.  They were surprised and a little bummed but they sounded firm in their decision to be married and baptized. We put the goal with them for the 25 of July I hope the sisters are working hard with them. 

We are basically starting from scratch here cuz the sisters were teaching a bunch of old ladies that live alone so it's almost impossible to teach them.  But we are knocking lots of doors and finding some people that have the potential to progress.  My pensionista is an old catholic lady but her daughter is a member and they are filthy rich.  It's definitely the richest house I've been in since entering Peru.  I told the pension's daughter to not feed me too much cuz I don't want to go home fat and she just laughed and told me it's impossible.  She cooks super good and gives ice cream after every meal, but don't worry, I'm still running in the mornings. 

This week was the dedication of the Trujillo temple and it was amazing! I was like 8 years old when I went to the Newport Beach temple dedication so i didn't remember much but it was sweet. President Uchtdorf came with Elder Bednar and the talks were amazing, and it's sad cuz I'll never be able to read or hear the talks again.  We assisted the 3 sessions.  They basically just hit hard on always having a temple recommend no matter how far you live away from a temple or any other circumstance and how we need to do the work for our dead.  It got me pumped to get back to my temple in Newport to do some work. 

Well this area is super dangerous.  The sisters were robbed and the robbers stole their camera. 

That's all I got sooryyy, love you guys.

Elder Harper

.......her HOUSE is HEAVEN....

Familia!!!

Well so much has happened in this past week; it's pretty crazy.  We have been working super hard with Marco and Jessica and last week we put a date with them. They accepted it but this week we found out that there isn't going to be a Matrimonio Masivo, which is a community wedding and it's super cheap.  Marco and Jessica are not going to be able to pay for a normal wedding and we found out that the next Matrimonio Masivo is el 25 de Julio, 2 weeks after I'm home.  We had a great lesson with them this week.  We brought our mission leader and he bore a powerful testimony. Jessica still has some doubts.  All her family and friends are from other churches that criticize our church but she is doing all she can to get a testimony like going to church and staying all 3 hours.  They are praying as a  family and reading the scriptures. 

Jessica told us that her 4 year old daughter told her little playmate that her house is Heaven and that her dad doesn't drink anymore and her parents don't fight.  The playmate told her mom that and asked her mom if the hermanitos (affectionate word for little brothers. I guess that's what they call the missionaries : ) )  could go to her house too so her dad would change and so her house could be Heaven.. It amazes me how a 4 year old girl can notice such a difference in her home when gospel principles are applied.  I think we should all ask ourselves if our home is a Heaven and do everything possible to make it that way. Well their faith is growing and I know that they are converting little by little but now I'm a little worried for them.

Saturday at  5 in the afternoon we were knocking doors and President called.  He called to inform us that my comp and I would be having an emergency change.  He said there are sisters that are in a dangerous area called 9 de Octubre (I've been told it is one of the most dangerous areas in the mission) and he's pulling them out and putting me there with my hijo and the sisters are coming here. Nobody knows so it will be difficult saying goodbye, especially to Marco and Jessica cuz it was hard for them when my old comp left. Well I'll be praying for them so they can accept the new missionaries and keep with their desires to be married and baptized.  I'm being white-washed so it will be tough but I'm down for the challenge and honored that President trusts in me. Well that is all my friends.  It's gonna be a weird week but I'm happy and ready to work. 

Besitos,  Elder Harper

THIS will be MY 3rd SON & HE will KILL ME like I KILLED my FATHER, haha........

Well family and friends,

I couldn't be happier; it has been a good week.   Like God promised Abraham that his descendants would be like the sands of the sea, or something like that, I think I have received that same promise.. I'm training again...President thought it would be fun to not tell anyone and to see the look on everyones' faces when he announced that they were training.  This will be #3.  I just don't know what to do with all my children. They are all great kids and I'll be leaving them soon.  I'm glad that I have loved and have been besties with all my comps; I didn't have a single jerk.  I have been blessed and I am going to miss all of them.

So this will be my third son and he will kill me like I killed my father, haha.   His name is Elder Chufandama from Lima Callo.  He's a big teddy bear, he's sweet, he's definitely the answer to my prayers. Before the change I was praying that I could learn to be more humble and that I could learn to work harder for my last change. Well mi hijito is super humble and a hard worker and he's teaching me a lot.  Every time he goes to the store to buy something, he buys two and gives the other to me.  I'll come out of the shower in the morning and I'll find him shining my shoes.  I love the kid. We are pretty good friends already and he is probably everything that I'm not haha.  He's super social and good at connecting with the investigators.  Well I'm definitely gonna enjoy my last change and work my butt off. 

My testimony of the Book of Mormon has been strengthened this week.  We've been using it a lot more with our investigators.  We are teaching a Catholic Priest right now, who is reading The Book of Mormon every day, along with his Bible.  He is super sweet and he really listens to us. He says that he is changing, becoming more patient and that his love for others and Jesus Christ has increased. We are working on him so he will come to know that this is the true church.  

Flabio, a kid who we have been teaching,  is also reading the Book of Mormon every day.  He has been praying to know if it is true.  His parents aren't too happy about it.  He asked them if they would start reading and pray to know if it is true and they are doing it!!!  The Book of Mormon has power to change lives and to help us be more like Christ.  I love this Gospel.

I have see some miracles as well in this past week.  When I found out I was staying here in La Victoria my mind just went to Marco and Jessica and how grateful that I'll be with them another change to help them prepare. The first lesson we had with them this week we talked about the baptismal covenant and the blessings we receive when we are baptized. We invited them to be baptized the 11th of July. They looked at each other and said I guess this means we are getting married. Marco said yes and Jessica was a little doubtful. We committed them to converse about it and to pray about it so they could receive an answer.  Oh and I forget to say that when we first got there, they were super stressed and a little discouraged cuz they had lost their jobs that day. Well the next day we found them in the park and Marco told me all excited ¨Harper, our prayers have been answered.  We both have found a new job already and we have decided to be married and baptized¨ I just felt so happy as he said these words to me. We put goals with them so they can achieve their goal of baptism. They never have attended all three hours, but this Sunday they stayed all three hours and loved it.  The only challenge will be marriage but we are gonna do everything possible so they can be married this month so they can be baptized the 11th of July. 

Thanks for all the support.  I love you guys and I'll see you soon.

besitos..Elder Harper

I DESIRE to DWELL among this PEOPLE for a TIME...perhaps UNTIL the DAY I DIE....

Familia! 

Well the news is out....... I'm dying here in La Victoria.  I thought I was gonna have a change or stay with my comp but turns out, only after having 2 changes here, my comp is going and I will be receiving another comp tomorrow. If I would have known that I was going to finish my mish here when I first came, I would have recited the same words that Ammon said to King Lamoni in Alma 17:23 jaja.   23 And Ammon said unto him: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.  Im going to die in Imperio.  Well to be honest, I was dreaming about ending my mish maybe in another place to start another short adventure.  But I have to say that even though it's a super hard area, I've probably knocked every door,  I'm happy to be here and to continue giving my all to the Lord if this is where the Lord wants me to be.

Let's hope I live 6 weeks more.  Saturday night I couldn't get to sleep cuz there was a party outside our house.  I woke up Sunday at 5 am and the party was still going at 6:30. When I got out of bed I heard people screaming and gun shots.  Last night when we were walking back to the house we stopped to look at our agenda to see if we could visit one more person and a taxi stopped in front of us.  I felt that we should keep walking cuz the guy creeped me out. We walked away then 10 seconds later we heard a girl scream. The guy who had gotten out of the taxi robbed some random girl that walked by where we were standing 10 seconds before.  Crazy stuff but I'm still alive haha. 

This week we helped Marco and Jessica move.  They were super grateful and surprised that we came. Where they are living is like a small apartment and there are many other rooms of families surrounding them.  Something that impressed me was that Marco told me, "There are like 5 complete families living here. We are gonna' have to talk to them and get to know them so we can invite them to listen to you guys as well".  It's awesome that as an investigator he's already experiencing the desire to share the Gospel with all. 

Well I'm gonna work super hard with this family so they can be baptized before I leave.  They are worrying me a bit cuz they haven't been to church for a few weeks,  Jessica's birthday and then Sunday they didn't go cuz of the move but we are gonna have the ward involved more so they can make this decision.  

We had stake conference and it was amazing! President Williams spoke as un setenta de Area de Lima (an area Seventy for Lima). It was powerful and there was a focus on the work of salvation. There was a spirit that was felt strong and everyone left edified and determined to be better.  That's why we are a little sad that Marco and Jessica didn't make it . Something that has been helping me is studying the Book of Mormon and trying to analyze every verse and take notes about every verse in my journal. It's helped me a lot to have productive studies and to feel the spirit.  I recommend it !!

Well I've got little time and got to transfer some of my comps pics to my card, but i promise to write more next time..love you guys!!

ElderHarper besitos