Beach days 🍸🍸 8/29/22

 It was a relatively normal week! 

I say relatively because I am yet to have a normal week here - the strangest things always happen. 

I write in my journal in Spanish every night to practice, which is all fun and games until Monday rolls around and I'm too lazy to read my journal to remember what actually happened because it's in spanish so my emails end up being a massive correlation of random thoughts hahaha. And that is one big fat run on sentence, pls try to keep up.  

At zone conference, Hermana Priesler informed me that we've now been missionaries for 100 days. So I'm going to share a few things I've learned thus far:

1. The art of inviting yourself over. 

2. How to respond to someone when you actually have no idea what they just said.

3. How to look like a horse girl 24/7 (I was actually already familiar with this one)

4. How to fall asleep on the train and wake up 1 minute before our stop. I still don't know how I do this, but it's magical. 

5. How to eat your body weight in baked goods every day (this one I already knew also)

Also, Hermana Quintanta tells me that I sleep talk every night, so I told her that she needs to tell me when it switches from English.  

So this week, I'm proud to report that I now sleep talk in Spanish. which is also confusing to me, because I still can't really awake talk in Spanish... but yeah.

As for our week, it would bore you all to death, so here's the general idea: lessons, cancelled lessons, member meals, phone calls, Facebook finding, and street contacting. 

Our area is absolutely massive and so are our ward boundaries, so on Saturday we decided to visit one of the other cities in our area to meet with the members and the people we're teaching there. It's called Figures, and it's pretty much like every other small Spanish city. It's defining characteristic is the Salvador Dali museum (idk if any of you have seen pictures of the big red building with giant eggs on top... prolly not). Anyway, crazy day. After lunch at a member's house, we had a teaching appointment with a man and his two daughters. We've had a few video calls with them, but turns out they're a wee loco irl. It's a long, somewhat strange story, but pretty much by the end of the day they all thought I was a massive buzkill (buzkill in that I vetoed their suggestions to go to the beach, get drunk, and cancel all of our citas) #badcop!

So after our time with them, we went to the park for our next teaching appointment. This guy is so cool. He reads the Book of Mormon every night and comes to lessons with his questions (which make me realize I need to brush up on my BoM knowledge... this guy is bright).

The lesson was going wonderfully when all the sudden the chubbiest dog I've ever seen tripped over its own paws and sprawled out in front of us. Which would've been fine, but it was on its back and couldn't flip over. So all three of us had to heave it back on to its feet. 

Anyway, after that brief intermission, he testified to us in our last lesson that he has gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's role as a prophet of God. It was a powerful moment. However, all of his family members are Sikhs. He explained to us that if he told his family he believes in God, it would mean more than just stepping away from his religion. It would mean stepping away from his culture, friends, and even his family. So it's a huge decision. And frankly, not our place to say anything (plus I wouldn't even know what to say). But I'm so inspired by his faith and determination. I know that God is aware of him and that His plan is perfect. We're trusting in that plan! 

Also, we had zone conference this week! Absolutely incredible. The Spirit in was so present. 

President Villar played part of the talk, "The First and Great Commandment" in zone conference, in which defines what Christ asks from His desciples: 

"What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world."

Later, He asks, "did not my life and my love touch your hearts more deeply than this?” 

This question struck a moment of introspection for me. Do my actions reflect those of one truly devoted to Christ? 

Feeding His sheep is a small task in comparison to the magnitude of His sacrifice for us. As we understand what He did for us, it becomes simple to follow Him. 

His is a message of peace and joy, two things that this world desperately needs. 

"Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me." (D&C 19:23)

 

That's it from me this week! 

love you all and I'm feeling so grateful for your love and support!!!

<3/ Hermana Harris

Pics:

- Perlaaaa 😍😍

- girona from the train

- homemade ponchos once again

- ward missionary coordination meeting...