Professional Bat Hunters!

Hey everyone! I hope your guys' Christmas was as good as mine was! But anyways, I guess I'll try to start at the beginning. So earlier this week, R. and his family (members from the ward here) stopped by to drop off a little early Christmas present because they were going out of town and won’t be back until I’m pretty sure after I'm transferred to another area. It was kinda sad because I love the crap out of them haha. But it was all good. We've been working a lot this week. G. from last week is still progressing really well! We talked to his parents, the ones who had heard a bunch of Mormon rumors, and they really opened up to us and to make a long story short Gabriel will get baptized tomorrow!

We've also been working with an elderly couple that we found a little while ago. The wife has agreed to be baptized; now we just have to work with the husband but it will all work out. They came to church with us last Sunday and loved it. The only problem is that some people found out that they were coming to the Mormon Church and went and talked a bunch of nonsense to them. But our investigators didn't really seem to mind. But we're gonna have to do everything we can to keep them progressing.

So anyways, on Christmas Eve we decided to celebrate by going out to eat at McDonald's (here that is really nice food) but it's usually really expensive so we don't go a whole lot but they were having some good deals. So we asked president to give us a ride to McD's and on the way there he pulled out 50 Reais from his pocket and was like, milkshakes are on me today. So we and a bunch of other missionaries went to McDonald's to eat. Then that night we went to some members’ house to eat dinner. They prepared such a good meal for us and we shared a really good spiritual message about Christmas.

Then Christmas morning came and turns out Santa Claus found our house! He brought a few presents for us all haha. Then Sister Soares invited us to eat lunch with her, the President, and their family. It was really nice, we ate well, and as I'm sure you guys all know by now, we had a beautiful view during all of it :) It was fun there because we got to know all of the family of President and Sister Soares. Even President's mom was there haha. They started talking about all of the stories of when President's kids (who are all grown now) were kids and all the stuff they did and even stories of when Presidente was a kid haha. So it was fun to see that side of them for a change haha. Then we came back to the office and skyped. It was so good to see the family! You guys all looked so good and it looks like Trey and Tagg are as humble as ever ;) I can't believe that that was already my 3rd skype call on the mission! The time is flying by!

So cool story for you guys. I don't think I've told you yet but we've had this bat living in our house for a couple of weeks now and every time we got home at night we had to pretty much turn on the light and duck and cover because he started flying around us. Then he always flew out of the window before we could get him haha. But not last night.... last night we were prepared haha. We all grabbed our little weapons and I grabbed a broom haha. I was waiting for him in the doorway when all of a sudden he flew right over my head! Then I saw him turn and come back and the next thing you know... WHAM!!!! I drilled that punk with my broom haha. Anyways, we're pretty much professional bat hunters haha. It took me back to the days when the high school vocational building was bat infested and we went in killing them with racquetball racquets haha.

But that just about sums it up for this week. I love you all! Have a great week! Thanks for everything! A igreja é verdadeiro! (as Colton pronounces it "halabrado" or something like that haha) ;)

Elder Harris

Pic 1 - McD's!

Pic 2 - Christmas Eve district selfie.
Pic 3 - Anther pic of the district
Pic 4 - Christmas Lunch!
Pic 5 - On our way up to Pres's house

Training a new secretary

Hey everyone! So this week was good. Super crazy and busy but good haha. So to start off on Monday Elder P. Araújo got to the office. He's the new secretary that I'll be training for a bit here. Man he's such a stud. It's gonna be a good couple of weeks with him and Elder Mehl. So like I said we had a crazy week with transfers and all but Elder P. Araujo's doing super well and is trying to take it all in haha. Poor thing, he got here right at the busiest time possible, I think it might have scared him a little haha. Jk jk, he's gonna be great. So because of the transfers we weren't able to get a whole lot of proselyting time but we did get a little bit. J. is still going strong and his friend R. as well but BOTH of their moms won’t let them be baptized! Both for the same reasons! Ugh it's so frustrating... J. and R. are so awesome! 

So Tuesday was a little bittersweet. It was the last dinner with the new arrivals at the president's house haha. I figured I had to make the most of it so I ate SO MUCH! Like I'm for real I pretty much rolled home. But it was all worth it ;) Then Wednesday came with all the missionaries who were going home. Pretty sure that just about everything that could have gone wrong went wrong like with flights and all that. Jk I wont go that far but there were a lot of problems so we were running around all day but it all worked out in the end. It was kinda sad because I was pretty good friends with a lot of the missionaries who went home so it was sad to see them go but at least I get to stay here haha.

To be 100% honest that's about all I can think of for this week so I'm gonna cut this one short. I love you all! Thanks for everything! I'm super stoked to talk to the family on Friday! A igreja é verdadeira! Feliz Natal!!!!

Elder Harris

Pic 1 - Notice anything different about this pic? Yep that's right... for the first time in 8 months that's not me working on the far computer!! hahahaha
Pics 2,3 - New comp
Pic 4 - Last time seeing this for a while haha

Hacked by Elder Mehl!

Today is one day much special, my companion is best world, I like very much him, I want to be like him, the Best Missionary of Mission Brazil Natal.

I LOVE ELDER MEHL.

Well.... I hope you all loved that very special message from the one and only, Elder Mehl haha. We're still working on his English hahaha.

Anyways, this week was really good. First off, this Sunday we were able to baptize G. He is a friend of the Bishop's son. In fact since I've been here the Bishop's kids have introduced us to, helped us teach, and baptize three of their friends, just normal friends that they play with in the street that they invited to church. I'll send a picture of them all but it’s really cool.... You're never too young to be a missionary!

So this week we also had our mission wide Christmas Conference. It was really good. I learned a ton and it's always good to see all of the missionaries. It's crazy to think that my last Christmas on the mission is already coming up! I swear last Christmas was just a couple of months ago! So anyways, just like every other mission in the world we have been focusing on the campaign thing (I couldn't think of the right word haha) that the church is doing, Here it's, Nasceu o Salvado, in English I think it's A Savior is Born. Anyways, it's a really great video and it gets better every time you watch it so go watch it and share it with everyone!

So on to the big news... I'm pleased to announce that after 8 months of working here in the office........ a new secretary has finally been called who will take my place here! Wooo! He will be arriving tomorrow here in the office. I'm really excited. But a little nervous at the same time... It's gonna be weird going back to the field after spending so much time here. It's gonna be especially tough because I'll be leaving right in the middle of summer here so it's gonna be way hot and they don't have A/C in the field haha. But anyways, the new secretary will get here tomorrow but I'll still spend a few more weeks here training him before I leave. But the end is in sight... I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... haha jk it's not that bad here it's just that I've been here for a long time and I'm ready for something new. It's gonna be awesome.

But anyways, that just about sums it up for this week. I love you all! Thanks for everything you guys do for me! A igreja é verdadeira!

Elder Harris

All of the missionaries who arrived together in the field last October:

                                                                          Then...

Now...

Famous Brazilian Magician!

Hey everyone! So first off just let me apologize for the lame letter this is probably going to be. We don't have a ton of time today but either way, not a whole lot of craziness happened this week haha. We were able to baptize A., a boy I mentioned in my last email that we found a little bit ago and taught him and his mom and his brothers. We were able to baptize him last Saturday and it was really good. Unfortunately, his mom's boyfriend doesn't want to get married and doesn't look like he's going to change his mind any time soon. So I guess we'll just keep working with them. We have been talking to A.'s brother too and he wants to be baptized as well. Also the bishop's kids have been bringing a friend to church for a couple of weeks now, we went and visited him and he also wants to be baptized. So if everything goes according to plan (and I'm praying it does) we should have a pretty fruitful weekend. 

 
Last Saturday we went to the AP's area to help them out while they were traveling and I went with one of their companions Elder Gonzales. So we went to one of the areas there and we start talking with a few kids and I did that magic trick where you put a pen in your nose and it comes out of your ear. The one Brendan Cocker showed me how to do haha. Anyways, man it escalated quickly... before I knew it there was literally a group of about 40 or 50 kids all wanting to watch me do magic. Like I'm not even exaggerating! These kids were crawling out of holes, jumping out of windows, and I’m pretty sure a few of them parachuted in from the sky because they all showed up so quickly haha. So I did the three magic tricks that I knew and they all were interested until I ran out of tricks, then they all lost interest haha. But there for about 5 minutes thanks to Brendan I was famous in the Brazilian neighborhoods haha.

A lot of our week was spent in the office getting things ready for the Christmas Conference this Tuesday. I can't believe it's already that time of the year again! It flew by so fast! I'm excited for the conference and excited to see everyone. Last night we went and slept at the AP's house because Sister Soares wanted to take us all to have another special pday. Well actually the first one for most of them but it was my second because.... I don't know I’m just special like that I guess... Well it was awesome as usual. We went to a few beaches here and played soccer on the beach until everyone was just about dying of heat stroke then we called it a day and headed back. Anyways, it was a blast. I'll try and get some pics to send to you guys but that's about it for this week. I love you all! Thanks for everything! A igreja é verdadeira!

Elder Harris

Pics 1, 2 - P-day
Pics 3, 4 - My five minutes of fame haha.