Ninth Week: MTC Experiences

I'm not sure if you remember, but one time we taught a lesson to another Elder who was playing his friend. His friend's father wasn't a member and was having issues with the legitimacy of his citizenship. My companion and I had somehow felt that the lesson we had and our prayers for him actually helped. Anyway, this man got baptized and now the whole family are members. A cool little closure to this story.

My companion and I had a late night talk with an elder who was having a hard time. We gave him a blessing.

My teacher invited me to teach tithing to the whole class...In Chinese!!! It went alright, it was a good experience for me.

We also had a good experience in district meeting. We shared stories and scriptures about the Book of Mormon and its effect in our lives. The spirit WAS there!

I read a talk from Elder Uchtdorf, near the end he talks about having a Celestial Pedegree... He also talks about having an effect on those around us and the nation in which we reside. It gave me hope for my future experience in Taiwan.

Random Information:

Our district has 8 missionaries (2 of which are sisters)
There are 2 districts going to the Taiwan TaiChung mission
I am in the choir.
I lost about 5 pounds when I first got here - we were doing rigerous exercises
Now we are playing volley ball
My favorite thing is when your testimony is confirmed through a sacred special experience - or - when you feel that God accepts the work that you have done so far and He consecrates it for your good.

Eighth Week: New Year's Resolutions

This week I had the opportunity to give a blessing to a sister in our district, it was a special experience. She followed the instruction in the blessing to get some sleep and woke up feeling fine.

New Year's Resolutions:

Get to bed by 10:30 p.m. every day
Get up by 6:30 a.m. every morning
Learn Mandarin
Live in another country for 2 years
Wear a nametag everywhere I go
Wear a suit every day
Spend time studying the scriptures every day
Try new foods
Share my testimony with everyone I meet
Shave daily
Teach a nation

I hope you liked those.

p.s. The chruch is true!
With love, Elder Spencer Harris

Fourth Week: Snow!

Probably the most interesting part (of this week) was the snow and I'm sure you know about that already. It's funny though because my companion is from Sacramento, and I guess it never snows there. He, unknowingly, tells me all the interesting little things he learns about the snow--stuff I never really thought of--It's fun.

I got sick this week and I thought I was going to die. About wednesday I got a really bad sore throat and by friday it was REALLY bad and I started getting a fever and feeling really tired. So we went to the health center and they had just closed. The Elders from my district gave me a blessing. I'm feeling much better now.

Hai you shenme?... (one more thing)

Our companionship had two very awesome teaching experiences again. I feel very blessed. In one of them the missionary we were teaching played the part of a friend he had who was going through some struggles. We talked about how the Atonement could help him and we read Alma 7:11-12 (i'm pretty sure that's what we read.) anyway it talks about how the Savior took upon himself the pains, sins, and afflictions of the world so he could know how to succor us. Then as my companion and I testified and told our investigator of our love, the spirit was SO strong! For the closing prayer, the missionary gave a real prayer for his friend. Every one was crying.

Something I remember from President Eyring's last conference talk is that he said, "Love of God enables us to obey his commandments, love for others increases our capacity to obey." Think of how much love Jesus Christ has for us in order to to obey God's commandment to atone for the sins of the world! I think it was his love for each of us that allowed his mortal body to withstand the pains of the Atonement.

I know this church is God's true Church, and this gospel is the source of true joy.

with love,
elder harris