Two Baptisms and a New Companion

I'm loving life on this side of the world. It truly is a lot of fun. The heat is returning, it's time to turn on the fans and air conditioning.

We had two baptisms this past week! Both went well. Brother Li, a special guy we have been teaching and an older man Brother Liu, whose wife is a member (he is older and was worried about bending back in the water. He brought a small stool that he sat on first then slowly went back--all went well).

When people accept the invitation to be baptized, I see them as a bishop, full of the spirit, accompanied by their family--all having the same eternal goal--, Eternal Life. In leadership training President Chen spoke about the importance of envisioning our recent converts as leaders in the church. This made me realize I need to teach more in depth doctrines like fasting, sacrifice, service, pondering, missionary work, and others that usually get left behind.

We have been blessed with a lot of baptisms lately. I think it is a new season in GangShan. Today we bought some simple stationary that we will use to invite our recent converts to record their testimonies.

We have a really neat investigator right now named Brother Wu. He is so prepared. He came to church this week wearing a suit!! He is also comes to church activities and tries to get to know the members. His wife is Christian and she lives in China; she will be coming here next month and plans are set to share the gospel with her. ETERNAL FAMILY here we come!!

My new short-term missionary companion is great! He is humble, and he has a lot of desire. He said he wants to baptize 10 or more people this move call! WOW....we better get moving.

Currently we are focusing on member referrals. These past two move calls a lot of our success came from working with member's family members. As a part of our finding plan we are going to visit less-actives in our ward and try to meet their families. We are striving to ask everyone for referrals. We are hoping that through this method we can find those people who are willing to progress quickly. Hopefully we can find those families whom the Lord is preparing to hear the gospel or are prepared to come back into the fold.

(Written to his mission president) I am happy to serve in whatever capacity the Lord would have me serve in. At the beginning of my mission, I was more desirous of leadership positions, but now I can honestly say that I know God's plan has always been the best plan. When I came to GangShan we had hardly any investigators, and we really struggled for those first few weeks. However, through our experiences I learned that the mere chance to wake up every day and put on a name tag is enough reason to rejoice. So, I am grateful to serve wherever is needed. I’ll fulfill my commission the best I can. I love being a missionary and wearing the name of Christ.

God is great! Love, Elder Spencer Harris

Another Baptism & A New Companion (posted by mom)

We had a baptism on Saturday!! It was for a 73 year old woman and was one of the best baptisms I have ever attended. Her son is a member. The ward put together a really nice program. But the greatest part was her testimony at the end. She bore testimony of how she came to know the church is true. She reads the Book of Mormon daily. We started reading the Book of Mormon about the same time, but now she is way further than I am. I am always suprised at how much she understands. She was really affected by the baptismal interview process. Through it she truly feels forgiven and renewed. She is such a nice lady--her prayers are so sincere.

Move call just happened and I'm staying here in GangShan. I have a new companion Elder Lin Jia Hao. He is native to Taiwan.

This past week we had a Power Week--this means we leave the door an hour early and eat lunch and dinner on the go. It was a powerful, long week, and a lot was accomplished. There were 92 people at sacrament meeting. That is A LOT for this ward; more than the chapel can hold.

Love you all 300!! Elder Spencer Harris

A Change of Heart (posted by mom)

We are loving it out here in Douliu. My new is from Hawaii and he is a midshipman from the Naval academy. He is a million dollar missionary. We work well together and he has a strong self-will and determination.

I want to tell you about a special experience I had just yesterday night. We went to go visit our beloved Chen baba who we have not been able to get a hold of for a long time now. He was really "buhao yisi" (embarrased) because he had made a decision that he didn't want to change or join the church. We expressed our love for him and re-taught some things that he had forgotten. We found that he had not been reading and praying recently.

I felt inspired to share two passages of scripture that were focused on his concerns. Then my companion pulled out a picture of his family and told Chen baba, with tear filled eyes and a sob in his throat, about how his dad was converted at the age of 19. He told of how the thing he most appreciates of his dad was his decision to join the church. I'm so grateful for this experience. Even if I would have found a scripture that was personally addressed to this Brother Chen, it wouldn't have had the same effect or spirit that was felt in those sacred moments of my companion's testimony. I felt the spirit and believe Chen baba's heart was softened.

Love you all --Elder Spencer Harris

Thanksgiving

I am so thankful to be a missionary--my mission has been the best experience of my life, and I still have another year!!

We got our move call this week and I'm excited for another go around in Douliu. It's such a great place! I feel like I've grown up here. I feel like I finally got a grip on the language here. I feel like I actually know the ward members and investigators here. I have learned a lot about myself and leadership here. I love this place--It's a part of me and always will be.

I am also excited to train another missionary. My new companion is really confident. He added 3 people the first day and found us a sit down.
In the short time we've spent together I've learned a lot. Mostly I've learned that everyone is different. New methods need to be used with new people.

Last time we met with Lin Baba, he was PROGRESSING! He said he was reading and praying. He agreed to attend church for 3 hours this next Sunday and agreed to pray with us the next time we meet with him (He still hasn't prayed while we've been there.) We were bold, and he committed himself to action. I'm excited to follow up. I have a feeling that he will keep these commitments. My desire is to see Bro Lin join the church and on the path to be sealed to his family in the temple.

We have two baptisms coming up this week. One is a girl who was brought into the church by her boyfriend. She was ready for a baptismal interview the day we met her. The other is a former investigator. He showed up at church one day and has had a change of heart. He passed his baptismal interview and we are really excited for him!!

I recently refocused my mission on goals. Most of my goals are under the umbrella of becoming a better teacher. I think this is an important way we can influence others for good. I think improving my teaching will help in all phases of the work especially in leadership.

To accomplish this goal, I am striving to have the spirit's constant companionship, developing an increased knowledge of the scriptures, and working on Christlike attributes and teaching skills. I've found that in times when I've needed words the most--a scripture has come to mind. I know that the Lord's promise of giving us the words in the moment we most need it is true, but we, first, need a store of knowledge and scriptural understanding. I am also focusing my personal and language study around this purpose.

This past district training meeting was about teaching people, not lessons. I enjoyed preparing it and sharing what I learned. The conclusion was that, everyone is a brother or sister and if recognized and treated people as such we will have a genuine concern and love for them.

We need to ask ourselves: Do we just go through the motions and get casual in our relations with others? Or do we ask how they are and then really listen to what they say? Do we remember that Brother liao's mom is in the hospital and ask how she is doing? or do we forget?

This is an exciting goal for me and I feel really motivated about it.

Thank you for all you do,
Elder Spencer Harris

The meaning of "GO!" & "16 Stones" (posted by mom)

I got a surprising phone call this week, President Bishop called to let me know that I would be a trainer this move call. It's pretty crazy. I feel like I was just trained yesterday. There is quite a few missionaries coming in recently and so leadership opportunities are coming up really fast.

I don't feel like I have been trained fully in all the aspects of missionary work, but I have been trained completely in one aspect: "GO!"

I remember asking my mom when I was really young what the shortest sentence was, and she said, "GO!" This word is synonymous for missionary work - - probably one of the best words that describes what it is we do. I hope my new companion will understand "GO!" before these 6 weeks are up.

At Stake Conference President Huang talked about the brother of Jared. He made 16 stones right at the beginning and then took them up the mountain. He didn't do one and see if it worked, then make the other 15. He had the faith to make all 16, and carry them in is hands to the top of the mountain. "He prepared them to be touched by the finger of the Lord."--Huang Huizhang

This is my move call motto: "16 Stones". I don't know about 16 people being baptized, but Elder Gillespie and I are going to put forth the effort to prepare the stones in advance so that they can be touched and enlightened/illuminated by the finger of the Lord. I hope that as we put forth the faith this move call we, as the brother of Jared, will unveil the power of the Lord and behold his glory.

I love this work, and I am so grateful for the time I get to serve in douliu and I'm really grateful for a worthy, obedient, diligent companion. Miracles are waiting to happen this move call.

Thank you for all you do. Love, Elder Harris

Baptism and My Companion (posted by mom)

The city of Douliu is really great! The work really is progressing and the Lord is us.

We had a baptism this last Saturday. It was really neat. Our district leader, invited us to to make the event special. So we decorated a little table and put a little card that everyone could write a welcome note on. We also wrote a welcome note on whiteboard. We plan to give him a triple combination and a little card. These were little things but I think they helped to make his baptism special.

Our companionship is going great. Elder Siebert and I are very similar; we don't have overpowering personalities, we are both pretty open with anything, and we are both slow to be offended. This is really good for companionship unity, but it makes the decision process a little slow. Our relationship is strong, and we enjoy serving and teaching together.

Baptisms and a Move Call (Posted by mom)

This week, I was in a tri-panionship with none other than...... ELDER GLUCH (my friend from Orem)!! It was fun, really fun. He kept me company as I packed on the day before move call. We had a great time and it is a memory I want to keep forever.

Our two baptisms this week went really well. The 11 year old is so solid. As we were meeting with him in the days leading up to his baptism, we asked him why Joseph Smith is important, and he, with out hesitancy, said "Because of the Great Apostacy." He has an understanding. I know the spirit has really confirmed to him the truth of the gospel and helped him learn because he was willing to read and pray. When he was bearing his testimony after his baptism, he said: "I'm really afraid of water, but as I was about to be baptized, I felt that God was with me."

The other baptism, Jiang, arrived just as the meeting was ready to start. Satan was working on him, but he came anyway. What a great act of faith. He has really found the comfort that comes from the gospel. The Elder's Quorum President has befriended him.

Every one's experience is different, --from the 11 year old who was really excited to be baptized and overcame the fear of water, to the 35 year old who just broke up with his girlfriend and put his faith in God to the point that he was willing to accept the ordinance of baptism.

Oh how I love this work!! God is a gracious God. He loves his children and blesses them according to His tender mercies.

I am now in DoLiu and am a senior companion, I wasn't ready for that. I am very aware of my own weaknesses. The Holy Ghost is going to be our senior companion.

My Junior companion is great. He is fluent in Chinese. His mom is from taiwan and his dad is a former Taibei missionary. He is from Orem too and went to Mountian View. He loves the people and wants to help them know the chruch is true.

I testify that it is through Jesus Christ that we can be healed spiritually. (And physically, for that matter.) This is what want to share with people. This is a truth that can only be felt and understood by the power of the Holy Ghost. When this happens a light comes to the eyes, a smile to the face, and humility is instilled in the heart. That is what a mission is about.

I love all of you. Elder Spencer Harris