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

Rain (posted by mom)

I can't even explain the rain. It comes down so hard! Missionaries pray so hard that it won't rain Sunday mornings. On Sunday, I called all our investigators who agreed to come to church each 3 times. 2 made it. I'm really starting to learn the use of testifying and promising blessings, because people really need a reason to change their lives--especially if it means coming to church in a down-pour.

Zhang Jie Xin passed his baptismal interview. He has been brought to church 3 times by a member. He currently has no mode of transportation. We are pretty sure we can get him a bike from a previous missionary. He will be baptized this Saturday or the next.

I have to tell you of a crazy dream that wasn't a dream, but felt like it. We got a referral through our mission referral system, we called it up, and set up an appointment for the evening. This guy is sounding really golden right.

So we go over there in the pouring rain. There is a big fence around the building. A man walks up to the gate, and yells for someone to open the door for him. A lady comes out and opens the door, invites us in, then shuts the door. I look at the gate and there is a lock on the INSIDE!! OH NO WHERE ARE WE?!!!!

We go in, and it ends up being a sanitorium! I can't even describe my feeling. She calls up, and tells us to go to level 5. In my head I'm thinking, "What's level five?!!!" We go to the evevator and press the up button. A resident comes over to the elevator and starts compulsively pressing the up button and looking around like, "It's broken!" Any way, we get in the elevator and the lady keeps pressing level 2 and she still has a confused look like, "It's broken."

We get to level 2, she gets off. On Level two, there are about 3 people standing there with blank looks on their faces. The thought again comes to mind, "What's level 5?!"

We arrive. We are trying to find a Mr. Lin. I start asking around what people's names are. Many of their names are Mr. Lin...

We finally find the right person. He loves to read and his room is full of books. We start teaching, He is very smart. There are about 5 residents in there listening to the lesson... A lady comes in and starts talking really loud. She must be a church member. She is shouting things like, "I'm a mormon." "There was a sister that was so good go me." "I gave so much money to the church to help them build temples and church buildings." "Hosana!" Needless to say it was a very interesting teaching situation.

The work is going good. I love each of you. --Elder Spencer Harris

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.

Sixth Week: Sharing the Gospel

Once a week missionaries call on referrals. We chat with people online about the church. We also call to confirm people's orders for a Bible or Book of Mormon, etc. On my second call the lady who answered was so nice! She was actually the daughter of the person I was calling, but she was willing to talk to me so I took the change. I didn't know how to create a gospel discussion out of this, so I just asked her if she knew much about our church and if I could tell her more. I told her about Joseph Smith and the first vision. I asked her if she thought an instance like the first vision was possible, and she said yes. I told her how I had come to know that the church was ture. I told her about my mission call and she was excited to talk to me about that. I offered to send the missionaries to her house and she said that it would be fine. Her mother had just had a heart attack, and I told her that I would pray for her mom. I know that God led me to her at a time when she was ready to hear the gospel. I'm going to try and find the bishop of her ward, call him, and let him know about her just incase the missionaries can't find her.

I feel healthy. I feel more like me than I've ever felt like me in my whole life. Even though my day is planned for me, I've never felt more like an agent unto myself. I feel like I don't have to pretent to be anyone. I'm loving the mission!

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

Second Week: Teaching Experience

You know you're a missionary when...
...you have 5 minutes and you feel like you are wasting time.
...you can feel Gods love for someone you are teaching.
...30 seconds late to personal study time is need enough to repent.
...you know what 'quiet dignity' means.
...you reference the Missionary Hand Book.
...you try to "convert" someone in your district to rasberry lemonade.
...mail is a BIG deal!
...things like PS, CS, WHB, 3CB, TA, TE, 1M, and PMG have real meaning.

Anyway, my companion, Elder Summerhays, and I had a special experience this past Saturday at our Teaching Appointment (TA). We had to contact some people in a room, then prepare and teach them a lesson. Nothing could have prepared me for the experience we had. Our goals going into the lesson were to 1. teach to needs, 2. teach for understanding, and 3. teach like we would have a gospel discussion like a friend. Also, in preparation, we talked about certain doctrines of lesson 1 so we could teach with unity. Up to that point we had had a not-so-good and semi-good teaching experience at the Teaching Evaluation Center (TE).

As we taught, we stuck to our goals. I felt the spirit, especially when I recited Jospeh Smith's First Vision. When an important question was asked, my companion gave the same answer I was going to give!

Afterward, we went to evaluate how it went. Brother Hodges told us that our lesson was one of the best lessons he has ever seen, if not the best! He's been here for 3 Years!! He said that one of the investigators (a girl named Cassi from China) was so effected by it that she asked Sister Tanner to go get our teaher so she could tell him that it was the most she has felt the spirit with the missionaries and that even though we had only met her, she felt like she could talk to us like we were her friends.

Little did we know, she was a real investigator! She has a baptismal date, and she had been meeting with Provo Mission Missionaries. I'm sure she has helped out at the MTC before too. It was truly a humbling experience to hear this! I'm so greatful for the tender mercies of the Lord!

Love you all!
Elder Spencer Harris