Build Upon the Rock.

10/13/14

Hi! This week has flown by. And it was a really good one. This week we got to get all of our members ready to watch general conference. We met with all of them and did a lesson about the importance of prophets and how cool it is that we have the opportunity to hear a prophet of the Lord speak to us. We were running around like crazy trying to get to each member before we watched conference on Saturday and Sunday together. It was such a cool experience because we got to hear the members' testimonies about the prophets, Joseph Smith and Thomas Monson. They love the prophet. They honor him. And they were so excited to hear him speak. It turned out really well. Last conference I was also here and we only had 3 people come to the Saturday session of conference at the branch building. This time we had over 15, including all of our new members. It was so cool. On Sunday we had over 30 members come and it was a great time. We watched conference and had lunch together and watched more conference. One of my favorite parts of the whole day was sitting there listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing Praise to the Man. I felt so strongly that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that all the people sitting with me, no matter how long they had been members, no matter how much they knew or what age they were, they all knew that he was a prophet too. I like Elder Anderson's talk from conference where he invites to gain a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith, or maybe just strengthen the one we already have. Do it! It'll be a good thing. Reread the talk here:https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/joseph-smith?lang=eng 

At the beginning of every transfer I like to think of a theme or a focus for the transfer. We had district meeting and decided that this transfer our theme would be Build Upon the Rock. We have such good members, so faithful and so ready to do anything asked of them. We want to use this transfer to strengthen their foundation and to truly build their lives on Jesus Christ. I did some scripture study and found the coolest scriptures about building upon the rock.

 D&C 6:34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

Our members are facing a lot of trials, probably like members everywhere. Probably like people everywhere. And we have this knowledge that we have no need to fear. We can do good, and even if we feel like everything's going wrong, we know that it's really not. That if we are built upon the rock, the gospel of Jesus Christ, everything will be okay. So we came up with an action plan and planned for each member and what we wanted them to be able to accomplish during the next six weeks. During this process we had an idea. We wanted our members to be able to get their patriarchal blessings but there is only one patriarch in our mission and usually people have to make an appointment with him and then go to Moscow which just takes time and money and isn't too feasible. So we had an idea, what if we prepared multiple members to receive their blessings and then the patriarch came here? We got permission to call the patriarch and explained our idea to him. He agreed! I think that will really be something that will strengthen these people and help them to build upon the rock a little more. Because that's what Christ asks of us. Day by day, little by little, we can come unto Him. And he'll make it possible, he'll give us the daily bread we need to be able to do that. I love this work. I love my Savior and I know that I have received that daily bread, that I receive that daily bread to be able to do all I need to do. I love you! Have a great week. Love, Sister Harris 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-08-013-daily-bread-experience?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-08-012-daily-bread-pattern?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-08-014-daily-bread-change?lang=eng

These have been my favorite videos to watch on my mission. I watch them probably three times a week. Check them out!