Go and get your one.

9/08/14

What a week it has been. This was a traveling week if we ever had one. Wow. We were in Moscow for the majority of the week doing splits with a couple of companionships of sisters there. We also had MLC and it was the coolest thing. I will tell you all about it. Our mission has a goal of 130 baptisms for the year. We've come a long way and we're working very hard to accomplish this goal. We already have more baptisms this year than we did the entire year last year. Before MLC, Sister Grover and I just talked and talked about how much we want the mission to accomplish our goal of 130. We even talked to President about it for about an hour on the phone, just trying to brainstorm ideas about how we could pump up missionaries to go and get this goal. And then the idea of, "Go and get your one" was born. And it's so cool! Basically, if every companionship can get one baptism before the end of the year we will have achieved our goal. One person for every companionship. And so that's what we're doing right now. We are all praying and working as hard as we can to find our one person. Obviously, that's always been the goal of missionary work is to invite people to be baptized but I think it makes it so much more personal to bring it down to just one person. I have the biggest testimony that we were sent on missions to find specific people. I know that without a doubt. And I know that Sister Grover and I were sent to find the investigators we are currently working with. They are so golden it's mind blowing. They are the biggest miracles. Our lessons with them this week were so perfect. We met at her house once and then they came to church the next day and we met with them after church. The lesson at church was my favorite because we had so many members helping. We had a newly baptized member who was just baptized a month ago, then a member who was baptized 2 years ago, and then a member who was baptized 6 years ago. All on one lesson! We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how the hardest part is enduring to the end. But as I was sitting on that lesson I was just so filled with gratitude for how much these people do, how good they are, and how much the gospel has influenced their lives. They all bore testimony of the Holy Ghost and how they feel so much peace when they pray, how the world goes away and it's just them and God. They talked about how they knew they were on the right path for their families and that even though it's hard, they will be able to endure to the end. Even our investigator bore testimony that she would be able to endure to the end. I love her so much. I love the members here so much. They have become my family without a doubt. They all have hearts of gold. I haven't been feeling well lately and our members called me last week while we were in Moscow just to see how I was feeling and to tell me that they are sad that I was sick. So cute. Being in this branch and being able to serve these people has changed my life. Lucy Mack Smiths' statement, “We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction that we may all sit down in heaven together.” has become a reality in my life here. President Monson has encouraged us to remember that, "Now is the time for missionaries and members to come together." That is true. I want nothing more than to sit down in heaven with these people who have watched over me, comforted me, and taught me. I hope I have been able to do a little bit of that for them too. I love you all! Have the best week. Love, Sister Harris