Hey Beautiful Family!:)
Today and this week have been filled with so much I don't even know where to start! This week was and Amazing & Incredible way to end in Matahau! We were teaching that amazing family I was telling you about on e-mail & just baptized two wonderful girls this week!
I promised you I would give you a little background about these girls! The first one is the sister of the boy I baptized (first baptism in Matahau), but it was amazing because we had here little brother there to bear testimony to her after each lesson! I love being able to teach families because the family is what our church is all about! The other girl was different. She had been taught before , but the missionaries left after her baptisimal commitment. She is from the village right next to us "Fahefa" but her parents were against her baptism so she came and found the missionaries in Matahau! She is 18 so getting baptized on her own without permission is legal. She is so smart and already know! She has a step mother that actually joined the church and is less active. Her step mother came to the baptism!
So, you can see I was on cloud nine in Matahau! I find that Heavenly Father does not like you to get comfortable on your mission, he is always giving you another task and always keeping you on your feet (I think Blake meant "toes"). I wonder sometimes why? But then I look back at my testimony and my strength with things that I am now able to do. Right now I'm in a situation that is 100% out of my comfort zone! It's hard, it's challenging and really awkward at times because I don't know exactly what people are saying or I don't understand their directions. I am doing my best and I am praying constantly!
2/25/14
So sorry I was going to finish writing, but I have been so busy it's not even funny! I literally haven't had a second to write, until now! A lot has happened today! I got to know the people of Sopu and I have met both bishops and ward mission leaders. I am concerned about some of the negativity and lack of motivation in the ward, but that is okay, because I am motivated and I'm ready to change the work in Sopu! I have made that a point to our bishop already and I told him we are here to work and willing to do anything to accomplish that.
Today a man came up to us and told me and my companion that we were called here for a purpose and that we will make a difference, but he said in order to make a difference you have to do things and go places no one else has done or gone before!
2/26/14
Wow, I'm so sorry that I keep getting so busy! But I would love to tell you and incredible tender mercy that took place today! Right before we went to teach our investigator, an elder got dropped off at our house, Elder Finau. He is waiting to leave to Papua New Guinea to serve there! He has been waiting for 10 months in the Tonga Mission! So, he literally saved us and helped us teach our investigator tonight and it was awesome! The spirit was so strong and the testimonies born were powerful! Oh so powerful is this message and so powerful is the spirit to the convincing of men!
My companion has a saying, "This gospel sells itself!" It is so true, because the spirit is undeniable.
Aw, I love you all and I am excited to keep updating you in the weeks to come!
OFA LAHI ATU
I love you all!
-Elder Harmon
Blake Daniel Harmon
Monday, February 24, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 2/23/2014)
WOW, It really never does feel like a week has gone back, until I get on the computer and write about how much has happened!!!
I will try to update you as much as possible as best as I can:) This week has been full of the spirit and full of answers to my prayers. For the past few weeks I have been praying very hard for 3 specific things!
1) To Be able to have something that will help me become better at the language.
1) To Be able to have something that will help me become better at the language.
2) Be able to get something I needed to hear from Elder Neil L Anderson.
3) Have an investigator that really needs our help and has been searching( my friend I promised I would find in heaven)
3) Have an investigator that really needs our help and has been searching( my friend I promised I would find in heaven)
I would love to start off by saying that our heavenly father is close and closer than you could ever imagine. He is literally willing to help us with anything, as long as we knock and ask! This week we had a family come to us and said they have a family at there house that they would love for us to come share the gospel with. So me a Latai were so so happy to do so! We went over and it is a couple with a little son about 3 years old. As we were getting to know them, we felt contention and we felt that they were not really united together as one. As we went on we found out that they have not been able to get along for a really long time, because they both have different beliefs about god and about their religious beliefs. As we began to teach them about eternal families things started to change, it wasn't coincidence, it was the spirit!!!! That day we changed there perspective and showed them the light that they had been missing all these years. During the lesson I taught about how we believe in God the Eternal father and in his son and in the Holy Ghost and that they are 3 separate beings. After I did so, my companion bore testimony and after the wife looked at us and said how do you know that? Immediately her husband who goes to the church of Tonga ( believes in one god) turned to his wife and bore testimony that there are three people in heaven and they are separate beings..... he said it finally makes sense to me..... Christ was praying to his father while on the cross! And we looked at him and we bore testimony that these things were true. I wish you all could have been there to feel that amazing spirit! After we challenged them to pray and ask heavenly father if our message we shared was true, and the next day they came back with tears in there eyes and grabbed each others hands and said for the first time they found themselves walking towards God together and they felt gods love.
I would like to testify to all of you that God prepare his people and he has a plan for all of us. Sometimes it isn't right on top of the surface so we can see it, but sometimes we must dig and we must find it! Our Heavenly Father lives and Jesus Christ lives. The Holy Ghost really does have the convincing power of men!
Right before the meeting with Elder Anderson we found out if we were going to move areas or if we were going to stay. As they read off my name and my area and who I was going to be comps with, my heart dropped and then started to pound so loud I thought it was going to burst out of my body. I felt scared and a little panicked. They said I will be leaving Matahau and going to a place called Supo 'O Taufa and I will be companions with a Elder Arcos..... A white kid from the states that came in in December.... I will be his follow up trainer.
I am not good at the language nor am I completely confident in my teaching skills. But as I look back to what my friend Cruser told me right before he went home. Harmon our language doesn't matter long as we have the spirit. As I remembered these words I was calm and I knew I would be by the Lords side. (and hopefully my language will grow from this experience) This will be the hardest time of my mission, but I am ready to hit the ground running. I can do great things in the arms of the Lord.
As Elder Anderson talked to us he ended his remarks by thanking us for two things and I don't know how to explain it but it was the two most POWERFUL Things I have ever heard . He thanked us for praying to our Father in heaven. And he thanked us for Having the desire to have the spirit with us constantly. And I can tell you honestly these have been my two biggest focuses on my mission. I can tell you Neil L Anderson Is a servant of the Lord. I know it. And as he shook my hand I knew that I was not just looking at some guy, but I was looking at a man of God.
I love you all. I am pretty sure I will get back on later to answer your questions. But all is well. Below is a picture of a girl I baptized, I will send you the story! I love you all so much and Pray for you all daily!
Your - Elder Harmon
Monday, February 17, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 2/17/14) [#22 from Tonga]
Mom, Dad, Brandon & Brooke - Brittany & Michael!
I was just writing in my journal & I couldn't help but smile at how amazing my family is and how kind & loving they all are! I honestly can say I have the most support anyone could ever ask for! You all have give me so much devotion and love and have poured out so many sacrifices in my behalf! I have felt your prayers and your fasts! All I want is every missionary to feel the love that you have shed on me! I know my brother Telu is feeling that amazing love! I can honestly say my home is a place of love and true joy! There is a work in Tonga it is Fk-lota (maybe you can have Telu Cruzer try to explain it to you) But I know people love to be around my family because they are so so loving! Aw, I love you all!
Dad, I love the website you made for me! Thank you! It's really a joy for me to see you care so much. It makes me feel like you are here with me and I'm not doing this alone!
I would like to talk to you about a couple of sweet things that happened this week! I can't remember if I have told you are not be we have been teaching a lady for the last couple of weeks that was married for a while but just recently got divorced. She is now dating a less active member in the church. She decided she wanted to know more, so she contacted us!
It has been so amazing to see her accept commitments and come closer to her Father in Heaven! She was baptized on the 15th of February! We talked to her after church and she said being baptized was the single most important choice sh has ever made in her life! Wow! For a missionary, words like these make me feel like I do when I get to eat some of mom's chocolate bunt cake! Recently after, we taught her two brothers! One is a year older than me and he was baptized the same day as her. Her other brother is going to be baptized today! My week has been literally full of these life changing and path changing decisions for so many of God's beautiful children!
This sister is now preparing with her fiance for a temple marriage. What a beautiful gift our Father in Heaven has given us to be sealed for all time and eternity!
I have been thinking a lot lately about one word in particular "tau ataina ke fili" (Freedom to Choose) or (Agency). This is the best gift that we were given from the beginning of time! And it is something we all have to learn to do well. All my life, I feel like I have had my agency, but I have been under the roof of my parents, so in a way, I have not been completely free to choose. Now that I have been out on my mission, I really see how we are all given the freedom to choose. One of the tings I know that I am supposed to learn on my mission is completely having control over making the right decisions. Growing up in Utah has already prepared me for the rough path I am on now. Growing up in Utah isn't the easiest thing to do, especially being a teenager and a Mormon. People might say that we have it so easy because everyone around us are Mormons and have the same standards. While there may be many of us with the same standards, a lot of times I have witnessed these standards not being kept by others. This has been one of the hardest things for me to experience growing up when I see my friends or people that I associate with and care about - fall for this false advertisement that it is okay to do bad things because they see other Mormons doing them. I know my Heavenly Father was preparing me for where I am today! I am on a mission with some missionaries that fail to see the big picture and are focused on the wrong image. It is truly some of the hardest things I know I will ever have to go through!
Obeying the Rules
There is something that is powerful about being exactly obedient! I have been told by so many it will bless my life! And not just mine, but my family back home!
As I have been out on the remote islands of Vava'u, I have seen a lot of Elder's that don't get this principle. I am so grateful for my upbringing and for the experiences I am having. I am realizing that here I am growing in a way that I could not grow anywhere else. I have also come to realize that often, I am left alone with only the help of my Savior to get through the hard times. Leaning on prayer completely is something that I needed to learn and develop. My patriarchal blessing said it would bless my life! It is incredible for me to see things take place in my life from my blessing! I am truly blessed!
Family, please pray for the missionaries here, not just the ones that are obedient and need strength, but also the disobedient Elder that they might see the big picture! I love you all and I always feel your arms wrapped around me and your amazing prayers in my behalf!
Love
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
I was just writing in my journal & I couldn't help but smile at how amazing my family is and how kind & loving they all are! I honestly can say I have the most support anyone could ever ask for! You all have give me so much devotion and love and have poured out so many sacrifices in my behalf! I have felt your prayers and your fasts! All I want is every missionary to feel the love that you have shed on me! I know my brother Telu is feeling that amazing love! I can honestly say my home is a place of love and true joy! There is a work in Tonga it is Fk-lota (maybe you can have Telu Cruzer try to explain it to you) But I know people love to be around my family because they are so so loving! Aw, I love you all!
Dad, I love the website you made for me! Thank you! It's really a joy for me to see you care so much. It makes me feel like you are here with me and I'm not doing this alone!
I would like to talk to you about a couple of sweet things that happened this week! I can't remember if I have told you are not be we have been teaching a lady for the last couple of weeks that was married for a while but just recently got divorced. She is now dating a less active member in the church. She decided she wanted to know more, so she contacted us!
It has been so amazing to see her accept commitments and come closer to her Father in Heaven! She was baptized on the 15th of February! We talked to her after church and she said being baptized was the single most important choice sh has ever made in her life! Wow! For a missionary, words like these make me feel like I do when I get to eat some of mom's chocolate bunt cake! Recently after, we taught her two brothers! One is a year older than me and he was baptized the same day as her. Her other brother is going to be baptized today! My week has been literally full of these life changing and path changing decisions for so many of God's beautiful children!
This sister is now preparing with her fiance for a temple marriage. What a beautiful gift our Father in Heaven has given us to be sealed for all time and eternity!
I have been thinking a lot lately about one word in particular "tau ataina ke fili" (Freedom to Choose) or (Agency). This is the best gift that we were given from the beginning of time! And it is something we all have to learn to do well. All my life, I feel like I have had my agency, but I have been under the roof of my parents, so in a way, I have not been completely free to choose. Now that I have been out on my mission, I really see how we are all given the freedom to choose. One of the tings I know that I am supposed to learn on my mission is completely having control over making the right decisions. Growing up in Utah has already prepared me for the rough path I am on now. Growing up in Utah isn't the easiest thing to do, especially being a teenager and a Mormon. People might say that we have it so easy because everyone around us are Mormons and have the same standards. While there may be many of us with the same standards, a lot of times I have witnessed these standards not being kept by others. This has been one of the hardest things for me to experience growing up when I see my friends or people that I associate with and care about - fall for this false advertisement that it is okay to do bad things because they see other Mormons doing them. I know my Heavenly Father was preparing me for where I am today! I am on a mission with some missionaries that fail to see the big picture and are focused on the wrong image. It is truly some of the hardest things I know I will ever have to go through!
Obeying the Rules
There is something that is powerful about being exactly obedient! I have been told by so many it will bless my life! And not just mine, but my family back home!
As I have been out on the remote islands of Vava'u, I have seen a lot of Elder's that don't get this principle. I am so grateful for my upbringing and for the experiences I am having. I am realizing that here I am growing in a way that I could not grow anywhere else. I have also come to realize that often, I am left alone with only the help of my Savior to get through the hard times. Leaning on prayer completely is something that I needed to learn and develop. My patriarchal blessing said it would bless my life! It is incredible for me to see things take place in my life from my blessing! I am truly blessed!
Family, please pray for the missionaries here, not just the ones that are obedient and need strength, but also the disobedient Elder that they might see the big picture! I love you all and I always feel your arms wrapped around me and your amazing prayers in my behalf!
Love
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, February 16, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 2/16/2014)
WOW This week has been Incredible for me! It has been full of spiritual experiences and everlasting relationships! There is a point in your mission where you get and you realize what you are actually doing and everything kind of smacks you in the face. And this week was one of those weeks for me. Latai and I are very fortunate to have been put in this area where we are at. The members are always making sure we have investigators and work to do!!! It’s really quite amazing.... Right now I know I'm going through a stage that I will probably never have the opportunity of going through again. I have talked to a lot of elders and not one has said that they have ever been in an area with as much work as I have been able to do here. But that's not really the point I’m trying to get at. This week I have been reviewing a lot of what my mission consisted of so far before I was able to get to this area. With one word to sum it up I would say (Miracle!)
I remember talking to my brother Elder Cruser right before he went home. We talked about being on our little islands and we talked about how we both felt like we haven't really accomplished a lot on our missions and probably haven't changed anybody's lives. But as I look back, I knew I was wrong. Because what changes I made in my life on that Island, will change me for the rest of my life and the impact that people like Elder Cruser had on me, could never have happened anywhere else. I know that God puts us in places for a reason. I know I am called of God to share his perfect gospel, but not just that. I am here to give my 110 per cent to his people. I notice that everyone is always watching the missionaries and waiting to see what they will do! I have tried my best to take this to heart. Because one day I want to look my Savior in the eyes and tell him I did it I gave it my BEST and not just endured!
I notice a lot of times we are called on missions to bring others in to Christ by teaching them and committing them to follow Christ and be baptized! But I also learned that we are called to convert ourselves and everyone around us. This word (converted) comes to my mind every time I teach and every time I study! AM I doing everything I can to be fully converted to my Savior? Do I have strong enough faith? Am I fully committed?!
I have learned a lot the last few years about being committed to something. And the lord has called me to his team and has asked me to be committed to giving it my all. I remember my 9th grade year when Brad Eldredge stood up and said we will be a fully committed football team. We will do everything over again until we do it right, because if we do it right we will win. And if we do it right we will never feel defeat. And this is what has impacted me because the Savior has given us the atonement to do it right and to do it right so we can win.
I have seen first had my best friend do out here on his mission and that was to be committed to his Savior. I want him to know I know he’s a winner.
This is my home for two years and this is where I do make a difference.
__________________________________________________________________________
On another note.
This week was blessed with so many miracles! Some of these miracles have included amazing investigators following Christ into the waters of baptism! Some of my most tender memories of my mission happened this week. I will be sending you letters about the experiences, kind of hard to give a lot of detail on here….but I have been touched:) I love you all!!!!
- elder harmon!
I remember talking to my brother Elder Cruser right before he went home. We talked about being on our little islands and we talked about how we both felt like we haven't really accomplished a lot on our missions and probably haven't changed anybody's lives. But as I look back, I knew I was wrong. Because what changes I made in my life on that Island, will change me for the rest of my life and the impact that people like Elder Cruser had on me, could never have happened anywhere else. I know that God puts us in places for a reason. I know I am called of God to share his perfect gospel, but not just that. I am here to give my 110 per cent to his people. I notice that everyone is always watching the missionaries and waiting to see what they will do! I have tried my best to take this to heart. Because one day I want to look my Savior in the eyes and tell him I did it I gave it my BEST and not just endured!
I notice a lot of times we are called on missions to bring others in to Christ by teaching them and committing them to follow Christ and be baptized! But I also learned that we are called to convert ourselves and everyone around us. This word (converted) comes to my mind every time I teach and every time I study! AM I doing everything I can to be fully converted to my Savior? Do I have strong enough faith? Am I fully committed?!
I have learned a lot the last few years about being committed to something. And the lord has called me to his team and has asked me to be committed to giving it my all. I remember my 9th grade year when Brad Eldredge stood up and said we will be a fully committed football team. We will do everything over again until we do it right, because if we do it right we will win. And if we do it right we will never feel defeat. And this is what has impacted me because the Savior has given us the atonement to do it right and to do it right so we can win.
I have seen first had my best friend do out here on his mission and that was to be committed to his Savior. I want him to know I know he’s a winner.
This is my home for two years and this is where I do make a difference.
__________________________________________________________________________
On another note.
This week was blessed with so many miracles! Some of these miracles have included amazing investigators following Christ into the waters of baptism! Some of my most tender memories of my mission happened this week. I will be sending you letters about the experiences, kind of hard to give a lot of detail on here….but I have been touched:) I love you all!!!!
- elder harmon!
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| Mission Assistants to President - Napa'a and Tamoepeau |
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| Yupp - Got the chance to eat my first dog, and it was goooood! |
Monday, February 10, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 2/10/2014) [#21 from Tonga]
Hey my Beautiful Family!
I love all the beautiful opportunities that i have to write all of you! It also gives me an Awesome opportunity to review my week and recognize all of the good that was accomplished and all that our Savior helped us do! I love recognizing the Lords hand in all of our lives!
My heart has been touched by the experiences I have had that allow me to connect with my family back home! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for looking after my family! When I heard about Mom's accident, I got worried and the spirit immediately said "stay obedient, stay faithful, and your family will be safe. I was able to put all of your names in the temple so you could feel my spirit close to you! I know God is watching over my family while i do his work.
It's truly amazing to me how God truly knows each and every one of our hearts! As I was talking to mom on email she mentioned to me how big of a blessing it is that i was able to come out @ the age of 18 and if I would have waited i might have gotten married or it might have been harder for me to come out! I know God has power in all things! Sometimes when I have doubts about being out here and my heart is hurting, I just remember the overwhelming feeling of the spirit when I read my mission call!!! I remember Dad asking me what i was thinking as I read those words and what were my feelings. I remember not really saying much, mostly because it was hard and very tender for me to share that experience. And as now I grow a better understanding I can truly say it was God saying to me directly, "I love you, I know you and I trust you! Imagine for the first time in your life you get to hear your fathers voice and the first thing he says are those words!!!
I have wanted to be a missionary my whole life and now I am here and I have looked forward to it forever and I will look back on it forever, but I will only live it for another 1 year and 5 months...Wow how does time move so quickly!
I know that this is where I am supposed to be, Mom I remember one of your letters talking about how alot of the mission is being there for your companion! This could not be more true for me with my companion now. I have alot of things I have to just put my foot down to... I feel like I am doing my best. I know that I can always do more. I want my companion to like me....but its hard...I don't know if you remember but in my Patriarchal blessing it talks about how I will have to choose my friends and choose ones with high standards.
I try to love all the time but I turn into the enemy alot, because I want to follow the rules....To be honest with you all, I don't have one companion that likes me...I honestly wish I could have a companion that likes me. Sometimes it brings my confidence really really low...this has truly been one of my biggest struggles. I never thought I would find so many people that don't like my personality. I feel like I am back in the 5th grade again and all of the kids don't like me.I gain strength when I talked to Elder Cruser but he is going home. Wow my last little bit of strength.
God must really be trying to remold me in some way! Sometimes I wish I could just see the bigger picture!
I am sorry I went on a tangent, but I want you to know that everything happens for a reason! I am struggling for a reason! Maybe this means I will be a better Husband for my Wife someday!! Who knows?...hahaha...I love you all!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
I love all the beautiful opportunities that i have to write all of you! It also gives me an Awesome opportunity to review my week and recognize all of the good that was accomplished and all that our Savior helped us do! I love recognizing the Lords hand in all of our lives!
My heart has been touched by the experiences I have had that allow me to connect with my family back home! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for looking after my family! When I heard about Mom's accident, I got worried and the spirit immediately said "stay obedient, stay faithful, and your family will be safe. I was able to put all of your names in the temple so you could feel my spirit close to you! I know God is watching over my family while i do his work.
It's truly amazing to me how God truly knows each and every one of our hearts! As I was talking to mom on email she mentioned to me how big of a blessing it is that i was able to come out @ the age of 18 and if I would have waited i might have gotten married or it might have been harder for me to come out! I know God has power in all things! Sometimes when I have doubts about being out here and my heart is hurting, I just remember the overwhelming feeling of the spirit when I read my mission call!!! I remember Dad asking me what i was thinking as I read those words and what were my feelings. I remember not really saying much, mostly because it was hard and very tender for me to share that experience. And as now I grow a better understanding I can truly say it was God saying to me directly, "I love you, I know you and I trust you! Imagine for the first time in your life you get to hear your fathers voice and the first thing he says are those words!!!
I have wanted to be a missionary my whole life and now I am here and I have looked forward to it forever and I will look back on it forever, but I will only live it for another 1 year and 5 months...Wow how does time move so quickly!
I know that this is where I am supposed to be, Mom I remember one of your letters talking about how alot of the mission is being there for your companion! This could not be more true for me with my companion now. I have alot of things I have to just put my foot down to... I feel like I am doing my best. I know that I can always do more. I want my companion to like me....but its hard...I don't know if you remember but in my Patriarchal blessing it talks about how I will have to choose my friends and choose ones with high standards.
I try to love all the time but I turn into the enemy alot, because I want to follow the rules....To be honest with you all, I don't have one companion that likes me...I honestly wish I could have a companion that likes me. Sometimes it brings my confidence really really low...this has truly been one of my biggest struggles. I never thought I would find so many people that don't like my personality. I feel like I am back in the 5th grade again and all of the kids don't like me.I gain strength when I talked to Elder Cruser but he is going home. Wow my last little bit of strength.
God must really be trying to remold me in some way! Sometimes I wish I could just see the bigger picture!
I am sorry I went on a tangent, but I want you to know that everything happens for a reason! I am struggling for a reason! Maybe this means I will be a better Husband for my Wife someday!! Who knows?...hahaha...I love you all!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, February 9, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 2/9/2014)
This has been a really incredible week and a week that I definitely needed! This week we have been going crazy with teaching investigators! This town ( Matahau) hasn't had good missionaries here for a while ( obedient and willing to work). So now that there are missionaries ready to work, the members are definitely taking advantage of it! They bring there family/ friends in from all over the island for us to teach them! It has been awesome to be busy like crazy!!!!
Earlier this last week we started teaching a girl that is dating a less active member of the church. And she wanted to know more about the religion that he believes in! It has been a really cool and beautiful experience for me and my companion! Its awesome to see the inactive boyfriend share his testimony and be involved in her search for true joy!!! I love being able to share my testimony and direct it to them directly by mentioning their name. I remember dad telling me it will bring power to the situation and allows the holy ghost to talk directly to them. Just like reading the scriptures and switching your name into the paragraph.
Yesterday we started teaching an 18 year girl from the other side of Tonga but she is moving here ( I think). But I remember in the middle of the teaching, my companion was teaching about living with our families for eternity and its only possible through the temple and I held up a picture and she stopped us and ask ( I can be sealed to my family for eternity if I go there? ). We answered with a smile on our faces and said YES!:) And the biggest smile came over her face!!!
I love sharing the message of the TRUE GOSPEL, to families and to individuals. I have literally seen the light that it brings.... I love this gospel. And I know this it is the only path to true happiness!
I also had the opportunity to baptize two little 8 year olds that there parents aren't members, but they wanted to go with there neighbors to our church because they say it is the true church! What amazing faith Tongans have! Kolipoki in his book emphasizes on the great faith of the Tongan people and it is so so true! They strive with such big steps in what they believe!
P.S. I got the package with grandmas/ grandpas letters and the Jordan shorts. ( thank you so much they were so so needed!)
Earlier this last week we started teaching a girl that is dating a less active member of the church. And she wanted to know more about the religion that he believes in! It has been a really cool and beautiful experience for me and my companion! Its awesome to see the inactive boyfriend share his testimony and be involved in her search for true joy!!! I love being able to share my testimony and direct it to them directly by mentioning their name. I remember dad telling me it will bring power to the situation and allows the holy ghost to talk directly to them. Just like reading the scriptures and switching your name into the paragraph.
Yesterday we started teaching an 18 year girl from the other side of Tonga but she is moving here ( I think). But I remember in the middle of the teaching, my companion was teaching about living with our families for eternity and its only possible through the temple and I held up a picture and she stopped us and ask ( I can be sealed to my family for eternity if I go there? ). We answered with a smile on our faces and said YES!:) And the biggest smile came over her face!!!
I love sharing the message of the TRUE GOSPEL, to families and to individuals. I have literally seen the light that it brings.... I love this gospel. And I know this it is the only path to true happiness!
I also had the opportunity to baptize two little 8 year olds that there parents aren't members, but they wanted to go with there neighbors to our church because they say it is the true church! What amazing faith Tongans have! Kolipoki in his book emphasizes on the great faith of the Tongan people and it is so so true! They strive with such big steps in what they believe!
P.S. I got the package with grandmas/ grandpas letters and the Jordan shorts. ( thank you so much they were so so needed!)
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 2-4-2014) [#20 from Tonga]
Ma lo e lelei!
Hello my beautiful Family! I can't help but smile thinking about you all. Wow it was remarkable being able to talk to you all yesterday on e-mail! I love being able to hear the many incredible things that are taking place in all of your lives! I rejoiced when you (mom( told me you finished the Book of Mormon in 16 days! I'm so grateful you recieved so much strength and light by reading it so often! It's so crazy that I challenged you to do that 2 months ago! CAn yhou bleive how fast time flys?! While we are still on teh subjecet of (challenges), I want to give you all a new one! This may be difficult and might take you all out of yoru comfort zone, but I have been thinking about it and it is one of the best things you could do, especically Brandon! I want you to try and get a friend that isn't a member and I want you to invite them to listen to the missionaries in our home. This might mean sharing your throughts about the gospel fist and sharing your testimony! It might mean grabbing/meeting a new friend! I have taken to heart "Every Member a Missionary"! I have been in an area where I have seen the members (hastening the Lord's work). This is the only way to hasten his work. The members and missionaries need to work as one!
As I look back to when I was home, I realize that what I am asking is not an easy task and not so convenient (especially in Utah)....but as I remember from something that mom told me, "Where much is given, much is required!"
God is on your side and I am praying for you! I can promise you all that if you take this challenge to hear, it will change yoru life and it will change the life of someone else for eternity! (BTW, people who are members of the church, but have never really been to church also count!) In fact, bringing others unto Christ in general counts!
Now on the funny side, my companion and I have been running away from rats the last few weeks. The other day, we saw them running across our beds! Aw yeah, that did it for us, haha. (We are both grils when it comes to sutff like this). We decided to get some traps, and we caught the rats! I will have to send you pictures! In the area next to us, an Tongan got his feet eaten like Elder Groberg (Kolipoki)! Aw....the adventures of Tonga!
I love you all so much! I am so proud and honored to call you all my family! Please send me a letter with your questions that I have not answered or things you want to know! I am so sorry that when I finally get to writing letters that I forget a lot of stuff that you have wanted to know. Just remind me!
I love you all!
Mmmmmuuuuuuaaaaaahhhh! "Dude"
Hello my beautiful Family! I can't help but smile thinking about you all. Wow it was remarkable being able to talk to you all yesterday on e-mail! I love being able to hear the many incredible things that are taking place in all of your lives! I rejoiced when you (mom( told me you finished the Book of Mormon in 16 days! I'm so grateful you recieved so much strength and light by reading it so often! It's so crazy that I challenged you to do that 2 months ago! CAn yhou bleive how fast time flys?! While we are still on teh subjecet of (challenges), I want to give you all a new one! This may be difficult and might take you all out of yoru comfort zone, but I have been thinking about it and it is one of the best things you could do, especically Brandon! I want you to try and get a friend that isn't a member and I want you to invite them to listen to the missionaries in our home. This might mean sharing your throughts about the gospel fist and sharing your testimony! It might mean grabbing/meeting a new friend! I have taken to heart "Every Member a Missionary"! I have been in an area where I have seen the members (hastening the Lord's work). This is the only way to hasten his work. The members and missionaries need to work as one!
As I look back to when I was home, I realize that what I am asking is not an easy task and not so convenient (especially in Utah)....but as I remember from something that mom told me, "Where much is given, much is required!"
God is on your side and I am praying for you! I can promise you all that if you take this challenge to hear, it will change yoru life and it will change the life of someone else for eternity! (BTW, people who are members of the church, but have never really been to church also count!) In fact, bringing others unto Christ in general counts!
Now on the funny side, my companion and I have been running away from rats the last few weeks. The other day, we saw them running across our beds! Aw yeah, that did it for us, haha. (We are both grils when it comes to sutff like this). We decided to get some traps, and we caught the rats! I will have to send you pictures! In the area next to us, an Tongan got his feet eaten like Elder Groberg (Kolipoki)! Aw....the adventures of Tonga!
I love you all so much! I am so proud and honored to call you all my family! Please send me a letter with your questions that I have not answered or things you want to know! I am so sorry that when I finally get to writing letters that I forget a lot of stuff that you have wanted to know. Just remind me!
I love you all!
Mmmmmuuuuuuaaaaaahhhh! "Dude"
Sunday, February 2, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 2/2/2014)
Wow This week was a BLAST. Talk about going through trialss and then receiving the blessings after enduring to the end. We were able to baptize our investigators!!! Wow what an incredible experience it was for me to take the people that I helped bring unto the gospel into the waters of baptism!! What a really heart warming and eternal experience. I have never had such a quick and strong bond with kids before that I just have barely met. But I feel like I have known them for my whole life. Im not fluent at the language and I can't understand everything that is being communicated to me, but I know they can feel my love and I can sure feel theirs. There is something about bringing people to the Savior that makes your bond stronger than it could ever be! I am so grateful for the place I am servicing and for the people I have the chance to serve.
This whole week we have been working with new investigators and have been doing our best to have them keep there commitments. We have one boy that is 15 (brandons age) and he has been coming to church and we are hoping that he will accept the invitation to be baptized. We are loving how much work there is to do in MATAHAU!
We had the opportunity to teach an open house yesterday! It was a really cool and unique experience because all of the people that came wanted to know things about the gospel and had questions about the Book of Mormon! There was one lady that said " Maybe if I just took the time to read the book of Mormon then I would know it was true" me and my comp looked at eachother and bore testimony that she would receive and answer if she read and prayed about it ( Moroni 10: 3-5)
Love you all Elder harmon
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