Brooke and Daddy . . . . Happy Birthday!
Aw, I'm so so grateful for my beautiful sister and my incredible Dad! I love you two so so much! I thought about you both on your birthdays!
Wow Brooke, 13 years old! You are growing up so fast. I'm starting to think that you will be taller than me by the time I return! Aw, Brooke, you have come such a long way and have grown in so many incredible ways! I'm so proud to see where you stand today and the beautiful example that you have been for all of your friends and me, your brother! Brooke, hope your b-day was incredible!
Daddy, my Sipinga Taengata (Forever Example) Still can't believe that you went sky diving, that is so so incredibly cool! Aw, we have to go when I get back! But wow, Dad, 49 years old and still looking young! Ha, I still remember being too young to drive and you taking me to school and football. I remember one time that sticks out to me more than anything! It was 5am and it was my freshman year. I had football at 5:30AM at the High School every morning. One of these mornings, I remember driving down to the football field and waiting in the car together. I looked over to you and said, "Sorry Dad you had to wake up so early to take me!" I still remember your words back to me like it was yesterday. You said something along the lines of you wouldn't miss taking me to football for anything in the world because driving with me and talking were some of your most cherished moments with me! Dad, I love you and will always be your little boy!
Happy Birthday!!
Monday, May 26, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 5/26/14) [#36 from Tonga]
Hey Family :)
Mom, I bet you are loving the date on this letter! (5 for you, 26 for Brooke, and 14 for me :) You have got to love how into numbers we all are!:) Haha, you would laugh at all the e-mails and letters that Brooklin sends me with numbers in it. She says that she gets it from you mom! Haha:)
What a crazy week I have had! On Tuesday, I had my last day with Elder Arcos, . . . .you really don't understand how fast time really goes until it is taken right from under you! I feel like I was just barely called to be with Arcos, but it has already been an amazing 13 weeks!! I only have so much time with each individual companion, and every single companion I believe is who God wants and needs us to be with.
On Wednesday, I received my first "son" in the mission! Elder Talanoa! He is 20 years old and he is from a place called Vaini here in Tonga! He is fluent in English as well! He is probably the most talented kid I have ever met. He is a track runner and plays rugby! However, his best talents are singing, poetry, and Brandon, this kid can dance like Chris Brown! He is absolutely and insane dancer! He simply can watch something, then do it! Haha, this means that his main goals with me are teaching me how to dance and to sing, haha!....Yeah, we are failing on that so far :) He is so respectful and his personal goals and life purpose is so incredible to watch! He is really such a blessing for me to be able to be his trainer! He calls me "Tamai" which means trainer/father in Tonga. He tells everyone that he has the best trainer ever! It is quite funny! In his interview with President Tupow, before he found out that his companion would be me, President told him that his companion is a "Leka Maka Mooni." In English, the best words I could us to translate his words are "True Stud . . . for real!" Ha, I though that was awesome that President would say that about me! My companion and I are getting along really well. We really have a lot to offer each other. I am having a hard time seeing what it is that I can offer him. I feel like he is the one training me. It is so hard to try and be the trainer over someone that has grown up in this area and has grown up in this culture and with this language! Sometimes I don't feel very capable to training but Talanoa can tell when I get down on myself and he doesn't like that so he will immediately stop everything and put his arm around me and just start giving me compliments and telling me he likes me! I know that one thing I can do is to set him on the right road for the rest of his mission! I have already gotten so many thank yous fro helping him get in the habit of doing morning program and making sure we are doing the right things!
I am happy and grateful for the beautiful opportunities placed before me! I'm glad and proud to call myself a soldier in God's army! I am proud to be able to stand on the same path as my parents.
Your son/brother
But never forget, we are an eternal family!
- Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Mom, I bet you are loving the date on this letter! (5 for you, 26 for Brooke, and 14 for me :) You have got to love how into numbers we all are!:) Haha, you would laugh at all the e-mails and letters that Brooklin sends me with numbers in it. She says that she gets it from you mom! Haha:)
What a crazy week I have had! On Tuesday, I had my last day with Elder Arcos, . . . .you really don't understand how fast time really goes until it is taken right from under you! I feel like I was just barely called to be with Arcos, but it has already been an amazing 13 weeks!! I only have so much time with each individual companion, and every single companion I believe is who God wants and needs us to be with.
On Wednesday, I received my first "son" in the mission! Elder Talanoa! He is 20 years old and he is from a place called Vaini here in Tonga! He is fluent in English as well! He is probably the most talented kid I have ever met. He is a track runner and plays rugby! However, his best talents are singing, poetry, and Brandon, this kid can dance like Chris Brown! He is absolutely and insane dancer! He simply can watch something, then do it! Haha, this means that his main goals with me are teaching me how to dance and to sing, haha!....Yeah, we are failing on that so far :) He is so respectful and his personal goals and life purpose is so incredible to watch! He is really such a blessing for me to be able to be his trainer! He calls me "Tamai" which means trainer/father in Tonga. He tells everyone that he has the best trainer ever! It is quite funny! In his interview with President Tupow, before he found out that his companion would be me, President told him that his companion is a "Leka Maka Mooni." In English, the best words I could us to translate his words are "True Stud . . . for real!" Ha, I though that was awesome that President would say that about me! My companion and I are getting along really well. We really have a lot to offer each other. I am having a hard time seeing what it is that I can offer him. I feel like he is the one training me. It is so hard to try and be the trainer over someone that has grown up in this area and has grown up in this culture and with this language! Sometimes I don't feel very capable to training but Talanoa can tell when I get down on myself and he doesn't like that so he will immediately stop everything and put his arm around me and just start giving me compliments and telling me he likes me! I know that one thing I can do is to set him on the right road for the rest of his mission! I have already gotten so many thank yous fro helping him get in the habit of doing morning program and making sure we are doing the right things!
I am happy and grateful for the beautiful opportunities placed before me! I'm glad and proud to call myself a soldier in God's army! I am proud to be able to stand on the same path as my parents.
Your son/brother
But never forget, we are an eternal family!
- Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, May 25, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 5/25/2014)
Hey Everyone,
Wow what a crazy week I have had this week!!!!! It was my last couple days with Arcos on Monday and Tuesday! Wow has time just passed by! I got my new companion in the mission on Wednesday!!!! My first son in the mission field!!!!!! Wow I feel so so privileged!!! His name is Elder Talanoa, and he is from Vaini here in Tonga!!! He is So incredible you all would love him!!! He has so many incredible talents and is so fun and loving to be around!!!!!! He is amazing!!!!! He is fluent at English, which kinda stinks because he wants to speak English all the time, so it really doesn't help my Tongan, but it really helps us to become close!!!!! He is an incredible poet and his is a fabulous singer!!!!!!! Oh, and Brandon, this kid can dance like Chris Brown. He has taught break dancing, pop, salsa, ballroom and a lot of other kind of dances. Yeah, he can be compared to the famous Michael Jackson. . . . . yup that's my companion!!!!! He is also thee most respectful person I have ever met!!!! He just goes around telling everyone how much he loves me and how much of a stud I am.... its actually kinda embarrassing how much he loves to talk about me, but he is incredible!!!!!
I'm definitely so so blessed!!!!! I am especially blessed to have someone that is so excited to work....The first day we just went to about every house in Sopu hahaha. We just walked and walked and walked hahaha. We got home that night and my comps feet and legs hurt so bad hahaha, I was like welcome to missionary work:) He smiled and said I love it!!!! We are doing great together and I have already learned so so much from him! He has taught me so much about teaching in the Tongan language and has helped me understand the importance of my calling as a trainer!!!! I'm so excited to do work with him!!!!! This week alone we got two more incredible investigators!!!!! One is from Fiji so we will be teaching her in English. Wow, how incredible is it that since we are both fluent in English!!! Aw I love it!!!!! We are surrounded by a lot of the white people that own businesses here, so we are excited to go to houses where no one has been before!!!! We have so many incredible opportunities open to us here!!!!! This week we also started teaching Emeline again. I don't know if you all remember her, but she is the one whose dad is not letting her be baptized. However, my companion and I have the faith that is about to change that!!!! We are also continuing to work with Afeti, the 17 year old whose dad wouldn't let him get baptized!!!! I never have realized how great the Tongans faith is until I have been companions with one!!!! It is incredible!!!! I love you all so so much!!!
Mom"Dude"
Dad and Brooke HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!
Love You All!!!!!!
 |
| Elder Talanoa and Elder Harmon |
Monday, May 19, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 5/19/2014) [#35 from Tonga]
My Incredible Family,
It has been an amazing day for me and a day full of things to do. Actually, this whole week is going to be quite busy for me! This Wednesday, I get my first "son" in the mission. What an incredible responsibility it is to be trusted with a brand new missionary! I feel like it is the greatest responsibility that can be given to a missionary. This is where a missionary is molded and becomes where they need to be for the rest of their mission. That is who they will become for the rest of their lives! Elder Jeffery R Holland once said, "The mission is the MTC of your life." Wow, what a bold and profound statement! What a big responsibility and opportunity we have!
Preparing for this new opportunity has opened my eyes to a lot of new perspectives on life! I have learned so much in the past with all of my companions and with all the trials that have been put before me. As I have been pondering on training, and the responsibility that I will be give, I realize the opportunities I will have to learn to become a "real" father and to be able to become the example that my kids and grand kids will look up to!
As I ponder my patriarchal blessing, a quote from it reads, "I promise as you recognize and are willing to accept more responsibility, it will expand your life." Wow, what an incredible blessing and promise that I have been given. It is crazy to see the promises take place in my life and things being fulfilled in my patriarchal blessing.
What amazing promises we are "all" blessed with in this incredible gospel! Brandon, I know you just received your patriarchal blessing! What an amazing blessing! How amazing to have a blessing that pertains directly to you!
We are promised if we live our lives in harmony with the Lord's teachings and follow his commandments and live worth of the Holy Ghost that we will be blessed. The blessing that you received will start taking place in your live and because of your commitment to follow the Savior, you have already seen some of your incredible blessings take place in your life!
Today I want to bear my testimony on following our Savior and being obedient to him! As we follow our Savior, blessings that we never thought possible will come. I have noticed in my own life as I have stayed obedient and in coming on a mission, and in following the prophet's counsel, I have seen blessings being showered upon my family and my loved ones. Miracles that I thought could never happen, have happened since I have been out on my mission. The blessings from our loving Savior are incredible! I'm in love with quotes from Jeffrey R Holland where he stated, "Don't you quit. You keep trying. You keep walking. There is happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until Heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come!"
I love, love, love how he uses the word embrace! Embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings will come! The word embrace means so much more to me since I have come out on a mission. Actually, it means everything to me now! The mission has taught me to grasp every principle and hold it next to my heart. In D&C 14:7 (our favorite numbers mom :) "And if you keep my commandments and endure to the end, you shall have eternal life which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God!"
My beautiful family, I bear my testimony that I know that we have been blessed because of our faithfulness to follow our Savior! I bear testimony that we will be continually blessed if we embrace this amazing gospel & endure these days of trials and continue to face our future in faith!
I promise you all as we continue to strive and as we continue to embark on the many opportunities that have been placed before us, we will grow closer to our Savior and we will become more like him!
I love you and I want you to know that I face my future in FAITH!
Your Son/Brother
But most importantly, your eternal family
- Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
It has been an amazing day for me and a day full of things to do. Actually, this whole week is going to be quite busy for me! This Wednesday, I get my first "son" in the mission. What an incredible responsibility it is to be trusted with a brand new missionary! I feel like it is the greatest responsibility that can be given to a missionary. This is where a missionary is molded and becomes where they need to be for the rest of their mission. That is who they will become for the rest of their lives! Elder Jeffery R Holland once said, "The mission is the MTC of your life." Wow, what a bold and profound statement! What a big responsibility and opportunity we have!
Preparing for this new opportunity has opened my eyes to a lot of new perspectives on life! I have learned so much in the past with all of my companions and with all the trials that have been put before me. As I have been pondering on training, and the responsibility that I will be give, I realize the opportunities I will have to learn to become a "real" father and to be able to become the example that my kids and grand kids will look up to!
As I ponder my patriarchal blessing, a quote from it reads, "I promise as you recognize and are willing to accept more responsibility, it will expand your life." Wow, what an incredible blessing and promise that I have been given. It is crazy to see the promises take place in my life and things being fulfilled in my patriarchal blessing.
What amazing promises we are "all" blessed with in this incredible gospel! Brandon, I know you just received your patriarchal blessing! What an amazing blessing! How amazing to have a blessing that pertains directly to you!
We are promised if we live our lives in harmony with the Lord's teachings and follow his commandments and live worth of the Holy Ghost that we will be blessed. The blessing that you received will start taking place in your live and because of your commitment to follow the Savior, you have already seen some of your incredible blessings take place in your life!
Today I want to bear my testimony on following our Savior and being obedient to him! As we follow our Savior, blessings that we never thought possible will come. I have noticed in my own life as I have stayed obedient and in coming on a mission, and in following the prophet's counsel, I have seen blessings being showered upon my family and my loved ones. Miracles that I thought could never happen, have happened since I have been out on my mission. The blessings from our loving Savior are incredible! I'm in love with quotes from Jeffrey R Holland where he stated, "Don't you quit. You keep trying. You keep walking. There is happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until Heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come!"
I love, love, love how he uses the word embrace! Embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings will come! The word embrace means so much more to me since I have come out on a mission. Actually, it means everything to me now! The mission has taught me to grasp every principle and hold it next to my heart. In D&C 14:7 (our favorite numbers mom :) "And if you keep my commandments and endure to the end, you shall have eternal life which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God!"
My beautiful family, I bear my testimony that I know that we have been blessed because of our faithfulness to follow our Savior! I bear testimony that we will be continually blessed if we embrace this amazing gospel & endure these days of trials and continue to face our future in faith!
I promise you all as we continue to strive and as we continue to embark on the many opportunities that have been placed before us, we will grow closer to our Savior and we will become more like him!
I love you and I want you to know that I face my future in FAITH!
Your Son/Brother
But most importantly, your eternal family
- Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, May 18, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 5/18/2014)
Wow it was so incredible being able to hear all of your amazing voices this week!!!! I just sent some letters talking all about it, to my beautiful family and you cookie. I hope that your being able to receive my letters, I finally got two from Mexico.... so they are coming!!!!! If you don't get them this week, I will start sending them to America and my mom said she could get them to you!!!!!
This week on Tuesday I got a call from the AP's and they said that I needed to attend an all-day meeting on Wednesday!!!! SO Wednesday morning I got picked up for a huge training meeting, the meeting was for me to learn how to train a new missionary!!!!!!! So I will officially be training this transfer!!!! Transfers took place today, but my new companion doesn't come from the MTC until Wednesday this week!!! I don't know if he is going to be from New Zealand or from the States yet, but he will 90 percent chance be from one of those!!!! I'm so so excited to help someone begin their mission here in Tonga!!!!! I cant wait to give him a new perspective that I didn't have!!!!! I can't wait to help him see this Mission is just like any other Obedient Mission:) But our meeting with President this week was awesome because it was just 6 of us and we got to express to Pres Tupou and His wife our desires for our new trainees and our motivations on who we wanted them to be. So it was a pretty cool experience for me to just open up to my mission president and his wife. I haven't had many of those experiences before, so it was definitely something I didn't take for granted. I just got to pour my heart out and I loved every second of it!!!!
On Tuesday we went to Foi Kulihaapai's funeral. It was definitely a hard week for their beautiful family! So we did the best we could to help out with them and their family this week! We helped paint before the funeral and we helped make the food for the feast. You would be in shock if you saw how much the family has to provide for food!!!!! But they some how pull it off.
About half way through the week I got way sick and wasn't able to leave the house because I couldn't really tell when I was going to be hit with diarrhea or the runs...how do you say that in English? haha! Anyway, it was pretty rough, but it was like a bad tropical storm here for about 3 days straight so it made me feel a little better about not being able to go out!!!!
I also took out our recent convert along with some of Foi Kulihaapai's boys out for pizza. We were going to take Eni and Eva but they couldn't come so we took out Sioeli and and Fois boys. They all say thank you mom and they love you!!!! I love you all so much! I'm writing more detailed letters and they are being sent weekly, love you all!
Mom "dude"
SYST cookie!!!
Dad your a boss, can't believe you went Skydiving! love you daddy!
This week on Tuesday I got a call from the AP's and they said that I needed to attend an all-day meeting on Wednesday!!!! SO Wednesday morning I got picked up for a huge training meeting, the meeting was for me to learn how to train a new missionary!!!!!!! So I will officially be training this transfer!!!! Transfers took place today, but my new companion doesn't come from the MTC until Wednesday this week!!! I don't know if he is going to be from New Zealand or from the States yet, but he will 90 percent chance be from one of those!!!! I'm so so excited to help someone begin their mission here in Tonga!!!!! I cant wait to give him a new perspective that I didn't have!!!!! I can't wait to help him see this Mission is just like any other Obedient Mission:) But our meeting with President this week was awesome because it was just 6 of us and we got to express to Pres Tupou and His wife our desires for our new trainees and our motivations on who we wanted them to be. So it was a pretty cool experience for me to just open up to my mission president and his wife. I haven't had many of those experiences before, so it was definitely something I didn't take for granted. I just got to pour my heart out and I loved every second of it!!!!
On Tuesday we went to Foi Kulihaapai's funeral. It was definitely a hard week for their beautiful family! So we did the best we could to help out with them and their family this week! We helped paint before the funeral and we helped make the food for the feast. You would be in shock if you saw how much the family has to provide for food!!!!! But they some how pull it off.
About half way through the week I got way sick and wasn't able to leave the house because I couldn't really tell when I was going to be hit with diarrhea or the runs...how do you say that in English? haha! Anyway, it was pretty rough, but it was like a bad tropical storm here for about 3 days straight so it made me feel a little better about not being able to go out!!!!
I also took out our recent convert along with some of Foi Kulihaapai's boys out for pizza. We were going to take Eni and Eva but they couldn't come so we took out Sioeli and and Fois boys. They all say thank you mom and they love you!!!! I love you all so much! I'm writing more detailed letters and they are being sent weekly, love you all!
Mom "dude"
SYST cookie!!!
Dad your a boss, can't believe you went Skydiving! love you daddy!
Monday, May 12, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 5/12/14) [#34 from Tonga]
Family,
Peace, joy, and happiness fills my heart because of the beautiful opportunity that we had to be able to Skype each other and to be able to express our love back and forth. What amazing technology we have at our finger tips. I am on the other side of the world and I am still able to see your beautiful faces!
I was so impressed with the growth that I was able to see in all of you in so many ways! Brandon growing 5 inches since I have been gone! Being able to drive now! And getting his first kiss! Then winning his basketball championship. Haha….I’m so proud!
Brooke is taller than Brittany now!! Wow!! She seems so much older! She has turned into such a beautiful young woman! So impressed with all of her decisions. You can feel her testimony and feel her light! She is definitely going to be a heart breaker! Crazy to think she will be in 9th grade when I get home! Wow…time…huh? Brittany and Michael seem so good. Brittany is the manager of Great Clips! Michael is going to be accepted into architectural school! What amazing accomplishments! They will probably be extending their little family sooner than later!
Dad, coming up on your 49th birthday and going skydiving! I want to hear all about it!!
Mom, my first thoughts when I saw you was how old all of your kids are You now have a 22, 19, 16, and 13 year olds…..and you still look so young and beautiful! I give all the credit to all of these beautiful things that have happened to this family to you and Dad Mom, you are incredible and raised us to be the stripling warriors that you planned on from the beginning. It was kind of hard for me to see how grown up everyone is and to see how time just does not stop for anyone. At the same time, I rejoice because I realize how we are all on the same path together. Out here in Tonga, I have seen so many families separated by religion and in reality I view this as an eternal separation. However, we are all sealed together and we are all walking the same narrow path towards our Heavenly Father who loves us. We will never stop walking because we have built our lives upon the rock of our Redeemer. Mom and Dad, you are the ones that laid the first foundation for our family! I eternally thank you for following God’s plan for all of us!
Your Son and Brother
But always remember that we are an Eternal Family!
Peace, joy, and happiness fills my heart because of the beautiful opportunity that we had to be able to Skype each other and to be able to express our love back and forth. What amazing technology we have at our finger tips. I am on the other side of the world and I am still able to see your beautiful faces!
I was so impressed with the growth that I was able to see in all of you in so many ways! Brandon growing 5 inches since I have been gone! Being able to drive now! And getting his first kiss! Then winning his basketball championship. Haha….I’m so proud!
Brooke is taller than Brittany now!! Wow!! She seems so much older! She has turned into such a beautiful young woman! So impressed with all of her decisions. You can feel her testimony and feel her light! She is definitely going to be a heart breaker! Crazy to think she will be in 9th grade when I get home! Wow…time…huh? Brittany and Michael seem so good. Brittany is the manager of Great Clips! Michael is going to be accepted into architectural school! What amazing accomplishments! They will probably be extending their little family sooner than later!
Dad, coming up on your 49th birthday and going skydiving! I want to hear all about it!!
Mom, my first thoughts when I saw you was how old all of your kids are You now have a 22, 19, 16, and 13 year olds…..and you still look so young and beautiful! I give all the credit to all of these beautiful things that have happened to this family to you and Dad Mom, you are incredible and raised us to be the stripling warriors that you planned on from the beginning. It was kind of hard for me to see how grown up everyone is and to see how time just does not stop for anyone. At the same time, I rejoice because I realize how we are all on the same path together. Out here in Tonga, I have seen so many families separated by religion and in reality I view this as an eternal separation. However, we are all sealed together and we are all walking the same narrow path towards our Heavenly Father who loves us. We will never stop walking because we have built our lives upon the rock of our Redeemer. Mom and Dad, you are the ones that laid the first foundation for our family! I eternally thank you for following God’s plan for all of us!
Your Son and Brother
But always remember that we are an Eternal Family!
Monday, May 5, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 5/5/2014) [#33 from Tonga]
My Beautiful Family :)
Haha, crazy sitting here thinking to myself that it has been a year officially since I opened my mission call. Wow, it has been a year since I knew that I was going to be teaching the Tongan people! Aw, pretty crazy how time seems to disappear from all of us.
Wow, I wish I knew where to start. Today we had a conference in a town near the hospital.While were were in our meeting, I got a text from our ward clerk telling us that our 1st counselor in our ward had passed away . . . His name is Foi Kulihaapai (aka my dad in Tonga for the last three months) I can say my eyes have been opened today wider than ever before. My faith has been tested more than I thought was possible! Immediately, I felt pain, anger, and frustration. Then came confusion. I will be honest in saying that I was devastated. I feel like I have had so many people I love and cherish taken away from my life lately. . . Telu Cruser, Vvaslua, Riddle, Siaosi, and now someone I feel had become a second father to me has been taken.
Out Heavenly Father truly knows us and he knows how much we can take and he knows what can help us learn best and help us grow. As I have been dealing with my friends death, I have had trials of my own faith and I have had to ask myself some pretty deep and pondering questions.
For the past 24 hours, I have been reviewing the Plan of Salvation in my head and asking myself if I really know it is true or if I just say that I know it is true. Faith, faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. This is the first step to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I refer to one of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon - Ether 12:6 talks about the trial of our faith and that it is only after the trial of our faith that we will have a perfect knowledge.
After all that has been going on I just want you all to know that my testimony has grown so much because of the trials and tribulations I have had come to pass. In Helaman 5:12, we read about building a foundation in our lives on the rock of our Redeemer, and if we do then we cannot be shaken.
I know that everything I have gone through has strengthened my faith and has given me such an incredible understanding of the Plan of Salvation which is God's plan for all of us! I don't think we can truly come to full strength of faith until it has been tested! I have learned so much and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me opportunities to not only grow, but also giving me the strength to endure through all things!
I love you all and am so grateful for my testimony and for where God has led my life so that I could have such a beautify knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and be able to stand on the rock of my Redeemer!
I wanted to add a little experience that I had the other day! I was walking back to our missionary quarters on the big long beach road and all of the sudden, a bunch of guys called out, "Hey missionaries, come here!" So, we walked over and when we got closer, we could tell that they were a bunch of gangsters, hahaha. One yelled out and said, "Hey, I was just talking to my boys and I had a bet that one of you would be from Utah!". I laughed and then said, "Yeah, I'm from Utah". He immediately got excited and was like my brother! Haha, it turns out that he came from Salt Lake before he got deported back to Tonga. When I asked where he grew up, I found out that he was born in Spanish Fork!! When I then told him that I was also born in Spanish Fork, he totally freaked out!! So, this gangster from Salt Lake is one of our new potential investigators. He has been put in front of us for a reason, I can feel it! He reminds me of all my Tongan friends back home! Aw, so excited!
Family, all is well and I love you all!! :) Continue in faith and continue to live the gospel :)
Your Brother/Son
But always remember we are an Eternal Family :)
-Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Haha, crazy sitting here thinking to myself that it has been a year officially since I opened my mission call. Wow, it has been a year since I knew that I was going to be teaching the Tongan people! Aw, pretty crazy how time seems to disappear from all of us.
Wow, I wish I knew where to start. Today we had a conference in a town near the hospital.While were were in our meeting, I got a text from our ward clerk telling us that our 1st counselor in our ward had passed away . . . His name is Foi Kulihaapai (aka my dad in Tonga for the last three months) I can say my eyes have been opened today wider than ever before. My faith has been tested more than I thought was possible! Immediately, I felt pain, anger, and frustration. Then came confusion. I will be honest in saying that I was devastated. I feel like I have had so many people I love and cherish taken away from my life lately. . . Telu Cruser, Vvaslua, Riddle, Siaosi, and now someone I feel had become a second father to me has been taken.
Out Heavenly Father truly knows us and he knows how much we can take and he knows what can help us learn best and help us grow. As I have been dealing with my friends death, I have had trials of my own faith and I have had to ask myself some pretty deep and pondering questions.
For the past 24 hours, I have been reviewing the Plan of Salvation in my head and asking myself if I really know it is true or if I just say that I know it is true. Faith, faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. This is the first step to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I refer to one of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon - Ether 12:6 talks about the trial of our faith and that it is only after the trial of our faith that we will have a perfect knowledge.
After all that has been going on I just want you all to know that my testimony has grown so much because of the trials and tribulations I have had come to pass. In Helaman 5:12, we read about building a foundation in our lives on the rock of our Redeemer, and if we do then we cannot be shaken.
I know that everything I have gone through has strengthened my faith and has given me such an incredible understanding of the Plan of Salvation which is God's plan for all of us! I don't think we can truly come to full strength of faith until it has been tested! I have learned so much and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me opportunities to not only grow, but also giving me the strength to endure through all things!
I love you all and am so grateful for my testimony and for where God has led my life so that I could have such a beautify knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and be able to stand on the rock of my Redeemer!
I wanted to add a little experience that I had the other day! I was walking back to our missionary quarters on the big long beach road and all of the sudden, a bunch of guys called out, "Hey missionaries, come here!" So, we walked over and when we got closer, we could tell that they were a bunch of gangsters, hahaha. One yelled out and said, "Hey, I was just talking to my boys and I had a bet that one of you would be from Utah!". I laughed and then said, "Yeah, I'm from Utah". He immediately got excited and was like my brother! Haha, it turns out that he came from Salt Lake before he got deported back to Tonga. When I asked where he grew up, I found out that he was born in Spanish Fork!! When I then told him that I was also born in Spanish Fork, he totally freaked out!! So, this gangster from Salt Lake is one of our new potential investigators. He has been put in front of us for a reason, I can feel it! He reminds me of all my Tongan friends back home! Aw, so excited!
Family, all is well and I love you all!! :) Continue in faith and continue to live the gospel :)
Your Brother/Son
But always remember we are an Eternal Family :)
-Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, May 4, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 5/4/2014)
Hey My BEAUTIFUl FAMILY AND MY BEAUTIFUL MISSONARY!
It has been a good week! we have been working with our beautiful Family Eni and Eva this whole week and have been preparing to teach at our big open house coming up hahaha and we will actually be singing at it also hahahaha:):) Its going to be great! The mission president is actually going to come speak at it also!!!!!!! Things are going really well! Haha to tell you the truth things are really hard when it comes to teaching lessons, Very few want to listen and our wards are really hard to work with, its pretty much just us doing everything and our bishop standing on the side lines like a cheerleader so its kinda difficult..... our bishop grew up in Niua so he is just kinda used to the lay back life and his not really used to talking to a lot of people. I think being bishop is helpiing him grow alot.... He is a really good guy!
Eni and Eva are doing aweome! Just yesterday we challenged them to pray about being baptized and today we are going to go check up on them!!!!! I'm so so excited to keep seeing their progression.
SO, a really big tender mercy happened for me and Arcos this week. IN stake conference our recent convert Sioeli gave a talk!!!! Wow can you just say tender tender mercy!!!!!!! Aw the best feeling in the world watching someone that just a couple months ago was on the wrong path and now speaking and bearing his testimony in front of the whole stake..... Heavenly Father truly prepares his people!!!!!!
I am sending letters like crazzy and this week for skype I will be skyping kidda early, because Mexico is so much a head of time and Brooklin will have to deal with getting it done before a certain time, but family I have all day so I'm so excited to hear from all of you!!!!! I love you all so much!!!!! I am feeling all of your love constantly and I am praying for you all constantly!!
Monday, April 28, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 4/28/2014) [#32 from Tonga]
Malo e' Lelei Eku Famili :)
Wow, this week has been such an emotional roller coaster for me. I am starting to think that this is just life as a missionary haha!
Earlier this week, actually last Sunday, we began teaching a boy named Afeti, or Alfred in English. As a companionship, Arcos and I actually taught some of our best lessons and taught with amazing unity during these lessons. We were connecting with the young man and having so much fun getting to know him and teach him at the same time. He eventually told us that he wanted to serve a mission. He became strong and his faith grew. Afeti is only 16 years old but his maturity is quite incredible. After a couple of days of Afeti postponing our appointments, he told us that his dad will not let him be baptized and will not let him keep listening to us. He was very upset we he came to see us and he was confused on what he should do. He says that he will try to continue to come to church once in a while and he will come to the mutual each week like he has been doing. I am so sad, and I am not sure what we can do other than helping the dad soften his heart. On the bright side, this could be an opportunity to help a whole family or at least increase their understanding! Like Elder Ballard says, everything can be solved through better perspective of understanding. I believe all things are done and all things will be done in the Lord's time.
A couple of days ago we were informed from Salt Lake City that we will not be able to email with the church computers. This makes it very difficult to be able to find Internet in Tonga. If I get to an area with no other source of e-mail, then these letters will be my only source of writing to you! Haha, so if one day I just don't e-mail, then you know what is up! :)
Today I have been pondering the fact that we do not have a lot of things here in Tonga that we might have in another mission or back at home. I have come to realize how short life is and how lucky I have been my whole life and how blessed I have been. It's so nice to see what it feels like to live on the other side of the poverty line and experience what so many others live with their entire lives. You would think that they are so unhappy because they live with such rough conditions and you might think in your mind, "Dang, these people miss out on so much of what life has to offer in the real world or in America." But, it's so NOT true. As I have been here on my mission, I have come to realize that the only thing that matters in our lives are our families and the teachings of the restored gospel. These are the things that bring true happiness. It is not about "Oakley Sunglasses" or having a "Sports Car". It is about providing for your family and about teaching your children the gospel. I would have to say that I have had the perfect parents to help guide my life in this Beautiful Gospel!
It is so easy these days to get distracted and to lose yourself on the path to righteousness, but it is all possible through prayer, study, and by striving to be an example. As we had stake conference yesterday, it led me to ponder and to really take in what our prophets and apostles are teaching us. As we look in the Book of Mormon, quite often, the Nephites, Lamanites, or other people would harden their hearts. This is identical to our time. There are so many people that are active in the church but are not active in the gospel! We truly have a prophet and apostles warning us just like in the Book of Mormon! They are warning us to come unto the Savior and to leave the world behind. By experience, I can tell you that I know this is not as easy as saying it, but it is possible. We live in a world today that makes so many bad things look OK. Trust me, I have fallen into these worldly traps before. I have not just fallen once, but I have fallen so many times that I thought it would be impossible for me to recover...but...I made it through because I was never left alone. The Savior never left my side.
Yesterday, we had the beautiful opportunity to listen to Elder Bednar and Elder Hales in our stake conference. The satellite broadcast was translated to Tongan, but I still got a lot out of it! We were being warned to follow the commandments and to follow them with exactness. We truly need to view every little thing we do and ask ourselves if it is abiding with the teachings of the gospel. I want you all to know that a prophet of God walks the earth today and his words are available to us! We should be thirsting after them! The Savior has apostles to help guide and teach all of us! I want you to all know that this is the True and Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! I know this is the only path for real and everlasting joy! It's not the easiest path, but it's the happiest!
Remember the saying..."Would you rather enjoy short pleasures of life or Eternal Happiness?"
Love you all so much.
I am excited to Skype and talk with you all on Mother's Day!
-Your Son & Brother ...but most importantly your Eternal Family
Elder Harmon
Earlier this week, actually last Sunday, we began teaching a boy named Afeti, or Alfred in English. As a companionship, Arcos and I actually taught some of our best lessons and taught with amazing unity during these lessons. We were connecting with the young man and having so much fun getting to know him and teach him at the same time. He eventually told us that he wanted to serve a mission. He became strong and his faith grew. Afeti is only 16 years old but his maturity is quite incredible. After a couple of days of Afeti postponing our appointments, he told us that his dad will not let him be baptized and will not let him keep listening to us. He was very upset we he came to see us and he was confused on what he should do. He says that he will try to continue to come to church once in a while and he will come to the mutual each week like he has been doing. I am so sad, and I am not sure what we can do other than helping the dad soften his heart. On the bright side, this could be an opportunity to help a whole family or at least increase their understanding! Like Elder Ballard says, everything can be solved through better perspective of understanding. I believe all things are done and all things will be done in the Lord's time.
A couple of days ago we were informed from Salt Lake City that we will not be able to email with the church computers. This makes it very difficult to be able to find Internet in Tonga. If I get to an area with no other source of e-mail, then these letters will be my only source of writing to you! Haha, so if one day I just don't e-mail, then you know what is up! :)
Today I have been pondering the fact that we do not have a lot of things here in Tonga that we might have in another mission or back at home. I have come to realize how short life is and how lucky I have been my whole life and how blessed I have been. It's so nice to see what it feels like to live on the other side of the poverty line and experience what so many others live with their entire lives. You would think that they are so unhappy because they live with such rough conditions and you might think in your mind, "Dang, these people miss out on so much of what life has to offer in the real world or in America." But, it's so NOT true. As I have been here on my mission, I have come to realize that the only thing that matters in our lives are our families and the teachings of the restored gospel. These are the things that bring true happiness. It is not about "Oakley Sunglasses" or having a "Sports Car". It is about providing for your family and about teaching your children the gospel. I would have to say that I have had the perfect parents to help guide my life in this Beautiful Gospel!
It is so easy these days to get distracted and to lose yourself on the path to righteousness, but it is all possible through prayer, study, and by striving to be an example. As we had stake conference yesterday, it led me to ponder and to really take in what our prophets and apostles are teaching us. As we look in the Book of Mormon, quite often, the Nephites, Lamanites, or other people would harden their hearts. This is identical to our time. There are so many people that are active in the church but are not active in the gospel! We truly have a prophet and apostles warning us just like in the Book of Mormon! They are warning us to come unto the Savior and to leave the world behind. By experience, I can tell you that I know this is not as easy as saying it, but it is possible. We live in a world today that makes so many bad things look OK. Trust me, I have fallen into these worldly traps before. I have not just fallen once, but I have fallen so many times that I thought it would be impossible for me to recover...but...I made it through because I was never left alone. The Savior never left my side.
Yesterday, we had the beautiful opportunity to listen to Elder Bednar and Elder Hales in our stake conference. The satellite broadcast was translated to Tongan, but I still got a lot out of it! We were being warned to follow the commandments and to follow them with exactness. We truly need to view every little thing we do and ask ourselves if it is abiding with the teachings of the gospel. I want you all to know that a prophet of God walks the earth today and his words are available to us! We should be thirsting after them! The Savior has apostles to help guide and teach all of us! I want you to all know that this is the True and Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! I know this is the only path for real and everlasting joy! It's not the easiest path, but it's the happiest!
Remember the saying..."Would you rather enjoy short pleasures of life or Eternal Happiness?"
Love you all so much.
I am excited to Skype and talk with you all on Mother's Day!
-Your Son & Brother ...but most importantly your Eternal Family
Elder Harmon
Monday, April 21, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 4/21/2014) [#31 from Tonga]
Mom, Dad, Brittany, Michael, Brandon, Brooke,
I wish I could walk you all down the dirt roads of Tonga and introduce you to my second family! I wish I could bring you to the families I have fallen so deeply in love with. I wish I could show you the ocean that I have been staring at for almost 8 months now...
Dad, today I enjoyed so deeply your letter from 3/25/14. Weird to think about how you couldn't believe how fast time has gone and yet a whole month has gone by since! You mentioned work has had it's difficulties. I pray for you to be able to help your employees reach their potential. I pray also that your burden will be lightened. I can only imagine the burden and the pressure on your shoulders, but what an awesome opportunity you have to learn and grow. As I have reflected in my letters to my mission president these last couple of weeks, I have expressed to him how this mission has shaped me like no other mission could. The disobedience, the little islands, the lack of food, the pressure of being fluent in another language has made me the Blake that no other mission could have done......How Great is My Calling. God has taken me and given me a task that he knew wouldn't be easy for me, but he knew I could make it. Of course, once in a while, I hit the ground and it feels like it's impossible to keep going on. Something I have learned on my mission is that when you hit that wall, pick your knees up and never stop driving your feet, because once you have stopped driving, you have lost....you have given up....and the only person that can let you give up is yourself!
Sometimes while driving your feet against this wall, you will fall, but you will always fall forward. But I say, "have you lost?" The answer is "NO" . . . you get back up and you do it again. This is how we grow in ways we never thought we could. Dad, I'm excited to see how you can contribute to this this company because Dad you are the one that taught me to lift one knee at a time and never stop driving. We all have our walls in life. Sometimes it's small like the battery dying in the car, but sometimes it's a big wall, like figuring out how to pay for a new truck after your 16 year old rolls and totals your current one.
I believe the only way it is possible every time we fall to get back up is through the Savior's atonement. But trust me . . . he is not just going to pick you up and watch you go against that wall "alone" until you fall again , , , just to pick you up. Instead, he will pick you up and then drive forward with you.
He will never leave us . . .
He will never give up on us . , ,
He has made it possible for us all to make it through.
My challenge to all of you is that you don't leave Him and you don't give up on Him. Never do it alone. Be humble and turn to Him!
Family, I know that our Savior is always by our side. Until I came on my mission, I never realized how real this truly is. He has wiped my tears and he has carried my burdens. He has protected my loved ones when I couldn't. The peace that His atonement can bring all of us in our lives can not be matched!
Til we meet again, may you be watched over by His ministering angels.
Your Son/Brother
But remember always that we are an Eternal Family!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
I wish I could walk you all down the dirt roads of Tonga and introduce you to my second family! I wish I could bring you to the families I have fallen so deeply in love with. I wish I could show you the ocean that I have been staring at for almost 8 months now...
Dad, today I enjoyed so deeply your letter from 3/25/14. Weird to think about how you couldn't believe how fast time has gone and yet a whole month has gone by since! You mentioned work has had it's difficulties. I pray for you to be able to help your employees reach their potential. I pray also that your burden will be lightened. I can only imagine the burden and the pressure on your shoulders, but what an awesome opportunity you have to learn and grow. As I have reflected in my letters to my mission president these last couple of weeks, I have expressed to him how this mission has shaped me like no other mission could. The disobedience, the little islands, the lack of food, the pressure of being fluent in another language has made me the Blake that no other mission could have done......How Great is My Calling. God has taken me and given me a task that he knew wouldn't be easy for me, but he knew I could make it. Of course, once in a while, I hit the ground and it feels like it's impossible to keep going on. Something I have learned on my mission is that when you hit that wall, pick your knees up and never stop driving your feet, because once you have stopped driving, you have lost....you have given up....and the only person that can let you give up is yourself!
Sometimes while driving your feet against this wall, you will fall, but you will always fall forward. But I say, "have you lost?" The answer is "NO" . . . you get back up and you do it again. This is how we grow in ways we never thought we could. Dad, I'm excited to see how you can contribute to this this company because Dad you are the one that taught me to lift one knee at a time and never stop driving. We all have our walls in life. Sometimes it's small like the battery dying in the car, but sometimes it's a big wall, like figuring out how to pay for a new truck after your 16 year old rolls and totals your current one.
I believe the only way it is possible every time we fall to get back up is through the Savior's atonement. But trust me . . . he is not just going to pick you up and watch you go against that wall "alone" until you fall again , , , just to pick you up. Instead, he will pick you up and then drive forward with you.
He will never leave us . . .
He will never give up on us . , ,
He has made it possible for us all to make it through.
My challenge to all of you is that you don't leave Him and you don't give up on Him. Never do it alone. Be humble and turn to Him!
Family, I know that our Savior is always by our side. Until I came on my mission, I never realized how real this truly is. He has wiped my tears and he has carried my burdens. He has protected my loved ones when I couldn't. The peace that His atonement can bring all of us in our lives can not be matched!
Til we meet again, may you be watched over by His ministering angels.
Your Son/Brother
But remember always that we are an Eternal Family!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, April 20, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 4/20/2014)
This week has definitely been good! But also full of new and different ways of doing things! This week as you all know was Easter weekend, but this means Easter week for Tonga..... So on a normal Sunday in Tonga, every shop/store is required to be closed!!!! So everyone in Tonga is amazing at keeping the Sabbath day holy!!! WOW, its going to be hard for me to come back to america and see that people go shopping and go out to play on a Sunday!!!! I thought that maybe it would be kinda normal for me just because I'm from Utah, but that's not the case!!! I have learned a lot from the Tongan culture when it comes to respect, its something that I will cherish the rest of my life. I'm excited to see the types of impacts that it can have on my future family. But as the Easter week here in Tonga, its pretty much against the law to do work or to buy anything hahaha so it was actually quite difficult for us missionaries to go door to door this week. So we spent a lot of the time getting members more evolved in missionary work and spending more time seeing what we could do for other member families and for less active families.We actually were able to catch both of our bishops this week and spend some time talking with them about the ward and figuring out things we could do to help the ward grow stronger in missionary work. In one of our wards because of this we are now doing a musical fireside monthly, at these fire sides we will have 3 speakers and in-between each talk we will sing, at the end the inactive members will say in the chapel and listen to a lesson from the bishop and the new investigators that came will go in a different room and listen to the missionaries teach and then at the end we all come back together for closing hymns and of course food at the end:) It's actually quite amazing to see what kinda things can happen when you become friends with your bishop and your members! We just started teaching a new boy yesterday!! He is 16 he has a desire to listen and to keep commitments. His best friend is actually the one that invited him to listen to us, after following the counsel of Elder Ballard in conference!!! Wow what an amazing missionary this kid will be!!! What amazing counsel we have been given by such inspired leaders of our church!!!!!
Also if you can all remember from the Other Side of Heaven, the book or the movie. Elder Groberg talks about the Tongan funerals and how all the work stops that week for them and they all morn and wear black.... there were 2 deaths in our village this week, so it has been quite crazy with how many people have come to our town to attend these funerals all week. Its kinda sad, they really just focus on the food at those things hahaha. My comp is begging me to ask our bishop if we can speak at it..... but we will probably just be attending. Tonga is beautiful as ever right now, its just beginning to be a little cooler, probably still in the 80s...... but its beautiful!
love you all!!!!
mom "dude"
Blake and Brook, continue being your best!!!!!!! ( Remember as a missionary you are doing the Lord's work, you have the right to ask for his help!!! )
 |
| Hotel Near Blake's House |
 |
| Capture Bird - Couldn't Fly Due to Wet Wings |
 |
| Beautiful Tongan Sunset! |
 |
| Welts from Ping Pong Balls - Haha...his mom was worried they were boils! |
Monday, April 14, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 4/14/2014) [#30 from Tonga] 9 Month Mark!!!!
F.A.M.I.L.Y.
Forever, Amazing, MINE, Incredible, Loving, YUP!!
WOW your all Incredible! Today I enjoyed hearing from all of you and enjoying your stories and hearing about your tender mercies throughout the week!!:) Brandon oh how I rejoiced to hear you have asked someone to Prom & that you are continuing to enjoy your first year of high school! Have you started to write in a journal yet? If not, I want to promise you that you will find so much joy & forever gratefulness in doing so!! Aw I wish I would have done so...oh how I wish I could have done so!
Mom & Dad I received such loving & beautiful letters! Mom, I love how your letter book is filling up and that you enjoy showing it off:) You were wondering if I still keep in touch with the people I baptized. The only way would be through facebook, but our mission doesn't use it...so I have lots of people adding me on facebook, do you accept their friend request or are you just waiting for me to do it when I get home? But Mom I can certainly feel your love through your letters! Dad, I think its amazing that you used one of my emails to talk to a less active member at work, that made me feel so happy. I love the analogy about the workers that can change a garden(or mission area). Dad I am praying for you every day to be able to hit your potential with your job! I have full faith that you can do it! You can do absolutely anything in this life with 2 people, as long as one of them is the Lord. This is the only reason missionaries are able to make it through and this is the only way we can experience true joy throughout our life! I am praying with my whole heart for you Dad! Oh and Thank-you for the article! What amazing things we can learn by spreading sunshine everyday!
I feel so blessed to receive letters once a week from my Mom and Dad and once in a while my siblings! So blessed is how I feel! By the way if I haven't answered anything from a letter or email, please just ask me again, I promise I haven't ignored any question or story on purpose!
This last week was good, like I talked about on email, it was a little slow! But things turned out in the end! I'm really excited about Eni! And his beautiful wife! He is keeping commitments and is striving...it was the best feeling for me to have him come to conference with us! Our first counselor is actually the one providing the house where Eni & Eva stay...so it is awesome to have him as a fellow-shipper! He does have a problem smoking, but he seems determined to quit! It's just hard out here because there is no program or anything to help them quit, so it comes down to the strongest tool of them all, FAITH and them DOING! With the Lords help all things are possible.
Thinking about Faith today, I have realized that faith is humbling yourself and saying Lord I need your help and allowing him to help....it is not just giving up and saying Lord you do it, its saying Lord I will scoot over, please help me push!
Family, I am in the Lords hands and I am in his Army, just like the strippling warriors. My favorite verse in Alma is Alma 56:56! When you fight with the Lord you will never be slain, spiritually or physically!
Love you all, may we all fight with faith in the Lord like the strippling warriors!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Your Son, Brother but most important, Your Eternal Family!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 04/13/2014)
Wow, this week feels like it was so so long hahaha. In Tonga when it rains a lot, my whole area turns into a swamp and pretty much stops the work, probably one of the most frustrating things...... but being the white missionaries we are hahaha we go out with our umbrellas and do what we can. We end up being us soaked because we only have one umbrella between us and half of our books get wet!!! We have dealt with this a lot the last few weeks. So when it comes to work this week, it was slow but towards the end it felt like we were able to push through, like we were finishing a track race and you burst at the end with all you have got in your system!!
We have been focusing this week on getting firesides set up in all our wards and focusing on getting families to invite less active members and families to it! We have also been working with families to invite some new people that might be friends or families that aren't members to it!!! It has actually gone really well! Our Mission President will be speaking at the event and we will be teaching the lesson to the non members in a separate room. It's very exciting and its been a fun way for our ward to work with the missionaries!!!
We have been focusing this week on getting firesides set up in all our wards and focusing on getting families to invite less active members and families to it! We have also been working with families to invite some new people that might be friends or families that aren't members to it!!! It has actually gone really well! Our Mission President will be speaking at the event and we will be teaching the lesson to the non members in a separate room. It's very exciting and its been a fun way for our ward to work with the missionaries!!!
We have also been working with a family!!!! This week we invited them to general conference and it was so so amazing!!!! He couldn't stop talking about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!!!!! He was like where do they practice and where is that building hahaha! I was very honored to say that my aunt is in the choir!!!! And I was so happy to see her smiling face so many times during the conference!!!!! But this week we will be checking up on them and hopefully things will keep progressing!!!!!
We also had a very tender mercy that humbled me so deeply.... This week, a guy that we baptized came over to our house. As we talked to him you could tell there was something going on and you could tell he needed something, so I finally asked if there was anything we could do to help and he told us that his dad is sick and needs to go to the hospital and he doesn't have the cash to go get him and take him.... so he ask us if we could help... and of course we gave him sufficient amount of money to help. He starting cleaning our house and would not stop at any rate..... he began dusting and got down on his knees and scrubbed our floor.... As I watched, with tears in my eyes, I realized how blessed I am to be here in Tonga to just help, help in anyway possible, and I realized how much something so small can mean to someone. and how Much Selfless Service can bless the lives of people and bless even your own life!!!!
General Conference was incredible and It was needed! But I did not just need it, I know we all needed it! We are led by inspired and chosen men of God! And I know that everything that was said was meant to bless us in our own ways! Something that I took from a lot of the talks was the sacrifice of living the gospel and the sacrifice that we need to make to follow Christ. It was not meant to be easy, but it will be worth it! I love you all so incredibly much! And I am praying for you all!
Elder Harmon
"dude"
Blake and Brooklin, how great is our calling and how great is it that we have all been so blessed to serve by each others side!, Blake my language is getting better and I understand almost fluently, but i still have my struggles, but its the spirit --always remember that!!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 4/7/2014) [# 29 from Tonga]
Hey My Family :)
What a beautiful day I have had ! :) So today I found out that I would be staying in Sopu O' Toufa for this next transfer & to be honest, I am excited to continue to serve with Arcos in our same area! We really seem to compliment each other when it comes to getting along and teaching. He teaches me a lot about myself and he is helping me become a better missionary!
I enjoyed today getting to e-mail with all of you and to hear about your wonderful weeks! I'm guessing conference was very good and that you all enjoyed it! I'm so so excited to get my opportunity to see it this coming weekend. . . . well, I hope that I will be able to see it!
So, some pretty funny things about this week. On April Fools in Tonga, everyone says HAPPY BIRTHDAY to EVERYONE and they think it is the funniest thing ever . . .it is kind of like our April Fools but with no other jokes other than saying it is someone else's birthday. Also, I have been waiting to get my hair cut by a certain person for about two weeks, but every time it was scheduled, he did not show up. This week he did show up! It was amazing because he is not active any more in the church and his wife wants to go back to church. He really doesn't have the desire.....but while he was cutting my hair, he told me that what he needs is help returning and he needs help to quit smoking. He is showing a real desire to change. It is amazing how the people in Tonga rely so much on the the strength and authority given to Heavenly Father's servants. So, we will continue to help him return and strengthen his family.
My companion and I were walking in our area to an appointment when our mission president pulled up next to us. He was taking home one of our A.P.s. Weird to think that Tamopeau is done. He was my first Zone Leader and my first true leader in the mission. My new zone leaders are Elder Fifita from California and Elder Montgomery from Tooele Utah! They are both great! Moni was actually my companion the first two weeks in Tonga (with Riddle)! He finishes this transfer!
Lastly, this week things were going pretty slow. So, we decided to knock doors (which is really not effective in Tonga, especially because you don't even knock someone's door if you want to go to their house...you just walk in ;) When we went got to the first house, we asked if there was a time we could come back and teach. The father said we could come in right now! It ended up being a really good lesson filled with the spirit and filled with grateful tears! But, the next day we came back and they said they weren't interested because their families hate the LDS Church. So they told us not to come back.
Another funny thing this week. My companion was convinced that he was being transferred from the area. So, he took us out to get a pizza at probably the nicest hotel in Tonga! Wow, it felt like we had entered America. After we finished and walked outside again, it felt like we had gone through a time portal . . . so funny!
This week, we taught Salote. I think I told you her story in an e-mail but it was a beautiful experience and this week we will be doing the confirmation.
Family, I love you so much and I am so proud to call myself a Harmon....for all of the beautiful things it stands for & even more...I'm proud to ball myself a latter-day saint!
Your Brother & Son, but most important, yours forever!
What a beautiful day I have had ! :) So today I found out that I would be staying in Sopu O' Toufa for this next transfer & to be honest, I am excited to continue to serve with Arcos in our same area! We really seem to compliment each other when it comes to getting along and teaching. He teaches me a lot about myself and he is helping me become a better missionary!
I enjoyed today getting to e-mail with all of you and to hear about your wonderful weeks! I'm guessing conference was very good and that you all enjoyed it! I'm so so excited to get my opportunity to see it this coming weekend. . . . well, I hope that I will be able to see it!
So, some pretty funny things about this week. On April Fools in Tonga, everyone says HAPPY BIRTHDAY to EVERYONE and they think it is the funniest thing ever . . .it is kind of like our April Fools but with no other jokes other than saying it is someone else's birthday. Also, I have been waiting to get my hair cut by a certain person for about two weeks, but every time it was scheduled, he did not show up. This week he did show up! It was amazing because he is not active any more in the church and his wife wants to go back to church. He really doesn't have the desire.....but while he was cutting my hair, he told me that what he needs is help returning and he needs help to quit smoking. He is showing a real desire to change. It is amazing how the people in Tonga rely so much on the the strength and authority given to Heavenly Father's servants. So, we will continue to help him return and strengthen his family.
My companion and I were walking in our area to an appointment when our mission president pulled up next to us. He was taking home one of our A.P.s. Weird to think that Tamopeau is done. He was my first Zone Leader and my first true leader in the mission. My new zone leaders are Elder Fifita from California and Elder Montgomery from Tooele Utah! They are both great! Moni was actually my companion the first two weeks in Tonga (with Riddle)! He finishes this transfer!
Lastly, this week things were going pretty slow. So, we decided to knock doors (which is really not effective in Tonga, especially because you don't even knock someone's door if you want to go to their house...you just walk in ;) When we went got to the first house, we asked if there was a time we could come back and teach. The father said we could come in right now! It ended up being a really good lesson filled with the spirit and filled with grateful tears! But, the next day we came back and they said they weren't interested because their families hate the LDS Church. So they told us not to come back.
Another funny thing this week. My companion was convinced that he was being transferred from the area. So, he took us out to get a pizza at probably the nicest hotel in Tonga! Wow, it felt like we had entered America. After we finished and walked outside again, it felt like we had gone through a time portal . . . so funny!
This week, we taught Salote. I think I told you her story in an e-mail but it was a beautiful experience and this week we will be doing the confirmation.
Family, I love you so much and I am so proud to call myself a Harmon....for all of the beautiful things it stands for & even more...I'm proud to ball myself a latter-day saint!
Your Brother & Son, but most important, yours forever!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, April 6, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 4/6/2014)
Family and Friends I would like to start off by saying thank you to all of you for the support, and love in my direction. Thank you for the prayers, letters and heart felt emails.
This week, as you remember we were working with a family and with a girl. The family is doing well and they are going to continue to come to church and we will continue to work on the husband to stop smoking. That is the key. We will continue to strive hard with them.
The girl’s parents really are so hard to work with. It really is so heart breaking, she continues to come to church and continues to have us teach her, the Lord works in His on time and one day her parents hearts will be softened and she will follow our Saviors example into the waters of baptism.
This week we were at one of our fafangas (eatings at a member’s house) and we met a girl that was a cousin of the families! As we talked we later decided to try and teach her... as we began to teach her it was difficult and it was hard to feel the spirit the whole lesson because she was kind of just bible bashing us with her views and her beliefs. Towards the end I said I would like to invite you to pray about our message. I promised her that God can answer her prayers and that God can not lie to her. She was a little stubborn, but ended up saying OK... I will try it. The next day we showed up and the elements and atmosphere were different. She was smiling and excited to see us and was friendly!!!!! We were confused and felt a little excited about how different it felt. It felt like a whole different girl! As we proceeded, we asked her if she prayed and if she had received an answer and with the biggest smile I have ever seen, she replied, “I know this church is true” (and then said it in English, just so she knew we would not miss what she was saying, hahahaha) It was so amazing to see that change in her heart and then see how her desire to listen to the lessons changed and how she tried to apply them to herself and how we were able to apply them to her!!!! On Sunday night we had the most beautiful opportunity of watching her walk into the waters of baptism!!!! Wow, so so precious!
This week has been crazy, my comp thought for sure he was leaving to another area. He pretty much said goodbye to everyone hahaha (so funny) he’s staying:) I’m so excited to continue working with him and to keep making a difference even here in SOPU O TAUFA ! P.S. dad you might be able to find it if you search Kolomotua.
Oh and my companion killed a dog...... all I gotta say is I’m so glad it’s illegal in America.... Brandi still love you!
Mom "dude"
Brook and Blake Love the challenge and continue in honor! Love you both so much!
Dad! Forever and ever you will be my example!
Some interesting facts about Blake's area: Kolomotu'a (Kolo meaning "town" or "settlement", motu'a meaning "old"), encompassing the city's original settlement at the old fort of Nukualofa, including the area of Tavatu'utolu (Longolongo), Sopu 'o Vave (now Sopu 'o Taufa'ahau), Tongata'eapa, Tufuenga, Kapeta and all the western area where it was the traditional settlement of the Tu'i Kanokupolu from Mumui the 13th Tu'i Kanokupolu to Aleamotu'a the 18th Tu'i Kanokupolu.
This week, as you remember we were working with a family and with a girl. The family is doing well and they are going to continue to come to church and we will continue to work on the husband to stop smoking. That is the key. We will continue to strive hard with them.
The girl’s parents really are so hard to work with. It really is so heart breaking, she continues to come to church and continues to have us teach her, the Lord works in His on time and one day her parents hearts will be softened and she will follow our Saviors example into the waters of baptism.
This week we were at one of our fafangas (eatings at a member’s house) and we met a girl that was a cousin of the families! As we talked we later decided to try and teach her... as we began to teach her it was difficult and it was hard to feel the spirit the whole lesson because she was kind of just bible bashing us with her views and her beliefs. Towards the end I said I would like to invite you to pray about our message. I promised her that God can answer her prayers and that God can not lie to her. She was a little stubborn, but ended up saying OK... I will try it. The next day we showed up and the elements and atmosphere were different. She was smiling and excited to see us and was friendly!!!!! We were confused and felt a little excited about how different it felt. It felt like a whole different girl! As we proceeded, we asked her if she prayed and if she had received an answer and with the biggest smile I have ever seen, she replied, “I know this church is true” (and then said it in English, just so she knew we would not miss what she was saying, hahahaha) It was so amazing to see that change in her heart and then see how her desire to listen to the lessons changed and how she tried to apply them to herself and how we were able to apply them to her!!!! On Sunday night we had the most beautiful opportunity of watching her walk into the waters of baptism!!!! Wow, so so precious!
This week has been crazy, my comp thought for sure he was leaving to another area. He pretty much said goodbye to everyone hahaha (so funny) he’s staying:) I’m so excited to continue working with him and to keep making a difference even here in SOPU O TAUFA ! P.S. dad you might be able to find it if you search Kolomotua.
Oh and my companion killed a dog...... all I gotta say is I’m so glad it’s illegal in America.... Brandi still love you!
Mom "dude"
Brook and Blake Love the challenge and continue in honor! Love you both so much!
Dad! Forever and ever you will be my example!
Some interesting facts about Blake's area: Kolomotu'a (Kolo meaning "town" or "settlement", motu'a meaning "old"), encompassing the city's original settlement at the old fort of Nukualofa, including the area of Tavatu'utolu (Longolongo), Sopu 'o Vave (now Sopu 'o Taufa'ahau), Tongata'eapa, Tufuenga, Kapeta and all the western area where it was the traditional settlement of the Tu'i Kanokupolu from Mumui the 13th Tu'i Kanokupolu to Aleamotu'a the 18th Tu'i Kanokupolu.
 |
| Saia Fusitua's Cousin's Baptism |
 |
| Yum - Fish! |
 |
| Yum - Dog! |
 |
| Yum! - Dog! |
 |
| Farewell Pizza from Companion - But We Are Staying Together - "So Tight! We have work to finish!" |
 |
| Playing with Fire |
Monday, March 31, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 3/31/2014) [#28 from Tonga]
Family:)
What a beautiful experience and opportunity I have to be able to write you once a week for two years! As I ponder my blessings and things I'm so grateful for, it all seems to start from my family and my Heavenly Father. I am so blessed!
Family, this week has been definitely a learning and a growing experience for me. I am becoming more comfortable with being the one who teaches the lessons (leading them out), although it really pushes me out of my comfort zone if that makes sense. I know that I am not amazing at Tongan and honestly not that impressive, but I know God will work through me & my efforts! I am always so in awe every time God throws these incredible tender mercies at me every single day! I'm not joking . . . EVERY DAY! I don't deserve so much love. I feel like I am so so unworthy compared to our Lord and Savior. I can honestly say I could stay on my mission for the rest of my life because I enjoy so much watching the Lord pour so many upon you and upon Brooklin!
I never really have enough time to express this on e-mail but the power of prayer has become something so so powerful in my life. Before my mission, I struggled with faith. I feel like I never had enough faith to believe God can answer all of our prayers. Now I don't think faith is a big enough word. I KNOW God can answer all prayers! I have seen miracles through God and our Savior. If we ask with real intent and have faith, God in His own time will answer! I can not express enough (don't have the words) how important it is to have faith....I challenge all of you....whenever you don't have enough faith, to get down on your knees and plead for more strength and for help. I know you will receive it because our Savior isn't just watching over us, he is with us. Family, I know that our Savior lives and that he is always with us. He has never left us from the beginning and not right now, nor ever will he leave us! I am a solid witness that I know he lives! This is His gospel and I am one of His soldiers in His army. Family, I love this gospel with all of my heart. I want you to know we are blessed to have this knowledge.
I can not imagine the pain, suffering, and sorrow that Joseph Smith went through to restore the gospel to the earth. Neither can I imagine the pain and suffering that Christ felt on the cross or the sorrows and and infinite pain he felt in Gethsemane. I look at what I am doing here in Tonga and realize that it's so small compared to those much greater than me. I know this is a way that I can show the Lord I am devoted and that I love Him! Because I truly love Him so so much!
As I look back on my life, I realize that this gospel has shaped and formed everything I have done and who I am. I look at my friends that have chosen different paths and cry because I know their paths don't lead to real and lasting joy, but I also know that it is never too late. That is the one thing this gospel has shown me! "His hand is outstretched still!"
I pray every day for those without this beautiful gospel because this gospel is a gospel of miracles, eternal happiness and lasting joy! Family, I hope you can see how much I love this gospel and love serving the Lord!
Dad and Mom, you are my heroes and role models. I will forever look up to you. ou have helped shape my life and have stayed worthy and have raised me up in this perfect gospel!
Siblings! We are blessed! Not for one second of your life should you take advantage of this gift that you have! Let it shine through your eyes and be a light to the nations!
Your Brother
Your Son
AND MOST IMPORTANT, YOUR FAMILY FOR ETERNITY!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
What a beautiful experience and opportunity I have to be able to write you once a week for two years! As I ponder my blessings and things I'm so grateful for, it all seems to start from my family and my Heavenly Father. I am so blessed!
Family, this week has been definitely a learning and a growing experience for me. I am becoming more comfortable with being the one who teaches the lessons (leading them out), although it really pushes me out of my comfort zone if that makes sense. I know that I am not amazing at Tongan and honestly not that impressive, but I know God will work through me & my efforts! I am always so in awe every time God throws these incredible tender mercies at me every single day! I'm not joking . . . EVERY DAY! I don't deserve so much love. I feel like I am so so unworthy compared to our Lord and Savior. I can honestly say I could stay on my mission for the rest of my life because I enjoy so much watching the Lord pour so many upon you and upon Brooklin!
I never really have enough time to express this on e-mail but the power of prayer has become something so so powerful in my life. Before my mission, I struggled with faith. I feel like I never had enough faith to believe God can answer all of our prayers. Now I don't think faith is a big enough word. I KNOW God can answer all prayers! I have seen miracles through God and our Savior. If we ask with real intent and have faith, God in His own time will answer! I can not express enough (don't have the words) how important it is to have faith....I challenge all of you....whenever you don't have enough faith, to get down on your knees and plead for more strength and for help. I know you will receive it because our Savior isn't just watching over us, he is with us. Family, I know that our Savior lives and that he is always with us. He has never left us from the beginning and not right now, nor ever will he leave us! I am a solid witness that I know he lives! This is His gospel and I am one of His soldiers in His army. Family, I love this gospel with all of my heart. I want you to know we are blessed to have this knowledge.
I can not imagine the pain, suffering, and sorrow that Joseph Smith went through to restore the gospel to the earth. Neither can I imagine the pain and suffering that Christ felt on the cross or the sorrows and and infinite pain he felt in Gethsemane. I look at what I am doing here in Tonga and realize that it's so small compared to those much greater than me. I know this is a way that I can show the Lord I am devoted and that I love Him! Because I truly love Him so so much!
As I look back on my life, I realize that this gospel has shaped and formed everything I have done and who I am. I look at my friends that have chosen different paths and cry because I know their paths don't lead to real and lasting joy, but I also know that it is never too late. That is the one thing this gospel has shown me! "His hand is outstretched still!"
I pray every day for those without this beautiful gospel because this gospel is a gospel of miracles, eternal happiness and lasting joy! Family, I hope you can see how much I love this gospel and love serving the Lord!
Dad and Mom, you are my heroes and role models. I will forever look up to you. ou have helped shape my life and have stayed worthy and have raised me up in this perfect gospel!
Siblings! We are blessed! Not for one second of your life should you take advantage of this gift that you have! Let it shine through your eyes and be a light to the nations!
Your Brother
Your Son
AND MOST IMPORTANT, YOUR FAMILY FOR ETERNITY!
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, March 30, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 3/30/2014)
This week started off so Incredible!!!!! We Had the Incredible opportunity on Tuesday to baptize our investigator! It was a beautiful experience! it was my first time getting to give the big spiritual talk to our investigator!!! I was actually really fun to give and gave me a chance to bear my testimony to our investigator for the last time! The spirit is so strong when you do things in the lords name!!! He is doing so well and he has so many incredible examples all around him!!!!! He is already planning to serve a mission!!! Wow its crazy to think that just a few weeks ago this same guy was trying to run away from us so we couldn't teach him, and now he want to serve the lord!!!
This week we have been working on 3 strong investigators!!!! Our first one has been taught by 4 sets of missionaries!!!!!! Its kinda funny she knows the lessions like the back of her hand!!! She has such a strong testimony, but she says she has given up on being baptised because her family would not approve! It was hard to explain to her that we have to sometime do the Lords will and trust that all will be fine.... faith has been a big focus on what we have been teaching her..... This last week we challeged her to bear her testimony to her mom and dad and express her desires to join our church and if she did then she would receive help from our savior! She accepted and we will be meeting with her tomorrow to see how it went. I have full and all faith in my Father in Heaven that he will provide a way for her and all will work out and that she will be able to make the precious covenants with our Savior..
Our other investigators are are husband and wife!! We have taught them all the lessons and have committed them to be baptized! They have both decided it is the way they want to go in life is to follow there Savior!!! The husband struggles with smoking so we are doing our best to figure out what we can do to help him!
We are also working with a lot of less active families.... like Brooklin said in her letter there are a lot of people here in Tonga that got baptized and don't know one thing about the church or why they got baptized. So, we are doing our best and we are fighting for the Lords army! I am so proud and so honored to have been called to Tonga! There are people here that I am suppose to touch! I love you all!!!!
Oh... P.S. Dad I know you would want to know! I caught my first fish here in Tonga with my companion!!!! Yes dad you would be proud me and my comp woke up this morning at 6am and went and caught us some breakfast, as you already know we don't get food until the evenings.... Love you all!!!!! Hahaha. we used a fishing pole most the time, but Tongans just use the string and a hook, it's actually a lot more successful!!!!! You should try it:)
Love you all, like always you are in my prayers!!!
OFA ATU
Brooklin and Blake, you are so loved and I would rather be no where else than by your sides in this beautiful cause!
Mom "DUDE"
Dad...love you, don't die sky diving:) I honestly think that is the coolest thing that you are going ha, just promise me we will go together when you get back!!!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated:3/24/2014) [#27 from Tonga]
Family Taengatu (my Eternal Family)
I would love to start of by pointing out things that meant a lot to me today when I got to email all of you. #1, Brittany thank you so much for always finding time to talk to me and for putting so much effort in to catching me online. I know your schedule is crazy busy and you have so much more things to do than to be writing me. But thank you for every little caring thing in my behalf and I am sorry for failing to write back to everything you say. I hope you know that it is not intentional, I just have so little time.
Mom, thank you for keeping me updated with everything and for always finding spiritual things from your week to share with me!! I literally have an Incredible Mother! Thank you for being so in tune with the promptings of the spirit! And thank you for touching others including my life with those promptings.
Brandon, I don't think there is something tin this world or eternities that can replace brotherly love and our relationship! I have so much fun telling everyone about my incredible brother. Everyone is always so complementary on your photos and dancing videos! Brandon, thank you for keeping me a part of your life. Our relationship will be one I will always cherish!
Brooke, sweetheart. I know everyone uses the computers to email so you can never email when I am online, but I want you to know that your letters have meant the eternities to me :) And I love you!
Dad, your thoughts and abilities to write never go unnoticed without all the words sinking deep into my heart! Thank you for always making sure there is a letter put in my inbox every week! I feel so blessed dad to have you spend so much time on me. I absolutely love the blog you mad for me, it really means so much!
Family, I want you to know that I have fallen in love with Tonga. I'm not going to lie, it took me a long.....long.....time to fully accept that this was my home for two years. I always kept comparing it to America but you know what? It's not America, it is Tonga and I love it! I love the people. I love the food! I love the trials! I love the things that I have to live without and I love how everything I have belongs to everyone! I love Tonga. I know this is where God put me to become the man I need to become. Sometimes it's hard to see, but at those times you just need to tell yourself that it is FAITH that you need. Ether 12:12 tells us that with out faith in God, he cannot bless us with miracles, but with faith, God can manifest his power.
Family, I want to take the time to tell you that I love my companion. I want to let you know that God has given me everything in my life to teach me. God wants me to learn to become the man that will lead my wife and family back to Him. I want you all to know that things happen in our lives for a reason. God is watching over us . . . , and He will not let something happen to us that is not part of His plan. He has given us the Holy Ghost to protect us until we return to him someday.
Family, I'm healthy, I'm happy, and I am supported by an incredible family. Life is good! I am constantly praying to my Heavenly Father to bless my incredible family. May you be forever blessed and know your love is felt!
Elder Harmon
Your Son
Your Brother
Most Important -- Your Eternal Family
I would love to start of by pointing out things that meant a lot to me today when I got to email all of you. #1, Brittany thank you so much for always finding time to talk to me and for putting so much effort in to catching me online. I know your schedule is crazy busy and you have so much more things to do than to be writing me. But thank you for every little caring thing in my behalf and I am sorry for failing to write back to everything you say. I hope you know that it is not intentional, I just have so little time.
Mom, thank you for keeping me updated with everything and for always finding spiritual things from your week to share with me!! I literally have an Incredible Mother! Thank you for being so in tune with the promptings of the spirit! And thank you for touching others including my life with those promptings.
Brandon, I don't think there is something tin this world or eternities that can replace brotherly love and our relationship! I have so much fun telling everyone about my incredible brother. Everyone is always so complementary on your photos and dancing videos! Brandon, thank you for keeping me a part of your life. Our relationship will be one I will always cherish!
Brooke, sweetheart. I know everyone uses the computers to email so you can never email when I am online, but I want you to know that your letters have meant the eternities to me :) And I love you!
Dad, your thoughts and abilities to write never go unnoticed without all the words sinking deep into my heart! Thank you for always making sure there is a letter put in my inbox every week! I feel so blessed dad to have you spend so much time on me. I absolutely love the blog you mad for me, it really means so much!
Family, I want you to know that I have fallen in love with Tonga. I'm not going to lie, it took me a long.....long.....time to fully accept that this was my home for two years. I always kept comparing it to America but you know what? It's not America, it is Tonga and I love it! I love the people. I love the food! I love the trials! I love the things that I have to live without and I love how everything I have belongs to everyone! I love Tonga. I know this is where God put me to become the man I need to become. Sometimes it's hard to see, but at those times you just need to tell yourself that it is FAITH that you need. Ether 12:12 tells us that with out faith in God, he cannot bless us with miracles, but with faith, God can manifest his power.
Family, I want to take the time to tell you that I love my companion. I want to let you know that God has given me everything in my life to teach me. God wants me to learn to become the man that will lead my wife and family back to Him. I want you all to know that things happen in our lives for a reason. God is watching over us . . . , and He will not let something happen to us that is not part of His plan. He has given us the Holy Ghost to protect us until we return to him someday.
Family, I'm healthy, I'm happy, and I am supported by an incredible family. Life is good! I am constantly praying to my Heavenly Father to bless my incredible family. May you be forever blessed and know your love is felt!
Elder Harmon
Your Son
Your Brother
Most Important -- Your Eternal Family
Sunday, March 23, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 3/23/2014)
Hello My Beautiful Family and Friends!!!!
Right now I feel full of the love of the power of prayer and the power of asking our eternal Father in Heaven and knowing I'll receive an answer!!! As you might know I'm really late getting on and writing home today..... we have not been able to get the internet up and running.... We have been trying for quite some time and it was not working out and not even showing a sign of working.... and in Tonga that means well...... might have to wait a week or two for the one computer guy in the Island to come fix it hahaha:)
But then the thought came to me we have not even gotten on our knees and prayed to our Heavenly Father. It might seem like something really small... but when your doing the lords work god looks after his missionaries and what is important to you, Heavenly Father cares about. So we got down on our knees and when we opened our eyes the internet was on... so immediately we dropped to our knees and thanked our Heavenly Father! So I grateful that's what I am is grateful for this opportunity to write you all!
This week has been full good and amazing moments and Eternal covenants. Last week I talked about a man named Noa. He is one of our investigators. On last Monday we taught him the last lesson about the word of wisdom.... his face lit up and he told us he had been waiting for something like this to come around to change his life forever and to help him become closer to Heavenly Father. He told us he wanted to be baptized immediately!!!! ( he had been off drugs for 3 weeks) and he knew if he was baptized that he wouldn't have the drive to smoke any more and he knew that quitting with God's help would be a lot easier than quitting on his own!!! Right now Noa is in the company of the Holy Ghost and Smoking free and is doing well..... the Savior makes the difference, in fact he makes all the difference!
P.S. Dad....Guess what...I'm going fishing today.... just thought that would make you proud hahahaha!
Right now I feel full of the love of the power of prayer and the power of asking our eternal Father in Heaven and knowing I'll receive an answer!!! As you might know I'm really late getting on and writing home today..... we have not been able to get the internet up and running.... We have been trying for quite some time and it was not working out and not even showing a sign of working.... and in Tonga that means well...... might have to wait a week or two for the one computer guy in the Island to come fix it hahaha:)
But then the thought came to me we have not even gotten on our knees and prayed to our Heavenly Father. It might seem like something really small... but when your doing the lords work god looks after his missionaries and what is important to you, Heavenly Father cares about. So we got down on our knees and when we opened our eyes the internet was on... so immediately we dropped to our knees and thanked our Heavenly Father! So I grateful that's what I am is grateful for this opportunity to write you all!
This week has been full good and amazing moments and Eternal covenants. Last week I talked about a man named Noa. He is one of our investigators. On last Monday we taught him the last lesson about the word of wisdom.... his face lit up and he told us he had been waiting for something like this to come around to change his life forever and to help him become closer to Heavenly Father. He told us he wanted to be baptized immediately!!!! ( he had been off drugs for 3 weeks) and he knew if he was baptized that he wouldn't have the drive to smoke any more and he knew that quitting with God's help would be a lot easier than quitting on his own!!! Right now Noa is in the company of the Holy Ghost and Smoking free and is doing well..... the Savior makes the difference, in fact he makes all the difference!
 |
| Noa's Baptism |
Monday, March 17, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 3/17/2014) [Letter #26 from Tonga]
Mom, I just received your letter about your beautiful friend's family that died in a carbon monoxide poisening accident. Wow, the first feeling I had was pain in my heard for those missionary children out there doing the Lord's work who lost their family. But you are right mom....the plan of salvation is a perfect plan. I think the main topic of talk with all of my companions has been the plan of salvation....as you might recall, my last companion's dad randomly passed away two years ago.
I know that everything will work out because our Heavenly Father is perfect . . . . Everything first starts with faith in Father in Heaven and His son Jesus Christ. If we can do that everything else seems to fall into place. Because, if you really believe, you will follow . . .
How great a blessing to know families can be eternal! :) How incredible an insight we all have to know life goes on with loved ones we have had here on earth. I would love to take this opportunity and let you all know that I know families can be together forever and that our family will be eternal, because of the righteous choices of following God's commandments!
Family :)
So good to hear from all of you and thank you for all of the incredible emails thorughout the week! Dad, thank you for the articles! I love being able to read those articles sent to me by my inspired dad! Everything you give me dad I know is inspried by the Holy Ghost. I feel so blessed to have such a strong example to look up to and a father who receives direct revelation and guidance to help hsi missionary!!:) You will never know how much this means to me! My time litterally is so short on email, or I would write you so much back on each of your letters! I feel like there is no way I will ever be able to pay back youand mom for all of your support!
Brandon, I laugh so hard at all fo the pictures and videos that you send me! You really are getting very good at dancing! I am very impressed by your abilities! I am so pumped you got asked to MORP! I never went to a dance my sophomore year, you are literally such a stud!:) Keep enjoying High School! It just goes so fast. It honestly feels like yesterday that I was on the varsity football field as a sophomore! Time Flies!
Brooke, Brandon, and Ragen all did some fun dancing around Christmas time and I just recevied the videos. You made me laugh so hard! Thank you for doing so much to reach out to me with so much love!:)
Harmon Family, there is a plan for all of us! And let me tell you, it's a perfect plan! It's our Heavenly Father's and His son Jesus Christ's plan! They just want us to be happy! Mom and Dad, just knowing and seeing how much you lov me brings me to tears, especially to know that I have a Heavenly Father that can somehow love me even more!
THIS IS THE LORD'S WORK I AM DOING!
May God bless you til we meet again!
-Your Son...Brother & Eternal Family
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
I know that everything will work out because our Heavenly Father is perfect . . . . Everything first starts with faith in Father in Heaven and His son Jesus Christ. If we can do that everything else seems to fall into place. Because, if you really believe, you will follow . . .
How great a blessing to know families can be eternal! :) How incredible an insight we all have to know life goes on with loved ones we have had here on earth. I would love to take this opportunity and let you all know that I know families can be together forever and that our family will be eternal, because of the righteous choices of following God's commandments!
Family :)
So good to hear from all of you and thank you for all of the incredible emails thorughout the week! Dad, thank you for the articles! I love being able to read those articles sent to me by my inspired dad! Everything you give me dad I know is inspried by the Holy Ghost. I feel so blessed to have such a strong example to look up to and a father who receives direct revelation and guidance to help hsi missionary!!:) You will never know how much this means to me! My time litterally is so short on email, or I would write you so much back on each of your letters! I feel like there is no way I will ever be able to pay back youand mom for all of your support!
Brandon, I laugh so hard at all fo the pictures and videos that you send me! You really are getting very good at dancing! I am very impressed by your abilities! I am so pumped you got asked to MORP! I never went to a dance my sophomore year, you are literally such a stud!:) Keep enjoying High School! It just goes so fast. It honestly feels like yesterday that I was on the varsity football field as a sophomore! Time Flies!
Brooke, Brandon, and Ragen all did some fun dancing around Christmas time and I just recevied the videos. You made me laugh so hard! Thank you for doing so much to reach out to me with so much love!:)
Harmon Family, there is a plan for all of us! And let me tell you, it's a perfect plan! It's our Heavenly Father's and His son Jesus Christ's plan! They just want us to be happy! Mom and Dad, just knowing and seeing how much you lov me brings me to tears, especially to know that I have a Heavenly Father that can somehow love me even more!
THIS IS THE LORD'S WORK I AM DOING!
May God bless you til we meet again!
-Your Son...Brother & Eternal Family
Elder Blake Daniel Harmon
Sunday, March 16, 2014
E-mail (Dated: 3/16/2014)
Wow, I feel 100% like we have taken a 180 turn with the members in our ward. They are working and beginning to have a desire to help us out. And being the only two white guys for a couple of miles, this is definitely what we needed!!!!
We have been teaching non-stop this week and have received a lot of new investigators!!!! We went out with our ward mission leader and we told all the members that we are here to work and we would love to help them in any way possible!!!! We told them that we are prepared to teach and almost immediately the reactions from the members were -- in action!!!!
We have been teaching 3 progressing investigators this week!!!!! We have been teaching a guy named Noa and his wife, and also a boy named Sioeli. He is 17. We also taught a boy named Sione this past week.
Sione is 9 years old. His family is all active in the church, but his parents stopped going to church before he was born!!!!! They gave us permission to teach him and he was so excited to join the church!!!! After his baptism he bore his testimony and it was so so powerful, I honestly can say I don't think he has every had the spirit testify to him so hard in his life.... after he bore his testimony he cried for about 10 minutes...... he is definitely a sweet spirit and I'm so grateful to our Heavenly Father for letting me be a part of that beautiful experience!!!
Sioeli is staying at a house I'm really close to, and he is from the Methodist church. At first we had to drag him to the lessons (not literally) hahaha but he wasn't that interested. Now he is coming to church and loving it!!!! He is getting baptized tomorrow!!!! So so excited for these experiences!!!!!
Noa and his wife are preparing for baptism for this Wednesday if they stay on track keeping their commitments. There is no better thing than watching a family walk into the waters of baptism together!!!!!!!!
I love teaching this gospel and I love serving the lord!!!!! Thank you for all the support and love !!!!! You all are in my prayers!!!!!
The pictures are of Sione's baptism and me walking through water, that is how the roads look 24/7!!!!!! We pretty much live in a swap, its dope!!!! :)
Love Elder Harmon!
Elder Hansen and Sister Chynoweth.........Ofa atu:)
.JPG)
We have been teaching non-stop this week and have received a lot of new investigators!!!! We went out with our ward mission leader and we told all the members that we are here to work and we would love to help them in any way possible!!!! We told them that we are prepared to teach and almost immediately the reactions from the members were -- in action!!!!
We have been teaching 3 progressing investigators this week!!!!! We have been teaching a guy named Noa and his wife, and also a boy named Sioeli. He is 17. We also taught a boy named Sione this past week.
Sione is 9 years old. His family is all active in the church, but his parents stopped going to church before he was born!!!!! They gave us permission to teach him and he was so excited to join the church!!!! After his baptism he bore his testimony and it was so so powerful, I honestly can say I don't think he has every had the spirit testify to him so hard in his life.... after he bore his testimony he cried for about 10 minutes...... he is definitely a sweet spirit and I'm so grateful to our Heavenly Father for letting me be a part of that beautiful experience!!!
Sioeli is staying at a house I'm really close to, and he is from the Methodist church. At first we had to drag him to the lessons (not literally) hahaha but he wasn't that interested. Now he is coming to church and loving it!!!! He is getting baptized tomorrow!!!! So so excited for these experiences!!!!!
Noa and his wife are preparing for baptism for this Wednesday if they stay on track keeping their commitments. There is no better thing than watching a family walk into the waters of baptism together!!!!!!!!
I love teaching this gospel and I love serving the lord!!!!! Thank you for all the support and love !!!!! You all are in my prayers!!!!!
The pictures are of Sione's baptism and me walking through water, that is how the roads look 24/7!!!!!! We pretty much live in a swap, its dope!!!! :)
Love Elder Harmon!
Elder Hansen and Sister Chynoweth.........Ofa atu:)
Monday, March 10, 2014
Hand Written Letter (Dated: 3/10/14) [#25 from Tonga]
My Famili Taengata!
My Eternal Family!:)
Today was a Tender Mercy P-Day for me! It is always the best feeling in the world as a missionary getting letters from home! Today I received Brooklin's package and inside were letters from all of you with your favorite memory of me! Wow, I truly have the best family and have so many great examples and heroes in my life! Each one of your letters touched my heart so so deeply!
-Daddy - I loved the memories you talked about and I can definitely agree with you that camping has to be one of the best memories!
- Mom - Snowboarding and skiing were definitely amazing memories. On my bucket list, I have written down that I want to go to Alta and ski with my mom!
- Brandon - Seadooing was definitely dope! We have had some fantastic moments on those wave runners!
- Brooke - I certainly remember chasing the birds and letting you drive for the first time!
Now I would love to just write a quick little memory that I have with each of you! I won't e able to write as much as you all did, but I will do my best to make it special to each of you! Thank you again for all of your support and uplifting praises!
Daddy, I would love to start off with you. When you wrote to me you wrote a lot of our great memories snowmobiling, working on the Rx8, boating, wave runners! But something that will stick with me the rest of my life, that meant more than anything else, is every time we were alone, you reach out your arm and tell me you love me....then you would ask, "Is there anything I can do to be a better father?" I truly have the best dad in the world! I do have to say though that we had some pretty dang good camp-outs though! There's nothing like dad's dutch oven peach cobbler.
Mom, ha...where do I even start. It's really hard to chose one! I really have had so many incredible memories with you! But, just like I told dad, I love the memories, but its the precious moments that mean so much to me! I will never forget coming off the football field. You would be the first person I would find! I know that no matter if I won or lost, you would be running up to me and hugging me! I always need my mommy "FIX". Love you mom! P.S. the time we went to Pizza Pie Cafe and just talked meant the world to me! Thank you!
Brandon, my tokova taengata :)
Seems like a lot of our favorite memories together are the same. But there is one time that I will never forget. We were headed towards Blake Hansen's in the Rx8 and you and I just shared our love for one another. I know it's because of the moments that we have been with dad in the car and he would say to us...."Boys, I love you!" I remember that you would tell me these moments were kind-of awkward but I know you loved them too.) I want you to know that I loved them. We have an incredible father that is an amazing example to us. P.S. I will never forget the ride back from the Hanson's. You and I raced dad on the freeway, hahaha, so funny!
Brooke, I would definitely have to agree with you that we had a blast together on the wave runners! But the moments that meant the most to me were when I would get home from football and you were usually one of the first ones to ask me how my day went. You were always so caring and loving. You get that from mom! Thank you for always making me feel like a million dollars! I can't wait to get back and make so many more memories with you! Oh, one thing I always loved was playing just dance with you! So incredibly fun!
Brittany, man....first memory that comes to mind was crying together before Christmas and hugging each other and saying "sorry" at the same time thinking that Santa was going to bring us coal for Christmas....so funny! Another was me and you would always just talk in your room when I was younger! We would literally tell each other everything! And Brittany, you have always been my example! You have always made me a proud brother! I love you and Michael so much!
Family, you are incredible! You give me so much strength just knowing that our family is Eternal!
I want to bear my testimony that this is the true and eternal gospel! Christ died for everyone so we can be resurrected and he paid for our sins so that we can repent and come back to live with Him one day! Christ's church was restored through Joseph Smith, and Joseph Smith, through the power of God, translated the gold plates. The Book of Mormon is the true word of God and it truly helps us every day of our lives! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
-Elder Harmon
Your Son
Your Brother
But most of all, your Eternal Family
My Eternal Family!:)
Today was a Tender Mercy P-Day for me! It is always the best feeling in the world as a missionary getting letters from home! Today I received Brooklin's package and inside were letters from all of you with your favorite memory of me! Wow, I truly have the best family and have so many great examples and heroes in my life! Each one of your letters touched my heart so so deeply!
-Daddy - I loved the memories you talked about and I can definitely agree with you that camping has to be one of the best memories!
- Mom - Snowboarding and skiing were definitely amazing memories. On my bucket list, I have written down that I want to go to Alta and ski with my mom!
- Brandon - Seadooing was definitely dope! We have had some fantastic moments on those wave runners!
- Brooke - I certainly remember chasing the birds and letting you drive for the first time!
Now I would love to just write a quick little memory that I have with each of you! I won't e able to write as much as you all did, but I will do my best to make it special to each of you! Thank you again for all of your support and uplifting praises!
Daddy, I would love to start off with you. When you wrote to me you wrote a lot of our great memories snowmobiling, working on the Rx8, boating, wave runners! But something that will stick with me the rest of my life, that meant more than anything else, is every time we were alone, you reach out your arm and tell me you love me....then you would ask, "Is there anything I can do to be a better father?" I truly have the best dad in the world! I do have to say though that we had some pretty dang good camp-outs though! There's nothing like dad's dutch oven peach cobbler.
Mom, ha...where do I even start. It's really hard to chose one! I really have had so many incredible memories with you! But, just like I told dad, I love the memories, but its the precious moments that mean so much to me! I will never forget coming off the football field. You would be the first person I would find! I know that no matter if I won or lost, you would be running up to me and hugging me! I always need my mommy "FIX". Love you mom! P.S. the time we went to Pizza Pie Cafe and just talked meant the world to me! Thank you!
Brandon, my tokova taengata :)
Seems like a lot of our favorite memories together are the same. But there is one time that I will never forget. We were headed towards Blake Hansen's in the Rx8 and you and I just shared our love for one another. I know it's because of the moments that we have been with dad in the car and he would say to us...."Boys, I love you!" I remember that you would tell me these moments were kind-of awkward but I know you loved them too.) I want you to know that I loved them. We have an incredible father that is an amazing example to us. P.S. I will never forget the ride back from the Hanson's. You and I raced dad on the freeway, hahaha, so funny!
Brooke, I would definitely have to agree with you that we had a blast together on the wave runners! But the moments that meant the most to me were when I would get home from football and you were usually one of the first ones to ask me how my day went. You were always so caring and loving. You get that from mom! Thank you for always making me feel like a million dollars! I can't wait to get back and make so many more memories with you! Oh, one thing I always loved was playing just dance with you! So incredibly fun!
Brittany, man....first memory that comes to mind was crying together before Christmas and hugging each other and saying "sorry" at the same time thinking that Santa was going to bring us coal for Christmas....so funny! Another was me and you would always just talk in your room when I was younger! We would literally tell each other everything! And Brittany, you have always been my example! You have always made me a proud brother! I love you and Michael so much!
Family, you are incredible! You give me so much strength just knowing that our family is Eternal!
I want to bear my testimony that this is the true and eternal gospel! Christ died for everyone so we can be resurrected and he paid for our sins so that we can repent and come back to live with Him one day! Christ's church was restored through Joseph Smith, and Joseph Smith, through the power of God, translated the gold plates. The Book of Mormon is the true word of God and it truly helps us every day of our lives! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
-Elder Harmon
Your Son
Your Brother
But most of all, your Eternal Family
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)