Sept. 29 2014 Letter

Letter From Mom and Dad to Sister Harris:

Hello Rebekah. Well your email finally got to us...the one you sent to Katelynn. She thought it went to everyone so didn't forward to us. We'll get it figured out. Oh for the good ole days of paper and pen. It sounds like you hit the ground running if you had that many adventures on your first couple of days. It also sounds like you're on foot/bike. We saw the pictures you sent of the apartment etc. Today was Fast and Testimony in our Ward as next week is General Conference. The following week is the Primary program so we had practice in Primary. I think every adult should have to spend time in Primary. Sure way to strengthen a testimony. The kids are great. Everyone asks how you're doing. I went to San Diego Friday night to go to my bosses birthday party then spent Saturday working at Grandmas. Things here are good, no changes. Mom has let the chickens run free in the back yard before planting the new garden. When she opens the back door they stampede to the door to see what she has for them. The chickens say they miss seeing you. The Bishop wants to know your favorite scripture for the plaque that goes in the missionary case. Let us know. The weather is starting to cool off a little bit. How's the humidity there? We check the wx report for Cullman daily to see the temp and forecast. We're glad to read that you're teaching some "gators". That always makes the day worth while. Keep up the good work. You, your companion and your investigators are in our prayers day and night. Let us know if you need anything. Know that all is good here. We are fine. The Gospel is True. Hope you get to see General Conference next week. Love you lots. Mom and Dad 

Returned Letter from Sister Harris:

Yes sir! We have a car and bikes, just because a lot of people live way out in the country.  lol I can imagine all the chickens rushing at the door.  Sounds like everything there is going well.  Its hard not being able to pick up kids, I wish we could do more with them.  Tell Bishop 2 Nephi 31:20.  Its actually not too humid here.  There are lots of bugs though...lots. Cullman also has the world record for most churches.  Could you tell in your virtual walk?  There are churches everywhere.  My companion is from Salem Utah. The members here are very happy to have a new sister from someplace that's not Utah.  She doesn't drink straight out of the carton, although there are times where I'm reaching for my Jesus the Christ.  I'm still getting used to the companion thing.  We tract...a lot.  I hated it at first, but now its easier.  Although yesterday we encountered a very...pleasant... gentleman while we were tracting. We didn't even have to knock on his door before he saw us and came running out.  He kept saying he could convert us if we would go home and study Colossians.  He said that it didn't say that we needed to be baptized and that all we had to do was accept Jesus Christ. I then replied yes sir, but have you read the rest of the Bible? Most of the people here are like that. I'm still learning how to deal with it.  You just have to love everyone.  Its been a hard week progressing with our investigators.  There are a few that want to get baptized, but it seems like there is always something in the way...mostly smoking around here.  We just keep working with them though :) that's Mario with the giant pumpkin.  He took us to the fair.  It was quite toasty.  That's an analogy we use.  It stands for thrive on awkward situations...the last T is just there to be awkward.  We eat a lot of toast around here.  But Mario is really nice...he just doesn't speak English very well.  Its a lot of smiling and nodding with him.  He is great though. 

Ironic

Another few pictures from Sister Harris.  Below you'll see her kitchen full of irony and outside her apartment building.  To send snail mail to Sister Harris please see her updated address in the sidebar to the right.  It will be updated as changes happen.

MTC Pictures

Sept. 22.2014 Letter

I got this one!  Alabama is legit.  Its green and it rains and everybody talks funny.  I'm in Cullman which is apparently the town where the KKK was founded so that's cool.  That's great about Cruz!  What made him want to start going?  Tell the young'uns to email me or write my new address is 301 3rd Ave. NE Apt. 2 Cullman, AL 35055.  I'll send you a picture of it.  My first day here was crazy.  First thing in the morning the relief society president calls and begs us to come to her CPR class because nobody showed up...so I'm CPR certified now.  Then we taught a lady named Nadine.  She was really cool and we talked a lot...southern women talk a lot.  At the end of our lesson though we asked her if she would be willing to pray and she literally spent 30 minutes planning out this prayer because she'd never prayed in front of people.  She had it all written down and everything.  She started praying by just reading what she had wrote, but towards the end, instead of just ending where she had stopped writing, she started asking that she would be able to gain a testimony and know if the things we were saying were true.  It was really cool to hear her say that after how nervous she was.  We spend a lot of time in the projects.  Its pretty sad seeing the people that live there that either can't get out of that situation, or choose not too, but the people there are nice.  There's actually a few people there that have committed to getting baptized, its just a matter of actually getting them to do it.  Then there's the recent convert, Mario, the first person who's accent I couldn't understand...he's from Mexico.  I think he might be from the same place that Luis is from.  Its still pretty hard to just go up and start talking to people.  I think the knocking door to door thing is a whole lot easier than that.  Most people here see us and first thing they say is that they already belong to a different church.  I had my first experience with those other churches last night.  So we were walking into the park looking for people to talk to when this group of people starts walking out.  They see us and ask if we are holy...I didn't know what to answer.  We just explained to them that we were missionaries and we were looking for people who needed service or prayers or were curious to know more.  That prayer thing got them and they wanted us to pray for them.  Which we did...but they wanted to do it in the way where you all stand in a circle and hold hands...which was weird, but we did it so we could get out of there and they would leave us alone...we thought.  After we said a prayer for them, they thought it was their turn and that they should pray for us....I have never seen anybody pray like that and I never want to experience it again...If I had ever had doubts before that this was the true church what ever they did just dismissed all of them forever.  It was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced.  The guy saying it claimed to be receiving revelation that one of us had issues with our dad that we needed to resolve...I was trying not to laugh cause dad is pretty awesome and this whole situation was ridiculous, but my companion was scared that I was crying because they guy was right and I was gonna up and convert or something, but I was trying so hard not to laugh...Alabama is awesome.  Smoking is a really big problem here though.  One of the reasons a lot of our investigators haven't been baptized yet is because they can't quit smoking, but all of our investigators are great. 

Sister Harris Has Arrived

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Alabama Birmingham Mission

                                 

Sister Harris has safely arrived in the 

Alabama Birmingham Mission!

We are impressed with your daughter and want to thank you for all that you have done in preparing this wonderful young woman for her mission.  She met her new companion and traveled to her first area.

Attached are photos of Sister Harris, one with President and Sister Hanks and one with her Trainer, Sister Pratt.  She will bless this mission greatly with her enthusiasm and dedication. We love her and pledge our best efforts in directing her service here.

Sister Harris has accepted a call that will change her life and the lives of those with whom she is serving.  These first few months will be full of new and challenging experiences, and your support in the form of encouraging and uplifting letters will help her greatly.

Our greatest hope is that each missionary has a positive and growing experience, which will help give her a foundation for a lifetime of service to others. We appreciate the time you have spent raising your daughter to be such a responsible young woman.  We thank you for your willingness to share Sister Harris with us.

President and Sister Hanks

First "letter" home

 Hi Sister Harris

That sounds strange .  Are u used to it yet.  We saw your pic. with ur hair down  You looked so pretty.  we miss you , will b thinking about u .  Luv u 

Mom  (Sept 4, 2014)

RESPONSE from Sister Harris:  (Sept. 11, 2014)

I'm getting used to it...I actually kinda like it. If I ever get discouraged I just look down at my name tag.  I've got a couple names I've got to live up to on there. I figured I would do my hair for the first day since I would probably be too tired to do it any other time, which is true. President Workman wasn't kidding when he said he wished he could record the departing missionary's testimonies and compare them with their testimony when they returned.  My testimony has grown more in this week at the MTC than it had in a long time.  I have a new hunger for knowledge and the spirit that I have never felt before.  I feel like this mission is just as much for my full conversion as it is for the people I will teach.  Even with all I've learned and felt, the MTC has still been a struggle.  It's set up like dorm rooms and I'm too awkward to be in such close quarters with so many girls, but I'm getting used to it.  My companion, Sister Smith, is very nice and supportive, but girls...girls are loud and late...to everything.  There's a reason most of my friends were boys growing up.  In all seriousness though, I am so blessed to be in the district that I am in.  There's Elder Baily.  I call him my seminary for dummies because he can tell me where anything is in the scriptures and always suggests scriptures to help me or my investigators.  Elder McClain is hilarious and always has a funny story to tell.  With all his antics, his knowledge of the scriptures is amazing.  For example, Zechariah 2:6 and 1:8 are about Santa Claus.   Seriously...read it.  Sister Merrium is also a great listener and has helped me through my home sickness and doubts.  She's going to be relief society president one day.   Then there's Elder Cannon.  He reminds me of Garrett.  We've got about 10 Elders and Sisters in our district and they've all become great friends.  We all head out in just a few more days and I'm really going to miss them.  We're already planning on getting back together when we all get home.  Even though they have helped me so much with all my struggles here, I wish I had a phone so I could just call dad and ask him to help me with certain investigators.  Dad knows how to answer every question with the spirit.  Then there's times when I'm home sick and I just want to call mom to calm me down.  But since I can't do those things, I have to rely on the Lord.  Thankfully He loves us enough to help us. Because "compared to God man is nothing; yet we are everything to God." I hope everything there is going well.  Tell me everything! Also, thank Wendi's mum for the jacket.  I have really needed it...Utah is cold. 

I will write probably in a couple Mondays since everything is still wonky with the P days.  Love you all! Be good. 

PS What is grandma Geissler's address? 

Waiting for a Jet Plane

It wouldn't be an adventure without delays, right?  Everyone arrived at the airport with plenty of TSA time.  It began when "someone" didn't know where to park.  I guess they mean it when they say "restricted".  Once arriving to check in luggage we were all inundated by overly zealous Delta employees all to happy to help.  They arranged us for a group photo then ushered Rebekah to the luggage weigh in area.  Once all reunited we took the escalators up to the security checkpoint where we had to say our goodbyes.  A few tears were shed, but I think Rebekah was more nervous than anything about traveling alone for the first time.
We wished her well and sent her on her way.  The kids wanted to watch the planes for a few minutes so we tried to figure out which plane was Rebekah's.  After awhile we decided it was time to let go and start the waiting game.
We waited and waited to hear of her arrival in Salt Lake, but instead found out her plane had been canceled due to an oil leak.  She finally was rescheduled on a new flight that eventually got her to her destination 4 hours later.
Cousin Wendi found her at the airport and rescued her and fed her.  Thanks Wendi!

Procrastination

Nothing like waiting till the last minute to pack!  Rebekah spoke on Sunday in church so family congregated in Yuma to wish her well.  We didn't see much of her because she had a line of people to say her goodbyes to.  She is pretty popular you know...  We all kept asking when she was going to pack and she assured us she would get to it.  I guess two hours before you have to leave town is as good a time as ever.  While running back and forth to the laundry, she tossed things into her bag.  I'm not entirely sure all of it was even clean.  As she packed, it became apparent that she was still needing a few things from her list of packing.  I got a list started and it got bigger and bigger.  I think it is safe to say that Rebekah doesn't sweat the "small stuff".  All finally got stuffed into bags and we set off to get her set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Pray for her companion to have patience and lots of it!

And in case you are wondering... this is all from my perspective... and if Rebekah wants to give her part of the story she'll have to add it later.  Until then you are stuck with me.  :)  - Emmy