I am loving this mission!

Good afternoon!

My week has been great, until this morning playing basketball. I went up for a rebound and landed on someone's shoe and bruised/sprained my ankle... Can't wait to bike tonight!

I am loving this mission. I love waking up and just excited to go out and bike and do missionary work. Though this week we have had a heat advisory and has been 106-110 degrees all week. Just goes to show you how much the Lord's hand is in this work. Being able to wake up every morning at 6:25 and work out then go do missionary work has been a miracle, and if I did not have this sacred calling I probably could not physically do it.

As you know we picked up 3 investigators last week and we got another 4 this week, and we just got a referral today for someone who is already wanting to be baptized just needs to take missionary lessons.

So our problem has been to get our investigators to progress. Well Elder Haueter and I have assumed it is us not conforming the lessons to the individual person. So we have decided to actually use the amazing district videos and apply Preach My Gospel "Teaching Skills" and see what happens. Every companion study we plan our lessons out and what scriptures to read, transition sentences to go back and forth, testifying right after one of us says something, and letting the investigator read the scriptures. This week we met with L and we had the lesson, and never have I ever been in a lesson where the spirit was felt so strongly. She is now reading the Book of Mormon. Another investigator we have, A, finally came to church and in Gospel Principle class we had a lesson over the Word Of Wisdom. We had no idea about the lesson plan because we do not teach it, but smokes and drinks. Well we met with her after church and said she just ran out of cigs and she is going to try and quit!!!!:)

I think I was taught the most powerful lesson on humility this week. Since we are in a heat advisory all last week we went to a park to sit down and cool off. A homeless guy came up to us and offered us ice cold water. Like what??? we of course said no, but sat down with him and talked to him. He is one of the nicest guys ever, and so we taught him the Restoration and left him a Book of Mormon to read. Miracles everywhere.

So this week I have been doing serious studying and pondering on Mosiah chapters 3-5 and Alma chapters 17-23. King Benjamin and Ammon and Aaron. I have been studying their teaching tactics and how they taught. King Benjamin covers all the "how to begin teaching" bullet points in PMG 176 which is exactly what we like to start off with. Ammon started teaching by providing service. Aaron started just preaching from synagogue to synagogue. Until he was cast into prison and sent before King Lamoni's father. Where he offers service, but the king was troubled in mind and wanted answers.

15 And they went forth again to declare the word, and thus they were delivered for the first time out of prison; and thus they had suffered.

For the first time... They went forth being persistent and constant. That is my goal. I find myself saying if they don't pick up the first time than we should try next week because I don't want to annoy them. This is Eternal Life! I am now being persistent and constant.

Another thing I am doing with Elder Haueter is taking the commitments that we should have them do and conform that into the lesson so they can see the importance of it also the relevance! Everyday I am excited to go out and preach and it has been a true blessing to be here in Adelanto! I have grown so much (not in a prideful way) but this is the missionary I wanted to be right when I got into the mission field. Our goal this week is to teach at the minimum 8 lessons to investigators but stretching for 13. It is so exciting, even though, I will be going on exchanges at least twice this week to the Samoan area which will also be exciting!

Anyways, that is my week in a nutshell. Now Halley driving????? oh boy..... hahaha just kidding Sister! I love you and thank you for the letter! When I get more stamps sometime in the future I will send you back a letter!

Cameron!!! Finally I get to hear from you! Hope all is well! Stay safe over there in Bulgaria! Love you bro!

Love you! Miss you tons!
Elder Harris


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Elder Jorvik Ty Harris
Rancho Cucamonga, California