tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595401035260808502024-03-19T14:38:38.277-07:00Elder Colton Harris' MissionColton Harris Jamaica Kingston MissionAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-75932177618535719632015-02-23T22:40:00.000-08:002015-02-23T21:29:28.868-08:00Colton's Homecoming TalkColton will be speaking on March 8, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the Beaver 5th Ward. We look forward to hearing from him! But mostly we looking forward to hugging him and welcoming him home! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-77342729458606659212015-02-23T21:28:00.003-08:002015-02-23T21:28:34.603-08:00Last Letter Home;/
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everyone... well this is the last letter that I will write
home from my mission. 2 years is up this week. Wow. It has been a super great
experience for me! Jacob says around the time that he gets done writing that, “the
time passed away with us.. like as it were unto us a dream." I feel the
same way. At times it feels like a dream and it passed so quickly. I heard that
my prayers were answered and that there was some snow this week! Sweet! Cody,
welcome home as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I saw pics of Adam, Tyler, and Marquez all together.
While they were together on Saturday I was at a sweet baptism. We did the
baptism for Sis A. at Old Wharf in Treasure Beach. It was super awesome! We
had a private beach area all to ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>IDK how I lucked out doing 3 ocean baptisms while here, most
missionaries don't even get one. We realized that Sis A. is the first person
ever to be baptized from the community/city of Treasure Beach. Junction Branch
is pretty new, like less than 12 years old and Treasure Beach has only been
worked recently. This is also the first baptism in the Junction Branch for
almost 2 years, even with 2 companionships here the whole time; In our district
it is the first in over a year as well so we were super excited about that! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that it helps get the members in the
branch more excited to do missionary work as well! Sis Ashby is great though.
It has been an awesome journey these past 6 weeks. She is the first
investigator of mine to make their first baptism date I think as well. Pictures
of the baptism are below. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Had my last zone meeting this week in Mandeville. On
Wednesday it was Ash Wednesday. We don't really celebrate that back home I
don't think but here EVERYTHING shut down. Taxis, fast food, .. even bars!!
Normal holidays here is when everybody usually hits up the bar all day long, I
still don't know what made this one different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I gave my farewell talk yesterday in sacrament meeting.
Cried during a few parts, but made it through okay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder S’s mom is planning on getting baptized in
March. She never even went to church once before his mission but now she is
working towards a baptism date back in Yahlas. The Lord blesses families as
others serve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I do look forward to seeing everyone this week. It has been
way too long! I am sad that Devin won't be there though! I hope that you have a
super happy birthday in Brazil! No better place to celebrate a birthday than in
Brazil of all places!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The missionary coming to replace me is Elder Sinae. He is
from the Bahamas. I actually interviewed his mom for baptism before he was on a
mission. He was the translator for that interview because his mom only speaks
Haitian Creole well. He will do good here in Junction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Side note about emailing you all today... my computer either
shut down or restarted 6 times today, PLUS the power went out TWICE. Emailing
today was a labor of love for sure!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks for everyone's support! I truly have been so blessed
to be able to serve a mission! It is one of the greatest gifts Heavenly Father
has given to me. It seems hard to be able to top experiences like this but I
will in the next 2 years. The gospel is all about progression, so if in 2 years
I still think that my mission was the best 2 years of my life, I probably
haven't been living the gospel very well. The church is true. This is Christ’s
gospel. I am very privileged to have borne His name on my chest for 2 years, it
will forever be on my heart! I love you all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Love,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder Colton Harris</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can there be a sicker venue for a baptism??!! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I propose we move sacrament meeting out here too! #bejealous</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun setting on Colton's mission...bittersweet...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-55456573869681941022015-02-16T19:06:00.003-08:002015-02-16T19:06:56.972-08:00Wheel and Deal!
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What a week. We are still working with Sis A. from Treasure
Beach. She has a baptism interview scheduled for this Wednesday so she should
be getting baptized on Saturday! We are really looking forward to that! She has
now come to church 5 weeks in a row.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
and Sis G. don't have a lot of money so they wake up really early on Sundays
and go to the main road at 6 am and "look a drive" as Jamaicans say,
but it is really just hitchhiking. Hitchhiking is pretty common here, but
sometimes it takes them four different cars to just get to church, but they are
always usually the first ones here. Takes a lot of faith for that. We are
really looking forward to this baptism though for a lot of reasons. There
hasn't been a baptism in almost 2 years even though there has always been 2
companionships here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this will really
be able to boost the branch and hopefully get more of the members excited and
involved in missionary work. Next week we should have pictures of the baptism.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So IDK if any of you have ever heard of Colin Powell. So I
guess he is/was really high up in the US government, he worked under Bush and
Clinton for a long time as Secretary of State and some other positions. Well he
is a Jamaican and is actually from an area called Top Hill, right in Junction.
We went and walked around that for a while on Monday. There are several members
in the branch that are related to him as well. After that on Monday we went to
the Sports Park in Treasure Beach and played some tennis there. That was fun.
Topped off Monday with an FHE at Sis G.’s house. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wednesday was my last district meeting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Went to Santa Cruz for that. On the way home
there was a shop that was selling carvings. I stopped and asked the guy how
much for them and he said they start at $50 US. Well I asked him what the
Jamaican price was, not the tourist price and he said $3,000. Then I asked him
what his name was and he pointed to a sign that said 'Wheel and Deal'. I
thought, “Man this guy is cocky, I'll show him wheel and deal.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say I walked out with a carving
and paid less than $10 US. There we go, Mr. Wheel and Deal just got Wheeled and
Dealed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thursday was quite the crazy day. There were 4 auditors from
the Area that came and they said that they were going to do financial training
for the branch leadership. They planned on spending 2 hours at all the
branches, and for a lot of the branches they spent less than 2 hours. Well,
they ended up staying for over 6 hours! There were so many things that were out
of order, and I can't explain it over email but there were 5 professional
accountants that were just baffled for 6 hours. They organized everything good
though and straightened out most of what needed to be straightened out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Friday the 13th wasn't a bad day either surprisingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday Elder Sullivan was my valentine! <3 He loves
me lol... (He just called me gay cuz he read that part, Jamaicans are pretty
homophobic.:) I asked Elder Stewart to be my valentine as well and he accepted
so I had 2 valentines. Oh yeah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunday Sunday Sunday. Church was great. I once again
conducted Sacrament meeting, taught gospel principles class, and taught Elder’s
quorum. Teachers that were supposed to show up didn't, so that left me. We had
a new investigator come to church yesterday, Bro W. The lesson in Elder’s
quorum was on Pray Always from Ezra Taft Benson and we shared a story about how
Pres Benson started all his meetings with prayer, even while he was serving in
the US government. We went and saw Bro W. last night and the first thing he
said before we could even get situated into our chairs he said, "We need
to follow Pres Benson and say a prayer now." We were like wow, someone was
paying attention. He is super cool though, really educated which is nice. He
got a doctorate degree in England and moved back, and he found out that he
knows like 6 members of the branch so that was a bonus as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today we went to Mandeville for a zone Pday. It was pretty
great! Played some volleyball and other things. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going back to Mandeville on Wednesday for my
last zone meeting. Sad day :( <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Someone needs to make it SNOW back home! I am tired of
hearing that there isn't any snow. Your weather sounds a lot like my weather!
That is not a good thing for this time of the year! Hopefully that can change
that fast! Love you all! See ya soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blessed.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder Colton Harris <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">General Colin Powell's land</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My homecoming suit</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-40726044202356133712015-02-09T07:11:00.000-08:002015-02-16T19:11:16.898-08:00I think He's Getting Ready to Come Home...<br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I am getting way too lazy to type my email this week,
plus I had a very limited time on the internet today! We had 2 progressing
investigators this week. D. and S. A. Both of them are from Treasure Beach and
both are on date for the 21st of this month! I am really excited about that! I
am pretty sure that they will both be able to make it for that day! I will see
you all really soon! Love you! Sorry this was short!</span></span> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-39717211781319451222015-02-02T19:36:00.000-08:002015-02-02T19:36:25.850-08:0021st Birthday...Woah!
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear Anyone,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week was the big 21 birthday week! Wow, that is a big
number! Sometime this week was also my 23 month mark. My birthday was great. We
went to a restaurant called Jack Sprat. I was eating jerked sausage pizza on
the beach, what could be better on a birthday than that! It was a good day.
Later that night Pres. C. bought some jerked chicken so we had that to
celebrate with too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week we had a Caribbean wide stake/ district conference
broadcast from Salt Lake City. That was really good. But since the internet was
slow it would work for about 10 seconds and then buffer for about 20 seconds
then work for 10 seconds and buffer again. So that went on for the whole
conference, but other than that it was really good. President Packer, Sister
Oscarson, Elder Holland, and Elder Wilford Anderson spoke. That was cool since
I have met Elder Holland and Elder Anderson while on my mission. I was reading
in my journal about when we were taking Elder Anderson to the airport in Cayman
and he told us at that time to work extra hard at that time of our missions
because it could be the only time that we are "equally yoked" for the
rest of our missions. By equally yoked he was referring to how we were both
seasoned missionaries at that time so take advantage of it. Looking back I
think, "At that time did he know that after Cayman all of my companions
would have been on their missions for 0 to 3 months when I was with them?"
Anyways, conference was great though!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also had zone meeting this past week in Mandeville, that
was alright, it was just really long! Not too much happened else happened this
week. See you later this month. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Love Elder Colton Harris<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pic 1) Jerked sausage pizza on the beach! Happy birthday to
me! :)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pic 2) My favorite road signs around here!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-63163666384469859432015-01-26T15:28:00.000-08:002015-01-26T15:28:15.456-08:00One month left today!
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hey family! This week was great! We had no Pday on Monday
since we spent the whole time in Kingston and coming back. Tuesday was our
really our only real proselyting day of the week. We had our branch presidency
meeting that day and got a bunch of stuff done that we needed to. On Wednesday
we went to Santa Cruz for district meeting. Had a good little meeting there and
then Elder Mathews came back to our area for a trade-off. I am pretty sure that
after he came here for a day he did not want to go back to Santa Cruz! Even
though it is only about 45 minutes away, they are very different! Coming from
Mandeville, to go to Junction you turn towards the ocean, to go to Santa Cruz,
you turn towards the desert. It is super-hot over there! It is always 15
degrees cooler in Junction than Santa Cruz and they are on bikes. I've turned
into a pansy again, I can't stand being outdoors while in Santa Cruz because it
is too hard! So the trade off went well; had good lessons with him there.
Thursday we proselyted in the morning then I drove him back to Santa Cruz and
we picked up Elder Sullivan. Pres. C. was with us and he showed us a back way
to get to Treasure Beach. We were heading over there for a cottage meeting at
Sister G.’s house. We had a good cottage meeting. There we 6 non-members there
and 3 members plus us. We got to know each other and then we had a good
spiritual thought on the importance of prophets. After that she fed us dinner.
Had curry chicken, fish, and you guessed it, rice & peas. Friday was weekly
planning. That is the only thing that I am excited not to do in a month. We
went to a new seminary class in an area called T. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week only 1 girl showed up to seminary in
that area so her parents said it would be good to have more youth there with
her. Obviously we agreed, but the youth that are members in that area just
aren't coming. They took it up to invite neighbors of theirs. Altogether there
were 12 youth there this time, ranging from 5 to 15. It is a good thing the
seminary teacher didn't show up because the lesson was supposed to be on
D&C 77 I think. A question and answer given to Joseph Smith about the Book
of Revelations, yeah that would have confused all them. We had a fun FHE thing
with them tho and then explained that seminary is for a certain age group, but
at least they invited people. Saturday we woke up early. We had to drive up to
Munroe to pick up Prez C. and then we picked up the Santa Cruz elders and drove
up to Mandeville. We had a few meetings there on Saturday. There was a family
history training for family history consultants and missionaries. Only
missionaries showed up tho. That was good. Then there was a priesthood
leadership meeting as part of District Conference. Then there was the general
Saturday session of District Conference after that. Only about 30- 40 people
were at the Saturday session. Not that good for 5 branches. We took our
mattresses up and we stayed the night in Mandeville on Saturday. We had to go
to MayPen on Sunday for the Sunday session. It was super awesome to go back and
see everyone from MayPen! I loved it!!! This conference this weekend was
presided over by Elder Gammiet, he is an area 70 for the Carribean. It was good
to spend a weekend with him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I realized that I am down to 1 month left today...woah. Time
keeps creepin’ up fast. I am usually too busy to keep track of time constantly
so every few days when I realize how many days have passed since the last time
I counted it blows my mind. I am enjoying this last little bit of time here.
Thanks for the birthday wishes. For all of you congratulating me and saying now
I am legal to drink, I have to say that I have been legal to drink for the past
two years! The drinking age is 18 in Jamaica so all of that is old news lol.
And now that I am 21, I am old news too. Have a good week. Enjoy the Super Bowl.
Love ya!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Respect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder Colton Harris<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXqHHNoAQztEOCwlAd3nIiDGfGAdj2p44oXPOzmGl70m8kBKcGJKZufqi5zHBegkL0eOGb-J3JiDlRxRHHTzzkHLlOYgewh5w2a3PwK6NvNVguiHGcjm6WC4hblAcTHGF14TTIuqxJzue/s1600/DSCF8645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXqHHNoAQztEOCwlAd3nIiDGfGAdj2p44oXPOzmGl70m8kBKcGJKZufqi5zHBegkL0eOGb-J3JiDlRxRHHTzzkHLlOYgewh5w2a3PwK6NvNVguiHGcjm6WC4hblAcTHGF14TTIuqxJzue/s1600/DSCF8645.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 3 sons!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTO24_9BegpU-Bw1rJgBvxF8dPh81qyQPEBUSBVVBtv9liqNXZ_pv3DzHNC_9nyqQgIkEDSNlNUodMIBU0hFUjUeOU7Oa4vah43DiimigDrLP3vsXRnz4ossKEBA2xZBClQ48TnEO-cWB/s1600/DSCF8641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTO24_9BegpU-Bw1rJgBvxF8dPh81qyQPEBUSBVVBtv9liqNXZ_pv3DzHNC_9nyqQgIkEDSNlNUodMIBU0hFUjUeOU7Oa4vah43DiimigDrLP3vsXRnz4ossKEBA2xZBClQ48TnEO-cWB/s1600/DSCF8641.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restoration in Jamaica!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-76743660112399273592015-01-19T18:45:00.000-08:002015-01-21T18:47:51.569-08:00Alligator Pond and Kingston Traffic<div>
So last week we went to Alligator Pond with a member of the Hopeton Branch
and the Hopeton missionaries. We had a great time out there! We went and fried
some fish. We didn't bring plates so we ate fish on banana leaves and almond
tree leaves. How sweet is that ? I thought it was pretty cool anyways.
Afterwards we went to a river and went fishing for a couple hours. That was
super great too except that we didn't catch any fish ;( The locals said it is
super easy to catch fish in that river but I wasn't seein' it. The river was
sweet. It was this jungle river area. Tons of big trees with vines hangig down,
I even went a little Tarzan for a second on the vines! After that we went to a
sweet beach area. It had a big fresh water river that you can swim in running
along the coast of the beach with amazing sand in the middle. That was a cool
area.</div>
<br />
Well I am sorry that I am sending this email very late! <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2232">Today</span> was a crazy day. I wrote the
previous paragraph at the mission office <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2233">this morning</span> and now I am at the Vance's emailing. So we had
to take our truck into Kingston to it serviced <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2234">this morning</span>. We woke up at 530 am so that we could get out
quick and it took us 2 1/2 hours to get there. We got there early and stayed all
day in Kingston at the mission office. We left the mission office at 445 pm and
it took us an hour and fifteen minutes to get from one side of Kingston to the
other! I hate traffic!! I was so ready to get back to Junction in the bush where
there are no stoplights, no rush hour, etc. I am super glad I have never had a
driving responsibility in Kingston cuz it would drive me crazy! It drove me
crazy <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2235">today</span>!! Anyways, we had a
great week. District conference in MayPen this week. I am glad to go back and
see everyone in May Pen. Anyways, I'll talk to you next week. See ya next month.
Love ya!<br />
<br />
<div>
Love Elder Colton Harris</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TFYMAiWYeF1yQLMSzX7mgd3fuiWIjnF7FoKFnKpicLW6J0i7qejgpkyJP-WDtUCs-jXeYlG_sBgqDB_iB4M5ZiptohlqQjVfupydp3xJk07IkLplfKR4le6SxjmTBlx8Bg8d06VXz7mE/s1600/DSCF8573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TFYMAiWYeF1yQLMSzX7mgd3fuiWIjnF7FoKFnKpicLW6J0i7qejgpkyJP-WDtUCs-jXeYlG_sBgqDB_iB4M5ZiptohlqQjVfupydp3xJk07IkLplfKR4le6SxjmTBlx8Bg8d06VXz7mE/s1600/DSCF8573.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish! (I wish that we caught these!)
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iJOd1Rfkc0e3CZelTfcBW44i6QdDGdNEGvHK79TCLlS9VuCvB4EiFbTZ6Hvd2Qeel6Pg-Zq1rJB0d8cdyq301yiIw6D7yT-kvpun8xsi_m29m11s6tIDIM548Kq7dXtbkJTOLLLRFLfb/s1600/DSCF8585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iJOd1Rfkc0e3CZelTfcBW44i6QdDGdNEGvHK79TCLlS9VuCvB4EiFbTZ6Hvd2Qeel6Pg-Zq1rJB0d8cdyq301yiIw6D7yT-kvpun8xsi_m29m11s6tIDIM548Kq7dXtbkJTOLLLRFLfb/s1600/DSCF8585.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
We forgot to bring plates, thank goodness for banana and almond tree
leaves!!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5U6f0Hz4OA_1cz2SudXekY_BxO-P2iNMx_K9DbTQUmLVnAiCyOgmAXk-Vi4ezCPKWLU_t-UutxD3BlJGpVCdgh97JJeflG5vzD9FJV-3BPXJpcIvzH5pNcI0tM25A1fJ0MZecm9QE647/s1600/DSCF8598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5U6f0Hz4OA_1cz2SudXekY_BxO-P2iNMx_K9DbTQUmLVnAiCyOgmAXk-Vi4ezCPKWLU_t-UutxD3BlJGpVCdgh97JJeflG5vzD9FJV-3BPXJpcIvzH5pNcI0tM25A1fJ0MZecm9QE647/s1600/DSCF8598.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-62822005787711348752015-01-12T18:31:00.002-08:002015-01-12T18:35:15.515-08:00Alligator Pond!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good morning everyone. Our week this week was pretty good. I
am pretty sure that for the past 98 weeks or so I have started all of my
letters with "our week was pretty good" guess that I am not original
at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I don't have a lot of time this week to email. I got on
the computer earlier today and had to rush. We were meeting some other
missionaries and a member from Mandeville down in Alligator Pond! I'll have to
tell you about that trip next week and send pictures next week cuz it was super
fun! Last week for Pday we also went to Alligator pond. We went down there are
played soccer on the beach for a few hours. It was pretty fun because half of
the field that we were playing on was sand and the other half of the field that
we were playing on was the ocean every time a wave would come in. If you think
a bunch of Americans can look uncoordinated with their feet while playing on
grass, wait till you see a bunch of Americans playing soccer in moving
water!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fun and that's all that
counts. We also went to a restaurant. I ordered jerked lobster. It was pretty
good, I would definitely recommend it to anyone if you get the chance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also did some missionary work this week. Next week I will
have to tell you the story about a less active named P.G. I don't have time
this week but next week I will.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Devin, I've heard
that the sickness you got is comparable to chickungunya, if it is then I feel
super bad for you. Chickungunya is terrible so I assume yours was too! Keep up
the good work though!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Saturday we received transfer calls. I am obviously
staying here with my comp. It was just bitter sweet because this is the last
transfer call that I will receive before the infamous "Elder Harris, yuu a
gaa yuu yaad!!” (Elder Harris, you are going to your house.) 6 weeks is all I
got, going to make it count.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep it Irie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Love Elder Colton Harris<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These are of last week’s Pday pictures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCY4sX_JuRJCYrX75fZhGEkK1A6YE0NBfwl9GnXkn8dQgtLYCvOXK3uU6b_i5rvedh2Pew7YeaYNa8fJDRTgeEHMd_bsgGDuLsQWDe-X6l5-JeXergq8pRFtAZTi_-ZcLqNwN9mWpUVTKI/s1600/DSCF8532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCY4sX_JuRJCYrX75fZhGEkK1A6YE0NBfwl9GnXkn8dQgtLYCvOXK3uU6b_i5rvedh2Pew7YeaYNa8fJDRTgeEHMd_bsgGDuLsQWDe-X6l5-JeXergq8pRFtAZTi_-ZcLqNwN9mWpUVTKI/s1600/DSCF8532.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Played soccer on this beach for a few hours last week. Was pretty fun. This is near alligator pond</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKNvjV82oVDvl7lqFOyFn1Eelhm1O7qQYK7W-2LhImY0LQJUMCc1ndoKPjyHTznUxzQJf129WWkQFo7of-ChcuNgHjSjJsT6vuFcNG0qclJlf-Q5dMqttcEf5HIltPY06eHIUmbJ9WreF/s1600/DSCF8545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKNvjV82oVDvl7lqFOyFn1Eelhm1O7qQYK7W-2LhImY0LQJUMCc1ndoKPjyHTznUxzQJf129WWkQFo7of-ChcuNgHjSjJsT6vuFcNG0qclJlf-Q5dMqttcEf5HIltPY06eHIUmbJ9WreF/s1600/DSCF8545.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jerked lobster platter!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXV89PK8uTk_EH4u9H8CM-pjD9PyENXGBUSTtxpxtQn-vIAoWcr6IRVIghd_05greeZcgiUie82_TmDevR4n69LHERYJA2AycuGSo-lPyF2717M-WS-g_RRc6OnqWSeGUDIPJZQMwV0F84/s1600/DSCF8547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXV89PK8uTk_EH4u9H8CM-pjD9PyENXGBUSTtxpxtQn-vIAoWcr6IRVIghd_05greeZcgiUie82_TmDevR4n69LHERYJA2AycuGSo-lPyF2717M-WS-g_RRc6OnqWSeGUDIPJZQMwV0F84/s1600/DSCF8547.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jerked lobster again! It tasted pretty dang good!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-64236728502793525962015-01-05T14:47:00.001-08:002015-01-05T14:47:16.709-08:002K15!!!Happy 2015 officially now! Our New Year's celebration was was very simple lol. Just had our typical proselyting day, then New Year's day we did our normal proselyting as well. Actually we had a bunch of Kilometers (miles) left for the month of December so we decided to take our dinner break and drive to Treasure Beach to see if we could find somewhere to go get dessert or something, we get there and only bars are open.. nothing else so we had to come all the way back and ended up going to get ice cream at a little shop across the street from our apartment. Got some coconut ice cream and that was it.<br />
<div>
We have been having a lot of success with less actives here, I might have said that before but it is true. President C. just has a great connection with all of them, and they all respect him a lot. There were only 29 people at Sacrament meeting yesterday, I conducted so I got to bear my testimony first. It went well. The Stake and the mission here in Jamaica are organizing another huge temple trip to Santa Domingo this summer. We are trying to prepare members so that they can go on that. There will be 154 persons from Jamaica going on this temple trip. They are chartering another airplane and are staying there for a week. The participants are going to only have to pay $150 US, and everything else is essentially covered for most people. The Lord's work truly is great and marvelous. It's a miracle the church is able to make it that cheap for those here in Jamaica. Even though it is only $150, it is still a HUGE HUGE HUGE sacrifice for essentially everybody. But these temple trips show the commitment that the church has to help establish real growth here in Jamaica, not superficial growth where we baptize everyone but they don't really progress too far after that. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
As for our investigators, they are still progressing slowly. Too bad, so sad. It is hard in this area. Taxis don't run on Sundays. For most here they either walk long long distances to get to church or they have to charter a taxi. Chartering a taxi costs about $1,500 even for just a few kilometres away from the church, that would be hard for me to pay $15 just to go to church every Sunday. It is difficult to help investigators see the importance of making the sacrifice necessary to get to church, especially when there are so many churches in their own communities that they could go to.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
So with everyone freezing over there on that side of the world I'll go soak up some sunshine for all of you. We are heading to Alligator Pond right now with some other missionaries. It is the same place I went when I was at the very beginning of my mission and got jerked lion fish to eat, now I am going back at the end.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Well, I guess that I will see you guys next month.. crazy to say that. Have a great week, see you soon! Love you!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Elder Colton Harris</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9dNoRWwEx3qMUlj3QemtXUyPD5JCIen460UFBblAHNvdSG0pfO9ntmwnfN4cmhj0w4xEYqJfhjYm09RR41QQAlzYgZhj-dJIckL_Zil4PmnBh0W5LdejmuQ1i2nQZfChMNhaOcd_pSHU/s1600/DSCF8503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9dNoRWwEx3qMUlj3QemtXUyPD5JCIen460UFBblAHNvdSG0pfO9ntmwnfN4cmhj0w4xEYqJfhjYm09RR41QQAlzYgZhj-dJIckL_Zil4PmnBh0W5LdejmuQ1i2nQZfChMNhaOcd_pSHU/s1600/DSCF8503.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">$1 US per strawberry anyone?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2sY1rBhmwM5JbFXUIotDoCtX26hKJhurcnA-uNlPkxWR1zu2d1wrruebnji1lLS15bnxNDqoWHEI2nArBSGr_KPTteteMIe9d90TuWgJiEQn_rwWzx_PYQDjKleV7OjSHKuT6g4H8r7N/s1600/DSCF8506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2sY1rBhmwM5JbFXUIotDoCtX26hKJhurcnA-uNlPkxWR1zu2d1wrruebnji1lLS15bnxNDqoWHEI2nArBSGr_KPTteteMIe9d90TuWgJiEQn_rwWzx_PYQDjKleV7OjSHKuT6g4H8r7N/s1600/DSCF8506.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BIG COW! tiny truck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-32229324007163849882014-12-29T20:20:00.000-08:002015-01-04T20:21:11.224-08:00Happy New Year!Well everyone, it is that time of year again, where it is the end of the year..
Skyping on Christmas was great! I can't believe that this was mission Skype 4
out of 4, I never thought that I would get to this point! Christmas week was
great and hot as well. So Christmas day we skyped, then had dinner with Elder
and Sister Vance. That meal was good, had ham and all the normal side dishes, it
has been a long time since I have had ham! Then we went and handed out some
Christmas cards to a few members and non members then went up to our branch
presidents house and had dinner with them. It was an effective Christmas.
Throughout the day we looked for opportunities to do service and stuff as well.
Christmas traditions are a little bit different than they are back home or in
Cayman. So <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT7995">Christmas eve</span> here
seems like the big celebration. In all the town centers they have HUGE parties,
they call it grand market. They line the streets with the massive speaker towers
that you've seen in pictures. There are lots of things that they can buy at
grand market so I think that the things they buy at grand market essentially are
the equivalent of <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT7996">Christmas</span>
presents I think. But everyone at grand market just seems to be drunk and
smoking weed and just chillin in front of loud music. They stay there all night
long, then on <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT7997">Christmas</span> day,
Jamaica is very quiet, more quiet than I have ever heard, Everyone sleeps for
most of <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT7998">Christmas</span> day since they
were up all night. They get up and they do eat a big <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT7999">Christmas</span> meal in the afternoon. Give or take a little bit,
that seems to be the <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT8000">Christmas</span>
traditions here for the majority of people. Not too much to talk about since we
Skyped this week. We have been having very good success with working with less
actives, that has been very productive recently. Working with investigators...
doesn't seem to be going as well as the less actives, but going forward none the
less. Have a happy New Year! Enjoy the time in California!
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFmsvB-MOd7NUrw672gJ4kWz_BVZ-tnLfp0fjvjMzNXeql374NRQBugMvLpNN9v85-b9hzcUtpbMeu3qKodazaZ_aC-eq4hgUp6fQdAjJFiGHT1e3cqTkWzw06Aue3Zi5ra8yLeW8R8eT/s1600/DSCF8465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFmsvB-MOd7NUrw672gJ4kWz_BVZ-tnLfp0fjvjMzNXeql374NRQBugMvLpNN9v85-b9hzcUtpbMeu3qKodazaZ_aC-eq4hgUp6fQdAjJFiGHT1e3cqTkWzw06Aue3Zi5ra8yLeW8R8eT/s1600/DSCF8465.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That truck has massive speakers all the way around it. That is at grand market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS9Kon6z7FBcR6sh5ViaoHKv0HhwKONs9XbI_5OZyj4DHcjKcCMXHVNX_eNxAqw0rpQRcd7mov_0THoM-yjXpT-5BQBge7fNeBrPOiwdd2hKOPWdbeo7Rbb3cEt34NMqPeEEcQwBf9fHS/s1600/DSCF8467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS9Kon6z7FBcR6sh5ViaoHKv0HhwKONs9XbI_5OZyj4DHcjKcCMXHVNX_eNxAqw0rpQRcd7mov_0THoM-yjXpT-5BQBge7fNeBrPOiwdd2hKOPWdbeo7Rbb3cEt34NMqPeEEcQwBf9fHS/s1600/DSCF8467.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star apple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-88036097022586737022014-12-22T12:33:00.000-08:002014-12-23T12:43:44.645-08:00Merry Christmas!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MERRY CHRISTMAS!! To start off the letter today I want to
start with the Christmas story in my nativish language. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Iina dem die de, de Ruoman ruula, Siiza Agostos, gi
aada fi rait dong di niem a evribadi iina im kingdom. (Dis a di fos taim niem a
rait dong sins di taim wen Kiriniyous did a ruul uova Siriya.) Aal im piipl dem
didafi go a di toun we dem baan fi get dem niem rait dong, so di gavament kyan
taks dem. So kaaz Juozif did kom fram Dievid fambili an Dievid did baan iina
Judiya, im did afi lef from Nazaret iina Gyalalii an go a Betliyem iina Judiya.
Juozif go de wid Mieri fi get dem niem rait dong. Di tuu a dem did ingiej fi
marie dem wan aneda an shi did av biebe iina beli. Wen dem de de, Mieri tek iin
fi av biebi, an shi av ar fos pikni, wan bwai. Shi rap im op iina biebi
blangkit an put im iina di baks we di animal dem nyam outa, kaaz no spies neva
iina ges ous fi dem" -Luuk 2: 1-7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can go read that alongside the English verses in Luke 2
if you can't understand them. That is copied straight from the patois bible in
case you were wondering. Yes, they have a patois bible believe it or not. I
can't wait for the patois version of the Book of Mormon, haha that would be the
day! And for some reason, church headquarters calls this an English speaking
mission, I don't see it, nor hear it very often. Nah, that patois above is very
very thick even for locals out here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alright, we had our branch Christmas dinner on Saturday, it
went well. We got just as many to that dinner as we do to sacrament meeting so
that is good. We had almost 30 people. It was a pot-luck dinner. I made liver,
turkey neck and curried chicken back and brought that to the dinner. I will say
that I made them pretty good if I do say so myself. Watch out mom, your kitchen
is about to get some new flavors brought into it in just a few weeks! At the
Christmas dinner we put up the First Presidencies Christmas devotional to watch
since I don't think anyone in the branch watched it last week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday in church was just as hectic as last week. We had
4 speakers planned to give a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday and only 2 out
of the 4 showed up. The first 2 speakers finished their talks at 10:40, which
meant that there was still 25 mins left in Sacrament meeting. This time I had
to give a talk in Sacrament meeting without any preparation. I still wasn't
able to take up all of the time so we still finished early, but oh well. The
Elders quorum presidency is getting rearranged so they never came prepared for
the lesson, so taught that on the fly again like last week. At least we had
bread for the sacrament this week though! We have been kept very busy the past
couple of weeks. We got home last night at 9:20 and realized that we didn't
take a lunch or dinner break yesterday. Not healthy or good for the body I'm
sure, but by going that long without eating it makes Mac n' cheese taste so
much more delicious than when you are getting 3 square meals! Don't tell my
mission president our occasional eating habits lol. Speaking of my mission
president, his wife had a baby this week, a little baby girl. I'm not sure what
they named her but I did hear that she was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am super excited to Skype on Thursday! I hope you all have
a great Christmas week! As we invite the world to discover, embrace, and share
the gift of Christ this year, also remember that the same invitation is being
extended to us personally as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Big up yute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder Colton Harris</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<o:p></o:p></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqmhvbfjwLkQLKDjEpjt6j_SJH-tks49fxZkcaD6Azk9meJTpTV5KIicuTq-sACf8zXUL6ZjikIkI1V3egQRb0mK-ZAE_fRH1VqVTeD4WI_qCrAJkRos8EQKpLL3GEH1vqqmyWz_YK4Rm/s1600/DSCF8389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqmhvbfjwLkQLKDjEpjt6j_SJH-tks49fxZkcaD6Azk9meJTpTV5KIicuTq-sACf8zXUL6ZjikIkI1V3egQRb0mK-ZAE_fRH1VqVTeD4WI_qCrAJkRos8EQKpLL3GEH1vqqmyWz_YK4Rm/s1600/DSCF8389.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pomegranate or in Jamaican a pomgunut straight off of the tree.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEhKeSecdAsACLf2LwO6WR_s9LfYXMogXiYqkmK8b_3ORd6yr7WMJjxNH83sEIumAQPfMcNFx7foYdn9PPWuzKg8oYGaKhx7zAJuzTizxMvN-_UcOFgqoDUvZ1noYzG_ocm72qCauStu1/s1600/DSCF8417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEhKeSecdAsACLf2LwO6WR_s9LfYXMogXiYqkmK8b_3ORd6yr7WMJjxNH83sEIumAQPfMcNFx7foYdn9PPWuzKg8oYGaKhx7zAJuzTizxMvN-_UcOFgqoDUvZ1noYzG_ocm72qCauStu1/s1600/DSCF8417.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In an area within our are named Munro, very often it is super foggy up there, it's high in the mountains and we drive through a cloud all the time!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdtPC9YGTCk4mCHekEy2CbscXVYksnoRSMwb1lX4lUAZX-pOyttNLXZVy5B_GAa1QCa3YhsxrQST1-RN86T7MCnqAc1dI8SU-3vfWJ6terQ4S3CDTNQ48bg40eFPlbvvXJ264vJfn5Wht/s1600/DSCF8419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdtPC9YGTCk4mCHekEy2CbscXVYksnoRSMwb1lX4lUAZX-pOyttNLXZVy5B_GAa1QCa3YhsxrQST1-RN86T7MCnqAc1dI8SU-3vfWJ6terQ4S3CDTNQ48bg40eFPlbvvXJ264vJfn5Wht/s1600/DSCF8419.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Treasure Beach area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-2QSVS18VKk5k2brXXRfob81NFE_4HU5MQU3gXw6Q3Ahvdepftfpzn8FY3DgIggseeLldBa2u2qhGh4qxziurm7IovkUsbJHBTdUZpljz9TYTWrbB24Kur-yFR0gizlv0CbfMiMIxs7Y/s1600/DSCF8431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-2QSVS18VKk5k2brXXRfob81NFE_4HU5MQU3gXw6Q3Ahvdepftfpzn8FY3DgIggseeLldBa2u2qhGh4qxziurm7IovkUsbJHBTdUZpljz9TYTWrbB24Kur-yFR0gizlv0CbfMiMIxs7Y/s1600/DSCF8431.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anybody want a mango?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjaUhCdwY9i1XNtm5uC5tv-0j7lQoL0_hizb8EYfUFYpmPzR_aVYSCZbYLvy1BA3SwSIfuMCq0p8Sss5fFkE6Yqgy5foh3ullsHxgO87tp6PQ2uWJCiJjymHUoW6eQl2RFtEWCHdjfPnD/s1600/DSCF8433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjaUhCdwY9i1XNtm5uC5tv-0j7lQoL0_hizb8EYfUFYpmPzR_aVYSCZbYLvy1BA3SwSIfuMCq0p8Sss5fFkE6Yqgy5foh3ullsHxgO87tp6PQ2uWJCiJjymHUoW6eQl2RFtEWCHdjfPnD/s1600/DSCF8433.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top of the mountain that's covered in clouds is Munro! This picture is takin
from Treasure Beach. Super glad that I don't have to ride my bike up that
mountain!! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8po4AQeDW1H4_yL8F0Bp1ALqbHofeX8NQDtEYX2INcVo0VSUdaQgPrZqYlVPc3yxjdKHFwCfAFgBnyr0QYsNVoP_K98cwuWq3xPAjzCzRFmeB-SFsvDN7Q2663nGWJS19HALk3eWblGp/s1600/DSCF8436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8po4AQeDW1H4_yL8F0Bp1ALqbHofeX8NQDtEYX2INcVo0VSUdaQgPrZqYlVPc3yxjdKHFwCfAFgBnyr0QYsNVoP_K98cwuWq3xPAjzCzRFmeB-SFsvDN7Q2663nGWJS19HALk3eWblGp/s1600/DSCF8436.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our sign on the Santa Cruz chapel</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYec8ol8uDmGIi_sgQ18uIU1l7QcNyuAbeQ5NHX0c1qhx2R-3pxp1OW63zxZt7-xeo96Ns0iRtBcQuMzKWPcnxZeS5mgbhKlCo7V5wWY63SBs4VE1SvD0XCCUrAmMfHZrW12SoALTtouIb/s1600/DSCF8439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYec8ol8uDmGIi_sgQ18uIU1l7QcNyuAbeQ5NHX0c1qhx2R-3pxp1OW63zxZt7-xeo96Ns0iRtBcQuMzKWPcnxZeS5mgbhKlCo7V5wWY63SBs4VE1SvD0XCCUrAmMfHZrW12SoALTtouIb/s1600/DSCF8439.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The kids here love the little toys that you sent out to hand to them!!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGhhe2KUp9ZgHr4so4VwSO7ofZrjC60bE4OJOwqsxV0im5wgbBqgJqzUBW9-QAVg5msgjfVHn8rWUF465UgLgTv0veFBLSxK5G5Ks3e6lANSvhfg-mKx9jsQvbIin66tHvIusJuSsEAd_/s1600/DSCF8447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGhhe2KUp9ZgHr4so4VwSO7ofZrjC60bE4OJOwqsxV0im5wgbBqgJqzUBW9-QAVg5msgjfVHn8rWUF465UgLgTv0veFBLSxK5G5Ks3e6lANSvhfg-mKx9jsQvbIin66tHvIusJuSsEAd_/s1600/DSCF8447.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does this compete with the one Devin saw?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-42240685057498739382014-12-15T19:09:00.001-08:002014-12-15T19:09:15.263-08:00Busy Day at Church!<div dir="ltr">
<div>
So this week was another busy busy week. We went to Mandeville on Friday
for zone conference and also had our <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT971">Christmas</span> party. Thank you for the <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT972">Christmas</span> package as well! It was great
to receive all of the American candy! The dinner was super good that we had! I
was so full for the whole rest of the day too! The spiritual food was great too!
Pres Brown did a super great job. Elder Martinez from the Area Presidency came
to all the zone conferences around the mission except to Mandevilles, so that
was sad. Afterwards there was a little <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT973">Christmas</span> musical thing by missionaries, I thought about
showing off all my musical ability by whistling a <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT974">Christmas</span> song,, but then decided not to lol, I might have
ended up throwing in some Flow Rida lines or something on accident that would
not have been good haha. But everyone else's talent was pretty ok. We had to go
back to Mandeville on <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT975">Saturday</span>,
there was a district-wide branch presidencies meeting that we had to go to. That
was pretty good, took up most of our day again. Talked a lot about strengthening
the youth. So we had a lot of travelling to do, glad that I don't have to do
this travelling in a taxi! We also took some trips to an area called Treasure
Beach. There are a few investigators out there and a few less active members as
well. It is a pretty cool area, hopefully we are able to swing some pdays out
there soon. There is a member out there named Sis G., she is a picture
perfect member missionary. We had her and Pres C. with us on <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT976">Tuesday</span> and she was telling us about
how many years ago when she lived in Canada, she prayed and dreamed of the day
when missionaries would be in her community, and then she realized that she was
now with the missionaries in her community do missionary work, going to see her
friends and acquaintances to share the gospel with them. </div>
<div>
<br /><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT977">Yesterday</span> was a super
busy day, I mean super busy. We got sustained <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT978">yesterday</span> in church by Elder Vance, he is a senior couple
missionary that the district presidency asked to represent them. Pres. C.
also had me conduct sacrament meeting as well. There was only one priesthood
holder in the congregation that was able to bless the sacrament so I also
blessed the sacrament. When I went to the sacrament table after I announced the
sacrament hymn, I noticed that there wasn't any bread, so the C. family in
the congregation noticed that there wasn't any bread so they sent up a package
of crackers. Yes, I blessed essentially the equivalent of Ritz crackers for
sacrament. After blessing the sacrament I gave a talk in sacrament meeting on
sacrifice. It went well. After sacrament meeting I was supposed to be handing
out donor statements to members and having them go to Pres C. for tithing
settlement, I noticed that the primary had no teacher so I taught primary for
the middle hour of church. After teaching primary, I also went and taught elders
quorum for the 3rd hour of church. After church now we went and did the tithing,
and had to update a bunch of stuff n MLS. MLS is the computer system the church
uses to keep all records and forms etc on. So I had to train myself howto use
MLS and then train the new branch clerk the things that I was learning. It was a
hectic 3 hours of church I tell you!</div>
<div>
<br />So it was a busy week, this next week will be just as busy I hope. It is
getting really close to <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT979">Christmas</span>! Can't believe it is coming so soon! Love all of
you! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Layta,</div>
<div>
Love Elder Harris</div>
<div>
Pic 1) Sunset view from Pres C.'s house <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT980">last night</span>.
</div>
<div>
Pic 2) Treasure Beach</div>
<div>
Pic 3) The owner of a resort in Treasure Beach is a member of the church
and grew up in Idaho... can you tell? :) Deer sheds (antlers) in a tiki hut
thing on the beach!! :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-3482335416103146652014-12-08T17:35:00.002-08:002014-12-08T17:35:16.525-08:00Junction!
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Week number 1 is down in Junction and I love it! Man this is
area is super sweet! We got here Wednesday evening, got in right when it was
getting dark and we were following the zone leaders so I didn't know where we
were going, which means that if I ever have to leave Junction I don't know
where to go since there aren't nice and easy street signs to follow, but we're
here and that's all that matters! Thursday we hit the ground and started to get
a feel of the area. We headed up to President C.’s house and got to know him a
little bit, then he came out teaching with us. He is super awesome and very
converted! He has been a member for a long time and has even been branch
president a few times. When we went to his house, if I hadn't known before hand
that he couldn't see then it would have taken me a long long time to figure
that out! He is pretty young, under 50 for sure just lost his vision pretty
recently due to other complications so he knows the area here in Junction
really good. He was leading us around telling us where to turn, how far to go
and what store or shop or kind of tree to look for, just landmarks to help us.
He has this place memorized, and trust me, this would be a difficult place to
memorize! He loves missionary work too, I need to get him a name tag since he
wants to go out with us so often. The branch is very small, about 25 people
were there for sacrament. We are going to get it back up and running. We have
church in a rented space, they don't have a building of their own. Our area is
super beautiful as well! I thought that I was in the bush when I went to May
Pen, I was way wrong. May Pen was less city than Spanish Town and Kingston but
Junction is pure bush as they say here in Jamaica. There is a ton of farm land,
they grow everything under the sun it seems. The parish that we are in (St.
Elizabeth) is called the bread basket of Jamaica meaning that most produce
comes from here. It seems that everyone here has a farm. It goes house, farm,
house, farm, house, etc. They aren't large farms like we picture back home with
acres and acres of land, but they are farms that like a family would be able to
handle doing all the work by hand and not machinery, so that is the main source
of income here. There is really red dirt everywhere too. We are essentially in
the mountains of Jamaica, there are so many hills, I am so glad that I don't
have to cover this area on a bike! That would be terrible! Although, it did
ruin my plans for "3 months to sexy." I have told essentially
everyone that I don't care what I do for the first 21 months of my mission as
long as I ride a bike my last 2 transfers. Well, so much for that! My transfer
call to Junction with a truck was essentially my "3 months to fatter and
whiter." I wanted to get a good tan, get slim before I go home, so this is
my luck. Where has this truck been the past year? Yeah so since we are in the
mountains, they are arranged perfectly so that we see the ocean from the
mountains almost everywhere we go. If you look one way you see for miles down
into a valley of Jamaica, and you look the other way and you look down at the
ocean! We get to see the ocean from up high in the mountains,,, that's a sweet
combination!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very beautiful! I
love it! Another thing that I like about coming to Junction is that we moved
into the apartment the sisters lived in. I told everyone before I left May Pen
that the house we move into would be super nice since sisters lived there
before,, I was right! Man how would it be to be a sister in this mission! Hot
water in the house, non-rusty fridge, carpet in the bedroom! (first carpet I've
seen in Jamaica btw). They did take the couch out of the house, only sisters
can have couches in the mission according to Prez Brown, that isn't even
exaggerating either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But yeah I don't
even feel that I am in Jamaica since I don't get yelled "whitey" or “chiny
man" anymore at me and because of hot water and carpet and a truck. My new
comp is Elder Sullivan. He is Jamaica from Yallahas. He is a recent convert,
baptized about 2 years ago, only member of the church in his family. It'll be
good. We have a long way to go as far as getting down the missionary lessons
and etc etc, but it's all good. That's why we have 3 months to train. No I am
not district leader anymore! I realized that I haven't seen another
missionaries district meeting in about 16 months or so since in Cayman even
though we were zone leaders there were no district leaders so it was just us!
Finally don't have to worry about coming up with teaching plans for district
meeting all the time! I am in the same zone I was in while I was in May Pen. So
another story, Prez P., the district president was here to put Bro C. in as
branch president, after sacrament meeting Pres P. called me into talk with him.
I thought he was going to explain that I should help out and be branch clerk
like Prez Brown told me I might be doing. Well Prez C. called a branch clerk
actually, but he called me to be the first councilor in the branch presidency.
I was surprised at that. Guess it is another opportunity to serve, stretch, and
grow. I've never seen that before, some missionaries go branch president but
IDK if I have seen them as councilors. It'll be fun. The First Presidency
Christmas devotion was great! It doesn't look, feel, sound, smell, you name it
like Christmastime here. I can't believe that it is so close cuz it feels like
summer time down here. That is the week. I'm sure we will have another great
week this upcoming week as well!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Likkle more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder Colton Harris <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pic 1) Elder Sullivan</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pic 2) Upgraded the ol' bike<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pic 3) Part of the area we cover<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pic 4) View from our area</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-89232863067683665972014-12-01T15:45:00.001-08:002014-12-01T15:49:33.723-08:00To Junction!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Alright so I am starting to email you at 5:45 p.m. today! Today
has been a crazy day! I woke up early and started studies at about 7 this
morning because the zone leaders came and picked me up at about 8 so that we
could go into Kingston. This morning there was a trainers meeting in Kingston,
so yes as you can guess by now, for the last 3 months of my mission I will be
training again! So transfer calls came on Saturday. I am not in my new area
right now like some people think I am, but I am going to be serving in the
village of Junction! It is in the parish of St Elizabeth. There is more to it
though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So there is a sister
companionship that has been working there, they are leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And me and my new trainee will be white
washing the area, and we have the whole area all to ourselves. I go into
Spanish Town on Wednesday to pick him up. After that we are going to the area
not knowing any investigators or members or anything. I have never been to
Junction and there are no missionaries there to show us around so it is going
to be great! I am really excited for this, it is going to be challenging but
also great! We went to the mission office today after the trainers meeting and
Prez Brown pulled me into his office. He told me that I came within an inch of
becoming branch president out there. I'll be honest, I am super glad that I
don't have to train and be branch president! But, they decided to make a guy
named Bro C. branch president. Bro C. is blind, and there are only 18 people
that show up to this branch so pres said I will be the branch clerk and branch
this and that and that we are going to be driving Bro C. around helping him to
fulfill his calling and stuff. I am super excited, it is going to be a great 3
months! I have never met Bro C. but everyone says he is the most awesome guy
ever! So that is that, I'll let you know next week how Junction is. I am also
excited about the new "He is the Gift' Christmas initiative that the
church is doing this year. As missionaries it will be a great tool to find new
investigators, especially since I will be in a brand new area, I am going to
use that so much in order to find new investigators. If you haven't seen the
video you should watch it, He is the Gift. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch it and then find ways to #sharethegift
this Christmas season with anyone and everyone. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am really sad that I am leaving May Pen. It has been great
here, and honestly the past 4 1/2 months have flown by like just a few weeks!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For Thanksgiving this week we made rice and peas and then we
went and bought an apple pie from the grocery store! That was the best part! We
were in Mandeville this Wednesday for zone meeting so we went to this American
style grill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great. We also
considered that part of our Thanksgiving. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week there were 3 baptisms in the branch. They were
from 2 of the sister companionships here. I had interviews with them all this
week and they are great! Originally all 3 of them asked me to baptize them, I
told them to spread the wealth a little bit so one of them asked Pres Brown to
do it and the other one then chose Elder Martin. Pres Brown agreed to do it
throughout the week but then on Saturday I talked to him and he said he
wouldn't be able to make it to May Pen and asked if I would baptize the person
for him. Long story short, I baptized 2 people this week which was great and
then I confirmed the other one in church on Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sorry that this is so short and scattered, time was super
limited. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have a great week! Love you all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder Colton Harris<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchkPacmpYWaODcCfcc-oUY__JNhDv3gIOqJQ366xdhpb1iGUAysKT5G7CL6solq7h_YTVgGvvh_Z5CRcVfqtkfwIk6ENh8OyaSKHeEoQXvANjJsSfMKVLw5gGb-C_791urHyVUhdBfj-A/s1600/DSCF8257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchkPacmpYWaODcCfcc-oUY__JNhDv3gIOqJQ366xdhpb1iGUAysKT5G7CL6solq7h_YTVgGvvh_Z5CRcVfqtkfwIk6ENh8OyaSKHeEoQXvANjJsSfMKVLw5gGb-C_791urHyVUhdBfj-A/s1600/DSCF8257.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thought this shack was great!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-41427894499653384972014-11-24T19:51:00.000-08:002014-11-25T20:09:18.035-08:00Grateful for so much!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So here comes another week. Realized today that we are
starting Elder Chappell’s 12th week in the 12 week training program... (no this
is not a 12 we addiction recovery program). 3 months with him have passed by
really quick. 4 1/2 months here in May Pen have passed by in the twinkling of
an eye! I gotta enjoy this last week that I have here in May Pen. Don't know
where I am heading yet but I know that I am leaving. This week, actually the
past 2 weeks we have gotten drenched by rain every single day I think! We have
been coming home so muddy every night and a few days where we have been wet all
the way through from the time we leave the house at 10 till the time we come
home at night. All in a day’s work in the JKM. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">C. got baptized on Sunday! Elder Chappell baptized her.
Finally! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great! She kinda put up
a fight to get all the way under the water. The first time right when her head
was about to go under she put out a pretty loud "Ahh", and then
couldn't go down. The 2nd time basically the same thing happened, she had a
little panic attack I think. I wouldn't be surprised if this was the first time
in her life that she has been completely submerged in water. The 3rd time Elder
Chappell put a little bit more force and she finally got down, not all on her
own will lol. I confirmed her in church too, that was pretty great!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have been finding a few new people this week. The good
thing is that the people we are finding are pretty elect and they are pretty
well established people with good educations and jobs and stuff. That is good
because they will be able to be baptized and contribute to the branch right
away to establish real growth out here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So this week is Thanksgiving! Being out here has made me so
grateful for so much! It is amazing how my attitude about so many things has
completely changed being out here. I have come to think that when I go home and
I get stuck in traffic because of road construction I might actually be
grateful for that. In the year and a half that I have been in Jamaica I don't
think that I have seen any road construction. Normally I would think that is
great! But I realize that road construction= nice well-kept smooth roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No road construction= very bumpy, pot-holed,
mostly dirt, narrow roads. If you were to tell me 2 years ago that throughout
my mission I would come to develop a love for road construction, I would think
that you were the craziest person on the face of the earth. Obviously I have
also come to be grateful for many other things. I have thought about why I am
so lucky to have been born into a family in the church, that is a small
percentage of people compared to everyone. If I wasn't born into the church I
probably never would have joined it honestly. I have come to be super grateful
for my family! I have also come to be very grateful for temples, and the ease
we have to get to temples. People would give up anything to go to the temple or
to go back to the temple. Members dreams are to visit Utah. Yes, Utah of all
places is where people of the Caribbean want to visit. Seems a little backwards
since everyone in Utah wants to visit the Caribbean. Our mission president said
that he would give up anything to live within a day’s run of any temple! Some
of us aren't very happy if we live more than an hour’s drive of a temple, or if
the temple session lasts longer than an hour. New perspectives are great! Have
a great Thanksgiving day! Enjoy all that food! And happy Black Friday too since
that basically seems to be a holiday now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have a great week! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blessed Love!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder Colton Harris</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade guitar with a board, sardine can, and fishing line</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisT9aQp6jwDtr6FW8UhwqHXr6np73pDTIjOQigLasIc41RoavcOIvpwrUA-csBKC0BTHtcpl3GVLA0A40CiH-F5LArosi0ibPP1KtH03pK_2RSj6zVL7T-ZBFMXP9Sc2TW-4mwz5iZB24_/s1600/DSCF8239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisT9aQp6jwDtr6FW8UhwqHXr6np73pDTIjOQigLasIc41RoavcOIvpwrUA-csBKC0BTHtcpl3GVLA0A40CiH-F5LArosi0ibPP1KtH03pK_2RSj6zVL7T-ZBFMXP9Sc2TW-4mwz5iZB24_/s1600/DSCF8239.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainy season equals muddy clothing!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-56456233133987556792014-11-17T14:23:00.000-08:002014-11-25T20:08:44.143-08:00Singing "I am a Child of God" with a drummer's accompanimentEveryone what's up! This week has been a great week! Saturday was the funeral for Sister H. The family didn't want to hold the funeral at our church because they said that no one wanted to come to a funeral at our church. It was instead held at a Pentecostal church in Canaan Heights. Wow, that was a party lol. We walk in and us 4 missionaries had some of the ushers come up and they walked us right up to the front of the building to the reserved seating, I don't know why but we had the best seats in the house. We did get seats right in front of the band. Most of it was like a concert. I think our seats also should have had a splash zone warning on them, with a lot of shouting (what they called singing and praising the Lord) a couple times I think that I got splashed on. Overall it was good, just loud and different. They had some of us from our church sing a song and we sang 'I am a Child of God.' The best part of the song was that the drummer gave us a beat while we were singing, I'm proposing a drum beat to the MoTab, it adds a sweet new element to songs lol. A lot of people were at the funeral. Unlike back home where you only go to a funeral if the person who has died is very close to you, everyone and then some who knows the person who died shows up. They even go if it is a friend of a friend or if they live in or have lived in the same community together, so lots of people always attend funerals. The excuse, "I can't come to church this weekend, I am going to a funeral" is probably the #1 excuse we get from investigators and others who we invite to church. We told some people about how back home we only go to a funeral if you know the person really well and they all said' "No man, that's just weird." So I guess it's all just what you are used to.<br />
<br />
C. should be getting baptized this weekend! She has an interview planned for this week, so hopefully this works out now! It has been a long, long time in the making, but the time is finally here. I am excited about that! She is doing great, and has improved a lot even in the past week or 2.<br />
<br />
We went earlier this week to re-drop A. From what she said to us at church last week we thought she didn't understand what we meant when we dropped her. We go there and we are like alright, you asked why we haven't been coming to see you anymore, do you know why we can't come and see you anymore? And she says, "Cuz you gave me 3 options and I didn't choose one of the options that would alow you to come back and see me." (The 3 options that we told her she had was 1) work towards marriage with E. 2) Break up with E. or 3) continue living with E. while you aren't married and if that is what you choose we can't keep coming to see you because there wouldn't be much else that we could help her with at that point.) She obviously understood our drop lesson, but then she tells us her and E. are getting married now... again. From talking with both of them it sounds real this time. It's been a big headache working with her. She is so close and I think she will make it this time. I think her 10 day drop was very good for her, it made her realize that we are serious about these things and pushed her to act. So instead of re-dropping her, we ended up picking her back up in our teaching pool.<br />
<br />
So IDK if you remember me talking about J. last month, she is the lady that we asked for directions one night, then she gave us like 15 referrals for us to contact and we thought that she was an investigator. IDK if I told you this part tho, well we came to find out a few weeks later that she is a member of our church, just is very less active. We found that out because the referrals that we received from her told the sister missionaries that she was a member. We go and look and we can't find her name on the branch list, so we call her and ask her and sure enough she is a member. J. is her pet name, when she told us her real name we found it really quick on the branch list. Well her daughter is going to be baptized in a few months and her granddaughter is going to be baptized in 2 weeks. J., her daughter and granddaughter and her niece were all at church yesterday. It was great! J.’s daughter and granddaughter were actually the sister missionaries’ investigators before we sent them the referral, so that is also pretty cool, don't know how it happened but somehow it worked out like that. Hopefully they all become active in the gospel, that would be a sweet family story. <br />
<br />
2 weeks ago we were walking out of Value Mart where we do our weekly shopping and a guy came up to us. He was like, “You’re missionaries for the LDS church right?” We said yeah. Well come to find out he had just moved back to Jamaica from living the Nassau, Bahamas for the past 11 years. While in Nassau and during the presidential elections 2 years ago with Mitt Romney he started researching the church online. When I hear that someone has researched the church online it usually is only bad things that they remember and want to talk about, but he seems to be focusing on most of the good. He said he has seen good and bad but that he knows not everything could have been true. He asks really great questions, requested a visit from the missionaries and a Book of Mormon from mormon.org but no one ever came to see him. He has basically taught himself so, so much about the church, and even started reading the Book of Mormon from the internet. He goes to the MormonChannel on Youtube and watches sections of general conference that they post on there. In Nassau he even went to the church building a few times to try and talk to someone but all the times he went no one was ever there. He is super prepared to receive the gospel. He asked us at the end of our lesson, "Do you think it would be ok if I could attend your church with you?" We were like, uhm yeah , I think we will be able to arrange that. And then we told him about institute and activities that our branch has on Friday nights so he is actually going to be coming to both of those too. He even invited us into his house to have the lesson, first lesson that I have had IN a house since I have been in May Pen, it was great. This is fulfilling the Lords promise in Preach My Gospel that He will either lead us to them that are prepared or He will lead the prepared to us. I am super excited about him, he is 18 years old, and will be able to be a strong member that can contribute to the branch as soon as he is baptized. When he walked us out to the front yard after the lesson he said, "I have been wanting to join this church but I just haven't received an opportunity yet." He has studied other religions as well and went on for a few minutes about what he likes about this church compared to other churches. Things have been a little slow lately with our investigators and this is definitely a tender mercy of from the Lord.<br />
<br />
Have a great week! Happy 5th birthday Marissa! I love you!<br />
<br />
Blessed Love.<br />
Elder Colton Harris<br />
Also, it is still really, really hot here unlike back home! #bejealous<br />
<br />
Pictures:<br />
<span id="goog_452388371"></span><span id="goog_452388372"></span><br />
1) Funeral services in Jamaica are a HUGE business! In all reality, if you want to get rich in Jamaica then open a funeral home.. they spend so so so so much money on funerals. They don't have normal hearses here, just Cadillac Escalade hearses, the only Cadillacs on the entire island I would say all are owned by funeral homes. When I die, that's what I want. Notice the speakers on the outside of the car, they blast music up and down the streets constantly...and there are many of these throughout May Pen, throughout every city really.<br />
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2) Lots of rain, fully soaked from being in a downpour for over an hour.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colton enjoying the rain in Jamaica</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to add this picture of Devin who is enjoying the rain in Brazil! These brothers may be thousands of miles apart geographically, but they are obviously still very close at heart!</td></tr>
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3) Fixing my shoe with silicone :) I really just did it for fun<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-17463911269485143102014-11-10T20:05:00.002-08:002014-11-11T08:45:11.566-08:00All in a Day's Work Here in the JKM!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hello. My name is Elder Harris and I am going to write about
my week right now. My week was great. About like any other week the past couple
weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A., the one we dropped last week showed up to church
yesterday. She wouldn't let me shake her hand because she said that she didn't
like us anymore. I asked why and she said because we haven't called her or
stopped by her house this week. I guess she didn't really understand what we
meant when we said, "Because you aren't progressing, we aren't going to be
come over here anymore, we still encourage you to read your Book of Mormon,
Pray, and come to church but we aren't going to be able to stop by as
often." Obviously we said it a little bit nicer then that but you get the
point. I wish that she would get married or separated because she shows up to
church even though we hadn't seen her for 10 days. She also taught FHE at C.’s
house on Monday, (she is related to C., and C. is also one of our
investigators) and she chose to talk on the Law of Chastity, now if only she
would live it! Hopefully this drop pushes her <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to start working towards something in a
serious way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We did service for Sister M.'s family again, the one we built
the house for. We chopped her yard for her, and it was ridonkulous! It was
super thick weeds! Chopping yard here with a machete is pretty fun, it's like
taking a sword outside to cut your grass and all the weeds, but the weeds are
MUCH larger in stature out here! It's fun, except we did it in the heat of the
day and I got so many blisters! They would come in and then they would pop and
then they would reblister after that. That was super lame, but it is all in a
day’s work in the JKM! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So the Chickingunia virus is for reals when they say
symptoms could last for months and years! I have bad joint pain in my wrists,
and feet every morning! It's been like that for... basically the past 2 months
since I got it. It wears off throughout the day, but every morning I feel like
a super old person, everyone still has the joint pain symptoms sometimes.
Whatever, only have a few more years until it wears off apparently :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well not too much happened this week, have a great week! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nuff Love! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elder Colton Harris<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The preferred way of carrying groceries home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I will never complain of a push mower again!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-85213830083738927422014-11-04T19:41:00.000-08:002014-11-04T19:41:11.780-08:00Service is where it's at!Sup Sup! Well I am here in the email shop and I just realized that there is a
big poster on the wall, the exciting part is that it is a Duck Dynasty poster!
IDK if Duck Dynasty is still big over there, my guess is that it has faded out,
but since all I know about the real world is from my knowledge 20 months ago
Duck Dynasty is still where it is at for me! I would think that because of that
poster whoever runs this email shop has good taste, but at the same time there
is a Justin Bieber poster too which makes me think that they don't really have
good taste at all. Anyways, it looks good up there on the wall!
<br />
<div>
As for this week, we ended up dropping A. She is a long time
investigator and hasn't been making progress for a long time even though she
keeps a lot of commitments. We didn't plan to do this in the lesson but that's
the way it turned out. She said that she didn't see herself marrying E. or
breaking up with him. There isn't too much else that we can do with that then.
She isn't completely gone tho, she is teaching a FHE that we are going to be at
<span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT90">tonight</span> with her aunt so we will
still see her. Have another investigator named An. He has been taught before
by missionaries and we found him in our area book. We have been having lessons
with him but he always says that he will visit our church but that he doesn't
want to commit to anything. Well we taught the plan of salvation to him this
week and he got captured by it like a fish on a hook! He like it a lot, learned
a lot of new truths and at the end he didn't even want us to leave which is a
little bit different for him. He has an awesome family and I even think that he
is married, I'm not sure about the marriage part but I think he is, and has 3
little kids. We are planning on having a FHE with them hopefully on <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT91">Sunday</span>, that would be great!</div>
<div>
</div>
It has been raining a lot here the past 2 weeks, it has been great! Keeping
it fairly cool, by fairly cool I mean still really hot but it's better.<br />
<br />
This Halloween I didn't even eat one piece of candy.. how super lame is
that! I hope that I never ever have another Halloween like this again in my
life, it's kind of lame lol. Jamaicans do not celebrate Halloween at all, the
most festive that I dressed up that day was by wearing an orange and black
tie.<br />
<br />
<div>
Saturday was a Caribbean wide day of service. The branch went to the May
Pen infirmary (housing for mentally or physically disabled) and did service.
There are 137 people that are housed there and they loved seeing us! We played
games with them, cut their hair and did some other stuff. At the end we gave
them all ice cream which was a big treat for them. We also passed out hygiene
kits cuz even though they live in this complex, they aren't living in very good
conditions at all. It will benefit them a lot! So if anyone back home has made
hygiene kits recently, maybe those ones came to a good cause here in May Pen?
They loved it a lot. It was humbling being there just seeing these people with
disabilities and their living conditions. <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT92">Yesterday</span> in sacrament meeting the first like 3 testimonies
were people getting up and saying how there was a bad turnout from members of
the branch and how great it was and that they had no excuse to miss it, then the
last part of testimony meeting was people getting up and giving their excuse for
why they couldn't make it. It was pretty funny. It was a good experience
tho. </div>
<br />
<div>
Well Devin sounds like he is doing super good! Have a great week
everyone! </div>
<br />
<div>
Love Elder Colton Harris<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colton's District</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plastic is over the beds to keep them dry when it rains</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The big chunks/rocks were removed and then cardboard was laid down as the flooring<br />
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Home they helped to build </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Service Project</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck Dynasty Poster in email shop</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-59692536471812040362014-10-27T20:37:00.003-07:002014-10-27T20:37:53.644-07:00Two decades into my mission...sort of!
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So today I am emailing you on my 20 month mark! It's kind of
like reaching a new decade in the mission, sort of not really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It kind of makes sense in my head since 20
months is in increments of 10. Alright enough of that, so it is also Elders
Chappell’s 2 month mark today. He definitely wishes that he had the 0 at the
end of his month mark right now and I wish that I didn't have the 0 at the end
of mine!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is still missing home right
now and thinking that time is moving slowly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He'll start to feel better in about another 2 months or so. I wish that
I could switch places with him though. It is bittersweet as time is winding
down.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We walked with A. to church yesterday. She has kind of been
at a standstill lately. She has been a progressing investigator for so long
that she is kind of not even progressing anymore, kind of just plateaued. She
basically keeps all of her commitments except to work seriously towards either
marrying her baby father of separating from him. It's hard to drop her since
she is keeping so many commitments and coming to church regularly, that's
better than a lot of investigators do, but it is also hard to keep her since
she has been taught for so long and is at a standstill. Co. is basically in the
same predicament too. We fasted with A. this weekend so hopefully as we follow
up with her on that we can come to some conclusion. We also walked to church
with her this week so that she could save money from taking a taxi so that she
could pay fast offerings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They found Ca. at one of her daughter’s houses this week. Ch.
is moving to Montego Bay next week. They finally have a little bit of water
coming to an outside pipe in their yard since it has been raining the past week
or so, so that is good too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We got 4 new missionaries in the district this transfer. One
sister is brand new from Utah and was terrified for a few days, I think she is
better now. We also got 2 other sisters, they are white washing an area here in
May Pen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 3 weeks ago an elder went
home and his companion got transferred to a new area and sisters took that area
over this week. They have been completely lost since they are completely new to
the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of those sisters served
in Cayman, and yesterday at church a member from Cayman showed up to church. I
had to do a double take because I knew that he looked familiar but I didn't
know from where.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I realized that it
was J. H. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has family here in MayPen.
Man, it was great to catch up with him about Cayman. R., my recent convert, is
getting married to the girl that gave us him as a referral. The girls name in W.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is from Honduras and she moved back to
Honduras before I left Cayman. Apparently R. has gone to Honduras like twice
per month since we left. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that he
went once before I left too. They just met at a restaurant she was working at
and since she is a returned missionary she invited him to church, he came, got
baptized, his son got baptized, got the Melchizedek priesthood, and now they
are getting married in the Honduras temple in December when he reaches his year
mark of being baptized! Yes! #eternalfamily, that's what it's all about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Had a good lesson with an investigator named D. this week.
She isn't keeping any commitments really. We asked why she keeps wanting us to
come over and what she wants to gain from our visits and she told us that all
the time when we are there she feels joy and she feels loved and stuff, and she
says that those leave when we leave so she likes having us over there. We read
verses from Galatians 5 with her and let her know that she is feeling the
spirit. We then went over how one of the spirit’s roles is to testify of truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if she feels the spirit when we are
there, and we are teaching her about the restoration, Joseph Smith, the Book of
Mormon, etc., then all of that has to be true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Otherwise the spirit wouldn't be with us in a lesson. Hopefully she was
able to connect the dots and starts to keep commitments now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well this computer that I am on just isn't letting me send
pictures. Sorry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a great week!
Happy Halloween! And Happy Birthday on Halloween to Taggart! Love you all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-55907253908159911712014-10-21T19:16:00.004-07:002014-10-21T19:16:51.059-07:00Ccraazzzyy CAT, Singed Fingers, Scorpions, and Water Buckets<br />Well, well, well, here we go again. I'm writing this one Tuesday this week. Yesterday was a national holiday, Hero's Day or something so the stores and email shops were closed. Plus people were home so we decided to trade P-days. This week was great. Elder Chappell got over the Chickengunia virus on Wednesday, so we were able to work for most of the week. Not too much happened on Monday or Tuesday since we stayed home. I did make this banana bread stuff on Monday, it didn't turn out like normal banana bread tho. I got the recipe from off the box of Elder Chappell’s Wheat Pancake mix. I looked at it and was like, woah, we actually have the majority of these ingredients. That means the odds are in our favor for it to turn out edible. It was edible, but it didn't look like it did on the box, probably didn't taste like it was supposed to either but it was good. I had to cook it in like a sauce pan. That's pretty ratchet I know, but we don't have any baking pans. Also, the fire in the oven went out about 4 times too without me noticing. Ovens are weird here, they don't have the automatic start, you have to take a match, or in my case quite a few matches to get it to light. Then for some reason it didn't stay lit for very long so I had to relight it too. We have to light the stove part with matches every time too. Kinda lame cuz I singe me fingers every day, but it's all good. <br /><br />On Wednesday we had a great district meeting. Afterwards I went on a trade off with Elder Campbell. He came into my area with me. We went to our first lesson in Palmers Cross where P. lives. He lives with some others in the same yard too, a grandma looking lady named C. and her daughter, Ch., and also her baby daughter. Well they don't have running water either where they live. They were running really low on water and had been for a few days so we took about 4 of the 5 gallon buckets and went to walk down to the pipe where they can get water for that area. It's close, it's only about a 6 or 7 minute walk away from their house. We go down there and there is this lady there with 3 little daughters. She just got done like giving them a bath down there or something and we see that she is filling up water containers as well. The littlest daughter had like a water bottle bottle full, the next one up had like a 2 liter soda bottle filled up, and the oldest one had a little bit bigger container. They also had a 5 gallon bucket they were filling up. We asked if we could help carry the 5 gallon bucket for her, she said no for a few minutes. I wasn't going to let her carry it tho, she was little petite lady, I think the water would have weighed more than she does. Come to find out, she always carries the 5 gallon bucket of water on her head.... (when I found that out I kind of wanted her to carry it cuz I wanted a picture of that really really bad actually). But yeah, she does that every day. She puts the weight on her head and stabilizes it with her hands. We follow her to her house, and she lives way further than P. does from the pipe. It was up a steep rocky hill too. 3 different places walking up this dirt path we had to step up rock ledge things that were probably 3 feet tall each, it doesn't seem that tall but with that amount of water that’s a lot! I was super tired just carrying the water in my hands, I have no idea at how she does it. We told her next time we are in Palmers Cross we are going to carry water for her. She said we can only do that if we come and share the gospel with her family... Uhm sure, we can do that! :) Tender mercy right there.<br /><br /> Speaking of water, the house that I told you we built general conference weekend; we are going back over there this weekend. It rained last week and apparently everything on the inside of the house got soaked, including them. I knew that would happen but we did the best we could with what we had at the time. It sounds like more supplies have been gathered and we will be able to fix it up a little bit better this weekend.<br /><br />On Wednesday I trapped a Satan cat in our house. This cat gets into our outside trash all the time and tears it apart and makes a mess. (btw, the trash collectors haven't come for 6 weeks, so we are having to burn all of our trash in our backyard the past few weeks). It also gets into our house almost every day. It climbs through our windows. We can't leave our windows closed even when we are gone cuz our house will melt I think if we do that. So it tears our inside trash apart all the time, eats loaves of bread, and other stuff. So on Wednesday I closed all the windows, doors, and exits to our house except the kitchen door and I sat behind the kitchen door. It came in our house and went right to the trash right on cue. I slammed the door shut and then that thing went CCRAZZY for a few minutes. It ran around our house trying to get out everywhere, even running into the doors and windows a few times each to see if it could push it open, and then it hid. I didn't really think about what to do once I trapped it in the house. That cat was one feisty thing. It was terrifying; I didn't know that cats could be so defensive. 4 grown men in our house were scared of this thing. We all grabbed our machetes and a box and tried to catch it; it was not going to get caught tho. We ended up just having to let it go after quite a while. I just realized there was no point in telling you this story. It would have been a lot better if you were actually there. We caught 3 scorpions in our house in 3 days too. Yay.<br /><br />On Thursday, a recent convert in the branch died. Her name was Sister H. She was S's sister, and S. is our investigator. Sister H. was only 40 years old. She has been sick off and on for years now, she had bad kidneys and was on dialysis and stuff. It was pretty sad. Hopefully we get to go over soon and reemphasize the Plan of Salvation to S. She has just been busy this weekend since that went on. Sis H. left behind two kids, a 9 year old girl and a 14 year old son. The kids took it way hard. Yesterday at a lesson with some recent convert kids in our area we made cards for them and stuff. I bet the funeral won't be for about 2 months, they put off funerals for a LONG time here in Jamaica every time, IDK why.<br /><br />Saturday, the missionaries all cleaned the church. That was a funish service project lol. <br /><br />A. apparently broke up with her baby father. Sh. didn't come to church this week. P. didn't come to church this week. Went to see P. yesterday. Apparently C., the grandmother like ran away on Friday. No one knows where she is. They have called all the family and friends they know around the island and no one can find her. She doesn't have a penny to her name to get anywhere, that's why she left, doesn't have any food or water at her house so stress and stuff must have built up. Her daughter Ch. is super concerned about her. I am too, cuz from what I have seen I didn't even know she was able to walk. While we were the yesterday we went and got more water for them. While we were filling up the water I noticed a sweet sop tree right next to us. Actually Elder Chappell noticed it and asked what it was. I told him that it is the most delicious fruit in the world. I am going to carry water all the time now that I know there is a sweet sop tree down there! Wish ya'll could taste it!<br /><br /> Sorry the letter is so long. I have a good keyboard at the email shop today, one where the keys don't stick so I was able to cruise. Have a good week! Love you!<br /><br />Nuff love.<br /><br />Elder Colton Harris<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the district</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the clothing store in MayPen, in the MayPen street mall</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-31189252768894478532014-10-13T14:45:00.000-07:002014-10-13T14:45:02.204-07:00A Taste of America!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><div>
Hola er'one! Well as for our week. We had 3 progressing investigators this week. Progressing means they have a baptism date, attended sacrament meeting, and are keeping other commitments. C. was one, an investigator named Sh., and an investigator named P. C. is coming along slowly but surely, hopefully she will be baptized towards the end of November. We walked with Sh. to church yesterday, she lives really close to the church so that is convenient, she lives just a little bit further away from the church here then we live to our church building back home. Sh. is living with her boyfriend and we had a law of chastity lesson with her this week. In our plans we planned to teach law of chastity, when she didn't accept to live it we were going to drop her cuz we thought that she wouldn't commit to live it at all. She has been living with her boyfriend for a long time and really has nowhere else to go. Well we teach the lesson and give her the options of what she can work towards doing and she is like, "I'll move out, my mom lives in Canaan Heights and I'll build onto her house. All I need is such and such amount of cinder blocks for a foundation, such and such amount of board for walls, and such and such amount of tin for the roof. I start work up again in a month so I'll save money from those paychecks." So we were surprised big time! Hopefully she follows through with it. It won't be a great house, but at least she is keeping the commandments. P. lives in an area called Palmers Cross. He walks to church too. He lives a few miles away. He lives probably further away from the stake center in Beaver to Grandma and Grandpa Harris' house and he still walks it. He has to be over 60 years old too. We were in missionary correlation meeting last week and was telling our branch mission leader that he lives clear out in Palmer Cross and would have to walk, and he goes, "Oh that's just right around the corner." It is crazy the different perspectives out here. </div>
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So Monday we went to Mandeville. We stayed the night there since we had to travel into Spanish Town with them the next day anyways. We went back to the caves and had a Family Home Evening with their recent convert. We stayed outside the cave but near the entrance and roasted hot dogs and ate cup cakes, that's about one of the most American things I've done out here, it was great. We obviously went back inside the caves as well and walked around. Tuesday we had a super long meeting in Spanish Town. I was on a wooden bench <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors="true">from 9am to 5pm</a> straight. I thought conference weekend was bad out here, at least we got breaks from the wooden benches. We did get a little break for lunch. They provided pizza and salad. Holy cow, the salad tasted so good! It's been a long time since I have had salad, and even a longer time since I have had ranch! I've decided that I love ranch! Besides the length of the meeting, everything else was great! It was a mission-wide district leaders meeting. It'll help a lot. The off island areas skyped into it, it made me miss Cayman a lot when I saw the clerks office in Cayman over Skype.</div>
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Elder Chappell has officially been shot by the chickengunman! Haha, the virus that's going around has been getting a lot of nicknames cuz Jamaicans are funny like that. So chickengunia turns into chickengunman, chickenganja (ganja means weed here), chickengonorrhea, and many more. But he got sick yesterday after church. We came in early he wasn't feeling good. After we got in our branch president calls and asks if we could go give a member a blessing for him. Sure prez. So we had to pack back up and ride 40 minutes one way to give a 3 minute blessing, and then we rode the 40 minutes back to our house cuz the member lived in an area called Racetrack and that is very far away from our house. Elder Chappell is a trooper, went out to give a blessing for the same thing he has. He is the last missionary in MayPen to get it so hopefully we can focus on the work, until next week when transfers come and we get a brand new sister missionary in the district and another elder from somewhere else around the island, hopefully that other elder has already had it too. So I have a feeling this companionship right here is going to be out of commission for a few days starting right now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I bought a new camera this week, I finally don't have to take pictures off of others camera. There were pictures taken at that service project last weekend but i'll have to get them from a different missionary. Devin, that was an amazing story that you wrote about. As long as we are faithfully living the gospel we don't have to just hope for miracles, but can come to expect them daily! Keep it up and that will just be the first out of numberless miracles on your mission. The Meet the Mormons movie looks really good. I've seen some trailers for it and read about it on some of the church websites. Everyone should go watch it. And the new horse looks great too, grandpa, it sounds like we need to have negotiation lessons. If ya ever come out here we will practice the art of bartering. Rule #1, you're not supposed to add money when they put out a price for you to pay them lol. Good job Treyson in football! Good job and good luck Kierstin in soccer! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Have a good week! Love you all!</div>
<div>
Elder Colton Harris</div>
</span>Beaver Harris'http://www.blogger.com/profile/01589050378623365024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-19975546096346082152014-10-06T09:04:00.003-07:002014-10-13T14:49:16.485-07:00Conference Weekend!<div class="MsoNormal">
Here we are again, another Pday.
Conference was great this weekend! I was looking forward to it for a long time!
I loved a lot of talks! I loved Elder Christopherson’s on mercy and justice; I
loved Lynn G. Robbins’ talk. Elder Bednar's was great since it related to
missionary work and sharing the gospel. So many really good talks, I honestly
didn't even know that general conference was as good as it is while I was back
home. There is only 2 possible reasons for that, 1, Conference messages used to
not be very good, or 2, I just wasn't paying attention or showing up to
conference ready to learn. More than likely it was the 2nd one. Elder <st1:city w:st="on">Holland</st1:city>’s talk was
amazing too and it probably hit home to me because I am just surrounded by
poverty and sufering. Actually on Saturday morning before conference, us
missionaries here in May Pen went and did a service project for a less active.
She has been staying in a little house for a while but she hasn't been paying
rent since she has no money and Saturday was the last day before the landlord
kicked her out. She had no where to go. She has 4 little kids, all under 10
probably. We had to go and help her build a house. Yes a few inexperienced
people built a full house in just a few hours. That right there can tell you
the quality of the house. Also, it was built with materials that looked like
they have been used to make many many houses over the past many years. The
house was the size of Kierstin’s bedroom, the structure was just made form
skinny trees that they cut down with a machete and took the branches off of
them, the walls were some sort of old, used sheet rock/cement something that
looked like paper mache, and zink (tin) on the roof. There is no water,
electricity, there isn't even a bathroom or kitchen. There are big gaps in the
walls and roof, the floor consisted of dirt, rock, broken cinder blocks and
spilled cement mix powder. We weren't there long enough to help them move in
since we had to go home and get ready for conference, she had some other people
help with that, but it was just sad. It made me feel bad for complaining
all week long because water has been out at our house all week! There is no
water from the time we wake up until about 9 o'clock at night if we are lucky.
The bathroom has some, but still it's super annoying! Can't do dishes, wash
clothes, etc, but we survive. And living like that is still a lot better than A
LOT of people here, at least we have food to eat and a safe sturdy place to
live. We have so much back home, I have learned that almost everything I have
is a privilege, even down to constant running water. So yeah, that's why Elder
Holland’s talk was great, and I shook his hand a few months ago, so that makes
him a lot cooler in my book too. Also, Hugo Martinez, the one who spoke in
Spanish in the last session is coming to our zone conference at the end of the
month, so that is cool. And Elder Anderson who said one of the prayers is who I
drove around in Cayman for a few days so that was also pretty awesome. We had a
good turnout to conference as far as investigators go, I was sitting next to A.
in conference for a session and she said, "This is kind of boring."
At that moment I was just thinking this isn't boring stuff at all! Actually,
conference is really exciting! I was just as excited while watching conference
as I usually am about a football or basketball game. I didn't even know that
that kind of excitement was possible about conference, especially that kind of
excitement in myself! It was kind of cool. Anyways D&C 43 has some good
advice that we can apply about conference..<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70000">8 </span><span id="chunk70001">And </span><span id="chunk70002">now, </span><span id="chunk70003">behold, </span><span id="chunk70004">I </span><span id="chunk70005">give </span><span id="chunk70006">unto </span><span id="chunk70007">you </span><span id="chunk70008">a </span></span><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70009">a</span></span><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/43.8?lang=eng" id="footnote12" target="_blank"><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span id="chunk70010">commandment</span></span></a><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70011">, </span><span id="chunk70012">that </span><span id="chunk70013">when</span><span id="chunk70014">ye </span><span id="chunk70015">are </span></span><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70016">b</span></span><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/43.8?lang=eng" id="footnote13" target="_blank"><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span id="chunk70017">assembled</span></span></a><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70018"> together </span><span id="chunk70019">ye </span><span id="chunk70020">shall </span></span><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70021">c</span></span><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/43.8?lang=eng" id="footnote14" target="_blank"><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span id="chunk70022">instruct</span></span></a><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70023"> and </span></span><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70024">d</span></span><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/43.8?lang=eng" id="footnote15" target="_blank"><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span id="chunk70025">edify</span></span></a><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70026"> each </span><span id="chunk70027">other,</span><span id="chunk70028">that </span><span id="chunk70029">ye </span><span id="chunk70030">may </span><span id="chunk70031">know </span></span><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70032">e</span></span><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/43.8?lang=eng" id="footnote16" target="_blank"><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span id="chunk70033">how</span></span></a><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk70034"> to </span><span id="chunk70035">act </span><span id="chunk70036">and </span><span id="chunk70037">direct </span><span id="chunk70038">my </span><span id="chunk70039">church, </span><span id="chunk70040">how </span><span id="chunk70041">to </span><span id="chunk70042">act</span><span id="chunk70043">upon </span><span id="chunk70044">the </span><span id="chunk70045">points </span><span id="chunk70046">of </span><span id="chunk70047">my </span><span id="chunk70048">law </span><span id="chunk70049">and </span><span id="chunk70050">commandments, </span><span id="chunk70051">which </span><span id="chunk70052">I </span><span id="chunk70053">have</span><span id="chunk70054">given.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="9"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></a><span id="chunk80000"></span><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">9 </span><span id="chunk80001">And </span><span id="chunk80002">thus </span><span id="chunk80003">ye </span><span id="chunk80004">shall </span><span id="chunk80005">become </span><span id="chunk80006">instructed </span><span id="chunk80007">in </span><span id="chunk80008">the </span><span id="chunk80009">law </span><span id="chunk80010">of </span><span id="chunk80011">my </span><span id="chunk80012">church,</span><span id="chunk80013">and </span><span id="chunk80014">be </span><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 7.5pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk80015">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/43.8?lang=eng" id="footnote17" target="_blank"><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span id="chunk80016">sanctified</span></span></a><span style="background: #D7D5FC; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk80017"> by </span><span id="chunk80018">that </span><span id="chunk80019">which </span><span id="chunk80020">ye </span><span id="chunk80021">have </span><span id="chunk80022">received, </span><span id="chunk80023">and </span><span id="chunk80024">ye </span><span id="chunk80025">shall</span></span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span id="chunk80026">bind </span><span style="background: #D7D5FC;"><span id="chunk80027">yourselves </span><span id="chunk80028">to </span><span id="chunk80029">act </span><span id="chunk80030">in </span><span id="chunk80031">all </span><span id="chunk80032">holiness </span><span id="chunk80033">before </span></span><span id="chunk80034">me—</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" id="para8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
Conference means nothing until we actually ACT on what
was said and felt. That's about the extent of my spiritual thoughts, at least
spiritual thoughts that are easy to convey over email.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" id="para8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
So this week we met a cool guy named D. He is 28 and is
friends with a really solid member who used to live here in MayPen, but now
lives in the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>.
He still talks to her over the phone and she has been sharing stuff about the
church and her testimony with him even before we met him. That was really cool.
He recognized that she was way different in a good way as they grew up together
and went through school. Pointed out that those are the fruits of the gospel.
He didn't come to conference cuz he got the chickengunia virus. That stupid
sickness!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" id="para8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
Anyways, Treyson, keep up the good work in football! And
also Kierstin in football too! (I mean soccer, sorry, I've been in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jamaica</st1:place></st1:country-region> too
long). And try to drift a corner of two while you're driving with dad this
week! :) Have a good week! We are heading to Mandeville today for Pday, and
then I am going to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Spanish</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Town</st1:placetype></st1:place> tomorrow for a
mission wide district leaders meeting. Love you all!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" id="para8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
One Love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" id="para8" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
Big Up.<br />
<br />
Love Elder <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colton</st1:place></st1:city>
Harris<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2f393a;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-68598481765510444272014-09-29T20:28:00.001-07:002014-09-29T20:31:58.472-07:00Referrals, Avocados, and Cave Teaching<div dir="ltr">
Wow, well this week seems to have flown by! We have stayed very
busy this week. I'll start right off with it. On <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT122">Monday</span> we received a media referral for a lady who lived in
an area called James Hill. We had no idea where that was so we looked it up and
it looked way far away. We called the lady and set up a time to go and see her
<span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT123">Tuesday</span> morning. We had to take
two different taxis to get there. Altogether it took an hour and a half to get
there 1 way. We went way to the middle of no where! It was great! That was about
as much in the country as you can get. From the looks of it I wouln't be
suprised if missionaries had never been there before, most likely not to the
very specific area in James Hill where we went. It was a fun little road trip.
The lady's name was J. Her husband went to Gyuana and met missionaries
there. He gave the missionaries her phone number and then they sent her as a
referral to us. Missionaries from the referral center in Salt Lake had been
texting her a little bit. When we got there we new that we wouldn't be able to
come out there very often cuz it cost us $800 to go and come for each one of us.
We had a How to Begin Teaching lesson with her and taught the restoration and the
Book of Mormon to her. She liked it a lot. She had heard about the Book of
Mormon from the missionaries texting and calling her and was excited to recieve
one. She doesn't have internet at her house so in order to teach her we are
going to have to just call her and have lessons over the phone. We left her all
of the pamphlets so that she had them when we are going to go over those
lessons. It is going to be nearly impossible for her to come to church, she
can't even afford to send a couple of her kids to school. She sends like 2 one
day and then the other 2 kids the next day, and that's only like $100 for one
kid instead of $800 to come to church. She also said that she would want to
bring her kids to church if she came which would be like $4,200, almost $40 US
to come to church for one week. I'll let you know how our phone lessons go with her.
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
On <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT124">Wednesday</span> we went into
Mandeville for zone meeting. Zone meeting was alright this time. I ended up
staying in Mandeville for a trade off with the zone leaders, Elder Stewart
actually. It was a great time! I was actually there from <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT125">Wednesday</span> morning to <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT126">Friday</span> afternoon. I fell in love with
Mandeville hard! That is an amazing area. First, I have always heard Jamaicans
and other missionaries say that it gets cold in Mandeville, and I would always
say no, it does not get cold anywhere in Jamaica ever. Well that first night we
waited for a baptism interview to get done and we were just out by the truck...
and I got cold. I was really cold actually. It was only in the 60's but I think
the humidity made it colder. That's the only explanation I have cuz it's not
that I am becoming a wimp! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We also had a cave lesson with their investigator who was actually baptized
just on <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT127">Saturday</span>. There are caves
right behind the area where he lives so we went there on <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT128">Thursday</span> night and and walked down into
the caves. Went as far as we could which was probably about 50 or 60 yards and
had a lesson. We took our little portable DVD player and watched a talk by
President Monson so that he could get familiar with President Monson. It was so
cool cuz the cave was just pitch black dark. There were bats in the cave too.
Elder Ashworth was saying the opening prayer and in the middle of the prayer he
got pooped on by a bat, it was so funny! I'll send pictures of the cave lesson
hopefully.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
So the bad part about Mandeville being cold is that the water is freezing
like ice. Hence since we don't have hot water heaters, showering was awful.
Plus they live on the 3rd story of the apartment complex so there is just a
little trickle of water all the time so we had to take bucket showers. Well it
gets better, I had to use a measuring cup to dump the water on my head cuz they
didn't have any cups in their house. But the best part is, smart one Elder
Stewart couldn't find his soap and shampoo, so we ended up having to use dish
soap to shower with. #Jamaicaprobs </div>
<div>
<br />
Avocados grow like weeds there too. This member gave me a bag of like 20
huge avocados to take back with me. She has like 15 giant avocado trees in her
yard and she can't give them away fast enough. Here they call avocados pears, IDK
why, but I have had pear smoothies, pear and bully beef, pear plain, pear and
bread, pear and noodles, pear and eggs, pear and crackers, guacamole, pear and
bulla, pear and mac n' cheese, pear and hot dog, and pear and chicken and rice
and peas. It's great. I love avocados, and they cost like $80 a piece here in May
Pen.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The zone leaders got hit by the police last week while driving and so for
the trade off we had to do a lot of paper work and running aroung between the
police staion and the church to get documents and signed stuff and send stuff to
the mission office. I felt like an office elder for most of the trade off, but
it was still fun. Leave it to the police to get in an accident with lol.
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So this chickungunya virus is spreading so quickly. Prez Brown said that for
the past month an average of 2 missionaries have gotten it per day, and there
are no signs of it slowing down. Sacrament meeting numbers were way low and it
is because of this virus. So many members, investigators and missionaries have
it right now... it's like the plague. Everyone in Jamaica is going to get it at
this rate, it is spreading like wildfire. It has been hard to see people because
so many people are sick.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A. came to church and met with our branch president. It looks like the
wedding is going to have to take place in December, it's a long ways away and
stuff but IDK why it has to be that long away yet since they just talked <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT129">yesterday</span>.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Well I hope that everyone has a good week. The new ward boundary changes
look interesting, that should be fun. Change is great!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Have a good week! Enjoy the cow hoof soup Devin! </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
One Love.</div>
<div>
<br />
Elder Colton Harris<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colorful Mandeville Apartments!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-1015593295456444742014-09-22T13:04:00.000-07:002014-09-22T13:05:36.793-07:00It is pouring service!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
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Well Devin is off, wow. I am glad that he got there all safe and sound. The mtc and Brazil in general is going to be so sweet! Anyways, as for Jamaica...another week has passed by and this week was a little bit of a different week for us, but it was still a good week. </div>
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So as you probably know, after every lesson we usually ask if there is anything we can do for whoever it is that we are meeting with. We usually volunteer to do service in the yard or help paint their outside grills or cement walls, (which they paint often). Well since their has been a drought the past couple of months, no one has needed their yard chopped or anything. The past 4 or 5 months we have been asking and no one has needed anything done. They don't have irrigation here, so when it rains, stuff grows, when it doesn't rain, things don't grow... and that is your science lesson today brought to you courtesy of Elder Harris 1! :) Ha anyways, so since there has been quite a bit of rain the past 6 weeks or so everything is growing, almost everyone we ask now wants us to come over to help chop their yard. I guess the saying that when it rains, it pours, in this case it is pouring service. We are limited to 4 hours of service per week so we are trying our best to spread it out and get to everyone. Since there is a lot of service going on Elder Chappell and I decided to go out and buy machetes (that's what we use here to chop yard aka cut grass and weeds. I've never been so grateful for weed wackers and lawn mowers in my life till I came here, even push lawn mowers I am grateful for.) Thurday we had service at one of our investigators house, her name is S. She has pumpkins growing on this steep rocky hill next to her house and there are these other plants, they are weeds but they are like vine weeds that grow throughout her pumpkins so in order for the pumpkins to grow and not get suffocated out, we had to go and pull all these vine weed things. We had to have pulled out miles of them, just small little vines, and we were only working in a pretty small area. It looked a lot better. In 2 hours I think that I sweated at least 5 whole gallons of waters. It was pouring off of our faces like a water fountain for 2 hours straight. Saturday we also did service for a recent convert's father. We went to his house and helped him chop his yard, that one didn't last as long. He was a funny guy. He spoke thick thick patois, he couldn't understand perfect Enlgish when I was talking to him. It's funny cuz the more slang I talked and the more I mumbled and joined my words together and talked faster, the more he understood when I talked. Afterwards we went and helped a member trim her hedges for a little while. </div>
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There were 3 missionaries in the district that got sick this week, I know that 2 of them had chickungunia virus and the 3rd one might have had it too. It was 3 different missionaries all living in 3 different houses here in May Pen so we couldn't really set up splits with the healthy companions. I went with Elder Lee for a few hours on Wednesday so that he could get out of the house. Elder Lee is from Spanish Town and lived close to where we did while I was there, he would go to lessons with us while I was there so now that he is out on his mission it is cool to have him in the district. I went with Elder Arrington on Thursday for a few hours in his area, we went and did some finding so that they could get some return appointments cuz right now they are struggling to find people to teach, so I went there and just talked to everyone on the streets that I could and we got some return appointments for them so hopefully it works out. It's not the most effective way to find, but it's a lot better than nothing. The other one that got sick was a sister so not a lot of help from me there. It's been a weird first full week for Elder Chappell. He had to stay in with the sick companions for those trade offs.</div>
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Wow, a rainstorm just barely moved in and it sounds like a big one! The buildings here, including the internet cafe that we are at, they have tin roofs lined with a really thin particle board on the underneath side as a ceiling, so when it rains it gets super super loud cuz it's a downpour hitting tin.</div>
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This week we also helped a one armed rasta change his flat tire, we were just riding by and thought we would help. Before we stopped we didn't even know he had one arm so it worked out good.</div>
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The water and electricity has been super off and on this week. IDK why, it's super annoying. we can't do dishes when there is no water so I ended up having to eat cereal out of a cup with a knife cuz that was all that was clean. (It's a good thing I had some water in the fridge so that I could make my cereal that day since we use powdered milk. as you know the non refrigerated box milk is gross and costs $1,000 per gallon so that is only an occasional treat.) </div>
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As for investigators, A. didn't come to church again! NO! Sometimes I wish that I could take away peoples agency and make them come! I think I am slowly starting to understand how Heavenly Father feels when we know what is right but we choose to do what is wrong anyway. For this example, I know how much church will bless her in her life, but we can't force her to do it. C. came to church again. She is doing good, just is super scared of acting on spiritual promptings. She is letting fear get in the way of her faith. Another investigator came, his name is P. He is a new investigator but hopefully things turn out well for him. Also S. didn't come to church. Ugh. Had a great great lesson with her this week with a recent convert who is or used to be friends with her way before either of them started talking to the missionaries. The recent converts name is Pr. and was just baptized last month. We met at the church and had a lesson on the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon has changed Pr.'s life and she contributed a lot to the lessons and bore powerful testimony. I love recent converts testimonies because they are so pure and simple, yet powerful. They haven't had enough time in church to say a scripted or repetitious testimony, so it's great! They will be good for each other in the church.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Well this week was good, have a good week back home! Love everyone.</span></div>
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One Love</div>
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Big Up.</div>
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Elder Colton Harris </div>
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-259540103526080850.post-62601914592846680182014-09-15T15:48:00.001-07:002014-09-15T15:48:09.046-07:00Training Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Family! What's up?! Devin I can't believe that you are heading off to Brazil tomorrow! You are starting the best journey of your life! I have started to train again this week cuz I must not have done it right the first time and have been thinking that about your first couple weeks in the mission field, it's the best. Everything is just so brand new and it's just great. Transfers were on Tuesday this week. We went in and I swapped Elder Davidsen for Elder Chappell. Elder Chappell flew in Jamaica in Monday and is from Pleasant Grove Utah. He's 19 and Jamaica has made him super wide eyed! Ha both times I have trained I remember how I was when I arrived in Jamaica. It's funny cuz everything that I thought was "weird" has now become normal to me. He says that when people speak it might as well be Spanish because he can't understand any of it. He says he probably knows more Spanish than what he understands in Patios. He seriously thinks that the church should have us stay in the MTC for a couple extra weeks and learn how to understand Patois. When I think people are speaking clear and clean English he still looks at me and says he can't understand. There is a Jamaican elder in our house and the elder speaks good English but the accent makes it so he still can't understand him...it's kinda funny. He is a great missionary, wants to work hard and be obedient so it makes my job a lot easier. He is picking up on stuff quick, the language, the lessons, so it is pretty good. He loves the food. He asks a million questions but that is good, because of that he is going to learn things a lot quicker than I did cuz I just went with the flow of things. Also, answering all the questions make me feel super smart, so keep the questions coming! :)</div>
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Well the chickungunia virus is behind me...I think. Sister Brown said symptoms could come off and on for years even if you think it is completely gone. YAY! :( On Monday my hands felt like I had dipped them in an acid bath. Anything I touched hurt so bad. I had to keep looking at my hands to make sure they weren't filled with blisters. It was crazy. Riding a bike was hard with that! Elder Davidsen had the same thing happen to him with his hands and so did a couple others in the mission who got the virus. It has turned into like a really bad thing in Jamaica. On Wednesday we gave 2 blessings to members who had the virus.<br />
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So A. is planning on getting married to her baby father E., hopefully we can get all of that squared away so the marriage can happen in October. She didn't come to church yesterday so we are going to have to find out why. It's too bad. Have started teaching a couple others too. On Saturday night we stopped and asked this lady for directions to an address in her neighborhood. After we got the directions she told us that Sister missionaries used to hire her to clean their house. She told us how she was taught the Law of Chastity and the sisters must have made a good impression on her. She told us how her husband died a year ago and how her mom died earlier this year. We asked her if she knew where they were and she said she didn't know for sure but that she thinks she has an idea. We quickly taught a couple sections of the Plan of Salvation and she just lit up. We left the pamphlet with her to read in detail and told her we would come back and explain it in detail this week. We were about to go and we asked if there was anyone that she knew who was going through a rough time in their life, or who could benefit from the message we share. Wow she pulled out her address book and gave us like 12 referrals; her kids and some other people she knew. Not saying all of those referrals are going to be elect but at least we have names to work with already. It saves us the dirty work of being on the streets trying to start awkward conversations with people to get to know them. The spirit touched her heart when we taught that little section of the plan of salvation and she wanted everyone she loved to hear about it too.<br />
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That's it. I am excited to get pictures from Devin next week from Brazil! Take care bro! 2 more years till I see ya. Love ya!<br />
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One Love.<br />
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Elder Colton Harris<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQCUKy6MMXn8lKRmanmEHumcNFDB7nAl9svEZNyTC-d32RbYM9wR42ORdnqEGEeAv22FTfIREYiqPPvRlXHNyS7iFkCDWKAz6x53LiJkrKJg750kFtYQQhO5SxZFUZkpXULz0KUTusmQK/s1600/DSC01228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQCUKy6MMXn8lKRmanmEHumcNFDB7nAl9svEZNyTC-d32RbYM9wR42ORdnqEGEeAv22FTfIREYiqPPvRlXHNyS7iFkCDWKAz6x53LiJkrKJg750kFtYQQhO5SxZFUZkpXULz0KUTusmQK/s1600/DSC01228.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Chappell, Elder Stewart, Me, Elder Jackson<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4CUBNvGOvy41gBXvQAxF4q-w4u5z4MGvlOzRVmzmb_kk4bReMCQt41MXHkoMlNh_jHeSGwUrao8UfP_VfTmOUjGS67Z52pjfbryUNG6IQTDkNmuRas4h3tcVYwWcfRdjQ-65fFtB_2H-/s1600/DSC01213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4CUBNvGOvy41gBXvQAxF4q-w4u5z4MGvlOzRVmzmb_kk4bReMCQt41MXHkoMlNh_jHeSGwUrao8UfP_VfTmOUjGS67Z52pjfbryUNG6IQTDkNmuRas4h3tcVYwWcfRdjQ-65fFtB_2H-/s1600/DSC01213.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dirty, grimy, gross light switch that I had to clean</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2Xg1SEu2mzrZTzbI26mvHTu903ctmRikJ0Q3L7k9G9LgxweDivU0fwuyducx4il2b76HUBbvk8bg5UvIUl-oR_9ggsYdPRzium7f1kOO2s0CJVh7EFQEw8bZgx4vuU11h0jE3K2v-tQD/s1600/DSC01215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl2Xg1SEu2mzrZTzbI26mvHTu903ctmRikJ0Q3L7k9G9LgxweDivU0fwuyducx4il2b76HUBbvk8bg5UvIUl-oR_9ggsYdPRzium7f1kOO2s0CJVh7EFQEw8bZgx4vuU11h0jE3K2v-tQD/s1600/DSC01215.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My closet... I call it a "walk in" closet because before I rearranged our bedroom, every time I got out of bed I would accidentally "walk into" it. BTW it is just a piece of wood coming out of the grills<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4fkhyphenhyphen-cr02BDAavGo3WNvnOjALRxyGbWl6mg06E_aQz50K0Q9zv8GGVUpND7isP85Ugc19-Fg1IloSRJA3vQQVUOTqu1wMEzKGT6TeHypQrdnYXNxBo-RvBhprJe2rQlYrKJEjA5g-Ah/s1600/DSC01216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4fkhyphenhyphen-cr02BDAavGo3WNvnOjALRxyGbWl6mg06E_aQz50K0Q9zv8GGVUpND7isP85Ugc19-Fg1IloSRJA3vQQVUOTqu1wMEzKGT6TeHypQrdnYXNxBo-RvBhprJe2rQlYrKJEjA5g-Ah/s1600/DSC01216.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Our lovely floors that look like a 3 year old installed it. They got more glue on top of the plastic tiles than they got on the bottom! It is super bumpy too. If you look in the glare on the left side of the pic you can see how bumpy it is, the whole floor is like that.<br />
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The fridge... I think the office elders found it in a gully. A couple weeks ago ants got into my food while it was in the fridge, we found out that the seal around the edge doesn't completely seal, so ants could get into it. That's why it doesn't keep our food very cold either. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyds-ZOmVFA_6s8D7zMCGsoGs8JfSIfz9vcN5BSmDmFd4A1QQ0A3PqoOd4W1NxnR-bvKt1NMbV6-j4Jfm9UTipfkLccErhU0s1HdFapDHaNbQcaMyvzNpLNCUPo7UsoWAgqKaGXYuXskD4/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyds-ZOmVFA_6s8D7zMCGsoGs8JfSIfz9vcN5BSmDmFd4A1QQ0A3PqoOd4W1NxnR-bvKt1NMbV6-j4Jfm9UTipfkLccErhU0s1HdFapDHaNbQcaMyvzNpLNCUPo7UsoWAgqKaGXYuXskD4/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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Our shower right when I got here. #Gross! We cleaned it, but most of it is permanent, even a lot of rust. That is why I shower with my flip flops ON! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After we cleaned it.. still gross</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608919710577200975noreply@blogger.com0