This week is one of those weeks where I wish I was given more time to e-mail, because I have so much I want to share. I apologize for not e-mailing on Monday, and not telling you that I was not going to in my previous e-mail, but on Monday, we had an online proselyting meeting, Tuesday(yesterday) was our preparation day, but we had no time. I am here now at the Mission Office doing them while my companion is in his "New District Leader" meeting. I finally have enough time to get my e-mails in this week. I promise I will make sure I have more time next week, but I am going to try to do my best to share all that has happened this last week. Here it goes;
Leaving the Fullerton Ward was not easy and I felt near the same way when I left the Buena Park Ward for the first time. I believe being transferred will never be easy for me even though I know decisions in regards to transfers are made through revelation. I love everyone whom I have met and will meet. I have never been so selfless in my life and I love it. Hermana Rosalva is now preparing to be Baptized on January 12th beack in Fullerton and I hope our schedule allows me to be present at her Baptismal service. I am grateful for this opportunity that I have been given from the Lord to serve where I have served once before. I am back in Buena Park and cover the two areas where I have served before. I am excited to be companions with Elder Huesca here in Buena Park. He is a great person. I know that he does have a desire to serve the Lord as [D&C 4] mentions. I also know that I have things to learn from Elder Huesca as well as he has things to learn from me. Although some companionships are easier then others, I am grateful for the companions I have had and will have during my mission, because each one is ultimately for my spiritual benefit. We will be training another Elder who will join the companionship in a couple weeks. I was told that he is coming straight from Peru. That should be exciting.
I really enjoyed Skyping the family on Christmas and seeing all of your faces. Seeing Wesley was so much fun and the time we were on Skype cruised by. This past week, we had a lot of fun activities with members. On Christmas morning, Elder Ramirez and I helped the Bishop and his family make Tamales. That was a lot of fun. We went to the Mayans on the 24th and they gave me a Birthday cake and a couple gifts. They gave both my companion and I a shirt of their company. They also gave me a tie. The one I was wearing during our Skype call and they also gave my companion and I wireless speakers for the I-pads we will be receiving soon here in the mission. Caroling as a district up until Christmas day was a lot of fun too. A couple times in large apartments, we individually were assigned a door, we all rang the door bells at the same time, gathered in the middle and sang a few Christmas songs. That was a lot of fun and we were able to pass out pass-along cards. It was a good finding technique on top of re-activating less-active members and motivating recent converts. I have been transferred back to the Buena Park Ward. My new companion is Elder Huesca and we cover the two areas where I served before. As I mentioned before, the Buena Park Ward now is fully part of the Anaheim Mission and I am really excited for the opportunity to serve here again.
July 9th, 2013-The North Zone had a temple trip. Our session started at 7:00am if I recall correctly. During the session, I sat next to a man named, Elder Chocco. Elder Chocco is and older man who does Family History work worldwide and reports to Elder Richard G. Scott and Elder David A. Bednar on a weekly basis. Before the session began and after it ended, we got to know eachother and shared with me things I did not know about the temple to say the least. Our conversation continued after the session and outside the temple with my companions, Elder Waite and Elder Flake. Our conversation outside the Temple lasted for nearly two hours, but it honestly felt like a brief, short conversation. Before my companionship left the Temple, we recieved his contact information to keep in touch as we were very grateful for the words he shared with us that day. Since then, I personally have stayed in contact with him and he recieves my weekly e-mails. He also sends me talks he has given in the past that could and do help me fulfill my calling as a servent of the Lord. On November 30th, having mentioned in my weekly e-mail the Baptism we had this day, Elder Chocco by suprise showed up to the Baptism to see me and support who was Baptized. He spoke with me after the Baptism and gave me a couple more talks that he felt could help me during my service as a full-time missionary. At the Baptism, Elder Curtis met Elder Chocco and after having spoke with him, could not help but ask for his contact information to keep in touch as well. This past week, Elder Chocco asked if he could speak with Elder Curtis and I in private whenever it is most convenient. We came to the conclusion that after district meeting on Thursday, he could stop by the Rio Vista building and speak with us and he did. Elder Chocco, Elder Curtis and I spoke in a seperate room while the rest of the district waited before going to District lunch. He told Elder Curtis and I that the week prior, he had an interview with President Monson and spoke about various things; one of them being Missionary Work. He told us that they spoke about President Hinckley, online proselyting and the Anaheim California Mission. President Monson asked during the interview if he had gotten to know any extrodinary missionaries this past year and Elder Chocco told him he knows of four Elders; Elder Curtis and I being two of the four! Elder Chocco said that President Monson then signed and gave four copies of the book; Teachings of President Thomas S. Monson and asked him to deliver the four copies to the four missionaries he mentioned. At the Rio Vista building last Thursday, just after district meeting, Elder Chocco pulled out of his bag two copies of that book as President Monson asked him to and gave one to both Elder Curtis and I. They were signed and came straight from the office of President Monson. I opened to the signature of President Thomas S. Monson on the first page and was immidiately filled with the Spirit. Words cannot fully express all that I felt in that moment. The whole experience reassured to me that I am truly on the Lords errand. That I have truly been called by a living Prophet of God and that I must always keep myself worthy for such a sacred calling. I felt the love that President Monson has for me and all the other full-time missionaries in the world. That book was such a precious gift that President Monson could give to me and that I will always hold dear. This experience I have felt inspired to share with you is one I will never forget and has strengthened my faith, devotion and love for our Savior, Jesus Christ.
PHOTOS: I have only attached two this week, but there is a lot more that I want to share. I will be attaching photos on Facebook, so just check out my Facebook. I will hopefully upload them on there. I am still trying to get used to it all.
I love you everyone! Have a great week!
-Elder Harvey
Dad, here is the Link you were asking for;
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