February 7, 2017 Forward from Gavin

Hello everybody!  How are ya? Good?  Good.  I'm good too! This week was a little bit rough,  for a couple of reasons, but happiness is still the focous of this mission for me! 

Well, to start off, last week I was feeling a little bit sick. Mostly just fever and stomach problems. I think it was Tuesday night, where I threw up 4 or 5 times, and decided to get some real help.. we took a taxi to the hospital, and sadly I have malaria.. again. So! I spent the next few nights in the hospital until they thought I was okay to go home. But the doctors prescribed me with the wrong medicine! Obviously I didn't know that, so I took it. It was sleeping pills and a liquid to help me sleep. And I did sleep! I slept all night, and I woke up at about 7:30 at night!! And still was pretty drowsy when I woke up. Apparently that medicine is for people with insomnia, and missionaries aren't allowed to take that.. anyway,  I have been in bed for the past week, and sadly, I dont feel better at all.. 

From what my parents have told me, a lot of you guys back at home have been fasting for me. I can't thank you enough for thinking of me, and adding me in your prayers! You have already helped me more than i can imagine! So, thank you very very much. 

This week was also transfers! We got our calls on Saturday night,  and I got moved to the "Menotin" sector. My old sector was a total village, and not I'm in the city! In facrlt, across the street from my house is the Benin national soccer staidum. So that's pretty cool!  My new companion is elder Kola. He is from the Congo, and from what I've seen so far, he is a very hard worker! I don't really know him too much,  but I'm sure we will get along just great and hopefully have a very successful transfer. 

I don't have a whole bunch to write about this week, because I have spent most of it in the hospital, and my bed.. but, I want you all to know how grateful I am for your love and support! When I get down on myself, all I have to do is think about you all at home and it makes me so so happy! 

I love this gospel more than i can explain in words. 

Elder Harris 

January 16, 2017 The Lord is Cheeky.

This might have been one of the busiest weeks of my mission! I dont think i have ever taught so much, and worked so hard! Even though we didnt leave our apartment for 2 days.. Tuesday and Wednesday was ''Days of Voodoo".. So we got a call from our President, telling us we werent alowed to leave our front door.. So we didnt! We had to have one of our secuirity guards, Patrick, get all of our food for us! Other than that, a very busy week! Im finding that i am so much happier when we work hard! 

Arm from surgery is feeling okay. Nothing new! 

On Saturday we got so blessed! We had our daily planning on Friday night, and we have an investigator who we sadly were talking abuot dropping.. We had taught her for 4ish months, and she never even comes to church. But we decided that we would go over one more time! So, we went. And she was busy, but she said we could come in as she cut another lady's hair! As we started teaching, the lady getting her hair done statred getting really interested! To the point that she was the one asking us tons of questions! She said that she was having a hard time with prayer, so we taught her about that, and about when Joseph Smith first prayed. (READ Moroni 10:4-5) By the end of the lesson, they didnt want us to leave! She talked a lot at the end, and she told us that she is positive that God sent us, on this day, at this exact time while she was getting her hair done. Heavenly Father might work in strange ways sometimes. But his goal is always to bring his children back to him. 

I dont have too much to share this week, but i always have my testimony. I read 1 Nephi 14: 10 this week. And i had t read it a few times to actually get it. But after, its now one of my favorite scriptures! It says that you are either in the church of God, or you aren't. No Grey areas. There are a lot of really great churches in the world! And they do, and believe great things! But they dont have the FULL truth. We, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, have it. And for that reason, is why me, and thousands of other missionaries sacrifice this time for our Savior. As hard as it is, i wouldnt trade it for the world. 

I love you all, have a great week! 

P.S. CONGRATS KYLE AND DEANNA!!! I am sure that your wedding on saturday was so beautiful! Kyle, i look up to you more than you know, and Deanna, you are by far my favorite sister in-law (; Love you!! 

This is one of my best friensd in our branch! Johanas is preparign for a mission.

This is one of my best friensd in our branch! Johanas is preparign for a mission.

Elder Argien is from Renion island Madascgar, Elder Uaua is from Tahiti

Elder Rgien again, and Elder Jayne in the back

The Elder in the middle, Elder Gozallo, is the Zone leader! This is at one of our investigators little shops! We set up charis, and teach her there. 

PICS:
1 and 2) This is one of my best friensd in our branch! Johanas is preparign for a mission.

3) Elder Argien is from Renion island Madascgar, Elder Uaua is from Tahiti

4)Elder Rgien again, and Elder Jayne in the back

5) The Elder in the middle, Elder Gozallo, is the Zone leader! This is at one of our investigators little shops! We set up charis, and teach her there. 

January 30, 2017 From Elder Harris

Problems with email again!  Here's what he said:

I dont have much time to write this week.. plus not much happened! One thing was last saturday we were playing baskatball with some investigators, and long story short my left middle finger got broken.. so that will be wrapped up for a little while! But that shouldn't affect anything, except my amazing jump shot! (By the way, we ended up winning that game so our investigators and their friends had to come to church with us!) 

I also just wanted to say how amazing this church is. Wow. Every Sunday we teach the same exact lessons that you teach! Out here in a little village in Africa, we are learning and teaching the same lessons that you all are in the states! And Its like that for the whole world. God has planned this so perfectly it's unreal! 

I hope you all know that Heavenly Father loves you more than you can comprehend. 

I'll talk to you all in a solid 7! 

Elder Harris

January 9, 2017 From Elder Harris

Gavin can't get his email out because the recipient list is too long!  Here it is :) 

I learned a lot of good lessons this week! But sadly, i didnt get to teach a whole bunch of them.. My new companion is so great! Elder Ouizan Bi is from the Ivory Coast. He has been out for 16 months, and loves to work hard! Usually.. Sadly, this week was not one of those weeks where he wanted to work a ton..But we still did teach, and our lessons went really well! Its nice to get a new companion, because you get to see different styles of teaching. And his style of teaching, is not talking a lot.. So, that means i get to practice my french more! We have 3 people commited for baptism this month, and i pray that they will all follow through! 

Last week i had a very different experience with a surgrey that i hasd to get.. I had a small infection, and it had to be taken out. But, its doing better now! I almost always keep it wrapped us, with lotion or something on it to keep it wet. One day i left it dry, and couldnt move it fast, and basically couldnt move it at all.. I was actually really scared that the stitches would rip if i kept moving it, so i didnt.. But its doing better, so hopefully it can blow over soon.

One of my best experiences this week happened on wednesday. We had a ton of random trashy and pointless things in the apartment. So we got a huge pile of usless things and threw it away! Here, we just put all of our garbage infront of our apartment, and there are people who get paid to come picl it up. So we threw everything away, and didtn think much of it. As we left to go to a couple of lessons, a man was digging through it! As we walked past him, all he could say was Thank you! Wekk, we came back about 5 hours later, and he was still going through it!! He had set aside a huge pile of things that he was going to take home with him.We helped him carry it to his house, and he thanked us like 200 times. But he showed up at our door the next morning. We didnt know, but he had found a ton of brochures in the garbage! He read all of them, and wanted to know more. Now, Sylvestry is our newest investigator, and he is so ready for the gospel! The Lord works in very strange ways sometimes. But I am glad that this man is finding happiness in our message! 

I wanted to share a chapter that i read this week. Moroni 7 is an absolute life changer!! It talks about Faith, Love, and Charity. It also lists many other christlike attributes. Actually, it was so good that i spend 2-3 hours reading and marking it!! If anyone who is reading this has time, read it please. And look for the attributes that are listed in it. Try and live one of those things better every day, and i promise that your life will get so much easier and better. 

I love you all so much, and love serving the Lord ! 

Elder Harris 

January 3, 2017 Seems like i havent written since last year..

Hello everybody! Honestly not too much happened this week.. I have a new companion, Elder Oiuzan Bi is from the Ivory Coast! At first i was kind of scared becuse i have heard different things about him, but this past week was such a fun week with him! We worked hard, and had lots of fun doing it! 

New years was crazy here! Some people call mycity the city of fire, because people just set everything on fire! Also there were a lot of Voodoo sacrifices.. So fire everywhere, and dead animals in front of most houses..

This last friday was a little brutal.. A few weeks ago i found an infection in my arm. Just like a marble under my skin on my right bicep, armpit area. I took medication for about a week, and nothing hapened, so they decided that it had to be removed.. So on friday at the hospital, i laid onthe bed, and watched as they cut into my arm, cut it out, and stitched it back together. And worst of all, they didnt feel it was necessary to numb me.. So, lets just say i may have shed a tear or two! But i think its gettng better! I cant sleep on my side, i cant move my arm fast, and i cant even lift my arm above my head.. But the pain is actually gettng a little bit better each day so thats nice! 

Thats pretty much all that happened this week, but i would like to end off with a very short testimony. Have any of you ever read Ether chapter 12..? well, if not, do it. Its one of those chapters you could read hundreds of times, and learn something new every time! It is the prophet ether talking, and sharing what he knows about faith. Faith is the first necessity of this church. Without it, its impossible to be saved. But with i, there is not a thing in this world that is impossible. Have faith, believe that Christ will always be there for you. Have faith, and love God. Because all things work together for good to those who love God. (Romans 8: 28)

Thank you all for the prayers an support, i love you all. 

Elder Harris 

p.s. Happy Birthday this past week Kyle!! I love you so much Buddy!

This is like a dress, kinda shirt thingy that i got to wear! It weighed almost 50 pounds! 

This is my new companion! 

Me and Elder Uaua decided to match our Boomba Shirts 

We got to go to the beach yesterday!  

Decembe 27, 2016 I dont know what to write for a subject..

Wow. What an insane week! So much happened, but i dont have tons of time to write today!

Last wednesday we had a big mission christmas party! We woke up super early, and went to a big service project. We sanded, and painted a whole house! I was on roof duty, so i got to basically mop with paing so it was really fun! After, we all got claned up and changed, and we went to this erally nice resturant on the beach! The table that i sat at was probably 30 yards from the crashing waves! so it was a very nice place to eat! We ate, and then all of the different zones sang, and then our president talked to us for a long time. Then they gave us presents so that was nice! Plus, my president got me a personal present for some reason. He pulled me off to the side, and gave me a very nice black and blue Manning Colts jersey!! I couldnt believe it!

Also, i dont know if you remember, but this sunday was christmas! We got to baptise A man and his wife on sunday morning! So that was a very great christmas gift for me and my companion! After church, we met with all of the missionaries in our zone and had a big lunch together. Then i had to wait until sunday night to skype with my family because of the time difference! But it went very well i thiought! It wasnt super good connection, but i got to talk with my amazing family! Tosh was there, and i even got to meet my little nephew for the first time! Overall,  twas a great christmas day!

Today we got to go to a small zoo! We got to hold monkeys, and baby aligators! Elder Uaua got a little too close to one of the baboons and he somehow got his shoes off of his feat and ripped them up! The got about inches away from a full grown lion too! They would put big branches in his little cage and he would totally rip thel up!! Then the owner would stick his hand in the cage, and smack him in the face!! He would get so close to getting bitten every time, but never did!  

Lastly, i got a new companion! Elder Ouizan Bi! He is from the Ivory Coast, and he is a cool guy! I actually dont know him very well, because ive been with him for about an hour. But he seems really nice, and ready to work!

I hope everyone had a great christmas, and will have a great New Years! I hope that you all remember the real reason of christmas, and the whole reason of everything really! Without Christ, there would be no point to anything. This season i invite you to try and grow closer to your family, and the ones who you love. Je vous aime beaucoup.

Elder Harris

this is us at our service project on wednesday! 

This was at the beach that we ate at

This was at the beach that we ate at

We went to the zoo and we got as close as ou can get to a lion! 

this is the baby aligator. I had to hold it by his neck like this because he wasnt too nice.. 

This is one of the monkeys! Also not very nice.. thats why i had to hold him like this too. 

One of the snakes i got to hold

This is the lion again! The guy kept hitting him!!

this is a gorilla head.. kinda creepy

Got to pet an aligator too! Very fun and scary!

December 12, 2016 PICS

This is us and our mission president! 

These are our neighbors, and we helped them make this food called Iniam Pillé

we found ice cream!!! This bowl was about 13 dollars.. 

Beautiful african sunsets

my new boomba shirt