Week 74: Last Transfer Here We Go!!

Hello!

Merry belated Christmas! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Our Christmas was really good and really busy! We had king crab legs for Christmas dinner! So good! It was so much fun to talk with my family! Definitely the highlight of my Christmas!

The past few Sundays this young woman, Samantha, has come to church. We introduced ourselves and she said that she just moved from South Royalton, so we assumed the South Royalton ward. Then before Relief Society 2 Sundays ago Samantha asked if we wanted to visit her that week. We said yes and thought it would be a great opportunity to get to know a new ward member. We visited her on Tuesday and found out that she's not a member and has been wanting to get baptized for the last 5 years! Her family is all less active and wouldn't let her get baptized, but she can now because she's over 18. A friend from the South Royalton ward invited her to church a few years ago and Samantha's basically been a dry Mormon since then haha. We invited her to be baptized on January 30th, but after the lesson we felt that we needed to move it up. The next night (Joseph Smith's birthday!) we went to the JSM with her and she saw a lot of her friends from the South Royalton ward. She told them that she was getting baptized on the 30th and then we asked her about the 9th and she said yes! She's super excited! She had her baptismal interview yesterday morning and she passed! She's so awesome and we're so excited for her! Miracle!

Bro. Prevost and Bro. Piko are two less actives that we're working with and they're both doing so good! We taught the restoration to Bro. Prevost this week and he started crying when we shared the First Vision. The First Vision always brings the spirit super strong! He also came to church on Sunday! Both of them have changed a lot since we started meeting with them. They are so much happier! The gospel is really blessing them! That's been one of my favorite things on my mission, is to see the gospel change people. It's changed Janice, Nick and Crystal, Bro. Piko, and Bro. Prevost and so many others. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can all change and become more like Him.

On Christmas Eve we went to the JSM again to help the sisters. I played the piano for most of the time. I just love being at the JSM! So peaceful! And guess what? It was 65 degrees on Christmas Eve! I'm not even kidding! So nice!

Transfer calls were Saturday, but we didn't get a call! Sis. Harward and I are staying together in Montpelier! I'm so glad I get to finish my mission in Montpelier, I really love it here! And Sis. Harward is so awesome! She's helping me so much to stay focused and work hard! 

Have a great week and Happy New Year!

Love, Sister Harper

us and the South Royalton sisters at the JSM

l to r: me, Sis. Harward, Sis. Innes, Sis. Peterson

Week 73: Merry Christmas!!!!!

Hello everyone!

Wow can you believe Christmas is on Friday? I sure can't! It's going to be a great Christmas! I'm super excited, especially to talk to my family! It's my last Skype before I go home, crazy!

We've had a great week! We've been so busy! My voice was gone at the beginning of this week so that was super sad! But it's back now, yay! We had zone conference on Tuesday and it was awesome! President Stoker gave a great training on the differences between sin and weakness. 

Sin--willful disobedience, encouraged by Satan, knowingly breaking God's commandments, leads us away from God, choice to trust Satan over God, Christ didn't have sin, overcome through repentance and forgiveness, we are cleansed and redeemed

Weakness--human limitations, mortal nature, fatigue, physical or mental illness, death, leads us closer to God, Christ had weakness, God will accept us with our weakness, overcome through humility and faith in Christ and the grace of God, we are strengthened and enabled

How to Access the Enabling Power of the Atonement

1) Pray--distinguish sin from weakness, ask for help

2) Ponder--scripture study and listen to the spirit

3) Plan--set goals, more than desire and discipline

4) Prioritize--decide what is most important now

5) Patterns--establish holy habits, righteous routines

6) Patience--keep trying, don't give up, be humble

President Stoker also announced the new mission vision for 2016 which is to have every member or family have an individual or family (nonmember or less active) in their home to be taught by the missionaries. We're going to start teaching the members the missionary lessons so that they'll be prepared to help us teach when their friends come over. We're super excited for this new vision! I know we'll see a lot of success from it!

At the end of zone conference we had a Christmas talent show and it was so good! I was really glad I didn't sign up to sing because my voice was totally gone that day! But I did get to play the piano for some interlude songs we had, so that was fun! After zone conference we had exchanges with the Lyndon sisters and I went to Lyndon with Sis. Hamilton. We had a good exchange! We did some service, saw an investigator and a less active. 

Sis. Harward and I have had a lot of success with less actives this week! We had 11 less active lessons! And a few of them are progressing! Yay!

Crazy story! We knocked on a less actives door and we heard someone calming the dogs down and coming towards the door, but no one opened the door. Then all of a sudden these lights came on and weird Christmas music started playing! Okay, I just read through this paragraph and it doesn't sound that weird, but seriously it was so creepy! We felt like we were in a horror movie haha! So yeah, we got out of there real quick like!

On Saturday morning we went out tracting and we showed "A Savior is Born" to this cute little family. After the video we asked the kids if they knew why we celebrate Christmas. They said no, then we asked if they knew who Jesus Christ was, and they didn't. That was so sad! This experience made me so grateful for my parents and primary teachers for teaching me that I am a child of God and Jesus Christ is my Savior. 

Saturday evening we were going around contacting more less actives and then we got a call from the South Royalton sisters. They had so many people at the Joseph Smith Memorial that night and needed extra help and asked us if we would come, so we did! We got to be visitor's center missionaries for the night! Visitor center missionaries don't have to be with their companion as long as they're with a group of visitors. It was super weird not being with Sis. Harward! I played some Christmas songs on the piano for a bit there, and some people came up behind me and started singing along! That was super fun! There were a lot of people there and most of them were nonmembers! Towards the end of the night there was a family there walking around and looking at the different picture and stuff. They started looking at the big timeline of Joseph Smith's life and the dad, John, said, "Wow, Joseph Smith saw God?!" Yeah he did! I got to teach them the restoration and it was such a great experience! The spirit was so strong as I quoted the first vision! John said he was feeling goosebumps! That's the spirit! He said that he's worked at the JSM before on various projects and he felt a very peaceful feeling while he was here. That's the spirit! They accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and agreed to have missionaries come over. They live in the South Royalton sisters area, so hopefully they have success with this family! It was so great to be at the JSM that night! I love the spirit that's there! I hope all of you have the opportunity to go there someday!

I'm so grateful for this beautiful Christmas season we have to remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior! I wish you all a very merry Christmas! Love you all!

Love, Sister Harper

at zone conference, back row l to r: Sis. Lewis, Sis. O'Bryant, Sis. Dastrup; front row l to r: Sis. Hallam, Sis. Bee, me, Sis. Harward, Sis. Bishop

lights at the JSM!

Sis. Harward and I at the JSM

singing and playing at the JSM

Week 72: 11 Days Until Christmas!!!

Hello!

I hope everyone's doing well and enjoying the Christmas season! Oh my goodness, the weather this week has been so great! It's been in the 40's and 50's and it hasn't snowed! (Knock on wood haha!)  

After Pday last Monday we drove down to Bedford, NH and spent the night at the Bedford sisters apartment. Then Tuesday we had MLT (mission leadership training) with all the sister training leaders, zone leaders, and district leaders. It was such a good meeting! President Stoker gave a great training on being a Christlike leader and 1 Samuel 15 about being exactly obedient. So good! MLT was a much needed spiritual boost! And I got to see 3 of my former companions, Sis. Keown, Sis. McVey and Sis. Davis! Sis. Keown and Sis. McVey are actually companions now and Sis. Keown goes home in a couple weeks! Crazy!

Wednesday-Thursday we had exchanges with the Burlington sisters, and I was in Montpelier with Sis. Rogerson. We had a great exchange! We saw a few less active members and had great lessons with them! One of the was Bro. Piko. He's doing so great! He's reading the Book of Mormon for 10 minutes everyday and he loves it! He also came to church yesterday and loved it! On Thursday night Sis. Rogerson and I went Christmas caroling in downtown Montpelier and it was super fun! We held up these posters, one said "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" and the other said "christmas.mormon.org #asaviorisborn" and we sang Christmas hymns. We got some weird looks, but it was still fun! Like Buddy the Elf said, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"

There's a really great article in this month's Ensign called "The Last Sacrament Cup." It talks about the importance of the sacrament and how individual and personal the Atonements is. I encourage you all to read this article and ponder ways you can make the sacrament a spiritual experience each week. I usually read the sacrament hymns, the scriptures or a talk and I really enjoy doing that. We read this article with the family we had dinner with last night. The oldest said while they pass the bread and water he thinks of things that Christ helps him to overcome, physical things during the bread and spiritual things during the water. I really like that and I think I'm going to try that! https://www.lds.org/ensign/2015/12/the-last-sacrament-cup?lang=eng  

In one of the Bible videos about the nativity it shows the angel appearing to the shepherds and then the angels singing and praising God. We watched this video this week and when the angels started singing Sis. Harward said, "Look! That's us!" We were all there praising and glorifying God that our Savior was born. How cool is that!    

https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/the-nativity?lang=eng

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Sister Harper

The sister training leaders at zone conference (minus Sis. Davis, she was in an interview with Pres. Stoker)

back row L to R: Sis. McVey, Sis. Duncan, Sis. Eddington, me, Sis. Harward, Sis. Gillies; front row L to R: Sis. Pankratz, Sis. Keown, Sis. Crook

Week 71: 18 Days Until Christmas!

Hello!

Wow what a crazy week it's been! It's been good, not too exciting, but kinda hard too. Some days it's hard to go out and work and stay focused. But I've noticed that the Lord has helped me a lot as I've tried to be diligent. Heavenly Father knows that we're not perfect, nor can we be. He just asks us to do what we can, and He will make all the difference.

We had great lessons this week with some less active members. We met with Bro. Piko and Bro. Prevost and the spirit was so strong! We got the best compliment ever from Bro. Prevost! He said, "Sisters, I can see God in your faces." Isn't that the sweetest things ever?

On Friday we had our ward Christmas party and it was so great! I really love the Montpelier ward! We and the Elders wore ugly Christmas sweaters to the ward party, but theirs were definitely uglier haha. The primary kids acted out the Nativity while they sang "The Nativity Song" and it was the cutest thing ever! I felt the spirit so strong! Primary songs seriously bring the spirit like no other!

The most awkward thing ever happened on Saturday morning! We were reading the Book of Mormon with our investigator Sandy. Right in the middle of the lesson a car pulled up to Sandy's house and Sandy said, "Oh, it's a Jehovah's Witness." So yeah, our lesson was crashed by a JW. While she was talking, she said that what she talked about would either reaffirm what we believe or make us question. I've had a few experiences like this on my mission and I always walk away from them so grateful for the plain and precious truths of the gospel. I know that God is our Heavenly Father and that His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that the church has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that Thomas S. Monson has been called of God as the living prophet on the earth today. 

I loved the Christmas devotional last night! Elder Bednar's talk was my favorite! If you weren't able to watch it, I encourage you to do so! Have you watched a shared "A Savior is Born?" And there's another cool video that the church put out about why we need a Savior which you should watch! https://www.mormon.org/christmas/purpose-of-a-savior  I love the message in this video! 

This week we've been sharing 1 Nephi 11: 13-23 with a lot of people. These verses are so powerful! This is a part of Nephi's vision and he learns that the greatest manifestation of God's love is His Son, Jesus Christ. I hope you all can feel of your Heavenly Father's love for you as your reflect on the birth of the Savior this Christmas season. God truly loves us. Christ was born to overcome all things for us. He is the Light of the World.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

Love, Sister Harper

Last week was my 16 month mark ("sweet 16" haha), so I had a date with Ben and Jerry!

Here's our Christmas card picture!

Us and the Elders (Elder Williams and Elder McCain) at the ward Christmas party

Week 70: Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello!

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving! We didn't have a white Thanksgiving this year! Yay! It's been cold here but hasn't snowed yet, know on wood haha. We had 2 meal appointments, one with the Houston's and one with the Hall's. Great people and food at both! We also visited the Norris' and Sis. Cayia. We shared something from Pres. Monson's talk "The Divine Gift of Gratitude" with members. It's Matthew 15:32-38. In the section, Christ is feeding the 4000 and this is right after He feeds the 5000. Christ asks his disciples how much food they have and the disciples said that they only had 7 loaves and a few fishes. They focused on what they didn't have. But Christ gave thanks for what they did have and a miracles was able to occur! They even had 7 full baskets leftover! I feel like we focus a lot on what we don't have. But I know that miracles can happen as we follow Christ's example and give thanks for what the Lord has already blessed us with.
This week we went on exchanges with the South Royalton sisters. I stayed in Montpelier with Sis. Innes and we had a great exchange! She served in Montpelier about 6 months ago so she helped me a lot with ward members and investigators, so that was very helpful!
On Friday evening we went to the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial for the live Nativity! It was so good! And the Christmas lights are so beautiful!
So last week we went to contact a less active, Bro. Piko. We buzzed his apartment, but there was no answer so we turned around and started walking. Then there was this guy walking towards us and he stopped us and asked if we were from the Mormon church. Turns out it was Bro. Piko! Hand of the Lord! He said that he wants to come back to church! And we gave him a Book of Mormon! So on Saturday we stopped by to see him and we were able to have a lesson with him! He's been reading the Book of Mormon and he loves it! Then this morning we got a call from another less active, Bro. Prevost. He left a message and said that he's friends with Bro. Piko and he wants us to meet with him! Yay more less actives we can help bring back to church!
Yesterday morning after I finished my morning prayers I walked over to the bathroom and I saw Sis. Harward just standing there looking at an upside down garbage can. She looked at me and said, "I just trapped a mouse!" Sis. Harward did all the dirty work, I was too chicken haha! She put some gloves on, got some cardboard to slide under the trashcan and we let him run away outside. Hopefully we don't see any more mice!
This week our zone is studying diligence! We're reading "Your Four Minutes" Bishop Gary E. Stephenson, April 2014 General Conference; "Finishers Wanted" President Thomas S. Monson, April 1972 General Conference; Hymn #252 "Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel"; and 1 Nephi 4. I learned a great lesson on humility last week. I learned that when we are humble enough to do God's will then he can guide us by the Holy Ghost. I'm excited to study diligence and become a more diligent missionary!
I'm sure you've all seen the new Christmas video that the church put out, but if you haven't definitely check it out! It's awesome!christmas.mormon.org. And make sure to share it on social media!
I hope you all are doing well and have a great week! Love you!
Love, Sister Harper
Sis. Harward and I at the JSM

The JSM! There are a lot more lights too, just couldn't get them all in one picture!

Week 69: Companion #10 is Sister Harward!

Hello everyone!

I have my new companion, Sis. Harward! She is from Spanish Fork, UT and has been out for 13 months. She has so much charity and is such a great example to me! I'm grateful that we can serve as companions now!

So Tuesday I was on exchange with Sis. Lescarbeau while we waited for our new companions to meet us. We stopped by some less actives, the Maxhams, and had a great visit with them! A couple weeks ago at our zone conference with Elder Nielsen, he invited us to share the First Vision with less actives. So that's what we did and oh my goodness I love the First Vision so much! It brings the spirit like no other! Bro. and Sis. Maxham both felt the spirit very strongly and they wants us to come back and they want to come back to church! Yay!

Ok super funny/awkward story! Tuesday night on our way home, Sis. Harward and I stopped to get gas. We pulled up to a pump and the buttons didn't work, so we backed up to the pump behind us. Then one of the employees came out and told us that that pump's card reader wasn't working. Sis. Harward complimented the employee on his haircut (he had this cool looking pompadour haircut) and then we went to another gas pump. While we were filling up our car, this same employee walked over and handed a piece of paper to Sis. Harward and he said,"This is a total gamble, but give me a call sometime!" After he walked away Sis. Harward turned to me and said, "Sis. Harper, I think I just got hit on..." Oh my goodness so awkward! We thought about calling and inviting him to learn about the gospel. But yeah, I don't think we're going to call him haha!

Here's another crazy story! We were driving to our dinner appointment and we saw something weird on the car in front of us. Turns out is was a dead deer strapped to the trunk of the car! And there was blood dripping down the back of the car! Real classy, Vermont.

This transfer our zone is doing this sweet Christlike attribute study and I invite you all to join with us! Each week we're studying and developing a different Christlike attribute and this week's is humility. We're studying "The Divine Gift of Gratitude" Pres. Thomas S. Monson, October 2010 General Conference; "To Walk Humbly with Thy God" Elder Marlin K. Jensen, April 2001 General Conference; Alma 29; and Hymn #196 "Jesus, Once of Humble Birth." I'm also going to be saying all gratitude prayers this week! I read "To Walk Humbly with Thy God" this morning and I really liked it! He said, "Our submissiveness will be reflected in our reverence, gratitude, and willingness to accept callings, counsel, and correction." I think those are really great ways to measure and examine our humility. 

There's a great promise given in 2 Peter 1:5-8 about developing Christlike attributes. "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." I know that we will come to know the Savior more as we become more like Him (Moroni 7:48).

I am so grateful for our loving Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ. I know they live and love us eternally. I am grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the opportunity I have to share it with others. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon and how it's helped me come closer to the Savior. I know that it's the word of God and that it was translated by the prophet Joseph Smith. I am so grateful for my wonderful family and friends. Thank you for all your love, support and prayers as I've been on my mission. I hope you all have a great week and a happy Thanksgiving! Love you all!

Love, Sister Harper

Sis. Harward and me!

Week 68: Get to Know a New Area in a Week: Check!

Hello!
Wow it's been a crazy week! We've been busy contacting a lot of people
and helping me get to know the area quickly. I've met a lot of great
people and there are some awesome members here!

We met with our investigators this week. We have Moe, Lisa, and
Robert. They're all great! We had a really good lesson with Robert on
Friday. He wants to be baptized but is a little hesitant to get
baptized soon. We invited him to pray about a date in 2017. And then
our member, Sis. Norris (she's awesome!), challenged him to be
baptized by Easter!

Sis. Tyler and I had a crazy off roading experience this week haha! We
were driving to a members house for lunch and our gps took us on this
dirt road out in the woods. Sis. Tyler was driving and she really
doesn't like dirt roads. After a few miles she asked me to drive. I
felt pretty confident we could make it in our little Subaru, but then
the road got a lot narrower and bumpier and muddier. We decided to
turn around and backing up uphill on a bumpy and muddy road was quite
the adventure! But we eventually turned around and got back on the
main road! Yay!

This past weekend we had a social media split. We visited members and
they posted pictures of us on social media. So look up
#socialmediasplit, #lds and #iammormon and you maybe you can find
pictures of us!

This week I've pondered a little bit about Christlike attributes. In
Preach My Gospel there's a whole chapter about developing Christlike
attributes. I think that word developing is very interesting. We're
all children of God and He's already blessed us with divine qualities.
It's our responsibility to develop or magnify those qualities so that
we can become more and more like our Savior Jesus Christ. I love 2
Peter 1:5-8 which says, "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to
your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge
temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And
to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ." What a great promise! As we develop Christlike attributes we
will come to know the Savior more!

Ooh exciting news! Last Sunday Nick and Crystal were confirmed! And
yesterday Nick received the priesthood! I am so happy for them!

Well tomorrow I'll receive my new companion! I'm 99% sure it's Sis.
Harward and she's awesome! I hope you all have a great week! Love you!
Love, Sister Harper

My new address is
1084 S. Main St. #2
Northfield, VT 05663

Week 67: Welcome Back to Vermont, Sis Harper!

Hello!
Wow! It's been a good week, but a crazy one!

We had super awesome lessons with Nick and Crystal this week! At one
of their lessons, their friend Dan was there. Nick have him and
Articles of Faith pass along card! Dan stayed for and participated in
the lesson! He said that he wants to get back into church and he's
interested in our church. We gave him and Book of Mormon too! Nick and
Crystal are already super awesome member missionaries! They both
testified of how the gospel and blessed them and helped them! Oh my
goodness they are so great!

Thursday we had exchanges with the Concord sisters. I was in Concord
with Sis. Lewis and we had a such a great exchange! We did a lot of
service! We raked leaves for this cute little lady, Sis. Spaulding!
And we had a good lesson with their investigator Katherine!

We exchanged back that night at the Concord sisters apartment and then
drove home. We got back to our apartment and realized that we left our
apartment keys at the Concord sisters apartment! So we went back and
got our keys and got home around 9:45pm.

Then at 10:15pm we got a call from Pres. Stoker. We thought he was
calling because we were out late (the little boxes in our car that
yell at us when we speed also let President know if we're out past
curfew). He didn't say anything about that (whew!), but I think I
would've rather had him call about that than what he really called us
about. He called to tell us that on Saturday I was going to be
emergency transferred to Montpelier, VT. My heart sank! Normal
transfer calls weren't for another week, so I thought I still had at
least a week in Canterbury. So I had about a day to pack. Luckily we
had a lesson with Nick and Crystal and the MacAllen's the day before I
left so I got to say goodbye to them, but most of my goodbyes to the
ward members were over the phone. It was so sad to leave on such short
notice! I was especially bummed because I missed Nick and Crystal's
confirmation on Sunday. At least I got to be there for the baptism!
Nick and Crystal are doing great and I know that they're in good
hands.

So Sis. Tyler and Sis. Peterson were the sisters in Montpelier. Sis.
Tyler goes home next week and Sis. Peterson is needed in a different
area. So instead of pulling both of them out at the same time and
putting two new sisters in, Pres. Stoker ETed (emergency transferred)
me to Montpelier to make the transition smoother. So I'm here with
Sis. Tyler for a week and Sis. Peterson is in Canterbury with Sis.
Davis for a week. Then Sis. Tyler will go home, Sis. Peterson will go
to her new area, Sis. Davis will stay in Canterbury and get a new
companion and I'll stay in Montpelier and get a new companion. I know,
it's all sorts of consuming. But I have a week to get to know
Montpelier before I get a new companion! Things are going well so far,
hopefully it's not too stressful haha!

Saturday was a great day, bittersweet too, because I got transferred
that evening We had an all day zone conference with Elder Brent H.
Nielsen of the seventy. He's the head of the missionary department.
And last April conference he gave a talk called "Waiting For the
Prodigal." Super good! It was such an awesome zone conference! He
taught about the enabling power of the Atonement. I learned a lot and
really felt the spirit. There's two parts of the Atonement: the
redeeming power and the enabling power. We access the redeeming power
by living the gospel (exercising faith, reopening, being baptized and
renewing our covenants each week by partaking of the sacrament,
receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end). Elder
Nielsen taught that one way we access the enabling power is by putting
of the natural man by being humble and becoming a saint (Mosiah 3:19).
I really liked how he taught that, but I was still a little confused.
Then Sunday morning during my studies a found a scripture that
answered my question! D&C 44:4-5 "And many shall be converted,
insomuch that he shall obtain power to organize yourselves according
to the laws of man; That your enemies may not have power over you;
that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to
keep my laws; that every bond may be broken wherewith the enemy
seekers to destroy my people." So what I learned from that is that we
can obtain and access the enabling power of the Atonement by being
converted! How neat is that?

Well, I'm in Vermont now! Last week in Canterbury it was in the
60-70's and now in Vermont it's in the 40's! So cold! Even though it
was sad to leave Canterbury, I'm excited to be here in Montpelier! I
know that the Lord has a plan for all of us, sometimes we don't always
understand it, but His plan is always better for us. I love you all
and hope you have a great week!
Love, Sister Harper

Week 66: Baptism!!!!!!!

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday was probably the greatest day of my whole mission! Nick and Crystal got baptized!!!!! It was such a great baptism! The spirit was so strong and there was just so much love! Such a happy day! It's been so amazing and humbling to be with Nick and Crystal as they've prepared for baptism. Their faith has grown so much! The Lord prepared them so much to receive the restored gospel! The gospel truly is for everyone! It changes hearts and it changes lives! I love Nick and Crystal so much and am so happy for them! 

I don't know if I've shared this, but it's a pretty cool story of how we found Nick and Crystal. I was with Sis. McVey and she had a broken ankle, so we didn't tract for the first month that we were companions. Then after about 5 weeks she felt like she had healed enough to go tracting, so we prayed and picked a street and went tracting the next day! That first day that we went tracting was when we met Nick and Crystal! I know that the Lord had a hand in us meeting them and I am so grateful that we were lead to them! It has been such a blessing and privilege to share my love for the Savior and His gospel with them! And thank you all for your prayers for Nick and Crystal! 

Tuesday night was our ward Trunk or Treat. It was super fun! We and the Elders dressed up... well, kinda haha. The Elder were the Men in Black and Sis. Davis and I were superheros in disguise!

On Wednesday to Thursday we had exchanges with the Lebanon sisters! I stayed in Canterbury with Sis. Hair! She's a brand new missionary and she has so much greenie fire! I love it! Wednesday night we had dinner with the Favorite's and they are seriously my favorite! They're this super funny older couple and they make the best food ever! Sis. Favorite is so funny! She told us that she needs to fatten us up so that we won't get kidnapped, because only the skinny people get kidnapped! Haha they're so great! 

Sis. Davis was in Lebanon with Sis. Evans on exchange and Sis. Davis found a Melinda road! How neat is that? I've never seen a street with my name so that was super cool!

We had a super awesome Halloween! We went to contact a less active member, and right across the street was a grandma (Marie) and her 2 granddaughters (Grace and Abigail) raking leaves. We asked them if they would like some help and Marie said, "Well, we wouldn't say no!" Normally when we offer service people say no, so it was awesome that we got to help them! And they know a family that's in our ward! They really appreciated our help and then they invited us to go out to lunch with them! So nice! I love doing service! 

We had to be in early on Halloween night to deep clean the apartment. We got almost the whole apartment done! Now it's nice and clean! Yay! I hope you all had a great Halloween! The Lord lives and He loves you! I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Sister Harper
​

​

Week 65: Happy Halloween!

Hello!
Well it has been a great week! Quite eventful! We had a great lesson
with Nick and Crystal on temples and family history. They're excited
about going to the temple someday! That night we went out to dinner
with the Duncan's. They're a senior missionary couple in our ward and
they're so awesome! We went to this Indian restaurant in Concord and
it was so good!