Eres una dama elegida

You are an elect lady :)

This week was full of lots of teaching and LOTS of meetings, four in total. That's a lot.

The first one was a meeting for all the Hermanas in our mission. The theme was this scripture from D and C 25:3 and 10. I have always loved this section of Doctrine and Covenants, directly for Emma Smith, and I love that we had a meeting entirely about these scriptures, inspiring all of us to be a little more like Emma. I just love that :) The best part was a class given by a companionship of Hermana leaders, saying that the mission is the MTC for life- in the mission we just have to keep going, keep enduring. When we are sad or sick or when we feel like we have nothing more to give, we just have to keep on going, trusting that God will not give us trials that we cannot handle. I truly have a testimony of this, that I am being prepared for the rest of my life here in my mission, and I am so blessed. Life is hard, but God is cheering us on and He's got His arm around our shoulder supporting us to the finish line. His love is so crazy real.

The other meetings were about a new approach that we are taking in our mission, about focusing a bit more on inactive members and getting them back to church and to make more covenants with God. It's an awesome plan, we are going to do it Nephi style. 1st Nephi 4:6 - he went to the house of Laban not knowing how he would acquire the plates. He observed the situation and followed the spirit. And that is what we are going to do- go, observe, and rely on the spirit to know what it is that we need to teach. I love it. It's already working. It's already awesome.

My comp told me this week that sometimes she "forgets that I speak English because I talk like a Chilean". Best thing ever to hear.

I'm sorry that I honestly don't have anything else to tell...honestly, the mission is tough sometimes and there are some weeks where the miracles aren't huge and there are a few trials that require faith and endurance and a little forced happiness. And that's ok because those weeks can shape you if you let them.

And Mitchell is home :) Lucky world of Utah, they get to enjoy the awesomeness that is Mitchell Harkins. I can't wait :) I have basically the best brother in the world, no battle :)

Stay bold, y'all :)

Hermana Harkins

He is not here for HE IS RISEN

It is the best ever to celebrate Easter in the mission. I'm totally biased. I had the best Easter ever. And this week was wonderful, my testimony has grown crazy huge about the guidance of the spirit, of prayer, of the atonement...But we will get to that, I had so many wonderful things happen this week, there is no way to go but chronologically.

Marcy- S.O.C.K.S.

On Monday we had a miracle day where we had 2 lessons with investigators where we had members there helping us, and we invited one of them to be baptized with a specific date, which every missionary knows is AWESOME, and Hermana Marquez and I were celebrating. Seeing people progress is the best thing that a missionary can see in their investigators. Also on Monday, I shared my testimony of the hymns and how they help us in our lives, and I felt prompted to share an experience from my childhood- whenever my mom had to do something like take a splinter out of my foot or something painful like that, Mitchell would hug me and tell me not to look and sing primary songs to help me not think about it. Ask my mom, her version is much funnier. But the point is that it is adorable and I had completely forgotten that we did that until the moment I felt prompted to share it, and it made me so giddy! I have the best brother ever, I can't get over it!

On Tuesday we found one of our less active members that we visit smoking in his front yard. We weren't planning on visiting him, but felt prompted to pass by and see how he was doing. We found him just at his breaking point, stressed and sad and just started the first cigarette. We were able to talk to him, comfort and teach and pray for him and help him give up all the cigarettes that he had in the house and promise to read the Book of Mormon whenever he felt the need to smoke. The spirit is amazing, how it guides us in everything.

On Thursday we walked. A lot. It was one of those days where every single one of your appointments fall through and you do a lot of contacting and you feel really close to your companion because you have a lot of time to talk and share weird mission stories and sing primary hymns together. But at the end of the day, we had a miracle. It has a lot of back story, but it's totally worth it.

Last week, Hermana Marquez was contacting a woman on the bus ride home from our weekly district meeting. It was a great contact, and just as we were about to the point of getting her whole address, we had to leave. We were following the elders to the house who had our lunch and we didnt know where it was, so it wasn't like we could just get off at the next stop and walk a little more. it was a bummer, and all that Hna. M heard was the street name, Beduinos, and that their house is close to the big water tower. Well Beduinos is a big street, and next to the water tower can mean so many things, so we just kind of let it go.

A few days later we were teaching in a park and Hna. M saw the same woman walking down the street and watched and watched and watched until she saw her enter a house. Once we finished teaching, we tried to go back and see what house it might have been, but she couldn't remember; there were about 5 or 6 that it could have been.

So this Thursday, we made the resolve to try and find this woman. We had said a very specific prayer in the middle of the day, when it became clear that all of our appointments were falling through, that we could find at least one person to teach that really needed us and that was ready to listen. Well, my testimony has grown of this. God answers our prayers when we are specific in what we ask for and when we put in the real effort, enduring to the end, to put action in with our faith and try and find that "at least one person."

Her name is Gladys :) And we taught her the first lesson :) And we have another appointment with her this evening :) The church is so true :)

All Friday and Saturday we taught everyone about Jesus Christ, about his life and sacrifice and the Atonement and how he gives us hope and how he loves us and about the Plan of Salvation and inviting everyone- every person in El Abrazo- to the Easter Choir Performance. We watched the movie Faith in Jesus Christ a lot. Every time we watched it, I noticed something different- something that Christ says or something that someone does to show their faith in Him. Every day in personal study I ended up studying about the Atonement, without even really trying...it just happened to be mentioned in the Book of Mormon where I was reading, or in the Liahona (Ensign), or something like that. It was like Heavenly Father was trying to tell me to truly strengthen my testimony of Christ, to make my gratitude for Him run over so that I could testify with power and authority of his divine love and sacrifice. It worked. I read in Preach my Gospel this week, in Chapter 3 about Lesson 2, that without Christ we are nothing. It's true. It's strong, I know, but with Christ, we have eternal life as our promise.

And Easter was a wonderful day. Anyone who knows my family knows that we do over the top celebrations for all Holidays, so it was a bit different than past years, but I still seriously enjoyed it. I got my comp chocolate cakes and a fruit that she likes for Easter, and she hid little chocolate eggs in my bookshelf of scriptures and stationary. All the Sacrament meetings' talks were Christ and his Atonement, and there was even a baptism today, a little 8 year old girl giddy to wear her little white dress and make those promises with the Lord. And what better day to be baptized than on Easter?
But in the baptism I got a little emotional- the whole having it be a holiday and not being with my family is hard for this Hermana, and as we sang I am a Child of God for the baptism and I sang about having good parents...I just teared up a bit. Everything that I am is from my parents, because of them, I am here serving a mission, because of them, I love the gospel. I am so indebted to them. And in that moment, I just wanted to hug them and feel that family love, and it got me a little emotional.

But seriously, I wanted that hug! And as soon as I had that desire, I felt prompted to hug Hermana Palaminos. She is the Primary President and is really close to us missionaries and I dunno, the spirit was telling me to go to her. I have learned, many times in my mission, to respond to the promptings of the spirit. So once the baptism ended, I went straight to her and just hugged her. After a moment, I said "I just need a mother's hug and I felt like you could give me one." She Aaaawed and hugged me longer and tighter and kissed my cheek and told me she loved me, just like a good mom does. Heavenly Father knows exactly how to help us feel love and love others. As a missionary, it seems sometimes that you receive promptings for other people all the time, but not very often for yourself. It was a nice reminder that the Lord takes care of his instruments and knows their needs as well as the needs of His children that they serve.

And that night, we had the last of the Easter Choir Performances. We had a huge turn out- it was in the Plaza de Maipu where we did the most advertising- so much that we had the information on the big screen tv above the McDonalds in the middle of the Plaza right where the whole world can see it, so we were expecting a crowd. And a crowd we had- almost 1,000 people. The missionaries couldn't sit in, they had to be in the hall and listen, and they were continually bringing in more chairs for the people that just kept on coming.

But I got nervous. Not that there is a mob of people that came to listen, I have gotten over that weird nervousness. It's that it's Easter, and I wanted very badly to help all these people feel the love of the Savior, and I had a doubt in my heart that I wouldn't be able to deliver. With my testimony of prayer growing this week, and my comp being able to read me so well, she told me to relax and that it would all be fine. In response, I asked if we could pray. So we went into an empty room and said a quick and direct prayer to help these people feel the spirit and the love of the Lord.

A moment later, as I sat on the stand with the rest of the choir waiting for the performance to start, I felt something on my arm, very tangible, very real. There was obviously no one there, I sit on the corner. But I was overwhelmed with the feeling that Rita Schroeder was with me. She was my first voice coach, my young women's leader, and died of cancer a few years ago. Her daughter is Calee Schroeder, who has a CD at Deseret Book and sings "She Put the Music in Me." The song is about her mom and the influence she had on her. I know she was with me. She helped put the music in me, too. And she always told me that I need to not think about the people who are listening, to focus on the message of the song and try and communicate that.

The performance was wonderful and the veil was thin and the love and strong.

Because of Christ, we have hope.

Because of Christ, we will live forever.

Because of Christ, I am who I am.

Stay Bold, y'all :)

Hermana Harkins

"Nunca estoy solo- Mi Padre esta conmigo." -Jesucristo

This week was so spiritually enriching and wonderful. This week, I have have felt the blessings so strongly of serving the Lord as a full time missionary, in so many beautiful ways, and so strongly I could feel His love for me, and approval at what I am striving to do to serve Him. It was as very fulfilling week of service and love.

We will start with the Easter Choir that I am in- I am coming to find out that it is a bigger deal than I originally thought. So many people are coming to these performances that are all over the Santiago West mission, it's the choir and multiple videos of Christ's life and resurrection, and we are doing so many advertisements for it, from inviting thousands through Facebook to passing out invitations in the streets to humongous, professional posters all over the place...its huge, what it is that we are doing! I am loving it!

And this week, we had the first two performances, in Replubica, bustling city of college students and young families, and Ochagavia, a little ghetto but full of humble people who love Christ and acknowledging his life. And the spirit was just crazy strong, we sing (pardon me, the titles are in Spanish, I cant remember what they're called in English, but you all have google translate and I don't) Honor Loor y Gloria, Hoy Con Humildad Te Pido, En un Lejano Cerro Fue, Cristo El Redentor Murio,Sublime Salvador, El Amor del Salvador, and a handful of solos. AAAH I just love singing in a choir again! And in SPANISH! I just want to sing in Spanish for the rest of my life, I think Ill stick with that ambition. But seriously, the show is amazing. I'm hoping I can somehow get someone to take a video so I can send it, it's amazing. It is a lot of time, a lot of bus travel and I have found myself very tired this week from the practices and performances all on top of my normal missionary duties, but I am so, so very blessed to be a part of this. To be an instrument in His hands in yet another way. And that is what I am here to do.

In other news, we had some awesome spiritual experiences this week in teaching. One investigator, Erika, had some doubts about modern day prophets, and it was the Monday after conference that we visited with her, so we pulled up President Monson's talk on love and watched it with her, inviting her to have a question in her heart and to see if it is answered in his message. At the end of his talk, she answered honestly that it was only halfway answered, but that she felt that she knew him. She said "He has a face that I feel like I know, a face that I feel like I can trust." I wanted so badly to say "ITS BECAUSE YOU KNEW HIM IN THE PREMORTAL EXISTENCE AND HE LOVES YOOOOOOOU" But I have learned to control my enthusiasm in such moments and calmly testified of his love and power. It was wonderful. We can always rely on the prophet to testify of, well, modern day prophets.

I saw Hermana Mittelsteadt, my companion from my first four weeks in the CCM, this week during one of the choir practices- she had a meeting with her zone in the same chapel and we chatted for a bit. She informed me that she had a dream this week that I will get called to train this next change, and that I should start preparing now because it was obviously a revelation. I doubt it, but its nice to hear that she is dreaming of me ;)

Something more that I want to share- due to the many practices that we had this week for the choir, I wasn't able to study every morning, because the most effective time to practice without interfering with working in our sectors is in the morning, but it means not studying. And I realized just how important my study time is! Not just in preparing to teach, but in enriching my own testimony. I only got to study twice this week, but the time was precious and well used, and overall, it made me appreciate my study time more.

One of those two days of studying, during comp study, Hermana Marquez and I were discussing an inactive family that we are visiting, who have been to the temple, had important callings, all that jazz, and we were sharing scriptures that we found in Alma 34 (we both found the same scripture for them separately, that's how you know you've got some rad unity flowing in your companionship) and trying to figure out how we can use these scriptures and try and help them realize how important it is to endure to the end. Because the Doctrine of Christ does not end after baptism and receiving the holy ghost, it extends to temple covenants and staying faithful to the VERY END. At one point, Hna. Marquez was thinking out loud and said something along the lines of "The Lord will end up having to say No, you cannot enter into my kingdom."

And in that moment, I was overcome with some love and sadness for these members who KNOW what it is that they need to do and are not doing it. I pray often to feel the love that our Heavenly Father has for the people we teach, and in that moment, i was feeling the love, but more strongly, I was feeling such sadness. My comp was feeling it as well, and we stared at each other a moment and we started crying a little bit. It was so strong! I hate to be a downer, but through that experience, I can testify of many things.

God loves us.

He is sad when we don't do what we promise to do.

He sends other people to help us.

I-as well as all missionaries- am responsible for the souls of the people in my sector.

When I try, I can be an instrument in his hands.

It was a wonderful week. The church is true and I know without a doubt that God loves us. And don't you forget it!

Hermana Harkins

General Conference WHAAAT

Oh. My. Goodness. General Conference is the best EVER!!! Maybe it's just my crazy missionary mind and being totally obsessed with the gospel and listening to people talk about it (positively), but I am entirely convinced that this was the best general conference to date!

I have come to the realization that I am a total fan girl of the prophets and apostles- I read their profiles and tape their pictures on the walls above my desk.

I was blessed to be able to listen in English- we had a separate room in the stake center that was streaming the conference in English for us North American missionaries, and lemme tell you, it was just a party. The best, most spiritual party EVER! We had cookies and brownies and cheesecake- hermana Harkins had celery and crackers with goat cheese, the weirdo-and we talked in English for two days, it totally threw me off, but it was a little sliver of how we do conference in the states- with lots of food and in ENGLISH!

I wish I could just mentally type all of the things that I loved about conference, all the revelation I received, all the love I felt, the testimony strengthening of having questions answered in conference. There is not enough time. But I just love Conference. As a missionary, inviting everyone to conference and every day testifying of the power and authority of the prophet and his apostles just made me so EXCITED! And my testimony was so strengthened by their words and their love. I love conference.

But if I had to pick favorites...I loved Elder Uchtdorf's talk on gratitude. And Elder Holland's talk on how it's hard being a disciple of Christ, but it is the way. I loved in the General Women's Conference when all the little girls sang teach me to walk in the light. Thought of my Emmy Belle and I totally teared up and all. I love Elder Eyring's Joyful face, he had a lot of joy this conference. I just love it all. I love the gospel. I love being a missionary. I love being here.

I just know that all the talks about family history and discipleship made my mom so happy, I thought of her during every single one. She is just on the same wavelength as the apostles of the Lord, that's all ;)

In other news, I am LOVING my sector and the members and our investigators and everything! There is a less active member that we found contacting on the bus this last week, explaining that these earthquakes that Chile is having have all been predicted and are recorded in the Book of Mormon, would you like a copy? Oh, if we could all be fearless like Alfio! I love it!

I have come to know that there is a church wide "bad habit" of making uncomfortable jokes about speaking in Sacrament meeting before starting your talk.

We had more practices this week for the Easter choir, and we did this awesome practice where we all spread out throughout the chapel, closed our eyes, and sang Sublime salvador (Beautiful Savior) purely by ear and in A Capella. AAAH IT WAS SO COOL! I love getting the A Capella chills. Good times, good times, high school :)

We put on a family home evening for a less active family this week, and when we passed by their house to plan the day, the wife told us that they didn't have enough chairs to support everyone that was going to come. So on the day of the family home evening, Hna Marquez and I carried 4 chairs from our house to theirs. It is amazing the things that missionaries do to help others. We carry chairs half a mile to put on the coolest FHE ever :) being a missionary is the best, most fulfilling adventure ever. I am in the palm of my Heavenly Father's Hand.

Hermana Harkins

Study area in our apartment

My home

General Conference 2014 North American style

General Conference 2014 North American style

Making meringue

My new favorite Chilean food