March 21, 2016 - Santa Barbara

Howdy.

This week has been the slowest of the transfer, but we finished off really strong! This week is Week 7 of our transfer. Usually we have six weeks in one transfer cycle, but we have to account for the MTC change-up in how long missionaries stay there. So, this is the last week of the transfer! We will be getting transfer calls on Friday and Saturday, so next Monday I should know where I am going! It'll be interesting. 

To start off, our baptism had to be re-scheduled for April 23rd! :( We had a complication come up. Abby's parents are recently divorced. Her mother is returning to activity, and her father is not a member. And so when he was approached to sign his consent for the baptism on March 26th, he declined and said it was too fast, and that he thinks we are pressuring her into doing this. So, to give it a little more time and to give the Mom more time to persuade the Dad, we decided to move the date back a bit. The time of the baptism doesn't matter, we just want everything to run smoothly and to allow Abby to decide to make those sacred covenants with her Heavenly Father. She really wants to enter into the waters of baptism, so I have no doubt in my mind that this won't affect a thing! It is kind of disappointing to see this happening to her and her family. But, they are holding strong to what they know to be true, and this also gives us a chance to teach her more about the church, without rushing things! It's been a really neat experience, because the Mom is trying to make her way to the temple to make those sacred covenants!

We had Zone Conference on Tuesday, and it was awesome! We learned a lot about planning and how we can prioritize all of the work we have to do, and President and Sister Felix gave us a new challenge! By Mid-May, they want us to have a family history story to share with others! I was thinking about talking about Ralph Cluff Harvey Sr. But I was also wondering if you could maybe find any more neat stories about our ancestors? We talked a lot about the Spirit of Elijah, and about how we can help people become closely acquainted with the Church through Family History Work, and it was awesome! They gave us one of the My Family booklets, and they want us to completely fill it out by Mid-May as well! It is going to be really fun, and I already have most of it done! I just need pictures of everyone on my four-gen pedigree chart, and I will be good to go! Oh, and like memories of everyone. Would that be possible to get? :) 

But, other than that, we really struggled to get into doors this week. Things have been slower this week, but we had a great Saturday and Sunday! Sunday, we talked with 30 different people on the streets. Including Jeremy, who is a homeless man. We offered him a #Hallelujah Card and he declined, telling us about his experiences in the Marines, and his past week experience with his Ex-Wife and two kids being hit by a drunk driver and killed. He said he wanted to punch God and Christ in the face. We decided it wasn't safe for us to declare ourselves as Representatives of Jesus Christ, assuming he would just decide that we deserved a shiner. Anyways, it was really sad to see the loss of hope in his eyes and in his voice. He feels God has abandoned him, and I really couldn't say much. I would like to think that I would stay strong in such a circumstance. And I told him that, but there wasn't really anything we could say to him. We admonished him to pray. Hopefully, that makes a difference. 

I am super excited for Easter this weekend! What a wonderful time of year for us to remember the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am super grateful for my Savior, and for everything He has done for me. I know that He lives, and I know that through Him, I can find new life! Especially through the hard weeks, He can lift us higher and higher, and He can make us better than we could ever imagine! 

I also went on exchanges with Elder Wickern this past week. He is one of our Zone Leaders, and he goes home next week! So here's a picture of me and him.

Super crazy to hear that Kaili Vermeeren is going to the France, Lyon Mission! She will be such a GREAT missionary! There is someone in our Ward who's son is serving there, and comes home in August! Maybe she will get to know him a little bit! 

Anyways. Nothing else really. #2weekstillconference <3

Really appreciated your words about Angels Dad, and it really is true! We need to offer this good news to people, and it is up to them to accept or deny this message! Also really appreciated the quotes you sent Mom. It is so true, especially in the world we live in now. We need to be more courageous than ever before! Also, let Caitlyn know that I say CONGRATS! I am super excited for her! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUDSON. 

Love,

Elder Harvey

#Hallelujah



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