June 26, 2017 - San Luis Obispo 1st Ward - LAST EMAIL

#TOTHEFINISH

Well! Here it is! I have finally finished with the MTC, and I am so excited to finally get into the field!

Well, FREAK.

Seriously, just as soon as you figure this whole missionary thing out, they take you home and release you to the world.

It's been a QUICK week. I thought it was going to be slow, but it's been quite speedy. I guess that happens when you don't have to find every second of every day.

First things first. Thanks for all of the emails! It's also crazy to think that I am 21. We went to Denny's this morning! It was fun. Richard is taking us out to lunch tonight, and we have dinner with the Francis' tonight, with some FHE thrown in there :)

Haha. The Hursts came and gave us whacky whistles! Wasn't that awesome? Oh, and congrats on the new house! I can't wait to help you guys!

Well, I will go over the final week here.

Monday. We had Zone Activity! Nothing too noteworthy. We played pool at the institute, and I won 6 straight games. Yup, #poolshark. Had dinner with the Slade's, and then had a lesson with Parker and Hayley again with them. We did the "BoMRR," something Elder Parkinson taught me. It stands for Book of Mormon Revelation Read. We had everyone pick a question, and then read Ether 12 to find an answer to their question! It's amazing, everytime we do this, everyone finds an answer to their questions, no matter where we read. More on that activity later... Parker and Hayley are amazing though. They got home after last week, after talking with us about coffee and the WoW, and said they just had a peaceful feeling come over them, and they haven't drank coffee since. Talk about commitment and the Spirit working in someone!

Tuesday. We did service with the DeGroots, and then had fish and chips with them after. Went and tried to see some people, and then had a lesson with Shannon. Taught the Restoration. She's going to take some time, but that's okay. Had dinner with the Spanish Elders at Buffalo Wild Wings. Tuesdays are half off wings, and it was Elder Hiltscher's birthday. It was good to be with them! 

Wednesday. Barb, a member from Santa Maria, texted us and wanted us to go for lunch with her. So we did. It was great. Had a lesson with Brandon, and we taught about Eternal Marriage and watched the new First Vision video with him. He is such an amazing kid, and will definitely be getting baptized next month. Then we had a lesson with Gayne, a recent convert. We had plans to read the Book of Mormon with her, wherever she was in her personal reading. We read Mosiah 9, but then she got REALLY upset. Words can't explain how mad she was. She really doesn't like death and bondage. We both thought she was going to rip the page out of the book! So, we quickly changed to Mosiah 18. Had a Stake Report Meeting that night, and then a great visit again with James and Jessica Francis.

Thursday. THE LAST ZONE CONFERENCE. Gosh darnit, I can't even believe it. It was one of the highlight Conferences of my mission. Not only was it my final one, but it was the Felix's as well. We learned all about the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ. It was incredible. We had a breakout session with our Zone in the morning, and we were asked to hold a 30 minute discussion on Revelation through the Book of Mormon. So, you know the activity we did on Monday? We did it with 22 missionaries in the Zone. And, to add to the confidence we had that the Book of Mormon would answer all of their questions, we had EVERYONE write down a favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon, and put it into a bag, and we chose a RANDOM chapter to all get our answers from. Well, Enos was chosen, and questions were answered. Just a glimpse into how amazing this was, my question was "How can I remain sure and steadfast in the faith as I return home?" and my answer was found in verses 11-12

"11 And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long strugglings ...
12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith."

Amazing. As I pray and plead with the Lord, He will grant unto me my desires. The rest of the conference was amazing. 

Friday. I honestly can't remember. I think we did Weekly Planning, and then had a lesson with Richard and dinner with the Lamson's.

Saturday. Had a lesson with Colleen, and then lunch with the Hursts. I love them. Had dinner with the Cooks, and another lesson with Gayne, and then did transfer calls. in between all of that, I was trying to pack.

And Sunday, we had church, and I tried to pack as well. I think I've got a good system down. I'm gonna check my carry-on bag so I don't have to worry about it all day. Anyways, had dinner with the Ruiz's. Love them, they are great. 

Well, here it is. My last email. Let me share something with you that I read this week that really struck a cord. I was reading "Walk With Me" by President Eyring.

"Brethren, our ordination to the priesthood is an invitation from the Lord to walk with Him. And what does it mean to walk with the Lord? It means to do what He does, to serve the way He serves. He sacrificed His own comforts to bless those in need, so that’s what we try to do. He seemed to take particular notice of people who were overlooked and even shunned by society, so we should try to do that too. He testified boldly yet lovingly of the true doctrine He received from His Father, even if it was unpopular, and so must we. He said to all, 'Come unto me' (Matthew 11:28), and we say to all, 'Come unto Him.' As priesthood holders, we are His representatives. We act not for ourselves but for Him. We speak not our words but His. The people we serve come to know Him better because of our service."

This is not the end. I have learned this week that I am a representative of Christ everywhere I go, even without the shirt, tie, and tag. This mission has not been mine, but it has been His. Nothing means more to me than to please Him, to be worthy in His eyes to enter the Celestial Kingdom of God one day. Mom, you quoted one of my favorite lines that I will always aspire to hear when I enter within the gate."21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:21)

This is only the beginning. It's time to make this count. Kingston doesn't know what's coming to them.

I love you all. This is Christ's Church. This is His message. Joseph Smith was His prophet, and Thomas Monson is His prophet today. Families are forever. This is His work and glory, to bring to pass all of our immortality and eternal life.

Love,

Elder Harvey

Elder Davis, Elder Hunter, and Elder McLawhorn. My previous three companions:)

Elder Hunter selfie

Elder Gemar and Pong

Me and the Felix's :)

Oh and a picture of our Zone!

June 19th, 2017 - San Luis Obispo 1st Ward

#TheFinalCountdown

Holy cow.

I can't even.

You go throughout your whole mission thinking about what it will feel like when you hit your last week.

Well, let me tell you. It doesn't feel any different. All I feel is this excited-nervousness about going home. And you seriously can't stop thinking about home. But, you push forward.

Glad to hear everything has been going well at home! Dad, I think I would love to be released earlier, if it helps President Davis out. That should be fine with me! I'll be up at 6:30 anyways :) Also, glad to hear you found a house! I haven't even seen the new house.... And we'll be moving shortly after I get there!

I don't even know how to explain this week. I feel like NOTHING fun is happening, yet I am having the TIME OF MY LIFE. Seriously, we're just going from appointment to appointment, and yet we're making the most of it. I love it. It's the little things we do as we serve the Lord that makes life enjoyable.

Well. Here's the week!

Monday. We went and played some pool and ping-pong with Elder Shaw and Elder Kelly, because the Sisters in our District don't like us. They always bail on us. We had dinner with the Slades, and then had a lesson at their house with Parker and Haylee. We taught about the Ten Commandments, Obey and Honor the Law, The Law of Chastity, and the Word of Wisdom. Yeah, it was a lot to cover. But, it went well. Only concern that came up was about the Word of Wisdom. Which, is one I usually get. So we're gonna talk a little bit more about it tonight. 

Tuesday. I was on exchanges with Elder Shaw. Things went well. I feel like we didn't do a whole lot. We did service in the morning at the farm, moving around a TON of hay. Elder Shaw rested his back a little, and then we went and gave a blessing to one of the Sisters. Had dinner with the Ruiz family, and then we went and tried by some people too. We were at a door, and no one was answering, and I saw a guy walk past. I yelled "Hey! Want a Book?" and started running to catch him. I don't know what got into me. I just felt like I needed to talk to the guy. Well, I almost fell after running on a curb, and then the guy just said "I'm Buddhist." AND WALKED AWAY. All that work for nothing. Haha!

Wednesday. We did service for the DeGroots. It went well, and then ate a HUGE sandwich. I did some MyPlan, and got everything finalized for my exit interview. We had a lesson with Terry, and shared the Spiritual Whirlwinds Mormon Message. And then we had dinner with the Cervantes family, which turned out to be a birthday party for Sister Cervantes' dad. It was all over the place. But went well!

Thursday. We did Stake Reports in the morning, and then had appointments all day. Met with Colleen, and taught a really bold Restoration lesson. She loved it, and understood that you need authority to be able to baptize. Had dinner with Sister Lyon, and then had a sweet lesson with the Francis' where we watched the Reflections Mormon Message. We had a lot of appointments cancel that day, but were able to get Stake Reports done!

Friday. My last District Meeting! I was able to give a talk on what it means to be a successful missionary. We helped out the Garza's with some moving, and then had a lesson with Brandon about Staying Spiritually Fit. Had a lesson with Barbara, about the Word of Wisdom, and then had dinner with the Pearsons, and then met with Richard and talked about who knows what. I can't remember. Those lessons go all over the place.

Saturday. I had my exit interview in the morning, and then we had to do studies. We were going to an 8-year-old baptism in the ward, and were asked to fill the font too, so we did that while we studied. The baptism was fantastic. There was a very strong Spirit in the room. Had dinner over at the Wiens house, and then had a lesson with Gayne, and we read in the Book of Mormon with her!

Sunday. Everyone thought it was my last Sunday. I STILL HAVE ONE MORE PEOPLE. It was a good day at church, and we taught Gospel Principles. Did some studies and Weekly Planning, and had an awesome dinner with the Ruiz family again!

Yeah. Just a lot of go go go which is awesome. We have a busy week this week. Lots of service and also a Zone Conference on Thursday in Santa Barbara! Should be a good week.

Well, I have been doing a lot of reflecting the past few weeks. I read this quote this morning from President Uchtdorf:

"However, the older we get, the more we tend to look back and marvel at how short that road really is. We wonder how the years could have passed so quickly. And we begin to think about the choices we made and the things we have done. In the process, we remember many sweet moments that give warmth to our souls and joy to our hearts. But we also remember the regrets—the things we wish we could go back and change."

It is only natural to have regrets. We can always do better. But, we cannot do it alone. Christ is our exemplar, He is our strength. We must not say more about Him, and say more about the Gospel, but we need to LIVE the Gospel.

"Declaring our testimony of the gospel is good, but being a living example of the restored gospel is better. Wishing to be more faithful to our covenants is good; actually being faithful to sacred covenants—including living a virtuous life, paying our tithes and offerings, keeping the Word of Wisdom, and serving those in need—is much better. Announcing that we will dedicate more time for family prayer, scripture study, and wholesome family activities is good; but actually doing all these things steadily will bring heavenly blessings to our lives."

My mission has been useless if all I do is come home and draw near to my Father with my lips. IT'S YOUR HEART. IT'S WHAT YOU DO. No one who merely says "Lord, Lord" will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Live what you know. Internalize the doctrines that you are taught in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. THAT is what matters.

I love you all! Enjoy the selfie of me, Elder Gemar, Elder Kelly, and Elder Shaw.

Also enjoy some MTC pictures that I randomly found on the computer.

Love,

Elder Harvey

June 12th, 2017 - San Luis Obispo 1st Ward

#IDon'tEvenKnowAnymore

Email 100.

Or something like that.

All I know is that I've sent a lot of emails.

And now there's only two left.

GAH.

Jameson's party looked like a ton of fun! It really did look like a gay pride party.... Hahaha. (we had a "Trolls" themed birthday for Jameson...lots of rainbows!) He got some sweet presents. Crazy to think I am 21 in a couple weeks. Dad, I would love to go golfing when I get home! That would be sweet. I'll be a little rusty, but that's okay! I don't know if I will be sending a package home or not.... I am gradually going through all of my things, and deciding what I want to keep and what I want to throw/give away. I think you asked about the birthday last week.... Not a lot of things I want (As usual). If you're planning on getting things other than clothes.... I would love a new quad :) I'll probably just get an iPad Pro later on once I have the money. Also... Phone situation? Will I be getting one soon? :P

This week has been an interesting one. I feel like we are just running around like crazy. We have had almost no time to find. Just teaching and planning and teaching and driving. Quite a few appointments cancelled on us this week too, which allowed us to finish the things we needed to finish! 

Monday. We played basketball with the Atascadero District. It was fun! A lot of my favorite Elders in that District. Had breakfast for dinner with the Packard's, and then had an awesome lesson with Parker and Haylee. They are seriously so cool. They ask some amazing questions, and the Spirit was super strong. We talked about Following the Prophet and about the Priesthood and Auxiliaries of the Church. Like I said, it went really well.

Tuesday. We were on exchanges! I went with Elder Nielsen. I have never served around this Elder, so it was fun to get to know him a ton. In the morning, we traveled over to a place called Morro Bay. Does that sound familiar? It should. Apparently it's where Finding Dory takes place or something. Although it is waaaaay different than how it is portrayed in the movie. Not way different I guess, but it's a small town. We went to the High School there and set up 2,000 chairs for graduation. It took 10 of us, and we finished in an hour. Pretty fast! Went by some people all day, including a good ol' tracting hour. Gotta love it. We talked with this bashy lady. She was telling us, "You need to understand, you're in a cult." I was just trying to give her a Book of Mormon. But she went off about Joseph Smith and such, and I asked some question. I think it was something like: "That's too bad, why do you feel this way?" And she went on to talk about how we worship Joseph Smith. Well, I got fed up, and I cut her off and said, "We don't worship Joseph Smith!" To which she replied, "Well, to us on the outside it seems that way." I guess I put some bold powder in my Cheerios that morning. I replied: "Well, that's because people don't read the Book of Mormon and so they get crazy misconceptions." That ended the conversation pretty quickly. It was fun! People need to read the Book of Mormon before they accept or deny Joseph Smith as a Prophet.. It's just so simple! We then had to move a couple cars, and then had dinner at Subway. Good stuff.

Wednesday. We set up for interviews in the morning, and had lunch with the DeGroot family. Had a lesson with Barbara about the Law of Chastity. I thought teaching a 9-year-old girl the Law of Chastity was difficult. Try teaching a 90-year-old woman. It's weird. I did MyPlan after that. Learned all about Dating and Eternal Marriage. There was some good stuff in there! Then we had our interviews with President and Sister Felix. My interview with President was like half an hour long. It was fun to just talk with him. Those two have truly made such an impact in my life, and I am forever grateful for them. Had a lesson with Colleen, a less-active lady. Nothing really went on there. Had dinner with the Garza family, which was awesome. Had some Orange Pancakes. SUPER GOOD. Had a lesson with the Francis family. Elder Gemar found out he is related to Jessica. It was sweet! 

Thursday. Did service out on the farm. It was fun. The family is also called the Francis', but they are older and not related. Elder Kelly and I were looking after these baby turkeys they have, and then all of a sudden we noticed that everyone was pecking on this little white one in a corner! AHHH! It was crazy. We moved quick, and I ended up grabbing it out of the cage. Poor little guy. Everyone had pecked off half of his left wing. It was SO SAD. He is probably dead now, but I let him live a little longer! We put him in a container, but yeah. He looked pretty bad. Had dinner with the Todd's that night, and then did some Weekly Planning. Well, tried to. It ended up having to be done on Friday and Saturday. Too many things to figure out!

Friday. District Meeting in Paso Robles. It was fun. Went to Taco Bell with Elder Atkinson and Elder 'Iongi after. Did some more car switching, and then did most of our Weekly Planning. Had a sweet lesson with Brandon. He had a date for the 24th, but hasn't been able to come to church. Unless a miracle happens, it looks like no baptisms for the month! Oh, before I forget, something happened with Noah. But I will tell you all about it when I get home. Too much to type.... Had dinner with the Platt's, and then had a hilarious lesson with Richard. 

Saturday. Had a lesson with Elisa, about Temples and Families. It went well! She really wants to go to the temple, just needs to have the drive to get baptized. Don't ask me why that doesn't correlate, but it's something we're working on! Had lunch, and then tried to get Weekly Planning finished. Talked for a few hours about member work... It's really hard! Had dinner with the Long's, and then a lesson with Gayne. Followed by Correlation that night!

Sunday. We spoke in Sacrament Meeting! I spoke on President Nelson's talk "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives." It went well, and seems like everyone enjoyed it! We did Zone Evaluations all day, and then had dinner with the Nunes family. 

Great week, eh? Looking forward to these next couple of weeks. My final interview with President will be on Saturday, and then it's all downhill from there!

President Nelson says:

"There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought. But when we do, our doubts and fears flee. ...Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power."

In the great words of Shia LeBoeuf (I have NO idea how to spell his name.) JUST DO IT. Faith in Jesus Christ is something that isn't the easiest thing to continually develop, but it is such a simple thing that we can constantly enhance and improve. All it takes are those simple things. Pray sincerely individually and as a family. Study the Word of God. Attend the temple. Attend Church Meetings. Strive continually to build your foundation on the Savior (Helaman 5:9-12). I believe that nothing can compare to Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Learn of Him. Have Faith and Follow Him. Make and Keep Sacred Covenants with PRECISION. And reach UP to Him in Faith! President Nelson:

"When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do."

He lives! I know it, and I know how much He has strengthened me as I have been on His errand. 

This is His Church, and His true and only true Gospel on the Earth today. 

Have an amazing week! 

Love,

Elder Harvey

Me and Elder Nielsen

Elder Kelly, Elder Gemar, and I

Elder Kelly, Richard, and I​

June 5th, 2017 - San Luis Obispo 1st Ward

#Can'tStopWon'tStop

What is up!

What the heck even was this week.

Let's just say in the past 4 days, we have driven almost 800 miles.

YEAH. I KNOW. CRAZY.

Good to hear your week has been pretty good! Elder Gemar, my companion, is from Saratoga Springs, Utah. He's been out for 19 months! He's stellar, and we are getting along just swimmingly.

I am fine with my birthday stuff when I get home! :)

This week has been full of driving and driving and driving and meetings and exchanges and driving. It's been insane.

Monday. Had dinner with the Sutters. That was sweet! Nice little family, and we talked about simple ways to do missionary work. Not much happened that night as I recall......

Tuesday. We were on exchanges. I was with Elder Kelly. We did service out on a farm. Elder Kelly and I dug up fence posts in a chicken coop. It was loads of fun. The family fed us lunch too! We went by some people after I did some MyPlan, and then had dinner with Richard, our 92-year-old Recent Convert. It was fun, he's a super funny guy. Had a lesson with the Francis' after that. Good lesson, and Elder Kelly taught really well!

Wednesday. We did service in the morning for an investigator named Terry. Cleaned up his garage. Had a lesson with Barbara right after, and we're trying to help her get to the temple! She is a 90-year-old recent convert. Had a lesson with Gayne, another recent convert, and we're trying to help her stop smoking again. And then tried to do some Weekly Planning, but it got interrupted by dinner with the Cervantes family and then correlation with Brother Ruiz.

Thursday. Drove down to Oxnard for MLC. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and how we can strengthen our testimony of Christ! It was weird, because it's my last one, as well as President and Sister Felix's last one. It was a bittersweet meeting. Made it back home in time to teach Brandon, our 15-year-old investigator, about Church Attendance. Had dinner with the Jones family, and then Had a District Leader Council out in Atascadero about MLC. Went well. We want to try and work with members more effectively, and so we counselled about that.

Friday. District Meeting went well! We learned all about the Book of Mormon. We then went and helped our office couple, the Andrus', close an apartment here. Then had a lesson with Parker, one of our investigators. Shared a Mormon Message with them. Had a lesson with Aaron after that. He's less-active. We might have to stop teaching him soon though. He's....Interesting. Had some dinner, and then drove down to Oxnard again for exchanges with the Assistants.

Saturday. I was on an exchange with Elder Swenson. He's definitely one of my best friends here. I love him so much! The Elders there had a baptism that morning for Mary. She is just awesome. She's been waiting 5 months to turn 18 so she can finally be baptized. Touching service. I loved it! Went by a ton of people, just having a good time. Ended up running into some people from LA on bikes. They were taking some pictures by a mural and we asked if we could take some for them. Eventually, they asked what the heck we were doing (we were like two minutes from the beach in our shirts and ties.). We ended up giving one of them a Book of Mormon! It was a good time. Drove home that night. Like I said, we drove a LOT. Ended up getting home at 10:30. Blech.

Sunday was good. Church went well. Nothing too crazy to report. Had a lesson with Richard. He taught us the Restoration. OH. Yeah. Saw Rachel Perez. I'll attach a picture:)

Great week! I love what President Felix wrote to us this week:

"Now is the time! There is no better moment to serve the Lord than right now. You are here in paradise away from family and friends, digital devices, music, NBA Finals, cars, no curfew, freedom, earning money, college education, traveling with family, Pirates of the Caribbean, going to the beach, dating, short pants, vacations, sandals, television, your pet, the gym, Café Rio, or whatever. God bless you for making the decision to accept a call to serve His Son! "

I have the funniest Mission President I swear. This is it! Another quote from President Felix: "It's time to suck up your guts and HIT!"

Here we go. "It's the Final Countdown!"

Have an amazing week!

Love,

Elder Harvey

Elder Swenson

Rachel Gehman from my home ward

our apartment

May 29, 2017 - San Luis Obispo 1st Ward

#TheSLOLife

​Phew.

I thought I was lucky in my last area.

Well, the Lord has sent me to a flourishing part of His vineyard! 

SLO life is the good life. It has been an amazing week, and I couldn't be more happier. Elder Gemar and I get along swimmingly. Our apartment is sweet. We are teaching 11 people right now. 7 of them are investigators and 3 of them are recent converts. Great ward. And just busy busy busy. This next week we have about 3-4 appointments every single day. Oh, and I am down to two pairs of slacks. #youknowitsbeentwoyearswhen

Here. Imma tell you about the week!

Monday was a bittersweet day. I really did love Arroyo Grande. I can honestly call that place home. I had a lot of tender and spiritual moments there, and will always remember the people I met. We had our District Activity, and then we went to the Hursts for dinner after saying goodbye to the Gonzales family and Alex, James, and Mireya. That night, Elder McLawhorn had a huge headache, so I just quietly packed.

Tuesday. Traaaaaaansfers. Last time I will have to deal with that. SLO is only 20 minutes away from AG, and so it was an easy move, but we had to wait for our new Zone to arrive, and we helped them out with bringing luggage. Went well, and then we went to work! Had a lesson with Shannon, one of our investigators, and it went really well! We taught her about Temples and Family History work, and she loved it. She is going to another church right now, but is very intrigued by ours and says that she will be baptized when she finds out it is true! Had dinner with the Pearson's at Buffalo Wild Wings. I ate some VERY spicy wings. I can take spice pretty well after two years. But, these were craaaazy.

Wednesday. I did MyPlan in the morning. It asked me to sign up for institute, and the closest one was in Ottawa. So, I signed up for it, but not sure if I will ever go. We saw Gayne, one of our recent converts, and taught her some of the new member lessons. Had to move some missionaries that night, and then had an awesome lesson with the Francis family, and Sister Francis came to church! 

Thursday was Weekly Planning, and then we went to see Barbara, who is another recent convert, and taught her about going to church, reading scriptures, and praying. It went well as well. Then went to a pass-off lesson with the YSA Sisters, with Evan and Hayden. It was in Evan and Hayden's apartment, and we were going to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and then their roommates came in. Three of them. And it turned into a semi-bash. It was nuts. Just a lot of Restoration-type questions... But I loved them! One of my most favorite things that happen is when I get super deep questions, and answer them super simply, but powerfully. The looks on their faces are priceless. Had dinner with Sister Thomas, and then had a lesson with Richard, our 92-year-old recent convert! He is hilarious.

Friday was District Meeting. Went well, and then we did service over at the DeGroot's family home. Helped Sister Thomas with her truck battery, and then had a sweet lesson with Brandon, a 15-year-old investigator! Taught him about missionary work. Had dinner with the Cooks, and then had an interesting lesson with Aaron Farber, a less-active. We invited him to take the lessons, which he accepted. He has some learning issues it seems, but as we were leaving, three people biked up to us and started talking with us. Dennis, the guy in the front, was super weird. Aaron is weird too. It was funny though. Aaron asked him if he wanted to go check out the meditation garden. Dennis' immediate reply was "Nah. We don't want that. We just want to go make sandwiches." What the what. We got outta there.

Saturday. In the morning we had a lesson with Elisa, another investigator, and talked about the Ten Commandments. Evan and Hayden (the guys we saw on Thursday) invited us to a pancake party. So we went. Pictures will be attached. It was awesome. I don't know if I have told you, but SLO is a total college town. Cal Poly is here, and so kids are everywhere. So, it's almost like I am back in YSA. But not. It's weird. It was a fun time though, even found a potential for the YSA missionaries! Had dinner that evening with the Sainsbury's, and then went around trying to see people. Ended up walking on a street around 8:45, and there was a naked man just standing on a porch. He said to us "Hey I'm butt *** naked right now." And we said "Oh, that's cool." I couldn't control myself. I just busted out laughing as we just walked right past him. It was funny, but I regret not giving him a Book of Mormon. That would have been a better story. 

Sunday was great. Everyone has been saying I look familiar, because Elder Bradley was in this ward not too long ago. Church went well though, everyone is very welcoming. Went by some people after studies, and then had dinner with the Wiens! Ended up walking in some apartment complex, and this old guy named Arnold wanted us to play pool with him. He's crazy. But it was fun! 

Yup. Fun, busy week. I have loved it here, and I wanted to share a quote from President Monson's article in June's Ensign:

"As you serve, you will build rich eternal memories and friendships. I know of no field which produces a more bounteous harvest of happiness than the mission field."

This is the place to be. I am hitting my stride with the Lord, and I know that He is working miracles here in this part of His vineyard. Nothing else matters now. 30 seconds on the clock, and we're marching downfield. Time to dig deep, work hard, sleep hard, and eat REALLY hard. 

Love you all! Have an amazing week!

Love,

Elder Harvey

Pancake Party

Richard, the 92-year-old

May 22, 2017 - San Luis Obispo 1st Ward

#BringOnSLO #TrunkyTransferred

Well. Didn't expect this.

But, that's just life right? Full of unexpected changes.

Yes. I have been transferred for my last 5 weeks. CRAZY.

I will be going to the San Luis Obispo 1st Ward with Elder Gemar. Him and I will be Zone Leaders in the largest Zone in the Mission. I am very excited. It's bitter-sweet. Elder Gemar is great, and I am very excited to be with him. But, I love this area. Honestly, this is home. But, I will go where the Lord needs me! 

Best part? I'll be driving a truck!!! :) So, that should be fun.

I am super sad to be leaving Elder McLawhorn too. But, that's life! He has been a fantastic companion, and definitely one of my favorite. 

Lets go through our week!

Monday. We had Zone Activity. We played some kickball! It was great. Had dinner that night with the Gonzales family, and then we went and met with one of our investigators! We taught her about the Restoration a little bit. It went well! She is very prepared, it's only a matter of time for her to get to baptism. Some stars need to align first. 

Tuesday. We had a lesson with Margarita in the morning. Ended up talking about the Restoration some more and helping her understand the Priesthood authority. We feel like she has gotten a spiritual witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the Church, but she is so deeply rooted in the Catholic church that she is having a hard time being able to consciously make the decision to be baptized. We had a little bit of a meeting with the District Leaders in our Zone about MLC the week prior, and then I did some MyPlan. Saw Alex and Mireya that night, and we taught the Restoration for Mireya. It went really well! I love using my Rubik's cube for those kinds of lessons. It helps kids understand the Restoration very simply!

Wednesday. We went to go do service with Jake Hurst in the morning, moving a bunch of cut down tree branches. It took longer than we thought it would, but we helped them out a ton! Elder McLawhorn started to get a migraine towards the end.... And so that kinda sat us down for a little bit, in order for him to sleep it off. We went and met with Matti, our WML in AG1, and then got some Subway for dinner. 

Thursday. We did Weekly Planning in the morning, and that went well. Had some appointments set up in the afternoon that didn't work out, but we were able to go with the Neufeld's in the evening and have some pizza and ice cream! Love that family. Their kid, Matt, got his mission call this week and he's going to the Idaho Falls mission! 

Friday. We had our last District Meeting of the transfer, and Elder McLawhorn and I sang a song. It was great! All about Jesus Christ, and we had a little testimony meeting at the end. We went as a district after and helped out one of the investigators in Pismo Beach Ward. The entire ward got together and basically flipped her house. It was a ton of fun! I got to steam clean the floors. Had some dinner that night, and then went to Bishop Merrill's and met with him a little bit. 

Saturday. In the morning we had an activity at the church building. Helped out the homeless coalition, and had some waffles too! It was great. Got our transfer calls, and then went and had a few lessons. Taught Alex and Mireya about the Godhead, and then had a lesson with Brother Osumi about the Holy Ghost. Then, called the Zone with their transfers!

Sunday. It was a missionary homecoming. Want to know the most trunky feeling in the world? It's seeing two missionaries come home and give their talks FIVE WEEKS BEFORE YOU GO HOME. It was a good meeting though. Sad to say goodbyes with people, but we went around to home after home after home. I will send pictures.

And that's the week! I really have loved being in this area. I have been able to look back at the beginning of my mission and see the miracle of growth that has occurred with me as I have labored in the vineyard. The Lord truly is mindful of us, and He knows what we need. I read some talks this week, and here is a favorite quote from President Monson in his talk "Finishers Wanted.":

"From the very beginning to the present time, a fundamental question remains to be answered by each who runs the race of life. Shall I falter or shall I finish? On the answer await the blessings of joy and happiness here in mortality and eternal life in the world to come."

Five Weeks Left. Shall I falter, or shall I finish? Whenever we are going through experiences like this, it is very easy to falter. President Monson uses the example of David. He faltered. Let us have the vision, the effort, the faith, the virtue, the courage, and the prayers to be true finishers. President Monson regards these attributes as "...the marks of a true finisher, will be as a lamp to our feet in the journey through life. Ever beckoning us onward and lifting us upward is he who pleaded, '… come, follow me.' "

Thank you all for your love and prayers! Have an amazing week! 

Love,

Elder Harvey

The Merrills

The Dalebouts

The Simkins

May 15, 2017 - Arroyo Grande 1st and 2nd Wards

#HowDoYouMakeThisThingSlowDown?

​Heyo!

Talked with you guys yesterday. But I'll give you a written run-down of the week. It'll be quick though! It was great to be able to see you all yesterday! Just one more month, and I'll be walking off of that plane! It's going to be a great last few weeks here.... In just six more weeks, I'll be writing my last email home! 

The week was great! Zone Conference, Exchanges, Getting sick, and MLC... All of that made for a busy busy week! 

Monday. Didn't do a whole lot. We went out and saw the chiropractor again for Elder McLawhorn. Then went and played some mini-golf with the District! After that, we had dinner with the Hursts, and then did Zone Evaluations! 

Tuesday. Got to the Stake Center for our Zone Conference! This one was a special one, we all got to be in our P-Day clothes! We went on a hike and learned a lot about the Holy Ghost! Walked around with one companion having a blindfold on. Another time we had the other companion blindfolded, but we were also three-legged. It was great, and then we got back and learned about finding by the Spirit, and received some training on how to work more effectively with members! We had dinner with the Capanna's that night, and then had a lesson with the Osumi's! We talked about deepening our conversion to Christ, and about how we can gain a testimony of Him. Great family! 

Wednesday I was on an exchange with Elder Judkins, our District Leader. I woke up feeling sick though, but we still went through the day! Did some service in the morning, and then had both of our appointments fall through, so we went by some people, and ended up seeing Kelly! We haven't been able to see her in awhile, so it was nice to get in contact with her again! She wants to start taking the lessons again, but has been super busy because her dad is having some health issues. Went out for dinner that night with Brother Rust, and then came home and exchanged back! 

Thursday. Went to the chiropractor again for Elder McLawhorn's final visit, and then I got home and crashed. I felt terrible, but had a nap. Being sick really isn't the best thing in the world, but we make do with it! We had dinner at the Neufeld's, and then went and saw our other investigator! We met with her at a Taco Bell. She was going to come to church on Sunday, but some complications didn't allow that to happen. She's great though!

Friday. Had MLC at 11am in Oxnard, so we drove down for that! It was a great meeting, as always. We learned about charity and love, and reviewed the things that have been going on in the mission the past week. By the end of the meeting, I really wasn't feeling too well, and so we blitzed for a little bit with Elder Anderson and Elder Baker. That was good. Except Elder Anderson and I forgot to grab a phone from the other Elders, so they didn't know where we were. Luckily, we just stayed at the apartment because I was dying, and they eventually found us!

Saturday. Had correlation with Brother Leavitt, and then had dinner with Sister Isaacs. That was great. Did Weekly Planning, because I couldn't do it on Thursday. Met with the YSA Sisters and gave them some info about YSA in our area. Had dinner with the Simkins family, who are off the charts awesome. I love them! And then we met with Alex and talked about Romans 8:16-18 and related it to the Plan of Salvation! 

Sunday was good! Great talks in Sacrament meeting, and then called home! 

But yeah, everything is going great! Transfer calls this week, and then it will be the last transfer! I am ready to enjoy to the end! 

Love you all!

Elder Harvey

Here is the piano video you want. I was doing it without a hymn book for most of it, so I messed up at the end, but you get it!

And here is us and the Stasell's! Bishop and wife in AG2.

May 8, 2017 - Arroyo Grande 1st and 2nd Wards

#MissionConferenceROUND2 #TheBESTDayoftheMission

Well, I am spiritually full. And even that is an understatement.

We just had such an amazing weekend, which was much needed, and was truly such a blessing.

Nice to see how your week went! Two sets in an area.... you must be blessed! Have you ever heard the story about the Kingston Branch from when President Monson was the Mission President there? I will attach the link in the email. It's a story that they told us in the MTC, but it occurred to me this week that you might have not been able to read it!

Regarding Skyping this week, I was thinking maybe like 2:30? We get out of our second Ward at 2.... So that would be best. But whenever would work out great! Coordinate with Brother Hurst maybe? Do it soon, so we can figure out everything not last minute. So, yes, it will be with the Hursts! If I can't see Emerson, it wouldn't be the end of the world either. I'll see him at Christmas :)

So, the week!

Monday-Thursday were a struggle bus for Elder McLawhorn, for the most part. We didn't do much on Monday, he just couldn't do it. I even wrote his letter home for him! Haha. We had our song practice for the Mission Conference, and then we had dinner with the Bigelows! 

Tuesday was decent. In sick pretty much all day. In the evening, we spent some time with Alex and Mireya and painted Mireya's room! It was tons of fun, and we were able to share 1 Nephi 3:7 with them, which proved to be inspiration!

Wednesday we spent 4 hours typing up our Stake Reports. Honestly, it probably didn't have to take that long.... But we got distracted with some things. We went out with Matti that evening, and saw some of the recent move-ins in our ward, and then had dinner with him and his mom. Then we had an appointment with a new investigator! She is great, and is planning on coming to church this Sunday. We will see what happens! 

Thursday we had interviews with President and Sister Felix, so we set up for them in the morning and greeted them, and then went and did some Weekly Planning, and then we came back for our interview. I really do love them so much! President and I talked a lot about how crazy it is that the time is almost up, and Sister Felix talked with all of the missionaries about goal setting and making inspired plans to achieve those goals. It was a very uplifting interview! We were given Subway for dinner, and that was great, and then Elder McLawhorn went and met with a doctor that evening in Santa Maria. Turns out, his back was pretty messed up, and this doctor (who is a chiropractor) said that a few visits and he would be good to go. I hope that it will work! 

Friday morning we went and saw Doctor Martin, about 35-40 minutes away. That was great. Elder M said he felt better afterwards, so we will see how this week goes! We practice our song one last time before the big day, and it was all sounding good! I will send a video. That night, we were able to go with the Hursts to a Priesthood Commemoration campout and have some dinner and some fun! I lost in horseshoes by the way. By a lot. Elder McLawhorn is way better than me at anything and everything! Went home that night, and got ready for the early morning the next day! 

Saturday. Left Santa Maria at 6:30. Got there at 8:30. Was a great ride, but an even better meeting. In walks Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Looks just like he always does. Shake his hand, and we're off to the races. Oh, and since we were singing, we were in the front row. Sister Felix talked about setting goals and making plans. President Felix talked about humility, charity, and obedience. Elder Ren S. Johnson of the Seventy talked about applying what we learned that day. We sang our song, which was awesome. They announced it as Joseph Smith's First Prayer, and you should have seen everyone's faces when our pianist started playing If You Could Hie to Kolob. Priceless. Like I said, if I can figure out Elder McLawhorn's camera, then I will send it to you! Elder Christofferson's turn. We talked about our Purpose, and helping people overcome the effects of sin and misery. It was amazing. Then he opened it up to questions, and some amazing questions were asked. To close, he felt the need to pronounce an Apostolic Blessing for us, and it was such an incredible experience. I felt like his hands were on my head and he was giving a personal blessing to me. Things I really needed to hear were said, and when comparing notes with Elder M, we both heard different things. Something that was impressed to my mind during the meeting was that Elder Christofferson truly is a man. Just like any of us, he is a man. Yet, he has been chosen by the Savior to be a SPECIAL witness of Him. He said that we, as missionaries, act under apostolic authority to preach the gospel to the world. Amazing. On the way home, we were able to stop in Santa Barbara and have some milkshakes with Elder Alder and Elder Portillo and their companions. Then, we went to Art Kappelmann's baptism, someone who Elder Hunter and I found over a year ago. My trainee, Elder Campbell, baptized him! Such a neat experience. Then, we hurried to Santa Maria to be with Noah at his baptism. I got all dressed in white, and I gave a talk about Noah's story, and then dunked him. Funny story, we both forgot towels. He dried off with my white shirt, and I used my top..... Gotta do what you gotta do! Oh, and we got a text from Alex that quoted 1 Nephi 3:7, and it looks like some moves are being made..... More details next week. Such an amazing day, full of amazing experiences, and definitely one that I made SURE to go into detail in my Journal. 

Sunday. We had both wards, and then had a lesson with Cruz. We talked about prayer and receiving answers to prayers. It was a neat lesson! Then we had dinner at the Rusts, went to the YSA Broadcast, saw Sister Benson, who lives in Pismo Beach Ward, and who I was in the MTC with! So that was weird. Oh, and a Sister who served in Mexico came home from her mission as well. I was here in 2015 when she left...... GAH. We then went to the Stake Priesthood Leadership Meeting. President Kileplainen wanted us to be there with all of the Ward Mission Leaders to give feedback. It was great. 

And yeah, great week! Our area is amazing, and we are continually working harder and harder, and it seems like the Lord is making it easier and easier. 

Thought for the week comes from Elder Christofferson.

"Without Him, we have nothing. With Him, we have everything."

Remember Him! Testify of Him! And spread that fire of the covenant to every living soul around you! 

Have an amazing week! 

Love,

Elder Harvey

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