Elder Jacob Harrison's email dated: August 31, 2012
Another week has passed, a week full of great devotionals and incredible talks. They just film all the general authorities that come and speak and show the best talks every week. They only let missionaries watch them but i wish you could see them, I've seen sides Holand and Uchtdorf and Bednar that you don't see in general conference.
The devotionals are also really cool I have been singing in the choir, I miss the music of Babylon but hymns are really great too, especially in Spanish, the poetry and imagery is better in Spanish. There are even really good ones that don't exist in English. My Spanish is getting better, I have been praying so much for that as I study and try to teach in Spanish.
Last week I think I mentioned that I was going to the TRC to teach people who volunteer to come and learn form the practicing missionaries. I was worried about it but it turned out to be one of the best lesson that we ever gave, and during it I spoke the best spanish I've ever spoken. I get to do it again today and I'm really excited to practice bringing people closer to Christ.
Speaking of which I get to go to the temple once a week and it's really cool to be able to do that work, I love seeing the interesting names form other countries with dates from as far back as the 1600s. My companion and I continue to get along pretty well, he love to study all the time and that got him really good grades in school and a better start on spanish then any of us. He's a by the book, follow procedure kind of a guy which is good because sometimes I like to plan a little less and teach more by feel and by how the spirit directs so we balance each other out.
One of our roommates moved to the Dominican Republic MTC to learn dominican spanish there so there are three of us in the companionship, our new companion, elder Mull is more of a by the seat of his pants missionary but he is getting better at Spanish and getting the hang of our teaching together.
The first Lesson we did together was for an "investigator" named Ronaldo. He's an old man who has been married to a member for years and has heard so much from the missionaries so many times and is a little hard to teach because he doesn't think he ever feels anything. i keep wanting to be really frank with him and tell him this is exactly what he needs and I know he knows it's true and has felt the spirit. Being blunt and to the point with investigators is hard enough in English, Spanish is harder. I am learning that when I am prompted to say something I should just say it and not be worried about the language, I shouldn't tiptoe when the spirit says march. I'll have to always have enough guts ready to say whatever I am directed to say, no matter how scary it is. He is an old man after all, he could die before too much longer, I have to get him and his wife to the temple quick. I know the investigators here aren't real but they do a good job making it feel real and if I can love fake people then loving real investigators should be easy.
I'm not sure how dear elder works but there is a Jarom Harrison here right now learning russian who gets my emails by mistake sometimes so be sure you send it to the right Elder Harrison.
Lots of people here are getting sick including both of my room mates but I remain healthy for now, probably because of all the fruits and vegetables and other healthy stuff I have been eating. I'm so glad we have so much gym time, I don't know what i'd do without that release of wiggles.
Give everyone back home my love, tell everybody thanks for the prayers and letters and emails, I really appreciate all of them. I'm looking forward to more of them, especially around the 14th, my birthday, I could use some more ties, but anything with love behind it would mean just as much to me. Till next week, so long for now.
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