A Russian sister, a wheelchair, and a smile.

Dear Family,

Right now my companion and I are in Zuunharaa, on an assignment from the President.  I had a very spiritual experience in Sacrament Meeting yesterday.  As I walked into the church, I saw a white woman, Svetlana.  Weird.   I knew she was Russian right away, she just had that look.  I walked up and she said in Mongolian, "Elder….", and I replied, "Harris."  She smiled and sat down.  Next we were called to go down from the 3rd floor church building and carry the Branch's 2nd counselor, Brother Erhembayar, up the stairs.  We walked down, grabbed him in his wheel chair and carried him up the stairs and rolled him over to the stand for him to take his seat. I then saw a woman, Sister Sansaraa, running around after a baby, and she was just smiling from ear to ear, talking to her child with the sweetest, softest voice.  Sacrament started, and testimonies were shared.  Sister Svetlana bore her testimony.  With a soft, slow voice, speaking perfect Mongolian, she thanked her Heavenly Father, and said that she was so grateful to have made the right choice.  Next Sister Sansaraa bore her testimony and said how great it was to be back to church.  She and her husband, married in the temple, had been inactive for about 3 years, and were reactivated 3 weeks ago.  She said that in the past 3 weeks everything in her family's life changed. The meeting ended, and after church we carried Brother Erhembayar back down the stairs. He smiled at me the whole way down the stairs as I carried from the front. Then it hit me hard. I love this place. I love this gospel. I love my Savior. He is always there waiting to help, succor, and bring us back into his fold. How blessed am I?

For the closing song in Sacrament Meeting we sang, "The Spirit of God", and as I looked through the large windows behind the pulpit, looking over the beautiful mountains that surround this town and I couldn't hold back the tears.  Jesus Christ is our Lord and King. His gospel is here in the Earth, and it changes people!  It has changed me forever, and forever. Not only me, but a Russian sister with a solemn testimony of gratitude, a man in a wheelchair with strong faith, and a woman whose smile shows how she feels with the gospel's light back in her life.

"We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven,
Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb!
Let glory to them in the highest be given,
Henceforth and forever, Amen and amen!"

Elder Harris

This is  the little town of Zuunkaraa that we visited.  This is the Kharaa River running through it.

Blessed with a New Assignment, New Responsibilities, and lots of Traveling

Dear Family,

So this week has been pretty hectic.  Transfers came out and there was a lot of work to be done getting missionaries to their new areas.  I have a new companion, Elder Murat.  Elder Murat and I trained the new group of Mongolian missionaries this week.  We are APs now (Assistant to the President), and with this calling comes TONS of new responsibilities.  We also worked a lot for the upcoming Zone Training Meeting.  It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun.  I am now in the Selbe Ward, which is in the Stake.  My first Sunday in the Stake was nuts!  There were like 25 elders in the Ward.  I have never seen that in Mongolia.  Literally nuts!  This is the last area of my mission, and they have a “Feed the Missionaries” pass-around schedule!!   Can you say “Blessed?”   This week we ate a lot of food.  That was awesome!

To answer your question about what my new responsibilities are, well as an AP we work very close to President. We are the connection between President and the missionaries for the most part.  We meet with him pretty much daily, over such things as transfers, training for new missionaries, monthly trainings for missionaries, we have weekly staff meetings with everyone running the mission, etc.  We are not office Elders, so yes, we do missionary work as much as we can. We are in the office a lot though doing clerical work.  Right now we are in the Selbe Ward because they are the most self-relient, and not-really-needing-missionary-work-ward in the country.  Of course, they need tons of missionary work like everywhere else, but we cannot commit to the full load, if that makes sense. Two other sisters are in the ward with us and they carry a huge load and lead the missionary work for the most part.  We travel a lot.  This coming week I will be traveling to Zuunharaa, Mongolia, about 3 hours by train from UB north.  I am doing splits with some Elders who needed some extra help, so President is sending me Saturday night by train for a few days.  Tomorrow night we are off to Darkhan for a Zone Training, then off to Selenge for splits with Zone Leaders. We are going to Murun soon with President too!  So lots of traveling.   

My birthday was great.  Elder and Sister Hill took some elders and I to Shargrila (A HUGE BUFFET LIKE AMERICAN STYLE) for my birthday!  I was amazing! Also, Sister Hill  made me a amazing pumpkin cake!!!  I have missed that flavor!

Well I am so excited for General Conference!!  I think we are all going to watch it in Mongolian this year so we will see how that goes!

I read a talk by Elder Bruce R. McConkie this week called, “The Seven Deadly Heresies," and I really loved this quote:

"And so what we do in this life is chart a course leading to eternal life. That course begins here and now and continues in the realms ahead. We must determine in our hearts and in our souls, with all the power and ability we have, that from this time forward we will press on in righteousness; by so doing we can go where God and Christ are.  If we make that firm determination, and are in the course of our duty when this life is over, we will continue in that course in eternity.   That same spirit that possesses our bodies at the time we depart from this mortal life will have power to possess our bodies in the eternal world. If we go out of this life loving the Lord, desiring righteousness, and seeking to acquire the attributes of godliness, we will have that same spirit in the eternal world, and we will then continue to advance and progress until an ultimate, destined day when we will possess, receive, and inherit all things."

What I learned:   His is ours to have! 

Have a great week family!  

Love, 

Elder Harris

Here is Ganbayar (Naraa's son who we baptized a year ago).  He is now a mini-missionary for a whole transfer!   So proud of him.  He will be a valiant missionary.

 My new companion and I, Elder Murat.

 Tsendee, a 17-year-old who we used to meet with in the American Denj Branch.   Great kid.

Learning to Recognize Revelation

Dear Family,

This week Elder Radman and I had a great week. We taught 9 lessons, and met with many less actives. Along the way, we got many referrals and have made great contacts with some great investigators. I am very excited for his coming week!

In our District Meeting this week, we talked about receiving revelation. Sister Harper mentioned a quote by Elder Bednar where he said that you receive revelation after you have acted and decided on a course of action.  Like Nephi entering Jerusalem not knowing before hand what he would do. I feel like this has been the case many times on my mission. I have not always been one during the planning stages to get revelation that is so prompt and precise on what to do and what to teach. However, I have had experiences my whole mission that I remember vividly where I received revelation in a Ger, at the pulpit, or in mid-lesson. I always thought that because I never had these revelations come during nightly planning, I was doing something wrong.  Well, this past week I finally realized that there was nothing wrong with me.  Hearing that quote and talking about it in District Meeting, I was flooded with thoughts and experiences that I have had where we received exactly what we needed to teach in the very moment we needed it.  

We had this exact experience with Brother U_________ this week.  We went to his house at 7:30 p.m.  He  knew we were coming because we had made an appointment.  We knocked and no one came.  We felt he  knew we were there, but just didn't want to meet.  Seeing that he wasn't coming to the gate, we stopped and took a picture of the sunset.  By the time we finished taking the picture, about 3 minutes had past.  We both thought, well maybe no one is home. Despite that feeling, we had the idea, or prompting, to open the gate and go in and check to see if the Ger was padlocked from the outside.  So we just walked in past the dog barking, and we see the door open on his little shed entrance to the Ger.  So as we turned the corner to go in and knock, he comes out, with his head down reaching for the rope to close the door and make it look like no one was home.  We startled him, and he knew he was caught.  He reluctantly let us in and his wife was not too excited to have us over either. Well let me just say that that lesson turned out to be powerful.  We shared a story from the brown Priesthood manual, and he literally was so touched, he was nearly in tears, bearing testimony on ways he should and will honor his Priesthood.  He started asking questions from his soul, and the Spirit helped us answer them.  WE WERE SO PUMPED!  He took his glasses off and looked us dead in the eye and said he will never forget that lesson and the truths we shared.  We got on the bus home and were still in shock.  We know that that was the the Light of Christ telling us what to do. Go in, and check.  If we would have waited 10 more seconds the door would have been shut, and he would have succeeded in tricking us. We got in and he was blessed, we were blessed, and he knew it. Truly amazing. 

I love you all.  Sorry so short but my time is up.

Love,

Elder Harris

One of the many contacts we made this week with a member.

 The members that I told about in my email, with their cat, Papenfuss, named for Elder Papenfuss!

The Ger neighborhood we walk daily.

 Our area….at sunset.

You know I want to taste or at least try everything while here in Mongolia.  You don’t even want to know what this is.  Trust me.

 Elder Huck and I just had to try it!  Pure protein!  

Mission conference with Elder Wong and his wife sitting with President and Sister Benson.  I’m on the right.

Mission Conference this week with Elder Wong from the First Quorum of the Seventy.

Dear Family! 

This week was awesome here in Mongolia for Elder Radman and I.  Starting off, we were fed American meals for every meal this whole week except two. Blessed are we!  So amazing to eat Brownies and Ice Cream and Cafe Rio pulled pork!   I love Sister Hill, one of our Senior couples here! 

We had Mission Conference this week!  Elder Wong, from the First Quorum of the Seventy, came with his wife.  You will recognize him from General Conference.  He recently gave a talk in Cantonese.   I was blessed to personally meet him in Missionary Leadership Council with the Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders and the Assistants to President, and then I got to know him even more over the next four days.  He is one funny man!  Mission Conference was so GREAT and I learned a lot about BECOMING!  I love that.  We have the potential to be like God.  I know it.  Too much to write about, so I will talk about it in December! :)  Also, Elder Radman and I were invited to sit up on the stand during District Conference to help translate for the senior couples and the newer missionaries.  Then Elder Wong called on me to come over and translate for him his talk into Mongolian….in front of the entire group!  I have never been more nervous in my life.  He is a GENERAL AUTHORITY!  Anyways, I did well, and felt the gift of tongues coming up clutch for me in that moment.  He really liked Elder Radman and I over the week, so we each "gifted" him one of our Mongolian ties with our names written on the back :)   He loved them!   Needless to say, I feel so blessed to be here at this time and to learn from Elder and Sister Wong, and from President and Sister Benson.  I loved every talk given and all the words that were spoken. I am so happy and so blessed to the Lord's missionary here in Mongolia. 

I want to share what I learned this week while preparing for a talk on the Lord’s Sacrament from John 6:48-50, 53… 

"I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."

Manna as defined in the Bible Dictionary: It is impossible to find any natural product that will answer to the requirements of the scriptural narrative in regard to this heaven sent food.  With regard to the name, we are told (Ex. 16:15) that the people, seeing the small scale-like substance, said one to another, “Man-hu,” “For they wist not what it was.”  This also translates “What is it?”   Manna provided for Moses and his people daily substance for 40 years. Without it, they would have died.  It was not a over abundance  but enough to make it day to day, for 40 years as they journeyed in the wilderness. They survived from this heaven sent food.  But Christ said, "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead." Christ was the one that provided that substance day to day, but says more or less, that it literally has no importance and no more relevance because they are no longer here living among us.  

He is the Bread of Life.  We must go to church and partake of His Sacrament, and live.  I love the Sacrament.  We should never take it for granted.  We need it for weekly change and perfection.  We should use it the way He instated it, in remembrance of our nothingness and dependence on Him.

Well, this is the last 3 months of my mission and I have work to finish.  I love my companion, Elder Radman.  He is a huge example to me of someone who understands his calling. He works hard, and receives revelation for his sheep.  He pushes me to be better.   He has a huge heart, and truly came on his mission with a strong desire to serve his Father in Heaven.  We are doing great together and I am happy.

Well, I love you all.  Got to go!

-Elder Marc Harris

Elder and Sister Wong on the right at Mission Conference.

Me and my Companion, Elder Radman, at Mission Conference

 My group for Mission Conference.

 President Benson and four of his children with me and Naraa, my eternal friend from Choibalsan, who I baptized one year ago.  She’s heading to the Hong Kong temple on September 15th for her endowments!!  I’m so happy for her!

 My comp and I out on our balcony, overlooking UB.

 Elder Hatton, Huckvale, Harris, and Radman.

 Elder Radman and I.

Our talent is God’s gift to us. How we use that talent is our gift to God.

Dear Family,

Well, this week Elder Radman and I only taught four lessons, but the success really isn’t shown in the numbers.  We met with six less active Melchizedek brethren.  We had really good discussions with all of them, and two of them came to church this week. We will continue to be working with them, but we are confident that we can reactivate these six brethren.  They are all just kind of on the fence and with a push from the Branch President and the Elders Quorum, they will be back.

This week I read a lot about talents and light. “Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (3 Nephi 12:16). I really loved this scripture. I have realized the talents I have and the light I can show for the cause of Christ, and it is extraordinary.  This week I read a talk by Chad Lewis, a former NFL player and BYU stud. He quoted a friend of his who was an inductee to the NFL Hall of Fame. He said, "Our talent is God’s gift to us. How we use that talent is our gift to God.  My sincere hope and prayer is that God finds my gift back to him a worthy one." I really just can't wait to let my light shine to the world after the mission and show others that I am truly His disciple. I have been doing it on my mission, but I can't wait to carry His name as an Returned Missionary who glorifies the Father in all he does.

Love,

Elder Harris

Elder Radman and I in front of the Bayanzurkh Building in Ulaanbaatar.

The famous, or infamous, camel painting in UB.

 Ulaanbaatar at Sunrise.

Bayanzurkh LDS Church Building in Ulaanbaatar.  This building houses a church, the Mission Headquarters, and the Mission President’s home.

 (Not sure what they are doing, but they look like they’re having fun!  Marc is in the back…with the glasses on?)

Transferred back to Ulaanbaatar!

Dear Family!

Well, TRANSFERS happened!!    My new companion is Elder Radman from Holliday, Utah.  He's been out for a year now  and we've been joking for like five months about being companions some day.  Tuesday night that joke became reality.  He is such a stud and I couldn't be more blessed to have him as my very first American companion. Truly, he is an answered prayer at the end of my mission, and someone I truly needed at this point.  I know I will be able to learn much from him.

I’ve been transferred back to Ulaanbaatar.  Elder Radman and I are in a Branch/area called American Denj.  We go to the Bayanzurkh Building for church, so that is nice!   I am humbled to have been called again to be a Zone Leader.   Elder Munkhbold and I will work a lot with the District Leaders here in the next coming weeks.  And again, we are WHITE WASHING!  I love whitewashing, though.  We came in on Sunday and were able to bring a different mood to the meetings.   People always seem to like seeing new Elders in the Branch. This will be to our advantage, and it already has!   We have a big week in front of us, and looks like we are full with appointments!  We got together with tons of less actives and have set up many appointments.  More to report on that next week.    We are both so excited, and ready to get to work!

I love you all. I am so grateful for my family, my friends, and the people that have influenced my life in so many ways here in this great land. Elder Radman and I just feel blessed to be in this part of the Lord's Vineyard at this time.  Mongolia will always be a part of me.

Until next week,

Elder Harris

My new companion, Elder Radman!  My very first American companion.

 President Benson spoils his missionaries!

There was no explanation with this picture, but it’s a nice one!

 There was no explanation with this picture either, other than it was taken at a Mongolian Cultural Gallery.

What Missionaries Live For!

Dear Family,

So this past Friday, my comp and I had one baptism!   U________ (15 year old girl) was baptized.   She was super happy and ready for it.    U_________’s mother came out to support her, and she seemed to like what she saw. We have a plan to meet with her now that she seems to have opened up more.  Also baptized was the other two Elders' two investigators, and there was also two Branch baptisms, so Nalaikh just added five more to their rolls!    It was a truly a cool sight to see so many people entering the waters of baptism together.  Mashbat, the investigator who we were supposed to baptize, got pushed back.   But that is okay, he is a great guy and still right on track.  This is just what missionaries live for!

My companion and I are doing great. I am grateful in so many ways for the time I have had with him.  It looks like we will be splitting up here this week when transfers come out.

Saturday, we had a Elders Quorum outing at one of the Branch Sister’s little cabin out of town a little bit. We bought a sheep, (dead and pre-prepared), made Horhog, and just went down to the river while all the brethren “swam.”  I realized that with the lack of organized swim lessons offered by the local recreation center in Mongolia, most men don’t swim well... It was scary.  It was a great activity all in all.  At the end we played basketball against four other random guys who were decent.  They all had cigarettes in their mouths as they played.  I was the only one on my team who could dribble so it was a little un-even.   It was fun, and playing against Mongolians in Basketball really has made my Bball game go away….not that I had game before!!

This week I just want to express gratitude for family:

I am so thankful for a Mother who raised my in the Gospel.  I love you Mom.  No matter how rotten I was, you loved me and were so good to me. You loved me and helped me more than anyone on the road to where I am today.  You were always there through thick, thin, trouble, and sin, and saw me how I know the Savior sees me.  Not as who I was, but as who I could become.  I love you mom and I can't wait to hug you soon.  You remind me of Queen Ester.  Brave and always standing up for the right.  I love that story and it really reminds me of you. Also, I’m looking forward to some good country jam sessions in the car upon my return home!

Dad, you are a man of integrity. I think of how to describe you, and I just think of one word. Man. You are a God fearing man, who raised me right. You were hard on me and I hated it, but now I look back on it with the a humble heart and with more gratitude that I can express. You are honest in your dealings with your fellow man. That is something I will always look up to you for.  I love our relationship, and I can't wait to just learn from you more and more when I get home. Thanks for being my Hero.

I love my two big brothers who were trail blazers for me and showed me how to be successful. Thanks for your missionary service many years ago when I was just a little guy.  I remember you guys on your mission so vividly, and it is truly your push and tough love that got me on my mission.  You two are men of God.  Thanks for being great husbands and fathers. Thanks for loving me and everything I bring to the family table.  I am different than you guys, always have been, but you saw me as a brother who you couldn't leave behind. I will always remember the talk we had before my mission. I love you guys.

I love my Grandma Harris. Thanks for being at every event I have ever had, no matter the flight or drive from the Bay Area. I will always remember you being at everything!  That is the role of a Grandma, isn' it!  Thanks for raising my Dad. I am sure it was stressful at times, but you sure did a great job. Matthew 7 explains this well Grandma….."Ye shall know them by their fruits. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."  Thanks for a life of church service Grandma!

Where would I be without my family, and those who helped me get here today?  Well I don't want to know.

Love,

Elder Harris

FIVE were baptized in Nalaikh this past Friday.  It is so cool to see so many enter the waters of baptism at the same time.

 Me, my companion, and U___________.  She was so happy and ready.

 At our Elder’s Quorum Activity.   A member making Horhog!

 Mongolia is so beautiful in the summertime.

Cool picture of horses.