AUGUST 29, 2016
MOVED BUT NOT TRANSFERRED...
WOWWIE WOWZERS. What a week! This has seriously been the weirdest, craziest week of my whole entire mission thus far.
SO. I haven't really mentioned it because I don't usually like to spill the beans on my companion's personal lives, but Sister O. has super severe depression, anxiety, and ADHD. We have been together for eight weeks, and in about week three of our companionship she started struggling really reallllyyyyy badly with it. She had been taking a medication for about a year that really helped and then for some reason it just stopped working. I've noticed that being on a mission takes whatever struggles a person has and amplifies them by about 50 million. Not sure how or why that works like that, but it does! Anyway, she has been progressively getting worse and worse throughout the weeks. We have been in constant contact with our mission president, his wife, and the mission nurse and a few weeks ago we went to a doctor in Denver and he changed her prescription, but it didn't do squat for her. This week it got so bad that Sister Johnson, the mission nurse, told us to pack our bags and go stay the night at the Van Wagoner's, the senior missionaries in our ward. We stayed there four nights this week and went with them to the mission office for three days. I actually kinda liked being in the mission office because they put me to work! I got to play secretary, car czar (that's what we call the guy that deals with the cars hehe), assistant to the president, travel coordinator, and even mission president! Playing secretary was my favorite because I got to answer the phone and sit at the big desk in the front of the mission office. Hence my dumb reference to The Office in my subject line.... hehe.. ANYWAY, we spent most of the week there so that Sister O. could rest and be around the mission staff.
Long story short, President Gifford and Sister Johnson decided that it would be best for Sister O. to head home and get better there. It is really hard to get better in the mission field because there are no coping mechanisms and you're expected to go out and work, work, work. She was heartbroken about it at first, but quickly realized that it was what needed to happen. As soon as the Spirit confirmed to her that going home was the right thing to do, she said it felt like a weight had been lifted from her and for the first time in weeks she was happy. She went home on Saturday morning and as far as I can tell, she is doing well there.
I am so grateful for the time that I was able to spend with Sister O. I learned SO much from her. I think the greatest thing I learned was charity. And not like the give to the poor and do good things kind of charity, but the pure love of Christ kind of charity. I learned how to see and feel the way Heavenly Father feels about other people. There were so many times when Sister O was so so so sad, and all I had to do was pray and ask Heavenly Father to help me feel His love for her. He always allowed me to see her from His perspective and He put the words in my mouth that helped me to pull her out of some pretty dark places. I know that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each and every one of us and that we have such divine potential as His children. Being with Sister O has made me realize that Heavenly Father really does use us as instruments in His hands. I know that I was supposed to be her companion and that she was supposed to be mine.
SO. With that being said, I'm sure you're all wondering what I'mmmmm doing now! WELL. There was another sister that had to go home for health problems on the same day as Sister O. I talked to President Gifford about it and we both felt that it would make sense for me go just go to her area. The Lakewood ward has a set of elders and sisters, and there just isn't enough work for two sets of missionaries to do there. The ward isn't supportive enough and we felt that I could be more effective in another area. Sooooo, we turned our investigators over to the elders and I am now in a different ward! I am serving in the Cornerstone Park ward in Littleton, Colorado, about 30 minutes from Lakewood, with none other thannnnnnnn *pause for effecttttttt* (appreciate my Despicable Me quote, please.) SISTER PAONGOOOO!!! We were together in Fruita for two transfers right before I became companions with Sister O! We are white-washing Cornerstone Park and this ward is already so amazing. I am excited to be here and to see what more the Lord has in store for me.
My new address is this!
******Sister Kelsie Harshaw
7158 S Lincoln Way
Centennial, Co. 80122******
I hope that you are all having a happy week! Don't forget to smile big!
Love, Sister Harshaw
OH. And since next week is Labor Day, I may or may not get to email on Monday. I'll most likely have to wait until Tuesday, so just a heads up!!
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AUGUST 15, 2016
THE BIG COMFY COUCH
Helloooooo to my family, friends, acquaintances, former companions, and everyone in between!
*Flashback to July 18, 2016*
"....Sister O. and I are completely reopening the area we are serving it, so we had noooooo one in our teaching pool when we arrived. On Sunday of last week we decided to fast for miracles in our area and to get the ball rolling. On Monday, the day following our fast, we went to our bishop's house to try to meet him since he and his family had been out of town until that day. We knocked on the door and no one answered, so we went to get back in the car to go to our next appointment. While I was putting my things in the car I noticed a man and a woman across the street struggling to get a couch through their front door, and the Spirit basically yelled at me and told me to offer to help. In my head I was like, "Pshh, silly Spirit! I can't lift that couch into their house! I'm a scrawny weakling, and you know that." But the Spirit insisted that I offer my help anyway. I opened my mouth and asked if they needed any help and she said, "No, I wouldn't want you ladies to get hurt!", and they went back to attempting to shove the over-stuffed couch through the teeny little door frame. We watched for a second and then I said, "Are you sure? Do you at least want an extra hand or two?" She looked at her husband and then back at me and said, out of breath, "Ummm.. yes, please." We went to help, but couldn't contribute much. Turns out you have to have some upper-body strength to lift a couch, and I'm lacking in that department. Sharmin, the lady, told her husband, Scott, to go get more help, so he went to get their neighbor and we talked while they lifted the couch into the house like it was no big deal. She told us that she talked to missionaries about a year ago and that she wanted them to come back, but they never did. I said, "Well, we'll come back!" and to my surprise she said, "Will you please??" She then told us that she and her husband have been looking for a new religion after a negative experience they had with another church and that her 10 year old son is lost and needs the Lord in his life. She sounded so desperate and both she and her husband were excited to have us come back........"
Well, friends.. This week I sat on the massive comfy couch that I attempted to move into Scott and Sharmin Kanipe's house almost 5 weeks ago as Sister O. and I taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been trying to meet with them for the past several weeks, but family emergencies kept coming up and they had to keep cancelling. Each time Sharmin called to tell us she had to cancel, she sounded so sad and told us over and over again that she wanted us to come so badly. WELL. Little did we or she know, in those weeks of trial for their family, the Lord was just preparing them further to receive the restored gospel. I HAVE NEVER TAUGHT A FAMILY AS PREPARED AS THE KANIPE FAMILY IN MY WHOLE ENTIRE MISSION. Scott, the father, was raised Catholic and has fallen away in recent years due to some inconsistencies he found between their teachings and the teachings of the Bible. Sharmin's family was mixed, with her dad being a Roman Catholic and her mom being a member of the Lutheran church. They have a son, Kaden, that is almost 11 and they want so badly to raise him with a belief in God and Jesus Christ. Scott's father was just diagnosed with brain and lung cancer from smoking, and he now wants to quit smoking himself. Sharmin expressed to us that she feels a void in her life that she just wants to fill. Kaden lovessss learning about Jesus. THEY ARE PREPARED BEYONE BELIEF, Y'ALL. We started our lesson by singing "I am a Child of God" and the Spirit practically flooded their small home. It was one of the most beautiful and Spirit-filled lessons that the Lord has ever helped me teach. After teaching through the First Vision, Sharmin stopped us and said, with tears in her eyes, "I feel like a weight has been lifted and all I want to do is cry.". And cry she did.
This gospel is so unbelievably beautiful. To see it touch the hearts of other people is by far my favorite thing about my mission. We are going to be seeing the Kanipes again this week and we are going to invite them to be baptized on the 25th of September, so keep them in your prayers for us! They need the gospel in their lives so desperately!!!
This is all yet another reminder to me that Heavenly Father's plan and timing is so perfect. All these weeks we thought Satan was intervening and making things more difficult for us as we tried to meet with this family. But it turns out Heavenly Father was just molding and shaping them and preparing them to hear the words the Spirit spoke to their hearts and minds as we taught them. The Lord sure does work in mysterious ways.
I am so so so happy to be on my mission. I love it and I love spending all day every day serving my Heavenly Father's children in Lakewood. OH. Speaking of Lakewood! We got our transfer news and Sister O. and I get to stay together for yet another transfer!! I'm so happy!!!
I love y'all sooooo much and I'm so thankful for all the prayers that are sent my way! I sure do feel them!!! Have a happy week and keep on keepin' on!
Love, Sister Harshaw
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