A Surprise In The Mailbox:

Mom & Dad,
    I am officially over the hump and all downhill now. It's crazy how much time flies. I will probably be home in no time.

    So I thought I had some things to say but I'm lost for words, so this will be a random letter...

    I hope you know your oldest child is changing. For the better of course. This area that I am in I feel has the potential to help me grow a lot. To show my continued obedience to God and desire to work hard to see miracles. I was really down the other day. I had no desire to do anything. But my companion and I had a special fast, and I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I know Satan has been on me constantly. It has really been as easy to feel his nasty presence as it has to feel and recognize the Spirit. I've learned that trials are a part of the growing experiences, but I also learned that they do come from any disobedience too. I want to make sure that doesn't happen out of punishment!

    So how have your missionary efforts been? I know Echo just got baptized, were you able to go over and help teach, being next door neighbors? When missionaries come over to your home, do they always ask for referrals? That's what we're supposed to do, and I can tell when members get annoyed by it, LOL. (Since we ask so much!)

    My testimony has been so strengthened since I've been here. We may not be teaching many investigators, but we have had success by seeing less active families we work with come back to church. The ward is really nice, but members think that missionary work is just feeding the missionaries and that drives me insane! People don't know how to talk to anyone else that isn't a member and that makes it very difficult as a missionary because that means the load is on you.

    Anyways, I'm starting to run out of things to say but there is something that I would like! A box of random junk food, and batteries and a charger for my camera. I've lost mine and my batteries are dead. (By the way, this will be his THIRD battery charger! Ugh!) And a new camera card would be way awesome. I'd greatly appreciate it. That's probably all that I need. Well, in a month and a half I'll be talking to you guys again already.

Love and miss you bunches! -Corey
PS-Too bad that Jimmer Nation is over! :)

Dear Tyler,
    Words can't descride how thrilled I am to see that you have been called to serve in Croatia! That is so exciting. Foreign mission! How cool is that bro! So anyways, life in the field is chill. Nothin' really much going on here in my area. There is so much potential though. There is no such thing as a "bad" area. You can make every area you're assigned to serve in a good area. I'll tell you, [certain religions] are tough. Most of them don't really care for their own doctrine, they're only that religion because it's a family tradition! I've baptized only one so far on my mission.

    How are you doing? I want to know what you are up to. Any luck on getting another job? You better be reading your Book of Mormon EVERY DAY! Develop that habit now. Also I can tell you if you develop the habit of praying morning and night, if you can do that Tyler, you'll be so much farther along than I was. Believe it or not, prayer is kind of like an art. It takes practice. It's been hard for me, I'll admit, because I'm so tired all the time. Missionary work can be so exhausting, but it's definitely worth all the hard work.

    Mom said something to me that rings so true, that it's okay to be disappointed but not discouraged. I battle that at times just because plans change or people choose to reject the gospel, but I know if I pray for strength, God will always provide. Dude, you're a stronger man than me, you're going to a way harder mission than mine. I give you so much props little brother. I am seriously so proud of you. And because of your tough mission, you're going to have a freaking waaayyy HOT wife! :)

    Well, I love you man. Keep up the good work, tell everyone I say "HEY".

Love, Elder Corey Harris
PS Alma 32:27

Dear Ryan,
    How is school bro? How you been whatcha been up to? :) I heard you're tearing it up in swimming already. That's way cool. So what's up with all the girls now? Like prom stuff? Haha, who is going to be the lucky girl?

    So, life as a missionary is rough right now. I'm in a pretty tough area but I'm not complaining, Tyler's entire mission will be like this. Oh well, it's only 2 years! I'm home in ONE year! That's so crazy! The ward I'm in (Scranton) is pretty big. I get fed a lot which is nice. I saw some young women checking me out, and I thought, "Gross, they're all like Ryan's age." Haha. It's all about the older women. (Don't tell mom this, LOL.)

    Ryan, I don't think you'd believe it but I have changed a lot since I've been out. I'm definitely not as mean and way more sensitive to people's needs. A mission is like a personal rehab to change who you are and become who God wants you to become. To be in this area, I know I'll grow a lot. I'll have to put my trust in God and act in faith for miracles.

    One year left for this blessing. I have to do all that I can to continue to change. I'll be home before you know it. Do all you can to prepare yourself to serve a mission. Become missionary-minded now!! Invite a friend who isn't a member to a combined mutual activity. I promise, if you pray daily for a missionary experience, someone will be baptized from your efforts before you leave. I just felt prompted to share that. Be good Ryan. Take care of Mom. I love you.

Always, Corey

Riley,
    For lack of time, this side is yours, Gabby's is on the other side. You're probably thinking, "Wow, Corey actually wrote a letter!" Haha, I'm blown away too right now!...

    How has everything been? How's school? And learning to play the saxomophone? ;) Stay away from those icky boys. They have cooties!

    My mission has been really fun thus far. I have learned so much. I am also changing a bunch too, you won't believe it. I have only one year left. I want to keep growing all I can. A bunch of "ups and downs" but all the happiness and joy that the "ups" bring make up for all the "downs" we get as a missionary. Riley, always remember to "be strong." There are so many people in the world who hate us for what we are. Always stand up for what we believe in. Never be afraid. I love you Ru. Stay safe, and have fun in all that you do!

Love Always,
Corey

Gabby!!
    How are you doing Bean! How is school? Your reading? Are you able to read my terrible hand-writing? I just wanted to thank you for all of the pretty pictures you send me, it means a lot. I love and miss you soooo much too, you have no idea! I wish I could give you a big hug. You are the best. I think about you all the time. I don't have too much time left, but remember to be good in school, and to your family. And pet Cody on the belly for me. I miss that dumb dog too, haha.

Love always,
Your BIGGEST brother, Corey
PS-Also tell Caroline Wilson HI and give her a hug for me. (I'll always remember when she asked me if I wanted to marry her! LOL)

Dear Harris Clan

First, sorry i am just emailing now, the way we planned p-day today it wouldnt work out to email til just now since we planned to go to philly with some sisters who go home next week. i knew that tyler would have been getting his call and you'd be so anxious to see my reaction., but i am not sure if i got the email to where he is going? soo where is he going?! i want to know so bad!

just kidding.. holy cow slovenia/croatia that is so crazy! i never would have guessed it! a european mission, alright, ryan is going south america for sure! one kid on each continent! that was a cool video, so tyler had trouble saying the country's name, just imagine him trying to learn the actual language! haha! so sorry this will have to be a short one for lack of time, but remember how i said that we had a ton of appointments scheduled for this week? yup, well we had a whopping 14 appointments fall through. so sad, but my comp and i have high hopes for this week, a lot of faith exercising but it'll be all good. so transfers are next week. i'll know by friday night what happens. sorry i really want to discuss the exciting news, ...and braeden is going to London. ;) i love ya guys, i never could have been happier right now, i just feel so great. i hope that you guys have an awesome week and i'll talk to you later!
-corey!
ps the blog looks great! i didnt know that you were keeping track of literally everything!

Through Faith Miracles Do Happen

What an amazing week we had pertaining to the work! I feel great right now, my companion and I really accomplished a lot of things. Our baptismal service yesterday was probably the best that I have ever been to. Such a spiritual experience. I am really grateful for the Holy Ghost, because without it, yesterday never would have happened. Let me explain:
We have an investigator, and her name is Sunnay, she is from Liberia. She has gone through many hardships throughout her life, has felt as though she had made too many mistakes, and desired to be baptized so her sins could be washed away forever and have a fresh start. She first met with missionaries about 8 years ago through Brother Luseni, (we baptized his 5 sons over a month ago) but lost contact with the church and with Brother Luseni after she moved. This past August, I believe, she saw a pass-along card on the ground walking home from work, so she called the number hoping that missionaries would show soon. They did, and they baptized Sunnay's daughter (Wonsier 18) and grandson (Emmanuel 14), but unfortunately Sunnay could not be baptized because she has been living with another man, and they together had Wonsier back in Africa. (They aren't married by the way thats why she cant be baptized) So she was stuck in a pickle and could not progress. (Wonsier and Emmanuel were baptized right before I came into Camden.) I and many others felt bad for Sunnay, because she wanted to be baptized so bad but couldn't, and she couldn't just leave this man because she wasn't making enough income to be able to support her and her family.
3 weeks ago as my companion and I were doing our weekly planning session, my companion was new to the area so he did not know much, asked me what is it that Sunnay needs. I had no idea, she had been taught everything, but I wanted to help her to progress in the Kingdom of God so I desired to know what she really needed. I felt very impressed to ask her what exactly the situation was with her and this other man, and what was needed to be done and what her family struggles were. She had been asked these before, but I felt very strongly to ask again. And so we did, and she told us something new that she didnt tell us before, and that she and this guy and more like roommates, they dont sleep in the same room at all! She also told us that she had not been sexually active with this man since she had Wonsier in Africa. My companion and I investigated this, and it turns out that the rule states that a person must not be co-habitating, (meaning as a couple) in order to be baptized. We counseled with our mission president and we received the thumbs up to be able to baptize her. What a miracle it was, and I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of it.
She was baptized last night and the Spirit in that room was so full. Elder Robertson and I gave a beautiful lesson on the Restoration while she was changing, (that is based on what the members told us) and when she returned, we sung the primary hymn number 100, 'Baptism'. It was awesome. A story I will never forget.
-So another spiritual experience that we had that I learned alot from, Thursday afternoon we get a call from a girl who currently resides at the Ronald McDonald House and she is a member, and told us of a family who just had a tragedy with their son from Ohio. Their son, Kyle, was driving and the car spun on black ice and he ran into a telephone pole. The impact had such a force that his head whiplashed around the pole and caused his entire brain to literally rotate 180 degrees. He was in critical condition and was on life support here in Camden. We talked to Kyle's parents about what exactly a blessing is and about the plan of salvation, about how families can be together forever, and talked about when we give a blessing, it is by faith and God's will. As we walked in the hospital room, Kyle looked terrible, and I could only look to love him and feel remorse for the pain that he must have been going through. I annointed him with the oil, and my companion actually gave the blessing. Both of us felt impressed during the blessing that Kyle was going to die soon and return to the Spirit World, so we blessed him that he would be pain free and at ease. As we left the hospital, the Spirit hit us hard like a football player and taught us how this life is a temporary state, and that anything that we possess in this life, anything pertaining to temporally, just did not matter, and how God's ways are Eternal and Everlasting. It was an intense feeling, something I wont forget either.
Miracles do happen. I witness it for myself. I know that this is God's work and his purposes for all of His children are eternal.
I love all of you and I hope and pray that you may have a fantastic week.
Love, Elder Corey J. Harris

10 Months

(Last week Corey sent pictures of his apartment and he isn't in one of them, LOL. Well, he did send us the Chinatown pic a week before.)

1) Corey's closet...ya think he has enough ties?
2) His companion, Elder Wilson.
3) His bed with his big down comforter...that we finally got sent to him.
4) His study area.
5) A close up of his study area and a picture of the family, awwww.


6) Corey in Philly's Chinatown.
7) The Victor, where Corey is living currently.
8) Their apartment living room.

Dear Mom,
What a wonderful email that was, thank you. It was exactly what i needed to hear. I have changed a lot i feel, and learned so much. President Hinckley once said that he learned more about the gospel in the two years he was serving a mission then the next 70 some years after his service. I too feel that way. Probably the biggest thing that i have learned is that of the eternal perspective of all things that God sees. Being on a mission is so hard sometimes, just because i cant see you guys or i guess do "worldly things", such as playing basketball everyday or dating, etc.. I have learned since being a missionary that this is truly a privilege to be here. God could use a much more effective way if he truly wanted too, but he allows us to come out for two years so that we can work that change within ourselves, and see who God sees us as, that is, as sons and daughters of God.
I received a letter from Craig the other day, and it was fantastic! Since then I have been reading a hymn everyday to fill myself with the spirit, to help me to become virtuous, and i have been memorizing the scripture masteries. One a day. I've got 5 down so far. I'll continue to memorize a scripture everyday until i go home. Its been really cool my studies have been fantastic lately, and we had interviews too on Tuesday, that was another cool experience to be able to learn from President. I feel that my skills as a missionary have shot up, but with that I fear my pride has too, thinking that i am a good missionary and such. Mom, what can i do to counter attack pride? I don't necessarily go around boasting about myself but i think so in my heart, how can i better develop more pure motives? I know of some things, but i would like your input. Its been kicking my butt lately. Also I've been doing a lot of studying about what it means to be charitable and loving, how can I embed this attribute into my heart? I feel that if i can learn these things, then i will have come home very different from before. These are what I've been trying to iron out since day one. Its super tough. And i only have 14 months left. Idk it feels like sometimes that i need to be some perfect guy when i do come home and there is so much to work on and its mind boggling!! Anyways, yes i have changed a lot but i feel like there is so much to improve on.
I have been wanting to write President Dayley and Wilson a letter but i haven't had the time to, so just know that is on my To Do List very soon. So last pday we ended up not playing basketball at all. We got free tickets to the aquarium just right by where we live, so we went there instead. We're playing today though for sure, it has been a very long time.
This morning i cut my own hair. Its not too bad, but my hair has definitely looked better before lol, my hair was getting pretty long so i took care of it.
Next week are transfers. Its a good possibility that my companion will be getting transferred since he has been here longer but anything is possible. I can't believe that today it 10 months. The time has flown by sooooo fast. its crazy. How are the Allens and Pictums doing with their boys out too?
And I almost cried when you said that Riley cried, and said she missed me. That really touched me. That picture, I remember that day perfectly. That is a memory that I won't ever forget. I love you guys, and I hope that you all have a great week!
Love, Elder Harris


In my email to Corey: Thought I'd attach a picture that makes me smile and remember that day whenever I see it. You had a little bit of a different companion back in the day. I caught her crying the other day and didn't know what was wrong and she said, "Oh mommy, I just miss Corey."
-Corey with his sister Riley about 2002.

Question And Answer Session

1) Did you get your Christmas box (finally) and was it okay?

i got the christmas box last monday after i was done emailing you, and i thought it was great! and the blanket too...

2) Did you have the 5 baptisms on New Years Day? How did it go? Do you guys usually give talks, etc...?

we had the 5 baptisms yesterday actually. it was a hectic week, we didnt take any breaks we were just so busy and i am very tired today. i like p days on monday to just relax after a week long of hard work. if i havent told you sunday is by far the most stressful day for missionaries to see if your investigators come to church, the fruit of your labors for the week so to say lol it was an awesome baptism. and we have another one this coming sunday as well. and something that president wants us to do is to teach the restoration at baptisms. while they are getting changed. an hour long lesson cut down to 5 or 10 minutes. really hard. i felt like when i bore my testimony to the people, (and among us was all of their extended families and friends, maybe 20 or 30? yea alot) of what they just witnessed, (5 baptisms) they felt the spirit then, and it was great.

3) How did your exchange with the assistants go?

my exchange with the ap's was amazing. one of them, Elder Elwood, i have a tremendous amount of respect for. he helped me figure some things out that would have taken me forever to recognize and fix. he was my zone leader from wilmington and i had already had a very powerful spiritually moving experience with him before. (it was when i wouldnt tell you guys but i had written it in my journal) he has a facebook account and a im a mormon account too. from bountiful utah, first name brendan, i think. he is a little guy but he is a spiritual giant, he is a future general authority for sure.

4) What did you end up doing the rest of Christmas day? Where did you go, what did you eat? etc...

christmas day we were so lazy. we just felt so sluggish, and just sorta hung out. and we went over to a members house that wasnt even in our branch that heard we had nowhere to go so she invited us over and we ate lasagna :)

5) How was New Years? Where you able to go see the fireworks from your roof or was it packed up there? And did you go buy a new camera card with the giftcard from Grandma?

there were fireworks at 6 which were cool, we slept through midnight though. it was cool. and it was packed. all over the waterfront was just full of people, looking up from the rooftop it was like watching ants just squirming everywhere lol and no, i have not bought a new camera card yet.

6) What's your favorite scripture (or study topic) from this past week?

my favorite topic and goal that i have been doing an extensive amount of study on,
is that of love and charity. i have been through 1 Corinthians 13 alot lately... Elder Elwood helped me to realize that even though i have all of these weaknesses of mine, there is only one way to erase them, and that is through the atonement and the first key is love. if i can develop love towards literally everything, i will be someone completely different when i get home. i havent finished studying, but i will send home my notes about it when i am done.

so anyways, the pictures were great. i am glad that you guys had a good week and sunday. looks like you guys had alot of fun [playing in the snow]! and i will definitely study out how to best help [that certain person], surprisingly, he has been on my mind lately for some reason, and now its obvious. brynnie-lou looks so adorable! she is a true baby, looks and all... i look back to pictures when i was that young, i didnt look like a "true" baby. haha i had figured that [the ward] dads would have had a huddle session talking about their phone calls with their boys. and we start our church at 12:30 now, so when you start church, we basically will too. :) President Schaefermeyer was at our branch yesterday just to see what it was like, and he got to meet our investigators. (we had a total of 9 investigators at church, and some that committed to come didnt!) but all is good, i have been feeling alot better, almost as if a weight has been lifted. it feels real good. well, i love you all very much, i know that i owe people alot of letters but we will see, ive been real tired. hope you guys have a great week!
love always,
-Elder Harris

(He's right, he never really did look like a baby. He had so much hair he was born looking like a little boy. Here's Corey at one month old.)

Hit By A Car (But OK!)

Mom's Note: I'll admit it's a little difficult to update Corey's (ahem, Elder Harris's) blog. Sometimes there are things in his emails that shouldn't be public and sometimes he's discouraged and I don't want that all over the internet. And sometimes we happen to be online at the same time and our emails are more conversations, mostly too boring to post here. So I guess that's my excuse for not posting for awhile, and the reason why I'll probably be more selective in the future as well.

(You can probably tell parts of this were a conversation, but I'm not posting my part.)



Its good to hear that everything was awesome this past weekend! (It was Gabby's baptism and Corey's Grandma Sherrie's 60th birthday on Saturday.) i do wish i could have been there too, and no we did not have a baptism. So ironically enough, this happened to be another one of those "trial weeks".. i'll explain, for example;
an investigator who was very promising and had loads of potential gets shot in the head for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. (drug dealing, and i myself have seen a few exchanges on the fly) or when your on your way to do some service work, you ride your bike and see a car parked at an intersection, and it just so happened as i am about to pass her by she hits the gas and t-bones into me. yup, i got hit by a car. my bike was trashed, luckily we were getting new bikes that day! and i have a testimony of helmets and i know that i was being watched after, because my feet went high above my head, and i did a backflip onto my head and shoulder blade. lol it was such a rush, i am okay, except for my left foot, its a little swollen, because it hit hard on the concrete ground when i landed. all is well though, there were alot of witnesses and i kid you not, all of them were telling me to press charges! and the they looked at me as if i were stupid or something because i refused to do so! i thought it was funny, i have had the worst luck crashing my bike, but i just laugh it off, and so does my companion.

ive just been icing it and taking ibuprofen and the swelling has gone down. I'll be okay. :)

She did feel bad, was surprised that i was even asking about how her car is and stuff, and i could tell she was grateful that i wasnt going to press any charges. i never even entertained that thought. and i didnt even think to give her a pass along card, because we were in service clothes, not in a suit and tie with all of our stuff..

i really am fine and dont need anything, but what i would like is maybe a few new ties, and some letters from the entire family or something, just give me something to do on christmas day (but specifically into detail any questions they may have, or challenges in their life, etc..)lol and also i plan on writing a long letter or email for the entire family can read as my gift to you guys.
ps's..
dad should be expecting a letter this week from me. (He's turning the big 4-0.)
has tyler had any luck with progression in his mission papers?
hope school is going good for ryan and riley!
and i am very proud of gabby for her decision to be baptized.
tell everyone i love and miss them


Below are pictures of the kids with a 6 foot tall cardboard cutout of Corey that a wonderful ward member had made for the Ward Christmas Party (which was also this past Saturday.) He surprised us with it on Thanksgiving day so Corey could "be here" for the holidays. We LOVE it! (Especially Tyler and Ryan because they are taller than his cutout!)

Dear Family,

Alright, so was conference great or what?! I took a legit 10 pages of notes. I learned so much. The following sheet of paper has my favorite notes that I had jotted down that I thought you guys could benefit from. Please read the scriptures I wrote too. I don't know if you want to hold a family home evening about it or what but this stuff is legit. Thank you for your letters. I'll definitely study the doctrine of "Declaring Repentance" my next study. So we get interviews from President on Wednesday! They are more like a PPI. Oh, by the way, I'm putting back on some weight again. I've been exercising like crazy lately. So, a mission rule, we have to wear our suit jackets til the next conference. I don't mind though because I think I look rather sharp! :) So, something I didn't have room to write from conference, -would I sin or make a mistake if Jesus were right next to me, - that struck me deep. Love you, miss you guys!
-Elder Harris

PS- I know that Dad was a very proud father during the priesthood session. When Russell M. Nelson told the missionaries wherever they may be in the world, to stand, I was thinking of Dad and Tyler and Ryan, wishing that you guys could see me stand. I love you guys!

Highlights from Oct 2010 conference notes:
- Keep ourselves clean, pure, and worthy to represent the Lord.
- Every able young man should serve a mission. Tyler and Ryan :)
- Give thanks in all that you do and you will learn humility.
- Consistency is better than speed.
- Follow the prophet. He will never lead us astray.
- What matters most in learning/teaching is the attitude about what is being taught, or learned.
- Successful gospel teachers love the gospel and live it.

1. Immerse ourselves in the scriptures! We must know the gospel in order to teach it. (D&C 11:20-21).
2. Apply in your life what you learn.
3. Seek heaven's help! (D&C 42:14). *August 2009 Ensign Yoshihiko Kikuchi article.
4. Exercise our agency and act on the principles of righteousness. Obey what the spirit says. (Proverbs 3:5-7).

- Hypocrisy is destructive.
- Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Not these complex trick-plays. Master the fundamentals.
- Our strength comes from a steadfast faith in Christ!
- We progress and opportunities arise when we submit our will to the Father.
- To obey is better than to sacrifice. (1 Samuel 10:8, 13:8-13, 15:2-23 especially verse 22, D&C 130:20-21).
- Be in the world but not of the world. (Romans 12:1-2).
- Choose faith over doubt, fear, or the unknown.
- In our weakest moments, the adversary strikes.
- Our character is dependent upon how we act during times of trial. The bedrock of character is integrity.
- We become what we want to become when we consistently BE what we want to become.
- The Book of Mormon is key to everything you do, and we are called to gather the Lord's elect. (D&C 29:1-8).
- Be thou an example of the believers. (1 Tim 4:12).
- You can find peace through the Savior.
- Harden not your heart, stiffen not your neck, I promise that you will find peace through him.
- Our home must be a place where the holy spirit can dwell.
- Put off the natural man and be full of love! (Mosiah 3:19).
- Beware of pride, it brings self elevation and puts others down.
- It is impossible to be puffed up when we are full of charity, when we serve others our pride diminishes.
- When we ponder it invites revelation from the spirit, after we have prayed and read the scriptures.
- If and when we make a wrong choice, we have no one to blame but ourselves. (Study Preach My Gospel, pages 150-151, Accountability and Scripture Study section.)
- It is easier to keep the commandments 100% of the time than 98% of the time.
- A prayerful life is the key to expressing gratitude.
- Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

(Photo is of Corey, in the Conference Center, the day before he reported to the MTC.)

Conference Rocked!

ok, the photo card i think i'll have to start lookin for. dad emailed me, and it sounded like you guys didnt get the letters, because he was askin me to hand write them or something. but anyways, conference rocked! i took over 10 pages of notes to study and learn from. they said stuff that i was lookin for. my prayers were answered. and the spirit, man the spirit whispered to me so many things!

i wrote a letter today to the family, and i sent a page about conference from my notes. i took out what i had liked most, and added scriptures to them as well. priesthood session was awesome too! i dont know if dad and the boys told you or not..

thats cool that riley is being engaged in the scriptures! and yes, i gave ryan that stamp on purpose. ryan is just a dating machine isnt he? tee hee hee..

so guess what my new companion is like?

my comp has been out over 17 months now, and he is an apostate missionary. i wont say too much, other than he has literally been wasting his time being out here. He is very lazy, sleeps in willingly, complains all the time, whines all the time, and whines some more. says the word, "freaking". and i want to punch him everytime he says it. He knows that President doesnt trust him, (which means why he stuck him with me, because i am an obedient hardworking missionary) I know that President trusts me, so thats why i was put with him. i am just afraid that the work will suffer here, ESPECIALLY after i leave. i've finally have gotten all of these members to trust us, to get excited about missionary work, and its gonna get shot down now. i am a little bit bummed right now, kind of looking forward to transfers already, but i know i have the choice whether to think positive, or negatively about this experience.. :( i've got a trial transfer ahead of me...

so i have to start to get goin now, time is almost up, but i just wanted to say that i love you very much, and miss too. we have our interviews on wednesday with president schaefermeyer, so dont worry about me, i'll be just fine. i hope that you guys have a great week, and i am looking forward from hearing back soon. oh and i also wrote ali and grandma sherrie this mornin. i'll write a letter to jared and jeff too. tell shawn i said hey for me! love ya!

In Wilmington For One More Transfer

Hey i know that i have been blowing through my personal like stupid, and im actually thinking about chopping it up so i dont spend any of it. It gets tough though we dont get fed and we dont really have time to make something good. I just need to stop eating out! I promise that i will. i need to. also i have a new companion. He has been out about 17 months now so i wont be killing him but he definitely does have some experience under his belt. he has actually already served in my ward before, so he already knows alot of the members and the area, so i dont imagine me being here too much longer. I might be headed out in November. :) we'll see though. So we had three confirmations yesterday! and it was an awesome fast and testimony meeting! Everyone pretty much bore their testimony about missionary work, and you can see how the ward is getting really excited now! (it only took 9 baptisms lol) we've been really blessed lately, and this transfer i want to get more involved into the community some how.. but anyways one of the baptisms we had her name is Jocelyn, she is Puerto Rican (i think i spelled that right..?) and she is 17. Awesome young woman, she had asked me to baptize her. :D And our ward mission leader Brother Hooper baptized our other convert Kervin. He is from Liberia. Being on a mission is so much fun!

So i am very glad to see that you received the box? What did everyone think? It was pretty cool i got the note from dad in the box about sending pictures with little notes on the back, (and i did, and yes that is Hockessin, but no members in that neighborhood, yet) did dad like his coke and new cup? i have some time today to write letters, my new comp will be unpacking. I'll also talk about my mad bribing skills. So hows life in Las Vegas? How did Ryans date go with Jessica? :) And so some quick advice that Elder Oldham had given me, pack up food in those glad containers or somethin. Those cookies that i got were powder, i opened it up and the first thing i remember sayin was was this supposed to be some type of powder? it might have been cookies my comp says lol so sorry but the rolls are good still. the box that i got though must have been tossed around a bit, it looked real trashed. :( oh well, i know they were made with love still. ) Thank you for the cord though, i forgot my camera today, but next week i'll try and send out some stuff online. so my big goal this transfer is to work on humility. Last transfer was all about obedience and diligence. Well i am all out of like shaving cream and soap and shampoo and toothpaste so i will be spending some money today i am sorry, when we get more money next month, i am going to try really hard to keep myself on a very strict budget. Well dont really know what else to say, no we do not live with any other missionaries, but we do live pretty close to other Elders though. Love ya guys very much, hope to hear from ya soon, and take care.

all my love Elder Harris

A Funny Baptism Story

its way crazy to think that riley is in middle school right now. that is sooo crazy! she'll like it though, it will continue to give her an extra challenge in schooling. so how has gabbys reading been going? i have been praying a lot about that.. oh so yesterday was an amazing day! i baptized a guy named Tim. hes a HUGE guy, about 6'2 or 3 and weighs 338 lbs! he has a lot of health and leg n knee problems, so i baptized him forward. but i had my companion in there with me to help since hes a big guy. so the first time i dunk him in the water and his head pops up. so i did it again one more time. people said it looked like i had jumped on top of him, like my shoulder and elbows were in his back and i nearly went under the water with him. (only like my whole body and half my face) so i was baptized with him, and then since hes so big there wasnt a jump suit that fit him so we had like a dress choir robe, that you'd see baptist singers wear or something, and while we were under the water his robes float up so my companion was struggling to shove his clothes under the water and he nearly jumped on him too. tim was under the water for like 4 or 5 seconds, it was so funny, we could not stop laughing! but yea im at 6 baptisms, and 5 more have a date right now. yesterday was awesome, a high councilman spoke at sacrament meeting and kind of rebuked the ward. basically saying its the missionaries job to teach, and not to go finding, and tracting all day. its the members job to find people for us to teach, the members need to be more missionary minded, etc.. it was awesome. everyone who has been baptized so far has been through missionary efforts though, so hopefully we can get the area even more rollin..
so how was treys farewell talk? what did he talk about? did he and bishop go on like a bro date to the temple the day before? and who was the other speaker? thats way cool that he had pres gillins play the same song, did he do it because it tied in with his talk as well? random questions i know.. so just let me know when your back online.. love ya

Be Exactly Obedient

hey you probably aren't online but i loved the rappelling pics! riley has gotten so pretty and gabby is growing up so much! i miss rappelling but id rather be doing what im doing.. so some new news, salt lake is making us change our p-day to monday, so its on monday again this week, and not next thursday. prez schaeffermeyer pretty much rebuked the entire mission at transfer meetings for not being exactly obedient, and thats this transfers focus is exact obedience. im pumped. its 'exact'ly what i need too. my new comp is Elder Oldham, from Orem Utah. He goes home in six weeks as well, so im killing again! so ill be here in wilmington for awhile. But like Gillman, Oldham is an ex Zone Leader, so i have been getting a lot of awesome training from the studs in the mission. I was talking to one of the assistants in the mission, he told me that the Lord is preparing me for something, and its extra important i learn as much as i can from these older experienced missionaries. im way excited. yesterday was a miracle day. so our day is pretty full as usual, we contact a former investigator. she usually drops appointments when give her an opening to. our ward mission leader called us and asked if we had confirmed the appointment and i said no. (i instantly had the feeling that if we called her to confirm an app, she would bail and drop us) he asked if he should call her and i said dont because she will cancel if we call, we just need to show up and teach. he said ok, he'll just meet us at her house. well about 30 min later, he calls us and said he had called and talked to her on the phone, and shes gonna have to push back the app another day. i was sooo frustrated, good thing Elder Oldham was talking to him, i was ready to give a not so friendly well why would you do that?!(way to go corey to let my pride settle in and choose to get mad) so i decided i needed to pray and ask for help. i immediately felt that we needed to go over to her house to teach her anyways, so we did just that. turns out she was just waiting for an important phone call for some property and we told her she could take the call at any time during our lesson. well we taught her, our member present wasnt there though, and she committed to come to church and we have another app set up to see her. the next app our 17 year old investigator Jocelyn (who reminds me a lot of Ashley) was asking about baptism, and she wants me to baptize her! so we set a date for her on Sep 26.

we took a very short break because we just felt like we were on a spiritual roll, we had a full night, but for some reason it fell through? dang, i hate dropped cancelled app's.

well turns out a couple weeks ago we had a texted media referral that i never knew about. my zone leader (Elder Bertrand) called me and said we needed to update this referral. well we decide to contact this guy, we called him, he wanted us to come over right away! we taught the entire first lesson, and it was so spiritual! we nearly gave him a baptism date! we see him again tomorrow, and he has an uncle who is a member of the church in south philly.

and then another miracle, all of our app that had dropped came back! and we gave another baptism date to another investigator, and re contacted a less active who wants to get a patriarchal blessing! way amazing day, we didnt get back til 9:30, and we were physically and spiritually exhausted! Elder Oldham said he has never had an area like this, with so many awesome people. i love being a missionary. blessings pour out when we are diligently seeking to do good, and being exactly obedient.

i received an email from prez from my last email to him that he was going to be watching me very closely. im way nervous but stoked at the same time. well that was my day yesterday, we are going to be playing some basketball today, and i want to thank you guys so much for all that you guys have done. i miss and love every one of you. sorry for any short comings that i have.

all my love, Elder Harris

ps dad, when im going through trials, and always tired and i need an extra boost, the best medicine is to pray. pray for strength. i promise it will work ;) love ya

The Kid With The Mowhawk

i would like tyler to study D&C 58, carefully, and prayerfully. its somethin i just studied and i was taught by the spirit so much in what i can improve on. (Alma 32 would also be highly recommended) its exciting to hear that ryan has been actively working [with the Elders], and being busy. when i talked to President Schaefermeyer i felt so much better and knew what i needed to do. i had breakfast the other day for dinner by members! waffles, eggs, hash browns, bacon, yum! it was awesome. its exciting to see riley starting middle school! i will NEVER forget my first day at Keller, i was scared to death, seeing the kid with a mohawk haha.. its alright that i havent been written, im supposed to leave behind all other personal affairs at home, and i know that as long as im obedient and faithful, everything that is supposed to happen will. so thinking about what friends are up too. gone. it doesnt matter to me anymore. i find im more happy doing the Lords work that worrying about unnecessary things. im glad to hear mom that youre feelin better, and that dad has a sweet job i am so pumped for you! shirt and tie just like me. guess what, i get to talk to thugs all the time, (i just dont get paid) lol love you guys, miss you so much, hope everything is goin great, tell the family i said hi :)

Mom's Note: Transfers are this week but since Corey's companion has finished his mission and is going home Corey will most likely stay put for 6 more weeks. Also, Corey wanted me to delete his facebook...so I did. No more tagging him so friends can see how he's doing. Guess he wants letters if you want to know how he is doing, lol.

Also, Corey's first day of 6th grade was a funny story. We had JUST moved back home to Vegas from Wilmington, NC and Corey had been concerned about Vegas gangs and wanted us to assure him he would be safe at school. We told him he would be just FINE!!! So as we dropped him off for his first day of 6th grade, as he got out of our car, a tall kid, with a big mohawk and piercings and chains hanging off him got out of the car next to us. Corey looked back at us like, "ARE YOU SURE I'M GONNA BE SAFE HERE?!" and all we could do at that point was smile and drive off. Well, that and feel guilty for the rest of the day for leaving him there because we knew how nervous he'd been!

Unexpected Philly Trip

hey, there, i don't have too much time, i'm in philly right now! but we stopped at the library down the street from the rocky steps. we wet to the masonic temple, pretty sweet. good week so far, we have two baptisms this sunday, and a couple more with some dates. sorry this is very quick, good to hear everything is goin good! hey check out http://boncom.com/mormon/ it is really good, and alex boye is on it as well. its a new missionary push the church is trying to make, and philly mission is one of 9 areas to test it. i love you guys a whole lot, and of course miss you. next week elder gillman will be spending a lot of time packing so i'll have a lot of time to write letters, that stinks about the wedding ring. and home snacks, idk i like em all...surprise me if you want! :) there were some things i wanted to share but have no idea what it was... i'll be on around 11 next week for sure, today's philly trip was last second because gillman hasn't ever been here or served before. adios!!
love ya bye tell the fam i said hi!

Plan For Unplanned Opportunites

Dear Family,

Things have been goin great. We only had one baptism this past Sunday, we had to push Nate back because he'll have family in town on the 8 August and he wanted to wait, which we didn't mind. But as of right now we have 3 planned baptisms for August 8, (just the way it worked out) its lookin to be a crazy Sunday. Pretty sweet to see Ryan going on splits a lot, what about Tyler too? Tomorrow for [feeding] the Elders, you know believe it or not, we NEVER have pizza, so thats always a good back up plan, but i'd say go with my favorites. ;)

i did get my surprise package, i was way excited! Those have been great snacks for the day, i haven't eaten more than two a day, i don't want to kill them to fast. so last Saturday was so stinkin hot, i think 107 with humidity! i was drenched, of course we decide to go tract and walk all morning that day, instead of setting up appointments and be in the ac car. our air conditioning WAS broke in the beginning of the summer. it would be about 80-85 degrees with humidity inside. very sticky. we just recently got it fixed, our apartment has been a meat locker ever since lol (65-70 degrees)

so i am doing a horrible job of budgeting my money. i ate out way too much, and it burned my msf. i had to pay a $50 ticket for running a red light. ( i don't even remember doing that?!)
i was pretty mad at myself when i got the ticket in the mail. (Not the type of mail that i want lol) its pretty cool to hear about ya dad, [making detective] how sweet everything's goin. just be careful. well ill probably write some more in another email, here's this one for now, love Elder Harris

Alright so we've had a pretty good pday so far. We went to a local barber down the street so Elder Gillman could get a haircut, and we had an unplanned opportunity to teach! he taught the guy cutting his hair, and i ended up teaching the hair stylist who wasn't doin much. (slow morning) they were both very interested in what we had to share, and we have an appointment with them tomorrow during break, we'll give them a copy of the Book of Mormon, etc.. awesome. Ive just learned to plan for unplanned opportunities!

Mom's note: Most of the rest of our email is conversation back and forth because we were on at the same time so I'll just paraphrase...Corey said they don't have missionary dinner calendars like we do here so they only have dinner appointments if someone invites them over. They have a standing appointment at the bishop's house on Wednesday nights but other than that they don't have many dinner invites so they eat a lot of ramen, and frozen and canned food. Yuck. No wonder he has been asking for fast food gift cards. (Equally yuck in my opinion but easier for them I'm sure.) He's excited for his friend Chase who was called to serve in the Washington Everett Mission and reports in September. He closed with this scripture and said "i was reading a scripture this morning, Mosiah 2:20-24, King Benjamin is awesome. all we have to do is keep the commandments. not too much to ask for right? lol well gotta go now, love you guys so much, and miss you! talk to ya next week! Hasta la vista 'baby' :D"

MOSIAH 2:20-24 "I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another— I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?"

More Baptisms

i'll be honest, im a little bit homesick right now, just because of the type of experiences ive been having lately. one real eye opener happened, something very sacred and special, that i'll always remember. i wrote it in my journal. one of the members down in Smyrna had recently passed away of cancer, thats about all i can really say. (thats all i feel prompted to share..) i have been getting very worried lately about your sickness ma, you have been on my mind a lot, especially this past week. i just continue to hope and pray that everything will be okay.
so the mission is goin real good now, but ive been so busy, im real tired. p day couldnt have come at a better time, i could seriously use some down time. we have had a crazy week.. and next week (on 25 July) we have two more people being baptized.. one who has been a long time investigator, who finally feels ready. (We have had some pretty amazing lessons with her) i have been mightily blessed here in Wilmington with all the people we are currently teaching. it has been amazing, but by the end of the day i am spiritually and physically drained. my head hits that pillow and i am out! its been real fun too, but we've just been real busy.
so how is everyone back home? any summer fun? how is Bishop Urry doing? can you tell that guy to email me, and i can send him a letter back?
i am not allowed to go on the blog anymore, i was very tempted to look "one last time". i know blessings will come for being obedient. also are you guys doing a xmas in July? just wondering. dad the nametag i sent you, i hope you like it. and another thing.. zone conferences, will only be once every other transfer. so 4 times a year!! it kinds stinks, that means less opportunities to get mail, so if youre sending a package soon, (or mail) please just send it here to Newport.. (my companion goes home in August 17, so im bound to stay here at the very least, six weeks following that) til end of september.
the weather has cooled down alot here, only because its been raining real crazy lately.. yes we've even had some floods lol but it will get hot soon. along with the 110% humidity, haha no kidding. also we are allowed to go to the temple!!!! but it has to be with our recent convert, and the next year when they go to get their endowments we can go with them. something cool to get us extra motivated!! and to work even harder :D thats about all i can think of for now. but take care, talk to ya next week. x's and o's, Elder Harris

Corey The Assassin

i think i have jared and jeffs address, i most likely (well maybe not likely) will be writing them today, because everyone wants to play basketball and im the one with the church keys. Elder Bertrand got transferred down to Smyrna, now a zone leader, and my new companion is Elder Lance Gillman, coming from Smyrna as the last zone leader and now is the new district leader. he'll go back home to Linden, Utah in 6 weeks, so i'll have a new comp pretty soon, which means i'll be here at least 12 more weeks.
so you know how you have trainers, district leaders, zone leaders, and assistants to the prez? well ive been given the call of 'assassin', since im killing Elder Gillman this transfer. the mission is full of weird traditions and jokes. weird, i know. lol i was pretty sad to see Bertrand go though, because we had alot goin, but im keepin the fort down in Wilmington, we've already taught 20 lessons! and its only p-day! the mission really is awesome, it feels as almost the veil is very thin sometimes, when i read or teach and feel the spirit, and then just ponder and get totally lost to what im feeling or thinking about. im doing a morning devotional where i'll read scriptures, an ensign article, i'll then kneel in a prayer and express gratitude for everything, desires of my heart, needs of my investigators, and then i'll write down impressions in what i feel needs to happen.

the weather here is so stinkin awful, 107 and humidity, its bad. that is so cool to hear about braeden, i was plannin on writing him real quick today, because i know it was his birthday last week. President Schaefermeyer is a really cool guy, but you can tell he is new, compared to Prez Murray lol its so cool to hear that life is still goin pretty good with everyone back home, idk im totally oblivious to everything because im only thinkin about missionary work. (which is a good thing)

so mom questions. some light weight pants would be amazing for walking around in this weather. yes my shoes are holding up great, i alternate them everyday. and the stricter budget is for my own good. the coke was there before i got there so i just finished it off, and the subway, yea that was mine, but E. Bertrand got some too. today, everyone is meeting up at Capriotti's, yup and guess what, that food chain started here in Delaware. if i were to get a drivers license here, i could eat free caps in vegas!! pretty sick! well how is everyone doin? oh if your planning on sending out a box, can you send out my black jansport backpack too? along with food. lol thank you. well i love you guys and hope everything is goin great. oh yea dad, the nametag, no problemo, i ordered it, and im even thinking about sending another one with a picture of me to grandpa. i liked the letter about ashley writing on my wall, that was pretty cool. i love her too. ive been writing her.. but anyways, take care until next week. -Love, Elder Harris

ps the photo card i sent you, can you sent it back asap? with the box? :) and the old photos are still on there, is it saved on your computer and do i delete them for extra room or somethin? idk love ya bye

So Grateful For All I've Been Given

Surprise: my pday is right now, since tomorrow the wilmington zone will be having a special meeting with President Schaefermeyer.
i hope you guys liked the pics, stinks i dont have my other memory card yet either. but its okay. we had another successful baptism, so thats two now. and we have 8 more with a date!!! i think that time of many baptisms is right now lol but anyways, we have been mightily blessed by God, and i am so grateful for everything. looking forward to getting even better as a missionary! my goal is to become that master teacher. its cool im now just starting to read the New Testament. i rely on the spirit so much and put a lot of trust in God to act as His instrument, we have some amazing lessons! i love being a missionary, when two years are up, my goal and hope is to not want to go home, to really fall in love with this great work and helping people. i know i'll be going through some trials, there must be opposition in all things, but im just so grateful for all that ive been given. this transfer has flown by, on saturday night, i'll know whether or not my comp and i are being shipped out or staying.

Mom's Note: Last week were we up at girl's camp and had forgotten to email before we left (we did send letters though in our defense) and this week his p-day was a day early and we hadn't emailed yet so Corey probably thinks we've FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT HIM!!! (Never.)

3 Month Mark

hey there, so today has been 3 months now! pretty crazy! today im planning on a writing letters day to the family and friends. my comp and i are getting alot of things done, we have another baptism this sunday. and we have a few other investigators with dates as well! but anyways, i have a vision of how to get things rollin here, to help the future missionaries out as well when they come here to Wilmington 2nd ward. i'll tell you all about it when im done with my project im about to get working on. it may take another transfer though.. we're teaching alot of people now, our pool keeps on growing. yesterday, we went finding maybe an hour, and have 5 new investigators to see, so pretty soon we wont be tracting anymore! our bishop said that we should be teaching, instead of finding anyway, that somehow the members need to give the missionaries referrals. idk how often do you go out with the missionaries back home? dad just curious how is home teaching? i never realized the importance of it til now. its important that you are 100%, even see the less actives that you dont see at church. they're even more important than the ones you know, trust me, i talk to strangers all day. lol its not the end of the month yet, get to work. love all you guys, hope everything is goin great back home, im pretty excited to write you guys. expect the letters monday or tuesday. well hope all is well, tell everyone i said hey! let me know how your missionary efforts are going, im lookin forward to hearing back from ya next week. all my love, Elder Harris

Philly Trip and A New Mission President

alright so the philly trip today was pretty awesome! i took a few pics to share as well.. cheesesteaks were cheap and awesome, got to see some pretty cool things, but alot of walking. im drained right now! really not a whole lot to say about it, pics will tell all. so last friday was president murrays last zone conference and yesterday his last interview. pretty spiritual. im stoked to get pres schaefermeyer here already.. keep on learning and growing, im changing alot already, and i like the new person im starting to become. my view of life and religion has completely changed. we're teaching and finding alot of people. its just hard to help people keep commitments. we had another baptism this sunday but the man gave in and had a smoke so we have to push it back now til he can quit for good. hes tryin though, and we have another baptism on the 27th too. exciting times, getting alot of work done here! its fun being here in Wilmington, totally a mini version of philly!! i had dominican food for the first time the other day, pretty good stuff!

well glad to see everythings goin good back home. i dont know much of how everyones doin, i rarely get mail, so i like these little updates. so my favorite scriptures, Alma 26:12, (Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.) and Romans 12:1-2 (I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.)... maybe ya'll like em? oh basketball is pretty fun down here, to ball people in our church clothes. its just funny to see peoples reactions to us playing good. so what has everyone been up to these days? i have the same story every week, just doin missionary work.. oh a confession, im doing horrible on my journal btw, im just way tired at night and dont feel like writing anything. im just rambling right now, im tired as you might be able to tell. well hope everything is ok, love you all and take care. -Elder Harris

Being A Missionary Is So Much Fun

Corey's companion, Elder Bertrand. And see that Subway sandwich next to the two gallons of milk in the cart? I would bet that's Corey's! And the milk too! Lol.


Their apartment. See the coke on the counter...hmmm...Corey...and you know how I know? He is too cheap to buy small cokes. Ha!

Ummm, guess he wants us to know he brushes his tongue. Or to be happy it isn't pierced. I don't know. He is sticking his tongue out in a few of his recent photos. Maybe if I keep posting them on his blog...HE. WILL. STOP. ;P

Part of Mom's email to Corey: "I know you said you aren't homesick and that's awesome. I'm glad you are doing well and working hard. I read your mission president's blog about his Why I Believe Fireside talk in Newark. One of the missionaries he quoted sounded an awful lot like my boy...!"

hey there! i was at the fireside, i froze when he read my e-mail in front of everyone lol it was pretty sick though.. tomorrows zone conference, im way stoked for that, and guess what im doin next week on pday?! ...goin to philly thats right! one of the Elders in our district hasnt had the chance to go to Philly yet on his mission and he goes back home at the end of the transfer, so he has two extra seats in the back of the mission car, so my comp and i are goin up with them.. i'll try to send you pics afterwards.

so things in Wilmington are going pretty cool, we're working real hard, a few investigators with baptismal dates, trying real hard to get them to keep commitments! stupid satan has to always ruin stuff... and im learning alot too! diving reallllll deep in the scriptures.

tyler looks like a stud in his WHITE gown, wow im so impressed! hes got bragging rights to that now lol so ryan "phelps", are you going to get into club swimming? now that your officially a fish? haha rulu and bean, how are you girls doing? soon to be in young womens and baptized! thats so awesome! so in 2 weeks i'll have been out 3 months already, can ya believe that?! time is flying so fast! being a missionary is so much fun, the key is really just losing yourself, fear God, and not what man thinks, and have a little bit of charity, things will go pretty sweet.. well, gotta run i'll talk to ya soon.

lots of love, Elder Harris