Elder Grayson Harris - Madrid, Spain Mission

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Getting Ready to Move On!

Another great week for Elder Harris! He is excited to get his area assignment on Tuesday and leave the Missionary Training Center. He loves it there, but he's "ready for the REAL THING!" He shared this awesome experience:

"This week while proselyting in the Park I was able to give away my first Libro De Mormón! Wow! That was an amazing experience for me. This past week for the park I was paired with Elder Acevedo. Usually in the park you rotate between a bunch of different companions but I was able to be with him so that was great because we already knew how we worked together. We were walking down the road and we were not really having any success at all earlier in the day. But, as we were walking a woman walked up and asked if we could take a picture of her. My companion took a couple photos and we asked if she had a moment for us to share a quick message about the gospel of Jesus Christ with her. She said yes. She actually knew about Mormons but she didn´t know our beliefs so we shared our testimonies with her.

Her name was Suzanna and she actually is super interested in religion. She said she reads religious books all the time. I had the prompting to ask her if she had ever read the B.O.M. She said no so I offered one to her. She asked what made it different from other religious books. I was able to share my testimony again and tell her of Moroni´s Promise and that if she will read the B.O.M. and pray about it she can find out this truth for herself. She promised that that evening she would begin to read it.

The Lord really does show tender mercies to his servants. We had been struggling but our prayers were answered and a "Golden" investigator walked into our path. This was an amazing testimony builder for me. I don´t know if she read it yet but I pray for her every night. I know if she is supposed to join the church the Lord will make it part of her path."

Singing in the Park for the last time at the MTC

He loves the entire group of missionaries there, as well as the MTC leaders, President & Sister Lovell: "I´m friends with everyone here in the MTC. They are all such great examples to me. My main crew though is probably my companion (Elder Acevedo), and Elders Oliver, Nielsen, Escobar, Pyle, and Farmer. But i really do hang out with like everyone so i don´t like saying that anyone is better than the others. Our day to day activities involve study and then more study and then more study. It´s difficult to focus all day long but I´m starting to get used to it. It has been an absolute pleasure being here at the MTC, the teachers are amazing and Presidente Lovell and his wife are an awesome example and great leaders for us to look up to."

Wearing the soccer jersey! Great to see McDonalds is alive and well in Spain.

Where, oh where, will his first area be...?!

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Mother's Day Week

It's been such an exciting week, because we got to Skype with Elder Harris on Sunday for Mother's Day -- which really set the week off to a great start! His brother, Chris and family joined Skype from NC, and his sister, Randi, and her boys joined by phone. It was really great to be 'virtually' all together on Mother's Day!

He is feeling good about things at the MTC with the learning opportunities, the 1-hr daily activity playing sports with the other missionaries, going to the temple...everything except the food - bleah - but between that and the daily exercise, he's lost 10-15 pounds!

The language is coming along well. He said a prayer with us in Spanish, and he sounded great! I'm sure he'll look back at these early days and feel like his Spanish was so 'green,' but it sounded good to us, and it's getting better and better. I'm sure he'll be just fine. He feels like his brain is very full with being in class all day every day!

And we got to 'meet' his MTC companion, Elder Acevado for the first time.

Elder Acevado

They will receive their area assignments on May 26th and head out to their first areas. He doesn't have any idea where it will be, he will just pack up and be ready to go wherever they send him that day. He is (and we are) very excited to see where his first area will be!

Elder Harris with MTC President & Sister Lovell

With his District - and President & Sister Lovell

Some more photos from last week when they went to visit the Real' Madrid / Santiago Bernabao Soccer Stadium:

With the Sisters and Elders in his District at the Stadium

The jerseys were beckoning to him...

From the Broadcast Booth

"This photo is actually on the sideline like on the same bench that the
actual players sit on! I was so amazed that we were able to do this!"

No identification of photo included...

From his letter:
"Spain is going great! I love the constant opportunity to be thinking of others. One important quality that the MTC President is always stressing to leaders is that first to be a good leader you must be a good follower...This has already been the best experience of my life."

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Happy Soccer Fan

Elder Harris has had another great week, this one marked by a trip to the Santiago Bernabao Soccer Stadium in Madrid after they sent emails last week. As a big soccer fan, this was very cool to him! He even had to get a Chicharito jersey (Of course, we all know that is a famous player from Spain -- haha). He is taken with the beauty of the area, and he loves getting to play sports and see the sights on his P-days with his group at the MTC. Today after emails, they were headed to the Prado art museum (wonder if he'll be as excited about that? :) Hard to believe they're half-way through their stay at the MTC -- supposed to be receiving their assignments soon and will leave May 26.

MTC missionaries from Italy, Russia, Ukraine and U.S. and MTC leaders
with Elder Dyches (General Authority and Counselor in the Europe Area Presidency)
and Elder Allen (Managing Director of the Missionary Dept. of the Church)

On the work side of things, he is doing well with the language, and even started dreaming some in Spanish -- which I guess is a good sign! An excerpt from his email:

"I truly love going to the temple. Going every week has been a major blessing. The spirit is so strong here all the time. A scripture to think about D&C 82: 8-10. Always remember obedience first. The Lord will bless us. I´m excited to talk to you guys on Sunday. Happy Mother's day Mom!"

(He's not nearly as excited as we are -- Happy Mother's Day to me!)

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Getting Into the Swing of Things

April 30, 2015

Things are going great! The language is good and yes my shoes are broken in. I don´t think i have any photos with Acevedo yet. I love the people here so
much. Today i am going to the Reál Madrid soccer stadium. Yay! This is
going to be awesome!

Starting next week i will try to share a couple spiritual experiences per week.
This week i have one. In the park me and Elder Boston my park companion
talked to a guy named XXX Diaz. I love this man. I want him to have the
fullness of what the lord wants him to have. He was my first reference ever.
It´s so awesome! I´m really already loving the Mission already. Mom i gave
him your music name because he was super interested. I love you all and
remember to pray always.

Love, Elder Harris

First Email From Madrid

I won't always share his entire letter, but this is the first email, and I just wanted to share how excited he sounds. We are so excited too -- that he is where he is.

April 23, 2015

Hey Mom,

It has been an amazing first week here. I know this is where i´m supposed to be. My companion is Elder Acevedo. He is from L.A. We are the Zone Leaders of the MTC. In total there are 34 missionaries here, but, we receive 3 more next week! It has been an absolute pleasure to be meeting all of the amazing young people that are also serving here. The food here is actually pretty good. It´s not traditional Spanish food but they are introducing us to it slowly. I´m sleeping pretty well actually and the jet lag wore off after a couple of days. Today the email service isn´t working so I can´t send you guys any photos but there are quite a few ready to be shared.

We go to the Temple every P-day here and it has been an amazing experience to see the work done there. I love the Temple! The weather here is AMAZING! It´s always sunny and warm and its just been like vacation weather outside. Spain itself is beautiful. The people are beautiful! I already love the people here so much. Today for my P-Day i will be touring a lot of major historical sites and i will take pictures while i am out there. I love you Mom. I also love and appreciate the prayers you guys are saying on my behalf. I can always feel the love of the people praying for me whenever i get discouraged. Again i love you.

Love Elder Harris

P.S. We can skype on mother´s day. I do not know what time yet but keep that in mind.

With Elder Perron (from France) and Elder Bennion (from Salt Lake City).
We proselyte every Saturday in en Retiro Parque in Madrid.
[His companion, Elder Acevedo is apparently taking the photo]

We also sing in the parque and that attracts a lot of attention so it is good exposure.

[Looks like they're having a little fun in one of the MTC dorms]

And He's Off...!

On April 13th, Grayson wanted to go to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Pancho's, for his last time for two years. And...after that, we headed to the airport. It was a wonderful, tearful, exciting, sad, happy, poignant day.

...and there he goes.

We love you! May God be with you until we meet again.

Grayson's Open House

On April 12th, the night before he left, we had an Open House for Grayson. Because our renovations were not complete as expected, our fabulous friends (family, actually) the Bennetts offered to host the Open House at their home. That was so appreciated! We had a great turnout, and felt the love and support of so many friends who have become our family since we moved to Tennessee in 1988. Many of them have known Grayson all his life. It was a wonderful night...