January 7, 2013

Happy 2013!

Well 2012 went by way too fast, that's for sure. I hope everyone had a safe and happy time ringing in the New Year. I was pretty much asleep but I think I heard people counting down to ringing in the New Year, if I'm not mistaken it wasn't part of my dream. Really nothing too exciting happened here in Peru this week. It's super hot here in Ica. The climate is like Colorado in the summer time. Hot during the day and cool with a little breeze at night. We have to drink A LOT of water everyday and the sun still drains you. Fortunately, with training my companion we are inside study during the hottest parts of the day so it's not too bad. I really hope everything is going great wherever you may be! I hope this new year brings on new goals and great things in your life.

Love Always,

HERMANA HARBISON

New Years Eve 2012

Happy New Year! (Well Almost)

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and are ready to bring on the New Year! Christmas here was nice and warm, it was cloudy but still pretty hot. I had the privilege to talk to my parents and that was the best Christmas present I received, well right after the present of finding an entire family to teach this past week as well. We found a family and the parents are married, which is a miracle, and they have 3 beautiful daughters, 2 of which are old enough to be baptized. It was really a special experience finding this family and we're doing all we can to make sure they progress. We're super excited! It was something super special. Well I hope you all have a great and safe time bringing in the New Year!

HERMANA HARBISON

PS I hate bugs.

Christmas Eve 2012

Seasons Greeting from Ica!

I hope everyone is having a great and safe holiday season! Here in Ica life is going great. It's all a new experience that's for sure. Last week I got my new companion on Tuesday and then we arrived that night. On Wednesday we got to know a few investigators that we have, then the rest of the week we worked. We're looking for people to teach, getting to know the area. Here it is so hot during the day, but in the night it cools down. We have to drink A LOT of water everyday. But no complaints, because it's part of the work. It's pretty interesting opening up an area. There are already Elders here in our ward (we're a total of 4) they work in one part and we work in the other. Our house is SUPER nice. Pretty much a mansion when it comes to missionary standards, spacious bathroom, kitchen, dining room (rareity that's for sure), study area and sleeping area. We love it.

Here's a picture of me and my new companion, Hermana Rivera from Hondorus. She just came out of the MTC here in Peru and is super great!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Enjoy the time with your family and friends as we think of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love this time of year, it's a little different being a missionary, being in Peru, and all the heat that's here in Ica, but that doesn't take away from what the season is really all about. I truly hope we all take time to remember our Savior this time of year and give thanks for all that He has done for us. I'm truly grateful to serve the Lord as a Missionary, for the expeirences that I have everyday.

Merry Christmas!

Love Always,

HERMANA HARBISON

December 17, 2012

"Hermana Harbison, you're changing zones.  You're going to open an area in Ica and are going to train."

That's the news I recieved Saturday night, but in Spanish. My companion and I are both leaving Pisco and they're going to put Elders there in the ward. Needless to say I'm totally and completely nervous because not only am I opening an area but I'm going to be training my companion while doing so. But I heard that in my area there are going to be Elders there as well so we won't be totally lost there in Ica. Ica is an hour south of Pisco, I've heard it's SO hot there. I'm really nervous but really excited and ready to work all at the same time. I know it's the will of the Lord for me to transfer to a different zone and I'm totally and completely ready to learn new things and to teach the gospel to the people of Ica. And that's the mission, changes left and right and I love it. I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. This week we're going to have a Christmas Conference with our Mission President so that'll be fun. Well that's all the news I've got. I'll let you all know how Ica is next week! Have a great week!

Love Always,

HERMANA HARBISON

December 12, 2012

Family and Friends,

I hope everything is going great up north in America! Nothing too exciting is going on here in Peru. The summer time is starting up and we can feel it. There is no air conditioning here in Pisco, but the nights are pretty cool so we open the one window that we have and let the cool-ish air come in. Everyone here we contact asks us if we believe the world is going to end on the 21st. We tell them that we don't know, only Heavenly Father does and then we share a scripture about how now is the time to prepare. Then they usually let us in and we teach them about the Gospel and repentance, it's working out really nice. Also, yesterday at church almost every row was filled with people, which never happens in our humble little ward, so that was great to see the fruits of our labors. All in all, life's going great here in Peru! Hope you all have a great week!

HERMANA HARBISON

December 3, 2012

Familia y Amigos!

Life as a missionary is going great! This week we had to travel to the big city of Lima because my companion had a doctor´s appt. It was a little shocking up there because life is a lot faster and busier and I kind of forgot what that felt like. That´s all that was super exciting this week. All is well in Pisco, Perú! Here´s a scripture for the week. It´s for those who might be passing through a trial right now it´s found in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 7:33.

Have a great week!

Love Always,

HERMANA HARBISON

November 26, 2012

Greetings from Down South of the Equator!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! The other day I was describing to my Peruvian Companion about what Black Friday is. She was so amazed and couldn't believe that people wait in such a long line and then swarm into the stores when their doors open. She had seen something like it in a movie, but was still amazed haha. This week was pretty normal, nothing too exciting going on. I started an English class on Thursday which was pretty fun. There weren't many people there, but I taught them the ABCs and the song that goes with it. The youth here like to ask me what the words mean in the American songs that they listen to. The work here in Pisco is slowly but surely coming along. I'm learning new things everyday and it's the best!

I hope everyone has a great week this week! Until next time here's a scripture from the Book of Mormon that I love: Ether 12:4. Look it up. Done.

Love Always,

HERMANA HARBISON

November 19, 2012

Family and Friends,

Hope you had a great week! I believe it's going to be Thanksgiving up there this week, hope everyone has a great holiday! Here are somethings I'm grateful for as a missionary:
-Peruvian Food that tastes great
-The nice and cozy apartment that we have
-Hot water to take a shower in
-The health I have to go out and work
-My Companion Hermana Riveros

-The support I get out here from my Family and Friends
-Every single one of our investigators and the opportunity we have to teach them
-Agency
-The opportunity to serve Heavenly Father
-The new things I learn every day
-A lot more other things, but I only have a half an hour to write...

I'm truly grateful for this opportunity to serve as a missionary. I'm grateful I had this time to reflect on the great things I've been blessed with. I'm sad I won't be spending the holiday with my family, BUT I know that they're safe and I'll be working hard helping the people of Peru. I truly wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a big thanks to everyone for your support!

Happy Thanksgiving!

HERMANA HARBISON

November 12, 2012

Greetings from Pisco Peru!

Everything is going great here! The ward I´m in is small and humble. Yesterday we had to give the talks in Sacrament Meeting. It was nerve wracking because I found out the night before and had an hour to prepare it all... But I think I got my message across. Here in Esperanza, Pisco there´s only dirt roads for most of the town and the 3 main roads are paved. Our area is pretty big because there´s a part that´s a 20 minute moto taxi ride there and an hour walk back. There´s a few people out there that we´re teaching so we have to make the trek about twice a week. I have yet to take a picture of the moto taxis here, but try googling it they´re pretty awesome. It´s a 3 wheeled vehicle that fits 3 people in the back and the drive is front and center. That´s the way we get around town here, there aren´t any cars except on the main road. I love it! Really there´s nothing else too exciting here, we´ve got a lot of work to do and we´re doing it. Hope you all have a great week!

Love Always,

Heremana Harbison

November 5, 2012

Greetings from Pisco Peru!

This week was the week of transfers and I've been transferred to Pisco! It's 4 hours south of Lima. It's a lot hotter and there's a lot more dirt here. Google it and I'm sure you'll find things about an earthquake that happened here 5 years ago and you'll see it's a lot of desert but pretty close to the ocean. It was sad to say goodbye to everyone in the ward I was in. But looking at those I helped teach and saying goodbye to them, I just knew and felt that I did all I could to help them. My companion is Hermana Riveros, my first companion in the mission. I'm excited to be reunited with her, after a short 6 weeks, because I know we're going to do some hard work here in this area. This was her first area in her mission, then she went to Surco, then she came back here and a month later I followed her. The bus ride down here was interesting. I got to see more of Peru and I got to see the ocean which was really pretty. I'm excited to be here, it'll be something different from the city that's for sure. But different is good, so I'm not worried at all.

Time flies by really fast here in the mission which really stinks, but I still learn so many things everyday. I hope everyone has a great week and if you need anything let me know!

Love Always,

HERMANA HARBISON