NEW! 

new transfer. new comp. new language. new area. new assignment. new new new new NEW!!

I received a call on Thursday from our mission president President Thomas asking if I would accept an assignment as Sister Training Leader. I accepted. so now I would like to introduce: Sister Harker new STL coming to you live from Valley Center California. I will be heading back into the Escondido zone as a STL. but Valley Center is like 30 minutes from my last area in San Marcos. so everyday we will drive in our big white truck 30ish minutes to our area in Valley Center. I'm pretty sure I will be speaking in English more than Spanish. going to have to dust off my English scriptures for this one. its going to be interesting, difficult, and im super excited. I wanted to be assigned to VC since I was in San Marcos. it is a super large area and its a bunch of farm lands from what I saw my one day on exchanges there. but im excited. the ward there is English AND Spanish. and my comp doesn't really know Spanish, she was called English. so I will be teaching both...I think... but im excited for all the changes. and of course sad to leave Hermana corona and fallbrook. change is good though:)

something else new that happened yesterday. I let Hermana corona give me a make over. so I strayed from my "eyebrows, eyeliner and mascara" path and I got "primer, foundation, eyebrows, wet eyeliner, mascara, and HIGHLIGHT" that was a first for me. it covered up my pink and shiny face and got me some highlight!! so proud. made me think of Vane back in oside:) change is good:)

Something I noticed today in my studies: I was reading in Alma 5. and in v 62 Alma refers to the Tree of Life back in 1 Nephi 8. and the first time I read it I was like "well ya duh bc the fruit of the tree of life is the word of God. everybody knows that!" Well, I thought of it differently today. I realized that the newer prophets in the Book of Mormon, for example Alma, is practically baring is testimony of what has already been written by the later prophet Nephi. It is such a simple and almost hidden testimony when Alma refers to what Nephi has written. And I like to think about how cool it is that they read each other's stuff! it also reminded me about how we as missionaries need to testify of the words that our companions speak. it adds another witness. I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES!!!!!

also the whole chapter of Alma 5 is a great self check. I encourage all to go back and read it please:) 

love,

Hermana Kiara Harker

California Carlsbad Mission

me and a chicken painting on a fence

Hermana vargas' birthday

make up samples. its not very noticeable...but its ok:)

The ups and the downs.

I have learned something new this week that I am going to try my hardest to do exactly what ive learned. And I think it might be a little difficult but its something I need to do to better myself and to change. So Hermana Corona and I were talking earlier this week. And I was telling her that Christ wasn't mean to people, and then she said that He wasn't mean, He just didn't take crap from other people. It was brought up because she has been telling me that I'm too nice and that I shouldn't let people push me around, even her. And then when we were sitting in Sacrament Meeting yesterday, someone gave a talk about how when you take the sacrament, you look in the mirror and you ask yourself what you want to see next week in the mirror. Sometimes I don't voice how I feel out of fear. Sometimes I fear rejection too much. Sometimes I give up too soon. I need to be more confident. I need to roll my shoulders back and raise my voice a little louder and call these people to repentance. Nephi was pleased to speak plainly and boldly. I should be more like Nephi. So that is something i am going to try to work really hard on this week.  I know I can give up more of me to this work and let my Savior fill up the spots and shape me into the person that i can become.

one year ago i left my beloved family to come to Mexico to come to cali. it was the hardest thing ive ever done, but the most rewarding. and i am still receiving those rewards and blessings. i love my mission. i love the person that God has shaped me to be and it continues. I love seeing myself change and feeling myself closer to the Savior.

here are some quotes our mission president sent out today. i love them. 

If the Lord sees greatness in you, then how should you see yourself?
--L. Tom Perry

Repentance is not only possible but also joyful because of our Savior.
Dale G. Renlund

You are not competing with anyone else. You are only competing with yourself to do the best with whatever you have received.
--L. Tom Perry

Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship.
--Joseph B. Wirthlin

ewheres hermana harker in this picture?

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us looking at the solar eclipse. i guess i have a reputation for pulling faces? i get it from my dad.

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have a wonderful week! i love you! don't forget to read the Book of Mormon! 

typical car selfie but its the only time i really remember to take pictures...

sisters that are going home this next week. finished strong!

we went out for frozen yogurt with some sisters in the branch

so ive been really bad with reading some emails and im too lazy and dont have enough time to go back and read and delete some emails so i still have 57 unread emails from a lot time ago. i apologize...

but this week was awesome. our numbers dont show it really, but it really was great. i love Hermana Corona. shes an amazing comp.

my dad celebrated his birthday without me. but thats okay. not too hurt of feelings. i celebrate 1 year in the mission on this Wednesday...ahhh!!!!! 12 freaking months. wow. im so happy i cannot go back in time because a august 16, 2016 and the few months to follow was some of the hardest times in my entire life haha. ah man. its a good thing i can laugh about it now!.

i was chosen to do a discussion for our zone meeting. ill be talking about faith. and its super cliche because ill be using the well known alma 32 from the BoM. its going to be great, dont judge me.

we ate so many tamales in a one day period. but i love them. ive been eating a lot of spicy food lately and its really hurting me. i wake up in the middle of the night with stomach cramps. which is weird. ive been eating pretty spicy stuff all my mission and it has never hurt me THIS bad. but its fine. ive got my box of tums and applesauce in the fridge.

so remember that giant tree outside of the church here? well i still love it. AND we did our comp study under there a few days ago. it was amazing.i love that tree. i love my mission.

my dad told me i need to be better about writing in my journal. and so this week i tried to write at least every night. i think i succeeded. i even made a list about a bunch of changes ive seen in myself. i filled the page. i keep having feelings or "ganas de llorar" to cry. i think its because its becoming real that my mission is almost over here in Cali. it also makes my stomach hurt. im kinda frightened to leave, but also excited out of my mind all at the same time. dont worry i dont understand myself either. but im trying to focus on the now. the here and today. i can worry about all that later. ive still got some time. i just need to hold my horses.

i apologize, ive been absolutely terrible about taking pictures. this week there will maybe be more. i just took one with hermana corona here as we email so theres something for you guys to look at toward the end of this;)

i know the church is true. i know that Christ lives. i know that we have a prophet that leads the church and that he receives revelation straight from God. i know that they are leading us to have better lives and to be happy. they know. and God knows. so we really should believe and trust them. trust God more than man. the things of the world are temporary. "spiritually minded is life eternal". straight from the scriptures so its true.

love you!

hermana kiara harker out.  

they don't think i know a butt load of crap about the gospel but i do!

i love my mom. stay tuned for the pictures.

we went to glow zone last week for p day. pretty fun. 

2 new investigators and they BOTH came to church yesterday! holaa!!!!!

i have gained a new appreciation and understanding about fasting. yesterday i didnt even think about eating or drinking anything. i was helping our investigator's kids during the sacrament.  and i thought about my mom's quiet book she would whip out when we started getting out of hand. i really have been thinking about bringing a church bag and bringing it for the kids so they can calm down. i love these people. 

oh yea last night we got bashed. this guy was talking about the bible and how he got baptized. he told us that our baptisms were bad and incorrect. he offered to give us his number to help us find the truth...ummmmm and he also said that we need to find a church that teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ...ummmmm THATS WHAT IM FREAKING DOING GUY! so we had parked kinda far away to have a walk and so it was nice walking back with my comp and just talking through everything that just happened. talk it out and then move on. 

my personal studies have just been crazy this week. there was another lady this week and she told us that God, Christ and the Holy Ghost are like water. its the same but in different forms. She compared God to ice. Christ to water. and the Holy Ghost to mist. but then she came back the next week and corrected herself and contradicted her words. but im happy that these experiences keep happening because it has helped me to study the bible to understand it more and it has strengthened my testimony about the Godhead and its awesome. 

i love the scriptures. the bible, Book of Mormon, D&C. all of it. they help me so much to understand and truly KNOW my Savior and how the spirit works. I love the feeling i get whenever i read the sacred scriptures. i encourage all corners of the world to read the Word of God. as a representative of Jesus Christ, i can promise you and i echo the promise of Joseph Smith that you will draw nearer to God as you read from the pages of the Book of Mormon. within it's pages you will find answers to life's questions, direction, comfort, and you will enjoy every chapter. i know because i experience it every day. go make some time to read. it will be amazing.

i love you all!!

Hermana Kiara Harker