June 12, 2017

first week in fallbrook has been awesome. like every transfer its something to get used to again but everything is going great! my only complaints is the water in the new apartment. it smells and tastes weird. and the toilet takes a couple flushes to flush everything down...if yanno what I mean...but everything is great. my new companion Hermana Corona is awesome. im gonna be freakin pro by the end of this mission with speakin the Spanish. nah just kidding but I am still learning a lot. but this area is so cute. im super excited to work with it. we have a cute little branch of a few families. its amazing. its so personal haha and the for sacrament meeting, no one plays the piano, so they play it all the app. now I know why my parents put me in piano. and I also recall them saying: "what if youre the only one that can play the piano on your mission?" well back then I didn't know if I was even going to serve a mission. so many regrets. but I mean if they are ok with singing Sweet Hour of Prayer and Choose the Right every single sunday then I can play..? probably not. I remember getting booed off stage in young womans from playing those songs too much. I thought I was so cool. never again.

hey I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON YESTERDAY!!! AAAHHHH!!!!!  I feel like I can do anything now. it was so cool. I love the Book of Mormon. I know that it is the word of God and that it was written for our day. I found a lot of stuff out and learned a bunch ive never known before. I loved it. now im going to start reading it in Spanish. THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

having fun workin hard. mission life is awesome. love talking to people and changing their lives in the midst of me changing mine. I love being a missionary. I love the Book of Mormon. i love the spirit. i love my friends and i love my family.

like i always say: have a wonderful week everybody:) now go and read the Book of Mormon.

love, Hermana kiara harker

Monday, June 4, 2017

IM GETTING TRANSFERRED!!

i am moving to Fallbrook tomorrow! i will be half training another hermana! im super excited and super nervous! but its going to be awesome. im pumped.

so we went to the mormon battalion this week! super educated had some fun. 

nothing too crazy this week. just moving to another area. as always eating so much freaking food. whachagonnado?

i feel bad because i have nothing interesting to say. 

i am now in Mormon in the Book of Mormon. we are passing records right now. barrier breaking. 

but i have a huge testimony of the Book of Mormon and of this gospel. it has completely changed my life. and i am so grateful for it. i know ive said this a million times and ill say it another million times but i dont want to go back to the person i was before. i didnt realize how easy it was to be happy. you just keep the commandments and do your best. the four of us (the hermanas) were talking the other day and its funny because if you read the scriptures then God will bless you with more of a desire to read them. and then He will bless you. It really is easy to be happy. do what God tells you to do and He will make you happy and bless you. its like he has a hand full of confetti and he is waiting to shower you with it. its constantly hanging over our heads. and so when we obey, try our best, and keep our heads up, he will continually shower us with confetti (blessings). its so easy, and it might sound too good to be true. and so thats when the adversary comes in and kicks you down. but dont let him! you have more power of him! because you are blessed with a body. so you can actually kick him in the face. you got this! keep fighting! and you will be blessed. in God's timing of course.:)

i love you guys so much! youre all constantly in my prayers!

make this week a week to remember!

love, Hermana Kiara Harker

pictures:   but i apologize because i have too many oops!:) i cant fit them all on here

i had a giant waffle and ate it all. that is whip cream not butter. just so you know.

i have a bunch of pictures with members:)

May 30, 2017

dear friends and family,

funniest thing happened the other day!

backstory: we were at the Anastacio's house and the little kids Nicol and Ivan were wearing little jerseys for a soccer team Chivas. they were so cute and in the past they have been super shy and don't come out to see us and they run away. but lately they have been coming out and talking to us (in spanish. it is so stinking cute) and after we stood up from saying the last prayer we were getting ready to leave, and I knelt down with my arms open for the little girl Nicol to give me a hug. I could see she was thinking about it, and then she just ran and jumped into my arms and gave me a big hug. that struck me. straight to the core. I freakinglove kids. and then Ivan kinda did the same he just ran and then stopped and stood there like a plank of wood while I gave him a hug.; haha so funny! and heres the really funny  part: the other day we were riding bikes. we had just left the apartment and I saw a guy walking with a jersey for chivas and thinking about the little kids I say: "ya chivas! chivas!" as I pass by. not really expecting a response, he yells back: "aye! I love you baby!" in a very slured and drunk voice. "aye I lo you baby!" and all I said was: "op!" and then it was a red light and I had to stop and I was panicking thinking he was going to come up behind me and try to talk to me more or something but I couldn't stop laughing! hahaha so funny!! I love these people and the funny things they do. lightens the mood. keeps things interesting.

we signed up at a nursing home to volunteer service. kinda want to do that at home too. I want to host bingo dangit! but its only on Monday afternoons and that's p day. one day I will call out bingo numbers like on Hotel Transylvania.

also the lady that gave us popsicles the other week!  we went by in our service clothes and cleaning supplies to offer her service in reply for her kindness. but she wouldn't let us! she said we were so nice and sweet and she would not let us clean her house. he reminds me of Brenda Speirs. I love her. so nice. but she let us come in and we talked a little about religion which she said she didn't want to do last time. so we are opening doors and planting seeds. sadly she is white and English but she says she still wants to be friends. winning.

last night at noche de hogar (family home evening) at bishop's house. at the end, someone brings out a guitar and they start playing and people sing and we have such a great time. I love these people. they make everything fun.

I love the Book of Mormon.

also I brought out something my dad taught me and I made rice crispy treats. these people didn't know what they were. but I made them for desert yesterday for dinner. they were a hit. thank you dad.

welp I love you guys so much. youre all the bomb.com.  you make my life brighter. 

pictures:

still fit in my jeans




helmet chin and the clouds

this one is better

us

duck face

not lion. this week was a toughy.

but everythings good now. 

we had a fundraiser and ate some dang good food. 

ate a bright pink tamal.

my comp is so cute and decorated and surprised me on my half way mark!

got a hair trim. doesnt look any different, just my ends are more straight across.

workin hard out here. 

i love the Book of Mormon.

cute experience: 

its been butt hot outside the past few dayz. like before it was cold, overcast, and awesome. but now its hot and sweaty and sticky and awesome. we had biked for a while and stopped at the opening of some apartments to rest in the shade and a lady comes over. i thought she was going to tell us to leave. she asks if we are okay and if we need anything. she invites over to outside her house to sit in the shade. she brings us a blanket some water some popcicles and ice cream sandwiches. she says: "im christian and i know what youre doing so we arent going to talk about religion" but in a nice way. she told us to relax. so we sit on a blanket in the shade and enjoy water and popcicles. she was sent from heaven. blessings on blessings on blessings. 

a year ago on friday i opened my mission call. thats creepy. 

just yanno, rolling with the punches. feeling good. 

here are some pictures of my face:)

i love you guys muchly! have a wonderful week!

love, hermana kiara harker

"Bird attacks...fighting for my life."

A true story.

Brought to you by viewers like you, thank you.

"alrighty" really without fail it happens. every. time. 

skyped my amazing family i love them so much. shoutout to bellarie my sister is now 15 years old today! everyone stay in your houses because she will be starting to practice driving. or come out and watch and tease her for me:)

super funny story im so excited to share this with you. this tale is where i was on the verge between life and death. we were walking down this road. there were only a few houses. the only people outside were the people we just talked to. they werent that interested. but we keep walking about to knock another door hidden by a hedge. when all of a sudden a loud "whoosh" hits the top of my head. just skimming the top of my head. it was a hawk. i watch it keep flying and perch itself on a pole (pictured. looks like a pidgeon). me and hermana whilhelmsen a little spooked keep laughing and ke

ep walking. thats where we made the mistake. nothing was the same after that. a few minutes later something once again comes up behind me and hits and scratches and pulls my hair! back at it again with the hawk! this time it tried to pull me up and take me away to eat me! it came down and tried to snatch my hair on the top of my head. i had it in a "half up half down" and i think the bird thought it was a mouse. "its because of your mouse-y hair" says my dad yesterday. i thought it was because of the conditioner i use that made my hair so appealing. but now i have three gashes in my scalp from my predator. now i know what mice and fish and squirrels feel like to be the prey. ive gained a new respect for them: my people. the other hermanas brought up rabies. could i get rabies from a hawk attack? because they probably have so many diseases on their claws and blood from other victims. i call the nurse and she asks me when the last time i got a tetanus shot. told me to go home and wash my hair and put medicine on it. dont need rabies shot. im in the clear. now i have mission scars and a story to share. im happy it happened haha! 

so happy i lived to tell the tale. 

also reading the Book of Mormon now is so much better than when i was 13. i love the stories! its like a movie as i read! i want to read them all the time. and it makes me sad we only get an hour a day to do so. but i squeeze in time if i get ready fast and before bed. i love them. you should read it sometime;)

but i love you all. peace and blessings. have a wonderful wonderful day! and enjoy my battle wounds. 

--

Hermana Kiara Harker

also i hit 9 months tomorrow. heres my pregnancy picture. 

I DONT KNOW WHY THIS MAKES ME SO NERVOUS!​

I think of so much things to talk about during the week. and then I see the timer of seconds counting down on this library computer! I get stage fright! so much nerves! alsdkfnaoifn

okay so this has been my hardest time on my mission. hardest area. hardest time. things don't work out. things build up. things get tricky. emotional. stressful. slow. impatient. ahhh!! but you know what makes up all the difference? personal study. that one hour before anything happens in the day is seriously the best thing ever. I appreciate the scriptures so much more that I ever have. they make me so happy. they bring me so much peace. they really change you. no wonder why the book of Mormon is the keystone to our religion. it is crucial to everyone's testimony! both the bible and the book of Mormon together contain the fullness of the gospel. but you cant just depend and read the bible. you NEEEEED  the book of Mormon. and if its true, then everything else follows. it is the most constant and most correct book ever. maybe someone says something offensive in the church? the book of Mormon is still true. hasn't changed. something Hermana whilhelmsen says when we are having a hard day or complaining about something: the church is true and the sun is shining! so true. even though its been stormy the past two days, the sun is still shining we just couldn't see it. that's a testimony builder.

back in elementary school we had a book of mormathon where we read the whole book of Mormon in three days. and I used to say that I had read the whole book of Mormon because of that. but now reading it now and the furthest ive ever gotten, I am learning so much! I am taking so much out of it and it has helped me so much with everything. I know that the book of Mormon was written for our time. it applies to everything.

just let that marinate.

this week was a hard week. but something happened that made everything better. and it was so simple. its the simple things in life, yanno? so we had a training follow up meeting. Hermana osburn is almost done being trained! we only have a few more weeks. then we will be off to the Mormon battalion. that's crazy. but we were driving back to san marcos from vista. we were stopped at a red light and there was one of the sign guys and he had his headphones in just dancing. and so we wave to him because mama taught me good. and he waves and starts dancing at us. and so we start dancing back! we danced in the car without talking to him for a good 4 minutes. it was a blast. he was laughing and we were all laughing.

we had a training where we want to leave people on a good note after talking or interacting with them. now he knows that missionaries are awesome, and maybe he will talk to them one day and have that good first impression from us! you never know!

besides all the downs in life, there are always so much more ups. we focus on the downs because they might be more noticeable. but we are always blessed with ups. always look for the good things in life. they could be simple and small, but those are the things that will change your life. I love you guys! sorry this is so long! but I don't really care! hehe! just kidding, but im wishing and praying for you! have a great week!

love, Hermana kiara harker:) much love. 

we did chalking

Hermana osburn got her tiwi so she can drive and I can ride passenger and pick the songs!!!

I got sunburned on the part of my hand I didn't rub in sunscreen very well. you can see my finger prints on my hand...

jenga at noche de hogar. we related it to the restoration

water fight in the parking lot one night. I won.

bananas

waiting to use the bathroom after the water fight

how come everytime I sit in front of the computer to write to everyone, the first thing that pops into my mind is: "alrighty"? answer me that. riddle me that.

we walked to the post office this morning for my comp to send something and it felt like 100 degrees. the stls pick us up and it says its only 73. we are in for a hot one. buckle up buttercup.

work wise: we found one new investigator named Rogelio. I think of Rog back in oside. we made cookies and heart attacked some less actives in our area as well as the bishops. because the bishop does so much for the ward and loves them so much. and his family works so hard too. so we wanted to show them we love them.

MIRACLE!! miracle this week was when we were discussing who to give the cookies to, we thought about this one less active family. they have been less active for 2 years. and they stopped going to church out of the blue. and we have gone to their house every week since ive been here. and every week they say they will come to church. the last meeting we had with them they said that nothing was keeping them from coming to church. that they knew they needed to go. but they just wouldn't! and so we stopped going over. sometimes you have to drop your less actives too. so we didn't go over to their house for like 2 weeks. we were pretty heart broken. when we were picking which houses to go to, we both felt like we should give them some cookies and heart attack their door. we didn't want to because we were butt hurt, but we knew we needed to. the next day, the guys dad passes away. that's not a miracle. its actually pretty sad. BUT! THEY CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!! for the first time in 2 years! and they didn't need to be invited. they took the sacrament and the Hermana started reading her Book of Mormon. all I can say is I am as happy as a clam.

are clams happy? why?

this one is! (finger points at me, Hermana kiara harker) *ding! *sparkle on teeth as I smile

I'm just going to be honest. being a missionary is dang hard. just stating the obvious.  because no one said it was easy. theres too many things to do and not enough time in the world. but I love it.

I'm coming up on my 9 months. Hermana adams said that ill have a break down. I guess everyone has one? 9 month mark is soon after mothers day. that might be my break down. its gonna be a doosey.

yesterday was Dia de Nino. translation: day of child. childs day. theres mothers day, fathers day, oh yea and don't forget childs day. I remember my mom would say "everyday is childs day" in response to the question of why there is no childs day. at least I think It was mom. sorry if I threw you under the bus! I love you! we planned an activity. we were expecting like 50 kids. only 14 came. it was still awesome! its only as fun as you make it! its funny with this culture, because you tell everyone it starts at 6 when in reality it starts at 7 and they still get there 15 minutes past 7. man, I love them. they are so funny. Spanish is getting along. practically latina, just limiting myself to fewer tortillas. because man they pack a punch and an extra roll on my stomach. ammi right?

well its been fun. as always, I love you all lots. with all of my heart! have a great week! don't forget to say your prayers!

love, Hermana kaira kiara harker!:)