Hey y'all--received 3/27

So this week... 

Elder Harker and Elder Piscione

MON- we got news our area was expanding... and it did it doubled in size... we are still on bikes, the other elders moved out and turns out me and Piscione are staying together! for a total of 6 months in Laredo for me over my mission by the end of this transfer

TUES- moved the Elders McNab and Goff into our apartment, knocked doors met the sister of a recent convert named Greg, her Name is Sarah. 

WED-Had Zone meeting, met all the new peeps, knocked doors, worked with Hno. Gonzales and he opened up about the hard times hes having and how we could help him out, then went to coordination for English branch which actually happened!

THURS-did service for Hna. Serna, went to the BML house to eat. Turns out he was a professional chef and cooked for a King of Saudi Arabia once. Then had an exchange with Elder Sierra in his new area... we knocked doors the rest of the night, met a crazy lady who tried to bash.

FRI-well we had splits with the Elder quorum planned but only 2 people showed so we just went out to find less actives, found one family, had to go to a lesson. had to call in order for them to open their gate(everyone has gates down here) and found out we didn't have the phone. so the Sister let us in the gate by a miracle she saw us on the security cam. and let us in, gave her a blessing set a baptism goal for Saturday with her mom. left for home met Hno. Cantu in the parking lot, who handed us some food(barbacoa tacos =cow tongue and face) and got the car to go find the phone found it where we thought it was by a miracle and made it back home!

SAT- visited a few peeps, went to a new restaurant "taco mais" three tacos for under 3 bucks! and then knocked doors and visited Sis. Antonio.

SUN-Went to church, had Hna Sernas mom in assitencia and then some stuff came up after church which was difficult and then we went to the Antonio house where they fed us Carne asada, super good

NO TIME    EVERYONE WATCH GENERAL CONFERENCE THIS SAT. & SUN. Y'ALL WILL FEEL THE SPIRIT!!!!!

see y'all next week!

Catch up pictures

President Torres started a Facebook page for the 2016-2019 Texas McAllen Mission and posted a bunch of pictures.  yay!!

I tried to organize the pics based on area and time, although most of these events Elder Harker has not even mentioned so its mostly guess work.---grrrr

Family History Event with the missionaries

Family History Event with the missionaries

Family History Event with the missionaries

Area: Portland
Comp: Elder Madsen

Area: Portland
Comp: Elder Randall

Area: Portland????

Area: Portland
Comp: Elder Randall

Area: Portland
Comp: Elder Madsen

Zone Pic
Area: Edinburg
Comp: Elder McLaughlin

Area: Edinburg
Comp: Elder Widmer

Halloween Party 2016

Halloween Party 2016
Elder Harker is almost right in the center

TMM zone conference?
Where's Elder Harker?
second top row, third from the right

Area: Edinburg
Comp: Elder Widmer

The TMM Christmas Gathering 2016

received on March 6

hello everyone so this week was pretty cool

LUNES- me and my comp was sick, pretty slow day appointments that we had all fell through, knocked doors as back up

MARTES- I went on an exchange with Elder Sheldon while Piscione wasn't feeling well, we also had a zone conference combined with Laredo North Zone mostly to chastize Laredo North zone. visited Zuhayla a permagating investigator of ours. all appointments fell through

MIERCOLES-had district meeting, as well as coordination. English branch coordination fell through as the branch mission leader was a no show. appointments fell thru.

JUEVES-i was able to reserve my 200th ordinance for my ancestors temple work as well as i found some cousins in England. the only info is that they died in the year 1917 in France while they were in their 20s... I remember since I gained a big interest in WWI that 1/3rd of Britain's young men died in WWI a large part never being accounted for dead or alive. and we also had 2 day Mission leadership conference so I was District leader for a 2 days while I was on exchanges with Alonso. most of the appointments in my area fell through and some of his did, we did find Maura an investigator who disappeared, she is still interested!

VIERNES- still on exchanges visited the Garcia family, gave Pres. Garcia a blessing, he was sick

SABADO- back with Elder Piscione, it rained all day, me and Piscione got soaked, during the storm we got a call from the other elders and we returned home for another Exchange with elder Sheldon but this time he was sick. so the other Elders visited Maura. 

DOMINGO- appointments fell thru, I spent my second Sunday in Spanish branch this transfer, I messed the other 2 because of being sick some of the people in English branch were a sight for sore eyes, the Garcia family who I found came to church as well as an old permagating investigator named Jerry was there as well!

Below are a few pictures posted by a sweet member in Laredo during the week:

"Bien agradecida con los misioneros que me visitan cada semana porque siempre me animan a seguir adelante con sus mensajes... y el espritu de siente más, cada vez que vienen... lo quiero mucho! "😍

"Very thankful with the missionaries who visit me every week because you always encourage me to continue on with your messages... and the spirit of feels more, every time they come... I love you very much! 😍" 

received 2/27

Hey everyone

So me and my comp are sick and I have recognized that I don't put a lot of detail in my email. Instead of giving lame excuses imma be straight up to y'all. Its something I need to work on in all aspects. Its generally not a super huge priority to me when I only have an hour most of the time less to use. 

I have an easier time when I have questions to base my email off of. I don't have much of those at all, if I were to receive some of those that would be amazing HINT HINT. 

Anyways I will attempt to do better but as I'm famous in the mission for being super chill ask a good question and get an amazing story. 

So far the mission is awesome and it the best time of my life even though we haven't been teaching much at all and not much happens other than tract its super fun. 

We found the M-M family last week after visiting their less active neighbors they weren't able to come to church however due to the lack of a "weekend" here um I spent all of yesterday in bed due to my illness got better today but still not feeling well. 

I actually this morning got a cd from my trainer(who has 3 weeks left) of "Scotlands Great Highland Bagpipes" by The Black Watch, Royal Scots Dragoon Guard and others its super good got a few old songs in there. 

no pictures yet as my camera didn't survive the storm last week but if all goes well we are having a baptism on Friday for Carlitos(8) and Jocelyn(10). um i have run out of time but if you have any questions email(or mail if your old fashioned) them to me and I will address them in my next email as best as I can.

the following pic was posted on the TMM Facebook page:

"Bien contentos mis misioneros después de la cena 😍😍 el miércoles pasado. .

Well happy my missionaries after dinner 😍😍 last Wednesday. ."

so as certain people have given their thoughts on my mass email skills here are the deets we live right across the street from a hooker, the people here dress horribly immodest, wake up at 2pm go to bed at 4am and are all blind bats so that's my vent of the day. 

and to answer preguntas of yours we have a car its a corolla, yes we have tiwi its annoying but mainly quiet. zls have trucks sisters have vans everyone else has a car. we only have a car to drive on p-days and to meetings and church. I'm doing well have been throwing up since yesterday(all of church I was miserable) we tract a lot. we are teaching one family the M-M family. the only prob with them is their dad drinks a ton and they all work on Sunday(Hispanic culture there is no week end just party all night and be miserable the next day) we are trying to find investigators but the ones we do find don't stick on for the second lesson. 

We have been working super hard so when people ask how I'm doing please explain we have had a big dry spell and there isn't much info. I'm alive I'm happy save the complaints on lack of info I can include more but like in true Jeshua fashion you have to ask good questions to get to the story. I just got a cd of Scottish military bagpipe songs though!

well crazy week (recveived 2/21/17)

well this week was crazy, so went on an exchange with Elder Canfield, realized my bike light was lost, haven't found it, then our last appointment we got attacked by a gross smelly chihuahua and he tried to take my ankle out. I shook him off and he 'bout got us again. never saw Elder Canfield run so fast, but that dog literally broke down a screen door to get to us. 

The next day, we were walking home when a giant dog comes running out of nowhere straight for us, so I got ready to fight like heck and stood there waiting for it and it 'bout hit me, I backed off whipped out my knife just in case he came at us again but he didn't. 

Had a few missionary meetings. hardly no meal appointments but an investigator of ours passed her baptismal interview! Jocelyn(9) wasn't able to be baptized but the branch pres got tired of waiting for her dad to shape up so he gave us the go ahead! so she'll be baptized the 4th of march! 

me and Elder Sheldon
 cooking some Carne asada on mesquite

Then right after a carne asada meal(tacos but with steak, chicken, sausage and chile on tortillas- Taco bell just cant compete with it)  appointment with her family it hit... thunder, lightning and buckets of rain... we were told to go home by Pres. so we got our bikes loaded 'em into Bro Antonio's truck and he took us home, almost got hit by a few cars. it was crazy we were soaked, and so was the camera.. still functions but the screen won't show anything so you don't know what your taking a picture of. It was a wall of water that hit the south, San Antonio has some crazier weather but it was sketchy. My bike survived but I have to go through and fix some things nothing too much. we all busted through the apt. door just soaked, one elder lost his tag, one lost his tie, it was hilarious... and then we couldn't use the dryer so ya it was crazy!  

posted by the MP on the FB page

The Mission President, President Torres, posted pictures of the missionaries in the Texas McAllen Mission on FaceBook.  

The MP's wife, Sister Torres, took a three week tour of the mission.  She stopped at the home of each of the missionaries, added pictures of the Savior, the First Presidency, and the San Antonio Temple in the living rooms and a picture of Christ in each bedroom.  Each of the apartments was then re-dedicated.

Elders Harker & Sheldon
Sister Torres
Elders Volcanes & Alonso

hello (received 2/6/17)

so we have transfers today but no one has been notified of anything as of yet. so far folks as of late some have been wondering about the lack of info I give in my emails. and I have 2 explanations...

1) don't have it, we have been tracting all day everyday and have found no investigators who want us to return for a 2nd visit and the investigators we do have don't progress so we have to end teaching them. and to be frank there isn't much to say about tracting...

2) I have little time to email the mass email(its the lowest priority (President, family/friends, mass.)

so here's some other news, President allowed my Aunt and Uncle to come down from San Antone on Saturday

so this week has been pretty much the same, a lot of... no investigators. we have Jose who accepted a pamphlet and we are going by today at 6, other than that we been prepping the area for the change to the sisters. like pretty much... ya I have no ​idea what to say cause quite frankly not much been going on at all. Casey and Camille came down and bought us and lunch and got a new bike tube for me. but you kinda heard about that, haven't gotten calls about transfers yet... so ya... here are some pics

Laredo at night

At lunch with Uncle Casey and Aunt Camille

Elders Harker and Volcanes
with Uncle Casey and Aunt Camille

Stuffin' his face at Chili's

"Heaven will not be heavenly, for those who have not chosen to BE heavenly"

- Prof. Brad Wilcox

Elder HarKer loves mail!

send to:

200 W. La Vista Ave.

McAllen, TX 78501