Week #23

Feliz Navidad!!!

Very great week here in Porterville! We had a very productive week and had many great lessons this week! With our investigators Ivelice and Hugo we set a new baptismal date and they are progressing very well! We also finally got to teach Juliet and set a new baptismal date and she said shes determined to fulfill it!

We had a church tour with Ivelice and Hugo and they brought a lot of their family too! It was really good and they felt the spirit super strong! They love the church and are really excited to come!

We had a great Christmas Eve! Had a really solid sacrament meeting, then went and ate tamales with some members! We then Caroled for some of our investigators and members, then spent the night with some members and other missionaries and sang carols and ate some solid Gringo food!

For Christmas we had an awesome breakfast at a members house! We then went and made tamales, it took a bit and was a bit more difficult then it looked but the end result tasted very good! We then went to lunch at the Branch Presidents house and got to face-time our families! Super awesome to see all my family again! We then had a great Christmas dinner! 

My favorite scripture this week comes from Mormon one of the saddest books in all the Book of Mormon. This book tells the destruction of one a great people in history! The Lord gave them so many chances to repent and change and come unto him but their hearts were too hard and their pride to high. 17 O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!

Remember it is never to late to repent, the loving Jesus Christ is always there waiting to receive you!

Have a great week!

(Also Thank You for the Christmas Gifts and Wishes!!!)

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #22

Buenas Tardes!!!

Great week again here in Porterville! Much progress was made this week! We have some really solid families we are teaching! We sadly didn't get to teach Juliet this week cause she was sick but she should still be good for the 30th! We also had some great lessons with our investigator named Angela and invited her to be baptized! But then she started thinking and said "now I'm thinking about it I think I already was baptized", so we looked her records up and sure enough she was! So we are now helping her get back to church and eventually to the temple!

This week we also had the Branch Christmas party where we had a ton a super solid food! some of the best Tomales and Posoli ever! 

One of the less active members we've been working with is like a semi-pro singer and guitar and accordion player so we showed us how to play a bit after a lesson! He said I was pretty solid so I guess my old piano skills came back a bit!

We also had zone conference this week and it was really good! President gave a really good talk/training and we had a solid testimony meet where the spirit was so strong!

That's about all new this week! My favorite scripture this week came from 4th Nefi 1:23 23 And now I, Mormon, would that ye should know that the people had multiplied, insomuch that they were spread upon all the face of the land, and that they had become exceedingly rich, because of their prosperity in Christ.

This is one of my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon!!! For 200 YEARS after Christ came they had basically perfect peace and unity, pretty much heaven on Earth where the church of Christ spread throughout all the land in prosperity! All because of their unwavering faith in Christ!

Have a good week Amigos! Y FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #21

Hola!

Another solid week here in Porterville! We finally had a pretty normal week which was good cause we got to teach and find a lot!!! Our Investigators have been making really good progress!

We got to have two solid lessons this week with our investigator Juliet who is super solid and takes in the gospel so good! She also came to church for the first time even though she has a messed up back and loved it! We also found a new family to teach and had a great lesson with them! 

On Thursday on of the less active members took us to Taco Bell for dinner but was really stressed out and hasn't been coming to church cause he's had tons of work. So we told him we'd come help him and we did (He works in construction)! So we went and built a big wall in a house he's working on! He was super grateful and let us come teach his family on Saturday!

My favorite scripture from this week was in 3rd Nefi 23:1 1 And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these thingsdiligently...

Searching the scriptures everyday DILIGENTLY is one of the best things we can do! The Lord evens says it's a commandment! By searching the scriptures we can find answers, peace, and build our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!

That's about it! Have a great week!

Con amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #20

Buenos dias!!!

Great week out here in Porterville! 

We got to go to the temple 2 times this week! Once with the zone and once with the branch with some recent converts! I love the Temple!!! 

We had a great week for teaching and finding! The beginning of the week was a bit slow but we kept going strong and ended up having a bunch of really solid lessons! One hermana in our branch was having a hard time so she called us to come give her a blessing so we did! Then at church on Sunday she looked like a completely different person, she shared her testimony and said right after we left her depression and stress went away and she got a new job offer! The Lord takes care of those who turn to him!

Last night during dinner someone kept calling us from a random number and so we finally answered it and an hermano in our branch said for us to come over cause he had a new investigator for us! So right after dinner we left and we get to their house and this older lady opens the door and is in a ton of pain so we gave her a blessing! She said it was the first time she felt god in her life in a long time and never so strong! We then taught her and she accepted a baptismal date for the 30th!

We also ate a ton of food and had a Christmas party this week! One of my new favorite foods our investigator makes is carne asada con nopales (cactus)! That's about all the new!

My favorite Scripture from this week comes from 3rd Nefi when the savior was teaching the people in the Americas!  14: 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. 

It is not enough to just talk the talk and say we believe but we must be doers! Faith is a principal of action and if we are not building up our testimonies, then they are getting broken down! 

Have a solid week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #19

Buenas Tardes! 

Solid week here in my new area of Porterville! My new companion is Elder Fernandez from Utah but was born in Peru! Super solid elder (Physically and spiritually) and we've already a great friends and work really good together! Porterville is a smaller old mexican town near the mountains with terrible air quality! Perfect area for missionary work and we've already found some really solid people to teach! We have a smaller branch here with 50-60 active members but they are really good members (and feed us a ton!) 

We had a great Thanksgiving and started with a huge 3 zone Turkey bowl! We played for like 3 hours and our zone was pretty dominate! We then went to the first of our Thanksgiving dinners which was with a gringo family and had a nice classic turkey, ham, mash potatoes, and rolls meal! We then had another dinner at our investigators house were we had Birria a goat meat soup thing and Tomales! We also played some soccer with the kids after!

I went back to Visalia on Saturday to go to Alejandra's Baptism and it was so good! The spirit was super strong and she was so happy! She shared her testimony and the end and shared how much the gospel had changed not only her life but character as well and how greatfull she was for the gospel!

On Sunday we went to church which was a bit different because sacrament meeting is last and classes first because the youth and primary of the branch are combined with the English ward! Elder Fernandez and I taught the Elders and High Priests which was the first time I've taught a class like that (let alone in espanol) but it ended up being pretty solid! 

My favorite scripture from this week is in 3rd Nefi 11: 11 And behold, I am the ^alight and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter ^bcup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in ^ctakingupon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the ^dwill of the Father in all things from the beginning.

Christ is the light of the world and with out him we are nothing and life would have no meaning! But during this Christmas time we celebrate Christ and is a great time share his light!

Solid week and another ones coming up! Nos vemos!

Con Amor

Elder Houssian

Week #18

Muy Buenos Días Amigos!

Very solid week out here in Visalia! It was my last week here! I'm getting transferred to Portersville tomorrow! I'm going to miss it here a lot but can't wait to serve in a new area!

We were super busy week! We found some really solid new investigators this week! Our investigators are progressing very well and had some awesome lessons! We also taught Alejandra every day this week to prepare her for Baptism! We also planned and held a wedding for her and her spouse Efrain! It was an awesome wedding and she loved it so much! She is super ready for her baptism next Saturday! 

This week my favorite scripture this week is found in 3rd Nefi 1: 13 Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.

Christ is the Savior of the World and is here to lift up all who are in need of comfort! A life without Christ is a life without purpose and hope! During this season of Thanksgiving I'm very grateful for Christ and all he did for us! I'm also grateful my amazing family and all they do! Also I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission here in Fresno! I love teaching the Hispanics here and seeing the changes the gospel brings into their lives! 

Also please keep my little brother Sam who just broke his femur in your prayers! He's a tough boy and I know he'll push through this and come back strong!

Have a Solid week and Thanksgiving! 

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #17

Hola!!!

Another great week! We started this week with some great lessons with
our investigators! Our ward held something called a work of salvation
night where we get in like 9 groups of 3 and go visit families and
members for the night! We also had zone conference this week!!! Elder
& Sister Echo Hawk a member of the quorum of the 70 came and gave an
amazing training!!! It was such a spiritual experience and I learned a
ton!

We also had ward activity where all the members came and we deep
cleaned the church then after Hermano Esquivel (2nd Councillor in the
Bishopric and like 450 lbs and the best cook!) cooked up some tacos
for everyone! Later that day we had a super awesome lesson with
Alejandra our investigator and her spouse and they decided to be
married and they want to do it this Saturday cause its her Birthday!!!
She will then be baptized right after!

On Sunday was the primary program and Alejandra's son sang in it an it
was great! We then went and gave a training to all the ward mission
leaders with Presidente Mackay about the Light the World campaign
that's coming up!

Overall a solid week! My favorite scripture this week come from
Helaman 5:12 - And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon
the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must
build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty
winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and
his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you
to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the
rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation
whereon if men build they cannot fall.

With the crazy world we live in it's hard to find a sturdy foundation
but through Christ and his gospel we can be built upon his rock, which
rock can withstand all the blows of the adversary if we stay faithful!

Have a solid week amigos!!!

Con Amor,
Elder Houssian

Quantum Leap again today!

Attachments area

Week #16

Buenos Dias!!!

Very solid week out here in Visalia! We started the week with a family home evening with two families in the ward and one of them has the craziest day of the dead set up that he just finished!!! We then had some really good lessons with our investigators Isabel and Alejandra! Both are so close to baptism one just needs to commit and the other to marry. We Then spent Halloween at a members house and had an awesome dinner, passed out candy to trick or treaters, and watched a really good church movie!

On Wednesday we found a new family to teach from La Ciudad De Mexico! We had a really good lesson with them and also brought a member who used to be bishop and branch president who was super solid! (And he's from La Ciudad de Mexico too!). The next day we went out to Ivanhoe and found another new investigator and taught Gaby and her son Michie again! 

Friday we had an exchange so we went to an english area for the day! It is a lot harder to teach in English areas because they are a lot less willing to speak to us and even less about religion. We ended up getting 3 referrals for the Spanish hermanas though. Then Saturday and Sunday we had really good lessons and found another investigator in Ivanhoe!

This morning we went to the Trampoline park after we deep cleaned the house and shopped and I still got most of the flips but could definitely feel the tacos building up!!!

This week I finished the book of Alma and I love this verse about Captain Moroni! 17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. 

Many things in this life can bring us happiness but only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring us joy!!! Have a solid week hermanos!

Con Amor,

Week #15

Buenos dias amigos!

Another great week here in Visalia! We started the week working a lot with our investigators and the ward list! We had some great lessons and many are progressing well twards baptism! We found some solid investigators through the ward list. On thursday we had an exchange with the assistants and we went up to a little town called oakherst up by Yosmite! We were up to about 4000 feet in elevation and their was lots of pine trees all around and cool weather! We visited lots of families their and many lived way up in cabins! Luckly the assistants also had a truck cause no car could've gotten to come of the members houses! 

We also got to attend a confrence for all of Northern California on religious freedom and got to hear from Elder Rasband! We also a service day for the stake on Saturday and planted over 400 trees and plants in under an hour! We then laid a ton of mulch along a bike path for a few hours! 

We have been working a lot in a little town right outside of Visalia called Ivanhoe which pretty much looks like it could be part of Mexico with probably 98% from mexico! We found a new investigator who lives in the guest house of some members named Jose! He's inderstands our message very well and was super excited when we gave him the Book of Mormon! He told us that when he was young he tried to cross the border by climbing the wall. When he got to the top a guard caught him but let him go and when he started to run away he fell off the wall 30 feet and broke both of his ankles! They them took him to the hospital in San Diego and let him stay to recover! He's been here ever since and lives alone with all his family back in Mexico! 

That's about all that's new here! My favorite scripture from this week is the famous quote from the title of Liberty!!! Alma 46:12 In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children 

We need to stand for our belifs in all places and cannot let our religous liberty be taken!

Have a great week and enjoy Haloween!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #14

Buenos Dias!

Visalia has been solid this week! The weather has been great too! We've been pretty busy this week and our investigators are doing solid! 7 are so close to baptism! President Mackay came with us on Wednesday

 and he is a solid teacher!!! He came with us to teach the Ortiz family and they love the gospel and want to be Baptized in November! We visited Isabel a lot and she's doing great! We taught we the commandments this week and the word of wisdom and she's committed to stop drinking coffee! She told us she's wanted to stop all along but just need the invitation and some help! We gave her a replacement thing called "Pero" which tastes like coffee but has no coffee in it. We also have been teaching her grandkids and they love the Book of Mormon readers we gave them. We haven't been able to meet with Alejandra because her sister was in town from mexico but she came to church still and is still set to be baptized! We also have been teaching a neighbor of a member and this week we showed her how to download and listen to the Book of Mormon on her phone  (She can't read, happens a lot here) and she listened to 14 chapters already! 

The ward is doing great here too! We got fed a TON! After service one morning the member made us the best breakfast tacos! We also had a ward fiesta and a missionary came home so they had a get together after church! It's been great to meet and build relationships with members. We also have been working on updating the ward directory with Hermano Birch and there's a lot to do which keeps us busy! 

We did a lot of street contacting to find new investigators and knocked on this door and a man named "Muhammad Ali" opened the door! He invited us in and gave us some apples and this other fruit thing and we had a great discussion! He moved here from India 2 years ago and is a devout Muslim but was very open! We gave him Book of Mormon and he committed to read it and in return he gave all three of us a Q'ran! We also found 4 other really good investigators! 

Overall a great week here and definitely excited for the next! My favorite scripture from this week is The grand sermon on faith in Alma 32! Definitely check it out https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/32?lang=eng 

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing upunto everlasting life.

Love y'all and have a solid week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Dinner? 

 When you forget your tie but have a strap!

They go crazy for the Day of the Dead

A 1200 year old tree they cut down cause a branch fell and destroyed three houses! MASSIVE!

Week #13

Como les van amigos!

Awesome week here in Visalia! I got a new new companion named Elder
Allen who just got here from Puerto Rico! Him and Elder Del Carmen are
the Zone Leaders. He's a solid Elder and is super good at connecting
with all the people we meet and teach! He said that all the
missionaries had to get taken out of Puerto Rico cause the hurricane
hit super hard! We started the week finding lots of new investigators!
We found a great family of 4 and some others great potentials!

The Ortiz family is progressing really good and have accepted to be
baptized! Our other investigator Isabel is also progressing really
well and came to church again! We also taught some of her Grandkids
and they love it when we come over! Alejandra couldn't make it to
church this week cause her sister came into town who she hadn't seen
for 10 years and had to drive to LA to pick her up so we are going to
have to move her baptism to but it's all good cause she has a super
strong testimony!

We got a bunch of new missionaries so the my companions have been
crazy busy running all around so I've been spending a lot of time with
the others Spanish Elders in our Ward and rode bikes for two days! We
had the BEST tacos the other night a our recent convert Marco's house
and I'd almost compare them to torchy's good! We Also had a big family
history day for the stake we helped out with and I also got to learn a
bunch about it and indexed some names! We went to the big
tramp/Parkour place again today which is so sweet! And that's about
all that's new here!

My favorite scripture this week comes from mormon 9:8: "Behold I say
unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of
Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not
understand them."
I have drawn a connection between almost all of the non progressing
investigators, non actives, and those with a weak testimony and nearly
all have not read the Book of Mormon or have stopped or become lazy
with it! Oh Necios! The Book of Mormon is key to coming closer to God
and Jesus Christ and will bring you pure joy! Something even stronger
than just the happiness that comes from things like playing sports,
double backfliping, eating doughnuts! the Book of Mormon is key and I
love reading it every day (English o Espanol)!

Have a solid week amigos y buena suerte!!!

Con Amor,
Elder Houssian