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!

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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,