Week #74

Feliz Navidad!

Great Week! This week flew by! Super packed Week! We had a ton of great lessons with our amigos! Got to see so many miracles as those we teach understand the true doctrine! Our good friend we are teaching named Mario just soaked up everything we shared with him and he is really excited to get baptized! He came to church for the first time as well!

We had to drop Elder Chiniquy off at the airport on Wednesday so he could go get his visa in Arizona! While we waited for him in the airport we passed out a ton of #LightTheWorld pass along cards! I went on an exchange in a biking English area and we knock on this door and this man named Roy opens and he was just having a rough time, so we shared the restoration with him and it just brightened up his day! He came to church the next day! 

The Sunday special sacrament meeting was very interesting in the Spanish ward, we sang every Christmas song in the hymnbook! We then went up to Yosemite today! Super sweet trip! The snow was so nice!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from 2 Nefi 9:7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

Think about a world with no hope, no peace, no forgiveness, no happiness! That is what the world would've been with out a savior! Thanks to his matchless love he descended from his heavenly throne, was born in humble manger, sacrificed his life for us, then rose and ascended back to his heavenly throne on the right hand of the Father! 

Que tengan un feliz Navidad!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week # 73

¡Hola!

Great week again! Christmas season is in full swing! We have continued to see many Chistmas miracle! First one came on Tuesday on exchanges! About 9:15 at night we were walking back to the car and we see a man walking on the other side of the street so we decided to make one more contact and so we run over, give him a #LightTheWorld pass along card and tell him we'd love to share a message with him and he says "I'm normally open at 10" so we say "how about tommorow" he says sure! We go the next day and found out him and his roommate are both exchange students from the Congo, and Nigeria! We teach the full restoration and give then both Books of Mormon and they loved it! 

We had a great Christmas zone conference as well! We got to teach a lot this week and have many amigos getting really close to baptism! We as well had the ward fiesta de Navidad! Had lot's of amigos come and loved it! We also went caroling and gave out Book of Mormons and chocolate! 

We have a friend we are teaching who told us he wanted to be a missionary so we said "Vámonos" and he drove us around teaching all day and loved it! He asked us how he could do this more often and we said first keep reading your Book of Mormon, then come to church twice, then get baptized and your become a great missionary! He was excited! Overall the work continues to hasten everyday! I love serving in this area of Fresno!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from Luke 1:37-38

37. For with God nothing shall be impossible. 

38. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

   Mary's response was immediate and unconditional! We loved her example, she could've responded to her calling as the mother of Jesus with I'm going to check with Joseph (mi Esposo), or I'm not ready what are others going to think of me? This Christmas season, as we strive to deepen our discipleship, we must avoid rationalization and conditioning our discipleship! Instead we must have an attitude  like Mary and respond with "be it unto me according to the word"!

There's some more examples here:

Mathew 9:9 

Mathew 4 :18 & 22

Alma 8:18

Cuidense!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #72

Hola!

Great week! The Christmas season is in full swing! We have been seeing so many Christmas miracles! People are very open to Christmas messages then we slip in the restored gospel! Lots of prepared people!

First big miracle was on exchanges with the YSA! All day we were having great success, every door was opening then around 8 we were out of plans so we look at the map and decide to try someone who was taught a long time ago so we go and knock on the door and the door opens right up and this lady in awe exclaims, "I've been expecting you!" It turns out she had been having a lot of problems with a son and feeling like all was lost offered up a pray and literally a minute later we knock!

We also went to the temple with a recent convert named Delia and she loved it! Second big miracle, we have been teaching all of Delias family and all of then came to church with her on Sunday! Grandma, Grandpa, mom, Catholic father, everyone! 

My favorite scripture comes from 1 Nephi 10:19 For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

The answer is out there, and the truth will not change, and if we diligently seek we shall find!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian  

Week #71

Hola hola!

Great week once again! The zone had a bunch of changes this transfer so got to meet some great new missionaries! The weather here has gotten a bit colder and lots of rain! The car broke down so we biked a while in the rain, which was really nice actually because rain in Fresno is very scarce!

We also helped organize a float for the massive Christmas Parade here and it turned out super good! We had a recent convert bring his big semi and flat bed and had one of the biggest floats! We also teamed up with some youth and passed out #LightTheWorld cards to all those waiting for the parade! 

We continue to find many amigos and had three awesome families come to church! Our good friend Mario and a few others are set up for baptism this month!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from 1 Nefi 2:20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper.

Living the gospel brings so many blessings in our lives! I've come to see on my mission that the only way to find to peace and joy in our lives is through the restored gospel!

Cuidense amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #70

Hola! 

Great week! Thanksgiving was solid! Plenty of food! About 4 dinners, some traditional food and others Mexican food! Instead of Turkey Bowl it was Turkey Soccer so that was fun as well! Elder Lilly, Chiniquy and I will be staying another transfer together here in Ventura! We've been finding so many new amigos to teach! The gospel message rings true in the ears of all who truly seek for the truth!

We saw many miracles as well! A lady we are teaching named Sylvia love the restoration and came to church with her baby and loved it! A less active family who hasn't been to church for 10 years also came back! Great Sunday! As well we taught Mario again and his cousin from Indiana and when we told her that we brought her her own copy of the Book of Mormon she got so excited and in her pray thanked heavenly father for it! 

I also got to go to a baptism back in Kerman for a man we taught named Eugenio from Honduras! Great baptism! Spirit was strong there! 

Favorite scripture of the week comes from Moroni 10:3-5 -3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 

I finished the Book of Mormon again and love verses 3-5! This gives us the formula to knowing the truth of all things! When we read with faith pondering on all the tender mercies of the Lord, that allows for the spirit to confirm the truth of all things!

Have un great Semana!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #69

Hola!

Super solid week this week! This week we had a schedule change in the mission allowing us to use the night time hours more effectively! We ended up finding a ton of new amigos who are ready to receive the gospel! Since we are the only Spanish ward in the stake we get lot's referrals as well because of all the Hispanics!

One night we were walking in a darker apartment complex and see this man selling churros! We start talking with him and end up giving him a Libro de Mormon and he was super excited, gave us some churros and told us to come visit him and his 9 kids! That same night we were walking past 3 hombres sitting in the bed of a truck and drinking so we went and started talking with them and one named Mario was super open and told us to come back and teach him! We go back and teach both him and his wife and the first question we ask is, "What do you think God wants from you at this point in your life?", almost without delay he said "I just need to get baptized!" We ended up teaching them about who they are and their relationship with the Godhead and left them with a Book of Mormon! They were so happy and prepare by the Lord!

My favorite scripture of the week comes from Moroni 7:45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and isnot puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in thetruth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,endureth all things.

I love this scripture because the key to finding more happiness in our lives and deepening our gospel conversion comes by the way we treat others! What better way to come unto Christ than develop Charity!

Have a great week familia!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #68

Hola!

Excellent week again here in Fresno! The weather has cooled down a bit which is very nice! We started off the week with lot's of teaching! We have some great people we are working with and it's been awesome to see how much they just grasp the gospel, especially the plan of salvation! We visited a lady and her daughter whose brother passed away and she just beamed and felt the spirit so strong as we mapped out God's plans of happiness! 

We then had Zone Conference! Great zone conference with lot's of changes! You could feel the urgency during that meeting and lot's of awesome things will be happening with gathering of Israel! We also had exchnages with the assistants, mission leadership council, and stake conference! They should a sweet video during stake conference https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bUZMvltP1VP8sQfKuM2kUQM3oYy7GMyW/view?usp=sharing ! 

We have an old man we have been working with named Refugio Vargas and a recent convert named Jose Ponce who are like the same person so we had Jose come teach him with us and they instantly became best friends! 

My favorite scripture from the week comes from Ether 12:27- 27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble;and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. This scripture has grown to have more and more meaning in my life as I have come to understand the depth and the powerful truths of the gospel! We all have weakness and trials in our lives which draw us closer to God and then when we rely on him and live his gospel our weakness will turn into strengths! 

Love y'all y tenga una buena semana!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian