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

Week #67

Hola!

Very great week in Fresno once again! Had a great start to the week! Lots of teaching and found a couple great new people to teach! On Halloween we brought a few of the friends we are teaching to a members house and ate some good tri-tip! 

We are working with this awesome man from Brazil named Ezekiel who speaks mostly Portugese and Spanish! We had some great lessons and we took us to a Japanese restaurant! He came to church as well and he has been trying to stop drinking coffee for a long time so we put some fake coffee in a real coffee jar for the placebo effect! Our ward changed up all the leadership in the youth, relief society, and primary so their is a lot of excitement in the ward which should lead to some good things in the work! 

My favorite scripture of the week comes from Ether 9:35 And it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lord did show forth his power unto them in preserving them from famine.

I love this scripture especially here in the valley that feeds America! When we develop humility before the Lord the prospers us! Humility is the first critical step to opening the doors to the blessings of God!

¡Cuidense mis queridos amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #66

¡¡Buenas Tardes!!

Great week! Had a great exchange in a little town called Sanger on Tuesday! Back on the good old bikes! The weather has cooled down as well! The work is hastening here in Fresno! Found a really cool Brazilian man who loved the message of the restoration! At the end of the message we asked him how he felt and he said "I just have to find how I can join the church!"!

We also are teaching a lady named Norma and her family and she basically seems already like a member! She love the plan of Salvation and came to church! 

Delia was baptized on Saturday! She is an awesome convert! An Hermana we baptized in Kerman helped Delia join her old Christian church back in Kerman and after she saw the change in her life after being baptized decided to change as well! The Hermana came to Delia's baptism! 

Favorite scripture of the week comes from Mormon 9:20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.

Miracles have not ceased, but many either do not have the faith or do not recognize the daily miracles God provides! One of the coolest parts of serving a mission is seeing the Lord's hand in the daily life! 

Have great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian