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