Week #55

Buenos mornings!

Solid week! The work is on fire here in Kerman! We taught Oscars mom Irene twice and set a date and she came to church! This man we have been teaching for a while now named Ernesto finally came to church and loved it! He told us he is going to retire in February and move back to Mexico and right next to the house he built in Mexico is a church building! So he told us "I might as well join the church here so I can go there when I move! 

Three less active who we have been working with for a while also came back to church for the first time in years! The Lord is working miracles here! I went on exchanges in Madera and did a baptismal interview for the first time for this man named Moises! Great experience and he will be a solid convert!

We taught this guy named Marco twice and he is a bit crazy so we sort of decided to not visit him as much, until we saw him walking down the street as we drove by and stoped to say hi. He told us he had been wanting to learn more and had been looking for us and asked if we could go teach him right then! So we did and he had read a lot of the Book of Mormon but for some reason started in the index then went backwards and made it all the way to Ether! He told us for 15 years all he was going to do was study the word and has read a ton of religious books and has some crazy ideas like instead of the Trinity he calls it the One-Eyed Willard, or the holy spirit, the son, and the flesh! So we did some teaching of correct doctrine and He learns fast, he remembered everything we taught him to the very details and told us he felt the spirit stronger with us then all the other churches he had been to (and he's been to a lot!). He came to church yesterday too and loved it! 

We also had a temple trip! Very spiritually energizing trip!

Favorite scripture of the week comes from Alma 50:19,20!

19 And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi,saying:

20 Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Every commandment given to us is a blessing and guideline to live a happy and prosperous life! Although this prosperity may not be physical, we have to Lords promise of spiritual prosperity which in the end is a greater prosperity! 

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #54

Buenas tardes!

Very good week again! The Lord's work is hastening for sure here in Kerman! Started to teach Oscars mom and she's been to church two weeks in a row now! There was this man named Juan we contacted on the street about a month ago and didn't see him tell Sunday we were biking by and decided to stop and try and ended up teaching the whole Resotation! He told us like five times during lesson "10 O'clock, Sunday I'm coming to your church" so we'll see what happens! We have two twins we are teaching that are progressing very well and set to be baptized!

We've been getting tons of fresh Melons too! One trip to Firebaugh and Mendota and we came back with 3 watermelons, 4 cantalopes and a honeydew! 

My favorite scripture of this week is Alma 42:15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.

Without Christ's sacrifice, all hope would be lost! But thanks to Christ all things are possible through him!

Que tengan una buena semana!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #53

Great week!

The work is moving forward here in Kerman! Lots of people progressing towards baptism and the Branch is growing! We had our first English baptism this week with Oscar! Great man! A little over a month ago we knock on his door and now he's baptized and looking forward to get to the temple a soon as he can!

There is this older man that bikes around the town a lot named Steve who we've taught a few times on the street but kept giving us the wrong address so one day we are driving and see him pull into these apartments so we flipped a u turn and followed him! When we got there he pulled out our pass along card we gave him and said he had been waiting for us! We taught him the restoration and have him a Book of Mormon and he loved it!!! (Although when we first introduced prophets he told he taught he was a prophet). We've been teaching two identicle twins too who want to get baptized this month and I still can't tell them apart!

This week my favorite scripture comes from Alma 38:12 Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness.

We must seek to obtain all Christlike attributes and one I've been working on this week is diligence! To push forward with zeal, and enthusiasm! And the way to do it is through Christ!

Take care and have a great week!

Con Amor

Elder Houssian

Week #52

Hola! Un Año!

Well a year has gone by, it's flown so fast! It was a crazy week! Started off sick for 2 days! Couldn't even get out of bed! We've been getting a lot of new students in our English class almost all Arabic speaking and barely moved here from Syria, Yemen, India, and other middle eastern areas! We've had fun teaching the alphabet and the very basics of grammar! Two of the students have the last name Hussein so we are probably long lost cousins in some way!

We also had an awesome wet wedding (Baptism-Wedding)! It was quite the event! The branches relief society was awesome and we did some ring shopping! About 2.5 hours before the event we went to fill the font then left and forgot about it and came back an hour before and found about 2 inches of water overflowed into the room! Took about an hour of frantic clean up, but only damp carpet when we got started! After the ceremony and baptism they had a fiesta with the best horchata! We left back home but they stayed for 2 hour dancing after!

Transfers also passed and we both are staying!!! They called me as district leader to so that will be interesting. Should be a solid transfer!

My favorite scripture from the week is Alma 31:5- And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.

The effect the true doctrine of the Lord can have changes attitudes and behaviors and has an effect greater than the sword!

Have a great week! Cuidense!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #51

Buenas Tardes!

Great week! Quite a busy one again! We've been doing lots of teaching and one of the families is about to get married and baptized this week! We also found this really prepared man from Mexico who just barley moved here and has been looking for spiritual guidance! I also had the chance to go baptize a lady we taught in Porterville named Juleitte! She had been taught for 15 years and finally she was ready! She's in her 70's and broke her back not to long ago so we had to have three of us basically carry her and lower her into the water! It was a very spiritual experience!

The heat continues to get hotter and we've been on bikes a lot! We also help one of the people we teach clean up his neighbors yard! Almost burned up but it was well worth it! 

My favorite scripture from this week comes from Alma 26:3- And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.

I really love this verse because it really is a blessing to serve the Lord! I've have found so much joy sharing the restored gospel and help others come to know Christ!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #50

Buenas tardes!

Solid week this week! We started off with a huge firework show on the 3rd! The city of Kerman does it on the 3rd cause it's half priced! The church is right by the high school (where they do the show) so they always do a huge BBQ! We had over 400 and around 40 investigators! On the 4th we ate a massive lunch then right after this member from Honduras fed us this fried chicken and banana thing! Right after we went to Oscars and ate even more and went over the baptismal questions, we pushed his date back tell the 28th but he's still super solid! 

 Friday we had exchanges and set up the wedding and baptism for the family we have been teaching! Saturday we went to the temple with Aida for the first time to do baptism for her ancestors! An awesome experience! Sunday at church I had to bless the sacrament, teach 2nd hour with no prep, then our pianist left during the meeting so we had no one who could play In the branch so I gave it a try and it actually wasn't to bad (right hand only)! 

Today we went to Yosemite! Super sweet trip! Amazing views and really nice to be out in the mountains!

My favorite scripture comes from Alma 22:18- O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.

I love this scripture because it makes me think how much we'd be willing to give to know God!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #49

Hola! 

Solid week this week! Lots of great progress! We had a baptism this week! Family of 4! The spirit was very strong there! We also have been teaching Oscar still and he's solid for next week!

Today we went with some investigators to get their marriage license to get baptized and finally after 3 years of waiting got it! They took us to this solid Mexican restaurant after (Oaxacan Food). Got these massive Mexican pizzas! 

Favorite scripture from this week comes from Alma 13:28- 28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

If we humble ourselves and continue week the holy ghost in ours lives the Lord will strengthen us!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian