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 

Week #65

Hola!

Jam packed week this week! Elder Wride came with us for a few days while we were waiting for our trainees and we all went on a split both nights so covered 3 times the ground and taught a ton of amigos! When then picked up our trainee Elder Chiniquy from Orem Utah! He's a super solid Elder and does flips as well! I had the privilege to go the temple with a recent convert from Kerman also! 

Ruben got baptized Saturday and it was a sweet baptism! Ruben met the missionaries 8 months ago and he was out in his car blasting music and drinking, had multiple drug addictions and a rough life, now 8 months later is clean, working, again and loves the Book of Mormon! The power of the gospel is Amazing! 

My favorite scripture from the week is in Mormon 6:17 O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!

Christ is always their arm extending and to recieve his help all we have to do is grab on!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #64

Hola hola!

Another packed but excellent week! We spent a lot of the week working with Alondra and Dominic helping them prepare from baptism! They got bapized on Sunday and it was an awesome baptismal service!

We saw a lot of progress in the work as well and Ruben should be set up to be baptized this coming Saturday! 

We also got transfer calls and we are both staying and TRAINING! We will be training a visa waiter so back in a trio!

We also played some golf today with our Elders quorum president! He's on the maintenance crew and the course is closed on Mondays so we got to go play! 

My favorite scripture from the week is Mormon 3:21 And also that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; and also that the Jews, the covenant people of the Lord, shall have other witness besides him whom they saw and heard, that Jesus, whom they slew, was the very Christ and the very God.

These words from the great prophet Mormon teach us that the prime reason for the Book of Mormon is to persuade all men to come unto Christ! And show to the world that Jesus is our savior! The Book of Mormon has helped me to come know my Savior and I've seen it change so many lives! 

Cuidense!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #63

Hola!

Another great week amigos! Conference was fire! Great talks and exciting changes! The Lord's church is moving forward! We had 2 friends we are teaching come conference! They loved it as well! 

This week the Book of Mormon play was in town so Presidente called together the Book of Mormon battalion together to pass out Book of Mormons after the play! We ended giving out over 1600 Books of Mormon over 3 days! We also met a man from Mexico who is almost 100 and told us the secret to life was first obey the word of wisdom and second bananas with milk and tortillas with soup!

On Tuesday Elder Lilly was backing me up and starts talking to this lady from El Salavador! It turns out she had been searching for help and guidance in her life so we teach her the restoration and about the Book of Mormon and she is super solid! We have many that are progressing towards baptism this and next month, lots of excitement in El Barrio Ventura!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from 3rd Nefi 27:33- 33 And it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings he said unto his disciples: Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein, until the night cometh, wherein no man can work.

This is a message cleary stated over and over at conference that Today is the day get onto the covenant path and stay on it! The blessings on this path far outweigh anything else this world can offer!

Cuidense amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #62

Buenos Días!

Quite the packed week this week! Started off with some really solid lessons! Read Alma 7 with a lady we have been working with for a while and she really felt the spirit and set a baptismal date! We had Zone Conference on Wednesday and it was really Good! Learned a lot from Presidente Mackay! We then had exchanges with the assistants and district leader so I was in the gringo areas for two days!

We then went to the temple Friday with a recent convert who is moving back to Mexico! Such a cool experience! Saturday we saw a cool miracle, we have been teaching this lady and her mom but only she could come to church because her mom works. We had a really really good lessons in Mosiah 18 over baptism and invited her to invite her Mom to ask for Sundays off! We knew it'd be a bit of a long shot because it's in the harvest season but we had the Faith! When her mom got home for work that night she told her daughter that her boss out of nowhere decided to give her Saturdays and Sundays off! So they came and watched a baptism Saturday and church together Sunday! We had a solid turnout at church too! A long time less active came back and 5 others we are teaching!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from 3rd Nefi 20:13 And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them.

The gathering of Israel is fully underway! All around the world whether in foreign lands or here in the states, the children of God are being brought to the the light of the gospel! The times are here and more prophetic direction on how to gather Isarael will be given this week at General Conference! What a privilege to be serving a mission at this time!

Cuidense amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian