Week #98

Hola Hola!

Very nice week out here in Merced! Started off with a great trip to Yosemite! When we got back we went out knocking some doors in this heavily Hispanic area and this man comes up to us and asks us if he can come to our church! We tell him yes and end up teaching him and his son! 

We then had a sweet temple trip! Afterward we ate at the famous Doghouse grill! On Wednesday we got a text out of nowhere from a friend we have been teaching for a while saying "When is the soonest I get can get baptized? My heart is telling I need to do it ASAP!" So we said how about Sunday? And she says ok... or would Saturday work? And we said sure let's do Saturday. And she said ok... actually what about a weekday is that possible? And we said if that's your desire and you are ready that works! The. She said can we do it tomorrow? So we set up an interview for that night and she passed and was baptized the next day! Definently a sweet spirit their at the baptism and the branch came through strong with great support! We had the water on all the way hot because the water heater normally runs out and starts to dump in cold water but for some reason this time it didn't so the water was over 108°! The baptism by fire came quicker than we thought! 

We helped out with a Hmong baptism too and sang I'm a child of God in Hmong! We also had a great turn out at church and a lot of our friends came! One man who was a professor in Mexico and led humanitarian work all over the world and a Catholic missionary came to church and loved it! He was very surprised to see a full court basketball court in the church but thought it was a great idea!

Favorite scripture comes from Words of Mormon 1:14 ...and also Zarahemla did rejoice exceedingly, because the Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass which contained the record of the Jews.

For hundreds of years these people lived without the scriptures and it took a toll on their society. But with the arrival of mosiahs people the people were exceedingly glad to have the precious gift of the scriptures once again! Today we have a bountious supply of the scriptures yet sometimes we live sometimes as if we had none! Let us always take advantage of the precious gift of the scriptures!

Hasta la próxima!

Con Amor

Elder Houssian

Week #92

Hola!

Solid week! The cold spell continues with a ton of rain and a hail storm! It was Elder Clements birthday as well so had a nice in and out lunch! 

A lot of good progress in the work, had a big set back with Bertha and Ponciano from some family problems but they'll come around! Found a sweet new family to teach and set another solid baptismal date for June! 

Had a really cool experience teaching this Catholic who we've been working with for a while. He has had a really hard time to give a sincere prayer, so we had a really solid lesson on the Godhead and at the end said a beautiful prayer to end the lesson!

Heading up to Yosemite again today! Should be excellent form all the rain/snow!

Favorite scripture comes from Jacob 5:54 And, behold, the roots of the natural branches of the tree which I planted whithersoever I would are yet alive; wherefore, that I may preserve them also for mine own purpose, I will take of the branches of this tree, and I will graft them in unto them. Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree, that I may preserve the roots also unto mine own self, that when they shall be sufficiently strong perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me, and I may yet have glory in the fruit of my vineyard.

The roots of most churches are good but the key to producing the natural fruit are the restoration of the covenants! Through the covenants in the power of godliness is manifested! (Ex.19:5-6)

Have a great week!

Week #91

Que pasa!

Solid week once again out here in Merced! My new companion is Elder Clement from Dallas Texas! He's a solid Elder and brings the spirit a little more then the other (since he's from the holy land)! We had a weird cold spell with tons of rain this week (super rare for a central valley May). But the harvest season is coming into full swing, got tons of cherries from our field working friends! 

The work has been progressing very well! We had to push back Bertha and Poncianos baptism for a few issues but got then resolved and they should be solid for the beginning of June! As well we had a sweet lesson with this lady named Megan! Before we even got there we planned to teach the plan of salvation and when we show up she explains they just went through a tough death in the family and she didn't know how to explain it to her daughter's! I don't even think she blinked the whole lesson she was focused so hard and at the end of the lessons tears filled her eyes as she told us how much clarity and light we helped her see and how much more loving God is than the other dominations teach! She then said she can see the Joy and peace we have in our lives and said she needed a piece of that and asked to join our church!!! So sweet!

We then got to teach Rosa again and taught her about the gospel of Jesus Christ and invited her to be baptized! She accepted with no hesitation and asked how soon she could do it and what else she needed to learn! She went back to Mexico for 2 months on Sunday but is committed to read the whole Book of Mormon before she comes back to be ready to be baptized ASAP! She asked for a stack of Book of Mormons to take with her because the church hasn't reached her city yet and wants all her friends to read the Book of Mormon!!!

This week my scripture comes from Jacob 2:4 For behold, as yet, ye have been obedient unto the word of the Lord, which I have given unto you.

6 Yea, it grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with shame before the presence of my Maker, that I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your hearts.

It's interesting to note the people were obedient to the word of the Lord but yet this was only an outward obedience, the desires of the heart were much different! We must not only obey because we have to but because it is our desire! Then the blessings and happiness will come!

Take care amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Attachments area

Week #90

Hola!

What a solid week! Super packed! We started off with a fire zone conference in Modesto! We took the back rout up there through this tiny mountaintown of Le grange! We then we able to have a lot of teaching opportunities and found some great new people! Our friend Angela got permission finally to get baptized so we quickly got her ready and had a great 5 de Mayo baptism! Our other friends Bertha y Ponceano came to church and loved it! Bertha is in a wheel chair and Ponceano is deaf and mute but both lived it and Bertha even shared her testimony! I wheeled her up there and she gave a really solid testimony! She then stayed for the baptism afterward and asked "can't I just get baptized right now?!" 

We had an amazing conference with the entire mission! 2 seventies and Elder and Sister Cook came and it was something I'll never forget! The spirit there was just electrifying! I have no doubt this church is lead by Jesus Christ himself through living prophets! 

My favorite scripture from the week comes from 2 Nephi 12:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths...

The temple is the mountain of the Lord! In the world of strife we live in today, let us come to the house of the Lord and find his path of peace! 

Have a great week amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #89

Hola!

Great week over here in Merced California! We got a lot of good work done! Were able to find some great new families to teach this week! We went back to one lady we taught the restoration to last week and she had read a bit in the Book of Mormon! We went over the introduction and showed her how it fits right into place with the bible! She was amazed and at the end told us how something has been telling her ever since we fist came that she needs to find a new church and the Lord has been telling her to search for more! She exclaimed that us as members of Christ's church just seem to have a glow about us and she now understands why!

We gave a baptismal interlude on Saturday for the other Elders here in Merced who baptized a lady straight from China who spoke almost no English! There was a local member who served a mission in the wars who served in Taiwan so he was able to teach her and do both ordinances in Mandarin! That's a perfect example on something our mission President calls the principal of proximonity which is the Lord prepares the hearts of the people who are in the sphere of influence/areas of members so they will have instant fellowship and friends in the church!

Got to attend the Branch for the first time and it was sweet! A small branch of about 60 actives + whatever the missionaries bring! Our branch presidente is from Chile and is super solid! It was one of the craziest testimony meetings I've been to! The Branch presidente and his coucellor started off, than an Elderly lady, than my companion and I than this man the other Elders invited, not even a member went up and shared a fire testimony! After that like 20 members and another non member got up and gave there testimonies until 35 after it was supposed to end! (According to my companion most testimony meeting you only get like 3 people who go up and about 15 min of silence)!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from 1 Nefi 13:19 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.

In this vision of America Nephi saw God's hand directly in the establishment of Amercia! To prepare the land for the restored gospel! What a privilege it is to live in this land and have the restored gospel in our lives!

Hasta la proxima mis amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #88

Hola!

Great week! Now in Merced, California! A city of about 100,000 people north of Fresno pretty close to Yosemite! My new companion is Elder Murray from Colorado and is a tall Elder (6' 6") and has as well been out a good amount of time! The area is sweet! We cover a Spanish branch but are the only Spanish missionaries in the area so got a lot of work to do!

We found a lot of families to teach this first week here! The branch is actually in a little town 15 min north in Atwater so here in Merced we need some strong new families! We found one walking down the street and saw then outside washing the car! We walked up and introduced ourselves and they invited us back for the next evening! We went and they woke up to come get the door (never happens)! They invited us in and we shared the restoration with them! They loved it and when we invited them to be baptized Bertin the father paused, thought for a second and then told us he felt that was the next step for him and his family and they would get baptized! Solid! 

Every Friday here they play soccer here with the branch and anyone we invite and we got a pretty good group! They are super good and play super hard too! 

My favorite scripture from the week comes from 1 Corinthians 3:6 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

In the Lord's vineyard we plant a lot of seeds, sometimes we even water them, but in the end God gives the increase! It is his work and it will roll forth like a stone cut out of a mountain without hands that will soon fill the whole Earth! But to fill whole Earth we must plant seed by seed!

¡Cuidense mis amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #87

¡Hola!

What a week! We took a solid trip to Yosemite on Monday! We then were packed with teaching throughout the week and set up some people for baptism! Wednesday was super sweet! Got a call in the middle of a service project and got to Skype in to my brother Kyles wedding! Congrats to him and Lyndsey! 

Thursday we had a fire zone conference with Elder Gangster from the 70 and then Friday a mission leadership council with him! What an experience! There is no doubt in my mind the apostolic keys are here on Earth and guide this work! We got transfer calls and after 7 1/2 Months I will be leaving good ole Fresno! I will be moved to Merced! Super excited but will miss Fresno a lot! Gave my departing testimony and said goodbye to the great people here! Today went to a trampoline park for the first time in a while and broke a tramp, I guess a bit of extra weight goes a long way!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from Moroni 10:29 And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true.

Finished the Book of Mormon once again this week and every time I get to the end the confirmation of the Holy Ghost comes and reminds me it is true! And every time I read it seems as if it is a new Book with so much to learn! 

Hasta la próxima!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian