Week #5

Hola amigos!

Super solid week again here at the CCM! This is our last week here and time has been flying by! We have been trying to get all the practice in we can and we only speak in Spanish now 24/7! We set a goal as district that for every word we speak in English is 5 push-ups or 10 sit ups! It's been keeping us mentally and physically strong! The teachers here at the CCM are super awesome also and have been helping us a ton in learning the language of Spanish and the Language of the spirit! 

My wrist is doin better too! This week we've been playing lots of Ultimo Frisbee during gym time and Elder Reza and I run a lot too! We leave the CCM for the airport at 2 in the morning on Wednesday! I will be tired but I can't wait to get to Fresno! 

I have a talk on Sunday during church on conversion so I've been working on that a bit. We also had some great devotionals from the CCM presidency! 

Not much else different here though, always busy, always working, always studying, and always enjoying our time! The CCM has been such an amazing experience an I've met a ton of awesome people that are so spiritually strong! I'm so glad I came out on a mission and even more glad I got to come to the best MTC  in the World! The spirit is amazing here and campus is so beautiful! I'll for sure miss the sounds of the city here (Constant honking, random mariachi music, police, dogs, and occasional gun shots) and the green mountains all around with lots of palm trees and super nice weather all the time.

My favorite Scripture this week is D&C 4! I memorized the whole thing en Español and recite it every night before I go to bed (Such a powerful chapter!)! 

1 He aquí, una obra maravillosa está a punto de aparecer entre los hijos de los hombres.

2 Por tanto, oh vosotros que os embarcáis en el servicio de Dios, mirad que le sirváis con todo vuestro corazón, alma, mente y fuerza, para que aparezcáis sin culpa ante Dios en el último día.

3 De modo que, si tenéis deseos de servir a Dios, sois llamados a la obra;

4 pues he aquí, el campo blanco está ya para la siega; y he aquí, quien mete su hoz con su fuerza atesora para sí, de modo que no perece, sino que trae salvación a su alma;

5 y fe, esperanza, caridad y amor, con la mira puesta únicamente en la gloria de Dios, lo califican para la obra.

6 Tened presente la fe, la virtud, el conocimiento, la templanza, la paciencia, la bondad fraternal, piedad, caridad, humildad, diligencia.

7 Pedid, y recibiréis; llamad, y se os abrirá. Amén.

Love you guys and have a solid week! (Enjoy school to those who have it!) 

 Our Latino Companions!

Week #4

¡Hola Amigos! 

It´s been another amazing week here at the CCM! This week we had TWO devotionals from apostles, Elder Anderson and Elder Ballard! It was streamed in from Provo but still was super awesome and powerfull! One was Sunday and one was tuesday and both were streamed to all 14 (I think 14) MTC´s around the world! We also lost about a hundred missionaries on monday but got 150 more! This place is packed and it´s crazy to be the older ones now.

I sprained my wrist last thursday in the gym so I´ve had to wear a brace all week but it didn´t slow me down at all! I´ve got another 20 scriptures memorized and have been learning tons of new grammer words and phrases! Our teacher Maestro Saucedo is super awesome and brought us some mexican cookies for memorizing over 200 scriptures! Elder Reza and I have been running quite a bit and I every time I run the mile I get 6:49, a bit suprised I can do that in this at almost 8000 elevation! I also got a haircut from Elder Howell and it´s crazy short now!
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Elder Lyman and I got to teach a lot this week and two of our lessons were to some members from a local ward. The first lesson was to 3 people and the next to 5! They all spoke only español and super fast but Elder Lyman and I taught really good lessons and truly did have the gift of tougues or we would be lost! My Latino compañero and I taught 2 more lessons together and the mock investigators love it!

Overall I love the CCM and the lord has blessed us so much and the spirit is soooo strong! The workload is hefty but it´s the most joyful work in the world and I´m always so stoked to learn the gospel and even better is to share it and en Español!

Sorry if there are a lot of mistakes cause they only have spanish keyboards here and I´ve been speaking so much spanish sometime i forget proper english

My favorite scriptures I´ve memorized this week are:

Marcos 10 : 31

¡Pero muchos primeros serán postreros, y los postreros, primeros!

My dad would say that one alot!

Juan 8 : 32

¡Y conoceréis la verdad, y la verdad os hará libres!

Miss you guys and hope you have a Solid week!

Shout out my Older Bro Elder Houssian the older whose killing it out in Vegas!

Week #3

​Hola! This week has been another super solid week! Time has been flying by! This week we had a lot of language practice and teaching practice. On Saturday we had something called TRC were we taught two real volunteers who wanted to hear our message. Elder Lyman and I taught two 12 year old girls from the local church and taught the plan of salvation to them. It was a solid lesson and they said we spoke great Español for only 3 weeks in the MTC. I also got a Latino companion that I study and teach with 2 times a week for 4 hours named Elder Barragan from Cancun! We taught a new investigator and he speaks like crazy fast but I still could understand him pretty good.

On Sunday we had a CCM wide 24 hour fast! I was quite hungry but it was a good experience! We had a testimony meetng too and I bore mine en Español, for some reason it actually feels easier too do it en Español probably cause its been drilled into our heads for three weeks! We then had an amazing devotional from Elder Pieper of the 70! He talked about commitments and how we are all in over our heads but thats the best part! And if we keep our commitments and give it our all then God has commited to provide a way!

Our district set a goal last week to have a total of 300 sciptures memorized combined en Español before we leave for the field and we already have 138! I have 35 of them on my own! We went to the Temple again today and It was sooooo good! The Temple here is amazingly built and huge! I did the whole session en Español and understood pretty much most of it! We then got to go to the visitors center and see the Christ statue they have! We then went to this Tie shop across the street and I got two new ties and a sweet gold tie clip with a texas longhorn thing on it. 

We just got another 150 missionaries yesterday so we now are at the most of the year 750! We had a devotional with the whole CCM and didn´t even have enough room to fit everyone! Elder Lyman Elder Hoffmann Elder Fuller and I sang in the choir and it was so strong! We sang Allí Donde Hay Amor (A childs prayer).

Well Spanish is solid, the food is solid, my companion and district are solid, and the CCM is super solid and i´m so glad to be here! The compas is in the mountains and the tropical weather has been a nice break from the crazy Texas heat!

My favorite scripture from this week is-

2 Timeteo 2 : 3

Tu, pues, soporta las affliciones, como fiel soldado de Jesucristo.

If we endure and work hard like a soldier than we will grow and be strong with the spirit! Have a great week everyone!

Con Amor- Elder Houssian

Week #2

¡Hola every one! This week was another super amazing week! We have been doing a lot role play teaching in Spanish and we are teaching two mock investigators! This we did a lot of studying and learning in Spanish. I memorized 12 more Scriptures so I am leading the district now with 22 total! I love memorizing Spanish scriptures and use them in our lessons all the time! This week our District was chosen to join in a new program where for 2 times a week we get an exchange with a Latino Compañero and get to study and teach and learn with him! It will start next week and I am so excited for it! The Latinos are so awesome here and we sit with them a lot in the comedor! They are from all over South and Central America and bring such an awesome spirit to have around!

This week we had a Devotional from Presidente Eves the Second Counsellor in the CCM presidency and retired Colonel in the Airforce! Is a very large man and demands respect but is also the most loving and awesome people I have met! He talked about being 100% consecrated and the tough love of Christ, and how we cannot expect miracles or the gift of tongues if we don´t give it our all! Anytime someone started to dose off he would pause and demand someone to wake him or her up! The talk had so much fuego that it probably singed some of the eyebrows of missionaries and he put EVERYONE back in line! It was probably one of the best talks I´ve ever heard and motivated my companion and I so much!

Our district this week set some big goals and we have been progressing a TON! Elder Lyman is the district Leader so he and I have been motivating every one up to get Spanish down as fast as we can! 

During gym time I have working out a lot with my companion and played a lot of basketball and ping pong! my undefeated streak still stands and a few days ago when I had my MAVS shirt on I dunked twice in a game! I´ve been keeping up with my flips a bit too which has been nice and every time I´m about to go back to the casa I do a Cork!

I truly know this is the place I needed to go to and am SOOO blessed to be here in the CCM! I have never felt the spirit so strong and consistent before! If anyone is contemplating going on a mission then stop and just go! It´s such a sick experience! I am so grateful for my family and especially mi hermano Kyle for converting the people in Las Vegas!

My favorite scripture from this week is the one I chose for my mission plaque!

Éter 12:27

Y si los hombres viene a mí, les mostrare su debilidad. Doy a los hombres debilidad para que sean humilles. Y basta mi gracia a todos los hombres que se humillan ante mí. Porque sí, se humillan ante mí, Y tienen fe en mí, entonces haré que las cosas débiles sean fuertes para ellos.

I know that god has helped me learn Spanish and is helping me turn it into a strength to go and teach his children in Fresno! ¡En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen!

PS (Frijoles = Mucho tiempo en el baño)

Week #1

Hola! Its been a CRAZY week so far! Mexico CIty is so sick!!! The CCM (MTC) is AMAZING! As soon as we entered the gates you could feel the spirit so strong! The ride from the airport to the CCM was crazy too. We got here in the rain (It rains everyday in the afternoon here just like Florida does) and rode in this van with this dude who only spoke spanish! The traffic is insane and people are serving in and out of all the lanes and some roads don't even have any lines! I asked the dude if people crash a lot here but no, the bigger car always wins and thats all they need! 

When I got to the CCM we got some pizza but it wasn't normal Pizza it was some wac veggie thing and I don't like veggies much but it was super good! My companion is Elder Lyman from Kansas City. He is the District leader and Is super awesome. Since he is the district leader I help a ton with all the district stuff so we've been busy as junk! There is no time to rest ever in the day but each day is so good! Every day we have about 6 hours of Language study, 1-2 hours of Spiritual lessons, 1 hour of gym time, 45 min for each meal, then rest is to study. It's a crazy schedule but I love it!

The food here is super good and I havn't even ate any of my snacks I've brought. My breakfast every morning is 2 pieces of peanut butter toast with nutella on top and a cup of juice and yogurt, lunch is some random mexican thing that always tastes good, and dinner is a mix of mexican food with american food like lots of pollo cooked in every kind of way you could think of and then something like mashed potatoes or pasta. They say the average weight gain here is over 10 lbs so hopefully I don't get too gordo! 

Basically everything we do here is in Spanish so I've learned sooooooo much! I can hold a conversation pretty good and talk with the Latinos a bit now. We sing in Spanish, the lessons are in Spanish, we pray in Spanish, read Scriptures in Spanish, talk with each other in Spanish, and even have to give talks in Spanish! I'm leading the district right now in scripture memorization with 8 scriptures memorized in Spanish and in addition I memorized the missionary purpose and the baptisimal invitation in Spanish. I love singing the songs in Spanish here cause it just makes them sound better!

The MTC president here is president Bennet, he's pretty awesome and give the best devotionals. My branch president is President Lyons and he is my most favorite speaker I've ever heard! The Spirit is so Powerful with him and I could listen to him talk for hours!!!

My District is really awesome too! Elder Fuller and Elder Hoffman live share the same room as Elder Lyman and I and they both are awesome missionaries! 8 out of the 11 of us are going to Fresno and the other 3 are going to pachuca Mexico. Elder Okolowitz in my distirct used to live in the Hill country ward and knows a bunch of the people there so If you ever talk to anyone from there ask if they know Kyle Okolowitz. 

During gym time here we've been doing alot of different things. My undefeated streak still continues in ping pong (Some close calls though)! My companion likes to workout alot so we go the the weight room alot so I'm definently still staying in shape. I do backflip burpies a lot during gymtime and do flips a lot during whatever sport we do but I wish I could do more cause there are SOOOOO many good spots!

Every day we teach a practice investigator in Spanish and I have become really good at teaching in Spanish. The first lesson though was on day two and It was so bad though, we were extreme gringos back then but I've learned so much!

We went to the Temple today and It was Sick!!! It is soooo big! it even has 6 escalators inside! We did a session and It was in Spanish and was Amazing! The Spirit was so strong and the session was packed with random Spanish member! the Spanish members are awesome and always love and help the missionaries.

Well I'm about out of time so I love you all so much and miss you guys!

Here is my favorite scriptue I've memorized so far: Mosiah 2:17 Y he aqui, os digo estas cosas para que aprendais sabeduria, para que sepais que cuando al servicio de vuestros semenjantes, solo estais al sevicio de vuestro dios!

The Spirit here is amaing and I'm soooo glad I decided to serve a mission! The CCM is the best place in the world!

Elder Houssian

First Day!

Hey Mom and Dad! I made it to Mexico! The capital is crazy big and Awesome! I have got to use my Spanish alot already. I have to be fast so I just wanted to let you know that I made it safe and my P day will be on Thursday but not this week. Love you guys so much!

Elder Houssian