Week #82

Hola!

Excellent week again! The cold is still sticking around and Elder Reyes got a bit of the flu but that did not stop the work! We've been able to teach a lot of people still and had some sweet miracles finding a lot of less actives who are ready to come back and a few did! One man was offended multiple times and had a lot of anger held in against some members, we gave him Elder Holland's last conference talk and it look like it worked!

We had a sweet miracle on Saturday! We got a call out of no where from a man named Arturo! He told us he had a friend he wanted us to teach so we went over! We get there and his friend is not there yet so he tells us his whole life story! He was born in Oaxaca in the RLDS church and ended up becoming the minister over all of Mexico city and converted Catholic Preiests, pastures, and went on a few missions to the indigenous people and gave a sermon to 87,000 on Jacob 5! One day the bishop over all Mexico came down and preached false doctrine, Arturo called him out on in and got excommunicated for it! His life collapsed and hit rock bottom and started working in the fields in Fresno. He tried many other churches but said he couldn't feel it. He said he shares the restoration with lots of people still but has no church! He got in contact with a member than us and we ended up teaching him and his friend and they came to church! He loved it and said he's got many more friends that need to come! Super sweet!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from Alma 42:24 For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are saved.

If we feel Godly sorrow and have the desire to change Christ will show us mercy and we can change by his Grace!

Que tengan una buena semana!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #81

Hola!

Another solid week! Miracles everyday and lots of teaching! We starting teaching a lady who used to go to church for 10 years and never was baptized because she said no one asked her to! She then moved and didn't go for 15 years but we ran into her and she told us she wants to get baptized! Probably the most rain I've seen in a long time! A lot of the families we have been teaching came to church this week and loved it! As well our friend Mario who got baptized last week got the aaronic priesthood!

We also did a service project for a less active member and redid the whole front yard! In return she made us some posoli and taught us how to make pan dulce! We also had a mission leadership council and it looks like overall the mission has been doing really solid! 

My favorite scripture from the week comes from Alma 8:15 Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.

The same angel who oringianlly visited Alma and called him to repentence now came back to comfort him and council him. As long as we give it our best and strive faithfully to keep the commandments of God we have reason to lift up our heads and rejoice!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #80

Buenos Días!

Great week! Started off with a great zone conference! Elder Reyes and I gave a training to the Spanish speaking missionaries! We then had back to back exchanges! On the exchange we met a really cool man from Columbia who had a bunch of family who are members! We taught him the restoration and when we were testifying about living prophets he stops us and says "hey, I know that man" and pulls out a picture of his uncle with the prophet! He took the Book of Mormon and excitingly told us he'd read it! We also ran in to this man named Jacob and he was ready to hear a message right away so we shared the whole plan of Salvation on his porch and testified at the end about eternal families and how the first step towards that was baptism, we didn't even have to invite him to get baptized he asked us!

On Saturday our good friend Mario got baptized! Probably on of the smoothest and spiritual baptisms I've been to! I'll never forget the experience in the font that day! The next day we had a good amount of friends at church and Mario was confirmed! 

My favorite scripture from the week comes from Alma 1:30 And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.

As the Lord prospers us, we must remember those who have less and set our hearts upon the things of God! As we do so our lives will be filled with peace and hearts full of Joy!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #79

Buenas tardes!

Thanks for all the Birthday wishes! It's a bit crazy to be 20 now, time is flying by!

Really productive week overall! Got to teach a lot and see great progress in the work! Mario is looking solid to be baptized this Saturday! His life has taken a compelte turn around and he and his fmaily have been very blessed! As well his mom came to church with him for the first time and loved it! Our good friend Adela came to church as well with her daughter and loved it! She told us it was a bit different and weird but she felt at home! 

Thursday morning we went to the vineyard and cleared weeds from in between the rows! Loved it but quite sore after! We also got to go to the temple! Great trip, first time doing a session for a while so felt really good!

Got to have a big Mexican food dinner for my birthday with some of the best homade tortillas!

This week my favorite scripture comes from Mosiah 18:21 And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.

The building up of Zion starts with each and everyone of us! As we do the simple this things in our lives to build our testimonies we will then be able to build our families, then our wards, then our stakes, then Zion as a whole! When we do this love and unity will abound in our society!

Take care amigos!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #78

Hola!

Excellent week again in Fresno! The work is moving forward strong! Our good friend Mario is set to be baptized on the 2nd! He has been reading a ton in the Book of Mormon and just absorbs everything! We also had a really cool lesson with a family where we taught the plan of Salvation and then invited them to be baptized she seemed a bit hesitant as she explained she was baptized already In the Catholic church when she was young, we then explained Moroni chapter 8 and how little children are saved in Christ and need no baptism! Tears filled her eyes as she pointed upwards to a picture and asks "so you are saying my 7 year old son who died is with God?" We told her yes! They then happily  accepted to be baptized! 

 We had a lot of exchanges and team ups as well! We had a cool experience one night around 8:45, we were tired and had had a slower night but we decide to try to squeeze in one last lesson and we were prompted to knock on this man's door who we'd met a week back outside his house smoking. He let us right in and we taught the restoration of the gospel and gave him a Book of Mormon! He was super grateful for the message and excitingly told us he'd get reading right away! In his prayer at the end he thank the Lord for sending us there and asked the Lord to give us the strength to keep knocking every door and if they didn't hear us to knock louder and never give up because of the special message we carried! It felt as if God was telling me "I'm here Elder, trust I me, I know where you need to go and who you need to see, just give it your all and I will do my work"!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from Words of Mormon 1:18 Wherefore, with the help of these, king Benjamin, by laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land.

The Gospel is the only true source of peace! As we share the gospel with others in reality we are just inviting them to bring more peace in their lives! 

¡Hasta la próxima!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian

Week #77

Hola hola!

Great week in Ventura! Got a new companion Elder Reyes from Vera Cruz! He's super solid! We've gotten some good work done together in this first week!

We got a lot of new missionaries this transfer and Elder Reyes and I had to give a training to the trainers! We also had a mission leadership council and Presidente Mackay has some great goals and plans for the mission this year!

We saw many miracles throughout the week! Our good friend Mario is progressing very well towards baptism and we starting teaching his whole family! The during the lesson the mother with tears in her eyes thanked us for bringing unity back in her family after all these years! We also found a new man named Adam who grew up around the church all his life but never was baptized! We taught him the first lesson and at the end he said "That was awesome brothers but next time I think we should do 2 lessons so I can get baptized faster!"

This week my favorite scripture is from Jacob 1: 19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

As well a quote from Hartman Rector Jr. "Failure ceases to exist in the face of persistence"

With both dilligence and persitency we can accomplish all goals that we have! Especially as we rely on the Lord!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian 

Week #76

Hola amigos!

Great week over here in Fresno! The work continues to press forward! We continue to find many amigos to teach and have seen great progress with those we have been been working with! This has been one of the coldest weeks as well! We are working with a huge family of 14 kids, 50+  grandkids, and 60+ great grandkids! They all live on the same street so when ever we go there there's a new group to teach! Feels like the sermon on the mount!

Transfers happened and Elder Lilly and I both will be getting new companions here! We've been having so much work they are adding another companionship to the ward!

My favorite scripture from the week comes from 2 Nefi 25:17 And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.

What a marvelous work this is! To bring our brothers and sisters back to the light! 

Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Elder Houssian