Elder Kyle Houssian

Week #5

Howdy y'all! Another week is in the bag and they're starting to fly
by! I love being out here and getting lost in the work of the Lord. A
lot has happened this past week. Sorry this is so long haha but hey, I
have pictures at the end so it's worth it to read! ;)

So Elder Webb and I live in the ghetto. It's pretty bad. There's a lot
of run down houses around us and we hear a LOT of sirens. There were
cops in our complex like 2 or 3 days ago for something, we don't know
what. It's crazy though, always keeps you on your toes haha. Nothing
has happened to us or even come close to happening to us which is
good. But the area we walk around in and teach in is also the ghetto,
it's bad. It's very Hispanic and African American populated which I
didn't really expect in this part of Vegas, but it brings new
opportunities to the table to teach. We are also on bikes, I forgot to
mention that last week. It is so hard being on a bike when it's 100
degrees plus, with no clouds. I get very gross and sweaty. But that
doesn't stop the work and I love it because it give us more
opportunities to talk to people.

We've found 5 or 6 new investigators this week. It's been super busy,
but totally worth it. Elder Webb and I have been working super hard,
which I'm happy about because a lot of missionaries who are towards
the end of their missions start to get lazy, but not Elder Webb. He's
taught me a lot and I'm so excited for the time ahead on my mission.
One of our investigator's names is Buddy. He reminds me a lot of Uncle
Dave haha so we get along very well. He was in a car accident in April
that I don't remember the details of, except that it was bad. He
should've died to be honest, but he didn't. He had a broken neck and a
few other smaller injuries, but he lived. He's healthy and working. Oh
yea, Buddy has also had 4 strokes. So he feels like God is trying to
tell him something by keeping him alive, which is good cause now he's
super open to learning about the church. I have great confidence that
him and his wife will be baptized soon, and that makes me so happy.

We have 2 baptisms coming up, one on the 17th and one on the 20th.
Both of these two women are so ready to be baptized. I'm so happy for
them and that they have decided to accept the Gospel into their lives.
They are both so happy and have grown so much closer together with
their families. It warms my heart to see wonderful families like
theirs be brought closer together.

We live about 10 minutes from the Las Vegas temple. It's such a
beautiful temple, I love going to it and seeing it on top of the hill
every day. Since it's so close, we give tours of the outside, and then
go inside and through the foyer to an outdoor foyer within the walls
of the temple and give a lesson. As you walk around the outside of the
temple, the path represents the Plan of Salvation and the steps to
returning to heaven. So we get to bring the investigators and tour the
temple while teaching one of the lessons. It makes me so happy to go
and give tours and be on the grounds of the temple. I feel the spirit
a lot there and it makes me happy. I was able to give a tour two days
in a row last week. I love it. I love it so much.

In the mission there's something called "exchanges". It's where a
companion in one companionship and a companion in the other switch
places for a day and teach with another missionary. So I went on an
exchange Wednesday night into Thursday, and just my luck, I was put
into the Spanish area.... So I went to 6 lessons that day and spoke
like twice. Haha it was a new experience for sure but I'm learning
Spanish now and picking it up pretty well. So surprise, I might be
fluent in Spanish when I come back even though that's not my mission
language.😂 I also has this Mexican dish of corn, mayo, parmesan
cheese, and chili powder. It was so nasty oh my goodness. But I
powered through!

I was given the talk called "The 4th Missionary" and it really hit me.
At one point it says something like "if you don't serve the Lord with
everything you have, and have positivity about what you're doing, you
will get nothing out of your mission". I love that and I am all for
giving everything in my mission, because it will bless the lives of
those I teach, and my family and loved ones. I couldn't ask for any
more of a reason to get lost in the work.

I am having so much fun and loving the mission. It is so hard, the
work is demanding and your faith is testing constantly, but it's worth
it and I feel myself learning and growing so much more and I've
already seen changes in myself and I've been gone for 5 weeks. I love
this church so much. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, for the ultimate
sacrifice He made for us so we could be forgiven of our sins and
return to live with Him someday. I'm grateful for Joseph Smith, for
his desire to know what church to join and with God's help, being able
to establish the church back on the earth today. The power of the Holy
Ghost is real, I know it is and I've seen it work wonders in the eyes
of our investigators, the ward members, Elder Webb, and myself. I love
my family. I know we will be together forever and there is nothing
more I could ever ask for. I love y'all.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, they get me through the day
and I'm praying for all y'all as well. I love you all. Thank you for
your support as I embark on this journey these next 2 years. Until
next week!

Elder Houssian