Elder Kyle Houssian: Week #14

It's that wonderful time of the week! I hope all went well with everyone this past week. It's been a great week this week! This transfer is going by so fast, we are on our last week, and on Saturday I find out if I'm staying in my area or transferring! It's getting close.

To start out, everybody's favorite Polynesian family, Derek, Jaye, and Cui, are doing awesome. They are being very receptive to the spirit and our lessons. Last week we taught them about the Law of Chastity. As it turns out, Derek and Jaye have been together for 10 years but haven't been married. So right as we began the lesson, we start talking about it and Derek and Jaye interrupted us and said "we were talking about it last night, and we are going to get married on the 22nd of this month." Elder Webb and I didn't know what to say haha it took us by surprise for sure! But they are going to get married and then 2 weeks later get baptized. It's crazy! They are progressing so well and just soaking up our lessons.

I'm still trying to decide whether this next event I'm going to share with you is a blessing or a trial haha. Saturday afternoon, we had 3 DINNERS... We went to Derek and Jaye's house because their grandkids turned 1 and 2, and they had a huge party with over 100 people and lots of family and such, and of course, tons of food. So we eat a lot of food and then go to an appointment with an older couple, the McCurry family. We show up and Brother McCurry made us 22 pounds of ham. There was 4 of us and the McCurry's are in their 60's, so we have tons of leftovers. THEN we went to one of our member's houses to eat. They fed us T-bone steak. So from 4:30-6:30 we just drove from one place to the next inhaling food. It all was sooo good but after that, Elder Webb and I were exhausted haha. But we pressed forward and finished out the day!

My spiritual experience this week comes from Jaye, Derek, and Cui (sorry I'm talking about them so much)! We were on splits, and I was with Mitchell, who is leaving on the 25th for his mission in Chile. We planned to teach the Plan of Salvation, and we did. Once we got through the lesson I bore testimony on eternal families. I am so grateful and so blessed that I have my family forever. They mean more to me than anything in this world, and I'm forever grateful and humbled that the Lord would put me in this family and have us be together forever, because that is all I want. I love my family with all my heart. After I shared my feelings, we asked Jaye how it made her feel to know that she could have her family forever. She had tears running down her face as she told us how happy it made her and how much she wants that for her kids. We then asked Cui how she felt. She could only say 3 words before turning her head and getting emotional. The Spirit in the room was so strong, and we could see and feel it bear witness to everyone in the room, including Mitchell and I, that this work is true, that families are eternal, and they will have that opportunity to live together forever.

My thought this week comes from a talk given by Elder Quinten L. Cook from the October 2011 session of General Conference titled "The Songs They Could Not Sing". In this talk he talked about facing trials with faith, as well as the refiner's fire. A quote reads "There are many kinds of challenges. Some give us necessary experiences. Adverse results in this mortal life are not evidence of lack of faith or of an imperfection in our Father in Heaven’s overall plan. The refiner’s fire is real, and qualities of character and righteousness that are forged in the furnace of affliction perfect and purify us and prepare us to meet God." The challenges we face in life are hard, and are meant to be that way. But the Lord is there with us every step of the way. The challenges we face are making us into the person God wants us to be, and when we come out on the other side of the trial, we are made even stronger and have the ability to face more trials to come, but only if we put our trust in God and have faith that He will help us through them. Brothers and Sisters, I know this to be true. On a mission, I have seen and personally had so many trials, more than anything I could've expected. But with God's help, I've been able to over come them and in doing so, those trials are turning me into the missionary God wants me to be. No matter what the trial is, or how big/small it is, turn to the Lord, he will bless you. One of my best friends growing up, Elder Tanner Cook, is in the mission with me and when we were companions in the MTC we were giving an orientation to the new missionaries coming in to the MTC. Elder Cook was talking and said something that really stuck out to me. He said "God gives His strongest warriors his hardest battles." That stuck out to me and I have had that with me since. We are all God's warriors fighting His battles here on earth. I challenge you all that as you go through the ups and downs in life, to acknowledge your Father in Heaven and His hand in those ups and downs and thank Him for the trials and blessings He gives you. I promise that as you do so, you will have added strength beyond imaginable as you progress and ultimately return to live with Him again some day. I know my Savior lives. I know this gospel is true, and I know God's work is striving in the world right now. I love my beautiful family. They are one of the greatest blessings in my life. I say these things in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

I love you all! Thank you for keeping in touch with me, I love receiving updates and seeing how everyone is doing! I hope y'all have a blessed week! Until next time.

Elder Houssian