Elder Kyle Houssian: Week #18

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful week and enjoyed the extra hour of catching Z's! This week has been a busy week, but not all of the busyness was in missionary work, nor did we really have a choice.

So for starters, Halloween was on Monday! We as missionaries headed to the mission office for a halloween party from 6-9, that way people know that the real missionaries aren't out during halloween (because yes, people dress up as missionaries all the time, whether its Halloween or not). We watched a movie and ate snacks and it was fun. The movie was Shrek, which caught us off guard but it was really fun and entertaining haha. So that was fun. Also on Monday around 5:30 we got a text from the housing coordinators (they are in charge of where missionaries stay and do apartment checks in case anyone was wondering) saying that they were closing our apartment in the near future, which meant we were moving to a new apartment. Elder Brady and I were super stoked. Then they texted us again about 20 minutes later and said "yep, you're moving apartments on Thursday morning. You need to thoroughly clean your apartment and get everything ready to move". By thoroughly clean, they meant we had to deep clean everything because this apartment wasn't going to house missionaries anymore. The thing was, they told us at the END of our p-day, after we had the whole day to clean it. That caused us to be stuck in our apartment Tuesday and Wednesday cleaning it, so we couldn't go out and work at all. And on top of that, we had no one signed up for dinner all week. So that was rough. Then Thursday we spent all day moving and unpacking, and then it was Friday. So we had to give up half our week to move everything from our apartment into an apartment two buildings over. But on the plus side, its brand new, very clean, there's more space, and its on the first floor so we don't have to carry our bikes up and down stairs anymore. It was a stressful couple of days, but in the end everything worked out and we have a brand new apartment!

So with that set back, we were scrambling to try and make up for lost time. We worked and worked and worked non stop, and by the end of the week we were toast haha. But the Lord showed us tender mercies, He understood our struggles and blessed us for our efforts. It really showed me and confirmed to me that He knows what we are going through, He knows us individually and knows what we struggle with. He knows our feelings because He has felt all of them. We were blessed to come across a family this week that has 10 kids! I thought my family was big haha but I looked into this house and I couldn't see the floor cause it was occupied with so many kids! They were very interested in our message and asked us to come back. It was truly a blessing. Our other two investigators with a baptismal date are progressing well. One, Diane, is having struggles with the Word of Wisdom, but she has a desire to break her habits and be baptized. The other, Jason Reeb, is progressing very well. We have a few more lessons and then he is good to go. His parents are both members and less active, but want him to be baptized and are starting to come back to church because of it. It is amazing to see this family change as they continue to come to church and get back on the strait and narrow.

The highlight of my week this week was Thursday night, where I had the privilege of witnessing a beautiful daughter of God enter the waters of baptism. This woman's name is Judy. She has come so far in her journey to get to where she is today. Being able to see her be baptized a member of the church and enter into the fold of God was an privilege and a blessing. Judy is a remarkable woman who fits in perfectly with this church. The spirit was felt so strongly that night.

My spiritual thought this week comes from D&C 88:63, which reads:

63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

The Lord gives us a promise in this verse. He promises that as we turn to Him in prayer, looking for answers to questions and guidance in our lives, He will give them to us IF we do so sincerely when we pray. If we turn to HIm with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, willing to act on the answers He gives us, He will provide guidance, help, and answers to us to help us grow our faith, make the right choices, and stay on the strait and narrow path. Brothers and Sisters, the power of prayer is very real. I promise that if we turn to Him with sincerity, if we ask for guidance and do so sincerely and faithfully, He WILL answer our prayers, but in His own time and according to His will. And the answers we receive, we must act on them. We must have that intent to change our ways to live according to the will of the Lord. Jesus Christ lives. He is the Son of God. He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and died on the cross for all of us out of His unwavering love for each of us. You are not alone, the Lord is there for you. He is with you every step of the way, and is waiting for you to turn yourself to Him so that He can pick you up, get you back on your feet, and bless you with His tender mercies. He knows exactly how we felt. He suffered every sorrow and pain and affliction we have ever felt and will ever feel in our lives. He KNOWS. I challenge all of you to turn yourself to the Lord, to acknowledge His hand in your lives, and to trust in Him and His will. I can promise that the Lord will bless you beyond measure for having that faith and trust in Him. I know that families can be together forever. I am humbled by the blessing the Lord has put in my life through my family. I do not deserve such an amazing family. They are my everything, and to have them forever is more than anything I could ever want or need. I love my family with all of my heart. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. The teachings in this testament of Jesus Christ has the ability to change lives. I have seen its power work through many people, including myself. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. Stay anchored in the scriptures, pray fervently, and I promise you that you will see your testimony grow more than you can imagine. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God. He is His mouthpiece and spokesman in these latter days, and He is a man ordained of God. Heed his council, it is true council to us that comes from God. May we all continue to strengthen our testimonies, to act on our faith and trust in the Lord, recognizing His hand in our lives, and prayerfully seek forgiveness and guidance in our lives. The change you will see in your life and the blessings that will be unfolded unto you will be beyond comprehension. My Savior lives, and He loves you and I. I say these things in the name of the Risen Lord, even Jesus Christ, amen.

I love you all. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for the love and support you have for me while I am out on a mission. It helps me more than you know. Until next week!

Elder Houssian