Week #30

Howdy y'all! Another week down. It's crazy to think that January is already over! Man how the time has flown, this month went by too fast. I hope your lives are treating y'all well and everything is going well for you. 

This week we were privileged to watch a missionary broadcast that was shown to missionaries throughout the world and hear instruction and training given by some Apostles and other General Authorities. At the end, they announced some new changes to the missionary schedule. These changes give us the opportunity to decide when to hold companion study during the day so it best fits our schedule, daily planning is moved to the morning instead of at night, and the best one of all, P-day starts 2 hours earlier, so bonus right there. 

The same day as the broadcast, we got a call from one of the APs with some sad news. Our notorious 3-pack was no more, as AP Wightman told us that there was a missionary coming into our mission while waiting for his Visa to go out of the country for his mission. That meant that they needed someone to be his companion, so Elder Moen was asked to leave and go be companions with another missionary in the East Stake. It was a sad day for us all, but duty calls, and you answer while in the service of the Lord. That next morning, Moen was all packed, we said our goodbyes, and our Zone Leaders picked him up and took him to his new area. Now we're down to 2!

Saturday we had an awesome day with a friend of mine from North Las Vegas, Brian. He came down to see Elder DeMott and I, and also picked up two other missionaries, Elders Day and Romero, who I get along with really well. So it was a fun afternoon! It was great to see him again!

I wanted to share an experience I had this week that involved acting on the the promptings of the Spirit. We were at dinner with the Bowler family on Thursday night, and they asked what our plans were for the rest of the night. We had 2 lessons scheduled that night and so we were talking about those. While we were talking, I had this thought come to my head to go stop by this member family that lived 4 houses away from the Bowlers. We had just been there the day before visiting with them, and we also had 2 lessons that night so I didn't see how there could be time since we walk everywhere. So I kind of put it on the back burner. A few minutes later, we get a text from one of our lessons asking to reschedule, and then a few more minutes after that we got a text from our lesson asking to reschedule, and I felt that feeling to go visit this family again.  So after dinner we turned down many offers for a ride up the hill from the Bowlers, and Elder DeMott had no idea what was going on so he thought I was crazy for denying a ride. We got out and I explained, then we walked to this house, knocked, and one of their daughters answers the door and said "Hey, I'd let y'all in but my dad is asleep on the couch with a headache". We didn't want to bother him or wake him up, so we just talked at the door for a minute and then left. Not even 2 minutes later we get a call from Sister Morgan, the mom of the family, asking us to come back and give Brother Morgan a blessing. We immediately came back and Brother Morgan was in bad shape. He had taken tons of meds to help the headache and nothing was working, he could barely move, barely talk, anything. Elder DeMott anointed his head and I sealed the anointing and gave him a blessing. The Spirit was felt in that room that evening and it hit me so strong. We finished the blessing and away we went. Our day ended and we returned to our apartment and received a text from Brother Morgan saying his headache was completely gone, and thanked us for being worthy to hold the priesthood and for being there to help. It really testified to me that the power of the priesthood is real, and also testified to me how important it is to act on the promptings of the Spirit.

My spiritual thought this week comes from D&C 8:2 and says

"2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."

In this scripture of the Doctrine and Covenants, we are told that the Holy Ghost will help us make decisions and know what to do. The power of the Holy Ghost is real. The Holy Ghost plays such an important role in our lives in giving us guidance, knowledge, peace, comfort, and so much more. Without the Spirit in our lives we would be lost. I know that as we continue to live worthily of the presence of the Spirit and strive to be more like our Savior, we will feel the influence of the Savior more in our lives and we will be guided and strengthened though the ups and downs of this life. Brothers and Sisters, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lives and loves us all. He is waiting with open arms to receive us. May we all continue to strive to be more like Him and live in accordance with His will. I say these things in His name, even Jesus Christ, amen.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I love y'all so much! 

Elder Houssian