Week #33 & 34

Howdy y'all! What an awesome week this week has been! I apologize for not emailing last week, it was a crazy pday trying to get stuff packed!

So yea, I got transferred :( it was a sad day for sure. On the plus side, I'm only 7 minutes away from my last area now which isn't too bad at all! I am now in the Lake Mead stake in the Heritage and River Mountain wards. My area is not very much bigger than my last one, so it's a pretty small area. I am just about 8 months out, and this is my 4th area, 4th zone, 5th companion, and 6th apartment. It's crazy, I've moved round a ton! But this area is super nice and fun to be in! The members are great here and love to serve the missionaries and help the work continue to strive. My companion's name is Elder Boudousquie (boo-dis-Kay). He is from Northern Idaho and has been out for about 19 months. Our companionship has 2 of probably the top 10 or 15 hardest names to pronounce in the mission haha because no one knows how to say them right! We've already had so many people tell us we are the same person haha our mannerisms, our personality, our interests, even the way we look! A few members have said we could be brothers haha.

This week has been crazy. We've been focusing a lot on member work in this area because (according to one of the counselors of the mission presidency who lives in one of the wards we cover) the best way to find is through members, especially less-actives. I totally agree with him on that. So the member work here has kept us busy and has been a ton of fun. We are able to teach a lot and help members grow in their faith and testimony. There are lots of service opportunities all around us to both members and non members. This part of the Lord's Vineyard is striving and I am very excited for the upcoming transfer!

My thought this week comes from John 14:26, and it reads

26 ​But the ​​​Comforter​, ​which is​ the ​​​Holy Ghost​, whom the Father will send in my ​​​name​, he shall ​​​teach​ you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

As we go through life, learning and growing, facing adversities, and just doing the things we do, the Spirit will accompany us and guide us. He will help us learn and grow in our faith, our education, and help us grow closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. Brothers and Sisters this church is true. Jesus Christ lives and died for our sins. He is risen! 

I love y'all so much! Thanks for all you do and for the strength you give me each week. Until next week!

Elder Houssian

Week #32

Howdy! What a great week this week. The weather here has been beautiful pretty much the entire week, which was a huge bonus. I hope this was an awesome week for y'all as well! Also, we are already half way through February. This is insane!

So this week I was FINALLY able to get into the lung doctor. We got a call at 11:30 from his office asking if we could come in at 1 that same day, but the thing is, we don't have a car and that office is 40 minutes away from our area. Oh and it was on Thursday so all the male members were working! So we scrambled to find a ride and ended up borrowing another missionary companionship's car haha. So we made it there and I went in and did a breathing test where you suck in air really fast and then blow it out hard, and then keep exhaling even though you feel like there's nothing left. So it makes you feel like you're going to pass out. I had to do that 6 times. So then after this assistant comes in and says "you're going to hate me" and I asked why and she said "because I'm going to be taking your blood" and then I smile and said "well you're going to love me" and she asked why and I turned my arms so she could see the veins in them and I said "because you'll have options on what vein to use" and she then said she wasn't taking blood from my vein, she was taking it from my artery... *gulp* So I indeed got blood drawn from my artery in my wrist which totally hurt. My initial thought was that they were going to like take a needle to my neck or something cause I had no idea there was an artery in my wrist haha. But all is well! So then the doc comes in and says "Well, Kyle.... it's your heart" and whoever knows the details about my health problems right now all say it's my heart as well. So he said my lungs were perfectly fine and that there are a few different things that could be causing these problems, all of which are because of the heart. So I'm taking some medicine to see if it will keep my heart rate down. So there's my health update!

This week we were blessed with opportunities to teach again. Amanda, the investigator who expressed her desire to be baptized, is doing very well. She is remembering all the lessons that have been taught to her in the past, and is progressing very well. The Strimback family that is investigating is doing well also. They had a little bit of a scare with their 17 month old baby, so we took a break for a week so they could get everything figured out with her, but all is well. Nick and Sammy, the young couple, are also doing very well. We had an awesome lesson with them this week in talking about the Book of Mormon. They are very interested in it and continue to read it every day. They are progressing very well. 

My spiritual thought this week comes from 1 Nephi 15:24 and it reads:

24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

Brothers and Sisters, we are promised that staying rooted in the word of God will help us resist temptations and in return, strengthen our testimonies and our faith, and give the Spirit more opportunities to touch our hearts and minds. And where is the word of God found? In the scriptures. The Book of Mormon was brought forth for us today. It holds truth and testifies of Jesus Christ. This book is true. It was given to us as a part of the Restoration through the prophet Joseph Smith. Because of him and his faith, his courage, Christ's church is here on the Earth once more, and the fullness of the gospel has been given to us in these latter days. I know with all my heart that this book is true and is the word of God. It goes hand in hand with the Bible, which is also the word of God. I invite you all to find out for yourself if the Book of Mormon is true. Read it, study it, and then ask your loving Father in Heaven if it is true. I promise that if you do so you will receive an answer. I know our Savior lives. He suffered and died for us and our sins so we can be happy, we can be forgiven of our sins and made clean again, and we can one day dwell in the presence of our Father and His son, Jesus Christ, and be with our families forever. What a wonderful blessing that is. I know these things to be true, and I say them in the name of our loving Redeemer, our brother, Jesus Christ, amen.

Have an awesome week everyone! I look forward to talking with you next week. Until then!

Elder Houssian

Floral Game

My cousin made a stop at my sacrament meeting at the end of her day 1/2 stay in Vegas.

The lung doctor table wasn't really made for tall people!

Happy Valentines Day!My 

Week #31

Hello everybody! January is officially over and it went by quick! I hope this week has been awesome for y'all and you have seen the Lord's hand in your lives this week.

This week has been crazy busy for us. We've been teaching more than ever this week which has been a huge blessing. We have a wonderful family of 6 who is investigating the church and progressing well. They are keeping their commitments and are feeling the Spirit more and more, and are getting closer and closer to entering the waters of baptism. Our other progressing investigator is married to a less-active husband, and during our lesson on Friday she expressed her desire to be baptized and to have her husband baptize her! She is super excited! We also found this super awesome younger couple who really understands the principles of the gospel and are living most of them, without even realizing it. They are just good Christian people who have grown up around many LDS members and still surround themselves with members today. 

So far there's no updates on my health. We are trying to get me in to see a lung doctor soon, and my heart doctor cleared me and said nothing was wrong with my heart which was a relief! I'm just out truckin and doing all I can. Some days are better than others, but all in all, I'm still having fun :)

We had interviews with our mission president this week and they went really well. President Snow and I had a really good conversation about missionary work in this mission and how I can continually better myself to align my will with the Father's. We also talked about my health and what was going on, and it was really good for the both of us to get on the same page and get my health stuff sorted out, together.

My spiritual thought this week comes from 1 Nephi 9, verse 6, and it reads:

6 But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.

The Lord knows each and every one of us individually. He knows our struggles, our desires, the things we want and need, He knows it all and is aware of them. The trials that we go through, we are not alone. It says in this verse that "he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men". He will get us through our trials and back on our feet so we can continue to go out and strengthen others around us and bring joy and happiness into our fellow brothers and sisters. I know that we have a loving Father in Heaven, and He loves us so much that He sent one of His sons to be our Savior, to atone for our sins and make so many things possible for us. We can receive forgiveness for our sins and mistakes, we can be purified and sanctified through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and when we pass on from this life we WILL see our families again and we WILL be with them forever and ever in the presence of our Maker and our Savior. I know that the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is the word of God. It goes hand in hand with the Bible to bring us the fullness of the gospel in these final days. I know that as we study the scriptures diligently, pray with a sincere heart, and go to church and partake of the sacrament, we will increase our knowledge and strengthen our testimony. We will receive blessing from on high, and our faith and trust will grow tremendously. I know these things to be true, and I say these things humbly in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

I hope y'all have a blessed week this week. Email/text me if you have any question or concerns, I'm here for each of you. I love y'all! Till next week.

Elder Houssian