Week #55

Hello everyone! This week has been a great week! July is almost over... the time is just going faster and faster! I hope y'all have had a great week this week!

Jarrell is doing great! We have met with him a lot this week and we were able to set him with a baptismal date for November 11th! He is progressing really well and is loving the discussions and attending church!

Thomas and Garrettson are doing great as well! They come home this week from New York, it's been slow without them here!

We have been teaching this lady named Sue Heseltine. Her husband was an inactive member and passed away recently, and when he passed away the ward put together a memorial service for him, and she was so impressed by that. She's had home teachers for a while with her husband, and they've kept in contact with her even after her husband died. So we are teaching her now and she is loving the discussions and meeting with us! There's is some solid potential there!

One of my past investigators, Melissa, god baptized this week! What a wonderful experience to see her change and grow and accept the Savior in her life! The Spirit was present and very strong during the baptism!

My spiritual thought comes from a General Conference talk titled "Why Do We Serve?" by Dallin H. Oaks, I believe his first Conference talk. In it, he outlines six reasons why people serve, in order from worst to best, six to one. These are the reasons/motives; 6. Hope to obtain an earthly reward, 5. Good companionship, 4. Fear of punishment, 3. Sense of duty or loyalty, 2. Hope for an eternal reward, 1. Charity - love for God and love for our fellowmen. Brothers and Sisters, as we strive to obtain this pure motive to serve others, the Lord will strengthen us. We will be able to love unconditionally, and truly help our fellowmen grow closer to the Savior. As we strive to obtain this pure motive, even the pure love of Christ, we will change, we will become better disciples or followers of the Savior, and the Eternal Blessings of Heaven will be bestowed upon us, along with so many more blessings that we can't even comprehend. The way to obtain this pure motive is to study the scriptures, study Charity, pray for strength and guidance, and then ACT! Practice that pure motive, learn to love those you serve, our fellowmen. On my mission, I have learned and I am continuing to learn how to love these people the way the Lord loves all of us. I promise that as we do those things and continually build our faith and trust in the Lord, He will help us accomplish and obtain that pure motive. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Thank you so much for your love and prayers. I hope y'all have a marvelous week! Until next week! God speed!

Elder Houssian

Lono reported to the MTC Wednesday to go to the Philippines.