Week #75

Howdy y’all! This week has flown by, and another transfer has come and gone! I feel like we were just here haha. Time truly is going by so fast. We’ve had another great week together and we are loving working together!

So for starters, transfer calls came in yesterday and...... I’m staying for a 4th transfer and I’m going to continue training Elder Smith! I am so excited and looking forward to another transfer with him. This is by far the longest I’ve stayed in an area, 1/4 of my mission actually, but I’m glad it’s these wards, because they’re great! 

This week we continued the process of weeding out people who aren’t interested in our records and seeing where our investigators are at in their progress and what their end goal is. It’s been nice to be able to get some of that done so that we can focus on the people who are ready to hear the message of the gospel. 

We had a cool experience this week with one of our members, Rudy Ruettiger (the guy who the movie “Rudy” is about). We help him take care of his pets, and this weekend he called us over to give us a Christmas present. We went over and he pulled out two jerseys with his name and number on it and signed them! It was so cool! He is a great guy and we have built a great relationship with him. I’ll send the picture next week!

Tyler is doing well, he is our most solid investigator right now. He is getting ready for baptism and is progressing very well!

This week I wanted to share a scripture that I came across in my studies. It is

Alma 36:17-19, and it reads;

17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

I love this passage. Alma is speaking to his son Helaman and is talking about his conversion experience. He was “racked with torment” because of the sins She he had committed. Then remembering the teachings of his father, he humbled himself and prayed and asked for forgiveness and mercy, and the Lord provided it. As we go through life and make mistakes, striving to be better, we can be forgiven and healed by the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, but we must humble ourselves and ask for it that forgiveness and healing. It isn’t necessary to carry the burden of our sins on our shoulder. Repentance is a joyful process, and I know that to be true. It will benefit us more physically and spiritually to repent and ask for forgiveness rather than weighing ourselves down by keeping them to ourselves. I pray that we may all come to this realization, and allow God to forgive us and the Savior to heal us. I know these things to be true, and I can promise you will feel an overwhelming sense of joy and happiness, because I have experienced it in my own life. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I love y’all! Have a tremendous week! Until next week! God speed!

Elder Houssian

 Rudy's Bird, Willie

#curry