Week #16

Hey y'all. Another week in the bag! This week has been an interesting week. I got a new companion, Elder Brady, and he's a stud. He did a year at BYU and then came out on his mission and he's from Tucson, Arizona. He is ready to work and works hard which is good. 

So this week we had a little bit of a set back. Elder Brady got a flat tire on his bike after running over some glass, so we were on foot for a day and that night a member brought a tube over. Well we put a tube in and pumped it up, then went to bed. We woke up and it went flat again, so we spent the next 3 days on foot. After that we had another tube brought by, and that one wouldn't hold air either. So we came to find out there was a small metal spike in the tire which kept puncturing the tubes. So we continued on foot all week and we are getting a tube today. So that was fun.

On the flip side, with that set back, we were limited to what we could do. Elder Brady and I prayed for help to still be successful despite our limitations, and we were blessed to find 9 new investigators to teach in 2 days. It was definitely a blessing from the Lord.

My spiritual thought this week comes from Alma chapter 5, verses 12-13;

12 And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.

13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.

As I was reading in this chapter, these verses really stuck out to me, and I feel like they really apply to people whether you are a business owner, giving a training, or being a missionary. In this, Alma is teaching and, as it says, according to his faith he had a mighty change of heart. Then AFTER he had that change of heart, he was able to change the hearts of others. As missionaries, we have to have that change of heart, we have to build our testimony and become converted to the gospel before we can go out and teach and change the lives of others. As members we are all missionaries, so my challenge to you is to become converted to the gospel. Become converted and build your testimony so you can go out and strengthen others and change their lives. I promise as you do so, you will be successful and the Lord will be with you and bless you in your endeavors to serve others and help them grow in their faith and testimony. I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Thank you all for all you do. You are truly a blessing to me and I love each and every one of you. Until next time. 

Elder Houssian

 My trainee sleeping

 These pumpkins outside a member's house made my day!

 New Zone!

For your enjoyment, my pain face while getting shots in my toe before they took out an ingrown toenail #missionlife

Week #15

Hey y'all! Another week has passed, as well as another transfer! It has been going by so fast, it's crazy! Well this week has been the first week in the mission for me that has be slow. And also Elder Webb and I were really caught off guard with an investigator and with transfers, which I'll get to in a minute!

First, our investigator Darryl (I just realized I've been spelling his name wrong this whole time, whoops!) was supposed to get baptized Saturday. We have been working with him for a couple months. He has been struggling with some things, but was ready to be clean for a week to be baptized. But sadly, Saturday morning we received a text from him saying he would have to postpone his baptism because that morning he broke the streak of being clean for a week. Elder Webb and I are pretty devastated, but we aren't giving up. Darryl can do this! We are glad he told us though, and we went and saw him that afternoon and Darryl is so motivated to be better so that he can enter the waters of baptism, which we are super excited to help him accomplish.

The next thing is transfers. This upcoming transfer is Elder Webb's last, he goes homeNovember 30th. We wanted to stay together so bad so I could send him home after his last transfer, which would be so much fun. Other missionaries in the district and zone predict who will stay and leave, and Elder Webb and I both predicted that he would leave and probably go to North LV, and I would stay in our area and possibly train. It is very uncommon in our mission for the trainer/trainee to stay together after the 12 week training, so that influenced our predictions, but others also agreed with what we predicted. So Saturday hits and we receive our transfer doctrine. Our ZLs stand at the front and start calling off names, and they get to Elder Webb first between the two of us. They say "Elder Webb, you will be staying in Stewart Place" and then we got super excited and then they continued and said "and your new companion will be Elder Robinson"..... we were shocked haha. So then they keep reading off names and then get to me and say "Elder Houssian, you will be going to North to follow-up train"... so I guess I'm being transferred! I'm stoked to go and follow-up train (the Elder has been out for 6 weeks, and his trainer was transferred this transfer as well, so I go replace him for the last 6 weeks of training) and I've heard good things about this Elder so I'm excited! But I will also miss Elder Webb a lot and I'm bummed I can't send him home next transfer.

My spiritual thought this week comes from the talk "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox. In it he quotes Elder Neil A. Maxwell's "Notwithstanding My Weakness". He says "Now may I speak . . . to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, though laboring devotedly in the Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short. . . This feeling of inadequacy is . . . normal. There is no way the Church can honestly describe where we must yet go and what we must yet do without creating a sense of immense distance. . . This is a gospel of grand expectations, but God’s grace is sufficient for each of us." Brothers and sisters, along with Elder Maxwell, I testify that this is true. God's grace is sufficient for all of us. No matter where we are or what we've done, we can always come back and God will receive us with loving and open arms. Christ is there with us every step of the way in life. He's not just waiting at the end, he's trucking with us through the joys and trials of life. He is picking us up when we fall and carrying us until we are able to get back on our feet. He died for our sins and suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane where he felt every pain, sorrow, sadness... everything. He knows how we feel and what we are going through. I know this to be true. Don't give up, keep pressing forward and turn to the Lord for guidance and help, and I promise He will help you get through anything that is placed in front of you, if you have absolute faith in Him. This gospel is true. I know it is. I know my Savior loves you and I, and knows each one of us individually and personally. Thank you all for your support, love, and prayers while I'm out in the service of the Lord. May God bless all of you in your efforts to continuously strive to live according to the will of our Father in Heaven, and may He watch over and protect each and every one of you. I love you all. You are in my prayers. I say this in His name, even Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week!

Elder Houssian

 My zone normal picture except Elder Cook always flexing the big guns!

 Sweet sunset on top of the hill!

My dysfunctional zone (Romero and I hittin' the folks!)

Week #14

It's that wonderful time of the week! I hope all went well with everyone this past week. It's been a great week this week! This transfer is going by so fast, we are on our last week, and on Saturday I find out if I'm staying in my area or transferring! It's getting close.

To start out, everybody's favorite Polynesian family, Derek, Jaye, and Cui, are doing awesome. They are being very receptive to the spirit and our lessons. Last week we taught them about the Law of Chastity. As it turns out, Derek and Jaye have been together for 10 years but haven't been married. So right as we began the lesson, we start talking about it and Derek and Jaye interrupted us and said "we were talking about it last night, and we are going to get married on the 22nd of this month." Elder Webb and I didn't know what to say haha it took us by surprise for sure! But they are going to get married and then 2 weeks later get baptized. It's crazy! They are progressing so well and just soaking up our lessons.

I'm still trying to decide whether this next event I'm going to share with you is a blessing or a trial haha. Saturday afternoon, we had 3 DINNERS... We went to Derek and Jaye's house because their grandkids turned 1 and 2, and they had a huge party with over 100 people and lots of family and such, and of course, tons of food. So we eat a lot of food and then go to an appointment with an older couple, the McCurry family. We show up and Brother McCurry made us 22 pounds of ham. There was 4 of us and the McCurry's are in their 60's, so we have tons of leftovers. THEN we went to one of our member's houses to eat. They fed us T-bone steak. So from 4:30-6:30 we just drove from one place to the next inhaling food. It all was sooo good but after that, Elder Webb and I were exhausted haha. But we pressed forward and finished out the day!

My spiritual experience this week comes from Jaye, Derek, and Cui (sorry I'm talking about them so much)! We were on splits, and I was with Mitchell, who is leaving on the 25th for his mission in Chile. We planned to teach the Plan of Salvation, and we did. Once we got through the lesson I bore testimony on eternal families. I am so grateful and so blessed that I have my family forever. They mean more to me than anything in this world, and I'm forever grateful and humbled that the Lord would put me in this family and have us be together forever, because that is all I want. I love my family with all my heart. After I shared my feelings, we asked Jaye how it made her feel to know that she could have her family forever. She had tears running down her face as she told us how happy it made her and how much she wants that for her kids. We then asked Cui how she felt. She could only say 3 words before turning her head and getting emotional. The Spirit in the room was so strong, and we could see and feel it bear witness to everyone in the room, including Mitchell and I, that this work is true, that families are eternal, and they will have that opportunity to live together forever.

My thought this week comes from a talk given by Elder Quinten L. Cook from the October 2011 session of General Conference titled "The Songs They Could Not Sing". In this talk he talked about facing trials with faith, as well as the refiner's fire. A quote reads "There are many kinds of challenges. Some give us necessary experiences. Adverse results in this mortal life are not evidence of lack of faith or of an imperfection in our Father in Heaven’s overall plan. The refiner’s fire is real, and qualities of character and righteousness that are forged in the furnace of affliction perfect and purify us and prepare us to meet God." The challenges we face in life are hard, and are meant to be that way. But the Lord is there with us every step of the way. The challenges we face are making us into the person God wants us to be, and when we come out on the other side of the trial, we are made even stronger and have the ability to face more trials to come, but only if we put our trust in God and have faith that He will help us through them. Brothers and Sisters, I know this to be true. On a mission, I have seen and personally had so many trials, more than anything I could've expected. But with God's help, I've been able to over come them and in doing so, those trials are turning me into the missionary God wants me to be. No matter what the trial is, or how big/small it is, turn to the Lord, he will bless you. One of my best friends growing up, Elder Tanner Cook, is in the mission with me and when we were companions in the MTC we were giving an orientation to the new missionaries coming in to the MTC. Elder Cook was talking and said something that really stuck out to me. He said "God gives His strongest warriors his hardest battles." That stuck out to me and I have had that with me since. We are all God's warriors fighting His battles here on earth. I challenge you all that as you go through the ups and downs in life, to acknowledge your Father in Heaven and His hand in those ups and downs and thank Him for the trials and blessings He gives you. I promise that as you do so, you will have added strength beyond imaginable as you progress and ultimately return to live with Him again some day. I know my Savior lives. I know this gospel is true, and I know God's work is striving in the world right now. I love my beautiful family. They are one of the greatest blessings in my life. I say these things in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

I love you all! Thank you for keeping in touch with me, I love receiving updates and seeing how everyone is doing! I hope y'all have a blessed week! Until next time.

Elder Houssian

 The view from the hill around our house.

The members we lived with moved out, so I raided their huge shower this morning

Taylor again, she's precious!

Week #13

Hello y'all! What a wonderful week. I know that if y'all receive other missionary letters, they'll probably talk about General Conference. I'm jumping on that train and will definitely talk about Conference in my letter this week. Conference was a very spiritual experience for me. I felt the spirit in every session, the talks were amazing, the music beautiful as ever, and the whole atmosphere of Conference was so spiritual. I hope everyone's week went well!

Well to start off, as some of y'all know, I turned 19 last Wednesday!!! Thank you all for the packages and birthday wishes, it really made a difference on Wednesday!! I was expecting a birthday on the mission to be a lot different, like not waking up late and having your family there, then going and doing your thing for your birthday, having the dinner of your choice and just hanging out. But it was super fun! One of the families in our ward had us over for dinner and decorated their kitchen with balloons and streamers, I got to have whatever I wanted for dinner (I chose ribs) and then we had cake and brownies! I also was given some floral ties from a member of our ward who's family I've come to love and grow really close to! So overall it was fun, I got to spend it with other people I love, and I had the pleasure of serving the Lord on my birthday, which I was more than happy to do! I also had the privilege of going to the temple on my birthday to do a temple tour around the outside with one of our investigators, Darrel, who is being baptized on Saturday! Overall, it was a wonderful day! Plus the crazy amount of food I was sent for my birthday made both me AND Elder Webb happy haha. So thank you all!!

We received a referral from investigators that other missionaries in our district are teaching to go teach the mother of the investigators. We went over there and come to find out the father (Derek) is a member and is semi-active, and the mother (Jaye) and youngest daughter (Cuicani, we call her Cui) are not members. They are a wonderful Polynesian family! We went and taught them and they were very receptive and enjoyed our message. We then came back to teach and had the 3 of them there, plus another daughter of Jaye's was there with her boyfriend. That night we set all 4 of them (Jaye, Cui, the other daughter who's name I have no idea how to spell, and her boyfriend Isaac) with a baptismal date on 11/5, and they all accepted and are so excited for it. I am so excited to see this family make the progressing steps and be baptized, and then ultimately be sealed together as a family forever. It will take some work and sacrifice, but this family can do it and they're ready!

We had the opportunity to attend Zone Conference this week. We combined with another zone and had some trainings given by the APs and MSTLs, as well as our Zone Leaders and STLs. President and Sister Snow also gave trainings. These trainings really helped me and opened my eyes as to how I can better enhance my time in studies. They were all wonderful trainings and focused on different aspects of the mission that are very important. I really took a lot away from the trainings given, and it was also great to see other missionaries I know that aren't in my zone! I was also given the wonderful task of leading the music. I didn't realize that something so small could actually impact me. As we sang and I led the music, I was in the front and I was able to hear the voices of all the missionaries singing at me. The power behind music is real, and I felt the spirit as we sang. These missionaries that I am blessed to serve with really have the power of Christ in them, they have that true power and I was able to feel it while singing. It really was a great experience. 

Another spiritual experience I had this week was with an investigator named Michelle. She is the God-sister of a recent convert. She has heard the missionary lessons before, but hasn't been too interested. We had a meeting at the Bishop's house called a Cottage Meeting, which is kind of like Family Home Evening. Anyways, she was there and she really felt the spirit. She was emotional and enjoyed the lesson and the experiences shared. So the next day we went on splits, and Mitchell Butcher and I went and taught her. When we came in and begin talking, we could see she had had a change of heart. She is slowly becoming more receptive to what we have to say. We planned on talking about the importance of prayer and reading the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. After we said our opening prayer, I felt prompted to share a personal experience I had growing up where I turned to the scriptures and found an answer to prayers. I turned to that scripture, which is found in the Book of Mormon, and it is Alma 5:45-46. As I told the experience, I could feel the spirit and saw that she was feeling it too. After reading it, I bore testimony of the power of the Book of Mormon and how it can change her life. I had to fight back the tears as I told her that this sacred book can help us with any problems we need, and that it is the word of God. She started to tear up and the spirit filled the room. It was so powerful. After bearing my testimony, we invited her to read and pray about it, and promised the blessing that the spirit would give her knowledge and let her know of the truthfulness of these divine scriptures, and she accepted. We were overcome with joy and expressed our love and excitement for her. It was a very powerful moment.

General Conference was amazing. I wish I could put into words the feelings I had following the sessions. My spiritual thought comes from David A. Bednar's talk, where he spoke about knowing the Savior. He asked the question: "Do we only know ABOUT the Savior, or are we continually striving to know HIM?" Then he spoke about 4 things we can do to help us know Him. We need to exercise faith in the Lord, we need to follow the Lord, we need to believe the Lord (not just believe IN Him, but believe HIM), and serve the Lord. As we serve others and love others, we serve and love God. He loves each and every one of us and wants us to be the best we can be. Brothers and Sisters, I testify of the truthfulness of what Elder Bednar has said, we need to continually be striving to know our Savior, and as we do these 4 things and continually strive to live the commandments, I can promise He will bless you and you will feel the spirit more abundantly in your life. I pray that we will all look to the Lord for guidance and added strength and deny ourselves of all ungodliness, and in doing so receive the fullness of blessings that our Father in Heaven is waiting and wanting to shower down upon us beyond our capacity. My challenge to each of you is to heed the words of the prophets and apostles, to take these words spoken by Elder Bednar, a true apostle of God, and apply these things to your lives. The happiness that awaits you is beyond anything words can describe. I know my Savior lives, He is risen. I say these things humbly in the name of my beloved Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.

I love all of you. Thank you for the thoughts and prayers that are sent towards me and the missionaries throughout the world. The Lord's work is striving, and the prayers for missionaries throughout the world are helping to carry the work forward. Until next week my friends. God be with you!

Elder Houssian

 This is Taylor, she is the sweetest little girl ever

 This is the ghetto bird (cop helicopter) that was searching for people and spotted us up (put the light on us) haha it was super quick so I was lucky to get the pic!  These things fly around all the time!

 Pano of the Valley at 7am

Our zone combined with North spoons along with APs, MSTLs, and President and his wife

Week #12

Howdy y'all! Week 12 is in the bag! We had a pretty average week this week as missionaries in the Las Vegas Mission! Saw some success and had lots of adventures here in Sin City!

First, we had 6 investigators at church yesterday, and 3 of those 6 are getting baptized on the 8th. We were expecting only 4 to be there, and 1 of them having a date, but 1 minute before church started, the other two investigators being baptized on the 8th, Tia and Patrick, randomly walked in. Elder Webb and I were shocked because we weren't planning on them being there. They were In LA for Tia's birthday the night before. They were there until 3 am and then came back and got to church at 11. That's some dedication haha. They were both excited to be there and stayed awake the whole time!

Second, I got food poisoning all day yesterday. It was horrible. I got it from Panda Express (shocker). I left church early with one of the priests and went and took a short nap. Then we went out with that priest to teach. He's on a mini mission with us!! It's a lot of fun. We went and taught 2 lessons and then went to dinner. At dinner all I could eat was toast and apple sauce haha so that was interesting. After dinner Elder Webb told me to stay at the member's house we are at, so I did. Him and the mini missionary went out and taught, and I slept for 3 hours on one of our member's couches! Haha so that was nice, I'm feeling a lot better now and I can actually eat!

Funny story of the week. We were going to teach a lesson and we hear this really loud bang. It's dark and we look around and see this guy on top of the grocery store next to the apartment complex. Elder Webb and I thought it was a fun shot (which is pretty regular in our area) but then when Elder Webb saw the guy on top of the store he thought it was a sniper  so he runs to the door of our lesson and I'm laughing cause the guy was doing maintenance. I thought I was a gun shot too, but not that guy on the roof haha. Later we come to find out it was just a bunch of fireworks, so false alarm! No worries here!!

My spiritual thought for the week is the talk The Candle of the Lord. It's a talk from the January 1983 Ensign, given by Boyd K. Packer. I invite all of you to read it. It is available in Gospel Library. It focuses a lot on the Spirit, and is really helpful to everyone to read. 

I love you all so much! Thank you for your support and prayers, I feel them all the time, especially when the Lord wants to give me a little boost. Till next week!!

Elder Houssian

 It was so windy one day this week that all the dirt got tossed up in the valley and it was hard to see!

 This is Jeremiah, one of our Part Member Family's kids. I'm his favorite 

Elder Webb on the Barbi at our apartment (we do this multiple times a week) haha

Week #11

Howdy y'all! Hope everyone is having a good time doing whatever it is that they're doing, and that everyone had an awesome week! We had a great week, Elder Webb and I. A lot of things happened and it was very eventful! 

I went on exchanges with our district leader this week, Elder Day, and I went with him in his area. We taught a lot of people and it was great. I sadly had to give up my car for a day, but no worries cause I got to ride a bike fit for a 10 year old (Elder Day's companion has short legs) so when we'd stop I'd extend my legs and have like a foot of space between me and the bike. But all is well haha.

We had 9 investigators at church this week. It was super fun but really stressful! They all needed rides so we had to make tons of calls to get everything set up, but low and behold, we had everyone there, and it was a great experience for everyone! 

On Saturday we went with the recent converts of our ward to the temple to do baptisms and confirmations. We as missionaries cannot participate in baptisms sadly, but we did do the confirmations. And what an experience that was. I enjoyed every second of it. The spirit was very strong there and it was a humbling and peaceful experience. After that, we went to the cafeteria they have there for some food (the temple food is AMAZING) and while I was there I saw my dad's cousin (I just call her my aunt) Susan! It was so cool to see her, it had been quite some time and I didn't even recognize her at first! It was a super neat experience! She lives about 20 minutes away from me!

Miracle of the week. Elder Webb and I set a goal to find 7 new investigators this week. We had 5 as of yesterday at 8:30 pm, so we decided to go street contact and find some people. So we did. And with 7 minutes before 9 when we need to be back in our apartment, we found a really solid couple who wanted to hear our message, AND they have 5 kids with the 6th on the way. Our prayers were answered and we reached our goal. We found some of the Lord's sheep and are bringing them back to the fold. It was such an awesome experience.

My scripture comes from 1 Nephi 4:6. It talks about being spirit led. As Nephi went to go into the house of Laban, he knew not what he was to do except that he was obeying God. As we go through this life, we need to rely on and trust the will of God, whether we know what is goi to happen or not. As we do so, the Lord will bless us, we will strengthen our bond with Him, and we will continue to be shown the way to live, to stay on the strait and narrow path, and ultimately return to live with our Father in Heaven forever with our families, and receive eternal happiness. My challenge to each of you is to trust the will of God, turn yourself towards Him, and humble yourself to His will, and He will bless you. God bless all of you! I love you all! Until next week.

Elder Houssian

 My Dad's cousin Susanne

 Old School Lamborghini Diablo! 

Tia and Patrick at the temple!

Week #10

Hey y'all! Great week this week for us out in Sin City! Lots of things
are happening around here and we're definitely staying busy!

First off, we finally got moved into our new apartment. It's super
nice, one of the nicest in the mission actually. It overlooks the
whole valley and has a massage chair, punching bag, and some weights.
Super fun! We also got a car so that's a huge bonus. I'm with Elder
Webb again for another transfer! He's down to 2 transfers left! I
won't if I'm going to kill him off (meaning be his last companion)
haha.

Second, we found a family of 5 this week! They are really excited to
hear our message, and are super willing to make commitments. It's been
a blessing for sure. We've been finding a lot this week and it's
helped us tremendously.

We have 5 new missionaries from the MTC this transfer in our zone.
They are all very well prepared to be out in the field and are ready
to work. They definitely bring a lot to the area and strengthen all of
us.

We have an investigator, his name is Darrel. He is a wonderful man who
has been through a lot. He had a heart attack and a stroke at the same
time while driving down I-40 at 80 mph. He survived and said he then
knew God had a purpose for him. So we've been teaching him and last
week took him to church. At the end of sacrament he leaned over to me
and told me he had made his decision and wanted to be baptized. Elder
Webb and I were so stoked! He came to church yesterday as well and is
really progressing. He is set to be baptized on the 24th!

Funny story of the week! Elder Webb and I went to go hang out with
some new Elders in the zone, Elders Romero and Howald. They love right
down the street from us. While we were waiting for them at their
place, we saw a tarantula crawling up the wall! It was huge. Then the
Elders got back and Elder Howald freaked out because apparently at the
beginning of his mission he was bit by one! So that was funny haha we
ended up catching it in a jar, pictures will follow.

That's all for this week! My scripture for this week is short and
sweet. D&C 18:10. God loves us so much and we are everything to Him.
Don't get discouraged, keep moving forward and know that your Father
in Heaven loves you all so much.

I love y'all. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, I feel them
every day. God bless you all. Till next week!

Elder Houssian

New Zone (Austin Represent)!

 Our little buddy!

 Candle lit view of the valley

 Our view

The Temple!