Saturday, March 23, 2013

AMAZING YOUNG MAN

I hope everyone has enjoyed listening to Mitchell grow from a super young man with a little bit of faith to an AMAZING young man with the power of faith to follow his Heavenly Father to eternity.... his journey is coming to an end soon and i will miss his words of encouragement to all of us. He always seems to say the right thing each week to help me get thru the tough times.
I am a proud mama.....

Elder Houston Email:
March 18, 2013

hey mother!!! thanks sooo much for the long email... no letters for the past couple weeks takes a toll! haha i love hearing from ya! but no worries about it. i know you been running around trying to fix all that stuff with your purse getting stole :/. haha.. Trust me, i was very upset when i saw your email last week, it took all my strength to not scream in the library hahah.. but i knew because of what happened that last Monday just before i found out, that it was a trial for me, to test me and see what i would do. and so i had to change my thoughts. the Lord helped a lot :)..... it already happened and there is nothing you could do about it, but we can change our thoughts and reactions to trials. that's our agency part, that's how the Lord test us to build us and strengthen us. we should be greatful for the opportunity to grow. He knows its not easy so He promises to help. Harold B Lee said "there is only one day that we have to live for, and that's today. there is nothing we can do about yesterday, and there may be no tomorrow. the thing for us to do when we arise from our beds, as God gives us a new day, is to take what ever comes to our hands , and do it to the best of our ability." we will always have trials. in doc and cov it says, be patient in afflictions , for thou shalt have many haha.. as not cool as that sounds its true, but we have the most wonderful and glorious elder brother who payed the ultimate price for each of us so that we can be triumphant and grow and learn from all those trails. mom you must be the closest to the Lord, because the nearer a person approaches the Lord, the greater power will be manifest  by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment of his purpose. Heber C Kimball said that. and you are a witness of it mom :) i love you mom.
i have not gotten anything about flights. i got a paper making sure you all have not moved and i still live where i do so, they might be waiting for me to send that back to the office haha. but i just got that. all i know is i will be home on the 24 i think it should be that Friday. but ill get that thing sent in. haha.... i should  just tell them i lost it so they cant send me back hahah just kidding.. kinda haha.
wow!!! this week has been another wonderful week. we lost a couple of wonderful people that we have been meeting with. they are moving, its a bummer!! its that family that just got baptized or that couple i mean. and then today one of the sisters that we have been teaching is moving to Colorado. she has been through sooo much this past two weeks, so she has to move away from it. which was sad because she has come sooo far and been growing soo much in the gospel and the Lord. we just got back from teaching her today. she ran into some anti and it just tore her apart. she was soo upset and felt so betrayed, but we went over and talked with her and the spirit was soo strong. that dumb anti doesn't stand a chance against the Holy Spirit of our Heavenly Father mmhm ha. i have seen it time and time again the very bells of hell ring as soon as a person even makes one stride in the right direction towards baptism. well i am out of time sorry ill talk to ou in a letter  now kk love you !!!!
elder houston

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

WOOHOO HE IS STAYING PUT

Elder Houston has two transfers left....wow its coming up fast
 
Elder Houston's email:
March 4, 2013
 
hey mom... so first thing first... I wrote you a big letter and ha still have not sent it ha... so I will get it off today and I have a sweet talk to send home. listen to it for fhe its awesome!! and also I got the package thanks soooo much and LOVED the letter from Cameron ha made my week!
 
so all is going great here... we got transfer calls and im staying here, so is my companion. we are working hard and trying to stay focused ha. the trunkyness is starting to set in haha. I think its just more excitement to see you all!! :) but im trying to keep my mind on the work ha. its like an emotional roller coaster haha, up and down up and down. im going to need the Lord so much in these next few months. im really scared for the BIG changes, but I know he will help just like He did when I left on my mission.
 
so this week we got to do a TON of service, not as much teaching as I would have liked but its ok with all the crazy storms that been going on here we had to go to the food bank place. we help out three times this week. it was fun!! I love it there. soo many wonderful people just trying to make the area a better place. we also had a couple of really awesome lessons with some investigators that hit a road block and now they are on the move again. sooo close to recognizing the truth and committing to baptism. there are a lot of people out here that do not have an education like grown adults, that cant read. its so sad and hard for them to grasp the things we teach, but through the holy ghost and divine means they have taken in sooo much and are progressing so much. its so awesome to see. it also just builds my testimony in the prophet Joseph smith. how he himself were like these brothers and sisters and he through the Lord became the Greatest prophet in our dispensation. Only through our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost could that  happen. and wow has it shown me the importance of an education.
 
  this week I have also had the wonderful opportunity to get to know the ward of Lebanon and wow I love them. they are very different but wonderful people and saints. im learning soo much from them. im super happy I am able to finish up here. ha speaking of Lebanon, I cant remember if I showed you this awesome scripture I found a lil while ago, if I did sorry ha but its in 2 nephi 27:28 haha its cool and has proven to be true so far :) ha.
 
it also was stake conference this sunday for the mid western states. they did a broadcast from salt lake to all the states in this area of the US. it was soo awesome elders Christenson, Hawk and Oaks talked and sister reeves I think was her name.  wow... was so powerful. my mission has made me grow to LOVE stake conference! and it got me super pumped for general conference !
one thing that comes to mind that someone said wish I remembered who but they said, a way to  see if someone is truly becoming converted is based on the sacrifice they make. the Lord made that Great and Last sacrifice, there are wonderful people all around the world that sacrifice so much for the blessing of this gospel. it makes me so happy to see the sacrifices that you all make for me to be out here to share the gospel. I pray that its been a building block to all your testimonies as it has been for me. as well its an example to me and a drive for me to be more converted to the gospel and cheerfully sacrifice more, haha cheerfully being the key word. I need to work on that more ha. wow it is so awesome to see the quiet and divine workings of the Lord and to be able to receive the witness each time from the Holy Ghost. He really is there. I know it with all my heart and am sooo greatful for the testimony that I do have now. I love yall so much and will talk to you next week
love elder houston

LOVE IS IN THE AIR....AND A BAPTISM

Elder Houston's email:
February 19, 2013

haha heyyyyy you guyssss
sooo this was an awesome week!! we had the best valentines day ever!
adam and leah got baptized !! haha on the day haha that is going to be
easy to remember now ha... so awesome brings a new meaning to love :) ha
it went so perfectly and was totally suprised, but i got ask to do the
confirmation like last minute! the spirit was so powerful!! i really for
the first time, i think was totally lead by the spirit as what to say. i
barely new this guy and i just was completely, head to toe filled with
love for the brother. i could feel just a small amount of Heavenly
Fathers love for the man and how happy he was that one of his lost
sheep came back unto the fold. im going to miss that feeling soo much.
to be able to feel that indescribable love for Gods children. that love
for a complete stranger it is so wonderful.
  Pres. Hinckley and the Book of mormon say it best, the essence of life, wherefore, my beloved brethren,
pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye
may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are
true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons
of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified
even as he is pure
moroni 7:48
Love is the very essence of life. it is the pot of gold at the end of
the rainbow. yet it is more than the end of the rainbow. love is the
security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive
that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating
friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope
shining through death.
i love my mission so much i love every bit of it and im having the
time of my life sprinting to the end !! everyone says that we
sacrifice two years of our lifes to be out here. if this is sacrifice
then i want to sacrifice all i have to the Lord for all my life
because i have never felt so happy when i do
the principle of sacrifice.
and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding,
and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his
neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and
sacrifices.
mark 12:33
"sacrifice is the very essence of religion; it is the keystone of
happy home life, the basis for true friendship, the foundation of
peaceful community living, of sound relations among people and
nations. without sacrifice there is no true worship of God."
Pres. Hinckley at it again... man i love the things he says.. 
well got to go... i love you all and will talk to you next week
love elder houston