TRANSFERS AND DISTRICT LEADER

Elder Houston's email:

May 22, 2012

 

hey family hows it going!

   haha crazy busy email i loved it. that stinks that anthany didnt get his call... that too weird. but no worries it will come and you will have to let me know asap ! im so pumped for him ! and hunter graduating thats so werid! i still rememeber graduating and he still seems like my little brother haha but he a man now ahaha. well congrats hunt! and i got your invintation letter. it was cool. i liked it did shalyes do it? and so crazy about colten going home in this next month!!!  to weird. and cyni and steve going to pick him up that will be fun. tell them to keep there heads up for dudes with granades haha i still cant believe that about drake and his stories mexico is pretty scary. we just have okies here... although most of them do have guns with them all the time haha and when we were tracting this week we had a dude bring his out to the door haha.

 

well all is well here so transfers went well i got my new companion. his name is elder macilroy. haha and guess where he is from!! yep arizona! haha he is from phx too but glendale area. he has big house. he is pretty well off.. lets just say ha. haha.. it was pretty funny when he first walked in to our appartment, he was really pissed because its kinda getto, but really not that bad ha. it was just funny to see his face. and it doesnt help that we get these big fatty black crickets in our house. they are big. and SPIDERS too haha.... eh i hate spiders. but he has been out for i think a couple transfers so like 4 or 5 months. he is a good missionary. he is a little over whelmed with all the stuff that has been going on here and how dead the area is, but he still works, which im all for! ha. elder hamlin came back on satuday with his mother and step father they were so nice! ha they just went through the temple for the first time and were sealed. it was so cool to hear there change of life and to see elder hamlin with his mom was so funny. he is a good guy just got too trunky and will have to learn alot about that sometimes we just have to follow the rules even if it seems stupid. 

its been really hard on our one investigator too. she really liked elder hamlin and she has been having a hard time getting use to us as her missionaries now. but i think it will work out and now her husband, who is a memeber can help her to get to baptism now. well there is alot of work ahead of us and im ready to do it and try my best to better the work here. 

i had my first meeting as a district leader and that was pretty cool i got to hang out with president which is always the best. 

oh and before i forget i spent some money on grosheries too sorry we were running low and we got to go to a walmart and they had some food i cant get here in pawhuska. oh and yes my card worked ha. 

haha so cool story that i have from some reading we did. in mosiah chapter 26. haha its about teenagers haha. its in verse 1- 4. it made me feel really bad for being a stinker haha sorry mom and dad. i am converted tho :) haha well i out of time sorry but its good stuff. you should read it maybe for family night. 

well i got to go thanks for the great email !! and letters this week love ya. keep up the great work ! i know the summer is starting up and i think that means stomp for the book of morman reading is too. it would be perfect to get anthany and hunter to reading with you and dad and to have like testimony meeting with, but just a suggestion. i know it helps us as missionaries to read each day sooo much. so i know it will bless your lifes. love ya so much hope ya all have a great week !!! cant wait to talk to ya next week !!

love you !!!

elder houston 

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!

Elder Houston's email

May 14, 2012

 

hey ya'll! ha,

     so just talked to ya yesterday and i already want to talk to ya again haha. so i kinda told you everthing that has been going on so i dont really know what to say now haha. it was an amazing week though. i ended up getting to go on my last exchange and i went with the district leader and got to talk to him about all that has been going on here and he helped me out alot and i asked him to talk to president for me if he could because he was not answering me. oh and its pretty funny so the first time i met him i was like man you remind me soo much of one of my friends from back home. i was talking about drew. and then when we went on exchange he got a package and i saw his first name and guess what his name was!.. drew! haha too weird but funny he is way cool. i really liked the elders in our district they helped me though so much and i really grew to love them guys. its so cool to have this mission be such a strong band or brothers it makes the Lords work progress so much better. im sad to see them leave but hopefully i will see them again. and it was fun saturday. we all got to get together and go out to eat dinner at chiles. that was cool to get together one last time as a district.

so i got the call that im staying in pawhuska and that im getting a new companion and his name is elder .. macklaroy. i think is how you spell it. he is pretty new. i was also called to be the new district leader because ours became the new zone learder, that was drew or elder adams. im really nervous about the call its alot of responsibility ha. i know this is the Lords work so He will make it happen. im sure of that im just nervous i will get in His way ha. hope i dont choke. oh!

speaking of, so there was this less active lady in pawhuska that choked on saturday night! and she ended up passing away! she had been battling throat cancer for so long and just started to get better. so crazy you just never know when is your time to go. just shows us that we cant procrastinate the day of our repentance (alma 34:32-34) kind of a scary way to learn and she was a sweet lady. really sad but she went out the way she would have wanted to go.  it is what her family said. you know that song "rain drops keep falling on my head." ? well that guy, i think his name is bj thomas not sure though, but he was having a show here in pawhuska and she was at that and he was playing some elvis songs and she loved it and was having a great time and it was totally raining a little in his show so rain drops really were falling on his head but ya. and when they went to the hospital they said she pass because of a heart attack not from choking. so it was quick and the way she would have wanted to go. she was a sweet little old lady though and will be missed.

 

any way sorry random but it was a great mothers day too. i got to talk in sacrament again this year ha it was on family a proclamation to the world. i really enjoyed it and was nice to get to talk about my wonderful family :) then get to talk to them in person. a great way to end our week... i loved it so much ! i love you all!! thanks for all ya said and helping me out ! LOVE YOU!!! with every once of my being. to the consuming of my flesh! haha well thats all for now untill next week im anxiously engaged in a good cause and ready to get back to work. ta ta for now.

     love,

elder houston

 

"LIFE IS ABOUT PROGRESSION"

Elder Houston's email:

April 23, 2012

hey family!!!,

   so this week was a pretty fun week!!! we did alot of stuff! and i got some pictures, but then my camera died. but first off I TOTALLY forget about chases b day !!  i will try and write him. i am too broke to get him a card. but i will write. haha man he is an old fart ha. hahah thats awesome you got to see the wedding video again. i bet that was funny to see. haha it kinda scares me tho how much everyone will change in two years. i been seeing pictures of like kenric and drake and they look different too !! haha its funny i love it.

but oh ya, so the dance festival. i had one too. it was huge and at the mesa high foot ball field. i was young i just remember that and the dance was like hip hop. it was weird but i didnt like it either haha. so its ok if he didnt. we all have to do dorky stuff like that sometimes, even if we dont want too. it gets us out of our shell. oh hey before i forget too. i have the receipt for the last time i got my meds i will send asap sorry forgot to do that last time.

   So this week was pretty fun! we did the usual stuff like tuesday and thursday we tutored and then wednesday we had district meeting and went on an exchange with the elders in bartelsville. that place is awesome! its a little big town if that makes sense. its really nice. its the headquarters of Phillips and conoco petroleum. so its very rich and lots of history too.. and cowboy history haha its awesome. but ya the exchange was way nice. we got to go teach alot of people and i got to get back in the missionary feel again. i went with this elder named elder Phelps. haha and his first name is michael haha. but no he doesnt swim. but ya he is way funny and a great missionary, even for only being out for 5 months. then saturday.... oh man.... that was a way fun day. so we did the usual. we went and helped cook at the soup kitchen. then afterwards this guy ed, took us out to this hidden treasures of oklahoma. he says it was can woolaroc?? i think its basically a zoo and western museum put in one. there where these brothers frank and phil phillip and they settled there and made a deal with indians to get the oil in the town..... well long story short they became super rich and he had all this awesome stuff and made the land into this wild life reserve and his house into a museum because of all the stuff he had. i took pictures but my camera died in the middle, so i missed alot of cool stuff. i will have to go back sometime. maybe if you all come get me.

 but oh my...... he has the largest collection of colt guns in the world... i saw the SICKEST cowboy guns ever!!! like gold and silver with engravings on them..... oh goodness..... i was like a kid in a candy shop! haha im sure you could see me... ha. but ya way cool.... that was the high light of my week haha.

sunday was great as always. i was renewd by the spirit and put back in my place. i got too prepare the sacrament and it was so wonderful being able to do it as a missionary. it was like i was doing it for the first time ever and with different eyes on..... as i tore the bread, i could almost see and feel the savior as his body was ripped and torn for us. it was such an over whelming feeling. i had to fight to hold back tears. the sacrament truly is such a wonderful blessing and the absolute honor it is to the young men to have the right and power to bless and prepare that blessing for an entire congregation of people, a binding covenant, for all of them and to renew there covenants with our Lord. it was a life changing experience! if i could have only seen it when i was a priest ha. but yes a very good week and will only get better with attitude.

well i have to go. i will leave ya with an awesome quote i found. that has really found a place in my heart. " I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving: to reach the port of Heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and some times against it- but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor."(Oliver Wendell Holmes). this life is about progression, we need to keep pressing forward and to take the example of our Savior and help lift others on there way as well." never discourage anyone...who continually make progress, no matter how slow." and watch for satan. keep your guard up. he as well works line upon line. dont wait until it is to late to recognise this. 

 sorry that my little message for today i love you all so much thanks for the letter and card. love ya !!

    love ya so much. talk to ya tomorrow, prob arould lunch time byeeeee

love Elder Houston

EXAMPLE

Elder Houston's email

April 16, 2012

 

hey family hows it going ??

  

    so this week was a pretty interesting one. haha its defiantly the most different kind of area i have been in. so every saturday we work in this big soup kitchen in the Catholic church and thats way fun. i am learning alot about cooking and working in a kitchen.  its actually really fun and it helps out the community alot. its all donations, kinda like bishop store house.

also on friday night, pawhuska has this old cool theater thing called the Constantine. it use to be where they had all there shows back in he 1800s. pretty cool huh. anyway, they had this huge show on the titanic and we catered for it. like the little sandwiches and all haha it was cool.  i had a guy tell me that i would work well at a five start hotel or restaurant haha. it was funny. we also help people learn to read at the local library too. which is funny because i am terrible at reading ha. i cant really remember much else of what we did this week. im getting really bad at remembering things. haha but it was a good week. we worked more then before.  not really the usually missionary work. but i liked it and if it helps people out then im all for it.

 

oh about the weather, ya it was some really crazy storms, but all at night so we just slept ha or tried to sleep. i could feel the wall swaying by my bed. i thought i was going to get squished haha but i didnt:) and no alarms went off so i didnt worry so much. but the areas all around us got hammered, like hail the size of softballs !! crazyness!!.

oh so i got your package thanks for sending it. the pants fit. they a lil long. i didnt get taller, just so you know just fatttter. haha but they work great. oh and yes those are the shoes i was talking about. but they are so small  and my toe is messed up from all the walking. i am going to do what i did with my toe back at home. but this time its the left one and no worries the mission insurance will cover it.

 thanks so much for the letter too it helped out alot. oh and yes i got bishops email too. it came up as "dr" haha not sure why, but it was also so awesome! if you talk to him some time soon tell him thank you sooo much and i will email him tomorrow. eh! im sorry about work !! i need to work harder so we can get more them blessing !! i have been slacking alot lately i will keep it in my prayers !! tell hunter that i will try and get a letter to him this week. but no joke the mail man here only comes and gets our mail if we have mail, so if he can tell him to write me and i will write him too and hope it gets to him soon. for family night you all can read together or each alone read the talk, "beware of pride" by ezra taft benson. its way awesome. if you could just ask hunter for me if he is trying to do what i sugested. tell him i said it will help. i was in the same place he was some what and know that they all just want what is best for us. our savior would want us to go on a mission. how would you think of it if it where Him saying it ?  but anyway ya i will try and write to him asap and i need to write everyone anyway. sorry i been bad at it.

 well i have got to go. love you all soooo much. i love you all sooo much.  know that i am doing well and remember that a good example is the best sermon. and we cannot make others do the right things. we can only show by our example what "doing the right things" looks like. beacuse there are three ways to teach: by example, example, and example :) ha i love you all sooooo much more than i could ever put in words. stay safe and keep up the awesome work talk to ya soon .

love,

elder mitchell houston

FAITH?....HOPE?.....CHARITY?......

Elder Houston's email:
April 9, 2012

hey mom,
ok wow what a week!!!! this has been crazy!!! i dont even know where to begin. first off glad you got my package. the books i want to read i just have not the time at this moment to read them. they were given to me, so i will prob ask for them later, but for now just put them in my room or somewhere. ha ya it is hot already. its really early this year i guess. thats what everyone is saying. oh and ya i like the sweaters. the brown one does not really match with anything i have but i like the black one and i will be asking for them when it gets cold again.
ok so about my area and the walgreens stuff. i already took care of it. its in my district so we go to bartelsville every wednesday. so when i running low i will go over. and i got my walgreens card in springfield before i left and talked to them and they said it would work at any walgreens and my meds would be there i just need to get there number and make sure i call ahead of time. if you could get the number for the closest one and send it to me that would be awesome. and sister merkley knows too. she called me, so i thought you had called her ha but i guess not. but ya i will be ok on meds for now. oh and no its not a car area its walk/bike area ha ya and i will tell you why in this next paragraph haha.
soooo ok this has been the most craziest week ever on my mission by far. so i cant remember what i told you in the letter i sent you but this is what i know now. so my companions name it elder hamlin he has been out for 23 months he goes home the end of this transfer. he is really trunky. he also is one of those missionaries that does not like rules at all. so that doesnt help at all either ha. he is a really good teacher tho and i think he could be the best missionary if he kept the missionaries rules. to make his tunkyness even worse, the area we are in is getting closed for the missionaries at the end of this transfer too. so he feels anything we do anyway will just be in vain.
pawhuska is acually areally cool place its very old and cool looking. it was where the first troop of boy scouts was made, cool huh. where alot of the indians live, the osage indians. apparantly jenifer gardner and the guy in dare devil are filming a movie here. anyway its a really cool area. i will take alot of pictures for you. the ward is really small too its got like 35 to 60 members and only about two of them acually live in pawhuska. the church building is smaller then mesa highs seminary building ! but its way cool. the people here are very cool. there is a huge cathalic church here and the members feed us and watch out for us haha, more then the members of our church do hahah. but i think its just because they not in town. there is one family that we hang with alot of the time. the dad is a member. they are really cool, hendrins is there names. so ya thats alittle bit about the area and the people not much is going on :/
so the missionaries that come here are not the best at following the rules. it has been really killng me. i feel i am losing so much time and its not my time but the Lords and its killing me! my companion will not follow the schedule. he listens to music and we dont really work, just walk around and hang out. im not really sure what i should do. i know its only the begining of the transfer and i shouldnt be complaining already. its been hard though knowing that im missing out on sarah and courtnies baptisms to be here and do nothing anyway..
enough downer stuff !!!! im still alive and i will do all i can to do what i am supose to do for the next 6 weeks left of pawhuska ha
"faith, hope, and charity are ACTIVE principles, not passive ones. if we do not DO them, we dont HAVE them. its that simple" quote of the day and i will do my best to go and do what the Lord will have my do with what i can. " there is only one day that...i have to live for, and thats today. there is nothing [i] can do about yesterday except repent, and there may be no tomorrow. the thing for us to do when [i] arise from [my] bed as God gives [me] a new day, is to take whatever comes to [my] hands, and do it to the best of [my] ability.
i love you all so much. i pray that i might be able to keep the promises that i have made... talk to you next week. ill try and write to ya this week and tell ya alittle more about what is going on and maybe you can help. hopefully this email made sense .
love elder houston

NEW AREA.......NEW ADDRESS

just a cute picture i found from the MTC....looking how much he has changed in a year!!!

HELLO EVERYONE....

AFTER 71/2 MONTHS IN SPRINGFIELD ELDER HOUSTON HAS BEEN TRANSFERED.

HE WAS SAD TO LEAVE BUT EXCITED FOR A NEW AREA AND TO MEET NEW PEOPLE.

PLEASE CHECK OUT HIS NEW ADDRESS...... AND YES....THERE REALLY IS A 1/2 IN THE ADDRESS....????

LOVE AND CHERISH YOUR FAMILIES AND REMEMBER CHRIST DURING THIS WONDERFUL EASTER SEASON.

TRANSFERS........AND CONFERENCE......WOOHOO

Where am I going?? New address soon........

Elder Houston's email:
April 2, 2012




hey family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hows it going!!! ???,

so im sure you know by the way i said transfers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. but yes i am leaving! :( after 7 and an half months in the chesterfield ward i am getting the boot ha.
im trying to get pictures fast before i leave. i procrastinated too long on those and have like hardly any... sorry mom. i dont know my address yet but i will write it too ya today when i find out so i can get all my med stuff transferred with me, as well dang insulin! ha it follows me everywhere!.
oh and so this is probably the worse part of the whole getting transferred thing. so i have still not had a baptism yet or at least be there for the people i helped get baptized, and as soon as i am getting transferred we have TWO baptisms coming up!!!! and im leaving !! this happened last time hahah man! haha an suggestions as to what Heavenly Father is trying to teach me ?? haha just kidding!!!!
its ok i love sarah and courtnie and im soooo excited they have chosen to be baptized. i KNOW it will be such a blessing in there lives and only the beginning of there wonderful journey that awaits them ahead. because we know that this is not the end of it. like it says in 2nephi 31:15-21, that baptism is only the key into the "gate". and now that they are on the "path" that leads them to our Father in Heaven they must press forward and not stray away. and keep moving on with a "perfect brightness of hope" and "endure to the end". and we know that" this is the way ;and there is none other way nor name given under the heaven whereby man[ and woman] can be saved in the kingdom of God. :) i love how great and simple our Fathers plan is. it defiantly is not always easy but its is simple and plain and precious.



oh by the way conference was so awesome!!!!!! i loved saturdays, pres Eyrings and the quote he said at the end about the lady that had cancer and was going through all that stuff. he said that she did not have all those trials because of some thing she had done wrong, but simply because God just wanted to polish her a little more. ha i love that.
and also elder Scotts talk, and how he said humility is fertile soil for revelation! oh cool, and pres Uchtdorfs talks. man they were awesome!!!! in priesthood conference and the why of the priesthood. i hope dad and hunter saw that. hahah and his talk about the bumber sticker that said," dont judge me because i sin differently then you" haha that was great!!!!
ah i love conference so much!!!! i feel like Lehi after he ate of the fruit that was so desirable. i just want to throw the fruit at everyone and tell them to EAT IT!!!! haha.
oh ya and elder Rasbands !!! oh man that is so crazy!!! man if i could make the choice again to go to cali or stay and meet him, i would have stayed!! his talk was so awesome i felt like he was talking to me and how the trials of disease and problems we face with our mortal bodies. ah great stuff!!!! im bummed its over. when it comes out in ensign see if you can get me a copy!!

after listening to all of those servants of the Lord speak and hear their testimonies it has strengthened my testimony sooo much i know with out a shadow of a doubt, that they have been called of God and that this IS His true and only Gospel and way to happiness in this life and the life to come. and knowing that is like a domino effect of everything else that i know, the book of mormon is true and that joseph smith did all the things he said he did and that through the temple and the sealing ordinances thereof, we are going to be together with the ones we love forever :)!! . How great is my joy.
well i got to go love you all sooooooo much !!!!
Elder Houston

SHORT AND SWEET......

Silly Missionaries!!!! I believe thats Mitchell with his head below his bum!!!

apparently Mitchell hasnt seen ducks before? haha actually he was telling us about these crazy geese that chase you. they are like watch dogs. so they didnt want to get to close.Yah...Christmas is over but i thought this was a cut picture of Mitchell and Elder Treasure

Elder Houston's email:

March 26, 2012

hey family...

sorry this is going to be really brief haha i had another problem with the computer haha dang things ahah. well this week was really good. i felt great all week. we got some referrals for people to teach. we found out they do not live in our area so the other elders are going to teach them now. haha kinda stinks, but oh well its all the same message right:). so real quick yes i got my meds and sister merkley told me about what you told her so i kinda have an idea of whats going on and so sorry i am really expensive!!! haha dang meds ! this week was pretty crazy tho.. it rained for about 5 days straight!!! it was ridiculous ! but fun.... all of springfield is like a jungle now. we have those may flies like crazy! and its really humid. this weekend it stoped and just in time for a great weekend. sorry cant tell ya more but i wanted to let you know it was good and interviews with pres merkley went great and we found our new mission pres name and family. he has two teenage kids its going to be wierd haha. oh and thank you sooo much for the letters this week !!! and tell anthony thank you as well. well got to go so sorry thats two short emails in a row i will make sure i bring my a game next week. it will be easier with all the insight from conference!!!!!!!!!!! woooooo so pumped!!! well i will talk to ya next week and i will know if i am getting transfered or not :( we get calls friday. well love ya so much talk to ya then !

ps hey i was wondering about david archuleta and if you guys know where he is going yet just curious. and hey if you still see jarid martin you should tell him i told him to read the last conference talk by elder waddell its awesome. oh and i dont think i can fit in those volcom pants i was talking about my matix jeans i used for roofing they got some tar stains i think on them they are big on my so they should still fit. and if you want you can send treats but not to much cuz easter coming up. ill let you know of anything else but at far as i know thats it love ya!!!!

elder houston

HEAVENLY FATHER WATCHES OVER US

This is Elder Gunnel from Gilbert

Gluten free marshmellow fruity pebbles...yummmy good

Elder Houston's email:

March 19, 2012

hey hows it going family

so not much went on this week its been a tough one. sorry for not writing, we just dont have alot of time on mondays, since we have to coordinate rides to shop and email and we share laundry with the other elders in our district. but i will try to be better this week. there is a huge storm rolling over us this week. theres a flood warning out. like its going to rain for three days straight but we will see. ha if it does we will have more writing time haha :). that is so insane about angie and the kids !!! the Lord has his eye on them He defiantly was watching over them. i love miracles, they are just reaffirming truth that Heavenly Father watches over us. I just started reading the book of mormon and i have already learned sooo much. But like it says in 1 Nephi chapter 17 verse 3, "and thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. and if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore HE DID provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness". I love the comfort that brings to know that HE WILL provide for us protect us or give us strength if we keep his commandments. His will will happen and they defiantly have things still to accomplish here and im glad:) ha. anyway ha. so i get grandpa a b day card!! and thats awesome he remembers me haha so he will know who the card is from! ha. and i getting shalyse one too this week haha im not sure how i missed her name on my b day list! sorry! oh ya and yes i did get the pictures of my 50 haha they were awesome i like it! ha the frame on that bad boy is so bent tho ha i saw that before i left. but if its still running around then it should be ok. oh hey so i got my a1c from my doctor here and wow it has gone up. this would explain a few things. its 8.5 now. im going to work on getting it back down. im doing my shots before i eat now and hope that helps. if not i will make some changes. oh and before i forget, as we are entering into tornado season and there might be one this week haha. Maybe!! i too fat for all my pants and my legs too big from bikeing around haha. so if you have no money, no worries. if could you send me my roofing pants they are a bit bigger and they are the ones with the stains haha oh and if they fit and hunter has not destoryed them could ya send my supra shoes ? they dark blue and white and sent the extra white laces too hunter can help. we were helping a lady do some yard work a while back and i got old oil and some kind of nasty stuff dumped all over my shoes here. thanks. again if ya cant no worries ill work with it :) well alot more went on this week but i will write it to ya because it alot and i out of time sorry and it kinda personal. well i think that is all for now tell hunter i will write him this week and sorry taking so long he kinda caught me off guard with his letter and its been weird week. tell every one i said hi and that i love them so much and tell anthany congrats on papers!!! i defiantly want to know asap!! and i will write him too !! love yall !!!! write me as much as you can this week please i need boosters through this week they help loads love ya talk to ya later !!!

ps. mom i learned how to make the bomb crapes ever gluten free too haha im making breakfast as soon as i get home!!

pss. courtnie is still well and is smoke free for 5 days now!!! which is way good haha and a less active came to church on sunday !!!!!! wooo !!!!

love ya!!!!!!
elder houston

STILL WORKING

Elder Houston's email:
March 12, 2012

hello family !
how is it going ?? i didnt get email from you all this week so i hope you are all doing well !!! my week was a pretty good we meet with our investigator courtnie quite a bit she was having a really hard week. she is really wanting to get baptized before i leave and she wants me to do it. but she just cant seem to stop smoking and a few other minor problems keeping her from there. but i know she will get baptised. she knows the church is true. it is just a matter of time now. we met a few new people this week too and im really bumbed i totally forgot to take pictures! haha we met this pro surfer and he is a pro dirt biker but for 50s! hahah. he was out in his front yard working on some and i was like hey lets go talk to him, i used to have one of those. so we went over. he was way nice to us and we went back a few times already he has not wanted to take the lessons yet, but hopefully the spirit will work on him. ha anyway his name is randy lourencio you can have hunter look him up on you tube. anyway he is working on this sweet hot rod and we got to sit in it and it was soooooo loud and beastly. when we go back i will take pictures. haha he also wanted me to jump this huuuge jump in his back yard with him on his 50 but we are not really suppose to and i was scared satan would find a way to hurt me if i did. ha but any who so that was fun. man... are ride is here so i have to cut this short i have a scripture to leave with you but i have no time, so i will leave you with this one. proverbs 25:25. haha and as you read it think of me and that i am in a "far country" haha hint hint haha jk hope all is ok with yall and i will write you today love you so much byeeeee!!!!

TORNADOS WAY TO CLOSE......

Elder Mitchell's email:
March 5, 2012

hey family hows it going !!.

so first off i will tell you ....yes im fine we are alive!!!! the tornado's went to all the surrounding areas ha but ya branson go hit pretty bad. had no deaths tho just lots of destruction. thats a zone leader area and they are all fine. no one was hurt and the worst that happen to them is there power went out.
so ya now that you can rest at ease mom :) ha and its ok to worry shows you care haha. i would be worried if you didnt worry haha. any who thats so awesome about anthony!!!! he getting his papers in!! so crazy!! ill defiantly try and write him this week. i will write you all as well since i didnt this last week. haha tell hunter to stick it out and get the best grades he can get i reeaaaaaaallly wish i would have taken school more serious its going to be really hard to get back in the grove now and coming out here i realize the importants of having a good education !! as i spell importants wrong haha. oh!! and i went to A doctor for my meds and to get refills and all that good stuff he is a member that knows quite a bit about diabetes. he is an old person doctor haha but ya he checking my a1c and my kidneys and i should know how it all is here in the next little while. also he wants me to get my eyes checked too and wants to check my blood too, like blood work and cholesterol or how ever it is spelt. ha so hes good guy he looking after your boy. and i will let you know what the results are all when they come in. deal.
not much going on this week other then that stuff and the tornado. and our investigator that we have been teaching forever that fell off the face of the earth is back!!! and running full force. its courtnie if you remember me talking about her. she wants to be baptized and she wants me to do it!! yaaaaaa hooooooo. she is sooo determined! so i have great hope for her this time around. she has alot of work to do but she has shown that she is ready. im soo happy she is back and growing so much in her testimony. she has had alot going on lately and it has made her feel lost in her own words... "like a chicken with her head cut off" haha. it goes to show that the promise the Lord gives us and what it says in Jeremiah chapter 29," for i know the thoughts that i think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not evil, ... then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall and pray unto me, and i will hearken unto you and ye shall seek me, and find, me when ye shall search for me with all your heart. and i will be found of you, saith the Lord..." I will be found of you . the Lord wants us to find Him. He is like a parent that plays hide and seek with their children. He is going to leave his foot visible or leave the door open, some kind of clue as to where he is. some trail of bread crumbs ha. and where you have once found him look there again, He is probably hiding there again, because HE wants to be found!. a quote from an ensign said," what a blessing to know that in a world where temptation is [all around us], it is comforting to know that our greatest source of strength is so easily found." i bare solem witness that this is true that as we seek out for the Lord and do our part He WILL be found of you. and im so greatful and blessed to be able to know this true and want to make sure all that i can know it as well.
well i have to get going but i will write ya all this week hopefully today ha and hope to hear from you all too.. yes you hunter and dad and anthony! love you all so much have a great week !!!
-love elder houston

EXCEEDINGLY GREAT WEEK

looks like some beautiful fall colors and windy weather

Elder Houston's email:

February 27, 2012

hey ya family!!!!,
hows it going! so this weekend was awesome, it was exceedingly great! ha i know that probably doesnt work but oh well. but ya way great yesterday we had so many non members at church and a less active family!!! it was ward conference sunday. and the bishop spoke and the second councilor to the stake pres. they had such great talk. but lets rewind a little to tell ya how wonderful this week was. so the week started out pretty good we finished this awesome book on tape called "remembering miracles, Harold b. lee". highly recommended it has got some amazing stories in them, do i smell a family home evening lesson?, i think soo hahah just kidding ,but really good. so the week like i said started out pretty normal. we got to do some service for two days it was fun and oh man perfect weather!! this place cant seem to make up its mind ha. but ya it was for this really sweet lady. she is not really interested in taking the lessons but she said we could help her with some stuff around the house haha, she is awesome. who knows tho, she had really warmed up to us and hopefully we can be the opening of doors to it later down the road. it was really nice to finally get out of the suit for a little while and get dirty for a lil. so that was fun... dont laugh mom, yes... i got dirty haha you too shaylse i like getting dirty now haha. then later on in the week we started teaching this family that we have been wanting to teach for ever !! it was awesome ha. they are a family of three wayyy nice and the only reason they decided to learn more is because they like us and dont want us to go to hell hahah. its funny but ya, so we went to their church this last sunday and they agreed to come to ours this sunday!!! and they did!!!!! :)!!!!! they were so scared at first. when they walked in it was kinda funny, the mom said," its ok son dont be scared", to her son who is 7. haha the funny thing was, is she looked more scared then he was. any way they really seemed to enjoy the talks alot and they were like perfect for them! i love inspiration! and the ward like was perfect i love it here, they are so great at fellowshipping. after sacrament they were like totally different people. then in class we taught and we had three converts in there and they bore such powerful testimonies. it was so awesome. i loved it and you could feel the spirit in that room with out a doubt. after class they didnt want to split up so they left, but i know that we did all we could to do the Lords will and they defiantly left with a better taste about the church. so now we just leave it up to them and pray and fast often. the Lord is with out a doubt in this work each and every day. it is such a blessing to get to be a part in it. as my heart is full of gratitude. many more things wonderful happened this week but i am unfortunately out of time but, we did finally got to meet with courtnie again finally and soooo much has happened with her she has been brought down to a low time in her life and if she is willing i know the Lord will lift her higher. there is a long road ahead of her, but i know it will be worth it. i just pray that she will hold to the rod and continue to press forward this time. we also had a random girl come to church and we talked with her and she might be interested to learning more. i know i was not the most patient and happy person in our enduring haha but we worked hard and i feel even with our faults the Lord has kept His promise in D&C 121:7-8. " My son peace be unto thy soul;thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it WELL, ha, God shall exalt thee on high... im so grateful for the gain of experience and i have been able to learn that if we take nephi's attitude with life's adversities it will allow the Lord to teach us and they will be for our good. love ya all so much... hold to the rod and endure to the end. the blessing are really and more then we could possibly imagine! talk to ya next week !
love elder houston

oh ps thransfers were on the 23 and thats carzy about elder treasure im not sure i will have to write him

TOUGH WEEK.....TRUST IN THE LORD

group picture with Elder Treasure. Mitchell's second companion in Springfield Missouri

This is Elder Blatter. Mitchell's trainer in Mountain Grove Missouri.

i havent gotten any pictures of Elder Golder who is his companion now in Springfield.

Elder Houston's email:

February 21, 2012

hiiiii,
so this week was pretty good. same stuff still going on. we cant get our investigators to do anything :( courtnie is still off in never land ha no word from her. and the girl ronnie who has a baptism date will not come to church, so her date will be moved back again. we lost a few more people we were teaching as well. its been a good week but defiantly a tough one. my blood sugars still going crazy, but i cant get in to a doc for a while. but its ok i still have meds so it could be worse ha. i can figure it out for now. its been tough seeing all the baptisms around us in the other wards and still slacking in ours. i know sometimes these things happen. but i see daily what i can do better. so i at times feel it is my fault, but its a good drive to work more no matter what. ha im really being tested and man is it hard hahaha. but it is at times like these when i really love the scriptures and the answers they bring through a loveing Father in Heaven. so on wednesday the scripture in 2nephi 4:17-35 its pretty popular scripture but i had never thought about it this way before and i thank my district leader for teaching it to us. he related it to us in parts in verse 17-19 he showed us how nephi was having some down thoughts, that he was not worth much. then in verses 20-25 he remembers all that has happend good to him and all the great blessing of the Lord and what He has given him. this kinda makes him feel even lower like, why am i feeling so down. i have all these great things, i dont have reason to complain. then in 26- 27 is the self-examination of him self. he says, you know if all these great things have i seen and have been given, why should i feel so down and in the dumps?. then my favorite part ha in 28-30 he gives himself a little pick me up talk haha. "awake, my soul! " he said , "rejoice. and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord , i will praise thee forever; yea my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation. he then ask the Lord to help him that he will shake him at the appearance of sin. that he will not shut the gates of righteousness before him. finally in the last verses but sertainly not the least 34-35 nephi puts all his trust in the Lord with faith that He is the rock of his righteousness and that He will deliver him, accourding to the will of the Father. that HE knows best and He loves us enough to help us the best way possible. TRUST in the Lord. this scripture has found a special place in my heart for ever now and i hope that i can pay it forward to those who are going through a rough time. there was another awesome scriture in mosiah that tori probably knows if i rememer right i think she said king bengiman is one her favorites its in 4 verses9-12.
well im out of time. i hope ya enjoyed the email and i was not too much of a downer ha i love yall.
oh and really fast one..... funny picture to leave in your mind that i did see this week that was funny....... we saw this tubby old man walking his tubby fat cat on a leash! hahaha.... we were going to go talk to him but me and elder golder couldnt stop laughing !! i know kinda mean but it was funny. im sure he was the coolest old man ever. i can see dad doing that in the near future :) aahahah. well got to go.... i went way over my time. i love you all soo much thank you for being best family ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
love elder mitchell houston

ps its ok i didnt need valentine box and i couldnt eat any of it haha. and my contacts are good i wore my glasses for a while but ill let ya know and i think one of my eyes is worse ha:) tell hunter and anthony to be safe and do a mc twisty gnar gnar flip for me ha and dont brake anything they dont want broken missionaries out here ha jk. oh and keep me updated on tor'is date hah kk love ya bye

KEEP ON WORKING

Elder Houston's email:
February 13, 2012

Hey family today is one of those days haha rush rush rush days.

sorrry ha i was writing to pres merkley to get some help with our area. It is really struggling and i really need some council. but as i went to send it it said ERROR! hah and that is just never good so i went to see what happend and it took up all my time :( . . .and my blood sugar high soo i reaaaaly had to pee haha. so ill just write ya a good letter this week how bout that. haha i been pretty good on the letters thought huh. i told you i would try and write you at least once a week. i didnt get a letter from ya though!! haha it all good. oh and really dont get much time to cook meals and we usually eat dinner with members so i have not learned much except for mixes. haha like there loads of gluten free stuff around here, even pretty good breads!!! like i eat pb and j all the time ha i found ways to make the bread work ha. we need a price cutter store in az thats where i get my gluten free stuff and hyvee. well all is going pretty well this week it is snowing today. it was 0 degrees the other day haha its so crazy weather here. one week its uber hot and the next its cold. i dont get it it makes me get colds alot, but i been pretty good this time. that is so crazy about colten!!! he almost home!!!!! to weird ! its going to fast!! it scares me a little bit. well im starting my letter now for recomendation to stay out longer!! ha well got to go. sorry about the short letter. i will tell you more in the written letter when i have more time. i love you all and know that THE CHURCH IS TRUE! SO WHAT ELSE MATTERS!! ha i know this with all my heart. the advisary will try so hard to make sure we dont find this out so we must continuely build up our walls of defence like the nephites ! he will always be looking for ways to sneak his filthy and doubting thoughts into our minds DO NOT let him ! i love you all and pray for you daily! stay safe and ill talk to you next week LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
love Elder Houston

"WAIT UPON THE LORD"

apparently this young man had the same scripture pen as the missionaries....too cute!!!

Having some fun on their preparation day!!! Bowling yah!!

Ok so funny story about these two pictures....look closely and see if you can tell who that is?? YES.... uncle Steve...haha. He was driving thru Springfield to drop off a dumptruck for a guy. He called kevin and asked Mitchell's address....so it happens that Mitchell is right along the freeway that steve is traveling on, soooo then he says i am gonna stop by the apartment and see if they are home. ok so missionaries are never home except after 10pm. Its about 8pm...but it so happened that Mitchell and Elder Treasure stopped home to grab something before their next appointment .....and low and behold someone knocks on the door....haha so they hugged and took a few pictures and then they were all back on the way to there destinations.....

what a sweet treat for Elder Houston and uncle Steve.

Elder Houston's email:

February 6, 2012

Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone how goes it Mom !! you rock i loved that email it made my week, already the best email ever! im so glad you all liked the picture and goodies ! ha sorry took so long to get it out there. ! haha dang! there were 400 pictures?? man ha thats alot, my bad ha. haha and sorry about the yawns its tough work out here, haha i POOPED. ya i kinda thought about taping over that was a bad idea, but i didnt think it would be that long. sorry i will use a new tape next time. im so glad primary liked the letter !! i was afraid it wouldnt work out on the tape so i just wrote as the spirit directed ha. im glad they liked it. it was the least i could do for all they and you did for me. i have been really bad on sending out thank yous. like for christmas and my birthday so PLEASE tell every one you see or when you talk to them thank you soooooo much from elder houston i love you all!!! thats so crazy cooper turning 16 !!!!!!! holy moly!! he a old fart! hahah tell him happy birthday for me and to watch out for them girls! they nothin but trouble ! haha.
well this week was another great one and kinda crazy to think like in three more months i will be at my one year mark!!!!!!!!!! that is so crazy!! time is going wayyy too fast i need to figure out how to slow it down. everything i try is not working !! haha heeeelp. but ya so this week.... on thursday we had zone conference and i love zone conference soooo much. its like a spiritual boost as well and a missionary work booster. i just want to go out and baptize the world!.. and the pope!.. hopefully the new president(of the US) will be lds already haha :) but ya this zone conference was especially delicious. Pres. Merkleys closing remarks were such a testimony builder for me and gave me a deeper appreciation for my Father as well as my Father in Heaven. he talked about becoming sons a moses and of aaron and how our fathers dont hold anything back from us because there love for us. they are not scared that we will become too great or too happy or how ever we may think. he just wants the best for us and the only thing getting in the way of those blessing are ourselves. He talked alot more about it and it was so amazing, i wish i could replay the experience for you all, but i not the greatest note taker ha sorry but i will remember it always in my heart and mind, and testimony as it continues to grow. Pres. merkley talked alot the time when he came out with us and it was such a confidence booster for me and was such a good feeling that i am doing what i am suppose to do. ha that dang man made us both start tearing up. i really have a special spot in my heart for him and all that he does for us and am going to really miss him when he is released in june :(. but i am ready to "wait upon the Lord" as said by Elder Robert D. Hales in this last general conference. i read that talk this morning and it has testified to me again of the importance that i let go of mine own wants and desires and to let go of pride and allow the Lord to do his work and glory through me, as i take steps of faith and act according to righteous principals, i will gradually see Gods plan taking shape in my life, and will be brought back into the bright sunlight of Gods love.
i love you all so much and thank you for the awesome email! cant wait to here from yall next week !!
so much love,
elder houston