HOW to choose joy!

From the joyful and balmy islands of Fiji, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY 2015!!!! 

 

Literally every moment we find ourselves in, there's a full and glorious potential of LIGHT, Happiness, Joy, and Oneness with our Heavenly Father that can be achieved.  

Jesus Christ's beautiful gospel enables each of us divine and eternal children of our beloved Heavenly Father, to have all the tools and enabling strength and joy and power we need, to make that potential be FULLY AND AWESOMELY realized.  --That potential that lays dormant in each of our given moments of this current phase of Eternal Life.

You, as a Child of that Supreme Being--your personal and loving, eternal Father--have the destiny, right, and joyful opportunity to make ALL of your potential a reality!  

By the enabling, freeing, real, tangible, sweet, and strengthening power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you're given everything you need and more, to reach all your Heavenly Father highest believes in you--and all your unbounded and divine eternal potential has!





​I believe and know from this gospel and personal experience, that, we all on earth (Our Heavenly Father's eternal and divine Children,) are meant --even destined--to reach our full potential!  That's why Heavenly Father provided the Plan of Salvation which answers questions such as, "Where did I come from?," "Why am I here on earth..what is the purpose of my life?," "Where do I go after I die?," And "How can I know... for sure, from my Heavenly Father, what is true-  Really true?"  

You're here to, & meant to, reach all of it!
Not just some!

You can choose, however, not to reach all of it.

I'm 8,000 miles away from home, for 2 whole focused and hard working, joyful work because this message has given me that; and it works!  In every life of God's individual children.





Every morning, I choose joy.  I believe the morning holds the potential of the rest of your day. You can decide how GREAT that day will be--by Choosing These 3 Things:

• Pray.  Pray, from the heart.  Know Heavenly Father loves you more than you hope.  I testify He does.  He is aware of you.  He cares about you, and nothing you could tell Him could make Him love you less--only more.  He hears EVERY word.  He does everything to bless you lastingly and eternally for your good, if you trust His love and exercise faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.  Pray.  Pray for and ask for, earnestly, His enabling power and strength to be with you and magnify you.  Let Him know you ask for these things so that you may live fully pure and pleasing and worthy before Him for ONE day.  And at the end of the day, having drawn upon the enabling and strengthening power from Him and Christ's Atonement, thank Him.  And then repeat the next day!

This will change the whole day.  This is a choice that determines the quality and joy of your day.

• Smile ridiculously big!!! SMILE FROM YOUR SOUL--AND MEEEEAAAAAAN IT!  Stick with it and stick it to your face and don't put it off or down until 3 minutes are up.  Know that thanks to your knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, you are not governed by your circumstances, so no matter what comes in the day, you can CHOOSE JOY. At every moment.  This exercise will fill you with gratitude and light which will point you to your Heavenly Father.  This sets the direction for the rest of your entire day.

And the third step?

• REPEAT 1&2 AS NEEDED 

I Challenge YOU
To try this out!  It's so easy! And I promise you blessings if you exercise faith and put this to the test.

Lasting happiness comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That's why we're all here.

And our souls hunger and thirst until we find it and live it.

I testify of these things.  

GRATITUDE IS THE MOST POWERFUL THING.
OVERUSE IT.




My happiness thanks to this restored gospel, is to the point where nothing can take away my ridiculous happiness!  I mean it; my mood, my circumstances, conditions, surroundings, things others do or say, injury, "loss," pain, even mistakes!  None of these "have power to drag me down to the gulf of misery and endless woe."(Helaman 5:12, Book of Mormon.)  Because I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and from knowing Them, I know  Heavenly Father is the Author of every encouraging & hope-filled, improving, moving upward & forward, loved & loving & repenting & productive, Christ-centered thought!  And I use my Agency He's given me (the power to choose,) to choose these things.  Christ is the reason I'm able to be happy regardless of anything.

Cannibals eat Missionaries part 2!!

You don't have to read the following, if you don't want to.  Just keeping everyone posted on how Fiji is! 

In Fiji, there are still cannibals.  They legitimately eat people.  There are only a few of them, and they live up in villages by themselves--and the Fijians know where they are and warn the Missionaries. 
My companion was with one of his former companions, and went through one of these villages, and kept going even though the Holy Spirit was telling them to turn back and not continue.  The people invited them inside their houses.  There were no children in this village; only old people.  As my companion and his companion were sitting down in one of these houses with these people, half of the village was gathering firewood and rocks to kill them and cook them underground.  But, a Fijian who had been prompted by Heavenly Father to come in and save them, ran into the village and called out dramatically and frantically for the missionaries, and when he saw them in a house, he feared it might be too late.  The people were trying to keep the missionaries in and telling them not to listen to that guy, but to stay, stay, stay!  The Fijian that came to save them, ran in and pulled them out by their hands and dragged them swiftly out of the village.  He scolded them the entire way home.  They all thanked Heavenly Father, with all their hearts, for saving them.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture, but ! --> Our landlord painted our house GREEN AND RED, FOR CHRISTMAS!!!  It used to be pink.  We arrived home one day and were like..."Right property... wrong house. WOAH! WAIT!THAT'S OUR HOUSE!!!!" 

President Monson sent me a Christmas card!  I thought that was pretty cool!  He sent one out to each missionary. I love him!


We get swords in our mission!  We can chop off people's arms, we can cut down trees, we can mow our lawn with these, we can fend off mad cows or dogs.




I love it!! There are so many mosquitoes!!!  The other night, they were so thick and hungry.  I was sleeping, surrounded by my mosquito net, and they were all buzzing super high-pitched and desperate sounding.  They collect on the net, and I spray them with the bug spray I brought.  I love them.  Heavenly Father was so wise in creating them.  They're magnificent little creatures!  I'm amazed at them!  I am in awe at the thing Heavenly Father can do.  These mosquitoes were so thick and fierce, that I didn't even get out to go brush my teeth and floss that night.  My showers consist of slapping and spraying mosquitoes.. and sometimes I get around to actually cleaning myself.  But, the mosquitoes really are no thicker than they are in Virginia during the Summer.  


Truly when we're serving others, we're only serving ourselves.   When you serve selflessly and love and give your love and time and spirit for another, your spirit fills with light and joy and you receive more than you gave!  Heavenly Father is an acknowledger and eternal and meaningful rewarder of every good deed.  Learn to give yourself for others. Whatever we become here in mortality is meaningless unless it is done for the benefit of others.  Our gifts and talents are given to us to help us serve.  And in serving, we become like Christ.

We are here to help each other, to care for each other, to understand, forgive, and serve one another.  Anything we do to show love is worthwhile: a smile, a word of encouragement, a small act of sacrifice.  We grow by these actions.  We are where we need to be.  We are each receiving more help than we know.  Angels stand near us, waiting to assist us, rejoicing in our accomplishments &joys.  

Language

This week, all the natives, (members, non-members, missionaries, taxi drivers, investigators, etc.,) have been always been so surprised when I tell them I've only been here 3 weeks.  Last week, I was talking to a taxi driver while he drove us somewhere, and he thought I had been here 2 YEARS, and hardly believed me when I said I'd only been here two weeks.  He said my Fijian is native and fluent.  At first, I thought he was just being nice; but then everyone was having the same reaction and saying the same thing!  They are amazed at how well I speak.  The missionaries say that I speak ridiculously good.  I now engage just about any crowd or individual in conversation in their own native Fijian tongue.  I credit this all to Heavenly Father's enabling and strengthening power.  I credit it, humbly and gratefully to you.  Your prayers for me.  Your faith.  I credit it to Him enabling me to work hard, and in my loving to only be out of my comfort zone! To not be afraid to mess up, all the time!   The Lord will enable you, if you trust His love and work joyfully and patiently have perfect and full faith.  As long as you keep walking, you will get their; gloriously and triumphantly!  That's the promise of our lives here in mortality! 

The other day, I sang soprano, sang a Christmas song in Fijian, in front of about 1000 Fijians.  They were amazed and loved it! 


Our lizards in our house are like dogs.  They bite each other's heads playfully, they wag their tails, and they bark.

Cannibals Eat Missionaries!

Hey! It's Elda Brandon Scott Howard, of the Fiji Suva Mission!

  I love you!  8,000 miles from home, I'm sharing the joy of the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. So much has happened this week, and I'm too happy and too excited!!!  

This has literally been the best week of my entire existence so far!  Thanks to this gospel of Jesus Christ, every new day--(&every new week)--of my life is ridiculously and unstoppably, superly joyful and better than the last!!! And this, regardless of circumstances or what trials or difficulties or dangers or illness or disappointment I may EVER face!!! 


Isn't this the kind of message the world needs?  Each eternal and beloved Child of our great and personal, loving Heavenly Father--each one hungers and yearsfor this!!!!

I can testify it works! It's real!  It's lasting and deep ridiculous happiness and meaning and answers to ALL of life's great questions--all the questions your soul hungers for and wishes there were answers to.
Heavenly Father Himself has spoken again in our day and restored personally, all these truths and all that each soul wants and hungers for.  Living prophets who Christ Himself leads and directs and speaks with, lead His church.  The fullness of the gospel is fully true, and each may know for himself, directly from God the Eternal Father.

THIS is what 88,000 joyful, humble, simple, happy young men and women just like me, are doing all over the world at this moment; sharing this gospel, for 2 full years of their lives.  Volunteering at their own expense and support, to forgo all other interests and go out and share this message.  To bless individuals and families!  The message is true and Heavenly Father has prepared it for you, to bless your family now and in eternity!

www.mormon.org, www.lds.org

Please, Ask any missionary in your area!  Ask any member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  Ask me!

Life is beyond fantastic!!!

Some keys on how to get along and be perfectly friends with ANYONE: 
I get along perfectly and fully with anyone and everyone Heavenly Father puts in my path.  I get along so wonderfully and fully with any companion Heavenly Father sends me to, thanks to His enabling power and sanctifying Spirit.  When we go on exchanges every week, with other areas, and I get to be with other Elders, they sometimes go into it apprehensive and expecting to not get along.  But I pray, smile, am filled with His love for them, serve them with all my joy, love, and heart, and they are taken aback!  They are then filled with the Spirit, and return whatever I send around.  Heavenly Father has taught me, just like in General Conference as they said, "It takes two to contend, and I will never be one of them."  Love your companion too much!  Serve them too selflessly and too much! Pray for them by name.  Pray with them.  Only look at their good and beautiful and admirable--and compliment it and comment about it glowingly, and then they have no desire but to live up to your view of them!  They become what you tell them you admire about them!  They choose to use their own agency to be those positive things they now believe they are and can be!  It's beautiful to watch Heavenly Father work with each individual!  The enabling and strengthening power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the Sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, make it so that it's impossible to not get along with any individual, regardless of anything-- if these two powers are flooding everything else out, there's only room for light and grace and unity.  Also, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care--so when you choose to not care about your pride and your "being right," and advocating your own viewpoint and being stubborn, you're choosing to be hated by and to hate them. But if you only care about seeing things through their eyes and putting you and them, out of your shoes and in theirs, then they respect you when they see you doing that.  They respect you only caring about their viewpoint and shoes, so much that they will jump equally over to your viewpoint and in your shoes! That always works! That's how I reach oneness and unity with each and any child of God.  

That's one of my favorite things Heavenly Father told me this week!!!!!

Me and Elda Nawahine have decided we want to lead the entire mission in numbers and joy and success.  He says his whole view on life and response to anything that ever happens, has changed completely.  He is now grateful for everything good or bad that happens, and he's constantly and unendingly ridiculously happy like me now!  Our influence upon others, changes them!  Christ told us to shine, so that others could catch on fire from our blaze!  What a joy this restored gospel is!

I burn with testimony of this work!  It's an eternal fire!  I am fully here!  I am fully being used by Heavenly Father, and I love seeing His miracles and hand undeniably and unmistakeable in each hour of each day!

One of these pictures is my room.  I won't tell you which. 

Last Monday, I bought a backpack(those are allowed in this mission,) and a big sandwich.  While buying the backpack, I was prompted to share the gospel with the Fijian lady who helped me choose the backpack in the store I got it from.  I went back in the store to find her and share the gospel with her, and went up to someone who looked so much like her--so much that I thought it was her--and I shared it with this person.  Then, I realized it was a different person!  Heavenly Father had aligned all the details, for this lady to wear the same random dress and be in the same store and look so much like the person I was intending to share the gospel with--so that she could get the gospel!  He's in control of ALL the awesome small details.  We can trust Him fully and completely. Give Him your life, completely and wholly.  DON'T hold anything back! I promise He can make 435645645745635454x more out of you than you even highest hope and dream of making of your life and self.  His way is better! I promise without hesitation or reservation!

Then, I got on a bus to go to our next destination.  I shared the gospel with a wonderful Hindi man, but in getting off the bus, I forgot about my backpack and sandwich!!  When I realized this, I chose to be grateful and happy and amused.  We can choose joy in any moment, all the time!! So why not always choose it!!!? Why choose anything other than gratitude and joy?  CHOOSE JOY, IN EACH MOMENT YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF!  THIS GOSPEL IS THE HOW.  THE WHY. IT'S THE KEY TO OPEN THE POTENTIAL IN OUR LIVES!

I may have lost a $40.00 backpack and a huge sandwich, but I traded it for that guys eternal joy and salvation!  Joyful awesome trade, if you ask me!

About the cannibals... keep reading...!!!

Pictures! And Be Sure to Share the Gift!

Me crossing a river to a hut in a village


Me lying on the floor of a member's home.  Ate so much, I had to lay down and just digest.  (Just kidding.  I can eat endlessly without it ever being too much. It's a really handy skill to have in this culture.)  I've been trying my hardest to gain weight, but nothing happens but muscle building!  It's awesome!  I'm going to come home black from the sun, and buff from... everything.

Dinner I made my companion while he had worms eating his brain.
The name of the pan of rice that's smiling, is Alfred Marau Edible.  We ate his brains. I considered putting a noodle inside of Alfred, so that my companion could kill the worm in his brain. 


a morning view out my bedroom in the flat in the Bau area here in Viti Levu.



 FIJIAN CHILDREN ARE THE MOST AWESOMEISTISTIST ONES


Random note that has nothing to do with these pictures: My companion is from Hawaii.  We are close as eternal family.  He's the man. 

 http://www.mormon.org/christmas  <<<  Great video! Please watch and share!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 
 
This spider is my friend.  He lives in my bathroom!

FISHHEAD!

I have SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to tell!!! But I'm too busy sharing the gospel!  I must use the Lord's time, doing His work while I'm here.  I'll tell you all about it in 2 years, and all the years of my life after this. But now is the day the Lord has given me, and I'm fully and completely swallowed up in the work of bringing about the Exaltation and Eternal Life of man.


I am doing beyond great!! The first week went so great!!!! Better than I even imagined or hoped it could!  Me and Elder Nawahine get along perfectly. I'm as close to him as any friend I ever had back home, and as close to him as my own family! We only uplift each other. We laugh and sing and work in perfect unity.  We are both learning SO MUCH from one another. He is an awesome and celestial missionary! We are sharing the gospel enthusiastically, freely, and joyfully literally every opportunity Heavenly Father gives us.  I'm thriving here.  I blessed the Sacrament on Sunday, and shared a long and wonderful testimony completely in Fijian, and I speak freely in Fijian to all the members and love them and they love me. I've certainly been eating good.  I'm healthy.  I feel like I belong in Fiji more than I belong anywhere else in the world.  This is where I thrive!!!! I feel more united with Heavenly Father, and completely one with Him, more than I feel I ever.  My love for Him and our Savior is stronger than it's been at anytime in my existence up to this point.  I have absolute zero homesickness. I am fully and completely here. I have withheld none of myself from the Lord, I'm fully given over to Him and we're One.  I CAN'T KEEP FROM BEING SUPER RIDICULOUSLY HAPPY! THIS WORK IS SO ENERGIZING!  

I know selective obedience brings selective blessings. I'm here to be 100% obedient, 100% in the work, 100% one with Christ and my personal and literal Eternal Father; not 99%. 

With Heavenly Father's enabling and strengthening power, I'll literally have NO regrets at all.  

I am here with total surrender to Him.
I have given and consecrated myself fully--not partly.
My predominant and consuming desire is to do what the Lord wants me to do.



My companion had worms in his brain this week.  I gave him a Priesthood blessing, and the power of this restored priesthood power and authority Heavenly Father restored to the earth, my companion was healed.  I got to make him delicious surprise meals for him and be there for him and serve and love him while he was suffering.  We have such great times. He says my non-stop ridiculously happy and always positive attitude has rubbed off on him.  Now he's thankful for everything good or "bad" that happens and he chooses joy no matter what the circumstance or conditions we're in.  I love him!!  I love the truth of this gospel, and I'm so thankful for priesthood power.  Me and my companion have dreams and visions from the Lord, and they come true and we see their fulfillment. 




Here's the fishhead! I ate the whole thing! Sucking out the eyeballs and brain was weird, but awesome!  I saw the head on the table during our Bau Branch Christmas Party, and immediately grabbed it and asked the members and my companion to help me know which parts to eat... they said, "All of it is to eat, Elder! Eat it all!"  I happily did so!


And this picture is just really strong wind that blew me sideways :) 

First week of Total Fijian Happiness!!!

When we arrived in Nadi, Fiji, we had some troubles with some of our documents, so we had to wait a while in Immigrations.  

THIS WAS PLANNED BY HEAVENLY FATHER.  

It gave me opportunities to share the gospel, in the lines, with everyone, everywhere around us!  One person was also having troubles with their documents, and I got to talk to him and write my testimony in the front of a Book of Mormon; Another Testament of Jesus Christ, and give it to him.  Everything Heavenly Father does, is to lift, love, bless, exalt and help His beloved children. YOU MIGHT NOT REALIZE IT BUT, EVERY MOMENT YOU'RE IN, Heavenly Father has someone you can lift, love, and share light and joy with.  The whole world is prepared to receive this restored gospel--I'm convinced of this!  YOU are how it's going to get to them.  Burn bright!Seriously!! The world needs your light!  (emphasis on NEEDS ) Pray to be enabled, and He will enable you! 

Believe He will.

Because, I know and testify He can and will.

Trust Him fully, perfectly and completely.

You've got power! Use it!

It's His power; and He'll give it to you if you ask.

I dare you!  This work is fun!

JOIN ME! 

join Heavenly Father! Come roll up your sleeves and get some ridiculous eternal happiness!! 

You get happiness by sharing it! 

The restored gospel is where all of it is--so sharing the gospel is the way to get all of the happiness in existence by sharing it!!!!!

When we figured out our documents and were good to go, we just kept sharing the gospel!

We got on a bus that would take us to Suva (halfway around the island, on the other side of Viti Levu).

Fiji Buses are NOT like American buses!  They are PACKED.  There is no space wasted!  There's practically no isle at all down the middle of the bus, and there is constantly loud pop music playing.  There's no such thing as personal space.  I love it!!!

I was seated by a young adult hindi man.  We talked the entire bus ride!  I was blown away by Fiji's beauty and woooooooooooooooooooooooow it's a spectactle beyond what you'd believe! MAN! WOW! But, I wasn't taking any pictures or focusing on the beauty of Fiji, because that's not what I'm here to do.  I was consumed in taking to this guy, to bring him closer to his Savior, Jesus Christ.  I shared the Testimony of The Prophet Joseph Smith pamphlet, we went through almost all of it, and the Spirit was so strong testify of the truths that we discussed.  I learned so much from this man.  He has blessed me so much!  He's had such incredible experiences in his life.

EVERYBODY IS(HAS) AN INTERESTING STORY. 

their story is there to be heard! go hear it! you'll love it!!! EVery soul is beautiful and you can learn something from literally everyone you talk to!

Then, we had to get off that bus and transfer over to another line, in order to get to Suva.


On this next bus, I was seated by one Fijian woman who was too depressed to talk to me at all, and a Indian woman and her 7yr old daughter... neither of which spoke any Fijian or English.  I asked Heavenly Father to bless me to be able to share the gospel anyway--and just like I promised you and He promises all of us; He enabled me!  I got out a pad of paper and drew things about myself, like Unicycling while playing guitar and singing.  I got out the General Conference Ensign and showed them pictures from it.  I got out a stack of pictures of the Savior's life and ministry, and these things all uplifted them and brought them closer to Jesus Christ. I also pulled out my super-marked scriptures, and they were impossible to not look at--very colorful and written in.  And then for the Fijian woman, I got out my Fijian "True To The Faith" book and went to the topic, "Adversity," and read it aloud and next to her so she could see it if she chose to.

We had no food to eat or water to drink for so many hours while on our way to Suva, and I still had my suit coat on.  But, we were overpowered with happiness.  The gospel is food and water and airconditioning beyond anything the earth can provide for our physical bodies alone. 


I lost my bus ticket in a Book of Mormon I gave to someone on the bus.  But Heavenly Father blessed that book to not make it off the bus--so I could have my ticket.  Wow! Heavenly Father is literally on top of literally everything!  It's amazing to watch and participate in!  You can come participate in it too!  I invite you! He invites you!

We were picked up by missionaries waiting for us at the bus stop in Suva.  They drove us to the Temple grounds where the Mission Home is located.  I hugged my mission president, President Layton, right when I saw him! He and Sister Layton are incredible! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH !!!!  THIS IS THE BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD. 

We went to town and bought my first Sulu! (The Man-Skirt)

SO MUCH BETTER THAN PANTS!!!! I NEVER WANT TO SWITCH BACK!