Hey! It's me, Elder Howard. How was your week?
I wanted to send you an email, telling you some of the things I am experiencing from my mission here in Fiji this week. I wanted to know what's going on in your life, and if you know of any good advice for me or things you learned this week I could use in improving myself this week. I will live what you suggest. I love you and hope you get something you can maybe use from my email this week.
Is there anything I can specifically pray for to help you? Please send me an email letting me know how things are going. :)
Here is the bottom line of what I have gained this week of my 2 year mission: I am stripping everything out of my constitution of "who Elder Howard is," and then putting it back together in priority order with the Savior at the center. I am interested in just becoming a deeper level of humble, pure, effective, changed, like a child, usable, fully usable in Heavenly Father's hands, and who He wants me to become.
We have no time to become absorbed in ourselves.
I have recognized and attacked my weaknesses. And that is what I like about living! I love learning about what my weaknesses are and then targeting them and completely stripping them from me. I have a lot to learn, but I am so exuberantly excited about it, because I am all the way willing to change and be molded by the Lord and to live whatever He suggests I live. He is going to teach me how to be a real humble servant. That is what I want to be, perfectly: perfectly humble.
I listened to this talk by President Uchtdorf this morning:
Pride and the Priesthood
There was another one too,
To BEcome
They are really good talks you should read :)
I am finding any levels of Pride anywhere in my thoughts or actions, and am really happy and enjoying the growth. I am loving the Lord's mission. I am learning more about Jesus Christ every day. And it isn't just happening upon things about Christ--now it is that I have a real and undying hunger to REALLY know what He not only is, and not only what He wants me to do, but more importantly, what He wants me to be/become.
What are ways you think we can really come to know Christ and be more purely close to Him in real, daily, actual ways?
We had several of our investigators come to church on Sunday! The Hindi program here really has sooo many prepared people. In the time I have been in Suva, as we follow the patterns and promptings the Lord gives us, He leads us to what has now become around 40 new people who are eager to come learn about the Restored Gospel and then receive Baptism. As we work with them, we are realizing how much potential the Lord has for each of His children on this earth, and how He loves each one personally and knows each of us intimately. These people are ready to come unto Christ.
How can I direct people to Christ? What has worked for you? How can simple things i do, more effectively point people to Christ? That's what I want to perfectly get good at.
Teach me any ideas you've got.
We will have a lot of eternally changed lives this month as we continue to be all the way humble and absorbed in Christ and in consecration. THIS IS HAPPINESS: to console others, and take them from their current level, to a level where they feel understood, listened to, heard, helped, valued and important. I am changing a lot. I am making sure, with the Lord as the friend by my side, that all those changes are only good. I am enjoying following the schedules and rules with exactness and being patient with myself when I make mistakes, and forgiving all who otherwise would tempt me to be impatient. I love loving others, making them the one in the spot-light.
"Listening is an expression of love. It often requires sacrifice. When we truly listen to others, we often give up what we want to say so they can express themselves." that is a quote I ran into this week and have been practicing a lot.
Man, my companion, Elder Luatua--He is the man. He is my mentor and superior in soo many ways. I am the senior companion in the companionship in our work here in Suva, but all that means is I get to serve him in lowly humility and perfect united friendship. I take my role humbly, but seriously. I know the Lord has made me responsible for what happens in my area. But, Elder Luatua really is so pure and I just enjoy him. There is no one who is a better listener than him... and he knows how to do all the things I am working on improving in my actions. He is an amazing guy and I treasure our close friendship. We are lifting each other to our potential. We are learning important and life-changing lessons of discipleship and relationship and effective work ethics.
How do genuinely listen to others? How can you make someone really feel understood? do you have any ideas on that, you could share with me?
I am amazed at how he is serving his mission--and right now my mission is just to be there for my companion and spend my time making people other than myself the spotlight, valued, and loved and make them important; through letting the Light of Christ lead my actions and conversations to Christ and not Elder Howard.
Any of the "natural man"(ways I'm like the world instead of like Christ) you see in me, point out to me. I am nothing but mold-able in the Lord's hands now. I am ready to be and reach heights I've never known, by living President Uchtdorf's talks, living your advice, and consuming my mind in just learning deeply about Christ and how I can really be like what He IS, not just on the outside or superficially--but really reaching Him as urgently and desperately as He is reaching out to me.
Anything you are prompted to send to me, please don't hesitate. Anything you thing could help me be a better me more like the Savior, send it my way. I am hungry to be like the Savior, and that has no limit, so send me all the good you come across that i can use to better myself toward being like Him.
Bottom line, humility is my favorite flavor of happy. It connects to all great and happy attributes and opens all doors to all the best destinations.
I love you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
_humbly and meek, your friend
Elder Howard
I wanted to send you an email, telling you some of the things I am experiencing from my mission here in Fiji this week. I wanted to know what's going on in your life, and if you know of any good advice for me or things you learned this week I could use in improving myself this week. I will live what you suggest. I love you and hope you get something you can maybe use from my email this week.
Is there anything I can specifically pray for to help you? Please send me an email letting me know how things are going. :)
Here is the bottom line of what I have gained this week of my 2 year mission: I am stripping everything out of my constitution of "who Elder Howard is," and then putting it back together in priority order with the Savior at the center. I am interested in just becoming a deeper level of humble, pure, effective, changed, like a child, usable, fully usable in Heavenly Father's hands, and who He wants me to become.
We have no time to become absorbed in ourselves.
I have recognized and attacked my weaknesses. And that is what I like about living! I love learning about what my weaknesses are and then targeting them and completely stripping them from me. I have a lot to learn, but I am so exuberantly excited about it, because I am all the way willing to change and be molded by the Lord and to live whatever He suggests I live. He is going to teach me how to be a real humble servant. That is what I want to be, perfectly: perfectly humble.
I listened to this talk by President Uchtdorf this morning:
Pride and the Priesthood
There was another one too,
To BEcome
They are really good talks you should read :)
I am finding any levels of Pride anywhere in my thoughts or actions, and am really happy and enjoying the growth. I am loving the Lord's mission. I am learning more about Jesus Christ every day. And it isn't just happening upon things about Christ--now it is that I have a real and undying hunger to REALLY know what He not only is, and not only what He wants me to do, but more importantly, what He wants me to be/become.
What are ways you think we can really come to know Christ and be more purely close to Him in real, daily, actual ways?
We had several of our investigators come to church on Sunday! The Hindi program here really has sooo many prepared people. In the time I have been in Suva, as we follow the patterns and promptings the Lord gives us, He leads us to what has now become around 40 new people who are eager to come learn about the Restored Gospel and then receive Baptism. As we work with them, we are realizing how much potential the Lord has for each of His children on this earth, and how He loves each one personally and knows each of us intimately. These people are ready to come unto Christ.
How can I direct people to Christ? What has worked for you? How can simple things i do, more effectively point people to Christ? That's what I want to perfectly get good at.
Teach me any ideas you've got.
We will have a lot of eternally changed lives this month as we continue to be all the way humble and absorbed in Christ and in consecration. THIS IS HAPPINESS: to console others, and take them from their current level, to a level where they feel understood, listened to, heard, helped, valued and important. I am changing a lot. I am making sure, with the Lord as the friend by my side, that all those changes are only good. I am enjoying following the schedules and rules with exactness and being patient with myself when I make mistakes, and forgiving all who otherwise would tempt me to be impatient. I love loving others, making them the one in the spot-light.
"Listening is an expression of love. It often requires sacrifice. When we truly listen to others, we often give up what we want to say so they can express themselves." that is a quote I ran into this week and have been practicing a lot.
Man, my companion, Elder Luatua--He is the man. He is my mentor and superior in soo many ways. I am the senior companion in the companionship in our work here in Suva, but all that means is I get to serve him in lowly humility and perfect united friendship. I take my role humbly, but seriously. I know the Lord has made me responsible for what happens in my area. But, Elder Luatua really is so pure and I just enjoy him. There is no one who is a better listener than him... and he knows how to do all the things I am working on improving in my actions. He is an amazing guy and I treasure our close friendship. We are lifting each other to our potential. We are learning important and life-changing lessons of discipleship and relationship and effective work ethics.
How do genuinely listen to others? How can you make someone really feel understood? do you have any ideas on that, you could share with me?
I am amazed at how he is serving his mission--and right now my mission is just to be there for my companion and spend my time making people other than myself the spotlight, valued, and loved and make them important; through letting the Light of Christ lead my actions and conversations to Christ and not Elder Howard.
Any of the "natural man"(ways I'm like the world instead of like Christ) you see in me, point out to me. I am nothing but mold-able in the Lord's hands now. I am ready to be and reach heights I've never known, by living President Uchtdorf's talks, living your advice, and consuming my mind in just learning deeply about Christ and how I can really be like what He IS, not just on the outside or superficially--but really reaching Him as urgently and desperately as He is reaching out to me.
Anything you are prompted to send to me, please don't hesitate. Anything you thing could help me be a better me more like the Savior, send it my way. I am hungry to be like the Savior, and that has no limit, so send me all the good you come across that i can use to better myself toward being like Him.
Bottom line, humility is my favorite flavor of happy. It connects to all great and happy attributes and opens all doors to all the best destinations.
I love you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
_humbly and meek, your friend
Elder Howard
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