CELEBRATE!!!!! 1 YEAR!
It's been an exact year now. This week is my exact year mark. I have one year remaining.
For the 12 Disciples, it was an impossible task to feed the 5,000 in Christ's time, and for the 12 sets of missionaries in Suva, it is an impossible job to feed the 5,000+ in all of Suva--but Christ makes our efforts reach all. He it is that only requests our best and then steps in with us to magnify our crust of faith to 10,000 loaves.
Over the past year, I have gained enough first hand experience to say for certain Christ will reach you to your impossible dreams and visions if you'll set your eyes one Him and consistently keep them there as you go about DOing the impossible challenges He invites you to face with Him daily--He'll magnify you more than you imagined.
On top of being expected to find, minister to, save and exalt every individual and family in the largest City in this Nation, we also are commanded to go out and bring back the 2,581 Members of the Church who have been caught away by the trends of the world and left the fold. Jesus Christ sent one of His personal representatives to us 2 weeks ago, Elder Johannson, a General Authority--who blessed us powerfully. He gave us the power to go out and find all of these people and heal them and save them.
Do we really believe the impossible things we face, are possible?
I have learned, indeed they are. :)
Here in this work, there certainly isn't any vacation at all. We are devoted to this work, 24/7. For a full year now, every moment has been wholly and entirely consumed in nothing but constantly working to exalt and transform and save families and individuals--children of God. I have done the same what natural people may call "grueling" routines for 362 days now--nonstop.
Missions are not easy.
Missions are eternally rewarding.
Missions are impossible.
Missions transform you.
Missions change innumerable eternal lives in real, unfathomable ways.
Missions ARE the BEST!
I have truly now reached all I ever dreamed of and more. This is the ideal. I am completely outside of myself and all the weak, old, former parts of my natural man have been torn of and wrenched from my very being by the sheer stress and demanding labor of my service here in the field every waking minute. This is how we become like our Heavenly Father and like the Savior Jesus Christ, as they have invited us to. By losing our lives all the way to Their will. And as all we once were is shredded off from us and ripped relentlessly away, we discover the 'Self' we always had an inborn yearning to become. We become more than we could have ever wished.
That is what has happened to me.
This is what I have gained in one year of non-stop service as a soldier in the Lord's work, and in the intense warfare of these last days: (not all listed necessarily in any priority order or rhyme or reason to chronological listings)
I have grown in depth of soul, relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ, capability, ability, love, exact obedience, patience, ruling my circumstances rather than being acted upon by them, compassion, being fully teachable, mental strength, consistent health habits, determination, direction, understanding, work ethic, self-mastery, budgeting, communication, public speaking, gaining the strengths of all people around me, relationship principles, cleanliness, vocal skills and motivating techniques, companionship, adaptability, influence, hard work, leadership, initiative, planning, time-management, testimony, humor, sensitivity, bravery, power, meekness, wisdom, financial governance, all the small things, full independence, happiness no matter what can or ever could come, loyalty, security, conviction, self-motivation, problem solving, family raising techniques and skills, prioritizing, listening skills, faith, scriptural knowledgeability, driving skills, languages, linguistic and cultural adaptability, emotional maturity, physical strength, all my talents have more than doubled and blossomed, career and future vision is solid and clear now, ready to be an eternal father and fully, purely, relentlessly and passionately faithful husband, focused on magnifying my Priesthood callings from God, developed daily study habits, seeing clearly how Heavenly Father views me and my grand destiny and potential, setting realistic goals and reaching them consistently, becoming like my Savior Jesus Christ in real ways I never imagined or fully comprehended He could make of me, humble, unstoppable, non-stop progressing, long-suffering, adventurous, childlike, joyful.
This is a small list of just a few of the real things that missions visibly make of people. What mine has made of me in a year.
All these and more, are what the Lord can and will make of us as we give ourselves unreservedly and consistently to Him.
Knowing I have one year, presses me more to give more. It doesn't feel too different though, because I have lived my mission since day one with this mindset: "Live every day as if it is in the last week of my mission." For I will not wait until the future to live fully and give my best and all I have. I am living my dreams and feeling closer to the Savior Jesus Christ.
We have another year's worth of a joyful journey to go together.
I must give you personal and direct credit and acknowledgement for all you have done to be with me through all of this. You have plaid a role in who I now am. You have been with me throughout this year. From my heart, thank you!
From my soul, thank you, and I love you!
You individually have made a difference to me and this nation of Fiji. Let's take on an even better YEAR NOW!
:)
We are working harder than ever.
We have 6 amazing individuals who are preparing themselves for Baptism in the coming next week.
One of our dearest friends, and one of the most inspiring, pure, angelic people I've perhaps ever met, passed away this week. Pritika Prasad. It was a powerful moment, and soul stirring, filled with the peace and attendance of Heavenly Father and His angels, as we sung the lines of her favorite songs as she passed on into the eternal mansions of her anxiously waiting Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. 3 of us Missionaries sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" as she walked from this foreign world, to her true home. Her gentle, final breath on this side of the veil happened right as we sang her most beloved line of the song, "Oh Sweet, the Joy this sentence gives; 'I know that my Redeemer Lives'..."
One of her last goals left on her list of things to do for eternity, was to see the Savior's face. She did. She does, and met His real, loving, divine embrace.
In our District Meeting this past week, we got 2 papers that the Spirit had told me could change all of our lives if we allowed them to. On one paper we each wrote things we admire about each of the individuals individually in the room. Then we wrote down all the things Heavenly Father had to say to us personally. He spoke to each of us about His vision for us, and we wrote it down privately. We let Him redefine us and recreate us by His view of us and what we can be. Then, we got another paper and wrote all the things we would give up for Him. We wrote all and then tore that paper up and cast it away.
These 2 papers changed our lives.
Keep the L in it.
_Elder Howard
*****************************************
There is a new Elder in my mission who also is named "Elder Howard"!
He arrived and is learning Fijian, and I am Hindi. We swapped name tags. We are twins, eh? We became very close friends on sight. We immediately clicked and just pray and pray we'll be called to be companions, along with another friend of ours named "Elder Halbert." If we could be trio of Elders and go around introducing ourselves as "Hello, I'm Elder Howard, Elder Howard, Elder Halbert... we have a unique message.." it would certainly catch people's attention.(:
I have developed the ability to just sing on the spot about anything, and it comes out really profound and deep. I really like missionary work. There is nothing like it. You give all your whole soul to this work, thinking your giving pieces of yourself away... but each piece you give turns out to come back to you full force in blessing and positively transforming you. It is just fun seeing that all you thought you were giving up, is just magnificently given to you after all. God's way leads to all good things. Just keep walking forward, upward and outward. Keep walking where Christ directs you to walk, and all good things are bound to you, bound to follow you, better than you thought your way could perfectly do, His way will always be in your favor.
I just watched General Conference yesterday and the day before!! It reaches the Pacific late. Wow!!! What an unfathomable blessing to have living Prophets who speak the mind and will of God directly to us every 6 months.
>>> lds.org <<<
We have 6 amazing individuals who are preparing themselves for Baptism in the coming next week.
One of our dearest friends, and one of the most inspiring, pure, angelic people I've perhaps ever met, passed away this week. Pritika Prasad. It was a powerful moment, and soul stirring, filled with the peace and attendance of Heavenly Father and His angels, as we sung the lines of her favorite songs as she passed on into the eternal mansions of her anxiously waiting Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. 3 of us Missionaries sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" as she walked from this foreign world, to her true home. Her gentle, final breath on this side of the veil happened right as we sang her most beloved line of the song, "Oh Sweet, the Joy this sentence gives; 'I know that my Redeemer Lives'..."
One of her last goals left on her list of things to do for eternity, was to see the Savior's face. She did. She does, and met His real, loving, divine embrace.
In our District Meeting this past week, we got 2 papers that the Spirit had told me could change all of our lives if we allowed them to. On one paper we each wrote things we admire about each of the individuals individually in the room. Then we wrote down all the things Heavenly Father had to say to us personally. He spoke to each of us about His vision for us, and we wrote it down privately. We let Him redefine us and recreate us by His view of us and what we can be. Then, we got another paper and wrote all the things we would give up for Him. We wrote all and then tore that paper up and cast it away.
These 2 papers changed our lives.
Keep the L in it.
_Elder Howard
*****************************************
There is a new Elder in my mission who also is named "Elder Howard"!
I have developed the ability to just sing on the spot about anything, and it comes out really profound and deep. I really like missionary work. There is nothing like it. You give all your whole soul to this work, thinking your giving pieces of yourself away... but each piece you give turns out to come back to you full force in blessing and positively transforming you. It is just fun seeing that all you thought you were giving up, is just magnificently given to you after all. God's way leads to all good things. Just keep walking forward, upward and outward. Keep walking where Christ directs you to walk, and all good things are bound to you, bound to follow you, better than you thought your way could perfectly do, His way will always be in your favor.
I just watched General Conference yesterday and the day before!! It reaches the Pacific late. Wow!!! What an unfathomable blessing to have living Prophets who speak the mind and will of God directly to us every 6 months.
>>> lds.org <<<
Lastly, remember, keep humor in it! Life is fun! Live light! Live as a light! Enjoy to the End.
Until next week, and on to the whole year ahead--
Sincerely, love,
Elder Howard
Suva Fiji
Hindi Speaking
Mailing Address:
Elder Brandon Howard
Fiji Suva Mission Office
GPO Box 215
Suva, Fiji
Until next week, and on to the whole year ahead--
Sincerely, love,
Elder Howard
Suva Fiji
Hindi Speaking
Mailing Address:
Elder Brandon Howard
Fiji Suva Mission Office
GPO Box 215
Suva, Fiji
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