No Head ;) * 8 Meals

THIS WAS THE BEST CHRISTMAS SEASON THAT EVER HAPPENED IN FIJI. 

And it was my last Christmas in Fiji.

​(Note: Absolutely no photo-shopping, Eagle Scout's Honor ^_^. Just the Spirit of the Season bursting out of me ... can't be contained.)

I have soooo much to share... wow... I have like 3 lifetime's worth of incredible experiences to share with you, and like 3 minutes left to email for this week.  I will just make sure to send you the photos and go from there as best I can.

This was a Happy Blue Christmas!

16 Missionaries had a sleep over and games together and then in the morning we all sang Christmas songs together and had a powerful and very spirit-filled devotional where we all read the Christmas story together and had an inspiring testimony meeting and then a breakfast we all shared together.  Then we went all over the city trying to get my Christmas presents out to everyone we love...which is everyone... literally.  My companion and I each spent time by ourselves, privately in our home and just quietly spent personal time with Jesus Christ, pondering all He has done for us.  In the conversation with Him on Christmas, I received wonderful gifts of peace and hope for all He yet has in store for me and all that is ahead for me and Him to accomplish together.  I am so grateful for that sacred time we made to just be with the Savior on His holy and happy, enriching and enlivening day!  We then walked all the way across town and had a wonderful lunch with a member, and sang every Christmas song in the entire Hymnbook while we happily and contentedly waited for her to finish cooking.  We laughed and shared testimonies and then ate and ate and ate!  And then we had meals surprise-pre-prepared for us everywhere we went the whole day!  We had lunch also at Asmin's house!  We had the best Christmas as we looked inside their house and saw how drastically everything has changed!  It was their first Christmas ever!! Last Christmas, they didn't celebrate because they were Muslim.  Heavenly Father had great plans for them.  They are transforming the lives of every person they are in contact with.  They are a huge influence on their little community of friends, and everyone is strengthened by them.  They are so excitedly preparing for the Temple and for their own Missions.  We then had dinner at the Whippy house... probably the fanciest house I've been in in Fiji.  It was really something.  But ultimately, nothing topped just being with the Savior on Christmas.  And the next day I got to be with my entire immediate family and nieces and nephews and siblings' in-laws!  You are all the best!

It was another bush Christmas!  Ayrrg!!!  Manjula, who was Baptized in October, gave us these as a Christmas present, from her own tree!  You can't imagine how much better Fiji bananas taste compared to American bananas!

 This was at the Stake President's house.  The Varea's!  They are from Rotuma, and are one of my favorite families in Fiji as you might already know.  If I get transferred out of this area next transfer there are definitely a lot of families I am going to take with me from this area to wherever I go next.

These are centipedes!  They can get really big and bite way painfully and can actually make you go numb and limp where they bite.  They wander all the way through our house into my companion's laundry.  When life gives you something scary, turn that scary thing it gives you into your mustache!  *You can quote me on that one*

This was our Zone Party.  I drew the whiteboard design.  Surprisingly, we actually all did get sleep that night.  We had a very productive day the next morning.  We have the best zone

My District had 3 Christmas Parties I organized and planned.  One of which was in a home-made iglu!  These pictures where after we took the iglu down.  I will send you some of the actual iglu as well.

To enter, all you could see at first was the entrance tunnel to the igloo (the nursery room in one of our chapels).  Then you get in and there are walls and sheets and 2 Christmas trees and food and presents and stuffed animals and too much fun.  We all crawled in and had District Meeting in there together!

Here was another one of the parties I organized for our District!  We all contributed to a wonderful Christmas feast and fun!

The last photo here was where the Alldredges had us over for dinner.  I haven't felt or seen a real comfy area rug in ages!  I just went right on it and melted.  They also gave me a candle just like the ones family and I always have back home!

This was a home-made Manger Scene that one of my most beloved families in this area (the Kumar family,) made.  

This was when our power went out after Christmas and we had Candle fun for the first time in this area.  We had a power outage around this time last year also.

Our District is just THRIVING!  Everyone in the District has daily contact with me and we all had the Merriest Christmas together.  They just call me up and say what happened to them that day and how the work is going and share openly.  Simple and meaningful.  We all love being around each other.  We consider one another a family, more than we think of it as-or feel we are-a District.   We had the best Christmas together!  I made sure everyone in our District could truly say, that this Christmas was their best yet, and one to remember for a lifetime.

We made Videos for our Investigators who were home-bound and lonely or in pain this Christmas.  We sang for them and shared our individual testimonies and words of love and cheer and comfort.  These videos were very meaningful and the love has touched the people we are working with, deeply. 

We had a great Christmas week!  We plan everything well a week in advance now, so, we were still able to have some great Member Presents and still have 20 lessons despite the huge struggle of Christmas time.  All of our Baptismal Dates and people that had Baptismal Dates but have pushed them back because they are trying to fully overcome Word of Wisdom problems, are doing well and we are pleased with the privilege of being able to be part of the source for them, for their freedom from these monsters they are facing, and getting out of these prisons of addiction.  The Savior is crowding out all the darkness from their lives.  We have a great and clear vision of their paths ahead, and we have the long-suffering required to see them through to the Kingdom of God.  Salvation sure never is a cheap experience, is it? But Joy is the Reward if Love is the Motive! (:

We meet probably 40 really good contacts every week now that we are on foot!  The golden people are everywhere surrounding and outnumbering us!  Our area is ready to split.

Love, and more next week,
Elder Howard

An Exalted Purpose

Are you excited! ?  I am. A Savior is Born. (The Best Link You've Ever Clicked) That link is my Christmas gift to all the world.  I want you to enjoy it.  It is for you, and then you share it.  What would the world be like if there had never been a Savior?  Luckily that world doesn't exist.  I am profoundly grateful for all my Savior has done for me and you, especially that He blessed me and you to be friends. I just want to wish you and your family, and your buddies around you, and your...uh.. pets of any kind maybe... a Merry Christmas and my wishes that everything is going very Merry and good over there! (:  My I love you, to you, is also my gift i can give without wrapping and paper.

Let me know what one thing you did for Christmas was.  I like hearing about what people do for Christmas, and you're a fun person--share the fun!  I want some(;

Here is my Christmas Eve week report:

One of the most important things gained on my mission has certainly been coming to a complete understanding of my mortal and eternal identity, unbounded potential, and destiny and above all; the know-how and the empowering enablement to reach all of it.  Heavenly Father can reveal things to us in our daily conversations with Him personally, that can shape everything that will ever follow, not only in that 24hr period, but built off of thousands of compiling 24hr periods leading up to every eternity that is yet to come.  These conversations are completely transforming everything I am.  He is raising me to a deeper and higher understanding and capability; broadening my capacity every waking day of the short time I have out here in the Islands.

This week itself felt like a month, and yet somehow has flown by... at the same time.  That's the way time works on the mission.  This is the last Christmas I will be spending as a full-time missionary in Fiji.  Next week I will follow up and tell you what I did to make sure it was the best one yet.

This is part of my new Daily Planner cover:

I love to contemplate what it cost our Father in Heaven to give us the gift of His Beloved Son, that worthy Son of our Father, who so loved the world that He laid His life down to redeem the world, to save us and to feed us spiritually while we walk in this life, and prepare us to go and dwell with Him in the eternal worlds. …

... I saw, seated on a raised platform, the most glorious being my eyes have ever beheld or that I ever conceived existed in all the eternal worlds.

As I approached to be introduced, He arose and stepped towards me with extended arms, and He smiled as He softly spoke my name. If I shall live to be a million years old, I shall never forget that smile. He took me into His arms and kissed me, pressed me to His bosom, and blessed me, until the marrow of my bones seemed to melt! When He had finished, I fell at His feet, and, as I bathed them with my tears and kisses, I saw the prints of the nails in the feet of the Redeemer of the world. The feeling that I had in the presence of Him who hath all things in His hands, to have His love, His affection, and His blessing was such that if I can receive that of which I had but a foretaste, I would give all that I am, all that I ever hope to be, to feel what I then felt!

… I see Jesus not now upon the cross. I do not see His brow pierced with thorns nor His hands torn with the nails, but I see Him smiling, with extended arms, saying to us all: "Come unto me!" (See Reference)  

I, Elder Howard--like the Servant of the Master who bore this powerful testimony--bear the same testimony to you.  I can tell you that I know the Savior.  I know He lives, just as surely and deeply as if He has stood before my very eyes daily.  I can testify to the world, without any shame, and with joy and exuberance and passion, that I know Jesus Christ is a real person.  Each of our lives will be meaningless until we make that personal relationship with Him the top priority of the Time which He has gifted to us for this short sojourn on this brief world, to prepare for the eternal worlds.  I testify that the testimony of all the living Prophets today and all that have testified of the Savior of Mankind since before this world's history even began to be written by historians, are true.  I know it, and you can know it.  The power of heavenly Father's voice to the inner being that your spirit is, inside of you, is a voice and impression beyond physical senses, and beyond your eternal consciousness' ability to deny.  Jesus Christ and heavenly Father are real Beings.  Personal and approachable, glorious, exalted and eternal; most importantly, interested in you.  Their whole motives, are just focused on you.  Their affection and intentions and energies are all invested in one specific grand thing: You.  Endless and Infinite.  And Their intentions are for you to become even as They are.  Not to remain as you are. You are a Child of God. Destined to Grow Up. That is another thing I know with ever fiber of every piece of the being that makes up Elder Howard.  You are divine and more than human.  Your purpose is more than mundane.  He will open that purpose as you are ready and prove you are willing to seek, work, and especially take action through Covenants such as Baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and the Endowment of knowledge and power that He wishes to give you in His holy Temple, and that of strengthening and making eternal your wonderful, bright, beloved Family.  Yours is a divinity beyond compare.  Only you can get you there.  You can only get you there, by going to Christ more real-ly and ful-ly than you've ever real-ly and ful-ly gone to Him before.  You need to wake up to a more awake level of living, or you'll sleep through your grandest time to perform.  You prepared for this life for Eternities.  Are you living as a Deer in the Headlights, or Driving the Car and Shining the Headlights--so to speak.  Choose which role you will live out from this day on.  And prove heavenly Father, your personal and on-looking and personally attending and ever-present, loving Heavenly Father right about everything He highest believed in you when He sent you to earth and saw all you could highest become.  How are you doing on it?  What priorities will you and I change right now... to get off the road, stop eating grass with our buddies, and hop in the driver' seat and shine the headlights.  Your road is meant to be deliberately and meaningfully traveled.  Get in the Word of God daily, and you'll get a step closer to your most abundant life daily; and even unto the glories of eternal life you were always meant for.  All depends on what you do now, to build your personal, intimate, closeness to the Savior of you, Jesus Christ.  This is my Christmas Testimony to you, in the name of your author and editor to the grandest version of your book of life, even Jesus Christ, amen.

​I will share more about what happened this week:
​

Last Christmas I was in Bau, having a great celebration with the villagers in the bush.  The wild of the Islands.  This year I am in the most densely populated area in the entire nation.  Thankfully though, heavenly Father sent me a miracle gift this week.  

It was the last day of our time having a car to drive around.  I was driving down a road that I hadn't meant to drive down, and someone called out, "Elder Howaad!" I glanced over as we drove at the speed of a bullet, and then as soon as I realized who it was, I stopped at the speed of a...whatever stops super fast... and got out of the car, and tackled my best friend from my first area in the mission a year ago!  Ilaitia Cava!!!! 

That made my day. He knew hardly any English last time I saw him, and now he sounds like an American almost!  I was totally blown away.  I was totally not expecting that!  What a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.  This had been one of my very favorite people from my first area in the mission, and heavenly Father had sent him to randomly be trimming a random bush on the side of a random road that I had accidentally randomly turned down. (Nothing is random)

Also, another thing we did for Christmas, was that at our last District Meeting, we had a Christmas, Birthday, Farewell, New Year's Celebration all together as a District.  2 of the Missionaries in our District had birthdays this month, and Sister Levave was finishing her mission this month, and it is almost New Year's.  So I just surprised my District by packing it all into one!  Me and Elder Datoon spent part of our Preparation Day on Monday buying Christmas lights and preparations for the surprise to our District.  We went to a Beach and filmed a farewell video and a farewell rap for Sister Levave as well as going to all her favorite Members and the Bishop and having them give comments and compliments on her tremendous service in Fiji for the past year and a half. We decorated the entire Chapel on Tuesday, even with lights synchronized with fancy Christmas music, snow, Christmas Trees, Samoan colors, Gifts, a huge buffet of food provided by members and Distirct Members, and imbe's and loloma's from everyone.  The Assistants to the President came down to join us, we all discussed how we can help the people we are currently working with as Missionaries.  It was one of the most special memories of each of our missions.  We cried and sang and shared with one another inspiring thoughts and testimonies and laughed and joked and pondered and cried some more and ate delicious Christmas Feast food and then took pictures and quickly helped each other take down all the decorations and get out to work on the streets.  It was the best Christmas... and it isn't even actually Christmas yet! It made all the difference to each one of us, and we will remember it for the rest of our lives.  I have been so blessed to learn how to effectively and simply plan and carry out activities and meetings and goals.  I am so thankful for this District. 

We received 2 new members of my District.  Elder Court and Sister Baki.  They are 2 of my favorite missionaries in the nation!  One of them was a fellow missionary I came to Fiji with!  We are the best District in the World.  They are adjusting very well.  Everyone in the District contacts me daily and just talks about the work and the miracles and the progress.  It really is my favorite time of my life pretty much so far.  This is the most wonderful season of all.  Merry Christmas!!  

My life is everything I could have ever hoped and more...so much more... Now that I have that and have received it, I've had my share (: Now, it is my turn to spend the rest of my life giving it!  

Time for each of us to do something legendary, by following perfectly closely in the Savior's path.   His footsteps lead to the most beautiful places and fulfillment.   

This is the point where my story comes alive.  I'm determined to live bold, live passionate.  About all good things, I tell myself and know: "It is Possible!" And then go do it. And then it is done. 

That's a little skim over of my week.  More in my journal.

Eternity--composed of Now's

Hey!  You are doing well.  It is good to hear from you and I hope you will keep me up on what's up with you this Christmas Season!  I wish you a Holly Jolly Happy Hindi Christmas!  I love and pray for you and your reaching of all your goals this Christmas time.  One thing I learned yesterday was that Christmas, broken down in it's original linguistic roots means The Savior's Mission.  Christ's Mission.  mas meant mission.  This is the time when we remember Christ mission, and make it our mission. he didn't come to just be amazing, He came because He wants to see you become amazing by working along side Him and giving up all you are to receive instead all you can be.

This is Christmas!

As for how my life is going, just picture the most BUSY, productive, satisfying and fulfilling life... and that's how it is constantly here.   We are more busy than you would believe, and now we don't have car to help us.  Our car is needed elsewhere in the mission, and we have never in all my mission time had so much work and so many progressing and just heavenly people all over the city to work with constantly... it is the Lord's work and DEFINITELY requires His capability, ability and strength and wisdom.  We watch the fullness of that flow through us non-stop in direct accordance with our humility and exact obedience and minds focused on the Covenants we have made with our holy and loving, wise heavenly Father.  We are becoming like Him.  We are His investigators, and He is the best teacher.  He is transforming us. We can't live as anything less than all we were destined to be; it's just not how God intended us to take this grand opportunity of earth life.  This is the only chance we ever gonna get--and He expects us to realize that and rise up.  

Eternity--is composed of Now's.

I want you to know what is most important this Christmas season.

If you take Jesus Christ as your gift this season, you get it all.  If you take anything else as your gift this season, you get nothing and lose it all.  Only if you choose to come unto Christ as you never have before, can this Christmas be the one that your children will talk about for generations to come, as having made all the difference for the whole remaining balance of your life.  There is a story you can probably find on the internet (can't look it up for you because I am a Missionary and don't use the Internet for anything but emailing) you can find a story that made me cry... Paste this in and see if you find the story: "The Painting years ago there was a very wealthy man"  And just take whatever comes up.  I think that will lead you to the right Christmas story I heard.  If not, I apologize.

I might say that this week was one of the largest and happiest transitions of my mission.  It certainly has made all the difference.  I have changed everything.  I now am able to be on top of all the duties I manage, and feel in perfect balance in everything in my life and calling.  I feel very, very fulfilled and satisfied.  I know how to manage and plan ahead so that every week is a joy and runs smoothly.  Everything in my power is well organized and exactly as I plan it.  Everything else depends on the agency of others.  

I have now come to fully see my District Members in a whole new light.  That was the biggest change this week.  I have made my own Area Book for each member of the District.  I have individual progress records for each individual and treat each one with as much whole-hearted and deep love as I have for each of our 50+ investigators.  I finally see my missionaries... as investigators!  Their Progress and my relationship with them has become number one priority for me in all things.  The only thing above my District Members in priority list as far as my focus and energies and attention and love and sacrifice, is Elder Datoon.  My Trainee is my whole focus, then the District, then the Investigators, then the Returning Members.  I feel I have grown the most in this week.  It dramatically changed the way I work with my District, thanks to the advice and help of one of my dearest friends, my brother, Elder Kanongata'a.  

I studied John 10 very seriously and hard the other day, and the Lord spoke many revelations to me that helped me see my position as a Shepard in this sacred District in a whole new way.  I am so excited to watch the Lord work in creating solutions to their problems through me and building our friendships stronger than the cords of death.  It is a good day.

Everyone in the District is doing so well.  I have great conversations with them each personally daily, and they all open up to me and seek my help in what they each are going through, and the Lord teaches me how to address it.  I know that He loves to watch us grow and progress and take joy and satisfaction in the work.

I am dedicated to making this Christmas the best Christmas time that my District has ever had.  Those currently in it, and any that might be coming in soon to replace people.  One of our Sisters, Sister Levave, will be finishing her mission this week.

We really are all just thriving. I am now going on exchanges with my Elders almost every week.  I am just excited to harness the full power of exchanges.  Every exchange I rise to a greater mastery of how to juice out the full deep potential an exchange has upon a missionaries week, and entire mission ahead.  I benefit so much as well, from what my comrades teach me through their wisdom and good inspired examples.  Elder Kanongata'a really helps me in carrying more effectively the weight of the District, just by keeping me aware of everything and anything he ever comes to know about.  He talks to me and we discuss what I can do to more fully and directly meet the needs of each member in the District.  I really love to watch how dramatically he has personally changed.  I admire him with my whole heart.  He and I consider each other pretty much the best friends in the mission.  We so enjoy being in the same district as each other and savor every minute of our exchanges together.  We grow so much off of one another.  We are a perfect match for reaching potential and smoothing our own personal rough edges.  We are certain we will be lifelong pals. When he knows something about the Sisters or his companion, he tells me straight away so I can be there for them.  They are all calling up to me and taking all of their problems straight to me now.  It is really just the best bright spot of my mission, to watch how rapidly these individuals in my District are growing.  


I have an excellent District Meeting planned for Sister Levave tomorrow for her farewell.  

Elder Datoon is doing just great in his training.  We are really making it our whole focus and just really putting all our goals toward what can help him be prepared for what is ahead.  He is going to be leading this area for an entire full day for the first time ever in exchanges this Wednesday.  He and Elder Kanongata'a will be together in my area.  Elder Kanongata'a will help him with the bus routes for the first day without the car.  And he will lead in all the Hindi lessons.  The best part about it all is that Elder Datoon was the one that really enthusiastically asked for this precise opportunity to grow and progress completely out of his comfort zone.  I am very confident that he really is ready.  I wish you could see him with the locals.  They are just so impressed with his Hindi.  I am so impressed with his Hindi.  I keep writing his family telling them how well he is progressing and growing week by week.  I can see it.  He just always has a spirit about him, and it's positively contagious.  He is very open with me and we are working with any stress that he faces, and just enjoying the journey.  We have long talks and really enjoy all our time together.  I love him with all my heart, and just want to see him fully happy, prepared, self-reliant and reach his full potential and goals he and Heavenly Father have for him in this mission. 

I will have more to report next week, on how exchanges with the Assistants went, and how things went  our first week with no car during our busiest time in the work.  The work is heavier and more buzzing than I knew mortals could even handle.  There is so much to stay on top of, and through the Lord's help, it's amazing to see that indeed we surely can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens us.  
I will never be a young man again.  The manhood shoes are all the way put on.  I am ready to take on eternities, and I mean that.  That is exactly what I intend to do.  I know who I am supposed to make of the remaining balance of my time on earth.  I have received pieces of my heavenly Father's vision for me, and am acting on it, and it is coming to FULL reality.  I encourage everyone to give themselves WHOLly to this great work.  You don't have much time left.

Our Baptismal Dates are all doing good.  Our 3 for-sure Baptisms for this month have come to a point of struggle.  This last Sunday was  the only Sunday they needed in order to qualify for the 3times to church rule.  The day before, the mom's youngest little son had his appendix burst.  They couldn't all come to church because she had to rush him over to the Hospital.  She wanted to go to church, so desperately; but she could only send her oldest son on her behalf.  Now we are figuring out what we can do... We will know by Tuesday what our new plan could be.  But This family inspires me. They constantly testify of the huge changes that have taken place in their lives, and I testify with them, that it is all thanks to their faith in Jesus Christ.  Joy is the Reward, and they have earned it.  They have changed their lives and are my heroes in SO many ways.  I will forever love this little inspiring family.  All of Fiji... I sometimes just want to file the adoption papers for the entire nation.... I just love these people with all I've got.

Our other 10 Baptismal Dates are all progressing healthily.  We have two though, that are on the fence about whether they are ready to defy their families and friends by following Jesus Christ.  We are  working with them.  Almost all of our other Baptismal Dates are just struggling with personal things.  We are working with all of them and they are making progress toward January and for sure February.  We are setting all our Baptismal Dates that just keep flooding in, very wisely and making sure they are set for the beginning of the months ahead, so that we for sure will always deliver what we tell the Lord that we will deliver.  

I am encouraged as I read this from page146 in Preach My Gospel: 

"The Ultimate Measure of Success is not in achieving goals alone but in the service you render and the progress of others."  

This keeps me excitedly pushing along with these, my beloved and dear brothers and sisters who are all trying to become free from their own personal prisons.  Their faith in Jesus Christ grows, and they drive themselves to changing everything through Baptism.  We are just the guides and the saviors along side with the Savior to love and help them with our whole hearts. 

This was just a little overview of the week.  I wish I could paint you the whole picture.  I have tried to paint you a good picture, and still have much to say, but not time.  I love you and promise you I am magnifying my calling with my whole heart and being.  I can promise you that.  I am giving all I have and am for my District Members and the Saints they are bringing in.  I understand that my District Members are my most progressing and world-changing Investigators I will ever work with until I soon meet my own eternal children in my own family after the mission.  The Lord has only glorious things planned, if we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and obey Him fully and instantly and consistently from a willing and consecrated heart.

Pictures from the week:





This is the family that is working toward baptism this month.  

They are amazing!






That pool picture was a service we did on a Thursday to help someone.









Christmas Party! I sang a solo for Sacrament Meeting yesterday with the whole choir backing me up.  I was crying for feeling the Spirit before I even got up to sing.  I LOVE SINGING!!!!!!!!!!!   Definitely a main focus of my life and career after I finish here.



Me and a friend.  This little girl is a leader in her family.  She walks all the way to church every Sunday no matter what.  She is a truly good daughter of God.  Let's all be like her.

Way of Joy: Things of Eternity

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Hey!  Sorry I didn't email you well last week!  I'll hopefully forward on the pictures I sent to just family from last week. I send my love and my most Holly Palmy Jolly Hindi Merry Christmas wishes your way!  I miss you and always look forward to your response to my email--10 more months and that's it...help me reach higher, help me help you reach higher; and lets ascend together.  Let's stay in good focus and clear vision together as we just get to all our potential together.

How is your Christmas season kicking off so far?  Have any Christmas challenges; anything you're doing to show your love for Jesus Christ this month?  What gift can you give Him?  If you've got any good ideas, email me!  I want to join you in it!

May I suggest: The best gift we can give Him is giving Him to someone else.  Plus, that's the fastest, surest way to get closer to Him.

 Humans aren't capable of working as hard as missionaries do.  It certainly requires the power of heaven non-stop. What a thriving ground.  And that is fully what my life has been non-stop.  It has been holding nothing back and smashing into realms of growth and achievement that I've never known humans could reach.  These past weeks have been more than you could imagine.  And now I have to figure out how I'm going to transfer it into words for you.

Happy Happy Happy has remained the best motto, for over a year now.
This life is meant to be enjoyed.  We have the power to choose JOY.

Thriving is what I have, to report, every week; because "He who is consumed in Christ is not just alive, BUT RIDICULOUSLY THRIVING in Christ."  Its The Way to being Too Happy and Too Perfectly in-line with the Divine Within you.  I love the work of the Lord!  We're all a part of this short chance to prove God we're ready to take on all He's got to offer.

Children of the Highest and Most Glorious Being in all Existence can't and DON'T settle for less.  Shoot higher.  Achieve more.  Don't let a day go by without lost in giving yourself for the benefit of someone else in following promptings from the Holy Ghost to your mind and heart.

Develop a hunger in your heart, that each new day says: "I'm hungry to go out and do some Christlike thing for someone else."  Crave it!  Crave the light of pure love--how it feels to have it flow through you from Him, to someone else--EVERYONE else!

Here is a picture of my new daily pocket-planner I designed.

​I See What You Can Become. Become All of It.
You Become All.  I See What Can Become of It.

Each day is meant to be two things:
A thing to enjoy; and
A thing to rise above.

That way you're higher than you've ever gone before, every new day of your whole life. You will meet God  as a full grown version of what was once just the raw potential--now the living breathing embodiment of that vision Heavenly Father once had of you.  Prove Him right just one day at a time!  Join with Him in His efforts to make you even the fullness of all He is and has waiting for you.

This week Jesus Christ personally sent one of His divinely called and appointed servants to come to our mission and teach all of us heavenly Father's vision and will to be carried out at this time just before the Savior will be personally coming and receiving an accounting of how we lived our consecrated missions on this brief earth.

God directed His living Prophet to send Elder and Sister S Gifford Nielsen to our mission.  I must share what God taught us through one of His divinely commissioned servants over this nation.  What a spiritual feast it was! 

We now have 12 people that are working toward that glorious goal of starting on their journey of following Christ and making their families forever.  They will be Baptized in the coming weeks.  Miracles are just everywhere every day. We are teaching 30 lessons every week and just watching Heavenly Father lead us where He needs us.  There are so many people who need your help.  You can rise to a higher level of love.  You can be more inspired in how to give simply and by the direction of the light of His love for that person.  Just get up and dare to enjoy.  Enjoy life by giving it more than you've ever given.  We have a world to save and change.  There are lives waiting to be touched by YOU.  Today!  This week!  I can testify of it, and that Christ needs your willing heart.  We can rise to a new higher level.

This is a truly incredible man.  He came and conveyed to us, so many things that have changed my life and will change the lives of everyone my life will touch.  the ripples from the day of his training will carry through the rest of my life.

​I will have to send you a lot of his most profound teaching by request.  They are very, very sacred and have changed everything for me.  If you're willing and ready to know, you'd have to personally request it from me.  I'll leave one week of organizing my notes from him, before I share what he relayed.  If you request it, I'll share what God tells me you're ready to receive.  I'm so grateful we have true and living prophets on the earth today.  These men really are connected with the full power and vision and authority of heaven.  This work is true.  I can never deny it.

I will wait till next week to share his teachings, if you request it.

As for how the mission is going, my "Mom" in Fiji, Asmin--is just amazing. She is everything a mother is, and is just such a good caretaker of this Elder.  Mommy, you can know that this, your sister is taking care of your son, but not replacing you.  You two will be so perfectly celestial friends when you finally meet.  I can't wait for that day.  This family is your family. They are so inspiring.  They are transformed and transforming all the lives of all the friends around them.  As they go forward on their path in their new lives, it is amazing to watch the power of the gospel change everything.  Everything about the smallest to the biggest aspects of their lives, I've watched it all.  Their actions and natures and even their home and happiness and habits and choices have all been just wonderfully transformed.  This family is one of the main reasons I ever came to Fiji in the first place.

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Junior calls us up early in the morning before we even wake up, to excitedly ask if he can come out with us and save the world.  One day after working just as dramatically and non-stop action packed as the most epic movie you've ever seen, we finished for the day and went to drop Junior off, and Junior prayed, "Dear Heavenly Father, I thank Thee for preparing me to serve my own mission, so I can make people happy like these Elders have done to me..."  It touched my heart and filled me with a glimpse of celestial joy.  The fruits of our lives depend on how closely we are willing to align our lives with God at this moment.  Lets plant right now, so the fruits can be abundant tomorrow.  Junior is going to change the world for good.  He is so pure.  He honors the Priesthood he now holds.

Do you have a vision for who you are and who you want to become?

One thing that heavenly Father sent to us through His servant in our training with him, was "Who Are You?" And he answered it with John 10:34, and Psalms 82:6 and then expounded heavenly Father's plan and vision for us as His boundless and limitless heirs to divinity.  Children can't become adults, unless they gain a vision of who they are and what they were born to become.  Christ lives.  He lives to transform us if we will seek Him and let Him.  We can keep being spoon fed or learn how to be like our Father.  He wants us to become all He sees in us.  We are not here to be ordinary or fall short; but to succeed gloriously.

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This is a practice I do often.

Get a paper and write on it all you are.  Make your life naked and get to the core of things about yourself you might not even want to admit or face.  Put it all there on the paper.  Get your full definition of who you are, to yourself.  Get all the good and all the bad.  Be liberal in it.  Just pour it out.

Then, write down and paint a picture with words and your mind and the help and inspiration and personal loving guidance of your heavenly Father, of who you want to be.  Your full vision of who you can boundless become.  All and anything you'd like to be, or qualities and characteristics you would like a part of you.

And then, if you have enough faith to do those two simple things, God can then build you a bridge of action to get from A to B.  Let Him then guide you in your bridge of action.  And you can and will become all you wrote, if it is in line with Him and His highest vision for you--which is every good thing, for you as a Child and Heir of His, have no limits at all.  There is nothing you can't be or become or do.

I challenge you to take this seriously.

I love you. And I know this church is true.  I know Christ lives and you are meant to be all the divinity in you holds.  You just won't reach it if you never discover it.  That's why Heavenly Father restored the full brilliant light of this gospel; because it is the only way you.  Families are meant to be for time and eternity.  The work we are doing here, together, me and you in this cause... there truly is no greater work.


Do you understand how much Christ is ready to transform you?

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