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.
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 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.
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.
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