I have never had a more miraculous 2 weeks to report in my life.
We took 135 children of God in Fiji through the Temple, and they ALL were touched and want to be taught. Each and every last one of them were Indians, and we were able to have the wonderful privilege of translating the tours into Hindi for them. All of them want the blessings of The House of the Lord. Eternal Family, Do the Work for Ancestors who passed on, or be Temple-Recommend holding members. 
I have never worked harder in my life. We set a goal of getting 100 of the Hindi people in this area through the Temple and on the path to becoming Eternally United, Happy Forever Families. We exceeded it!!!! Thanks to Heavenly Father, our striving for exact obedience, pouring our very souls out till we were only running on reserves and empty tanks all day.... MIRACLES shot more than through the roof. Jesus Christ is the head of this group of missionaries. I know the success that came to this mission's labor came because no mortal is our leader. Christ actually lives, and actually leads us personally and directly through the Prophet, even down to our local leaders, and on a personal level. This work is true, and it is aimed to save and exalt every individual and family in the entire world--all the nations of the earth and each inhabitant therein who will come and bask in the fresh, blossoming, abundant life, and endless happiness, peace, and love that await. This is meant to be yours! This church is true, and I am a witness that God our loving and personal heavenly Father is real leads each child of His, personally to this gospel.
My companions and I were working with LITERALLY all our heart, might, mind and strength EVERY minute of each day for 2 weeks to bring souls to the Temple. I am not even exaggerating when I say we laid everything on the table. Through consecrated work as a companionship and mission-wide family, much sunburn, a lot of hunger, empty dry wallets because of endless back-and-forth bus and taxi fare, endless happiness, stress, satisfaction to last lifetimes, well worked sweat glands, soaked sunday shirts, and a few happily gray hairs, 1,774 people directly told the church they want missionaries to come and teach them and their families as soon as possible...and there aren't even 200 missionaries in the mission to handle that near 2,000 head-count referral load.
Here in the mission I am at the perfect prime time to see the fruits of these things come to season. I know that Jesus Christ visits this Temple in Fiji. Going through the Temple every day and sitting in the Celestial Room and feeling of His actual presence there daily was one of the greatest privileges a mortal can be afforded while in this life. We each need to get there as often as possible! On my birthday, I received some of the most heart-warming and vision-sparking prophecies and promises in the Temple just being with and listening to and conversing with heavenly Father in His House. I know He has personally tailored and has perfectly satisfying and fulfilling promises and gifts planned and READY just for you, waiting for you, to make the choice to accept this gospel and be Baptized in the Lord's church and have every decision and priority you ever make, lead you to the Temple. This is the way to destroy all bounds set on life and death. Become limitless! Become all you're meant to be. Become close with Jesus Christ.
Since my companion and I were at the Temple almost every day for 14 days, bringing the people we love to the place we love, the media took a lot of photos of our groups. Thank goodness, because we hardly had a second to stop and do good journaling ourselves. I also got the overwhelming privilege of seeing again almost every person from my old areas I have finished serving in thus far on my mission! They came from Bau! Lautoka! Suva! Everywhere! And I got to have 100s of sweet, excited, happy, huggy, precious, heaven-like reunions! I got to see people I had loved and labored my whole heart out to serve and teach and help and change in old areas, finally being within the Temple walls and telling me, "Elder Howard, do you remember all those months ago I promised you I would get to the Temple? Well now I am here! Are you proud of me?"
22,483 Tour Fiji Temple <<<< ---- [Editor's note: This links to an LDS Newsroom article and LOOK who is in the third picture!!!]
Doctrine and Covenants – Section 4
2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
6 Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
7 Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.Indeed the field is white already to harvest. Now is the time for us as Children of God as one united team to see that we serve him with all our heart, might, mind and strength because a marvelous work is already happening as prophesied; we are living D&C 4.
As a District Leader with a District of 8 Elders, it is of profound meaning to me that the Savior has led everything to this point. It is special, because I was raised in a family of 7 children and I am sealed and set on the goal of at least a family of equal size of my own after the mission--and Heavenly Father knew it. That's why He sent me to the perfect training grounds. I am raising a family of 7 of the Lord's greatest servants. Their joys are mine, their burdens, mine. They are so open and united with each other as a perfect team. It is one of the highlights of my life to serve with such a group of perfect friends. We will be a lifelong band. The training and experience I gain in this position in this District was meant to prepare me for the most important role in time and eternity--Parenthood. I know the principles that have become who I am are being instilled in me because the Lord knows the kind of Spirits that will be sent to me and my not-distant-future-wife. What you are going through right now, whatever it is, can prepare you perfectly for the grander step ahead.
Nasinu is our area Jesus Christ has entrusted to us as His band of Disciples. Nasinu spelled backwards is unisaN.
We are the unisan group. We are united in everything. Every week we are going to be getting together for an hour and a half every week to write each other's Investigators and to each other's families. We are one as the Savior prayed we would be. There is a feeling of such power in this kind of unity. We love each other and know when one of the District Members is going through a struggle and just how to lift them and love them and encourage them right back to peak. I love each member of this family.
As a District and Zone we have fasted and worked and counseled together and even prayed many times in simple heartfelt prayer on our knees as a team in chapels to know the Lord's exact and direct will for us and the saints we are bringing into His everlasting Kingdom. We know what we do now will have an effect with no end. We are building and shaping eternities. We are committed to high goals that will forever impact this part of the vineyard the Lord has entrusted to us.
Some of the experiences of this week were, there was a taxi driver we caught to get to the Temple one day... and we invited him to come up to the Temple. He did! He said to us in effect, "I knew it was a decision between working during one of the most prime times to get money as a taxi driver, but I chose God first. I went through this Temple and felt God. I am already Christian, but I want this kind of Baptism and to make my family Eternal. You call me any time and I will drive to you and you can teach me." And, "You have changed us from who we were, to who we are now. It was God who sent you to us and changed not only our eternal lives, but, who we are. Our whole nature." Heavenly Father has members of His family waiting for you to go out and bless. They are in your home. They are on the street. They are wherever you will allow yourself to be the Savior's instrument.
In the photo in the last section of the email, Elder Mo'uga had accidentally forgot his name tag, and I carry extras with me, so we spent the whole day as "Elder Howards." Everyone noticed, and as they would comment, we would smile, throw our arms around one another's shoulders and say cheerily "That's how united we are!" So, we had a professional photographer from the media at the Temple take a picture of us.
Saturday was one of the highlights of my mission. I have been wrapping my heart and time around my beloved little brother, helping him be ready and able to follow the Savior Jesus Christ down into the waters of Baptism. This has been about 6 months of labor. And after fasting, working, praying, and staying with him, and never giving up, the Lord opened the doors. Hearts were touched and softened and we were all led by the Lord to this day. The salvation of One soul is what this labor is all about. It isn't about the 1000's. It is about One. God works with all His children on a personal basis--not mass blob of humanity. We are children of a perfect and intimate Father. Nothing less. He is everything we hope and wish, and more. I love this family so much and have built so many memories with them. We even have our own Hindi they invented and we speak with each other! This family is going to make it to the Temple. I know the Lord has prepared the way ahead of them. Riznal asked me to come back to my old area I got transferred out of so I could baptize him and sing a solo at his service. That was such a sweet privilege. I tailored a special original musical number I performed for him. It was one of the days of my mission never to be forgotten. He will be a great Deacon, great Priesthood holder, Missionary, Leader, Valiant son of God and bring his family to the Temple. Everyone from this nation and this mission is super-glued to my heart.
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