Powder

Life is perfect.

Each hardest chapter of life, as we remain faithful, ALWAYS comes through to the highest, best vista we've ever reached.  Press on with joy, my friends!  The Savior is so ever by each one of our sides. 

Transfers happened!!  What an adventure it has been!

Elder Mounga and I had a tough time leaving each other.  We really came out of it maybe even closer than any of my past companions.  We have so much love and understanding and memories built up.  That really is one of those companionships where both of you know you've got it for lifetime.  I love that wonderful Elder with all I've got.  He is going to be companions with one of my former companions now!  Elder Luatua and I just swapped areas!  He will be perfect with Elder Luatua.  I know that's an inspired companionship.

Leaving Nasinu was a time that has drilled itself into the eternal memories of my heart. 

Our last District Meeting was one of my favorites.  We had so much fun, I organized catering for lunch and we had an amazing recent convert over to share his conversion experience and to answer our questions about seeing through our investigator's eyes.  We learned about teaching simple lessons, communication skills in companionships, receiving new companion insights from Elder Delfin, and great trainings.  We had one last Unisan Family sleep over.  It was fun.  I will love and miss each of these Elders.  We've grown close--but Elder Forbush and I are so happy we're sticking together. 

You may not see the changes you make in others while you're with them.  Plant seeds of light no matter how dark life can get.  Plant on.  The plants will grow.  

I was transferred to the North Islands of Fiji!  Leaving Vitilevu, and going to Vanualevu!  This Island is called Labasa (pronounced Lambasa). It is stunningly gorgeous and the Hindi is finally not broken, but closer to full pure like India and I am on my 2nd Indian companion.  This one is actually from Bangalore. His name is Elder Hariprasad.   We literally don't even hardly speak English.  Haha, you would laugh if you could see it!  I don't use much English--and I'm basically Indian except for my skin color. 

It was so refreshing to see Elder Luatua again at the airport.  We're so happy we'll be going home in the same outtake now, due to my extension!

This area and this companion are an instant favorite, and the fresh air of a new chapter is brighter than ever.  How grateful I am for the Lord's perfect and inspired direction in sending me here.  I reaaaally do mean it. Leaving Nasinu was VERY hard and heart wrenching. I am forever attached to the people there.  They've been so dear to me and I have literally poured out all my sweat, heart, blood and tears for them.  We had very emotional good byes for kind of more than 24 hours straight.  Though I will forever have such a chunk of my whole soul there with those I love deeper than I knew love goes,  already I have had unforgettable memories in this new adventure in Labasa and recreated who I am even more and am loving every minute on higher vistas than my feet had--as of yet--landed!  

Oh, the Lord always knows what He is doing!  My advice:  Trust Him; it won't all be okay if you hold out faithful--it will be SO MUCH more than just "okay"; better than you even want!

English is a "burden" between us in this new companionship--we just love being totally free and flying in Hindi together.  Certainly no limit to the depths of thing I have to learn from this exceptional Elder.  Turns out we had been praying to be each other's companions pretty much since meeting one another 4 in February--and now (being the Year of Miracles,) we both got our wish, finally!  This area is through and through a dream come true for me! 

This new area has a Branch (Smaller than a regular congregation called a Ward).  They are so pure, so sweet, and on day two we're all best of friends! My companion and I are already hitting the ground running and working hard, as well as putting together Branch Activities.  From Elder Hariprasad's initiative, we are putting together a great Activity that just exactly helps this Branch.  This Branch Activity focused around understanding what it is like to be a new Convert in this church. 

We live in what is famously known as the Party House of The Mission, I guess you could say.  Its nickname is widely known as "The Pink Mansion."  It is probably the biggest flat I have ever rented.  Lautoka was huge, and this, really is a mansion.  We host missionaries all the time here and I'm just pumped for all the fun and miracles and relationships I know I will cherish forever.  I am grabbing this whole experience God has given me, with both hands.  

We sat down together even before weekly planning and had a great talk in establishing understanding and expectations, trust, back rounds and just laughing and having the day of our lives!  We're kindred spirits in too many ways!   Thick as thieves.  We are supportive of each other in everything and talked about how short our missions are and how we can make the most of them though this sibling fun, hardworking, miracle season through the Lord's 4 Keys of Success(Personal Realtionship with Jesus Christ, Being Teachable, Work Hard, Exact Obedience)..  We talked about how not all days would be sunny, and we can't read each other's minds, so we need to be brothers and be open and there for each other.  He agreed that obedience is a sure chain to bind us unitedly to triumph through any hard day that might come.  He lovingly placed his hands on my head and gave me a Priesthood Blessing in helping me know any counsel or direction the Lord would have for me in making the full joy and potential from this area.  It was inspired and flashed me through with fond and tender feelings for all the people I love and hold in my heart from past areas.  Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh emotions. 

 Elder Hariprasad is so easy-going, loving, selfless, considerate, obedient, focused, on top of the area, knows why he is out here, is open and communicates freely about matters, a leader.  We workout crazy hard each morning!  He does kind little things like cooking me meals randomly.  It doesn't feel like companions as much as it does actual brothers.

We really do use Pure Hindi here, and little Fiji Hindi.  Interestingly, the Spirit had kept prompting me before Transfers that I am supposed to study Pure Hindi deeper.   I have all these armies of words and knowledge of Pure Hindi that I have kept stored in my brain, and now am finally able to unleash it in lessons and on the street.  The people here generally seem to really prefer the Pure Hindi, and we love it!  We read together in the Hindi symbols and talk to each other in it, just great thanks to Elder Hariprasad's expertise and willingness to show me the ropes.  

We went around and now already I am fully at home here and know the members and investigators and am meeting the many, many less actives.  We have broken down all the walls and the District and Branch Members are like family.  We have the young adults all recruited with us going around doing the work every day!  

I am happier than ever, but more expanded than ever.  As my companion said, "Satan keeps smaking you and everytime you keep on turning around and smiling!" Growing and gaining from the hardest life has to offer.  But, thre have been completely ground-to-bits moments.  The deep wells of my heart have been dug deeper to receive more. When I was down in tears pulling through a deep valley of labor and love for the people around me, the Lord reached through the darkness of my wondering if I have done enough and brought me to my Savior who gave me the strength to expand.  Expanding in depth is quite an experience.  Let life do it to you.  Keep eyes on the Savior, and never let them slip.  He will pilot us, always. 

Allow Christ to break you down to nothing.  

My new favorite word is Powder.  

Once you allow yourself to be fully ground down to powder, then you may feel empty, but Christ is on the job site.  That should be all the hope you should need.  Let God destroy what you were, no matter how good it may be.  In the sense that you fully yield to let Him make of you what you can't see ahead. Let God build.  To be ground to powder in his loving hands is just to lose the "d" and by losing the devils of any degree hidden in your nature anywhere, you through being powder, can then be Power.  

Life is better than ever! 

I packed up all my belongings and sorted it down to just 15kg I could take with me to the island, and then boarded a small plane.  I passed my first area, Bau.  Memories flooded like crazy!  Beautiful journey.

We have tigerdiles, not crocodiles



_Elder B. Howard
Labasa Hindi

Experiencing Forsaken

I'm not sure we can truly appreciate something until we have lost it, at least for awhile.  I wonder if we can actually be grateful for something we have never been without?  ...Matthew 27:46: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"  ...I have heard lots of explanations, but I wondered if maybe even Jesus needed to feel what it was like to be without His Father, if only for a short time.
That is a quote from a book by Elder John H Groberg, my sister sent me at just the right time. 

You name a emotion on the positive or negative scale of emotions, and my mission has given me view and understanding of some level or another of it--almost whatever it be.   Not that I claim to understand everyone and their problems, but I have a heart so pierced and pulped from dealing along side God with the weaknesses and pains and burdens of others and self, that I can love and relate and cry and hold and help and have patience and longsuffering, charity, compassion and tender feelings for any human sorrow or burden--to see them through it.  To stay with them.  To see from a gentle, suffering, pure Savior's eyes.  The afraid, sad, confused, guilty, discouraged, overwhelmed, lonely, hurt, weak, doubting, sick, frustrated, worthless... Christ has depths within us to unlock when we submit ourselves to His reshaping. 

"This is the Lord's Church.  He called us and trusted us even in the weaknesses He knew we had.  He knew the trials we would face.  By faithful service and through His Atonement, we can come to want what He want and be what we must be to bless those we serve for Him.  As we serve Him long enough and with diligence, we will be changed.  We can become ever more like Him." _President Henry B. Eyring

That has given me strength.  > I'm Feeling... <

Every day is a test. Because of His Atonement, Jesus Christ can strengthen you to press forward through anything.  Those aren't words.... I know that. Christ's light and teachings are emerging from distant ideals and hungers of my soul, to being the anchor of my life and the 24/7 pulse of my mind.  His Atonement is flowing through and piercing every part of my soul. For I am weak.  I am nothing. Oh, embrace the forsaken moments in your life. You are understood and loved.  All is only for your good if you keep holding to Heavenly Father and Christ and inclining your heart to them. 

Humility is the ultimate key to life.  Oh, how I wish the world could understand. 

In a word,

Serve a Mission.

I Know

--let those words be larger than your computer screen or paper or wherever you read or hear this from--from the deepest reaches of my soul immortal-- I know you have a Savior who won't forsake you.  i KNOW that.  

I Know

You have a Savior who won't forsake you.

My life is for one purpose:

Jesus Christ. and to show all, of how deep and real who He is and what He has done is

for YOU.

A request

Please pray for Elder Brandon Scott Howard! I'm sure he'll have a lot to say very soon, but today he had almost no energy due to sickness and sent only a very brief message... he is facing discouraging trials, but not without great hope: "The Lord is indeed taking care of me". 
He will be able to view General conference this week, finally, and I have no doubt that he would LOVE for you to watch a part of it for him, as well! :)

Heart Transplant

Hello my dear Family and Friends who are adopted family,

Very first thing I will say so you don't take this wrong: No, I did not have any injury or anything that caused need of a REAL 'Heart Transplant.'  Only one of my nature and whole life perspective.  We had our Zone Conference and Interviews with our Mission President this past week.  How could I transfer into one email all that was learned?  It can be summed up on the most minute level:
link >>> Build or Destroy Your Eternity <<<



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"The selfish individual has a passion for the vertical pronoun I. Significantly, the vertical pronoun I has no knees to bend, while the first letter in the pronoun we does." Be the best or be the lowest: Be the Meekest or Be the most Selfish.

Unchecked selfishness stubbornly blocks the way for developing all of the divine qualities: love, mercy, patience, long-suffering, kindness, graciousness, goodness, and gentleness. Any tender sprouts from these virtues are sheared off by sharp selfishness. Contrariwise, I cannot think of a single gospel covenant (such as Baptism,) the keeping of which does not shear off selfishness from us!

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link >> Let God Cut You Down(: <--Click and follow the link, read the talk.

I found out I will not be coming home in October, but rather, November.

We are working with many amazing people, showing their faith despite impossible circumstances, to follow Christ their Savior; their 'Friends of Friends', through Baptism into a new life.  It is the hardest work on earth sometimes  to join the Savior in being rejected, attacked, misjudged, despised, turned upon, persecuted, but it is the most rewarding--for the souls we serve are family and our motive is love that can never die, joy that forever lives, faith moves mountains, the Spirit of the Lord opens doors, Christ lifts us every day to press on higher and humbler.

We went out with a prayer in our heart and helped some people in our area, and after finding someone who needed help and enjoying hard work with them while laughing and having fun talking in Fijian, and building a strong friendship, they wanted to know our message.  We shared it, and they were very touched. 

Just simply go out and love people, have fun, and share matter-of-joyful-factly.  Stop complicating life.

This is a simple email with a simple message.

​That message is,

Life is hard! Dig in! Enjoy it! Press on! Listen to God: link >> Living Prophets Speak! Be Teachable and meek, lowly in heart and easy to be entreated by the Lord, for you and I are never done changing and reforming, repenting, reshaping, realigning with God!
Keep the fire burning. There is joy at the end of every worthy endeavor we persist in and hold out through. 

If joy is our choice and Christ is our route--it is sealed and sure



joy will be the journey and destination. Are you devouring EVERYTHING life has to offer?

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in the name of Jesus Christ, the only One our eyes and efforts and priorities in life or eternity belong on,

Amen.

Love,

Elder Howard

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Rejoice in Christ--part 2!

I lead the choir in our ward!  I am the Choir Director!  This Sunday, we had the whole Ward organized before me and my companion and I led them in a lot of songs none of us have ever sung before.  In order to get them all to energize, come alive, look at their audience instead of books, and to smile and brighten up to match the  message.... I SUPERSMILED (one of my SuperHero Powers) and would conduct while dashing quick and unexpectedly from one part of the chapel to the next so they all had to follow me with their eyes and take them off the books.  I kept moving so they would look up.  They all laughed and we all had a wonderful time.  That was the first time in my life a Bishop has ever given me permission to run around on the benches of a chapel!  I reached back in my memory to things that Sister Cramer used to do in our Manassas 2nd Ward choir.  Her tactics worked wonderfully applied here.  Thanks, Sister Cramer! This  was also one of the hardest days of my mission.  We literally gave all our souls to the work and faced some crushing discouragements... and as we were walking to church, we faced all these black clouds and said aloud, for the next kilometer, I will only smile.  I choose to look to Christ and re-harness myself to the only power of light that is always available--Joy.  Eyes and minds are only designed for one thing: looking to and following Christ!  It at least certainly is the most productive thing we can use them for; so why not use them only for it?

We can always rise and choose joy if we fall to our knees and choose Christ.  That's the way to live life as a triumph-er!

​No stone will remain.  No wall is ours alone to climb over.  No burden can block or drag down--only give traction and strength to bring you to the top.  No endings.  No sorrow of ANY kind that can't be swallowed up and transformed if turned all the way over to the Savior Jesus Christ.  Nothing but dead-ends until we choose His path.  No emptiness, loneliness or rejection He doesn't understand.  Nothing but fullness of life and hope. "And what is it that ye shall hope for?  Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise." Moroni 7:41 "In Christ there should come every good thing.  All things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them. ... they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing" "Cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, He shall come to suffer and die to atone for your sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that you shall stand before Him to be judged.  All your burdens may be light, through the joy of Christ." paraphrased Alma 33:21-23.  "It is easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point you a straight course to eternal bliss ...the words of Christ, if we will follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better life. ... As much as you put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up.  Cry unto the Lord Jesus Christ and find mercy, a remission of sins, peace to your soul." paraphrase of Alma 36-36. 

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He had no debt to pay.  He had committed no wrong.  Nevertheless, an accumulation of all of your guilt, your grief and sorrow, struggles, heartaches, temptations, sufferings, rejection, disability, infirmity, depression, illness, disease, pain and humiliation, all of the mental, emotional, and physical torments known to man--and more importantly; known to you and your individual life--He experienced them all.  So that you can and will overcome them all.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Until next week!

Elder Howard