I've never felt smaller!!

I have never felt smaller in my life... this man is amazing.  We are teaching him, and as we teach him, we are taught by him.  He isn't Christian, but he is very interested in the church and very earnest.  His fingers are the size of a hot dog and his muscles are way awesome, and his voice and height are exactly what you'd imagine by looking at this picture.  I am so grateful I met him!

This is another picture of the Temple I took.

Months ago, I met Rihaan for the first time.  We came to her house and began teaching her and her family.  Fast forward to the present day--we love their family with all our hearts and they've been Baptized and Confirmed and are so strong and active in the church and reading the Book of Mormon and Bible daily, and coming to the Temple.  We bussed up to the Temple and she was reading in the Book of Mormon already halfway through the book of 2nd Nephi.  She is SO excited to serve her own mission in a few years.  There is such a wonderful difference and change that has taken place.  Amazing things happen when we choose to open our mouths to share the joy of the Gospel of Christ we have received.  There is eternal regret in hesitating or passing up opportunities.  From this moment's now, forward, commit to never miss an opportunity to open your mouth about Jesus Christ to someone.  Have His name always on your lips.  MIRACLES ARE YOURS IF YOU'RE WILLING TO LIVE OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE(:  This is a photo of us after the Temple tour, inside the reception area where displays of Christ and Temples and family are, and where you can ask Sister Missionaries any questions you had as you went through the Temple.

This is Michael.  He was Baptized just yesterday.  It was a beautiful service.  I also met him months ago, and finally am now watching him be Baptized.  I never imagined that this day would come--especially never imagined I would see it let alone be a part of it.

That's What Lights Do

नमस्ते !!!  

How are you? I love you and thank you for all you're doing.  I hope you feel my prayers going your way and want you to know I feel your support, and it makes so much difference in the work here in Fiji.  
If your week was as amazing as mine, 
HIGHFIVECHESTBUMPUNBEARABLEHAPPINESS!

This has been maybe the very best week of my whole life on earth so far... and seriously, that might not actually be an exaggeration at all.  

This week will be a simple tribute to "My Family."  Asmin, Manjula, Shameer, Nafisha, Nikhil, and Shayal!  These 6 people... After my mission I will just have to get a lot of adoption papers and actually adopt these 2 families and my family all into one big, perfect family.  I am part of this family here in Fiji, and forever and eternally a part of my Celestial Howard family--I do have the best of every world.  

These 6 people got Baptized together 31 October, 2015.  

​Me and Shayal, my little princess sister.


​Right to left: Manjula, Shayal, Nikhil, Shameer, Nafisha, Asmin.  With Elder Luatua and myself.

I can straightforward and honestly say this is the highest most elated, celestial, happiest point of all my mission and life yet.  I can say that with all I am and it really i8s true.  This is it!  All, I mean ALL my prayers  and desires of my heart have been addressed perfectly by Heavenly Father.  If I do nothing more than just remember how good I felt this week, all my life, my whole life will be GREAT!  The mere memory of this week's Celestial feeling would carry me through anything.  There is no more pure joy except if I were with my wife, but I'm on a mission, so there is no higher that exists for me up to this point yet. 
God gives me a higher high every new day.

That pretty much sums up how Heavenly Father wants all His children to live.

Our hardest times and our happiest times, both have that potential.

I can say I know that.

Keep going forward, upward, outward = future unbounded outcome OF JOY! 

The days before the Baptism were full on trials and testing.  But, they really had no power over any of us.  Our faith in the Savior, totally trumped it all and we all gave the opposition no power.  For example, the weather needed to be good in order for this Baptism to take place.  In Suva, that is asking for a blessing that is just not possible.  It is almost always raining here in Suva City.  One of Asmin's neighbors said to her, "you won't be able to be Baptized tomorrow.  The weather will be bad.  It is raining and cloudy."  Asmin, without a second of hesitation and with a spark of unquenchable light in her eye, said, "I am with the right God.  He won't let it rain.  You'll see.  I know He won't.  I am going to be Baptized."  

They did overcome all opposition.  They all came together and had the best moments  of any of our lives so far... the Baptism was perfect.  I don't know if I have ever been more perfectly happy.  That's saying a lot, but you really can't get in ANY kind of words how unearthly fantastic this day was!

These are people who laid everything down for Jesus Christ and their testimonies of the Restoration through the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.  They are truly disciples of Jesus Christ.  Their past, is all given over to the Savior; all washed away, all the way pure and holy and blameless and clean and fresh and NEW.  

Shameer is 15.  He is my hero!  His testimony at his baptism, was the one that made my eyes flood and my smile almost rip my physical face...haha, he is my brother, and that's going to be forever.  And all of them!!! Each one!

The Fiji Mission President even came to their Baptism and spoke for it.  The room really felt like nothing you'd think you would be able to experience on this earth--the kind of transcendent joy that only the faintest memories of the deepest parts of your soul remember from the days before your birth when you lived personally with your loving and eternal heavenly Father while you accepted his plan, shouted for joy, and prepared to come down to this earth. 

These are the moments that make every moment of my life to have all been worth it--more than worth it.  

I gave a talk at the Baptism called, "The Journey Ahead."  Heavenly Father spoke through me to each of them individually about their full potential for the future even to the Celestial Kingdom.

President Monson calls us higher.  And we will take him up on it. 
I really am at the best point of my life yet, in every way.  A point which I have never before reached or known.  I feel like a little kid on his dad's shoulders... the height and growth is scary and unfamiliar.  It is that kind of thing.  A point at which I can decide what kind of influence I will have (Heavenly Father working through me).  We are each called to be ripplers.  The effect you can have is nearly without scope or limit, eternal, lasting, tremendous, and setting in motion innumerably grand chain reactions.  For a child of God, shouldn't there be no other choice? You are designed to choose radically the fullest measure of the light, the best, and nothing short of a fullness of your Savior's greatest desires and vision for you.  So you choose.  You choose by the Holy Spirit voice in all the being that makes up you.  And that is all up to you.  Take the power of a week--and just make sure by the end of the week you are up the ladder from where you were; in measurable and specific ways.  

I can see in amazement, that I am higher in my progress and abilities and formation of character and everything the mission had to make of me, than I had even hoped.  Humbly and simply, I've become all I ever set out to become.  And so now I have to catch a higher vision than I'd though of before.  Heavenly Father and I are working on the next steps of progress; and we've formed great plans and they are all being realized and actualized--because what Jesus Christ can make of you has no limit except for the limits you give it.  You can give him your past, you can give him your future, and you can be consecrated FULLy. 

"Consecration is the only surrender which is also a victory." 
                                                                                                      ~ Apostle Neal A. Maxwell

He gave me and has made me all I ever wanted, so now my cup is full and ready to nonstop and constantly steadily spill over into serving and growing others to their highest levels.  My (selfish) life is done. 

4Steps 4Success 4Eternity

Dear Family and Friends--both of which I see as my beloved family--
This might be my last week in Lautoka Fiji

My Report:

I have been living and working every week lately to make it so I could look the Savior Jesus Christ in the eyes and say I have done all the work He sent me to do here in Lautoka.  I won't leave an ounce of possible regret here.

Despite Elder Singh leaving to Suva for his possibly broken arm (turned out to be torn muscles--phew! Yay!!!!!! Our PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED :), and my getting very sick and losing my voice entirely, and my having to go to the Dentist for my teeth, STILL, through

Being Teachable

Exact Obedience

Hard Work

Developing a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ

Elder Singh and I have still reached at least 20 lessons per week, at least 4 weeks in a row now, I believe.  It feels great!  We have really helped a tremendous amount of Heavenly Father's very needy and now satisfied children in Lautoka.  Our converts and investigators and returning members are strong and facing their trials well.  My only worry is about Soni.  She is elderly and we are just doing everything we can to help her in her quest to keep her testimony and become self reliant.  The wards here are excellent.  We are going over with a member family to do a family home evening with them tonight.

Elder Singh is a real leader.  I have learned so much from him and really enjoy our friendship.  We have become one, so strong, and so close.  We laugh hard, work hard, play hard, and serve each other hard.  We've really been there for each other through a whole lot of things, and we've seen a LOT of success.  I thank Heavenly Father immensely for sending Elder Singh back into the field, and especially sending him to me as my companion.

I love Elder Singh so much and it is thanks to him that I have gained a deeper level of following the Spirit and being exact in my obedience in ALL things.  My nature has been changed in wonderful ways just by my friendship with this stellar missionary.

I have completely changed, and I love the change I see.  My pride has gone down the drain and I don't miss any of it a bit.  I am one with all my brothers and sisters in the work and am lifting them up and they are lifting me up. :) I am more humble than I have ever been in my life, and I truly have embraced the FULL joy of being fully teachable before the Lord.  I am seeing REAL and lasting change for the eternal best!

I can search my heart, and I can say before heaven, that I really have been exactly obedient in all things this week, except for this morning I was ironing my shirt while memorizing scriptures to help some of our investigators, and then realized it was about 9 and got started on today's comp at 9:03, and besides that there was only the fact that I didn't do a full 30 minute workout while I was really sick.  I just did a little because I knew that was wise and proper principles to govern by.  Besides that I can tell you that I really have been exact in all things the Lord has asked of me with the rules.  And I am connecting fully with the full power of a real relationship with Jesus Christ like never before. I am able to defend Him and see Him personally defending me.

I have learned full Hindi and am so excited about it.  I love it and am still excited for what more I can improve on. Elder Singh said there isn't really much more I could do to improve, just practice what I have and keep moving forward every day.


The other day, when Elder Singh had to leave for Suva, I was given 3 new companions.  With them, I had to find a way to feed all of them and how we would manage our plans for that day with the changes that had been hurdled to us.  The Lord told me, "Look at all the yesterdays where I blessed everything to work out, and from that, looking unto me, know that I know what you face and will provide and bless as I have all yesterdays."  I took great comfort in that and moved forward.  As we got to a Family Home Evening that night, we planned a fun game and played it and shared what Heavenly Father told us those people needed from Him, and then they surprised us by telling us they had felt inspired by heaven to provide 3x more food than originally planned!  We were given the perfect amount of food out of nowhere!

The next morning, we all got up and I led us in a workout.  We had so much fun and could hardly move later.  They requested an ab workout, and from my pre-mission life, I ran Fitness Motivation BSH and taught people all these things. It was so fun to lead the workout with my friends, these great Elders.  I love this work and have so much fun and make so many memories every single day.

This is a good key/map for the Sanskrit Hindi Language.  This is the language I write and read in often here in Fiji.  It is a sound-system.  It is so fun and makes a lot of sense.  I really love the language.


Our dear sister who was Baptized just last week, had her birthday and we bought her balloons and cake and brought them over to her as a surprise gift.  We had so much fun. She is so strong in her testimony.  She went over to her neighbor's house who is a Hindu, and read the Book of Mormon with her and is so loving and humble and faithful.  She is growing in her knowledge and faith and happiness.  She is such a bright and valiant spirit.

Elder Singh taught me how to make Indian Curry!  I am learning how to cook all Indian dishes!!!




​This is a drawing I did for one of our families here.  They have changed their lives.  They are working toward the Temple.  The husband is one of my heroes.  We are both the youngest in our families and have such a close bond together.  He has quit smoking.  He used to be associated with the worst and most abominable lifestyles and was a completely different kind of person, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ has fully changed him and his family.  That is what this fullness of Christ's restored Gospel does.  It changes any life that will try it out and turn to the Savior Jesus Christ.

There was another family we started teaching this week.  They are Muslim.  Their beliefs are very different, but we are loving teaching them.  I love them so much.  The head of the household looks just like Brother Corbett from before my mission.  I love this family a lot.  The Book of Mormon has now entered their lives and is a planted seed that will bring them unto Christ.

The Mission is such an experience!

I simply testify that we can have our relationship with Heavenly Father as strong as we choose.  He is really there.  He really lives, and He will be along side us as close as we choose to make ourselves to Him.  I know He loves each of us personally and that this restored gospel is His as He has personally repeated and I declare that He has invited all the ends of the earth to come and see.  Try it out.  This message will change your life.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

_Elder Howard

Climb to Perfection

This week there have been 8 souls that have come unto Christ through the Covenant of Baptism.


I also got proposed to again.  This time was definitely the weirdest though!  She kept trying to kiss my hand and it was way freaky.  We got out of there fast! 



took this picture from a member's balcony.  Our flat is in this photo.  
On the left side^ to the right of the towers.  This is the area where we live and work daily.

We in the Mission here, assisted with the US Navy Hospital Ship Mercy during the past few weeks. This ship provided medical care to the people of Fiji at no cost. Several LDS medical professionals from the states volunteered their time to serve on the ship for the past two weeks. The ship also brought in a significant amount of supplies donated by the Church to help the people here in Fiji. 

​
A miracle from this week: 

My whole district needed to get to this above shown hospital--and we had to get there straight away but we had no transport.  So, the Lord told me to pray that a transport would be sent our way by the Lord.  A few minutes later, there came a transport that had the perfect amount of seats!  It was a rare miracle to have one of those pass us just when we needed--but, thing was, that, it was overtaking a bus at the same time as it passed us, so it couldn't see that we needed help.  

The blue transport van was now long gone and in the distance, but the Lord prompted me gently, that I needed to pray again.  He told me in my heart and in my mind, to pray that the driver would be told by Heavenly Father, to turn around and pick us up.  

I prayed that directly and immediately. 

I felt perfect faith and trust because I had been prompted what to pray. 

And a minute later, we all saw to our extreme surprise, that exact blue transport coming back our way for no reason!  He stopped and we all got in and talked with him.  He was very tired and worked, but had heeded the Lord's voice to him to turn around. 

He took us to the hospital and we were able to get there on time!  

It was a great miracle, that none of us could deny.  It was not a miracle to prove  our faith, but a result of first exercising faith in-line and in accordance with Heavenly Father's will. 

I testify that we can ask Heavenly Father to guide us in what to pray for; and then, we can truly pray in Christ's name, for we are only praying for things which Christ would righteously ask for--and so we shall indeed receive according to our faith and our works.  We will receive every righteous desire of our hearts, if we align ourselves and then have the faith to ask and act. 

I know this is true.  I witness it daily. 

Heavenly Father is more real than these words before your face at this moment.  I can testify of Him to you as if He were before my eyes all day every day.  I know as a fact which I never shall be able to deny, that He really, truly does live and is personal and knowable and intimately aware of each one of us, His beloved children in these brief testing grounds of mortality. 

This was a dinner that a member family made for us last week.  This is a "Lovo"; a traditional Fijian-style of preparing and cooking really tasty food which they then put underground in a hand-made oven and throw dirt over the oven to capsulize the heat and leave it like that for over an hour. 

We had a 9-year old boy named Ryan who is beginning to read the Book of Mormon and right after we taught him how to pray, he confidently and humbly prayed on the spot! 


We have many young people here, who because of the work and lessons the Lord did through me and my companion and especially the power of the Holy Ghost, are all preparing to serve their full-time missions as well!

 We have been fasting for Shayal to get consent from her father to be Baptized.  She is one of the best investigators, and earnest daughters of Heavenly Father.  She is 15 and she is reading the Book of Mormon and taking the lessons, but her father is Hindu, and we have been fasting and praying that his heart would be softened and he would let his family be Baptized and follow the Savior Jesus Christ.  

Please pray for that in your prayers. 

Thank you soo much. 

“It is written in the scriptures that God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son to die for the world, that whosoever believeth on him … and keepeth his commandments, shall be saved. But this [sacrifice] did not cost us very much—freely given are all these glorious privileges. …

“… While we give nothing, perhaps, for this atonement and this sacrifice, nevertheless, it has cost someone something, and I love to contemplate what it cost our Father in heaven to give us the gift of his beloved Son, … 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. …

“Our Father in heaven … loved his Son Jesus Christ, … for [he] had with him his Son, our Redeemer, in the eternal worlds, faithful and true for ages. … God heard the cry of his Son in that moment of great grief and agony, in the garden when … he cried out: ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me.’ …

“… He saw that Son condemned, he saw him drag the cross through the streets of Jerusalem and faint under its load. … He saw [Jesus’] body stretched out upon the wooden cross, he saw the cruel nails driven through hands and feet, and the blows that broke the skin, tore the flesh … and let out the life’s blood of his Son. …

“In that hour I think I can see our dear Father, … his great heart almost breaking for the love that he had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he had love for us, and I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. …

“… My brethren and sisters, … if I only knew how essential it was … that I should receive the spiritual life that comes from that Son, I am sure I would always be present at the sacrament table to do honor to the gift that has come unto us” (“The Sacramental Covenant,”Improvement Era, Oct. 1919, 1028–31).

This week we had another miracle:

You may remember her as Mohini, but it turns out her real name is "Priti." She was one of our investigators.  She disappeared and we lost contact with her.  Well, the other day as we were walking along the road coming back from helping a family build their house, we had planned for so many things and lessons that all fell through and didn't happen... and on top of that, for some reason we decided to walk all the way home instead of taking bus or taxi.  And as we were walking, I had the distinct impression from the Holy Ghost that we needed to check one specific house and see if Priti lived there.  We had no idea, but we followed the Spirit.  

When we called out to the owners of the house to see if anyone lived there by chance, by the name of "Priti or Mohini," and 30 seconds later we were blown away and amazed... she called out to us and came walking out from behind the house!!  It was her!!! Only the Lord knew where she lived!! And only following the Holy Ghost's whisper could lead us to find her once again! 

We sat down with her and it turned out we saved her life.  She was about to make a decision in her life that would have destroyed and dashed all her hopes of a celestial and joyful future.  The Lord spoke through us and we were very bold and told what to say from the Holy Ghost.  It was truly undeniable--we all felt the actual presence and acknowledged that indeed hosts of actual angels were in our midst, and the Lord Himself.  

She has now been changing her life.  

It turned out that she had just been having a conversation with Heavenly Father, through aloud prayer to Him, in her house, asking for help, right when we then came up to this house and called her name. 

She has since begun finally coming to church and committed to be Baptized and to live Heavenly Father's way, and is on the path to establishing a possible eternal and family in the foreseeable future.  These are steps I could hardly imagine she would ever reach the point of taking! 

Her uncle, Naresh, has given up smoking and grown in faith from not knowing anything about Jesus Christ or who Heavenly Father even is, to now having the faith to change his life, and he is smiling more and he is giving up his old ways and knows the Savior is real and loves and knows him individually and personally.  He will be Baptized next month. 

The Police Officer who lost her dear husband, is doing well.  We are teaching her and she is so touched by the truth of the doctrine of eternal marriage and families.  She on her own said she wants to start coming to church. We teach her on the job, so this last time, we had to abruptly end because she had to go save someone from being beaten to death a few streets away. 

Heavenly Father wanted me to experience this earth life.  I am glad I signed up for all these trials I have had.  I realized as me and my companion were talking, that if we look back on our lives, the only real times that grew us and advanced us and developed and refined us and prepared us for higher heights in the future, were trials.  Really, life is no joy without the ability to choose above our circumstances.  

My Hindi is peaked now.  I am able to understand everything anyone says, and I am able to convey nearly any idea I wish to express.  Elder Singh has taught me how to teach others the language, and he has told me that my language skills are perfect.  I will continue to rely on the Lord.  He has magnified me and with my 4 companions' help (Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and Elder Singh,) I have mastered Hindi and am ready to teach it freely--speaking, reading, writing; the Lord has given all these gifts, and I acknowledge fully that they have come from Him.  

All of our investigators are nearly ready to receive Baptismal Dates.  Our Recent Converts are strong, self-reliant, and decided they are determined and set to serve their full-time mission as well!  Soni and Kirti (baptisms from last month) are so strong.  Soni's husband and Kirti's father has returned and their family is being put back together and we've begun the long road to their goal of eternal family- temple marriage! 

We truly watched miracles in our 24 lessons this week!  

I personally have grown drastically in my time here in Lautoka.  The investigators have transformed and are blossoming!  The members are thriving in their unity and testimonies day by day.  The language was fully mastered here.  I am in love with Lautoka and the children of God here are strong. 

"Blessedness is defined as being higher than happiness.  Happiness comes from without and is dependent on circumstances; blessedness is an inward fountain of joy in the soul itself, which no out ward circumstances can seriously affect."

Exact obedience is the most rewarding aspect of mission life, and post mission life.  I am very pleased that my mind and heart learned this lesson.  

I am seeing the blessings. 

https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-teacher-manual/the-gospel-according-to-st-matthew/lesson-3-matthew-5-7?lang=eng

I have nothing to prove.  I am confident and humble and usable and exactly obedient. AND IT IS FUN! 

हमर डील से , एल्डर होवार्ड 

From Spark to Bonfire

Forgive me, I have about 5 minutes to write this. Haha :) 

We have been committing people to baptism right on the spot when we first meet them.  We are out to find the ones the Lord knows are ready, and hungering for the happiness and purpose and joy that comes from His message. 

We are being led to families who are ready to begin working towards having their families be sealed for all eternity. They are accepting and then we are teaching them.  The Lord is preparing the hearts of the people, and as we choose joy, all walls that stand in our way, become our way of ascent! 

No obstacle can hinder us when we are choosing to see them all as blessings and to see how we can bless others around us in the midst of it. 

We have been very sick this week. We have been facing tremendous opposition. Heavenly Father is blessing us by sending us through refinement. 

We had an investigator a few months ago, who was a Police Constable.  She was one of the best people we had ever taught, but then her husband told her that she could no longer meet with us because he was a pastor for another faith.  She was very sad because she knew that she and her family wanted this message and really felt the spirit of the Lord testifying to them when we shared it.  We had to drop them though. 

Well, on Tuesday, we were walking past her police post, and we saw her and were strongly prompted that we needed to go say hi and just see how things were going in her life.  We went over and asked how she was, and she said, "Not good.  My husband passed away."

She is now taking the lessons again.  We are meeting with her and strengthening her family.  The Lord has eternal plans for these dear people, and He opens doors as we allow Him to be His instruments in helping these families and individuals follow the Savior Jesus Christ and become eternal families. 

This was a miracle, and we know the Lord knows what He is doing. 

(all photos from lds.org: https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/mountains?lang=eng intellectual reserve 2015)

I truly am able to choose the better part. I am able to look back into all my past and find all the good and bring it into the now of my material present being. Heavenly Father is teaching me, one day at a time, how to be a fully refined and usable tool in this great work. 

The congregations here, the Lautoka 1st and 2nd wards, have both doubled since February.  It has been amazing to see what the Lord is doing to help and bless His children in this beautiful land. 

I am really happy. Now I am becoming the man that Heavenly Father wants my wife to marry.  I am becoming a completely different person, in only positive ways.  The mission is a burning fire of refinement to my soul.  All of my old self is shed and without a trace.  Only good stuff kept back now.  i am an adult now.  fully self assured, self motivated, and self reliant and usable and confident and with a clear direction of who I am and why, going purposely with fullness of life. 


I was once a spark. 

The Lord can make a spark a bonfire, but only if the spark is willing to fly where the Lord knows it's potential can be reached.  The mission certainly is that place!  It is the gasoline-soaked timber, and each of us is a spark. The mission is the best investment one can make in life.  

I only had the power to go on my mission because the Lord believed in me.  That gave me the power I needed, and sustains me in the hardest trials and pain and storms of life.  

He commissions me to say the same is true of you and His will for you: Take the step of surrendering-faith in Him, and He will show you the way.

Heavenly Father believes in You.  
I know and testify He will always be there for you. 


I have learned that this church is nothing but love.  It really is all love.  This is a big family. :)  And the more we lift others, the more we are lifted. 

In my view, seeking and even asking for humility and teachableness, from my Heavenly Father, perhaps was the best, direct specific investment I made into my future.
  
Matthew 18:3, All must be as little children to enter the kingdom of heaven
Only the humble and teachable progress and become refined and exalted and prepared for eternity.  In this life, it is truly amazing how far we can go and a how we can overcome our weaknesses if we will be humble and teachable and submissive and seek counsel and correction from Heavenly Father.  

This morning, I was reading this talk:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/on-being-genuine?lang=eng


I love the prophets.  They are so inspired.  The Savior loves each of us, His dear brothers and sisters.  And a good way to tell how close our relationship with Him is, is to look at our relationship to the living prophets.  Are we following their counsels? This will be a direct way to tell whether we really are close to Jesus Christ.  

We will meet Him personally, very soon.  

How grateful I am to have Him to help me through this life and prepare me for eternity. 

"Train insane or remain the same."

That is a truth of life.  

The time comes when we journey and find joy, by realizing that life is and always has been what we choose to make it.  Is what I am choosing today, what I want to look back on later?  Will the path I am on now and the choices I am making, lead me to really be all I can be--the best I can be, by the end of my mission; or, by the end of this short time on earth? 

I testify, you have a destiny.  And it's awesome. And it's up to what you desire and do TODAY. 

Eternity is always going to happen on a "today," so the best advice would be to make your today only and all about Jesus Christ. 

Only He has the key to your full potential. 

I testify of Him. 

I love Him. 

He 

is reliable. :) 

LOVE, Elder Howard

Hold Your Head High, but Humble and Ready to Learn

कैसे है! हम बहुत कृषि लगे, और सुब चीज हम सीखा ई हप्ता में, बहुत सेलेस्टियल है! 

激です！こ日わ❢ 


Every great story has got to have a dilemma. The morning of the Baptism, Soni and Kirti's phone wasn't answering. That's unusual and usually means something bad. All possibilities came and raced through our minds, or what could have happened to them or what could have gone wrong, or what might be trying to keep them from making this most important of all decisions in life. 

Immediately, I began fasting earnestly and agreed with the Lord that I wouldn't break the fast until they were dressed in white there, and they were entering the waters of covenant--the waters of change--the waters of a new life--even, the waters of Baptism. 

We dropped everything and zipped over to their house with their Baptismal Dresses so they could see what they would be wearing for this most special of all occasions, and for us to know that nothing had happened and they were still good and ready to go. 

On the drive over, we passed an investigator we haven't talked to in months! We were able to get back in contact with her and set up to meet with her and her daughter again, and we invited them to the baptism that night! 

Had this obstacle and difficulty not happened, we wouldn't have crossed this dear former investigator's path! The Lord knows what He's doing, in all our uncertainties and hard moments of confusion. 

Thus we can trust in Him even to perfect peace even before the fogs and mists of those trials do lift. 

At the Baptism, about 60 people were there to support Soni and Kirti!!!! The entire ward and some friends of Soni and Kirti's from Koroipita!!! 

They changed into their Baptismal Clothes, and we took pictures, and started the program.  There were wonderful talks given in only Hindi.  The font was overflowing, just like the blessings and joy in their lives.  I got to sing a solo new arrangement of " I am a Child of God." and they cried and it was very powerful and emotional to feel the spirit there.  

Just before I baptized Kirti, there was a phone that went off in someone's pocket, and it was loud nice singing.  I immediately commented in delight, "See? Choirs of angels!"  Everyone laughed.  The solemnity and joy was rich. And as she went down into the water, her old life drowned and her new life blossomed.   

Soni went around kissing everyone on the cheek and hugging them and thanking them--all 60 people!  

It was a wonderful event.


​We had a flat tire that I used to turn into a good use: Shared the gospel with 5 people because of it. 

Elder Moka went home to New Zealand and I got a new companion who is fluent in Hindi!  Elder Singh! We speak and write and think in Hindi!





















Kirti was persecuted by her village, and she didn't hardly care. She still went around proudly telling everyone she is member of Jesus Christ's church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  


He is guaranteed the prize who never stops walking forward. 


My mission is 1/3 finished already.  The More humble I am, the faster, deeper and more I progress and grow and advance. 


I learned how to read and write in Hindi in one day.  

My eye got all swollen and I was starting to not even be able to see out of half of it, but I didn't care.  I proudly went out to do the Lord's work anyway---proud of my face and the Lord I serve giving me the strength to turn it all for good. 

I don't ask the Lord to take my trials from me; I ask the Lord to use my trials to take my sins and weaknesses from me thereby.  I recognize trials this way are the greatest positives. 






















I want to always live so as to know Father approves of my life.  





















I have found that when everything is stacked against us it makes a ramp or wall that is the only way up to knowing God the Father and Christ and to exaltation, purification, sanctified.  Climb it with Christ!


Let God help you by helping you help others.


The Atonement of Jesus Christ is becoming all I think about.