This Week

Hope your week is going wonderfully!  

Here are just a few small highlights from Fiji.

The Self Reliance Course is a blast!  We are so grateful for this direction and initiative. The mission is teaching us how to prepare for our future careers. I know exactly how I will start my career right when I arrive home. 

 The effectiveness of our lessons has boosted in that 10-15 minute lessons are what get people excited about doing something. We taught 37 lessons this week.

We had tremendous success this week in working through members for Referrals!  One of our YSA friends took us to all his friends. Teaching to large groups is my favorite. We teach each, giving away 16 copies of the Book of Mormon that day, to people who are genuinely intrigued!  They want as much as we can give them.  They're all reading we're excited to follow up.  

We had a special experience yesterday.  As we were going to an investigator's house to wish him a happy Father's Day and give a little token of our love, we were opening up the trunk of our car, and a man came past, wishing a happy Father's Day.  When I turned and he saw the Name Badge, his eyes got wide and he shared that he was a very Less Active member.  As we walked with him to his house, we sat down and he shared how destroyed his life has become. It was one of the most powerful experiences of my mission. As we shared the Savior's redemptive capabilities, hope filled his eyes.  As we opened the scriptures, thanks to our Personal Studies, we were led to scripture after scripture that was PERFECT.  The Holy Ghost kept on telling me he needed to hear one specific scripture.  I responded in my head, "I don't remember the reference to that one." The Spirit again prompted it. "I don't know where to find it, it would distract the lesson."  Again, the Spirit pressed, "I know the Scriptures, Elder.  Just let me use your fingers."  I responded in my heart, "Okay."  I opened the scriptures and in an instant, my hand turned open the page right to the verse that had been put in my heart.  Alma 10:6.  Not only did my hand somehow perfectly open immediately up to it, but my eye immediately fell upon it!  Haha, it was almost terrifying.  How real this work is!  How it isn't us!  How we just need to be willing and worthy; He will always fill the rest!

As we read the verse, his eyes widened. His eyes watered.  He said, "can you hand me that.  Show me this verse!"  We did.  He said after smiling, reading it twice over, and laughing in shock.  "That's me... that is meee.  Oh my.  It's time."  

How grateful I am for the Book of Mormon, and for Studies, Preach my Gospel.

Right after this lesson, a Japanese girl just walked up to us and asked what we were reading and if we could teach her.  In a half hour, she went from not knowing anything about God, not knowing anything about why she is on earth, not knowing how her family mattered in God's plan, not knowing even the name of Jesus; to knowing it all and being able to emotionally and excitedly repeat it all back to us! We are referring her to the Japan Elders since she leaves this week.  She wants to learn more and be Baptized! 

This work is so rewarding when we see the Lord doing it, not us.   Just willing and worthy, then do as He prompts.  He is at the head. 

So many other experiences.  

Our District Workshop was so rich.  We had our Ward Mission Leader in Nadi share all he learned from his mission, we had the Sisters help us each make a plan for our full potential and development in this one transfer, we had training on unity, excellence, and discussing unity activities, etc.  

Elder Mokie's birthday was the best!!!  We celebrated well.

Thank you

Elder Howard

Last 12 Weeks

This is it! Sprint all the way.

Long time no type!  Hey!!!

• Finally, rich, effective, powerful short lessons.  We are teaching now about 30 lessons per week to hungry, wonderful souls.  
• Lives are dramatically, and truly changing.  Marriages being restored, healed, made eternal. 
• Making good progress in the Comprehensive Hindi Language Book for all the missionaries that will ever come through this mission after me.  15,000 verb and verb forms noted down!  This will be a groundbreaking breakthrough--the first real book on the Fiji-Hindi Language
• Saints pouring in!  7 people are full strong in serving in capacities in the Wards here
• Focus just on those TRULY INTERESTED, give them priority

Wonderful other Faiths we are teaching are LOVING the Book of Mormon.  They share with us that the writers of the Bible got Christ's divinity wrong, and we are deceived about Christ.  Then we ask them if they have ever heard of the Book of Mormon, and explain it's role and effect on our personal lives.  They brighten up and open the book, happy!  

What would we do without the Book of Mormon?  

We would be SO lost!!!

This week, we were led to a woman whom we gave a copy to. She immediately began reading it.  She read the entire first chapter out loud.  We explained the Introduction.  We showed her how Joseph prayed and was answered, and God would answer her.  She knelt down, pressed the book to her chest and closed her eyes with her husband.  She prayed, and waited for the answer.  The Spirit was strong!  They were aglow when we told them about Christ's Church  It was so special!! They promised they will come this Sunday! 

• We had 9 of the people we are teaching come to church this past Sunday... they all came an hour early!  We arrived and there they were!!! We were delighted!  They came completely on their own as families, and felt the peace of the Chapel.   

One of my favorite moments:  Our Returning Member, Aveline, was called up to the podium by Bishop, and sustained in Full Fellowship and bore her testimony for the first time in front of everyone!  She went from learning and getting, to now being the teacher and giver of the Ward!  She fellowships Hindi Sisters that come in, and encourages them to the fold.  She was Less Active for so many long and hard years.  It makes me cry as I type this... to glorify my Savior for what He has done for this precious daughter!!

It is because of people like her that I say, "The Lord blessed me with the deepest prayer of my heart: Extension."  Not going home till November.


You only know something's worth, by working for it.
You only know someone's worth, by serving them.
You only know your worth, when you take time to realize how God serves you.

This week, it really clicked even deeper that we FIND the Lord in the serving of His Children 

BECAUSE

that is WHERE He is. We find only if we lose, we lost only if we keep!  President Layton, this Gospel is the most beautiful thing in the world..s!!!!!

Elder Tony's last day... such a beautiful time!  He is so pure.  Oh, he's one of the purest in the mission.  So humble, so meek, so willing, so peaceable, so loving, so selfless, so full of dignity.  We had a wonderful time writing to each other and hiding gifts for each other.  We had sweet last moments in the work, having fun, and saying goodbyes.  He really loved Nadi, and wrote in the Area Book, showed me the last few locations to know, bore his last testimony and wishes to the Saints, and left happy and ready.

Elder Mokie's first day... we missed each other! This Elder is from PNG!  He and I met a year ago.  There was no adjustment to make--we already click!  He smashed out 16 powerful lessons in 3 days.  We love working together!  Haha.  He is such a gentle, good natured Elder! 

We now have a car.  It is the same car I used to drive.

This is a beautiful day.

It is AMAZING to have perfect click with the Holy Ghost's voice. God waits for us to listen, not the other way around. I know when He's speaking to me.  I know that feeling--and it's right every time!!! President, it is just like President Monson said, "To act on a prompting and later find out it was the answer to someone else's prayer," nothing in life is sweeter.  It is REAL.  I know that when we tune to acting on good, that frequency will grow more natural, and the static will fade. 

More next week! 

Love, 
Elder Howard

Impact on Your Life: Water Flowing

Bula Vinaka में तुम्हे याद करता है




[What is going on with his eye?!??  Read on...]


The precious and priceless value of You

The Savior sacrificed everything for you. 
Joy and Light, Always Win. 

​
That is the message this week. 

These Two Friends will always prove you right.  They will stand by your side if you are faithful to them even in hard and dark phases of this brief sojourn on earth. 

The whole mission here has caught fire with the motto "Attitude is The Key" Choose joy!  CHOOSE.  Smile non stop.  Lift the world.  Shine light.  Invite people to follow Christ through Baptism at any opportunity that ever opens itself.  These are things that the Lord had always been training me on for the past 3 years.  It is wonderful to see small matches of determination and integrity eventuate to a wildfire across an entire nation.  The Lord is working in the hearts of all.  

Light and truth forsake the evil one!  We have one job! Break down the walls of the world that have caked up around our consciousness and let them crash down so light and joy and enthusiasm can pour in and vanquish! Conquer! Come rushing in!  The white flag raising, is the way to raise your potential.  The Lord can remodel our very nature and being if we let Him in.  

Matthew 11!  

"I stand at the door and knock.  If any man will hear, and let me in, I will come in unto Him."  

Ask Him to help you choose joy, choose enthusiasm, choose full potential!  Now the Fiji Suva Mission is doing trainings about it all across each Island of the whole nation and it is changing everything.  

Our dear President saw that the missionaries lacked only one thing:  the key to realizing that attitude is fully in no one's hands but their own.  God has unlocked the door to everyone's minds and light is finally just flooding unrestrained!  A revolution is pouring over the souls of men.  

How powerful it is to see, that only the letters of the words A T T I T U T E as numbered with the alphabet, add up mathamatically to 1 0 0 !  It is 100% If we want to see our full potential, gratitude, love, enthusiasm, prayer simply asking God to help you choose a higher mark to set your eyes up upward upon.  Up Up UP! 

This morning, workers came in to fix things in our mansion.  Everything was trying to go south and rotten(in ways I can't write in email)--but as usual in life; I never let it. I chose to run to a room, kneel, pray, connect to the power of my Savior's Atonement, get up, and He did the rest!  I immediately chose joy, and went about talking with the workers in Hindi and made buddies out of them; then cleaning the whole mansion while singing songs about the Savior Jesus Christ and the Gospel.  The workers listened in, and one of them was like, "I am Christian as well!"  We had a great time.  Let your faith show, for it is to other souls around you, what sunlight is to plants! The world around you will grow green and sweet if you unabashedly and matter of happy factly let your faith show.  The workers want us to come over to their houses and meet them there.  We'll teach them. 

Every time EVERY TIME--ever in our whole lives--we're down; it is always a sign that if you choose Christ, choose to hold to your Covenants with Him, choose joy, choose to pray and then do something, then it is going to uncover the best gift your life has met yet!  The sad or challenging hard times are the wrapping paper for the best of life's gifts--if we choose to be the masters of them and UNWRAP THEM by those steps listed above. 

For instance, Joseph and Hyrum gave everything for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we willing to do the following for Jesus Christ?

Something our Mission President said today:

"172 years ago today, Joseph and Hyrum were killed in the Carthage Jail. When Joseph was attacked and killed by a mob, he was the mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, and running for President of the United States. In the Doctrine and Covenants section 135 it states:

3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!

"Like Joseph and Hyrum, we as missionaries are asked to do hard things. We know their legacy, what will our legacy be?"

​

That is a question

proving our answer
is our few remaining days' quest.

In all phases of life we learn (1) the Lord loves us and (2) to serve our fellowmen.  We keep learning this over and over.

That which I share is from my heart.  These things are special to me. 

The week produced a lot of fruit, fun, progress and growth only because it was prefaced by a Sacrament Moment that defined all my choices. That defining moment built a broad and steady foundation for the whole week.

The transformation that has taken place:
Nothing is so important to me as to meet the need of one cherished soul.

"Heavenly Father," I said as I held the bread in my hand for many minutes, "I promise this moment and this promise will define and be the power behind all my choices this week."  The Holy Spirit pulsed and poured over me in goose-bump waves over my entire body.  I was filled with what was a real energy, power, and virtue that sprang from sources above.  Like a bucket of warmth and charge of power poured right over my head.  I held the cup for many precious moments of introspection and reflection and as I reflected on the blood of Christ, came these words in my heart, "I ask the Holy Ghost bring this moment to my mind every day and every choice this week."  (John 14:26)

​
Later in the week, another experience that connected me to the Savior, was that Elder Hogge was sneezing non-stop and coughing so repetitively that we both agreed it was time to call our Mission Nurse. He was sweating and weak. 

When Elder Hogge was sick and couldn't go out and proselyte on this our most important day, after discussing with the Mission Nurse, he at length approached me seeking a blessing.  "I need 10 minutes..." I said, "to prepare myself."  He went to the room to rest, and I brushed my teeth, put on my tie, washed my hands and face, went somewhere private, closed the door and knelt on the floor alone. As I prayed for my companion and tears formed in my eyes for him, I began to picture my Savior kneeling in the room before me.  In the mind's eye, beholding Him so clearly and vividly in the agony of Atonement, He writhing in anguish and soul tearing hurt, crushed under a burden no shoulder's could fit, His face and eyes beholding me and speaking with me from His eyes--not mouth... I withered with Him.  I saw that He did this for my Companion.  He did this for someone He loves.  

Next, the mind and heaven brought that moment's counterpart forward to me, to have the blood of the anguish and burden of pain and sorrow and grief that bore Him under, all wash over me.  Imagining the Savior's blood starting from my head, I imagined it very slowly... purifying out all impurities from my whole system and consciousness.  Things so deep in my nature and in the core of my being were touched.  Going down the whole body, until all natural had been replaced by His virtue.  

I stood up, humbled and in reverent sobriety.  

The sacred blessing was administered upon my companion, and tremendous words flowed from Father's mind and heart through my lips, to the soul of Elder Hogge, and he was healed. 

This was the day of a long planned for and anticipated Branch Activity.  In the Blessing, he had been promised that he would be fine to go and run the activity that evening.  

After the successful completion of a phenomenal activity, Elder Hogge said, "I didn't sneeze once . . . that is a miracle!"  

My heart was warm, knowing His Savior knows Him, and cared to trust one weak and simple as me to be His channel.  

That day, determined in my heart, "I want this kind of service to be the substance of my life."  To see my Savior and me so close that others are close to Him--eyes in my head now see this which eyes in my spirit knew clear all along. 

In District Workshop on Tuesday, Elder Vitiarai gave assignment for me to lead our Training.  It was on the Atonement.  How to access it; flowing into every aspect of our daily lives.

Object: Christ's power flow in every aspect of every day this week.

Started by sharing a story of a Mission President and one of his Missionaries talking.  The Missionary wasn't feeling the Spirit strongly.  The President was inspired to ask regarding his Sacrament partaking on Sundays; to which the Elder surprisingly responded that he had been too busy trying to help investigators to church to actually arrive on time and partake for himself.  

Then reminded us all that The Church, Area, and District Presidencies had all indicated that Sacrament is in Heavenly Father's top 5 priorities for His Children NOW. 

Then gave it over to them to read aloud Alma 33:16. 

"Thou art angry, O Lord, with this people, because they will not understand thy mercies which thou hast bestowed upon them because of thy Son."
Next, Alma 26:12, 

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea,behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

 Asking, 

"Who wants this kind of success in their area?  Who wants to see these miracles flowing freely in their Branch?  Who wants to find those who are truly seeking, contributing members, satisfying personal development of Christlike qualities?" 

Everyone enthusiastic, awake, eagerly affirming this is what we all want. 

Then drawing this picture, 

Showed that God is unlimited and has unfathomable power

​
Christ is our only connector to that full power, like a vast reservoir.  From which, a pipe travels to your home, with 5 switches from there to you, in order to get it flowing your electricity, washing, sinks, showers, toilets, and so on. 

1. Heaven's Power 
2. Christ's Atonement
3. Flowing Thru Men

How do we get this flowing in every facet of our life?  

We then read the Sacrament Prayers carefully, drawing out what they felt were the elements in it that most lead us to action and change.  

After discussing that, we then reflected on a formula:

First, we 

1. Remember His Example

• Bore our everything
• Remembers me personally, always
• Exchanges whatever negative I will drop at His feet
• Absolute surrender to Father
• Demonstrated, "Don't quit!" 

      2. How do we access?  "Ask in heart and prayer.  He makes it that simple.  Faith with eyes on Christ is enough.  One deliberate action of change will set it flowing.  Just, through prayer, ask to access it!  Simple."

      Then each member of the District gave separate presentations of the 5 keys,

Elder De Moors, Work
Elder & Sister Petero, Attitude
Elder Howard,(sisters weren't in attendance,) Teachable 
Elder Vitiarai, Exactness 
Elder Hogge, Relationship

And then, 

      3. Just testified, that we had it all along.  the five keys are what gets the water flowing, from God, through Christ, all the pipes and 5 switches, to all aspects of our system, and the work itself: 

• W ork
• A ttitude
• T eachable
• E xactness
• R elationship 

The answer to getting the water flowing, is in the word itself. 

I know the Lord requires our very best to lead in the Savior's way.  Helping individuals feel His pure acceptance and love, then improve from wherever they are; begin there. The love demonstrated, and to feel then in themselves the light growing, is all it takes for them to walk on--self-fueled and Christ as their co-pilot.


Branch Activity was a blast, and now, all the members are giving referrals of their friends who are ready, left and right!


What word is most important in life? 

For happiness, joy and richness to flood our life, I believe it's this word:


Atonement . (https://www.lds.org/search?lang=eng&query=ATONEMENT)


Praying for new eyes to see all things from eternity's perspective, and Heavenly Father's eyes, my eyes literally fell under remodeling.

There is a boil on my forehead that has rushed swelling over half of my face.  It looks like what Missionaries and Prophets must look like when they get stones thrown at them, as in days of old.  My eye's like a little water melon and is stuck shut. 

We planned and carried out another Branch Activity this week.  We taught about Eternal Families from these 2 sources:

Earthly Father, Heavenly Father 


We're Still a Family 

I AM A DAD!!!!!!!

Hey!!!!! How are you?  How are things going in your area? In your life?  It's been a little while.  Here is what has been happening in Suva Hindi for Elder Howard:

(Please reply.  I want to know how things are going with you! :)



I am Training a brand-new missionary!  Elder Datoon!!!!!!  He just arrived in the field, and is incredible!!!! He is from Canada, but his nationality is Philipino.  He is 18 and is a fireball of consecrated perfection!!!!!  













Our first day together, we sat down and gave each other Priesthood Blessings by unified request from one another, and to dedicate our companionship and sanctify it and strengthen one another. We really have everything in common and deliberately chose to make this companionship legendary in its unity, fun, success, President Layton's 4 keys, love, exact obedience in ALL things and just purely full potential.  I told him our first day, "My mission isn't about me.  It really has now become all about you and everyone else.  My whole purpose is to help you reach your full potential."  We had great discussions like, "Did you have a best friend back home?  What was his name?  What qualities and what reasons made that person your best friend?"  He is AMAZING!!!!! 

In a conversation I had with Heavenly Father a week or two before transfers happened, He told me many things He wanted me to do when I met my trainee, if I were to train.  Some of those things were, that Heavenly Father told me I should suggest the idea that the two of us give one another blessings there in the house on the first day.  Also to, every night before bed, write a note on a sticky pad paper--Find the strongest moment of unity, fun, enjoyment, success, meaning and joy of the day together, and put it down on paper and hide it in his bed, suitcase, journal, or anywhere he will come across it throughout the next day.  God and I talked about how this will make it so in our minds we'll always have those powerfully bonded moments to draw back on if there are ever weak moments of the relationship that might come in days ahead.  So, I build those wonderful moments each day, and then write those immediately down simply in my planner, so that at the end of the day in private I can just quickly transfer the moment onto a sticky note and leave it for Elder Datoon.

​
Heavenly Father taught me that by doing this, I would see that as a child of God and disciple of Christ, I am to impact my circumstances, as always.  He said that by this principle, I would be able to control the companionships' positive memories of one another daily.  I would control the measure of unity with Him and him.

I have learned that relationships are like blinking.  To the other people outside the relationship, it seems they just are always moist, functioning well and good with no secret or work to it.  But it is constant good little things done deliberately and consistently one moment to the next, that keep the two eyes healthy, united and usable to the full maximum glorious potential.  

I love life.

Life is good. Always.

Thanks to the Atonement, and the most powerful trait: Gratitude.

Access the power of those 2 things.


Our house is like a Temple.  Not only is it now blessed, but it is as organized and clean as the Temple!  I told President Layton, "You need to send someone over for a flat check!"  We are so proud of it and the perfect habits we have established.  We love being here, it is just like the Temple in a lot of ways.  We just keep everything perfectly organized and clean.

Elder Datoon can already fully introduce himself in Hindi.  His pronunciation is perfect!  He has already invited (in perfect Hindi) an entire family to be baptized.  He has been EXACTLY exact in his obedience.  Before he arrived, I put a strip of paper in our main room in the most prominent spot, saying "Exact Obedience."  And it has been just that since day one.  We are exact on the beep of our watches' hour chime to transition to the next studies or whatever it be.  He has already established really wonderful relationships with almost every member of both Suva 1st and Suva 3rd.  They all know him and love him.  The Bishops met him and the Relief Society Presidents, and everyone.  The investigators all love him.  I love him with all my whole heart. 

I have to tell you honestly, that I have never seen any missionary in the Hindi Program pick up the language as fast as he is.  He hasn't even started his first full week and he is already successfully leading the mission rally IN FULL HINDI  in our companion study sessions!  He introduces himself to everyone we meet, and he does it with the most spot-on pronunciation.  I am honestly impressed.  I am very very impressed.

​We are almost exactly a year apart, so I can honestly say I understand him almost perfectly.  We are thriving together, and we're just a perfect match.  The love and unity of our companionship is influencing everyone around us--and the best part is that we can see it clearly!  We just watch it spill over into the lessons, the households, the wards, and everyone in the stores around us.. we realized from minute one in our companionship, that our unity would determine the strength of everyone in our district and zone and teaching influence.  We love to watch the Lord's powerful positive influence penetrate everybody He places around us.  It is just so fun to watch!

He blessed the Sacrament in church this past Sunday.  We talk in Hindi, we talk in Fijian, and in English, and in song.  We both love singing, together.

We started his training on the first day and have already finished week one. 

The other morning, right when we woke up, Heavenly Father taught me a really meaningful and richly symbolic, cool handshake for our companionship.  Elder Datoon and I spent a little while both excitedly putting it together.  We love it and really want to explain it next email.

We committed to exactness in all things and perfect unity.  We wear color matching ties and share ties and sing together and constantly laugh and just have a very strong and solid, close friendship.  Every night and every morning after comp prayer, we hug, say I love you and go straight to work.  We work out for the full 30 minutes every day!!! I LOVE IT!

He eats so healthy, just like me.  He has fully and with his whole heart embraced the culture.  The very first night, we went straight out to working hard and eating with the people in their humble settlements.  He loved eating in the dark with his hands in a mosquito infested settlement with no power.  He is just a constant battery of positive gratitude and happiness!  We are loving every second of the work, and Elder Datoon is growing and progressing very fast. 

The Mission is blessed with one of the most consecrated missionaries I have yet had the honor of observing in the field yet.

And I want you to know, I love you. Thanks for all you are.  I'm glad I know you.

I love the area, and I just love everything in life.  I can walk absolutely anywhere and up to absolutely anyone and make instant best friends with them!  Whether it is a group of people smoking and drinking, or a perfect little family, or a punk haired dude on the street, or someone that doesn't even speak one of my 3 mission languages, my people skills have become perfected.  Any age group, any class of people.  Every moment of my mission is now having fun, giving it my all, having no regrets, and building around 30 new strong friendships per day.  I love people and know how to work with them, no matter their backround or nationality or lifestyle.  This gift Heavenly Father has given me, I know will bless me all the rest of the days I have here in His work on this earth, and in every eternity to come.  Throw me in any situation, and with the Holy Ghost and all the skills He has developed in me, I am able to really enjoy it and make the best of it.  I really have a lot of fun in the work, and everyone around me does too.  We are at the brightest and highest point of our missions.  My people skills are now my strength--and I love it!  I know how to influence and lead and love and build up others, while building their respect for me and our mutual unity.  I have a special and unique friendship with each of the members and missionaries now.  The members flock around our dinner list.  We have wonderful relationships with everyone.

I know the area very well and am able to navigate.

Junior(Shameer, Asmin's son whom you witnessed the baptism of), is receiving the Priesthood and being advanced to the office of a Teacher next Sunday!  He is coming out teaching with us EVERY day!  He goes to school and helps his mom, and always makes time to come out and teach with us!  He is a completely changed person.  I would say, that he is perhaps one of the very greatest results of the mission Heavenly Father sent me on here to Fiji.  My heart overflows with pride in him whenever I see him.  He is fixed on serving his own mission and forever staying strong in the Restored gospel.  He speaks of his mission and wonders how he will finance it, but then always tells us, "Elders, my favorite word from the scriptures is 'faith'--I will live it."  He is doing his part.  He is a powerhouse in every lesson!

All of our Recent Converts are doing very well! 

We successfully handed over our entire Nasinu Area to the Hindi Elders over there.  We dedicated an entire day and all the numbers for key indicators we gathered from that days' work and gave it all to the other Elders.  We are so proud and pleased that our Area Book was up to date and ready to hand over and that we were able to build powerful relationships with the incoming companionship that will now be taking over for us.  We had such a wonderful day.  I gave gifts to Rachel and Shaun and made them promise me they would do 3 things, "Read the Book of Mormon every day. 2) Take the Sacrament there in the chapel with the members, every week. 3) Meet me at the Temple in February." They agreed.  Many tears were shed and we handed them over to the other Elders.  Shaun wants to serve his own mission, and Rachel has many referrals for the Elders now. 


I was also pleasantly enjoying the blessings of exact obedience as well.  My Fijian is more fluent than it even was on my 11th week in Bau!  I have reaped the blessings of exact obedience.  I haven't studied the language ever since I was called to the Hindi program except for exchanges where that was necessarily done.  And thanks to that obedience, I feel near-fluent and free in Fijian still!  I had a wonderful time joking with the natives and teaching them and playing games with the children and conversing with everyone and just basking in the glow of the Spirit that has preserved my tongue.  I am also able to answer just about any question Elder Cobabe or Elder Datoon ever have about the language.  I really am just enjoying exact obedience and all the mission life has to offer.

I feel perfect unity and love in our district.  They each have strong relationships with me and one another.  We have build very strong mutual respect.  They know I love them and we all love talking and edifying each other and being together and getting the work done and being fully obedient.  I am proud of the work and efforts my district is putting in.  We are about to make a lot of very positive changes in the way we approach the work in this district.  

So much more to say... SOOOO much more to say, but no time at all.  Please respond, so I can hear more about your week.  You are loved.
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_Elder B. Howard
Suva Hindi