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

Three Languages...and counting!!!

​Last week I was speaking in 3 languages every hour of the day.  Pretty much, I think in 3 languages.

This week, I'm picking up 2 more languages.
I'm learning Japanese and Rotuman. 
But these aren't languages I have been called to officially teach and share in.  I have just started picking them up on my own initiative because I am fueled by the absolute knowledge that as a son of personal and literal heavenly Father, I have no limits at all.  I can reach my fullness of unbounded potential.  I can help more people by knowing more languages.  I'm here in Fiji to touch every individual Heavenly Father can possibly use me to bless in any way or degree fathomable--nothing less; possibly more.  

The Hindi people are so surprised and impressed by how well my companion and I speak Hindi.  We have truly been given the very real Gift of Tongues spoken of in the Scriptures, and by prophets ancient and modern.  I know the Lord is the reason.  He is the power.  He is my best and most constant friend.

I truly believe that by the end of this month, I will be able to teach entire lessons about the Purpose of Life and the Restored fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and all the truths of Eternity, the Plan of Happiness, all in just Fiji-Hindi.  Not English.

The Lord is supporting me in this inspired goal I have.  To show it, He caused something to happen to my English badge the other day.  I picked it up and somehow the words had been melted and distorted! I was very surprised!  That only happened to my English badge though! Haha!  It's a deep message. :)  Goodbye English!!!

Just kidding--I'm pretty sure I'll still be able to communicate with everyone when I come home.  If not, I'll just speak through my drawing and singing.  No worries.

I got a virus on my camera that made it so all my pictures I've taken on my whole mission so far, were all gone.  I was just happy.  I turned it right immediately over to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and He sent it back to me as a blessing because I had the instant faith to hand it right over to Him.  My happiness is beyond the reach of anything to uproot or tarnish or take even a degree away.  My happiness, joy, peace and progress in my existence of thrivety, are like a virus themselves!!! Nothing can stop them and they've hacked my whole life down to the very smallest aspects and details.

This is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ does!  It gives us  a happiness that the world cannot give you any of; and that the world therefore cannot take away even a degree of--because the world didn't give it to you! :) 

After this, then my companion and I were happily talking about it, and he told me that all my files are actually all still there. It's a common virus in Fiji, that just makes it so they're all hidden and the computer doesn't actually show them.  They're all still there!  Yay! But that's not why I'm happy.  I'm happy because I have something more valuable than all the most beautiful pictures anyone could ever have  of the most precious memories imaginable--I have a joy and happiness and depth of purpose and meaning that surpasses all thing this world possesses or highest has ability to offer!

I possess something that surpasses all things in this world.  I possess a fullness of truth directly from my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ!It's simply the reason for happiness.
It's simply the reason for every good thing.