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

Write Away!

Elda Howard's sister here with something you all WANT very much...

His Mailing address!  

Elder Brandon Howard
Fiji Suva Mission Office
GPO Box 215
Suva, Fiji

Fiji

Really, Write away!  You'll make his day and he will spread MORE joy than he already does because of YOU!  Then you'll be blessed for it... then you'll just HAVE to tell him all about it, then the cycle continues, right?  :)

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.

3 Sharks! 10 Joy! 1 License! Hindi Materials!

Aap Log Kaise Hai!!! Bahuut suundarr iss Jiwan!  Hum log bahuut juloom, auld sub cheej acha hai!


From the land of every beauty, and every language,

Konichi Wa!  Bula Vinaka!  Mauri!  Namaste!  Hello!  Rite hai! 


This week, we were in the market in town, and were just going to grab a few things and share the gospel with everyone... and then the Lord blessed us to get really really cheap good deals on everything, so we were able to get a whole lot of fresh veggies and fruit, and...

3 Sharks! 


We were stunned and surprised to see them being sold in the market.  

We stopped and stared... and then said, "Well, let's try a new experience!" And we bought this one gray shark, and 2 hammer-head sharks, all for 5 dollars!

We continued walking on with 3 fins all popping out of our bags, and as we went, a Fijian man stopped us and asked us if we know how to prepare them and cook them.  We said we didn't have a clue.  He gave us a bunch of advice that didn't actually help us, but, we got to spend a long time together talking about the gospel, and he was so happy!  The gospel would have never come to him if we hadn't bought 3 sharks.

We're going back to share with him again in a few days because he wants to read what we gave him and learn so much more.

The Lord works in mysterious ways :)

We got home after sharing the gospel with a whole bunch of other people including our Taxi drivers and everyone who Heavenly Father prepared to be taught by us.  Once we were home, we had to leave the sharks sitting in our sink to stink, because we had lessons and meetings to get to right away.

When we came back, I said a prayer and then Heavenly Father guided and inspired me as to how to properly gut and clean and prepare the sharks.  I was amazed at how incredible all of His sacred and beautiful creations are in this world.  

The sharks are all gutted, cleaned, chopped up, in our freezer, and ready to eat over the next few weeks!

_______________________________________________________
I have learned how to drive!  I even drove all over all the back-roads and learned everything about stick and the Lord has magnified all my abilities! Plus, I'm confident now and will be getting my license on Wednesday.

I can now understand literally almost everything Hindi people say.  I have now learned the language, and I can lead lessons, teach lessons, answer questions, interpret, read some, write some, ask questions, go on splits where Elder Moka isn't even there to help me in Hindi.  He has made me self sufficient to stand on my own 2 feet in the Hindi program and in most everything in our companionship.  We are thriving in our closeness with each other and with all our investigators.  

I have been speaking near fluently and effortlessly in all 3 languages every day.  I can switch between Eng., Fijian and Hindi easily and people understand and enjoy my languages.  I am very serious about the work and am progressing faster and higher than ever thanks to Heavenly Father.  I have no limits when I'm powered and enabled by Him, and that's exactly what has happened. 

We are picking up more and more Hindi investigators.  They don't speak much English, so our Hindi speaking is truly sprouting and thriving and flourishing by the day. I am ready to move the kingdom forward in every way the Lord can use me.

Elder Moka and I have such a beyond strong, and perfect, close friendship.  We're more than companions.  We are more than best friends.  We are perfectly unified, in all the indescribable ways me and Elder Nawahine were, and in some other ways too.  This has become the most flourishing relationship of laughter, respect, perfect unity, happiness, selfless service and enjoyment I've had my whole mission so far.  We love each other.  We pray together every hour of the day almost.  Every night and every morning, we pray, and then at the end of the day we hug each other sincerely and we always tell each other we love each other and do nothing at all but edify and compliment and build up and improve each other.  I have the best companion!!!!! 

I am ready for anything the Lord wants! ^_^

We finally got Hindi materials!! In sanscrip hindi symbols!! Pure hindi!  Pamphlets and Book of Mormons are flying out to people now every day!  We are so excited about these brand new materials that have now started to come for the first time ever!  We are using them and the people are so appreciative of them!! 

The Lord is flooding us with golden investigators!!  

Me and Elder Moka; we love you, we love the Lord, we are eager to do all He requires of us. 

In the next couple weeks we will be having an incredible Open House and Devotional for the whole of Lautoka to come tour our Chapel and know what the Church is all about in focuses like Family, Service, Chirst-like Lifestyle, etc.  It's going to be a huge success.  We are so grateful.


I had someone throw a balloon at my face, and it didn't pop.  Haha!


Here is something I read this week about Gratitude:

PLEASE READ IT!   IT'S TOO GOOD NOT TO READ! 

Confuse Every Trial: Smile!

This week, we had a problem with someone we are teaching.  They made choices that have hurt us a lot.  I can't say details, but to watch them choose to fall, was one of the darkest and saddest points of my mission.  But, now I can testify that fasting works.  Fasting turned this darkest point of my mission, right over to the very brightest and excruciatingly joyful point of my mission yet.

That point topped all pains.  And when I handed it over to the Savior, He turned it around to top most ALL joys I've ever had in my life.

I testify of what the Atonement of Jesus Christ can do.  

Because of Him, all dark, sad, painful, can be turned around for joy and hope and positive change.  

I am now coming to the Savior in ways beyond what I've ever known.  Jesus Christ and I really are now becoming as close as He always hoped and yearned for. And though I get to experience His pain at watching Heavenly Father's children make sometimes painful wrong choices, I know that is part of coming to know His depth of love.  

I fasted for everything this week... we have so many struggles and challenges and people making painful decisions in their lives. Things here in the mission, and things at home.  I testify that fasting works true and undeniable miracles.  I testify Heavenly Father is there.  He is living and literal and personal.  His plans are the best. 

I have received perfect peace and joy in the midst of every kind of circumstance, pain, trial, challenge, turn of events and all emotions and situations.  And I can testify that He hears every word of your prayers.  And I can testify that we can have true, rich, shining, full, lasting, deep, real, tangible joy and happiness and peace regardless of our circumstances.

That comes through turning to Christ and living His gospel with all our hearts in all things.  Then all things only effect us positively.  

In this work, all we need to do is be ready to be used.  It is the Holy Ghost that does all the work through us.  This work really isn't mine.  It really isn't me.  I'm His hands.

At the beginning of Tuesday, it was the darkest day of my mission yet.  And by the end of the day, literally everything had 100% switched around to the most exquisite joy I've had on my mission yet.  And through it all, I was joyful.

Fasting changed everything.  It changed people's attitudes.  It filled my hungry soul.  It is one way to empty yourself of unrighteousness so you can be filled with the Holy ghost.  Fasting is the way to "hunger and thirst after righteousness," as the Savior taught. 

Salvation is certainly not a cheap experience at all.  It is joyful.  It is exhilarating.  It is our work and our glory, to work with the Father to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children.

At the end of the day, the Lord had worked everything for good; and people's hearts and situations were on the path to being changed fully.  When we walked in the door at the end of the day, we fell on our knees and cried unto the Lord, praising and thanking Him, with overflowing souls and hearts.  

It'll be interesting to see how the Celestial Kingdom can top this joy I felt.  Yet I know it's a reality awaiting.  My joy tank is brimmed and stocked for years!  Haha! It was joy I didn't know mortals were capable of experiencing!  

This work requires everything. 

And I'm willing to give it.

Love is my motive.

Because He Lives; I can do all things.

A Loving Heavenly Father -- You have to SEE this!

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka!!!

This week, I want to try to get you a few good  pictures right off:

This is what Fijian's in our village love to do in their spare time

And this....

...is our [Christmas] house!

These are a few of the hilarious, mischievous, beautiful little cute Fijian children in my area.

This is Me in a Tree.  I hope to live here soon.

And these are Fijian children I taught to breakdance.

This is a huge storm coming our way.  We had more this week than probably any week yet. It was AWESOME! :)

Ilaitia, climbing a vuniniu(coconut tree,) to get my first ever authentic Fijian coconut.

And this is me drinking it!

These are sad children.  They are hilarious! I love them!

These are beautiful!!!  What more need I say?

This is a Fijian warrior(Ilaitia) 

This is a delicious Fijian meal with his family^

OOps!!! That's two horses and a boy who randomly walked into our front yard while we were studying.

THIS :) is the meal...

And this is a spider as big as my hand.  It lives with us.  My companion screamed like a girl and chopped a few of its legs off the other day though.  I haven't named it yet. 

What should I name it??

My little buddies!!! Playing around after spending all day gardening and working and singing out in the hot sun.

Another cool picture of the boys jumping the bridge

A picture of how sweaty I am all the time, and my friend in the backround. 

These are pictures of us before and after working in the fields.  I sang in Fijian the whole time and worked hard.  So fun!  Learned a lot about Fijian agriculture! 

I am proud to say I am indeed gaining weight!  Haha! Zero fat though.  The Fijian life and diet is perfect for muscle building!  In the flat every day, we wake up and lift buckets of water and do pull ups on the wood ceiling beams, and do pushups and ghetto workouts!  You don't need a gym! Just like I said every day with my Facebook Fitness Page!  No excuses! Just choices.

 

More working in the fields

Sele!  (Fijian Jungle Sword!)

Cannibals eat Missionaries part 2!!

You don't have to read the following, if you don't want to.  Just keeping everyone posted on how Fiji is! 

In Fiji, there are still cannibals.  They legitimately eat people.  There are only a few of them, and they live up in villages by themselves--and the Fijians know where they are and warn the Missionaries. 
My companion was with one of his former companions, and went through one of these villages, and kept going even though the Holy Spirit was telling them to turn back and not continue.  The people invited them inside their houses.  There were no children in this village; only old people.  As my companion and his companion were sitting down in one of these houses with these people, half of the village was gathering firewood and rocks to kill them and cook them underground.  But, a Fijian who had been prompted by Heavenly Father to come in and save them, ran into the village and called out dramatically and frantically for the missionaries, and when he saw them in a house, he feared it might be too late.  The people were trying to keep the missionaries in and telling them not to listen to that guy, but to stay, stay, stay!  The Fijian that came to save them, ran in and pulled them out by their hands and dragged them swiftly out of the village.  He scolded them the entire way home.  They all thanked Heavenly Father, with all their hearts, for saving them.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture, but ! --> Our landlord painted our house GREEN AND RED, FOR CHRISTMAS!!!  It used to be pink.  We arrived home one day and were like..."Right property... wrong house. WOAH! WAIT!THAT'S OUR HOUSE!!!!" 

President Monson sent me a Christmas card!  I thought that was pretty cool!  He sent one out to each missionary. I love him!


We get swords in our mission!  We can chop off people's arms, we can cut down trees, we can mow our lawn with these, we can fend off mad cows or dogs.




I love it!! There are so many mosquitoes!!!  The other night, they were so thick and hungry.  I was sleeping, surrounded by my mosquito net, and they were all buzzing super high-pitched and desperate sounding.  They collect on the net, and I spray them with the bug spray I brought.  I love them.  Heavenly Father was so wise in creating them.  They're magnificent little creatures!  I'm amazed at them!  I am in awe at the thing Heavenly Father can do.  These mosquitoes were so thick and fierce, that I didn't even get out to go brush my teeth and floss that night.  My showers consist of slapping and spraying mosquitoes.. and sometimes I get around to actually cleaning myself.  But, the mosquitoes really are no thicker than they are in Virginia during the Summer.  


Truly when we're serving others, we're only serving ourselves.   When you serve selflessly and love and give your love and time and spirit for another, your spirit fills with light and joy and you receive more than you gave!  Heavenly Father is an acknowledger and eternal and meaningful rewarder of every good deed.  Learn to give yourself for others. Whatever we become here in mortality is meaningless unless it is done for the benefit of others.  Our gifts and talents are given to us to help us serve.  And in serving, we become like Christ.

We are here to help each other, to care for each other, to understand, forgive, and serve one another.  Anything we do to show love is worthwhile: a smile, a word of encouragement, a small act of sacrifice.  We grow by these actions.  We are where we need to be.  We are each receiving more help than we know.  Angels stand near us, waiting to assist us, rejoicing in our accomplishments &joys.  

Language

This week, all the natives, (members, non-members, missionaries, taxi drivers, investigators, etc.,) have been always been so surprised when I tell them I've only been here 3 weeks.  Last week, I was talking to a taxi driver while he drove us somewhere, and he thought I had been here 2 YEARS, and hardly believed me when I said I'd only been here two weeks.  He said my Fijian is native and fluent.  At first, I thought he was just being nice; but then everyone was having the same reaction and saying the same thing!  They are amazed at how well I speak.  The missionaries say that I speak ridiculously good.  I now engage just about any crowd or individual in conversation in their own native Fijian tongue.  I credit this all to Heavenly Father's enabling and strengthening power.  I credit it, humbly and gratefully to you.  Your prayers for me.  Your faith.  I credit it to Him enabling me to work hard, and in my loving to only be out of my comfort zone! To not be afraid to mess up, all the time!   The Lord will enable you, if you trust His love and work joyfully and patiently have perfect and full faith.  As long as you keep walking, you will get their; gloriously and triumphantly!  That's the promise of our lives here in mortality! 

The other day, I sang soprano, sang a Christmas song in Fijian, in front of about 1000 Fijians.  They were amazed and loved it! 


Our lizards in our house are like dogs.  They bite each other's heads playfully, they wag their tails, and they bark.