We had a Zone Conference PMG Competition where we got 2nd place as a District!
We saved 2 houses from a wild fire. The Holy Ghost prompted us to drive down a road, and a huge fire was about to engulf 2 families. We ran and stood in front of the houses and used the Priesthood to rebuke the elements, and the fires disappeared within the hour. We had dinner with the family that night and shared the Gospel with them.
We were led by God to help some people just before they had been about to take their lives in depression. We were led at just the right time.
So many, even a hundred people now love the Book of Mormon and are feeling Christ's light transform their lives. You will LOOOOOVVVVVEEEE YOUR MISSION! We are really enjoying teaching people here!!!! We have learned that nothing is more important than following the Holy Ghost. It is all that matters. If we follow the Holy Ghost, we will have a joyful journey to Heavenly Father, one that perfectly forms us to be like Him and Heavenly Mother. We know what we must do, just listen + do = joy everytime.
I love you so much.
Hope your week has been full of challenges!
("what? What's he talking about?")
Because that means your moving to higher ground. Embrace the mountains! You have a tour guide if you'll heed Him.
200+ pages of
F.S.M. Hindi Language Guide
Beginner to Comprehensive
are ready for review and drafting. Every localized translation of each of the 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, and 5 lessons, full lesson plans, vocabulary, 400+ verbs, beginner guides on all a fresh Missionary could want or need, local tips, learning games, dialects, culture/etiquette, and all topics and concepts covered. All the conversations of my Mission and all God has invested in me, has been filtered out into these pages. How Elder Mokie and I wish we could have had these wealths of resources at the start of our Missions!
We were in tears to look around and find a larger number of Hindi brothers and sisters crowding the chapel. 12 of the Saints we are working with, all came to church! 6 Investigators and 6 Returning Members, and Recently Returned or Baptized Saints faithfully seated there as well! We can testify that this came because we evaluate each other daily on the 5 keys of Success. We find as we strive for Exact Obedience even in the small things, people will call us up and say, "Elders, this Sister hasn't been to church in a decade, but now she's calling you to bring her back and Baptize her two sons. . . plus she's making you lunch on Sunday afternoon!" I truly believe the Lord just waits for us to put our heart on the alter of sacrifice and then, the weight of that 7lb little precious gift sets of a chain reaction that opens up flood gates He had had in reserve all along. The heart on the Alter sets off the release of the treasure vaults! These 5 Keys, WORK!
One of our Returning Members gave a talk on Sacrifice on Sunday. She in tears shared, "I am here .. standing here today because of the Elders the Lord sent. They came and told me I am loved. I am needed. It is because of them that I came back. I will sacrifice. I am so grateful.. that this has happened." We were both in tears... it was one of the most pay-day... worth-it, special moments of these years. Reflecting, it made me grateful for promptings. All the miracles that have happened, that my memory picks up, were just because of a prompting heeded. I testify that is the one work a Missionary or a Child of God has to do, get, hear, head, the Holy Ghost.
There has never been a more satisfying day of my mission. The Companionship, the unity, the joy, the hard work, the results, the investigators, the Spirit, the clarity of the the promptings nonstop, the tears, the signed Book of Mormons, the Referrals, the laughs, the hugs, the photos, the letters, the peace, the motivation, the clarity, the direction, the warmth... the solidified goodness of being Spongey!!
We're getting good ready for Zone Conference. Thankful for this last feast! We're bringing our plates and some take-away containers (; ! It will be my departing testimony. My final breath, final word.
It is the best gift anyone could receive; to be able to speak through the scriptures. To have anyone ask a question, and be able to say, "Let's not come up with our own opinion; lets take this to the scriptures." And to have answers jump all perfectly in divine-line in heart and head! To someone's need! That's the sweetest part. To see our words not work, and then the words of the scriptures do a mighty work in their very souls. Being a scriptorian is the best gift a person can give to the world, perhaps. "Man shall not live by bread alone."
Be a thing to act--no matter what. Everywhere you go where there is a bad song, bring a USB of good. Everywhere I go, bad songs flee. Be a thing to act! Take action!
Lessons, shorter and more powerful than ever. Practicing and getting out before the Spirit does is a fun challenge. There is a power in beginning with question, paint a picture of the best God's got, take it away, introduce Christ with BAR-CPR (Birth, Atonement Resurrection-Church, Prayer, Read) all they need, Matt 26:39, "what you do after the amen is all that matters," "once we go, He'll come knock" with photo of Christ at the door and leave with listening to them and the Spirit.
Love,
5 Unlocked Doors, Forever ~Elder Howard
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
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
