March 26, 2018

Hello all my wonderful friends and family,

This week has by far been a crazy week fun of miracles and sorrows. 

On Monday I got a wonderful phone call!! Dewayne Johnson from my Studio City area was going to be baptized March 25th and he wanted me to come back and speak at his baptism!! He had been struggling with the word of wisdom and he finally beat it!! Whoo! I got to go to his baptism Saturday and it was beautiful! The spirit was over powering and Dewayne's non-member wife Trish loved every minute of it. (She is soo going to get baptized!) After the baptism I thanked Dwayne for letting me talk on baptism and be a part of his baptism and he told me something that has humbled me to the core. During all of his lessons with the missionaries he could feel the spirit, but when I came and started teaching him, he felt something different. I was a different missionary. I had a better understanding of him, and what he needed and I had played a huge part in him wanting to be baptized. We all have unique conversion stories, that we need to be willing to share... you could be that one person who changes someone else's life... Don't be afraid!  Just testify with God's power!!

That same Monday at Zone activity the Zone leader decided that we needed to all eat baluts to build Zone unity. A balut is a duck egg that was boiled before the baby duck could completely develop...... so you're eating a head,beak, bones and feathers..... well no one in their right mind wanted to do that sooo the Zone leader guilt tripped me into doing it because one of the sister training leaders had to do it... so yeah I ate a balut and some how managed not to throw up!!!! But don't worry I'll get back at the zone leaders.... some how.. if you have any ideas feel free to email me:) 

Victor is doing wonderfully!! He has come to church twice and he still really really wants to be baptized and he is trying to beat his word of wisdom struggles with full force. We had a lesson with him and were able to download the gospel library app to his phone. He now listens to primary songs as he drives to work. He was so happy with his change of life that he played the guitar for us and bought us donuts!! 

We found Jason last transfer and we were not able to get back in contact with him but we kept trying. We finally got a hold of him, met him at a park and taught him the first lesson. Jason is the perfect investigator. He asks all the right questions and is willing to follow commitments. He read the introduction out loud to us and said as he read he could feel that he was gaining knowledge! We invited him to be baptized and he accepted!! He is so excited to learn more... only problem is he is 24 so we might have to pass him off to the YSA elders. 

We have been teaching Jack (a special needs kid in our ward) the lesson to prepare him for baptism and he is doing so good!! He can remember the things that we teach him and he is really starting to improve! His parents are so thrilled! We had a lesson with him yesterday about the importance of church and he told us eating snacks in sacrament was his favorite part of church:)

 

Yesterday I found out that someone so very very dear to me had passed through the veil. I don't know if I have ever been more devastated in my life... my first reaction was complete and utter anger at all the unfairness of the situation and the helplessness of being away from home... but this is one of the very reasons why I decided to come out on a mission. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we will see our loved ones again. Families can and will be together forever and Heavenly Father has a specific plan for us. Sometimes He just needs to call His angels home. Jesus Christ our brother and Savior knows exactly how we are feeling and He will never ever leave us alone. All we have to do is let Him carry our burdens. Let him lift you up. This church is the true church that Jesus Christ himself established here on the earth. Hold on to the covenants that you have made with your Heavenly Father and you will receive eternal life.

I love you all and you are all in my prayers.

Love, Sister Howard

March 19, 2018

Hey everyone!

Fantastic news!! Allison got baptized on Saturday!  Her baptism was one of the most beautiful baptisms that I have ever been to! The spirit was so strong! She ended up getting baptized three times because  her hair kept floating up. Afterwards she said it was okay because she needed to be baptized for the Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Then we all stood in the bathroom hugging and crying!

Sunday she got the gift of the Holy Ghost and will be getting a church calling pretty soon. We also are planning a baby blessing for Andrew! 

So a couple days ago Allison told me the story of the day we found her. She had been struggling with trying to be a single mom and she just didn't know where to turn. She missed going to church and having God in he life but wasn't sure how to refocus herself. She remembered that some sister missionaries were living above her but they had moved and she didn't know where to find them. She ended up praying and asking Heavenly Father for help. A few minutes later, Hermana Juarez and I knocked on her door. We had not originally planned to knock doors in that area but because we were running late thats where we ended up. 

Timing is everything! Heavenly Father purposely puts things in your path so that you will be there when He needs you! Allison needed us, so God sent us to her! 

We are still working with Victor and he is doing wonderful! He loves to read the Book of Mormon and has downloaded the gospel library app! Because of his word of wisdom problem he has been going to an lds addiction recovery program and he has improved so much!! The gospel really changes lives. 

I love you all have an awesome week!

Love, Sister Howard 

March 12, 2018

Hi family and friends,

I have great news!! Allison passed her baptismal interview!!!!! She is getting baptized this Saturday!!! After she gets baptized she is planning on getting Andrew a baby blessing!!! We took her to the Los Angeles temple visitor center this week and she loved it!! The visitor center is beautiful and we got to watch videos about missionaries and prophets. Then we taught her about temples and eternal families! Allison said after the trip that all she wanted to do was go home and read the Book of Mormon! She is so ready to be baptized!! Whooo!!

Christopher  is a cool guy we found at the beginning  of the transfer. We were on our way to an appointment, saw him, gave him a card, and then he called us that night interested in hearing a message. Well we lost contact with him, but we refused to give up and had stopped by his house multiple times trying to get back in contact with him. Well Saturday we felt inspired to stop by his house again. He answered the phone, let us in, and we shared the Restoration with him! We got him on date to be baptized for the 14th of April!!!! He is so excited to be baptized and wants to be worthy to hold the priesthood! He told us that he knows we are women called of God!

So Victor has really been struggling with the word of wisdom and with keeping appointments and our zone leaders were encouraging us to stop teaching him.  Well Sister Smullin and I refused to give up on him! We made a game plan on how we were going to approach our next lesson with him and that we were going to set goals with his addictions. We went into the lesson and the spirit inspired us to do something completely different then what we had originally planned. We read 3 Nephi 11( the chapter when Jesus comes to the Americas)  with him. At first he refused to read out of the book and just wanted us to read, but all of a sudden he started to read the chapter with us! Then he explained the whole chapter back to us perfectly and we felt prompted to invite him to be baptized!! He said yes!!! He has a date set for April 28th and he is going to get help with his addiction!

We got transfer calls Saturday and I am happy to say that I get to stay with Sister Smullin!! Also I got called to be a sister training leader! It is the same as zone leader. This means that I get to train the sisters on how to run their areas, give them support, and serve them in any way that I can! I am so excited for this opportunity to love the other sister missionaries and to get to try to be a positive example to them! 

I love you all!! Have an amazing week!! 

Love, Sister Howard

March 5, 2018

Dear family and friends,

This week has been so full of amazing miracles!!! We were calling all of our investigators on a Saturday afternoon to see how they were doing. Sister Smullin had the idea that we should check-up on Victor. She calls him and this is how the conversation goes. 

Victor: I can't believe it!! I can't believe it!!

Sister Smullin: What? (panic in her voice)
Victor: I'M ON MY WAY TO THE MORMON CHURCH!!!!

Sister Smullin: WHY?? 

Victor: Church starts at 3:00 right?

Sister Smullin: Victor it starts tomorrow at 9:00am

Victor: Well I was lost and thinking you had forgotten me and then you called!!!! I can't wait to see the church! I'm all most there!

Sister Smullin: Okay Victor, just hold on and we will meet you there and give you tour!

Victor: This is a God shot!!! I knew you cared! See you. Bye! (God shot means an unexpected blessing or sign)

Hangs up phone.... 

So Sister Smullin and I race out of our apartment to our car to hurry and drive to our church. We called almost every women on our phone to try to get a sister, so that we could enter the church with Victor. No one answers, but we finally get the impression to call our friend Sister Jessperson. She drops everything and hurries to meet us at the church! We ended up having an amazing church tour with Victor and he says he wants to be baptized in June. He cancelled all of his Sunday plans and came to church with us on Sunday. After the block, he told us that he felt cleansed and that it was a perfect way to start out his day. 

Allison is doing amazing. We have almost finished teaching her all of the lessons and she has continued to come to church! At church one of the members asked her if she was visiting or a member? She looks at me, winks, and says, "a member". This Friday we have a member driving us all to go see the temple visitor center! After she gets baptized she wants to make sure that Andrew can get a baby blessing. The change that I have seen in her is just so stunning. The gospel truly blesses lives.

I was on exchanges and we were knocking doors. We ran into Jason and taught him the first lesson. He said he would love to be baptized, but has not picked a date yet. We tried to text him to make sure that our appointment time for the next lesson would still work, but he had given us a bad number! Bummed, but determined, we still stopped by his house. His wife answered and said he was sleeping, but to try another day. Later HE texts us and apologizes for being asleep and asks if we could please reschedule a time and if we could take him on a tour of our church!!! 

It is soo cool how the spirit drives people to want to learn and feel so much more. I have been thinking a lot the past few days about how much this gospel really and truly blesses our lives. We know who we are! We know that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and that we have divine roles here on earth and in the life yet to come. 

Two of my amazing role models passed away this week, my great-grandmother and my stake young women's camp leader, and even though I MISS them so much, I know that we will be able to see our loved ones again. They are here with us, just beyond the veil.  Always remember that the Lord's hand is in your everyday lives!

I love you all! Have a blessed week and remember who you are!

Love, Sister Howard