June 25, 2018

Hello,

Monday was a super crazy day.... We both got hair cuts from our best friend Sister Leavitt, and played with her beautiful baby Harper while waiting our turn. Then we hurried and emailed and got our shopping done because Sister Thongrit and I planned a surprise party at Brother Moutries house for the five missionaries who are having birthdays this months!! We got pizza, cake and loads of balloons. No one saw it coming and we all had so much fun!! We ended up all playing soccer together and signing each other's transfer journals before the mission splits. After the party was over Sister Thongrit and I needed to go to the zone leadership meeting in Valencia, but we didn't have time to change out of our p-day clothes so we ended up putting our dresses on over our sweats so we wouldn't be late. The elders thought it was hilarious and dared us to wear it like that to our dinner appointment and to our zone leadership meeting in Santa Clarita.... They said they would buy us each three Dr Peppers if we did.... well challenge accepted.... we rolled into dinner and the Longshore bunch loved it so much we got pictures with them!! Then we rushed over to the Santa Clarita meeting and as we pulled in we noticed that the assistants were there..... we hurried and rolled up our sleeves and sweats so they wouldn't notice..... oh man all this for a Dr Pepper. Then we walked into Zone Leadership Conference like champions... and bore our testimony on miracles in our everyday lives. Probably one of my craziest p-days ever, but seriously worth it. 

Tuesday we finished weekly planning, then we stopped by some of our investigators that we haven't been able to get in contact with for a while. Right before knock-out we had exchanges with Sister Keller and Sister Reynolds. I got to take Sister Keller with me to my area. We knocked doors in our Solemint area and found two people!! Whoo! Then we had dinner with Jennifer! She just got a new puppy and had surgery on her tonsils.... we ended up staying with her for the rest of the night to give her comfort and to see if we could help with with anything around the house... and of course we played with the puppy Lu Lu. 

Wednesday was so crazy! We had an early morning pass-off  lesson with the elders and they had us follow them to the appointment.... well they ended up getting lost, so we were 30 minutes late to the lesson which threw off our entire schedule... hahah the lesson was with Ruben and we got him on date to be baptized on the 28th of July!! He will be attending the YSA ward and he came to church this Sunday!! Then we rushed to our lunch appointment with Sister Sheils... she made us an amazing lunch and asked if we could have the bishop give her son a blessing before his surgery this up coming week. She hasn't been to church for a while so we were overjoyed that she still believes in the power of the priesthood. Her son got his blessing and everything is going just fantastic. 

After Lunch we had a lesson with Claudia at the church. We shared our testimonies of the importance of church then addressed one of her past concerns with Ether 12:27. We invited her to come to church and she accepted!! After her lesson we exchanged back to our normal companions so I was back with my Sister Thongrit! We stopped by Christie who we haven't been able to get a hold of in a while and she invited us to come back later in the week to teach her more of the lessons. Then we knocked doors and had dinner at the Kelleys... Brother and Sister Kelley are probably the cutest couple ever... They had us laughing so hard. I love being able to spend time with all of my ward families. 

Thursday was the last temple trip in the California San Fernando mission. It was a bitter sweet moment to be able to do a session one last time with all the missionaries from my mission. I got to say goodbye to my dear Sister Smullin, Sister Trujillo and Sister Pinter because they will be going to the Los Angeles Mission. Ahhhh its so hard, but its also so exciting!! Anyway the temple was gorgeous and we managed to take loads of pictures. We missed traffic and made it home just in time to knock doors. Then we had an appointment with Sister Haubs. We shared the refiners fire video and her husband actually joined us. He hasen't been to church in a while but bore a very strong testimony to us about how Heavenly Father answers prayers and helps us through our trials. We had dinner at the Cawleys and have I ever told you how gorgeous there house is?? They have a beautiful yard with a fountain, pool, splash pad, water slide, basketball court,  hot tub, fire place... basically everything... and Brother Cawley told me that I should have my wedding reception at his house! I am game.. whenever that happens anyway. 

Friday we had an amazing lesson with Christie. Sister Pyne came with us and we talked about spiritual CPR which stands for church~ pray ~read. The three things that keep us spiritually fed. The lesson went well and Christie promised to read the Book of Mormon again and to pray about it. We stopped by the Burgesses and read scriptures with them. Then we started talking about their past... they use to go find beautiful rocks together and polish them! They had this collection of gorgeous stones and gave me one!! We had dinner at the Lamersons and London surprised us by making each of us a gift with pictures she drew of us.... she made sure to draw my picture with my short hair and Aiden made sure I knew that the picture of me looked like a boy, but I don't... so I shouldn't worry. We have been helping them prepare for the temple and Brother Lamerson will be taking the temple prep classes these up coming weeks. 

Saturday we had an enormous miracle. We have been visiting with Sister Zavala who is the only member in her family. For the past few months her son Nicholas finally came down to hear our lesson and we invited him to be baptized and he accepted!! Whoo!! The date is set for August 4! He is excited to learn more and wants to read the Book of Mormon.

Sunday we had an awesome day!! Jennifer and Claudia came to church!!! Claudia even brought her son Joseph! She missed sacrament because she got lost and we had to go find her at a random gas station, but she loved Sunday school and relief society. She is super excited to come back with us this  week!! yaya!! 

Well I love you all and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the church is true!! Have an amazing week and never forget who you are!!

Love, Sister Howard 

June 18, 2018

Hi everyone!!! I love you all!

This week was super duper busy with all of the new mission changes!! 

Monday, for zone activity we played chair soccer and the sisters joined together and dominated the elders!! Whoo!! Then we had zone leadership counsel with the Santa Clarita zone!! 

Tuesday, was weekly planning day. Then we had an amazing lesson with Claudia!! She is doing so good, but will be moving out of my area pretty soon. Which is so sad. We had a few more stop-bys at people's houses, but no one was home. We had dinner at the Todd's house which was the highlight of my day!! I love seeing Jack!! 

Thursday, was our mission's last mission conference ever... it was so special to see all of my mission buddies before our mission splits!! I love love love my mission, but I am so excited to get to know everyone in my new mission!! Plus I get to spend exactly half my mission in San Fernando and the other half in Bakersfield! 

I got to go on an exchange with Hermana Rassmusen and she taught me some really cool Spanish phrases!! Plus we found five people together!! Yay Spanish work!! I just love being a sister training leader...spending time with the sisters and getting to learn from them is one of my favorite things!  

Friday, our sweet Jenifer got surgery, so we stopped by and took her some ice-cream, plus while I was out of my area, Sister Thongrit and Hermana Ruelas found us three more people to teach!!! 

Sorry my email is so short this week!!

 

Love, Sister Howard 

June 11, 2018 San Fernando Mission

Hello all you cute people!!!

This new transfer has started out so wonderful!!!! My new companion Sister Thongrit is such a sweet person!!! We work so well together and we always make each other laugh!!

Tuesday was transfer day and I had to say good-bye to my dear sweet Sister Smullin.... she is going to be going to the Los Angeles mission. Then I got Sister Thongrit and we hit it off right of the bat!! Her favorite color is purple and she is the youngest of three!! Just like me!! 

Wednesday we went to a Mission Leadership Conference.... the last one ever to be held in the San Fernando Mission.... The main topic was focusing on the good things that we have done instead of the mistakes that we have made. We want to make sure that we are focusing on the every day miracles the we see!! Because Heavenly Father's hand is in everything that we do!!   Since Sister Thongrit and I are the sister training leaders for two zones we get to go to two Zone leadership counsel meetings!!! We had one with the Valencia elders which was so cool to see how two different zones work and how we can take the good things from each zone to help build them all up. 

Thursday we had district meeting and Sister Thongrit and I got to do a get to know you game with our district! President and Sister Henrie came too! The game was taking a jelly bean out of a bag and then answering a question for the color that you got! We made president tell us all a joke.... probably the best training I ever got to do! When we were knocking doors we found Ceaser!!! We taught him the restoration gave him a Book of Mormon and then he invited us to come back and teach him more!!! We went and visited the Grupman family and shared a missionary message with them. Sister Grupman is such a sweetheart and make us a bunch of healthy snacks to eat!! We had dinner at Sister La Rous house. She is the cutest little old lady. She told us all about her cute husband who has passed away and then she made us homemade cookies.... what a wonderful lady!! We had a scripture study with Shawn, Paula and Davin!! Paula and Davin have decided that they want to learn more!!! We are so excited to start teaching them!!! 

Friday was a super busy day!!  We visited Sister Valencia and talked a lot about the importance of families.  Then we had ward correlation with Brother Moutrie. We went to Brother and Sister Burgess's house to read scriptures with them. Then we knocked doors!! We found four people!! Aaron, Erlinda, Joanna and Deanna!!! They were all so excited to learn more and happily invited us to come back!! Then we had a pass-off lesson with the Spanish elders River and Christensen..... only problem was there was no parking so we had to run a few blocks and jump a rock wall to get to the appointment on time!! We started teaching Olivia and Kayla because of the elders!!! They asked a ton of awesome questions and can not wait to learn more!! 

Saturday we stopped by a lot of ward members so Sister Thongrit could get to know them better. Then we had dinner at the Lamersons!!! Aiden and London begged us to play games with them. Then they made some adorable videos on my phone!! Londan was asking her mom questions about repentance so we watched the kids' atonement video and talked about the power of prayer. We went to the Kelly's for a scripture study and we finally got to meet Brother Kelly's wife!!! We talked about the power of scriptures!

Sunday we went to both of our wards and Jennifer came to church with us!! We had a dinner party with her and her family at the Mansfields...... it is so cool to see how much the ward loves Jennifer. Sister Mansfield and her daughter Lindsey told me I was going to get married five months after I get back from my mission!! I am so not amused!! 

I love you all!! 

Love Sister Howard!!! 

June 4, 2018

Hello everyone!!! A lot of  exciting things are happening over here in the Great California San Fernando mission!! 

Tuesday for P-day we had an awesome game of basketball between the sisters and Sister Smullin and I made a fantastic team!!! Then we played soccer with the elders which was a load of fun. We did a lot of stop-bys to try and pick up new investigators, then we had a lesson with Ashley!! She is a recent convert and is just such a sweetheart. 

Wednesday we had weekly planning and got to go read scriptures at Brother Kelly's house!! Brother Todd came and we had Sister Smullin teach her talk that she shared in church since Brother Kelly wasn't able to make it. 

Thursday we decided to stop by a referral that the elders in our zone sent us. Her name is Laura Jones and the elders said she was super excited about getting baptized. When we got to the  complex we realized that the elder forgot to add the apartment number so we called them and they said they forgot to write it down and then explained to us where to go to find the right apartment. Well the directions they gave us lead us straight to a member's house so we assumed that the elders explained it wrong and decided to just knock the complex and ask for Laura Jones...... well we ended up knocking the whole complex and everyone we talked to said there was not a Laura Jones that lived in the complex...... so we called the elders again explained the situation and asked them to describe Laura...... turns out that our ward member was playing a huge joke on the elders and pretended to be interested in being baptized...... needless to say we had spent almost an hour looking for someone who didn't exists...... we were not too amused..... 

Friday we had a lesson with Sister Valencia! She is such a sweet lady! We talked about the Plan of Salvation and how knowing who we are can really bless our lives. Then we had a lesson with Claudia! We taught her about faith and we read Ether 12 with her. She loves to read the scriptures with us but sadly she will be moving on to another area soon. We went to Brother and Sister Burgess's house to read the scriptures with them and they are just the cutest couple ever! Then we had a lesson with Neslie... She wants to get sealed to Alex in the temple and is so excited for us to come back and teach them more!!! We are working to get Alex and Neslie to come to church with us on Sunday! We had dinner at the Lamerson's house and they bought some cool things to paint with their kids while we ate. Sister Smullin painted a cool snake and I painted a pineapple candle holder!! It was so much fun!! Probably one of my favorite family home evenings ever.

Saturday we got to visit with Allison and Andrew. They are doing good, but we haven't been able to get Allison to come back to church.... its make us so sad, but we are not going to give up on her!! We got transfer calls while we were at dinner with the Oblads.... I will be staying in Mint Canyon and Solemint and Sister Smullin will be going to Burbank. It is sooo sad.... but we know it is where God wants us to go. My new companion is Sister Thongrit and she is such a sweetheart. I am excited to be serving with her. Soooo this means I am going to be going to the Bakersfield Mission and Sister Smullin will be going to LA! Its hard but I am so excited to be able to go to a new mission though. It is going to be great!! 

Love, Sister Howard