February 22, 2016

Alright so this week was fun! I learned a lot and the focus on my week was definitely boldness. 

I am a people pleaser. I love when people feel good about themselves and sliding things in easily... Well Jesus Christ wasn't a people pleaser and I'm realizing that I shouldn't be either. He did what would bring people the most joy not the most comfort. An intriguing and important difference. So literally I've been trying to work on this since the MTC. I clearly remember Sister White telling me after a role play that it was good but I could be more bold. Well 5 months later I have officially taken my first steps to making it there.

So one thing that happened was we talked to this guy named Mark (haha there are at least 6 Mark's out here in the ward and investigators... wierd!) and he is a sad old man whose wife passed away. So we were talking to him and I decided I was going to be more bold. He wasn't very interested in learning more and I told him that our message is something unique and that it is that we believe that there are a lot of truths in other churches but that our church is the one church that has the fullness of the truths in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He kind of perked up and said "Are you saying that you are the one true church? I have a real problem with anyone that says that they are the one true church because that means that everyone else is wrong." I didn't back down at all, with all the confidence of my testimony of the truth I told him that I don't appologize for what I said. We do believe that other churches have a lot of truth like I said but that they don't have it all, like we do." And you know what? He didn't like punch me in the face or try to bible bash or anything. He simply asked if we had literature and wanted to come see our church. So it wasn't a huge miracle that changed his life or anything but it was a miracle in my life and helped change me and was cool.

I love you and am so grateful to you.  This week was awesome and I'm looking forward to next week. Love you, love you, love you! Yes you :) Genuinely.

Elder Howland