July 5, 2016

We had p day on Tuesday this week because of the holiday yesterday. I'll share a quick miracle with you from the holiday yesterday actually.  So it was okay... In the morning we didn't have much success... like at all haha. We were like ugh it's raining and lame and nobody is home and nobody is answering their door and we are being frustrated... So we ended up back at the car and we were like hey let's say a prayer! So we said a prayer and I was like hey, lets walk this way! Elder Wilcken was like alright! So we walked forward and turned the corner and there was this lady sitting on her front porch like 5 houses up and I muttered over to Elder Wilcken "target acquired" haha.  So as we passed he pulled the most cliche yet effective "Can I give ya a card" *insert picture of Jesus to hand of investigator* and it turns out she is a member already! So she hasn't been to church since she moved here to Miamisburg and now she has 4 kids and she invited us back over for dinner on Saturday (score!) and we will start teaching them then! Aww yeah!

Good stuff, I love that God is always leading us. When we are doing his work he leads us, but we have to invite in his Spirit and ask for it!

I am finding something new that is making the scriptures soooo much better! So when I read I don't read. I read the words, find the applications in there and then use them in my life! It makes them so great! Quick Example- Ether 6:5 is the first one that I did it with and is probably my favorite go ahead and read it before continuing......... Okay so this is awesome, we all go through trials in our life right. That sounds like these furious winds that are blowing us but the key here is where it is blowing us to. "Towards the promised land" Yes the trials and such that we are experiencing are taking us towards this glorious promised land, the goal of what God wants for us, which is what? Exactly, immortality and eternal life. The Lord sometimes sends these furious winds and sometimes we curse him for it but that is only because we can only see the waves and wind in front of us and we don't have that eternal perspective to see the land that it takes 344 days (for the jaredites it was that long but in the scriptures, like when Ammon wandered in the wilderness for 40 days, it just means a really long time. And like the Israelites wandered for 40 years? That means a really really long time). So it is fitting they would use it here because we can't see the promised land yet.  It is a really really long ways away but we can know that God is blowing us towards it because that is his work and glory. 

I hope that that made sense! I don't want to read through it again to make sure. But that is the stuff that I want to find in every chapter and every verse! That is why I am excited for 40 years of studies!

This is awesome, I have actually written something worth while for once!

Love you,

Elder Howland

This is Elder Howland with his companion, Elder Wilcken, and his new mission president, President and Sister Welch.