February 6, 2017

Every once in a while I hear about someone that reads the blog that I send home each week and I get all self conscious because I'm like dang it, did I actually put my heart into what I was saying that week or did I just write something home...?

So hopefully my heart is in this one because look, you are here reading it now. 

This week was awesome. For the first time in this area we were able to see a fast and testimony meeting! That is either the scariest or the happiest time in my life! I love love love those meetings when people get up and bear their testimony and share the Spirit together. But now and again you will find people that get up each week and share a story that has nothing to do with a testimony and are there for 15 mins. That is scary. But this ward is so great I love them so much everyone that got up shared their testimony and the Spirit was so so so strong! You know those times in your life when you just feel full to bursting with just so much love and goodness and peace and joy and everything?! :) Yeah I felt like that on Sunday because of each one of those wonderful ward members who shared their simple yet powerful testimony!

This week was rough because Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we did ZERO proselyting in our area because silly Elder Howland decided to up and get the flu! Also turns out that the flu doesn't specifically mean the stomach flu like I thought- no there is a respiratory flu that is way worse. So I had that but I'm doing much better now and we are working and loving it!

We taught this lady Tanya 2 weeks ago and she is awesome but we came back to teach her and she said that her neighbor also wants to meet with us.  So yesterday we brought a member over and shared the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Tanya again and Ruth for the first time! That was a really good experience and we will go back this week and discuss more. Ruth's husband wasn't baptized before he passed away and she believes that he is going to go to heaven although she doesn't know how it can be because he hasn't had that baptism. Oh what a sweet sweet gospel we have to know the eternal truths that have been revealed to us by prophets and leaders to help us find and do saving work for our wonderful ancestors and loved ones.

This Gospel is true, it brings us to greater happiness than we could find ourselves. God our Heavenly Father loves us so much more than we can even know. I love you too!

Elder Mark Howland

Elder Howland was on trade-offs with another set of elders.

Elder Howland's companion is 2nd from the right.