These are the last pictures before Elder Howland returns:

September 11, 2017

My friends! 

I didn't have this testimony to this degree 2 years ago. I remember after about a month out here I thought to myself that I had already learned more in 1 month than I thought I would in 2 years and I realized that this isn't a sacrifice, it is an investment that will continue to pay me forever. Now looking back I have learned even more but more importantly, I have BECOME. That is what this was intended for the whole time.

I am a witness of the joys and sorrows of serving the Lord. I am not exaggerating when I say that this has been the happiest two years of my life so far. The Lord has taken me from someone living far below their potential, to more of a man than I could have hoped to become on my own. The enabling power of Jesus Christ is real. His ultimate expression of love by suffering in Gethsemane has allowed me to be happier than I ever have been, lifted me every time I have turned to Him, and sculpted me into someone that he is pleased with. 

I testify that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God, I know that Joseph Smith was God's chosen prophet and revelator, I am firm in my knowledge because they have been witnessed to me by the Holy Ghost in a way that I will never be able to deny. These things I know to be true, but even more than these I know that Jesus Christ is my personal Redeemer. I am a living testimony of His power to cleanse, transform, and lift us to heights not attainable by our own efforts. I know of His personal love for me, I haven't seen it's depth but I know it is forever and real.

This is my last email. That seems crazy but it is here, I won't be able to next week so I wanted to share my testimony. This is literally the most valuable thing that has ever happened to me. And it will continue to influence my life in a significant way daily for many decades! I feel successful in what has happened in the last 2 years but I look forward to 40 years from now as the litmus test for my life. Will I be actively listening to and acting on promptings from the Holy Ghost? Am I acting in such a way that my children will see a worthy priesthood holder? Will I be able to personally kneel down before my Father in Heaven and feel clean and repentant? Do I respect and honor all of my covenants? When I can honestly answer yes before Him, and then continue to endure to the end of my life, that is when I will know that this mission has been a success. That is the only goal that matters to me. 

Elder Mark Howland

September 4, 2017

This was the fastest week of my life.

This experience happened last night. 

I was struggling this week on many levels. Elder Swainston asked me what was going on and the blessed thing is that we have a relationship that is built on trust and respect so I felt no shame telling him how I was struggling. We talked about how we both wanted to be better.

I know we have angels around us helping to guide us and strengthen us.  I went to another room and thought about the angels that are around me and decided to speak out loud to them (even though I felt dumb) and ask them to help me because I was struggling. (Not crazy I promise!)  

I went back to Elder Swainston and asked him for a blessing and he asked me to say a prayer first.  I said a prayer and that helped a little bit, and then Elder Swainston gave me a blessing that was perfectly what I needed to hear, and that helped a lot. Then he asked for a blessing also.  I gave him a blessing and after both blessings I did some self-evaluation and realized...a complete 180 degree change had happened. I recognized a completely different spirit about me and I knew that once again this was a testimony builder of the power and authority of God working in my life.

It is pretty incredible. I know it is true because I am the evidence of it. The things I have experienced I can never deny. They are too real. And I am so grateful that God's power is evident in my life and that I am serving so that I can witness it! It is so great! 

Thank you for your prayers and love

Elder Mark Howland

This picture was sent to me by a new member in Elder Howland's area.  Her name is Emily (recently baptized) and this is Elder Howland with her husband, Shawn.  They're presently teaching Shawn and Emily tells me they're very close.  Clearly...

August 28, 2017

Eclipse pictures...

August 28, 2017

That eclipse thing was pretty cool eh?

You know what else is cool? When members give you people to go teach the gospel to and the people LOVE it! We have a wonderful lady in the ward, Sister Collins, that told us to go visit her neighbor Tracy. We went over there and she said that she has lost over 15 people that were close relatives to her in the last year!!!!!! We were stunned, and we were able to bear testimony that she would be with them again and that through the Restored Gospel we can know of these truths.

One of the biggest things that I enjoy doing is 'testifying' and I feel like I didn't take advantage of it enough early in the time I was here. But I love teaching people doctrines that we believe and then saying I testify that it is true. 6 simple words that have a powerful impact.

My favorite thing to teach people about is the Book of Mormon. My testimony that it is the Word of God and that it testifies of Jesus Christ is one of my most prized possessions. It testifies of Christ and I testify of it. 

Elder Mark Howland

This is a lady named Ann that Elder Howland and his companion, Elder Swainston have been teaching.

August 21, 2017

This week was soooo great!

One really cool experience was when we were teaching Shawn! We didn't have much time so we just wanted to talk about his reading of the Book of Mormon.  We had asked him to read just 1 more chapter and he came back having read like 5! So that was cool. Really this lesson shows how it isn't about us as missionaries. We allowed him to lead the whole thing, we just facilitated it and asked questions to allow him to learn from the Holy Ghost.

We asked him what he really remembered and what stuck out to him from his reading and he said Nephi's bands. So we read those couple verses together, 1 Nephi 7:16-18. We asked him how it could apply to him...what were his proverbial 'bands' and how could he act like Nephi to have them loosened? He replied that he feels like financially he is bound, that is something he worries about, and frankly most people do. But the really cool thing was that he said one thing he could change was what he prayed for. 

We were blown away by how genuine and sincere he is. He is sensitive to listening to the Holy Ghost and willing to act on it. He is so funny, he always talked about being a tough cookie to crack but how great is it that Heavenly Father gets to be the one to teach him so we don't have to "crack" anything! Haha  He was taught by the Holy Ghost and we are already seeing differences in him and so is his wife. 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is such a real thing. It is the only way to eternal life and it is also the only way to a really happy life. I testify of this because I AM HAPPY! 

I wish I could share more but time is short!

Elder Mark Howland

August 14, 2017

Here are some pictures from Elder Howland and from a member in his area, Lacey Miller.

 Elders Howland and Swainston taken by Lacey Miller...a member in their area.  The Millers had just fed the missionaries.

Elders Swainston and Howland (with unnamed sister missionaries in the back seat) on their way to Muncie, Indiana.

August 14, 2017

Life is so good!

Days like today makes me wish I was going to stay in Ohio forever (although my mom would probably have something to say about that!). I received some good advice to not miss the snow in the summer and miss the sunshine in the winter. Life is too short to be wishing it was the next part of life. Enjoy the summer for the heat and the lemonade stands and the Vitamin D and then enjoy the winter's offering of snow and opportunities for hot chocolate and sledding! Right now is the best right now we will ever have. I am so excited that I get to be here doing the Lord's work right now.

The families that I know are the best part of being out here really. We love going over to the Weidner's, the McCauley's, the Dawson's... just to name a few! Each time I go to a new area, that is my favorite part! They are just such quality people. And I often reflect on the people that I have met in other areas also...Tony Miller, the Spaulding's, the Smith's... It is so cool that we are in each others lives for such a short time, but literally I think about them all the time even if it has been years. I think that we will find that the impact that we make on others goes far beyond what we can see. 

As my mom taught me since I was kid, when you throw a stone in water, it creates ripples. I think of Alma when he ran from King Noah's courts. That was kind of a turning point in the Book of Mormon. Alma's decision to run from those courts allowed him to follow God and teach his son. Because he taught his son when he was young, Alma the Younger was able to remember those words and have a change of heart (Alma 36). Because Alma and the Sons of Mosiah went out and taught the Lamanites, there were thousands directly baptized by their efforts and we could go on and on. When we look at the bigger picture our thoughts, words, and actions have the ability to change everything. In D&C 58, the Lord teaches us that the power is in us, and when we use our agency to follow His will, we are able to bring a lot of goodness into the lives of those we love! It is all about the little things.

I am thankful for the little ripples that you have made in my life, it has helped me to be where I am now. And I LOVE where I am now!

Elder Mark Howland

Elder Howland was visiting one of his old areas and a member there took these pictures and send them over.  This is Elder Howland's new (uh, old) companion...Elder Swainston.  This is their third time being assigned together and both go home next transfer in six weeks...

August 7, 2017

Elder Manning and Elder Cook are going home to Utah and Idaho and Elder Howland is receiving a new companion...not for the first, and not for the second, but for the THIRD time his companion will be Elder Swainston!!! Okay are you ready for this?? So DAY 1, I received Elder Swainston as my MTC companion and I spent 2 weeks with him there.  Then when we were out about 11 months, we served as Zone Leaders in Muncie, IN (my favorite area in the mission hands down...we saw so many miracles it was insane, and I met my good friend Tony Miller there too).  We served together for 2 transfers and celebrated our 1 year mark together. And now we are serving together for our last transfer. We joked about this from the MTC...start together and end together. But wow now it is happening. I believe that there was a premortal decision of our companions but serving 3 times, that means a lot. I love Elder Swainston, he is such a genuine person, strong leader, and righteous young man! It is going to be a blessing to continue learning from him! :)

July 31, 2017

Elder Howland send another item he wanted posted to the blog:

Today I was thinking about a good friend of mine from Muncie, probably my favorite area in the mission. But this man's name is Tony Miller.  Be was recently baptized and what I love is that that wasn't the end! Even when further trials came, he fought through it and continued to build his faith. I think that is what we all need to do. We all have ups and downs in our faith and progress, but we keep moving forward and keep building ourselves and others. That is what Tony is doing now...he is teaching the gospel principles class in the ward and honestly is one of the best gospel teachers that I've seen! It really shows me what I want to do and be always!

July 31, 2017

We had some wonderful experiences that probably won't come across as amazing in email form but just know that through the Spirit my testimony has grown this week. I have strengthened it and I love that I can continue to have spiritually defining moments every day. In my life I don't want to start stories about a significant spiritual experience with "a couple years ago..." I want it to always be something I am experiencing, I want to say "so earlier this week..." That was my goal this week.

So Tuesday I was on exchanges with the wonderful Elder Parker from.... West Valley City! We were working in Eastgate, where I served last transfer. Turns out he only lives maybe half a mile from where I lived the last 15 years! But you know Utah, that was a completely different stake haha. So I loved my day with him. We had so much fun, but the best part was when we decided in the middle of walking to say a prayer. In that prayer we pled with Heavenly Father and told him we have talked to everyone today, we didn't walk past a single person. We have been praying and we want to find people to teach who have been looking for this Gospel! Please lead us to them! And as soon as we said "amen" Elder Parker said I know where we need to go. They had received a referral that they forgot about several weeks ago but as we know the comforter will "bring all things to your remembrance." So we started walking there, we knocked on the door and..... nobody was home. But 3 feet away we knocked on the neighbor's door and there we met Andre. He came out and talked to us, then he invited us in and talked to us.  We shared some of our message and found a time we could come back to share the powerful message of the Restoration with him and his wife.  That was a clear answer to our prayer and Elder Parker told me they went back and taught both of them and they were just as welcoming. I know I won't see them all the way through, but that isn't the point I don't think. I think that for me it was enough to follow the prompting to stop and pray and for Elder Parker to follow the prompting to go there. That is how I know that Heavenly Father knows me and loves me, that is how I know that Christ lives, that is how I know that he answers my prayers. It happens. And it doesn't happen in the past tense. It happens whenever I listen. Now.

This is probably the most joyful thing in the world, I can't think of anything that brings greater happiness and fulfillment than hearing a prompting and then acting on it and finding out you are an answer to somebody else's prayer.

Elder Howland

July 24, 2017

Today is such a great day! I am loving life!  Yesterday we went to the Welch's for dinner to celebrate my birthday so it was fun! 

Let me tell you a quick story! 

So I picked up a new blue suit on Tuesday morning on the way to Zone Conference, I had called the night before and they said it was all ready and I was like sweet! I didn't bring a suit since I was going to wear the new one right? So I grab it and it looks great and I bring it to the church and I pull it all the way out to put it on and I look down and I'm like something doesn't look quite right... THEY DIDN'T HEM THE PANT LEGS!!!!!  They were like 8 inches too long!!!!! And this is all 30 minutes before the biggest meeting of my life and I am sitting up in front of everyone! So I call some sisters and have them go and buy some safety pins and then I have another sister come to the library with me and roll up and pin my pants while I am standing on top of the table!!! 

We got back in moments before it started and a huge travesty was averted! 

They are still not done, I will have to drop it back off the next time we drive out to that area. But it is a beautiful suit! :)

July 17, 2017

To be short, this week was incredible!

Zone Conferences are this week and it is so much fun! Being able to spend time with other missionaries and our Mission President and his wife is always the best!

One cool thing is that we lost contact with one of our investigators last week, she asked us not to come back via text. Well that isn't the cool thing... this is the cool thing: We ran into her near her home one day and after asking how she is doing we asked how she felt when we were with her and in her words she said "it was a Godly feeling."

This is my favorite thing that we do. We get to bring a Godly feeling to those we talk to. We pray and we teach and testify of Christ. We invite them to come closer to him and we promise them the blessings that come from living the Lord's commandments! I can't think of a more fulfilling thing.

We got an email from a missionary that went home just a couple months ago. He was emailing us and at the same time scraping off some gum from under an elementary school chair... Man I am so grateful to be serving a mission! I am excited to be here and excited to spend the next few months serving the Lord.

This is the BEST thing in the world. I wish that everyone had the opportunity to spend these 2 years serving. Words can't describe!

Elder Howland

NOTE FROM CHERYL:

We received the flight itinerary for Elder Howland's return.  That makes his return so real...and so soon.  Just 2 months until he's back.  He flies into Salt Lake on the morning on September 20th...my birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!  I can't wait for a hug !!!

July 10, 2017

Mondays don't feel like Mondays anymore, we don't really do much of a Preparation day...well actually that is all we do. Take care of the bare essentials and then work through a lot of it instead of playing. 

I am loving life I just need some additional sleep is all. But I can do that when I get home. But then I will want to see everyone and so I will be like I will sleep in a few months. And then I'll say I can sleep when I graduate and then I'll say I'll sleep when I retire and then I'll sleep when I am dead. Long story short. I'm never going to get enough sleep haha

This week we are starting Zone Conference and I am so excited for that! We get to be with all the missionaries and teach and train and just have a ton of fun! :)  I have given a lot of trainings to missionaries as a Zone Leader and District Leader but something is different when we are the ones training the Zone Leaders. We had a Mission Leadership Council and so all the Zone Leaders and the Sister Training Leaders all come and we train them so that they can go out and lead their missionaries in their zone. It is weird because we are doing all the same things at every level of missionary work but the only difference is what level we are teaching. Assistants train Zone Leaders who train District Leaders who train missionaries who train investigators. It is really interesting. This is really just an interesting assignment. 

Man being a missionary is so wonderful and simple and it takes so much but is so good! I am just trying to dig my heels in and enjoy every moment because it is going quick!!!!

Love to you all.

Elder Mark Howland

This photo came from a member in Elder Howland's area.  She sent it to me through Facebook Messenger and said, "Your son is one of my missionaries.  Today I cut his hair and he asked me to send this to you.  We thought you might like it.  He's awesome.  He's either very tall or I'm just that short.  I come up to his chest."  After "chatting" back and forth, I found out she's 5'1"...and Elder Howland is 6'3" or 6'4"...I can't remember which.

I finally got a new address for Elder Howland:

Elder Mark Howland
4610 N. Bend Rd.
Cincinnati, OH  45211

If you haven't taken the opportunity to write to him, please do.  He loves to get mail, just like we all do...

July 3, 2017

In just one week serving here I have learned so much! The biggest thing here is Elder Cook is talking to everyone. All of us make excuses and we find and create reasons to not talk to someone. Whether it is they are a little farther away or they are talking on the phone, there is always a reason not to talk to someone. Elder Cook's example has brought a lot of evidence of why we talk to everyone. Many of our new investigators this week came from talking to everyone. That and media referrals.

Elder Manning is a great asset to us. I feel like we are 3 different points of an equal triangle and with all 3 of us we are able to do more than any of us by ourselves.

One that was fun was when we saw Carla and her son Reggie. Carla said that her brother was a drug addict and in a really bad place...until he read the Book of Mormon and was baptized. She said the change that he made in his life was so visible! He ended up being so good and she said that she wanted that kind of change also. We taught them the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and they came with us Sunday to church but it was really a surprise when she brought her other daughter and granddaughter to church also! Afterwards she said she was excited to see us tomorrow for our lesson and would be back next week!

I have been out here for a while but one thing that I have kept with me is a constant attitude of being teachable. I want to continue to learn because in the gospel just like in life there is always a better way of doing things and always more to do and learn. I know what Enos meant when he says that when the thoughts of the joy of the saints and eternal life sank into his heart- he hungered. I feel that craving for more. A desire to be my very best. Throughout a lot of my life I have given part of myself, in academics and work I have given enough to get by. Enough to keep pace with everyone else in the race. But we are not meant to simply keep pace with the rest of the world. We are endowed with so much more ability than that. We are the noble and great ones saved for the last days. We are able to make a difference and to let our brighter lights shine in growing darkness. 

If we try and give a little more of ourselves I think that each of us will find that we can do it. We can pray a little more sincerely, we can study a little longer and deeper, we can build on our charity for others a lot more. We are able to do it and Heavenly Father will bless us with glories and joys that we can imagine and more. I hope that if you are reading this that you want to as much as I do. 

You can, you know. You can do it. 

And I love you.

Elder Howland

(FYI, Elder Howland was tranferred last Monday and made an assistant to the mission president.  There are three assistants right now...that's why he's talking about two other elders.)

Elder Cook, Elder Howland, Elder Manning

June 26, 2017

This week is the last week of the transfer and we just found out that both of us are leaving! :( Eastgate has been soooooooo good...if only for 6 weeks; it was awesome! The ward was most definitely the best part of being there and so am so sad to go! Luckily I get to stay close by Cincinnati on the West side. I just realized that I have spent half of my time here within 30 minutes of Cincinnati which is the mission name, so that is a blessing. I truly consider it a home away from home.

We have an investigator named Candice that we found and started teaching the last 3 weeks or so. She had previously investigated the church but had only seen missionaries like twice, so when we first went back to start teaching her she put us through the ringer! She was drilling us on what the Godhead was like and what the difference was between a spirit and The Spirit and more! But we answered her questions adequately and she allowed us to teach her. So we taught about the Plan of Salvation and she is so funny because she likes to go slowwww but get really deep into it. She has really good questions and when we answer them she feels that they are right and true and she is left always wanting more which is really cool!

The funniest thing though was she said that when she became a mother she had to learn different ways to say things. For instance when you want your kid to stop. You say "stop" but sometimes that doesn't work so you need a "STOP" and that doesn't always work so sometimes you need... (She did sign language for stop). I then interjected, "and you can say "alto" which is Spanish for stop". To which she responded quickly with, "I gotta say "QUITTIT" which is Ghetto for stop!!!"  Hahaha we died laughing because we are in the ghetto! So great! She is a crack up! Maybe you just had to be there.  

Glad to be here doing the best thing ever! I have reflected on Alma the Younger's experience which he describes in Alma 36 as well as Enos's story, and the thing that I love between the two of them is that both of them reflect on the words of their fathers. Alma says, "as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world." Enos described it as, "Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forest; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning Eternal life and the joy of the saints sunk deep into my heart. And my soul hungered." I can relate a lot to these two. Enos doesn't say it but I think there was a time where he wasn't valiant and obedient. Obviously there was a time where Alma was outright against the church. There was a time where I didn't do the things that I knew was right. But like them, I knew what was right because I had learned it from my father (and mother), and there came a time when I remembered it also. And that remembering and then ACTING on it set me on this course and I am forever grateful for it! :) This is still the best experience of my life! :) And I love it!!!!

I love you! Thank you for everything you have done and are doing for me!

Elder Mark Howland

June 19, 2017

June is upon us and oh so glorious! I can never say too much about the summers here! The intense heat with the muggy humidity doesn't bother me in the least... I actually kind of like it! And the summer storms are so cool, Utah rain is nothing compared to a good Ohio deluge! It usually only lasts for half an hour at the most but man it is like there is a lake out there! That has happened a couple times this week.

So we had Elder Timothy Dyches of the Seventy come visit our mission this week, we had 2 days with him and it was so fun! As he taught us, the thing that I kept getting over and over was that I just needed to work on doing the little things that I had let slip. Filling out all of my planner and being more invested in Preach My Gospel, really just using all the resources that I have available to me. Sadly I think that I look at all that I have and get over confident about it. I think I have all these resources so I don't need to worry about them, but since I have them I need to use them more and get them in my brain and even more get them in my heart!

At the end of this transfer 3 former companions of mine are going home including Elder McKellar who I am with right now so that is hard. I am going to miss them a ton and the reality of that is setting in. Lol He has already started packing it is so funny! Saying goodbye is hard but I love what a friend of mine said--going home is not about transitioning, it is about progressing. Just like the gospel, it is about trying to better where we are so that we are closer to and more like Christ. There should not be a transition back to being "normal" we are a peculiar people for a reason! We are supposed to be different when we return and stay that way and continue to progress. For that I am excited for them! Missionaries often refer to when they go home as a death and in a way kind of it is. I want to be excited for those who pass away in a mission field as well as from this earth because there are many more things to do on the "other side." This is a paradigm shift from sorrow to joy. And that is the blessing of an eternal perspective and the Plan of Salvation. There was a sister whose father passed away in our mission this week and so this fits. Please keep Sister Lundquist and her family in your prayers.

Love, Elder Mark Howland

June 12, 2017

Zone Conference!

This zone conference was all about a better way to find. The cool thing is though that it isn't just a missionary effort to find. President Welch and the Stake Presidents in the mission are all working together to help us to help the members to find those who are ready to receive the gospel! This is the ideal that prophets and leaders have been trying to teach for decades! We are finally implementing it. We aren't just meant to go to a home of a family in the ward and demand names of their family and friends so that we can teach and baptize them, we are supposed to go into the homes of families and teach them about the faith in Jesus Christ to find those who he is preparing to receive His message. Keys are the crucial part of this effort. When we are working alone, we have the keys of the Mission President alone, but with the Stake President encouraging the members, his keys unlock a power that we foresee bringing miracles to all those who will trust in the Lord and find the opportunities that He will place in our path.

(This is Elder Howland with all of his old companions that are still on their missions, except one.)

There was some time this week where we didn't have time for studies in the morning and I noticed the difference that made in my week so toward the end of the week even when we didn't have time for studies I made some time in the evening after we came in from working when we normally relax. By doing that I felt the familiar peace reside with me again. I love the gospel. 

We also put siding up and constructed a porch for our Habitat for Humanity home! New skills and a lot of fun, new people are there each week and we always get to talk about the mission since we have our nametags on. "Oh wait, both of your names are Elder?" We get that a lot and so then we get to explain it haha

Elder Howland