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 !!!