Hey y’all!

I feel in life we all have mountains to climb. But once you’ve hit the peak, you can look over the obstacle with full vision, seeing what you’ve accomplished, and feel those ripped muscles. And after it all, we’re able to coast a bit until the next mountain to climb.

Now is my coast.

Haha that made me feel wise for a second. I hope that metaphor made sense!

The majority of each day was taking care of issues. But it ends this week. Practically everyone in the Zone has had my back through the last couple weeks and has been at my door in moments notice (guns ablazin’). Shout out to my amazing Zone Leaders Elders Daley and Petersen, My District Leader Elder Kay and his companion Elder Reas, President Ames(They may see this someday), and most definitely my Father in Heaven. Everyone of my prayers has been answered. Never have I seen anyone give so much support (outside family) in my life. They really have changed my life. Sparing the details, my companion is leaving me this week and I will get another one.

Yuck. Negativity drains. Soooo on to better things!

We are having a baptism next week for Holly! She is just someone that had to be lead to the water. Samplice says he will be baptized when we teach him everything (Soooo we’re gonna try to teach him every day ;] ). He’s been coming to church each week! As we sing hymns, I point to the words on the page to show where were at! In class he will catch certain words people say and whisper to himself thinking about what they mean: “Temple…..Temple….” Then I whip out a picture of the temple and he says, “Big!” In his French accent. Its also funny when Dona covers his face trying to contain a laugh as Samplice says each word in the pamphlet with a French accent, trying to figure it out. I. LOVE. THESE. GUYS. Mom, I need an extra suitcase. Or an extra plane ticket or something.

After an issue with the comp, I biked the snot outta him, taking us to our furthest section of our area…hehe I love biking ;] But I wouldn’t mind a car….

We have a new investigator this week! Giovanni is a friend of the youth. Not really any religious background, but his parents gave him permission to take the lessons! That’s whats up.

Well, friends, family, and stalkers (JK), Im gonna go make some good experiences this week. So…Have the best week ever!

And if I don’t see ya, Good afternoon, Good evening, and Goodnight!

Love ya, bye!

Elder Householder

Howdy!

So I know I make everything sound hunky dory, but the mission does have its hard times.

This week has been one of the hardest in my life. Without sparing details, lets just say God’s chillins have differing views and interests that collide sometimes.

Now that that is outta the way, lets go back to hunky dory, sound like a plan, stan? Shweetish Fish.

We spent Christmas Eve teaching Somplice Christmas hymns in English and then we sang them! Sometimes Dona and Somplice would switch in an out of French, but it was way cool! Music is the universal language!

Christmas was pretty great! We were able to call home and it was fantastic to hear the family’s voices! I got some awesome presents from the family, great ties (whaddup!) and lots of sugar! Gotta love it. We went to dinner at a members home and Somplice and Dona joined us! With a home full of family (RMs) everyone trying talking to Somplice in German, Spanish, English, and whatever else they spoke….and guess what! He didn’t understand any of it! Real suprize, huh? Hahaha oh man…When my companion called his family, he gave the phone to me and his mom (choking up) thanked me for loving her son. That really put things into perspective for me and made it easier to be charitable.

Sorry its short, but Id rather not fill up the remainder of this email with the stuff that’s happened this week, if ya catch my drift. Or if you were Garrett McCain, “Ya pickin up what Im putting down?” hahah love that kid.

Although through it all, I got a random call one night from my trainer Elder Austin and he said he got permission to call me and so he lifted my spirits because he just got finished going through something similar. Miss that guy.

I will say this: My Father in Heaven has answered every one of my prayers this week. Every one. I pray for someone to lift my spirits, I get a call from my District leader. I ask for help, My Zoneleaders show up. I ask for hope, it was given to me.

D&C 58:44 – And inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your deliverance.

I believe this principle is for anything you stand in need of. If by faith I can move mountains, why wouldn’t faith move my spiritual mountains that are standing in the way of my happiness, faith, hope, and charity?

D&C 123:16-17 You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workwayswith the wind and the waves.Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, withthe utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

I love you all so much! Keep up the good work and thanks for everything!
Love,

ElderHouseholder

Hey Hey!

This week has been a good one! Really different, but shweetish fish.

We’ve been still doing a lot of caroling! Its a really crazy difference how people actually open the door and SMILE! Throws me off! hahah

Tuesday a member in a different ward asked us if we want a 7 ft Christmas tree! He gave us lights to put on it, and ornaments too! It feels like Christmas! Elder Beard even lined the ceiling with lights so it lights the whole room!

This week we got French pamphlets to teach to Somplice! Wahoo!

When Elder Beard arrived on Wednesday, I talked to him about how we have a light plate above our desks, but the light fixture was hanging from the socket in the “Dining Area”. In other words, we don’t have a light hanging above our desks, but there is one on the other side of the room. So he said he was handy and could move the light fixture to the empty socket above our head. He made it his project. Moving my desk back and forth to stand on (hes vertically challenged). So Im doing the planning for the night and hes walking across my desk, moving my desk back and forth across the room, dropping the ceiling stuff everywhere….Eventually we got it hooked up and realized that the lightswitch wasn’t connected to that light (like it was supposed to). So he was messing with the wires in the wall! Attaching wires and such. But first he had to switch the breaker off so that he didn’t get “shock-ed and amaz-ed”. So All lights on, ALL lights off. Back and forth. Then after 20min of this, he hooked the power to the ground wire or something and shut off the power from the main circuit (we didn’t have access to) So we just decided to go to bed. “I don’t care about anything in the fridge, anyway!”

The next morning we had to wait till 9 for our apartment complex office to open to ask them to turn it on. It occurred to me that there wasn’t going to be any hot water….So we just jumped strait into studies after workout – using a finger LED light we randomly have.

We had a Christmas Devotional with President Ames! He served us pulled pork sandwiches and treats. We also got to watch The Christmas Carol! Got to see past companions and catch up. Me and *Insert dad saying, “What, don’t call them mean!”*” a couple others sang an arrangement of Silent night for the 4 Zones there! Fun stuff!

Saturday, we went over to Donas (the next building over from where we live) and helped him with practicing the sacrament prayer and set up. He said that Somplice should be over that night and we would come back to teach him. That night he wasn’t there. He left home to go to Donas place 6am (to sleep over so he could get to church) and still wasn’t there at 8pm. No one knew where he was. At church Dona told us that Somplice tried to take the freeway (from Euless – neighboring town) but he doesn’t speak English! He ended up in WACO! I know, that doesn’t mean anything to you. But that’s toward the bottom of our mission and 3-4 hours south of us. Got lost HOURS away from home! Poor guy. Some police down there helped him out!

Found out that our bishop went to college with Breanna Smiths dad! Showed me their Christmas card – it was the weirdest thing ever! Not the card…the experience. haha

For a Christmas Season and 3 days before Christmas, 58 degrees blows my mind.

Well everyone, thanks for the letters! and Merry Christmas!

Love all yall!

Elder Householder

Temple with the Semi-full zone!

One last with the Zone before Transfers!