Oh mylanta, where to start?

This week has been awesome!

First off, yesterday I got to talk with my lovely mother and wonderful family for Mothers day! In a blessing I received once, I was told that as I serve here on a mission, I will grow closer and closer to my family (or something to that effect). I never completely understood that until yesterday. As I was able to speak with them and joke around a bit, I realized that even though my siblings are taller, more mature, living in a different place, and doing different activities than they were, nothing really has changed. When it comes down to it, the same could be said for our deceased loved ones – just like hearing my family’s voice brought back familiarity, so will seeing our loved ones faces in the hereafter. I’m only too excited to spend the rest of the eternities with my great siblings and amazing parents :]

We were able to have an awesome lesson with Korto (nonmember [currently – heh]) and Bro. Ikerd (lessactive member [currently – hehe])! We taught the restoration and they both just sucked it up! I explained things and used different analogies and stories than I usually do…must be the Spir-t or somthin’ I guess! I have found that you just have to be yourself in missionary work – Once they knew that we could joke around and talk normally (instead of “switching into missionary mode” when starting the lesson) they could trust us and told us to come back anytime!

The Bishop gave past missionaries the challenge to annoy him with missionary work updates in the ward – so I basically told him that he’d regret that challenge! Sure enough we’ve been texting him with every little success we have gotten and it blew him away! The theme in Priesthood was, “Use these missionaries – they will do what we ask!” Through the rest of the day we could see the members come up to us and say, “Ive heard good things about you!” and such. We are gaining the trust of the members. They will in turn take our missionary work invitations seriously!

We got Eddie a large print triple to read!

We were also asked to teach seminary on Thursday and Friday this last week! Props to these kids, who wake up EARLIER than the missionaries everyday! We all talked about the trekkers and the Lord helping them out. It was weird teaching these guys cause Im not much older than them…20? Well I guess it just feels that way…

In my last ward, the ward council and members would talk about this lessactive member and his daughter Mike and Kylie. Kylie was recently baptized at that time. The two of them moved out of the ward before I got there. I now found that they moved to the ward i am in now! Able to help them after hearing all about them!

We get to meet with a nice elderly lady in a care center each week. I love hearing her stories and sharing lessons with her because she is unable to come to church.

I LOVE the feeling of constantly having something to do, people to serve, and places to be! It makes me sleep really well when my last fight is to get off of my knees into my bed at night.

We’re getting iPads in a couple weeks! Finalllyyyyy.

I love all yall so much!

Keep up the good work and ask the missionaries for a Book of Mormon to give out – they have one with your friends name on it!

Elder Nathan Householder

Howdy Howdy Howdy!

This week has been awesome and so different for me!

It was a bitter sweet moment leaving the Fossil Ridge Ward. I love everyone in it so much and have grown so close to so many of my brothers and sisters there. Lifelong friends. Ill miss knowing an area like the back of my hand – all the shortcuts through fences, waving to that same random guy every morning on the way to workout, The amazing ward council who labors day and night for their brethren. In many ways, home away from home!
On the other hand, Im really excited to smash this area with the spirit and bring everyone to the truth. Ive found that I just love organizing! Excited for the opportunity to do that here. I only moved 5 miles south so I still will see everyone at stake events and such!

I had the opportunity to go to a leadership training this week to even learn how to be a District Leader and how to do it right. I learned loads! A bit overwhelming at first, but Im excited for the change it will bring.

I now cover about 70 square miles and its insane to think about! I was called and asked to be the designated driver….AFTER 13 MONTHS without being behind the wheel….AHHH. I freaked out my first day! Texas roads are unheard of! Especially down here, You can stop at an intersection to go strait and could end up going down 3 different roads…hard to explain, but needless to say I understand the term, “Texas Driver” now.

I have the ghetto in my area and I LOVE it! Others may say its scary, but there are way more friendly people down there! I walked up to a couple black brothas and asked to share a card/talk to them. One said, “Naw, I gotta Book of Mormon, its all good!” And I pursued that opportunity to sit down with him until he said, “I Iike how yall are persistent! Man, you should run for President!” hahah it killed me!

We contacted a referral my second day and taught him about the restoration. He asked for our church address and we committed him to baptism on June 6th! Eddie Collins is legit.

Do yall remember Elder Boekweg? He was transfered back here to hurst in a different ward! Getta chill with him more!

My Companion Elder Burr is a great missionary! I just hope Im not a little too bold for him :]

Ive already got a good connection with our Ward Mission Leader (Committed his family to give away some BoMs) and he bore his testimony yesterday about the lesson we shared with him about the book of mormon and I think it was a good prep for us to enter other members homes! Having awesome experiences!

Bishop is awesome! He challenged us to annoy him with text updates on the work. He has no Idea whats comin’ :]

I love this gospel so much! Again, I invite…No…I commit yall to read the Book of Mormon everyday (Even if you are planning to read other scriptures too)
Watch this video, cry a bit, and be determined to read it till the day you die! 😀

http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/testimony-of-the-book-of-mormon-2

I love all yall so much! Keep it up!

Love,

Elder Nathan Householder

Hey everyone!

This week has been amazing!

First off, Ive been called as a District Leader and with that found out last week I was being transfered. To the Rivertrails ward! Which….I could ride my bike to from this apartment! haha Lemme e’splain. No, there is too mush, lemme sum up:
I am currently in the Hurst North Zone and moved to the Hurst South Zone this week. The 2 Hurst Zones have just combined so I still have the same Zoneleaders! I will still be around the same missionaries. Elder Burr is my new companion! I will be in a car area for the first time in 13 months! Im scared to drive….

New Address: 4273 Rufe Snow Dr #523 North Richland Hills Tx 76180

The Stake President (who is also the highschool principal here) signed up to come out with us one night this last week! We went to see Harold (an investigator who is “Married” to a lessactive member in the ward – Adrianna) and he wasnt available. Adrianna came out though and noticed Pres. Hadley as the principal, invited us in and sat down with us! After they talked about school stuff, we launched into a message about Eternal families and the sealing power. She said she wanted it! So we can get the whole family on board! Pres. Hadley then asked if he could bring Elder Tod Hansen of the 70 over on Saturday. She agreed! Elder Hansen was in town for Stake Conference this weekend and wanted to help Less active members in their next step to activity. Adrianna spoke at the adult session and brought the whole family! Even Harold, who we havent been able to get to come to church!

We’ve been meeting with Shawni every night to try to help her toward baptism. We had her interviewed by the counselor to the mission president. We waited out in the foyer while they met, and over heard her singing man in the mirror to Pres. Petersen….We were dying!! Shawni is one of a kind! Saturday SHE WAS BAPTIZED!! Smoothest baptism Ive ever been a part of!

This area is exploding and Im sad to leave it, but I wont be too far!

Bluebell is on recall for bacteria… D’:

I had the opportunity to get pictures with some great members of the fossil ridge ward.

I love yall so much!

Keep being awesome and punch Satan in the face!

Elder Householder

Hey Hey!

This week exploded with blessings!

First off I found out about an awesome new website that links Family Searchs together and you can find how you are related to anyone! Relativefinder.org! Pretty sweet.

We have been meeting with Shawni just about every night preparing her….Wait for it…..Her baptism THIS weekend! Yep we moved up her date! She has needed a lot of hard work cause she isnt all the way there when it comes to retention, but she is doing a lot better!

We are helping Dona fill out immigration forms for his wife! I have learned how to do a lot of stuff Ill need later in life helping this brother out. Not like I plan to immigrate a whole lotta people later down the line….but more like bills/car issues/law etc.

We had a legit lesson with Harold!! He goes to a non-denominational church and is kinda cool with everything – doesnt really understand all the organization stuff to religion. However, We focused hard core on the priesthood and Christs organization with him this time. Using Numbers 27:18-20, Hebrews 5:4, Ephesians 4:11-14, and many more like Matt 10:1, Hebrews 5:1, Hebrews 7:14-17, Amos 8 ….I love all these scriptures and love studying specifics! Well We talked about the priesthood and asked him, “Why did the Old Testament end 400 years before the New Testament started?” “Uhhhmmm…” “Because there was an apostasy. Everyone who held the priesthood could not use it any more because Malachi (The one they were using it under the direction of) passed away. Sooo what happened to the priesthood when Christ and the Apostles died?” With a thoughtful look on his face he said, “Nobody could use it!” I literally saw a light flicker in his eyes! It clicked. Now he just has to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if its true. He committed to.

Sooo awkward story: I was about to go on exchange with a member this week and noticed that there was a good foot long diagonal split down the back of my pants…Apparently my own companion didnt know! It went along the part of the pants that is most in contact with the seat of my bike – too much friction! Wow… Ill burn those in 5 months.

There are Hermana missionaries over our area and we’ve been having this awesome referral swap over the last few weeks. We seem to be finding some awesome Hispanic people and they have been finding some sweet people under our stewardship. Its almost been a game trying to “Return the favor” each time we send a referral to them! Out of this, we have a great Bermese family we are teaching! We went up to them and said, “Hey! Hows it going?” And they asked us if we wanted to come in (without any explaination or anything!) The Hermanas did a good job preparing them for us in their one contact. We taught 5 youth aged kids from Berma and they all whipped out their bibles and followed along! Our exchange happened to be one of their friends!

Our ward recieved a new Bishopric this week! That was so crazy. Ive been apart of that before but dont remember it.

I have my companions tell me stories of me talking in the middle of the night….Once I set a baptismal date (Thats whats up), Taught a lesson, and last night I apparently talked about how much I want to be like my ward mission leader here and how easy he makes missionary work seem… haha I didnt know I dream about that stuff!

I am most likely leaving next week at transfers. Ive been here 6 months and I have a current solid companion that Ive prepped well to take over the area. Ive gotten some pictures with some great members!

We even left a sticky note on a past investigator that dropped us recently (not even to us, but through our Zoneleaders) that talked about her concern “No man has seen God”

Hi!

Elder Householder forgot his camera but asked if I could send these to you. Let me know if they don’t show up!

Sister Nichols

MTC pictures

Hey everyone!

This week has been a great mix of different feelings.

First off, on Thursday I had my Hump Day! Exciting because of progress, and super sad because its all down hill from here. (Even though there is no down hills on the mission. My quads testify of that…)

We have a recent RM (Not a retired member, but a returned missionary ;] ) in our ward that had his home for a lesson and invited us to join them! We taught the Restoration to Morgan and then 2 days later we taught the Plan of Salvation, then two days later she joined us all for Conference! It was awesome! She is progressing!

This week we ate dinner with Brad. He picked us up in a car that smelled like smoke, music playing, and with a friend too. He got on the freeway and I havent felt more uncomfortable on my mission! Elder Case looked at me and mouthed, “Where are we going?!” and I said I thought we were going to Brads house. Elder Case: “So we just got into a car with some dude and we dont know where were going?!” hahah we ended up at Brads house and had a good conversation and lesson with him, gave his friend a Book of Mormon and she seemed very interested in General Conference! Many times we get false impressions of situations or people and judge too quickly. Dont.

Friday was the very first Fort Worth Choir Performance! It was so much fun and I feel it moved a lot of people.

Sunday morning we went and performed at another Stakes easter program. It was super awesome! Then randomly Glenn Beck was part of the program! He stood up and started preaching like a Baptist preacher! Finger pointing to the congregation, arms wavin’, and voice a’blarin. He gave a really good talk about the Resurrection and Miracles. Since I was right behind him in the choir, I watched his body guards (sitting in the front row) looking around the room for possible opposers.

Conference was amazing, as always. It went by wayyyy too fast. I feel sorry for all those that didnt take the time to listen to them.

I had many favorites, but one that I just loved was…Elder Andersen of the 70? And talking about how the gospel can be compared to a dance. How so many of us have grown up learning the dance moves. How so many people around us are dancing – so we do too. Even if we dont hear the music. How awkward is it to dance with no music playing? Very. (I have personal experience…. hahah). Is there any part of the gospel we feel like we obey or follow just because others are doing it or thats just how we were raised? If so, we need to listen for the music so that our “dancing” actually means something and we understand ourselves why we are doing it. No wonder why we all have friends and family that dont go to church or read their scriptures – even after the covenant of baptism – they dont hear the music! “Light-bulb” *With gru voice* Listen for the music.

We spent time as some great families homes in the ward! Fed us great meals and treats.

I love this work so much and this gospel. Im more than grateful for the Atonement and the ability to change. I wont be perfect anytime soon, but Im satisfied with progress.

I love all yall!

Elder Nathan Householder

Hey Hey!

A lot of good stuff happened this week!

We have priesthood holders in the ward that come out with us each night and we’ve been having some great experiences.

Tuesday with bishop we went by Harold and he wasn’t home, but we saw his next door neighbor (a member) and she had us come in an casually teach her great niece the restoration! Went great, and she was supposed to come to church yesterday but I guess it didn’t work out.

Wednesday night we went with Bro Moody our Ward Mission Leader and tried to track Harold down again but wasn’t home. Harold’s cousin was on the porch though and he has all of the typical “JS questions” What is right? where am I supposed to go? Etc. We taught him a short restoration and since he doesn’t speak that well of English, we sent the referral to the Spanish sisters. They were stoked!

One night we shampooed our carpets with a members shampooer and put our beds out on the balcony and had a “Campout”! Pretty sweet.

Thursday night we went back from an RM that came home from his mission last week and speaks perfect Spanish (from what all the Hispanic people say). We somehow ran into every single Hispanic person in the area! Each time they say, “No speak English” Danny steps forward majestically like, “I am a part of your world!” and slaps them in the face with the spirit. We even got in with a family and he taught the full restoration in Spanish alone. We just sat there smiling wondering, “Where did my 2 years of Spanish in high school go?!” We sent referral after referral to the spanish sisters and they prolly turned on some primary music and danced around like crazy in their apartment! But seriously.

Members in our ward are in MCO here in Dallas and told Brother Brandon Stewart that I was in this ward and He thought it was pretty cool!

Friday night we had dinner with the Christiansen family and had Shawni over for a lesson. Shawni walks in with a burrito in hand and Sister C looks confused and said, “Did you come here to eat?” hahah I was dying. Shawni was spazzin the whole time calling us her adopted children and asking the weirdest questions! Sister C was noticeably irritated and we werent sure if It was because of the pregnancy, but I couldnt help but laugh.

We then Went on exchange with Bro Marsh and saw a less active young woman. She is so close to coming back. She questions how God can still love her even though she is doing stuff she knows she is not supposed to. We shared, “My grace is sufficient” by Brad Wilcox and It totally answered her question. I love it.

Saturday we had a lesson with Ceaser and finally got him to understand the Pre-Earth life! Touchdown Missionaries.
Taught Geo the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” at a members home and he is so ready for baptism! He just needs his parents OK – they are thinking about it.

Sunday at church I nudged Geo and told him that I was going to bear my testimony and asked if he wanted to come. He looked at me wide-eyed and said, “What do I say??” and I told him what a testimony was. He agreed to come. He bore a very sincere testiomony about praying about the book of mormon, talking with us missionaries and how much he feels he has grown. He knows its true!! If every 15 yr old had that testimony theyll go far!

Yall best believe this church is true! Always remember that If trials arent the consequence of our bad decisions, they are to build us up. You can do it.

Love all yall!

Elder Nathan Householder

Hey guys!

This week has been a blast!

Well except I lost my voice most the week. I even had a 3 hour choir rehearsal. One of my past Zone Leaders was sitting behind me and probably noticed that I was just mouthing the words. He whispered to me, “Are you hitting those notes, Elder Householder?” And I told him my voice was somewhere else.
My new companion Elder Case doesnt even know what I really sound like! Maybe he’ll actually start laughing at my jokes when im no longer monotone ;] hahah.

Yes, Elder Case is my 4th companion in this area! Hes awesome and we’re having a lot of great success.

We’ve been helping Dona get a new car. That means figuring out forms/signings of titles/confusion. Ive never had to do this before! Couple weeks ago we helped him pay for his electric bill which was also new to me. Crazy stuff!

This week we had some great experiences. We were on an exchange with our assistant ward mission leader in an apartment complex and saw 2 ladies carrying bags of groceries up their arms. They walked from the store! One of the ladies was elderly and had a cane and was still carrying some heavy stuff. We helped them into their apartment and they let us teach them a lesson! Shawni is in her 40s and recently came out of a mental facility so shes a ball of fun. She said she was walking last week and saw our church on the other side of the street and got the feeling that she needed to, “go to that church” and then we showed up! She said she will come to church every week if she can get a ride!!

Another night we were with an exchange and I thought of this investigator “Brad” that we dropped a couple months ago. We went to go see him and he was having a really hard time with his ex girlfriend. We shared Alma 32 with him and talked about faith and the growing of it (because he said he wanted more faith). We read the verses where Alma was telling the poor how to plant the seed in their heart and if it grows its good and if it doesnt grow, cast it out. We asked Brad what he got from it. He said, “So If something isnt working in my life I need to cast out the problem.” He then took a big sigh and said he was so grateful we came by. We invited him to read the whole Book of Mormon and he accepted! Then he accepted to come to church! At church he told our ward mission leader that the missionaries showing up the other night was impeccable! He even signed up on our meal calendar! hahah

Geo has accepted baptism for the 11 of April! We have many others on their way!

I love you all!

Elder Nathan Householder

PS: The Kaszynskis are one of the greatest families!

Elder Daley just “Died”…

Oi minha família!!!

I ran out of hellos – so i stole this from my buddy down in brazil. Dont judge.

To start: Transfers this week. Elder Maun is leaving back to his Marshallese speaking area and I will be recieving my 4th comp in this area – Elder Case! Nobody round these parts knows him.

This week has been fantastic! If you are not seeing miracles in your lives, prolly means you should fast/pray/pay tithing more than you are right now.

On wednesday we had a spirit packed day (not like we usually dont, but more so). We had a Zone Council to start off the day. We talked about Zone Goals and how to meet our baptismal goal this month. The Zone Leaders have a projected one, and so to meet our goal we needed to find 2 more. So we broke off into districts and talked about the people we are working with and if any of them are close enough to be baptized this month. We all found a couple and came back as a Zone. We put on the board the potentials and decided that we were going to fast for these people and that the obstacles in their way would be cleared/resolved. TBC
We then had to race to be at the stake center for our 3 hour long mission choir rehearsal (even skipped lunch. – My stomach did all the singin…). So much fun singing in a choir again. Back row. Bass. 2. I try to take Jake’s advice and take a nap before practice ;] .
On the way home we were dropped off next door to our apartment complex (at a burrito shop). On the way walking home over a bridge, we saw a man sitting on a concrete slab down by the water reading something. I got the prompting to go give him some food. I felt like Jack Christensen for a second as I thought, “He looks well enough off – Itd be awkward to offer him some food if he wasn’t homeless…” (I also thought of Sister Trendler’s experience with that where she did offer a guy food and he got upset haha). Then I got the impression again. “Its dinner time and Im starving!” But it came again. So we went down to give the guy a card. He was reading the Restoration Pamphlet!! I was like, “Hello Sir! Uh….Thats actually one of our pamphlets!” Turns out the Sisters in the neighboring area met him 2 hours previous and set up a lesson with him the next day. We pumped him up for it and he was excited to come to church with them and everything! Hes felt like God has been trying to tell him something for a while now. It also Turns out he was hungry and loved burritos ;]. (Julius did actually make it to church on Sunday!)
That night we had an exchange with our Ward Mission Leader and saw a less active recent convert and watched the restoration video and shared our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and Joesph Smith. Then we asked him if he had any doubt that Joseph Smith was a true prophet – he said no! (He got anti-ed and believed JS was a fraud. Hasnt been to church in 3 years.)

We ran into a man named Joesph that practiced our faith for a year growing up, plays basketball with some guys at the church everyweek and we gave him a book of mormon and hes been reading it!

Been having great success teaching this week:
New investigators Joseph, Claudia, “Sis Hawes”
Got to teach some less actives and also the Native american guy too!

Saturday we called our Ward Mission Leader and he said, “Lemme guess: Elder Maun is getting transferred!” And I said, “We don’t know till Monday…” The next day our WML pulled me aside and said that he was at a restaurant in our area and saw some other missionaries and started talking to them. These missionaries were Zone Leaders from a different stake (randomly in our area) and told him that Elder Maun was getting transferred….So I knew a day early…Didn’t tell Elder Maun though.

A miracle: Since our Zone fasted on thursday, a family showed up at Elder Reeds ward and said they were from Mesa, Az – took the lessons and moved here. Are ready to be baptized! thats 5 people! Awesome miracle there! Exceeding the goal.

Well I love you all! Have fun in the pools…

Love,

Elder Householder

PS: Elder Reed is going Zone leader and leaving this district 🙁
Elder Austin (My trainer is going home this week…)

Every week goes by way too fast!

I love the hilarious things I see in Texas. Everyday is an experience! Only in Texas do you hear sirens every rainy day. People, this is just water! Ive seen cars with a messed over front evident that they ran dead straight into a pole…

We met with Harold this week and showed him the restoration video and his laptop died in the middle of the first vision! I looked at Elder Maun and mouthed, “Satan!” something always happens! Always.

Geo went to Disneyland for break.

We’ve gotten used to mud/water streaks up the front to our faces and up the back to our heads from riding in the rain…but its all good the Atonement is real and so is the laundryroom.

Sad to say Dona tried to copy our “No hands” on the bikes and biffed it…we werent there for it, but I felt like a bad example…haha

Yesterday we took Dona to the next wards sacrament meeting because he missed ours and everyone was like, “We have new Elders??” One even said, “So youre the missionaries coming over for dinner tonight?” I Shoulda told, “Yeah! Could we just make it at 7? We have a previous appointment [dinner in our ward]” haha

Saturday we met with Ceaser and he got hung up on the God of the Old Testament again…Hes letting that hold him back from everything….

We knocked on someones door and this guy came out and basically started to Anti us. Kept asking us random questions and tell us what we believe. I told him I didnt know what he was talking about and that we were hear to share the gospel through the scriptures. He answered, “Which scriptures?” I said “the Bible.” He looked like he didnt believe me so I asked if he wanted to see our KJV and he declined. Eventually he realized he wasnt getting anywhere and was going to go back inside. By this point he was shaking so hard! I could barely give him a handshake. Authority trumps Satans false truths.

I wnat to share a cool personal experience: A couple months ago I hear of some missionaries who prayed specifically that a family of X amount of people would be prepared for the gospel. Those missionaries left the area but the next missionaries found that family and baptized them. I wanted to try it. I prayed once for a family of 5. We are currently teaching Geo, and he has 3 siblings and a mom that we will have a lesson with soon. The prayer was a couple months ago.

Saturday we had a ward chili cook off and it was a lotta good stuff! There was even some Louisiana Gumbo.

Transfers are next week. My “pappa” is going home. Its just way too weird. Got a picture with him and “The bobbs.”

This missionary work is super hard, super fun, super tiring, goes super fast, and definitely super worth it. Very proud of all my friends out there doing the same and those that have recieved their calls and those that are wearing a badge on their hearts.

I love all yall!

Hope to hear from yall!

Elder Nathan Householder

PS: Did I ever tell the time we went to Temple and I thought Elder Boekweg was falling in (but he was joking) and I “Saved him” but my white handbook went in the drink? this picture captured it in the act. Shweetish fish

Elder Reed is an artist…

Missionaries play Dew Pong on Pday…And youd think Elder Maun was hispanic….

The Zone!