9/5/2022
Hello from Star everyone! Happy Monday! I can’t believe I am already emailing all of you, this week was such a long but fast week at the same time!
To start off this email I’d like to share what I have been reading about in the Book of Mormon. I am right at the end of Alma aka the dreaded war chapters… but I’m not dreading them, I love them! I began highlighting all of the times it said ‘preparation’ and I was amazed. In about every other verse was the word preparation or some form of preparation. I began to ponder why Heavenly Father needed to tell us so many times to be prepared and to build strong fortifications and strongholds. Satan is like the Lamanites and is going to try and break us at every chance he can get. He is sly and he is cunning but if we are prepared it won’t matter. I love the story of the 2000 Stripling Warriors! My favorite verse from today is Alma 56: 44 “Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle? 45 And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.” I loved this so much because they were presented with a scary and tough question but because of the strength of the Lord they had such great courage. I know that we must be prepared for the hard attacks of Satan. What can we be doing better to fortify our lives?
Mike! This week I learned to listen to the spirit. We decided to go visit a less active member named Shane. When we got to Shane’s house he wasn’t there but we met Mike. He is a bald guy with tattoos and he didn’t want to talk to us. We told them that we could come back at a different time to meet Shane. On the way out we set up a return appointment with a neighbor. A few days later we returned to that area to have a lesson with the family that we set up an appointment with. The lesson went great but the miracle came after. We heard people talking in the driveway. I said “Sister Jackson we must go talk to them.” Thankfully she was down. It was Mike and Shane! Shane had to leave to go somewhere but we had an awesome conversation with Mike. Mike is going through very many trials right now in his life. Every single thing that he was talking about led to the gospel. Sister Jackson kept looking at me like are you going to say anything? The spirit overcame my heart and my thoughts saying Sister Howick you need to listen. We walked away that day without saying anything about the gospel. I knew that that was what God needed us to do and I later explained that to Sister Jackson. The next day we returned to Mike’s house and I explained to him that I felt something different. I then taught him about the Plan of Salvation and sister Jackson taught him about missionaries. We will now be teaching Mike this week. I am so excited! I don’t know why the spirit told me to wait, but I know that it was God’s timing. I can’t even express to you guys the feeling that was there as we listened to Mike. The spirit is here to guide us and to direct us and if we listen everything will work out how it’s supposed to.
A miracle from Laura! The last miracle I’d like to share for this week comes from a convert lesson. Last time we met with Laura we had a horrible lesson, a very discouraging and heartbreaking lesson. Sister Jackson and I have been praying to know how to help her. We had the thought to teach her through music because of how much she loves her Christian music. We were able to take the idea and bring the spirit into her home so strongly. We read the scripture of the wise men and the foolish men and talked about how we need to make a strong Foundation. My beautiful sister Josie came out with her song this last week and I couldn’t help but share it. I explained to Laura that we all go through trials and sometimes we feel like we’re drowning, but if we turn to our Savior everything will work out. I bore testimony on my love for the Savior and his Atonement and I know that he loves us too. The spirit was so strong in her house all of us were crying and even her husband. I know that God answers our prayers, because we didn’t know how to teach Laura. He knows his children and he is so aware of all of us!
Lastly, I’d like to share some brief highlights of the week.
First! We found a lady named Savannah getting her mail. We decided to talk to her and offered to help her clean up her yard. For a few weeks now Sister Jackson and I have been pulling her weeds whenever we can. But there’s only so much missionaries can do so we asked our ward members to help. One night we showed up at Savannah’s house expecting a young men to be there. I looked out my rearview mirror and I saw brother Simpson pushing a lawn mower, sister Simpson with a weed wacker there four kids with gloves and tools. My eyes filled with water because of their love to serve. As a family they were able to clean up this person’s yard in 30 minutes. What would have taken sister Jackson and I hours took them 30 minutes of their day. There is true power in service.
The second highlight I’d like to share is OUR SISTERS! Sister Jackson and I will be covering Six Sisters this transfer. Two of them are greenies or brand new missionaries! I am so excited to be able to teach them and love them. Every week we are required to study with them. I have such love for these sisters and I don’t even know them, the true power of charity and love.
This next week will be a busy week for me. I will be leading a zone council training again and I will be attending mission leadership council. I am so excited! I hope you all have a wonderful week and you can see God’s hand in your life each day!
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