5/1/2023
HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!! This was a very special week for me. SO MUCH happened this week….I can’t believe it has only been 7 days since I last talked to you!!
ZONE CONFERENCE~ This was the most nerve racking zone conference I have ever prepared for! I remember my very 1st zone conference still to this day. I remember being surrounded by missionaries that I deeply looked up to! I didn’t know if I would ever be as confident, loving, or outgoing as they were… and I still don’t know if I am. Sister Fa’ao’ota and I were talking and reflecting about our mission and how it’s been a book end. Everything is coming to a peaceful close… Zone Conference being one of them. I was the person I never thought I would be. We were able to give a training with the APs that went really well. It was a humbling experience for me. Many people told us that our training was the highlight of the zone conference. We did in fact use a Captain Moroni title of liberty and 450 beads were strung together to represent the impact of one missionary such as Abidani (Moroni 18:35). We got to give the training on both days of the Zone Conference, it was so fun to see all of the missionaries! Thank you for all of your prayers in helping me with those big days!
EXCHANGES~ I know I tell you about exchanges every single time and you are probably sick of it… but.. Right after Zone Conference I went out to Fruitland with Sister Williams! Fruitland reminds me of home! So many chickens and cows everywhere! I loved being there and serving those people. I came home from that exchange and had a few hours with my comp and then we began our another exchange! This time I stayed in my area and had so much fun being out in the warm sun! I’m so grateful that it is getting warmer! It’s been 80 degrees the last few days!
THE PULUS BAPTISM! This was the highlight of my week… maybe my mission to be honest! Kezzni and Khoan are the strongest little boys I have ever met. They have such a strong testimony and desire to do what is right. Sister Fa’ao’otoa got their phone number through a member right before I got here. Then together we were able to teach this family all of the missionary lessons. We have secret handshakes with them and we truly have such a bond. These kids have a piece of my heart. When we found this family their dad was experiencing his own challenges and was not able to live with them. About a month ago he came home. They began attending church as a family and are working to go to the temple!! Every time we came over we saw the Atonement of Jesus Christ work through them. This Saturday the Tongan branch rallied around this family and gave them so much support for their baptism.. They sang hymns in Tongan and brought the most beautiful spirit into the room. The Tongan culture is beautiful! I’m so truly honored to have been the missionary part of this day. Right before the baptism Kezzni and Khoan pulled us together and thanked us for helping them get to where they are today with tears in their eyes. They are 9 and 10! After the baptism Khoan came right up to me and said, “Sister Howick, I need your help!” I was able to settle everyone down so Khoan could say a few words. He bore the most powerful and simple testimony I have ever heard. Everyone was in tears! After the baptism we all got to go and have a ‘light refreshment’ tongans DON’T DO LIGHT refreshments lol! It was a full blown party! Another cool part of this day was President and Sister Maxwell decided to come! Out of all their baptisms they came to ours! The Tongan people view missionaries as literal representatives of Jesus Christ and they were HONORED to have our mission president be there! What a special day. That night I laid in bed and just thought about it. Tears filled my pillow. I know that I was meant to be in this branch at this time. I think Heavenly Father knew I wanted to experience culture, food and language on my mission and he gave me this branch. I love my mission, I love idaho! I wish you all could have been there and experienced this day with me. I love you all so much!
