Tuesday, May 22, 2018

When it Rains, It Pours

from 21 May 2018

Hello everybody!

First of all, this week has been a bit more wet than the past few. The humidity has been up and we've had a couple of good thunderstorms while the water dumped out of the sky.

On Tuesday, we got to go to the Temple with most of the missionaries in our zone, which was super fun! Plus, our ride took us to Sweet Tomato afterwards, and that was great too.

All of our top investigators had us in some degree of panic mode on Wednesday. L dropped us, so we got to experience some "missionary whiplash" (as Sister Marsh, our mission president's wife says) and then our other top investigator, J, lost his beloved dog, Bailey, that same night. That was a rough day, but it is over and the week only got better from there.

On Thursday evening, Sister Marsh came up to our area to work with us for the night. We had dinner together and then went tracting, using a family history technique that Sister Marsh has been inventing since last July. It was really cool to see people open up about their ancestors and cultural heritage when we knocked on their doors instead of just telling us they aren't interested in talking religion.

Saturday night capped the week as several sets of us missionaries hosted a "What is the Book of Mormon? Fireside." Although none of our investigators came, a lot of our ward showed up and some investigators came from other wards who meet at our building. One of those investigators even brought a friend who was seriously impressed and asked to learn more after the speakers' portion of the event.

So, it has rained, and it has poured, but life goes on! I've loved recognizing small tender mercies this week, despite several hugely discouraging moments. Satan tries really hard to keep us from being happy, so this week, keep that in mind, and don't let him! I love y'all!

Love,
Sister Houghton
9102 Holland Place
Lawrenceville, GA
30043

Again, sorry for no pictures.  Blogspot is not cooperating!  
Pics: After tracting with Sister Marsh, at the Temple, and missionaries at Sweet tomato! Also, this morning, all the Sisters in the zone went to a Hindu Temple together, and it was a neat experience!

Temperature Rising

from 14 May 2018

Hi y'all! It's been quite a couple of weeks, and there is so much I could tell you about! I'll spare you many of the details and try to just hit the highlights.

Last Monday, I got to play field sports with my zone (about 30 missionaries) and had a blast, despite my slowed pace. We played kickball (I kicked left-footed and somebody else ran for me), frisbee, volleyball, and hot potato! It was sunny, but not too hot, so I survived. My water bottle was quickly drained when we finally went back to the car though. It's been getting toastier and toastier, and the humidity has been kicking in, so we're starting to plan our days to fit in chunks of time with air conditioning or shade. ðŸ˜…

Do you remember L? Well, she is as wonderful as ever. On Wednesday, we were able to teach her with our mission president's wife, and L absolutely soaked up everything we talked about. When we recited the first vision for her, she audibly gasped at the Spirit in the room. I've loved having a front-row seat to her experience learning about the gospel and recognizing the Spirit. We have another appointment with L this week, so I should have more to say next week!

On Thursday, we had the best Zone Conference I've ever been to! President Marsh taught us about something he likes to call "Yellow Pad Prayer" (praying with pen in hand and solutions/answers already written down, looking for confirmation of correct answers - his preferred paper is a yellow, legal pad, which is where it got its name) and a really neat, easier-than-expected, bizarre way to memorize doctrines for various chunks of scripture (Sister Fullmer and I have got the books of 1 Nephi and Jacob down, so we're just waiting for more details from President Marsh to learn everything else in the Book of Mormon and then the New Testament). Sister Marsh led a discussion about motivation, and where it comes from, which inspired me to look at the days differently. I've already seen a huge difference in the few days I've been thinking about it. The other exciting part of Zone Conference was that all of my previous companions who are still in the mission field were there, so it was a big reunion! It was so good to review my mission by talking with them and realizing how much I have changed. Although I never realized it at the time, I have learned so much from each companion I've been with and each ward I've served in. I'm trusting that the pattern will hold true to the end!

Okay, I don't have time to write a novel, but the missionary work is going great and I am excited to keep working here in the Collins Hill Ward. I love y'all!

Love,
Sister Houghton
9102 Holland Place
Lawrenceville, GA
30043

Sorry, the pics won't download this week!  But, here are the descriptors...and the moth was really quite impressive!
Pics: Sister Lu, Sister Hahn, Sister Parsons, Sister Cleveland, myself, and sister Fullmer at Zone Conference (I have not been companions with all of those people, but that's who ended up in the picture), and a moth on somebody's door, which shortly thereafter attached itself to my dress!

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Things are Heating Up in Georgia!

It is late in the day and I still have a million things to do, so this is going to be very, very short. We had our Zone activity today, and we just played field games for several hours out in the nice, hot sun! All of us are sporting slightly sunburnt looks, but at least we know it's time to break out the sunscreen when we're out tracting this week.

The highlight of my week was going on exchange with a Spanish Sister who came out with me and being able to observe how we have both changed so much over the course of a year. Being representatives of Jesus christ truly has changed the both of us in many good ways. I am so grateful to be a missionary!

Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful women I know! I love y'all!

Love,
Sister Houghton
9102 Holland Place
Lawrenceville, GA
30043