Welp. This week was hard.
Thank goodness for kind mission president wives that assure us that we can do hard things. (Emily I immediately thought of you)

So my first area is in London and I'm serving in a YSA branch. Weird right? Working alongside people my own age that aren't actually missionaries.

My companion/trainer is from Alberta Canada. She has been out for about a year, so that's pretty cool.

Well, the work must go on and I'm grateful that I get to learn so much being a missionary!

Have a great week everyone! Go serve someone this week!

Elder Arrington and Sister Bingham with Sister Howle

week one down already?

Loved ones!

So I don't mean to be "that sister missionary" that has the longest weekly updates of all, buuuuut I am. Sorry; but not really. Because-- GOSPEL.

First of all-- thank you to everyone that wrote me words of wisdom at the open house! I have read all of them and love what I've read! It's very helpful, so thank you!

And thank you JEFF18 for the package! It made my day!!

So I hit my week mark this past Wednesday! Only 77 weeks left?

What?

Days feel like weeks, and weeks feel like days. Seriously, missionary time makes no sense.

So last week I accidentally washed a load of laundry THRICE. Of course, I would, right? Live and learn.

I love my district and my zone. My companion and I laugh alll the time and get along so well. We will be so sad to not be companions next week when we are in TORONTO!

Yeah, so we leave at like 4:30 AM. It's way cool. But I'm excited!

Last week, Sister Coleman was suuuuuper sick. She had a horrible cough. Gross LOL. So because of that, we had to LEAVE THE MTC and go to the BYU Heath Clinic. We literally just walked out of the MTC. It was the weirdest thing ever because it was our first time stepping out into the real world since being at the MTC. It was so weird-- especially since all my BYU people were literally down the road a couple blocks away. But she is better now, so thumbs up.

Last night we taught our investigator, Jessica. She is around the same age as us and she has a really open mind and a sweet heart. I have such love for her! But before we went in to teach her, Sister Coleman and I were feeling so low. We have been frustrated lately because we haven't been able to just teach simply and testify boldly and invite the spirit and we just were struggling. We felt so defeated. The first lesson we taught her was pretty alright-- we just answered a lot of her questions, but I think we overwhelmed her at the same time. The second lesson was okay, but I think we went way off topic on things that were irrelevant and we didn't focus on the message we prepared. But the third time (last night), was the best. Sister Coleman and I made goals before we went in and the lesson went way better. We were able to share the message that God loves all His children, no matter what. Jessica opened up in the lesson and I really think the message we shared was the message that she needed to hear.

I'm learning so much as a missionary. I'm learning more than I ever thought I could learn about the gospel. I am constantly realizing how much I really do not know and understand. Coming to the MTC, I thought I'd be learning skills and techniques on how to teach and what not, but I have been learning soooooooo much more that.

I've learned about others
and how the gospel applies to individuals

and how to lovingly and genuinely convey the messages and principles of Christ and the gospel

how the gospel is applicable to everyone and anyone
why the principles of the gospel are important

how to be more selfless

why being obedient brings blessings

and so much more

and in the process of learning so much, I'm strengthening my own testimony and coming to understand why I believe what I believe in the first place. I'm learning what it means to truly be converted unto the Lord-- because that's ultimately what we are all aiming for. At the end of the day, our relationship with the Lord is what helps us to grow and understand more than we'd ever be able to by ourselves.

This week I have really been trying to work on trusting in the Lord and letting Him take control. I know that when we have such a reverence for the gospel and for the principles that Christ has given us and when we are able to apply them daily and live them respectively, that's when we are able to let the spirit guide. I'm still learning how to apply the principles we've always been taught, but I know that that is how we become converted unto the Lord-- when we put Him before all else and act on what we say we believe.

Have a happy week, serve someone, and trust in the Lord! I love y'all!

Love,

Sister Howle

Teach People, Not Lessons

What.

I've been in the MTC for 3 days but it definitely feels like it has been 3 months.
So much has happened, I don't even know where to begin.

My companion is Sister Coleman. She is convinced that we were bffs in the preexistence (JEFF18 y'all are still my numero uno girls). But she is way sweet and very obedient and has such a good heart and I can tell she will be such a great missionary, because she is already.

My district is the bomb. It consists of Sister Coleman and I, and two Elder companionships. The elders (not guys- bad word here) are so fun and we all get along really well. (love them, but can't really say that here).

We have really good teachers and they're really helpful. They are PROS at "missionarying" and I hope to be as good as them as time goes on. I keep hoping that I'll run into Ryan Smith or Buster Townsend, but I have run into Elder Arrington many times, so that's been a tender mercy.

Classes are good. Really long, but the time goes by when it's all spiritual talk.

The first day we were with a big group for 3 different classes (kind of like EFY), and we interacted with "investigators" and asked them questions and commented as missionaries teaching them. That was pretty fun. I kept going back to the idea that its so important that, in the beginning of meeting with investigators, that we understand who they are and where they come from and what they are looking for. We have to be genuine in loving them and truly want them to know what we have to offer.

The MTC is definitely not my favorite place in the whole world, but slowly but surely, I'm learning to get used to this whole thing. Jessica and Savannah, you two will love it, I'm sure. People here are so friendly and it's a very spiritual atmosphere. I'm excited for y'all to be out here.

Tommy-- thank you! You know what for. Adam- thanks for the shirt! I have yet to get a picture yet, but I will soon enough.
Also, an Elder just asked if I've felt the spirit of God in my life. Yes, yes I have. I hope you all have, too!

I've learned so much this week that my brain is basically mush. So that's cool. But I do know tjat this gospel is true. I know that Christ understands us and knows when we are feeling weak, but He also knows us so personally and knows, better than we do, what we are capable of. True faith is when things are hard, not when things are easy. Pray for charity every day.

I love all of y'all sooooo much. I also miss hugs, but it's fine, its fine #JEFF18.

Have a great week and also remember your purpose!

Sister Howle

directions to happiness

Several times this past month I attempted to post on here, but just haven't found the words to say. But this past month, my heart has been so full. Before I got my mission call, I had heard and witnessed many times how Satan really works at the Lord's servants and I didn't realize how real he is until I experienced it for myself. Never before have I really experienced and recognized the power of Satan so personally-- until I pursued the path of being a missionary. 

Obviously, trials are apart of this life. We are going to face them and we can either let them tear us down or build us up-- that part is up to us. Satan works in such a way that, through our trials, he convinces us to lose hope, to neglect our faith, and to ultimately, step away from the path that leads to happiness. Christ works in such a way that He shows us how our trials can strengthen us, better us, and teach us. An important part of this divine growth is hope. Without hope, we would never be actively driven to continue pressing forward with faith. Without hope, we would be giving into Satan and letting our trials tear us down. Hope is the first step, followed by faith. Like Elder Holland said "if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting happier days ahead." Not only are we encouraged to be strong and endure our trials well, but we are encouraged to have hope that there will be happiness along the path of difficulty. 

Satan persistently works at those who strive to be a vessel for Christ, but that knowledge doesn't make things easier. Things won't always become easier for us as we, children of God, strive to serve and be the best we can be. But, it is through such challenges that we discover our own divine strength and potential. Things don't usually get easier, we just become stronger-- at that is what makes this journey of life and righteousness so worthwhile, because we can actually do it. We just have to constantly remind ourselves that the Lord loves us and Satan does not and that when the going gets rough-- we are being given the opportunity to exercise our agency in faith and we are being refined in the process. Satan is miserable and, as my grandmother (and I'm sure some other ancient philosophers as well) always said, "misery likes company". We were made to find true happiness, not to be miserable.

Something I learned from a returned missionary in my ward is when she related to me moments on her mission of when she faced such difficult times and such trials and how she was so grateful for them because it was through those moments of hardship that she truly was able to learn what it really meant to pray and what it really meant to grow to know and rely on her Savior. I haven't been out in the field yet, but I know that our trials teach us things we may not be able to learn any other way. Trials are the best and worst things to happen to us; they're special because they seem like miserable experiences in the moment, but they can direct us down the road to happiness.

Never before has life been so crazy and hard, but never before have I recognized how so very blessed we really are and how blessed I really am.

Go out and make this week the best one you've had yet.
love, Courtney


Also, to read Elder Holland's awesome talk, click here

fall & friends

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

I've never been more in love with Fall than I am right now. Fall in Utah right now is too unreal, it's so beautiful. And when the beauty of things become too much, I usually want to take some snaps of it. So I forced my number one to come with me up to Provo Canyon and, of course, we had a photo shoot.

 What a babe, right? Gents, Kelly Duringer is single. She's also on the social networks (@kduringer).

I just want to take a minute to say how grateful I am for this girl. I remember on the first day of Freshman Orientation how we were in the same Y Group and as we went around the group talking about ourselves and what not, I remember saying to myself, "If I become friends with anyone in this group, it's gonna be her." From there we happened to be in the same Writing 150 class, we lived on the same floor, and we were in the same ward. Once we clicked, we were inseparable. She has been there for me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm convinced that we were best friends in the pre-existence and that we will be old grandmas together. I'm so glad that I have someone that I can be weird with and then two minutes later be immersed in deep conversation with. I'm so blessed to be able to call this girl my best friend.

Celebrate relationships with others, because, when you think about it, people are pretty great.

Happy Tuesday!

CALLED TO SERVE

After out beloved Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, made the announcement a year ago that missionaries would be able to serve at a younger age, I began to realize that lives were about to change.

I have never been the perfect (or close to it), poster-child for the Church, but ever since I was baptized, I've always had a love for the Gospel and for helping people. These two things combined with the many experiences I have had throughout my youth that have testified to me that serving a full-time mission is what I should begin preparing for, have driven me to foresee a mission in my future.

When I went to my cousin's farewell talk (years ago when the thought of a mission was waaaaay beyond my consideration at the time), he said something that changed me that day; he said, "Decide today if you are going to go on a mission. Make that decision now."

So I did. I decided right then and there, in that very chapel in Houston, Texas that I was going to go on a mission when the time came.

So after hearing the announcement, I prayed, fasted, thought hard about my priorities, prayed, considered the pros and cons, tried to push the idea of serving right now out of my mind just to make sure I couldn't actually put it out of my mind and that it really was what I wanted, prayed some more, and I soon began to realize that everything that tugged at my heart pointed toward a mission. Of course the last thing I want to do is leave behind people I love, BYU, starting my major, good job opportunities, the usual, etc...

but,

I love this Gospel so much and I even love people that I have never met before. How is that possible? I don't really know, but I know that love is from the Lord, who IS our Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to share this message of truth, not because serving brings me happiness, but because the Gospel and the divine love from above can bring others happiness and everyone deserves to feel that love and know where and who is it from. I KNOW that when we sacrifice good things for better things and work according to the Lord's timing, things work out for us. And it works that way because the Lord loves us so much.

So after months of working on my mission papers and trying to ignore the temptation to put my mission off for later on down the road I finally got my papers in and....

I finally got my call.

Dear Sister Howle,

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Canada Toronto Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months. You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, February 26, 2014. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language.

I'M GOING TO CANADA AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER.

happiness

I'm not always happy, but I'm never unhappy.

There will always be things that make it hard to smile, but to always remember and never forget why we even smile in the first place is what being happy is all about.



Have a happy Tuesday!
Court