Why do angels have wings?

I'm so happy that I got to skype yesterday and see and hear from my favorites! I love y'all more than life!

I hope everyone got to see the beautiful Mother's Day video on Mormon.org. If not, check it out and share it on all of your social networks (and hashtag it #itwasmom)! Even though mother's day was yesterday, we can celebrate mothers ever day! Like a kind Pakistani man on the bus told me, "every day is mother's day!" We should always be celebrating the lives of our families and friends every single day. We all have such precious people in our lives!

Speaking of precious people, we spoke to a bunch of them this week. We talk to a bunch of people every week, but this week my goal was especially to ALWAYS be talking to someone about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm learning to balance "not caring what people think" and "caring about people" so that I can boldly testify to strangers about the message of the restored gospel.

This week, we met with Leighton. He is so cool. He told us a lot about how he is trying to get in tune with his spiritual side and how in order to do that, he has been reading a few books. Since meeting with us, he has decided that he wanted to stop reading all of those books and just read the book of Mormon. He believes that the book of Mormon really can give him a greater understanding about life and help him find answers to his questions. So yeah, #truth. He also read to us a poem he wrote about how he feels about his current state in life. It was AMAZING. He mentioned how science and religion are not at odds, but rather science is just too young. He is so right! We invited him to be baptized and he says "...I am so down for that!" We are too, Leighton. We are too.

The best thing happened this week. Well not the best, but I enjoyed it.

We were teaching two Muslim guys. They are very devout to their religion, but they are very open to learning more as well. Toward the end of our second visit, we committed them to read the book of Mormon. Then, one of them got up and left and came back 10 minutes later.... he bought my companion and I each our own copy of the Quran! How sweet and tender of him. We told him we couldn't read it while on our missions. But then I told him how the book of Mormon helps us get closer to God more than any other book. 

The book of Mormon is the word of God and we are so blessed to be living at a time when the restored truth is on the earth to never be taken away! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!

While contacting yesterday, we ran into a couple and we talked for a good half hour. They are related to some members back in London and they are seriously some pretty cool humans. Before we went our way, the man said" Why do angels have wings?........because they take themselves lightly!" Something I am learning to develop it the Christ-like attribute of patience. I am learning that, not only do I need to be more patient with others, but I need to be patient with myself! The Lord works on us a little bit at a time, we just need to let Him!

I love y'all! Have great week!

M A N I F E S T A T I O N S

Shoutout to Sirima for a letter! Tender mercy, thank you! :)

This week we had Zone Training and, ah man, it's such a spiritual lift! We learned about how to teach people, not lessons. The best way to do this, is to discern investigators' needs. If they are giving shallow answers to questions, then they will have a shallow baptism. True conversion can't happen if they have unresolved issues or concerns that haven't been addressed! We must be worthy conduits of the spirit so that the spirit can work through us and help us know how to discern needs and help those we serve. We also talked about all the goals we want to reach together as a zone and as a mission. We are aiming for 60 baptisms in June! 

One investigator we are meeting with is Ahmed and he is from Saudia Arabia. We found him walking on the side walk in front of us a week or so ago. He was going to a free event at the science center...but no one was even there? We started talking to him and within two minutes he was telling us that he was trying to find out if God was real and he was praying that God would give him a sign. Then he said "Maybe...you two are the sign." Coincidences do not happen! God knows His children and knows what their needs are and he works through us to help them. This past week we met with him again and we read from 3 Nephi 11, when Christ comes to America and the people are able to see and touch Him. Ahmed struggles to "know" how things are true. He doesn't understand how he will just "know" if he reads and prays. President Joseph Fielding Smith explains it perfectly how we can "know" when he said:

"When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force. A manifestation of an angel, or even of the Son of God himself, would impress the eye and mind, and eventually become dimmed, but the impressions of the Holy Ghost sink deeper into the soul and are more difficult to erase.”

There is nothing more convincing and powerful than a manifestation from the Holy Ghost!

We are also meeting with a sweet Korean guy named Tom. We met him through ESL, but he was also interested in learning more about the Gospel! Whoo! Tom served in the DMZ! Crazy scary! But he is here in Canada studying right now. There is quite a language barrier with him, but thank goodness for members who served in Korea who are willing to join us for lessons to translate and help teach.

Our previous investigator Ying Chen dumped us. I would be more devastated if he hadn't insulted our intelligence and called me a tomboy over text, so for now I'll just be simply sad and pray some other missionaries in the near future can help him better than we could. It is really sad that a lot of people in this world struggle to understand how much God really loves them. Yes, bad things do happen to good people. But God sees the bigger picture and this life on earth is so temporary. 

We also met a cool guy named Leighton. He is a logical thinker and likes when things just make sense, but lately he has been feeling something missing, spiritually (THE GOSPEL). We taught him the restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon. Thank goodness he loves to read!

We also met a guy named Vinh who we found near Chinatown! He has a Buddhist background, but doesn't practice much himself. He is very positive and loves having an optimistic mindset. He really likes the idea of looking back on his life one day with no regrets and a peace of mind. We related that to the plan of salvation and how this plan of happiness that God designed for us helps us to understand our purpose and path in life so that we can make the most of it and ultimately look back with no regrets and peace of mind. He isn't interested in "converting", but he was extremely interested in the Book of Mormon. Thank goodness that's where all the power and truth is found!

Friday night before we went home, we found a guy walking on the sidewalk and started talking to him. His name is Mansoor and he has lived here for three years and has no friends. We started talking about the gospel and the special message we have to share and HE wanted to get OUR number and meet up with US...usually people are running away from us, but he wanted to learn more! We met with him the next night. He will probably get baptized, buuuuut he really, really wants to be best friends with us and sit only with us at church and only be friends with us, so we may have to pass him off to the Elders haha.

Also...Oliver Prince got baptized yesterday! What a STUD. He is so strong and faithful! He is also famous and knows Drake? So that's pretty cool. I asked him if Drake would be interested in taking the lessons with us soooo don't be surprised if those rap songs turn into hymnal raps in June! All I ask is for a #mormon.org on instagram, Drake. 

Also, the YSA ward here is so good to us! Such friendly people! I love them so much!

I have officially started the Purification Challenge! It is where I fast for 30-40 days from bad habits and things I want to rid myself of and where I work on implementing good habits and work on attaining worthy goals for myself. The process is to help my spirit and mind and heart be pure so that the Spirit can work through me and touch the lives of those I serve. I am so grateful that God is able to help build us up and give us strength beyond our own!

The Book of Mormon is true. The Church is true. Christ lives and God loves us. 

And happy week for all mothers everywhere!

I love y'all! 

Goodbye London...Hello Toronto!

First of all...a special shoutout and big thank you to the Stamps family and Sister Stamps' seminary class! Oh my goodness, the package and notes were so sweet! I loved the drawings and the cards and the sweet words written. Thank you so so much! I love y'all!

So Toronto is the biggest city I have ever been in in my entire life! Holy cow, I feel like I am in a movie, or the great and spacious building. Speaking of cows, the first few days in the city all I could think of was "where are all the cows?!" Just a small town girl living in a lonely world or gospel-less people! There is so much diversity and so many eccentric children of God here that need the gospel, it's just wonderful! Subways and buses are a little scary, but oh so prime for talking to people and finding the elect: those that are prepared to hear the message of the restored gospel.

My companion is Sister Waldron and she is such an angel. I feel like we have been companions for weeks now, but we have only known each other for 6 days! Crazy. I learn so much from her every single day about how to be more kind-hearted and sincere and all of those Christ-like characteristics I need to work on.

We are both so excited to be serving in Toronto YSA! This area just opened about 7 weeks ago and its the most coveted area in the mission, so we consider ourselves pretty blessed. This area has so much potential and there is so much work to do here in Toronto! So exciting.

In this area, we also have the opportunity to teach ESL! Teaching English is so exciting! I love helping people from so many different countries learn how to speak English while tying in the gospel at the same time-- so tricky, eh? 

This week we had Zone Training/Skills and Interviews so that was amazing. We talked a lot about what holds us back from contacting and how to more effectively contact and it was so great, especially because that has been my biggest struggle out here. I would normally feel more comfortable with just leaving people alone and letting them go on their way and not bothering them, but the most important duty EVER is to proclaim the message of the gospel! I am constantly reminding myself that everyone needs the gospel and every person I see could be prepared but I will never know it if I don't open my mouth! I also am trying to remind myself that it doesn't matter what strangers think of me because one, they'll never see me again anyway and two, they need the gospel whether they want it or not. So yes, they are going to hear about it. Moral: EVERYONE SHARE THE GOSPEL. Whether that be posting links on social networks or bearing testimony to strangers, share it. We have a special message that everyone needs. This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God. 

At Skills and Interviews we also got to visit with President and Sister Scott. I love them! I'm so grateful for all the love they have for us.

We have 3 investigators preparing for baptism! Citlalli is from Mexico, Ahmed is from Saudi Arabia, and Oliver is from Toronto! They are moving in the right direction and will be so blessed.

I started rereading the Book of Mormon with a question in mind. My first question for my new way of reading the Book of Mormon, thanks to Elder Bednar, is "How can I be a more consecrated missionary?" It is amazing how the Book of Mormon has always and will always be the exact same words, but has the power to change our whole perspective and teach us something new when we approach it with an open heart and open mind, being ready and willing to be taught by the spirit according to what we need to learn and understand.

The Church is true and the book is blue! It's that simple.

“After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel."  -Joseph smith

Remember-- share the gospel! Love y'all!

Holy Is He, Blessed Am I

So last night we got the most unexpected phone call...

SISTER BALDERSON AND I ARE BEING SEPARATED AND TRANSFERRED!

I'm going to Toronto! And YSA again! How fun, I just love those young single adults.

It's a bittersweet thing for me because we won't be here for our two baptisms next week, but I'm are excited for new opportunities and experiences.

This week I really reflected a lot on the Savior and His Atonement. I find that I get easily frustrated when people don't know what they are missing out on (aka the gospel) or when they know what they should be doing (aka making good/better choices) and they don't. I think I sometimes find it easier to love people when they are easy to love, but something that has taken me a while to finally learn is that true, Christ-like love is exhibited especially when you love, without restraint, to ALL-- even those who are hard to love.

This Easter was special. The hymn I Know That My Redeemer Lives went through my mind many times this week. It truly conveys how purely and perfectly our Savior loves us and it is such an example to me of how I can be better at loving people and seeing them for what they can become.

I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heav'nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

I do know that my Redeemer lives. He is so perfect in every single way. 

YSA ROCKS

So this week was a blur!

Since being out in the field, I've really been struggling with needing to love contacting. So one morning, I just prayed with all my heart that I would develop a love for talking to strangers on the street. That day, I all of a sudden loved it? The weather was beautiful, the people were still as interesting as ever, but because Heavenly Father answers prayers, He blessed me to see the beauty in talking to strangers about the blessing of the restored gospel on the earth. 

Cake pops from companion's Easter package!

So we usually contact at Western University, since there are so many potential YSAers, and before we left campus, we were walking in the basement of a random building and we just happened to run into a guy that we had taught but haven't seen in a while. Moral: coincidences are not real and God does put people in our paths for a reason.

This past week we had 3 children of God preparing for baptism! It was wonderful. They have all come to church and were reading and praying and progressing along the path that leads back to our Heavenly Father. One of them just mission dumped us so Sister Balderson and I were pretty heartbroken, BUT we have to focus on preparing the elect!

Just before we head out!

This week we also got to help serve at a wedding at the stake center! So that was fun helping serve(/eat) food and watch people be in love and what not! Shoutout to my Kell Belle for being my one and only when it comes to having the same taste when it comes to weddings...and literally everything else.

This Sunday was exhausting. We got a lot of less-actives and our two investigators at church, so that was a blessing and a half, but I will say this: the most frustrating part of a mission is people's agency. You can share and teach and testify and invite until you are blue in the face, but it always comes down to those you are helping and whether or not they want to act and receive God's blessings for themselves. It really is a learning process to be humble enough to work with so many different types of people. I have really come to understand that true, pure charity isn't simply loving people, but it is loving people that are hard to love without restraint--seeing them through God's eyes and loving them regardless of the choices they make and the people they currently are. Life is all about progressing and continually moving forward on the path that leads back to our Heavenly Father.

Everyone go read "Our Search for Happiness"! Like Elder Ballard said, either Joseph Smith saw what he saw or he didn't. Either God has a plan of eternal happiness or He doesn't. Either the Book of Mormon is the word of God or it isn't. But I know more than I ever have before that our Heavenly Father is guiding and hastening His work on the earth right now. He loves us and that is why He has designed a perfect plan for us. We are so blessed to have the gospel in our lives!

I love y'all so much! Serve a stranger this week!

xoxo

God Loves His Children!

First of all...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH TO MY LITTLE SWEETIE! Can't believe you are 19, Sierra...you are just growing up oh so fast. Go eat some Smith's chocolate ice cream for the both of us, okay? And have the best month ever! I love you!

So this week we had Zone Training. It was so great! We learned a lot about how we have been preventing our investigators from progressing and about how we can learn to help them progress, such as by helping them find the answers to their own questions, giving them assignments, asking questions that will help them think, etc. It's really important that we as missionaries learn to not get in the way when the spirit is trying to teach the investigator something, but that we are receptive conduits for the spirit. After training, we all got to go pick up our mail! I got lots of restoration and plan of salvation pamphlets and mormon.org cards to pass out...so excited to share these babies with the world!

This week we taught a college student named John the Plan of Salvation-- at the end when he said the closing prayer, he thanked Heavenly Father that many things had been cleared up for him. That made me smile. We also got to visit a lot of less-actives this week. Some excited about coming back to church and some, notttt so much. It's so important, especially in this day, to exercise our agency for good so that we can learn to distinguish between good and evil. We have to constantly be nourishing our testimony so that we are never so vulnerable that the adversary has power over us.

This week I was talking with a recent convert's young teenage friend that he brought to the church. He told me about his 6 month old daughter and about how he believes in aliens (heaven help that little girl). But yeah-- it was just a great reminder that EVERYONE needs Christ in their lives!

So GENERAL CONFERENCE was just as beautiful as ever, eh? So how about Uchtdorf's talk on gratitude??-- it's amazing how God even answers unsaid prayers. I love the reminder to be grateful in all things, even when our circumstances are difficult. A grateful heart eliminates bitterness and it shows that we trust the Lord and know that He will take care of us. How blessed we are to have a Prophet and inspired leaders on the earth today! The Lord truly loves each one of us so dearly. And special shoutout/thanks to the Browns for feeding the missionaries all weekend! Bless their hearts!

Currently, we have three progressing investigators! Two of which, Jonathan and Brandon, have agreed to baptism at the end of this month and one, Amina, that we believe will accept baptism soon! Jonathan recently found God and knows that They are important and significant in our lives. Brandon was at a point of loss of direction and when the missionaries found him, it seemed to be exactly what he was looking for. Amina is the sweetest of all girls and has never had a religious background, but would love to have some sort of foundation to build upon. They all came to conference, too! What great souls they are!

.........................

Me: Did you know if you say gullible really slowly, it sounds like green beans?

Sister B: gggggguuuuuuuuuullllllllllliiiiiiiibbbbbbbbllllleeeeeeeeeee.....no it doesn't?

Me: Oh my gosh.... did you know the ceiling says gullible on it?

Sister B: ........(looks up)......I thought I saw it there one time.

.........................

For those who didn't get to watch conference or who wish to be inspired and feel God's love, ----> https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch?lang=eng&cid=HPTU040114644

Teach someone something you learned from conference this week! Love y'all!

xoxoxo,

Sister Courtney Howle

Week 4 Already?

You know you are a missionary when you dream about investigators and lessons to teach and scriptures to share, etc. Not creepy at all, right?

 

First and foremost...

Sierra, the cheerios are not as honey nut as America, so I'm sure you understand my struggle.

And Emily, you and your aunt-- at the Relief Society broadcast-- oh my goodness. "You know you consider it an intense athletic event when you have to climb just one flight of stairs..." SO YOU. So. You. hahahah. Can't wait to start running up the stairs to campus with you again...

 

So our zone leaders are such joksters.

"Sisters....what is the ratio of males to females in your ward?"

"Uhhhmmm...like 60% males, 40% females..."

"Okay....and how many of those males look good with facial hair?"

Funny Elders.

 

Can I just say that I love serving in a YSA ward? London is very different than anywhere I have ever been. Lots of old buildings. people that smoke, and animals. But meeting and serving with young people is exciting all the time!

 

So we are working with an investigator and he is so great. He told us that he was looking for some direction in his life. He came to church and is reading and praying and we are so excited for him to continue progressing! And one of the Lord's recent converts in our YSA branch decided that she was willing to makes sacrifices in order to follow the words of the Prophet. God answers prayers! And He loves to bless His children.

 

This week we went on exchanges and it was such a wonderful experience! I went to Brantford and we contacted people all day and met so many great people. I learned that it is so important to continue to give people a chance, to not take the first "no", and to be comfortable and confident when sharing the message of the gospel and my testimony with strangers. I think it is so easy to lose hope and want to move on and find people that are "prepared", but really, we won't find them if we don't keep talking to them and sharing with them truths of the restored gospel. God works wonders when we press forward with faith--especially in conversations with strangers. People are actually pretty amazing, but we don't know that if we don't actually care to get to know who they truly are.

 

While people have depth and truly have so much to share, they are also funny. I won't say how many times this past week we have been asked if we are dating/married/available etc. Oh people! We are full-time missionaries, no time for that!

 

Me: "Wait...does she know that families can be together forever?"

Companion: "Oh my goodness, Sister, you are such a missionary..."

Good thing I'm getting settled!

 

Missionary work is so inspired and I'm so blessed and grateful that I get to witness God's hand work miracles every single day. Jacob 5 is evidence that the Lord loves His children so much.

 

Days are like weeks, and weeks are like days. I am grateful to be a missionary!

 

Serve someone this week! Love y'all!!