June 16th, 2014

Texas Summer Round 2

here is so much to say I dont even know where to start!!!

Sister Loo and I are both staying in the singles ward for another transfer together! yay! We are just getting started :) Her and I seriously work so great together- I don't think I have worked and pushed myself so hard in my entire life. AND we never fail to have SO MUCH FUN!! We are super excited :):) We just have Bishop and the stake president asking us when the next baptism is now haha. We've created some high expectations for ourselves it seems like!

And thats not even the best news! So we had specialized training with President Pingree this week (which is a whole other story), and at the end of it he asked to meet with Sister Loo. Since she hit her halfway mark out here, he gave her the option of choosing to stay here in Texas for the rest of her mission, or choosing to still wait for her visa to Brazil. He told her that by Sunday night she needed to make her decision. So we have been having a lot of late night chats and prayers, and she felt really strongly about staying here and making this her mission for good! SISTER LOO IS STAYING IN TEXAS!!!! It was a really cool experience for the both of us. As some of you know, recently I made a pretty big decision in my life that was really hard for me to make. So about a week ago Sister Loo helped me a ton in realizing my answer that the Lord was giving me, and giving me the encouragement I needed to make the decision that I knew I needed to make even though it wasn't necessarily the answer that I wanted!! And then right after, she was faced with this huge decision that she didn't see coming, and we went through the exact same process, with the exact same results. She wanted so badly to make it to Brazil, but in her heart she knew that The Lord had a different plan for her. It was so cool for us last night to look back on these experiences we've had, both individually and as a companionship, and see how The Lord's plan just fell into place. We both faced these decisions, where both of our options we faced were good! And I think that was the hardest thing about it. Not one choice was better than the other. They both were very good options we each had to choose from! But The Lord was able to lead us to what He wants for us. And even though both of our answers to our decisions wasn't exactly what we wanted at first, after making these decisions, we both felt so much peace and joy and excitement about them! I know that we have been placed with each other for a reason. I feel like I have grown more in these past 6 weeks than I have my entire mission. And I know it's because The Lord is in complete control!

So during specialized training, President went into depth with the restoration. You'd think after teaching it multiple times a day for 13 months now that I'd know just about all there is to know about it, but holy cow!! We learned SO MUCH!!!! I seriously got so much out of it. And then he had sister loo and I do a practice teach with him in front of everyone, and he was playing the part of one of our investigators, and the revelation was just flowin. It was SO powerful. I think it was so powerful too because we didnt even have time to really pull our thoughts together before we taught. We just went for it and the spirit guided us 100% in what we said! None of what we said was from us! Even afterwards president was like, I felt the spirit so strongly as you were teaching me, and as you were asking me those inspired questions, I really feel that those answers that came to my mind were exactly what this man is thinking. I know that this is his concern and what is holding him back. IT WAS SO CRAZY!!!! The spirit is the single most important tool in missionary work!! Sister Loo and I are stoked to go and teach him now :) I love experiences like those!!!

DANIELLE GOT BAPTIZED!!! She's the cutest ever. She's like our BFF. haha.  Her boyfriend's dad, brother nunez, baptized her so that was really neat! Sister nunez was talking to us and said that before jared (the bf) left for his mission, Danielle never showed any interest in the church and they never ever thought that she would take the missionary lessons, and then actually join the church! Danielle said she didn't even know what changed in her but once he left, she wanted to meet with us and try it out without him here. She is so strong in her testimony, and she is already a huge example to her family and friends. We are just so happy for her :)

The only downside to having your investigators get baptized, is then you know its REALLY time to find some new ones. Its seriously crazy how busy we've been with teaching people. Never before have we not had time to actually go finding! But this whole past transfer was just teaching and baptizing, & more teaching and more baptizing haha. So on wednesday we had about 3 hours of time to fill- so we decided to spend all 3 of those hours finding! We were kinda really dreading it. So we had to make it into a game for us to have the motivation to actually do it hahaha. I feel so pathetic even writing this right now haha. So we made a goal that in those 3 hours, we were going to pass out 6 BOMs. We prayed and told HF that we had the faith to reach this goal and asked him to guide us in where we needed to go! And to help us embrace this humidity. So we came to terms that we were going to sweat and feel really, REALLY gross, got out of our car and started finding! It was super cool because we actually really didn't even knock that many doors. People just started walking out of their apartments and on the streets and so it was really easy for us to just go up and start talking to them! Within 2 1/2 hours, we had passed out 6 BOMs, 5 of which were to YSA's!! We were able to teach all of them and set up times to come back to teach them again! It was the best feeling ever. Whenever we set a goal with faith, The Lord ALWAYS provides a way to accomplish it!! 

So we took a trip to the projects this week. We had to keep reminding ourselves that we were still in the US. But really we pretty much crossed the border into mexico. Not one person spoke english, every sign was in spanish, and I think I was the only white person in sight haha. We were visiting a referral that was given to us, of a girl named A--. Her apartment was the scariest thing I have ever been into in my whole entire life. Cement floors. Bugs EVERYWHERE. The smell was something I cant even begin to describe. It was so bad. I feel like it was equivalent to being in a jail cell. She had all these cuts on her and stitches everywhere so we asked her what happened and she goes on to tell us this story about how just the other day she was walking back from outside into her apartment, and this man yelled for her to come and she didnt, so he came and basically started attacking her. She started fighting back and he ended up pushing her into a window and she got up and was just covered in blood. She was telling us this story like it was no big deal and that its something that just happens all the time or something! We both were like freaking out. The whole place is just sketch. On the plus side- I did have my pepper spray with me! hahaha. I don't know if we will be back. I do know that we are protected though. We met this man outside of his apartment (not those ones haha) and we got talking with him and he just looked at us and told us that he knows we aren't alone. He had seen us walking around and at first he said he was concerned about 2 young girls walking around Houston like that, but then he said that he saw and felt the angels that were with us. It was like 100 degrees outside and I got chills as he was saying that. He started getting choked up and just said that he knows that we are God's servants and that we are doing His work because he saw the protection and help that God sent us. How amazing is that?! It was such a neat experience talking to him. 

Okay so another HUGE MIRACLE- V-- got the job!!!!!!! It was the one job that he could find that wasn't on Sundays. He is doing door to door sales for comcast. Not exactly what he was wanting to do haha but he said that he is going to try it out because he wants to be able to come to church on Sundays!! He will be done with his current job at the end of this month, so we have his date set for July 26 right now. He was telling us all about it and he goes "i'm really sad though. because now I wont be able to go to FHE or Institute anymore". haha but he knows he is making the right decision :) We are just so excited!!

Yesterday after church, we went with a couple members, KP, David, and V-- to the temple grounds to have a little lesson. We ended up doing a little testimony meeting kinda thing and it was actually really neat! KP almost had me in tears bearing his sweet testimony. I am amazed at how solid they all are in their testimonies, especially after just joining the church. The spirit of the temple even on the grounds is just amazing too! We are way too blessed to have it right by us. This is what this work is all about! It doesn't just end at baptism! The real reward is being able to watch them prepare & then make it inside the temple :) Nothing in this world is greater than this <3

Its been a really great week here and they are going to just keep getting better and better! I couldn't do any of this without y'all! Love and miss each of you so much!! 

xoxo from houston

sister huber

we stole the wheatstone sisters bikes cause we were a little jealous :)

No this is not Mexico...

Our weekly planning board! Heavenly Father is blessing us so much!

6 Books of Mormon Miracle

Buc-Ees Trip!

With "the boys" at the temple... KP and V-- first time, and David's first time after being baptized.

Sooo many mosquito bites...

danielles baptism! isnt she just the cutest?!

Specialized Training

SISTER HUBER'S TESTIMONY TO OUR FAMILY FOR OUR REUNION THIS PAST WEEKEND:

Goodness gracious where do I even begin?!

I first want to say that EVERYBODY NEEDS TO SERVE A MISSION. It is the GREATEST thing that has ever happened to me. I cant even begin to say how grateful I am that The Lord had it in His plans for me, even when I didn't have it in my plans for myself. It has blessed my life in so many ways that only a mission could! Everyone needs to experience it because it really is THAT AMAZING. Its kinda scary to think of my life not having served a mission! I say all the time how I cant even picture what my life would be like without it. Going on a mission is the #1 best thing that anyone could ever do in their entire life. Its been hard. Actually really hard at times. It pushes you and pulls you in ways that you didnt even think was possible. But it brings you the most happiness that I think is ever possible for anyone to experience! It has been the highlight of my life :) I wish I could even begin to describe it! 

I want y'all to know how much I love this gospel. I have come to know with all of my heart that it is true. I was raised by amazing parents and had the influence of many of my role models who showed me what was right throughout my life. Over time I gained my own testimony of my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. Never until my mission could I say that I was completely converted to that testimony that I always had deep down! 

I always thought I knew what true happiness and joy was, and I chased after the things that I thought at the time would bring me that 'incomprehensible joy' that everyone always talked about. 

Not until I came out here on my mission did I realize what I really wanted in life. More importantly what my Heavenly Father wanted for me in my life. As I have developed and strengthened my own testimony of this gospel, I have also put what I know to be true into action. I can say for the first time in my life, I am converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know it because my one and only desire is to share this amazing truth with my brothers and sisters here in Houston. I know it because when I share it with others, and watch them become converted to it, I experience THE MOST joy that I have EVER experienced in my entire life. Its something I can't even begin to explain or put into words. Never until my mission have I experienced TRUE joy and happiness.

I can testify to each of you, that the second you give yourself to the Lord- not just a part of you, but ALL of you, 110% of yourself- you will feel of a joy that you have never felt before. 

It took me a long time to get to that point. I will be the first to admit that I am a stubborn girl! I knew what I wanted and it didn't matter to me what anybody else thought, even the Lord for that matter. I had my own plans and desires for myself and I thought I knew what was best. But something has changed in me. It was a process, and it took a lot of prayer. A lot of fasting. I had to create a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father, and with my Savior. I had to learn humility. I had to learn how to trust. But the moment I gave my whole self up to The Lord, the day I completely surrendered myself to Him- was the day that changed my life. It changed my life for eternity. And I will never go back. 

Heavenly Father has a plan for every single one of His children. A plan that will help them to reach their full potential to become even as He is! A plan that will bring them through trials and tribulations at times- but also endless blessings and TRUE, ETERNAL HAPPINESS. He wants each of His children to feel of His love, and to be let into their lives. He is always there, waiting with open arms. He wants us so badly to be able to return back home to Him. I have learned that it really is so simple. Give your will up, and give it to your Father in Heaven. Let Him be the guide in your life. Do those things that you know to be true. Pray, Read the Scriptures, go to church, and keep the commandments. If we are consistently doing these things, we will not fail. We will not fall off the path. He promises us all that He has, and all we have to do is follow His Son Jesus Christ! 

Some of the greatest moments in my life have been in His holy temple, receiving His guidance and direction for me as His daughter. A lot of times it doesnt really make sense to me! I cant see the whole picture. But I know that He can. And so I simply put all of my trust in Him. He always reassures me of His love, and I can tell you that His love is real. It is the most amazing thing that I have ever felt or received. His love changes people. It changes lives. I have the most amazing calling in the world because I get to see this infinite love work through people every single day and watch it change their lives. 

This gospel is true. I feel so blessed every single day to know that I have it. There are people out there who need it. They need what we have. Let Christ's light and love shine through you, and be a witness of him at all times, in all things, and in all places! 

Let this gospel become a part of who you are. It will change your life- as long as you let it! 

I love each one of you so much and know that I wouldnt be where I am right now if it werent for your examples to me! Keep touching lives like you have touched mine! 

I will see you in a VERY short 5 months! 

lots of love from houston <3

sister huber