October 29th, 2014

serving with my best friend :)

Hey yall!

I'm giving you a heads up right now- these next few weeks are gonna be CRAZY so if you don't hear much from me, I'm so sorry! you will all see me in a month anyways :)

My new companion is Sister Fullmer- my absolute best friend! I have served with this girl her whole mission and we have always had this bond with each other. We served in The Woodlands for 6 months together, then we both got transferred to Cypress at the same time when I came here to the YSA ward, and she was serving in a family ward in the same area! And now she's here with me :) She was just called to be a STL with me so thats been a lot of fun! I went on exchanges with her last transfer, and we seriously became best friends right then! She is the most perfect companion for me, to help me finish my mission strong but have more fun than we ever have at the same time! I just cant even tell yall how amazing this girl is! 

We have seen so many amazing miracles this week! It has been such a blessing to have the ZL's here in the ward with us. They have been working closely with the EQ and have gotten in to see people that I have never even met before! We have already noticed a huge change in the ward, and the ward council is really coming together and making big changes :) 

Yesterday at MLC, president had all of us YSA missionaries meet with him for a little training on how to build up the YSA wards. He is wanting us to really focus on building up the institutes and getting more involved on the campuses. Our institute needs a lot of help haha. But we're really excited because we have heard of so much success from the other colleges and their programs so there is lots to work towards and look forward to here! 

Sister Fullmer and I have a goal of getting 2 more baptisms this transfer, and we really feel like the Lord will provide a way! We have a date for the end of next month, and we have a few investigators who are SO ready and just need to commit!!  We started teaching this guy named S..., and he is another one who seriously tests my knowledge haha. Lets just say he is very knowledgeable with the OT, and the first question he asked us was why Joseph Smith could see the face of God, but Moses couldn't look upon the face of God. We have spent lots of time searching the scriptures for answers to his questions, but its been a lot of fun! He has such a strong testimony, and our last lesson with him he told us that as he's been studying and learning more, he doesn't see how there's any way that this church isn't true. He's just so prepared! Just like most of our investigators, his only concern now is his family who is really against the church. Thats why he is so hesitant to set a baptism date! Pray for his family!!

Viet told us yesterday that he feels like he is ready to get his patriarchal blessing. WHAAT?! I still cannot believe this kid. When we first met him, he didn't even know what faith was. Now he is preparing to serve a mission and is getting his patriarchal blessing. How cool is that?! 

We are going with Ericka on friday night to the temple to do baptisms for the dead for her first time. She is going to be baptized for her mother and grandmother, so it is going to be a really special experience for her :) I'm really excited for all of our RC and their amazing progress!

Nothing is more rewarding than being a missionary, and I think yesterday is when it really hit me that this amazing experience is slowly coming to a close. For all of you who remember me right before I left for my mission, I was an absolute disaster haha. I was feeling just about every emotion in the world. Thats exactly how I am feeling right now. I'm scared out of my mind. And the thought of leaving Houston makes me want to just fall apart. But I know that my Heavenly Father has a plan for me, just like He does for all of His children! I am so grateful for the knowledge that we have of His amazing plan, and to have His restored gospel on the earth today. I really don't know where I'd be without it!

I love each one of you and can't thank you enough for your support! We have another conference with a member of the 70 next week, so I will be on email again next Wednesday :) Hope you have an amazing week! xoxoxo

sister huber

Sister Fullmer!

me & my little meja :) 

October 20th, 2014

its the FINAL COUNTDOWN!!

Well everyone- I am officially on my very last transfer of my mission and it's the craziest feeling in the world! We found out sister myers is getting transferred so I am getting a new comp to finish me off! I'm really sad to lose this girl. She has become one of my closest friends and we have had so much fun together! I'm so grateful for the eternal friends I have gained here that HF has blessed me with, and I am so grateful to get another! President is putting STL's together as companions this transfer so I'm really excited to get a STL comp and be able to work like we've never worked before! 

I'm also SO grateful I get to end my mission here in the singles ward. They had a big conference downtown yesterday so we had to go to a family ward and it was a struggle! I'm just so awkward around families now haha I don't know how to act around them. Its kinda embarrassing. Thats what 7 months being around singles will do to you!

Also President is putting elders in this ward which we have been asking for FOREVER!!! I am SO excited. Like for real, the work in this area is going to just explode! Every other YSA ward has both sisters and elders except for us and so its finally happening! 

So I don't have a ton of time today to write yall, but I have to share this really cool miracle! A member named Michelle who goes to lonestar has this class that they all had to do these presentations for & Michelle did hers on modesty and after class this girl named P... came up to her and said how much respect she had for her after her presentation and how much she enjoyed it. So then they got talking about the church and stuff and michelle invited her to meet with us, and we've already taught her the first 3 lessons! As we were teaching P... the plan of salvation, we were asking her questions and she was telling us that she didn't really think anything of it because she feels like she already knew all of this and that we were just helping her to remember it. Like holy cow!!!! She committed to be baptized on November 22 :) She is absolutely amazing! 

The Prewitt's got sealed on Saturday and it was such a rewarding experience to be apart of. It was a reminder to me on what this work is all about. Its not just about bringing people into the church- but helping people to get to the temple so that they can be with their families forever! Seeing those little boys come into the sealing room to be sealed to their parents was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. I know with all my heart that through this gospel, we truly can be with our families for eternity! That's what our Heavenly Father's plan is all about! 

I love y'all so much and can't wait to see each of you SOON! :) until next week!

xoxo

sister huber 

This sister is a serious tag carver- she carved texas on the back of my name tag! I tried to get a picture of it but kinda struggled. its amazing!

Sister Davis and I at the temple :) exchanges!

the prewitt family :) Shoutout to my trainer and bff lockhart! Wish you were here for this special day! We all missed you! 

the day of ericka's baptism- gonna miss this girl!!!

October 13th, 2014

In the ward, but not of the ward

Yesterday we had a really good lesson in Relief Society on being in the world but not of the world. As missionaries we obviously are pretty protected from being 'of the world', and it really helped me to realize how amazing we really do have it! So sister Myers and I decided to apply the lesson to ourselves in a different way and this is what we came up with- In the ward, but not of the ward :) Let me tell ya, the struggle is real! Its really hard sometimes! There's a very fine line being in a singles ward with being unified with them, and being a little too unprofessional with them haha. So we now have a little friendly reminder that we aren't one of them and its not okay to just go hang out with them cause we want to :)

As I realized how protected we are from the world as missionaries, it made me think of the way I want to live my life when I come home and am thrown back into the 'real world'. I know that satan is going to work hard on me because I can feel it already! So I am making the decision now to not break the habits that are so easy to break when missionaries return home. I have learned that it truly is all about the basics! I think we sometimes think its more difficult than that, and we try to complicate everything- when really the simple daily tasks are the most important and actually vital to who we are and will become! Daily prayer & scripture study, weekly partaking of the sacrament, and going to the temple as often as we can are the things that are going to protect us from this world. Make these a priorty in your lives! Its what makes all the difference. I love this quote from Joseph Fielding Smith:

"A member of the Church once said that he could not quite understand when he paid his tithing and kept the Word of Wisdom, was prayerful, and tried to be obedient to all the commandments the Lord had given him, and yet he had to struggle to make a living; while his neighbor violated the Sabbath day, I suppose he smoked and drank; he had what the world would call a good time, he paid no attention to the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and yet he prospered.

You know, we have a great many members of the Church that ponder that over in their hearts and wonder why. Why this man seems to be blessed with all the good things of the earth—incidentally, many of the bad things that he thinks are good—and yet so many members of the Church are struggling, laboring diligently to try to make their way through the world.

The answer is a simple thing. If I sometimes, and once in a while I do, go to a football game or a baseball game or some other place of amusement, invariably I will be surrounded by men and women who are puffing on cigarets or cigars or dirty pipes. It gets very annoying, and I get a little disturbed. I will turn to Sister Smith, and I will say something to her, and she will say, “Well, now, you know what you have taught me. You are in their world. This is their world.” And that sort of brings me back to my senses. Yes, we are in their world, but we do not have to be of it.

So, as this is their world we are living in, they prosper, but, my good brethren and sisters, their world is coming to its end. …

The day will come when we will not have this world. It will be changed. We will get a better world. We will get one that is righteous, because when Christ comes, he will cleanse the earth."

A miracle happened and Ericka got baptized!! We met with her on Thursday and Friday, and she just didn't seem to be herself. We knew something was wrong and she opened up to us & told us about all of the opposition she was getting from her family. She was really struggling with it, but still wanted to go through with her baptism! So then on Saturday morning, the day of her baptism, she sent us a text saying that she couldn't go through with it anymore. Sister Myers and I were out contacting and we both just froze. Then kinda started freaking out a little bit and had no idea what to do! So we called our ward mission leader, James, and asked him what we should do. Let me tell you a little about James- that man has more faith than anyone I know. I admire that so much about him. Anyone he meets, he just assumes that they want to hear about the gospel and get baptized. And most of them actually do! So we were telling him all that was going on, and not even for one second did he think that she actually wouldn't get baptized. He told us that we needed to go talk to her and reassure her of her decision, and before we hung up the phone he was like, "alright well I'll see y'all tonight at the baptism!". If that's not some serious faith then I dont know what is! I knew we needed to stop doubting and have that same mentality as he did. So we went by Ericka's work and she came over and started talking to us, and told us that her family said that they would pretty much disown her if she got baptized. She just couldn't take it anymore so she gave up. Just the day before I had read a speech by Elder Holland called 'Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence' which talks all about the opposition and doubt that satan throws at us when making important decisions. We were able to share part of that talk with her, and help her to remember why she made the decision to be baptized and the spirit was able to testify to her of the love her HF has for her. She was just crying and told us that she knew this is what she needed to do and was instantly her happy self again! Her baptism was absolutely amazing. She came up out of the water & of course threw up the peace sign haha. She said she felt so clean and like a whole new person! After she was confirmed yesterday in sacrament meeting, she turned to everyone and said "It's official yall!" There's Ericka for ya :) Heavenly Father is already blessing her so much for her faith & diligence. Her families hearts already seem to be softened and things are better than they were before! She has an even brighter light about her, and she is setting that example for them and for those all around her! We are just so proud of her. She is way stronger than I could ever be!
I love yall so much, and I am especially grateful this week for my amazing family & friends who support me and are always there for me. Its something I have taken for granted way too much! I am such a lucky girl!
Hope yall have a great week!

xoxo sister huber

October 6th, 2014

Another blink of an eye and its Monday again!!

I am so grateful for the spiritually upliftng week that HF gave to me. It was definitely a different week than most, but one of my most favorites :) 

I'm sad to say that I wasn't even in my area all week!! Sister Myers had to hold down the fort for us, but lots of amazing things happened!

Tuesday we had MLC which is one of the most spiritual meetings in the whole world! I was with Sister Maughan for the day who is the other STL in the zone. The ZL's and us then planned zone meeting- which ended up being one of the best zone meetings I've had my whole mission! And it wasn't because of us. It was because of our AMAZING zone :) So a little history on the Cypress Zone- it has been known as the a-pos zone of the mission. Tons of disobedience, and the least successful. It's also the biggest zone out of them all. Well President came in and did what he does best and let me tell you- this zone is not that zone anymore!! I felt like we had a giant heart to heart and created the unity that its always been missing. We all set goals together for October and November and we are going to reach those goals!! We are doing a big zone fast this week, and striving to put all of our faith in the Lord so that He can help us to accomplish these things :)

We also had interviews with President this week. Us and the Zone Leaders had to present trainings during the interview sessions, which were all from chapter 8 in PMG. We talked about setting goals, planning, and accountability. Things that we are all still trying to improve ourselves in! And also very important things to master, because they will play a huge part in our lives when we return home. I seem to always forget the things I've learned on my mission and don't directly apply the exact same steps to my personal life! In my interview president was asking me about my plans for when I go home, and I told him I try not to think about it because I don't want to lose my focus here, and he stopped me and called me to repentance haha. He asked me what I've learned about the importance of planning on my mission, and then said how I need to be applying that and be planning for the next phase of my life. It freaks me out so much!! So during conference this week I was really searching for answers to how I can remain strong when I get home and continue to progress myself from the person my mission has helped me to become! I think a lot of missionaries get kinda indenial when they are about to go home & so when the time comes they have a really hard time with it, and I don't want to be that way. I want to work as hard as I can while I'm still here and know that I have accomplished everything the Lord has sent me to Houston to do, so that I can go home in confidence, and be ready & excited for whats to come :)

There's lots of work cut out for us this week! President laid down the law and is really crackin his whip haha. Can I just tell you how much I love President Mortensen? He knows how to do work! 

He told us that if we don't have a baptism date with each investigator by the second lesson, then we are wasting our time and we need to be dropping them. THE SECOND LESSON! Our mission is finding more people to teach than any other surrounding mission. But unfortuantely, thats not exactly a good thing! Because we aren't as effective when we find them. We are having to find around 10 people to get 1 baptism, where most missions when they find 10 people, get 8 baptisms. He had a conference call last night with all of the STL's and told us that the main reason for this is because we are lacking in faith and not being bold in committing people. 

So this week when we meet with each investigator we have to extend a commitment to them, and if they say no, then we have to drop them. Sister Myers and I feel really good about it though and really think that most of our investigators are ready for it! Pray for lots of miracles this week!!! 

Ericka is getting baptized on Saturday! We currently have no idea where... cause there are zero buildings available so this is going to take a miracle in itself! She loved conference yesterday and it was really good for her and strengthened her testimony of Joseph Smith and President Monson :) 

I don't think there was one talk all of conference that I didn't need to hear! For real each one of them was an answer to prayer. Jorg Klebingat's was absolutely amazing and if you didn't hear it then you have to go back and read it! I also loved loved loved Elder Scott and Elder Godoy's. I also just realized this but I think I loved them so much because they were all right to the point and tell us exactly the things that we need to be doing. I love it! 

I hope that we will all go back and study the counsel that was given to us by our dear prophets and apostles :) I know that I still have so much more to learn from their messages and as long as we follow their guidance, we will never be led astray! 

I love y'all so much and am so grateful for you!!

Have a fabulous week!!

xoxo

sister huber

taylor & her darling puppy

exchanges with Sister Stepp! Let me tell you- this girl is the sweetest girl you will ever meet. I hope one day I can be like her. Such a Christlike person :) such a great day and ended with finding a GOLDEN FAMILY for them to teach :) exchanges bring miracles!!

September 29th, 2014

I seriously wish I could tell y'all everything that happened this week because it was just TOO good! 

How many absolutely crazy investigators can one companionship have?! Cause I'm sure we have the record over here. R... the prophet, M... the communist, and A... the atheist. Just to name a few.

We had a 3 HOUR long lesson with A... this week. Kinda a mix between the restoration and plan of salvation. He is crazy smart that kid. He is a biblical history major so he was really testing our knowledge haha. At the end of the lesson he kept saying that if he believed in God that he would be a mormon. And how badly he wants to be a mormon cause he loves everyone at church and would want to raise a family in a church like ours. But that he just doesn't believe in God. But then he would talk to us about God and things that God has done like he believes in him. Its so strange. He read the Book of Mormon in an entire day! But like refuses to pray. What do you do with an investigator who loves the BOM and loves coming to church each week and wants to be baptized a mormon but just 'doesnt believe' in God?! I'm at a loss haha.

M... claimed to be atheist when we first started teaching him and look at how far he's come! 

He decided to go back to his "goth days" so thats been fun to see haha. He reps his communist attire at every lesson. He is just a one of a kind. We had to move his baptism date back because he didn't come to church yesterday! But he is really excited for the change and the new start for his life :)

R... R is pretty solid actually. He is like your dream investigator and keeps every committment you leave with him. He believes in everything that we've taught him EXCEPT the fact that there is only one prophet on the earth. He thinks that he is one. And I get really frustrated sometimes because he always has really good arguments and I just never know what to say to him! We're hoping that conference this weekend will really help him to see President Monson as God's prophet on the earth today! 

E... got up and bore her testimony at church yesterday and announced her baptism date to everyone! She is just the cutest person in the world. Her dad still calls her wife #7 whenever he talks to her, but she takes it like a champ! I am just so proud of her. We are so excited for the 11th!! :) 

BEST NEWS OF THE WEEK :):) So remember Rob? He was one of the first baptisms I had in my first area. Well- he and his wife reached out to me and told me that they are going to get sealed in the temple next month!!! Them and their 2 sweet little boys :) They invited me to come and be apart of their special day and words cannot describe my excitement! I still remember Sister Prewitt after we set Rob's baptism date, with tears in her eyes telling us how all of her dreams are finally coming true, and that she will finally be able to be sealed to her family, and be married to a worthy priesthood holder. That is what this gospel is about! Its about bringing families together eternally. And that right there, is why I LOVE being a missionary :) 

I feel each of your prayers every single day! I love you all so much and know that the Lord is watching out for each one of you! Have the best week this week! MISS Y'ALL!!!!

xoxo

sister huber 

s/o to the horne family!

exchanges :) being on a bike is the best thing ever! for real haha