Email from 11/25

Hello Familia!

There have seriously been so many miracles I don't have the time to write them all. We have three baptisms scheduled in 2 weeks and A WEDDING! yes, dream come true we have been planning a wedding for our Investigator Pricilla so she can get baptized. It's been a fun week, two of my favorite things....the gospel and wedding talk! We also had some close encounters driving, the angels are working really hard in New Jersey, also we got on this road headed straight for the George Washington bridge, if you leave the mission you get driving privileges taken away, but somehow we didn't and everything is good :)

With transfers coming up I have felt like a change was coming....and it is. President Jeppson called me last night and asked me to be a Sister Training Leader. I still feel new, honestly don't know if the new feeling will ever go away, I feel very HUMBLED, a little OVERWHELMED and EXCITED to work with these 100 sisters on a more personal level. I am learning what it means to rely more completely on the lord than I have ever before. This also means that I am leaving "the promised land" and Sister Pastores. It’s hard to leave someone and someplace that I love so much, a HUGE part of my heart will be staying here too.

 

We have some amazing investigators, we were teaching a sweet lady about the Book of Mormon and after we finished we asked if we could help with anything, she said she has a huge mice infestation and while we were talking they were running around us, she asked if we could help kill them, now before my mission I might have run out screaming, but missions do really good things to people and I said a little prayer for strength and voila we are scheduled to go in to de-infect the house...well actually Sister Pastores will be because I will be gone....but I was prepared to :) We also have a new investigator that was referred to us by her childhood Mormon friend. She has been very sick lately and looking for help and support. She is GOLDEN. I had a very strong impression in the lesson that she would be baptized. All because her friend remembered her and sent the church to help. It made me realize how many prepared people are just waiting for the message! and if we do our part the work will bloom. We are seeing so much change in this area, the branch members are excited to help with missionary work and coming out with us…. so many miracles every day!

 

Looking back on the last 3 months of my mission I have learned so much about love, and coming to Christ. This morning I have been thinking a lot about some of the people we have taught Gracie is set for the 15th of December, she has been going through a really hard time but so determined to turn to the lord. She came to church yesterday even though her tire was compliantly flat. I'm going to miss her. Gerson was at church too, and set for the 8th of December, last week he received his answer that the church is true! Eva a referral and her 3 children are actively reading the Book of Mormon and slowly but surely progressing! My first experience teaching a whole family and I have truly come to love them. Pricilla is just waiting for her fiancée  to come home, so they can be married and she can get baptized, she wants to go through the temple in a year with her daughter Nemesis (she is a little nemesis too, but I love her) Robert and Maribelle are active in Primary and their mom brings them to church every week, The whole Grolon family and Al come out on team ups with us and fed us often. I am so grateful for all of the experiences I've had in this area. The gospel changes our lives!

I don't know where I will be this Thanksgiving but I am excited for the new opportunities! I hope ya'll eat an extra pumpkin pie just for me...you know I love it!

I can't help but feel extremely THANKFUL for all of your love, support and encouragement! I don't know how I got to be so lucky to be in the Houghton Family but can't help but Thank Heavenly Father for all of the many things we are blessed with! Let’s share that joy!

 

Sending love from the Garden State

Sister Houghton

 P.S watch "In prayer of Thanksgiving" Daily" on mormonchannel its goooooood :)

Email from 11/18

Hi beautiful Family!

I've officially been our 7 months....so crazy. Time is flyin' literally scary how fast it goes.....

Remember how I was REALLY forgetful before my mission, losing keys, my phone basically everyday. I was hoping that would change and I would be organized and know where everything is at all times wellll...unfortunately I'm still the same person. I had an interview with President Jeppson last week (he's such an incredible man) we drove ALL the way home when I realized that I had left our phone in his office....woops. Whose responsible? not me. So we drove ALL the way back to get the phone and had a nice little chat with President. 

AND THEN that night we went to see a less-active sister, she was offended and not ready to come back...and is actually studying to become a minister. BUT we are not giving up on her. We had NEVER before been invited into her home (visited her at least 20 times, not joking) miracle! she let us in. We talked to her for a little bit, shared a scripture and then left. that night I couldn't find my planner. Which is nothing new, because I lose it all the time, but I woke up in the middle of the night and just new I had left it at this good sister. We texted her and sure enough, I did. BUT because I left my planner/copy of the Book of Mormon she looked through it, and re-read some of the Book of Mormon again she told us she knows its true which is something she refused to even talk about before!. It was such a tender mercy from Heavenly Father. That day I was grateful for my forgetfulness, the opportunity Heavenly Father provided us with an excuse to go back and see Jeanette again. It was a spiritual experience and when we left Sister Pastores and I just started to cry, we can't describe how we felt but we both KNEW right then that she was coming back. 

Yesterday was an amazing day at church! we had an "ETERNIGATOR" come to church! We have been meeting with her for almost 3 months! MIRACLE! She has been wondering if she should get baptized, we talked to her about revelation that we can receive at church, After sacrament meeting she pulled me aside and told me she had been wondering if she should get baptized, during sacrament meeting she opened the Book of Mormon to Mosiah 18 and read about Alma baptizing at the waters of Mormon. She knew this was an answer from Heavenly Father! Reminded me of Nephi giving his last advice to his family saying "thus saith the father the words of Christ will tell you ALL things what ye should do"The scriptures HAVE power and will tell us the answers we are looking for. I'm grateful for this tool that we have to use to guide us in life.

I have been really humbled by some living situations here, and my heart goes out to what they are going through.  Never before have I felt so blessed to be raised with the gospel in my life. 

Also raked more leaves than I have ever seen at our Branch Presidents house. want a good work out? Rack for like 2 hours, yep still feeling the burn. 

 

 

Love this work! Love you and all of your support! Have a wonderful week and good luck sharing the gospel. 

Sending a TON of love from Jersey

Sister Houghton

 

Email from 11/12

Family!

Thanks for the updates, sounds like Jenn was a SUPER STAR, so proud of you sis! (You must get it from your big sis or something... ;) )

Heavenly Father is not only helping us along, he's running with us! Robert and Maribelle were baptized on Sunday, after their baptism they sang "When I am baptized" Sister Pastores had been practicing with them for weeks for this moment and it was powerful! They were still dripping wet from baptism water, beaming and singing in their cute 8 and 9 year old voices. Because of that moment we have another baptism date set for the first of December with Roberts’s aunt. I said a prayer of gratitude for the opportunity to teach these sweet children. This whole family is really dear to my heart, watching them come back to church and see the change that only the gospel brings. Lasting happiness :) 

We also got to go with Al to the Manhattan temple! It was a special experience because he brought Andrea and her two daughters (Robert and Maribelles grandma/aunts) seriously love this family so much. They were blown away by the beauty of the temple but more importantly the spirit there. Al had a really special experience and in one year will be able to go through the whole thing. Also The City at night is gorgeous and I just was reminded of how much I love this area, and this mission...hopefully I'll feel the same when it really starts to get cold. Hello Winter. 

Sister Pastores got an email that her family is all safe and sound in the Philippians, but my thoughts and prayers are with those that are suffering right now.  

I'm so excited that you’re helping the missionaries out! It is like a huge burden is being lifted off our shoulders when families are helping in the work. So proud...in a righteous way of course.

This is hard, but the best kind of work, I'm grateful for all of the door slams, rejections and disappointments because I KNOW that this is true, I cannot deny it. God is our loving Heavenly Father, we have a brother who suffered for ALL for us, The Gospel of Jesus Christ is BACK. I thank Heavenly Father every single day for the opportunity to be here.

Love you all so much! Thank you all for your support and love!

Sending tons of love from the Garden State

Sister Houghton

Email from 11/04

Hi family!

This has been the most beautiful fall that I have ever seen, the trees are DEEP reds and oranges and yellows. Sister Pastores and I have almost gotten in a couple of car accidents because I can get a little distracted...but the leaves are falling now so I can focus.

I got to give a training in District Meeting on Faith LEADING to Action...our district calls ourselves the "Faith Wizards" I found this magical tree in Garfield and voila we ended up with 6 beautiful wands! We are official faith wizards now and I can tell you that we take these wands everywhere, and use them...sometimes carry them with us (all joking of course) in reality those wands don’t have power, the real power comes from our faith in Christ and using that to act. If its Heavenly Fathers will anything is possible. There is special POWER when we use our faith to act. We are seeing miracles here in Paterson. The branch is growing bigger than I have ever seen (the Branch President too)

We've had some really special experiences this week, I felt strongly that we needed to see a less-active that was in the process of moving when we pulled up we found her in a VERY stressed and desperate state. She's been going through some really hard things and felt like there was no way out. We were able to testify of God’s love for her and share a gospel message, we ended singing I am a Child of God (Sister Pastores has taught me the power of music...even if you have a terrible horrible voice), the spirit was tangible and she said one of the most heartfelt prayers I have ever heard. I was reminded of the importance of following promptings, when we act we see miracles like this every single day. Heavenly Father wants to use all of US to help his children who are struggling; I pray that we are always listening. 

Robert and Maribelle are set for baptism this Sunday. They are counting down the days till they are BAPTIZED and asked if they could sing "I like to look for Rainbows" at the service. It's going to be a very special service for me. Sister Pastores and I are giving the talks and the missionaries in the branch are going to sing. They are some of the sweetest children I have ever met Mosiah 3:19 to the max. (putting off the natural man part of course ;))

Halloween was on walking day, we had to be in by 6:00 but there were a lot of people who were getting us confused with trick-or-treaters. Contacting was really good because the whole town was out trick or treating....good conversation starters :)  I made pancakes in the shape of pumpkins to celebrate.

I love you all! Thank you for the wonderful Halloween surprise! Sister Pastores and I were jumping up and down with excitement! I am so lucky to be here!  Love you!

Sending love from Jersey
Sister Houghton