March 24, 2014

Hello family!

Time is flying and the work is Roll-in forward! We have been pushing so hard to CONTACT, I really truly love contacting, you honestly never know what you’re going to say, there is a special thrill with opening your mouth and hearing words spill out. It’s simply exhausting-- and EXHILLERATING. I have learned that we can't succeed without failing first, and we might be rejected 20 times... OK sometimes WAY more than that before we find someone who wants to hear this message. 

On Saturday Sister Bair and I were searching for some less-actives on the bay and decided to knock the street, door after door, nothing. (best 2 years quote?)  We headed back to the car but both felt we should try ONE more door. This last house is where we found Tara, a beautiful Christian woman who is looking for more answers and peace. Miracle! We moved to another area and started to contact and knock with not very much success, it was getting late and time to go back to the apartment but felt strongly that ONE more person needed to hear our message, we spotted Damien taking out the trash.  We ran after him (literally...in a non creepy way?)...from the second we started talking the spirit came flooding in and prompted us to share the Restoration...the WHOLE Restoration!? In a contact that is something that is hard to do, but we kept feeling nudged, when we got to the first vision, he said that this was the answer he was looking for, he had been praying earlier that day to know what church to join. On my mission I can think of some very special moments, and this was one of them. We were about to go home, but because we wanted to try ONE more Heavenly Father had someone prepared for us. We never know who is ready. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation." 2 Nephi 22:2.

We got bikes! cruised like a mile and I almost crashed 4 times...

you know how I am ha but they will be used more when it stops snowing

I'm so grateful for all of the experience I've had so far, life changing experiences and the people I've met. Mostly I've learned the importance of turning to our Savior Jesus Christ. He KNOWS our needs, He KNOWS our desires. He KNOWS US!

Thank you for all of your support and encouragement! I love this work!

Sending love from Joisey

Sister Houghton

P.S Loved hearing everyone's voices on the recorder. Tell everyone I love them dearly! Uncle Curtis- I am on Snookie alert, haven't met her yet....she will be baptized :)

I love you all!

Cutest little girl, she wants to be a missionary

March 10, 2014

Hello from the Garden State,

How is everyone? This week I was almost sprayed by a skunk, got super sick on an exchange and slept on the bathroom floor (Good times) accidentally committed a man to bear testimony to his wife, turns out she's been dead 25 years, yes embarrassing, and have another investigator with a baptismal date!

This was waiting for me when I got home, cutest companion ever? 

 I definitely am feeling an increased desire/maybe stress to work harder, time is flying! It's march! A year ago I had my farewell....well sort of? We had a really good week and I'm thankful to be out here. Just a sneak peak at what my week looks like: 3 24 hour exchanges which you know can be very exhausting, 1 training at district meeting, 2 days of leadership training in East Brunswick (which is solid role plays for two days) Sister Bair and I are giving a training there, leaving my area for 5 days this week and more :) I love it, when it feels a little overwhelming I just remind myself that one step at a time and God will help me do it all.

 

We literally are feeling an even greater RUSH to do missionary work, to work harder, give more and fight even harder for the cause. Sister Bair and I want to make this month a month of MISSIONARY MADNESS. 

One of the girls in Emerson, she is so cute and told us she wants to be a missionary like us :)

This past weeks has been one of the funn-est (is that even a word?) weeks of my mission, with our new vision to carry around the Book of Mormon everywhere we are seeing a change within our missionary work and in the people around us, We made a goal to not only contact....but contact BY following the spirit, to find the golden/chosen ones. On Tuesday we said a prayer to find someone who was looking for the truth, that day we said a special prayer for the spirit to guide us to someone who is prepared. We got back to our apartment a little early said a prayer to be guided to the ONE,

immediately we both knew that we need to talk with a man standing by his car, we walked/ran over to him and introduced ourselves he told us he has been searching for the truth for a long time and needed a guide in his life, we started to testify about the Book of Mormon, and he told us that his girlfriend was a member of the church but hadn't gone since she was in Germany. We know that God led us to find Chris that night and that there are so many prepared ones, all we have to do is open our mouths and I know that it will be filled, EVEN in the scary times. This work is the way to Salvation, the way to happiness, and peace for Forever.

I love you all so much! Keep up the incredible job with missionary work!

 Sending Love from Joisey

Sister Houghton

Learning the Hawaiian ways with sister Kloeppel (she went to school with EMMA!) we were instafriends !

My first diner experience! 

March 3, 2004

Hello Family!

Life is WONDERFUL out here in South Jerz, I think it’s a different country than the north, everyone is laid back and takes things slow, never met so many people that turn everything gospel into politics...or the weather? They say the funniest things and I'm now a witness of a real live UFO picture, drawn by one of our members.  We have a lot of retirement communities here, and people are ALWAYS home, missionary dream right? Sister Bair and I love it here, I love her and we have a blast together.

  We were hit by another snow storm, they named it "Titan" but we survived another blizzard and I have faith that spring is around the corner?? Dianne is progressing! She has officially stopped drinking coffee...now we just have to tackle the smoking, yesterday we had a miracles lesson we wrote her fears for quitting on a 3x5 card and held it up to a picture of Christ and asked if she wanted to put those things between her and Christ. It was a powerful visual, we knelt and Dianne prayed for the strength to STOP smoking, she smiled and said she was ready, we handed her the 3x5 card and she ripped up her worries and turned them over to the Savior...she did a victory dance. It was a very special moment, she can't do this alone...WE can't do this alone, and the best part is WE DON'T HAVE TO.  "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things" Alma 26:12. I know that this promise applies to ALL of us, He will help us in any time of our life, we just need to TURN to him.

We have something very special going on in this mission. It's now a new mission/rule for every one of us missionaries to have a copy of the Book of Mormon in our hand and to contact at least 10 people a day. Everywhere we go. We are seeing miracles. This special book has POWER that everyone we meet can feel. Now is the act of faith for all of us missionaries, time to get together and GIVE EVERYTHING we have to our Savior and Heavenly Father. I hate to think how fast time is going, time to pick up the pace and find my brothers and Sisters here in Jersey. I LOVE this Work.

Thank you for your support, your encouragement and kind words. Let’s work together to save souls!

Sending love and faith from Joisey

Sister Houghton

P.S Also so grateful that grandma was kept safe! Love you grandma!

We visited the beach on a Pday.  It was freezing but fun.

The sisters in the zone.

February 24. 2014

Hello from South Jersey!

I have been transferred to TOMS RIVER! yes this is the home of the 'Jersey Shore' the TV shore. I'm on Snookie alert. Hey everyone needs the gospel.

Life in South Jerz is a completely different experience. There is zero to no honking, its slow paced, there is sand on the streets and best of all..... NO SNOW! its been nice and warm and I love this area. My companion is the cute Sister Bair from Centerville Utah, she is a doll. Seriously, gorgeous and an incredible teacher. I'm blessed to be here.

Our area is the newly opened RETIREMENT community called "Manchester" . I've never seen so many elderly but this is a huge blessing for us missionaries. They are always home and  it’s easy to chase them down.... :) but seriously we are excited for all of the possibilities.

We had some elders fast for us yesterday...and instantly we SAW miracles. Referrals we're flying at us from all over and we found a new Investigator....he might believe in Aliens but we see potential in him! All of the miracles we are seeing are coming from reading from the Book of Mormon with all of our contacts. There is literal power in that book, power in trials, power in the good times...it is the spiritual ENERGY we need to get through the day. I've seen it in my mission, there is no greater calling..but in the hard times I have learned to turn to that book and remembered that I am NOT ALONE. "The power behind YOU is much greater than the obstacles ahead of you" Our Savior loves us and lives. This is His work!

We are starting our exchanges this week, and so excited to learn from all of the sisters down here.

I love you all soo much! Keep up the incredible work!

Sending love from the Shore,

Sister Houghton 

P.S.....Go. Fight. WIN!  

February 13, 2014

Hi Family!

Sounds like you have an amazing week! Shout out to Megan! Congrats on your call you gorgeous future Missionary! You are going to baptize all of Sin City.Thank you for telling me about Judie's funeral, it sounded lovely, she impacted everyone she met. Thank you for praying for Sister Ward, good news we didn't go the hospital this week! Your continued prayers for her would be wonderful :)

I don't really know how to describe this week....we were snowed on and snowed on and snowed on, Might have been freezing... I got bed bugs, we are getting doubled out (which means both of us are getting transferred . Through all of this we really have seen miracles. Missions are not always easy, in fact sometimes really hard. BUT I'm grateful for every single moment. (well the bed bugs...)

I had a feeling we were both getting doubled out, I am grateful for the time I've to be here in Emerson, it is an incredible ward. It always breaks my heart to leave an area..and the people. Heavenly Father has given me just a little taste of his love for the people here. I've come to learn that Love is not just a feeling it is an ACTION. Christ said "if ye love me.....THEN KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS" The more I understand his love the greater I want to ACT and reach out to my brothers and Sisters in Jersey. Every day is a learning process, and I'm grateful for it.

I love this work. Thank you for all of your support and the Valentines surprise's! Let's show our love for our Savior! Love you all!

Sending lots of love from Jersey,

Sister Heather Sue Houghton

Email February 2, 2014

Dear Family,

WOW! Sounds like Florida is the place! I'm so glad that you all had an incredible week and DAD your wallet was found. MIRACLE that is a huge tender mercy.

We saw a pretty big miracle this week, not with missionary work but with the priesthood power. Sister Ward and I were roll playing during district meeting and honestly it wasn't that great of a roll play, I looked at Sister Ward and her face was BRIGHT red, I thought that was odd, but kept looking at our district leader while he was giving us some advice. and then sister Ward grabbed my arm, fell on her knees and started screaming "I CAN'T SEE!!!!" my head, my head! She started convulsing....I pretty much held her the whole time, I think maybe her head hit the ground once but I don't know, it happened so fast. Elder Carballo, our district leader and former assistant, he  ripped off his suit coat, laid his hands on her head and in the name of Jesus Christ commanded her to be healed. Immediately Sister Ward stopped shaking and came to. I was pretty shaken up, she's never had anything like this before. We called our mission nurse and she was pretty concerned about it, we kept having little black out attacks so we spent our day in the ER at the Hackensack hospital, they didn't really find anything wrong so we went home. But the next day we were roll playing at home and it happened again, we went to a Dr. and then on Thursday we were sent to an ER in Newark... I was WORRIED. She got a blessing in Newark Hospital and has been doing so much better. WE were there 2 nights and 3 days and I am so grateful to be back home. 

 

I learned a couple of things in the hospital, One, hospital chairs aren't too bad to sleep in, two, hospital food is nasty, and three, there are a lot of really prepared people in the hospital. We found a man from Liberia who wants to hear the gospel and a woman from Ghana :) We were in the Newark Hospital (always kinda wanted to serve there so I guess I got my wish?) When we were in the ER, a fight broke out down the hall with a patient and some nurses, welcome to Newark.:) 

 Heavenly Father has really blessed us, even though we weren't in our area at all last week things are still progressing, the work goes on! I'm very, very, grateful that Sister Ward is feeling better, it was hard to see her like that, but things are better now. 

Sister Casilen...from the Philippians and speaks almost no English...she kissed us because she loves the gospel!

 

This is Angie, her mom was in my last branch and she used to come to church, and now she's in this ward! she has been through a lot but realizes the importance of church. I love them!

 

Thank you for your love and prayers, the gospel is TRUE! This is his work. Let's go spread the word. 

I love you all! 

Sending love from Joisey

Sister Heather Sue Houghton

 

P.S Tell Judie I love her! 

P.P.S. ON Saturday we were driving home from the hospital and I got lost and took some wrong turns and ended up RIGHT At the Super bowl stadium...ha,ha-- oops. It really was an accident but it was pretty cool to see how they were getting everything ready. 

 I cut my hair.





email from January 27th 2014

Hello from the East Coast!

This last week was filled with meetings, exchanges, and bitter, bitter,  cold. My respect for missionaries walking in the cold is through the roof this week.

Tracting for hours in the cold does this

  

Snow shoeing to people's doors

 

We taught the 4-6 year olds in primary...and let me tell you it is A LOT HARDER to teach 4 year olds than I remembered, but also really fun. I drew a picture of Christ on the board, a little Asian boy raised his hand and said "Jesus looks like a demon!!" (Obviously I could work on my drawing skills). Right after he said that chaos broke out in the class, kids were jumping off tables and walls, we had some escape and bolt down the hall (Sister Ward was on permanent door duty after that) I was trying to entertain the kids and sing songs but they didn't like my voice and covered their ears....a little girl was laying down moaning...some were dancing, we also saw lots of crying, and ninja moves. I have a new RESPECT for all of the SUNBEAM teachers in the world. BLESS Them.

We met with Christian in a Dunkin Donut's and talked about getting re-baptized. It's a huge blessing that he will have this opportunity to be washed clean again and he told us that he wants to get baptized! He is preparing himself for February, and we are praying that he will be ready. We found Christian street contacting, you never know who is ready/prepared OR even a former member of the church. Heavenly Father puts people in our paths and its our job to open our mouths :) So grateful that we sort of ran him down in the street in the pouring rain. 

We had one of the most spiritual lessons talking about the Book of Mormon with a less active. We read the simple but BEAUTIFUL promise in Moroni 10:4-5. It was powerful and they both pointed out how they could feel the spirit. POWER in the SCRIPTURES! In the words of Omni "I would that ye should COME unto Christ, and Partake of his Salvation" (Omni 1:26) It is our choice to follow him! What will we choose this week?? 

I love you all soo very much! I hope you have fun in the Florida like sun!  Keep up the incredible work! 

Judie, I love you! Thank you for everything you've done for me and my family! God be with you till we meet again. 

Sending love from Jersey! 
Sister Houghton