Slow week and man last week of the transfer already

So this past week was pretty slow on Monday we had zone pday and then we went to the church and played basketball for a couple of hours then we went to a members house. There is this huge candy store near us and it has all these crazy soda flavors and the member went up to them and asked for the 12 nastiest ones they had and we did a blind taste test of them. Man it was pretty gross there were some nasty sodas! Then we just hung out and we made tie-dye shirts so yea it was fun. Then we went back to our area and we were biking to dinner and we were taking a turn and I took it wide and the my comp didn't see me so he didn't and we crashed into each other. I didn't fall, but he did and he hurt his knee a bit. We went to dinner then after that we went home so he could wash up his wounds and rest his knee. We got picked up by some other elders because we couldn't bike and that was our plan to get back to where we are staying. So we went to their place and slept there.

The next morning they took us to Bloomington so that my comp could get his knee looked at by the mission doctor and he said it was probably just sprained so that is good it isn't to bad. Then we went home and he iced his knee for a few hours and slept because he didn't sleep the night before because his knee hurt. Then we went to dinner and it was fun the family that we went to is a crazy family. They are hilarious it was fun! Then we were doing a brief little exchange with the zone leaders so I could talk to one of them and we went and helped Brother Stanitch in the ward move his furniture back because he had to move it because someone was shampooing his carpets because his apartment complex threatened to kick him out because it smelled so bad in there, but it smells much better now! Tuesday was long but good.

Then on Wednesday we had interviews with President Forbes and it was good he told us that over 75% of the mission will be changing this transfer so that is crazy that makes me
a little nervous for transfers because that means I have a very good chance of leaving so we will see. We find out next Monday. I took a walk with Sister Forbes and that was good. Man she wore me out though walking laps around the church. Then we had lunch with some elders and then we went to the apartment so my comp could ice his knee again. We did that for a couple of hours and then our appt a fell through, but we did have dinner and then went and read the Book of Mormon with a less active that we usually read it with and it was good a usual reading the Book of Mormon is always great although it is always so hot in there and sometimes it is hard to stay awake, but I haven't fallen asleep yet! Then we had a really good contact with a less active family. The mom and the daughter really opened up it was awesome we got some really good insight on how we can help them from it and we also got to see there bird dance so that was cool. 

So Thursday we had some apps in the afternoon and I had some calls to make, but it was a good appt we met with our investigator Judy and it was a great lesson we set a date for her to be baptized on Aug 29. We will pick up with her story later. Then we saw a less active that we always see and it was good he lives alone so he really likes it when we come over to visit him and he is a super cool guy he make all kinds of things out of wood it is cool! Then we had another appt with our investigator Cully and he is dating a member of the ward and it is always great when she is at the lessons because she just puts him on the spot every time and the lesson are always good! We had dinner with a lady who was baptized about 3 years ago and she is awesome her non-member son was there and she was baring a powerful testimony of what the church has done for her and it was super powerful and the son was doing his best to try and avoid the fact that he was feeling the spirit, but he was feeling it, It was a good dinner then we went and saw a family of the ward who is working towards being sealed in the temple and they are a fun family we shared a message with them and they showed us pictures from their Utah and Texas trip. 

Friday we found out that an Elder who is in our zone, who is also my comps cousin, was getting emergency transferred and had to leave in like 3 hours. So we went to lunch and Red Robin with him and some other elders. Man it was way good they have some really good food there. I had a super good burger and a really good milkshake and the fries are bottomless so you can have as much as you want it is great! But it was sad to see him go. Then we had our weekly planning session and we didn't have a dinner that night and I don't remember what we did for dinner, but it was good. Then we had a bunch of stopbys and got a other sweet picture of the sky.

On Saturday in the morning my comp iced his knee then we went with the zone leaders and helped them help someone move it was an interesting move we were just moving them one town house over, but it was fun then afterwords they gave us protein shakes and it was nasty, but we all drank it and pretended like it was really good.it wasn't too bad, it was just really watery. So this is where Judy picks back up again so we had an appt with her, but she texted us at 3am saying that she didn't want to meet with us anymore not sure what happened yet. I just don't think that 3 am is a great time to make decisions concerning your salvation. So we will probably stop by and see what is up
with her sometime this week. We had dinner and it was breakfast dinner at a member's house and it was really good. Then we went to see the less active who's brother knows dad and we had a super good interaction with him and he said if we are here in the high school football season he will get us tickets and we can go to a Farmington High football game with him. Man that would be fun. I hope that I am here for that! Then we went to Brother Stanitch's house and talked with him about the Word of Wisdom because he needs to get healthier. He was diagnosed with stage one congestive heart disease, but it is still
reversible right now if starts to change his habits. So hopefully he can start that up.

Sunday it was a good church meeting I helped with the sacrament again which is fine with me. I love doing it. Then we went to Gospel Doctrine because it was just me and my comp, in Gospel Principles. It was a really good class on the events leading up to Christ crucifixion. After church we went to eat lunch and my comp rested his knee. We also planned for this lesson we were teaching to the 8 year old in the ward who gets baptized soon. So this was the last lesson so we wanted to do a review. So I made a Jeopardy game out of some note card and we went to that lesson. Man that kid blew through all my questions. I should of made them harder, but it was really good he knew it all. It is crazy how much kids really know. I mean it is just crazy how much they comprehend. Man this kid is exactly like Jared he loves bacon and his favorite game is super smash brothers It is just crazy he acts just like him too always pacing around and making really random jokes. I have a some pics and videos of them to send this week. 

That evening we stopped by a less active family and had a good interaction. He fed us some leaves. He is an herbalist so they are like medicine leaves. One was for a sick stomach that tasted like licorice and then the other was chocolate mint it was OK, but it was just a really good interaction then we went to pack some of our stuff up to take to the zone leaders for the night because we still aren't in our apartment, but there has been progress on it. He is installing the cabinets now so that is good! It was a slow week, but a good one. There were some good experiences and oh yea my comps knee is getting better he played basketball on it this morning so it is a lot better now so. That is good. One of the elders we are staying with is going home and it is weird to see. It is my first time being around a missionary who is about to die, but yea time if flying. I hit a year next month. Man I am trying to make the most of this. All time is very precious and it goes fast so I am just working as hard as I can till time runs out! Hope all is well back till next week adieu
Love
Elder Howe
Sent from my iPad

Zone pic

Sun behind Cloud

Helping move

The Kid like Jared and his sister

Slow week lots of transition

So this week was a slow week. On Monday in the morning my comp wanted to go to the YMCA with some other elders to do a workout class called body pump while he was doing that I was emailing in the YMCA. Then after that we took the Mission van, a 12 seater and we had it full, we went to the south part of our zone for a zone P-day we went to a park and played volleyball, grilled, and played soccer it was a fun day. Also on Monday we got the app on our iPads that is for our Area Book and our planner now which is good. It will speed things up, but we had to put in 2 years worth of information from our physical area book by Sunday at 5. It is a lot of information so ya. The rest of that night we were trying to put in information to our app. 

On Tuesday we went in the morning and helped a member move we brought our zone leaders with us because we are still living with them. It was a good thing that we did because it was just us and the member. It was good that we brought our zone leaders. We got that done and then we went and drove down to the other elders area for district meeting it is about 30 mins away, but it was good. Then we went to the elders apt and we had a bbq we made a ton of food. Way too much for just the 4 of us, but it was really good then we drove all the way back to our area and our appt fell through, but we had a really good dinner with a family and then that evening we had an appt with Brother Stanitch in the ward. He is hilarious we see him every Saturday and Tuesday at 8. 

On Wednesday for like 3 and half hours we were putting information into the area book app I got a good 50 people in so that was great then we had a great appt with our investigator Judy she wants to get baptized. She just keeps bringing it up in the lessons so that is great she is very prepared! It is awesome to teach her! Then we went to dinner at our ward mission leaders house and it was good. We had banana cake and I hadn't had that is forever so that was really good. Then we had our appt fall through for that night so we went and added more people into our area book and got like 5 or 6 more people in. 

Then on Thursday morning we went to the church. My comp and I were syncing our iPads to get all of each others info for the Area Book app and it deleted all 50 people that I had put in on Wednesday so we lost everything that I had done which sucked, because it took 3 hours to do. Then we were putting info in our area book while another district was having district meeting at the church. After they got done we went to lunch at Chipotle with them so that was good. I hadn't gone in a while. Then we had some appts and had to connect with the zone leaders. We had an appt set up with one of our investigators but he fell through. We ended up teaching the priest that was going to come with us and that was good. Then we had dinner and we had coordination with our ward missionary and that was good. 

So on Friday from 10:15 to 4:30 we were putting all the info info our area book app. Then we had dinner and helped them paint some stuff. Then we went back to the church to finish up the area book and we finished it so that was good to finally have that done. Friday night some other elders stayed the night as well at the zone leaders place and then when we woke in the morning their car was gone it got towed because they didn't have a parking permit. That morning we had to drive them all the way to St Paul to pick up their car then we went to another area to help some Elders help somebody move because their Ward couldn't make it. I don't know why, but yea that took a long time. It was a big truck and it was hot in there. I was one of the guys in the truck packing everything. We packed that thing tight it was a good enough time though. Then our investigator Judy canceled her appt and said she didn't want to meet anymore, but we called her and talked to her and she decide we could still meet. So that was good! Then we had a dinner with a family in our ward where the mom was born in Laos so she always has some of her native food. This time it was something called papaya salad. Holy cow it was so hot! It was a cold dish, but it was super spicy man it was rough eating that, but it was good just very spicy. Then we got some apricots from their apricot tree so that was good. That night we had a really good lesson with our investigator named Wayne we are reading through the Book of Mormon with him and it was just a good read. Then we went and saw Brother Stanitch again. We went on a walk with him because he needs to get more healthy so we are trying to help him with that. It was a super pretty sunset in the sky and I got some good pics of that so that was cool.

On Sunday we had a good church meeting. No one came, but it is all good. Next week for sure they will come. After church we didn't get our weekly planning in this week yet so we had to do it then. After that we went to teach and 8 year old in the ward who is getting baptized on August 8th this was our 3rd lesson with him. Man it is crazy his name is Andrew Saucer and he is like a replica of Jared personality wise. They would be like the best friends ever. It is crazy how alike that they are. He likes all the same things. He loves Pokemon and Legos. His favorite movie right now is Big Hero 6. He loves video games and art. It is crazy. Anyways it was a good lesson we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. His mom was taking a bunch of videos and pictures so if you look up Melissa Saucer on Facebook you might be able to find them. Then we had dinner there and we had French dip sandwiches and I guess the banana cake recipe is spreading around the ward because we had it there too which was ok it was really good. That night we had two appts. We had one with a less active we met her outside. She is a little confusing, but it was a good appt none the less. Then we went with a priest to take Bro Stanitch the sacrament so that was good. We also did service for him so it was a good night.

It was a slower week because we had to spend so so much time inputting info into our app for the area book, but it had to happen. It was still an ok week this transfer is already almost over it is crazy how fast it has flown by. I can't believe it is almost August already that is crazy! Time is flying super fast now I hope I get to stay here at least one more transfer, but there a lot of changes happening in the mission next transfer. We have 26 new missionaries coming into the field so that will move people around. We have like 4 zone leaders dying aka going home so that will make changes because there will be leadership changes. so I am hoping I get to stay here for at least one more, but we will see in two weeks when I find out! Well that is all till next week! 

Love
Elder Howe

A week full fun and good opportunities to teach

So this past week was a pretty fun week on Monday we didn't have a full day again but our pday was moved to Wednesday, but we emailed and then went to work and had an apt with one of our investigators and it was the most pointless visit ever. We went in and he started playing video games with his son and then after he finished that he went and stated just cooking dinner. I didn't even see why we were in his home it was really weird but it happens. it is all good. Then we had to go do laundry at our unfinished apartment. It was a good day

On Tuesday we had district meeting and it was good then we had exchanges again and this time I left the area because I had to go and teach the other elders investigator who is getting baptized soon. It was a good exchange we had some good appts and saw a really cool sunset that I got a sweet picture of so. That was a great! I will attach that photo! Then Wednesday was our full pday because we were going to a Twins game so in the morning we met at a member's house and they took us to a train station witch we took to Target Field where the twins play. I am not a big fan of baseball, but it was super fun to be with all the other missionaries there. The Twins won so that was good and during the seventh inning stretch we all got on the big screen in the stadium so that was fun it was just a sea of white on the board it was cool. It was a super fun day though I got a little burned at the game, but it was worth it! 

Thursday was a pretty good day we had a lesson with one of our investigators and it was a super good lesson he is progressing really well right now it is awesome to see how far he has come in just the short time that I have been in Farmington. We were also still helping take care of this family's dog in the Ward while they were out of town. Man that dog is a hassle we had to stop by like 2 or 3 times a day to let it out, but it was good service. That night for some reason we went and spent the night at a different missionary apartment with my companions cousin who is serving in the mission and it was alright. Man they were up so late talking it was a little rough my comp kept falling asleep the next day, but it is all good

So on Friday we had our planing session and then we had dinner with our bishop which was super good and after we went to go see a former investigator and he was a little weird he was talking all about how he was a Christian, but believed that we didn't really need God all we needed was love. So it was a little weird and he didn't make much sense, but it was a good discussion. Then that night we went and read the Book of Mormon with a guy. We were biking that night to save miles and man it was hot and then we get into his house and it was hotter in there then it was outside. It was hard to stay awake, but I made it through without falling asleep. 

On Saturday in the morning the Young Women were doing a photo shoot as a fund raiser and they took photos of us for free so I will have some photos to send home of me. Some good photos taken by a good photographer so that will be good! Then we had brunch with a less active and we had biscuits and gravy and it was really good. We had some really good appts on Saturday we had one with a guy we are teaching and while we were there we picked up his roommate so we are teaching him now too! And then went to see another potential investigator and we simply got in to teach her and it was a super good lesson she had a lot of good questions and after we invited her to be baptized like 5 mins later she asked where she need to go to get baptized and when it could get done so that was cool hopefully she stays solid and will start progressing that would be awesome. Then we had another appt where we picked up another new investigator so. That was awesome we picked up 3 new investigators in one day so that was super good. I haven't had that, I think, ever on his mission so far. That was cool. 

Sunday was a super good day we had a really good sacrament meeting lots of good talks about the golden rule. And then second hour we had the discussion on the Supreme Court decision and that was interesting, that is for sure. It was good I guess. After church we did a lot of stop bys and talked to. A few ppl but no one was home then went to dinner and it was good. We did a lesson with them afterwards where we watched the last part of the Bednar's face to face question and answer thing it was good we led the discussion afterwards and it was really good discussion. Then after that we were invited to a members house for a Bonfire, but it was a super hot and humid day so we ended up just going inside and making cookies and peach milkshake with them it was good. That family is awesome I have a few pics of us making the cookies to send and a super hilarious video of my companion that will be and sending I can't even describe it you will just have to watch It! But this week was a pretty good week I have been learning alot lately as I get closer and closer to being out for a year I have been reflecting on my mission so far and trying to see if I have changed and I think have. It is weird to see how much can change in such a short period of time when you just let the Lord take over and mold you into who he wants you to be and not try to be who you think you want yourself to be bc the Lord knows best and he knows what is best for us and how we can best grow! I have learned so much since I have been on his mission I love it! Well that is all till next week . Love elder Howe Sent from my iPad

Week full of stuff that made the week slow but it is all good!

So this past week has been an ok week. We had to move out of our apartment on Tuesday by 12 so we were packing and cleaning all Monday it was crazy and then Tuesday morning we were moving out at 9 and we thought that we could handle it by ourselves with just the senior couple from the mission office, but man were we wrong it took like 3 hours to move everything so it was like 11:30. We had district meeting scheduled for 12 so I called the zone leaders who were with the assistants and they came and helped us unpack our stuff at our new place and the other elders in our district were there so it got unpacked in like 30 mins so that was great, but the thing about our new apartment is the landlord was replacing everything so everything is new and he has known since the beginning of May that we had to be in there by June 30 at 12 and he still didn't finish it all. There is nothing in the kitchen like nothing no counter tops or appliances or cabinets  nothing so that was a little frustrating bc he has had 2 months to get it done and he still hasn't! 

We had district meeting and it was really good then we exchanged with the other elders and I was with an elder who is brand new and it was fun we had a few appts that night, but man it was just a tiring day bc of the moving stuff and on top of that the trunk on our car wouldn't shut so it was just tied down with some rope for the whole day!  Because our apartment is still not finished we had to stay with the zone leaders who were also on an exchange and man whenever you get 4 missionaries who are all on exchange in one apartment man we were in bed at 10:30 and lights off but man missionaries just like to talk and tell stories. I think ppl were talking while in bed till like 12 it was crazy but the next day we exchanged back and then we had some stuff to do and then we went to get our trunk fixed at the Toyota dealership and man we were there for 3 hours. Man it was long but they fixed it so that was good. The rest of the day nothing exciting happened we were still with the zone leaders that night! 

On Thursday we had a good appt with one of our investigators so that was good and then we had a really good correlation meeting with our ward mission leader and the ward missionaries we basically got a referral form it so that was a great! On Friday we started our planing session but then got a call from a member who needed service so we went to help him out and we moved this huge wood pile like mabye a foot to the left of it! but it was good. It was fun then we were helping a family out who was out of town by letting their dog out to go to the bathroom every now and again and we went to do that after and we already smelt bad but that dog made it worse so we smelt like wet wood and dog it was not good so we drove all the way back to the zone leaders place to shower bc it was bad. That night we had some good contacts with some less actives in the ward it was a fun day. We also had a dinner with a part member family so that was good the non member husband has really warmed up to us so that is good!

Saturday was our full pday and we were working in the morning instead of the night and we went to let that dog out again and she had peed in her cage so we had to spray her off and her cage out so that took a while, but then we went to a chapel and we played basketball with some other missionaries form like 12:30 to 4 so that was alot of fun! Then we had a dinner with our ward misson leader and he had invited 3 other non member families over and that was great we had a lot of good interactions and we got to share a message with them all so that was good we were there till like 8:15 so that was fun. Then we went to a member of a different wards house with some missionaries and saw some fireworks and that was cool. It was a good day though it was a weird fourth of july, but it was a fun one never the less!

On sunday we had a great testimony meeting and then in priesthood we had a great lesson on the importance of family and it was way good! That evening we had dinner with a less active family who we eat with every week and man they like to talk. So they have 3 girls who are all 16 and older and after we finished eating the dad goes to the couch and all the girls stayed at the table. Man they just kept talking and talking and talking and I didn't want to cut them off, but it was a good dinner they are great ppl. They just need to start coming to church again! Then we ent to see a guy we see every week named brother stanitch so that was good!  We are living 8 miles out of our area right now because the apartment is still not ready. Today isn't a full pday again bc the whole mission is going to a twins baseball game on Wednesday. So watch the game bc I am sure they will show us on tv. I mean a bunch of young ppl dressed up. They will put us on tv! It should be a good week this week .
well that is all till next week 
love 
elder howe

The lord can really take you places you didn't think you could go!

So this past week was a pretty good week on Monday we helped clean the church with the youth bc they needed Priesthood to be in the building so we did that and then we played basketball for the rest of the day. So like 4 hours it was lots of fun to play again. It had been a while! Then that night went to see some people in this trailer park in our area and ended up talking to a less active part member family well we just talked with the daughter who hasn't been to church in a long time but we have a good relationship with the kids in that family right now. They trust us so that is great! 

On Tuesday morning we had to pack up our apartment bc we are moving out of it tomorrow! Man it is so hard to pack up a missionary apartment bc there is just so much random stuff everywhere that makes no sense we did that for 2 hours and just made a dent in the packing and cleaning we had to do! Then we met with this dude at McDonald's and we're talking with him and he is so curious, but he is looking for so much proof of what we say and is very reluctant to rely on faith it was a good lesson. We are just trying to help him understand the importance of acting on faith! Then we went to mow this guys lawn. It is super cool at first when we knocked into him he didn't want anything to do with us but we offered service and he accepted and now we mow his lawn every week and we teach him after so it is great to see how service really softens ppls hearts it is amazing to see what the Lord can do! It was a good night that night we saw a guy named Kevin who we see every Tuesday and it was a good lesson we are trying to help him relaize that ppl in the church are not and will never be perfect, but that is not what matters what matters is that the doctrine is and will always be perfect!

On Wednesday we did more packing. We got a lot of stuff packed but still there was more to do! Then we went out to see some ppl and we went biking and we got in with a guy we have been trying to teach for a whole so that was great he sounded really sincere in wanting to read and study the Book of Mormon so that is great he has told us he will know it is true if it doesn't conflict with the bible and it doesn't so that is good! The rest of that evening kind of just fell thought but that is ok it was still a good day things like that happen. 

On Thursday guess what more packing it is so much fun, kind of. I did a lot of deep cleaning I cleaned the stove inside and out a lot of other stuff. Then we a had a great lesson with our investigator Cullen about obedience it was a great lesson and that is a topic that has become a lot more important to me on my mission it is a great topic I have come to love and I see the blessing of in my life! I also called President and asked for permission to go to the baptism of my recent converts daughter ,Jaida Lattus, in Andover on Saturday night and he said yes! So that was super exciting!

On Friday we had our planning session as usual and did a lot more deep cleaning this time the oven. But then we had a good night of seeing a less active brother Stanitch who is hilarious man I love that guy he is just funny he is from Georgia and bc I am form Alabama he assumes I know everything about other churches and how they like to stand and say Amen and yell and stuff and I think he thinks I might be a convert bc I am not from Utah but I don't know. I just roll with it. I told him I went to one but I don't think he remembers that. 

Saturday man we packed so more but then we biked and man we biked a lot it was so tiring we had some good contact with members ,but we had to come back and change before dinner bc we were drenched in sweat man it was bad so we changed and went to dinner and then out with some stuff. Then took off to Andover for the baptism and man it was just great. It was a super powerful baptism and it was good to be back it felt like being home again I got to see so many ppl again like Harry and brother gray and just everyone it was great I love that Ward so much and the people there and I miss them, but it gave us a drive to make this area be as successful as that area is and to get the Ward going like that Ward is! Love that place, but I also love it here just needs a little more hard work to get things going. 

We were asked to talk in church for this Sunday and I was preparing my talk during the week and it was on the atonement and how to teach someone about it that does't know what it is. Now if you knew me well before my mission everyone knows I do not like talking to ppl or in front of crowds, but when I got up to give my talk I wasn't even nervous usually my legs are shaking and I go to fast but I was calm and no legs shaking I just gave my talk and it went well it is amazing to see how the lord has helped me change while I have been out here in every sense. I have no problem talking to crowds now or anything in fact I love doing it I hope I can give lots more talks through my mission and my life. Man I never thought I would ever say that but it is true I just liked giving them now and talking to ppl!! But Sunday was good we had brunch with a less active family and it was real good and a really good contact with them and then we had a good 1st contact with a less active part member family who I found out brother served his mission with dad so. That was a cool contention he wants me to tell him how dad reacts to finding that out. idk why, but I will have to find that out. Then we went and read the Book of Mormon with Chick again and it was really good I just love doing that! Today we're spending like 4 hours just finishing up our apartment and it isn't our p day our p day is on the 4 of July so if kinda stinks to waste time packing and stuff, but it is all good it has been a great week I love being a missionary and hope everyone else likes being one too. well till next week
Love
Elder Howe
Sent from my iPad

Stuff packed in the apartment

Great week and super awesome fireside

So this week was a good week! Monday was a slow day we had some stuff fall through, but it was a good day! On Tuesday we had a District Meeting and it went well it was the last one of the transfer. It is crazy how fast that this transfer flew by! We did an exchange and I went out of the area again and did a ton of yard work. For district lunch we ate at a pizza buffet and then the members we were with fed us some big pieces of lasagna  and I love lasagna, but it was hard to finish bc I was so full. We had a couple good lessons that night it was a good day trying to work with the elder to help that area's output, but it was a good!

On Wednesday we did a ton of tracting and stuff bc we had no appts, but it was a good day. That evening we were knocking and we found 2 more new investigators so that was great we have been finding alot of YSA age people in our area so we have to pass them all off to the YSA ward, but it is all good! Thursday was a good day we had an appt with our most progressing investigator and he said he was coming to church so that was great! We had a good dinner that night with a guy in the ward. We just had taquitos but he put cheess and beans on top of them and it made them so good! Then that night we went with our WML to pick up a piano for him it was like a 1 hour road trip, but it was good service opportunity so that was good! It was a fun night! 

On Friday we did all of our planning as always! and we had some appts fall through in the afternoon, but we had a great appt with the less active guy who we read the book of mormon with and it was a good appt as usual I just love reading the book of Mormon to him. It is all ways a great lesson! Then tried to see this part member family and talked to their kids outside for a little bit one kid is trying to teach my companion to fish so that was funny he just randomly started calling him Chase so that was weird, but it was a fun night! 

On Saturday I finally got my bike fixed so we biked around to see some ppl and we stopped by a part member and mowed their lawn for them so that was a great interaction I have pic I will send of it! Then my comp lost his tag so we had to retrace our steps and look for it and we found it so that was good then we did alot of stop bys and we confirmed out investigator for the Alex Boye fireside that was Sunday night! 

Now Sunday was a fantastic day our investigator Culley came to church and it was a great sacrament meeting for him to be here. Then it was a hot day and we tried to see ppl but everyone was doing Father's Day stuff so no one was home, but then we had a great dinner with some members it was a BBQ it was really good! Then we went to meet our ride at his house for the fireside and we picked up our investigator and we went to the Alex Boye Fireside and it was amazing. He started by singing a song and he is great live and he is hilarious it was an amazing fireside. Man it was great and he ended by singing a song and he walked up and done the isle while singing it and he came by and touched everyone's hand and he touched my hand while he was doing it and it was super cool. I also found out at the fireside that the daughter on one of my recent converts in Andover who I was teaching while I was there is getting baptized on Saturday so am hopefully going to be able to go back to Andover for a night and be there. I am hoping to make it!  It was an amazing week and I found out today I am staying in Farmington for at least one more transfer! So that is good bc this area is about to explode I can feel it! Well that is all till next week love elder howe 

Revolutionary week in our misson and man time is flying

So this week had some pretty cool things happen, but I will get to those later because they happened later in the week. Monday was a good day we had zone p day and we just played basketball and stuff it was a fun day we we had some appts that night but they all fell though which happens sometimes so it is all good, but we had a good meeting with the Elders Quorum president that night so it was all good! 
Then Tuesday we some more appts fall though, but we did an exchange with the zone leaders and I left the area so it was a good day. The Elder I was with served in Andover before I did so it was cool to just talk about a bunch of stuff from Andover it was a fun exchange it is crazy because the elder i was with lived in Minnesota till he was 17 and then got called back here! So it is crazy that that happened he still has a brother who lives in the state and there are certain areas that he can't serve in because he lived there for a time so that was crazy to find out! It was a good day Tuesday! 

Wednesday was  slower day I had some calls I had to make and then we did alot of stopping by ppl and tracting and stuff it was a good day though not much exciting happened. On Thursday we did our weekly planning session bc we had a zone training on Friday so that was fun and then we had a few appts that went well with our investigators we are just trying really hard to get them to come to church we are trying to be as creative as we can to get them there so hopefully they will start coming! \

Friday we had a zone training and it was a great one all about becoming and staying a disciple of Jesus Christ for the rest of your life and some other stuff and then at the end we got our iPads which was super weird to have in your hands. So after that we went to the library to activate them and get them all set it up and it is really weird having them it is crazy but man they help a ton I used it that evening in a lesson so it was good!

On Saturday at first we got dropped by some investigators, but then we went to see a guy and we taught him and picked him up so that was good it made up for the drop so that was good!  Then the rest of the day til dinner was tracting and stop bys just trying to see somebody, but we had a good dinner then we had some appts with a recent convert of last year and he is super solid we helped him find a bunch of stuff for something he had to do for institute it was good. Then we met with a semi active guy named brother Stanitch and he is hilarious meeting with him is always fun! 

Sunday was a good day we went to one of our investigators house before church so he could follow us to church and not get lost so that worked bc he come to church and it was a great sacrament meeting and a good gospel principles lesson! but then he suddenly took off before priesthood opening exercises so hopefully he enjoyed it we will see him later this week!  Then after Church we had lunch, but instead of eating I made a giant plan of salvation for a lesson with a member family who's kid is getting baptized in August. I will attach a picture of it. We got to go and read with the less active we usually read with and it was as good as always. Then we went and taught the member family and had dinner over there it was fun I love teaching them and going over there. Their kid is like a mix a Franklin and Jared it is crazy how similar he is to both of them! The rest of the night we talked to a few ppl and got some things set up for the rest of the week. This is the last week week of this transfer it is crazy how fast it just flew by. Time is flying by fast. The months just seem to be getting shorter. Hopefully time will slow down I don't want it to go too fast. I love it out here too much for that to happen. Well we will see what happens next week with transfers! Hopefully I stay  in Farmington.
Well that is all this week will next week 
love 
elder howe 

Great week this area is about to take off and a testimony buliding week!

So this past week has been a great week! On Monday I had a free hair cut coupon at sports clips so that was good because I got a good free haircut and then we had to drive to a mall for my companion to get his haircut because he said only black people could cut his hair. So we did that and that took up most of pday, but that is ok I needed a hair cut!

On Tuesday we had exchanges and I went to the other area with Elder Badders we get along really well I met him at the beginning of my mission we are good friends! It was a great exchange we did alot of service for their Branch President we were pulling weeds for like 3 hours! but it was good for their area it helped grow the trust with the Branch President so that was great! Then the rest of the day we just stopped by alot of people in their area. Then Wednesday was fantastic because we got to go to the temple! and I love going to the temple it is great! it just always re-centers you and helps you regain your focus as well! The temple is a wonderful place I am so thankful that we have them on this earth and that I am able to go to it once a quarter on my mission! The rest of that night we set up some service and saw this investigator who has been investigation for a long time and is just not progressing he just doesn't have a desire to progress I think he just likes the company and spirit we bring in his home so he always wants us to come back. 

Thursday was a good day I had a lot of district leader calls to do but then we had a lesson with our investigator who is our most progressing and it went good he is trying to get work off so he can make it to church so hopefully he can do that so he can start coming to church again he is super solid and he has the beginnings of a testimony so coming to church will just make that testimony grow 20x faster! Friday was a good day we helped some investigators move and it was good we helped them pack the truck so that everything would fit they were wondering why we were good at packing a truck and it is just because we move alot of people in the church, but it was great. He said he was going to buy us a Gatorade so he went to the store and came back with a liter of Gatorade for each of us so that was crazy it was alot of Gatorade. Then we had a inspection of our apartment by our ward mission leader and we passed so that was good. It wasn't that hard core of an inspection so it wasn't hard to pass but our place isn't pretty clean so that is good!  That night we went to read the Book of Mormon with a less active like we do every week and it was just great the spirit is always so strong and it is always a great environment! 

So Saturday morning we went to do service for a lady who is less active in the ward who's husband is over seas. We mowed her lawn and weeded her garden and helped her plant flowers it was alot of fun and good work. It is weird how mowing and pulling weeds have become a super enjoyable activity on this mission! but it was a great interaction with her! then we did alot of stopping by people and trying to see people pretty much the whole rest of the night it was an OK night. 

This is where the testimony building comes in so we did a mission fast, but I was also fasting that we would be lead to people who were prepared for baptism and to be taught and we had great Church meetings and then after Church we had a few appts set up but they fell though so we were tracting and then we went to see a potential investigator and she was there and we taught her a super powerful lesson on the restoration it was great and we got another appt with her so that is good! Then we had a great dinner with two families it was a great spiritual message at then end to it was great! Then it started to just pour here and our whole night like fell through! so went to see a less active and had a good lesson with him then it was 8:30 and we went to see another potential investigator and he was there too and we had a super good lesson with him and got another appt it was great! So I know now that fasting works the Lord was justing leading us on I know we were where he wanted us to be and that was awesome. I know that fasting works for sure now I love being a missionary it is amazing and great serving the Lord I have seen so many miracles I love it. Well that is all till next week 

love elder howe 

PS the picture is a house of a less active in a different ward it is a huge house! and just a neighborhood in there area