"when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God"

So this week was a good week, but oh man we did a ton of service like bigger service projects there was only a few days where we weren't serving for 3 hours or more. Hence the subject of this email! Highlights from the week. So on Monday we had zone pday and we had a zone council first to discuss what we are going to focus on this transfer and ya it was a good council and then we just did a bunch of different sports it was fun and then that night we had a lesson with the Hmong family we found, who the daughter has a date set for baptism on Aug 13 and it was a great lesson we had a member with us and it was just perfect for the lesson we had. It went super well it was then when I realized why I kept feeling prompted to ask her to come even though I knew she is super busy, but it was just what was needed so it was great! and ya Tuesday was the full day of service literally so we had our food shelf service in the morning and then we were going to do service for a less active but he canceled so we did service for our ward mission leader and then we went and had dinner with a family and then a family was moving in in the ward and it is a family we haven't been able to be in their home so we couldn't pass up the chance to help them so we did. Man they moved into a dang nice house right on the Mississippi. It is in their backyard and the house is huge and just awesome I have pics of their backyard and the front of the house it is awesome! but ya so that was a ton of service but it was good and on the way to the food shelf we met these to ladies who needed help and were asking for money, but we committed to help them clean out their grandma's apt, who just died, so the next day went and did that with the sisters after our district meeting and man it was quite some service not to hard, but the lady was little crazy and while we were trying to get this couch into the elevator me and sister frank were on one side trying to pull it in and the couch un-clipped my watch and it fell down the elevator shaft......... like the most unlikely thing possible! but just yesterday a less active guy who works there said he could get it back for me so that is good but it was disappointing when I lost it! but it was good! it is always good to help people it was a good experience!

But ya on Thursday the highlight was we had dinner with the Hmong family we found, man they made some really good Asian food it was super good the only weird thing was there was this super spicy dish, but it is served cold and so it was just a weird feeling to eat cold spicy food because usually spicy food is hot, but it was a super good dinner! They are awesome there are two sisters who are members that are coming back and then one of their daughters Athena who has a date set, but when we taught them on Monday we taught the first half of the plan of salvation we committed them to read the last bit from the pamphlet and she read it and she took notes and she knows a ton about it as we were teaching it. It was awesome. She has never had God in her life and she is only 11 but she is soaking it all up it is super awesome to see! She is so solid and ready for the gospel it is awesome to see! I have seen a lot of amazing kids who are just ready for the gospel in this area and it is super awesome to see! but ya we are excited for her! 

But ya on Friday another day of a ton of service so we did a zone service project at this place called feed my starving children where you package these food supplies they send it to help others. It is super fun and a really good organization they are all about building up self reliance in needy countries which is great! and then after that there was a member who needed help moving and it was just us and the sisters and we helped them pack it in boxes and load the truck I was the "expert packer". Sister Frank says I should do it for a living, but I don't think it is what I am going to pursue, but it was a dang hot day I was sweating bad and man that truck was hot I was climbing around up top putting stuff in and just touching the top for minute and you would get burned and I also burned my arm on the outside of the truck I fell and my arm was pushed again a part of it for a minute because  was carrying a dresser, but it was good. We helped them load it and the sisters had to leave but they needed help unloading so we went and helped them unload it too. Total we were helping them from 1:00 to 5:30, but who else was going to help them so it was good!

But ya Saturday was super rainy and we got in a bad part of it and got soaked and our phone got wet and wasn't working so it was sitting in rice from Saturday at 3 till Sunday at 9:30pm and man was that hard. I do so much work on the phone calling and texting to set things up. It was really hard not having one! but it was ok. On Sunday Athnea came to church again so that was awesome! it was a great Sunday and a great week we did a ton of service, but we were a still able to do a lot of teaching as well! The work is going well I only have a month left crazy how fast time is going by, but I am working hard as hard as I can. Satan is trying to distract me, but I punch through because I know that the Lord blesses the hardworking obedient missionary to the end not the one who get trunky and gives up! But from my studies this week. So with the my plan courses I am doing for missionary returning home there is a section on self reliance and it was a super good section! and then this morning I was reading in second nephi and read this verse 

2nd Nephi 4:34 

 34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

So it brought back a quote that was in the course that said we can only become truly self reliant as we learn to truly rely on the lord and that quote hit me and really made me think and as read the verse and that is what the spirit taught me that I will have a successful and good life as I continue to rely on the lord I have learned how to and how important it is out here and so I just need to do as Nephi says and rely on him forever and as I do that I know that is all that will matter and I won't have to worry as much because I know the Lord will bless me and help me in my life as we rely on him we become more self reliant in this life because he helps us and we don't have the need to rely one another as much he wants to help up so let him help you! 'let him in! 
hope you all have a great week.
love,
Elder Howe