This weeks email from Tori was kinda a sad one!!
Not on her end of course but something she had to hear from home!
One of her cousins Beth Houston was killed in a motorcycle/car accident this week. She was almost 25. She has not been an active member of the church for many years, but we know she was loved by all her family!
It was sad for me to have to tell Tori thru an email. Tori said this is one of her worst fears, to hear about family members passing away while she is on her mission. She said to tell everyone to "stay off motorcycles and don't run red lights!!"
But the wonderful missionary that she is had some wonderful words for all of us to remember, why we are here and that our Heavenly Father is alway there for us even when we have forgotten Him! He loves us all unconditionally!
Here are a few Scriptures from Sister Houston:
" Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." proverbs 3:5-6
"Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." joshua 1:9
" ...I will go before your face I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." d&c 84:88
I know that our Heavenly Father loves you all! Trust in him! Know that he is there always!
Lots of love,
Sister Houston
Monday, August 9, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Norwalk
Tori is in a wonderful area in Norwalk Ohio! She seems to be enjoying the members of the Ward and the area. Tori's mission President sent us a map of the cleveland area and all the areas are marked separately so we can see any of the areas that she will be serving in during her mission! It has been fun to be able to see exactly where she she is at!!
Hopefully will get some pictures soon!!
Here is here last email,
she shares a few experiences, so ENJOY!!
August 2, 2010
Hello my wonderful family,
So the mission president sent you guys a map of the area i'm in?? Thats awesome! I had know idea they would do that. Our area is huge but the church out here is not! There are tons of less actives too. Makes me sad but grateful for where I grew up! I'm in the Sandusky Ward which covers both the Elders area and our area but the chapel is in there area so it takes me and Sister Stewart like 25 minutes to get there. Alot of people have to travel 2 and a half hours to get to the Columbus temple and a half hour or so just to get to church! We are so lucky to have the church building and the temple just down the street! I miss the temple :(
I love being here! I wanted to share a few experiences with you!
Our second day here in Norwalk Sister Stewart and I tracted into a guy named Mike Edington. He's single, 33 years old, lives at home with his brother and his wife and their son and daughter. He use to weigh almost 700 pounds and just this last January he got that gastobypass surgery and has been making alot of life style changes. He's lost so much weight that his skin is saggy!! It just hangs off his arms like jello! He grew up a Baptist but stopped going to church years ago. He is very quiet but so nice! When we first met him he liked what we had to say so we asked if he had time for us to teach him more right then so we sat on his front porch and taught him the Restoration. The entire time we were talking to him the spirit was so strong, the strongest I have felt since being out on my mission! To sit there and hear someone read the Book of Mormon for the first time and watch the features on his face change was the most amazing experience!
We set up a return appointment and asked him to pray to know if the things we taught him were true. When we went back for the second appointment we asked if he's been praying and he said "it's weird because i felt a feeling that I cant explain. I just felt at ease." AMAZING!! We have been back to teach Mike 4 times since! It seems to good to be true but things are going good so far and hopefully if things still continue to progress he'll be baptized!
I have seen so many miracles this last week which I am so grateful for. I know that the Lord's hand is in the work and it's so neat to be able to see him work through me and my companion! There is a less active in the ward that lives in our area that Sister Stewart and I have been trying to get a hold of. His phone got disconnected so we called to get another number from his mom and found out he moved back home so he was now in the Elders area. So we called up the Elders to let them know and asked if they could stop by. In there planning the night before they put down this family to stop by and so when Sister Stewart and I called to tell them they were already on there way over there!!
That same day, around 8:30 we had about a half hour to tracted before we could head home. Our second door we knocked on was a part member family that the bishop had know idea lived in the area. They invited us in and we stayed to visit with them for like an hour! Miracles! I love being able to be apart of this! Our Heavenly Father knows us and is guiding our every step and I love to be able to see it out here on my mission!
Ok funny story well more like a distrubing story. Yesterday we were tracting and an old man I mean a REALLY OLD man answered the door in his underwear, JUST his underwear nothing else and they were Whitie Tieties pulled up to his belly button!!!! Disgusting!! He said "oh sorry you caught me at a bad time i was just getting ready to get in the shower!" I was trying so hard not to laugh!!
Ohio people are crazy!!
Thank you for the package mom!! I LOVE the shoes!! They are so cute. Wearing them right now too :) Sister Stewart says thank you. Our feet definately need some pampering! And thanks so much for sending me those talks! Tell Becky thank you for me too! They were perfect!
Well I love you family! Thank you so much for all you do! I hope everything is going great back home!
I'll write soon!
Love,
sister houston
Hopefully will get some pictures soon!!
Here is here last email,
she shares a few experiences, so ENJOY!!
August 2, 2010
Hello my wonderful family,
So the mission president sent you guys a map of the area i'm in?? Thats awesome! I had know idea they would do that. Our area is huge but the church out here is not! There are tons of less actives too. Makes me sad but grateful for where I grew up! I'm in the Sandusky Ward which covers both the Elders area and our area but the chapel is in there area so it takes me and Sister Stewart like 25 minutes to get there. Alot of people have to travel 2 and a half hours to get to the Columbus temple and a half hour or so just to get to church! We are so lucky to have the church building and the temple just down the street! I miss the temple :(
I love being here! I wanted to share a few experiences with you!
Our second day here in Norwalk Sister Stewart and I tracted into a guy named Mike Edington. He's single, 33 years old, lives at home with his brother and his wife and their son and daughter. He use to weigh almost 700 pounds and just this last January he got that gastobypass surgery and has been making alot of life style changes. He's lost so much weight that his skin is saggy!! It just hangs off his arms like jello! He grew up a Baptist but stopped going to church years ago. He is very quiet but so nice! When we first met him he liked what we had to say so we asked if he had time for us to teach him more right then so we sat on his front porch and taught him the Restoration. The entire time we were talking to him the spirit was so strong, the strongest I have felt since being out on my mission! To sit there and hear someone read the Book of Mormon for the first time and watch the features on his face change was the most amazing experience!
We set up a return appointment and asked him to pray to know if the things we taught him were true. When we went back for the second appointment we asked if he's been praying and he said "it's weird because i felt a feeling that I cant explain. I just felt at ease." AMAZING!! We have been back to teach Mike 4 times since! It seems to good to be true but things are going good so far and hopefully if things still continue to progress he'll be baptized!
I have seen so many miracles this last week which I am so grateful for. I know that the Lord's hand is in the work and it's so neat to be able to see him work through me and my companion! There is a less active in the ward that lives in our area that Sister Stewart and I have been trying to get a hold of. His phone got disconnected so we called to get another number from his mom and found out he moved back home so he was now in the Elders area. So we called up the Elders to let them know and asked if they could stop by. In there planning the night before they put down this family to stop by and so when Sister Stewart and I called to tell them they were already on there way over there!!
That same day, around 8:30 we had about a half hour to tracted before we could head home. Our second door we knocked on was a part member family that the bishop had know idea lived in the area. They invited us in and we stayed to visit with them for like an hour! Miracles! I love being able to be apart of this! Our Heavenly Father knows us and is guiding our every step and I love to be able to see it out here on my mission!
Ok funny story well more like a distrubing story. Yesterday we were tracting and an old man I mean a REALLY OLD man answered the door in his underwear, JUST his underwear nothing else and they were Whitie Tieties pulled up to his belly button!!!! Disgusting!! He said "oh sorry you caught me at a bad time i was just getting ready to get in the shower!" I was trying so hard not to laugh!!
Ohio people are crazy!!
Thank you for the package mom!! I LOVE the shoes!! They are so cute. Wearing them right now too :) Sister Stewart says thank you. Our feet definately need some pampering! And thanks so much for sending me those talks! Tell Becky thank you for me too! They were perfect!
Well I love you family! Thank you so much for all you do! I hope everything is going great back home!
I'll write soon!
Love,
sister houston
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