sigh.........last email and she is home.........We are so excited......
Sister Houston's email:
October 25, 2011
Hello family,
How are you all today? Im ok. Its a beautiful sunny day :) a little cold still but at least the sun is out. I think i can say that the reality that im going home finally hit me. Man im nervous!!!! Excited to see you all of course but im feeling a little....well no....a lot nervous to come home. Yesterday was my last day in Kirtland. I didnt get a chance to take a tour...sad but we did have an awesome experience on chat. On Friday last week we talked with a lady named Isabella. She's from the Netherlands! I cant remember how she found out about mormon.org chat. She's been meeting with missionaries for about a month and a half, im assuming from them. Isa came on to chat because she has been feeling doubts about continuing to learn. We first got to know her a little bit, then we had asked what brought her to chat and all she would really say was im having doubts. Her answers were short and confusing! It took her a while to warm up to us but she finally did. Basically Isabella has been feeling alone. She says no one believes in God. Friends and family have been giving her a hard time. We talked about the blessings of church and how she would have a church family there that would love and support her. She just didnt get it. She was so concerned about how no one believes in God and thinks its silly for her to. We tried to help her think of it in this way...that God has a plan for her and needs her to help others find him. She never thought of it in that way before and loved the idea. It gave her hope. The missionaries had already committed her to come to church with them on Sunday and she was planning on it just really nervous. We encouraged her to go, promised blessings and then set up another time to chat. So yesterday we got to chat with her again. She went to church and loved it! It made her feel good :) The concern about her family and friends giving her a hard time came up again. I had a simple thought come to my mind to share a video on mormon.org with her. Its about a young gal named Daisy. She talks about how she found the church, her testimony of the gospel and how she had to face some challenges with friends giving her a hard time. I didnt really think anything of it but i thought it might help. So i sent her the link and she watched it. Her response after...."Wow". Me..."so you liked it?" Her...."it made me cry so yes. its just like me". She then went on to say how it was ok and that many people wont understand it all but as long as she believes and asks for Gods help it will be fine. It really was so cool to see how Sister Gamble and I were being guided by the Spirit to help Isabella even with a monitor between us, even if it was just typing. I have a testimony of this program. I know its inspired and its going to open so many doors for the world to receive the gospel.
It was a great week! A great last week. Barbara is doing amazing. She's been busy with family in town so we haven't been able to see her. We talked with her on the phone a couple days ago. She is still super excited about the Book of Mormon and her baptism. Im going to miss her. Im going to miss my mission but i know that the lesson's i've learned and the people i've met will be with me throughout my life. These opportunities and challenges allowed me to build a testimony of the Restoration and of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It gave me direction and light.
Thanks for encouraging me to go!!! Im so grateful for you all. Thanks for your wonderful examples. I love you! I'll see you in less then 2 days......
Have a great day :)
Now off to pack.......yuck
LOVE,
Sister Houston
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
PICTURES AND MORE PICTURES
WORK AND PLAY
looks like a Great Service project. It was at Killinen Hill in Fairport Harbor Ohio
Looks like lots of fun!!!!
There were a lot more pictures so i thought i would post a few more, and hopefully she can explain some of them when she gets home. ENJOY!!!
How many DAYS till I see YOU??
some fun pictures of Kirtland and other areas of Hiram
Sister Houston will arrive home on Thursday October 27th.
Homecoming will be on Sunday October 30th at 9am
YES......its true only 8 more days till The Sister Houston is home...... This could be her last email because i am not sure she will be able to email home on transfer day which is wednesday and she will be home on Thursday
Soooo i hope you all have enjoy her blog as much as i have enjoyed doing it. When Tori gets home i will update everyone on her homecoming and anything else necessasary.
Thanks to all you fellow followers for your love and support.
Sister Houston's email:
October 19, 2011
HELLO FAMILY!!
oh gosh i seriously cant believe i only have a week left. i never thought this day would ever come! Its come way to fast. So many wonderful things happened this week. First off, yes the sister that is flying home with me came out with me too! She's just a full proselyting sister thats all. If i remember right she sat right next to me in the plane ride to Ohio! Oh Sister Henry! She's from California. AND guess what!!!! We had a nice little surprise on Monday at sites. Sister Andersen came and spent half the day there!!!! Her companion is training so she had to go to a meeting with the other two kirtland sister who are training and Sister Andersen came to sites to hang out with us. What an awesome blessing huh! She hadn't been back since she left Hiram four transfers ago. Yesterday was my last training meeting with the Sisters. I was given the opportunity to share my testimony. Of course i cried. I such a BABY! I thought for sure by the end of my mission i would master that!!! nope not at all.
Barbara is doing fabulous. She came to church on Sunday. It was the primary program and oh my she loved it! We had met with Barbara on Thursday and had an awesome lesson with her. Ok so I can't remember if i told you or not, but we've been struggling to get Barbara to pray out loud with us. She even struggles with saying vocal prayers on her own. She has grown up saying them silently to her self so thats all she's ever done. Anyways, every time we meet with Barbara we always plan to address the issue and try and get her to pray with us but we never ever have any time left! She talks so much! We would ask her but she would always say no. We have talked once or twice about it before and she said she would try to pray out loud on her own. So.....we go over, ask how her book of mormon reading is going, teach the word of wisdom and at the end of the lesson i had asked the member to say the closing prayer. Barbara raised her hand and said "actually...i would like to say it. i would like to give it a try" WHAT? hahahaha it was so cool!! i felt really dumb for not even asking her if she wanted to pray!! Silly me. Her prayer was simple. It was sincere and heartfelt. The spirit was so strong. It strengthened my testimony of heavenly fathers love. He loves her so much! I finally told her after the prayer that im leaving :( she was sad. I was sad. Im so happy for her! Im so happy I had this amazing opportunity to watch Barbara become converted to the Gospel. I watched her prayers being answered and felt the spirit testify to her through Sister Gamble and I. The Book of Mormon is true. The more she reads it the more she wants to know and she's understanding things so much better! She's knows more about the Savior then she's ever known before.
Ahhh well family i better get going. i love you soooo much. im excited to see you in.....8 days. I know this gospel is true! Jesus Christ lives.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
LOVE,
Sister Houston
PS Sister Gamble and I started a new game in the car.......its called "guess the road kill" heeehee its actually pretty fun! you can never mistake a skunk no matter how run over it is :) they still stink horribly!!!
oh gosh i seriously cant believe i only have a week left. i never thought this day would ever come! Its come way to fast. So many wonderful things happened this week. First off, yes the sister that is flying home with me came out with me too! She's just a full proselyting sister thats all. If i remember right she sat right next to me in the plane ride to Ohio! Oh Sister Henry! She's from California. AND guess what!!!! We had a nice little surprise on Monday at sites. Sister Andersen came and spent half the day there!!!! Her companion is training so she had to go to a meeting with the other two kirtland sister who are training and Sister Andersen came to sites to hang out with us. What an awesome blessing huh! She hadn't been back since she left Hiram four transfers ago. Yesterday was my last training meeting with the Sisters. I was given the opportunity to share my testimony. Of course i cried. I such a BABY! I thought for sure by the end of my mission i would master that!!! nope not at all.
Barbara is doing fabulous. She came to church on Sunday. It was the primary program and oh my she loved it! We had met with Barbara on Thursday and had an awesome lesson with her. Ok so I can't remember if i told you or not, but we've been struggling to get Barbara to pray out loud with us. She even struggles with saying vocal prayers on her own. She has grown up saying them silently to her self so thats all she's ever done. Anyways, every time we meet with Barbara we always plan to address the issue and try and get her to pray with us but we never ever have any time left! She talks so much! We would ask her but she would always say no. We have talked once or twice about it before and she said she would try to pray out loud on her own. So.....we go over, ask how her book of mormon reading is going, teach the word of wisdom and at the end of the lesson i had asked the member to say the closing prayer. Barbara raised her hand and said "actually...i would like to say it. i would like to give it a try" WHAT? hahahaha it was so cool!! i felt really dumb for not even asking her if she wanted to pray!! Silly me. Her prayer was simple. It was sincere and heartfelt. The spirit was so strong. It strengthened my testimony of heavenly fathers love. He loves her so much! I finally told her after the prayer that im leaving :( she was sad. I was sad. Im so happy for her! Im so happy I had this amazing opportunity to watch Barbara become converted to the Gospel. I watched her prayers being answered and felt the spirit testify to her through Sister Gamble and I. The Book of Mormon is true. The more she reads it the more she wants to know and she's understanding things so much better! She's knows more about the Savior then she's ever known before.
Ahhh well family i better get going. i love you soooo much. im excited to see you in.....8 days. I know this gospel is true! Jesus Christ lives.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
LOVE,
Sister Houston
PS Sister Gamble and I started a new game in the car.......its called "guess the road kill" heeehee its actually pretty fun! you can never mistake a skunk no matter how run over it is :) they still stink horribly!!!
TWO WEEKS LEFT
Looks like Sister Houston and Sister Gamble got caught in a rain storm
"Sisterly love"
Sister Houston's email:
October 12, 2011
Hey family,
How is everyone? Im doing good. Sister Gamble and I had a great week.
Wow, Barbara is doing quite well. She is amazing. We taught her on Wednesday and then invited her to come out to the Johnson Home for a tour. When she had come to conference she had mentioned how she had never been to the Johnson Home. Its right next door to the church building. Sister Gamble and I helped out Saturday morning with a bus tour. Later that afternoon, Barbara came! It was perfect. She seemed to really love it. Upstairs is the revelation room. That is were section 76 of the D&C was revealed! We had already taught the plan of salvation to her so as Elder Kleophfer was telling our group about the experience of the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon seeing the vision of the kingdoms of glory and of God and Christ, Barbara turned to us and said "wow i just got the chills" Ha Cool huh? These historical sites are really incredible. President Hinckley's dedicatory prayer for Kirtland is being fulfilled......I've even seen and felt it at kirtland and at the Johnson Home......
"May this area become a great gathering place for thy people from over the earth. May they come here...feel the power of thy holy spirit, and grow in faith and testimony concerning thy work and thy kingdom.....May it be a place where the stranger will be touched by thy spirit and come to know something of the wondrous workings of thy cause and kingdom...."
Im very grateful for this opportunity to serve here! We also had a pretty awesome experience on Chat. We chatted with a lady named Eileen. She had been watching something to do with politics and heard that Mitt Romney....(i think thats him....remember i dont really know anything thats going on in the "world") was a "mormon". So she got online to search and was sent to us! First thing she said when she got on was that she didnt know if this was the true faith but she needed help. She wanted to quite smoking and has tried everything, she had a book of mormon, prayed about it but felt she wasnt bright enough to read it! Turned out that Eileen had met missionaries about 20 years ago just once. She said she listened but was resistant to go any further. This lady was just looking for help. Now missionaries are going to call her! Pretty fabulous huh. This definitely is the Lords work. I know that people all over the world are being prepared to receive it! Its true.
well, i'll be seeing you very soon.......two weeks left. This has been the fastest transfer yet!
I love you family.
Have a great week!
Love,
Sister Houston
How is everyone? Im doing good. Sister Gamble and I had a great week.
Wow, Barbara is doing quite well. She is amazing. We taught her on Wednesday and then invited her to come out to the Johnson Home for a tour. When she had come to conference she had mentioned how she had never been to the Johnson Home. Its right next door to the church building. Sister Gamble and I helped out Saturday morning with a bus tour. Later that afternoon, Barbara came! It was perfect. She seemed to really love it. Upstairs is the revelation room. That is were section 76 of the D&C was revealed! We had already taught the plan of salvation to her so as Elder Kleophfer was telling our group about the experience of the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon seeing the vision of the kingdoms of glory and of God and Christ, Barbara turned to us and said "wow i just got the chills" Ha Cool huh? These historical sites are really incredible. President Hinckley's dedicatory prayer for Kirtland is being fulfilled......I've even seen and felt it at kirtland and at the Johnson Home......
"May this area become a great gathering place for thy people from over the earth. May they come here...feel the power of thy holy spirit, and grow in faith and testimony concerning thy work and thy kingdom.....May it be a place where the stranger will be touched by thy spirit and come to know something of the wondrous workings of thy cause and kingdom...."
Im very grateful for this opportunity to serve here! We also had a pretty awesome experience on Chat. We chatted with a lady named Eileen. She had been watching something to do with politics and heard that Mitt Romney....(i think thats him....remember i dont really know anything thats going on in the "world") was a "mormon". So she got online to search and was sent to us! First thing she said when she got on was that she didnt know if this was the true faith but she needed help. She wanted to quite smoking and has tried everything, she had a book of mormon, prayed about it but felt she wasnt bright enough to read it! Turned out that Eileen had met missionaries about 20 years ago just once. She said she listened but was resistant to go any further. This lady was just looking for help. Now missionaries are going to call her! Pretty fabulous huh. This definitely is the Lords work. I know that people all over the world are being prepared to receive it! Its true.
well, i'll be seeing you very soon.......two weeks left. This has been the fastest transfer yet!
I love you family.
Have a great week!
Love,
Sister Houston
CHANGES, CHANGES EVERYWHERE!!!!
looks like some awesome fall weather in Ohio
Sister Houston and Sister Gamble
At the John Johnson farm in Hiram
YIPEE........Tori finally sent some pictures home. She didn't realize that it had been since June or July since she had sent them home. Well she had a broken camera trama and so by the time we figured out everything she just didn't realize it had been awhile.
Sister Houston's email:
October 5, 2011
Hey family,
Yes my p-days changed to Wednesday! Our entire schedule changed. Im not really sure why. My guess is because of chat! Sister Gamble and I are now in Kirtland Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays giving tours, making phone calls, chatting....definitely keeping busy. We also get the chance to go back to the Johnson Home in the next two weeks to help with a couple of bus tours coming through! How great huh? At first i wasn't quite sure how i feel about all these changes, especially since im trying to prepare my self for the "HOME" change coming up very very rapidly. Me and stress don't mix very well :) Anyways, after spending the last two days in Kirtland i've become ok with these changes. Heavenly Father sure does know my heart. There is something special about being able to serve at these sites. We also started chat for the first time. Oh my my my....that was an interesting experience. Ha
Its cool. Its just like a normal teaching appointment...kind of. Sister Gamble and I have our own monitors but everything is all connected to one chat screen. Anyone and everyone can get on and ask whatever they want. We've had some pretty interesting questions. My favorite experience was when a member came on and asked about her temple covenants. She was a convert to the church and their family had just been sealed in the temple a few years back. Recently her husband started using drugs. It really concerned her! She asked how this effected their temple blessings and the priesthood he held. Im not quite sure if she was active or not but it was humbling to be able to help her see that through her faithfulness God would help her and to definitely go speak to her bishop!
Ok so yes I agree! What an awesome conference weekend!!! And guess what? Both of our investigators came. Whoohoo Barbara came to the Sunday morning session. Its was perfect for her. She thought President Monson was pretty hilarious. Her baptismal date is on the 23 of October. So far things are looking good for that date. She's been continuing to read the Book of Mormon and we FINALLY got through the Plan of Salvation. That deserves a Whoohoo too! Wow the power of the Book of Mormon is so real. Barbara doesnt quite recognize it but we do. We've been trying to help her see the changes in herself. They are just subtle changes, her desires mostly. Its something as little as wanting to continue to learn, read and know if this is really true! All because of her willingness to exercise her faith. Amazing.
Natalie, our 13 year old investigator set a baptismal date with us this week too! She watched conference at home with her grandparents. Natalie's response...."it was long, and boring at times...but good. pres monson was funny." heehee yes she's a typical 13 year old right. She really is doing so great. She will be baptize December 18th. hmmmm....maybe i can come...birthday present :)
Oh and another awesome thing.....Remember Jim? Well he came to town and watched conference with his girlfriend and her family. We text his girlfriend Becca yesterday to see how he liked it. She said he thought it was "so cool"! Fabulous huh? He's planning on being baptized in december to if his parents allow. Another reason i should come back :) heehee
This gospel is so true. Its changing peoples lives! Mine included.
Well i better go this is getting lengthy. I love you all. Dont forget to write me :)
Have a great week
Love,
Sister Houston
Monday, October 3, 2011
SO MANY WAYS TO SHARE THE GOSPEL
Well i apologize for posting these last few emails in such a rush. But time is flying by! Tori will be home in 24 days!!!!! YES 24 DAYS!!!!! this time i am counting....haha so that means only 4 more emails left to post! When she gets home i will probably turn this blog over to her so she can post some of her latest pictures. And of course i will get her homecoming pictures on too!! So enjoy her last few emails of her mission life!!
WOW so they have introduced the new program to chat to people who get on the mormon.org to the Kirtland sites. It is so amazing what the world is coming to these days, technology wise. I think this will be a wonderful blessing for the Kirtland sites to have available.
Sister Houston's email:
September 27, 2011
Hey family!
Oh my my my......what a week. Sorry i didn't email yesterday. We had a mission p-day. We were given permission to email today during lunch since we didn't have time yesterday. Sister Gamble and I of course are here at sites. Usually its not a problem to email here but they are changing all the rooms around. Anyways, needless to say its been a crazy day. So many changes are happening here in Kirtland! Exciting changes....a bit overwhelming....but exciting. I guess there has been a few missions around the world that have been testing out Chat on mormon.org. What is Chat?? Anyone who whats can go to mormon.org and click chat. It takes them right to missionaries! There has been success so guess what.......they sent it to us in Kirtland! Awesome huh. Tons of people are wanting to Chat and the last two weeks they've been training all the sisters on how to use it. Unfortunately Sister Gamble and I haven't had an opportunity to get trained in it yet since we are only here once a week. Wow! I feel so blessed to be in this mission. I get to be in a mission where we have the opportunity to share the gospel in different ways.....in my area, giving tours, calling on phones and now chat! So cool. What a blessing this will be to the world! Gosh this Gospel is soooo true.
Well....i don't have much time....sorry.
We've been teaching Barbara one to two times a week. I think I told you last time how much of a talker she is....and thinker. Well...Sister Gamble and I were a bit overwhelmed. We werent quite sure what to do for Barbara. We fasted and prayed for help. Last night we met with her again. We answered questions about her book of mormon reading which lead into her praying about it. There was one verse of scripture that she said she kept going back to. She didnt know why but it just spoke to her. The Spirit is so real! It was amazing to see it working with us in that lesson. All of us, Barbara included. Although she still talked a lot, Sister Gamble and I felt such an overwhelming peace. We helped Barbara recognized the subtle changes taking place in herself. We tried to help her recognize that the Book of Mormon was strengthening her Faith in the Savior giving her a yearning desire to know more! She kept saying "I just want to learn more. I don't know why I just want to learn more." It was so cool!
The Book of mormon is true! I know God is aware of us all and that we can receive greater spiritual power through fasting!
Well i better go! I love you all so much. Dont forget to write me :)
Have a wonderful conference weekend!
LOVE,
Sister Houston
WOW so they have introduced the new program to chat to people who get on the mormon.org to the Kirtland sites. It is so amazing what the world is coming to these days, technology wise. I think this will be a wonderful blessing for the Kirtland sites to have available.
Sister Houston's email:
September 27, 2011
Hey family!
Oh my my my......what a week. Sorry i didn't email yesterday. We had a mission p-day. We were given permission to email today during lunch since we didn't have time yesterday. Sister Gamble and I of course are here at sites. Usually its not a problem to email here but they are changing all the rooms around. Anyways, needless to say its been a crazy day. So many changes are happening here in Kirtland! Exciting changes....a bit overwhelming....but exciting. I guess there has been a few missions around the world that have been testing out Chat on mormon.org. What is Chat?? Anyone who whats can go to mormon.org and click chat. It takes them right to missionaries! There has been success so guess what.......they sent it to us in Kirtland! Awesome huh. Tons of people are wanting to Chat and the last two weeks they've been training all the sisters on how to use it. Unfortunately Sister Gamble and I haven't had an opportunity to get trained in it yet since we are only here once a week. Wow! I feel so blessed to be in this mission. I get to be in a mission where we have the opportunity to share the gospel in different ways.....in my area, giving tours, calling on phones and now chat! So cool. What a blessing this will be to the world! Gosh this Gospel is soooo true.
Well....i don't have much time....sorry.
We've been teaching Barbara one to two times a week. I think I told you last time how much of a talker she is....and thinker. Well...Sister Gamble and I were a bit overwhelmed. We werent quite sure what to do for Barbara. We fasted and prayed for help. Last night we met with her again. We answered questions about her book of mormon reading which lead into her praying about it. There was one verse of scripture that she said she kept going back to. She didnt know why but it just spoke to her. The Spirit is so real! It was amazing to see it working with us in that lesson. All of us, Barbara included. Although she still talked a lot, Sister Gamble and I felt such an overwhelming peace. We helped Barbara recognized the subtle changes taking place in herself. We tried to help her recognize that the Book of Mormon was strengthening her Faith in the Savior giving her a yearning desire to know more! She kept saying "I just want to learn more. I don't know why I just want to learn more." It was so cool!
The Book of mormon is true! I know God is aware of us all and that we can receive greater spiritual power through fasting!
Well i better go! I love you all so much. Dont forget to write me :)
Have a wonderful conference weekend!
LOVE,
Sister Houston
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