November 9th, Many miracles

Hello everyone!

What a week this has been! In a way this week has been one of the
busiest weeks yet miracle-ful weeks I have had!
It has been weird because we have had a lot of meetings,
like both Wednesday and Friday were just gone because we had
interviews and other meetings that we had to go to so we had to make
the most of what time we had left,  I believe the Lord was helping us us
the time .

So the first cool Miracle was on Thursday.  We went to meet with Justin and
Nicole, Justin is a returning member and is  on fire! Nicole is his
girlfriend and we went over and taught the plan of salvation this week!
The lesson was awesome and after we asked if she would be baptized
and she said she would but that she wanted Justin to do it for her. So
now Justin is preparing for the Aaronic priesthood and Nicole is
preparing to be baptized. They have been coming to all the
activities! I absolutely love them!

Friday night at institute we got a text from a random number asking
about the YSA branch and told us that her daughter had moved to
buffalo and wanted to be involved.  We called her and she told us
the details and to be short she told us that their family had been
less active when their daughter was younger so she had never been
baptized! Elder Tomlinson and I just looked at each other and just
couldn't believe it! So we went the next day and met with her, her
name is Ireland and she also said she would be baptized! It was so
cool!

Then that night was Anthony's baptism which was just such a great
experience! The branch showed so much support for him and it was
wonderful experience! The Spirit was so strong! I asked Anthony what
he was thinking after the baptismal service and he said I am thinking
that this is where I am supposed to be. That was a powerful moment for
me! And also Ireland came to the baptism so it was just great!

Sunday at church was awesome! Our branch has nearly doubled, We had 5
investigators that came to church! It was awesome! And the members are
on fire with inviting there friends! So we are just seeing so many
great things.
I just don't know how to right them down. But I love the opportunity I
have to be on this mission. There really is no place I would rather be
right now.
Love you lots!

Elder Todd Houghton

Anthony's baptism

November 2nd 2015

Happy Halloween!

We have had a great, fast, full, crazy, and busy week.
And can I just say that I love the YSA! This branch is just incredible
and I love the members and they are all around my age, so it is just
so much fun serving with them cuz they are all my friends all people I
will totally hang out with them all when I get home!

Wednesday it just rained all night and
into the morning and all day it was just so wet. Water was everywhere!
Well we had parked in the worst part of our parking lot! There was a
good three inch puddle around our truck and when we backed out it
looked like a boat going through a wake. It was crazy. Well we went to
University of Buffalo for our UB booth. So we were there trying to talk to people, and
this one girl stepped in and was standing in front of
our booth putting her umbrella away. So I just started talking to her
about how wet it was and just told her about that experience getting
into our car. She just looked at me and said,  "ok so I am going
through a hard break up with my boyfriend right now and my friend told
me to pray and I haven't, and I am just taking this as a sign so tell
me what your all about!" I was like ok, so told her about the restored
gospel and she is interested in learning more it was so cool! And the
miracle about it was before I was really praying that the Lord would
help lead those who are prepared to us and that we would be able to
recognize them. It was really funny and it was awesome!

 We have had a huge miracle happen here and it is kind of a long
story because I haven't said anything about him. So about 3 weeks ago
the elders serving in the another ward had gotten a referral from a
young man. He had investigated the church a little bit
in Montana and he wanted to come to our YSA branch, but the Sunday he
came he came early and went to the family ward. It looked like people
were fellowshipping him pretty well and said he wanted to come to our
sacrament meeting but before church started we saw him walk outside
so we ran out and let's just it was a very interesting experience. He
had told us he didn't feel comfortable in the ward and how he didn't
know if this was the church for him. So we just talked to him for a
good twenty minutes we boldly testified that this was Christ true
church, of the Book of Mormon and how much we loved him. And then we
said a prayer with him and told him that we would love him to come again.
And then he left. Later that night we got a call from Anthony
Saying he wanted to give it another try. So he came to our sports
night, he came to Institute, he went to the YSA dance they had, he
came to church again, and in that short time he told us how he had
gained a witness of the Book of Mormon, and he felt so much love from
the members of the branch. It was amazing to see the change in this
young man, and he really has had it very hard these past weeks as well
he has been falsely accused of things and was kicked out of the place
he was living and had to move and live on his own. 

This last week he met with those elders again and said he wanted to set a baptismal
date. So he will be baptized this next Saturday! And I am so excited
for him! It has been such a miracle! Also from this experience I have
grown to appreciate the members of the branch so much! They have been
so willing to help give of there time to help give him rides because
it has made such a difference! It has just inspired me for when I go
home I just want to be the best member missionary I can be!

Also it sounds like you had a great Halloween! We got to go to the
temple with our branch, let just say it was a great way to spend
Halloween! We had to be inside after 6 so we had our district meeting.
It was a really fun meeting.

Sunday the whole stake presidency came and reorganized our branch
presidency, it was quite the surprise and it was a pretty emotional
meeting but I am exited for our new branch presidency! We are going to
see some great things happen!
Miracles are happening!
Love

Elder Todd Houghton

Where the buffalo wild wings originated! 

Sunrise at Hill Cumorah October 26th 2015

Hello my family!

Shout out to my sister Rachel for she is now 16 years of age!

Our week has been crazy! I have been able to cross a couple things off
my bucket list.
Well to just start the week-- for FHE last Monday night we had a camp
fire and roasted marshmallows. It made me so happy.

Second I got to go on an exchange in the ghetto of Buffalo. It was so
much fun! It's a bus/walking area and I just loved it. We met so many
different types of people I could just people watch all day there
because the people of Buffalo are very unique! There is just always
something happening or someone to talk to there I was loving it! At
the very end of the day just as started to head back to the bus to get
to our apartment. We met this young man who was standing on his lawn
with a big German Shepard, and saw us and asked if we were college
students. We went over and got to start talking to him about how we
are missionaries and what we do. And he thought that was one of the
coolest things. He was like so basically you're servants of God! Ryan is
my age we graduated the same year which was super cool, I could see
myself being good friends with him. It started to rain while we were
talking with him and we didn't have an umbrella. We said we were fine
but Ryan told us that we were going to stay there while he ran inside
and came out with an umbrella and a hand full of snacks. It was just a
really nice thing.  I am a Young Single Adult missionary so I also got to tell
him about our branch and he said he would  come to church.

 On Saturday all of the zone leaders had to go to a service meeting in
Palmyra. The Buffalo south elders wanted to go  early so they
could go to the temple. We woke up at 4:30 in the morning to head
up to Palmyra. We are going this next Saturday with the branch and we
can only go once a transfer, so we just got to spend the morning in
Palmyra! We went and ran straight up the Hill Cumorah! And watched the
sunrise! It was so cool! Then when the other elders came out we
went and walked around the sacred grove and sang Joseph's first prayer!
It was absolutely beautiful! Loved it! Also  service is so exciting!
We are going to "go Ammon" on the people here in New York!

We are seeing so many crazy things. Last Sunday I think we had twice as
many people come to church! It was a miracle.
Great things are happening here and we are continuing to look forward
to all the miracles!
Also thanks so much for the package you sent it literally made my week!
Have a great Halloween!

Love Elder Todd Houghton

Hill Cumorah

My Pumpkin

Ps.I will miss the witches fingers.