Greetings from the East!
I hope everyone is all doing well! School is almost out and summer
break is almost here! Woot woot! For those of you with work. Just keep
on keeping on, you will have nice warmer weather to work in! :) That
is what I am very excited for!
We had a good week here in the semi- beautiful city of Rochester. New York.
Monday night we went to the a Book of Mormon publication site for FHE
to celebrate the 186th anniversary of the publication of the Book of
Mormon. They had senior couples and missionaries dress up as people
from that time period and gave the tour! It was packed that night with
many people and tons of missionaries! Haha It was really was a fun
night!
We also went up to the Hill Cumorah with Tandra this week, we went
into the movie theater and watched the classic 20 minute restoration
video. When we got there there were no sisters at the front so we took Tandra
and started the video by ourselves. We were site Elders for
the day! I love that video of the restoration, and have seen it many
times. This time, I will be honest, I was kind of zoned out but right
at the scene of the First Vision I was drawn back in and a sweet
feeling came over me that it was true! I was grateful for that! Then
we went straight to the Sacred Grove where it happened.
It was a beautiful spring day and we got to walk through the grove
when everything is just starting to become green. It is what I imagine
it looked like when Joseph walked through. Before we left the grove
we stopped and gave Tandra the opportunity to pray by herself and to
ask for herself about the things that had been taught to her. She
later told us that while she prayed she started to cry and that
she had never cried when she prayed before. We asked if she felt like she was
ready to be baptized and she said she was! It sure was a wonderful
experience! So we had her baptismal interview on Saturday! She passed
and will be baptized next Saturday! I am so super excited for her! :)
I again am amazed at the variety of things we can do on a
mission. Before I came out I imagined doing almost the same things
everyday, we wake up, get ready, study, get out the door and teach
people about the restored gospel and have occasional service
opportunities. However, I didn't realize how many variations could go
into that. We were meeting with a really nice guy and setting goals
and making plans to help him overcome his addiction to alcohol We saw
him over three times this week, trying to help him. It wasn't
something I thought I would do much of but it is definitely a part.
I am reminded of how grateful I am for the freedom that the gospel of Jesus
Christ brought into my life. I am thankful for the teachings of Prophets
that have helped me avoid substance or situations that might tie me
down and hold me back. And I am also grateful for Jesus Christ's
Atonement which allows us to repent and be forgiven. I know this man
we have been meeting with can be forgiven and can be freed from these
Bonds. It's just sad because it is definitely not easy but I know it
is possible.
I hope you all have a most wonderful week and are able to see the many
things that your doing to lift those around you!
I am very grateful for this gospel! What a great work we get to be apart of!
Love you all so very much! Also I just remembered next week is
Mother's Day!!!!!! :) if possible I would to Skype with you around
4 pm your time! If there are problems with that time just let me know!
I can't wait to see you!
Elder Todd Houghton
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Hello It's Me April 25th 2016
Hello again from the other side!
I hope you all have had a great week! Jenn what a great thing that you
won the best supporting actress out of 17 schools! I am so proud (in
the most righteous way I can be).
We have had many great lessons this week! We met with this one girl
named Elizabeth at Eastmen school of music on Tuesday. Eastman is such
a cool school-- it's like Hogwarts for musicians! We brought a member
named Cierra with us and the really cool thing is that Cierra is a
convert of about three year. Her contact with the church was
that she had a roommate that was a member that became her best friend,
and she eventually joined the church. The really cool part about
that was Elizabeth has had the same experience. She had a roommate
that is a member that became her best friend and that is why she is
willing to meet with us even though her friend lives out west now. It
was such a good lesson. We read out of The first Chapter of 1 Nephi! It
was really good!
I got to go on exchanges with Elder Gibby again on Wednesday. This time
in his area in Batavia. It was such an interesting day. We went to go
do service for this one investigator because the other elders in their
districts were sick and couldn't go. So we went instead.
and when we got there, in our service clothes, the man was like, "what is
this casual Wednesday?" We were like, "did you want us to do service?" and
he was like, "no, we aren't doing that today." So we sat down for a
lesson. This man had read alma 40-41 and had done one of the most in
depth studies of it I had ever seen. He was asking us a lot of
questions. I didn't even know how to answer many of his questions. But
I knew if he kept studying the Book of Mormon and comparing to the
bible as he had then he will be able to find many of those answers!
Not to mention this man had one of the most adorable little kids there.
he was like, "no, we aren't doing that today." So we sat down for a
lesson. This man had read alma 40-41 and had done one of the most in
depth studies of it I had ever seen. He was asking us a lot of
questions. I didn't even know how to answer many of his questions. But
I knew if he kept studying the Book of Mormon and comparing to the
bible as he had then he will be able to find many of those answers!
Not to mention this man had one of the most adorable little kids there.
Also during that day we were walking through the streets dropping by
some of their investigators and this lady pulled into her drive way in
front of us. And the first thing Elder Gibby asks is "Have you ever
read the Book of Mormon?" The lady was like actually yes! I have one on
my night stand and have reading through it! (I was just blown way by
her response!! Most of the time people haven't even heard of it) She said
she had just had one mailed to her and has been reading through it
because her brother in law is a member and she wanted to know what he
was going to be teaching his children. We were then able to set up a
return appointment which was awesome! It was an inspired
question!
Thursday we were on our way to see an investigator on the RIT
(Rochester Institute of Technology) campus. Well we needed to take an
elevator to get to her floor. Whilst in the elevator we met two girls
and initiated our awkward elevator talk. They were probably thinking
"Mormons are freaking weird". Eventually we got to our floor and the
girls got off with us and then we did that awkward thing where you say
goodbye and then go the same direction. Well we get to our
investigators door and they went into the dorm across the hallway. We
are knocking and waiting, no answer. Finally the door across the hall
opens and the two girls come out and one left. The other girl (Megan)
just stood there. So we asked her if she knew Tandra (the investigator
we were there to see.) she said no but she said she had seen us on
campus before walking around. She then asked how long we had both been
out... Not a weird question, some people know we serve 2 years. So we
told her, She then says, "so you both have like 3-4 months left? Cool,
when are the next transfers?" That was when we were like hold on-- how
does this girl know what transfers are? So now we start questioning
her. "Is your family Mormon?" "No" "do you have friends who
are Mormon?" "No" then Elder Tomlinson asked, "are you a member?" She
laughed and said no and then He was like, "you're lying! You are a
member!" She just laughed and shook her head. Then we somehow got
talking about the temple and how we were there earlier that day with
the new missionaries. She asked how long it took for them to adjust.
Elder Tomlinson had an "adjusting to missionary life booklet" with
him, and pulled it out of his bag and she said, "I have one of those."
To which He responded, "NO YOU DONT!" Then she said she would prove
it. She went into her dorm and then came out after a bit. She said she
couldn't find it but she showed us a letter instead. Turns out she has
a "boyfriend" serving in Thailand! She was from Ohio and had gone to
church with him there and even helped in primary. We asked if she
would like to meet sometime and she said, "yeah we can not go get
coffee or tea sometime!" Haha she is awesome! So we should be seeing
her this week! It was such a cool miracle!
This is an adventure of Elder Houghton and Elder Tomlinson written
by elder Tomlinson : Once upon a time there were two missionaries.
They were trying to contact a potential when all of a sudden they come
across two people waiting at the bus stop! They approach them and ask
them what they know about Mormons and the Book of Mormon. They don't
know much so they proceed to teach. The bus comes and the two miss
their bus but by the time the next one comes the missionaries have
successfully placed two copies of the Book of Mormon and got a return
appointment! This is how we met Archie and Maribel! They are a couple
that live together, he is 20 and she is 17. We went back to see them
and they kinda live in the ghetto. Their apartment is sketchy from the
outside but inside it was really clean and modern and nice! And they
are so humble and awesome! We taught them the restoration and they are
excited to learn more. Plus they are really normal! Before we started
our lesson Archie wanted to tell us something. Now let's rewind and
watch his side of the story. Archie had been deciding whether or not
to get a car, a fast car. He was afraid that if he did he might hurt
himself, plus the loan for the car was $6,000. He decided that he
would pray about it. The day before he went to get the loan he prayed
that if God did not want him to get the loan that he would stop him
from doing so, or give him some sort of sign. The next day Archie and
Maribel set out to get said loan. While at the bus stop two wild
missionaries appeared and caused them to miss their bus! They
eventually got one and were off to the loan agency. With a newly
obtained Book of Mormon in hand he reaches the office door and
realizes they are just minutes late and can't get a loan. He was
thankful that God had answered his prayer and now wants to know more!
I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
It has been such a great week! With many miracles and so many more! I
look for ward to a time when I can actually tell you them all!
The Gospel is true! Missions are great! And I love you so all so much!
Love,
Elder Todd Houghton
|
Good Morning Sunshine!! April 18th
Hello Again!
Once again it's that time of week. I am always amazed by how quickly a
week goes by and yet so many things can happen!
It is finally just beautiful out here! The sun is shining and I think i
might have gotten slightly dark over the past few days. It will be about time
to bring out some sun screen! I can't tell you how refreshing it is to
walk outside and have it feel warm! We have had some great
opportunities out in the sun, and I love it!
We got to go on two exchanges (where we switch companions for the day)
this week. One thing about exchanges is there is such a thing called
exchange miracles! and that is where on the exchange we just see so
many miracles. Since I have been out I have been on 67 exchanges! And
of those I have been with 46 different missionaries! It is such a
great opportunities to serve with so many different elders and
learning from every single one of them! I don't know many other places
that would allow someone to get to work with so many people on such a
personal level as a mission does!
And speaking of Exchanges I got to go back to Rochester Spanish area.
It was my second apartment in the mission and it was
just interesting to be there again and thinking of who I was then
and who I am now. We had two wonderful service
opportunities on that day, one was we helped out a church, called the
Angels of Mercy, set up for a spaghetti dinner, and then we went over
to the Rochester Farmers market and we helped out with a cool program
where after the market the farmers bring the leftover fruits or
vegetables and we would sort them into three categories, A's would go
to food banks, b's would be taken and cooked that day and served to
the homeless and C's taken to feed animals. It was really a great
opportunity to work side by side with many others from the community.
One huge blessing from that exchange was that there
was a member that we used to visit often to help him. He was
really good at coming to church each Week. But sadly he hasn't been to
church in a long time like over a year. So we dropped in on him and it
was such a good visit with him and we committed him to go to church
again! He said that that was what was missing in his life, and he knew he
need to go again. It was a tender mercy to see him again.
It's such a blessing to serve!
I am glad things are going well for you! Keep on seeing the miracles
around you!
Love you all so much!
Elder Todd Houghton
Once again it's that time of week. I am always amazed by how quickly a
week goes by and yet so many things can happen!
It is finally just beautiful out here! The sun is shining and I think i
might have gotten slightly dark over the past few days. It will be about time
to bring out some sun screen! I can't tell you how refreshing it is to
walk outside and have it feel warm! We have had some great
opportunities out in the sun, and I love it!
We got to go on two exchanges (where we switch companions for the day)
this week. One thing about exchanges is there is such a thing called
exchange miracles! and that is where on the exchange we just see so
many miracles. Since I have been out I have been on 67 exchanges! And
of those I have been with 46 different missionaries! It is such a
great opportunities to serve with so many different elders and
learning from every single one of them! I don't know many other places
that would allow someone to get to work with so many people on such a
personal level as a mission does!
And speaking of Exchanges I got to go back to Rochester Spanish area.
It was my second apartment in the mission and it was
just interesting to be there again and thinking of who I was then
and who I am now. We had two wonderful service
opportunities on that day, one was we helped out a church, called the
Angels of Mercy, set up for a spaghetti dinner, and then we went over
to the Rochester Farmers market and we helped out with a cool program
where after the market the farmers bring the leftover fruits or
vegetables and we would sort them into three categories, A's would go
to food banks, b's would be taken and cooked that day and served to
the homeless and C's taken to feed animals. It was really a great
opportunity to work side by side with many others from the community.
One huge blessing from that exchange was that there
was a member that we used to visit often to help him. He was
really good at coming to church each Week. But sadly he hasn't been to
church in a long time like over a year. So we dropped in on him and it
was such a good visit with him and we committed him to go to church
again! He said that that was what was missing in his life, and he knew he
need to go again. It was a tender mercy to see him again.
It's such a blessing to serve!
I am glad things are going well for you! Keep on seeing the miracles
around you!
Love you all so much!
Elder Todd Houghton
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Let Zion in her Beauty Rise April 11th, 2016
Which is all of you! We have had such wonderful experience this week,
and it has just made me so grateful to be apart of this great work.
There were also a few things this week that made me appreciate the
good moments. It snowed several times :(. I also had the opportunity
to remember that on April 6th 1830, in a small log home in Fayette New York, the church
of Jesus Christ was organized again on the earth.
186 years later we got to be there!! We had a specialized training
at the Peter Whitmer's farm and it was just so neat to see what
the church used to be and then watching General conference just a few days
before and seeing what the church has become! It was really a
wonderful experience. Also I just love all of these missionaries and
getting to see them again is always a highlight. A crazy thing
happened while we were there. The power went out in the kitchen so
President Francis went to find the circuit breaker. President is very
tall ,he is 6' 7, and when he went in to the closet to find it he stuck a
nail into the top of his head. He began to bleed very badly and got
blood all over his shirt and his suit. And when he walked out there
was a family waiting to go on a tour and they saw him. He had to go to the
bathroom to clean up, however 20 minutes later he was up in front of
all of us missionaries! His shirt was still a little pink and he
recounted that experience to us and then he talked about Christ's Atonement
and how our sins though they may be as scarlet they can be as white
as snow. How grateful I am for Christ's Atonement and that through Him
we can be clean! I am also grateful for a remarkable mission president
I have learned so much from him.
 |
| At the Peter Whitmer Log Home on April 6th! |
Friday was also a very unique and special day. Nanii from the Buffalo
YSA,that I had been teaching, was getting baptized!!! Which is such a
miracle in itself. Elder Tomlinson and I were the ones who started to
teach her. She has been through a lot, but getting to see her again
was amazing because she truly looked like a new woman! She had taken
all of her piercings out and she just looked so good. On the way down
to the baptism Elder Merril (He is the senior elder who is in charge of
all the vehicles in the mission) asked if we could take an additional
car with us down to Buffalo for some of the missionaries down there.
So in order to do that Elder Tomlinson and I had to drive separately
but we had to still stay within sight of each other. It was one of the
strangest hour and Half rides of my life. It will probably be the
nearest thing to being alone I will get as a missionary. The
baptismal service was wonderful! Kind of funny--right before the
service I got a pretty bad bloody noose, and it just reminded me of
that same scripture that our sins even if they are scarlet can become
white as snow! Nanii was so happy and I am so happy she has made such
a wonderful and sacred covenant with our Father in Heaven!
 |
| All the Missionaries who taught Nanni! |
 |
| Pre baptism Selfi! |
I love you all so much! What a great work we get to play a part In!
And how wonderful it is that we can repent!
Hurrah for Israel!
Love
Elder Todd Houghton
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Snowy Day in April April 4th 2016
Hello again from the land of Rochester!
Where the weather is unable to make up its mind! We woke up to a white
snowy, spring morning!
This has been a very unique week in the land of the NYRM I don't know
many missionaries are able to say they are companions with someone they
graduated with from home--Twice. I have
loved serving with Elder Tomlinson again. He is a fantastic missionary
and we work very well together. So it has been a great experiences so
far!
We have had many meetings this week with the new transfers, so we got
to just jump right in!
Wasn't General conference the best?! I loved every minute of it! It
blew my mind to think that this was my last General conference in the mission field, It
still feels like I just had my first one. Time is flying by! I don't
know if I can put my fingers on any specific talk as my favorite
this time because I felt like they were all speaking to me! Although I
really loved Russell M Nelsons talk on being able to have priesthood
power! It was inspiring, they were all so good!. Also as I listened
I just couldn't help but think how grateful I am for my family and for
how they have done such a good job at living the gospel. Mom and
dad you are the Greatest!
There was a wonderful experience I had during the morning
session. It was basically all missionaries in the chapel watching the
broadcast when this this nice man walked in and sat next to the elder
next to us. I looked over and realized that this was Benny, (he was a man
that elder LaBar and I had found almost 6 months ago!) We found him
when we decided to stop and have a hot dog from a hot dog stand, We
sat next to him and talked to him about the church. He was such a cool
guy and we gave him a Book of Mormon. We had to refer him to the city
elders and I hadn't heard from him since... And then boom, there is he
was watching General Conference! He said he really enjoyed it and he told us how
much he enjoys being with the people of this church! It was a great
experience!
This is the best work! I am so grateful for living prophets, who are
inspired and are able to help lead and guide us! I am grateful for my
family and for this restored gospel which enables us that we can be united
forever!
Love you all so much!
Elder Todd Houghton
Where the weather is unable to make up its mind! We woke up to a white
snowy, spring morning!
This has been a very unique week in the land of the NYRM I don't know
many missionaries are able to say they are companions with someone they
graduated with from home--Twice. I have
loved serving with Elder Tomlinson again. He is a fantastic missionary
and we work very well together. So it has been a great experiences so
far!
We have had many meetings this week with the new transfers, so we got
to just jump right in!
Wasn't General conference the best?! I loved every minute of it! It
blew my mind to think that this was my last General conference in the mission field, It
still feels like I just had my first one. Time is flying by! I don't
know if I can put my fingers on any specific talk as my favorite
this time because I felt like they were all speaking to me! Although I
really loved Russell M Nelsons talk on being able to have priesthood
power! It was inspiring, they were all so good!. Also as I listened
I just couldn't help but think how grateful I am for my family and for
how they have done such a good job at living the gospel. Mom and
dad you are the Greatest!
There was a wonderful experience I had during the morning
session. It was basically all missionaries in the chapel watching the
broadcast when this this nice man walked in and sat next to the elder
next to us. I looked over and realized that this was Benny, (he was a man
that elder LaBar and I had found almost 6 months ago!) We found him
when we decided to stop and have a hot dog from a hot dog stand, We
sat next to him and talked to him about the church. He was such a cool
guy and we gave him a Book of Mormon. We had to refer him to the city
elders and I hadn't heard from him since... And then boom, there is he
was watching General Conference! He said he really enjoyed it and he told us how
much he enjoys being with the people of this church! It was a great
experience!
This is the best work! I am so grateful for living prophets, who are
inspired and are able to help lead and guide us! I am grateful for my
family and for this restored gospel which enables us that we can be united
forever!
Love you all so much!
Elder Todd Houghton
Happy Easter March 28th
Hello and Happy Easter!
I hope you all had a wonderful week, I have truly loved this time of
year especially as a missionary it just feels like more people are
willing to talk about Christ and His Resurrection! And the best part
is we don't just have to talk about it ones a year but we get to
reflect on Him and talk about our Savior Jesus Christ always!
So transfers are again this week! Elder Detlor is going to be training
a new missionary which I am really excited for him! He will do a great job
with his new missionary!
My new companion will be Elder Tomlinson! . . . Again! It is pretty
crazy to serve with a previous companion ,but I am excited to serve
with my fellow Shelleyite again!
We had a week full of Miracles and Exchanges that is we went
on three Exchanges this week! Which is a lot! Any who!
One really cool experience was that one Monday night last week we had
a lesson with Major again. we had it at the Mission home and President
Francis got to be there! It was kind of exciting when we got there
President put us on the spot and asked if we would sing a hymn before
we started. It was interesting singing to President and his barber in
the mission home but it really helped invite the Spirit into the
already spirit filled home. We had a powerful lesson on the Book
of Mormon. We started reading 2 Nephi 2 with him but only got 9 verses
in because we were discussing and digging into the meeting of each
verse it was powerful! And there are a lot of precious treasures in
those scriptures!
We also met this really cool young woman named Kayla on exchanges, and
we went back and had a great lesson with her and her roommate who sat
in on the lesson. We had a powerful lesson teaching about
the restoration! Teaching the restoration just never gets old! because
it is such a great message!
Tandra has been doing well! Although this week has been tough on her
because it was her schools spring break and she stayed behind. The
problem is that she doesn't have a car. And the school closed all of
the food places on campus so she had no access to food, and we are
basically her only outside sources. We made some trips to the
store, and ordered pizza for her a couple of times. It was unique!
We have been super busy with lots of appointments and meetings! We
hardly have time to think and it is great!
Things are still going well! I sure love you all! And hope you have a
great week!
Love,
Elder Todd Houghton
Elder Detlor is getting transferred and really
wanted to come to this place called the Dinosoar BarBQ for lunch. It
was pretty good! Had a pretty cool view!
wanted to come to this place called the Dinosoar BarBQ for lunch. It
was pretty good! Had a pretty cool view!
Welcome Spring Time March 21st
Hello from Rochester!
This week has been a blur, I feel like I should be used to it by now but it never ceases to amaze me how fast time is going!
I am really learning to apply the saying that President Frances says often, "be Quick but not Hurry".That has been our life just running around and trying to get everything done with the time we have been given! It has been Crazy
We had several Meetings this week but despite all the meetings we still saw some great things!
One of the blessings and privileges was we got to go and check like 40 Ipads, and talk about setting Goals and Making Plans, it was Great!
Another thing was we got to go and meet with Major ,he is President Francis Barber, this week. President had been working on him for quite a while and often talked about him during meetings and everything so I was a little nervous to meet with him but we just focused on the principle of repentance and it turned out to be a really good lesson and we will get to see him again tonight!
Sunday was awesome! After Church We went to the Hill Cumorah because they have been doing these Easter Sunday concerts there. One of the members of our Branch and her friend Andrew, who is someone we have met with a couple times, performed there. Carly sang and Andrew Played the Harp and it was a beautiful performance! It was really Unique to have it at the Hill Cumorah! After that the Easter Video #HALLELUJAH played on the big screen and wow it was great.
I also had the great experience of trying Scrambled Brownies. Not a bad Idea if you're short on time and don't have time to Bake but still want the goodness of chocolaty Brownies. You just throw them into your skillet and cook them like Scrambled eggs and-- Walla Delicious Brownie Goulash. It's especially great served with Ice cream! :)
We are still working with Tandra and just doing the best we can to help her be prepared for her baptism! We just have to do all we can!
I sure Love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love Elder Todd Houghton
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