Last pic from Fairview!

Jacksons new area in Fairview

New Companion and housemates!

Elder Howell...Still in QCNM (Quezon City North Mission)

 I am still here in QCNM!!! and I am still loving it so thats good!! But hopefully I will go back soon or actually just go there for the fist time! But elder Oakes is there and elder Manley is still in his reassigned mission and there are also 5 more in my mission that havnt been transfered back yet! So until then I will continue to enjoy it here but I am really excited to get the call and to go back!! Any ways we had a good week this week and elder Rama and I are posting the best numbers this area has ever seen!!! Haha so its been pretty awesome to see all of our hard work paying off!! We also have 2 INV with a bap date!! And we have a less active who has been less active for 8 years and elder Rama and I are the fist missionarys to get him to church!! How cool is that?!?! And what a miracle that is too!! Like crazy that I got him to church haha!! Also me and elder Rama are always trying to find more and more Inv every day!! So we are always street contacting OYMing and any other thing we can think of! And its been really good time we have had and our numbers are showing for it! So I am glad elder Rama and I both wanna work hard and both be obedient!! So I already love elder Rama! We have a lot of fun and still work hard!! Plus I can already tell that I am going to learn a lot from him, and that I am going to enjoy this transfer we have together!! Also I had a cool experience this week!! We were at a members house and we had a dinner appointment and we were going to teach her the Work Of Salvation, but as we were following up with how she was doing we noticed a concern and quickly changed the lesson. Her concern was her daughter was a way good member a few years ago and really active in the church. And then these past two years she has fallen away from the church and she was asking us why? I raised her in the church and she knows whats right?.. So why is this happening. So what we did was we shared with her the scripture about the fall of adam and how men and women are free to choose between good and evil captivity and eternal life. So then we went on to explain that she knows whats right and that she is choosing not to go to church and so on. Then as we were teaching I got to urge to tell the story of my Aunt syndney.. you prob dont know the story but she was LA for ever like 20 years plus and before I shared the story she wished there was still hope for her... So i reassured her that there still is hope, And I told her the story of how my aunt was LA and everyone had basically given up on her returning to the church, but there were two people that didnt... That was my gradparents, because they saw her as a daughter of God, and they looked at her as if they would love her no matter what. And I explained that they never gave up on her, and they would continue to ask her to go to church and things that have to do with church(reading BoM etc) and then I went on the say that 2 months ago she took endowments out at the temple, and then I said nobody knew this day would come but our Heavenly Father knew and my gradparents had an idea. During this story I got emotional because what a blessing it was that my grandparents never gave up on there daughter that they loved so much and they knew the blessings of the Gospel and they wanted her to feel this blessings as well. So i told this sister to never give up and to keep trying and that in the lords time she will return! The spirit was there, I can testify that it was and then after the lesson she excaimed how much my story ment to her and that she had regained hope for her daughter!! What a wonderful experience that I was able to share with her and I hope and pray that her daughter will come back to church one day and partake of the wonderful blessings of the gospel again!! This week was a amazing week, and I love missionary work so much, I cannot describe the sense or the idea or any thing that compares to it, It truly will be the best 2 years of my life. I love the Lord, and I love serving him, I also know how true this gospel is. And I love the opportunity to bring people to the light!! And I cannot wait until you have the same opportunity that I have to spread the gospel!! Court I wont lie it really is the hardest thing you can do, but dont be scared the Lord is always with us in our best times and our worst times!! So the lesson this week is never give up, no matter the challenges or trials we face in life, just like in D&C it says "be patient in thine aflictions for thou wilt have many but I am with the every moment" I love the promise here!! He is always with us and I know that is true!! Love you all and have a great week!! 

Week Before Transfers

This letter was actually sent before he was transferred...I was just late in posting it:)

This week has been good, We were able to commit 3 people to baptism!!(the 2 little kids and one other INV named Annalyn) It was so awesome knowing all of there desires to follow their savior Jesus Christ!! But on SaturdayI went on exchanges with the district leader and when you go on exchanges you are suppose to lead all the lessons and basically do most of the work haha so the day before I was so nervous cause I cannot speak Tagalog and I was just scared, So I decided to fast the day of the exchanges and fast for the gift of toungues and also the ablility to be able to teach and lead the lessons. As the day came we went to our first appoitment who was a referral we recieved! So we went to the house and I started out speaking tagalog and it was so bad!! I got so discouraged but the INV said I could speak in english and that he understands it!! I was so happy that the lord provided a way for me to be able to speak to him in a way that we both could understand!! And the day went on and I continued to teach and the people understood every thing that I was saying!! It was such a cool experience! And then when it came to our last appoitment we were going to extend her the BAP invitation! And it was my job to do it! So we first watched the restoration vid, and then testified of how true all of this was and then I did it... In tagalog! I may not have said it totally right but she understood and she accepted!! She and 2 other INV will be baptized March 15, 2014!! And I am so excited for them!! It was such a cool experience being able to teach and use tagalog, And I know the Lord blessed me with this ability! And I am so glad we can pray and fast for the Lords help and guidence and he will give it to us! I am so blessed with that day and will never forget it and what it means to me. Also Monday was transfer announcements!! elder Guard and I were so nervous going in cause we didnt know if we were going to be kept together or get transfered but we both wanted to stay together for one more!! So on Monday after district meeting we all met as a zone and the ZLs announced who was transfering! They first started with our Area of Acacia! So they did elder Guard first and they said.... He is staying so we were like dude we will be together for one more!!! Then they went to me... They said staying or transfering? and I said STAY! and they said..... No.. Transfer. To... Fairview Zone! and your new companion is... elder Rama(filippino) So elder Guard and I are really sad today is our last day together and tomorrow I am transferring!! But I am excited to go to a new area and prob my last area in the QCNM! But i hope my new comp is ready to find, teach, and baptize cause thats my goals!! But I am excited and nervous at the same time!! So wish me luck!! Next time I will see elder Guard is America haha! Which will be cool!! But I am ready to go to an area that has better work haha!! SO again wish me luck!! I love you all and love hearing from you! Have a great week!!

Love Elder Howell

Week of Transfers - Feb. 14th

This is Jacksons Letter to his Mom

It sounds like the wedding was fun and exciting!!  I wish I could have been there! It looks like everyone was happy to be there and was having fun! Where are they going to live? Oh and I notice todds not in any of these haha... Coincidence?... So besides that how was your week? How did tanner play in his tournament? It sounds like they kind of sucked it up?...How is the house selling process going? And how is the house hunting process going? How is dads back? Is hedoing better? How are toph and kristen? Thats fun that court came to the house just to play with ava!! Gosh I love that girl! Did they ask how I was doing? Did you enjoy your time with them? How is the family? Every thing same old same old?

This week was transfers and I transferred to my new area in the Fairview zone and my new area is mapayapa 1!! And like I said before my new companion is elder Rama and he is from Mindanao!! He is awesome!! He is really good at english and he is really really obedient! So we have been having a fun time here!! But our area here where I am is a lot smaller than the last place I was, so its a lot more lessons we can get in it seems like so its been pretty busy week with lots of lessons! I have been teaching a lot more with elder Rama, what we do is I try to say all I can in Tagalog then just teach the rest in english and he translates it if they do not understand it! So its been good change of pace being able to teach a lot!!(: Also we have taught the most amount of LA in this area since my companion has been here!! Which is crazy cause its the most I have had my whole mission!! it was 16!! crazy huh!! The only problem was that our other lessons with INV was much lower but me and elder Rama are continually trying to find more and more people to teach. Also this area I am in seems lots cleaner than the last place I was in! And its also a lot quieter here so its been a good change. But the area where we are is all squatters so most people are pretty poor, where they live in little concrete buildings with no flushable toilet haha so its also been an interesting change! But I have been enjoying it so far! All though I am sad that elder Guard and I arent comps I will see him in America so that will be good!! Also my new companion can speak Cebuano so we speak a little bit every day so thats been fun!! Also my district leader and Zone leaders are way dope!! And all American so its been fun with those guys too! Also no new news on Tacloban still hoping every day that I will get the call from president saying its time for me to go back!! So keep your fingers crossed! But I am also going to continue to work hard and to still study the Tagalog language cause how cool will it be when I come home and can speak English, Tagalog, Cebuano, and Waray-Waray!! haha thats some exciting stuff!! But I love hearing from you mom!! I miss the family a lot and a mission really is the hardest thing you can do! But its also the most rewarding! Love you mom!

Love Elder Howell