Donuts!!

Working HARD!

Hello Family!! What a busy week we had today! We had Zone training on Tuesday of last week, where elder Necessario and I had to give a workshop to our whole zone of 34 elders and sisters, it was my first time and safe to say it went really good, we did it on being exactly obedient! I wasnt even nervous haha, its also safe to say I have kicked that fear out of my life, the fear of talking in front of people! Thanks to the mission for that!

Then yesterday we had to give another workshop for our Zone conference, so it was a combo of two Zones, with the total of about 70 missionaries ahha! We gave our workshop about becoming PMG scholars! It went really well, I seem to actually enjoy giving workshops haha!

But a update on our Zone, they did way good this week!! They like doubled all of their numbers! So we were happy Zone leaders hah!

Our area is freaking dope. Lots of people. And dirty.

We have a baptism on Saturday of the Abejero family! They are way cool and I am way happy for them!

Also on Sunday we had 10 investigators attend church so we should have some more baptisms by mid to end Febuary! So we are just way happy with the progress of our area and also of our Zone!

Elder Necessario might be my favorite comp! He is so freaking cool and we get a long so good!! I love him and I have learned a lot from him! I fell our companionship was an inspiration from God!

We are continually working hard and doing every thing we can to talk to every one we meet that we feel we need to talk to! 

The other day we were just walking down this little tiny "skinita" which is like a small narrow "road" but not.. And we just felt like we should go to this place where neither of us had been, and then there was this LA who was like elders I have been looking for you!

We taught her and gave her a Book of Mormon cause she moved from Bacolod and didnt have one and didnt know where the church was so we inspired her that day and could have possible answered her prayers!

But I love this area so far its great! And its getting better!!

Life as a ZL is pretty stressful but I love it, I love the opportunity to help other missionaries exceed in their calling!

But I love you all and pray for you all daily!

Love, elder Howell

New Calling...Very Busy!

Hello mga magulang ko!!

How are you guys doing?? It seems like mom has gotten sick?.. That sucks.. I hope you are okay! I guess I just need to pray better for yo guys!(;

But maybe I will tell about my week! And what a week it has been!!

So I got here on Wednesday, and we had to wait at the transfer point and make sure all the missionaries got there safe, so we only got to work a little, then after we got home from transfers, we spend a good time going over our zone and who had problems and also goals for our zone! It was a good time to discuss things!

Then on Thursday, we had a meeting for the newly called ZL, DL, and STL in our mission, it was a great meeting and I learned a lot! I am really excited for this calling that I have right now!

Then on Friday we had another meeting, called MLC(missionary leadership council) and this a meeting with President Bertin and all the zone leaders, and we discussed presidents new goals for our mission, and I will tell you they are great goals! I am realy excited to see where this mission is going! Pres. Bertin has so many good ideas for this mission to make it better, he truly is called of God.

Then saturday we had to move the sisters appartment in our zone to a new house, so that took a while! But they really needed our help ahah! 

So since I have been here I havnt had a full day of work! But we still were able to get decent numbers this week! But we are having lots of fun together! He is so freaking cool! I love elder Necessario! We already have made SO many goals for our area and also for our zone so that it can improve!

My new are is pure city.

The ward is great!! They have some awesome members who really love the missionaries, so I am excited to be here right now!! 

We have already met with our Bishop 3 times this weeek so we can get the work picked up even more and how he can help us! It was really cool seeing all the support in the ward!

But that is about it!! Every thing is going great!! I love my new calling, comp, and area! It will be challenging because we have the biggest zone in the mission I think, but we are excited!!

love you guys!!

Love elder Howell

A Little Missionary SWAG

Letter from Mission President Bertin

PHILIPPINES QUEZON CITY NORTH MISSION
Zabarte Rd. cor. Ilang-Ilang St., Almar Subd.
Camarin, Caloocan City

22 January 2015

Jonathan Howell

1538 Bloomers Loop East

Santa Clara, UT 84765

United States

Dear Brother and Sister Howell:

                                            

I am so happy to let you know that Elder Jackson Douglas Howell has been called to serve as a Zone Leader in the Philippines Quezon City North Mission. 

As a Zone Leader, Elder Howell will be responsible for the teaching and training of many missionaries.  His example and motivation will become their model to follow. 

He is learning to be a Preach My Gospel missionary and as he develops the Christ-like attributes he is learning, he will build a firm, spiritual foundation for the rest of his life. 

We are grateful for the opportunity to know and serve with this fine young man and appreciate the love and encouragement you’ve given him.

Sincerely yours,

Kim C. Bertin

Mission President

Lots and Lots of PICS!

Zone Leader...Woot Woot!

Hello Fam!! Looks like no email from you guys.. It is prob cause I am emailing earlier than usually plus there was prob a mix up with days I would be emailing! So I guess next week na lang haha!

But I guess we will start off with transfer announcements.. So It looks my time here in San Miguel is coming to an end. I will be transfering on Wednesday. My new area is in Camarin 2a, my new companion is elder Necesario, and we will be the zone leaders of the Novaliches zone. I am excited to be a zone leader and have been working very hard and hope that I can be a good leader to me new Novaliches zone!

As of our work here in San Miguel is great! We have been doing great with our numbers here! Its been a miracle to be able to change the hardest area of San Miguel to one of the best now! So that has been legit!

I have lots of pics to send so I guess that is all my letter will consist of ha, but all is well with me and I am excited to become a ZL!

Love, elder Howell

VERY SHORT EMAIL??

Hey Sorry its a late email, but all is good!! We had a zone activity earlier this day and it went pretty long! But seems like all is good on your guys end! But I am not planning on emailing to long so it will just be something short, hope all is good! But we broke our record here in San Miguel, we got 51 lessons this week so we were pretty stoked about that! ahah so things are going really well for us here! I love you guys and my pday will be next weeek! So be prepared for that! 

One Amazing Letter!

Dear Elder Howell, 

    

    I sincerely apologize if it took me (or us) this long to send you an email! I've been meaning to send you one but frankly, I don't know what was stalling me from doing so. But hey, I finally am sending you one! Although, I have to warn you, this might be too long and your eyes might get all exhausted and stuff. I guess just have a lot to share with you! (since I'm also writing in behalf of my whole family as of the moment)

    First of all, I would just like to know how you're doing! I hope you are carrying on with touching the hearts of people with the Restored Gospel just like you've touched ours! I never got to really thank you for it, so please, allow me to express my utmost gratitude to you, in behalf of the Madike Family, for having given all your time and effort, into helping us discover the True Church! I guess it's safe to say that we've never been happier! We are looking forward to being sealed at the Temple. Just a few more things to work out. Like Charmaine, I think she's warming up to the church! She has come to church with us about 3-4 times now! I just hope she can find time off from her schedule so we could have some missionaries over to teach her! And yeah, my brother is somehow deviating himself from the church. Sometimes he's so eager to come to church with us, but on other days, he gets sort of, lazy, I guess? If it isn't too much to ask, do you mind sending him a little personal message aside from your response to this email? I bet he'll appreciate it, big time!

    Also, I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and a jolly New Year (even if 3 days have passed since the 25th xD)! I really hope you're doing fine! Please also greet your companion, the other missionaries and members as well!:) We've actually been planning on sending you a token of our appreciation but we were not aware of your exact whereabouts that's why we couldn't have it sent YET. How does that even work?:D

 Okay so allow me to update you regarding what has taken place after your transfer....:

    Elder Elkington took your place. He's a really cool missionary! He's from New Zealand. You've probably met him hahaha because I assume all missionaries know one another:D. He's got a real cool Kiwi accent. 

    

    I joined the Young Women Stake Choir! yay! My mum also gave her testimony about how she found the church at the Saturday session of the stake conference.

    On Sunday, November 16th, 2014, at approximately 10:20 am, I gave my first ever talk at the stake conference about letting one's light so shine before men. Gosh, I was SO NERVOUS before then! Especially when they led me to sit in front with all the stake leaders and President Bertin and his wife. I kept on praying to the Heavenly Father to alleviate me from me feelings of anxiety. The Spirit's influence on me was so strong, that the moment I stepped foot behind the pulpit, I was overwhelmed by feelings of peace! It was also at that moment that I decided for myself that I WILL serve in a mission! I've always been thinking about it but that moment, that single moment, made me finally confirm it. I am looking forward to my mission; and wherever the Lord will send me to, I will put in my whole being into following after your example and touching the lives of my future investigators! 

    I've also been practicing how to teach. I tried teaching my teacher, and he accepted the referral card I gave him! I even gave him a Book of Mormon! 

    I've also decided that I'll be going on my mission, probably when I'm around 21-ish. :) SO EXCITED!!!!!

    On December 5th, 2014, I ENTERED THE MANILA PHILIPPINES TEMPLE FOR THE FIRST TIME!! I had my Proxy Baptism Ordinances performed at the font and it was AMAZING! I was able to help save 6 of my ancestors, and 4 of another's from dwelling at the Spirit Prison. And I must say that the temple is literaly the most beautiful place I've ever laid eyes on! The interior of the temple is so solemn that I was moved to tears because I felt the presence of God within. Thinking about it now makes me recall the time when Jesus Christ accepted the Kirtland Temple as His house when he revealed himself to Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. (seminary reference wooo)

    Really though, every element of the temple is so beautiful!!!!!

So I guess that's it. Once again, thank you for all you've done for me and my family and all those other lives you've touched! (for the umpteenth time!) If ever there are times that you might lose inspiration, just know that we will always be praying for you! So don't ever be sad!! Once I figure out a way for you to obtain it, I'll give you a little "something-something", nothing big. Hope you like it!

BTW How many more months do you have left until you can call yourself a "Returned Missionary"?

and please include a short testimony on why going on a mission is awesome so I could write it in my journal!:))))

THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!! UNTIL NEXT TIME!

Sincerely, 

Sheryl Chisom Paz Madike

P.S: Sorry if it isn't formal!

LOVE ME SOME SKYPE!

Hello mother!! What a week it has been!! With the skype calls and every thing!! I was so happy to be able to skype with you guys!! And I dont know why you guys a freaking out about me being sad/complaining haha I love every thing that is going on haha, I guess you just missed percieved it I guess haa!..

But this week was great for us!! Sister Lara got baptized and confirmed on December 27! So we were able to have a white christmas here in San Miguel!!

Also our week right now is going great!! We are lined up to get a lot of lessons this week! Also we committed the Dele cruz family to Baptism! They are really excited, we taught them the gift of the Holy Ghost, the were saying how they feel feelings of things and how they feel like they have been guided in there life and they said they always wanted that constant guidance! So it was cool to help them see that they can if they get baptized, so they are scheduled for the end of January! So we are excited for them!

Not much to report on as we just skyped this past week! But hey love you guys!! Sorry cant send pics this week cause of the computer shop.. Its called a piso net, and you put in pesos like it is a vending machine, and 1 peso is 5 min haha! its interesting.. so ya!

But happy new year!!