week 10

Hey Everybody!

I hope you liked last week's email; I know it wasn't very typical.

We got a new mission president this past week. President and Sister Hughes arrived on Saturday, and we will get to meet them for the first time on Wednesday. It has been such a blessing to serve under the direction of President Brough, and he will be missed. But we are nevertheless excited for the opportunity to serve with President Hughes at the head of this mission!

We have taught more lessons in the past couple weeks than in all my time in the field, and one or two of our investigators are even on the path to baptism! Our Heavenly Father truely does bless us as we seek to humble ourselves and obey His commandments.

As we will celebrate Independence Day tomorrow, I would like to share my testimony of the divine purpose of this, the greatest nation on the earth. Around 101 A.D., John the Beloved disappeared from recorded history. As the last of the divinely appointed apostles, his absence signaled the beginning of the very thing he foretold in Revelations 13: the Great Apostasy. No longer was there a prophet anywhere on the earth acting as the head of the church. The authority to perform sacred ordinances like baptism, as well as to receive revelation of behalf of God's people, was lost. Without this source of revelation, many practices and teachings were distorted among the Christians, not the least of which being the proper form of baptism and the true nature of Deity.

Over the ~1700 years that follow, we see the influence of many great religious thinkers, including John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, John Calvin, and John Knox. Though not called as prophets, these men were certainly inspired by God to aid in preparing the way for the Restoration. In 1620, some of the followers of John Knox, who we refer to as the pilgrims, came to the Americas to establish settlements where they could practice their religion freely. Unprepared for the ordeals they would face, they should have surely died; but they didn't. On July 4th, 1776, the United States of America declared independence from Great Britain. A war of 5 years ensued which, by all earthly reason, the States should have lost; but they didn't. We see the Constitution in 1787, followed by the Bill of Rights in 1789. The United States of America is now perhaps the only nation on earth which guarentees its people's religious freedom (though "guarentee" may be a strong word).

In 1820, Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. He was called to be a prophet in the last dispensation. He and his followers would experience persecution the likes of which had not been seen on the earth since the Apostasy began. So great was the opposition to these innocent followers of Christ that by all scholarly accounts, they should have lost the battle that they never sought to fight; but they didn't.

God's work will not be frustrated. I bear testimony that through inspired individuals, He established this great nation to prepare the way for His gospel to be restored. May we ever be grateful for the many freedoms we enjoy because of our loving Father in Heaven.

Sincerely,

Elder Huston

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Coming at you from the GKLM (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission)!

week 9

How to make a typical day in the life of a missionary

Wake up at 6:30am. Pray. Prepare for the day; eat, shower, get dressed, etc. Pray. Study for 1 hour. Pray. Start proselyting at 10:00am. Knock on doors. Pray that someone listens for more than 30 seconds (repeat as desired). Talk to everyone you see. Call someone who gave you their number; cross their name out because it was a fake number. Eat lunch at some point. Pray. Study with your companion for 1 hour. Pray. Go to an appointment. When they aren't home (or pretend not to be), knock on more doors. Do some service. Pray. Visit some less active members. Eat dinner (possibly at a member's house). Go see some former investigators. Go home and prepare for the next day. Pray. Get some sleep so you can do it again tomorrow.

(Optional, but highly recommended) Let the Spirit guide you, deviating from the above example as prompted. If you do, you will occasionally see: An appointment held. A commitment kept. A life touched. Hearts changed (9 times out of 10, one of the hearts changed will be yours).

It's not easy. But I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, that it's worth it.

Sincerely,

Elder Huston

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Coming at you from the GKLM (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission)!

week 8

Hey Y'all!

I went to my first zone conference this week, which was pretty great! I got to see some of the missionaries from my MTC district: Elder Johnson and Sister Vernon. I also got to meet my trainer's trainer, Elder Irwin.

We did another exchange this week, but this time I stayed here in Paris. And because I was the one who knew the area, I was more or less in charge. It was an...interesting experience. But I realized how well I really did know the area and what I needed to do as a missionary.

Today we went down to Lexington for our preparation day. We played a few games with some of the other missionaries, went to lunch, and got to know them. It was fun!

I had the opportunity to speak in church yesterday about missionary work. One of the things I shared was what you need to do to be a successful member missionary. I call them the 5 L's:

Love everyone around you.

Learn the principles.

Live the Gospel ALWAYS.

Let the Spirit guide.

Loose your tongue.

For us full-time missionaries, there's actually a 6th:

Lose yourself in the work.

The most important is to love everyone. As you do so, I promise you will not only help others increase their faith, but you too will obtain an increase of faith, spiritual strength, and love for your fellow man.

Sincerely,

Elder Huston

Attached: A picture of me, my trainer (Elder Frigetto), and his trainer (Elder Irwin).

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Coming at you from the GKLM (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission)!

Week 7

Hey everyone!

This past week has been amazing! It seems like everything is finally starting to fall into place. I'm starting to really understand how to fulfill my purpose, as well as what it means to be a good missionary.

I'll recount the story of one of this week's great miracles. Elder Frigetto and I had just finished visiting some potential investigators, and we decided to call someone we had an appointment with that night. When we called, they said they'd completely forgotten, and were on their way out of town to visit family. These members had never fallen through before, so we hadn't planned a backup. We were going to have to figure out on the fly what we would do with the rest of the night.

Just then, we get a call from an old potential Elder Frigetto had met a month or so ago. He and his companion had offered service, and she said she'd call if she ever needed anything. But everyone says that, and they never call. But she did! We spent the evening helping them in their yard and getting to know their family better. I have high hopes for this family; they will make incredible members one day!

Brothers and sisters, God is real. He is are loving Heavenly Father, and He knows each one of us. He hears our prayers, and answers them in His own time and in His own way. I testify that as we demonstrate faith and hope, we will see those answers in our lives.

As always, thank you all so much for your prayers on my behalf and on behalf of my fellow laborers in God's Kingdom!

Sincerely,

Elder Huston

week 6

Hey everyone!

This past week has been great! I got to go on my first exchange, which is where you trade companions with more experienced missionaries so you can learn stuff from them. I got to go with Elder Walker to the University of Kentucky campus, which was really great! Most of the people we talk to in our area are 45+, and almost none of them are less than 25. So it was a really different experience talking to people my own age! They seem to be far more open to the opportunities offered by the Gospel. I hope I get the chance to serve in that area some day.

We have appointments with people that we hope will become progressing investigators this week, so please pray for us and them! Again, I appreciate the prayers you offer. I do my best to return in kind.

God bless you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Huston

Mom's Letter

Beautiful Mother,

Remember when you tried to make us call you that when we wanted something? That was great, haha! Everything is well here; I hope all is well with you.

Thank you for sending the cards, I appreciate it! I did get McKenzie's box, and I'm so excited for them to have a little baby girl! I'm going to have a niece! That's so crazy!! They are going to make great parents; McKenzie, especially, has great role models to look to in both you and in Dad.

Best of luck with the bored children and youth conference. I'm honestly not sure which seems more intimidating!

Thanks so much for the recipes! Members can sign up to have us over for dinner, so we usually have 2-3 dinner appointments a week. We're on our own the rest of the time. I'm going to have to learn to be smart with my money, but I think I'll manage fine.

I haven't been too great about exercising in the mornings...I did sit-ups my first couple days, but it's kind of fallen by the wayside. It's one of the things I need to work on. As for Sundays, we just go to the one ward. Our area actually covers 3 cities/towns and several small communities, and they all go to the same ward. The chapel is usually about half-full...It's nothing like Mesa...

Our ward mission leader is awesome, and totally willing to do just about anything for us! He's no President Jarvis, but who is?? That's so cool that he was called to serve under a seventy! And I know Brother Allen will do a great job in his stead.

I love you so much, Mom! I wish I would have done more to show that love before my mission. Thoughts of you are part of what drives me to do my best while I'm here. Thank you so much for everything.

Love,

Elder Huston

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Coming at you from the GKLM (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission)!

Current Mailing Address:
Elder Zane Huston
103 Bourbon Hills Dr
Apt #3
Paris, KY 40361

week 5

Hey everyone!

Sorry for the second Tuesday email in a row! They actually switched our preparation day this week so we could make better use of the holiday.

I almost can't believe that another week has gone by already; time truely does fly when you are in the service of the Lord! My companion and I have taken to inspired tracting. Basically, we pray for inspiration on where to go and when, then we go there and start knocking on doors. It hasn't failed yet! We consistently see the Lord's blessings in our lives and in the work as we seek His divine counsel.

The first time we tried this particular format of seeking inspiration, we thought that we had failed in our efforts. The street we had both been drawn to was a small back alley with no houses on it. There were a couple of houses on an adjacent street, but there was no answer at either. We thought that we had failed. But as we drove off, my companion saw someone mowing their lawn and felt impressed to go help them. They refused our help, but as we walked away, we decided to talk to a gentleman who was sitting outside his house. He was very kind, and accepted our invitation to have us come by and share a message with him sometime! Had we not heeded the promptings we'd received, we probably would not have had the opportunity to teach him.

Brothers and Sisters, God has not abandoned us. He continues to communicate with mankind each and every day, through inspired leaders and to each of us personally through the Holy Ghost.

I love you all, and I appreciate the prayers you offer on my behalf and on behalf of my fellow servants. I feel and see their influence throughout each week. God bless you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Huston

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Coming at you from the GKLM (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission)!

Current Mailing Address:
Elder Zane Huston
103 Bourbon Hills Dr
Apt #3
Paris, KY 4036

Elder Huston week 4

Hey everyone,

Wow, I am not doing so well with this weekly email thing! I'll be honest, my priority is to email my loving parents, so a lot of time goes to that.

I've been in the GKLM for one week now, and I love it! It is so great to be serving the Lord by helping to spread His Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people! Paris, KY is actually a lot like Paris, France! At least, it is according to Sister Herrera; I wouldn't know, haha.

We spend a lot of time finding new people to teach. It is true what they say: member missionary work is wayyy more efficient. So, try to find some referrals for the next time the elders stop by. It will make their Day!

I love and miss all of you, and continue to keep you in my prayers. God bless!

Sincerely,

Elder Huston

P.S. Sorry, this should have gone out yesterday, but I forgot to send it.

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Coming at you from the GKLM (Great Kentucky Louisville Mission)!

Current Mailing Address:
Elder Zane Huston
103 Bourbon Hills Dr
Apt #3
Paris, KY 40361

Mom letter week 2

My Wonderful Mother,

Thank you so much for helping me get Frances ready for endowment! It means alot to me that you would go to all of that trouble! 

I had the thought to check if I had any female ordinances reserved that I could ask the sisters to do. When I saw that I had the endowment reserved for Frances, I had the feeling to ask one of our struggling sisters to do the work for her. After I printed the ordinance card this morning, I asked again to confirm that initial prompting. I was actually prompted then to ask a different struggling sister to perform the work! I'm still not completely sure, why (maybe it was just to be a kind gesture), but I have the feeling that it did help her, in some way. I hope all of that makes sense...

 I did get the first package, and everything was exactly what I needed. Thank you so much!!! I still feel so selfish, asking for all of these things... I want you to know how much I appreciate it! What can I do for you? Pictures? Longer emails? Letters? Just say the word.

I'll be calling at 4pm MDT on Sunday (I believe that's 3pm Arizona time), and we don't get to skype, just call. I imagine you want me to call your cell number, but let me know if you want me to call a different one.

I am having a lot of fun! And I pray for you every day, too. Thank you, Mom. I can never, EVER say that enough. I love you SO much!!!

Love,

Elder Huston

P.S. Thanks for the Cinco de Mayo stuff, too! 

Play time with the Cinco De Mayo box Emily and Mom sent

Week one and two

Hello Everyone!

Sorry for not sending an email out last week, but I failed to budget my time well. Thus, I ran out of it. I will strive to be more diligent from now on, but don't be concerned if I miss a week now and again.

I have been in the Missionary Training Center for two weeks now. I have been called to be the district leader of District 31C, giving me charge over the well-being of the seven other amazing elders and sisters in our district, as well as the training of new district leaders. The district leader of the newest district is none other than Elder Rylan Cluff, who was one of my good friends in high school! What a coincidence that we'd end up in the same district! (Or a marvelous blessing from our Father in Heaven!) I've also run into Elder Cade Westlake a couple times, and he has since shipped off to North Dakota.

I'm learning so much about spreading the Lord's Gospel!

I love and miss you all, and I hope all of you are doing well. I continue to keep you in my prayers.

Sincerely,

Elder Huston

Mom's first letter

My dearest mother,

I miss you and all of the family so much. But I am having a great time!

My companion's name is Elder Johnson, and he is from North Salt Lake, UT. He has a great spirit (he kind of reminds me of Danson Brinkerhoff). I LOVE the food here! There's always a variety of things to try, as well as familiar things. My favorite so far has been the cordon blu (sorry, I probably spelled that wrong). I did get a messenger bag. My favorite part has been TRC's, where we get to practice teaching investigators. We do get to go to the temple, and I got to go for the first time today. The Provo temple is so beautiful, and it was a very spiritual experience. Yes, I did get the Krispy Kremes. Thank you!

As far as things I need, there are a couple of things I realized I should have brought:

-OTG Cable (might have to Google that one. I had one on my desk in the workshop, but I don't know if it's still there. If not, they should be pretty cheap online.)

-USB SD card reader

-My portable document scanner (I think it's under that little brown table against the back wall downstairs)

-a Bluetooth keyboard/TouchPad would be nice (I have a cheap one saved-for-later in my Amazon cart)

The first 2 are most important as far as I'm concerned, because they'll let me send more pictures to you! :)

I'm SO sorry that I didn't have time to write more. The day got away from me; I'll try to make it a bit longer next week! And please give my apologies to anyone that I don't have time to respond to.

With SOOO much love,

Elder Huston