More than just a number

Hey Yall!!  You all get another kinda sucky letter this week because I am very limited on time right now! So I was kinda bummed this week because we didn't reach our goal of being Celestial Missionaries this week.. However, we worked veryyy hard and we gave it our all! I learned tons of lessons this week. Like, when you only focus on getting a certain amount of numbers, that's all you will find yourself with in the end. We had really good numbers this week as far as lessons, contacts and new investigators. But the results in church this Sunday was kinda crappy.. it was because I put a number on the people. When I looked at a person walking in the street, I thought to myself, oh I need to talk to this person so I can get the number. Yeah, That's not how missionary work should be done. Unfortunately right now, we are cleaning up the mess on this type of missionary work. 90% of the members here are inactive.. because they missionaries were after their numbers and not their salvation. So I'm going to treat every person that I teach, contact, or work with this next week like a member on my family. 

I also had the great opportunity to work with Elder Keele this week!! haha he was like my best friend the in MTC! So that was fun to do, we had so much fun together! 2 gringos Walking down the streets of Chile doing what we do best. But The good thing about us working together was we got a lot of people stoked about our English class that we are teaching! haha I have the Chileans try to say "literature" all the time, but they cant do it to save their lives!! hahah!!The missionaries here are great guys, it is so much fun with all of them! But better yet, its even more fun building the relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father. I have to confide in him, I need his inspired direction with everything that I do. I'm so grateful for his hand in my life and in the life of my family. I love you all with everything that I am. 

Elder Howard

Celestial Missionaries

Hey Yall.. holy cow I want to skype you all right now!! haha soooo much
better than emails.. but still this is fun too! This week was a rough one
that's for sure. My new companion has been in the office for the past 8
months so he is not used to the regular life of a missionary. They have
different schedules, eat different food, and things like that. So he was
out for 2 days straight, I guess I worked him into the ground the 1st week.
Its been a rough week because of that.. But this week were going all out.
We have a program called Celestial Missionaries, it is when you reach a
certain point of STATS in a week. IE. lessons, contacts, new
investigators... and its pretty hard to be a celestial missionary for the
week. But I felt so crappy for the last week, that I decided We will not
sleep until we reach the goal to be a celestial missionary. To be so, We
have to be EXACTLY obedient this week, to the T, and I have the faith that
if we do all that we can this week, we will reach our high goal!

I love you all.. Elder Howard****

Bullseye

Wow what a great experience! I don´t think I realized how much a love my family until being here on my mission! Talking to all of you was the best thing in the world! I would do anything to be there with you guys.. I have all the love in the world for each and everyone of you! You all look beautiful and it seems to me y'all have changed a bit. I love my family soo much, I cant even describe how much  you mean to me. Stay strong in all that you do and know that were fine here in Chile!

Well this is a quick summary of my week.. we were playing darts with a family in our ward, and the father threw a dart and it nailed me in the hand. It stuck. I bled. then I laughed.

We were playing soccer with our ward and one of the less active members that was playing with us had a heart attack! We rushed him to the hospital as soon as we could.. He received a blessing before he went into surgery and all ended up okay. He is fine now, he just has to take it easy! 

I got woken up at 3 in the morning by another Earthquake, it really is such a cool feeling!

I finished my goal of reading the Book of Mormon this month... And it has changed my life. The Book of Mormon is truly the word of God! When we take the time to open it up, study, ponder, and apply the messages that we learn to our lives, we become more like our Savior Jesus Christ, We are better people, more happy and most importantly we can have the spirit with us. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and the Book of Mormon is the key to receiving that testimony. I challenge you all to read the Book of Mormon everyday, even if just a little. The difference in your life with be oh so worth it, I promise you!

I love you all sooo Much! I hope you had as good of a time as I did on Sunday! take care

Love Elder Buck William Howard

The Light of Christ

Hey everyone! Its been another great week in northern Chile! The experiences that I've had this week were incredible.

I had my 1st interview with president Bruce on Tuesday. ohhh it is truly incredible how inspiring that man is!! I want to be as he is! It was only 15 minutes long and We just talked about normal stuff, it wasn't anything special at all but I felt as if I had just been translated haha. After the interview I was talking with my buddy Elder Pulsipher about my experience and he told my that President talked to the missionaries about this one time in a zone conference. President said "I have more light than you guys, that's why when you come into my presence you feel different. You missionaries that have a desire to be better will feel peaceful in my presence because you seek my light.. but the people that come into my presence that are dark, that don't have a desire to be better will feel uncomfortable and hate to be around me". It´s the light that we have, and the light that we show that inspires people to be better. We should always seek the light and put all our darkness's behind us. You can´t see your shadow when you are looking at the sun.. 

Another experience that I had was at the Baptism of Elders Pulsipher and Ruiz (the other elders in our sector). They had been teaching this sweet sister named Ruth. She is 65 and doesn't have an ounce of evil in her. They set her baptism Saturday at 7. Elder Deck and I decided to go to support her with her baptism. It was sad because they was only 7 people there.. the 7 people whom had a part in the service. (especially because she came to the baptism the last week and saw that there was 40 some odd people there supporting the others) (that was another lesson that I learned, that we need to support everyone, not pick and choose) but as it was getting dark outside, the power went out. So we decided to continue on with the baptism. It was close the pitch black, we had to use cell phones to light up the baptismal fount  so we could see if it was done properly. We finished the service and it was very spiritual. But after in was over we walked over to sister Ruth and asked her how she felt.. she replied " My baptism may have been in the dark, But now I have the light of my heavenly father". This sweet woman brought tears to my eyes.

Last Thursday we had an emergency service project.. There were some Elders in our Zone that found a young family that was living in a farm house with pigs. (I don't really understand but all I know is it was completely nasty. there were pigs and rats roaming their house.) But the government had told them that they met the missionaries that they are going to take away their 3 month old baby in 2 days if they don't have a different house to live. They didn't know what to do, they didn't have money, or any resources. Then the missionaries walked into their lives. We rallied together with our whole zone and a couple members of the ward and found a place to build. (there are many places in Chile where you  can just build for free on government owned property) we gathered materials together and build a house for this family... It was so sad to see them. terribly poor, but so humble and grateful for what we were doing. We ended up throwing up a 1 room house probably 10 feet by 14 feet. But it was enough for a woman to keep her child. It was incredible to see the joy in the life of her mother!

Well this is elder decks last week in is mission.. Also I end training next week. Its likely I will stay in Alto Hospicio for at least one more transfer. So I'm going to have a new companion by the next email.. ohh I'm going to miss my boy!

Love Elder Howard