Waller Branch

On Sunday, the Waller (Spanish) Branch was created as part of the Houston West (Spanish) Stake.  Elder and Sister Stillman and Elders White and Lewis have been instrumental in helping to make this day possible for many faithful saints.  They will continue their missionary efforts as they help the branch to grow.  President Cue, of the Texas Houston Mission Presidency, was called to be the new Branch President.  We thank him for his faithful service as a counselor in the THM and wish him well in his new church assignment. Please enjoy a few pictures from the event.

President Pingree with Elder White

President Cue with Elder and Sister Stillman

President Pack, ward member and Sister Cue

New Branch Presidency

Pingree kids patiently wait for their father after the meeting

ZLC and a P-day with the Houston West Zone

This week we held a zone leader council meeting.  During the meeting, we discussed the essential and divine role that the Holy Ghost plays in the conversion process.  We had a fairly recent convert talk with us about the role the Spirit played in her conversation and also the role that the missionaries played in helping her feel the Spirit and come closer to Jesus Christ.  We studied the doctrine of Christ as explained in 3 Nephi and noted how the Father and the Son taught that doctrine and how the Holy Ghost bore witness of their teaching.  All three were absolutely unified in the teaching and purpose.  We also discussed how we too can have a unified companionship that includes the Holy Ghost who will bear witness as we testify of the doctrine of Christ.  He will lift those we teach to understanding divine things.

This past week the Houston West (Spanish) Zone came to the mission home for a p-day activity.  The zone is one of the largest and is spread out across most of the mission.  This activity gave them a chance to come together to eat lunch and to play some soccer and other activities before going out to proselyte in the evening.

Farewell Christensens!

It has been a relatively calm week here in the Texas Houston Mission.  Missionaries each had the opportunity to attend the Houston Temple with their respective zones. We also said farewell to Elder and Sister Christensen who have faithfully served in the Madisonville and Crockett Branches. We will miss their stability, work ethic and cheerfulness! They have provided a great service to many individuals!   Please enjoy a few pictures taken from the week.

Pingrees with Elder and Sister Christensen

Pingree kids with Elders Simons and Litton

 The following pictures were taken at the Houston West Stake Conference today.

A Meeting with Elder D. Todd Christofferson

On Saturday, a combined meeting was held with missionaries from all over Houston. Elder D. Todd Christofferson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was in town on church business and kindly made time in his schedule to speak and shake hands with the missionaries serving here.  Early Saturday morning, missionaries from the three Houston missions drove long distances in a rain storm, only to find a flooded/under construction parking lot.  They worked to park the many cars, but decided to change the location to another church building last minute.  Miraculously, all missionaries made it to the new location safely in the rain and were seated just before Elder Gifford Nielsen and Elder Christofferson arrived.  It was a glorious experience for us all to be taught and spiritually fed by an Apostle of the Lord.  Hopefully your missionaries will give you further details in their emails home.  In case they don't,  here are a few of the topics he addressed (from our notes):

• God knows you personally and He has called you to the specific mission you are in.
• Your mission is the only time in your life when you can dedicate two hours each day to study the gospel.  Now is the time to establish a gospel and scriptural foundation for the rest of your life.
• Companion study is a time to receive revelation - to know who to teach, what to teach, and how to teach. 
• We need to teach, not preach.  Teach in a way so that you listen to what your investigators need.  Seek the Spirit to help you know what is in their mind and in their heart.
• How do we know who is prepared to receive the gospel?  The Book of Mormon is the great sifter.  We should invite people to read and pray about The Book of Mormon.  If they respond to the Book, they are ready.  If they do not respond, then they are not yet ready.
• To find greater happiness as a missionary, forget yourself and focus on the people you serve.
• Your motivation has to be love.   If this is not why you serve, then you will not get through it.  How do we develop love?  As you go about serving others and as you plead to the Father for this spiritual gift, it will come.
• In the end, Elder Christofferson blessed each missionary to have expanded capacity, receive more revelation, have more power with the Spirit, be protected, find joy in the service, and gain greater light and understanding through the scriptures.

Due to weather conditions, a change in location and finding our missionaries in the crowd, it was difficult to take pictures.  We did, however, manage to take a few in the parking lot and church foyer. 

Elder D. Todd Christofferson