Masks and Service

The church leaders had asked that all our missionaries wear masks when in public.  Many Relief Society sisters and missionaries made masks for us.  Within a week all our missionaries had homemade cloth masks to wear.  We are so grateful for all those who are always so willing to help us and others.  When ye are in the Service of your fellow being you are only in the Service of your God.

Missionaries and Social Distancing!

 We loved being able to see missionaries and social distance (6 feet) as we brought mail to them

Texas Buebonnets

Wild Bluebonnets in Texas are a beautiful sight and one that has alluded me since I have been in Texas  I have tried several times to see them and finally this year I was told they are the most abundant and beautiful they have been in years.  We decided to get all the mail and packages for the missionaries in the Sealy area and college station area and see if we could find some fields with wild bluebonnets as we drove on our way.  We were not disappointed!  They truly are a beautiful sight.

It is hard to tell in the picture how beautiful

and abundant they are!

We brought our assistants Elders Tebbs and Sevy

with us to help out!

Zone Conference Like no Other (except all the missions in the US and Possibly Canada!)

Typically we have 4 (in person) zone conferences each 6 weeks. With the stay at home order we decided to have 7 zoom video zone conferences, everything since March 25 has been on zoom video!  We are grateful to  be able to communicate with the missionaries this way and at least see their happy faces!  Our assistants Elder Tebbs and Elder Sevy took turns conducting the conferences.  All began with prayer, a musical number, the mission statement and training by President Peterson which included a video with Elder Neilson and Elder Uchtdorf on teaching the restored gospel and being situationally aware of those we teach.  This was followed by a half hour  discussion with Gary Miller a convert of about 3 months who had previously been an independent fundamentalist Baptist preacher.  He talked of meeting missionaries when he was 15 and years later in an ER and 20 years later listening to a podcast on the book of Mormon.  About a year after that he had read the Book of Mormon and studied and he along with his wife were baptized.  He recently baptized 2 of his daughters.
We then had a break followed by training from the assistants and President Kizerian who trained on making videos for facebook.
Our departing missionaries shared their testimonies:  Elder Tebbs, Elder Watt, Elder Winters, Elder Owens,  Elder Johnson, Elder Merritt, Sister Ethington

President Peterson concluded with teaching us from the book of Judges and the army of Gideon which the Lord had decreased in size to win a battle, and all knew it was the Lord who had won.

Gary Miller

President Kizerian

Elder Tebbs and Elder Sevy

Tuesday Mission Devotionals

March 25 began the stay at home order for Harris County which is where the majority of our missionaries live, and for a few other counties.  We are able to go out to the grocery store, doctor and other essential errands, basically it means our missionaries are to stay in their apartments and could go out on p-day to get groceries and wash clothes.  We decided each Tuesday to have a devotional and invite guest speakers.  Beginning March 31 we have heard from Vai Sikahema, Tad Callister, Scott and Lisa O'Neil, Chris Hoke and Ahmed Corbett.  We learned so much from each, from Vais football career and mission, Elder Callister about the plan of Salvation, the O'Neils about his conversion to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, Chris Hokes football career and trusting in the grace of God and Brother Corbetts teachings from the scriptures.  We look forward to each devotional and have many wonderful guest speakers lined up for the next few weeks!

The Solution March 30, 2020

Each Sunday evening President Peterson sends out an email to all the missionaries entitled "The Solution"

Dearest Elders and Sisters,

 

Saturday night, on our mission-wide call, I felt impressed to discuss how being united in mighty prayer and fasting on this international day of fasting and prayer will draw power down from heaven.  As people unite to call on God and show faith in Him who is mighty to save, He hears our prayers and answers with blessings--if we as a people are sincere and repent.  The Lord told Joseph Smith, “And, as it is written, Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive” (D&C 29:5-6).  We pray and ask the Lord that this virus may be diminished so that lives are spared and also that the work of sharing the restored gospel can resume in others ways upon the earth.

President Henry B. Eyring said, “I prophesy that the Lord is going to pour out a greater power on disciples to bear testimony of Him, to convert   . . . I testify that members are going to have greater power to testify—if they pray for it” (Gen. Conf. Leadership Meeting, Oct. 5, 2018).  Let us all pray sincerely to gain strength from God.  He wants us to come unto him.  Elder Holland has said “Man’s extremity (being pushed to the limit) is God’s opportunity.”

Through this trial of the Coronavirus, great things are continuing to happen in the THM as we work together to hasten the Lord’s work and as we unite our faith.  Although we’ve been confined to our apartments, like the sons of Mosiah who journeyed into the wilderness and the unknown on a mission to save their enemy, The Lamanites, we can have success if we do as they did.  “And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth …” (Alma 17:9).

In our THM Mission Statement, we say that we will “unite with the Lord in hastening His work!”  The statement that “as we unite…” not only refers to each of us individually becoming one in purpose with the Lord, but also that we will collectively unite together as a mission with the Lord.  Unity is a key principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Savior taught the early Saints, “Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27).

During The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) which involved a series of wars between England and France dealing with England’s claim to the French throne, Henry V, king of England, was pulled into the war when the French king offended him directly and supported a plot against his life. Henry led the army himself to the other side of the English Channel as they marched through France.

On October 25th, 1415 (St. Crispin’s Day), the French army intercepted King Henry near the village of Agincort, with approximately 36,000 troops, compared to Henry’s 9,000. In the face of his army’s anxious, demoralized state, he rallied the troops before they went to battle against the French.  The night before the battle, King Henry V gave a powerful speech helping the troops feel united and part of a team.  In part he said:

If we are marked to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.

That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart. His passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse.
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day.

But we in it shall be remembered,
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother;

King Henry unites his army with a cause, as brothers.  After he gives his speech, his cousin, Westmoreland, who earlier was most concerned about their chances changes his attitude. 

He says “Perish the man whose mind is backward now!” to which King Henry V questions his cousin, “Thou dost not wish more help from England, coz?”  Westmoreland, now certain that the united army can work miracles exclaims, “God's will! my liege, would you and I alone, without more help, could fight this royal battle!”

We THM Missionaries can fight this battle but only if we are united!  Being one in purpose and united can and will inspire us to overcome, see success and move to greater heights.  Without unity, we will not succeed.  Abraham Lincoln aptly stated “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

We want to become as Zion for we know that “The Lord called his people Zion because they were of one heart and one mind” (Moses 7:18).  Our purpose should be to bring others to Christ.  It should be our focus every day. 

A great example of gospel unity and love comes from the Book of Mormon when Alma flees the court of wicked King Noah.  He and his band of followers united in the Forest of Mormon, where they encountered the waters of Mormon.  Listen to what happened:

And it came to pass that [Alma] said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

And it came to pass that Alma, having authority from God, ordained priests; even one priest to every fifty of their number did he ordain to preach unto them, and to teach them concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.  (Mosiah 8-23).

I hope you can see the parallel of this group of Saints to our mission.  We are called to come to Houston and we have made covenants to be here and to work together in unity and love.  As missionaries we should have our hearts knit together in love one towards another and with the members and leaders of our wards and stakes.  There should be no contention, no gossip, no fighting.  We should unite in purpose to share the gospel with everyone.   

Like Alma’s people, we have called leaders of groups which we call districts and zones.  We must have unity in our zones and districts.  As we unite, we will see miracles.  I have seen it.  Those zones that are most united, celebrate each other’s successes and pray for each other, see the most success.  When there is contention, the miracles cease and we are left open to the adversary’s buffetings.

Below is a good depiction of the power of unity.  The load-bearing capacity of a 2x4 board can be multiplied many times when put together with other boards.  So too, when we are united together people will be drawn to us.  Unity is something we must strive for every day. 

In the story of Alma and his followers, the people had an experience that was never to be forgotten.  It sustained them throughout their lives.  They remembered it with fondness and great satisfaction.  The account says:

And now it came to pass that all this was done in Mormon, yea, by the waters of Mormon, in the forest that was near the waters of Mormon; yea, the place of Mormon, the waters of Mormon, the forest of Mormon, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever.  (Mosiah 18:30).

We will have the same feelings about Houston that Henry’s army did and the people of Alma did if we unite together as a band of brothers and sisters.  Pray for charity and complement each other.  Help lift each other.  Talk out problems.  Remember the words of the Savior to the Nephites: “And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been . . . he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention” (3 Nephi 11:28-29).

As we unite, as we pray, as we continue to lift others and bring them unto Christ, we’ll be able to look back and say And now it came to pass that all this was done in Houston, yea, by the waters of Cypress Creek, in the forest that was near the waters of Buffalo Bayou; yea, the place of Spring, College Station and Tomball, the waters of Lake Conroe, the forest of the Woodlands, how beautiful are they to the eyes of them who there came to the knowledge of their Redeemer; yea, and how blessed are they, for they shall sing to his praise forever. 

We love you and pray for you every day.    

With Much Love,

President Peterson

ZOOM........

Since our missionaries are to stay in their apartments, President Peterson downloaded the zoom app and we have been able to talk to and see the entire mission several days a week.  We have trained the new missionaries, held our district councils, Friday night at the movies (we all watched a church movie for an hour), mission prayer and training, Tuesday devotionals.  It is very comforting to see all the missionaries on the zoom video chat and to be able to communicate in this way while we are to stay in our homes/apartments.

Mission wide zoom chat

District Council