"Deliverance is Nigh!" -November 14th, 2016

How's it going everyone?!

It's been a long week here in Prattville... It feels like last Monday was forever ago! 

This past week Elder Opare and I attended missionary leadership council up in Birmingham. Between the meeting and the driving time, it was a full day of sitting. BUT it was a great meeting and we learned a lot from President and Sister Sainsbury.

The rest of the week was spent preparing a couple of our investigators for baptism this coming weekend. We've been very blessed to be able to see some of the fruits of ours and previous missionaries labors!

This upcoming week is going to be fantastic! We have two baptisms planned for this Saturday as well as Zone Conference this Wednesday. So Elder Opare and I are really looking forward to tackling everything that this week has to hold!

Something that I wanted to share today was a training that President Hanks showed us when he was here. This past week I was asked to do a training of my own choice at a district meeting and I chose this one. I thought I'd share it with y'all as well! 

So it's called "The Parable of the Diamond; A Book of Mormon Parable" hope you enjoy it! 

     "A young man once long ago claimed he had found a large diamond in his field as he 

     was plowing. He put the stone on display to the public free of charge, and everyone 

     took sides. A psychologist showed, by citing some famous case studies, that the 

     young man was suffering from a well-known form of delusion. An historian showed 

     that other men have also claimed to have found diamonds in fields and been 

     deceived. A geologist proved that there was no diamonds in the area but only 

     quartz. The young man had been found fooled by a quartz. When asked to inspect 

     the stone itself, the geologist declined with a weary, tolerant smile and a kindly 

     shake of the head. An English professor showed that the young man in describing 

     his stone used the very same language that others had used in describing uncut 

     diamonds; he was, therefore simply speaking the common language of his time. A 

     sociologist showed that only three out of 177 florists' assistants in four major cities 

     believed the stone was genuine. A clergyman wrote a book to show that it was not 

     the young man but someone else who had found the stone.

     

     Finally an indigent jeweler named Snite pointed out that since the stone was still 

     available for examination the answer to the question of whether it was a diamond or 

     not had absolutely nothing to do with who found it, or whether the finder was 

     honest or sane, or who believed him, or whether he would know a diamond from a 

     brick, or whether diamonds had ever been found in fields, or whether people had 

     ever been fooled by quartz or glass, but was to be answered simply and solely by 

     putting the stone to certain well-known tests for diamonds. Experts on diamonds 

     were called in. Some of them declared that they could not very well jeopardize their 

     dignity and reputations by appearing to take the thing too seriously. To hide the bad 

     impression thus made, someone came out with the theory that the stone was really a 

     synthetic diamond, very skillfully made, but a fake just the same. The objection to 

     this is that the production of a good synthetic diamond 120 years ago would have 

     been an even more remarkable feat that the finding of a real one"

I really loved this Parable when I first heard it. When I first heard it, I hadn't been on my mission for very long and at this time was struggling to testify of the Book of Mormon when I knew there was a high chance of it being questioned and attacked. I found my self trying to hide the Book of Mormon behind the Bible and not introducing it as the life changing book that it is. This parable really reinforced in my mind exactly what the Book of Mormon has gone through and yet it still stands as a beacon of light and as the cornerstone of our Church. 

I love the Paragraph in the introduction of the Book of Mormon that says "Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” This paragraph really shows the true power and importance of the Book of Mormon. This paragraph and the Parable really helped me to learn to testify of the Book with confidence and power! I hope it does the same for y'all! 

Oh yeah, I should probably explain the title of this email! So yesterday morning Elder Opare said "Sunday around six is the best feeling sometimes... it's a good feeling knowing that deliverance is nigh!" (p-day) haha i thought this was pretty funny and perfectly explains how you feel at the end of a week full of hard work! 

Anyways, that's all I've got! I hope all of you have a great week. Until we meet again!

Beyond Grateful! -November 7th, 2016

Hey everyone! 

Another week in the books! 

This week was alright.  A lot of not so great things have been happening but even throughout all those tough things, we've still been able to have some great experiences. This past week there was a death in our ward of a young youth boy. It hit the ward pretty hard and we've just been trying to be as much of a support as we can. If y'all could keep his family in your prayers that would be amazing. 

I guess the adversary hasn't been happy with all the good that's been happening in Prattville so he decided to take his game to the next level. No big deal though, we did the exact same thing! Like I said earlier, even with a number of trials this past week we were still able to push through and see some amazing things happen! 

One of our investigators who we've been teaching for a while just made a big step in her progression towards baptism and it actually wasn't even anything that she did really! We've been teaching her for a while and she's loved everything we talk about. She come to church quite a few times and is amazing. The only thing stopping her from being baptized was getting her mother permission. BUT this last week, her mother decided that she's going to let her follow what she believes and be baptized! So we got her mother signature and set a date for two weeks out! We're really excited and grateful for the influence that the Holy Ghost had on her mother to allow her to do this!

I also wanted to take a moment and express gratitude. 

First, to my Father in Heaven who has given me SO much for these first twenty years of my life. I'm awestruck when I look back at my life and see how much He has been involved. Words can't describe how much gratitude I have in my heart for everything in my life. 

Especially all my amazing family and friends who do so much for me. All the love and support that I've had throughout my life and more specifically today and this past week is overwhelming and I could never explain how much it all means to me. So, thank you to everyone who sent me a card, an email, a package, anything! The support and love mean more than the world to me. 

I hope y'all have a fantastic week! Till next Monday:)

Elder Honn

Happy Halloween! -November 1st, 2016

“Mommy, everyone says I look like a werewolf.”

“Please be quiet and comb your face.”

Haha hey everyone! I thought I'd start with this funny quote in light of today. I hope you all got a good giggle out of it!

Elder Opare and I have had yet another good week in P-ville! We're trying to work our hardest together so that he can finish his mission as strongly as possible. It's pretty strange being with someone who's going home soon... it's made me realize how quickly it goes and how I need to make sure to always be giving it my 100% effort because before I know it, I'll be boarding a plane and heading out. 

This week we were able to go to quite a few areas in our zone. On Tuesday we were in Wetumpka for a District meeting. Then on Wednesday we drove all the way to Alex City to give the sisters there some media. It was a long drive but a beautiful road so it was good! 

The weather here is just playing with all of us. One day it will be chilly and perfect for a jacket then the next day it will be right back up to mid 90's... Mother nature is trying to give us all whiplash, I guess! Hopefully it starts to cool down soon. 

We had a pretty good weekend as well. We play soccer every Saturday morning with members and investigators and this week we had a great turnout! Over twenty people came so it was a ton of fun. We also had the ward trunk or treat on Friday. Elder Opare and I went as... wait for it... Salt and Pepper! haha everyone thought it was hilarious and we had to pose for quite a few pictures. I'll attach one below. We also used the things that y'all sent to decorate our trunk and we handed out candy with the sisters. I'll attach a pic of that also. It was a ton of fun! Wouldn't have been possible without the stuff from my package either so thanks a ton. 

I think that's all I've really got for this week! I hope you all have a great Halloween and a good rest of the week as well. Love y'all! 

Pics:

1. Elder Opare and I met and have started to teach Goliath! He's progressing well and really wants to be baptized. We're just trying to find a font big enough;) 

2. The Waters of Alabama! Mosiah 18:30

3. Salt and Pepper:) 

4. And our Spooky trunk! 

Cans, Cans, and More Cans! -October 24th, 2016

We meet again! Another Monday, another week of serving the Lord and the people of 'Bama.

I'm going to start by being honest and saying that I'm exhausted right now. This past week just drained me for some reason! 

We had transfers on Tuesday that we had to take some elders to and do some other random stuff to go along with everyone moving around. Everything went smoothly and we're excited for the upcoming 6 weeks. 

Ever since I've been in Prattville, we've been volunteering at an Interfaith Food Bank. I love this place and this last week we went twice to try to get some stuff done. We're working on dating and sorting around 7,000 pounds of cans! The people that work at this Food Bank are amazing. They're all so kind and loving and it's an amazing environment to be in. It's amazing when people from all different kinds of religious backgrounds can come together and work to help the less fortunate in the community. I have such a massive testimony of service and all the good it can do and I'm very grateful for all the opportunities we're given to serve as missionaries! 

As far as our investigators go, things are going well! We have a handful that are progressing very well. We're working with quite a few part member families which has brought some amazing blessings. I honestly wish I would have known the things that I know now at the beginning of my mission. I could have done so much more for the wards if I had known other forms of missionary work than just tracting. I guess that's why missions are two years though, so that we can learn and figure everything out and along the way forget about ourselves and come closer to Christ in so many ways! Missions are pretty cool. 

Not much else happened this week so that's all I've really got to report on! 

I love y'all and will talk to you more next Monday! 

Sometimes No Change is a Good Thing! -October 17th, 2016

Hey everyone! 

To start, we had transfer calls this past Saturday and got the news that Elder Opare and I will be staying together in Prattville for another transfer! Which means that I'll be Opare's last companion. We're both really excited and personally I'm very grateful for a break from all the moving and changes that have happened recently! It was getting pretty overwhelming so I'm very happy to be able to stay in Prattville and continue to build the relationships with the people in this area. 

This week we were also able to go on a couple exchanges with the elders in our zone and we all had a great time together. I got to spend time with Elder Stuart again (previous companion) and also Elder Lewis who is from Jamaica! This zone was amazing this transfer and we're really looking forward to getting to know the new missionaries that are being transferred here this week. 

We also had quite a few meetings this week so the week actually felt pretty long BUT they were good meetings and I'm grateful for all the things I was able to learn.

I wanted to share something that I found with y'all from my studies this week. I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants, section 84. I read verse 88 and it really stood out to me. I'm pretty sure I've read it before but it really popped out at me this time. 

It reads: "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

When you first read it, you would assume that it's referring to missionaries and it is. I think that it also refers to members who reach out and make missionary efforts. It's also a promise! Saying that the Lord and His angels will be with us as we do his work. It's a pretty amazing thing, that the Lord will not leave us without support, especially as we turn our arrows outward and focus on helping His children return to Him. This stood out to me because in the last days, things are going to get crazy... they already are. I think it's going to become increasingly harder for us to have the courage to share the gospel in a world that is in such darkness. I promise that as we remember this promise we will receive strength and courage as we valiantly follow Christ teachings and by doing so, share the gospel with His children. 

That's really all I've got to report on for this week! I hope y'all have another great week and I look forward to talking to you next Monday, love you!

PS I'll also attach a picture from Zone Conference with Elde Dyches. It's of the best zone in this mission; The Montgomery North Zone! 

Elder and Sister Dyches! -October 11th, 2016

Well, happy Monday everyone! I think it's Columbus day also so there's that too haha 

Wow, what a week! From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs all in one week.... 

Started off the week by being as sick as a dog for a day and a half... I'll spare all of your stomachs by leaving out the details but it was not a nice experience.

Luckily though, I was able to recover and get back to mostly normal by our special MLC on Wednesday in Birmingham! Elder and Sister Dyches are amazing and I'm very grateful for the chance that I had to spend quite a bit of time with them throughout the week. Everything they taught us was definitely inspired and powerful. I look forward to seeing how their visit helps our mission grow into a more powerful vessel for the Lord! 

Then on Friday, Elder Opare and I went back to Birmingham for a meeting with the southern half of the mission. Elder and Sister Dyches provided everyone with additional training along with President and Sister Sainsbury and it was a fantastic meeting. They focused a lot on becoming "master" teachers and also proper planning. Both of which are immensely important. 

One of my favorite parts of the meeting was actually from the testimony of a departing missionary. His name is Elder Wilson and he's an elder that I've been close to since the beginning of my mission and one that I've looked up to a lot as well. He spoke about being a "Worshipper" instead of a "Performer". I thought this was so interesting! He expounded and said that a performer is someone who puts on a show for those around him/her and a worshipper is someone who does things out of love and their knowledge of the Savior's love for them. We need to always make sure that we are trying to be Christlike for our own benefit and for our Savior, and not for those around us who may be watching. I loved this thought and hope that we can all apply it to our lives. 

Anyways, that's all I've got for this week! 

I'll talk to y'all next Monday, love you! 

Spiritual Reboot? Check! -October 3rd, 2016

Hey guys! 

What an amazing weekend. Conference is such a massive blessing! I'm so grateful for the inspired and revelatory messages that were shared. My testimony was definitely reaffirmed that we are in good hands. What a blessing it is to be able to have a Prophet of God, who receives direct revelation from on high, leading us in these crazy times. 

We were blessed to be able to spend every session in someone's home including two sessions with a few of our different investigators. It was an amazing experience to be able to see the spirit touch their hearts and help them learn more about His gospel.

We actually got stuck in a lesson on Saturday night and ended up just staying at our investigators home and watching the Priesthood session with them. The amazing thing was that President Monson spoke about the importance of the Word of Wisdom during that session and that's actually the main thing that our investigator is struggling with! It was so amazing to be able to have President Monson bare testimony of the importance of our personal health when that was exactly what our investigator needed to hear. Especially since we weren't originally going to stay there for the session but ended up having to. Definitely an Emmaus experience if you ask me. 

Personally though, one of my favorite talks was by Elder Uceda of the Seventy. I loved his story and message that seemed to combine the importance and power of both prayer and following personal promptings from the Spirit. Very powerful talk. 

Anyways, the rest of our week was good as well but to be quite honest I don't remember much of it... Everything was kind of dwarfed by conference haha! 

This week we have a member of the Seventy coming to our mission so we're all looking forward to that. We have a couple special meetings with him up in Birmingham so it's going to be a pretty busy week! 

I hope that all of you loved conference and were able to receive answers to questions and guidance in your lives. I also hope that we're all able to remember the messages taught and continuously try to apply them into our lives. 

I love y'all and I'll talk to you soon! 

pics- 

First is another episode of Alabama Automobiles. This one was spotted a few weeks ago in the parking lot of our local target... haha what a beaut! 

Second, Elder Opare caught me "smoldering" and I thought that y'all would find it entertaining since you haven't seen it for so long.. enjoy;)