From a Bona Fide Grown-Up!

From 30 March 2015

Birthday card from home.  Dad found the package and we had to do something with it for EH's birthday!

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Dear Everyone!

So, Good News is that it's not supposed to rain for the first two days of the week. Bad news is that the moon has a leak, the sun isn't coming out for three days, and it's going to be raining for the rest of the week (LDS weather thing onmissionary.lds.org!).

It has been a good week but a tough one. We have lost a family who we helped and loved an awful lot, from our list of people we teach about the gospel.

But, another family's Dad was touched by our last minute visit to them on Saturday morning (we shared the Easter initiative video and then implored them to come to church and trust that God would provide a way and that we or other members could help them out with a bit of cash at the end of a tough financial week). So, at first they said they wouldn't but then they said they would come and they had a great time. The Dad came into combined Priesthood/RS fifthSunday which the Stake President put on (he's never come into Priesthood before) and it went really well. Also, it was my birthday so a bunch of members were doting on me and giving me cards and stuff and it was a great Sunday. I got to choose and play the hymns for every meeting on Sunday. The normal pianist likes when I play (she can do more hymns than me but enjoys singing occasionally (which she can't do when I'm gone)). We sang 199, 116, and 198 (ran out of 1 cards). No one knew 198 but it went well and it's a good one in the right circumstance.

In other good news, a couple who have been coming to the family history clinic invited us over and we had lunch and shared the whole Restoration lesson with them. They absolutely love it, think it's wonderful that we are so happy and truly live our religion etc. and really want to come to church. J, the wife said "Wow, what a responsibility for such a young man" when we taught about Joseph Smith being called as a prophet. She was thrilled when we gave her the Book of Mormon and it was lovely. She even defended us to a nay-saying neighbor who said that she wouldn't allow such people in her house (we had to encourage her to still speak with that neighbor).

So ya, three weeks left. I won't see President and Sister Rasmussen until trunky night. I've only got two Sundays left in the field--one is my departing talk and one is general conference so things are winding down quickly. I didn't get travel arrangements but on the same day that I got my birthday card from the Rasmussens, I got the letter about packing and clearing everything up in the flat.

Elder Houghton

Also, the Branch President's wife, Theresa Williams, sent along these pictures and this note:

I know he is due home real soon, but i thought I would send a few pics of Elder Houghton at our house today enjoying his 21st Birthday.  We had the youth and YSA over for a Mexican feast and Birthday cake.

Take care and thanks for your son, he has been a real inspiration to our Gareth. His papers are in Salt Lake now!