Y'all look like Ghostbusters!

Hey all,

This has been a great week! Elder Teske and I got a ride from Brother Tobey to transfers and we picked up Elder Mitchell. He and I spent a couple of hours getting organized then we went out and started walking. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, we walked at least 6 miles each day. But it's been good. My foot's been feeling much better, and we've met some great people. 

On Saturday, we had Zone Leadership Council, with the Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, Assistants, as well as Elder Lewis and his companion. It was a bit different this transfer because Elder Mitchell is the District Leader, not me, so I was simply there as an extra hand. We talked a lot about what President talked about the day before in the Mission Leadership Conference, which is just the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders, as well as President and the Assistants. Then we planned a bit about where we want the Zone to go this transfer, what we can improve on, and how we can use our meetings to improve ourselves. It was awesome to watch all of us work together with the spirit to discern where we need to go this transfer.

We switched the car with the Sisters after Correlation and in the evening we were walking around an apartment complex when a lady pulled up beside up and rolled down her window, "Y'all look like Ghostbusters!" We all laughed and asked who we worked for, and we said we didn't work for anyone, we were missionaries. We started talking to her about the Restoration and she took a Book of Mormon and asked us to come back.

Sunday was an awesome day for me. Elder Mitchell and I were standing at the door, greeting people, when I looked back at the pulpit and noticed the whole Stake Presidency sitting up on the stand. I started thinking then asked the Elders Quorum President who was sitting nearby how long Bishop had been bishop. Brother Welker said he didn't know, but it was longer than they'd been in the ward, 4 years earlier. About halfway through the meeting, a member of the Stake Presidency got up and reorganized the Bishopric. It was amazing to watch revelation be put into action. Then after the block, we were talking to the CYSA elders, when a member of their branch came up to me and said, "I don't know if you remember me, but we were at Scout Camp together back in 2013." I looked at him for a few seconds before I recognized him as a member of a ropes course I had done while I was there. It was so great to see him again! 

After we left church, Brother Tobey asked if we wanted to go by Florence, who we had had no contact all week, and it was kinda stressing me out because I saw the impact this gospel has made on her. Side note, never underestimate the effect you can have on someone. Before she left church a couple weeks ago, she told us how much she loved it, and a major reason for that love was because she felt so welcomed and loved. So if you see someone you don't recognize, or really anyone at church just say hi to them and talk for a few minutes. It really isn't that hard, and you have no idea the effect that small act can have on someone. Well we agreed with Brother Tobey and went by. Florence wasn't home, but her older sister was. We talked to her for a few seconds and she said that Florence would be home in a few hours. We left and came back in the evening and Florence was there. I won't go into specifics but I will say that it was one of my most spiritual lessons I've had. It really struck me why I'm out here, I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I am here to do what he would do, talk to who he would talk to, and act as he would act. 

I love you all,
Elder Howell

Sorry for the lack of Pictures (Hopefully Sister Simpson made up for it on Tuesday) so here's some pictures. We were walking really long distances in all these pictures, with no houses in sight, so I was fiddling with the lighting settings on my phone. I think they turned out alright.

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