Florida or Denmark?

Hey!

I hope you all have had a great week! I have! It's been pretty fun and really weird too.... It snowed 3 times this week... 3 days in a row! Weird weather... But it should be getting warmer...I hope! 

This past week, I was on splits with the Zone Leaders and the Assistants. I know...intimidating. It turned out to be really fun and I ended up learning quite a bit from them. We were on splits in Slagelse (ZLs) from Monday night to Wednesday morning and we did some service for a couple hours, then later on Tuesday, a couple missionaries sang hymns and played the guitar while the rest of us contacted around them in the middle of the city. It was really fun! I was on splits in Frederiksberg with the Assistants and we had a good time too. We had a bunch of lessons lined up, which is good considering that they have been struggling for awhile, and we even put one of their investigators on baptismal date, so that was a plus! :) It was a good experience and it was fun learning from their examples. I go on tons of splits as District Leader and it's nice getting to know a bunch of missionaries! 

We also had stake conference this weekend in the Copenhagen Denmark Stake! A guy from the area 70 came and gave a few talks about member missionary work. He basically said through the message from President Nelson that if this country wants baptisms, they're going to have to do member missionary work to build the churches and stake in their areas. He invited the missionaries to work with members on that too, so that's our task! It was really good and definitely something the country needed to hear! They can access the hearts of those that we can't, and that's valid in every place in the world! 

I found a scripture this week that gave me a little bit of insight! It's in 2nd Nephi 10:23 and it says, "Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life." God gave us our agency and it's our decision to use it. The message is pretty straight forward and simple. Death is unhappiness and eternal life is eternal happiness. We choose our fate. It's pretty simple. I hope we all choose the right path to happiness! Life is all about finding happiness! I've found it, I hope you all can or have too!    

I think that's all that happened! We went to the beach that points towards the Lithuanian/Russian area! It's pretty cool. Florida or Denmark?? :) The last picture is without a doubt Denmark! But anyways, that's my week! Tåstrup is going slow, but we're finding potentials about all day, but it's fun! :) I love you all and I hope the week is good!

Love,

Ældste Taylor Howes

PS: It's snowing again.....

18.04.2016

Hey!

It's about time where I FINALLY get a P-day and can write a detailed email for you all. The adjustment into Tåstrup has been a little difficult. I've just been so busy and things have popped up on P-day and my mind races at 40 miles a minute. Anyways, this area doesn't have as much success as Esbjerg, but, it's going to soon! We have no investigators and really don't work with anyone but less active members, but we've been doing TONS of finding recently. 

This week, we had a zone training in a city called Roskilde! They have a pretty big church building which is pretty uncommon in Denmark, but I hear their ward is pretty big too! Anyways, the zone training focused on powerful finding methods and how we can get investigators progressing towards baptism. I think it was a good training considering it's what the mission needed help with. Hopefully the methods we learned works! The mission as a whole has 20-25 people on baptismal date, so it'd be great if all of those went through! Denmark needs baptisms!

I was also on splits this week in one of the areas in Copenhagen. I loved being there! That area has the airport in it, so all of those who know me really well, knows I love planes, so I stared at planes as I biked around and tried keeping myself focused while contacting in the streets there! That area is great though and the people there are so open to talk about the gospel. We had like 10 10-15 minute conversations with people on the street about the gospel and 5-6 of those were interested in taking the lessons! It was great to see what success happens over there, I just wish it would duplicate in Tåstrup! :) 

Let's see....the ward here is great too! We meet in Frederiksberg in Denmark's nicest church building! The ward is about tied for the biggest ward in Denmark, so that's nice to be apart of. We get 3-4 eating appointments a week so the members really take good care of us here! They're awesome people and there's even young families here too, so that's a plus! :) 

I've been doing great though, that's a little rundown of the area I'm in! The weather has been warming up, but the spring showers have also taken affect, so it's been rainy, semi warm and humid. But that's way better than freezing cold and sleeting rain! 

Since it is spring, I would like to share a thought that changed the world forever! At around this time in the year of 1820, an incredible thing happened. A 14 year old boy, who sought after wisdom to know which church was right for him, experienced something that changed my life. He said, "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" From this time forward, it shows us the God reaches out to His children on the Earth today and shows that he hears and answers our prayers. From this experience, God called a prophet, and apostles to lead Jesus Christ's church on the Earth today. Jesus Christ's authority to perform miracles, such as healing, is back on the Earth. Christ's authority to lead a church is here and will never be lost. Just because a boy had a humble prayer and sought after the Lord's will. It changed my life, and yours.

I love you all! I hope you all enjoy your week and the spring weather! 

MKH, 

Ældste Taylor Howes

PS, Ammar and I in Esbjerg & then København!

A move to Copenhagen and District Leader

Hey!

I hope you all have had a great week and that you all enjoyed General Conference! I sure have! There were some good talks. It's always good to hear them stress the importance of families and relationships with family members. It's definitely what the world needs to hear. I still haven't heard Sunday Afternoon's session, but I'll hear it at some point. 

Welp, a weird thing happened! I got transferred and Elder Allred stayed! I got moved to Copenhagen! I'm in a town called Tåstrup. It'll be a good area and I'm excited to be here. I was a little sad to be moving areas, but it's always fun starting over in a new area. I've been called to be District leader of all the elders in Copenhagen, so that'll also be weird haha we'll see how that goes. I'm excited for what's in store for this district and area. I also get to see the temple every week, so that's a real bonus!!!! :) 

I don't have a ton of time and I'll upload pictures next week! I just moved in and haven't unpacked so I don't know where the camera cord is....(I wish I had an iPad dang it). But I hope everyone is doing well! I love you all and sorry for the short email! 

Med Kærlig Hilsen,

Ældste Taylor Howes