Oct 31

whoa hahaha hearing the stoy about tori made me cry hahaha..... i know i still have 7 months but i dont want to end my mish.... dang alright i dont want to thin k about that. thats pretty crazy that margret has cancer whats the deal everyone is getting cancer stop it. she is definately in my prayers its only a trial and it will pass. the scriptures say....

37 aSearch these bcommandments, for they are true and cfaithful, and the prophecies and dpromises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.

38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, myaword shall not pass away, but shall all be bfulfilled, whether by mine own cvoice or by the dvoice of my eservants, it is the fsame.

we can understand from this scripture that even know this life is rough and we have trials we have the hope and faith for the next world when all this hardship will not exist and we will live in a better world of happiness and i know that is true i have a story that i want to share with yall before i end today. one of the little times that i have cried in the streets of mexico....

so we were walking to the church to go to a mettering with the leaders and there is a man. walking very carefully with his stick. i see that he is blind and i see that maybe he wanted to enter the store i wasnt sure because it looking like he was preparing to step up and well. we just passed his we said aw he is going to the store the people are going to be with him. he stood in front of this tiny step for like a minute really struggling and i said hey lets go man we gotta help him we we got to him and i put my arm aound him and said hey are you goin to enter the store he says no no no i am going to sit down and rest.... he is a old man hahah like 65 or more ok its old but he struggles walking. so i said hey the step is really tiny there a better one like 2 yards from where your at and its in the shade where you and feel better. he said really!! alright hwere we going and like does a 180 haha and i said no ever hear grabbed ahold of him and sat him down on the ledge. and we started chatting i asked him when he lost his site and he told me like 20 years ago. i could aslo note that he was homeless...... homeless family a man of 65 or more blind cant walk good is homeless. i asked his whewre he sleeps and he says ohhh right here or over there where ever i feel good haha.he to shorten the story we found out some time after he had lost his site that he couldnt watch out for his mom and she came into his house and stole it and kicked him out and now he has no where to go and there is no way he can work or progress because well he is blind and old theres not much he can do obviosly.so i started to pray and ask my heavenly father wha we could do. my comp started sharing the gospel with im and i was praying just thinking about this mans life and i started to cry. this man is stranded in a world all alone with no one at his side physically to guide him and give hime some place to stay. but we did assure him that his heavenly father loves him and one day he will see again and will be happy.... the point of this is to understand that we are so lucky to have the luxory that we have. the lord has blessed us imensly i mean look we just got a deal where we will finally have our own house again. also we have cars work iphones ipads. we are confortable. even though we arent perfect we are good, and even though we are also struggling to stay afloat we are happy and have our family to be next to us forever in this life and the next to go with us in our trials and to bring us out. to be by our side. and this man simply has heavenly father and his hope and faith that one day he will be healed and happy. please take note of why you are all so lucky to be here and have what you have even though it may seem little it is actually something great and you have alot after you start counting your blessings. thank you family for supporting me in my desicions and guiding me in my livfe to give me the chance to be here in mexico to help my other brothers and siters find there way back to the heavens and holding on the the iron rod. i know that the church is truew and i know that heavenly father is blessing everyone of you in your lives and i know its because your doing something right, thank you for being faithful to heavly father and watching out for others and thank you for being an active family and blessing. i love you all.

thats aweosme that we are going to have a new house i am excited haha i would like to know were it is so that i can see it and please tell me we are still in the same ward haha i still want to see the memebers that i got to know when i left i miss them a lot to and the kids that i was teaching tyhere my friends hahaha

also you need to send or talk to the mission office and send them the new adress. and if anyone well just mom qand dad if you have anew number i need to know what number it is so i can give it to the mission.aslo please remeber that if your going to come to mexico to get me in 7 months you need to talk to the mission office and tell them your plans. where your coming how long you will be staying and when we will be returning home. dont worry about sleeping because i know enough memebers that will let us sleep in there homes well if its not a rule ahhaa i dont know how that will all work out but please get all that info into the office ASAP and let me know hwen you have or i wont stop bugging hahaha.

its been a great week i love you all keep up rthe good work.

elder houston

oh christmas present would be sweet if you send me some teeth whitening strips. talk to tyler bingham he will know hwich ones we used or the good ones to buy. if you could send me 2 months worth or like 2 sessions. i want to have white teeth hahaha thanks

Oct 24

welp its been a good week i have seen some crazy things this week to be honest. ito things that i was just like what the heck!!! and other things like are you seriously doing that lady?! hahaha i will count a few of these stories. there short. i saw a man with half a face and with half a head that was super weird,other thing was well alright so the other religions in the world are weird that all that your ashould understand and i know that you have all seen them on tv that they get really into what they do and the epople go crazy and cry yell maybe pass out or roll on the ground well i witnessed a good one its not so insane but right now i explain.


so we have a few investigatores there pretty good sometimes they anger me but i love them to death. there 4 ladies wwell ok one is a lady and 3 are younge ladies but we go to there house and well earlier that day my comp was making fun of those who think if they yell the spirit comes. so we get to this house and we hear some christian music and then a preacher that starts preaching. and my comp goes off ahaha so we enter the back yard just laughing and then when we enter we see the sister she is a member that is inactive but we see her through the window and she is like a foot away from the tv standing up and the preaching is yelling and the sister is in front with here arms in the air and its just like are you kidding me and then they start singing and well you know me i am just starring and just laughing and well the words in english come spirit come spirit take me away and wash me wash me and then some other words but the sister is like trying to sing the song is way off and then when the singer says clean me she is like repeating it out loud and i lost it i was just like seriously you cant be serious why are you doing that but then i had to repent because i should judge people its not my place but i do know one thing i know that we are in the true church and i have seen a miracle happen with my big brother that has brough so much peace to my heart and mind. i know that the lord is working for all of his chldren.the ones who are mebers and the ones who are not.

i have learned lots of things this week as to do with the gospel and to do with the word of wisdom. i have recently remebered a scripture that i dont know where it is but actually it happens lots of times in the book of mormon but when moroni sees that the people are being bad again after they have just been saved and strengthened to win a war and they start sinning. and he says how fast have you all seen and forgotten what thelord has done you you guys. and i was reflecting on that scripture yesterday. about the word of wisdom. so i want all to listen up.its not only the 5 things that are prohibided we have to watch what we eat in everything. and do excersises. our bodies should be strong our hearts should be strong the reason i tell you this because when i was with elder rawlins i did my excersises good and i was getting super healthy but now that i have come to tonala i havent done my excersises how i should do them an guess what i have started losing my apatite. its super important to excersise and eat good i know its hard because food is delicious but at the same time i feel like what we eat bad and then we dont excersise we are starving our spirit and its not that strong. so do some excersise and eat healthy. including redbull..... i love the drink but uts not the best thing anyone should drink. and if redbull is bad think of the things that are prohibided stay away from them and i promis that you will be blessed and the lord will santify and fortify your temple!!

ok so i have a challenge for everyone the only thing is that the rules change for me because i am a missionary hahaha and i am spanish. right now i am finally memorizing the scripture masteries i wanted to send out the challenge to everyone to memorize them with me!!!! i am tring to have all of them memorized in like a month or maybe a little longer i try to memorize 2 a day and some of them are kinda hard haha and i am of couse doing it in spanish but have a huge testimony of these scriptures how the lord has used them to enlighten my mind and help me understand them and even still i lack a lot to understand but i have memorized 12 and there a 100 of them haha so i wanted to challenge especially my family if you guys can all memorize them haha and extra bonus if you memorize them in spanish!!! if you do it in spanish(mom dad justin amber josh cooper stevie jace and braiden) i will bring you home a sweet prize but you will have to tell me before i leave hahaha but i will be testing you. in the way it can help you guys build your testimony and remeber the words of the lord when your are passing trials and need to be conforted and need strength in every moment you will have this scriptures to help you escape the firey darts of satan i love you all just want to invite you.

this saturday we have a conference with octavio something of the 70 should be good pretty excited

the pictures i dont remeber which ones i put on there but i hope you enjoy there is one of a rat i think that was dead and then a chicken i believe made his life worse hahaha

if you could send me some money so that i can send a package home i dont know if you have i havent even checked my accout hahaha love you all have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oct 17

haahaha joke hahaha no the truth is i dont really want anything for christmas because i cant really use anything out here actually i dont even use my clothes. when i get home i just plan with my comp eat my oatmeal cookies with my chocolate milk maybe read the Liahona and i got to sleep. haahah. so for christmas maybe pictures and cards from everyone idk you guys can think of something i think.haaha i know i make it a little hard.. if you want. you could look on the internet on desseret book store and see if they are still selling the book of mormon in its original first adition form you know the one thats in the movies exactly how joseph smith had it, when i was in ogden i saw i and wanted it but i didnt buy it, then you could save it for me and when i get home it could be like a late christmas hahaha. but yea the truth is i dont use anything here haha actually i will be sending a ton of things home here prety soon because i am ired of hauling around all this stuff haaha


water filter system yes its true i have one of those bottle and yes its true that you can put coke in it and it comes out clean. its pretty legit to be honest so tel amber that its ok i drink clean water hahah.

BAPTISM!!!!!!!!
it went through!!! her name is rubicela casillo solis she is 13 haha way ready to be baptised and was way excited to. she has had a rough time haha actully she got married once haha and she is 13!!!! what!!! but then she left actually it was never done legally but it was done tradicionally idk way weird but she was way happy to change her life and was so happy that she could be baptised. her birthdy is friday hahah.

ok so this week was pretty fun to be honest a little hard but it was good i love my comp seriously so funny he does weird things but he is awesome. learning about the scriptures and how to apply them for in life.

well its true we did have rain and its been cloudy for like 4 days pretty aweosme.and i have escaped eating fish for 2 weeks yes!!!!!! hahahaha

ok look there is only one thing i want to write you guys and i gotta go. its about the atonement of christ.

any of you who have some loads on your back. repent. do what you have to do so yu can be clean.i know that sopmetimes its rough and sometimes its really hard but when we understand this life there is nothing that should hold us back to be clean its not worth sinning and risking be cast out of the heavens. the lord need you younge people to be clean to get out her to fight seriously. satan is workning harder then ever to destroy the plan that we have and he wont win if we get o work. jesus has made it possible to be clean everyday so that we can win but when we subject ourselves to satan or to sin its the same. we willing reject heavenly father and all that he has given us. everyone needs to repent. its always possible there is nothing that can keep you from being clean. just talk to the father and do what you have to do. he loves you and is willing to forgive yuo whatever you may have done. the atonement is one thing that helps us wash out garments so we may satnd before god. i know its true because i have been living it for 16 months in my mission i have seen how it works in other peoples lives and in my own. and its worth repenting there is no other happiness then having weights been lifted off you back being able to walk up straight.i promise all of you that its worth it so please dont procrastinate your repentence. follow our loving heavenly fathers plan and you will see that the heavens will open upon you own head and in these days so hard to find money and work you will see the hand of god lift you up and move yu along so that the suffering will easily pass away and we will be taken into the happiness of our father that he is so willing to give us. remeber the commandments are there to help us not to restrain us. i love everyone of you and only want to see the best for you.
elder houston
ps... if you guys are going to come here to get me when i finish you need to talk to the mission office no less the 3MONTHS before because if its less then 3 months you cant come. so maybe get the planes now so that you can say this day you will be coming and this is the time you will be staying here and this day and time you will be leaving. ok dont procrastinate because theres a to late sorry ok? haha only so that everything is sure. in the office there are lots of elders wo speak english so dont worry. and thank you for sending the package i hope i get it next friday!! maybe for christmas good church music thats not tabernacle choir but is from the church and there like himns and stuff and some that are spanish ok

Oct 10

alright so my new area is sweeeeeeet!!!! as you can see in the picture the beach is in our aea and the wakes are way huge and way better then the gulf and the water is blue!!!! hahaha but the onlt problem is that this water is super dangerous it like will suck you way out its got a wicked current i guess but who knows because the other problem is that i can get in!!!! dang it!!!! maybe when i visit its super pretty..... the only other thing about the area that i am not to excited about is that they eat lots of fish here......I HATE FISH... but oh well i will have to eat it all up so far one week no fish but i know its coming because we go to the beach like every other day like ok 2 times a week to eat hahaha but we willl see what happenes i pray that the lord will here my prayer and my tongue will be loosed and i will be able to eat ahahah.


also this area is awesome. we will have a baptism saturday or friday her name is rubicela and she is 13 ut she has already been married and divorsed hahaha what!!!!! i know but she said when she gets remarried it will be when she gets older. the people here are super confused because both of us are new here and we are looking for the investigatores and the memebers and when we get there thy just say who are you guys i dont know you hahahah i know lady were newhahah.but we have tons of people haha they say that this area is dead but that is way not true so many are here that are chosen by got and me and my comp are ganna find them all. i love my new comp to he is legit he teaches me a ton and right now well he know a dialect and its called sopsil and well i am trying to learn its its pretty complicated haha but its all good in the neighborhood.

also i am not sick well i dont feel sick i am doing good just trying to help my bros and sis come to zion and enjoy the blessings hahah the things that people believe i swear its like.. hey man do you even read the bible because your way off. but the sad thing is that satan has tricked them so good that lots of times there pride doesnt let them see passed there hand. but i know that me and my comp are going to change everything were going to turn this area upsidown. baptise a ton i just know it its only been a little rough getting started but its because there a lot of getting to know but we pretty much know the area and its easy hahaha its noty like the other area ups downs zig zags and backwards there good and its easy,

i know that the lord lives and i know he is looking down on everyone of us listening to your prayers so dont be afraid to just talk to him i know that the book of mormomnn is true too hahah its the best book alive this months enzign is the bomb!!!!!!! love you guys

elder houston

ps please send the package soon hahah because by the time it gets here i wont need it because i will be coming home.please!!!!
also talk to justin ask him how to send pictures so you can emal me pics i miss my fam you know?
the pictures the car is a fav hahaha the brother calls it. the papa movil o in engllish the daddy mobil hahaha

Oct 5

After being in Tapachula for 9 months this transfer thing has got to be hard to grasp for Colten! He loves his new area, though! Great post-conference email!

whoa ok so craaaaaaaazy week

so conference was way sweet i loved it so much ahhh i cant believe i took so much advantage of it when i was home i loved every minute and super sad when it was over every talk was super powerful and really hit me hard in the heart and gave me a renewal of energy and then what a suprise so saturday.

ok sorry so friday night my comp finds a cist on his neck and he started freaking out hahaha so we called the president gave us a number to a bishop that was also a suprise but anyways he says listen come to the stake center tomorrow at 11 for vconference and we will check you out. hmmm where would be the stake center..... MACTUMACTZA sweet i got so stoked that was my first area i was rewally hoping that i was going to see some of my investigators that i taught and well i didnt see anyone and then when the session ended i went and we were talking to the bishop and i see to younge girls who looked really familiar well i asked them hey sorry i have a question are you guys the daughters of david... they turned around... ELDER HOUSTON!!!!!!! we have been looking for you and asking for you since we left. ahhhhhhhhh!!!! so sweet they were 3 when i was there laura lissete and there mom iris and her husband well is a member but i was luike yea!!!! you remember me and i asked if they were baptised obviously they were in conference and they said yea we were so sad but we were baptised january 22 2011 yes!!!!!!! i was so jazzed and then more conference that really pumped me up and it was the last weekend of transfers and man.... what a suprise.

i got transfered to TONALA right on the coast and the beach is in our area. and i am district leader i am incharge of 5 missionaries. ya what the heck how am i going to be district leader!!!! one of those things that you dont really feel ready to be honest i am so scared elder rawlins is going to trauin and my new comp is elder martinez. he is awesome to be honest and the worst thing is that well were both new in the area and we dont know wherew anything is!!!!! and then even worse they eat lots of fish here!!! i hate fish!!!! i dont know what i am going to do i will have to do what i have done from the beginning of my mission i have to learn how to eat it and learn how like it i guess dang!!!!! i am preatty nervous big change but it will be ok the lord knows what he is doing. elder tingey is my zone leader and elder rice is in my district pretty awesome.

thanks for your stories i loved them and that is awesome about ryan we will be able to talk spanish when i get home even though he is going to talk wierd but its ok.

this week was sweet we have a baptism next week and it will be good i am in a branch another new thing but i have to go now i love you guys so much thanks for all your support.

elder houston