About The Mission

 The following was provided to us as an introduction to the Texas Houston Mission:

"Texas history has many dynamic leaders who fought for independence from Mexico.  Their freedom was important enough to risk their lives and was won at a great price.  Texans are proud of their heritage. 

 "Houston lies in a huge delta that is mostly flat and drains into the Gulf of Mexico.  As such cotton and rice are the primary crops grown here.  Oil is a large industry in Houston.  The Houston area has an abundance of trees: Cypress, Ponderosa Pine, Walnut, and many others make up the forests and neighborhoods.  Armadillos, possums, and long-horn cattle are iconic.  Texas boasts about great barbecue and has plenty of restaurants to enjoy.  Additionally, there are regional favorites of pupusas from El Salvador, Greek gyros and falafels, and Mongolian stir-fry.  Houston is a melting pot of many ethnicities, but still retains the charm and hospitality of the South.  Being in the “Bible belt”, most everyone is happy to talk about Jesus Christ.

 "There are 9 stakes and 9 zones in THM.  Each proselyting area corresponds with a ward.  Many missionaries are assigned to work on college campuses, where they find many young people who are seeking answers to life’s perplexities.  We have approximately 200 English, Spanish, and ASL missionaries currently serving.  Our area covers about 1/3 of Houston, the 4th largest city in the US, and extends 100 miles NW into the grassy rural countryside.

Our specific purpose as missionaries was outlined in our Mission Call from Russel M. Nelson , President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Your purpose will be to help others come unto Christ by serving them as the Savior would. As you serve with all your heart, might, mind and strength, you will feel the joy that comes from giving of yourself to lift others. They, too, can then have the opportunity to receive sacred ordinances and make covenants with Heavenly Father.

Our main assignment is to serve as member and leader support missionaries, which can include teaching the gospel, strengthening new and returning members of the Church, ministering to local leaders and units, and fulfilling other assignments as needed.

The training we received prior to entering the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah state the following purposes for MLS missionaries:

  • Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ
  • Caring for those in Need
  • Inviting All to Receive the Gospel
  • Uniting Families for Eternity
The first has been a fundamental goal of my life. The others have become a passion over the years as I have had the opportunity to serve in a variety of church callings and assignments. On the last point, if you have not yet started to explore your family history (genealogy), I invite you to visit Family Search to get started. They, and other ancestry sites, have remarkable tools to help you get started and explore the huge storehouses of records that have been preserved and digitized over the years.

 

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