Tuesday, 26 December 2017

Merry Christmas!

Sorry! Just pictures this week! 

1-4 pictures from zone Christmas morning breakfast 
5-10 Christmas eve and morning! 
11- 14 Christmas Eve dinner! I had Italian and my own version of raspberry mousse (ice cream and raspberry jam haha) and later we had some tamales 
15 Our miracle dollar! Found it on the street, bought a donut with it haha 
16-17  Christmas Zone Conference! 
























Monday, 18 December 2017

Tender Mercies

Hello all! 
This week has been wonderful, just like all the other ones :) We found 2 new investigators, both by the grace of God! This week I have just been so aware of just how involved God is in this work. 

The first new investigator was Ray. We found him when we were contacting some less active referrals from the Bishop. The woman we were looking for had moved and Ray had just moved there 3 weeks ago! He said he was interested in going to some of our activities and learning more of our message :)

The other tender finding mercy was Aaron! One of our investigators didn't show up to Church so we went over to his place after; he was sleeping, haha. There was a former investigator near by we felt prompted to see, and it was Aaron! He is really nice :) God is just so good! 

We were also able to walk with our investigator Savanna to church this Sunday. She enjoyed my surprise lesson in Relief Society about the Atonement. I was glad she enjoyed it because I had about 5 minutes to prepare for it haha, but I could talk about Jesus Christ and the Atonement all day long! So it was great, I am very glad I had the opportunity. 

Another tender mercy happened when we were dropping off a 12 days of Christmas present for a member to another member in a family ward. She asked us to come inside and something said to go in! We did and long story short she ended up having some referrals for us to stop by! 

I'm going to be honest, we don't really know what we are doing, haha. I have just been praying for God to guide our little steps. You don't really need to know the big picture, if you trust in God He will guide you little bit by little bit. It has been amazing to see that happen in our area this week! 

Also... I got pretty sick this week. So that wasn't awesome but I'm better now :) 

ALSO! Elder Kearon from the presidency of the 70 came to the mission last week and we had an awesome Zone Conference with him! It was amazing. The goals I have set from this conference are to treat invitations to those we teach as gifts! To be more personal in sharing my testimony and to ATTACK THE MORNING! Start the day off right-pray meaningfully, work out energetically, eat healthy, study intently! I have been trying to apply this and I have already started to see the blessings that have come! 

We have had a couple of lessons with our investigator Eddie, he can be kind a goofy sometimes but at least once a lesson, we are able to kinda cut through that and teach something, as guided by the spirit, that touches him. He gets all quiet and serious and it is awesome. 

Also, another miracle! This morning we went out to breakfast with some other sisters and a sweet anonymous family paid for our food. I almost cried, legit haha 

When people find out how long I have been out I usually get questions like, "what is the worst thing that has ever happened on your mission?" I can honestly say it takes me a minute to think about it, and then I usually come up with a lame story because I really don't remember the bad parts! My days are filled with way too much AMAZING to leave any room for lingering bad. 

I love this work. I love my Saviour, I know the Church is true. 

Sister Holt 
Sister Holt and Sister Herrera

Sister Biberston and Sister Holt at Zone Conference

Whittier! In La Habra Heights



Monday, 11 December 2017

Mar Vista!

Hello all!
This has been a wonderful and challenging week- which was exactly what I needed! I love nothing more than being "anxiously engaged in a good cause," and there certainly isn't any time right now for anything else haha!
So our new area is all of the Whittier stake, which is the biggest one in the mission, so it's a pretty big area haha. I really do love it here though! They have these cute little "mountains," really just hills, but I like being up there because there are less people and it feels a little more like home!
Also my new companion is pretty cool! Her name is Sister Herrera, she is from Coeur D' Alene, Idaho. We pick up the new missionaries Wednesday now because they come in later on Tuesday. So, before I got her I still had to leave Sister Polaulu and go to the Santa Gertrudes ward with Sister Hicks! It was great :)
We have already seen so many miracles! We found (kinda) 7 investigators! But really just 5 because 2 of them gave us bad numbers and didn't show up to their appointments... but still 5 is awesome!
We also got to meet with some of the members and they are really great :) also! Jose got baptized! haha we met him at his baptismal interview... but it was really great, he got confirmed on Sunday and we will be seeing him later this week to start some family history and his after baptism lessons. They also have some other really great recent converts I can't wait to work with.
Also this week, I passed out! It was super weird. We were teaching a lesson to our investigator Julius and we were walking back to our cars and all of a sudden I felt super yucky and my vision was going dark and the next thing I know I am waking up from what felt like a nice cat nap buuuuut I'm on the pavement haha. It felt weird, but it was good :) I got some taco bell after and I was right as rain!
We also got to speak in church on Sunday, and teach gospel principles. The second one was kinda a surprise but it turned out great! 
I know there is more... but I left my journal at home haha I will be better next week!
I love you so much! I will pray for you if you pray for me ;) kidding! I pray for you always!
The Church is absolutely true!!!

Sister Holt 

Monday, 4 December 2017

Transfers!

Well transfer calls have come and gone and... I'm staying again! 


Juuuust kidding ;) I am bring transferred to the Mar Vista YSA ward in Whittier and I am also training, so I will be white washing for the first time since the beginning of my mission and in a YSA ward for the first time ever! I am so excited that I get to have such a great adventure for my last 2 transfers :D 

Lakewood 4th has been so good to me; physically and spiritually. I have learned so much here about the Gospel, people, myself, and my Heavenly Father! 

This week has been Great! We found 7 new investigators! I was inspired after exchanges on Tuesday to get out of the car and walk a little bit more! This led to us street contacting 4 great young men in 2 days who are interested in learning more about the Gospel! Blessings! 

Speaking of exchanges, they were Great! Sadly, my sister training leaders were switched and so no last exchange with sister Allen before she goes home on Tuesday... but happily, my new sister training leaders were sister Mitchell and sister... Rhoton! My MTC companion! It was really great to be with her for the day :) I realized how I am barely the same person I was at the beginning of my mission haha. She would be recalling memories and say, "do you remember when you did this crazy thing" or "said this crazy thing?" And I would just be shocked as I looked back. The Gospel certainly is a gospel of change and I am so grateful for that! 

An awesome miracle we saw this week was finding Anthony! Well, I guess we didn't actually find him, some other missionaries did and then they sent his referral information to us :) He is 16 years old and so open to the Gospel! Sister Polaulu and Sister Badger will have a great time with him :) 

Saturday morning our ward had our Relief Society Christmas breakfast and our investigator Maria came! She absolutely loved it and made some good friends, she also took a calendar and is planning on coming to every activity:D 

In the evening we had a lesson with Bill and Mark, we taught more about the priesthood to help them prepare for the interview, it went very Well! 

Sunday was Stake Conference and Elder Kearon of the Presidency of the 70 was there, it was super Great! He talked about letting go, forgiving, and not worrying so much! 

I know the Church is true! I know that God does inspire, call, and ordain men to lead and guide his people in every age, including this one! 


Sister Holt 






Hahaha - snowy trees is SoCal

with Maria at the Relief Society breakfast

the district
teaching someone over the phone in the car
goodbye to Dice

Cuban food!