Hey hey hey!

This week was fantastic! Super busy, because we had a visit from one of the members of the Quorum of the Seventy, Elder Bragg! It was super amazing to have him here with us. 

By some amazing blessing, I was one of 8 missionaries in the entire mission chosen by him to have a personal interview with him, and it was so amazing. I asked some questions, we chatted, and he gave me some super amazing inspired answers that I needed. All the missionaries were jealous. What an amazing blessing and opportunity!!!!!!

He came because he was doing a tour of the mission with our presidente of mission. 

He came Friday in the afternoon, gave me an interview, gave my zone of missionaries a super amazing training talk, and so did our presidente. we played him some musical numbers (and I played the piano...man was I nervous!) , and had more talks and training and such. And Presidente Salerno (my mission pres) asked me to go up at the start and bear my testimony! I was so surprised, but grateful for the opportunity to do so!

That evening, all the members came to listen to him give a talk. We brought 2 of our investigators, and they loved it. At the end, Elder Bragg ran down from the stand to shake the hands of my investigators (because he saw them sitting next to me and knew that I had told him earlier that they would be coming). I was so grateful, and surprised at his heartfeltness and love that radiated from him. It was so amazing to be in the presence of a Seventy, and to see what an example of Christlike love and unselfishness he is!! I will never forget that day. 

Saturday we had our big Christmas dinner as a zone (Ushuaia and Rio Grande- the two zones of missionaries on the island I’m on). There were about 30 or 40 o f us, and our presidente. We had some amazing Argentine asado and desserts and pictures and a visit from santa (aka one of the funniest missionaries in the mission), and had lots of fun and a well needed break from the work. 

We toasted with apple cider and sang Christmas hymns until midnight!! And by some other blessing from heaven, got permission to sleep in an hour the next day. Truly a Christmas miracle. hahaha. (for those of you who don’t know, we have a schedule each day, and have to get up at 730 and go to bed at 11.)

Hey wanna know something crazy? For those of you wondering what s the craziest thing I have eaten down here.. up until Saturday I would not have had an answer, cause all I eat is meat, rice, and potato. but now... i have a new answer.......  cow intestine! i don’t remember the name of it, but during our Christmas dinner they cooked up some.  We were all eating asado, all was well, when I made the mistake of asking what a certain plate of meat was. The Argentine missionaries in my group realized I had never tried their beloved cow intestine, so they forced me to eat some, because they all love it so much. So I did, and it actually wasn’t all that bad... a little salty and crunchy. But I have to admit if I thought too hard about what it was, I gagged. HAHAHAHA.

Goodness.. transfers will get announced this Saturday! Either me or my comp will go, si o si. I hope to stay, because I truly love it here so much. I love the people here in Ushuaia, the missionaries, and the members. I have so many amazing memories and experiences here. It’s where it all began for me. But where the Lord needs me, I will go, and i know he has a lot more amazing experiences in store for me. I am so blessed that I have this opportunity to be here, serving a mission. I love this work. 

Marcelo - baptism on the 13 of January (due to his wedding being the 12.) I’m so excited! We are working with them a lot. He started reading the Book of Mormon, and in a few days has already reached 1 Nephi 14! What a boss.

We have a few more investigators that are progressing a lot, and I hope that they continue to progress, grow, and choose to be baptized. How exciting is this work!

Almost 4 months now in the mission. At first, each week felt like a lifetime, but now the time is starting to pick up. Some of my friends go home this weekend, and I'm so sad. They are so sad, and don’t want to leave. Before the mission, i couldn’t imagine not wanting to come home from a mission, but now I get it. You put your heart and soul into this work, these people. Its your life, your home away from home. So finishing the mission and giving it all up, knowing you probably wont ever see these people again, its heartbreaking. Man, what an adventure this is. 

I love you all so much and am incredibly grateful for you support and love and prayers. Thank you for all you do for me, I don’t deserve all of the love and praise that I get. I’m so weak and far from perfect, but I’m giving it what I’ve got. My efforts aren’t perfect, but I’m learning a lot about myself and learning to serve. 

I LOVE YOU ALL. Don’t forget about the real reason of Christmas - Jesus Christ and His birth, but more importantly, His life. He gave everything for us, so we can give back to him our love and our time. We all can go and serve, in the ways that we can. There are plenty of people around us that need our help.

I love you all. stay safe 

hermana holt 

Hola queridos amigos y familia!

Wowza, the time is starting to fly. Its December! 

This week was absolutely fantastic. Well, it finished fantastic. It started off rough, because my companion is unfortunately going through a lot of emotional issues, and some days we have to stay in the pension and do certain activities to help her out. She’s is dealing with some depression like things, I don’t know the whole story, but its been really hard for her each day, which makes it hard for me too.

But by some miracle, Wednesday she was feeling great so we were able to get out and WORK! We started some new programs as a mission to find more investigators.. and they WORKED! We found 4 new investigators this week... and Ill tell you all about one of them, and a super great experience we had...

We received the reference from our zone leaders, to go a visit someone named Elias. So Friday night we went to his house, and we knocked on the door and he opened it and welcomed us in like old friends. We walked in, and his girlfriend and a friend were there, waiting for us as well. Now , this doesn’t usually happen. Usually the people give fake addresses, or aren’t home, or are home and don’t want to listen. SO what a nice surprise and blessing it was to have him willing to let us in, and that his girlfriend and friend wanted to hear us as well! 

We began chatting to get to know them, and we actually talked mainly with his girlfriend Gloria. She opened right up to us, and told us how her brother had just died 2 months ago and how she was mad at God for how unjust his death was. She was crying and it was such a sad, but tender moment. With tears in our eyes, me and my companion were able to bear our testimonies on the Plan of Salvation, and that she would get to see her brother again, and that God is a just God and gives us trials and difficulties so that we can Remember him, learn, grow and change. Then she told us that several years ago she accepted the mormon missionaries in her house, and that she has a book of mormon. We were surprised, and had no idea. So we continued to talk and teach a bit more about the plan of salvation before we had to leave. 

But it was so amazing to see how God works - that he had the zone leaders contact Elias, and that Elias lives in our area, that we got to go visit him and he was home and let us in, that his girlfriend was there, and that everything happened how it happened. I know that there are no coincidences, only blessings that show that our loving heavenly father is watching out for us and loves us so much. We will continue to meet and work with Elias and Gloria this week. Pray for them, that they will accept our message and start to progress in the faith!

I feel so blessed each day here, and can see the hand of the Lord working in my life. I know He lives. It;s so clear. It makes me so sad when we meet and talk with people that want nothing to do with god, or are so convinced that he doesn’t exist or that he doesn’t love his children. I don't know what I would do if I thought that God doesn’t exist, if I didn’t know about the scriptures, or didn’t know that God has a plan for me in my life, and that my family is meant to be eternal.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be here serving a mission. I wont lie, its extremely hard and trying and there are many moments where i want to throw in the towel and return to the comforts of my home and old life. But I cant do that. I made a promise to the Lord, to go and serve and learn what he needs me to learn and become what he needs me to be.

At least I know I’ll have one convert on my mission - myself. I know this gospel is true, and that this is the Lords church here on the Earth.

I am so grateful for this Christmas season, and that I get to be here in the Lord work to celebrate christmas. 

The sun came out this week, woohoo! No snow! Hopefully it stays like that.

We have transfers in 1.5 weeks, and man I hope that I get to stay here in Ushuaia!

Also Elder Bragg from the 70 is coming to our district to give a conference this weekend.... and Im super excited!

I love you guys! Thank you for all of the support and encouragement. Stay strong, keep doing the little things, and look for the blessings of the  in your life.

Mucho amor, 

Hermana Holt 

PS- From December to February the sister missionaries are supposed to wear pants instead of skirts. She was soooo excited to be wearing pants again haha. Simple pleasures I guess….

d