February 19, 2018- 27 weeks down
hey fam!!!! Love you!!
Well i wanted to write a family group email, because so much cool things happened this week, and i want you all to hear. So I’m writing this for you guys, then i will go and read your personal emails and respond to those as well. sound good?
Bueno. this week was a bit tougher than the last, like mom said could happen. but anyways, we had a lot of lessons and two new investigators that are super amazing. and lots of miracles. lots of hard work and blessings.
One of the cool things is that we found this lady Cintia, and began to teach her. She let us in, because she’s open to all religions. we taught her a bit of the Book of Mormon, and then the next visit we taught all about the Restoration. She was flabbergasted when we said dios and cristo appeared to Joseph Smith. She sat there pondering and asked if it really could happen. We had the opportunity to testify from the bottom of our hearts that yes, it happened, that Christ continues to speak and help his people even today, through prophets. She told us something that made me so happy. She said, now I really want to read this Book of Mormon you left me. I want to find out for myself if this could be true. Its crazy, and I don’t know, but maybe it could be. There’s only one way to find out. I have to read and pray. ohmygoodness we were so happy that she committed to read and pray. The message of the restoration is so powerful. And I believe that Cintia is a person prepared for us, prepared and looking for the truth, but hasn’t found it before. Now that its here, I hope that she can have the faith to accept it, and bring her entire family with her. what a miracle. That lesson was one of the best I have had.
Then, Alejandra accepted a date to be baptized!!!!! The 3 of march.. WOWOWOWOW. She wanted to be baptized, but didn’t want a date. So we taught her all the plan of salvacion, and tied in baptism at the end. It was so spiritual. When we presented the date, she said idk cause I’ve been praying but haven’t received a specific answer about when yet....then an idea came to me. I pulled out Ether 12:6, and had her read it. We receive no testimony until after the trial of our faith. i said that maybe God was waiting for her to make a decision, to try her faith, and promised that after her baptism, she would receive that confirming feeling that everyone has that it was in fact the right decision. She pondered for a minute and then said with a resounding Yes, Ok, I want to be baptized on the 3rd.
WOWOWOWOWOWO. Me and my comp were so happy we almost cried. Seriously, it was so amazing. Now we are working hard to prepare her, because the day is going to come up fast. And she still likes coffee a little too much, but luckily all her family is members and had the same problem and overcame it, so we can all work together. If Marcelo can stop smoking to be baptized, I know she can give up coffee. All with faith and prayer and miracles.
Also, Sunday was hard. Nothing bad happened, in fact, the church was amazing with amazing talks, and everything. but in the evening, we had a little farewell with Marcelo, because today he leaves for Buenos Aires for several weeks, and it is 90 percent likely that when he gets back, I wont be here. Beause I already have 4 transfers here, and thats the max usually. so we had a little farewell, us four in his house. Mom, that’s why you saw those pics on facebook last night of us!
We talked and laughed like old friends. Made me so happy. Then Marcelo said that he wanted to share some things with me. He thanked me so heartfeltlly and deeply for having come to his house and teach him the gospel and help him, even when he was stubborn, to learn and grow and change. For presenting him the Book of Mormon, and challenging him to read it every day. For everything that we did for me. He thanked me and thanked me and thanked me. Wrote me a note. Bore his testimony. I cried... as you can imagine. we realized in that moment that we might never see each other again. it was so amazing, i was so touched.
then we talked about their goal of being sealed as a family in a year from now... and i realized in a year from now will be the week i head home from my mission. i said half jokingly, hey you should plan your sealing date for the day i head home, so that i can pass through Buenos Aires and be there.
They said, umm actually yes because the two most important people for us to be there are you and Hermana Borba. and Hermana Borba will already be home and lives close. So we figured out the exact day I would be traveling home, and they put their sealing day for the next day. February 13, 2019. Buenos Aires. Oh my goodness i was so happy. I leave Comodoro the 11 or 12, and can pass through Buenos Aires, mom and dad can pick me up there, and the next morning we can go to their sealing session, and then head for the states. I was so happy. Ii hope it can work out like that, and as far as my knowledge of the mission goes, it should work out perfectly. Its my goal.
But when i had to leave his house, I started tearing up again. he thanked me again, and told me to never give up in my mission, cause if i could fight with him, i could fight through anything that came my way. He is such a huge part of my life now, of my mission. I will never forget all those days we spent with them, teaching them, challenging them, loving them. wow.
I hit 6 months this week. felt a little crazy to think that in less than a year i will be home. still have a ways to go, but its starting to pick up a bit now. i love Ushuaia, but I’m also hoping for a change, when transfers come in 3 weeks. i think it will help. but i love Ushuaia so much at the same time. i can now really feel myself growing, changing, becoming a little better, a little more patience and loving. It’s amazing. I have a long ways to go, but I can feel the effects of my mission hitting me now, in a good way.
Well, thats mas o menos all of the crazy awesome things that happened this week.
Mom you can send this as the group email if you want, cause it took a lot of thought and time hahaha.
I love you guys more than you know. you are my world, my light, my motivation to do what I am doing. I can’t do this without you. The mission is a family affair.
love you. ill go read your personal emails now and respond.
amy
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Mucho amor,
Hermana Holt
