HI mom!

awww I LOVED all of the awesome pictures and the cute video!!! WOWZAAAAAA its only been 4.5 months, and the kids are SOO different looking! So tall and grown up and gorgeous. Seriously, they all look like different people to me! But looks like you had an awesome time in Randolph with lots of different adventures, for better and for worse!!! haha. So glad you had lots of fun!

Box - Id love some more multivitamins, and that leave in conditioner that came in a small round black container ELC or something like that. And printed fotos of the fam. But makeup, I can buy here I guess... I dont want you spending a fortune on boxes for me!

Yes your Christmas box arrived..... and wowwwwww YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. We put the tree up in our apartment, and are enjoying all the candy and peanut butter haha. My comp LOVED the card and we used are necklaces and socks for New Years Eve!!!!!!! And all the cards you sent me made me so so happy to read. THANK YOU GUYS. I love you. All the missionaries were jealous of my huge box and said that I must have a super amazing family to send me all that. You guys are well known now in the mission haha.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I cant believe its 2018. Sunday (the 31) was an awesome day - we had breakfast with an investigator so that he would come to church with us, and he did. For the first time in a long time, we had FOUR investigators come!!! ( usually 2 or 3 isaverage). We were so so happy. We eat dinner real late here, so at 8 all 14 missionaries in the Zone Ushuaia got together in the house of the Family Polanco (our ward mission leader) to have dinner of asado and salads and desserts. We ate and laughed and talked and took photos until midnight. We sang a hymn at 1158 until midnight passed to bring in the new year. It was super cool and fun. We had permission to sleep in until 10am, which we did happily haha. Then yesterday for Pday we got to watch Lego batman movie, and i died laughing! even though it was in spanish, the jokes were pretty good hahahahah. We have to write today because yesterday EVERYTHING was closed down. Literally EVERYTHING closes for the New year. not even taxis or buses or the main supermarket was open. People sleep in until 4 or 5, because they stay up partying until dawn. Crazy. So different, but neat.

Im feeling super great this week. Worked hard, saw lots of miracles. The baptism of marcelo is next week, and it looks like we may have another new investigator who will get baptized in the next few weeks as well! Lots of blessings and miracles. 

Im so happy and doing really well. MIssed you guys a bit during new years eve, being with you all, but im not homesick. I feel so happy doing what Im doing, pushing through each day, but the days fly by now. I almost have 5 months! Then at the 6 months mark, Ill be home in less than a year. Everyone says it flys by. I love this!!!!

I hope you guys are well. I loveyou so much! I uploaded like 13 pics, hope you like them!!! 

Love youuuuu

amy 

December 26, 2017

Hola todos!!!

Hope that everyone had a super awesome Christmas, full of love and family. 

First Christmas away from home was a little rough... but not too bad because i LOVE what I am doing. I LOVE having the opportunity to spend Christmas as a missionary, as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, teaching his Gospel, sharing this message of gladness and love with the people of Argentina.

This week was a little tough, because me and my companion worked and worked and worked and prayed and prayed and worked some more... and nothing. People weren’t home, didn’t want to hear us, didn’t answer their phones, or were too busy with shopping and preparations to receive us. That was super frustrating to me. But I see that I have to learn something from this.  I cant change peoples agency. I can do all that I can, and sometimes it wont immediately change people. But I have to have trust that I am planting seeds, that the Lord sees my efforts and will bless us. Maybe not immediately, but he will bless us and the people we are serving. All I want more than anything is for people to listen, because I know the change and happiness that Christ can bring. But I am learning many lessons. Patience and FAITH beings the two most important. I feel myself changing, growing, becoming stronger, better, and more aware to the promptings of the Spirit and recognizing the lessons i have to learn from the trials i am given. Its still hard, but I am learning to enjoy the process. Enjoy learning from my experiences. Patience and Faith. Patience and Faith.

I am so grateful to be here. Im grateful for my family, for the love they send me. For the support and encouragement from everyone at home. There are so many people here who are alone, without family, sad, and hard. I feel so grateful for the multitude of blessings I have in my life, and thats why I am here. To share those blessings with as many people as I can. Sometimes al lI can do is say Buenos Dias and smile at someone as we pass them in the street. And other times I get to give someone a Book of Mormon, and testify of its truthfulness. There are so many ways to share the light of the Gospel. Big ways and small ones too. But they are all of great worth.

I love you all. I hope you always are happy and healthy, and stay strong in your testimony of the truth. I love this Gospel. I love my Savior.

Give a family member a hug, right now. Give them a hug and tell them you love them. There are so many missionaries that cant do that right now. So take advantage of the time you all have with your families. Love them, and express that love to them. Families are the center part of Gods Plan of Happiness for us. I love being able to share that message. I know its true

I love you all so much. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

love

Hermana Holt

December 18, 2017
FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!

So... transfers...... IM STAYING IN USHUAIA! WOOHOO my prayers were answered. I’m staying with my companion (who was my trainer, but now Im out of training and into the real missionary life haha). Such a blessing, and Im so very  grateful that I get to be here in Ushuaia for at least 6 more weeks!

This week was amazing. We worked so hard, and saw lots of success on Tuesday. But after that, we saw very little results of our work. It made me so frustrated and so sad. All I want to do is teach and help! But so many people don’t want to change. They cant see the blessings the gospel brings to our lives. And they don’t want to see it. Ive learned I cant force anything on anyone. The only thing i can do sometimes is bear my testimony. I hope that can be enough. I want people to accept our message so badly, because I know how it can change and affect their live for the better, but they still have their agency. And I am still blessed to have a few investigators that want to change, namely Marcelo. Its been amazing to see the change in him over these last two months. His wedding and baptism is set - the 12 of January. He is so excited, and so am I. He was truly a person prepared for me and my companion. I am so grateful that we were led to him, and that he is so willing to change and accept the gospel. It has already had such a profound change and influence in his life, and I cant wait to see how he continues to change and grow after his baptism.

I get real frustrated sometimes when things prevent us from having teaching opportunities, or when the people don’t want to listen, or especially when our investigators don’t progress. But I’m learning LOTS of patience. Im putting my trust in the lord, and I’m not perfect and have my doubts, but I’m learning to trust that in His time, the people who need the gospel will come. As long as I’m obedient and working hard, they will come. 

I love the scriptures. Im so grateful for the knowledge and counsel they bring us.

Im so grateful that its christmas, and that people might be more receptive to hearing our message, which is centered on Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for my Savior, and all that He has done for me. For my family.  

I love you all, and wish you a merry christmas. I wish I could be with you all, celebrating, but I so grateful and happy that I get to be here this christmas (and the next), serving my Savior. Nothing gives me more joy right now, than being of service to him. Im so imperfect with so many qualities that I need to change, but im learning and trying. And through Him, I know that I can change and become the person he needs me to be.

Enjoy the time with your families this Christmas. They are the most important thing that we have. 

I love you all so much. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

-- 

Mucho amor, 

Hermana Holt 

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

Amy wasn’t able to write a letter to all y’all this week, but I will share some of mine with you.  Thank you all for your love and support…

from Amy:

I had a good week. Baptism didn’t come through unfortunately... because we are waiting on papers for their marriage which didn't come when they were supposed to! UGH! Satan. Hopefully this Saturday. We are still working with him and teaching and everything, but he is practically ready. Just need those darn papers!

Glad you liked my letter last week. Yeah, its rare but so nice to feel appreciated! haha! I love you guys. Thank you for all your support and encouragement and letters. You are my world!

I hope you are happy and healthy, and that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am trying to send all my photos from this week.. I have a lot!

We had a small Thanksgiving as a zone on Friday. Chicken, potatoes, pan, and a carrot salad thing, and pie! It was so great and so nice to be able to celebrate bit! We had to explain to all the latinos what was thanksgiving, but i think they liked the idea (because of all the pie!) haha

We did this crazy hike today to destress and enjoy the nature. 2 hours of straight hiking through mud and forest to get to Lake Esmeralda. BEAUTIFUL. look it up. In the Andes mountains I think. But we hiked for a solid 4 or 4.5 hours, so I’m pooped. But it was worth it for the Lake!!!!!!!

Another week has come and gone. The weeks pass fast, days slow. 3.5 months done. Some days I feel like this mission will never end and that I want it to end, other days i am perfectly content and feel like I can do this forever without stopping. Each day is literally a rollercoaster. ups and downs and ups. But I am happy. Some days are just surviving, other days fly by and are full of joy. But i guess thats how life is in general. Crazy. 

I love the scriptures so much. And I’ve starting reading this talk our mission gave us - The Fourth Missionary. AMAZING talk. I am working hard to apply it to my mission.

Much love,

Hermana Holt

Wow I feel like its been a lifetime... now just 3 months! But hey its a blessing that i get 15 more months down here in the Patagonia to teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Sorry my emails to you all are always short - I only get a few minutes each week, and I always spend the majority of it writing my dear fam... cause they are the most important ones! But don’t worry.... I haven’t forgotten about you all! I love you and am so grateful for all your support, encouragement, and prayers. I know sometimes I cant respond to your emails, but keep writing. You all give me strength and happiness. I am so grateful for each one of you and all that you have done to help me progress and grow and learn!

This week was amazing. I felt so happy and things are turning around with my companion! We are able to work together alot better, and are seeing some amazing blessings and feeling the Spirit a lot. 

We organized a Noche de Hogar with the other missionaries for my Branch, and it was a huge success! It got people motivated to do more missionary work, and we taught them how to begin conversations about the gospel, and we baked Panchuques! Look it up.. some type of weird hot dog thing, but man they were good!

Also I am teaching a English class in the chapel now each Saturday. It’s kinda hard, but its fun! About 10 people came this time, and we had tons of fun! I taught them the song and dance Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes so that we could learn the parts of the body in ingles. Haha! You would laugh if you could see it. 

Our investigators  are doing well! We had lots of meetings with them, and they are progressing. Ismael and Marcelo have baptismal dates for the 25th! We are praying and have to have a TON of faith that they will get baptized, but I know they have the faith and the desire.

The sun has been out more, which has been nice! But it also snowed this week..... oh well, you can never tell with the weather here!

Sorry if my English is bad... I swear its actually really hard to type and think in English! oh goodness haha!

Gotta run, but I love you all! Keep an eye out on my fam for me por favor! They are super amazing. 

I love the Savior. I am so eternally grateful for His atoning sacrifice for us, so that we have the hope that one day we can live together with Him and our families for all of eternity. That is my hope, and why I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and His Atonement. I love you all. HAVE A GREAT WEEK and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

LOTS OF LOVE

Hermana Holt

Argentina Comodoro Rivadavia Mission