March 5, 2018

March 5, 2018- 29 weeks down

HI mom!

Wow what a letter... i didn’t read the email about grandpa but I’m gonna print it.

I’m good! the week was hard, one of the hardest ones yet but for different reasons. but through it all, I’m learning a lot. i feel like this week the Lord had to literally break me down in many different ways, so that i could learn to build myself up again and keep going. It’s a constant battle, but I’m grateful for it cause I’m learning and growing up.

yep, i better see him in that airport with that sign! 50 weeks haha. i have 6.5 months now! yay!

wow sounds like a crazy week of traveling... loco. but thats good you got to go to Vegas and be with the fam. i saw the pic and love it, you two look great. hows Maddi and Christy doing?

poor ashy. keep doing what you gotta do, all with love. charity. youre an amazing mom, so dont worry about it. motivate her to go on a mission, it will whip her into shape...

oh no aly nooo!!!! no no no. oh my goodness what happened when she read that? I’m so sad for her. but yes now its super obvious that she has another path, no doubt about it in my mind.. now she’s got to go find it...

go buddy boy! hows he doing in all his competitions and everything? He’s so smart. send some pics of him!

dad wants to retire right now? huh? explain

sure you are fine? why was it such a tough week, cause of grandpa, or other stuff? i love you so much

SO GLAD you guys got the stuff in the mail, that makes my day. i was hoping you could get it and enjoy a little bit of Ushuaia.

hey look up my friend who just went home on insta   Popagramm  jeremias ezequial popa

also do you know a Mckenna kimball (the kimball family) from the NP stake??? THEY WERE IN USHUAIA and talked to some of my companions, they are o a cruise or something... know them??

aww i dream about you guys all the time too. i miss you ! I love you!!

This week elder pop, my district leader and friend, and hermana souza, went home. finished their missions. made me a little homesick that day, along with everyone else. its hard to go to the airport and watch your friends head home happy to see their families. it hurts a bit. but the time is moving faster now. transfers at the end of this week, ill hit 7 months, and its almost easter. its moving along.

this week was hard like i said, we did a lot of contacting and knocking doors, lots of rejections. for hours. cause all of our investigators couldn’t meet this week. and also having lots of problems with the branch, the leaders, and my ward mission leader. lots of contention, problems, and it all seems to look like my fault so i get the blame, even though I'm the only missionary striving with all my heart to be exactly obedient. so that hurts me. 

I gave my testimony yesterday during sacrament. was super nervous but I wanted to do it. 

and huge miracle.....we had 6 investigatores come to church! HUGE miracle that proved to me that despite the problems and drama, the lord sees my efforts.  NO ONE ever has 6 assistences here. No one. so we were thrilled and so grateful. 

I love the missionaries here so much.  i trust them and love them more than i can say.

hermana batista, brazil

hermana simons, utah

elder beltran, honduras

elder popa, argentina

hermana souza, brasil

i love them. they are what make up my mission. and Presidente Salerno also. he is a huge light and help for me. i called him this week about a problem, and me answered me Hija mia, no se preocupe.... My daughter, don’t worry... made me feel so loved. He truly is an inspired man called of God.

My comp is doing good. starting to talk a little more in lessons, buts its still hard cause i have to talk 80 percent of it cause shes nervous or doesn’t kow what to say. I've had to grow a lot and really get out of my comfort zone. i feel like a new person now. like i said, this week the Lord had to break me down lots so that i could build myself up. Don’t worry, I’m okay, and i don’t want to worry you with all the details of everything, but know that the Lord is trying and testing me, for my benefit, ad that I’m growing lots.

i love you so much my sweet mom. i miss you. send a video!

LOVE YOU

amy

February 26, 2018

February 26, 2018- 28 weeks down

Hi mommy!

como estas? todo bien! Te amo tambien mi madre preciosa!

I love writing you too! Sorry i took so long, we went to do some things at noon, and I didn’t want to write before then, cause i knew you’d all be asleep. so we just got back, so thats why i’m writing now! haha!

aww i love that you guys take pics for me. i LOVE the pics. WOW ash and aly’s hair is the same length what the heck. she cut a lot off!

A DEER HUNTERS BANQUET?? EXPLAIN!

YAY he cut off the beard haha

Love the pics. gorgeous.

wow coraline looks so grown up and big in those pics! oh man... one day!

So my week was basically the week from hell.... but yeah. everything that went wrong went wrong. 

left the cell phone in a taxi and had to go running around Ushuaia to find it

we had to wait in the doctors to get a appointment to get glasses for my comp.... she left hers at home

our shower still doesn’t work

then the toilet broke

then i cried hahaha

and the elders had a baptism and overflowed the font and it flooded the church..

so basically, week from hell. we barely got to go out and teach.

oh yeah and now Alejandra isn’t responding .. we’ve called and she responds a little, but wont talk about the baptism... thats supposed to be this Saturday.. so we might have to push it back a week.. but we have transfers in two weeks so I’m freaking out a little

but yeah hahahaha enough about my week i love hearing about you guys!!!

oh poor grandpa. is it real serious mom? or is he gonna pop out of it soon'

HAVE FUN in Denver!! That should seriously be a blast, say hi to everyone for me. take pics

I love you so much. AHHHH BRIGITTES FAREWELL; I FEEL LIKE I JUST HAD MINE!!!!!!!!! Ill go watch those videos now!! aw i miss her so so much

i love you so much. I’m learning a lot. but i miss you guys. 6.5 months done. my district leader goes home tomorrow, and hermana souza, my best friend in the mission, went home Friday. i cried like a baby. She’s from brazil.

i love you !

amy

February 19, 2018

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

-- 

Mucho amor, 

Hermana Holt 

February 12

February 12, 2018- 26 weeks down

Hola a todos!!!!!

Well this week was one of the best in my mission... with my new companion we worked as hard as we could, were super obedient, and prayed a lot. ... and we saw the results. 

Each day we saw a miracle. Some were small, like a new investigator who hadn’t answered the phone in almost a month responded and we have been communicating now, we left a card with our number at someones house and they called a week later and said they wanted to go to church with us.... we brought a member to one of our lessons and she happened to already be friends with the daughter of the man we were teaching and so they both came to church this week... lots and lots of little miracles, that showed us that god is here and that his hand is in each detail of our day.

but the biggest miracle of all... Alejandra.

She’s 19 years old. Super shy but so sweet. Her whole family is members.. but not her because her brother and dad recently passed away and so she didn’t want to be in church and see all the families together happy. She was pretty closed off to the Church. 

We met her when she started coming to my English class in the chapel that I have each Saturday. And she loves the class. So for the last few weeks we have been gaining her friendship and trust, and this last week we began to teach her about the church. She wasn’t super open, but we taught and invited her to baptism, and she said maybe she would think about it. We invited her specifically to pray that night about all the things we have taught, baptism, the Book of Mormon, and the church. She said she would, but she doesn’t pray much, but she said she would give it a try.

The next day she sent us a message, that she had an experience, and wants to tell us about it. We were freaking out a bit...

So the next day after the class of English, we started to talk. 

She told us she prayed like we had told her, and that for the first time she was able to open up and talk to Heavenly Father like it was a two way conversation. She said she felt so happy, and she felt like crying although she didn’t know why. She said she received lots of comfort and some answers to some deep questions she had. She told us she wants us to keep visiting and teaching her, and she wants to come to church each week. She has come for the last two weeks now! And the best part... she told us she wants to be baptized!!!! We talked a lot, and she said she knows its a commandment and that she wants to follow the example that Christ gave us, and that she has never felt so happy and confident. She said she feels so amazing in the chapel each Sunday. oh my goodness we were so happy. She doesn’t want a date for the baptism yet, but we are praying lots and working together, and it should be in 2 or 3 Saturdays!!!!!! WHAT A MIRACLE. it is so amazing to see how she started off a few weeks ago so shut off to the church, and to see her now so open and happy and with desires to learn and be part of the church... man this is what is it all about. What a blessing. Pray lots for her, that we can have the baptism soon and that she can be happy and seguir adelante. 

Also, Marcelo, who got baptized a month ago, is stronger than ever. lots of trials, but he hasn’t missed church in months, and continues growing his testimony, reading the Book of Mormon hours each week, and learning lots. its so amazing. Even if he was the only person who I saw baptized in all of my mission, it would be worth it still, because his life has changed so much.

Im so happy here. Almost have 6 months, this week. The time is moving fast, and I’m starting to see so many blessings, opportunities, and miracles of this work. I love it. The hard times come each day, and its so hard, but with God all things are possible. With the Book of Mormon, I have comfort and answers. I have hope. I know its true. 

We had lots of rejections this week, including someone telling us the Book of Mormon is a lie, we should open our eyes and accept Christ, we are sinners, and all that.... but it only made me sad for them, and it gave me an opportunity to look him in the eyes, and bare sure testimony that I know that the Book of Mormon in the word of God, and that the church is true, and that I  know my Savior. It was a hard experience, but a blessing in disguise.

I love you all. Be so grateful for the many blessings and opportunities you have, living in the States, with wards and stakes and all the luxuries that we have. We are so blessed.

Have a fantastic week

Hermana Holt 

February 5, 2018- 25 weeks down 

Yep, so you saw... my new comp is Hermana Chirinos from Honduras! She’s a sweetheart. Super short and super hard working with lots of energy. No, she doesn’t remind me of Brigitte at ALL hahaha thats super funny you say that though. She’s super awesome. Friday we traveled by colectivo (bus) to Trelew (the northernmost point of the mission), stayed overnight, then flew from the airport there to Ushuaia. It was a LONG week of traveling... I literally traveled through the whole Patagonia in a few day.... only to go and receive my new companion! Seriously Im in a super unique mission haha. 

WOW hunting looked like so so so so much fun. The pictures and videos, especially Dad's beard, made me laugh. Wow brought back lots of memories. So glad you had fun. Brandon looked like he had a blast. [I got three ducks in like 15 minutes and I’m super proud]. What a cutie pie hahaha. Love it. Dads beard is gross.

Yep they are always talking so I always tell them to hush up or leave hahahahaha. 

aww glad you got my card haha. Super insignificant,  but I wanted you to have at least something. GF, GF, GF!!!!! Way to go hahah super funny. Today i found GF tapas para empanadas (the outer bread part of empanadas.. don’t know how you say it) and that made me happy hahaha. I’m doing better with my eating... instead of pizza one night in Comodoro i convinced the financieros to buy a bit of chicken so i could eat better. Yum! And I buy anything GF that I can find here in Ushuaia hahaha. Arroz flour, pasta, and stuff like that. 

Sounds like an amazing birthday. I wish I could have been there... but the day of your next birthday I will literally be packing up my stuff to head for home... so it will go fastish, right? Almost have 6 months in the mission. Is it going fast or slow for you all? It's going a little bit faster for me now.

I love you so much. 

Something super cool that happened this week was that when we were in Comodoro I got to spend some time with Presidente. I'm never near him, because I’m in Ushuaia. He visits every transfer for 2 days. SO i got to spend like a week with him and talk with him and everything. He’s so amazing. He was super busy one day, Thursday, but I wanted to have a quick interview of 5 mins to ask him something. I approached and said Hey i know you are super busy but.... and he cut me off and said Yes of course we can talk if you want, lets go to my office Sister Holt. and turned off the computer right then and stopped all that he was doing to come and talk with me. Made me so happy. I n the interview I thanked him for the opportunity to train, and he said Hermana, you deserve it. Ahh made me so proud. Then I asked my questions, he gave me advice and said he would help. Then as we left he said I love you a lot Sister Holt, thank you for everything. Made me feel so appreciated. He really listens and will do anything to help me, despite the fact he has almost 200 missionaries, he knows my investigators, companion, and everything about me. It was super awesome. And during the trainings and such, he kept making jokes about how I always say my Spanish is terrible {And Sister Holt with her super awful terrible Spanish....) haha he says I’m the most advanced in my Spanish in comparison to all the missionaries in the mission practically. He tells me i actually sound like an Argentine. And one day when i was in the office, I was talking and helping organize everything for the trip and he over heard me giving orders aka helping and laughed and said I sound like an antiguo in the mission despite having 5 months, and was impressed.

Wow so much happened this week, but that was the highlight.

And we have a new investigator, Alejandra, 19 years old, and its going super well. 

WOW. So many things mom, each minute is a new adventure here.

I love you . SO MUCH. Write me. I love youuuuuuuuuu

amy

HOLAAAAAA

MOM MOM MOMMMMM GUESSS WHAT

So Saturday night, before transfers were announced, I saw on the phone that i had three missed calls from the secretaries. I got a little nervous... because usually they only call when bad things happen at home..

so I called them back and they said they had some news for me. I got super freaked out... they asked if I was ready to hear.... I said yes.... I think so.....

Then they said I would be leaving Ushuaia the next morning (Sunday) at 5am. WHATTTT???? NO??? Transfers weren’t until Monday! Then they said... chill, because you will be returning to Ushuaia in a few days. WHATTT??? Then it hit me why. They then told me.... I HAD TO GO TO COMODORO FOR THE WEEK TO BE TRAINED AND TO PICK UP THE NEW MISSIONARY THAT I WAS GOING TO TRAIN! I’M GOING TO BE A TRAINER!! A TRAINER!!!! WHATTTT! I then proceeded to freak out with happiness in to the phone, and they all laughed and laughed. They called me before transfers were announced, because I had to hurry to the pension, pack a bag for a few days, get sleep, and at 430am head to the terminal of buses. (colectivos) WHATTTTTTTT.  I was in divisions (splits) with Hermana Aguirre, so i wasn’t with Borba when they told me. So when i got to the pension, i broke the news to her. She was so happy and everyone was l screaming and laughing hahahah. Poor Hermana Borba had migraines all week, so we were in the pension for several days. It was miserable. Hermana Borba then told me that Presidente had called her and told her she would be moved up as one of the 8 sister training leaders (hermanas capacitadoras) in the mission, and would go and serve in Rio Gallegos (12 hours from Ushuaia, tip of the continent). We were all so happy. Then I started to cry cause I realized how big of a responsibility I had now, and that I would be in my same area with this new missionary, and would have to teach her everything, like how Hermana Borba taught me. And I’m still lacking knowledge in so many aspects of the mission. She gave me a bunch of advice.

Then Sunday morning I headed off to Comodoro. It took around 6 hours to get to the end of the island, a 30 minute boat ride, and then 13 more hours in bus to Comodoro. i think. I left 5am Sunday and arrived today at 6am. WOWWWWWW. So basically the last two days have been a blur.

I’m now writing you from Comodoro Rivadavia, where it is WAY to hot to handle. Its p-day, tomorrow the rest of the new trainers will arrive (including my two dear friends from my group that arrived together to the mission -Elder Spencer and Elder Mcdonald, who both have the same amount of time in the mission as me), and the newbies arrive .Wednesday we a have training and Presidente will choose who will be the trainer for who. I’m sure you will know the second I know, because Presidente will put it on facebook. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOOWOW. Thursday or Friday we head back to Ushuaia in plane or bus, I'm not sure which. and then we start working!

I cant believe it still. 

For the first time in my mission, I got to see my mission. Sounds weird, right? But I arrived to the mission, and went to Ushuaia by plane. And have been there ever since. And my mission is the biggest in the world, so its not like the other zones are right here close to me. They are between 3 and 30 hours away. So i never met anyone else, saw any other areas of my mission. But on the bus ride, we stopped in a lot of my areas. i got to meet so many missionaries that I have heard so much about, and see people who I arrived with. It was so wonderful. I was so happy. It felt like a vacation. Now, me and the one other trainer who traveled with me are staying in a hotel waiting for the other trainers. 

AHHH MOM I CANT BELIEVE IT. WOOHOO.

So that’s my week haha

WOW i loved hearing the update about the family! I’ll read that talk you sent. AW i love the pictures!! SO CUTE: . 

You went riding in the desert again? Awesome!

Haha aw Aly and Ash. I loved what you wrote about them.

I’m so glad you are doing good mom. I love you so much and miss you. We didn’t get to teach a whole lot this week because also Presidente came for zone conference, and my comp was sick.... so it was a slow week.

and yes, everyone is still on vacation haha.

OH no you said not to write at four.. here i am, writing at four. of course hahahaaaaa. please write back if you can!

Computers here in Comodoro stink. super slow lololol.

Man, I love hearing the updates about everyone. Thank you! I love you guys so much. Kids are so big. So awesome

I love you

amy

HEY GUYS I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. 

All I want is that everyone knows that I am trying. Don't look to me as a hero for what I'm doing. I'm so imperfect. I'm still Amy. But trying to become a better Amy, a better version of myself and a better servant of the Lord. I am doing my best. Its an imperfect effort, but I'm trying. I give my all, and when I dont give my all, i repent and try again. I strive to do everything right, and sometimes i fail. But I love the Lord, I love his work. I want to improve everything about me, I want to serve with all my might heart mind and strength. And I'm trying. I push through the hard moments, which come every day. I get frustrated and am impatient, but I pray that the Lord can replace those imperfect traits with more love and more patience. I want to become better only so that i can serve the people here better. If you can take something away from my experience this week, know that life is a struggle. Its an upward climb. But it doesnt have to be a sad, complaining upward climb. it can be so amazing, take a second to look around you, to see the miracles God put in your life and in your day. I realized this week that the Lord can only answer our prayers when we have faith. I was praying without faith for a few things for a few days, and nothing happened. I was frustrated. But when I began to put my confidence in God and pray with faith and a desperate desire to have HIm answer my prayers, he answered them. He provided me with direct answers and experiences that I had been hoping for. I have no doubt that He exists, He lives, and He knows and loves us. 

I hope he can consecrate my imperfect accions to become perfect for him. I love Him.

I love you guys so much. Stay strong and happy. Enjoy each day and each moment. 

LOVE YOU

amy