Monday, September 8, 2014

Week 24: Goodbye San Sebastian!

From our personal letter:
I hope you're on cause guess what... I'M LEAVING SAN SEBASTIAN!! Wooowwwww has it been a crazy couple of days, and emotional!! I am being sent to Juana Diaz, which is right on the beach and aparently one of the hottest places on the Island... ah!! And get this, Hna Sosa is leaving too!!!!! She is going to train in San German. We were super duper worried about our investigators but the missionaries that are coming in to take our place are awesome, so that took a lot of my fear away. Hna Madrigal is staying and Hna Watkins is headed to train near Bayamon. 3 changes mom!! It's been super hard on the ward but we are all just so thankful Madrigal is staying, that will be a big help! Wow, even though it's the hardest thing to leave this stake, this ward, and the people here whom I love so dearly, I have to trust that this next area is where the Lord needs me! I have been praying all week to be calm and have peace when I heard the transfers. And the Lord has been so gracious with me, cause I know that in this situation I would usually be FREAKING out haha (I might be just a tad), but it's been alright. I have complete confidence that the Lord needs me there right now. So my companion is Hermana Escobar and I don't know if I've ever met her and I heard she is from Guatemala so that's super exciting! I leave tomorrow so next weeks letter is going to be super fun to read :) Wish me luck, I'm gonna need it!

Letter to all:

Hola todo! Well, this is the moment that us missionaries have been waiting for all week.. I'm leaving to JUANA DIAZ!! Haha this weekend was absolutely insane because we were supposed to hear about the transfers Saturday afternoon.. and they didn't have them. So then they were going to call us that night.. and they didn't have them!! So we had to wait ALL Sunday, and they didn't call til about 9 or so! Haha if you have been a missionary, you might know that it is a little bit more difficult to have patience with the transfers! Anyway, we were at the Stake Presidents house when they called to let us know and we all basically started crying right there! Wow! It still hasn't hit my mind that I'm leaving San Sebastian, but it's happening! To be honest, I am super sad to leave, but super excited at the same time! I am just putting all my trust in the Lord that this next area is where I need to be. And really, trying to have that attitude and moving forward with a lot of prayer is definitely helping with the move. And since we've only had one days notice, today has been full of packing and goodbyes, and then after emailing, more packing and goodbyes! But all is well, it is still the work of the Lord no matter where we are or where we go! So tomorrow, I'm off to Juana Diaz!

So, to talk a little bit about this week, things are going well with the investigators. They are super bummed about the changes, but we keep going, right?? Sadly Aurora and Peggy, again, couldn't make it to church.. again.., but Vicente came and he loved it!! It was fast and testimony meeting which was perfect that he was able to hear everyone bear their testimonies! And guess what?! We had a miracle in our ward. So remember our less active family of 7? So for the almost 5 months that we have been here, they have come to our ward I think 3 or 4 times now? So we have been working our absolute hardest with them, they are such a wonderful family! And I'm not sure how much I've explained about them, but the husband is President of the Elders Quorum and everything! So the past couple of times that they've come to church, they've come a little late, left a little early, and they would come in jeans and a t shirt. But, listen to this.. as Hna Sosa and I walk into church, there was the husband in a suit and tie, preparing for Elders Quorum!!!! So we went to go shake his hand and asked him where his family was, because we hadn't seen them. He then told us that he felt that he needed to come early because as President he needs to help prepare for the class and get things ready and that his family was coming in a little bit.. I didn't even know they had another car!!!!!!!!!! Hna Sosa and I couldn't believe it!!!!! And then the rest of the family came, all dressed up and tidy ready for church!!!! It was absolutely amazing and I have a feeling that they are going to be going to church from now on :)

Also, something super exciting happened in our ward this week! Friday night we had a guy come to talk about Geneology and Family History! Apparently, no one in our ward has ever sent names to the temple.. so he came to teach them how! Since there isn't a temple here, it's a little bit different because the memebers aren't as aware of what goes on in the temples and all the temple work. So, to show them how to do it, they used one of the accounts of a lady in our ward - her and her husband just went to the temple and were sealed in the Florida temple last week :) - and she had some names of her ancestors. So the guy should her how to prepare the name for the temple ordinances, and we sent them to the temple! The first names ever to be sent to the temple in the history of San Sebastian!! It was SO incredible to see and the Spirit was so strong, she even started to cry!! I have such a strong testimony of the missionary work that is done inside the temples and beyond the veil! The fact that we can help prepare with the temple ordinances of our deceased ancestors on the computer is just amazing!!! Do family history :)

Hna Watkins asked me the other day why I felt like I was sent to San Sebastian. As I was thinking about it, I'm not sure we always know the exact reason why we are where we are. What is most important is that the Lord has sent us to where we are. I have absolutely loved being here in San Sebastian. I have been able to witness 3 baptisms, the beginning of a change of a ward, the activation of a family, and I was able to spend almost 5 months with a crazy, fun Honduranian!! And to be honest, I can't even say that any of the success we had  was because of me and my companion. Yes, we are instruments in the hands of our Savior, but I know withouth a doubt that it is all because of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. How blessed I am that I have been able to seen the affects of it in the lives of others so early on in my mission! And I still have a long way to go haha! But our future is just as bright as our faith, right? And I have faith that the Lord is going to continue leading me to the people who are prepared to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Now why is He now sending me to Juana Diaz? Well, hopefully I will be able to figure that out in these next six weeks :) Wish me luck!! Have a great week everyone!!

Love,
Hermana Holt 


President Arocho and his wife


Sign in the Stake President's house



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