Week 44: 10 months!

Hola a todos!!

Well, it feels like just yesterday that I wrote home but we had a good week that went by super duper fast! Well, let´s start off with a funny story. So Hna Lara called a contact to see if we could stop by later in the week. As they were talking this lady says, What´s your names again? Hermana Lala and Hna Babilonia?

WHAT?? Who is Hermana Babilonia!!?? Hahahaha we could not stop laughing and I have NO idea where that name came from!! Haha I love Puerto Rican people. 

Also, today marks my 10 MONTH MARK. I´m dying!! Time is going by WAY to fast I can hardly keep up with everything! Not sure what we are going to do today to celebrate or what I´m going to do for my picture, but I´ll let you know next week!

So I´m not sure if I told you about an investigator last week.. the one with the two kids? Well her name is Jennifer and she came to church yesterday!! WOO!! It was super great. It was kinda crazy though haha cause she woke up a little late and had to get her kids ready so we had to pick her up before Sacrament Meeting, but that´s ok!! Even though she was late, she was still so willing to come. She is such a sweetheart and we are hoping and PRAYING the lessons continue to go well with her because she is amazing and we know the Gospel is going to bless her life immensely! Also, next week will be super exciting because we are going to have a Regional Conference of the Caribbean Area so we are going to have a broadcast all the way from Salt Lake! Yay!! 

Also, we had exchanges this week so I got to spend the day with Hermana Despain (from Gilbert, Arizona!!) in Vega Baja! Hahaha did we have an interesting day or what.. Let´s just say some of the craziest lessons I´ve had in the mission.. The first lesson we had we were basically attacked by two women of another faith about the Book of Mormon. It was just super sad to me. How I wish for them to understand the importance of the Book of Mormon!! Isn´t it amazing that Heavenly Father loves all His children and made it possible for the people in the Americas to know of His plan and of His son Jesus Christ? And know we can know of it too?? Well, I think it´s amazing and my testimony of the Book of Mormon increased a ton this week! I also want to testify of the power of the hymns! We ran into a new investigator of the sisters and she was having the hardest time ever with everything. So we sang to her, Abide With Me Tis Even Tide - Conmigo Quedate Senor. I can´t even begin to describe the Spirit that we felt in that room! And the investigator loved it so much that she took us over to her friends house so we could sing to her and share with her what we shared with the investigator. It was a cool experience!! 

This church is so true. The Gospel of Jesus Christ means everything to me. I testify of the happiness that we feel as we share it with others!! The Gospel changes lives!! If you feel like it hasn´t changed yours, try living it. I know that the small and simple things that we do daily to try and become closer to our Savior will really bring great things, and even miracles. 

I love you all and have a good week! 

Love, 

Hermana Holt 

Hermana Despain from Gilbert Arizona!

Week 43: Go to the temple!

Hola a todos!!

Well, yesterday was MLK Day and the library was closed so here we are writing today! This week went by super duper fast and Heavenly Father continues to bless us with small miracles every day. 

This past weekend we had Stake Conference and it was super good! Saturday was the normal meeting with the adults, and then on Sunday Presidente y Hermana Boucher came and also the Temple President and his wife (the Dominican Republic Temple) came and spoke to us. It was super spritual as he invited every single one of us to make it a goal to make it to the temple this year - to prepare ourselves daily for the blessings and experiences we will have as we worthily enter the House of the Lord. Now, let me just say that it is one of the hardest things EVER not to have a temple here!! Going from living almost my whole life 5 minutes from a temple, to living an island away makes me REALLY appreciate the temple more. Meeting members here who sacrifice time and money to make maybe one trip every couple years or so to the temple, opens my eyes a lot. One of the members we met with this week has a husband, who is a member also, but has been in a hospital bed for more that 20 years in their house. Because of the condition he has, he can't walk, and only sometimes can sit in an electric wheelchair, but not for a long time (only to eat). Last year he told everyone that he was going to take a trip to the DR temple. As we talked with him he told us how so many people literally told him that it was a nice goal to have, but that it physically wasn't really something he would be able to do. That didn't stop him! He cried as he bore his testimony of the miracle that happened. Him and his family prayed hard for weeks and miraculously his body was able to sustain the plane ride and 8 HOURS inside the temple sitting. My companion and I couldn't help but shed tears of gratitude as we pondered on our experiences we have had in the temple. Please, take time this week and go to the temple.  How blessed we are to live in these last days with the restored gospel and priesthood! That we can take part in these sacred ordinances and feel our Heavenly Fathers presence!! And for some of us, the temple is SO close. We must take advantage of the spiritual help and guidance He is so willing to give us. All week I had the quote form President Monson in my head..

"Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. "

It is so worth it to go to the temple and I can't WAIT to go once I get home!

Well, everything is going well with the investigators! We taught the Restoration to Elsa's family and it went SUPER duper well! They weren't able to make it to church because it was in Toa Baja but we are praying for this weekend! Also, Julio and his family should be coming to church this sunday to!! 

Also, we met the daughter of one of the old investigators that the Sisters used to have. When we stopped by to see if the mom was home, her daughter came out and let us in. We watched the DVD Finding Faith in Jesus Christ and it went super well! She is super sweet and speaks English perfectly!! So we talk in English :) She has 2 precious kids that are learning English as well! After the lesson Hermana Lara told me that it was a miracle lesson because the daughter has never been open when they were there before with her mom! I hope and pray that she progresses in the Restored Gospel!!! 

Anyway, it's time to go!! I hope everything is going well!! Have a great week!!

Love,
Hermana Holt

The danger zone

Hopefully we won't have to run from tsunami's

 Sancocho soup

 Potato salad with fish

 My companion is teaching me to make Dominican food

 I am slowly learning

Margarita

 Welcome to Arecibo

 The beautiful beach

sticking my camera out the window

Week 42: Staying in Aricebo

Hola a todos!!

 

Well as of right now im typing on a tablet and its the hardest thing ever haha so i wont be able to say much! This week was full of blessings and miracles. I have been so blessed to have such an amazing companion who has been so pacient with me every step of the way and we are so excited to stick together at the beginning of a new transfer! One of our investigators that is progressing a lot is Margarita. The sisters had already taught her most of the lessons but she is still looking for the answer. So on wednesday we good her to the chapel and we did a little tour. Shes come to church a couple of times already but we were able to explain the rooms and everything. After we gave Her some time alone in the sacrament room to pray and ponder. She has a lot going on in her life and just needed some peace. It was perfect and she came out with the biggest smile on Her face. She is ready!! She couldnt make it to church though cause her brother was in the hospital. Some minor details but we are just praying she can continue going to church cause she will be able to continue progressing! Also we taught the restoration with Julio and his familia and it went SO well!! The only tiny  step back is his wife. She is so awesome and receptive but we think she might be scared to change Her religion. The y couldnt go to ours be cause the mom wanted to go to hers. But we have a fun youth activity today that we know will soften Her heart!! We are also teaching Tatiana who is 16. She is amazing and came to church sunday! We had such a spiritual lesson with her as she cried and asked us to never stop knocking on Her door. It was such a humbling moment as hna Lara and i remembered again why we are here. I love Being a missionary. Heavenly father has taught me a lot of things this week. We need to put out trust in Him. He wants us to reach our full potencial but we have to let Him help us. That is the humbling part, but it is ALL worth it. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Have a great week!!

 

My address is:

 

Edif. M Apto. 1 Condominio Terrazul

Arecibo, PR 00612

 

 

Love,

Hermana Holt

Week 41: Hola De Arecibo-I've moved and I'm training

Hola a todos!!

Well, you're not going to believe what happened this week.. so on Tuesday morning we had just started our companion study when Presidente Boucher called! So I answered it and this is kind of how the conversation went..

Hi President how are you?

I'm great, how are you guys?

We are super great!

Well, Hermana Holt, it looks like I'm going to have to "break up the band"... Some missionaries are going home early in time for school to start and so we are going to need one of you three to come down to Arecibo. Hermana Dawid (who was in Arecibo) is one of the missionaries going home and we need one of you to finish training her new companion. With a lot of prayer and thought, it's you...

...

Can you just imagine what I was feeling in that moment?? So, HOLA DE ARECIBO!! Basically I spent New Years Eve in Juana Diaz, and New Years Day in Arecibo haha. I feel so bad for Presidente because all I did was bawl my eyes out over the phone haha - tears of all different kinds of emotions! Anyway, yup! So here I am with my new companion Hermana Lara from the Dominican Republic! They were able to finish her 12 Weeks Program in 10, but I have been made the senior companion in an area that I know nothing about! But, I've only heard the best things of this area!! And it's so true, I already love it so much even though these past few days have been super long and kind of a blur haha it's funny because I feel like Hna Lara is the one training me! I've had to put a lot of faith in the Lord and a lot of patience in myself these past 4 or 5 days, but I have already been able to see miracles here in the area and as me in a missionary. Heavenly Father is SO loving and SO aware of every single once of us and our circumstances.

So, Tuesday (my last day in Juana Diaz) was mostly spent packing and getting things together. We did have time for some lessons which was good, but we weren't able to see half of the people I wanted to and I feel terrible because I wasn't able to say bye to the members!! Everything went super duper fast haha. But, the Lord answered my prayer the moment I saw my new companion in the mission office. She is an ANGEL and came pre-trained!! She is a missionary in every single aspect and loves the work more than anything! She has so much energy and enthusiasm and love for the people. I absolutely LOVE being with her and she has already taught me a ton!!!

Let me tell you about a miracle we've already had! So our first day working together, we taught a family that Hna Lara and Dawid had just got into contact with the Sunday before. The wife is less active and her husband and three kids (17, 21, 22) aren't members. They had taught them about the family and they were super receptive. So, when we stopped by (the dad was working this time) we watched a video about the family and temples. It went super duper well!! The mom still has a strong testimony and I know her kids can feel it! So we invited them to church this sunday and they ALL came as a family!!! All 5 of them!! And it was fast and testimony meeting which was so perfect!! We think they really liked it so we'll see how the next lesson goes this week :)

Anyway, that's all I have time for right now!! I'm sure I'll have more news for you next week :) Love you all and Happy New Year!!!!

Love, 

Hermana Holt

Glorie-Such a sweetheart and a huge example

Farewell lunch at Jenelley's

Sweet little Paola

I'm going to miss Hermana Luz so much!

I love my trio! It was a fast goodbye

The benefit of Arecibo

Could it be more beautiful?

My new companion Hermana Lara

Our beautiful family of investigators

The Bishop's daughter

Hermana Lara is so cute and fun

She is an angel