Week 51: Elder Holland

Hola a todos!! 

Meeting with Elder Holland was AMAZING!!!!!! So, we got to have the whole mission together (except the people on the islands who had it transmitted to watch - I was so sad because I thought I was going to finally see the Wrights!!) and it was seriously so great to see so many people! I got to see every one of my companions and missionaries from old districts and zones! The only companion that wasn't there was my trainer Hna Sosa, she just went home this past transfer.. time has gone by too fast!! 

So, we definitely had some strict rules with meeting Elder Holland! He wanted to personally meet every one of us, so we had to do a lot of lines, and we basically got to shake his firm hand, and we told him our name and where we are from! Haha so obviously it was like 3 seconds, but it was so worth it!! Elder Hugo Martinez was there too and it was great to see him again and it was so special because he already knows Hna Lopez and I! Presidente y Hna Boucher spoke first, then Elder Martinez, and then the GRAND finale was Elder Holland! Haha and man was it grand alright, he speaks with SO much power it's incredible!!!! He spoke about a lot of things but I just want to touch on a few things!

He basically had like 2 "themes" that he focused on a lot. The first was that FAITH ALWAYS LOOKS FORWARD. How cool is that? We need to take what we learn from the past and plan for the future. We are in the mission preparing others to have a better future, we are helping in the preparation for the future of the church. We are preparing ourselves for our own future; for our future family, our future jobs, and that WE are the future of the church. So, we definitely need a lot of faith, we have to keep going! I loved it because he then began to talk about Moroni, as he was finishing up the Book of Mormon. Moroni knew that all the Nephites were going to be destroyed, he knew that the church wasn't going to last. How hard would that have been for him to be one of the last? So why did he keep going? In Moroni chapter 8, it says that he saw our day. He saw the future of the church! He saw what we are doing know! Elder Holland said that he (Moroni) might have thought, Well then, I'm going to keep going, I'm going to keep fighting, I'm going to keep trying because even though I won't succeed, they in the future will. Moroni had the FAITH that everything would turn out ok in the long run. He then bore strong testimony and finished the Book of Mormon!

HOW powerful!!

So then, Elder Holland focused on the Book of Mormon :) It was incredible and it is such an important tool for us as missionaries! Our investigators have to understand the importance of the Book of Mormon and have to gain a testimony of it! It's so crucial. He told us that he wants our mission to be a Book of Mormon Mission! So, you can imagine that now as a mission we are focusing a lot on that! Elder Holland said, Just by opening the Book of Mormon, there is a spirit about it - DON'T miss that spirit. 

WOW! It was an amazing experience and I wish I could just write down all my notes! But I hope that you can think about those 2 things this week. Have the faith to keep looking forward! Cherish the Book of Mormon and study it, feast upon the words of Christ!! I've always had a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but reading and truly studying it and pondering it every day has brought so much joy into my life that I can't even explain it! It was super special too because as Elder Holland finished he said, How did I get on this subject? I guess I was supposed to be..

I testify that God speaks to His prophets and His apostles in these last days. I know without a doubt that the church of Jesus Christ is here on this earth and that we are a part of it!! How blessed are we, Heavenly Father LOVES us so much, we just have to open our eyes and our hearts and recognize it! I love this gospel with all of my heart!

This week was a good one, a TON of walking because we are on the look out for the people that God is preparing, we know they are out there, we just have to keep looking forward with faith! :) So we will keep going, we will keep trying, and we won't stop until we find them! 

I love you all!! Have a great week!!

Love, 

Hermana Holt

Elder Holland 

(I am cut out of the picture on the right)

  

Party in the plaza

Arecibo is 500 years old 

Windy day at the beach