Week 25: Happy Easter - Grateful for my Savior

Another week down in the mission! Crazy how time flies!  

Monday after our P-day we went to visit some people the bishop wanted us to work with and through contacting these people we found  a less active-part member family! They are awesome, I don't know how interested they are but they are feeding us tonight and tomorrow!!! The Lord does provide because I need food - this sister has no money left.

Wednesday we had the 5-week training meeting with all the new missionaries and their trainers in Rancho! It was fun to be back in Rancho for a couple hours. We talked about things we are doing and learning. Let me tell ya, training is hard. People said being trained is the hardest time in your mission. LIES. Training is harder. But all together it really is a huge blessing. I am learning so much about myself and how to better myself. Being in a companionship is hard especially with disagreements. Communication and Compromise are huge. If we don't communicate the things we are feeling, then Satan begins to feed our doubts, unkind feelings, judgments, and negativity and turns it into contention, defensiveness, selfishness, and anything else that is bad. And that is how Satan destroys families and marriages! AH! So I am happy that I am learning this now rather then later. 

Later that day we had an awesome dinner with a less-active family and they fed us fish.... Yes I ate it. Ugh, I wanted to die but I did it with a smile on my face. After dinner, we stopped by Adrienne's house unexpectedly "to pee" and she let us in and we met her parents!!!!!!! We talked to them for a while and shared with them the Easter video before we left and they said they want to come check out our church! It was a miracle! Blessings blessings blessings! 

Thursday we went on exchanges! I was with Sister Martinez, in the Rolling Ridge ward. It was fun, we went park contacting and tracting all day and NO ONE WAS HOME. We saw a lot of turtles and ducks at the park and talked to a lot of people about Jesus Christ and showed them the Easter Video. I love that the church comes out with these awesome videos - they are great tools for us to share the gospel! Even non missionaries use this video! Share it on facebook and twitter all year!! 

On Friday, we met with Jeff and Elsa... Jeff is ready to be baptized but won't do it without Elsa, because he does't want her to be alone in the Terrestrial kingdom. It's so cute! But Jeff said that she is progressing because she is thinking a lot more about baptism than she ever has before. They are keeping their commitments we extend to them --  except coming to church. I don't know why they don't come. Maybe they don't understand... they do speak Chinese so there is a slight language barrier. haha! 

We also met with Madilyn that evening and she just straight up told us that she first started letting us teach her because she was interested in learning what the Mormons believed. But she told us that she has the biggest question mark in her mind that you could imagine. She said she loves the things that she is learning and she loves our church meetings. BUT she doesn't know how far she wants to get into it because of what her friends and family might say. Please pray for Madilyn, that she might have the courage to do something she knows is right and that she may have a spiritual experience to confirm what we teach her. 

Saturday at women's conference I was floored with President Henry B. Eryings commitments to us! I was so comforted knowing that he was completely speaking by the spirit. I think we all felt love, the Holy Ghost, and closer to the Savior.  And if we GO AND DO, Remember the Lord in all things, and are personally modest. Oh how happy and successful we will be in this life. I am so grateful for living prophets!! We would be so lost without them. 

On Sunday, church was amazing! We sung in the choir again and closed singing, 'I Know that my Redeemer Lives.' The spirit in that meeting was so powerful and to end with that song. There wasn't a dry eye in that chapel. 

After church we went to contact our referral we got... Her name is Stella and she is amazing! Heavenly Father truly prepared her. The missionaries in Long Beach found her  and her daughter tracting and offered to help them move her daughter, Annette out. They helped so much and made a lasting impression on Stella and Anaette. Stella wanted some way to repay the Elders and they asked if she would like to continue learning and friendshipping with the sisters in her area. She was thrilled to find out that there was GIRL VERSIONS OF THEM! haha! She is so sweet. While we were getting to know her, we found out  she has been through so much the past year and now her daughter is going through a divorce, so they need support and they need the gospel!!! They recognize all the miracles the Lord has provided them and they don't want to let these opportunities pass by. BIGGEST MIRACLE EVER! 

I would like to leave you with my testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and He lives so that we can live NOW and again! He is our Redeemer and our loving brother who we are forever indebted to. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Being able to be forgiven and have the heaviest of burdens lifted from my heart. I know that He is here for each of us. If we let Him in, His power and His love is indescribable. He strengthens us and lifts us to new heights. I would not be here or be who I am without H

is unconditional love and sacrifice. May we all remember Him daily and call upon Him in all things! 

All my love,

Sister Holt

California Sunsets: This does not do it justice.

The Turtle

Elder Hurren (from Eagle) found me at the Library.

My Comp and I.

Sister Hernandez and I like to hide and scare the other sisters when they come home late....
 so this is us preparing to scare.

Week 24: Heart So Full for the Work in Diamond Bar

Hmmmm... What has happened since I wrote you on Thursday...  A LOT! So much can happen even in just one day of missionary work. It is crazy.  

Thursday Night we had an awesome FHE lesson with a less active family, The Davilia's. They are a family of 3 girls and a single momma... So we relate on many levels. I absolutely love them. We studied about Christ-like Attributes from the scriptures. The spirit is always super strong in their home and it testified to all of us how much our Savior, Jesus Christ loves each of us so much. The girls are looking into receiving their patriarchal blessings. 

Friday, We help out at this thrift store that donates all the money made to charity. So we are allowed to give service to me. The owners are so awesome! They are christian but have recently been asking alot of questions to all the missionaries that come help them. When Elder Bednar came last week they wanted to go hear him at the adult session, so that's awesome!! 

Friday night, we went to contact some investigators given to us by the Elders in our ward who they have been teaching but the wife told them to give her to the sisters because she likes us better! haha! It was funny. Their names are Elsa and Jeff and they have one son named Skyler who was baptized a  year ago. He is a senior this year and wants to go to BYU. They are from Taiwan. Jeff says that if Elsa gets baptized then he will get baptized. And Elsa says that if Jeff gets baptized then she will get baptized. So I say, WHAT ARE WE DOING! LETS GET YOU BAPTIZED! They are so funny. I love them. 

Saturday night they came to our ward dinner and then afterwards they helped the Elders out and took all the chinese investigators to the LA temple to go to the visitors center. They are darling... They act like members already. But they said, "Well we can just hang out in the second kingdom and Skyler can come visit us while he is in the celestial kingdom." No it doesn't work that way we said. They laughed! 

Sunday was ward conference and it was awesome. The choir sang and it was lovely because guess who was front and center? ME. I swear everyone just likes to make fun of me because it's so easy! They all know I can't sing but they all know that I will. Doesn't bother me! ;) Madilyn popped in at church which was amazing. I knew she would come to hear my singing. ;) But for real! She was traveling down to San Diego that day and thought she would stop in at church before she left! WHAT?! That is amazing! #priorities 

We also had a pancake lunch at the Kilburns house (who houses the elders) and all the chinese investigators came and Else and Jeff came. It was so fun to talk to the chinese peeps. Imagine me talking to them... They just laugh at me. 

Sunday afternoon we had a lesson with our investigator Dr. Espinoza. He has read the Book of Mormon 2 times but is still so confused on what it means. He is very good friends with the Pochet's in our ward so they were there and gave a killer description on the Book of Mormon. Afterwards we talked about the Restoration and HOW we got the Book of Mormon. He is so psyched to started reading it again now that he knows it is about HIS people. (He is from El Salvador) He is super cute and loves learning from us! 

Wow! My heart is so full today for the work getting done here in Diamond Bar. The ward is so missionary minded and want to help as much as they can! And let me tell you. It helps us so much. For all the members reading this... think and find ways you can help the missionaries in your ward. The work will pick up so much and you will feel and see blessings pour out! 

Grateful to be a missionary everyday of my life! Even if it is really hard. 

xoxo

Sister Holt

Tracting Under Blue Skies

My cute tan lines that I am really proud to have in MARCH.

This is Sister Mayberry. She is our friend who so happily took us to the Temple on Thursday. xoxo

Sister Hernandez and i today at the library. My comp forgot her name tag in the car.  Silly Girl!

Week 23: The Gospel is and should be Simple

Alrighty! So alot has happened since a week and a half of writing! So I hope I will do justice of how amazing the last few days have been. If I forget something... you will hear from me again on MONDAY! Woot Woot.  

So first off.... I know you are all dying to hear.... I SHOOK ELDER DAVID A. BEDNAR's HAND and HIS WIFE! Ahhhh! And I met Sister Bednar in the bathroom. #littleblessings alright.... fan girl moment is done. 

Our three hour missionary meeting with Elder Bednar and Sister Bednar was mouth dropping. I was spiritually and physically exhausted afterwards! I learned and gained so much from this meeting. I don't know how I am going to even write this but I'll try my best. 

To start I will tell you how he taught us. He didn't give a talk to us. We talked to him. We had a 

Q & A session that we could learn by the spirit. Prior to the meeting on Saturday, he asked us to read three of his talks. 1. Ask in Faith 2. Converted unto the Lord 3. Seek Learning by Faith. We had to read these so that we would be prepared to be taught by the Spirit. (hence why we extend commitments to our investigators) ((it all makes sense)) ANYWAYS - Elder Bednar will always always tell you to NEVER take notes...  because 1. you never read them again 2. you lose them and 3. you never read them again. HaHa! You should only ever write anything down that the Spirit speaks to you!! 

He accidentally created a word... 'Complexify'  and his mess up of creating this word was an answer to my prayers! I have been trying to collect my thoughts on a lot of things that I have been learning lately and it all comes down to "complexify-ing". As members and missionaries in the church we complexify everything way too often. The gospel is simple and because it is so simple, it is beautiful. The Lord rejoices in plainness. When it becomes too complex you know you are doing something wrong. Living the gospel is simple and beautiful. Like magic. 

"We should know the gospel is true & be true to the gospel." -Elder Bednar

That is another amazing thing he taught us. We have been foreordained to become missionaries in this life. (especially elders) THIS IS OUR JOB. When we are released from the full-time service our uniform may change but our job does not! I am glad I am learning this early on in my mission so that as I am making these changes in my life I can make them permanent and not just for the time that I have the title as  a 'missionary'. My mission is bootcamp for the rest of my life!!

Other quick things I learned so I don't write you a book... 

1. My experience doesn't qualify me to do anything out here no matter how long I have been out... I can't do this alone. 

2. You cannot repent without involving Jesus Christ

3. If you read the Book of Mormon everyday, you will NEVER fall away

4. You don't read the Book of Mormon to know if the book is true. You read the Book of Mormon to know if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the church I need to join. 

5. The Holy Ghost is the only true teacher

6. Inspired questions only work if they are specific to that person, in that time, at that place. 

The best one...

7. God's pattern is ONE BY ONE. Line upon line. Precept upon precept. Here a little and there a little. As missionaries we are to provide that one on one experience with them and the Lord. Bring the Spirit unto their hearts. That is how it all works. Everything in the Gospel is one by one. 

Alright hope you learned something :) I did. I love the gospel!!!

So we have 3 new solid investigators we have been teaching for a couple weeks. You know about Madilyn. She is progressing and loving life and all the friends we are bringing her :) She is 50 pages into the BOM and she loves church! 

Also funny story.... Last Sunday she sat next to me at church and she told me that I can't sing. 

Oh really Madilyn???!! hahahaha I laughed so hard and told her I only sing really loud because I love Jesus!! <3 

Adrienne is an awesome woman we found tracting! She is getting engaged soon, she's a body builder  and a chemistry professor in Irvine somewhere. She LOVES US and loves learning!! Our discussions are soooo fun! She is progressing but it will be a slow progression since we go really in depth about some topics because she is very knowledgeable. But one thing that I have learned from her is that no matter what -- our gospel can never be proved wrong no matter how much it is picked a part! 

Patrick is a newbie we found this week. Our first lesson is usually the Restoration but as we started teaching it just wasn't flowing AT ALL. So I paused for like a minute to try to discern what the Spirit was telling me ," PLAN OF SALVATION DUH!" So I was like.... "Sorry this is the wrong lesson..." blah blah blah.... we started the Plan of salvation lesson and it was perfect!!! He was so involved and his friend (a member) said that she was hoping and praying that we would teach the Plan. GRATEFUL FOR THE SPIRIT! 

Okie dokie... have you read enough??? I think so! ;) However, I did get to finally go to the temple out in the field.  We went to the Redlands Temple.  It was great to be able to attend once again.  

I wanna leave you my testimony about how true and blue the Book of Mormon is and how simple and beautiful the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and is meant to be. I know it works because I am living proof!!! I have never been happier and I know it is because of the simplicity of the gospel. 

Thank you for all your support and prayers! 

Happy St. Patties Day!!! 

love xoxox

Sister Holt

Holt Street

My trainer and My Trainee

That's right, I'm a missionary!

Redland Temple

Temple 3 - 17 - 16

Week 22: Happy Anniversary TODAY, 5 months What?

Whats up folks?! Happy 5 month anniversary to me :) I am celebrating by going out to eat yummy tacos after I write this.  

Diamond Bar is poppin'. SIKE. Our area is so dead you have no idea, this area hasn't been tracted in a year, maybe longer! It is like all these people own these giant houses that they don't live in. Or we find people who don't have time at the moment for their salvation so they tell us to come back another day. SO WE DO and they aren't home! Oh man, it is such a fun game we play everyday! But Sister Hernandez and I make it fun. I hope that doesn't sound too negative, I am just trying to explain what we deal with everyday. haha! 

We tract everyday and usually end the day with nothing. Cali is stubborn. So Saturday Sister Hernandez and I went into the day with SO much faith. "SOMETHING WAS GONNA HAPPEN! I KNEW IT!" yet, we tracted street after street and maybe 5 people said, "not right now but maybe another day." (they think they get rid of us by saying that, nope, we will be back... another day) 

So, a couple hours went by and we needed to go to the bathroom so we told ourselves we would finish the street that we were on and then take a breather and go to the bathroom. As we approached the very last house on the street, I got a different feeling. It wasn't a bad feeling but it wasn't like a pumped feeling either. We went and knocked on the door and an older lady answered. We asked her if we could share a beautiful message about Jesus Christ to her. She paused for a second and said, "yeah sure".  She opened the rest of her door and we asked her a few questions and started talking about our relationship with our Heavenly Father, she told us that she needs prayers. So we said a prayer with her on her doorstep. 

We learned that she recently just had a hip replacement and is struggling to recovery quickly. She said that she is finally walking and getting stuff done around the house. We asked her if we could help her! After minutes of offering to help her (*more like begging*) LOL! She let us in. We cleaned out her fridge and freezer, washed her dishes and scrubbed her counters and floors all under an hour. We were power washers!! Afterwards we taught her about the amazing Restoration and introduced the Book of Mormon to her. She told us how she wants to read it to learn more. We left and the next day at church MADILYN (her name is Madilyn by the way) SHOWS UP TO SACRAMENT! HOLLA! She sat with us during fast and testimony meeting and loved it. I felt strongly to go and bare my testimony so I did and afterwards she patted my leg and told me that it was beautiful to hear that from me. 

Long story short..... BELIEVE IN MIRACLES! Miracles are real and are happening everyday. I was so slow to remember that this is the Lords work this week. Saturday was a huge faith building experience for me, that HE is aware of this area and He is aware that it is really hard and that tracting is hard but that one experience made the whole dead week so worth it. Even if nothing comes of it, helping Madilyn get on her feet again and helping her come closer to her Savior Jesus Christ makes it all worth it. 

1. Pray in Faith and ask what HE wants done that day 

2. DO what He wants DONE 

3. Leave all the outcomes up to HIM 

My Bishop gave us this advice yesterday and I loved it. This is not MY work, this is GODS work! My mission president wrote to me this week and told me that he has a lot of confidence in me and the work that I do. That was nice to hear and a real booster.

I want to express my love to my Heavenly Father and I want you all to know that I have a testimony of his love for each of us individually. It is so hard to wrap our minds around the fact that He knows trillions on trillions of us - Better than we know ourselves! HE IS ALL KNOWING and all powerful! I believe that with all my heart. And His Son, Jesus Christ, is our brother, who loves us just as much as our Father. He willingly gave up his life for us. That is amazing. We will never be able to comprehend the pain that he felt for all of us... but how great is the joy we can feel because of HIM. I am so grateful. I am so blessed to be a missionary. 

Have another beautiful week - hope it is warming up for you all. It was storming here this morning... My 1st thunder storm in California! It was awesome! But I still got my tan lines... that I am soooo proud of! 

xoxo

Sister Holt

Out attempt to get pretty view in background but you just get the cactus.

Another beautiful view of the city lights! In the clear day you can see the ocean from up here! 

 Dancing in the grocery store on P-day (if you can't avoid it, enjoy it) #music