Semana 32: Obra Misional

¡Hola! Como ¿Estan? Aqui estoy in Coyhaique, y es muuuuuuuuuyyy bonito hoy! :)

Hello everybody!! How is the Good ol Utah?! Here in Chile?! Amazing thank you very much!! 

First things first... I'd like to give out a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG Shoutout to those neighbors in the Murray 15th ward who send Missionaries letters, you are Amazing!! Cough Cough Hermana Janis Rowser! You are Amazing and thank you!! I have received others in the past so thank you my fellow ward members, you guys are Amazing and I Love you!! 

Second Pictures... I ummmm... yeah.... Have my cord today! :) But I am using Dropbox because there are lots!! So yeah! Ask Jen. :)

Third... Mom, have I taught you NOTHING? about photography! There are lots of things, but you should definitely know that this is why you ALWAYS have a cell phone on you, so when you are driving you can take a picture of those awesome sunsets! ;)

forth yeah, I mean you guys are pretty old if Elder Ballard is pretty old... ;) JUST KIDDING.... :)

Okay, I just want to say about this last week? Is it is a good thing that Elder Christopherson have a lot of commons, because if there is a little disagreement or anything, we can get over it like it was nothing! Unlike other companions it can be a lot harder! But this past week with Elder Christopherson has been AWESOME!!! 

We start with Monday when Elder Ballard told us that we should be talking to at least 10 new people everyday! It is the Missionaries job to be talking to everyone! But Since Elder Christopherson and I are super awesome, we were ALREADY doing that!! :DDD

Pretty much we are super awesome!! So we have been contacting and talking with LOTS of people! On top of teaching appointments and other things! So pretty much this cambio has the same starts of the cambio with Elder Whitaker, which makes me super excited!! Because that was one of my favorite cambios because we worked so hard!! 

Then on Friday night, there was another Broadcast, this was for our area, and in our area we have Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay! IT was for the Melchizedek Priesthood and super awesome! It was all on the obra Misional or Missionary work! Elder Ballard was there again with Elder Rasband and it was super cool! They taught so much! Elder Rasband told us how we have cell phones and he told us how Pres. Kimball prophesied about cell phones in a talk called "When Shall the world be convinced" (Please find this talk and send me a copy over email por favor) and then Elder Ballard talked about how it is the members job to fill up the agenda of the missionaries with less actives and the missionaries fill it up with new people! It was really cool!! 

So our branch is focusing more on Missionary work which is REALLY cool! So one thing I did, was I took the help from Elder Merenluoto from his last email last week (I LOVE having so many friends on missions and reading the emails they send home, because I get so many ideas to progress the work here!) And he quoted my one of my favorite talks from conference! from Elder S. Gifford Nielsen and how we can be work as Missionaries and Members! So I took his three points and made little cards and laminated them! Now I need to make more because I am out, but I would suggest to EVERYONE who is reading this to go read those three points and then get to work! 

***The Prophet Thomas S. Monson said "NOW is the time for Members and Missionaries to work TOGETHER!" Which means if it came from the Prophet it came from God!***

So pretty much, my testimony this week, is if Members of the church can help out the Missionaries, we can have a WONDERFUL life, and it would help the missionaries so much, and progress the work! Not to mention LOTS of Blessings from the Lord! 

I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week!! :) 

Pictures: 

1-3 Sunset in Chiloé, sunrise on the ocean!

4 proof that I know my cousin Elder Giblyou! 

5. I found my Papa Walker

6-8 12-16 are all pictures of the landscape here in Coyhaique! :) And sunsets! But really its UTAH! :)

9 is a picture of Hermano Lee the English man from last week! 

10. Mote con Husillo, if I can have this at my wedding one day, I would be sooo happy!! I Love this stuff!! :) 

Hello from COYHAIQUE a day late

Wow.... So yeah, I am a day late... SURPRIZE!

 

Ha it was just a big joke, I wanted to have mom jumping all day waiting! Ha just kidding, really it was my own fault for not telling you for the past couple of weeks that Elder Ballard was coming and speaking to us Missionaries in my Mission! It was SOOOOO COOL! It was yesterday, so P-day was today and yeah! Sorry, I forgot to say something, I always forget things!!

 

But on the good side both my sisters wrote me! :) Thank you guys, boy do I love hearing about your little families! Sounds like everything is just dandy! :)

 

Because I don't have much time today, and I don't have my camera cord... I am sorry.... I have SOOO many new good photos!! I will just have to tell you a little bit about the next 5 weeks!

 

Well, I am in Coyhaique! I am in kinda a ghetto part but hey who doesn't like ghetto, not like a missionary was stabbed here or anything.... No just kidding! We don't go over there! No worries mom! ;) But it is Amazing! We got to fly here from Puerto Montt, and I got to see ALL of my companions on Cambios except Elder Robertson and Elder Vargas! So it was super Awesome! Once the plane landed and I looked outside?? Well, I got REAL trunky because I left Chile, and Entered Southern Utah..... Yeah, I pretty much live in Southern Utah, the climate is EXACTLY the same here! I have dry weather, and MOUNTAINS! Oh have I missed the Mountains, and the funny thing is I am in Chile, and all of Chile is Mountains! But I am going to miss the Ocean that is for sure!

 

SO this past week was lots of fun! The day before cambios I had an Inter-cambio with Elder Powell from my group because Elder Hawkes is now training and had to leave a day early to go up to Osorno! So we had lots of fun on a busy day with lots of appts. Then the next day we flew here!

 

As I got to meet Elder Christopherson, I have realized he is a couple things, 1. He has 6 weeks more than me, so thats lots of fun! 2. His name is Connor, so I now have a second comp with my name, and 3. He works hard!

 

So we have been working super hard! He hasn't done a lot of contacting in his mission, and that is something Elder Whitaker told me when I saw him, and he told me that I would be the perfect person to teach Elder Christopherson! So here we are, and I can't even tell you how much we have contacted!! It has been super awesome! :) We have some investigators, but I feel I still don't really even know the area very well, after one week, so I hope that Elder Christopherson doesn't have an emergency transfer or I am gonna be in trouble.... Ummm but its been a lot of fun doing lots of contacts!!!

 

Yesterday was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. like I don't even know where to begin! We had a meeting with Elder Ballard for the entire Mission! But the sad thing is because I am in Coyhaique we couldn't be there in person, those of us in Coyhaique and Punta Arenas had to watch it by skype. But everyone else in the mission was there! So that was super awesome! We learned soooooo much! One thing he told us is that we should try and do a minimum of 10 contacts everyday and with that we WILL see a lot of change in our areas, and its awesome because I can testify of that, because that is why Elder Whitaker and I had SOO much success! But the funny part is that was a goal that Elder Christopherson and I made the other day! Before Elder Ballard told us! But really Elder Ballard is like 85 years old, and STILL the Best missionary out there! I am super excited to throw his ideas into the work and begin to see more success!!

 

One last experience that was super awesome! There is an hermano (brother) in the branch here (smaller branch of like 60) who is from England. He married his wife like 2 months ago from Chile, and speaks next to NOTHING in spanish! I was super confused how that worked out, but they met on lds singles, and 2 years later they are now married! It is super cool!! When he told me his story, he also told me his testimony and how he found the church was true, and I felt the spirit sooo much! So we took him with us to share it with a menas activa and it was really cool! I am hoping I will be here when he gets back, because he left to England to go and learn more Spanish and see his family for 3 months!

 

Anyways, I am super excited to be here in this area, because I see a lot of success for us here! I remember that there is ALWAYS a reason for why you are where you are! So I dunno why I am here, but I know I am gonna bring something here! Hopefully Baptisms also!!

 

I just want to challenge who ever reads this, to go and find out the church is true! IF you don't already know, and IF you already know its true? Go and share it with just ONE person! IF everyone in the church shared their testimony with just one person it would make the difference in the world! Besides our Prophet Thomas S. Monson has said that NOW is the time that Members and Missionaries work together! So we need everyone to help us Missionaries out!

 

Sorry there are no photos... I was rushing to get out of the house today and forgot the cord, so I will have more next week!! I Love you All!

 

The Church is True!!

 

Elder Connor Gordon Holt

 

P.S. Mom, on a list of those scriptures you sent me?? I Love them! Go check out Moroni 8:3 and 2 Nephi 33:10 I think its 10 maybe its 12 I don't remember... Love you! :)

Week 30: Super Loco Cosas

Hola Compadres! Este Semana fue Super Loco! Yo Espero ustedes pueden intender este Loco Correo! :) 

Hello everyone! :) First off, I would love to send a Shout Out to Brandon for finally Writing me! Now my sisters just need to get on that! ;) I don't need a HUGE email like Brandon sent me (although I have no complaints, I LOVE big emails) but I would like a "hi! Crazy week, love you bye" or something! :) 

Anyways, yes... This past week was AWESOME! 

We did LOTS of work! Lets start with, last monday, we started by teaching some more young couples of 19-25 and its been super awesome! Something we gotta get into the heads of chileans is MARRIAGE! No one here wants to get married, (thanks to the Government for making it so hard for divorces) but really though... No one gets married. ESP. here in Ancud! 

Tuesday I had an intercambio (divisions or I can't remember in english) with a ZL again, and I got to go to Castro again! It was super awesome! I was with Elder Hawkins and he is from California in Newport! So that was a fun trip talking about all the cali stuff! He has NEVER eaten at the Crab Cooker, which is funny cause I have this strange desire to eat there now... but yeah it was super awesome and I learned some great things from the guy! He is an Amazing Missionary! And we decided that we were friends in the Premortal life, because it seems like we've none each other forever! He also thinks dad looks familiar! 

Wednesday Thursday Friday just went by so fast, I really don't even remember what happened! We taught a bunch of our New investigators and it was super great! I loved it all! :) 

Saturday we woke up and went WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY to the other side of our sector and did some service for the elders quorum president! We worked there the first Saturday I was here in Chiloé and we shoveled 5 1/2 truck loads of loose dirt! It was tough! Then we went back on Saturday, and shoveled 4 truck loads of dirt that wasn't loose, so we had to dig it out as well! It was super tough! The First truck load was the hardest though, because we didn't have the right mind set. As we were shoveling it out of the truck, Elder Hawkes looked at me and exclaimed "Elder Holt, Know what? Two weeks ago we did this, and remember what happened?" I thought.... "Ummm we got bigger muscles?? No se" Elder Hawkes: "No no no no we got blessed with Jaime!" Then I realized he was right! After our service we found Jaime!! So the other three loads of dirt was a lot easier with this mind set!! 

Then after Clase de Ingles that night we went out with a member named Chome! (He added me on Facebook, add him for me? :)) um then we weren't having tons of success with contacting, until about 9 o´clock we saw this house, and Chome said I think this is a members house, so we knocked I got a SUUUUPPPEREER good feeling, and this lady answered and she WASN'T a member! she was about 24 years old and has a brother of the age of 20 with downs and a daughter of 8 months! Can I tell you something?? SHE WAS PREPARED FOR THE GOSPEL!!! We only talked for about 20 minutes but we have another lesson set up for tuesday! She has a crazy life story! It was super awesome!!! :)) Yeah, we were blessed for service once again!! 

Then Sunday came around.... Oh boy.... Sunday.... Yesterday... Yeah.... 

Well okay Monday! 

Ha just kidding!!! Sunday was AWESOME! I played the piano in sacrament and MURDERED the hymns.... so I gained a new respect for those who play the hymns in sacrament and THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! 

Then I gave my first talk here in Chile, it was 100% Español and on the Book of Mormon! It was super awesome!! 

Then after church we went to lunch which was super awesome! Until we got a phone call... We looked down and it was President Rappleye........ So we answered and then he said something that neither of us were expecting! Elder Hawkes you are going to Train and Elder Holt you are being transferred to Coyhaique!!!!! Ahhh!! 2/3 big three zones that I want to go to!!! The only other is Punta Arenas!! How crazy! But yeah, so you can put up another Sticker on that map at home! I dunno what sector still, but on Wednesday I will take a bus up to Puerto Montt and then take a plane to Coyhaique! Wasn't expecting that at all!! 

So that box that is is in the mail?? No idea when I will be receiving it... But hopefully soon! No idea! But they are pretty good with the mail I think!! I get my letters all the time! So boxes will come eventually! :) 

Its so crazy to think I am already going! I know I don't even know what to think! Three weeks here in this sector! But we worked SUPER hard! I came and there were two investigators, and I will leave with 8 or 9!! I think that is super awesome!! 

One thing that I learned this past week?? The Book of Mormon is True!! I have a DESIRE to read it every Morning! I LOVE IT so  so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so MUCHO Much! IT is AMAZING!!! 

Also?? Prayer is Amazing! Elder Hawkins is an Amazing elder with Prayer! He takes a couple seconds of silence before he starts and after he finishes, I started doing this, and after EVERY. SINGLE. PRAYER. I have felt the Spirit!!! 

If I could just say one thing to the world, please turn your attention to this next comment.

THIS CHURCH IS TRUE!! Go read a Book of Mormon and pray about it and YOU can know for yourself! :) 

I love you all and hope you have an Amazing week!! 

Elder Connor Holt

P.s. Talks? No se on help for that, but I do have an idea for your mission! Are there elders in the ward there? Like from the ward serving else where? If so? You should write them once a month and tell them the progress in the ward and get ideas from them as well! :) Good luck with the talks! And yes, it is Very scary to knock on the door of a house for the first time Mom, but I know that with the Spirit you can do anything! :) 

Yeah, this Temple is Stunning...ly not like the Beautiful Temples of God I know of! 

Elder Hawkins and I on the Bus coming back to Ancud

 I went from Volcanos to Tsunamis to who knows what next! :)

There was A Black Berry! It was SUPER Tasty! :) 

#1 (the photos of the land are of my sector its probably half my sector) 

#2 (the photos of the land are of my sector its probably half my sector) 

There were Fireworks on Saturday night! It was a GREAT way to end an Awesome day!! :) 

I figured LA is the closest I can get to Utah on this Stick thing, so good luck, translate it into miles for me?? :)

A BEAUTIFUL Sunset yesterday night! Lets me know I did a good job this week! 

Semana 29: Ancud es B.O.

Hola Familia y Amigos,

¿Como esta? Aqui en Ancud en la bonita isle de chiloe, la vida es grande! Right now I am in a Cyber or a Cafe, and there is a German guy talking on the phone in a cubicle thing and everyone in the ciber keeps giving each other weird looks because he talks super loud, but he just ended thank goodness it was loud! But it was super funny! :) 

How are things at home?? Sounds like the Super Bowl was lame... And the Commercials have just been getting worse and worse over the years! 

WHITE COLLAR!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO great... I knew I was gonna have to catch up when I got home, but I am gonna have to watch it all over and get in the mind set! I am glad that Ally and Jen finally came to their senses and know that its the best show out there! To bad in real like that Neal is Gay............  yeah, its true. The truth hurts... But hey its cool, he makes a good actor for a not Gay guy right??? 

Anyways, You were close thinking its the Big Island of Chile, its the Big island of Chiloe! Chile is the same in Spanish... :P I am in a Beautiful Area, its huge like I said last week! For the city, there are three pairs of missionaries, us and two sets of sisters. We live like 15 minutes out of our sector, and our sector is huge!!! We are in a Branch... Lame right? But there are over 1,000 people in the Branch, but only like 50 people who are active! So there is LOADS of work here to be done! Sector means Area.   Can I see the ocean.... I am on an Island mom... So because we are on the point of the island we can see three sides of ocean! Thank Goodness there isn't a good beach next to us, but at the top of the mountain I can see a beach with huge waves a far off and so I watch the waves crash and dream of life in 17 months! ;) 

Now for your Mission experience?? Well, welcome to my Life mom. All day all we do is deal with Less Active people, 2/20 people here in Chile are members of the church. But almost everyone is less active for one reason or another. Esp here in Ancud! So some days its super stressful, and other days its okay! 

German man screaming again....

Sweaters and liners are perfect! I have gloves for when it gets super cold! Thank you!! We can buy a sleeping bag here, I found one the other day, but I am just waiting to know if it is super good or not! 

Also, tell Grandpa hello, and that I  Love him! Hoping he will be there in 17 months! :) 

Okay, now for the week? Well, this week has been lots of fun, after writing last week, we went to a fort here in Ancud, and that was pretty cool, its still here from when the Spaniards were here back in like the 1700's then we went to the ocean and ***Dad can you come translate this German for me?? Its really funny to hear him screaming! :)*** we got some sweet pictures this past week at the fort! 

Tuesday we had a zone meeting in Castro, and that was super cool, that was where Elder Hawkes started his mission, so he took us to a cool spot so we could see the whole city so I got a picture to show you! There are two gigantic buildings!  The one on the right is the famous Catholic church of Castro, the other is a new Mall. That is almost finished, but the Catholics aren't happy that it is bigger than their church so there has been a halt on the building of the mall! 

Last week when we were walking  I stopped and we turned around to talk to a guy we passed with a stroller and a son. We found out that a year ago his dad was almost baptized, and he invited us over! So we went to his house and found out he has a girlfriend and a son! They are both 19. He is 19 and has a son. Thats my age... that is SOOOO Weird to me! But  they are super awesome! We are hoping to go over tonight and teach some more! They are doing super good!! If we are lucky they will be baptized in March after we can get them married!! 

Saturday we cleaned an investigators house! It was a mess.... Like really I don't even know how to describe it. There were clothes every where, cat poop on the ground, hadn't been swept in years! And she had a cross on the wall, so we changed it and got it all better looking, we took down the cross and replaced it with a picture of her mother, and she said she can feel the spirit more in her house now! I think she will be getting baptized in two weeks on the 15th instead of the 22nd! We will see! :) But her house is super clean now! 

Yesterday I saw a house when we were tracting houses cause we were bored! I saw this house and there was smoke! So I went and knocked on the door, and no one came, so elder hawkes was leaving and I heard something, so I knocked again, and then a lady came to the door, we saw a picture of jesus with all the angles and next to it is the atonement picture (mormon versions) and so we started to talk about that and then we were asked to come in, so we came in cause her boyfriend was home, and we talked to them and found out they have been together for 2 years and she is 19 he is 23! But they are super awesome! We are going back tomorrow to talk more with them! Hopefully get them married and the girlfriend Baptized!! 

Past that, its just been a super fast week! With Elder Vargas, he taught me a new thing.  From the beginning of my mission, I have always been going from Monday to Monday! With Elder Vargas, I learned to think from Thursday (weekly planning) to Sunday (sacrament) and its made my thoughts a whole lot different, less trunky and a lot more on the  mission, and I really have no idea where this past week has gone! So we'll see how this up coming week goes! 

Anyways, thats about all I have! This past week, has been super awesome! Something I realized just today before coming to write is "the gospel is true" It brings true happiness! I watch how Elder Hawkes and I say hi to everyone on the streets and people sometimes say hello back to us, but its not always happy, it could be timid or shy or angry or whatever, but it almost never is happy! The Gospel makes me so happy,  I may only be 19 years old, but I know what life means and has in store for me! So I am trying to share it with the world! The Gospel helps us to progress and yeah, obviously we are humans and going to make mistakes, so we have to atonement of Jesus Christ to repent with and try and become better! :) 

so yeah, I Love you all and hope you all have a Great week! 

Peace Out Fools.

Elder Connor Gordon Holt

                                                                         1. Beach houses

2. Treasure Island of Chiloe

3. Canons from the fort!! 

4. La Bonita Ciudad de Castro

5. More Ocean from my sector

6. Elder Hawkes now has one year, just like my trainer Elder Walker, and I have 6 months! How crazy!!