Friday, October 31, 2014

Week 67: Echado de Rahue de NUEVO...

Hey all!! 

So yeah, I have a crazy letter today... Week 68 was super Crazy! Lots of feelings that went down, excitement, disappointment, sorrow, betrayal, just lots... 

Where to start?? Well how about, I can't reply to your letter today, because I haven't read it yet, and there just is not enough time, so I will be reading it after!! 

Anyways, I probably should start out by saying that Elder Rich and I are now in a new sector! We are in the Zone of Osorno now and we are in the sector of Entre Lagos! Why you ask?? Well that's where the fun part of the story comes in! I will give lots without all them deets (details) and what not! 

So this past week we started the week out with lots of excitement Elder Rich and I! We were planning on doing so much! We had a bunch of people telling us they wanted to come to our new Clase de Ingles that we had just started and we were gonna do lots there!! 

Although something bad went down when we got a call on Wednesday from the other elders saying that President Obeso just called them with some "Weird" info.. He was kinda angry with Elder _____ because the stake pres had called him, saying the branch pres from_____ had called to say that he saw Elder _____ take Elder _____ by the neck and punch him in the face... Elder _____was super confused and put the phone on speaker so that Elder ______ could hear, and Elder _____ just started to laugh!!! Ha so that part was funny, so they then called us and told us what happened, so we tried calling both the stake president and the branch president like 100 times each, neither answered...

So the next morning we went to go talk with some members about this problem that had occurred to see what they thought we should do to make things better, and after the Branch President called me to ask why we called so many times. We ended up setting an appt. with him to meet with him at 8:30 that night, and so we did that and then finished our day of proselitismo which was awesome! Then that night we went to go talk to presidente and we were there until 10. 
I feel so bad for Elder ______, his brother passed away at the beginning of his Mission, another brother went to jail, his mom now has cancer, he had to get his appendix taken out,


So we were called the next day saying that we were getting moved. The 4 of us. Elder Petrovelli and Elder Perkins went to Puerto Montt, and Elder Rich and I went to Entre Lagos!! We were called at like 6:30 on Friday night, and so we only have 2 and a half hours to go say bye to everyone that we could!! So we got to the familia de Jacob, pero Jacob no estaba, ummm Victor y Ana, Jose Luis y Eugenia, Ricardo y Carla, y in the end we went to Familia Quintanilla and invited Victor y Ana, and the familia of our Mamita so that we could say bye to them all!! That was definitely the hardest, because they were all the maddest about the whole situation, and in the end we sang "God be with you till we meet again" Yeah, no ha bien ojos secos... Todos ha bien llorando después eso! 

On Saturday we left in the morning and Familia Quintanilla took us here to the bus station in Osorno! We then got on the Bus with the Zone Leaders, and one of them is Elder Powell from my group in the MTC and also Elder Robertson is in my zone now as well!! But we got to Entre Lagos around 5 and we were told that we had a basketball cita with an investigator, and we went with the only joven chico de todo 20 personas en our rama!! It was super awesome! We were told that there was going to be like 20 people there, when in realidad there were like 50 and they had 4 teams and it was like a legit game of 4 quarters of 10 minutes each! So we got put on a team and we got to play, then when we weren't playing we were talking with the people on our team or the people in the stands and it was super sweet! But I dunno if we are gonna have the chance to do it again.

Yesterday we got to the church and it was super sweet!! Although super small!! Its in a house, smaller than Los Muermos, and there were only 22 people there. Yeah we'll be giving lots of talks and we teach Sunday school and also priesthood, its a good thing we have 2 hermana misioneras tambien!! 

Oh and what was super cool was on Saturday we went to lunch with a member, and we found out that he is the papa de una miembro de Camino Real!! Because she was there with her grandkids!! So I got to see some people from Camino Real which was awesome! From Familia Sepulvida!! So if you go back to January when I had my first Sober Cambio you can see a picture of them and I will be taking another with them soon!! 

Today we played basketball with our Zone and with Rahue which was super cool, because I got to see Elder Rasgido who is in the Zone again as well as Elder Christopherson!! Oh and Elder Robertson! So 3 of my past compañeros!! Ha It was sweet! And then when we were printing some photos off, lo and behold who came in?? The one and only Daniela from Camino Real!! She was my first investigator from Camino Real, and what was funny is she knew it was my birthday! But she cheated because she said she knew from Facebook hahaha oh well it was super fun to talk to her for a bit!! 

But I am super happy because we have the chance to White Wash the sector!! I have always wanted to White Wash a sector, because its more of a challenge and you don't have any preferenced members or people to pass  off to the other compañero!! So here we go!! We are gonna work our butts off here!! 

I Love you all so much!! Thank you for your emails, prayers, and Love in general!! I use it all everyday!! 

Trying to make you Proud,

Elder Connor G. Holt

Ps. Don't worry mom, only like 8 weeks... I think!


 Familia Almonocid Vargas

Jose Luis y Eugenia (They are inactivos who I really cared about and tried to help so much and they came at least once!!)

 Ricardo, Carla, y Josefa!! Some of my Favorite Members in the entire Mission!! 

Tamara our investigator de Ingles

We just had to take a picture like this with "Real" Guns!! 

Victor y Ana 

Mamita Nancy, Papito Eduardo, y Seba

Familia Quintanilla

Jacob (The only converso we could say goodbye to...)

Mi Distrito de Río Negro

5 palabras "Por Que Estamos en Chile"

Con Daniela Hoy día! 

Yeah at the Mall?? Its not even Halloween and they are starting their Christmas stuff!! 



Monday, October 20, 2014

Semana 66 Ya Tenemos Cambios????

Hey Guys!! :) How are you doing?? 

I really don't know what to say this week, This past week went by so fast!!! Maybe I will just send pictures since I have like 30 to send..... Hahaha

I will start with replying to Mom's email since like no one else wrote me!! ;) Sounds like you guys had a pretty fun week!! I can't tell you how excited I am to eat at Tio's and I can order in Spanish!!! ;) That will be super fun!! But sounds like Pavlova was super yummy like always!! I think we may need one of those here for the 4th of July!! Good to know that Dad's lazer surgery went well as well!! :)

Oh yes, I did get the photos, just in case you were wondering!! I just have the card in my phone, because I have some music on there now that we sleep to at night and what not, so I use it for both, because the camera on the phone is really bad hahaha can't do all my fun stuff with it!! 

Have I not said anything about being a District Leader?' Oops... Oh yeah I am a District Leader too!! That's been for awhile, I thought I said that one along time ago! Hahaha :)

Hmm Ebola virus... Yeah just makes me think of "Killer Bunnies" don't worry, I have lots of Bunnies mom, so we are prepared!! Hahahah but I did hear the other day that it just hit Brasil and is in the top of Argentina as well, so no worries there, I will be washing my hands always hahahaha ;) Love you Mom!! 

Anyways, can anyone tell me where the freakin time has gone?!?! I remember when I was writing you guys like 6 weeks ago, saying I was gonna be a trainer!!! Now here we are and half of the training has already passed!! Man I mean I don't want to have another companion... Elder Rich and I mesh super well!! I Love the kid!! We work so well!!! We have done so much here in this past 6 weeks!! Now it definitely wasn't like the cambio with Elder Rasgido where we baptized 4 people in 3 weeks, because that was Sweet also!!! But We have done SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much service, we have planted SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many seeds, and we have just made the best of friendships!!! So now... its time to Harvest and reep n' sow the Blessings of our work!! Just you guys wait, we are gonna have so Much success this next cambio!!! :D 

But Like I said Service?? Yeah, we have done so much!! Not only that, I really have focusedn Service here with my District this past cambio, to serve my companions here in the house and not say anything, but just to serve!! I can't tell you how much happier I have been... Like I am coming home just to serve, really though. In the ward, with the family, with my friends, with random people in the streets, Service just freakin Rocks!! 

Another thing? I think I told you this last week, but that book?? Oh yeah, its Amazing!! I love it!! You guys NEED to read it!! Then also this past week, because my companion was sick, I had two days to be at home, so I started to read "Our search for Happiness" again by Elder Ballard, and I LOVE that book just as much!! Its so Amazing!! So now I just gotta start Jesus the Christ, and finish the Book of Mormon!! I mean, I just finished the experiences of the Sons of Mosiah which was SUPER sweet! I learned a bunch of things that I can do here in the next 8 months to have an Amazing Mission Experience!! I have already started to apply some of the things I have learned for there, and I have seen so many Blessings!!! 

But once again, the time has come to an end, but don't worry, because sooner than later there won't be anytime at all (And we'll be able to talk here in about two months...) But I Love you all and can't wait to see you soon!!! :D

Trying to make you proud,

Elder Connor Holt


I ran into Isabel the other day at Lider which was AWESOME!!! :)

Breakfast in Bed on my Birthday (Thanks Rich)

Flan...

Flan on my back...

 Birthday! 

Another prank... 

We planted this tree!! 
Yepp Elder Rich made me the cake, then dumped an egg on my head! Hahaha
Birthday gifts

We had lunch with Ricardo and Carla 

Also known as Familia Gonzolas

The prade of like 500 people that walked by our house twice for my Birthday! :D

We visited Elder Petrovelli in the Hospital

Volcano Stuff




Our English Class before the Rain hit! :)

My Papercraft Wolf


Friday, October 17, 2014

Week 65: One Freakin Crazy Week...

Hello everyone (in a deep voice) Since I am now a Man... hahaha just kidding! 

Anyways... I don't have very much time, because we went to Volcán Osorno hoy día como Zona!! So we just got back to Rio Negro, and now I gotta write the fam here and Presidente still!! So I dunno if I am gonna have time to write anyone else back today... Sorry not sorry! (If that's still in...)

This week has been SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Crazy!!! The best part?? There isn't gonna be ANY pictures of it.... This morning I was blue-toothing some music from one of the other elders phones to my phone, and then I needed my card for my camera, and then all the pictures were erased.... So I am gonna work on getting those back this week, so sorry Mom, you'll have to watch for next week's episode to get the pictures of everything that you'll hear about today!!! 

Where to start with... How bout when I turned 20?? Well, I woke up in the morning and did my exercises like normal!! It was a good morning, and then I got in the shower, and when I got out, I came into my room to find "Breakfast in Bed" made by my companion, so I took it down stairs and ate and it was super sweet!! I figured I was gonna be safe, because Elder Petrovelli wasn't feeling well, so he was in bed still and I knew they would try and do something!! But after I finished, all the elders whipped out some gifts which were awesome!! Then my companion told me that our neighbor Karen was just about to leave so we ran outside, but when I realized I was alone, I turned around and saw him jumping on me, and then a pot full of Flan was thrown all over me!! Then Flour... So yeah.... Had to go shower again, and do all that fun stuff!! I will explain it better when I get home one day, because let's just say I had to change my clothes 5 times and by the end of the day, I was wearing my companion's pants, which aren't the tallest of shorts...

At the end of the day as we were coming home, we got a call from the other elders saying they were gonna go to the hospital because Elder Petrovelli was feeling really sick!! So we went with them at 10 pm and we left at 11 pm because the paramedic told him he would be fine until Morning. Well... In the morning, we ended up calling the President's wife, and she had us leave Immediately for a Hospital in Osorno!! So we left, and after the analysis we found out that Elder Petrovelli had Appendicitis, and also stones in his Vesícula... So he went into Surgery immediately! It was pretty crazy... But I had the chance to give him 3 blessings this last week. Also after we gave him a blessing before he went in for surgery, we saw another lady who was about to go through surgery, and my companion and the hermano we were with both felt the Spirit at the same time to go ask her if she would like to have a blessing, and at first she said no, but then she let us! After the blessing, she was crying and it was super Spiritual!!!! 

Just so you know, Elder Petrovelli is okay here now!! He is now just resting in the house!! But we visited him on Friday when we had to go to Osorno for a Meeting!! That was fun!! 

Then last night, we went to the house of the Elders in Camino Real and Rahue Alto! We slept the night there, and I got to talk to Mamita Chaipul on the phone, and also Hermana Makarena, but we were there with them, because today we went to the Volcano Osorno!! IT was super fun!! It was a great night spending it with the elders there, and having another chance to spend the night with Elder Walker my trainer!! Today we had a Snow Ball fight, the Gringos vs the Latinos!! It was super fun!! But I only have photos from that today!! Sorry, I am gonna try and get my pictures back tonight with a member that we have plans to do a Noche de Hogar!! 

Thank you for all the Birthday Wishes! I just wanna wish my Dad the Happiest Birthday tomorrow, right along side with Erik over there in the UK!! Love you guys!! 

Thank you for all your prayers!! And just know that Elder Holt is gonna be "Playin that Funky Music, because he's a White Boy!" Heard that song on the bus today and so its gonna be a "Funky" Week!! :) 

I Love you all!! 

Trying to make you proud

Elder Connor Holt

Ps... Sorry I lied, this computer USB ports are glued shut... So you'll have to wait until next week... Love ya'll!! 


Elder Holt and Elder Gibelyou on Volcano Osorno
   

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Week 64: My last day as a Teenager... (Little Sob)

Well Hello everyone!! How are things up North where the world is getting Colder!?! Here in Rio Negro, we are starting to have Summer Baby!! Por Fin!! Its now getting warm, this past week, we have had 3 hot days and for the weekend with conference (Because I knocked on wood) we only had clouds!! :) But today we have heat and sun again, its time for Elder Holt to start the Tanning again!! Woot Woot!! 

Wow, I honestly have no idea where to start! It was one freakin Amazing week!!! 

Lets start with Tamara, the College student! She is an Abentista?? I have no idea what it is in English... But she goes to church on Saturday! That Religion! She converted in 2008 and then her Boyfriend Javier joined in 2010 as well! But we had two super awesome days with her this past week!! 

We had interviews with President Obeso on Wednesday, and it was awesome! I will get back to this later on, but after Interviews we went out to go catch our bus back to Rio Negro, there were like 4 buses there going and so we decided to pick the farthest one, because it was the same one that we came on and the bus driver is pretty cool, and they called us over and said they were gonna leave in like 4 minutes. So we went over to him! We got on the bus and sat in the same seats!! Then we realized that the other bus was leaving, and so I was turning my head to talk to Elder Rich to see if he wanted to go over there super fast, and I stopped when I saw a face that I knew! Who did it happen to be? None the less then Tamara!! So I called over to her, and she came back and started to talk to us, and as we asked her how she was, she just broke down... We got really nervous thinking something HORRIBLE happened like a death or she broke up with her boyfriend of something, but something bad did happen, she was robbed of her Backpack which had all her money and assignments for college in it. So we asked her if she would like to have a prayer with us, and she said yes, so we prayed with her, and we just whipped out the scriptures to start bringing up some scriptures of comfort as well! We got that down super fast, and then we ended up teaching 3 Nephi 11 as well, which was super sweet!! We got her to promise us to pray about the Book of Mormon as well afterwards!! Wow, like it was so cool!! We got the chance to help her out, and it was after interviews, and it was on the right bus... Like I don't believe in that many coincidences, I know the hand of God was there to help out with that!! 

Then on Friday night, Javier called us!! He asked us if we could meet at 8 and we didn't have any citas planned so we changed our plans and went to the church!! It was to help Tamara with English, and because I have forgotten a lot of English stuff here in the past year talking Spanish, I always give that part to Elder Rich! So while they were doing English, I started to play little mind games on the White Board with Javier and Seba (The Member) like Tic Tac Toe, Hangman, dots, some others, and I realized after about 20 minutes, "There has to be some kind of way that I can change this into a Gospel Lesson" and so I changed it up and said, "Here I have one last game!" So I drew the Plan of Salvation on the board, and asked the two guys "What is this?" They looked at it, and after a couple minutes Seba asked me if he could put the name above it, and so he did so!  So then I started to teach, with the help of Seba, the plan of Salvation to Javier quietly while Elder Rich was teaching English!! It was super awesome! And by the end of the lesson Elder Rich was showing pictures of his family and taking about them in English with Tamara and was explaining how important they are to him!! Then they turned around right at the part where I was saying families can live forever! So it was super awesome!! Just at the perfect moment!! Yet again, I still don't believe in coincidences!! hahaha :)

Now, Interviews with Presidente Obeso were super awesome!! Like they are suppose to be 15 minutes, but I learned something from Elder Walker, that I have remembered all my Mission. "Time with president is Precious time!" So I always have questions prepared, and its just super awesome!! My 15 minute interview yet again turned into almost an hour!! HA! Elder Rich was in there for at least a half hour!! He came out, and had some tears, I knew he had felt the Spirit Strongly, so before I went in, I got up and gave the kid a HUGE hug and then we separated again! 
In my interview, I learned so much!! I became a lot closer with Presidente Obeso, I learned the importance of Family Prayer, and he said something that was super awesome!! In fact, two things! First off, he told me that the first time we talked (With Elder York, Elder Dennis, Elder Torrez, and I when we were trying to solve problems back in July) He could just tell I was gonna be a strong leader! He thanked me for all the things I have done here in Rio Negro and it was just super awesome! Then he also told me something right before we finished! "Elder Holt, I can just see inside of you that you have Great parents, who have taught you well, in this life, because you just radiate it from your face and your actions, thank you." and so now, it is my turn to tell you the Truth...

MY PARENTS ARE THE BEST! Like really though, not a joke. Thank you for everything that you guys have done for me in the past 20 years!! You have done so much and it means so much to me!! :) I am sorry for the pest I was until I was 18, hopefully you guys will see the change that I have seen here in the Mission!! :) 

Something else that was awesome?? I just love this, I heard this from Caleb Becerra before the Mission and it is super awesome!! "Don't ask to serve, just Serve" and yeah and its my motto out here in Chile! Thanks Caleb!!! 

Now for General Conference?? Was it NOT the best conference you have seen since last May?! Hahaha it was super awesome! It might of been my favorite here in the Mission, except it was super cool to see the Murray Choir a year ago!! But the Missionary Choir sang a DOPE song! It was so cool!!! My favorite talks?? I dunno there were so many!! Elder Holland, Elder Callister, Elder Scott, and you better believe it... Elder BEDNAR!! We are gonna be sharing that talk with everyone!!!!!! It was so good!!!!! I am definitely gonna need a copy of the Liahona here... REAL Soon!! Hahahah :) 

Also from Conference a note for Brandon *Cough Cough* Get Married!! *Cough Cough* hahahaha ;) Love ya buddy!! 

Allyson, thanks for making me feel old..... I mean I was so happy to know that I have 9 months left.. Until you ruined the morning and corrected me... I only have 8.... WHERE IS THE TIME GOING!?! GAH! 

Thanks everyone for the Birthday Wishes!! Its gonna be an Awesome day tomorrow!!! :) I Love you all so much!! I hope you all have a wonderful week!! 

Trying to Make you Proud,

Elder Connor Holt

Ps. Just heard Hotel California... :D


This was a funny sign!! I'll see if you guys can catch the joke!! :D


 Yeah, Elder Rich and I Lost the Game... *SHOOT* I just Lost the game (The first time in over a year...)

This was a funny Joke from my Companions last week, so we'll see what happens tomorrow... Kinda scared....


 Elder Rich and I were cooped up in this room all weekend watching conference in English!! All 5 sessions in the secretary office!!! 
I was watching conference at our Mamitas house!! Hahahaha Just kidding it was 2 minutes before it started!! :)