Week 84: At least one Milagro

Hello everyone!! 

Wow, I don't even know where to start... It has been a long day in my head thinking about EVERYTHING!! 

First off, we have Cambios on Wednesday, but I finally will be staying in a sector! After 6 months hahaha finally! I am staying here in Valdivia with Elder Root for another cambio! So that is gonna be lots of fun!! 

Lets see, my next thought? Well good to know that Uncle Bruce is gonna be going in tomorrow, he will definitely be on my mind the entire day tomorrow, and in my prayers!! 

WHAT THE JONES ARE MOVING?!?!?! Wait, you have to go ask them if it was just an early April Fool's joke!!! They did that a couple years back and I freaked out then as well!!! :(((( I Love that Family so much, and that is gonna be super hard not being able to come home and hang out with them! That could probably just be why that family has been in my thoughts all week long.

Next? Can I just say how much I LOVE my Niece (Soon to be (s)) and Nephews??? They all wrote me this week!! So cool, not only that, they had been in my mind at one point this past week, and I had a pretty good thought going on about how Elder Holt is definitely STILL gonna be the Favorite Uncle! ;) 

 (Someone just called me asking if we make sushi... Okay? No, but we share the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ Yes! :))

I am not real sure what to talk about. It has been a week. Awesome things, and disappointments. 

We'll start with the disappointment. Diego and Joseline? Yeah, well we haven't taught them the day since we put them with fecha bautismal... Joseline we taught her last week about the restoration, but I dunno, it was kinda a hard lesson. But everyday for the past week and a half of trying to call Diego, he hasn't picked up. And its just been really hard, we asked her last week if we were bugging them, and she just said it was that they can't talk on the phone while driving. Then the worst part happened this morning. We wanted the hermanas to go by and pause to talk to them so they did this morning and they knocked on the door, someone looked out the window then went back in and never came out. Crap. Well yeah, so grr.... Why?! I just wanted to get to know them better, I was thinking that we were doing a good job at being friends and all, and then Nothing. Well, okay. 

Now the cool part?? Well with our Menos Activo Friend Benito?? We finished teaching the Plan of Salvation on Saturday night, and then at the end it got real personal when he told us his life story. He is 68 years old and has never known his real parents, because he was adopted. He told us how hard it has been, he has looked and never had success. That's when I Told him something. If he would come to church the next day (knowing there was a person from the stake coming with a calling with family history to talk in sacrament) He would be able to find his parents. That he would be able to know who they were. Then I Promised him in the name of Christ and over the Priesthood. But the weird thing? I didn't feel the Spirit when I did, so I was kinda confused afterwards... Well, yesterday in church, we got there and after the sacrament I looked back at him and pointed at my ears and looked forward (He was sitting a couple rows back) and then after we had a Special Number singing "La Luz de la Verdad" (Sorry don't remember the name in English...) The hermana spoke. And after the final prayer... All of a sudden he was up in my face with a "How can I do it?" ....I just about cried right then and there.... I took him with me to the front of the room to introduce him to the hermana. She talked with him in the hall and after we told her he was adopted, she said "Know, what? So am I! I just found my biological Grandma for the first time in 2013 and I TESTIFY that you can find you parents. It may take a little time, but you CAN!" Wow, ya know there are three testimonies. Cool. It was so cool. 

Anyways that was it, that was the week. I can skip the hard parts haha no needs to worries, you just have to remember mom that I only have 18 weeks left! So you can do the math on the date! :) I Love you guys so much! I can't even wait to see you all and have a BBQ with the family!! I hope that you all have a wonderful week, it is now time to go back out and work my butt off again!! 

Thank you for all that you do for me! It means so much!! 

Trying to make you proud, or as Jeff Jones told me I should say... "If you're not proud of me by now then you have a real problem" hahahaha ;) 

Elder Connor Holt

 I FOUND 5 GUM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 19 months

 I love this girl. She helps us with our ropa and is so nice and funny!! :)

Yeah, well I kinda cut my head this week chopping wood...

McDonalds for the 2nd time in two years!! 

Yeah, a "Big Mac" hahaha more like "Crappy Mac" 

Week 83: Intercambio to Utah

Wow, another week has come and gone... I honestly don't even know where to start because I don't remember the week very well... Umm....

Well lets see if there are any questions to answer....

First off, sounds like its Utah with having Crazy Weather! It could just mean we are gonna have another 4th of July with snow for Elder Holt to return home to! That would be just super convenient!! 

Elder Walton to Sweden!! Wooo! Buenas Suerte! I have heard some crazy stuff about the Missions there! hahaha but he is gonna kill it!! 

WAY TO GO MURRAY BOYS!! WAY TO TAKE 2nd!!! Who is the coach now?? I don't even remember.. I mean that is way cool, really though!! 

I haven't' gotten a package yet, but what I was thinking this last Monday was for some more ice hot. It makes it really nice for us missionaries who are sore lots hahahaha but I can live with out it! Its nothing to big! No worries! 

Ummm Yes with the river, we are on the north side of it, in Las Animas. But if we want to go to Central we have to cross it to go there and to write you guys and buy food and what not, also to go to District and Leaders meetings in the Stake Center every week!! So that's lots of fun!! 

Hey you guys should get me on the email list of Elder/Sister Holt and Elder/Sister Hale I think that would be fun to have some more emails here to print off, especially since I am going to be losing some here real fast!! I already lost Cameron, next I think is Elder RyCorn!! 

Anyways now to start with the week!! 

If anyone ever asks... FAMILY HISTORY IS LOTS OF FUN!! Especially here in Chile... :P We kinda well, its not illegal, but we have almost everyone's Number... Its like SSI Number, of Chile because of a system thing that went down for a week  I dunno how long ago, and its really cool!! We are focusing a lot of Family History as a mission and its super cool!! :)

Next?? Well on Wednesday we had a great theme in our District Meeting on a little word I like to call CARIDAD or "Charity" Super Spiritual!! And just a reminder for everyone ya'lls should go and read up on 1 Corinthians 13 so you can have a reminder, especially the Missionaries who just finished... *Cough Cough* Mom and Dad! That way you can take it back to the ward with you next week!! 

I had the chance to get to know a Zone Leader a little better Elder Crotzer! We had a great intercambio this last week! We were in his sector and had some great lessons, and had to do some fun ZL errands around the city as well, so I am kinda  glad that I am still just a District Leader so that I can still have lots of time to teach and what not!! But the funnest part of the Intercambio was we went on a little trip to Utah!! We took some pictures there and so it was super fun!! You'll have to check them out! :)

Then a cool thought was on Saturday Morning we had a lesson at 9:30 in the morning so we left at 9:15 to get there and then all of a sudden we got stopped by some guy, I didn't hear call after us. He told us he was a member from up North in Concepción and that he was here visiting family and that there was a little boy who needed a blessing that night. So we set up a time to meet him on the corner to go with him there!! Well thinking of how fast the day went, we were at our English Class and then at the end of the class like 3 minutes after we told him we would meet him on this corner, HE CAME LOOKING FOR US AT THE CHURCH!! Wow.. Then he took us over to the house and we gave the blessing, and then introduced us to his cousins, and then his aunt! It was super awesome!! Then he invited them all to come to church yesterday. Then we set up a cita for this week!! 

At church he was there yesterday! It was super awesome! Then during my talk, I ended up sharing this exp. with everyone there!! (My talk was on the Obra Misional) So now I have another home work assignment for everyone! My talk yesterday was for like 20-25 minutes... I think, all I know is I felt super bad because the Líder misional didn't talk because there was no time... But I gave a talk and quoted a lot from two talks from General Conference!! EVERYONE WHO IS MEMBER MUST GO LOOK UP THESE TWO TALKS LIKE RIGHT NOW; STOP READING MY EMAIL AND GO READ THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS, ITS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN ONE LITTLE GRINGO IN CHILE! :) The talk of Elder Ballard from Oct 2013 and in this talk he has two big bullet points that talk about the members. Than the talk of Elder S. Gifford Nielson the same conference answers these two bullet points! Go and Read! DO IT! :) 

Anyways, I just want you all to know something. If you are ever Discouraged <--- I FINALLY REMEMBER THAT WORD (I've been trying all day) you should go and read the Book of Mormon!! I was kinda down this past week, and I hadn't read the Book of Mormon for two days... But when I finally read it, INSTANTLY I was feeling so much better! So always remember that!! 

Hey I just want to thank you all for everything that you all do for me!! You're amazing! Thank you for the thoughts, prayers, help, and everything!! You are all in my thoughts and prayers and I Love you so much!!! 

Trying to make you proud,

Elder Connor G. Holt

The wood that we threw over the fence for like an hour..

 My first "Soapbox" picture.. But here in Chile?? Its on Wood! 

UTAH!!! Oh wait.... did I say Utah?? Sorry, I meant Lluta

Elder Crotzer and I in Lluta

Now we have been Chopping all the wood! Oh it feels great to be holding an Axe again!! 

The Castle! (Watch Tower) I forgot to mention it was the birthday of Valdivia last week!! 463 years!! Wow!

Look my Carnet FINALLY GOT HERE! I don't EVER HAVE TO GO BACK TO THAT DMB WORSE THAN DMV BUILDING EVER AGAIN!!! :D (See the Difference)

Week 82: A Second Chance

Hello everyone!! Sorry things are a little bit later this week... We had a little bit of something I like to call.... SUCCESS!!! But before that story comes I have lots to talk about!! So Buckle your seat belts (something I haven't done in along time.. Gonna have to learn again...) and hold on tight!! :)

Wow, so where to start?? First off, Mom I thought I said forever ago, sorry, I forget what I say and I don't when I think about what I am gonna write and what not, and I always realize after that there is something that I should have said. Especially something that is funny, is how when you say you sent a package (You guys didn't need to) (Just Liahona ;)) I realize that same day there is something else that I wanted/Needed but its nothing I NEED haha so no worries!! But my Companion Elder Root has the exact same time as Elder Jeppson, so he just completed 6 meses here in Chile as of January, also he is from St. George like Elder Rich! Which is funny, because his sister said that she knows the sister of Elder Rich!! 

Next I can also say this, I wasn't very happy to see what was at the beginning of the email, with what happened with Uncle Bruce, I was kinda thinkin "Shoot another Sad Email" like last week, I had lots of sad news last week. So I was super bummed last week, but I was SUPER Glad to see that everything is going to be okay, and that I have a family who Love to "Count their many Blessings" Thank you for writing those too, and its very Amazing! You can be sure that all ya'lls especially Uncle Bruce will be in my prayers, but one question. How did Uncle Bruce get it?? Did Grandpa or Grandma have it?? Does that mean that it can jump generations, so that even if you don't have it Mom, that we should still check us as well?? I dunno it was just a thought that popped up in my head.

Anyways, onward with the week, first off reading the emails last week, kinda put me in a downer mood last Monday night, but its cool, because Heavenly Father knows exactly what to do to help me be in a better mood, when we got back to the house and I started changing my clothes, all of a sudden I heard a familiar song coming from the neighbor's house. Then another, and another. Our Neighbor likes listening to my Favorite Band.... IMAGINE DRAGONS! Know what's even better?! They have new songs that I get to listen to when I get home!!! :D 

Anyways, now for the story of SUCCESS!! 

So Familia Silva... Yeah, the familia that we got to help move!!! Well, the Dad got out of the hospital a week ago on Sunday! And we had the chance to get to meet him on Tuesday, and we had a cita with him and taught him the Restoration on Friday afternoon!! It was super awesome!! He is a great guy!! The Spirit was present and everything!! We also had the chance to serve him later that night, by cutting some wood for him! :) 

Then Later that night on Friday we had the chance to go to the house of Familia Veloso who live right next to Diego and Familia Silva!!! (After cutting the wood) It was super duper awesome!! We ended up having a Noche de Hogar with them and Diego and his family were invited but only he ended up going because his lady was having some " 9 Month Sickness" and what not, and so she didn't come. At the Noche de Hogar, we watched a video on the Plan of Salvation that was on Youtube that was made in the 70's or something like that, and was kinda weird, but didn't teach it all, but anyways when it was done, it was almost 10 o'clock so we had to BOOK it to the house!! 

Then on Saturday we told Diego that we would be back to help him in the evening with Moving HIM now, because he is going to live next door to his familia with his lady and his son, and so we went back Saturday night at 8 to go and help, but he still wasn't done working. (He works as a Collectivo Driver) and so we ended up helping his new neighbors organize there wood that was in the street to move it inside their property and what not. So we did that, and as I was sweeping up (It had to be perfect ((Thanks Grant...)) Anyways Diego pulled up, and so we took off with him to his old house to start bringing things over, we only had to do one load, because they didn't have a lot of things to do, but it took like an hour to do, well, because look at the stairs in the picture and because of a car parked behind me from where I took the picture, but we did it!! It was awesome!! Then he told us to come by on Sunday night to see if they had unpacked everything and if so we could just talk!! 

So we passed by last night and he still wasn't done working so we went somewhere else, when all of a sudden we got a call from the sisters asking if we could go into their sector to give some investigators a blessing who had been in a bus crash yesterday, and so we did that!! As we were getting ready to leave I had the idea to call Diego to see if he could help us out by giving us a ride, and he said "where are you?" and then as we were telling him he Honked and drove past us and told us to meet him at the super mercado!! So we ran up there as he dropped off some people there and jumped in the car!! He took us there and wouldn't accept any money.... Then he left, it was super cool, and then when we finished he told us to call him, so as we did he came back to pick us up, and we went with him to drop his car off. And we put 1.000 hidden by the E brake as a surprise in the morning! ;) He told us that he would take us to central today in the morning when we were ready!! 

So this morning after we finished our studies we gave him a call, and he hooked us up, and we told him we would come by at like 1 pm so we could help him organize his house (He asked us last night to help) and we ended up getting there around 2 which was awesome!! Then we ended up going to Unimarc to go and buy Lunch so we could eat with him and his pareja Josalin!! So we did that and had a lunch with them!! When I acted on a prompting (Thoughts this morning in the shower) to teach the Plan of Salvation!! It was kinda fun because I did something different, we started the lesson out with a question like this. Having them look at each other "Do you want to Live Forever with Each other?" And Diego said yes, and Josalin said that she couldn't see herself with anyone else. Then we taught and by the end we did the same question but put "Are you willing to do anything to do be together forever?" Then popped the John 3:5 showing that Jesus said you have to be baptized to enter the Kingdom of God and then we popped the question and THEY BOTH ACCEPTED FECHA FOR THE 21 OF MARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How cool is that?!?! Although their son was crying every time the Spirit hit us hard and they were thinking of a response to a Question. Dang you Satin. They accepted Fecha! Now I KNOW that it really was the Spirit that guided us to them last week!1 

Now I say this is a second chance, because I realized this last week that a year ago, I was in Chiloe and that was when I found Jaime by the Spirit who was Baptized. Although Jaime was 19 and was my age. Diego is 24 and is Brandon's age, and is close to the age of Jaime. So therefore a Second chance! :) Thank you Heavenly Father!! 

Yeah, so that was our awesome week! Now we have LOTS to do this week!! Thank you for everything that you all do for me!! ESPECIALLY the Prayers! 

I Love you all so very much! Have a Great Week!! 

Trying to make you Proud,

Elder Connor Holt

Holding Imagine Dragons while listening to them from the neighbors

River Shot, we cross this bridge a lot

A fun night shot from our room.

This is in our sector, the river is obviously huge if they put these in there...

The Stairs from Saturday night.

Diego, Joselin, and I

After Servicio :) We moved all that up those stairs

for Brandon: You guys should get Fire helmets like these!! :) 

Week 81: It Worked!!! (Evil Laugh) It Finally Worked!!

Hey everyone!! How is it going?? I hope that everything is going well!! 

How sad it is to hear that Bro. Wright and as well as Diana Hughes passed away. I honestly had plans to go by and talk to her in a couple months, because she was one of the people who gave me a card when I left wishing me good luck!! :( Also its super sad to think that the neighbor that I loved to doorbell ditch and also who was a leader of us for a little bit of time is gone as well. :/ But, they are both in a better place now, and I can testify of that, it says so in my favorite lesson to teach of the plan of salvation! 

Hmmm a fight in the Super Bowl huh?? Cool. Sounds like it made things more interesting! 

No Snow?? Boy am I glad I am not there this year than, and that it is just making for more signs of snow on the 4th so I can go skiing as well like Brandon did!! 

Package?? I don't think I will need anything BUT the Ensign, I would like to have a copy of that if I could, so I can have my own copy to mark up and use/read before I get home all the talks and what not! :) Although I am gonna be sending a package home to myself next week, so if you could just throw that in my room, and also I sent Nate a letter to our address because I didn't have my address book with me, so they are gonna have to come to he house to get it!! 

Wanna know something Chistoso? Ya, no se ahora when I am speaking Español o Inglés. I realized that this last week, that I am just talking now, and it could be either one.... Its super hard for me to talk now, because I do both...

Okay now you all are asking why I have a wonderful title to this email huh?? Well lets see, lets just go back in time now of this past week! At the start of the week we were in the class of Sacerdocio in church with all the men. We had the chance to put my plan to action. In Ovejeria, the 1st councilor told me that I should go in front of everyone during this class and asked them personally when they can acompañarnos durante la semana!! And Elder Jeppson and I never ended up doing it, so this past Sunday I remembered that and figured we would try it! We got a bunch of citas with the miembros and lots said they would come out and work with us!! I realized we were gonna have lots of work, and we sure did, but we had lots of success!! We had 4 lessons with member and investigadores, and then we had 6 other lessons, like with menos activos in the church and what not, it was awesome!! 

Now here is the story super awesome!! We had Divisions on Friday night. With Hno. Asencio and Hno. Rodrigo! So in the morning we did some service with stacking leña for two hours and it was awesome!! It made me realize how much I miss leña... We are gonna have to have the cold season come again soon, so we can start choppin wood again! (My Favorite Service) Anyways, we went to lunch with an X-Mamita and so the food was SOOO Good!! At the end when we were finished with lunch I looked out the window and saw this couple who were moving in next door, and it looked like they needed help since there were only three of them!! We were just getting served our dessert, Some super Rico torta, when I asked if it would be okay if we run over to ask if they would need some help? The hermana said "No its okay, finish your food." This is when the Spirit came and hit me. Because here in Valdivia we don't have Pensionistas (Mamitas) and so we eat with the members and then share everyday. So as my companion started to share with them, i felt the Spirit that we needed to go. Like it was a different Spirit though. The Feeling of when you have to get up on Fast Sunday to share the gospel?? Yeah where it starts small, and then gets Super Intense, where the moment he said Amen, I was pretty much jumping up and down in my seat, I offered a prayer and said thanks, and then we ran out!! I ran over to their fence and "Allowed." The lady came out, and we asked if we could help, so she went inside to ask her husband, and so we both prayed they would say yes, and she came out and said yes. So we asked when was the best time to come back, and she went back in and we prayed for 7 and then she came back out and said 7! We were super stoked and went home!! As we started our hours of proselitismo we called the two hermanos who we had divisions with that night and had them move to another location where we were going to meet, in front of a different members house who lives by this family at 7:30. Then at 6 we had a cita with Family Veloso  (Este otro familia) but they didn't show up until 7:15 so when we were there around 7. The new familia wasn't there either... So we kinda just sat there until Familia Veloso  came home in a little bit, and went in to talk to them about this new familia!! That they should go over there and introduce themselves and say help them and invite them, when we heard a car honk outside and hno rodrigo was outside!! So we went out and waited in his car until hno. Asencio came, but then all of a sudden a truck came around the corner and it was this new familia with a truck full of stuff to unload!! So we got out of the car, and just hen Hno. Asencio came and so called hno. Veloso to come out and help and so we had 5 more pairs of hands!! We got that truck unloaded super fast!! It was awesome! Then Diego (The man we were helping) said that there was only one more load there in the other house! So Elder Root and Rodrigo went to go teach an inv. and I went with Hno. Asencio with Diego to go load up the truck again! As we finished we came back, and the 3 other guys were still there, so we finished and then Hno. Veloso said that he would love to invite them over to get to know one another! Woot Woot! It was literally the PERFECT way it could have turned out!! 

Then on Saturday Diego ended up driving past us in his collectivo and then honked at us, it was awesome!! At night we went over there with Hno. Uribe to talk with them, and the mom of Diego came out and thanked us for our help the night before, when all of a sudden Diego came around the corner with another truck full!! Woot! So we had 3 sets of manos mas to help out, then we cleaned out the shed and helped put things in there!! It was another hour and a half of work, and we got all dirty! It was fun!! In the end we had the chance to invite them to church, but they didn't end up coming!! 

Last night, my companion.. Well we went to the hospital... Hahaha so we were walking along and I was telling a story of something, and we were both looking at the ground when all of a sudden I looked up right to see when my companion Cut his head on a little roof that covered a Gate entryway and it was super funny, then he changed sides, and then poked his head, and then we saw that all of a sudden it was bleeding, pretty bad. So luckily we were right in front of a members house on the other side of the street, and we went and talked with Hno. Carvajal and he told us that we should go to the hospital, so we were there, and Elder Root, ended up getting his head glued! So that was fun!! Hahaha but he is alright!! :) 

Anyways, that is what some of the miracles we have see here in Chile this past week, and we are getting ready for another week like the last!! Thank you for all the prayers that you have all given me!! I Love you guys all so much!! I hope that everything goes well for you all! That you can see the blessings I have asked for everyone!! :) 

Also Scripture of the week?? Alma 58:40 yeah them Stripling Warriors are great!! I Love em and want to be JUST like em!! 

Trying to make YOU Proud,

Elder Connor G. Holt

This kid was TIRED

Ha we are making the Members tired by working so much with them now as well! ;)

Macheti de Diego! No Mas Elder Holt... Ninja Holt

Elder Root in the Hospital last night