Email - February 6, 2012
Tuesday, Elder Nordine came up to Eldon with me on exchanges. We had to get the car all nice looking for the upcoming Zone Conference. We also had a lesson with a less active member of the branch. One thing that has been really great about this week is that we have had dinners with three families that I had never eaten with in my time here. It is really nice to be able to get more face
time with different members of the branch because it is through them that the most effective missionary work will take place. Well, the next day was zone conference. I really do learn a lot at those things even if they do start to drag after a while (it lasts from 9 in the morning until about 4 in the afternoon) One of the things that I realized at zone conference is that I really need to make more of an effort to ask questions while I teach. I have tried to implement that more in lessons since that zone conference and I really think that has helped and it will definitely be something on which I will continue to work. After a quick dinner when we got home from zone conference, we headed to the Book of Mormon reading group. We were able to have one of our investigators there which is always great! On Monday we didn't have any money loaded on our cards yet, so we weren't able to really get any groceries. So, we made a quick stop in at Wal-Mart to pick up some things on Thursday since we did have the money by then. Then we went and read the Book of Mormon with a less active member with whom we have been working. Since he hasn't been able to make it to our group on Wednesdays, we go over and read with him to catch him up on what he missed. We also stopped by to see the Reeds and they
were still feeling under the weather so we gave each of them a blessing. That night we had dinner with the Evans. They are a super nice family and they are always more than happy to fill in at the last minute when someone else cancels on us. Some other great experiences that we had was on Saturday. On the previous Sunday, Pres. Koeppen, the branch president, had offered to meet with
us on a weekly basis. We took him up on that Saturday morning and we were able to discuss the missionary efforts of the branch and those people who weren't active who had been on his mind as of late. We were also able to do some service for him and they fed us lunch. After that meeting, we went and saw Sis. Sapp, one of our investigators and had a really geat spiritual experience. She
is the only one in her family we have been actually teaching, but while we were there having a lesson with her, her husband came to us and asked us if we would pray with him because he has been going through some struggles in his life that have been causing some problems. We were able to give him and his wife priesthood blessings to help them through their struggles. The spirit was
definitely strong and it is my hope that that experience will cause him to have the desire to learn about the restored gospel as well.
The gospel of Jesus Christ makes you more happy than anything else! I've been able to see so many aspects of it affect people while I have been serving and it is wonderful! It is my hope that I can keep working to become a better servant of the Lord
for the remainder of my mission and for the remainder of my life. Thank you all for supporting me in that endeavor! Elder Holmes
time with different members of the branch because it is through them that the most effective missionary work will take place. Well, the next day was zone conference. I really do learn a lot at those things even if they do start to drag after a while (it lasts from 9 in the morning until about 4 in the afternoon) One of the things that I realized at zone conference is that I really need to make more of an effort to ask questions while I teach. I have tried to implement that more in lessons since that zone conference and I really think that has helped and it will definitely be something on which I will continue to work. After a quick dinner when we got home from zone conference, we headed to the Book of Mormon reading group. We were able to have one of our investigators there which is always great! On Monday we didn't have any money loaded on our cards yet, so we weren't able to really get any groceries. So, we made a quick stop in at Wal-Mart to pick up some things on Thursday since we did have the money by then. Then we went and read the Book of Mormon with a less active member with whom we have been working. Since he hasn't been able to make it to our group on Wednesdays, we go over and read with him to catch him up on what he missed. We also stopped by to see the Reeds and they
were still feeling under the weather so we gave each of them a blessing. That night we had dinner with the Evans. They are a super nice family and they are always more than happy to fill in at the last minute when someone else cancels on us. Some other great experiences that we had was on Saturday. On the previous Sunday, Pres. Koeppen, the branch president, had offered to meet with
us on a weekly basis. We took him up on that Saturday morning and we were able to discuss the missionary efforts of the branch and those people who weren't active who had been on his mind as of late. We were also able to do some service for him and they fed us lunch. After that meeting, we went and saw Sis. Sapp, one of our investigators and had a really geat spiritual experience. She
is the only one in her family we have been actually teaching, but while we were there having a lesson with her, her husband came to us and asked us if we would pray with him because he has been going through some struggles in his life that have been causing some problems. We were able to give him and his wife priesthood blessings to help them through their struggles. The spirit was
definitely strong and it is my hope that that experience will cause him to have the desire to learn about the restored gospel as well.
The gospel of Jesus Christ makes you more happy than anything else! I've been able to see so many aspects of it affect people while I have been serving and it is wonderful! It is my hope that I can keep working to become a better servant of the Lord
for the remainder of my mission and for the remainder of my life. Thank you all for supporting me in that endeavor! Elder Holmes
Email - February 14, 2012
Had some pretty cool experiences this week. Although, I daresay that I could preface all of my emails with that comment.We went on exchanges with the Osage Beach Elders on Tuesday and I brought Elder Jeffs up with me in Eldon. It was a rather frustrating day though, for one main reason: tiwi pro. Basically, it is big brother. A tracking device that they put in our cars that detects and logs our location, speed, and driving habits (acceleration, deceleration, turning, seat-belts, etc.). It has been in our vehicles for a while, but up
until this point it hadn't been activated. It has been frustrating at first because it doesn't have all of the speed limits correct and doesn't even know all of the roads. We have to call in whenever it makes such a mistake and that just takes time out of the day. I've heard that it is mostly us and Osage Beach who are having the problems though, so hopefully they can get stuff all fixed. Tuesday evening, however, we were able to have a great lesson. One of the members of the branch invited her friend to meet with us in her home and so we were able to have dinner and a lesson over there. The lesson went really well and you could tell that her friend was sincere and truly wanted something to bless her life and to help her find direction. I love being able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands in helping people accomplish both of those goals. This week we also made some great progress with one of our investigators, Bro. Reed. On Wednesday he agreed to a baptismal date of the 10th of March. Then, we had a followup appointment with him on Sunday and he told us that he felt that he had received an answer to his prayers and a confirmation that being baptized is the right thing for him to do. He got his answer in a way that I had not previously encountered on my mission and that is through his dreams. He said that he had a dream and, without disclosing any specifics, someone who was very close to him but has passed away informed him that he was doing the right thing. I firmly believe that those who go on before us are looking out for us and this was clearly the case with Bro. Reed as well. One other thing that struck me this week was a talk given by one of the youth in sacrament meeting. He spoke about prayer and something simple that he said that struck me as being profound. He said that no matter how far away from
God we feel that we are, no matter what we have done, He is always there to hear our prayers. No matter what we have done, we can always pray. I know that that is true and that prayer is a very powerful thing! That is one of the many things about which my testimony has grown on my mission. I'm having a great time! Hope you all have/had a great Valentine's Day. Love, Elder Holmes
until this point it hadn't been activated. It has been frustrating at first because it doesn't have all of the speed limits correct and doesn't even know all of the roads. We have to call in whenever it makes such a mistake and that just takes time out of the day. I've heard that it is mostly us and Osage Beach who are having the problems though, so hopefully they can get stuff all fixed. Tuesday evening, however, we were able to have a great lesson. One of the members of the branch invited her friend to meet with us in her home and so we were able to have dinner and a lesson over there. The lesson went really well and you could tell that her friend was sincere and truly wanted something to bless her life and to help her find direction. I love being able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands in helping people accomplish both of those goals. This week we also made some great progress with one of our investigators, Bro. Reed. On Wednesday he agreed to a baptismal date of the 10th of March. Then, we had a followup appointment with him on Sunday and he told us that he felt that he had received an answer to his prayers and a confirmation that being baptized is the right thing for him to do. He got his answer in a way that I had not previously encountered on my mission and that is through his dreams. He said that he had a dream and, without disclosing any specifics, someone who was very close to him but has passed away informed him that he was doing the right thing. I firmly believe that those who go on before us are looking out for us and this was clearly the case with Bro. Reed as well. One other thing that struck me this week was a talk given by one of the youth in sacrament meeting. He spoke about prayer and something simple that he said that struck me as being profound. He said that no matter how far away from
God we feel that we are, no matter what we have done, He is always there to hear our prayers. No matter what we have done, we can always pray. I know that that is true and that prayer is a very powerful thing! That is one of the many things about which my testimony has grown on my mission. I'm having a great time! Hope you all have/had a great Valentine's Day. Love, Elder Holmes
February 21, 2012
IMPORTANT: Transfer calls were Saturday night and I will be leaving Eldon. I am going to 2110 Cypress #2, Harrison, AR 72601. My new companion is Elder Perkes and I am going to be a district leader. I am really sad to leave Eldon. I can truly say that I have fallen in love with the people here and just the area in general.So... this week has been pretty normal, as far as missions go. We taught some
good lessons to investigators and such. Bro. Reed is still on track for baptism on the 10th of March and is doing great. Honestly though, right now my mind is filled with a couple of things. The first of which is the fact that Tyler is going to be baptized today! His whole story is a testimony to me of the power of the gospel. From the beginning, his mother wasn't exactly supportive of him
getting baptized or even taking lessons. Because he was 17, we were not able to meet with him without her permission. We were able to maintain contact with him though, because he hangs out at the Miner's a lot and so we would see him over there. It was amazing to me, though, how much he did on his own to build his testimony of Christ and the restored gospel. He grew to love reading the Book of Mormon and prayer and, even though he wasn't able to do much else, he hang on to those things. The time came a few days ago that he turned 18 and he had chosen today as his date of baptism. He didn't want to go behind to go behind his mother's back though, so he told her about it last night. I know that the combined efforts of his prayers and the prayers of all those supporting him
helped in that moment to soften his mother's heart who, although she is still upset that he is doing this against her wishes, is still willing to support him and will be attending the baptismal service. While I was speaking to him last night, the concept of sacrifice came to my mind. The concept of sacrifice has always existed with Christ's people. In fact, we are required to sacrifice everything we have, if it is required. However, by sacrificing all that we have, we are able to obtain all that our Father in Heaven has. Pretty good deal if you ask me!The second thing that has been on my mind is transfers. Saturday night I found out that I will be leaving Eldon, MO on Thursday and going to Harrison, AR as district leader. I know that it is where the Lord needs me. However, I can't help but realize how much I have truly grown to love this place and the people here. It seems almost cliche for missionaries to say
and you hear all the time how you "grow to love the people you serve" but I can testify that it is most definitely true. There are many wonderful people who have taken good care of me here and as conceited as it may sound, I know that I will be missed. I do, however, look forward to continue to make these wonderful relationships everywhere I go and continue to help people come closer to Christ.
I love you guys too! I know that y'all are back home supporting me as well in every way that you can, and I appreciate it.
good lessons to investigators and such. Bro. Reed is still on track for baptism on the 10th of March and is doing great. Honestly though, right now my mind is filled with a couple of things. The first of which is the fact that Tyler is going to be baptized today! His whole story is a testimony to me of the power of the gospel. From the beginning, his mother wasn't exactly supportive of him
getting baptized or even taking lessons. Because he was 17, we were not able to meet with him without her permission. We were able to maintain contact with him though, because he hangs out at the Miner's a lot and so we would see him over there. It was amazing to me, though, how much he did on his own to build his testimony of Christ and the restored gospel. He grew to love reading the Book of Mormon and prayer and, even though he wasn't able to do much else, he hang on to those things. The time came a few days ago that he turned 18 and he had chosen today as his date of baptism. He didn't want to go behind to go behind his mother's back though, so he told her about it last night. I know that the combined efforts of his prayers and the prayers of all those supporting him
helped in that moment to soften his mother's heart who, although she is still upset that he is doing this against her wishes, is still willing to support him and will be attending the baptismal service. While I was speaking to him last night, the concept of sacrifice came to my mind. The concept of sacrifice has always existed with Christ's people. In fact, we are required to sacrifice everything we have, if it is required. However, by sacrificing all that we have, we are able to obtain all that our Father in Heaven has. Pretty good deal if you ask me!The second thing that has been on my mind is transfers. Saturday night I found out that I will be leaving Eldon, MO on Thursday and going to Harrison, AR as district leader. I know that it is where the Lord needs me. However, I can't help but realize how much I have truly grown to love this place and the people here. It seems almost cliche for missionaries to say
and you hear all the time how you "grow to love the people you serve" but I can testify that it is most definitely true. There are many wonderful people who have taken good care of me here and as conceited as it may sound, I know that I will be missed. I do, however, look forward to continue to make these wonderful relationships everywhere I go and continue to help people come closer to Christ.
I love you guys too! I know that y'all are back home supporting me as well in every way that you can, and I appreciate it.
February 27, 2012
Well, last week was the week of transfers! I can't think of a better way to go out of an area than Tyler's baptism on Tuesday. He ended up being a few minutes late because his meeting that he had beforehand at work went longer than it was supposed to, but other than that it went off without a hitch! In fact, we found out that he was able to get Sundays off work so that he could attend church!
Over and over again, his conversion experience has been a testimony of the power of prayer and even fasting. I have no doubt that Tyler will continue to be a great member of the church and that his testimony will continue to grow stronger. Every time I am able to see someone else experience conversion, my own conversion to Christ is strengthened and I know that that is the case with
all missionary work that we do. Thursday was my first day in Harrison! Elder Perkes said that his first impression of me was, "I hope that he has a good relationship with this member that he is clearly making fun of." haha The first thing that he saw me do was tease Bro. McWhinnie about being a crazy old man like I always do. He and I always enjoyed playful banter though, don't worry about me hurting his feelings. haha My first impression of him was, "man, he is tall." Our first day in the area, I got myself all unpacked and
settled in, we went to dinner at a really nice family, the Fredlunds, and then we went back home and did weekly planning. Friday
morning, we had a member of the ward call us up and tell us that she wanted us to come over because she was going through a tough time and needed someone to talk to and give her a spiritual boost. Of course, we were more than happy to go over and it was especially great because she is less active and so the missionaries have been working on trying to get her back to church. Also, she
gave us some girl scout cookies :) After going back and finishing up studies, we went and stopped by some more active and less active members to get myself familiarized with the area. The next morning, we did service at a thrift store for a bit. It is basically a bunch of older ladies who normally work there so they have us go through the electronics to make sure that they work. Then, we had an MCM with our ward mission leader, Brother Utter and we discussed the missionary efforts of the ward and how we can help them meet their goals. This week, we are hoping to meet with the bishop as well and see what his plans and ideas are. We had a really great dinner with the Ratliff family up in a city called Omaha (not Nebraska) and tried to contact a media referral up there as well, but he was not home. So, it basically ended up just using up a bunch of miles. Oh well, I know that the Lord blesses us for working hard, if not immediately.Even though I had not yet met her, we did have an investigator at church! I definitely felt that it was a blessing from the Lord and that her fellowshipper is also really great! Church was their ward conference and so the stake people were there. It was great because all of the messages revolved around and put a great emphasis on missionary work! I'm
hopeful that it sparked some interest in members to share the gospel and that it will help this area to grow. I am optimistic! I love you all and thank you very much for your support of me here!
Elder Holmes
Over and over again, his conversion experience has been a testimony of the power of prayer and even fasting. I have no doubt that Tyler will continue to be a great member of the church and that his testimony will continue to grow stronger. Every time I am able to see someone else experience conversion, my own conversion to Christ is strengthened and I know that that is the case with
all missionary work that we do. Thursday was my first day in Harrison! Elder Perkes said that his first impression of me was, "I hope that he has a good relationship with this member that he is clearly making fun of." haha The first thing that he saw me do was tease Bro. McWhinnie about being a crazy old man like I always do. He and I always enjoyed playful banter though, don't worry about me hurting his feelings. haha My first impression of him was, "man, he is tall." Our first day in the area, I got myself all unpacked and
settled in, we went to dinner at a really nice family, the Fredlunds, and then we went back home and did weekly planning. Friday
morning, we had a member of the ward call us up and tell us that she wanted us to come over because she was going through a tough time and needed someone to talk to and give her a spiritual boost. Of course, we were more than happy to go over and it was especially great because she is less active and so the missionaries have been working on trying to get her back to church. Also, she
gave us some girl scout cookies :) After going back and finishing up studies, we went and stopped by some more active and less active members to get myself familiarized with the area. The next morning, we did service at a thrift store for a bit. It is basically a bunch of older ladies who normally work there so they have us go through the electronics to make sure that they work. Then, we had an MCM with our ward mission leader, Brother Utter and we discussed the missionary efforts of the ward and how we can help them meet their goals. This week, we are hoping to meet with the bishop as well and see what his plans and ideas are. We had a really great dinner with the Ratliff family up in a city called Omaha (not Nebraska) and tried to contact a media referral up there as well, but he was not home. So, it basically ended up just using up a bunch of miles. Oh well, I know that the Lord blesses us for working hard, if not immediately.Even though I had not yet met her, we did have an investigator at church! I definitely felt that it was a blessing from the Lord and that her fellowshipper is also really great! Church was their ward conference and so the stake people were there. It was great because all of the messages revolved around and put a great emphasis on missionary work! I'm
hopeful that it sparked some interest in members to share the gospel and that it will help this area to grow. I am optimistic! I love you all and thank you very much for your support of me here!
Elder Holmes