Email - June 4, 2012
I did quite a bit of service this week! We did our regular volunteering at the thrift store, then on exchanges in Berryville, we did service at their thrift store, then we told our thrift store that we would come back Saturday morning because Harrison was having a city-wide garage sale so the store knew they would be getting all of the leftovers. Also, we helped a widowed sister in the ward
dig up some trees and move a pile of dirt. I do feel like it was a blessing though, because we weren't able to get a hold of most of our investigators this week so it gave us some things to do to break up what could have been a monotonous week. Our service with Sis. Ray actually ended up being quite productive. Part of what we did was move some dirt from a pile in her neighbor's yard into her yard. While we were in her neighbor's yard shoveling, the woman came out and started to talk to us about a news story that involved a member of the church in Little Rock. This opened up the avenue for me to invite her to visit mormon.org as well as the possibility of us meeting with her. We plan on definitely following up with Sis. Ray to invite her friend to do just that! There is definitely potential building up in this area and we need to keep it up. The Masters, of course, are continuing to do great! In fact, Bro. Masters and his two oldest sons recieved the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday! It was a really great experience and spiritual as well. It was fast and testimony meeting and Bro. Masters actually got up and bore a wonderful testimony. He is just so excited about the Gospel and has been completely immersing himself. I only hope that I can live up to his example. I love how excited recent converts are about living the Gospel and I just hope that it rubs off on me even a little bit while I'm on my mission and I can apply it the rest of my life. A wonderful example for all of you as well! I hope that you all know how much I appreciate your support! Love,Elder Holmes
dig up some trees and move a pile of dirt. I do feel like it was a blessing though, because we weren't able to get a hold of most of our investigators this week so it gave us some things to do to break up what could have been a monotonous week. Our service with Sis. Ray actually ended up being quite productive. Part of what we did was move some dirt from a pile in her neighbor's yard into her yard. While we were in her neighbor's yard shoveling, the woman came out and started to talk to us about a news story that involved a member of the church in Little Rock. This opened up the avenue for me to invite her to visit mormon.org as well as the possibility of us meeting with her. We plan on definitely following up with Sis. Ray to invite her friend to do just that! There is definitely potential building up in this area and we need to keep it up. The Masters, of course, are continuing to do great! In fact, Bro. Masters and his two oldest sons recieved the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday! It was a really great experience and spiritual as well. It was fast and testimony meeting and Bro. Masters actually got up and bore a wonderful testimony. He is just so excited about the Gospel and has been completely immersing himself. I only hope that I can live up to his example. I love how excited recent converts are about living the Gospel and I just hope that it rubs off on me even a little bit while I'm on my mission and I can apply it the rest of my life. A wonderful example for all of you as well! I hope that you all know how much I appreciate your support! Love,Elder Holmes
June 11, 2012
This week was a great week in that we were able to meet with about all of our investigators! Unlike last week when we weren't able to make contact with most of them. Tuesday, we had lunch with Bro. and Sis. Wolfe. They took us out to lunch at a pretty good "home-cookin"' restaurant in Harrison before they took us up to see Sis. Waggoner and Sis. Pence, her daughter. Sis. Waggoner is Sis.
Masters' sister and her daughter had met with us a couple times and convinced her mother to meet with us as well. We had a really great Restoration lesson with them and Sis. Waggoner was definitely open and willing to learn more. After our lesson with them, we drove to see the Pottorffs and taught them about the Plan of Salvation. Overall, the lesson went pretty well. You could tell that
even though Sis. Pottorff had been inactive for a while she remembered, at least subconsciously, stuff from the Plan of Salvation. Then, we went and saw Bro. and Sis. Bass and had our weekly Book of Mormon reading with them. I went on two missionary exchanges in a row this week. I went to Mountain Home with Elder Payne on Wednesday and then on Thursday after district meeting I went up to Branson with Elder Doxey on our exchange with the zone leaders. I always love getting out on exchanges to see other missionaries' areas and to learn from them. I really like Elder Payne, and Elder Doxey as well and so that was a bonus! The Branson Elders live in a 4 missionary apartment with some Spanish Elders. One of them is Elder Kirth and he and I get along really well so it was nice to get to hang with him for a bit! Friday, we were able to meet with Sis. Golden for the first time in a few weeks and the lesson went really well! We went over there with Bro. Utter and taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we were discussing baptism, she expressed her desire to have that renewal and rebirth in her life and so we were able to take that opportunity to
set a baptism date with her of the 7th of July. Then, she also made it to church the next Sunday and had a really great time! Needless to say, it has been a pretty good, productive week. I love it! The Gospel is amazing :)
Masters' sister and her daughter had met with us a couple times and convinced her mother to meet with us as well. We had a really great Restoration lesson with them and Sis. Waggoner was definitely open and willing to learn more. After our lesson with them, we drove to see the Pottorffs and taught them about the Plan of Salvation. Overall, the lesson went pretty well. You could tell that
even though Sis. Pottorff had been inactive for a while she remembered, at least subconsciously, stuff from the Plan of Salvation. Then, we went and saw Bro. and Sis. Bass and had our weekly Book of Mormon reading with them. I went on two missionary exchanges in a row this week. I went to Mountain Home with Elder Payne on Wednesday and then on Thursday after district meeting I went up to Branson with Elder Doxey on our exchange with the zone leaders. I always love getting out on exchanges to see other missionaries' areas and to learn from them. I really like Elder Payne, and Elder Doxey as well and so that was a bonus! The Branson Elders live in a 4 missionary apartment with some Spanish Elders. One of them is Elder Kirth and he and I get along really well so it was nice to get to hang with him for a bit! Friday, we were able to meet with Sis. Golden for the first time in a few weeks and the lesson went really well! We went over there with Bro. Utter and taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we were discussing baptism, she expressed her desire to have that renewal and rebirth in her life and so we were able to take that opportunity to
set a baptism date with her of the 7th of July. Then, she also made it to church the next Sunday and had a really great time! Needless to say, it has been a pretty good, productive week. I love it! The Gospel is amazing :)
Email - June 19, 2012
This week was great! On Monday we were able to go and see Sis. Brandenburg to have a lesson and found out that her 8 year-old son and 12 year-old daughter were interested in learning with her and so we have begun teaching them as well! We watched the Prophet of the Restoration movie with them and they really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, Sis. Brandenburg and her daughter were feeling ill on
Sunday and weren't able to attend church, but we did stop by and read a bit of the Book of Mormon with Kyle (the son) and we taught him how to pray. He was really shy about it but his mom helped him and so that was good :) I love teaching families! On Tuesday we were able to teach Sis. Waggoner and Sis. Pence about the Plan of Salvation over at the Masters' place. It was a really great spiritual
experience and we were really able to focus on eternal families which they really loved because they had just experienced a loss in their family. I love the peace that a knowledge of the Gospel can and does bring into the lives of God's children. They have really been progressing and had a great time at church on Sunday as well! They have a baptism date next month on the 28th! I'm just so
happy for them. That same day, we also saw Bro. and Sis. Pottorff. They aren't progressing as quickly as our other investigators but they are sincere in their investigation. I asked what it would mean to Bro. Pottorff if it was true, an he said, "well, I guess it would mean that I have been close to the right path but not quite there. It would mean that we would have to change." It was great
to hear that he has that "real intent" required to gain a testimony of the Restoration. On Thursday I was on exchanges with the Elders from Mountain Home. I went to Mtn. Home with Elder Startup. He is really fun and we joked around a lot Which was good because it would have been hard to stay positive otherwise because all of their appointments fell through. Even the dinner appointment! haha We managed to fill the day though and knocked on some doors. Those days happen sometimes. haha While I was gone, Elders Peterson and Payne taught the Plan of Salvation to our investigator Sis. Golden and they said it went over pretty well. Unfortunately, she was sick on Sunday as well and felt really bad that she could not make it to church. She has a baptism date of the 7th of next month and is really working toward it. Friday was our last interviews with President Merkley. It went pretty well. During the interviews we had a combined district meeting with us and the Branson district and so it was fun to see some of those guys. Harrison is the last stop on President's tour around the mission to do interviews and I was the last one to be interviewed. So, I was the last regular missionary interview that President will perform. Also, an interesting side-note, at every interviews that I have had I have been the last one to be interviewed. Well, that was my week! Hope you all had as great of a week as I was able to enjoy! As always, thanks for your prayers and support! of me on my mission! Love,Elder Holmes
Sunday and weren't able to attend church, but we did stop by and read a bit of the Book of Mormon with Kyle (the son) and we taught him how to pray. He was really shy about it but his mom helped him and so that was good :) I love teaching families! On Tuesday we were able to teach Sis. Waggoner and Sis. Pence about the Plan of Salvation over at the Masters' place. It was a really great spiritual
experience and we were really able to focus on eternal families which they really loved because they had just experienced a loss in their family. I love the peace that a knowledge of the Gospel can and does bring into the lives of God's children. They have really been progressing and had a great time at church on Sunday as well! They have a baptism date next month on the 28th! I'm just so
happy for them. That same day, we also saw Bro. and Sis. Pottorff. They aren't progressing as quickly as our other investigators but they are sincere in their investigation. I asked what it would mean to Bro. Pottorff if it was true, an he said, "well, I guess it would mean that I have been close to the right path but not quite there. It would mean that we would have to change." It was great
to hear that he has that "real intent" required to gain a testimony of the Restoration. On Thursday I was on exchanges with the Elders from Mountain Home. I went to Mtn. Home with Elder Startup. He is really fun and we joked around a lot Which was good because it would have been hard to stay positive otherwise because all of their appointments fell through. Even the dinner appointment! haha We managed to fill the day though and knocked on some doors. Those days happen sometimes. haha While I was gone, Elders Peterson and Payne taught the Plan of Salvation to our investigator Sis. Golden and they said it went over pretty well. Unfortunately, she was sick on Sunday as well and felt really bad that she could not make it to church. She has a baptism date of the 7th of next month and is really working toward it. Friday was our last interviews with President Merkley. It went pretty well. During the interviews we had a combined district meeting with us and the Branson district and so it was fun to see some of those guys. Harrison is the last stop on President's tour around the mission to do interviews and I was the last one to be interviewed. So, I was the last regular missionary interview that President will perform. Also, an interesting side-note, at every interviews that I have had I have been the last one to be interviewed. Well, that was my week! Hope you all had as great of a week as I was able to enjoy! As always, thanks for your prayers and support! of me on my mission! Love,Elder Holmes