Monday, July 8, 2013

Week 4

HELLO FAMILIA!!!
Where to start, where to start....well before I get into the INSANE FLOODING and FOOD I've had I will start with the awesome spiritual experience I had yesterday!!! So the Elders and us have kind of been working together on this one investigator but he is technically the Elders investigator but we are a part of it so it’s cool!!! HE COMMITTED TO BE BAPTIZED ON AUGUST 3rd!!!! Oh my gosh I'm so excited because he is the brother of a family in our ward and he has gone through SO MUCH. He was addicted to some pretty bad stuff, like way bad and still has lots of withdrawals and things but after meeting with him like every other day and him reading the BOM and praying I have witnessed his change!!! He is one of the strongest guys I have ever met and to see the happiness his family is feeling is awesome!!! But this is where it gets good. Elder Murdoch was telling the investigator that he has been on his mission for 21 months and this is THEE 1st person he has ever seen change and truly come unto Christ.  He got emotional and it was so cool because that just shows this elder's patience he's had his whole entire mission and to finally see ONE PERSON feel the spirit and desire to get baptized the spirit was so strong! Then the investigator asked Elder Murdoch to baptize him, over his brother, and HOLY COW I wanted to cry!!!!! It was so awesome. Anyways I can’t wait for August 3rd and grateful to be a part of something so awesome!

SO THE WEATHER HERE... rain every single day. not light rain, hard rain!!! The people here say they have never seen it rain so much in years.  They say it’s like a hurricane without the wind. Streets and houses were flooded everywhere.  Some areas were waist high and it was crazy to witness that.  Lots of service opportunities coming up that’s for sure!  Luckily our apartment complex is in a pretty good place but the Elders apartment complex parking lot was mid-calf. It’s nuts here. ADVENTURE: Sister Stanfield and I were riding back one night and all the sudden....DOWN POUR......we were almost home though so we kept going and I could barely see 5 feet in front of me! It was exactly like if I were to have just gotten out of the shower.  I will send the hilarious picture of me so you can see!!! It was pretty fun I'm not gonna lie! My scriptures got wet INSIDE my backpack! The pages are still drying!  We've gotten caught in the rain a lot but nothing like THAT NIGHT!! People were honking at us because they felt so bad. Oh funny story, people like to roll down their windows and yell crazy things at us while we ride our bikes like, "I HATE YOU". Ha only in the SOUTH! I love it (:

FRIED OREOS ARE THE BEST THING I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!!!!  The batter is like pancake batter and then powdered sugar coating and you've got a fried Oreo! I seriously crave one every day though!  The Fourth of July it rained all day which is sad because Panama City apparently has some of the best firework shows in the country!! The Bishop had us over for dinner though and fed us more than I've eaten my whole life!!! They had 3 servings of dessert. I also tried frog legs this week. Surprisingly they are pretty dang good!! We’re having some crab legs and stuff this Wednesday which should be good too!

Dad how’s your journal coming??? Also, I have a request!  Do you think sometime whenever you have time you could write down your conversion story and like how you felt during the whole thing and then send it to me!  I just think it would be cool to have while I'm here and maybe share with others!  Anyways, just a thought!!  I'm so happy you hiked the Y in the blazing heat! That makes me feel like I'm not alone in this sauna (:

SOMEONE FINALLY KNEW MY LAST NAME!!! I'm so sick of people not knowing how to say Holmoe and then on Fast Sunday we had a visitor in our ward from Utah and he knew Dad so I was so pumped! I bore my testimony yesterday and decided that I am going to once in each area!  I mean I am here to bear testimony so that’s what I am going to do!

Tracting was fun this week. We only did it a little but one house was all Muslim people and they invited us in and basically tried converting us. We had good conversation though and gave them a book of Mormon so we'll see!

The Book of Mormon is like instagram here to me. Personal Study is like my favorite time of the day!!! I look forward to just being able to read for myself and stuff! I'm starting to get addicted just like I was to insta!  Great analogy I know!

JILL RUSSON IS ENGAGED? Please tell her congrats and to be sure to send me an invitation when the time comes!! I'm so happy for her! She was always one of my favorite people!

Tell D.BOSS good luck on the mish! I know he doesn't leave for a few weeks but I want to be sure not to forget!! He will be so awesome!!!

MOM! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MY RAZOR! and for my letter!!!! Fridays and Saturdays are the worst here but mail usually comes on those days so I was so happy to get your letter and the food list! It helped!!! They have no fettuccine alfredo.....but they do have other Pasta Roni which I will do one of these days when we don't have a dinner appointment!! I seriously appreciate it though.  So am I supposed to write you to? It’s awkward because we can only write on Mondays and I have already emailed you so I have like nothing to say?  Anyway I’m going to send home my ring today!! I hope you are having fun in MARINA DEL REY!!! You lucky lucky dogs!!!! I love that hotel!!!!!

I love my bike mom! It’s perfect and the color is DIVINE! Everyone loves it!  I am excited to meet with President and Sister Smith on Wednesday!!! It should be cool!!!  One day last week we helped the Relief Society and CUT FOR 5 HOURS STRAIGHT.....5 hours. I WAS DYING! I may have a potential wart or something on my toe??? Unsure. It looks like a mega blood blister or something but I have no idea.  One morning we went to the church and cruised on Mormon.org.  I watched Chad Lewis's video and showed my comp! What a STUD man!!! Love Chad!! Yes Mom I have received emails from other missionaries in fact last week, I had 32 emails when I logged on! I have the best friends in the entire world!!

Something interesting here is everyone says I look like someone they know. Also S\O to Karina for the 4th of July bow!!! I wore it and it was so cute (:  We had a sweet FHE this past week!  It turns out I LOVE TEACHING KIDS!  But we also taught a returning member and she taught us about genealogy. I swear we are related because she had like a million Olaf Olsens in her pedigree chart! She was a character!! 

I'm pro at getting gas now because we get it like all the time. We are supposed to always have a lot in case of emergency weather.  There is one family in our ward who reminds me just of ours and I love it.  They play scategories and eat and laugh and it makes me miss home but I’M HAPPY!!! Being a missionary definitely has its days...........but like I said in the MTC the good times, like last night, always trump the bad times!!  Uh funny story, I had to sing a duet in front of a family....awkward when I don't sing at all and my companion could be on American Idol. My companion is so strong! She’s awesome.  Being here has made me SOOOOOO grateful for my family.  I seriously love you all so much!!! Thank you for your prayers and support!!! You are in mine as well!!!

So we can't take pics except on P-days..............................which is frustrating...........but OBEDIENCE IS KEY RIGHT??  Anyway so that’s why I haven't taken a lot of photos :( but it’s all good!!!!  I LOVE YOU ALL AND HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!! <3 





 I love this skirt Aunt Rhonda!!

No comments:

Post a Comment