Week 55

Good morning everyone!!  It's been a wonderful week in good ole Tallahassee, Florida!  Lots of highlights so I'll just DIVE right in! :)

We had a sweet lesson with our investigator named Marsha yesterday!  Marsha has been pretty skeptical throughout our meetings and hasn't really been progressing BUT yesterday was a HUGE turning point!  First off, she starts off by saying how she was reading in the Bible the story of Moses parting the Red Sea and thought that in itself is a pretty bold claim and story. She then went on to say how she wants to have a more open heart about Joseph Smith actually seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  We were like WOAH. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED TO HEAR! We watched the full length restoration movie with her and she said the hairs on her arm were standing.  It was so cool for her to be able to recognize that as the spirit testifying of truth.  I know I felt it!  I love in the end of the movie when it says, "Shall we not go on in such a great cause!?"  YES WE SHALL!  What a legacy the early saints left and that we continue to build upon each and every day as we defend the truth and stand for righteousness!  Marsha committed to kneel and pray to know if this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!  Keep her in your prayers!

We got a media referral this week of a sweet lady!  She works at the Tally airport and has always wanted to know more about the missionaries she sees traveling so she went online and ordered a Book of Mormon  We went to deliver it and ended up teaching her a lot.  She could have some great potential!  Really spunky lady! 

We had some exchanges this week and I was able to spend the day on FSU campus with Sister Bebee!  I was praying it wouldn't rain cause I knew we'd be contacting all day and in return God gave us the HOTTEST SUNNIEST DAY haha! It was a scorcher!  Their teaching pool is basically non existent right now so we spent all day "OYMing" on campus and trying to find people to teach!  Brought me back to the good ole days at Troy :)  Miracles happened though!! We were able to get several return appointments which they haven't gotten for a while!  It was a cool exchange because I can relate to the struggles the campus sisters face cause I've served on one!  You face a LOT of rejection on a campus and get your testimony stomped on and the sisters have been getting pretty discouraged BUT we need to just use those moments to strengthen our own foundation!  I was reading in John 15 and there are some great verses on rejection; how people don't reject US, they are rejecting the Savior!  We are representing Him each and every day! What an honor.  Sister Bebee is great!  She is a visa waiter, going to Brazil, so I got to help her in language study :) It was fun! 

Last night the Tallahassee Stake put on a BEAUTIFUL musical presentation called, "The Lamb of God".  It is Rob Gardner's music and it was amazing.  It was all representing the last days of Christ's life on earth.  All the seats were filled in the chapel and gym!  Lots of nonmembers there as well.  The spirit was very strong! 

We taught our 15 year old named Asha this week :)  Teaching her just makes me want to be a Young Women leader one day!! I just love uplifting girls that age and teaching them about their divine nature and individual worth!! So much fun!  It was cool cause there were painters in their home and after our lesson one of the guys was like, "I think y'all need to teach this message to my daughter!" 

As you can tell we had some awesome spiritual moments but we also had some AMAZING FOOD! haha. Our new motto is not "Go big or go home" but rather,  "Go home big!!" ;) haha.  The members are straight up SPOILING us!  I'm hoping its just cause Sister B is leaving soon cause its outta control!! One lady took us to one of the newest nicest restaurants in town called "Nefetari's!"  It was like Egyptian/Indian food. We certainly had a "royal experience"!  Then another lady took us to this place called "The Avenue".  WOAH.  That place was like super super fancy.  They get shipments STRAIGHT FROM ITALY!!! She ordered like 6 main dishes for us to all share and 2 desserts.  Then another girl took us to this authentic Vietnamese place and we had "Fu" or "Phu" something like that haha! I've tried some WILD foods this week but they were all really good!!

One night we went with one of our members to a new park in Tally called "Cascade Park"!  It's SOOO pretty!! I love it!  We walked around and passed out pass along cards and "OYMed".  It was good for the member to see how easy and natural missionary work can be!  There was a water fountain show (not quite Belagio haha) and a beautiful sunset. It was a perfect summer night!  We met some great people too! 

Thank you so much for the package!!!! Aw it was just what I needed!!!! How do you always know!?! haha!! It was fun all the surprises! I LOVE the shirts and earrings and quotes and body wash! And that book was THE BEST!! It was perfect for our mother daughter relationship! I really really appreciate it!  It was a little taste of home! :) Thank you! Since when did Wesley Bosco grow so old!?! I was blown away haha! Good luck to him and Jace and all other missionaries leaving the field!! So exciting! :)  We have MLC this week in Crestview, FL! It will be fun!  I've never been that far west in the mission! 

Well I love y'all so much!!!!! Mom, I'm SOOO unbelievably proud of you for finishing the Book of Mormon.  I was tearing up reading your email about your experience.  I hope everyone else in the family is trying it as well!!! :) BLESSINGS AWAITING! Church is true!!!  Have an awesome week!!! <3/ Sister Holmoe!!!

ps the Martins (the family who Erik knows) are feeding us on the 4th! woot woot!  HAVE A GREAT 4th of JULY!!!

A member of our ward and I!  She made me stand on my tip toes so she wouldn't seem like a giant haha! Love this woman!

 FSU!! Beautiful campus!

Kathy Lynn and I outside of Nefetaris! our own little "bean museum" haha :)

 Cleopatra's

 The 3 amigos!

 Pointing to where we were "born" in the mission! LOVE MY BAY COUNTY!

 The fountain show!

 This is Marsha! Sweet woman!

Week 54

Hey y’all!!  It’s been another great week in Tallahassee!!  On Tuesday morning I was on an exchange and we went and ran stairs at the FSU football stadium.  It was SO FUN because it was completely empty and when we ran to the top the sun was just about to rise!  Oh it was SOOO pretty and the stadium is LEGIT!  It was just one of those moments when you know God is real.  Undeniable with the beauty all around us!!

Cora's baptism was really special!!!  The spirit was just so strong and I've never seen her more happy.  She was BEAMING and radiating with the light of Christ. It was a wonderful program. After the actual ordinance she stood up and bore her testimony and it was the sweetest testimony.  Then at church the next day she was confirmed and just looked SO GOOD. She prayed in Sunday school and commented in Relief Society.  She's on FIRE! 

We also got the chance to go to another baptism earlier that day.  It was the husband of an active girl in our ward.  He'd been taught by missionaries for a long time now, off and on, but a few nights ago he was reading the Book of Mormon and just got confirmation that it was true so he called the elders and said, "let’s do this thing."  A few days later he was baptized!  It was really cool to see how happy the wife and her family was and they made a video of their other family members in Utah who couldn't come to the baptism on sudden notice and it had them saying how excited they were for him.  It reminded me of the video Carlee made me before I came on my mission!! Another cool fact is this guy is CHIEF OSCEOLA for FSU! haha Isn’t that the coolest thing!?!  He is THEE one who rides the horse with the flaming torch!  He's like the cool kid on campus and now he’s totally Mormon :)  Love it!! I just love going to baptisms and being able to witness people making their first covenant.  At both baptisms the temple was brought up a lot and both have strong desires to get there as soon as possible.  CHURCH IS TRUE PEOPLE!

One of our less actives was able to come to church yesterday and she had such a great experience!! She called us and left a voicemail expressing how grateful she was that we hadn't given up on her.  Just one of those tangible blessings of missionary work <3

Another one of our less actives we are working with took us out to a super fancy lunch this week.  It was so sweet of her!!! It’s one of the nicest restaurants in Tally! I had to use my best etiquette ;) 

Throughout my mission my testimony of the Atonement has grown immensely.  As missionaries we often bear other’s burdens, mourn with them, and comfort them and it can be EXHAUSTING sometimes!!! Then I think of Christ and how he suffered EVERYONE'S pains and afflictions.  That is so unfathomable to me and I'm so grateful.  Every time I get tired or worn out of dealing with other people’s burdens I think of Christ's example of perfect love and sacrifice.  What an exemplar to follow <3

Ready for the hilarious moment of the week!?!?! hahaha Soooooo one of the sisters who came to our apartment on an exchange clogged our toilet and we thought we had fixed it but APPARENTLY NOT.  One morning, (at 6:30 mind you), when we flushed the toilet it COMPLETELY OVERFLOWED.  I'm talking like pipes broke or something and it would NOT stop.  Our entire apartment was flooded, carpets SOAKED, the floor beneath us wet. hahaha We were DYING!  I was just laughing my head off and Sister B was completely freaking out!  We had to WADE through the water haha.  I wish y’all could have seen it!! We are still working on getting our place back to normal.  We've had a dehumidifier in there for a while but there is still a gross smell near the carpets. It sure was an adventure!!! That sister will never know the trauma she caused us haha!!! Bonding moment though :)

Well I love y’all to the moon and back!!!!!! Have a great week!!!!! Miss you lots!!! <3/ Sister Holmoe

 Returning member Emma and us at the nice lunch!  That chocolate cake was THEE ABSOLUTE BEST I'VE EVER HAD!!!!!! IT WAS UNREAL <3

 Cora and I <3

 

Selfie of the 3 of us <3

 Brother Poole baptized her.  He went to most our lessons with her!  Cutest old man!

Week 53

Good morning y’all!!  You may have noticed my subject line this week is "blackberry cobbler"!  Apparently it’s berry cobbler season because no joke we got fed blackberry cobbler 4 times this week! HAHA!  Sister Bertoldo and I would just die laughing!  Gotta love the south! 

This week has been great!  I've officially been out a year! Crazy to know that this time last year, I was on my mission!! haha!  That’s sweet you went to Michelle Isom’s farewell!  She left about the same time of the year I did!  Aw she’s about to embark on such an epic journey :) 

Zone training went great on Tuesday!  It was a great experience to be able to teach.  I felt it went really well!  The whole theme of the meeting was on unity.  I know as our Zone is obedient, diligent and united the work here will explode!!  It already is exploding.  We hope to have 3 baptisms this Saturday from the sisters in our zone!  I got to see Sister Chandler!!!! That was probably the highlight!  I love that girl so much! It was a great reunion!!

Cora is all ready for her baptism this Saturday!  She is SO excited.  We met with her a lot this past week and she is fully committed.  It was cool to observe her throughout her repentance process!  A lot of weight has been lifted from her and she is so much happier.  Tears of joy stream from her face in like every lesson.  She took us out to Golden Corral on my year mark :)  Such a nice woman!  Her husband also came to church yesterday for the first time which was awesome!!!  Cause that’s ultimately what it is all about....families entering the Kingdom of God TOGETHER!

We started teaching Steven Jones’ niece this week named Kalia!  She is 10 and SO CUTE! Oh I love her spunky little personality!  It will be fun teaching her :)

We had a powerful lesson yesterday on the Book of Mormon.  In the South you see the prophecies of the end of 2nd Nephi being fulfilled every day as so many people say, "Bible, we have a bible, we don’t need another Bible."  But I will NEVER get sick of testifying of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Aw it’s my favorite thing!  Eventually everyone will be backed up to that wall of faith where they HAVE to take Moroni’s promise!

All the wards in Tallahassee are doing an awesome musical presentation called "The Lamb of God" at the end of the month.  It is a huge production and they have been working so hard!  We've been able to pass out A TON of flyers and it is going to be a great way for nonmembers to come to the building and it gives us an easy in to giving them a tour!  We are looking forward to that.  We've done a lot of tracting this week using that as our "in" and we've met a lot of promising people!! 

COOL moments of the week!  I saw the Simonds family from Lynn Haven!!!! It made my week!!! Got to give them all big hugs :)  I love them so much.  Lynn Haven was the place!   Sometimes I think of people and can’t remember if they were in the Lynn haven ward or my home ward!! haha.  Feels like part of my home! 

We had dinner with a sweet older woman in our ward named Anita.  Turns out Brennen Russon was the missionary who taught her!  She just ADORES him!!!!  She is so strong in the church and one of the most faithful members I know!  However she makes us eat A TON when we go to her house haha.  She doesn’t take no for an answer! 

A cute girl in our ward is trying out to be the next Mormon bachelorette! SHE IS SO GOING TO MAKE IT!  Oh she is darling!!!  We are all crossing our fingers!!

The first exchange went great!  I was with Sister Hill who actually came out with me.  It was great to get to know her better and help her think of ideas to spark their area! Loved it.

Mom, the BJ's card made my day!!! Oh you have no idea how excited I am!!  Thank you so much :)  Dad, that conversion story you sent me was INSPIRED because we are teaching a 15 year old girl who wants to be baptized SO bad but her parents won’t let her!  Her name is Asha and she LOVES the gospel and knows it’s true.  She reads the Book of Mormon every day and comes to Young Women’s BUT just like that story, she has to honor her parents.  We can’t wait to share this story with her.  I read an awesome talk called "Patience" by Neil A. Maxwell (highly suggest it) and I loved a quote he said, "The pressure of now, time and time again, goes against the grain of the gospel with its eternalism."  Even though Asha wants to get baptized NOW, it’s all in God’s hands and in the eternal perspective 3 years won’t be a problem :)

I continue to be amazed at how God’s hands are in all things each and every day.  There is a quote that hangs in the mission home that says, "Coincidences are God’s little miracles wherein He desired to remain anonymous!"  How true is that?

I love you all so much and miss you!!!  Thanks for the love!!! Have a wonderful week!!!! <3/ Sister Holmoe

ps people are already starting to get so excited for football season here!  In ward council the entire calendar is centered around the football schedule.  It’s awesome haha. #gonoles

 Look what we found :)  Not that we bought anything haha!

free peach cobbler for the missionaries....couldn't pass up that haha! so make that 5 COBBLERS in one week...........

 Almost all the sisters in our zone! <3

 Mission besties!

Exchange with Sister Hill!

 Breakfast with some departing missionaries! I made Sister B try grits for her first time haha!

 Chocolate chip waffles from waffle house...the last supper with Sister Hamilton!

 #gonoles!!

 1 YEAR STRONG!! 

 Meet Cora :)

 The 3 amigos!

 These two cute girls did my hair haha!  So lovely I know :)

 See this mansion? Best believe we knocked that door!!!

Week 52

Y’all!!! Hey! This week has been AMAZING! Sheesh I don’t even know where to start!! I can't believe this is my 52nd POST! Crazzyyy....you best believe we'll be having some great celebrations this week for my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! Yaya!! haha!! 

The MLC overnighter was SOOO good!! Can you say spiritual feast!?  We all got there on Tuesday and played games outside, had an awesome home cooked meal, sang around the campfire, roasted s’mores, bore testimony, and such.  It really brought the spirit of unity which is what we were striving for.  I love the leaders of our mission and it was great to get to know them more and spend time with them, especially President and Sister Smith of course!  The sisters all slept at the mission home that night and it was a blast!  A huge sleepover with lots of my long lost friends :)  It was soooooo good to see Sister Dyches and Sister Sam and Sister Crandall! Aw I love them so much!  Then that next day we counseled together, discussed items of business, the plans for the mission, set goals, accounted of Zones, and learned from President.  He talked about motivation and commitment and being ALL in the mission, laying it all on the line.  CHILLS.  I loved it.  We get to teach on a lot of what he talked about tomorrow in Zone Training which will be great.  I also learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader in the mission.  Since that meeting I've found myself on my knees A LOT praying specifically for the sisters in my zone and the people they are working with and how we can help them in their work.  The love I already have for them is unreal.  Exchanges start this week which will be great! 

We are teaching some amazing individuals!  One is named Cora!  We invited Cora to be baptized on June 21st and she is soooo excited.  She is doing awesome!  Keeping all her commitments and just immersing herself in the fullness of truth.  She stays up all night reading the Book of Mormon.  I'm really excited for her.  She is about 55! 

We are also teaching a single mom of 4 kids named Violet! Violet has been prepared for this her whole life! Ah she is so great.  Brother Roberts (who loves Erik) works with her and has been planting seeds for a year now and then asked if she'd want to meet with the missionaries and she agreed!  Her lessons have been some of my favorite on my entire mission!  We teach her like every other day because she just can't get enough.  Teaching her the Plan of Salvation was incredible.  She was getting so emotional saying how all her life long questions were being answered.  She is in her 30s and so classy.  Last night we invited her to be baptized on July 5th and she started crying because apparently that day means something really special to her.  She told us she would tell us next time but there are a lot of great things in her future, as well as her kids!  We've been praying a lot and studying and preparing lessons by the spirit and we've seen so many blessings this week from that preparation!  And it all came from one member who opened his mouth.  MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK IS KEY!!!  I love it and am so grateful to be helping them!

Yesterday at church in walks Steven Jones!! I don’t think I'd ever had a real conversation with him before.  He is really really cool!  His wife and baby are cute too!  His whole family is in the Tally 4th ward and I met them all yesterday and they LOVVVE Elder Holmoe haha.  Willy Jones started crying when he found out I was his sister.  Then his brother Richmond told me how Erik gave Willy a blessing when he was like about to die and in the blessing said that he still had purposes to fulfill here on earth and then two weeks later Willy was back to normal health.  Everyone in that family has such a strong testimony of the power of the priesthood ever since then!  I was getting emotional listening to them all share this experience with me.  It was really cool.  That family is pretty rad and we are hopefully going to start teaching Steven’s niece who is 10 but not baptized and wants to come back to church! 

We got to teach the YW mutual this week on why we chose to serve missions and answer any questions they had about a mission.  That is like my favorite thing to do.  Nothing is better than talking to young women about how much I love my mission and how it’s changed my life.  I hope something we said inspired them in some way!

We met a one legged ballroom dancer who has no feet this week. She totally needs an "I’m a Mormon" message about her!  INSPIRATION! 

God led us to be in the right places at the right time once again.  Last night we were trying to visit someone who we couldn't find and in the mean time out walks a less active who we'd never met.  She said her dog randomly started barking at the door so she opened it EXACTLY when we were walking by.  She knew that was God putting us in her path.  She opened up to us and wants to meet with us weekly to help strengthen her testimony again!  It was so cool! 

We met a referral for the first time this week and at first she was like, "OH NO, NOT THE MORMONS, get out!!" but after chatting she agreed to let us teach her about the Book of Mormon for 5 minutes and then the spirit took over.  The spirit softened her heart BIG time and by the end of the 5 minutes she was hooked.  She wants to know more!  We had many other cool experiences where the spirit touched the hearts of certain individuals.  I love being able to witness that time and time again.

Got all your letters this week!  Thank you!!!! Tell all the cousins who are having babies congrats!  I had no idea there were so many of them!  That’s exciting!! To answer some of your questions, I use my little black suitcase for exchanges and stuff and it works fine!  I bought Walmart glasses but they broke the day after I bought them.  haha its starting to become a huge joke that every pair of glasses I touch BREAK!  I give up!! I wanted that 11 month pic because I have all my month pics printed out and I keep them in the back of my journal!  This week we get to take a sister to the airport.  That will be weird!!  Haven't been there for a while!  She’s sleeping the night at our place, then we'll take her out to breakfast, and then to the port!  I love doing random jobs like this :) 

Well I appreciate everyone’s emails today!! It’s always so good to hear from each of you!!! I love you so much and hope you have a great week!!!!  Happy Father’s Day on Sunday Daddy!!! <3

MISS YOU LOTS! <3/ Sister Holmoe!

 Chipotle!  SO GOOD!

 Mall life...I think today we are going to Urban Outfitters ha :)

 First timer in the office!

 We had to wait a whole year to see each other but it was a great reunion!!!

My baby girl is all grown up :) She's still my baby girl :) She told me about so many people in Lynn haven who are doing great!!!!! A less active family we worked with FOREVER, is going to the temple next month!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 I cried!

 Throwing with the President! Those Sunday night football walks payed off!

badmitton! woot woot

Bad lighting but me and cranberry at the campfire :)  I've convinced her to go to byu...haha yesss love her

 Sleepover!

 Comp lovin

mama daughter pic <3

 Me and sister briggs (Brigham haha)

 Miss my PC friends!

 All the Sisters!!

Sister Dyches with Elder Mcpherson photo bombing in the back...classic

 Me and Sister Smith!

 Best for last....me holding a turtle :) Welcome to FLORIDA!!