................Sister Lauren Holmoe..... .......Tallahassee, Florida Mission....: Week 56

Hey y’all!!! What an AMAZING week this was!! Sounds like y’all had a fun 4th of July! We had a great time here in Tally. Sister B and I went and had a barbeque with the Martins which was great and then we decided to go to "Tom Brown Park" where a huge Freedom Festival was going on. We brought tons of Family History pass along cards and just talked to people for a few hours. We met a lot of great people and planted a lot of good seeds! The spirit of Elijah is strong here in the FTM! We've had some really cool experiences with it this week. Cora expressed how ever since she got baptized she has been having dreams of her deceased parents and brother. The spirit FLOODED the family history center as we began setting her up an account on family search. She wants to be baptized for them soon which is so exciting! Also my girl Cheyenne from Troy has been doing family history for the past few months and it has led her to getting her patriarchal blessing and also desires to go to the temple! And speaking of temples, a less active sister of 20 years who has started coming back now has the temple as her goal! Teaching her has been such a joy <3

We had MLC in Crestview this week. MLC's have turned into my new favorite meetings. Wow, they are so powerful!! They are completely led by the spirit and I always learn so much. We talked a lot about our 2014 goals for baptism and how the numbers are leading many missionaries to discouragement. As a mission we are going to change our focus to things specifically we can control like improving our teaching skills, finding ability, and planning. INVEST ourselves more in Preach My Gospel and the rest will follow. We decided to do a mission wide fast yesterday. We were praying for 4 specific things. We had a conference call with all the missionaries on Saturday night and President Smith opened up the fast with a prayer and then we each closed as a companionship the next day. It brought so much unity to our mission and with the faith we all have, miracles will happen. I know the FTM is in God’s hands and we are His tools. He is so proud of our efforts and will continue to help us each and every day!! Sister Bertoldo and I got home from MLC and our appointment had cancelled so we decided to knock doors around that neighborhood and although EVERY door turned us away that night, we still felt so fulfilled just knowing that we did everything that God had asked us to do! As the missionaries continue to get that attitude the discouragement that is flooding our mission right now will become less and less! Such a great experience fasting all together.

We had a miracle day on exchanges this week! I was with Sister Campbell and we were teaching this woman on FSU campus outside and after we finished we overheard two students talking about how they wanted to learn how to do family history. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!?!? We joined their conversation and then set up a time for them to come to the family history center AND give a church tour!! They were so excited and asked if they could bring their friends!? Then we continued to walk and a student came up to us basically begging to come to church. Then someone else stopped us telling us how he used to be Mormon. I was trying not to laugh as miracle after miracle was happening!! That night the sky was SO beautiful! I wish pictures could do justice. One side of the sky was a crazy lightning storm, the other side a silver-lining sunset with a double rainbow connecting the two!! Ah it was just BEAUTIFUL!!

We had one day this week where NO ONE WAS HOME haha and plan after plan after plan fell through so we decided it was the PERFECT night to treat ourselves to "BJ's"! (and it was kind of like our last supper as a companionship just the two of us). We walked in and saw one of our less actives who we had been trying to see!!! We were freaking out haha. I mean what are the odds!? We went up and talked with her for a while and it was so great! She texted us later saying what a tender mercy that was that we ran into her. I think she had been avoiding us, but after seeing us, knew that she needed to stop doing that haha! The food was incredible and the Pazookies made me feel at home :) :) Thank you so much for that gift card!!

Last night we had a cool experience. One of the active members of our ward has a foreign exchange student from Russia living with them for 3 weeks. They had us over to share a message. This girl didn’t even know she had a Heavenly Father before she got here. Ah it was so cool to share our testimonies and to give her a Russian Book of Mormon. We had someone from our ward who speaks Russian come and translate. It was such a cool experience!! Though she wasn’t fully grasping everything I feel really strongly that one day she will open that Book of Mormon again or she'll see missionaries in Russia and remember meeting us! Gospel spread to ALL nations baby!!!

I was thinking the other day how grateful I am to have been born at the EXACT time I was so that 19 years later I would have the opportunity to serve a full time mission. Blows my mind. I am so humbled and grateful to be serving this mission and hope I will fulfill all God wants me to in these last 3 transfers!! Hope Sister Satterthwaite is ready for THE BEST 3 TRANSFERS EVER!!!!

Thanks for everyone’s emails today!!! I love them! :) Mom have fun at Dani’s shower!!! Thank you for going, it means a lot!!! Also have fun at the Nordy sale :) You know I trust you with picking out things for me!! ;) I love your weekly letters! Seriously there is nothing better than getting the mail and seeing your letter! You have no idea!! I just love you all so much and will respond via hand written letter to all the wonderful things you said in your emails!!!

LOVE Y’ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!! <3/ Sister Lauren Holmoe!!

This dog is famous! You'll understand this week when I send a little package home hehe :)