Week 12

Hello Fam!

  

Yes it is Labor Day so all the libraries are closed so currently I am at the Morse’s house using their computer!! It’s kind of crazy here, so sorry if this email is shorter!!  Sad to hear the Cougs lost :( So close too....I honestly couldn't sleep on Friday night because I was so anxious for the game that I wasn't even going to be able to watch!! I never realized how going to BYU games is like MY LIFE/PASSION/WHO I AM!  I miss it so so so so so much but it was good to hear what happened in your emails! They will fight back, I know it!  I'm glad you told Taysom I was praying for him because I so am.  Love that guy!  Glad Jamaal had a good game until the end.  I wish Cody would have gotten to play!  How did our new corners do??  

So since being in the South I've learned some funny things,

1.  NEVER put lip gloss on before riding your bike!  You will get tons of bugs stuck to you haha! (learned from experience)

2.  It is illegal to pull into an intersection yielding on a green light! WHY??

3.  2 options for drinks at dinner...kool-aid or coke!  

4.  Pets are more important than children here! It’s true!

5.  There are flying cockroaches!!!

I'll go into detail about the flying cockroaches!  We had one in our apartment!!!  It took us like 20 minutes to kill him!  I had to spear the guy 5 times before he finally could not move anymore!  My aim with the shoe was pretty good not gonna lie (:  We then sucked him in the vacuum and let it run for like 10 min to make sure it was dead! It was HUGE and FLEW! So gross but so fun trying to kill him!!

SAD NEWS…One of our families cancelled on us last week! Lame I know! So instead we got Burger King Brownie Sundaes to make up for it haha (:  We will be there this Tuesday though!  GOOD NEWS...we are now going to teach 2 children the lessons for baptism.  They are both 8, about to turn 9 so it’s awesome!  Their families are not too strong and they will be sitting in the lessons as well so I'm excited about that! 

On Saturday we went to a Buffet with a member and they had a chocolate fountain!  It was perfect because it was GAME DAY and it felt like I was eating at the tent! We actually went to 3 buffets this week! (Golden Corral, Chow Time 2 times)  We also had Vietnamese wraps at a member’s home.  It’s funny because the member was like, "Sister Holmoe, you are the least pickiest missionary we've ever had!"  They always try to make weird foods for us and every time I end up loving it!  

Exchanges went good! Sis Treiber is from Washington State but went to BYU.  She dated Brian Brimhall and knew Riley Hales!  I love making connections.  It’s fun to meet girls from BYU because we can be friends after!  There are a ton of girls that go to BYU too so it’s awesome!  She was pretty sick so I’m praying I don’t get sick now!!!  We stopped by the sweet black woman we have been visiting with.  IT WAS AWESOME!!!  We had given her a 2 week break but she was so excited to see us again.  Her back had been KILLING her but she said the entire time we were over it didn't hurt at all.....SIGN??  Also, she was telling Sis Treiber how much she loved me.  At first I thought she was just trying to be nice since she knew she was my leader checking on me to see how I was as a missionary, but then she started crying as she talked about me...and then I started getting teary-eyed.  She was saying how I was an angel in her life.  It was just a special moment because words cannot describe how much I LOVE HER.  We have another appointment with her this week.  This week I've been studying the talk "Waiting on the Road to Damascus".  It is such a great talk and I feel that a lot of our investigators are just waiting on that road and not taking the step of faith to be a true disciple of Christ.  I also just read that story of Saul in the New Testament.  I love when my studies work perfectly with what the people need!! 

We also had two great lessons with 1. A girl preparing to serve a mission!  She NEVER cries but when we were talking to her she started CRYING and expressing her feelings and we were able to help her and give her advice.  I love talking about how I got on a mission and preparations with that so it was awesome to be able to help her out!! 2. A friend in the ward!  He was really struggling!  He says he hasn't been feeling the spirit lately and is struggling with his testimony.  We gave him the talk, "Lord I Believe" and he loved it.  I highly suggest that talk to anyone who is struggling with their testimony!!!  The elders also gave him a priesthood blessing and it was awesome.  

FUNNY STORY!  We were meeting with a family and their returning member daughter came out and was like, "Sorry I Look SO Ratchet!!" I about died!!!  I was like that’s my girl right there! Oh the word Ratchet.....and you guys believed I made it up!! Tisk Tisk, even the south says it!! (:

CONGRATS TO SARAH ZEYER GETTING HER CALL TO WASHINGTON!!! AWESOME!!! I'm so proud of her!!! Also, to Jessica Atkinson for getting engaged!!!! I'm so happy for her!!!  Her and her BF were so cute together!  I love my dance co girls so it’s fun to hear updates on their lives!!!

THANK YOU MOM AND SHAN AND MILES for the awesome package!!! Those cake bites were SOO good and I can’t wait to eat the Hershey drops and use the lotion.  Miles’ drawings were so cute!  I also love hearing how he prays for me and tells people I teach people about Jesus!! It’s so cute!! Also, I've been wanting that camera strap.....Mom, it’s like you can read my mind from miles away!!! I LOVE IT!! I'm planning on making a CD of pictures next week hopefully!!  Sounds like y’all had a fun time at Swiss days!! One day I will like going to that place!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!!! I feel so bad I didn't send him a card!!!!!  I totally forgot!!! Tell him I love him and hope his day was awesome!!  Oh that lady we met in the hospital actually lives in the Callaway area so we had to give her to the other sisters :( As long as some missionaries work with her that’s good I guess!!! I was excited to teach her though! She’s solid! Yes I hear it cools down in October here so only a month left! (That is if it cools down) They say it either gets wayyyy cold in the winter or still wayyy hot....they never know! Oh the Florida weather!!!  That’s crazy that the football game was delayed for so long!! Lightning is real on this side of the earth I'm tellin ya! It’s way stormy today so I hope we can still take pictures with Sister Morse later!!  She will email them to you this week so be looking for those! She found out she is having a girl today! woot woot! yay for pregnancies! I can’t wait to find out what Shan is having!!!  

My ward here is seriously like family now!!! When I get transferred it will be like leaving home again!! I love the people in my ward!  I've made some great friendships!!  That was so great to see the pictures of the 6th ward missionaries!  I love all of those people and it was fun to actually see me up there (: IS THIS REAL LIFE!? Sometimes I forget I am actually OUT!

So since I miss Costa so much I've been making the closest thing to it....cinnamon sugar tortillas!! Erik always used to bring me home some, so now I've been making myself some (: I make a solid c-s tortilla let me tell ya!!  

A little thing I've noticed is how not many families here say like, "Bye Love You".  It’s more of just a bye.  I'm so grateful for our family and how we always say LOVE YOU! It’s just something I'm grateful for!!  

I LOVE Y’ALL SO MUCH!! I hope you are all having a great time together!! Thanks for the mail!!! Cougs, keep fighting!!! Quote of the day, "Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father in Heaven and how familiar his face is to us." -President Benson!

That’s sad to hear about Chase Heiner, he was going to be way good!  Everything happens for a reason I guess!  Glad to hear JMAW is doing good!!! LOVE him!!  Thanks for all the emails!! I'm doing good!!! MISS Y’ALL LIKE CRAZY!!! LOVE you so so much and appreciate all the support and love! I say that every time but it is so true!!! I'm such a blessed, lucky missionary to have a family back at home like you guys!!  HAPPY LABOR DAY!! Eat some French toast for me!!!  You lucky snitches......hahaha!!  Love, Sis Holmoe!!!

BK Sundaes

 Apparently Lauren's Apartment is always freezing!