................Sister Lauren Holmoe..... .......Tallahassee, Florida Mission....: Week 41

Good morning y’all!! I love P-days :) There is a reason P-days are after Sunday's because Sunday's are the craziest for missionaries!! Yesterday we had 6 of our investigators at church! 6! Our Gospel Principles class was bumpin! It was hectic trying to get rides for all these people but luckily God provided ways and they all got there!! One of them was a Chinese guy named Ben who we've started teaching this past week. He is hilarious! In our first lesson with him he straight up did the straddles! He is more flexible than any girl I've seen! He does not know how to whisper though. I was dying in Sacrament because he kept asking all these questions and I was trying to tell him to be quieter. Bless his heart! He loved church though and wants us to continue teaching him! One of the members gave him a ride home and they said the whole way home he was saying, "This is the best day of my life"! ha! We also started teaching a lady we met downtown and her 11 year old niece and baby nephew! They all came and loved it as well! Then we had our Chinese investigator named Lanokey come. It’s been like a month since we've really had any contact with her but yesterday she randomly showed up. We were like WOAH, sweet!! Then we had Ram come. He has a BCD for April 12th! Erik’s birthday! He is getting really excited about it. Nick unfortunately is starting to get really nervous about his baptism so he wanted to move it to April 5th for now! He is still progressing very well but he doesn't know if he can be a Mormon his whole life haha. It is a huge commitment so he wants to be sure! Yesterday we had a great lesson with him though and I think he'll be ready for April! We had a fun St. Patrick’s Day party with him at the Brimhall’s home. Such great food and they were able to connect well with him! We also had Maggie at church. Maggie is the 19 year old we met while doing service. We taught her about family history, gave her a church tour, she came to church, and is now reading the Book of Mormon. Good things to come with this girl! See how great the work is going right now!?!?! We are seeing so many fruits of our labors!!! Being so blessed! :) Oh and I spoke in sacrament again...haha #branchprobs

Summer is coming quicker than I'm ready for!! We had a few hot days this week and I already have tan lines! Summer in Alabama could be.......rough! The hills here are NOT COOL when it comes to biking and walking! My thighs and butt can't afford to get any more muscle! The bugs are coming back too :/. Alabama has these bugs called "stick bugs". They are harmless but they are EVERYWHERE and literally I get like 10 on me at once! It’s so annoying! Also, they have love bugs which I dislike with a passion. Apparently they come by the thousands in like July and August! We also have lots of wood bee's here like the ones in Kentucky! At least I learned they don't sting!

I had a really cool experience this week! Probably one of my favorites on my entire mission. We have been working with a less active man, and his nonmember wife and kids. He actually played football for the U back in the days. He went on a mission and then was offended soon after and hasn't been back to church for 25 years. Since the day I got to Troy his name and story, I've always felt prompted that I want to work with him and his family. We've eaten there a few times because they love feeding the missionaries and I've been able to build that relationship but last week Sister Mac and I knew it was time to teach with more power and more spirit than ever before. Something needed to change. We planned a lesson earlier in the day and then that night I can honestly say the spirit completely took over. I know the spirit told both Sister Mac and me exactly what to say. It was one of those moments where I was given the needed words at the EXACT moment! SO indescribable! We were bearing our hearts to him on how the gospel of Jesus Christ is that missing gap that he has in his life. I told stories of less actives I've worked with on my mission and while I was speaking my testimony was being built stronger. I love working with less actives so much. I love helping bring them home. I can't even put into words in this email some of the things we said but tears came to my eyes when I did and I think it took him by complete surprise. He started crying! The spirit touched him so strong. The next morning he texted us and thanked us for the things we said. Then on Sunday the Branch President came up to us and told us that he had talked with this brother at a soccer game on Saturday and he told him that no missionaries have ever had the guts to say some of those things that they said and bear their hearts to him before and that is exactly what he needed. I know it is because now is the time in his life when he is ready. He will come back soon and bring his family with him, whether I see it or not! MIRACLES HAPPEN!

Kelsey had us over to her Grandma’s house for a family home evening! She planned the whole thing and it was soooo good! So proud of her for how well she is progressing in this gospel!

We got a referral this week to teach the previous star running back of the football team. HE IS LEGIT!! I'm so glad they gave him to us to teach. He will be a hard one to set up lessons with but when we get him, he listens and he feels the spirit!

A tender mercy this week was one of our less active YSA's inviting us to lunch at Moe’s this week. She even paid for us! She expressed how she really needed to feel our happy spirits because her day was going so wrong. She never opens up like that so it was pretty cool to see!! And of course I love Moe's :)

I've learned a lot about southern people.......haha but one thing for sure....their doctor appointments apparently last 24 hours. We try to set up appointments with people and they are like ohhhh not this week I have a doctor’s appointment. I'm like, ALL DAY EVERY DAY YOU HAVE A DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT??? haha I've had to deal with this for the past 9 months and it’s getting to be hilarious!! The south is its own world and it’s a very humorous place!! But I love it!!

Thank you for your package and letter Mom! I LOVVVVE the smell of that lotion! It’s perfect! One of my favs! Also the bracelets are so cute! They are so popular down here and I've been wanting one! And of course I loved the cake bites :) :) In fact, I can’t wait to go home from emailing and have one!! You know me too well! Unfortunately I can’t use the Moe's gift card........the campus restaurants don't take any gift cards which is super lame!! I can either send it back to Shan for her to use or use it when I get transferred :) Moe's are everywhere in the South so I might be in an area with one later down the road!! I LOVED Brigg's baby announcement! SO CUTE!!! It made it on my picture wall:) To answer some of your Q's...we email President every week and basically say anything we want but we always say one Christ like attribute we are working on, give updates on progressing investigators, and share what we are learning in our studies! I think the PCB reunion sounds AMAZING!!!! Although PCB in the summer could be quite the sauna haha. Honestly the earliest would be the best like May, when the kids are still in school and it’s not the hottest months of the summer! But I'm so in! The missionaries come home on a Friday now just in our mission! It is so the new missionaries from the MTC can spend an extra day in the mission home and receive training from President before they get thrown in their areas. I found out Karina is coming home Dec 14....She may come home before me!! She left way after me! Crazy! We are being interviewed again the Tuesday before Easter! We do have our dance and yoga class tonight!

Well, I LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH!!!! I pray about you each individually every day!! Thank you so much for all the support and love!!!! Enjoy MARCH MADNESS!!!

LOVE Y’ALL! <3/ Sister Lauren Holmoe

St. Patty's Party!!