................Sister Lauren Holmoe..... .......Tallahassee, Florida Mission....: Week 44

I live to see 6 more weeks in Troy! Actually all 6 of us missionaries live to see 6 more weeks in Troy! No change up here! Sister Sam is still in Lynn Haven too which means she will have been there for 9 months at the end of this!! Crazy!! Our ZL's are still the same. Sister Redd is no longer a sister trainer leader though but we got Sister Brigham who is like my favorite sister ever! She’s the bomb! I'm glad we get another 6 weeks with no change! Lots of great things to accomplish in these 6 weeks together!!

This week has been fun! On Friday all of us missionaries got to serve in the community at Salvation Army's "Empty Bowl" event! Every year the students at Troy make pottery bowls and then the community pays 20 dollars to get a bowl, unlimited soup, and be able to participate in a silent auction for more pottery bowls! Basically the whole community just comes together to support the Salvation Army! We got to serve the soup for a few hours and it was way fun! The great part was I got interviewed and MADE THE NEWS haha :) Famous here in Alabama! All the top restaurants brought their soups and we got to try most all of them as well! There was this gourmet crab corn chowder that was just amazing!! Everyone there just loved the missionaries and we got lots of great feedback! It was good badge time for us!

Last night we had Kyle and Rachel over to the Brimhall's (a couple in our Branch) for dinner! I hope y’all remember who Kyle and Rachel are! Anyways, THEY GOT ENGAGED! YAY! Even though they are getting married civilly right now, I know there is a temple sealing in their future!! It was good for them to be in the Brimhall’s home where they can feel the spirit of an eternal family! We had a great lesson and even though they still aren’t accepting it fully, we are just building the foundation for the day they do :) They just can't let us go either which is the funny part!! We had the 1st barbeque of the year which was GREAT! I'd been craving a good burger! It was perfect weather so we ate in their Florida room and had watermelon and all sorts of goodness! It was a fun night and the Brimhall’s are great fellowshippers for Kyle and Rachel! They all work out at the same gym every day which is prime!

We have lots of really cool new investigators! One may be my favorite of all time! His name is Chris!! We met Chris at Ultimate Frisbee and then invited him to do family history and now are teaching him all the lessons! His Dad is mormon. Well, less active now. He married a mormon girl and got baptized and I believe even married in the temple but then got divorced and is married to Chris's mom. He NEVER talks about his past life with that though so Chris wants to know what it’s all about. He soaks up all the lessons like a sponge and LOVES THEM! Just in this past week we have taught him the first three lessons and he’s read 3 chapters in the Book of Mormon! He agrees with everything we teach and always says how much it makes sense. His prayers are so great and he even seems to look like a returned missionary too! The hard thing with Chris will be getting him to act on the spirit he is feeling. Getting him to come to church and be baptized could be tricky but it’s been so awesome to teach him. He will leave at the end of the semester back to Montgomery for the summer but hopefully we can get him to meet with missionaries up there! This gospel will bless his life so much!!! I hope he can humble himself enough to fully accept it one day!!!

Nick is still the same Nick. He has a strong testimony and even came to one of our lessons and testified to the investigator that it was true! But he still does not want to be baptized at all. It’s frustrating! Ram still wants to be baptized but is so stressed out with school right now he can't commit to a day! EVERYONE is stressed out with school right now! The end of the semester is approaching quickly so we are trying to plant as many seeds as we can before they head out! We taught 20 lessons to investigators this week! 20!!! Not to mention all the less active and member lessons we had. This area is on fire right now!! Sadly in about 3 weeks, the fire will go out as summer break comes :( boooo! ha!

One day on campus we were teaching a lesson and the entire time there was this girl nearby watching and listening! So of course after the lesson we go up and went to talk to her! We ended up teaching her the Restoration right there on the spot. She seemed really interested but then BAM starting pulling out all these Bible Bashing verses. I was like.......oh boy. haha. Not that we as missionaries bible bash but we of course pulled out some scriptures and bore powerful testimony! It was grand. She just got really confused in her own words, which usually happens every time. We are teaching the Plan of Salvation tomorrow :) Just reading the Bible can be confusing though and that’s why I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon and Modern Revelation! The fullness!

Our Dance and Yoga class was a hit last week! Our girls are getting so good :) They get so excited to show me how their toe touches have improved! They practice during the week!! Good news, one of our less active members we have been working with, watched some of conference! woot woot! Can’t watch that and not feel the truth! On my 10 month birthday, on Saturday, one of the YSA took us out to RUBY TUESDAY! It was SOOO heavenly! My meal was probably the best meal I've had in Troy!

We also had Zone Training this week! It’s always so uplifting to gather in a group of missionaries! I love our Zone. The Dothan Zone is leading the entire mission right now; they even opened up 2 brand new areas this transfer! The work is hastening here in Alabama!! We talked a lot about the spirit and how we as missionaries use the spirit in EVERYTHING we do. Really great meeting and then after, the 4 of us sisters went to this famous pizza place in Dothan! It tasted exactly like Malawi’s so I was loving it!! Felt like home!!

Dad I loved the article you sent me on the Maryland ward! The Brimhalls are actually moving TO THAT WARD this summer!! I showed them the article and they got really excited!! I have such a strong testimony of member missionary work. It truly is NECESSARY in hastening the work. Mom I got your package!! THANK YOU! The Easter chocolates were sooooo good! Also good news, the PANTS FIT haha!!! A little more, maybe a lot more, snug but they fit! Halleluiah!

I've been on a butternut squash crave lately! It’s my favorite thing to cook now a days! Just thought y’all should now I'm actually learning to cook!

HEY! Tomorrow we are going to be on the Mike Amos show again except this time being interviewed by Mike Amos Senior! Should be a good time. He wants us there because it’s EASTER week!! Hopefully we can bear testimony of our Savior. I hope y’all have a wonderful Easter. What a great time to reflect upon our Redeemer Jesus Christ. So grateful to be His hands right now in this wonderful work. Love it every day!!!

I LOVE YALL SO MUCH! Miss you of course!!!! Thanks for all you do!!! Pray for you daily!!! <3/ Sister Lauren Holmoe

The Dothan Zone :)