Wk #56: I'm on a SPIRITUAL HIGH!

Andrew

I swear. Every week is the best week of my mission. And that is more than true for this week as well!

I am SO HAPPY. I wish I could express how happy my heart is, but there just aren't words to even start! I have been SO blessed this week with miracle after miracle, and tender mercy after tender mercy, and my life has been changed. Again. ;)

SUNDAY

We had a BAPTISM! Andrew was SO excited, and the spirit was so strong. It was right after church, so the entire ward was there and it was awesome. Elder Dalley and a kid named Birkley spoke at the baptism and Sister Evans and I gave the prayers. We watched short little videos while Andrew was getting changed. He came out of the water SO happy. My heart was filled with joy to see one of Heavenly Father's children take that step into the Kingdom. He gets confirmed tomorrow (PRAY FOR HIM. He went to Atlanta and is stuck there, so we are praying that he makes it back for church tomorrow!!!) We are so proud of him. :)

Mission Leadership Conference... Reunited with Sister Rindlisbacher and Sister Brown. Happy!

MONDAY

We got a new investigator, Kahlil, and boy. Is he prepared! We had an INCREDIBLE lesson on the Restoration, and the spirit was definitely there. We are so excited about him, and can't wait to see what Heavenly Father has in store for him. 

The smiles say it all....

Later that day, we were sitting in the library on TCC waiting for our appointment, and I had the strongest feeling that we needed to go to the food court if our appointment didn't show up. I didn't say anything to Sister Evans, but time went on and he never showed up. Again, I was super prompted. I turned to Sister Evans and told her that we needed to go to the food court because someone was in there that we needed to see. So we grabbed our stuff and speed walked over there. We walked in and there was no one... right as I was about to doubt the prompting (never do that..) I look up, and there he was. WILLIE. You guys. I LOVE WILLIE! We hadn't been able to get a hold of him (he doesn't have a phone...) and we hadn't seen him for a while and we weren't sure how we were going to get a hold of him, and there he was! We asked him if he could meet with us right then, he said yes, and then we had the most powerful lesson on the Plan of Salvation. The spirit was so powerful, and.... We committed him to be baptized.. and HE ACCEPTED! November 28th people!!! HUGE miracle!

TUESDAY

Tuesday we had District Meeting which is ALWAYS awesome, a few appointments and then we got to go to Costco! I had to pick up my meds and it just HAPPENED to be SAMPLE DAY. hahaha Yep. We may or may not have walked around and eaten samples. It was awesome. We also found ginormous teddy bears that were like 10 feet tall! It's always a good place to be!

We also had our MLC this week, but it was a retreat! Twice a year they have a retreat where all the leadership in the mission go and have a bonfire and play volleyball and hang out at the mission home. It was SO fun. I LOVE the missionaries here. I'm surrounded by incredible people. We had a way good time. All of the STL's got to spend the night in the mission home, which was AWESOME. Even cooler than that, Exactly a year ago I was at the MTC on my first day in FL. Pretty fun!

WEDNESDAY

A pig neck in the green beans for flavoring they say... a good reason to avoid green beans I say!!! GAG!!!

Wednesday we had MLC (the actual leadership training) and boy was I spiritually uplifted. I am eternally grateful for President and Sister Smith. They have changed my life. I swear they are perfect. But Sister Evans and I had the opportunity to teach at MLC. We created a new exchange report that President loved so much he wanted it implemented mission wide. So we got to train on that! It was a super awesome day. 

THURSDAY

We got to meet with Melissa super last minute, and yet again, another miracle lesson! We taught her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and it finally clicked for her! It was a really great lesson, and... We committed her to be baptized too!! YUP! She accepted... Her date is also for November 28th! We are SO excited! She is such a sweetheart and definitely deserves the blessings of baptism!

We also got to meet with a less active named I-Jah. I LOVE I-JAH. We had an amazing lesson with him, and HE'S COMIN BACK!!!! I'm SO excited!!!

FRIDAY

I was on exchanges and had a sister from Perry at TCC with me! It was super fun.

We got a new investigator named Malia... it's not spelled that way.. but I can't remember how to spell it. Anyway, she is way interested and is so excited to learn more. 

But, let's back up. Remember Derek? The one who is like WAY prepared? yeah. So, he didn't want to meet with us this week (which made us SUPER nervous) and hadn't heard from him. We had texted him on Thursday night and had just let him know that we were thinking about him. Well, friday I wake up and see the phone lit up, so I go and look, and you'll never believe what it said... it said "I believe. I want to be baptized!" WHAT!! Talk about a good morning! So, we moved our schedule around so that we could see derek. We did Family History with him which ended up being way sweet, and then we took him on a church tour. I have never been so overcome with the spirit in my life. As we reached the baptismal font, I was fighting back tears, and so was everyone else. We had a really powerful conversation, and then.,... we committed him to be baptized. He has had one crazy experience after another telling him this is true. So guess what... that's THREE baptisms on NOVEMBER 28th!!!! 

I KNOW I am supposed to be on TCC for Derek. The spirit has testified that to me time and time again. My heart is so full of gratitude that the spirit led us to him a few weeks ago. Heavenly Father has definitely been blessing us this week, and I don't feel like I deserve it, but I'm very humbled and grateful. 

You guys, this gospel is so true. I can't express how much love I have for the blessings of the scriptures and prayer. Never in my life have I been more converted to the gospel then I have this week. I know with every thing that I am that Heavenly Father loves His children. He knows them, He blesses them, and He wants them to return Home. I know that my Savior lives, that he has suffered for me specifically and that I can use that to be strengthened. I know that this church is true, and I will never deny that or fall away. I love this gospel, and I will defend my God at all times and in all things and in all places. 

I love you all with everything that I have! I hope you have a week full of blessings. ya'll are great.

All my love,

Sister Holmes :)

 

Week #53: Transfer Week = An Emotional Week

Saying Goodbye to Sister Wood

Hello my loves!

I don't even know where to begin this week! SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED. 

But first of all, HUGE shout out to by SI GUY! Happy Birthday buddy!!! :)

This week was FULL of miracles. One right after the other, and boy, am I overwhelmed with gratitude! And I am SO grateful they happened while I was still with Sister Wood!!!

Sister Evans... the new companion

This week we got six, yes SIX new investigators, and they are all EXTREMELY prepared. I have been blown away by the guidance of the spirit this week. 

Ferdinand is from the Ivory Coast and truly recognized us as representatives of Jesus Christ as we taught the restoration. As we testified and promised blessings, he thanked us multiple times. He is such a sweet heart, and I am thrilled to be working with him!

Gregory is incredible. He had a buddy that passed away in a car accident that they were in a few months back, and he has an incredible testimony of prayer. We are so excited to teach him about the Plan of Salvation. What a blessing that knowledge is!

Victor is hilarious. He reminds me of all my boys back home! We were laughin the whole time. (Don't worry, the spirit was there!) But we are way excited about him.

Willie.. Willie is AWESOME. As we taught him the restoration, and he was overcome with the spirit. We had waited on him to get to his lesson for 25 minutes, debating on if we should leave, when all of the sudden he walks into the library. He had forgotten about our appointment and was sitting on the bus, when his alarm went off to remind him to meet with us. He got off the bus and ran to the library! As we taught the restoration, he got very emotional, and said that he knew God needed him to hear this message. It was a very powerful experience!

Christina is a family history investigator, who we are positive will come to love the gospel. She is SO sweet.

Fred we met while walking down the street. He was dozing off on a chair across the street, but I felt prompted to go talk to him. As we did, he opened up about the trials he is facing and said that God had sent us to him. Wow! 

Derek is still doing extremely well. We started reading the Book of Mormon with him, and man. The spirit was so strong. He fell in LOVE! we only read 1 Nephi 1-3, but he didn't want to put it down. He kept asking if we could keep reading to see what happens next, but we left him on a cliff hanger to see for himself on his own! It was a really neat experience.

We also set a baptismal date with our investigator Andrew for November 7th! We are SO excited about that!!! Please, please keep him in your prayers!

We also were able to meet with a lot of our recent converts, and that was a huge blessing. 

Transfers were Wednesday. I've said it before, and I will say it again, and I'll probably say it the next time as well... but I HATE TRANSFERS. 

Emotions. SO MANY EMOTIONS.

It was SO hard to say goodbye to my sweet Sister Wood! I hated it. haha SO. MANY. TEARS.

that's the mission life for ya.

 My new companion is Sister Evans from Wallsburg, Utah! Don't worry, I didn't know where that was at either... haha but it's by Heber. She is SUPER athletic and very, very, VERY hard working! 

I think I MAY have about killed her yesterday. We walked ALL day. She was pretty exhausted last night. It was awesome! Hard work makes for the best sleep ;)

I'm overwhelmed to be leading the area and getting Sister Evans adjusted, but I know the Lord qualifies those he calls. 

For those of you who asked, I am still on TCC campus and I am still a sister training leader! Everything's the same except my companion!

I'm so blessed to be serving as a missionary at this time in the world. I can't thank my Heavenly Father enough for the life changing experiences and testimony building moments He has given me. I'm grateful for prayer and the spirit, and I know that they work hand in hand. 

I just want to leave ya'll with this quote from Elder Uctdorf's talk in the Women's General Broadcast.

"As you walk along your own bright path of discipleship, I pray that faith will fortify every footstep along your way; that hope will open your eyes to the glories Heavenly Father has in store for you; and that love for God and all His children will fill your hearts."

I love you all SO much, and I am so grateful for your prayers, letters, support and love!

Until next time, 

Sister Holmes :)

 

Wk# 22: A Life Changing Baptism!

What an unforgettable week.

 

We have been able to see Archie everyday for the past few weeks as he has been preparing to be baptized, and it has been quite the beautiful journey. As we have taught him, listened to him, and watched him grow, I have been able to truly witness a change in heart. 

Friday afternoon Sister Rohwer and I got a call from Archie and Karen wondering if we could come see them later on that evening, of course we agreed and ended the conversation. When we got there, Archie was definitely having a hard time. Very small things were making him extremely upset, he wasn't excited for his baptism, and he was far from happy. Satan was workin pretty darn hard. So, we sat down on his front porch and started talking to him. This was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever been a part of. He recognized that Satan was doing all he could to keep Archie from being baptized. Archie told us that Satan told him to go buy a new pot for his coffee, to not show up to the baptism, and kept trying to get him to lose his temper. On top of that, their house ended up having a massive water leak.

Sister Rohwer and I honestly could not tell you what we told him that night, what our conversation was about, or what we were doing, but the spirit was definitely present and leading the conversation. We read a few baptism scriptures, encouraged him, and went inside to say a kneeling prayer. (The prayers that are really spiritual? He calls them heavy prayers. haha) So we experienced a heavy prayer with them, and he was a changed man. The happy ole Archie that was excited to be baptized. He told us "Satan ain't gon' win!" haha We ended up going to get a pre-baptism celebration treat and ending the night off with some laughs. 

Then Saturday morning rolled around.

We wake up, get ready, and head out the door. We get to the church, start filling up the font, and in walks Archie Brown. :) He went and put his baptism suit on, and tears. Instant tears for this sister! He was SO excited and so ready. We listened to some church music, talked, and soaked in the spirit. We took pictures outside and waited for everyone to come. Well, we had quite the crowd there! So many people came to support him, and it was amazing! He was so funny. When he walked into the font, he plugged his nose and tried to dunk himself (he got confused) and then everyone laughed and he laughed at himself. haha Then, when he came out of that water, he was truly a changed man. The biggest grin I had ever seen on a human. Again, tears. Okay. I had a constant flow of tears ALL MORNING. (That made playin the piano fun... haha) 

It was the most special, spiritual baptism I have ever been a part of. I am beyond grateful that out of the 200+ missionaries in the FTM, the thousands upon thousands of missionaries in the world, and that have ever served, Heavenly Father trusted Sister Rohwer and I to be an instrument in His hands to work with Archie. My life has forever been changed. As I've watched a grumpy man, hard hearted against the gospel, come to apply the Atonement in his life, come to know the truth, and gain a testimony, I have been humbled and have felt a little piece of Heavenly Father's love for him.

He is now 100 times happier than I have ever seen him. A COMPLETELY changed man. And I am a completely changed Sister.

Sister Rohwer and I have also had many wonderful memories made this week! We may or may not have taken a turtle on a bike ride and taken it home.. and we may or may not have tried to feed it golden raisins. haha We've enjoyed the gorgeous sunny weather, read our scriptures outside, and laughed until we've cried and ALMOST peed.

We also get to stay in Callaway together for another transfer! WE ARE THRILLED. She's more than just my sister in the gospel, and I am SO grateful for the opportunity I have to continue serving with her!

I love ya'll, and I appreciate each prayer said on my behalf and the prayers said for Archie. I've definitely felt them and seen them this week.

Ps- IT'S ALMOST CONFERENCE TIME!

Love,

Sister Holmes :)

Wk# 21: SUNSHINE = HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

First Florida Sunburn. Watch out for those overcast mornings.

Missionary Muscles.

A hot mess after 20+ miles on the bike... All in a days work.

Wow. I just am so overwhelmed today with gratitude. So many blessings have come into my life, and I just can't get over it! This morning, one of the ward members bought all three sets of missionaries groceries. ALL OF IT. What a selfless thing! We are part of such an amazing ward!

Little update on ma home boy Archie! He is doing AMAZING!!! Living the Word of Wisdom, coming to church every week, and calling us ALL the time with questions and to make sure we are coming back to teach him! His baptism date is still set in stone for this Saturday, and Sister Rohwer and I are THRILLED!!!! We have been counting down the days for this for a while now!

The elders had a baptism on Saturday night, and guess who overcame their little fear of playing the piano in front of people... THIS GIRL! Okay, so I maybe haven't overcome it quite yet, but I did agree to play at the baptism, and I got SO many compliments. I'm just surrounded by a bunch of southern sweethearts!

Sister Rohwer and I have had more amazing experiences this week. We got a new investigator, Diane, and met a couple people who are REALLY interested! We are so excited to start working with them!

It's also been WWAARRMMM. :) Which makes for two happy little sister missionaries! Which brings me to the picture I attached... I indeed have experienced my first Florida sunburn. Trust me. It was about 20 times worse in person. It even turned purple! haha The darn Florida forecast fooled us the other day. We rode our bikes a good 20+ miles (Yes, I thought I was going to die and be left on the side of the road) but man did we have a good time! Also, heaven bless the person who discovered Aloe Vera.

We have had the greatest times this week, and once again, I am so overwhelmed to have such an amazing companion!

The scripture I want to leave with you is Alma: 27:17-18.

I am beginning to understand what pure, Christlike happiness is, and I've had an inkling on a taste of what Ammon experienced! I hope we can all love our brothers and our sisters as much as Ammon did. I hope we can truly apply and love the gospel in such a way that radiates light!

I'm so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ! I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to represent Him everyday, and share the gospel with all those around me.

I love you all!!

Sister Holmes:)

Wk #17: A Weekend Full of Tender Mercies

WOW! What a weekend!! Sister Rohwer and I have been on a spiritual HIGH! :)

Saturday sweet Valerie got baptized! It was such an incredible baptism and the spirit was extremely strong. Everything went smoothly (except our water heater for the font.. poor girl. haha) and the cute program was so great. Valerie insisted on bearing her testimony at the end, and whoa. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. She definitely has a deep understanding and strong testimony of the gospel. She has come so far, and her life has truly been changed by the Atonement. What an incredible opportunity for her! I was so so happy. I have been so grateful that I've been able to get to know Valerie. She has the most tender heart, and I am SO beyond proud of her.

After the baptism, cute Sister Rohwer and I had a big heart to heart that led to tears of gratitude. You guys. She is SUCH a blessing to me. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father let us be companions! She is my family out here, and I will forever be grateful for her.

We rode our bikes all day Saturday, and the weather was absolutely GORGEOUS. Perfect blue skies, warm sun, and a soft breeze. Man, February in Florida is nniicceee. We were able to talk to so many people about the gospel, and there were so many tender mercies from Heavenly Father. We were so overwhelmed.

Later that night we decided to try a new technique that another sister shared with us called "indoor finding". So we went through our area book and called all the numbers that were listed, even if they were from years and years ago. And guess what! More tender mercies! We were able to set up multiple appointments with people! Some who hadn't talked to missionaries ever before that had given their information in 2008!

We ended up having a lesson with one of them last night. We were so excited, and had one of the young women teaching with us! So we went into the lesson. And there it was. My first experience with a bible basher. Welcome to the South ya'll! It was... an interesting experience. He wants us to come back next week so that he can have his buddy (a Jehovah Witness) hear what we have to say. Yikes. haha

But church was amazing, and we had THREE of our investigators there! What a blessing! One of which was a new gator we got this week!

Sister Rohwer and I have also had some pretty awesome, fun moments. haha Saturday night, we got laughing so hard that I was crying because I was in so much pain! haha I thought my abs were going to tear! Oh the joys of a good hardy laugh. We had so many happy moments!

I LOVE THE GOSPEL. And I LOVE being a missionary. It is the greatest experience of my life. The happy moments, like Valerie's baptism, outweigh the bad every time. Sometimes missions are 98% difficult, exhausting, and overwhelming. But the 2% of joy makes it worth it beyond measure.

Thank you for all the love and support. I couldn't be out here without ya!

LOVE YOU!

The happiest sister in the south,

Sister Holmes

Wk #16: 21 and some Callaway fun!

Well hheellloo!!

First of all... T H A N K  Y O U  for all the birthday cards, packages, and emails! I was completely overwhelmed with love and have to say I got a little spoiled out here! So thank you!!! I ended up having a wonderful birthday! Sweet Sister Rohwer made me my favorite brownie sheet cake for my birthday, which I of course ate for breakfast.. ;) we went out to lunch with Sister Jenson and Sister Campbell (the other two sisters in our area) at Applebee's for my birthday lunch, which I ended up being having a birthday solo performed for me. Sister Campbell decided to tell our waitress that it was my birthday, and all the sudden she starts singing a very intimate, eyes closed serious birthday solo, almost at a Josh Groban level. You could say I was QUITE embarrassed. haha But it made for a funny moment. We did some service at a member's home, which means I got to wear SWEATS! Booya! Then went to scripture study, where I was surprised with a four layer cake that one of our YSA's made me! They all sang to me too. It was such a great day, and it felt great spending it out here! :)

Some other big news... We got transfer calls last night.. and.. SISTER ROHWER AND I ARE STAYING TOGETHER HERE IN CALLAWAY!!! We. Are. THRILLED. I just love her!

Miss Valerie's baptism is all set for this coming Saturday, and wow. My heart is just SO full of so many happy emotions! She is the biggest sweetheart ever, and her testimony just radiates. I am so beyond proud of her! Both Sister Rohwer and I are so, so excited that we get to both be here for her baptism. WE'RE SOOOO EXCITED!

Church yesterday was amazing. Our testimony meeting had the sweetest spirit, and it was amazing to hear such strong witnesses of the truth share their feelings. What an amazing opportunity we have to bear our testimonies! Other than that, we had a pretty slow week. We had a lot of cancelled appointments and lots of failed plans, but we're still workin hard!

This week I wanna leave ya with a little message about Family History. It is such a HUGE focus here in this mission, and something we should put as a priority in our everyday lives. I want to challenge and commit ya'll to find 1 name... just one.. this week to take to the temple! Remember your kindred dead. Read D&C 128:15,18-19, then pray for the spirit of Elijah as you search through your family tree. I promise you, that as you sincerely search for those ancestors, you will feel the spirit, and you will find those who are prepared to receive the gospel. You will find those who have been waiting for you, and specifically you, to do their work here on earth. What an amazing opportunity it is to live in a place that is completely surrounded by temples in every direction! Recognize that blessing, and recognize the opportunity and endless miracles that come from taking names to the temple. If you don't know how, or have never done it, ask someone. Go to familysearch.org and see your eternal family unfold :)

I love you all, and I am so grateful to be a missionary! What an amazing experience it is to help the lost sheep come back into the fold. Helping others feel the love that our Savior, Jesus Christ has for them. Seeing the Atonement work and change the lives of those around me. Everyday I am overwhelmed with an appreciation for my Savior. For the call that I accepted to help labor in the Lord's vineyard. My heart is just so happy, and it's so happy all the time. :)

Have such a wonderful week!
Peace and blessins.

Sister Holmes :)

Applebee's birthday lunch (Sister Campbell, Alexa's runnin' buddy, is on her way home!)

Partners in everything... 

Week #15: My companion can talk to gators..‏

What the Monday?! Days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days. Time on the mission is bizarre! But that's okay, because...

Valerie is getting baptized! We. Are. THRILLED. In a couple weeks she will take the first step into her eternal journey, and my heart has never been happier! She is so ready, and her testimony is one that rings true in my heart time and time again. We are so blessed that we get to work with her!

We also got two new gators this week, James and Sandra, and they are super awesome! Little tender mercies and miracles from the Lord are the greatest.

It was definitely a ssllooowwww week, but still a good one. :)

We had interviews with President this last week, and sheesh. He is one inspired man! I just love him with all my heart! President Smith and Sister Smith are AMAZING! It was such a great meeting!

We got to do some service at a member's house which was SO nice. For some reason, service is close to impossible to find here. We got to help paint there house, so it was good :)

I also came to the realization that if I change the gear on my bike and raise my seat, life get's a lot easier. Don't worry. It's only taken me 21 years to figure that one out.

BREAKING NEWS. WE HAVE GATORS LIVING IN THE POND BEHIND OUR HOUSE. And it's hilarious! We haven't seen them yet... I know, I know. BUT we can sure as heck hear them! As soon as they get dark, they get croakin away. It was pretty intense the other night. The first night we heard them, we may or may not have spent a good 45 minutes searching, watching, calling, and singing to them to get them to be visible.. They don't respond to primary songs.. But Sister Rohwer decided to try making a gator noise, and IT TALKED BACK! They went back and forth, and back and forth, and I was about ready to die! haha It was hilarious. We are going to feed it some raw chicken this week... I may or may not be emailing next week with one less limb.. But every living creatures gotta hear about the gospel! ;) We have a good time.

I absolutely ADORE Sister Rohwer. She is the biggest sweetheart ever, and one of my greatest friends! I'm so so grateful I've been able to serve with her!

Oh, and yes. My scriptures have fallen apart. The new scriptures are bound real bad. I'm not the only one that it's happened to, and super glue doesn't do the trick! But we'll just say that I've used them so much they are just fallin apart. ;) Because I have...

That's about all for today, but thank you to all who have sent me birthday things so far! I just get so overwhelmed with all the love! so THANK YOU! Ya'll are the greatest!

Love peace and chicken grease,

Sister Holmes :)

Week #11: Where has 2014 gone?!

I hope everyone had such a wonderful Christmas and that they bring in the new year with something fun! I can't believe it's almost 2015! What the heck! Time is just FLYIN'!

 

Christmas on a mission is definitely a different experience. I was able to truly feel the TRUE meaning of the holiday all day long. What an awesome opportunity to share the gospel message on the day we celebrate Christ's birth! I was overwhelmed with gratitude to be a missionary. We ate so much that day... luckily it was all good (normal) stuff! haha

Again, thank you thank you for all the Christmas cheer. I have the most wonderful support system in the world! I'm so lucky to have such amazing family and friends. So, THANKS! But, the best gift I received was SKYPE! That made my heart SO happy!!

 

The rest of the week was great! We set a BCD (Baptism Date) with one of our investigator's, Daphne! We are so so so excited! She is such an amazing person, and I just love her so much. The missionaries have been working with her for just under a year, and we are so proud of her! Her baptism is planned for the end of January. So keep her in your prayers as she prepares for this special day!

 

Sister Rohwer. You guys. I ADORE Sister Rohwer. She is the biggest sweetheart in the world. I've loved her since the first time I talked to her on the phone when we found out she was going to be transferred here! She is from Logan, Utah and is just such an incredible lady. We get along SO well, and have so much in common. I am so so excited for this transfer, and we have already hit the ground running and have so many awesome goals set. She is just so great.

 

We are working with Grandma Nash helping her get to the temple. She is doing so well, and has progressed so much! I love her with all my heart and soul. She adopts all the missionaries she works with, and she truly is my Callaway Grandma! We are praying that this new year brings her the blessings of the temple and that eternal happiness.

 

I am SO grateful to be a missionary! I have learned so much about myself and about the gospel. This is an experience that is so precious, and beautiful, and I have the privilege of being right in the middle of it! My heart is always full of so much happiness and love towards God's children.

 

 

I've been reading in 2 Nephi, and I have just gotten SO much out of it lately. (I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES) As I was reading in 2 Nephi 8 I came upon verse 3 and just loved it. Be Christlike, be obedient, live the gospel joyfully because one day the Lord will come, and he will comfort Zion and we will be filled with joy and gladness, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Life is hard, but it IS worth it!

 

I love you all so much and appreciate all the prayers on my behalf. I can feel them helping me and bearing me up when things get difficult.

 

The Happiest Missionary in the South,

 

Sister Holmes

ps- my white Christmas was on the beach... and that indeed is a jelly fish. Say what!