Jan 26, 2015

This is Sister Holdens sister :)

Its so crazy to think that 18 months has flown by and that Janelle is coming home this thursday! I have absolutely loved reading her emails and feeling the love she has for the people there. I know that I have seen such a change in her testimony and strength.  That as she has relied on the Lord, He has blessed her with such a strong testimony. We are so grateful for her example in serving a mission and we know that she has touched many lives. For 18 months every night we have prayed for her safety and that she will be guided by the spirit to find those who are ready to accept the gospel. I have felt the love that Heavenly Father has for Janelle, and through her emails I know that our prayers have been answered.

I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. What a blessing it has been to see sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father through Janelles eyes. She has shown so much love for those around her and that has inspired me to be better. I hope and pray that all of you have been touched by Janelles testimony as I have.

We are so excited for her to come home, and I know without a doubt that she will faithfully continue to spread the gospel.

I'm sure we will get some fun travel stories up on the blog as soon as she gets safely home.

Thank you everyone for your love and support towards Janelle while she is serving the Lord!!

Jan 19, 2015 - Porto Alegre

this is probably my last email!

Well, thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! It´s weird to be 21, but i think it´ll be a great year ;)

I don´t know what i want to say this week. It´s so weird that this is me last week as a missionary. I am so grateful for this time that i´ve had to serve the Lord!

This week was tough, but we found out that a lady we had taught once will be baptized this weekend! We are going to try everything to be able to be there:)

I will be working my hardest this week! Thank you to every prayer that was  given for me or for any missionary in the world. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers.

I love you all! Have a super fantastic week:)

Sorry this email has almost no details hahah. But i am super good, anxious to go home, and sad to leave Brazil.

<3 Sister Holden

PS 3 Nephi 5:13

-this is my little scorpion Murilo

-we had an activity today! It was weird to wear jeans haha

 

Jan 12, 2015 - Porto Alegre

IT´S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

This week i saw a tornado, JUST KIDDING! Hahah a HUGE storm started out of nowhere! So naturally, we had to take pictures hahaha.

ALSO! We are trying to do everything fun we can, as non-Brasilians.. So we bought coconut water! people, it´s not that great. hahahaha Sister Ayala liked it, but i thought it just tasted like watery milk. Yum.

I had my last mission birthday this week..

AND something happened this week. The other set of sisters in our ward, went looking for some old investigators, when they got to the house, the fire had just been put out. The family that lives there is family with the old investigators. They lost everything in the fire. So the sisters started helping! the next day, we went to help, and on Saturday there were a ton of members helping clean up, also donating what they can. It was very cool to see how the members jumped in to help.

This is the church of Christ!

I love you all! :)

Sister Holden

Jan 5, 2015 - Porto Alegre

the hill to heaven

Well folks, this week i climbed a hill that pretty much went into the sky. And i didn´t climb it, i hiked it. In wimpy flats, and a skirt, in the rain. HA okay not the rain, but a rainy day. IT WAS SO COOL. :) the view really was worth it! Too bad i didn´t bring my camera :( I saw all of Porto Alegre, part of the other mission, the Lake of Ducks ;) SUPER COOL! 

This week we also found ANA CAROLINA! She is so awesome! I loved her response to our questions.. Like "Have you heard of Joseph Smith before?" "Not yet!" Haha i loved it because she had hope to hear of it, you know? Like she knew she would hear about it. She also understands a ton about faith and about Heavenly Father. She is so awesome:) she´s 13 years old :)

Also it´s January people! I have a whole list of things i´m going to do this year! Like my visiting teaching, giving referrals to the missionaries every week... etc. 

What are you going to do this year?  

I love being a missionary, i love seeing the miracles i get to see everyday! 

<3 Sister Holden

PS this is the Lake of Ducks! (Dad;))

PPS if you have a problem under the sink, don´t worry! Sister Ayala can fix it ;) 

Dec 29, 2014 - Porto Alegre

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2015!

no time to write, AGAIN. But i wanted to share an awesome miracle this week:

We have a part of our area called, Boa Vista. And it is super rich. My comp was told that there are only snoddy people and mansions there. But i wanted to see the mansions! haha. So we planned to go there, visit the members that lived there, active or less active, and knock doors. PEOPLE. We found SO many awesome, happy people who want us to go back! ha. It was so cool.

Another miracle: kind of.

The Spirit is amazing.. yesterday there were a lot of crazy people on the road haha. I didn´t feel safe almost the entire day. But it was a great comfort to know what we needed to do to avoid bad situations.

I love the scriptures. Alma is a great book;) Read your scriptures! Do Family Home Evening! Seach to have a greater portion of the Spirit in your lives. 

I love you!!

 

Dec 22, 2014 - Porto Alegre

FELIZ NATAL

Just kidding, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Wahoo! :) 

this week was super awesome! getting to know the area, the members, and my new companion!! 

Sister Ayala, from Argentina, SUPER AWESOME, hahaha we laugh the whole day long. She really so great. She is so excited to work and talk to the people. I am learning so much from her.

I have absolutely no time this week haha, but i hope everyone has a super merry christmas, and that you think about what gift you can give to Christ this year. 

LOVE YOU!! 

<3 Sister Holden

-so long Pelotas!

-we live with 4 sisters! Sister Ayala is the one on my right.

-Ps Santa is super young this year... hahaha. (that is Gabriel, President Castro´s son)

Dec 18, 2014 - Pelotas

don´t chop garlic in your hands..

or your hands will smell like garlic for dayss! haha.

This week was awesome! We got to run home in the rain.. We ate french fries with a pile of meat and cheese. And we had a Christmas party, and used the left over food to do a ward lunch! hahaha was real cool. ;)

But really our ward Christmas party was super cool:) We had lots of investigators there, lots of food, and lots of laughs.

I don´t have anymore time! but i will be getting transferred! WAhoo to Porto Alegre! :) Will be super cool, I will go to the temple, and work in the big city ;)

10 days till Christmas :D

I love you all! Alma 15 is my favorite chapter. It has the whole gospel of Jesus Christ! ha it really is so good. Read it this week! :)

Have a good week and be obedient! ;)

<3 Sister Holden

-POURED, don´t worry, i saved the cotton candy!

-Albert Enstein, i mean Francisco and Maria ;)

-Who remembers Pedro? This is him! haha and don´t judge my face, i was cracking up laughing.. haha.