July 31, 2017: Companion prank

Dear family and friends,

This week was a good one! I pulled the biggest trainee prank on my trainer this week it was hilarious! We have to proselyte here with certificates from the queen giving us permission for us to do what we do! We were out and I got one of the recent convert's friend who is a police officer to get in on it! Long story short I swiped Elder Stanley's proselyting  badge so when the police officer asked for it he was in a bad way! They put him in handcuffs and everything! The kid almost started crying😂😂

I am a great guy what can I say? We had alot of cool things happen this week! There is an investigator here in Bradford who's baptism was this week! The day before her baptism she got  got major cold feet! She had been investigating for a long time and did not feel she had gotten an answer yet! We did not think she was going to go through with it. Half way through our lesson she stopped and asked me to give her a blessing! In the blessing it talked about light and darkness and how when ever good things start to happen and we start to feel gods light, darkness starts to come! God then blessed her with the strength and the assurance that as she takes a leap of faith God will illuminate the way! I love this principle! When The children of Israel were carrying the ark of the covenant. They come to the River Jordan. 

The promise is, they will cross over on dry land but as they approached the river the water was still! When did the water part? The water parted as they acted with the knowledge that was given them and they started walking into the river! That is when the river split that is when God illuminates the way! The next day Sarah had every right not to go through with her baptism! It seemed like everything was just going wrong but she had the faith and was baptised and God poored blessing upon her! You could say in a figurative sense that the river parted for her! We also are teaching a family from Egypt right now! It's sick they only speak Arabic so we teach  him through a translator! We met this guy from France this week as well! Our teaching pool is quite diverse right now as we have people from Slovakia, France, Egypt, Africa, and Pakistan! It's cool! This week we got to see a wedding! There was about 50 cars there and everyone had a multimillion dollar car! There were lambs and bughatties it was crazy! We also went to a Sihk temple this week! It was very similar! I don't know if anyone knows what Sihkism is but a man I believe in the 1500s or so went to a field and prayed! He was visited by God and God told him that no one had truth but the truth would be restored later! God then told them to just do good and follow God as best as he can! So Sikhs to this day believe in no religion but in just going good! Little do they know God came and restored the church! I have actually taught a few Sikhs and when they find out about it they become so interested it is quite cool! Anyway love you guys! Hope you all have a great week!

Sent from my iPad

July 24, 2017: Elder Holland's thoughts

Hey familia!
Sounds like you all had an amazing week!  That is so awesome to hear about Leah! You keep reading that is amazing and Kai sounds like you had an awesome week as well! Efy is an amazing place! I don't have much time to write this week as we only have about 45 minutes in the chapel but I want you to know how much I love each and every one of you! My mind has been on a constant reflection recently of these past 20 years!  I can't believe it! It feels like yesterday I was just a kid growing up in Salt Lake in our old home! There has been so many good memories! I have been so blessed with such a great family and great life and although I have not seen him in person I have seen the lords hand in my life throughout! He's been there the whole time! I have been going through some hard times these past two weeks! I have been having some crazy dreams and some crazy feelings come over me! I do not know why?  I heard a quote from Jeffrey r Holland "To all of these and so many more, I say: Cling to your faith. Hold on to your hope. ‘Pray always, and be believing’ [​D&C 90:24​]. Indeed, as Paul wrote of Abraham, he ‘against [all] hope believed in hope’ and ‘staggered not … through unbelief.’ He was ‘strong in faith’ and was ‘fully persuaded that, what [God] had promised, he was able … to perform’ [​Romans 4:18, 20–21​]. …

​​​​“… Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, ​they come​” (​“An High Priest of Good Things to Come,”​​ Ensign,​ Nov. 1999, 36, 38)." I think sometimes in life we come to a halt in the road! We're are testimony doesn't start to fade away but your are waiting for blessings or needed strength for the moment that you are at in your life! As we hold on to our faith in these times and we are patient the Lord can humble is an mend us and sanctify us! 

I love you guys so much you are always in my prayers, love you!