Transfers.....?

Well Hello everyone.

well first off, transfers...... sadly, im leaving. This is a bummer for me, i know this area is slow sometimes and that the work can get really hard, but I really liked this ward, everyone loves and adores the missionaries (sometimes too much jaja) but I just felt happy in this ward.  Ive moved more people in 4 weeks than in my whole mission. we moved 2 more people this week. But as much as i don't want to leave. Where im going is supposedly an AMAZING Area. Mini mexico basically. Its up in Huntington park, or spanishville. and It has lots of members and lots of work. Elder low who is leaving this week served in that area for a long time! My companion is going to be Elder Boyd, from Gilbert AZ,  and hes super awesome, and was my zone leader for a long time in Inglewood. Anyways. it was a long week at the beginning, but it ended up pretty good. Sunday was just weird feelings. Anyways. Wednesday we helped someone move. the Ortiz family, they were unfortunately not ready, so most of the time we were just standing there until they told us to move something, then we would move it quickly and then wait for a while. Thursday was nothing exciting, we just did a lot of street contacting. Friday we had a lesson with **. She is a super crazy lady from el salvador who's mind runs about 90 miles and hour so we cant finish answering one question before she cuts us off and asks another in a completely opposite direction. Shes super nice, and always asks us if we have eaten. When we stopped by Thursday night to set an appointment up for the next day, she asked us if we had eaten, we said yes ( but we really hadnt) then after she was like oh, well i was going to offer some pupusas but i guess you already ate. After we walked away me and elder cranney look at each other and were like "Why did we say yes... we just got offered some Amazing food"..... oh well, the ramen that night was good..... so we had a lesson with her, and it went alright she had lots of questions about the plan of salvation so we shared that instead, but we really need to teach the restoration so that she understands that we are guided by revelation, not just what the bible says. She went to church one time like 5 years ago, and of course it was a fast and testimony meeting and she was a little weird ed out and thought that we worshiped Jose smith and the book of Mormon. Yeah so getting her to church will be a miracle. Then we also met with the *** family (less active recent converts of about 1 1/2 years) they are super cool, but just don't have the motivation to come to church. BUT, they came to church! and the pioneer day activity on Saturday! so super awesome! she really loves the church, and loves the book of Mormon, her 2 teenage sons like us as missionaries, but kind of could care less about coming to church, but they looked like they enjoyed it at the church.  

 

Oh yeah so fun thing this week was that elder cranney's bike broke, like completely, its still ride able but the whole sprocket and gear is completely fallen apart. so it just takes a lot of energy to go anywhere. so we rode around a lot of Thursday grabbing the bike then fixing the tires and the fixing my tires (that popped the night before) then going back to work in the area. anyways it has just been a long interesting week. Last night was just weird for me.  we went to the departing missionary fireside, and it kind of hit me hard, that This is My Mission, That I've been out for 11 months, Almost all of my companions will be leaving in the next 3 months and that I was going to miss a lot of people. It really sunk in how much i love being out here, how this has become my home. I'm sad when my friends leave, just as all of you were when i left, but Lots of good things were said at the fireside, One coming from my last comp. Elder pollard, who I love and look up to a ton! He said That he received a letter from his dad at  the beginning of his mission that said  "Dare To Be Great" That hit hard to me. There are a lot of things that I struggle with, lots of ways I can improve, and That hit me, and I asked my self AM i being Great, Am I being the missionary that people look up to.  Am I a missionary That Really Has the missionary purpose infused in everything I do? I did a lot of thinking, and The only thing that kept coming o my mind is Just DO IT! BE Great, Let go of any pride and BE The best missionary out there. All the people i have looked up to for the longest time are now going home, Now its my time to shine, to take the lead and Be and example to all those new young missionaries like me! I have done a lot of personal study on Christ, how it is that he can help us. How we can fully use his Atonement in our lives to be better.  And the thing that i have learned is that It doesn't matter how much we feel like we cant measure up.  Even if improvement is little or we fall a little, he still loves us unconditionally, and will strengthen us even more and Help up even more, IF  we turn our will over to his, and turn our lives to his! I hope you all have a great week! Thanks for all your letters and love and support.  I love you all, I Hope you all Enjoy the cabin this weekend! 

 

Love,

Elder Hollingshead