:) God is good all the time.

Hey Fam!

So, I was very sad to see Elder Rodriguez leave to Billings but am very happy about my new companion, Elder McCandless!  He was actually in the MTC with me and I know him quite well because he had been serving in Livingston for the past 3 months.  We teach well together and he really does everything he can to enjoy the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost so once again I am excited for the miracles we will get to be a part of this transfer.  

We were able to meet with Drew again this week and discuss the Gospel as explained in the Bible.  We had an excellent discussion and I just loved how the Spirit brought scriptures to mind that I have not thought of in a while.  Through the Bible we were able to show him and the Spirit testified of the true nature of the Godhead.  He is in a place where he is teachable and I look forward to meeting with him in the future.

We also had some excellent lessons with Brad, Mike, and Ty.  All of which are preparing themselves for baptism.  They are all doing the things the Lord requires to receive the Gospel and additional witnesses that it is true.  It really is exciting to be able to be a witness of this great work.

I know I have talked a bunch on the power of our words before but Mom was talking about her experiences and I feel I should share what I have been learning.  We are so powerful and really cannot in our current state grasp what we are capable of.  I have successfully eliminated the word "Hate" from my vocabulary and it has changed everything.  I am quite the advocate of positive words with missionaries and at first they dislike the criticism but after a few weeks they tell me I have cursed them because whenever someone says hate they cringe because they are starting to understand what that person is attracting to themselves.  The way I let them know is they will say something like, "I hate it when that happens!" or "I hate the snow!" & i'll just say, "Wow that's a really strong feeling towards some snow"  Or something like that and they are starting to get it.  I invite all of you to consciously evaluate how much you use the word hate and make an attempt to eliminate it.  You will see a difference in yourselves and in others.  I have also noticed all over the scriptures that things happen because someone said something.  The Power of words is unmeasurable.  Look in Matthew chapter 1 & 2 how Christ moves around the ancient world in his childhood so that, "...it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets..." Matt 2:23.  In the Book of Mormon Nephi talks about God and the Power of Words. 1 Nephi 17:31 says, "And it came to pass that according to his words he did destroy them; and according to his word he did lead them; and according to his word he did do all things for them; and there was not anything done save it were by his word."  We learn about the Power of Words all over scripture but I especially enjoy what it says in Jacob chapter 4:9, "For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the by the power of his word..."  This always makes me think that if we are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17) then how powerful are the words we use? I Am always looking for specific things I can focus on to help me be more like my Savior and I have found that, even though it is very difficult, controlling my words has a world of a difference on me and those I serve.  

We have Mission Leadership Council in Helena tomorrow so we get to take a little road trip!  I love the scenery here and look forward to these drives.  Lately the weather has been looking like San Diego weather ( Sunny, Clear blue skies) but then I will try to roll down the windows and drive like at home and be quickly reminded that it is freezing outside.  It's all good though at least i'm getting some sun :)

Thanks for all your love and support.  I truly do feel strengthened by your prayers.  

Love,

Elder Holland

Happy New Year! 2014

Hey Fam!

This week was excellent :)  We got to do lots of service and were able to teach some awesome lessons.  We are still struggling currently to find people to teach because school doesn't start until the 8th and EVERYONE went home but we do have 3 people we are teaching that are progressing towards having truth confirmed to them by the Holy Ghost :)

One of them is named Brad.  He is a boyfriend of a girl who is a member here.  He is an extreme outdoorsy type guy and does all the crazy ice climbing stuff.  He is 23 and just recently went back to school at MSU.  One thing I love about him is that he is extremely logically minded and loves to talk philosophy.  This is exactly how my brain works so we click very well.  Premise - conclusion.  Thats it.  We met with him twice this week and had some kinda long but very productive philosophical discussions.  There is one principle we discussed that I would like to share.  After we got to know him and sort of what he believes I posed a question that made him really think.  We were discussing the promise that Moroni gives to all at the end of the Book Of Mormon pertaining to finding out if the Book is true (Moroni 10:3-5).  In fact these verses give a formula to find out if anything is true by the Power of the Holy Ghost.  I absolutely LOVE the formulas I find in the scriptures.  I asked Brad, "In your search to find if the Book of Mormon is true have you ever considered that God wants to answer you but maybe he can't?"  He was a little taken back by this and his response was, "Well, God is all powerful and he can do anything so no I think he can answer any question he wants."  This lead to an inspired discussion where we found out why the Lord Can't answer some questions.  I told him that at times God can not answer us simply because he loves us and will not take away our agency.  To further explain I showed him some examples in the scriptures where the Lord basically says that if you know me and you turn your back on me it would be better for you if you had never known me.  The Promise Moroni gives has 3 parts that have to be there for one to be qualified for one to receive their answer.  He says you must ask god, 1- having Faith in Christ, 2- with a sincere heart, 3- with Real Intent.  There are many other parts of the formula we went over but these three are essential.  In the end I explained that If anyone were to ask God something that would change their life, such as a question to know if the Book of Mormon was true, and they were not willing to act on the answer they got and God gave them that answer then God truly would be condemning them.  I told him that God loves him too much to do that and that he would never condemn him.  

I feel that he is on the verge of finding out truth because he is willing to act.  One of my favorite Scriptures comes form the book of Ether, Chapter 12:6 where Moroni says, "... I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."  I love that because it is True.  We must first commit and take a few steps into the darkness before God can answer us.  I am so very grateful for the scriptures and the knowledge they provide for all to know the things of our God.  For me to know without a doubt that I have correctly done what I need to do to find the answers to a problem brings more peace than I can ever describe.  I know that Christ is our Savior.  That He loves us more than we can ever know.  That he has Restored His Church here today through a Prophet named Joseph Smith and that the evidence of it is the Doctrine contained in the Book of Mormon.  I invite you all to follow this formula in all things and enjoy the rewards as, according to the Lord's will, you receive your own personal answer from the Holy Ghost.

I look forward to every single day and especially this New Year!  Thank you all so very much for all the many Christmas cards and packages! I feel very, very loved and am grateful for you all. Happy New Year!

Elder Holland

Every day is a blessing and I really feel honored to be serving a mission.

Hey Fam!

This week was awesome :)  Some of the members of my ward came back so we had much more to do :) We also got to have a crazy mexican fiesta type meal thing with Rosalia's family for New Years.  She always makes her food super spicy and I think it is absolutely hilarious because the other missionaries usually can't handle the spice and by the end everyone is panting and sweating.  It was the first New Years I have gone to bed at 10:30 for in a long time but that is perfectly fine because I am usually crazy tired by about 9.  

I am really excited for our investigator, Ty, who ail be baptized on the 18th.  I think it is incredible how he has come to find the Church to be true and how he has a great testimony of Jesus Christ because his mother is a professor of religion at MSU and she is an Atheist.  I love how the Gospel truly is for EVERYONE and how all who qualify themselves to receive an answer can find the answer they are searching for.  

I got to go on exchanges this weekend in Ennis and Three Forks.  We spent the majoity of the time in Ennis but it was really fun to see the people there.  The last time I was there was like 8 months ago and people still remembered me!  I guess that is what happens in a really, really, small town but it was fun.  

One thing I have really enjoyed learning to do so far on my mission is to set and achieve goals.  I prayerfully considered many goals for this year and have a list of things that I will really have to stretch for but believe are possible.  I really look forward to looking back at the end of this year and seeing how I did.  Every day is a blessing and I really feel honored to be serving a mission.

Thanks to all of you for all your love and support!

Love,

Elder Holland

Merry Christmas!

Hey Fam!

This week was awesome!  I got to go to Billings for our Christmas Zone Conference and then on tuesday we got to go to Helena for a meeting so we got to do quite a bit of traveling this week!  I am still learning but I def feel much more confident in my snow diving now :)  But for our Christmas Zone Conference we got to do something fairly unique.  It was all done like a traditional Christmas program with tons of music.  It was really cool cuz some of the people here serving as Missionaries are incredibly talented. They had all sorts of instruments and sang all day.  The Spirit was very strong and I really enjoyed singing.  Haha I know yes that was me talking... Singing was fun :)  

We have had some difficulty finding people to teach since pretty much all of our Ward went home for the holidays.  I guess that is just the joy of serving in a University Ward around the holidays but we still have great faith that the Lord will provide us people to teach.  We did get to teach a guy named Ty for the first time this week and he is preparing to be baptized on the 18th of January.  We have 2 others that are preparing to make the covenant to serve the Lord in january and we are very excited for them as well :)

Last week I shared a little of the experience I had being able to give a blessing to a man on 2nd Ward but I feel the need to expound on it a little more.  We were able to witness a miracle last week.  This brother ad come up to me during the Stake Christmas program on Sunday night and had asked if before the night was over we could give him a blessing.  He had told us, and I remember this when it happened, that about 2 months ago he was driving in his work truck when he had a terrible headache come over him and he had lost consciousness for a short period of time.  He told me that night that he was losing hearing in his right ear and had many other side effects of that experience.  He said the doctors had done tests on him four days earlier and he had suffered from a minor stroke.  As he described this experience to me I felt very strongly that he would be healed of his infirmities.  I told him I would find him later with my companion and give him a blessing.  I then went to seek confirmation of the impression I had felt.  I went into a classroom all by myself and told Heavenly Father I felt and believed he could and should be healed this night and I felt a confirmation that it was true.  We then went and gave him a blessing of healing and I was able to tell him that his body would be completely healed and restored to its proper working order.  I knew that this blessing would happen but that it would be on the Lord's time table.  On tuesday afternoon I received a call from this man.  He told me that he had been to the doctor that day and that they had no explanation as to what had happened.  The doctors can find no evidence of a stroke or any of the multiple side effects his body was displaying only a few days before.  He has been completely healed.  I am so very grateful for this experience because it has helped me to know without a doubt that the Priesthood of God, The same authority that Jesus Christ gave to his Apostles (Mark 3:14-15), has truly been Restored today.  

I have been blessed to see many mighty miracles on my mission so far but  for some reason I feel I should share this one.  I add my testimony that Jesus Christ lives.  He is the Savior of the World.  He loves us all perfectly and does everything he can to heal us, spiritually and temporally.  As we open our hearts and keep the commandments we qualify ourselves to receive more than we could ever imagine.  

I am so grateful for you all and all the love an support you have shown me. I have a giant stack of packages that has tempted me beyond belief to open in my apartment and I just want to say thanks :)  I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that the Spirit of Christ can be felt at every moment of this great holiday :)  I love and appreciate you all,

Elder Holland

Almost Christmas!

Hey Fam!

This week was AWESOME!  Well, I lost one of my companions, Elder McLaughlin, because he got his VISA and flew off to Brazil but besides that it has been sweet!  Also, it is Christmas and so our ward pretty much went home but we are still finding some good service opportunities so life is great :)

Last night was our stake Christmas Program and it was a great success! There were like 600 people there and many were not members of our church.  They had lots of Nativity sets up and live musicians all over the building.  They had people playing the harp, cello, violin, and piano.  It was a really fun night cuz all the missionaries were the ushers and we really got to interact with all who were there. 

I have been asked to give many blessings recently and I am so grateful every time I do.  In particular, I gave a blessing of healing to a friend from 2nd ward yesterday which changed my life.  I was able to pray before hand and receive confirmation that this person had the faith to be healed and through the priesthood of God he was healed.  He had suffered from a minor stroke and was losing hearing in his ear and it will not be immediately but I know he will make a complete and full recovery.  How grateful I am to know without a doubt that the God we serve truly is a God of miracles.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and loves us enough to heal us when we are in need.  I will remember this week for the rest of my life. 

Thank you all so very much for all the love and support you give me!  I've received so many packages and letters and truly am grateful.  I love you all!

Elder Holland

It's freezing here!

Hey Fam!

It is beyond freezing here but I have learned the art of layering :) I found out that last week for whatever reason Montana was the coldest place on the planet!  I believe it too.  The coldest I saw it was -35.  I have never experienced my face freezing the moment I walked outside... but I did get to boil water and dump it of my 3rd floor apartment building and watch it turn instantly into snow :)  

This week was fairly slow as far as missionary work goes mainly because I am serving in the University Ward.  It is finals next week and everyone is freaking out and does not have time to spare this week.  Next week break starts and all will be back to normal though :)  

We did get to go to a baptism of a 9 year old girl in 2nd ward that I got to start teaching while I served there.  It was really cool because her father is not a member of the church and her mother is not active in the church but their comments were, "we will let her do anything that is good and is to her benefit as she grows up."  I love and respect them for that.  This Church truly is the "Good News" and when picked apart can truly be identified as Christ's Church because of it's "Fruit". 

It was kinda sad to send Elder Ruzicka home last friday but I am glad to hear he is doing well.  I found out I get to stay here in Bozeman for another transfer!  My companion, Elder McLaughlin, is still waiting for his VISA and will still be here with me but my new companion will be....... Elder Rodriguez!!! Hahaha I am so excited about this! We used to joke that we would one day be back in Bozeman as companions and the day has come!

Yesterday we had our Christmas program in the Singles ward.  The people there are incredibly gifted and shared their musical talents.  We had people on the piano, cello, clarinet, and violin.  The overall message was of gratitude for the Gift God the Father has given us: Our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I have done some real soul searching in the passed year or so to find out, in any given situation, how I can feel the Spirit of the Lord the fastest.  I now know exactly how the Spirit speaks to me and really thought it would be valuable to learn how to bring the Spirit when I am frustrated or angry.  I have learned that a prayer of gratitude ALWAYS works.  It is truly amazing and I have a strong testimony that if we will just take the time to thank God in all we do that we will have the Spirit with us in a greater abundance.  

Thanks so vey much for all you do for me!  I am staying at my current address, 2307 west main street apartment #324, Bozeman, Montana, 59718.  I love you all,

Elder Holland

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey Fam!


This week was really fun!  I was on exchanges in Belgrade and Livingston for most of the week but I did get to spend Thanksgiving Day here in Bozeman.  We did the Food Bank 5K run, "Huffing for Stuffing"  Hahaha wow, I am super out of shape.  I have not run in a while and we are at 5,000 feet here.  I could make excuses all day but the truth is I'm gettin fat and it was hard.  It was awesome though.  There were over 3,000 people there and that never happens anywhere in Montana. We wore our white shirts and ties for the race too!  We definitely got a ton of attention :)  It was really cool and I am excited to see the results down the road. 

The man in the hat is President Heap and his wife is standing in front of him.

We had dinner at our Stake President's house.  President Heap and his family are awesome!  His son is a chef and so the food was incredible.  They are so thoughtful too. They took orders from us a couple days before on what pie we wanted and made 6 pies.  I had a berry pie and it was delicious.  Then we did something I never thought I would do on a mission.  We played Mexican train!  I def did not win but it was lots of fun. 

My companion, Elder Ruzicka, goes home this week.  I will be sad to see him leave but happy for him to move on to the next stage of his life.  He drives to Billings on Friday and then it will be just Elder Mclaughlin and I until another companion is assigned to me.  It is crazy the transfer is almost over again  but I am fairly confident I will still be here in Bozeman :)

Life is great.  I really enjoy how honest most people seem to be here.  There was a guy in Livingston that I got to visit with a month ago who had not been to church in over 25 years.  We had a really cool lesson and I invited him to pick a day sometime in November and go to church.  He said he wasn't going to commit unless he was serious and so we gave him some time to think and he eventually he said yes he will do it.  He came to church yesterday just in time to see his son be ordained as a new ward missionary.  I was happy to hear he kept his word.  As I learn and grow I have realized that we first and foremost need to be honest with ourselves if we are to one day be like Christ.  I feel most of our brothers and sisters here on Earth are deceived because they are not honest with themselves and what truly makes them happy.  If we all would just take the time to truly and honestly evaluate where we are in life we would without fail learn that when we follow the teachings of Christ we are happy. 

I pray that we all will continue to look for others to lift, encourage, inspire, and bless.  And that we can all feel the love of God every day in every way.

Thanks for all you do for me I truly am grateful for the love and great support I receive. 

 

Love,

Elder Holland