Hey Fam!
Well things are still going great here in Great Falls!
The weather has been super warm and I am loving getting to know my new
companion, Elder Fox. I still laugh at our age differences but we have a
ton in common. He is 18 and has been out on his mission for about 5
months. He grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He really
prepared well to come serve a mission and I am very impressed with him. I
am looking forward to all I will learn from him this transfer.
Our ward here is amazing! They sent out a Christmas
sign up sheet to have the Elders and Sisters over at different hours on Christmas
Eve and Christmas. We have a packed schedule of families to go visit,
play games, and share a message on Christ with. I'm sure I will eat a
ridiculous amount of food.. again.. but it will be worth it :)
I am sure by now all of you have watched the Christmas video
the Church put out called, "He Is The Gift." We have been
sharing this with literally everyone for the past few weeks and it has had a
profound influence on me. Learning and teaching others how to Discover,
Embrace, and Share the Gift has been life changing. I am so grateful to
KNOW that He is the Gift. To know that God loved us so much that he sent
His Son to make it possible to for us all to return Home to Heaven once
again. The Gift of our Savior is amazing to me because it is meant for
ALL of God's children but it effects us all personally. Salvation is for
everyone but we receive it on a personal level. Yes we are all brothers
and sisters here and we help one another along the journey but ultimately it
depends on what we each do as individuals that determines if we will be able to
return to Heaven.
I
know so many people in life, especially those I have met on my mission, who are
hesitant to move forward in the Gospel because they feel they will be leaving a
loved one behind. Many of them simply will not make or keep sacred
covenants with God because they are waiting for the day that a sibling, or
spouse, or friend will do it with them. I feel this is one of the
greatest tools Satan uses to keep people from progressing in this life.
In Matthew 19:29 the Savior said,"And every one that hath forsaken houses,
or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands,
for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting
life." I don't believe the Savior is saying we need to leave
everyone we love in the dust. He is simply saying TRUST ME and it will be
worth it. There has never been an instance in the history of man where
God has promised man something and did not deliver. He says when we
follow Him we will inherit an hundredfold and Eternal Life. In my
opinion, to TRUST him is not to leave others behind but to show them the
way. As we get closer to Christ personally we inevitably bring others
with us.
We all have things in life that are keeping us from being closer to our
Savior. As we enjoy the peace that comes this Christmas season I invite
all of you to ponder your favorite sins you are holding on to and to make a
resolve to let them go. I promise you it will be worth it. I have
so far to go but am doing what I can to honor the Covenants I have made with
God and I can say I have never been happier. I have real and lasting JOY
in my life. I know that God is truly our Father in Heaven. He loves
us with a love we can not even begin to comprehend. Everything He does is
for our eternal benefit. I know He sent His Son to pay our price so we
could return to live with Him again. I am so grateful for this knowledge
and for the opportunity I have to share it with others.
Thank you all for all the love, letters, packages, and
prayers you have sent my way. I am so grateful for all of you. I
hope you all have a Merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing you on
Skype!
Love,
Elder
Holland
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