La Davila

Week one from the Davila has come to a close. Elder Lazo is super awesome and we have been having a great time together. Today I went on the metro for the first time because I had to go do a part of my visa. It was quite the experience. ya know in the movies when people are crammed in the bus and on the train?? That is real life. We were in a part of santiago that felt like new york city honestly.. They could film a movie there and nobody would know the difference.

I have started to study creole which is the language that the haitians speak because here in the sector there are quite a few haitianos. I know a few words but I still have lots to study and lots to learn!! The people here are awesome and super humble and love to listen about anything that has to do with Jesus or God. 

I am super pumped for general conference that is coming up!! We will be watching it in the stake center because when you live in chile you have to watch it at church not in your PJs at home. but I am stoked I have no doubt that it will be great. I have been telling people that on saturday and sunday that the prophet will be talking to us.. and they are just kinda like wait what?? And that really is a pretty incredible thing when you think about it. all these people know about abraham and noah and adam but they don´t know that there is an actual prophet hoy en dia. Which is a great blessing to us that we have leaders that are inspired and chosen by god to lead us. 

I hope the cruise was wonderful and that everyone came back fluent so that we can speak in spanish when I get home. Chilean homework this week will be to eat soapapillas with pebre (which is like pico de gallo but it is called pebre here and its made with aji instead of jalapeno) becuase they are super good. 

Everyone be good and do good deal?? 

Rip it Up.

Elder Holdstock

Ochagavia

Today I am writing from my new zone! I have completed my time in Olimpo and have been transfered to ochagavia. Last night was like leaving home because you make all your friends and start to just love everybody you teach and work with and then you have to leave. But that is how the mission rolls and how life rolls too. 

Without change there is not progress and I am super stoked to get working here in my new area! This last week was a good one though and these 4 and a half months have flown by. 

Soccer is already starting which is crazy! I hope that everyone wins every single game by 3 goals. CHile vs. Argentina is coming up this week I think so that should be a fun one to hear about. 

I know you guys are going on a cruise but where to exactly?? I am glad you finally are getting out a little bit! ;)

I have enjoyed the pictures and hope you all send me more! Oh and eat lots of soft serve ice cream. cuz that is what I would do if I was there. 

Next week I am sure I will have lots of awesome stories to tell you! Oh and mom you should start to read the new testament because it is super good even though I know you like the Libro de Mormon the best. but give it a shot every once in a while.

Que esten super! Siempre estan en mis oraciones.

Con amor,

Elder Holdstock

Oh Cielos

This week has been a good one! We had the chance to watch the face to face with Elder Holland and President Eyring which was so good. If you havent seen it... I am gonna have to recommend it si o si. Because it is a 7.

Oh there is a little chilean lesson for the day In chile the best grade you can get is a 7 it is like an A in the USA. so everyone says that something is 7 when it is really good. Like when it is 10 out of 10 that is 7. 

So since the Face to Face is a 7 you all have to watch it. It helped me understand the importance of prayer and the sacredness of prayer. Sometimes we think that we should just have a casual conversation with heavenly father so we can feel extra close to him but President eyring counsels us that maybe we should take our prayers a little more seriously.

If there is one thing that living the gospel of jesus christ will help you obtain its love. The savior loves us perfectly and so as we begin to live like him we will realized that we are able to have a more pure christ like love for those around us. That means we will be able to forgive a lot easier. a few weeks ago we were in a members house for lunch and she was feeling down about somethings her family had done to her and she was a little bit bitter. So I just thought that I should invite her to listen to Uncle Kevíns general conference talk about forgiveness. This week she told me that that talk changed her. She said that she has been applying it´s teachings and that she has seen a change in herself and in her life. So shout out to Elder Duncan for his inspired messages that are changing peoples lives all the way down here in chile. 

I hope every enjoys your spring break and that if youre going on a cruise without your oldest son you take lots of pictures 😉 hahaha just kidding.. but really I want pics deal?

Have a wonderful week!!

Rip it up

Elder Holdstock

March Madness

this email has nothing to do with basketball but I couldn´t think of anything else to put as the subject so that´ll just have to do! We had a good fast week this week! We felt like we were running everywhere to try and see everyone we wanted to! 

We had one day that was full of little miracles! we left in the morning to go out and try to find some people to teach. The mornings are always a little slow because if people aren´t already at work they are still in their beds. But we headed out and knocked a few doors when we arrived to a house, the lady saw we were missionaries and told us to wait a second. She came back with the keys and opened the gate and told us to come in. Don´t worry my husband is here I know you can´t come in if I am alone she said. So we went in and sat down. She told us her husband wasn´t feeling well and work wasn´t going great for him and the last time this happened, over twenty years ago the mormon missionaries knocked on her door and offered to pray with them. That was really cool to hear so we shared a quick message with them and were getting ready to leave when the husband started singing a hymn. hahaha He knew it perfectly! it was incredible. That was one little miracle from that day...

The other was we finished up a lesson at about 9 35 and we have to be in our pension at 10 00 so I told my companion, who isn´t the fastest little guy that we had to just do our best to get back in time, so we started to run I was saying a little silent prayer in my heart that a taxi or something would pass by so we could get there in time because we were pretty far from our house and in an area that not many cars pass by. When not 2 minutes into our jog a truck passed by and asked where we were going. We told him and he told us to hop in the back and he took us to our street. We got home just in time. 

It was a crazy good day and some days more than others you can for sure see the hand of the lord in your life. But we can see his fingerprints everyday is something that I have learned. The brother of Jared saw the finger of the Lord and everyday we hope to see him helping us and see his hand in our work but if we just look a little harder and are a little more sensitive to the spirit we will realized that his fingerprints are all over our lives every single day. 

I hope that soccer starts well for everybody you´ll have to give me detailed reports of all the games so I can send my coaching tips haha just kidding but if you ever catch a sick goal on film I wouldn´t be opposed to seeing it. Keep on keepin on.

And don´t forget to 

Rip it Up.

Elder Holdstock