News for you all: President Taylor will be presiding over the DALLAS TEXAS mission!! He and his family are going to be absolutely incredible down there.
A BIG THANK YOU to all the packages and letters from everyone this week! Grandma and Grandpa Hyde and Greg and Wendy Hyde - your homemade goodies were very much appreciated :) I also received some fun cards and our family Christmas card! Thank you for all the love :)
We are slowly becoming more technology oriented missionaries as we've set up Google accounts for the various sets of missionaries to start using online progress records, scheduling with ward leaderships, and more! It's amazing to see the hastening of the work happen, and even more incredible to be a part of it all!
The Search and Rescue mission for the stake hit 1,574 names!! That means that all the temple work has been done for 1,574 ancestors of people in this stake. It is amazing to see the spirit of Elijah touch the hearts of the people here and bring the stake closer together. Challenge: Do your family history and take names to the temple!!
This week was a little nutty. I wish you all could be in our meetings and lessons and exchanges. I learn so much every single week and these emails really cannot do it justice. We had the amazing opportunity to do exchanges with Sisters Schrock and Pilling - one each day - and I learned so much from them about being a bold missionary and listening closely to the Spirit. It really was a great experience, and I am so blessed to have Sis. LeSueur as a sister training leader right now because then I get to know all of these sister missionaries in the mission! I am loving it.
This week was also just chock full of amazing experiences. We were able to meet not one, not two, but FOUR General Authorities.
We had dinner with President Beck, the General Young Men's President, on Friday night. He shared with us how Elder Perry comes up to him and pokes him and says "You're not doing enough yet!" :) Such an amazing man! He really wants the Young Men to start having missionary experiences now. So Nathan - start learning from those Elders in your ward NOW!! We are trying to provide as many opportunities as possible for the Young Men in this stake to be involved with missionary work.
On Saturday morning, I ate breakfast with Elder F. Enzio Busche who is an emeritus Seventy (but it still counts). He was such a fascinating man! I asked him what his favorite place to visit was, and he said the places where he felt the Spirit the most. He shared lots of stories about when he served over in Central Europe and it was amazing to just listen as he told of the humility of the people there.
Sunday was then incredible as we had the opportunity to hear both Elder Neil L. Andersen and President Henry B. Eyring speak in their sacrament meetings. When they bear their testimonies, the Spirit is so strong, particularly as they testify that Christ lives. I KNOW those men are called of God. I know that Jesus Christ lives and He is at the head of this Church! Elder Andersen talked about how Christ is the source of all joy, and through Him we can rid ourselves of the prisons we sometimes build around ourselves. I am so grateful for the Atonement, and I know that through the Atonement, anyone can be healed of anything.
President Eyring talked about his work with the Air Force during the Cold War. His whole message was that there one day will be peace as all turn to Christ and allow their hearts to be changed. He said (along the lines of) a missionary has more chance of bringing peace to the world than the most powerful leader in the world. Peace cannot come until hearts are changed, and that can only happen as we turn to the Savior and His Atonement. I have found similar messages in my Book of Mormon studies - Christ is the source of true joy and peace in this life!
Side note for Grandpa Hyde: President Eyring drives a Buick :)
I love this gospel! I love this Christmas season! The spirit of Christ truly is the spirit of Christmas. It is amazing to be able to fully focus on the Savior out in the mission field and not be too terribly distracted by the commercial part of the season. Christ lives, and He will come again! He came into the world to provide the way for each one of us to return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father one day. He is my Savior, my Brother, and my Friend. I am so grateful to have this gospel in my life and pray that I can give back to Him each day as I strive to share His message with others.
I love you all! Have a very merry Christmas, and always remember the Savior!
Love,
Sister Holbrook
With Tia, an investigator
Clearing 8 inches of snow off a car is what I live for
At Temple Square!
Exchanges with Sister Schrock and Sister Pilling
We are the singing snow shoveling sister missionaries
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