Notes from the field...

Holly and her MTC companion, Sister White.

(The following are exerpts from Holly's last two letters, dated 12/14/2009 and 12/21/2009)



Sis. Picard and I won the obedience basket!!! We had a mission-wide conference on Wednesday, and all month Sis. Picard has been preparing me for the obedience basket. Every mission conference Sis. Bahr has all the missionaries stand up, and she begins to name different mission rules. If she names one you haven't kept, you have to sit down. Some of the rules she named were making your bed in the morning, brushing/flossing you teeth, taking you vitamins, staying under your allotted miles in the car, exercising every day, etc. Well, Sis. Picard and I were the last ones standing, and we won a HUGE stash of food! We probably won't have to shop until transfers! Our favorite item is the nutella. :)

At the mission home with all the sister missionaries.

Saturday President and Sister Bahr had all the sisters over for a special Christmas brunch. I thought I was going to explode, they made us eat so much. It was lots of fun. We decorated their Christmas tree with homemade ornaments. Sis. Picard and I made a sleigh. Little miniatures of ourselves rode in the front, and behind us was a big bag full of Books of Mormon instead of presents. It was fun and super cheesy. :)

Holly and her trainer, Sister Picard.

There are times when Sister Picard and I are tracting and we can't talk when people open their doors because our faces are numb. We will tract until we simply can't bear it anymore, then we will go to the car and thaw for a little while, then head back out. There's a thermometer in our car, and we can't believe it when it says it's 22 degrees outside. It feels much colder than that. They it's because of the humidity. The cold goes right through our clothes and our shoes. It's not easy, but somehow we get through it and manage to stay happy, too. It's a great motivation to work really hard for appointments so we can spend as little time knocking as possible! And it makes us really grateful to have a car. There are some missionaries in walking areas, and I can't imagine how they spend all day outside! We also have gotten really creative with our clothes. I usually wear a sweater over my tops, a fleece vest, my coat, a scarf, nylons, leggings, my wool socks, another pair of leggings, my boots, and two skirts. I'm getting ready to break out the sweatpants pretty soon--the natives say it doesn't get REALLY cold until January. :)



The work is going well. It's difficult with the holiday season to get a hold of people and keep reliable appointments, but we feel very blessed. I am amazed at how much I love all these people I hardly know. Yesterday Sis. Picard and I were asked by the Relief Society president to visit a less-active sister. She came here four years ago as a refugee from Sierra Leon. She has been a member since she was fourteen and served a mission in Ghana. Here mission lasted more than two years because the war was so bad in Sierra Leon that she couldn't return home! When she finally did, the war had not ended, and both her mother and brother were shot and killed before her eyes. Shortly after that she came to the US. She knew no English, but the Church helped her find housing and put her through school. She now works as a nurse to support herself and her little boy. Her husband works in Europe and can only visit once a year. She is lonely and worn out, but in just another year she will be a citizen and her husband will be able to come to America. I was so overwhelmed by her faith! She is so determined to stand on her own two feet, and is proud to no longer be living by the welfare of the Church. Although she cannot come to church very often, she is a wonderful member missionary and shares the gospel with everyone.

As Sis. Picard and I sat and listened to her amazing story, I was filled with love for this wonderful woman, though I had only just met her, and I was overwhelmed with a desire to help her in any way that I could. Sis. Picard and I will be making regular visits and will begin teaching two of her friends soon. It's amazing the way that being a missionary makes you love people! It's a wonderful feeling.