3/22

Apologies for the missing letter last week. We got out to run our errands ok in the morning, but by noon the flooding had gotten really bad. Almost all the libraries had no internet--the only one up and running was near our apartment, which was across Passaic River from where we were shopping. Our apartment was fine, we're up on a hill and there were no power outages, so we were lucky. But it took 3 hours to get home Monday night! We had to double our travel time over the next few days as traffic from all over the surrounding area was funneled into one or two unaffected bridges. It was crazy! But, the rain stopped, the flooding began to subside (I discovered a bridge that no one else seemed to know was open, hehehee), and the rest of the week was glorious! Temperatures were in the 70's, flowers and blossoms exploded, and everyone started breaking out the flip flops. Just in time--it's rainy again today, and there's a flood watch. But it's not coming down too hard, so hopefully the river won't rise as much as last week.

Funny story. So the storm that started all this flooding really got bad the Saturday before. The Elders in our Branch had agreed to do a blitz with us (several companionships all work a particular area, knocking and contacting like crazy to try and find investigators for one of the companionships). It was raining like I've never seen it rain before, even at home! The wind was so strong that we were having trouble staying on our feet. It was pretty miserable, but we had hopes that it would make people feel sorry for us so they'd let us in. Sister Greenwood and I taught one former investigator family--they want us to come back!!!--and were on our way to track down some more formers and then attend the adult session of District Conference. It was really hard to see with the rain and glare from other cars' headlights. I was turning left, when all the sudden--BAM. Hit a curb. And popped the front passenger side tire. So I got to change a tire for the first time! In the heaviest rainstorm I think I've ever seen! The Zone Leaders came to help us and kindly told us that we looked like drowned rats. We considered skipping conference, but Elder Thaler said, "No way! Do you have any idea how many referrals you'll get? Everyone's going to say, 'Whoa, those sisters are intense!'" So off to conference we went. Little did I know that President and Sister Bahr would be there!

A certain seventy by the name of Matthew Eyring came for conference. He looks nothing like President Eyring--he's got flaming red hair. But he talks just like him. Very funny guy, got to shake his hand and chat a little bit before Sunday morning's session. And a very good speaker. He spoke a lot about the Atonement, something that any half-way decent missionary really comes to appreciate over the course of his mission. There's something about the work that we do that lets us have a glimpse of what the Savior feels for each of us. It can be overwhelming at times, but it's a wonderful thing to be able to work with the Lord in bringing salvation to our brothers and sisters, and see them the way He does.

Sister Greenwood and I are working. Hard. We got a lot of good potential investigators from the blitz and have been scouring our area book for other opportunities. There's a lot to be done! But it's good to be busy. We've been walking a lot, trying to hone our contacting skills. Discovered a bakery last week, Venice Bakery, that's out of this world--we could smell it all over the neighborhood we were tracting in, and eventually we couldn't stand it any longer and had to go find it. Amazing hand-made bread, and their pastries...we about died. I think we will be returning. :)

No letter this week...

Sorry folks! We didn't get a letter from Holly this week. We're betting it is because of the flooding that has hit her area of NJ, and that she couldn't email us. Hopefully things are ok, and we'll be back to regular letters next week. In the mean time, please say a quick prayer for Holly, her companion, and the area she is serving in that everyone will be all right after the flooding subsides.

Also, we're a little over two months away from Holly's birthday! I thought it would be great to make her 22nd the best birthday a sister missionary could have and show her some great love and support. If you'd like to join in the fun all you have to do is send her a birthday card! Sounds easy, right? That's because it is! Just send her a card between June 1st and 4th. As she only collects mail once a week she'll get all her letters on the same day - June 8th! Her birthday! So please make this a special birthday for our Sister Black! :)


Caroline

3/8

Things in Jersey are going pretty well. We've had some unusually warm weather--it probably won't last. But we're enjoying it while we can and I am wearing the most spring-ish thing I could put together.

Sister Greenwood and I are working really hard. I'm really grateful for her experience! Apparently our area book was in revolting condition, so she whipped it back into shape and we are setting goals and getting to work contacting former investigators, visiting referrals, supporting members, asking for referrals fellowshipping less-actives, and talking to everyone we meet inbetween! We have some fun activities planned to do with the members in our area in the hopes that it will encourage them to share the gospel more. The longer I am here the more I realize what is meant by that phrase we've heard so much--"Every member a missionary!" It doesn't mean that members should be missionaries. It means that members are missionaries by definition! As soon as we are baptized and make covenants to take Christ's name upon us, we become missionaries, because it is part of our covenants. In the Book of Mormon there are countless examples of people who were converted, repented, were baptized--and then started preaching. The two go hand in hand.

After Alma and the sons of Mosiah had been visited by the angel and repented of their sins, their first desire was to share the blessings of the gospel with others. I don't have enough time to tell you all about it, so read Mosiah 27:1-4 and Alma 36:17-30. I love the Book of Mormon so much! It has taught me more about being a missionary--being a member--than anything else.

Letter 3/1

I was so excited to be able to flip the page on my calendar, I couldn't wait til this morning. I did it last night. Yes, there is still snow EVERYWHERE, but we are looking forward to spring and enjoying the snow while it lasts. Sister Greenwood and I have had a couple epic snowball fights with the Elders. They may say differently, but I think we kicked their trash.

This transfer is a transfer of LEARNING. Technically speaking I am still pretty young on the mission, but after three transfers I'd have thought that I sorta kinda knew what I was doing...WRONG! I am finding that I still know absolutely nothing! But I am really grateful for Sister Greenwood. The experiences she's had in her previous areas have prepared her perfectly for being here. She is teaching me a lot, and we both feel like things in Fair Lawn are about to turn around. We sat down last night and made plans for everything that we want to accomplish for this transfer. It's great to have a vision! It's going to be grueling, but it'll be great to be busy, and we are already seeing the blessings of working hard, doing whatever it takes, and being obedient.

More baptisms in the Branch! And hopefully some more next week as well. One of the Branch members' aunt is here visiting from England, and it just so happens that she is staying with her sister in our area. We had a really good lesson with her about the Restoration, after which she told us that she knows Joseph Smith was a prophet! We have another appointment with her tomorrow, and we are hoping to set her with a baptismal date, maybe even to be baptized before she goes back to England!

We had interviews with President and Sister Bahr last week. I love them more and more every time we see them. Sister Bahr had us teach her a 15-minute lesson on Priesthood and auxiliaries. I'll admit I was shaking in my boots a little. As the mother of 15 children, Sister Bahr has a reputation for striking the fear of God into people, more particularly 19-year-old boys...but still. I was intimidated. Sister Greenwood and I worked really hard on her lesson, and we sought the guidance of the Spirit in knowing how we could meet her needs. Success! It went really well, and she said that we met her need that day. And President Bahr is probably about ready to be beamed up. General Authority, grandfather and friend all rolled into one.

Howdy! Holly's letter from 2/15

Well, it was going to happen sometime. Sister Picard is being transfered :( I am SO sad! It's kind of a bummer to start your mission with such a wonderful companion because it makes it really hard to imagine anyone else even coming close. But--the reality is that I am going to have quite a few more companions over the course of my mission, so I need to chin up and get excited about the things I'll learn from someone new and different. Hopefully I'll still see Sister Picard a couple more times before she heads back to Nauvoo.

12. INCHES. OF. SNOW. Did the whole country get dumped on? I think I jinxed us. Last week I told you that the weather has never kept us from working--WELL.All of Wednesday we were snowed it. We got around 18 inches. Suffice it to say that we studied a lot. We also did weekly planning and cleaned the apartment, which I thoroghly enjoyed. I am always wishing I could clean more.

Zone Conference was Thursday. Exceedingly enlightening, as usual. We've been given a new challenge to take a clean copy of the Book of Mormon and hiighlight every time Christ is mentioned as we read it, whether by name or pronoun. I LOVE this challenge! I am only to 2 Nephi, and let me tell you. I've always believed it or known it intellectually, but never has it struck me so strongly as it does now what a testament the Book of Mormon really is of Jesus Christ. He is on every page. Every story, every chapter surrounds and points to Him. Its whole purpose is to bring its readers closer to Him. I love this book more every day.

I wish there was more I could say. Sister Picard needs to pack--and quickly. We are going to Newark tonight to help with Fearbuster (we pick up the new missionaries and take them street contacting--FUN!!!), and there is a lot to do before we go!

2/8

Yesterday was the Caldwell Stake Conference. All the missionaries were invited to go and sing Go Forth With Faith at the English and Spanish sessions, and since I was the accompanist, Sister Picard and I went to both sessions. Four hours of conference! It was wonderful, though. Elder Spencer Jones of the 2nd Quorum of the Seventy visited and gave a wonderful talk. We aren't part of the Caldwell Stake, so it was still fast Sunday for us--I fasted for Jonathan and Becky. All the speakers at conference had good things to say, but the majority of my notes were thoughts and impressions I received about Jonathan and Becky.

Our last lesson with Jonathan was okay. Becky, who was pretty stand-offish when we first met, actually came and sat down this time and participated in the discussion! I had prayed and studied so hard for that lesson and tried my very best to follow the Spirit in knowing what I should say to them--but they continue to "look beyond the mark" and pick apart things in the Book of Mormon that they think are incorrect. They also seem to quote the writings of Paul and regard his teachings as superior to everything else in the Bible, which is very perplexing to me. Meanwhile I have been studying the New Testament a lot and continue to find that the Book of Mormon and Bible really are perfectly aligned, that they do not teach conflicting doctrines--but I cannot seem to help them see that. It's almost as if they really are blind, as the scriptures say. Sister Picard and I are both frustrated and at a loss, but we also feel that we need to continue teaching them. We decided that we will go one more time, and if there is no change, we will drop them.

So I fasted for them yesterday, and I felt impressed to teach them in a way that we have not taught them before. There were lots of questions that I felt they needed to be asked. I cannot remember everything that came to my mind, but I wrote it all down--so I will be studying my notes and continuing to develop these ideas this week.

Holly's letter 1/25

Sister Picard is doing much better! The mission doc prescribed some medicine that helps her sleep and relieves the headaches. We were doubting Thomases the first time she took it, but the next morning she woke up and said, “It’s so weird not to have a headache!” She is much more chipper and happy—much more like the Sister Picard I remember. By the end of the day she might start to get a headache again, but every day it gets a little bit better. She’s getting better at knowing when she needs to eat and balancing her diet with everything that she needs. I’m still adjusting to the healthier diet. I have a harder time giving up the “good” stuff than Sister Picard, she was a really healthy eater already before her mission, so she hasn’t found it difficult.

We finally had an investigator come to church! His name is Ariv. He’s from India, his English is…not good, and he only reads Hindi—but he loves “the Christian religion”, as he says, and he said he enjoyed church. He stayed for all three meetings! All I can figure is that the Spirit was talking to him the whole time, I don’t know how he could have understood it otherwise.