EVERYTHING that is hard is REWARDING...

Another Week has passed us by!

How are you all doing? Good I hope. I was about to get mad at you guys for not writing me for a while but dads letter came just in time. Kinda short, but I guess it did the trick... I'm just kidding! I know you guys are busy, don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'll see ya soon enough anyway! 3 months left! Can you believe it?

So this week has been great. We started it out by picking up the new office couple from the airport and moving them in. They are the J’s and they are from California! Really nice people, and I'm excited to have them here with us.

Tuesday Elder Paulson and I went down to Davenport and Peoria to do some exchanges. I had a great experience! We taught a first lesson to a family, it was so great, originally the appointment had been with just this guy, but then he invited over his sister and mother... they all smoke, and used to be religious... the lesson was amazing and so was the spirit. We asked inspired questions, the mom was practically teaching along side us, the daughter was hesitant but by the end extremely interactive. At one point she said that she just has a problem with churches cuz there are too many and she doesn't know how to tell which one to go to... we answered all their questions, Committed them to come to church, and to be baptized. It was AMAZING, they all said yes. I know that the spirit taught them. You could see it in their eyes :)

The next morning we picked up my old companion Elder R to come to Des Moines and be the new zone leader. He will be so good. We spent so much time traveling this week its crazy.

On Thursday we had an exchange with Des Moines ZLs and I went with Elder Poulsen. I Love that guy. It was his last day in the mission. I took him up to Hampton to do a baptismal interview and we got to go say goodbye to all our families! That place is magic to me, and it multiplies by 2 when I'm there with Elder Poulsen. I miss him so bad. He's my best friend. It blows my mind that he is gone. He's in Utah by the way! You should have him over for dinner while he's there. He's gonna try and call Land to go out to breakfast and maybe sometime you guys can have him over for dinner. He's gonna be there for about 2 weeks, he has a lot of family around those parts :)


Yesterday was a long day, and rather disappointing to me. We drove 3 hours to the Missouri boarder to pick up one of our missionaries. He's been out 9 months, and he's just decided that missionary work is just too hard. He wants to go home. He left this morning. I wanted to kick him in the butt the whole way home. He is completely normal, nice kid, but just LAZY! He told us he didn't like the mission and he just couldn't do it any longer. It was so tough for me not to say anything rude or bold to him. I wanted to tell him that he was ruining his life. If you can't serve a mission and you give up, you will give up on every other hard thing that will ever take place in your life. He will have discontent, discouragement and regret his entire life because of the decision he has just made. Ugh! Not to mention that his testimony will never reach its potential. How can we bear and share any lasting, moving, life changing testimony of Christ if we have never gone through some the same pains and sorrows he went through. Missions are not easy, but they are worth it! You just have to try and you will receive success. AHH... I just wanted to hit this kid... and I know that’s not Christ like at all but, I just wanted him to stay, and not for my sake or for the missions sake, not even Gods sake... but for his sake. He will never reach his full potential...

MY BROTHERS WILL SERVE HONORABLE, FULL TIME MISSIONS. And if you come back I will kick your butt right back out there! You don't understand how amazing missions are and how life changing they can be. Sure, its hard... but EVERYTHING that is hard is REWARDING... everything that makes you uncomfortable helps you to grow to some degree. Missions are not comfortable, but I feel I have received 10 years worth of experiences in 2. Your lives will be changed for eternity because of the ways and reasons you serve. Some people just don't get that.... I just wish I could drill it into their heads!

Serving a mission will make all the difference in life. My Perspective on life is changed. I recognize who I am now, when before, I didn't. I recognize my potential, because I am a child of God. Just as we have attributes given to us from our parents, we have an unlimited amount of potential given to us to develop God like attributes, because we are his children. I know the gospel is true. I don't know everything about it, and it will take me more than a lifetime to get to that point, but I hope to work towards that. I know with a perfect knowledge that the spirit has told me that this work I am doing is true and so important. The first time I may have doubted, but when you experience it 3 or 4 times more, doubting gets old. IT’S TRUE.

The spirit is real, and I encourage and invite you to more fully invite him into your lives. He makes such a difference.


I love you all tons, write me sometime if you get a chance!

Much love,

~Elder Holman