Week Sixty-Seven: January 30th, 2012

Dear Family,
We had an excellent week this past week. First to start off we received news that we are going to be able to change pensions which will be such a blessing for us. So this time next week we will be out. We should be changing Thursday or Friday. So we have to leave our old house clean and this past week we have been working on cleaning it. We have to clean 4 bedrooms with a bathroom and kitchen. We have to give the house back perfectly clean so we have to do a really good job.There is so much to be done. But once we move it will be great. The new place is right in front of our church. The mission is buying a washer and dryer for the new pension. So even here in Chile I'm spoiled haha. Our Investigators are doing really well. Felipe went to church yesterday. So we have been very busy. Also this week we had Zone Conference. I was able to sit next to Elder Smith and Elder Smart for lunch I sent pictures. President Focused alot on obedience and the importance of obedience. But like it says in 1 Nephi 2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center. 3 And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walkuprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us. 4 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord. So it was an awesome conference and I hope that we can be even more blessed from obedience.
Honestly I can't think of anything for my birthday. Haha Beef Jerky? I don't know. haha. Thanks for all your love and support.
Well I hope you guys have a great week.
Love,
Elder Holton

Week Sixty-Six: January 22nd, 2012

Dear Family,
Well these past two weeks have been really good. I'm really enjoying my new sector. In our ward we have been having a lot of changes. A lot of changes in Leadership. So this past week has been just a lot of adjusting to the changes and working hard. We have several investigators progressing. I'm going to change the names FYI. Well we have one named Juan who is 73 years old and is doing alright progressing. We have visited him several times but it's just getting him to focus on the Most Important Thing which is Eternal Life. He is a really good investigator and has a lot of questions. Also we have Felipe who is a little kid of 13 years and likes listening but is just a little quiet. But we have been working on getting him to open up. We also have another one named Claudia and She is also another investigator from a long time but she was just waiting on getting married. Well now they are married and so it's just a matter of getting her baptized. But she doesn't want to feel forced into it. So we are working with her also. Two Sundays ago I had the wonderful blessing being able to interview two investigators from another ward for baptism. It was just amazing. The spirit was just so strong and powerful and it is just incredible to receive that spiritual confirmation saying that they are ready. It really opens your eyes and helps you realize how much God loves his children. We got to go to their baptism this Saturday. It was a wonderful experience. This past Friday I was able to go to a leadership training in Maipu. I was able to sit next to Elder Smith the whole day. I really miss that Elder. Well everything is going good. I really hope you guys are doing well.
I got the calendar this past week. Thank you very much!
Love,
Elder Holton

I told Nick that they asked me to share an update on my missionary and a spiritual experience that he had on his mission in Relief Society. So I asked him to send me one ASAP and this is the story he sent me! I thought it was so great that I wanted to share it with all of you!

This happened in my second sector. Me and Elder Lowry we running around working in the sector and I got this impression that we should pass by Iris our investigator at around 8 PM. Well then we had to go visit a few people so I pushed the thought out of my head and then it came again at around 9:30 PM. So we went. We got there and she had been crying. We asked what was going on and she told us that she was breaking up with her boyfriend (now husband) and that she did know what she was going to do. She kept saying "You came, You came". And we were like what do you mean we came? and She told us that she had been praying that God would send her someone so that she wouldn't have to be alone. I asked her how long she had been praying. She said she started around 8 PM. I told myself never again would I ignore the promptings of the spirit.

Week Sixty-Five: January 16th, 2012

Nick didn't send us a family email this week and so I decided to post the email he sent to me! I guess the main thing is that he is busy and is still breathing!! Right??! Really Nick could you have just given us a little more?

Dear Mom,
I am doing great. The district is doing good.That's really cool. I went on divisions with Elder Ellis last week and it went really well.Well Mom I gotta go. I hope you guys have an awesome week.
Love,Elder Holton

Week Sixty-Four: January 9th, 2012

Me and my companion Elder Sanchez

Hey Family,
How is everyone doing? I'm doing great.

Well to tell things in order. Last Monday we finished saying goodbyes. There were a lot of tears but thats the mission. So we got everything packed which was very painful and we're off. So we had changes and I'm now going to a stake called "5 de Abril" in a ward called "Rivas Vicuña". It has the biggest chapel in all of Chile. I've actually visited this chapel before but now I get to visit it every week haha.

My new companion is named Elder Sanchez from Culiacan Mexico. He is a great elder and we are going to do a lot of work together. Even just this last week we recieved a new bishopric and they are very excited to work hard. I have a really good feeling about this new ward and I'm very excited to work in it. There are 8 missionaries in my district. 4 companionships. Me and elder Sanchez, The zone leaders Elder Van Dyke (from utah) and Elder Barco, and Elder Mejia and Elder Ellis (from utah), and Hermana Rivero and Hermana Tripainou.

We have a really big 5 bedroom house but it is just full of fungus and fruit flies.
So we are looking at renting another house. I hope you guys are having a great week.

Love,
Elder Holton


This is my new sector: http://maps.google.cl/maps?saddr=Las+Rejas+Sur&daddr=Las+Rejas+Sur+to:El+Estero+to:El+Estero+to:Gladys+Mar%C3%ADn+Millie+to:Liber+Bernardo+O%60Higgins&hl=es&ie=UTF8&sll=-33.469755,-70.702686&sspn=0.03852,0.084028&geocode=Ffh7Af4dNh7J-w%3BFa4yAf4duyfJ-w%3BFTgoAf4dXPjI-w%3BFQg_Af4dLOLI-w%3BFVJeAf4doNPI-w%3BFRx7Af4dmh7J-w&vpsrc=0&mra=mi&mrsp=5&sz=14&t=h&z=14

The New Place! Packing up the Suitcases! Check out these couches! Me and Elder Sauceda More pictures from Christmas!

Week Sixty-Three: January 2nd, 2012

Dear Family,
Wow what a crazy past few weeks. Well Christmas went really well.

We spent it with a family in our ward. We had a dinner and that was it. It was good food. They had just about every kind of meat. But it was very simple and low stress which is all I could've asked for. This past week we had New Years. It really is kinda sad because the Chileans for the most part think that New Years is more important than Christmas which to me just doesn't make any sense. But for Christmas Eve we had a FHE with the recent converts in our wardwhich was also very calm. Well this past week has been very hard to find people but even then we have been able to see some of our investigators.
Well Family I have some news this week. I'm changing sectors. I've already got one of my bags packed. I've also been called to serve as a District Leader. So now we begin a whole new adventure. Well I'll get you guys more details on everything this next week.

Love,
Elder Holton

Our District!

I think this is the family where he went to Skype us on Christmas day!

Feliz Navidad!