4/20/2009
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
Well another week has gone by and they seem to be accelerating at an incredible rate.We traveled a great deal this week;Thursday- Tubarão was an hour and a half by bus there and the same back. We had zone conference. We got up at four a.m. and got back at nine thirty p.m.Friday- Impetuba was a three hour bus ride there and another three hours back. We had to do a baptismal interview. We got up at four a.m. and got back at ten thirty p.m.Saturday- Centro, helping with an activity.For this reason our number of lessons fell, but still we are above the standard of excellency.This mission is really turning around, this zone here was always one of the least baptising zones with an average of four a month. This last month our zone baptised fourteen people!We are having members of the 70 coming to visit our mission as well. As this mission always had low baptism numbers. Averaging 40 baptisms a month, and now we are baptising over 150 a month.Apparently a lot of the prophesies about our Mission President are finally coming to fufillment. Not only is everything increasing but it is doing so exponentially and seems to be gaining momentum.I gave a talk this last sunday, and I had decided to address some problems in the ward at the end. Especially gossip, because it was hindering the Lord´s work here. I don´t know why but I was nervous to address the problem until I got up there. Then all of a sudden I just felt perfectly calm and determined.I spoke out against the problem and read scriptures to them about how we will be judged according to our judgments and forgiven according to our forgiveness. Then I shared the story of Christ and the woman taken in adultery. I explained that Christ did not condem her, despite the fact that she had committed one of the gravest of sins. He defended her, then when they were alone forgave her. Is it not so that we too need to defend those who are ill spoken of, as Christ did, and then forgive them for whatever they may or may not have done. For authority is not given any of us to judge or condem anyone. Nor damage their reputation by speaking behind their backs.Then as I finished I apologized for if I had offended anyone, but according to 1 nephi 16:2 the words of the truth are hard only against those who have offended the laws of God and the righteous had I justified. I also told them that if anyone wanted to be angry with us they could be angry with me and leave Elder de Jong out of it.The spirit was good, and actually I gained us a lot of respect. In addition another sister to give lunches!! Haha, she had stopped because of slacker elders but she decided after my talk that it was time for her to serve again.Anyway, so that is my burning story. I don´t really want to burn and I am afraid I like it too much so I avoid it. However, this was the first and hopefully the last time I had to do it. Because the spirit was with me it turned out exponentially for the good even though I took a risk at cutting our influence within the ward.So avoid gossip!!!! ITS BAD!!! Don´t even listen to it. It is contentious and of the Enemy.
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Letter 5
04/13/2009
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
So far everything is still going great. I learn something new every day and I can´t wait to see how all the things I learn and am doing now will affect my life when I get home. I think everything will be a lot easier.I sadly am not anywhere near a Temple and as we do not have any Temples in my mission, I do not get the privelege of attending.I hope every one of you back home who have the opportunities to attend take advantage of them. It is through Temple service that we are able to keep our eyes focused on the things of the Lord and avoid falling in this ever retrogressing world. The storm is thickening and we all know that it is only going to worsen. Don´t ever lose hope, go to the Temple once or twice a week, and remember that it is only after we take the first step of faith that the Lord will guide our steps and help us to stay strong in our attempts to follow Him.FICE FIRME!!!!!!!! Stand FAST!!Sadly we have not had these four families we are teaching baptised yet, also the other three baptisms that are guarentied to happen also have been delayed. Sadly these people are being advanced upon from all sides by tribulations and challenges. Every time they take a step forward the Enemy seems to throw something else in their paths to make them take three steps back.I have hope that sometime soon they will be able to overcome these difficulties and be baptismed but we will have to see.Elder de Jong and I are still working hard, sometimes it is not easy to remain focused but we do pretty well. Hoping all is well with everyone.
All my love,
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
p.s."Work to make yourself worth what you want!" -Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
So far everything is still going great. I learn something new every day and I can´t wait to see how all the things I learn and am doing now will affect my life when I get home. I think everything will be a lot easier.I sadly am not anywhere near a Temple and as we do not have any Temples in my mission, I do not get the privelege of attending.I hope every one of you back home who have the opportunities to attend take advantage of them. It is through Temple service that we are able to keep our eyes focused on the things of the Lord and avoid falling in this ever retrogressing world. The storm is thickening and we all know that it is only going to worsen. Don´t ever lose hope, go to the Temple once or twice a week, and remember that it is only after we take the first step of faith that the Lord will guide our steps and help us to stay strong in our attempts to follow Him.FICE FIRME!!!!!!!! Stand FAST!!Sadly we have not had these four families we are teaching baptised yet, also the other three baptisms that are guarentied to happen also have been delayed. Sadly these people are being advanced upon from all sides by tribulations and challenges. Every time they take a step forward the Enemy seems to throw something else in their paths to make them take three steps back.I have hope that sometime soon they will be able to overcome these difficulties and be baptismed but we will have to see.Elder de Jong and I are still working hard, sometimes it is not easy to remain focused but we do pretty well. Hoping all is well with everyone.
All my love,
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
p.s."Work to make yourself worth what you want!" -Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Letter 4
03/23/2009
Zone:Tubarâo
Area:Criciúma 2
Tomorrow I hit the 6 month mark, crazy how fast it goes huh? Ainda estou sem carta-azul também! lol I am still without a dear john. For now.....We had 47 LESSONS this week! Everything is going great and we have met two new families that are in all probability going to be baptised. Two complete families; a rarity that any ex-missionary will recognize. Everything is going great and I hope to report the baptisms of these new families in one of these next entries.I am still with Elder de Jong, and we are still working hard, I hope to be able to stay with him until June and bring a great many more souls unto Christ.It is a great pleasure to be serving the Lord and taking part in the marvelous work that is His.I have begun a very in depth study of the Plan of Salvation, and am currently searching out all the deep doctrines that I can. All of this being recorded in my journal. Hopefully I will be able to one day connect all the dots for certain things hidden there within.I would like to thank Kodi for Jesus the Christ as that is now one of my favorite books of all time. I learned so much from having studied it. I encourage everyone to try and give it a try sometime.Well I need to try and get an account up on another website in order to upload pictures for this blog. So for now I am going to close.
Até mais gente!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone:Tubarâo
Area:Criciúma 2
Tomorrow I hit the 6 month mark, crazy how fast it goes huh? Ainda estou sem carta-azul também! lol I am still without a dear john. For now.....We had 47 LESSONS this week! Everything is going great and we have met two new families that are in all probability going to be baptised. Two complete families; a rarity that any ex-missionary will recognize. Everything is going great and I hope to report the baptisms of these new families in one of these next entries.I am still with Elder de Jong, and we are still working hard, I hope to be able to stay with him until June and bring a great many more souls unto Christ.It is a great pleasure to be serving the Lord and taking part in the marvelous work that is His.I have begun a very in depth study of the Plan of Salvation, and am currently searching out all the deep doctrines that I can. All of this being recorded in my journal. Hopefully I will be able to one day connect all the dots for certain things hidden there within.I would like to thank Kodi for Jesus the Christ as that is now one of my favorite books of all time. I learned so much from having studied it. I encourage everyone to try and give it a try sometime.Well I need to try and get an account up on another website in order to upload pictures for this blog. So for now I am going to close.
Até mais gente!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
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