Serving February 4, 2015 - January 16, 2017

Serving February 4, 2015 - January 16, 2017

WRITE ME!

WRITE ME!

Monday, July 27, 2015

They say hindsight is 20/20 (7-20-15)

So I guess if you couldn´t tell by my title, i have been doing a lot of reflecting this week.  So I realized that hypothetically speaking I had not left ony my mission early, assuming I got the same call but the first available day after graduation, I would be coming into the field here in a day or two.  I decided I should look at the tender mercies the lord gave me, but I won`t right them all, because I don`t have that much time.  It starts from the first day I got here.  I had a goal to be fluent in portuguese before the end of my 2nd transfer.  A very hard goal, but I wanted it bad.  Between my two trainers, one a native and the other a very good speaker a brazillian missionary who lives in our house told me I was fluent in my 10th week.  I don´t think that could have happened without the situation.  The second thing was some of the people I met.  In the last two transfers we sent home like 40 missionaries, and I didn´t have a huge relationship with them all, but the ones that I was friends with taught me and encouraged me, to help me get through what was some the hardest weeks of my life.  I also got two and a half transfers with president kretly, who was amazing and did so many great things for this country.  I also get the chance to serve under two different presidents, which I consider a great blessing, and a great oppurtunity as I have the chance to work under two different amazing men who were called of god.  The blessing though that stood out to me the most was some lessons that I would have never had had I not been here.  We have 6 people that will be baptized on saturday and I taught all of them since I have been here.  I have been with them through the restauration until the end, and it is truly sweet to see them preparing this last week before baptism. Some lessons stick out however, the one with Irmã Gina, and then this last week had a lesson with Irmã Joana who told us that here sister died but because of money she couldn´t go to the funeral.  I realized then, that my experiences in my life helped me so much to testify of the truth of teh atonement and the plan of salvation, as the words left my lips I didn´t know I was saying them, only that I believed him.  I can´t say either that my investigators conversion was because of me,but my personal conversion that they helped me rediscover was something priceless.  So when I look at what I missed going out early, Graduation, senior trip, time with family, girls I was barely getting to know, jobs, wrestling, normal clothes, 2ply toilet paper, school, scholarship oppurtunities, water that doesn´t kill you if you don´t filter it...  I left a lot.  I know it is true, but I want to tell you all that I know I did what was right.  Never have I been so sure of something.  As I look at myself here in africa, I am a tiny little person in a marvilous plan of an all powerful creator.  I am so small.  But I am doing the lords work, I walk with my savior every day, and I get to know him better every day.  I see his light in the eyes of the people I teach, I see his touch in their lives, and I feel his arms lifting me when I don´t think I can knock another door, or teach another lesson.  So like we say her, é vale a pena. (It is worth it) 
I love and miss you all so much, but dont worry I am in my home,
Kanimambo,
Elder Anthony Holt
Elder Holt with some children. (Not sure who they are as he didn't tell me)
 A FEW EXTRA TID BITS:
 We found some playing cards in the market and so whoever doesn´t cook at lunch plays nerts, I taught it to teh elders in our house, holy crap that game gets intenses.  But yeah, other than that and normal missionary stuff I have just done manly stuff.  Like I fixed our sink with some plumbing problems the other day, and then I killed a rat.  It was super intense.  Every one was swinging brooms and stuff but I didn´t have one, so I just grabbed my sandal and dove and smashed the crap out of him.  Then we burned it.  It was super funny, I wish I could have got it on video though.  

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