So I will apologize once again for the lack of photos. I have taken lots, but because our normal internet place has not had internet for 4 weeks, we have been going to another one and it doesn't download photos, so sorry. But this week was fantastic. The beginning of the week elder Sharpe and I really focused on just working. we ended up getting some new families as well as new investigators with a baptismal date that are working to progress. Then this weekend brought some long-awaited miracles. It started on Friday. In my first transfer Elder Keck and I worked really hard to get a reference from a really strong member family in t3. They finally gave us on towards the last week of the transfer, but it was in another area in t3. Lo and behold the next week I was transferred to the other area, where I got to start teaching this family. I taught them for two transfers with Elder Mataveis and Elder Brown, but they parents wanted to wait to get married so they couldn't get baptized when I was with elder brown. However, we baptized their children with their permission at the end of my 3rd transfer. Then I went to Magoanine and talked to them every once in a while, and then Matola, and finally on friday 7 months to the day I invited them to follow the law of chastity by getting married so they could be baptized, they did it. It was a lot of stress but it happened, I am also super grateful for elder brown for sticking with them for so long. But the wedding was nice, but the all around best part was on saturday when They were baptized be their son, who I baptized and ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood. Then on Sunday Elder Sharpe and I baptized a family from our area. It was a fantastic weekend, now we just have to keep working with our other investigators to get them there as well.
I will end though by sharing my thoughts about christmas this week. I will paraphrase from one of my favorite stories: The Forgotten Carols. In it Uncle John says, "think about it, wise men coming from the east because they saw a new star in the sky, angels singing to shepherds, a virgins having a child. It sounds absolutely absurd, but we believe it is real because something about the season makes us feel that it is." I am sorry I cant quote it off the top of my head. But what I have come to feel with the lack of presents, lights, and christmas trees is that the christmas spirit is still there. I dont focus so much on the things that this christmas lacks, because it isn't about santa and his sleigh bringing toys on christmas day, its not about christmas cards or sparkling lights ago, because far away and long ago he was born to straw not snow, in swaddling clothes, the newborn king, our heavenly lord, our everything. I know he lives, I know he came as the scriptures say, and he is "more than the babe in Bethlehem. More than the carpenters son" I know he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He it is who saved all mankind, and through him we become clean of our sins, and he knows every single one of us personally and intimately, he has helped me through my darkest times and saved my sanity when I thought it would be gone. I testify to all that He lives, and I will do all I can to testify that to all those who will hear me, I encourage you all to do the same. May you all have the Merriest of Christmases and Remember the reason for the season.
With My Love,
Elder Anthony Holt
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