So as you read, we had a baptism this last weekend. It was pretty nice. Rita and Cidalia were baptized. They are the neice and daughter of a recent convert family that my old companion Elder Combs found and baptized a few months ago. We were excited, and I think they were happy too. We combined with the other Elders and the Sisters, so there were 5 people in total. It was really good. We have been enjoying the time to get work done, and we are trying to find more families that will progress. On Saturday we walked with President and that was really cool. We took him to visit two families. Joaquim and Lidia, who we have been teaching for a few weeks now. Then afterward we to visit. Roby and Edilson, we found Edilson a few weeks ago, but he introduced us to his dad a few days ago, so we taught his Dad the restoration. Both families came to church the next day and participated actively in the classes. It was the Primary Program. As much as that is a good thing, and normally people would love it, it is a day that we missionaries dread for our investigators. I was just sitting there praying that somehow among the yelling kids and excessive feedback they would feel the spirit. I think they did though, and It is a miracle that we see almost weekly. Sacrament rarely runs perfectly nor smoothly nor reverently, but somehow God works his little miracles and the Investigators are blessed with a pouring out of the spirit.
I got to drive through T-3 this week as we needed to deliver something to the Elders out there. It was super strange to go back to that old house. It has been over a year and a half since I left that house, and even more since I first got there. It is crazy how much every thing seemed so familiar and so close, while it has been so long. I miss those days. As the mission goes on you start to miss less your family and the things before the mission, and you start to miss parts of your mission. It was in T3, Magoanine,and Matola that I learned how to be a missionary, where I learned how how to love this people. It is where I came to KNOW the truth of what we teach, and they are places that changed my life. I believe those areas to be sacred ground. Anything good that came from my mission, anything good I did, all the success I had in Nampula, it was built in the forges of those areas. I can't count how many times I wanted to give up, and just care less, how many times I got my hopes up super high for a family just to have them come crashing down within a few days, nor how many people that I met that had a profound influence on my mission and therefore my life. That is a land of Miracles. I got emotional just driving through those places. It is interesting how this hard nosed, stubborn, dry-eyed boy, got so emotional at just seeing places. I am going to be a wreck when I have to say goodbye. But I am not thinking too much about that right now. I just love the mission so much. If any of you who are reading this are considering a mission, but are unsure, or scared, my advice is JUST DO IT (don't tell Nike I said that). The mission is the hardest thing you can imagine, but you will never do anything more valuable with 18-24 months of your life. You don't have to be perfect, I am not, not even close, but my Master is, and He will what He did for me for you. Probably more, seeing as I don't think any of you are as stubborn as I am. But we need you, and you need the mission, so come. I love this work, I love this people, and I love the Lord. I also love all of you.
Love,
Elder Anthony Holt
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