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,
Elder Anthony Holt
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| Elder Holt with some children. (Not sure who they are as he didn't tell me) |
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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