Week 81: Summer is here!‏

This week was pretty packed! Haha I've never wanted sleep more in my entire mission! Sunday night we drive to Bayview to pick up Elder Carroll! It's sweet to be back with him! We were rolling around in a quad-pan for a few days too, so that was fun :) Monday after our morning meetings, we went to pick up the new missionaries from the airport, had dinner with them at the Clayton's home, and stayed at the hotel with them. It made me think a lot about when I first came to the mission a year and a half ago, scared, not sure what to do, in constant suspense and wonder about what the mission will be like. It was an interesting feeling during the trainers meeting the next morning when President announced the assignments of the trainees to their trainers. The personalities, strengths and weaknesses, etc. all matched up almost perfectly, and every time he called out the assignments, there was a feeling like that was the right match up. Amazing to see how president was inspired to make those assignments even before he met the new missionaries!

From the Claytons: "We welcomed seven new missionaries to the CTM on Monday! We're glad you're here--Sister Nelson, Elders Coffey, Delap, Gagnon (waiting for his visa to the states), Gutierrez, Prettyman, and Skarstedt."

Then comes the opposite end of the spectrum... being with the departing missionaries going home. Oh man... that was tough to see! And a little weird too... The night before they get on the plane they have a little testimony meeting with President and Sister Clayton, and that one was a tear jerker! Seeing missionaries I have looked up to for a year and a half finally go home was a weird feeling of reality for me... But luckily I have 6 months before having to worry about that! I'll definitely miss all those elders, especially Elder Gleave, who was just my companion. Hearing their testimonies and experiences from the 360 change 2 years in the Lord's service had on them.... it was very inspiring.

From the Claytons: "We said goodbye to some pretty wonderful missionaries this morning! Special time at the temple--with many of our Senior Missionaries as well. Godspeed to Sisters Bott, Hillman, Palmer, and Mousley and Elders Patrick, Gleave, DePeiza, Cole, Thurgood, Bennet, and Beyeler! We miss you already! Oh! And Elder Pumford goes home in a few weeks so he was there too!"

Other cool things...
A previous missionary here visited the mission and brought his family. His sister served a mission in Taiwan. Turns out her trainer was my MTC teacher! Small world, especially in the church, haha.

We stopped by a badminton activity at the church last night. I used to think it was a girly sport. Not anymore! Chinese people are INTENSE when it comes to it. My favorite was this super jacked 50 year old chinese guy who would send the birdie flying at 100 miles an hour over the net. INSANE.

We met with this guy named Faraaz. He was a member referral, and before we even started our first lesson with him, he asks, "so do I need to get baptized to be a Mormon?" "Yes," we said. "Okay, how can I do that?" We explained, and set him with a baptismal date right there. He learns very slowly, so we will meet with him often to make sure he understands everything. But hey, that one was a first for me!

The Lord is placing people in our paths! Even with a packed schedule, if we open our mouth at every opportunity, we will blessed. Yesterday was stacked with appointments and driving. At one of the red lights, we rolled down the window and talked to Nathaniel who was driving in the car in the lane beside us. He then just started asking where our church was, saying he wanted to go! We wrote down his number as the light turned green, and as we drove away, he shouted, "make sure you give me a call tonight!" We called him, and we should be meeting with him next week! It's all about the small miracles!

Weather is warming up! Short sleeves!!

Well, that's all for now folks! Thanks for reading! Talk to y'all soon!

Elder Holt
洪长老