"Aloha!"
Just kidding, I'm in Oklahoma, not Hawaii.
"How're y'all doin' this fine day? I'm fixin' to have a good one myself!"
That's more like it.
This has been a good week for us! The weather got back to its normal temperatures, so we sweated a bit as we went places. Currently, it's raining outside. We've heard we have some rain in the forecast for the next couple of days, which will be greatly appreciated.
An update on our investigators:
Turina hasn't been able to meet with us this week. She is staying over at her brother's house after she was jumped by a group of thugs. We had an opportunity to have a short conversation with her over the phone; she's alright physically but she is traumatized by the event. We wants to keep on meeting with us but she is relocating to a different place so we may not be able to talk with her face to face. Please pray for her.
Last night we were able to set up an appointment with Steven Haywood. He hasn't been home the past few days, but we got with him finally. He's been a bit busy with work but we will see him later this week. He told us that some Jehovah Witnesses have been stopping by, which he thought was pretty funny because of all the attention he's been getting from God, as he says.
We have been able to meet a lot with Beau but not so much with Monica this last week. Beau is progressing and you can see how he has changed. He's much more spiritually minded than he was when I first met him. Monica has been very busy with work. She wants to meet but she always seems to already be asleep whenever we get to their home.
We gave a church tour to a new investigator on Thursday! Her name is Jessica. She's kind of a hippie. Alright, she's pretty much a hippie. She wanted to learn more about our church and what we believe in. We found her through the Sister missionaries in our district, who rescued her runaway puppy. She says that she is strong in her beliefs (baptist) and she isn't interested in "converting", but we'll see if her interest level improves after we teach her a few times.
We got a referral for a Robert Torres from the senior couple missionaries for Ft. Sill. We met with him last night. This guy is prepared. He has met with missionaries previously, in fact he was going to be baptized, and then he just fell short and moved away. But what's funny is that he is willing to do it now. He's gone through a lot of hardships in his life, but his faith in God has only improved through those hardships. He's eager to relearn and before we left he said "Alright, give me something to study before our next visit!". I believe this is fruit from a seed planted long ago.
The investigators I haven't mentioned in this email but have been mentioned previously are currently at a standstill. We haven't been able to meet with them for a while, but many are still interested.
This is the beginning of the first week of the transfer, so I will at least be in Lawton for another six weeks with Elder Chavez. It's great here! We are seeing success and it's wonderful to be on a mission! I have learned so much. Strength requires experience, and I'm getting a lot of experiences out here. I know that this church is true. I know that there is a prophet of God here on this earth today. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and redeemer. I know these things because I have prayed about them, and I cannot deny the witnesses I have received. I invite all of you to do the same for yourself, not just once, but many times. Truth is eternal.
Thank you all,
Elder Holbrook
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
So Mom asked for more details...:) 7/21/14
Hey everybody!
So last week I wasn't able to type out my weekly letter. This means that you get a better update this week! Many things have happened and I am excited to tell you all about them! The weather last week was great! We had a lot of days barely touch 80. It was greatly appreciated. But now we should soon be back to our normal temperatures pretty soon (~100 degrees). I guess I need to get back to drinking water.
Elder Chavez and I are having a lot of success in Lawton. We have been to a lot of teaching appointments (I'll try to summarize them as best I can), committed a few to baptism, and hopefully, we will be able to see those investigators enter into the waters of baptism soon.
Our investigators are progressing, some...more than others, but I would say that most are moving forward:
Turina was found by a set of sister missionaries in Arkansas who then sent her info over to us so that she could be taught. She is a young mother who has been trying to improve her life after some big trials and difficulties. We taught her the Restoration two weeks ago and then this last week we taught her the Plan of Salvation. She loved both of the discussions. She is keeping commitments like reading the BofM and praying, but she hasn't been able to come to church yet. We are going to have a church tour with her this week so that she will be more motivated to come on Sunday. She has a lot of potential.
Steven Haywood is a man who lives right across the street from where the sister missionaries in our ward live. He's a soft spoken Marine veteran who I believe fought in Vietnam and saw some things. We found him through tracting. We taught him the Restoration about two weeks ago, and he was receptive. He's a bit confused about priesthood authority (like most of Oklahoma) so we are going to have a discussion about the priesthood and what it's for and why that authority is so important. He was at a family reunion last week so we weren't able to meet with him, but we definitely will this week.
Hannah keeps on making appointments but then not showing up to her own house when we have set them. She has been avoiding us, which is a bit annoying. She's on the backburner for now while we focus on bigger and better things.
John Stenman hasn't been doing well at all. He discovered recently that he has severe degenerative arthritis in his spine and he has a dropped hip on his right side. We offered to give him a priesthood blessing and he accepted, but the appointment we had set up with him fell through. Between his church school and work and now his medical situation, he has been very busy. Today we got a text saying that he wont be able to meet with us for a long time, so he is also on the backburner for now. Please keep him in your prayers.
Tommy hasn't been able to meet with us either. He is struggling to get his marriage back on track, so we have toned down our approach a bit to allow him more time with his family. We're going to set up an appointment for this week just to see how he is and if he still is interested in what we believe. He has a lot of potential, but it may not be his time to receive the Gospel.
Pam has completely dropped off the face of the earth. I'm not sure where she went but she no longer answers her door or her phone. We have dropped her for now. We'll probably try her in a month or so.
Takisha's baptismal date for the 2nd of August has dropped because she hasn't come to church yet. She is very busy with her work schedule, but she has expressed a desire to feel clean and whole again. We may be doing a church tour with her as well.
Beau and Monica have made a ton of progress in these past two weeks. Beau has quit smoking (or vaping, or whatever you call it). He threw all of his smoke machines away and now is a clean man. Beau and Monica are planning on getting married in the next month or so, and once that happens Beau will be able to be baptized. Monica still needs to meet with the bishop for her rebaptism, which will be a longer process, but she is determined to get back on track, especially if Beau is getting baptized.
Susie is doing an excellent job at avoiding us. Kind of like Pam, she has dropped off the map. She has been dropped officially.
Mike is a potential investigator we have been trying to visit for the past two weeks. We were biking when we saw him struggling to get some mattresses stacked up next to a fence. We stopped and asked if he needed any help. He allowed us to help him get them up, and then he asked us what we do. Elder Chavez said that we were missionaries for our church, doing service and sharing a message about Jesus Christ. He thought that was pretty cool and invited us to meet with him when he was off work. He owns a Motel here and is very busy, but we hope to catch him after one of his shifts this week.
Jay and Patricia are making slow progress. Two weeks ago we had a lesson on the priesthood. He didn't quite like the part where we told him that you have to get baptized by proper priesthood authority. We talked about Jesus' journey from Galilee to Jordan, how far it was, and why Christ would walk so far to John the Baptist, the only man who had that Aaronic priesthood authority to properly baptize. Something clicked with that, so he was more accepting after we had explained the background on that verse (Matt. 3:13). This last week we stopped by with Bro. Berhmann, the member who introduced us to Jay. Bro. Berhmann recently went to Salt Lake for a business trip, and he bought Jay a massive copy of Gospel Principles. We're hoping that as he studies the manual, as well as the Book of Mormon, things will begin to connect in his head.
Kayliegh had a baptismal date but it was dropped from her not attending church. We don't exactly know what's going on, but she has been going through some obvious trials recently. We will see her this Saturday, hopefully we will be able to talk with her and help her with anything.
Colin and Brandy are new investigators found through a member, Bro. Burbank. Colin has been in active military service for about 8 years, 4 of which was spent in the Marine Corps in Africa. Colin is...well, right now he considers himself a Norse, or someone who believes in the Norse gods (yes, Thor and things like that). He used to be Roman Catholic, but he had a "falling out with God" and now he doesn't think that there is a one true God. We have interesting discussions with him and his fiancee, Brandy, who is a strong baptist. It's a really unique combination in their home, but they are receptive to our message.
Raymond Sumpter is another investigator that we have because of Bro. Burbank. He works with Burbank in the Army as a medic. He's intrigued with what we believe and we had taught him some scattered lessons. He has a lot of questions, which is a great thing. We hope to see him this Sunday at church.
B.J. is a potential that we found through tracting. He was in the Army but was discharged because of medical reasons (probably). He's a bit of a gangster, but he wants to make his life better.
Nick isn't making progress at the moment. He has told us that he wants to get baptized, but that he is extremely busy right now. We're trying to fit his schedule the best we can. He believes everything that we have taught him is true, but we do want to see his testimony grow. We're on a touch and go basis, but I think that we will see a baptism out of this.
Details, details...
It was a wonderful two weeks. Hopefully this update has sated your appetite to know what's been going on in Lawton, missionary work wise. I'm thankful for all of the support I have received! Thank you for the occasional email or letter. I'm not the best at replying but I am working on that.
I know that this gospel is true. It's been a really eventful 7 Months, and I have loved every moment of it. God loves and cares for each of his children, and he wants to see them come back to him. The Book of Mormon is a convincing witness of the Restoration of Christ's church here in these latter days. I encourage all to read, ponder, and pray about its teachings and to find out for themselves if it is true. I love all of you and I hope you are recognizing the many blessings that are given freely by Him who loves us.
Keep up the good work back home,
Elder Holbrook
So last week I wasn't able to type out my weekly letter. This means that you get a better update this week! Many things have happened and I am excited to tell you all about them! The weather last week was great! We had a lot of days barely touch 80. It was greatly appreciated. But now we should soon be back to our normal temperatures pretty soon (~100 degrees). I guess I need to get back to drinking water.
Elder Chavez and I are having a lot of success in Lawton. We have been to a lot of teaching appointments (I'll try to summarize them as best I can), committed a few to baptism, and hopefully, we will be able to see those investigators enter into the waters of baptism soon.
Our investigators are progressing, some...more than others, but I would say that most are moving forward:
Turina was found by a set of sister missionaries in Arkansas who then sent her info over to us so that she could be taught. She is a young mother who has been trying to improve her life after some big trials and difficulties. We taught her the Restoration two weeks ago and then this last week we taught her the Plan of Salvation. She loved both of the discussions. She is keeping commitments like reading the BofM and praying, but she hasn't been able to come to church yet. We are going to have a church tour with her this week so that she will be more motivated to come on Sunday. She has a lot of potential.
Steven Haywood is a man who lives right across the street from where the sister missionaries in our ward live. He's a soft spoken Marine veteran who I believe fought in Vietnam and saw some things. We found him through tracting. We taught him the Restoration about two weeks ago, and he was receptive. He's a bit confused about priesthood authority (like most of Oklahoma) so we are going to have a discussion about the priesthood and what it's for and why that authority is so important. He was at a family reunion last week so we weren't able to meet with him, but we definitely will this week.
Hannah keeps on making appointments but then not showing up to her own house when we have set them. She has been avoiding us, which is a bit annoying. She's on the backburner for now while we focus on bigger and better things.
John Stenman hasn't been doing well at all. He discovered recently that he has severe degenerative arthritis in his spine and he has a dropped hip on his right side. We offered to give him a priesthood blessing and he accepted, but the appointment we had set up with him fell through. Between his church school and work and now his medical situation, he has been very busy. Today we got a text saying that he wont be able to meet with us for a long time, so he is also on the backburner for now. Please keep him in your prayers.
Tommy hasn't been able to meet with us either. He is struggling to get his marriage back on track, so we have toned down our approach a bit to allow him more time with his family. We're going to set up an appointment for this week just to see how he is and if he still is interested in what we believe. He has a lot of potential, but it may not be his time to receive the Gospel.
Pam has completely dropped off the face of the earth. I'm not sure where she went but she no longer answers her door or her phone. We have dropped her for now. We'll probably try her in a month or so.
Takisha's baptismal date for the 2nd of August has dropped because she hasn't come to church yet. She is very busy with her work schedule, but she has expressed a desire to feel clean and whole again. We may be doing a church tour with her as well.
Beau and Monica have made a ton of progress in these past two weeks. Beau has quit smoking (or vaping, or whatever you call it). He threw all of his smoke machines away and now is a clean man. Beau and Monica are planning on getting married in the next month or so, and once that happens Beau will be able to be baptized. Monica still needs to meet with the bishop for her rebaptism, which will be a longer process, but she is determined to get back on track, especially if Beau is getting baptized.
Susie is doing an excellent job at avoiding us. Kind of like Pam, she has dropped off the map. She has been dropped officially.
Mike is a potential investigator we have been trying to visit for the past two weeks. We were biking when we saw him struggling to get some mattresses stacked up next to a fence. We stopped and asked if he needed any help. He allowed us to help him get them up, and then he asked us what we do. Elder Chavez said that we were missionaries for our church, doing service and sharing a message about Jesus Christ. He thought that was pretty cool and invited us to meet with him when he was off work. He owns a Motel here and is very busy, but we hope to catch him after one of his shifts this week.
Jay and Patricia are making slow progress. Two weeks ago we had a lesson on the priesthood. He didn't quite like the part where we told him that you have to get baptized by proper priesthood authority. We talked about Jesus' journey from Galilee to Jordan, how far it was, and why Christ would walk so far to John the Baptist, the only man who had that Aaronic priesthood authority to properly baptize. Something clicked with that, so he was more accepting after we had explained the background on that verse (Matt. 3:13). This last week we stopped by with Bro. Berhmann, the member who introduced us to Jay. Bro. Berhmann recently went to Salt Lake for a business trip, and he bought Jay a massive copy of Gospel Principles. We're hoping that as he studies the manual, as well as the Book of Mormon, things will begin to connect in his head.
Kayliegh had a baptismal date but it was dropped from her not attending church. We don't exactly know what's going on, but she has been going through some obvious trials recently. We will see her this Saturday, hopefully we will be able to talk with her and help her with anything.
Colin and Brandy are new investigators found through a member, Bro. Burbank. Colin has been in active military service for about 8 years, 4 of which was spent in the Marine Corps in Africa. Colin is...well, right now he considers himself a Norse, or someone who believes in the Norse gods (yes, Thor and things like that). He used to be Roman Catholic, but he had a "falling out with God" and now he doesn't think that there is a one true God. We have interesting discussions with him and his fiancee, Brandy, who is a strong baptist. It's a really unique combination in their home, but they are receptive to our message.
Raymond Sumpter is another investigator that we have because of Bro. Burbank. He works with Burbank in the Army as a medic. He's intrigued with what we believe and we had taught him some scattered lessons. He has a lot of questions, which is a great thing. We hope to see him this Sunday at church.
B.J. is a potential that we found through tracting. He was in the Army but was discharged because of medical reasons (probably). He's a bit of a gangster, but he wants to make his life better.
Nick isn't making progress at the moment. He has told us that he wants to get baptized, but that he is extremely busy right now. We're trying to fit his schedule the best we can. He believes everything that we have taught him is true, but we do want to see his testimony grow. We're on a touch and go basis, but I think that we will see a baptism out of this.
Details, details...
It was a wonderful two weeks. Hopefully this update has sated your appetite to know what's been going on in Lawton, missionary work wise. I'm thankful for all of the support I have received! Thank you for the occasional email or letter. I'm not the best at replying but I am working on that.
I know that this gospel is true. It's been a really eventful 7 Months, and I have loved every moment of it. God loves and cares for each of his children, and he wants to see them come back to him. The Book of Mormon is a convincing witness of the Restoration of Christ's church here in these latter days. I encourage all to read, ponder, and pray about its teachings and to find out for themselves if it is true. I love all of you and I hope you are recognizing the many blessings that are given freely by Him who loves us.
Keep up the good work back home,
Elder Holbrook
4th of July 7/7/14
Hey Family and Friends!
Due to lack of time, it's going to have to be a quick update today, so here we go.
We saw some miracles over this week. On the 4th of July, we taught 3 investigators that have some serious potential. They were found through a member who works on Fort Sill. We had a dinner with this member and he invited them over so that we could teach them. They were pretty receptive, so I am excited to continue teaching them. One of those that we taught, Raymond, came to church yesterday and we taught another lesson right after sacrament meeting with him.
Beau and Monica didn't come to church yesterday, so we are going to try to visit them soon.
We had a good visit with Jay and Patricia Vickers. They are making progress. It's slow, but I feel like they will eventually come around.
We met with Takisha on Saturday. She said that she wanted to come to church, so we arranged a ride for her. Unfortunately, she was sick yesterday so we had to cancel her ride, but she should be there next week.
I hope that all is well with all that are reading this. Know that I love you and that I pray for you every day. Everyone goes through trials but I know that Jesus Christ's gospel can help us with all of them!
Thank you all for your love and support,
Elder Holbrook
Due to lack of time, it's going to have to be a quick update today, so here we go.
We saw some miracles over this week. On the 4th of July, we taught 3 investigators that have some serious potential. They were found through a member who works on Fort Sill. We had a dinner with this member and he invited them over so that we could teach them. They were pretty receptive, so I am excited to continue teaching them. One of those that we taught, Raymond, came to church yesterday and we taught another lesson right after sacrament meeting with him.
Beau and Monica didn't come to church yesterday, so we are going to try to visit them soon.
We had a good visit with Jay and Patricia Vickers. They are making progress. It's slow, but I feel like they will eventually come around.
We met with Takisha on Saturday. She said that she wanted to come to church, so we arranged a ride for her. Unfortunately, she was sick yesterday so we had to cancel her ride, but she should be there next week.
I hope that all is well with all that are reading this. Know that I love you and that I pray for you every day. Everyone goes through trials but I know that Jesus Christ's gospel can help us with all of them!
Thank you all for your love and support,
Elder Holbrook
Hot and Humid and Eventful! 6/30/14
Dear Family and Friends,
Eventful would be the word that I would use to describe this week in Lawton. The weather has been stable. Pretty humid and hot. It makes you sweat but as long as you drink water you wont pass out or something...
Just saying.
On Saturday one of our recent converts, Jamie Richards, had her baby! She was born around 2pm, and her name is Raylee. We were able to visit the family on Sunday at the hospital on Fort Sill. It's an exciting time to be in Lawton.
We have had successes and interesting teaching opportunities, so I'll give you the breakdown:
Bro. Durborow, a less active member in our ward, has been struggling to come back to church on a regular basis since his wife has passed away last year. He has received a lot of hardships recently, too. He is overcoming a viral infection that nearly killed him, so he is in recovery mode. We stopped by on Monday and had a short lesson with him. We talked a bit about his wife and also about his daughter who is in the custody of the state. We discussed why Heavenly Father sees fit that we receive trials. We encouraged him to keep on pushing for him and we reassured that we are there for him.
Nathan Smith is another less active member, struggling with his divorce situation. He needed some extra love and support so we went to see him yesterday (Sunday). I have hope for him but he needs to make some changes in his life.
We have had some short meetings with John Stenman. We haven't had the opportunity to make progress with him because of his busy schedule with his church and work, but we're going to see him this Tuesday.
Beau and Monica made it to church on Sunday, which was awesome. They had to leave immediately after sacrament meeting because of work, but I am glad that they came. They always have a positive experience and they talk about talks in sacrament meeting when we come over.
We haven't been able to meet with Takisha, Hannah, Nick, Pam, or Tommy this past week. It's killing us because we want to meet with them but it's not working out. They are still interested, especially Nick.
Jay is still studying. He is making an effort to change himself, which is great. Patricia, however, is still a bit resistant to what is being taught. Jay isn't going to get baptized without her, so we are trying to put Patricia as the main focus when we visit.
It's been a busy week. The Lord has provided and I am blessed to be able to have been here this week. I am thankful for my mission. It has helped me develop more than anything I have experienced in this life. I have been able to see miracles happen and I have felt my testimony grow stronger. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that this church is the true living church on this earth. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and because of this we now enjoy the blessings of modern day prophets and apostles. I know that the keys of the priesthood are restored.
I love you all and I am thankful for the support that you have given me,
Elder Holbrook
Eventful would be the word that I would use to describe this week in Lawton. The weather has been stable. Pretty humid and hot. It makes you sweat but as long as you drink water you wont pass out or something...
Just saying.
On Saturday one of our recent converts, Jamie Richards, had her baby! She was born around 2pm, and her name is Raylee. We were able to visit the family on Sunday at the hospital on Fort Sill. It's an exciting time to be in Lawton.
We have had successes and interesting teaching opportunities, so I'll give you the breakdown:
Bro. Durborow, a less active member in our ward, has been struggling to come back to church on a regular basis since his wife has passed away last year. He has received a lot of hardships recently, too. He is overcoming a viral infection that nearly killed him, so he is in recovery mode. We stopped by on Monday and had a short lesson with him. We talked a bit about his wife and also about his daughter who is in the custody of the state. We discussed why Heavenly Father sees fit that we receive trials. We encouraged him to keep on pushing for him and we reassured that we are there for him.
Nathan Smith is another less active member, struggling with his divorce situation. He needed some extra love and support so we went to see him yesterday (Sunday). I have hope for him but he needs to make some changes in his life.
We have had some short meetings with John Stenman. We haven't had the opportunity to make progress with him because of his busy schedule with his church and work, but we're going to see him this Tuesday.
Beau and Monica made it to church on Sunday, which was awesome. They had to leave immediately after sacrament meeting because of work, but I am glad that they came. They always have a positive experience and they talk about talks in sacrament meeting when we come over.
We haven't been able to meet with Takisha, Hannah, Nick, Pam, or Tommy this past week. It's killing us because we want to meet with them but it's not working out. They are still interested, especially Nick.
Jay is still studying. He is making an effort to change himself, which is great. Patricia, however, is still a bit resistant to what is being taught. Jay isn't going to get baptized without her, so we are trying to put Patricia as the main focus when we visit.
It's been a busy week. The Lord has provided and I am blessed to be able to have been here this week. I am thankful for my mission. It has helped me develop more than anything I have experienced in this life. I have been able to see miracles happen and I have felt my testimony grow stronger. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that this church is the true living church on this earth. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and because of this we now enjoy the blessings of modern day prophets and apostles. I know that the keys of the priesthood are restored.
I love you all and I am thankful for the support that you have given me,
Elder Holbrook
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