MERRY CHRISTMAS

Just a short note to say MERRY CHRISTMAS, and Happy Holidays ;) I hope that you all are having a great time, and remembering the True meaning of Christmas :)

This week has really been good, we had exchanges on Thursday and it was good always able to learn something. It was my first time out of my area!! It was so strange though, strange to be in more build up areas - so used to knocking on humble homes and Trailors. Not used to them richer people... But it was good. Good to see the work moving forward in that area :) Got to meet one of the Piano Guys Wives ;) The piano guy was not home but that was still cool :P Exchanges are good!! But I was still happy to be back in my area.

So we are teaching another Polygamist But he seems ready for baptism - besides the fact that he drinks coffee and likes tobacco every now and then. But we are working on him. Unfortunately the FLDS believe that Coffee and Tobacco are OK (all in moderation and just guidelines) So we are emphasizing that they are Commandments not just guidelines. We love our area though! We have sooo many people to teach all of a sudden. We also had a really good lesson with an Indian lady (American Indian) who knows very little about the Mormons! Like we did not know what to say when she said that and she is open to learn about jospeh smith and the Book of mormon. she has a goood christian background. I love her and her daughter already and want her to enjoy the blessings of baptism :)

So I have been sick this week. Not Fun. But the work moves forward! I am very grateful for members who earnestly strife to look after the missionaries. I got a medical kit yesterday lol. (will send pic next week as I left my camera at home).

So a fun one for the week. We tracked into a Jehovah witness this week and he used to be LDS and decided to be a preacher in the Southern Utah area because he knows the LDS faith. He also asked why are we serving in an area that is concentrated with LDS people....? Seriously??? Same reason you are there. Well we asked him if he has read and prayed about the BOM before and he says that he had Read it but he won't pray because that is like asking the Pope if he is Catholic. SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!! Just Pray about it :D

I spoke in Fredonia 1st ward yesterday and it was such a good Christmas program - there were 5 speakers and 4 Musical items :) Sister Hee and I spoke for like 3 min each cause there was hardly any time.

We also want to start going back to the families that have given us referrals and let them know how the contact went. I love this gospel and there are so many who are prepared to hear the Good news that we have! We just need some faith on out part. Please trust the missionaries with the names of your friends. They are the servants of the Lord. We as missionaries are not perfect. You may need to remind them a few times about your referrals. (I hope that is not the case, but time does run away from us).

Well two thoughts for the week, comes from the Dec First Pres Message and Ensign:

"As a covenant disciple of Jesus Christ, you are obligated to extend to others an opportunity to find increased happiness, especially to your friends and the members of your family." - Pres Henry B Eyring -

"Christmas is a Time to share our gifts, strengthen others & do our part in the Kingdom of God." - Elder Robert D Hales -

Please remember the to give of yourselves this Christmas. I love you all and Hope you have a joyous holiday!

PS get to Skype Home on Wednesday!!!!!!! So excited!!!!!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States

HALOA From Kaibab

I am sooo happy this morning!! I am so Grateful for my new companion! Sister Hee is AMAZING! She is from Maui Hawaii!!!!!!!!!!! We plan on seeing quite a few miracles this week!

We found a Black man this week when we knocked on this door that S Allen and I had previously knocked. (I was so excited to see a black person!!!!) But he was not very open to listening rather he wanted to teach us - But Sister Hee was so amazing, asking inspired questions it gave me the courage and change of heart - to picture him in White and Testify of the Book of Mormon. We were able to give him the Book and we Hope and Pray that he will read it.

Zone Training was really good this week! The focus for the Mission is changing to Finding New investigators! And we got a boost of enthusiasm for FINDING and were able to find 4 NEW INVESTIGATORS!!! I think our focus has also shifted to actually contacting the referrals we have received which helps soooo much! I love the people in this area so much! and Sister Hee is just so Positive about this area even though she admitted that she was not too excited about coming here, but now that she has heard of how this area was hurt in the past by Elders - We are both so grateful that we are here in this area to SERVE and LOVE these people! Sister Hee and I hope to become LEGENDARY. She is ready to serve and has given me a BOOST of enthusiasm! We both still have weaknesses but we are striving to work on them!

Had my First BAPTISM ON SATURDAY!!! There was sooo much opposition in getting her baptized but after much perseverance we got to this day! I love this lady!!! She is such an inspiration to me! And the water was cold!!! haha

Sorry running out of time :)

Though for the week: Alma 13:24:

24 For behold, ^aangels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.

How does that make you feel???

Happy Merry Christmas!!!! ;)

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States

Fwd: SNOW in Kanab

SNOW!!!!! - Transfers!!!!!

So there is BIG NEWS this week!!!!

Last week it SNOWED!!!!

It was a pretty cold week, so this was Wednesday Morning.... Thank goodness we did not go to Cane beds like we planned cause it always gets more snow up there... BUT then on Friday when we

DID go out to Co city and Cane Beds This happend:

I will send more snow pictures in a follow up email :) It was crazy!!! And soooo FLUFFY I love snow!!! Ok I could do without the cold but it is sooooo cool!!! And I have not been in snow before so this has been an interesting experience. "Pump the brakes".

Oh we went to Zions last week :) We only had an hour there but it was still pretty!

As for transfers - They didn't do transfer calls on Saturday morning like they usually do so we were stressing the WHOLE day on saturday! it was crazy!!! But...

I am STAYING! and S Allen is going back to the Visitors Center! And serving in Washington with a sister that came out with me S Phagwah from some country in South America... Can't remember where... She is a cute little quite girl :)

My new comp is S Hee from Hawaii!!! I'm super excited!!!! But I'm scared because of change and I hope that I can remember everything about the area and things :) But it will be good I am sure!! It will keep me on my toes and extra excited for missionary work. I will stay Jnr Comp and She will be driving (which could be a good thing haha I don't trust myself on the right side of the road... and I sure don't trust myself driving in SNOW!!!) Though S Hee doesn't have much experience in the snow either so this should be interesting! =D

I am so grateful that I am able to be in this area! it is a special place and I love the people here! We got a new investigator this last friday! She is 9 yrs old and wants to get baptized!!! Problem is her family is not very active - so we are going to try work on that!!

We have a baptism this week - Which S Allen is super sad about... I would be too. This Lady is just amazing! I love her to bits!

Goal for this transfer is to keep a journal!! lol I have really been slacking on that part!

The spirit of Christmas is here in the Kaibab stake! I have been to 3 Christmas ward parties this week!! it was GREAT!! The Christmas devotional was also really good!! I would encourage ALL to watch it before Christmas. And to ask yourself What happened next???? And What can I give HIM this Christmas??? We give as a reminder of all the Saviour has given to us.

All

the Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States

Time of Thanksgiving & Christmas

Hey All!!

Ok so I think I confused EVERYONE last week :| Sorry. Transfers are Next tuesday but we get our transfer calls THIS saturday!!! At least they give us time to pack and whatever but we find out ealrier than the Elders because of the visitors center they need to know transfer calls so they can work out the schedule...

Well this last week was better than expected!! I got BOOTS in the mail!!! SOOOOOOO welcome and NEEDED!!! So been rather eventful week I would say. 

Monday we got free clothes at the thrift store. Someone paid for our $5 bag of clothes we are sad we were not able to fill it up more but its ok. Got a few cute skirts I hope I can make them practical and some are a bit big... anyway.

No pictures of Thanks giving, but it was a good day, very relaxed and layed back. We decided to only have 1 "dinner" at 2pm... yeah everyone has dinner early it seems. Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of that... But it was good, not very traditional though :) --> I'm not a huge fan of Turkey so I'm not complaining. WE just had Ham... Was good though!! And I have decided I love pumpkin pie!! And really can't get enough of it but I need to resist the temptation to eat it all. well we got a whole chocolate pie from another family which we have not made a dent in it yet. then we watched Ephraim rescue with a less active family!! SOOOOO good!!! if you can go watch it please do!! all about the pioneers! But I'm grateful that everyone is able to have this spirit of thanks giving and time that we can all think outwardly and not inwardly and it is just a preparatory event for Christmas.

Saturday we got our new JEEP!!! So exciting!! (Not what we expected but its pretty awesome and smells like a new car which is awesome!!!) Here is me in Co city getting it :) in my boots :P

Our one investigator is so great she told us that she only wanted to read 1 page per week and she ended up reading 1 per DAY!! So happy for her and then she invited us to the Christmas lights festival with her and her husband.

And His brothers house has music and Christmas lights choreographed It's crazy - also crazy to watch all the Christmas lights going up.

Zone Conference yesterday was AMAZING!!!

Elder Arnold of the 70 is really fired up about missionary work and gave us soooo much insight and I was truly inspired to know what we should do with our area. too bad transfers are happening next week... And they are not getting many missionaries in but we are losing quite a few missionaries. 

I would encourage all to read 3 Ne 11 (Doctrine of Christ) and the talk in the April confr "It's a Miracle"

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/its-a-miracle

STUDY it there is so much in that talk. I hope you can all find some encouragement and enthusiasm for the work!

I want you all to know that I love you! That I know this is the true church of Christ and that it is through HIM that we can be saved. I know that Jesus Christ died and suffered for me and for you. he knows us and wants us to return to him one day. But it does not take away our own personal responsibility to turn to HIM. And feel his love for us. 

I love this gospel!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States