HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Wow what a great time it was to see & hear family over skype!!!! So great to see familiar faces and hear familiar voices!!! Christmas was FUN!

We spent Christmas eve with one of our bishops: Bishop Jackson and his family. I ate prawns! LOL still not my favorite meal but it's ok. It was great to slow down a bit and relax and spend time with a family :) they have a daughter serving in itally at the moment. we were going to skype at their home but we ended up not cause of timing and time zones as their daughter would skype at the same time as I would so we just skyped at the home where we stayed. There was a bit of "snot en trane" but it was expected I had the tissues ready and EVERYTHING. After skyping we went to the bishop again and went on his turn table thing where you stand upside down... yeah was not as cool as I thought it would be. then we went to Huricane for a Zone activity, where we exchanged gifts (white elephant) and played frisbee!!!! man that was sooo much fun - good to be running again. I did however find out I have gained 7KG while being on the mission :O ahhhhh really need to start getting myself into SHAPE! But been sick and so getting up in the mornings is tough, this sore throat better go away soon! Anyway we then went to St George for a bit and came home. Sad part is we were not able to go to Wallmart last week and I doubt we will go this week....

Anyway This week has really been great my companion and I just want to study all day though! there are so many great treasures in the scriptures and other church materials that really just make me hunger even MORE for them.

In part one of our Less Actives that we are working with gave us a hunger and thirst because of his example. He has been in-active for 40+ years his wife is not a member and I love them both soooo much. Last week he finished the BOM in 3 days!!! Ok he started from 2 Nephi but he was hungry for something. He seems to really be searching hard for some divine help and encouragement. When we committed his wife to be baptized a few weeks ago she did not feel the need to be baptized yet He did because he feels like he needs a clean sheet. So this has been a bit complicated, but I am so glad that we were able to commit then to read the Book of Mormon because he said THAT was why he decided to read... but he then became hungry. It' sad though because he did not understand ALOT of what he was reading because he did not understand half of what he was reading because he missed one important detail of when they reached the Americas. And he really just could not finish the last book of the Book of Mormon because of that small thing that he missed. I am so grateful that we have "Angels" in the form of our friends though. because just as He was about to give up, Bishop Jackson knocked at his door and was able to explain it all to him. He had been reading it all on his phone and was able to make notes left right and center of questions and comments about the Book of Mormon so he was not only reading but STUDYING the word of God. He is so relieved now. He said he skipped reading the Introduction because he just wasnted to get started reading the book. But I have now found it is SO important to emphasize how important reading the introduction really is! Even though he did not understand it all fully He did find verses that really penetrated him! He really did find answers to some of the questions of his soul. He does not yet believe he has a full testimony of this book but I know that he does.

I invite you ALL to read the Book of Mormon this year! to study it and make it a part of your daily life. Who knows maybe you will find this hunger and thirst as Jim has. Maybe you will find the answers to the questions of your soul. Let us all have spiritual experience this NEW Year!! Here is a great video for the new year: "Look not behind thee"

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=910930409001

Let us make this year one of great Goals because "We set goals to show our faith, we follow up on goals to count our blessings" - Ensign Sept 2013

I am so grateful that Jim was able to Study the word of God just as we are encouraged to do so in the Lehis dream: The Tree of Life. I encourage you all to study this dream. study the interpretation of it and understand that we truly need to STUDY the word of God. And to hold FAST to the iron rod and not just "Clinging" to it. Use these articles as guides:

1. http://www.lds.org/liahona/2011/10/lehis-dream-holding-fast-to-the-rod?lang=eng&query=lehis+dream
2. http://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/08/finding-ourselves-in-lehis-dream?lang=eng

As I have studied the dream I have found I can apply them in many situations in my area.  I know that these resources have been given to us so we can more fully understand the dream. I hope that we will all look forward to the tree of life - that we will want to feel God's love in our lives as we eat of the fruit and use the atonement in our lives!! Let us not be shrouded in the mists of darkness and be lost but Hold FAST to the scriptures - they truly can bring spiritual strength.

Also studying "Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" I hope we can all make New Years Resolutions By:

1. Striving to make Covenants - By going to the Temple, striving to be worthy of entering there. If you are too young to do endowments, make sure you are worthy of doing baptisms for the dead.

2. Share the Gospel!!!!

3. Serve Faithfully in all church Callings - This I think is such a great goal as it gives us purpose. There were sisters that came back to this area to visit their investigators and members and they told us that normal life is hard because you do not have a real purpose. And that has been bugging me for a bit. But I would like to think that these calling could really give us purpose! I love that as missionary's our purpose is clear!!! to "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel..." But I hope that when I go home that I will be able to fulfill my purpose as a visiting teacher and whatever other calling they give me just as I would as a missionary. I want to be able to pray for those I associate with everyday. I want to study the scriptures with them in mind and see how I can help them! I love having this purpose. I hope that you ALL can find your purpose in the calling you have been trusted with!

4. Serve the members of your family!!! SERVE SERVE SERVE. it is the best way we can obtain the Christlike attribute of Charity.

Well time is again running short. I love you all and wish you a very Happy New Year!!!

At a members Home - Son served in SACTM mission

Getting ready for Gift Exchange

All the Medican a member thought I would need - and she was RIGHT!!!!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

107S. 1470E. Suite 304

St. George Utah 84790

United States