Fall time begins in Huntitngton

So the Leaves have started turning and the "fall" time has began. everyone is decorating their homes with "fall" decor and its cooling off in the mornings and its hard to catch people at 8pm cause its dark and people go to bed with the sun. 

This week was a good one though. we had one super amazing Miracle happen though. So you know that our 2 baptisms have fallen though this month well, we got a call on thursday last week from the EQP of the YSA ward in Castle dale and said that they have someone that wants to get baptised!!! She has been going to church for the past month and she has prayed about baptism and wants to get baptised. We met with her the next day. The next day she got baptized. 

Just Kidding but we did schedule a baptismal date for 27 Sept (which will probably be my last week in this area, and almost like a birthday present for me :D ) and wow she really is golden and wants to know for herself. She is a real spectacular women. she has had a bit of a hard life but wants a fresh start! I am so happy that we get to teach her. She actually lives in our area but technically its not a part of our stake. Anyway, she has had such great fellow-shippers in some return missionaries helping her understand the doctrine of baptism. she has been doing a lot of reading and she is golden. there may be a few things that will keep her from being baptised that day but I think it will all work out for the best. Hold thumbs!!

I am excited for this week we get to go to the temple re-dedication of the Ogden Temple. Well it is being broadcast I think across the state. So we have goaled for 0 Investigators at church lol. First time in my history as a missionary... But I am so excited that will be my second time at a Temple Re-dedication broadcast. Want to learn more about temples? Here is more.

If you want to learn more about what we believe as a "Mormon Culture" or if you want to share the Gospel but don't know how. Have a look at this website and these videos

I hope you are all having a Exceptional week! 

Sister Schneider and I decided to match yesterday at church :P

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

Missionary tuesday :P

Sorry I am only e-mailing today but we had a Zone conference yesterday in Manti with Elder Clarke from the 70. It was such a good conference and what a way to start our week. We needed all the help we could get.

We had another tough week last week. Including finding a dead snake in front of our apartment. I don't know what is up with us finding dead animals by our apartment. (which is actually not an apartment it is a house....) Anyway. I think Heavenly Father is really looking out for us - looked like the snake choked on a stone. And then Sister Pene picks it up and plays with it - I don't mind snakes but I probably would never do that - we had the manti sisters sleep over at our place that night. Might not have much time. Having a thunder storm outside. (sounds like home)

Well Both our baptisms for the month have fallen through. Well I guess they have been postponed till next month but still. it was a bit disappointing. 

Sunday was the worst. Sister Schneider accidentally set the alarm for 05:55 pm instead of am :| and we had a 07:00 am meeting with all our ward mission leaders... we woke up at 06:55 am .... and that was only the beginning. :( so we got ready pretty quick and went to the meeting came home to get ready for church... then I stepped on my glasses... and I REALLY broke them this time. 

Luckily I have my red pair but yeah. Lame. Then we were late for church in cleavland (at least we got to hear Hunters testimony. After some studies we went knocking on doors and seriously no one would answer/was not home. we finally got into a door at 04:45 pm and had dinner at 5 pm at least dinner was really good! We also had both our appointments cancel on us.

But we did have a few highlights for the week:

• I got my credit card working so I have extra money feels so good.
• Hunter bore his testimony in church on sunday!!! what a kid!! Also paid his tithing on sunday! it is so great he really just soaks up everything that we teach him. and wants to obey immediately... we will be teaching Law of chastity next week... wish us luck :P teaching 9 year olds is always fun lol
• Tim and Kelly did not make it to church but we had a real good lesson with them on sunday evening which was able to lift our spirits and his. Mormon messages are the best!
• We also had a few other good lessons in the week

Biggest highlight though was the zone conference. 

It was such a spiritual experience!!! But I learned that I should really stop complaining.

We learned so many things though and I really hope to show a 10th of what I learned in this email and hope and pray that it can help someone today.

Sister Center spoke a lot about preparation. how we prepare every day for something and that we prepared in the pre-mortal world as well. All those with a patriarchal blessing please read your blessing today and find out who you were in the pre-mortal world. And also pray to know who YOU were. I know that you had so much faith. and because of that you were able to come here to earth to be tried and tested. When you read the scriptures also look out for themes of preparation. "Obedience prepares us for the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for us."

President Center spoke a lot about CONVERSION, What it is and what the steps are to conversion:

• Knowledge
• Faith
• Testimony
• Repentance
• Baptism/Scarament
• Holy Ghost
• Obedience

Sorry I do not have time to explain each one but think of this. Why is knowledge the first step in conversion? How does that influence our faith? On a scale of 1-10 where are you on the process of conversion?

"True conversion is when you want to help others gain a testimony or to be converted"

Please know that the road to conversion is NOT easy. It will be hard - you WILL face trails (I saw many trails this week) But I know that it is WORTH it! Repentance is also a part of conversion.

Elder Clarke is REALLY Bold... I have alot to change. I wish everyone could have heard him. what was sad is that he prophesied that there were missionaries in that conference that would go inactive in a few years. It had better not be me. I hope I am converted enough that I will remain faithful.

Just some basics of what we spoke about:

WORK OF SALVATION

• Member Missionary Work
• We watched an amazing video Please watch this and pray and see how YOU can share the gospel today. I know we can ALL do better (myself included) We have been asked to DOUBLE our baptisms. This is the HASTENING OF THE WORK. we can do this. But we as members need to gear up a bit.
• Retention
• Please show interest in recent converts. we as missionaries have been asked to visit recent converts for the last 2 years. There are way too many that go inactive because the members and missionaries stop going by or that they never get a responsibility. Are you involving the new members? They really have the coolest testimonies! You WANT to be their friends and feed off their excitement for the gospel
• Activation
• Those that are currently not attending church right now count too!! I really loved that he brought this up I feel like there are some missionaries that don't think of less actives as poeple or worth it.
• Temple & Family History Work
• Get the new and returning members to do work for their ancestors - get yourself involved too!! you will see miracles!!!
• Teaching
• Missionaries need to help investigators keep commitments. 

Well Sounds like he wants us to be perfect. but it IS doable and possible to do all of these things. we are going to work hard this week!

Love you all. Thanks for all the emails and letters!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

What a week!

Wow What a week for sure!

First off HAPPY SPRING DAY IN SA!!!!

Also sorry for the late mail. We went out to the desert this morning with one of our ward mission leaders and his wife and daughter who just got off her mission in London England.

So we went out to the "wedge" aka "lone and dreary world" aka "little grand canyon"

Dinosaur footprint:

We had a  great lesson with Hunter on Monday and he will for sure get baptized this month. Depending on his adoption date. But they are also planning to get sealed ASAP. I am really excited. I am sure I will be able to go! (Whether I will be in the area or not is another story... transfer calls at the end of the month)

Well Tuesday we had Exchanges! It was so good!!! I think even more so for Sister Schneider! She got to stay in our area and I was able to go to Manti. So I drove Huntington Canyon and wow it was so gorgeous!!! I loved it! 

I was with Sister Pene again she is a fun Samaon (that was why I had to drive - cause she does not have a licence) It was a great exchange and I learned a lot from them. Manti seems to be a bit of a tough area though. And made me realized how much I really love Huntington. But who knows I might serve there one day. It was so great we went bike riding in the morning around the farms in the area and it was just so great to do! I am soooo unfit though!!! Sister Schneider and I have STRUGGLED to exercise in the mornings. But we have made a record this week we have gotten up every day and ran around two blocks :) - which does not seem like a lot but we are working toward going around 3 this week :) It feels soooo good to get up and exercise and watch the sunrise... 

We really have decided to do this a bit late it is getting darker each morning. But it helps me feel accomplished. I hope we can keep this up.

Well after exchanges we had to leave early so we could make it to our district meeting on time in price - and I really was considering going down through a place called scofield and down price canyon... But then we realized that is outside of our mission :O So we went back to Huntington and then off to price... That was the longest I have ever driven at one time on my mission. And I may have gone a bit fast.... at least there were no cops. But we had a fantastic district meeting about setting realistic goals and we watched some mormon messages!!! I love mormon messages!!!

Quote from church yesterday: "God wants us to work hard - then he blesses us"

So everyone seems to be giving the missionaries there extra produce. like we got A LOT of CORN just this week. So friday we decided that would be a great weekly planning meal. So I decide to clean them and cook them. but there were some worms in them... so I cut off the part where the worms were. Then chuck them in the bin. Sister Schneider then decides to SAVE the worms. lol. Thats all well and good. But then. . . . We found a SCORPIAN in the apartment!!! ahhhhhhhh!!! But it was dead Sjoe!!! 

But who killed it...??? Wasn't me! But if there is one there are more right? But was funny cause during our mormon.org time I watched this video

Still does not top Sister Eppels Bat experience.... (for those on her mailing list)

Well we have seen many miracles this week. We were able to put a young girl on date for baptism - previously she would hide her face when we mentioned it so that is big progress!!!

We also found a new investigator! Michelle and she is Golden! Her mom is inactive and said that she wanted to wait for her to be older so she could decide for herself and well she is older now and living on her own and from what we talked about it all sounds positive!!! We also exceeded our goals of Member Present Lessons It is sooo exciting when things like that happen!

Tim & Kelly are still doing great! Only found out that they also drink coffee... Wow Almost marked everything in the word of wisdom... But They are getting the stop smoking program from the Mechams (Snr Couple) this week and we are really hoping things go well for them. They didn't make it to church so I really hope they are OK. John - our miracle baptism, is not doing too good either I hope he can overcome whatever this sickness is - he won't tell us.

We have also been able to do a lot of service here. we have helped this one family move and they are NOT even CLOSE to be ready to move out and feels like we never get anywhere - I think she got shocked when on Saturday I said something to really get down to business. Well it didn't help too much. We are still a LONG ways from being done. We help when we can.

But I know we have seen a lot of these miracles because of our obedience to the schedule - exercising and all the service we have been able to do.

Thank you sooo much for all the emails!!! Sorry I am not able to reply to them all.

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

Life in Huntington

So this week was FULL of ups and downs. Unfortunately more downs than ups. We have too many appointments cancel this week. School started this week and so things were a bit crazy for everyone. But I think things will smooth over with everyone starting to get into a routine.

We started the week with a high! W have been teaching this one boy: Hunter (9) who is in foster care with his aunt and uncle. We found out on Monday that his birth-mother's right had been terminated. Hunter really wants to get baptized! And well we are still unfamiliar with all the rules and stuff with adoptions but if the mom doesn't say anything to get her rights back (which we are all doubting she will) He will be adopted on the 24th of sept. And they are planning to do the sealing ASAP after this and the baptism!!! Hunter also cannot wait to be a part of their family! I really do think that all will work according to plan :) they will be sealed as a family by the end of Sept!!! And I am pretty sure that we will be able to go! It is just so great for us to teach hunter he is an outstanding kid! he tells us all these RANDOM things that goes off topic and you would think that he is not listening. Then you would ask him what he understood about the lesson and he would recite it all back to you. We love mondays cause we get to teach him!! 

So Tuesday we had a few cancellations but we were able to tract a bit in Elmo and contact some referrals (we don't get out to Emlo too often - like the members say there are 2 wards in elmo. The active ward and the inactive ward - if you did not catch the joke.. there is only one ward there. but half the members are inactive.) We did not find much success but we did get a few great pictures! (Sister Schneider hijacks my camera and takes pretty much all the pictures) which makes the battery die pretty quickly - esp since it always sounds like it is dying when it starts up. 

So it was pretty sad when we got to this house and offered service and were able to feed calfs with a bottle... we only got one of sister schneider.... so please know I was there too!!! PROMISE!!!! feeding them with goats milk - got to watch them milk the goat too. pretty cool.

Tim & Kelly have really been a blessing and one of our highlights in our week!!! I love them so much!!! Tim has been clean of meth and alcohol for about 7 days now I think. We met with them twice last week. The first time was very strange because he was not the same bubbly man we met the first time. But he attributed this to him giving up these harmful substances. We taught the restoration and it was great! (just a bit different because we were able to clearly go through and teach the whole lesson.) When we invited them to read the Book of mormon they agreed! And said that they already believe it is true, but we committed them to read it again! He has not been able to sleep too well with his withdraw from the drugs. But to our surprise and "great astonishment" he used that time to read the scriptures and was in 1 Nephi 8 when we got to them two days later. and he had questions!!! GOOD questions! so we read with them and tried to answer them =D They also came to church on sunday and they are progressing really well! 

So a funny happening: So there was a couple that my trainer and I taught in Fredonia and reactivated that were getting sealed on thursday. Sister Allen was the one who did the corresponding and invited me along. she got all the details of when it was happening and things. Well I put alot of trust in her and we both got permission to go to the sealing. When we were teaching them they always aspired to go to the Manti temple. And said that was where it was going to happen. Well on thursday we got to the Manti temple, and they were not on the list.... we started to panic and were going through all the details in our heads... everything lead to Manti. Well turns out they got sealed on thursday at 10 40. In St George Temple. My trainer is actually serving in St. George right now. So it was a crazy mix up and she had to get a ride to come all the way up to manti. It was crazy. We ended up doing some initatories and saw the famous spiral staircase (we might as well since we are there) But just taught me to triple heck plans.... espicially when there are 2 temples in your mission.

Huntington Canyon:

Manti Temple:

Saturday was a crazy day. Almost every appointment cancelled!!! and we didn't find ANY success. Then we decided to knock on some random doors near one of our investigators..... and found a real Anti house. We didn't say a word and we had this couple shouting and swearing and cursing us and threatening to call the cops on us. (which would not help cause all the cops are pretty much Mormon in this town.) But it really upset me. and broke my heart to find some people so against the church. :(

Well this week has been pretty crazy and so both sister schneider and I have been falling behind in our book of mormon reading - but at least I think I am reading it a lot faster than I would have ever done at any time in my life! Just watched this great Mormon Message about the Book of Mormon I agree with Pres Monson - If you have not read the Book of Mormon - READ IT!

Oh PS Its been a rainy week and I think sister Schneider is cursed for always walking in the mud :P Have a mentioned that she HATES the rain! with a passion!

Have a great week! Hope to hear from y'all soon.

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

Castle Valley Pageant

Good Morning Friends and Family!!

I definitely think this week was better than last week, but still a slow week. 

High light of the week was definitely the Castle Valley Pageant! It is a Pageant about the Pioneers and how they ended up in this area. It was real fun. As missionaries we went up to great people as they came in to the little village where they were able to see how to shoe a horse, how to make butter, how to make honey candy, how to make a "prairie diamond ring" from a hose shoe nail, how to milk a cow, taste food from a dutch oven, how to quilt, how to make a rug out of rags, also got to watch a black smith at work. It was highly informative and real fun to be a part of and good practice to talk to everyone! Though we did not have too much success in getting any referrals we did meet people from all over Utah. the first night that we went (friday - the 2nd last night) there was a general authority there so we got to meet Elder Schwitzer of the second quorum of the 70 :) he is a great down to earth man - so is his wife. and was cool when we knew a common man - Elder Golden :)

Well the Pageant itself was amazing! it really helped me grow closer to the pioneers. I don't think I have ever really had strong feeling for them, yes I know what trails and struggles they went though but this was even after the big struggles to utah, this was just from San peak county to Emery county. (Just over the Mountain) and there were MANY trails and struggles but it was good to get closer to them. The spirit was STRONG. And we also got to have a few laughs. It was an interesting experience though when they paid tribute to the Utah and American Flags as well as all the different militray divisions... But it was fun.

One thing that I am finding on my mission is that as we teach others their questions of the gospel can strengthen our own testimonies as we study them out and try to learn and grow from them. But we need to come to know for ourselves that is true. In all aspects. Also in Zone Training this week something struck me. There is an elder in our Zone that didn't like numbers too much and he has been out on his mission for 20months. I also don't like numbers too much because it is embarrasing when you have to "return and report" numbers that you were not able to acheive. But he was challenged by his district leader to pray about it - and find out for himself - through the spirit - the importance of numbers. And he told of an experience where his WHOLE attitutde and understanding changed - they were able to see miracles in finding new investigators and putting them on date to be baptized. That really got me thinking and I think I really needed to hear that. Our numbers have not been the best but I know that things are going to change and they can as we understand doctrine through the spirit. And thinking of alot of our investigators and others we teach - nothing is going to change until we find out for ourselves. Even Alma the younger needed to experience repentance before he had a change in heart. 

My challenge to you all this week is to identify something gospel related that you are stuggling with wheter it be that the book of mormon is true, or that Jospeh Smith was a prophet, or whether Temples have been ordainded of God. I invite you to pray to know if it does come from our Father in Heaven. And I can promise you that as you can understand these princliples with the Spirit that you can be stronger in that aspect of the gospel, and you will see your testimony grow.

I want you to know that I love this Gospel. I love having the spirit as a companion to me every day. I know that we all can sacrifice a bit each day to come closer to our Father in Heaven. I am not perfect. I am far from it. But I really want to be better, and that happens as we apply the Goapel of Faith, Repentance and partaking of the sacrament each week.

I love you all.

PS sorry the PC didn't want to upload pictures today... it wanted me to format my SD - NO THANKS.

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

11 Months ALREADY

WOW time flies by so fast!! I have officially been out for 11 months. This last week also just flew by! But I love it - most of the time, sometimes I hate it cause there is so much to do and so little time to do it in.

Today we plan on going out to the dessert :) Last week started off in a pre-historic frenzy. We went to the Dinosaur museum. This mammoth was found in Huntington.

It was fun times but I don't know if I nee dto do that again. haha.

We had a few good lessons this week and we have really been blessed with service opportunities. One miracle that happened was after dinner we decided to contact a few houses but sister schneider decided that we should contact another house (cause it has a great big beautiful American flag) and the man answered and asked if they wanted to set up a time with him.... Well WOW we were quite shocked, turned out to be a less active family that the bishop has been working with and the bishop said he would send the missionaries over. Well we were happy to set up a time, they are actually a real great family!! they have even offered to take us out to look for arrow heads and teach us how to do wood burning... I am really excite dto start teaching them. we just left a message about prayer and said a prayer with them. It was great we saw them at the Emery County parade in Castle Dale and then we saw them AGAIN IN CHURCH!!! we were sooo excited!!! we really didn't expect to see them because she said she has to work alot of sundays. But we were thrilled to see them!!

We also had a great training on thursday from our district leader on faith to find - our area has slowed down alot with finding - almost feel like we have found them all. so on Thursday & Friday we prayed specifically and faithfully for a new investigator. It was amazing to FEEL thursday night as I was praying that it would happen that we would see success the next day and even though we did not plan for this one referral we contacted her and picked her up as a new investigator! I am excited to teach her! 

I am also really excited for the changes that have taken place in the wards. I think this is really going to help us as missionaries. As long as the mosquito's dont slow anything down. It was crazy yesterday at one of our church buildings there was a huge swarm of mosquito's at each door. We pushed our way through! and got bit quite a bit and everyone was itching and scratching the whole sacrament service lol. And peoples bubbles were popped by others hitting each other killing mosquito's (luckily I had my lavender oil to stop the itch and make sure no more bit me.

So on saturday we were in the PARADE!!!! that was fun the elders had a float "Hastening the Work" and they asked us to be on another "Fishers of Men", it was fun we got to throw out bouncing balls haha - was fun watching the kids run for them.

Well that's all folks! Hope y'all are being fishers of men - helping every one out and sharing your testimony with them. From our training at our stake co ordination meeting Our high councilman over missionary work said this: "The love of Christ is available to everybody... Loving the people is a synonym to Hastening the work." and "We come to church to become better people, it is NOT for perfect people."

Thinking about Moroni 7:45-48 Think about how you can reach out to your friends in love and invite them back to church, don't judge them for what they wear to church. And for those that are not members think of ways you can continue to love them enough to help them make covenants.

Love you all! thank you for your love and support.

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

Pioneer Day?

Hello From Huntington!!!

So yup Utah has a holiday called Pioneer day, to remember the Pioneers that came across the planes to build up Utah. Well It was quite uneventful for us cause we already had our celebrations with Cleavland days, so it was just a day that there seemed to be no1 in town. Well we still decided to celebrate (South African Style) so we decided to make Malva Pudding!!!! hahaha yup!! We also cooked some beetroot and their leaves (didn't know you could eat the leaves... well tasted like spinach...) and for those of you who really know me I don't know how to cook - but I have a feeling I am going to be learning pretty fast cause people want to feed us with their fresh veggies from their gardens! it is so great we got 1 1/2 dozen free eggs this week (which was great cause I was able to make eggs for the STL's that came over for exchanges this last week) So if anyone has any tips on cooking please I am open to ideas and to learn. Got 2 x Squash that I will be cooking up this week so we will see how that goes. But I can bake and I can follow recipes which is great! We also made some crepes last P Day cause we wanted a change.

Well as for missionary work this week has been pretty slow, I think alot of people went camping this weekend and it was crazy.

Like I said we went on exchanges on tuesday evening and it was good cause one of the sisters  used to serve in this area and so she was able to help sister Schneider out alot, they went by and saw people that Sister Holister knew and taught a lesson to one of our investigators, I went with sister Pene (from Samoa) - GREAT MISSIONARY!!! 

I love her - we came out together and we get along real well. After the exchange ended we set some goals and I wont lie it was good to hear how we can improve. We also had our interviews with the mission president and his wife and they asked us to read D&C 93 and share what we learned in the interview - WOW if you have not read it - it is full of crazy information! Maybe I will share some of my insights/questions to ponder:

• What is the fullness of the Father? (Knowledge, Love, Glory, Wisdom, Power, Understanding, Exaltation)
• Christ always said the Glory be thine forever, yet Christ received a fullness of glory, I know that the Father is also merciful and will give Christ love and glory so he too will be exalted.
• What is Golry? (Light, Truth, Love)
• How do we receive Glory? - To glorify we honour, so we can only receive an honourable reward after we have done something good/great. So I think we would receive glory from our works  - So what are you doing? Did you do something Good today?
• Even Christ had to receive the fullness "grace for grace", line upon line, precept upon precept. Nothing comes all at once.
• As you cross reference grace for grace (Phil 2:8 & Heb 5:8) it speaks about obedience - so we can receive things grace for grace as we are obedient. 
• Christ was obedient to the Father. He showed us the perfect example of obedience but he had his agency. 
• Agency and obedience, I would say are the 2 most fundamental principles taught in the Plan of Salvation.

Now that your brain is Fried. I know that the plan of Salvation is real I know that opposition is real and that satan is working hard on us to choose the wrong or slightly easier path and helps us to justify alot of things, even just some simple commandments. I hope and pray that we can all have the strength we need to get through this week.

We also had a few good lessons this week - one of which is a family we found and one of the kids is 13 and not baptised and doesn't actually know much about the church but he had a powerful experience at the manti pageant a few weeks ago and I bet that is going to help us teaching them. When we first contacted that house we knocked on the door and he answered and he wanted to run away! wanted to not speak to us but when he realized that no one else was there to speak to us he came out and spoke to us haha was fun. But if it was not for them we would have really lost it cause the work was so slow. But we are excited to have the castle valley pageant on this week and next we will only really be going next weekend for friday and saturday But we are real excited to invite everyone to this free production - apparently it is better than Manti so we are excited! We will also be IN a county parade this weekend! going to be fun!!!

Anyway Love you all hope you have a super fantastic week!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

Cleavland Days

Well for those who are not native to Utah, on the 24th of July Utah has a public holiday called Pioneer day and each of these small towns in Emery County celebrate it differently, and on different days. So we had Cleavland days on Friday/Saturday. It was great got to go to another parade and got to speak to some people, it was great to see the small community to get together and to celebrate good times. It wasn't the most successful activity for us but we don't have anything better to do really on saturdays cause everyone goes to Price or Provo to shop and in this case everyone was going to the cleavland days to celebrate and have some fun. In the evening they also had some fireworks (which are like the best fireworks ever - everyone just wanted us to see them but alas, We were only allowed to stay till 10 and they only started the  fireworks at 10. we got to watch them in out rear view mirror on the way home and they were pretty AMAZING!!! I wont lie!! Also got to contact a few in actives while we were there. so that was at least good. But I was shocked at how many people came from out of town to check out the fireworks, a few from salt lake and from st george, from all over. Was pretty cool. And yes from what I saw it was definitely worth it!! 

But in other news, we had a rather slow week trying to contact people all week, working through a part member family list. But the holidays are proving difficult to get people at home. But we were able to check out a different part of our area called Lawrence, its just outside of huntington but it is real pretty. (even though there is nothing there)

So I don't think I told y'all that sister schneider is a huge america fan! She is absolutely in love with the american flag. And we are having a real blast together! 

I learn so much from her every day and she really tests my english skills but asking what certain words mean - I feel like a walking dictionary and I don't know if that is a good thing for me to describe things - like to describe a hole punch I came up with: "a punch that makes holes" :| yeah, terrible. then she goes to her german-english dictionary and realizes what I have just said and just strats laughing!!!! She also sometimes just wants to speak german to me - guess I must look like a german JK. But we laugh ALOT. she finds the smallest things to laugh at and it is real refreshing! we all need more laughter in our lives! 

It is also so great to go through the 12 week program again for new missionaries cause we are able to really go through PMG and the district videos to learn how to become effective missionaries! and Sister Schneider is great she gets right into the role plays and is doing well. She also has a talent for discerning needs of investigators to finding what they truly desire in life - we just need to work that in to asking inspired questions during the lessons and I think we will see a real change in our investigators. Well we are hoping for a baptism this weekend with a girl named Hope, she had taken the lessons before and was not ready then but now she even thinks she is ready. But will see if family schedules will join with her schedule.

We have also been checking on john every night to make sure he is doing well. and he is! So we decided to take a picture one day:

Well I encourage you all to watch these "patterns of light" videos if you have not already:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Hope you all see miracles today!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

A German and South African Meet Cowboy Country

Good Morning everyone!! 

So last week seemed pretty unproductive cause we had some time in our area on monday night, but tuesday and wednesday were total write offs cause I had to travel to St George in the transfer van so I could be there for the trainers meeting wednesday morning. It was crazy!! We left Huntington at 11 30 got to Salina at 1 30 then had to transfer everyones luggage and then were on our way to ST Geezy. Had to make a few more stops on the way and It was great cause I was able to see sister David (who I served with in Cedar city cause she was headed to my greenie area of Kiabab!!! Oh she is going to see miracles there!! I am really excited for her. she told me that george is not doing too great - remember the 93 year old, yeah well he is in a nursing home now he had a heart attack soon after I left. But things are looking up a lil.

Well It was great I was able to spend some time in the Visitors center tuesday night and was able to see my "mommy" Sister Allen who has now been called to be an STL (sister training leader) I am really excited for her!!! she only has 2 transfers left, so I don't think I will see her again :( Unless they take me down to st george after training.

WEll I also was able to stay with sister Hee and her German Comp Sister Lipke for the night in the VC apartments it was so much fun!! they are two laid back yet diligent missionaries!!! It was great to be with them and to learn from them! 

If you were wondering how sister Phagwah is doing, she is doing loads better! I was impressed at how well she handeled the trip down to St George. I hope that being in the VC will help her recover better.

So The wednesday got some training on how to be a trainer, then Met My new companion....

SISTER SCHNEIDER from Ruesselsheim GERMANY (Close to Frankfurt - so thats where we say she is from :) She is a great missionary! She speak real good english - cause they all take english in school. But she is still perfecting her grammar. But it's crazy she barely has an accent and our District Leader says that I have more of an accent than she does. LOL. Well I really have loved these few days that we have been together, she is SOOO Excited to be here in Utah (was actually one of the places she wanted to go). She is a great example to me! She has already  called me to repentance and we have been working on being Preach my gospel missionaries. She is a bit shy to start talking because of her english, but really it is perfect. I am learning from her each day and I am excited to be her companion and help her to learn more about missionary life. We had a slow week though because we were not able to see too many people I think everyone goes to price or Provo for the weekend and so its hard to catch people home. But I am excited for things to start happening this week we are ready to see many many miracles!! and  to have a blast!

So Here is our 3 generation picture :):

Our first day together and we pretty much wore matching outfits - NOT PLANNED :)

Fun tracting:

Thank you for all the letters and all the love! Keep it coming and remember the mission address has changed to the below address.

Love you all!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

Utah, St George Mission

881 South River Road

St. George Utah, 84790

United States

​

Crazy times in Huntington

Attention!! New mission mailing address:

881 South River Road, 

St. George, UT 84790

Please hold off on sending mail between 13 and 17 July :) Thanks btw for all the letters I have been recieving lately I really appreciate them! <3

Well the excitement of transfers and complications with my bank account has left me with no time for my general email.

So many things happened this week!! Like My companion had an emergancy appadectamy - in other words she got her appendix removed, this was on tuesday evening at 11:30pm. It was pretty scarry but it all worked out for the best. I wish I could tell you the events leading up to it - quite a dramatic story, but She is doing good now. It was amazing how we just told the right people about her symptoms and they said it was her appendix, and bobs your uncle they were RIGHT. We had to go up to Price to do the surgery and lucky for us serving in Utah, The surgen on call happened to be a Bishop in the Helper (near Price) stake, He had just come from a meeting and gave the surgery. It was pretty crazy, the member that helped us out was a true angel and she slept at the hospital with us too. Sister Phagwah only came out of the surgery at 1:30am because of her tiny body they struggled to wake her up, but by 4:30am she was awake and feeling good. She got discharged that same day and we spent most of the week at a members home who just happend to be the sister of the previous mission president. I feel like she is a second mom to us now, she took such great care of us!! And i was then also able to go out and teach apointments while sister Phagwah rested, but wow she just wanted to get up and teach, almost had to hold her down. haha. 

But it was a good week. had fun with the 4th of July celebration, went to the parade in the morning. And tracted a bit at the park (where all the people were) it was good. We even found a new investigator there! :) It was great!

Transfer Call: Sister Phagwah is going back down to St George. It will be ESP good for her recovery! And I will be staying in Huntington! And will be Training a NEW missionary and I know she is from Germany! I am really excited! Wish me luck!

All My Best,

Sister Karen Hollander

St. George, Utah Mission

​881 South River Road,

St. George Utah 84790

United States