See You all on THURSDAY!

Dear Family and Friends:

I am attaching below Nick’s last letter from Brazil.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!!  Good to know that he is working hard up until the last minute, I guess!  I would, however, like to thank each of you for the love and support you’ve shown to both Nick AND to our family while he has served.  We have all felt and appreciated it very much!  Sure love each of you.  NOW — onto Nick’s e-mail (YEP - that is REALLY IT!)    xoxo - Carolann

Well I don’t have like any time at all today because we had an all day training! But know that I love you and that I’ll see you in a few days!! Weird that this is the last one!! 

Love 

Elder Holmes

Ballin' it up One Last Time!

Date: June 22, 2015 at 6:16:01 AM MDT

Subject: hello!

From: Nicholas Holmes <nicholas.holmes@myldsmail.net>

What's up family! 

Quick shout out to dad today! Happy fathers day!!!! I hope you had a great day! I love you so much and hope you know you are the best dad ever! Your example in everything you do is perfect! Thank you so much for all you have ever done for me! You are the best!! 

I dont have a to lot of time to write today so I’ll be fast. We’re going to go ball it up for my last time here in a little! haha This week was way fun though! It was so much fun to be able to go back to my old area and see every one there for sure! It’s way trippy that I was here like a year ago! It literally feels like I never left! It’s way awesome! I visited Meire and Polly which was way fun. Meire was way excited to see me. We didn’t tell her I was there. I just showed up at the door and she freaked! We did the same thing with Morgana as well It was fun! They are all doing super well! Andressa, Polly’s daughter, who is almost 16, gave her first talk at church yesterday which was super awesome! I was super happy that I got to see that! She loves church and goes to everything! She only talks about going on a mission which is super awesome!! Now I’m going to work to get her brother on a mission as well! He turns 18 next year so we will work on him! It has been way fun to work with everyone again and see their progress! The ward has grown quite a bit which is fun to see. There are a couple young men who worked a lot with me when I was here that aren’t going to church right now.  I’m going to work on getting them back to church this week! We went to the home of a less active who I found in my last weeIs here in the area and turns out that no one had visited her since the day i left! So when we passed by she was way excited and was actually thinking of going to church with her friend she works with. So when we showed up it just confirmed it for her that she should go and she went! She didn’t attend our ward but went to her friend’s, but this next week she told us she will be going to ours for sure! So that was a cool experience! Annoying that nobody visited her but hey, we will accept the blessings! haha 

It has been pretty fun to be here in the office for sure! I’m with Elder Christensen who I spent like 5 months in the same zone in Cipo so it’s way fun to be back with him and we are with 2 others as well. One that will go home the same day as I do so it will leave the other two as assistants. I’ll be visiting some of the other zones this week with another elder so that should be fun! 

Way crazy how next week I will be coming home! It really hasn’t sunk in yet and I am definetly not ready at all! Especially working in Sao Luis again, I’m like ready to just keep going! It’s almost like a dream though. so we will see how I feel come next monday. It’s going to be weird, for sure!  Sounds like lee is already tearing it up in the mtc, throwing around his tudo bens like its nobody’s business! haha 

Well that’s about all I’ve got for you all back there! This week is goig to be a good one but I know it’s going to go by way fast!! Love you all. Have a great week! See you next week!! 

Elder Holmes, the older

Lots of Crazy Things! (with pics)

First off thanks for all the birthday shoutouts this week!! Quite a few people wrote to me and if I haven’t yet responded for that, I am really sorry!  I don’t think they have 24 hours in their days here in Brazil!! haha But thank you all for remembering me!! 

This week was a good one for sure! Way busy, but a good one! My birthday was so much fun! On wednesday night I had to go to the office with one of the other elders because on Thursday he had his final interview and so President asked me if it would be okay if I did my final interview on the same day. So I went too! That night the secretaries found out it was my birthday and so they bought some pizzas to celebrate, which was fun!! The next day some of the new missionaries were invited to go to eat breakfast at the president’s house because it’s a mission tradition, and I was already there at the office so I was able to tag along and go to president’s house for some grub! Always fun! President had everyone sing Happy Birthday to me and what not, which always gets really awkward, especially in Portuguese because the song is way longer! We than went back to the chapel and president gave us a little training on after-mision life which was way good! After that, I had my last interview with him which was awesome! I love him a ton for sure. He is such an awesome man! He’s right up there with dad and and my grandpas as great examples, that’s for sure!! It was incredible to see how when he was giving his training about work and marriage and what not, a lot of the missionaries were like 'dang all this stuff is gold'! But almost everything that he said, dad and mom had already taught me! Whether it was by word or by example! I’m so grateful to have such awesome parents who really put the gospel in practice!! Thank you so much for everything you have ever taught me! You two are the best!i Don’t know where I’d be without you! My interview with him was a good one! Not super long but it was fun to talk to him. After that I went out to lunch with Elder e. silva (one of my comps that I trained) because he was an assistant, but than he went back with me to take the place of another Elder that was in our zone. So that was fun! When we got back, we went to Rosana’s house for a family night which was great! They had made cake and a bunch of food for me which was delicious. They gave me a sweet soccer jersey as well! and then when i got back to the house, the other elders had made a cake for me as well! So it was a fun day and I was for sure fat and happy! Way busy day but a fun one for sure!! 

So the latest news on the block is that I was transferred! For the last few weeks I will be in another area, Sao luis! It is the area that I was in last year at this same time! I’ve always wanted to go back there, as well, so I’m excited to be able to go back for my last few weeks! I’m super sad to leave Sao Lourenço, but excited to be able to visit some recent converts back in Sao Luis! President made me his assistant, as well, for the last few weeks! haha I think he will call me and one other elder from my group and then we will go home together. It’s funny how he wrote you that awesome letter about me never being an assistant, and he said that to me as well in my interview, and then he ends up calling me for the last 2 weeks of my mission! I’m excited to be able to learn as much as I can from him before going home! Crazy how time flies. Wow!! 

Well that’s about it for me! Don’t have a to lot of time! Things are good! I’m good! The church is true! I love seeing how true it is every day! Every day my testimony grows even more!

Have a great week. Love you all! 

Elder Holmes

Seriously? Stan?

From: Nicholas Holmes <nicholas.holmes@myldsmail.net>

What’s this news of dad selling Stan and his little red truck all in the same week! What the heck is this? What has gotten into this guy? How does he think I’m ever going to get married without Stan the man by my side?! I think I may just stay here in Brazil! What a shock!

Well so how the heck are all you!! It was such a good week for us here in Sao Lourenço. Big things happening here! Yesterday in our group we had 63 people there!! WOO HOO!! It was pretty crazy!! We’re getting numbers of a ward out here! We called President Dalton and told him and he flipped out because he was so excited! Everyone was way excited in the group as well to see all the pews full of people! So that was the highlight of the week for sure. The branch president thought we were kidding when we told him how many people were there. He said he’s already called the stake president to make us a branch here faster because we are definitely needing it! 

I got on early today because we are going to go to a less active’s house and he’s going to teach us how to make pizza with chocolate borders, because he works at a pizzaria! And then we are going to watch Meet the Mormons with him and help him come back to church! He’s way awesome. He’s 18 so we’re working a lot with him to get him back to church. Anyway, I’m pretty stoked to get some pizza today! haha 

Rosana is still progressing way well. We are seeing big changes in her and with her family! We are going to do a family night with them this week which should be good! They were wanting to do it on my birthday but it looks as if I will be going to have my last interview with President Dalton on Thursday so we will probably do the family night the day before! But keep her in your prayers so that she can be baptized as well here in a little! 

That’s about all I’ve got for you today! Sorry the time is passing by so fast! I can’t believe Lee goes into the MTC this week. That is so crazy!! 

Know that I love you all!! Have a great week! 

Love, Elder Holmes

BIG Things in Sao Lourenço! (TODAY's post with pics)

We are looking legit here! 

Wow it sure looks like it was a crazy week for every one there! I’m jealous that i wasn’t able to particiapte in all the fun! Congrats to Lee’s friend Kelsey! That is so awesome that she was baptized and it sounds like it was a great baptism! 

The Lake Powell bro tanks were pretty sick, I must say! I can just picture dad rolling his eyes when whoever presented the idea did so, but I know for sure he liked them, as well! haha! Sounds like it was a way fun week down there for you guys shredding the gnar AND playing spike ball!  I love that game.  I used to play it at college with my buddies and it is so much fun.  Be prepared to lose when I get home!  

This week was a good one for us too, but it was way busy. We almost had no time to work in our area which was hard but we got a lot done. We had a mission conference on Friday, which was way good! I bore my last testimony with a group of about 16 who will be going home with me. It was fun but way weird. It still hasn’t hit me that we have entered into the last month. I don't think it will for a while, but I’m good with that!

This week we had a huge improvement on our little garage where we do our church meetings! BIG things going on here in Sao lourenço! We got some curtains put up and got a bunch of pews put in to make it look like it’s actually a church! I’ll send you some pics. It’s looking pretty sick! All day Thursday we helped get everything set up and looking good! It was fun for sure! 

We also had two baptisms this week of Henrique and Angelo! It was way awesome. They are way funny! The mom, as well, was going to be baptized with them but she is having some troubles with giving up her smoking, but she for sure will be able to stop! Keep her in your prayers so that she can be baptized as well! Her sister, who’s a member already and living with them, is helping them out a lot which is way nice! Keep them all in your prayers! 

I can’t believe that Lee leaves next week! That’s so crazy! The time flies by so fast! I feel like yesterday he was opening his call. Lee is going to be such a good missionary. I think we can all agree on that one! 

Super sad about Trey Hall.  I remember him.  We have to remember that the Lord has His time for everyone and knowing that we will all be together forever, makes things so much easier to deal with.  Also super sad about Elder Perry.  I loved him so much.  I thought he looked so good at when he spoke at this past conference.  I didn’t even know he was sick.  His death caught me by surprise, for sure.  I had just read a talk by him on the priesthood in this month’s Liana, which was way good.  He will sure be missed. 

Sorry it’s not a long one this week. I don’t have much time, but I sure love you all. Have a great week!! 

Elder Holmes

Score! (letter from May 25th - a week late)

What's up family!! 

Things are going super well here in Sao Lourenço! Wow how the time flies by so fast! It feels like I just got to this area yesterday! Super jealous that you guys are in Powell right now! mMake sure we get another Powel; trip in when I'm home!!

This week was a good one, but way hectic! We are working a ton and are seeing a LOT of progress with our investigators and with the group! Yesterday we had a mom and 2 kids and her 26 year old nephew at church and it was super sweet! Her sister is a member and moved here to sao lourenço a couple weeks ago. It was way cool how we found them. We found them in our area book and went to make a visit at their house, which went well, and right before leaving, she told us that her sister would be moving to live with them! Score! Someone to help them! And she has been helping a lot! The two kids, Henrique and Angelo have been going to church for the last 3 weeks but the mom went for the first time yesterday, which was super good! They are such an awesome family! 

Yesterday as well we had our first young mens meeting! Whoo hoo! Until now we haven't really had young men, but now we are getting them! And we have Henrique now as well so we decided to start having meetings with them in the 4th corner of the salon! You will never guess who is the young mens teacher!? That's right. The one and only ME! haha It was way fun to teach them! We have 3 young men now but just 2 of them were there yesterday, but with my comp and me, we had 4 in our class which was fun! Some of the members were pretty excited about it as well! We are seeing the group literally grow! I liked teaching it a lot! It was weird though after all the years seeing dad at the head of young mens! Like father like son, right? haha The two who where there liked it alot as well. We've already started to do Duty to God with them, which got them pretty excited! 

This week we will be having multi zone conferences which should be pretty fun! Crazy to think that it will be my last! This week I had my temple rec interview with President because mine expired! My interview was great. President is the best! 

That's about all I've got for you now! The time is like all a blur. It is passing by so quickly! I hope you all have a great week at Powell and good luck to Lee on his farewell talk this week! Crazy to think he will be leaving in 2 weeks! 

Love you all! I love this church. I love the gospel and am so grateful for the knowledge we have on enternal families! The church is so true! 

LOve 

Elder Holmes

I Love My Mission More Each Day! (w/great pics!)

From: Nicholas Holmes <nicholas.holmes@myldsmail.net>

What's up family! 

I’ll start off with a birthday shoutout to two of the best!! Dad tomorrow on the 19th!!! Happy birthday big guy! I hope you have a great day! Thanks so much for all you have done for me! I wouldn’t be here without you. You are the perfect example of what a dad, husband, priesthood holder, and friend needs to be! Thanks for everything. You are the best! I hope you have a great day! And Andrew on the 22!!  Happy birthday big bro! Thanks for being a good example for all of us! I look up to you more than you know! 

This week was a pretty good one! It has been getting pretty cold these last few days and it gets pretty foggy and rainy, but then yesterday and today it warmed up quite a bit. Dad asked how the weather would be when we come back and I’m assuming it will be pretty cold. Winter is starting but where’s the snow!? 

Today we had our sports day which was pretty fun but tiring! I am a little out of shape that’s for sure! haha But it was fun. Elder Green and I tore it up in soccer. It was fun! 

This weekend we had another baptism, as well, which was way awesome! We reactivated this family, the mom and the oldest sister were baptized, but then moved here. They are super awesome! And we baptized her niece and her daughter. The daughter is only 8 so it was technically the branch’s baptism but hey, all for the same team, right? It was way spiritual and we had like 15 to 20 members there to watch it, which was amazing seeing as the pool is a good walk away from the chapel!  The 2 that were already baptized in the family bore their testimonies which was way spiritual! Things are going really well for us here!! 

Ricardo passed the sacrament today and next week will bless it which is so great to see! He is such an awesome guy and so ready to help this group grow! We are going to start working with his brother and sister-in-law and see if we can get him to baptize them! He’s pretty excited about it! 

Well that’s about all I’ve got on the week! Things are good! The work is better than ever! Every day I love my mission more and more!! 

Have a great week!! 

Elder Holmes