An Email from Holly
(From Lady Lake, Florida on May 25, 2004)
Hi Dad,
I am writing today because we were just getting ready for our day yesterday when we got an emergency phone call from one of our investigators. We actually had pretty much stopped teaching her because she had decided to pursue other things in her life. But her mom is a member and she went to spend Sunday with her. While she was there her mother told her about going to the temple. Our investigator really noticed the difference in her mom and so she called us and said that she wanted to talk and wanted us to tell her all about the temple. She is an amazing woman and we love her family too. I am really excited that even though I leave she will continue to learn more, I think. We spent several hour with her yesterday. And we were supposed to meet the elders and we were over two hours late meeting them, too. I guess it is really true that you don't know when someone is ready to hear the message. We are out harvesting but we are also out planting seeds and they will grow and mature on the Lord's time-table and not ours; the Lord knows what is going on and what is in our hearts.
Yesterday we also had another mini-crisis. Sister Caldwell needed to get her hair trimmed up because she is trying to grow it out. So we went to the hairdressers at Wal-Mart. The only problem is we went to a different Wal-Mart than we did last time because we wanted to save some time and not be TOO late to meet the elders. Well she told the woman she wanted a trim and to get it cleaned up. The woman made a complete mess and cut it REALLY short on one side and sort of quit on the other side. Sister Caldwell was really upset. She ended up getting it for free. Then after we met the elders and watched Jungle Book (I really thought it was funny! I haven't seen it in a long time. I think that those vultures are some of my new favorite Disney characters.) we went to the Wal-Mart by our apartment in the Villages and got the Lady who cut her hair a few weeks ago and fixed the last bad hair cut to look at this one. It took 3 stylists about an hour to figure out how to try and fix it so she could grow it out again but how not to cut it any shorter. She now has a cute page-boy cut a lot like Becky's :) But, she says that it is only hair and that it will grow out. :)
On the missionary side. This week is sort of weird. I knew that last Sunday was going to be the last time I was probably in this ward as a missionary. It was hard because I have come to really love the people here. But, it was a great end because I got to see Marian and the Holley girls be confirmed. I really feel like one of the reasons I was to stay here was to be able to spend this time working with some specific people. I never before have felt like I really accomplished what I was supposed to do in this area; but there was a nice sense of fulfilling this part of my calling here on Sunday.
This last week I also reached another milestone here. We did a lot of tracting and meeting people to have the elder's teach when they take over the area. With all that tracting we had over 100 contacts this week (that means we invited that many people to listen to the gospel message) I have never before had more than 70; it is neat to feel like a "real" missionary out tracting at times. Although I will admit I would rather have spent my time teaching.
For your information we will be moving out of our apartment on Saturday. We will spend 3 days with the Kissimmee sisters and then on Tuesday I will either be staying there permanently or moving on (I don't know which yet).
It sounds like the family is doing good. Tell Scott good job and congratulations for me. I love him a lot and am so proud of him.
Have a great day. Lots of Love,
Sister Holly Boo