A week of transfers, miracles, and bugers that I always get when its cold. Elder Mac and Elder Allen went up to Comodoro a couple days ago for consejo, I stayed back to help Beatriz and her daughter get to church yesterday! And they came! And I also stayed because I am way sick of traveling ha.
The other day we were taking this trail in a neighborhood in the forest that is made of pallets, and this family was like cleaning off their patio and getting a bunch of garbage out of their yard. We started helping them take all the stuff out to the dumpster which was pretty far, and we made several trips until they had finished. Just by themselves they started to ask us where we were from, what we were doing, etc. We started talking with them and found out they have a big family and that after 15 years of being together they got married in January. They are friends of some members of our branch who had previously tried to share the gospel with them but they just were not ready it seems like. They were super nice and we have an appointment this week! Things like that happen every day and they remind me of the true Omnipotence of our Heavenly Father. He knows His children perfectly, and as we put our faith in Him we are led to those who are being prepared to accept the gospel. How blessed we are to know the truth and to understand the great Plan of Happiness that has been prepared for us. My Heavenly Father has blessed me so greatly in His work, and has made known unto me by the Spirit how I can improve and progress and how I can help others do the same. Have a great week. Elder Hollingsworth
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Ok here is your friendly neighborhood group email comin at ya from Ushuaia.
This week was week 6 of this transfer which means lots of work and time on the street! Elder Macdonald and Elder Allen and I will be staying one more transfer here in beautiful Ushuaia, which will be Elder Macs last and my second to last. It is an exciting time to be a missionary thanks to the new ministering program in the Church! The new focus lets us work closer with the members to help them make friends with the new converts and investigators. We are also starting a big push with family history work as a mission, trying to share more about it and do activities inviting non members to start their family history. Today we did a short hike to a glacier, there was a little snow and it was icy and muddy but fun to get out of the city. I want to take advantage of every Monday left in such a beautiful place. Elder Hollingsworth Wow how time is flying!
I am super grateful to be able to serve the Lord in such a distinct and beautiful place, and for all the new things I have been able to learn in this transfer. Every move during the mission has been inspired to move the work along and to help me progress personally. I will continue to learn as much as I can these last two transfers! All I want to do is work work work!! I feel a great need to take advantage of every last minute remaining I have to teach and testify of the blessings of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How grateful I am for my leaders here in the mission, and for the keys that have been delegated by the laying on of hands to carry out the work of the Lord here in this part of the world. I feel privileged to serve my fellow missionaries and I learn so much from each one of them. The changes made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ are so incredible up close and personal in the lives of our investigators, and equally if not more amazing in the lives of the Elders and Sisters with whom we serve. I strive daily for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and invite all of you who read this to do the same. It is the most precious gift of which we can enjoy here in this life. That is my testimony, and I wish you all a great week! Elder Hollingsworth The pictures are from the last p-day adventure to an Ice bar. Jake says it is a room made of ice with ice cups and you drink soda. From the internet: Ice Bar Ushuaia invites you to enjoy a Thematic Gallery of Antarctica Argentina and the experience of entering the interior of the bar with previous equipment of layers, gloves and crampons anti slip, to stay between 20 to 25 minutes, with an average of -15 -18 degrees below zero. In this way you will get to know our Ice Bar totally designed as a warm bar but with the extreme temperature of the low zero, also the plus of observing the sculptures made completely in Ice. Hello everyone
This week we were very busy finding, teaching, and helping the missionaries reach their potential in this great work. Sorry for the lack of pictures, today we didn´t plan a hike or anything because we are super tired. We are going to go drink coke in an ice bar I think after lunch. Anyways just at it all day every day, doing our best to be worthy of the companionship of the Spirit to gather Israel and take our message to every last person in Ushuaia! I love this work and its going to kill me to leave it. I appreciate all the love and prayers in behalf of us and our families. ¨Over and over, he spoke of himself as the Bridegroom preparing his own for a feast, the feast we have been promised in our own Doctrine and Covenants, when all worthies who have been made worthy will gather. In the beginning of this dispensation, the Master counseled, “Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed” (that means full) “and burning” (that means alight and afire) “and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom” (D&C 33:17)—and still later “that you may abide the day” (D&C 61:39).¨ Truman G. Madsen Elder Hollingsworth I really enjoyed this week here in Ushuaia!
As a companionship we witness a lot of miracles as we invited people to be baptized and come unto Christ! The people here are almost all from other places and they are very open to listen and they ask a lot of questions! Really nothing compares to teaching someone who is interested as a missionary. We spent a lot of time this week helping out the Elders and Sisters of the zone, visiting apartments and doing some small divisions with some of the new Elders. I am learning a lot from my companions and the new experiences I am having, and I am so grateful to have been called to this place at this time. Every day is just another testimony to me that our Heavenly Father knows His children, and that He is always waiting to bless us and help us grow. I loved listening to General Conference and I felt the mantle of leadership upon President Nelson as he addressed the saints. What a blessing to have prophets, seers, and revelators to guide us in such difficult times for the world. The Lord answered many questions that were weighing on my mind in this conference, and I am excited to continue studying the wonderful messages that were given. Hope everyone has a great week! Elder Hollingsworth Week 2 in Ushuaia!
Tuesday we were still hanging out with Elder Resquin until his companion arrived Tuesday night. We had to wait until like midnight and so we were teaching random people on the street at midnight and showing them the video ¨Gracias a El¨ the initiative of easter last year. Luckily his companion arrived and we could get ready for consejo. Wednesday we flew from here back to Trelew, and our flight had a layover so we missed our bus from Trelew to Comodoro and had to buy other tickets which left later. We got in to Comodoro at like 1 am and stayed in a hotel, woke up and had meetings all day until like 5:30 when we went running again to the bus station to take the over night bus to Rio Gallegos. From Gallegos in the morning we took a 5 hour bus to Calafate, where we flew back to Ushuaia. We got here at like 5ish on Friday afternoon. Saturday I did divisions with Elder Fabian from El Salvador, his companion is having problems with his gall bladder so we did divisions for the day and were able to find lots of cool people! Yesterday was a good Sunday, it was great to be able to take the sacrament and remember my Savior. Today we were trying to get a cool hike going but the cold rain and wind stopped us, better luck next week. Lots of excitement to find, teach, and baptize! Thanks for the love and prayers- Elder Hollingsworth You could say it was a long week!
We were supposed to get down here Wednesday night and ended up arriving Friday morning. What happened was that the bus company didn`t let us load our suitcases. All three of us had three suitcases and you supposedly can only have one. Elder Manrique and I with the help of President filed an official complaint, and now we have clearance for the whole mission to load as many bags as we want! I would attach the letter we sent if you would understand it, but it was basically lawyer material. So then we had bus tickets to go down on Thursday morning, and a bunch of other stuff happened and so we left Friday morning from Trelew on a plane, 2 hours and we were here! We could only bring minimal stuff due to the extra charges for bags and weight, so we spent lots of time packing and repacking, and weighing. We left a bunch of stuff up there haha. Ushuaia is beautiful just as I remembered it. The zone is full of Elders and Sisters with a lot of potential for baptisms. I am excited to work here!! Elder Hollingsworth Boom! Transfers.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my six months here in Trelew serving the Lord, but tomorrow I´m headed back to the island. It looks like I´ll be serving my last months in Ushuaia. :) I am going to miss everyone here so much and I´ll never forget everything I have learned both the temporal and spiritual. I have a very strong testimony that our transfers are made by revelation from the Holy Ghost and I am excited to see what the Lord has prepared for me to accomplish in Ushuaia. This last week was a lot of fun as we were able to do some divisions with the elders in the zone, and play soccer with the young men and a bunch of their friends and potential investigators. Leo and Carla received callings on Sunday and they are doing great. I was able to say goodbye to everyone in both of the wards and yesterday we ate lunch with los Antipan. A sweet miracle on Friday morning, we taught Nadia for the second time, an investigator we found a while back but could not keep in touch with due to vacations. She messaged us and wanted to meet again to learn more, so we invited a sister from the ward about her age to come with us to teach. Turns out the two were friends from childhood but had lost contact after Nadia had moved away to study. We shared the message of the Restoration of the Gospel with Nadia and she was stoked to read the Book of Mormon! The Lord knows his sons and daughters, and we are instruments in his hands to bring them to a knowledge of the truth as long as we are worthy and willing. I love the Lord and have come to know him very well. I love the people I serve and hope to be able to help as many as possible in my time remaining as a representative of Jesus Christ. ¨The highest manifestation of love on man´s part is seen in his devotion to God; the next, in his attitude toward his fellow men. But love of God is found only among those who love their fellow men.¨ ¨If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.¨ (1 John 4:20-21) Bruce R. McConkie see ya in Ushuaia This week was super fast and filled with lots of good times.
Today we went to Puerto Madryn for the morning and checked out the beach and stuff. The first of this week we had zone conference and it was a ton of work. Rino (pronounced reno) is a stud and came to church for the second time! We taught some cool lessons and had a lot of cool experiences being guided by the spirit. That was basically the week! Transfers are Saturday! Oi have been in Trelew since late September so there is a good chance I will move for the last 4.5 months of my mission. Time is flying by. ¨The greatest truth known to man is that there is a God in heaven who is infinite and eternal; that he is the creator, upholder, and preserver of all things; that he created us and the sidereal heavens and ordained and established a plan of salvation whereby we might advance and progress and become like him. The truth pertaining to him is that he is our Father in heaven, that he has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s, that he is a literal person, and that if we believe and obey his laws we can gain the exaltation that he possesses. Now that is the greatest truth and the most glorious concept known to the human mind¨ Bruce R. McConkie Elder Hollingsworth Good morning everyone!
Alberto got baptized on Saturday! One of his friends from work, who happens to be our Elders Quorum President was able to baptize him. A really good experience for the ward. He was super excited all week and passed his interview with flying colors. He invited all his family and one of his daughters came with her kids to support him which was really cool. He´s already doing missionary work and wants to go visit people with us this week haha. During the baptism, neither the quorum president or Beto can sing good at all, and they were both singing super loud haha it was great. When we confirmed him yesterday he was super emotional and it was a special sacrament meeting. We are working a lot with the priests in the ward and the returned missionaries. Its basically just like a big group of bros on Sunday haha its great. We try to get them excited to serve missions and learn what it takes. We were able to get a 15 year old kid we are teaching to church yesterday too thanks to that. I´m deep in the depths of Alma right now in my Book of Mormon studies, this will be the 5th time reading it on the mission. I love the Book of Mormon and don´t know where I would be without it! Alma taught the poor that when our trials and unwanted circumstances test our faith; if we can only work up just enough faith to desire to believe in the Savior and his redeeming power, we can nourish that desire to a point that it will let us more fully trust in God´s words through his prophets, the obedience of which will bring us happiness, peace, and salvation. I know that this is true. ¨But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.¨ Alma 32:27 Elder Hollingsworth |
Elder HollingsworthJake Is currently serving in the Argentina, Comodoro Rivadavia Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints. He reported to the MTC August 3, 2016. This blog is for family and friends. Archives
July 2018
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