Trip to the mission home for the "30 days in the country training" and seeing Mormor and Morfar :o)

This week was a pretty special week for Søster Holbrook. She traveled with Sister Lanham to the mission home for the 30 day in the country training and they got to meet for a short minute with Mormor and Morfar.

 On the way to Copenhagen for the training. 

 In the mission home being taught from on high.

 

 Role play.

Seeing great friends is always awesome.

Hey everyone!

This week has been incredible!

Sister Lanham has been in the land for 30 days! So we got to go the "30 day in land" training at President's house! I learned so much and am excited to apply what I have learned! two ofthe  biggest take-aways I got was "decide to be changeable" and "what price are you willing to pay?" I know that the Lord expands our capacities and thus allows us to give more and more each day as long as we are willing to pay the price.

We also had the opportunity to go to the Copenhagen temple which was INCREDIBLE. There is nothing that beats the peace I feel inside the temple. :)

K is doing great. He said to us this week "you know, I have probably already gotten my answer and I just need to accept it." We feel like he is making great progress and feel right about the trajectory that He is on.

Enjoy the pictures! Sister Lanham and I are loving life and Esbjerg and missionary work! We BURN with LOVE for the work!

Thanks for the emails!

 

Love,

Søster Holbrook

 

 Short visit with Mormor and Morfar.

Søster Holbrook and Søster Lanham in front of Denmark Copenhagen temple.

 

 Four wonderful missionaries at a dinner appointment with a sweet ward family.

 

  Again a great week in Esbjerg and Søster Holbrook saw some wonderful things this week. She got to spend a little time with family and that is always the best. She is being spoiled and is really enjoying the sweet members in Esbjerg. THANKS for taking GREAT care of her for us ;o)

 

Legoland and just enjoying being a missionary in beautiful Denmark

Søster Holbrook is having a blast in Denmark and it is getting so GREEN over there. May is my VERY FAVORITE month in Denmark because the nature is so beautiful so I am a little jealous that she is there right now ;o).

 Søster Holbrook looks so happy and look how green it is !!

 Lego's are a Danish invention and so of course you have to see Legoland whe you are there!

 

Trying to teach "everyone" they meet ;o)

 Email from Søster Holbrook this week:

Hello All,

All is well here in Esbjerg! It is getting warmer each day and I just love it. :)

Søster Lanham and I got roasted for an entire knocking session this past Sunday, but we look forward to knocking in that area again! We feel strongly that that is where we need to be and so we will keep going back until we find the one! 

1 Corinthians 11:30-31

 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

In other news: K is doing great and has committed to come to church the next THREE Sundays in preparation for his baptism! That is HUGE for him!!!! We get to squeeze in one more lesson with him tonight before we head to København. He will actually be over there this weekend too! He is going on the ward temple trip and will sit in the waiting room and ponder the solemnities of eternity. He has been wanting to go for a while and our ward mission leader (who is good friends with K) has felt like he should take K there for a while. We committed them to it a couple of weeks ago, so it is cool to see it all coming together finally! D(an investigator that lives in Ribe, Denmark's oldest city, and was a referral from a member in Utah!) is doing really well too! We finally got another appointment with her and it went great! We taught her the plan of salvation and she absolutely loved it! Especially because she has two family members currently dying from cancer. We look forward to seeing the gospel bless her life. 

The sun is shining in Esbjerg and on our companionship!

Love you all!

Søster Holbrook

 

 AWESOME picture.

 

 Two sweet sister missionaries.

 I think they are having a GREAT time together ;o)

Another great week for Søster Holbrook on the mission. She is really enjoying her time with Sister Lanham and they are learning so many awesome things together.

Missionary life is great and Søster Holbrook is very happy!!

This week we got an email from Søster Holbrook what a blessing... hey that does not happen every week that we get a group email so we better count the blessing as they come ;o)

These 2 sweet sisters are learning and growing together and Søster Holbrook is saying she is the one that is learning the most ;o)

Email from Søster Holbrook this week:

Hey everyone!

Life as a missionary is busy as usual, which is why I have been so inconsistent with writing weekly emails. I hope you all know that I am happy and healthy and love the work more and more each day! Really I didn't know it was possible to love it more, but I seem to just find more joy with each passing day. Life is good. God is good!

A while ago I mentioned something about our investigator  who was on baptismal date for April 9th and here is the update with him: he did not get baptized on that day. He didn't feel quite ready for the commitment but feels like he will be ready on June 4th! He has had some very incredible experiences with the Book of Mormon. In his own words, "I don't even know if the book is true, but it is influencing my life so much!" He gave up coffee, asked for non-alcoholic drinks while on vacation, and decided that he will have kids one day (seriously he has been against that for so long so that last one is just crazy!)! In all of these cases he said "I didn't even know why I did it at first. But then looking back it is because of the book and what you sister have taught me!" HOW INCREDIBLE IS THAT!!!!! He recognizes that that is the Holy Ghost bearing testimony of the truthfulness of our message, but still has some reservations about leaving his own church. I imagine it's like God asking me to leave this church and go to the Jehovah's Witnesses or something. It would be very hard to leave a church that has fostered so much growth! So we keep teaching and keep praying and keep listening to the quite promptings of the Spirit to help prepare him to reach his new date. I have complete confidence that he will be ready to make that special and sacred covenant with God in just a few short weeks!

This story has prompted me to ponder more deeply the Atonment and the converting power of being nourished by the good word of God. Two scriptures that I have pondered a lot this week are: 1. 1 Corinthians 15:10 "by the grace of God I am what I am." and Moroni 10:32 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." I often think of who I would be without the Savior's atonement in my life, and I can honestly say that I am ashamed of who I would inherently be. I know my weakness and I know what the Savior has helped me overcome... and I can say that I am a completely changed person. I know the every "good" part of my comes from Him. and because I have felt that change, and seen that change I KNOW that the Savior lives! That is why I especially love the end of Moroni 10:32 because "I can in nowise deny the power of God." It has transformed me. I am what I am because of the Grace of God. and because of the Grace of God that I have experienced I know that He lives!!!!!!!! I know that there is a special power that comes from reading God's word every day! God's word motivates change (just reread Kevin's story!!!) and the more we spend feasting upon the words of Christ, the more like the Savior we can become!

Sister Lanham is awesome and I feel like she is training me more than I am training her! She is incredible, even though she can't spell her own name right (see pictures). ha-ha

Thanks for the support!

Søster Holbrook

 This apron is saying in Danish: "me.. I have to work " :o)

 

 Søster Holbrook has gotten MANY great friends in Denmark.

 AWESOME t-shirt... I like it !!

 Did these sweet Sisters maybe go for a morning run ... maybe :o)

I love this flag. It is hanging in the sister apartment in Esbjeg and every sister that serves there will sign the flag. Sweet tradition and a fun thing for decoration. 

 

Søster Holbrook is working hard and is loving being a missionary. We are so happy that she is out serving and of course she is in the BEST mission EVER ;o). We look forward to our call with her in the next few weeks that is ALWAYS a treat.

First week with Søster Lanham and Søster Holbrook together ;o)

Saying goodbye or till we meet again is always hard and that is what Søster Holbrook had to do this week to Søster Baird. BUT.... She also got to say HELLO to Søster Lanham her new trainee from Draper, Utah so not all sad stuff going on this week for her.

Søster Holbrook and Søster Lanham at the REAL Statue of Christ in "Vor Frue Kirke".

 This is on the train ans it says "SMILE it is contagious ", SWEET!!

Saying till we meet again is hard when you love to be together!

This one breaks my heart. Søster Holbrook LOVES deep and Søster Baird was for sure a great companion for her.

 Only one Sister missionary has come to Denmark for the last 6 months and Søster Holbrook now gets to help her gain a love for Denmark and the Danish people. Here she is waiting to meet Søster Lanham for the first time ;o)

 

 And from Søster Holbrook's onw words it was LOVE at FIRST sight ;o)

 What an AWESOME group of missionaries. I am so grateful that Søster Holbrook is serving in Denmark.

Here they are read to start 3 great months together where they will learn and grow from each other.

 "Nyhavn" one of the most famous street in Denmark.

 

 Pastries are well know in Denmark and here is a "Kaj kage". It is creamed filled with marzipan on the outside... soooo GOOD .

 

But the BEST are the HOTDOGS... they are AMAZING and just taste so good. I always have a "few" when we are in Denmark.  

So Søster Holbrook picked up Søster Lanham in Copenhagen and they are off running together! So glad they will have this time to get to know each other and to serve the Lord together! I LOVE the Lord, He is REAL and He is Good.

 

 

Transfer Calls and Easter weekend for Søster Holbrook

Yes... It is transfer calls this week and the transfers will happen on next Monday. And as you can see in the email from Søster Holbrook, she will not be leaving Esbjerg but will be getting a new Sister missionary direct from the Mission Training Center in Provo.

 Søster Holbrook LOVES dogs always have and always will.

Søster Baird and  Søster Holbrook

 I never thought I would see Søster Holbrook sing like this but it must be a Sister missionary thing :o)

 Biking is so much fun!!

Having a good time with great food.

Email From Søster Holbrook this week:


Hey everyone!

Transfer calls came! and I am sad to say Sister Baird and I will NOT be blessed with a second transfer together. She is off to bigger and better things back on Sjælland (zealand) and I will be staying in Esbjerg in Jylland (Jutland). I cannot say enough good things about Sister Baird! She was so so so SO good for me. If I could some up her relationship to me in 7 words it would be "She beheld me, and she loved me."  (Props to those who remembered that conference talk). She is incredible. She will do good things.

My new  companion will be Sister Lanham! She flies in tomorrow From Utah and the MTC and I am super excited to meet her! I am confident that the Lord is blessing this companionship already. I have complete trust in the Lord and look forward to this new and challenging adventure!

I hope you all have had an amazing Easter week! What an incredible opportunity to really remember the Savior and what He did! I testify that He can ALWAYS bring us peace in ANY circumstances. I know this to be true because I have experienced it myself. It is my prayer that you all let Him bring you peace as well.

Thanks for the prayers!

Søster Holbrook

 

 She is amazing!

 It is ALL about Him and it ALWAYS will be.

Nice dinner with great friends.

Another great week for Søster Holbrookin Esbjerg. She has LOVED Søster Baird has a companion and she is looking forward to the new chance of training a brand new sister missionary from the MTC. What a treat for them both!

 

Zone Conference and seeing "old" Friends.

Søster Holbrook is doing amazing and she is loving being a companion with Søster Baird. They are growing and learning together and that is what missions are about.

 Beautiful Green Denmark, it is getting warmer outside over there.

 Søster Holbrook has always been very creative and here she shows it with a strawberry. Good job.

Email From Søster Holbrook this week:

Hey everyone,

Sorry it has been a while, I am doing GREAT here in Esbjerg! Sister Baird and I are having a great time together and we both LOVE the work! I feel blessed to be her companion. 

Acts 27:25 says "be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." I am of good cheer! I believe God, and I believe it when He said there  people prepared in every area in the world! Sister Baird and I are working hard to find them. We trust God and His promises and just feel blessed that we get to be His tools.

Spring has officially sprung and I have retired my winter coat for the season. Probably one of the greatest feelings ever. 

Thanks for the support! Happy Easter everyone on Sunday! Go check out the new Easter video the church made! It will change your life.

Love,

Søster Holbrook

 

 The Elders are teaching Søster Holbrook a lesson ;o)

 More teachings here with four sweet sisters.

 

 And of course some good food is also there ;o)

 Can you find Søster Holbrook? She is almost in the middle toward the right.

A great week for Søster Holbrook and then next week is transfer week, we shall see what happens next! All in all life is good for Søster Holbrook and she is loving the mission.

Søster Holbrook is doing good and mission life is great

Another week for Søster Holbrook in Esbjerg and she is doing great. BUT ANOTHER week and no "Family and Friends" email, I think I will have to email her about this that is one week too many with no words from her. WE MISS IT!!

I think this is a pretty BIG door for these sweet sisters.

 Beautiful Old Danish church and there are so MANY in Denmark.

 Awesome picture.

 

 What a view!

Strong Elder!!

 What is this ... CRAZY ;o)

ANOTHER one ;o)

 Søster Holbrook has ALWAYS LOVED dogs and wow... This is a HUGE one!!

Maps and bikes and getting lost ;o) These sisters have their work cut out for them always.

How we love our missionary. She is AMAZING and is working so HARD. We are happy that she is doing good and is loving serving the Lord.