Elder Holland Was Here--Greatest Thing Ever For Me!

Dear Family & Friends,

Okay---I will be using this email account to send the emails from now on. I don't have so much to talk about this week. There is one thing that was very sweet--the Elders in Batsona had me communicate with their candidate! He was from California and it was really nice to get to talk to him. He talks really fast just like me! He is a really cool guy that they baptised. Our baptism was pretty awesome, too! It was kind of funny--I think it always is unexpecting to people when we baptise them! He was pretty happy after it was all over!

Okay, I lied, I have a lot to talk about---I forgot about all the great stuff that happened this week! So, Elder Holland was here---that was probably the greatest thing ever for me! Everyone was so nervous and thought that he was very scary. Everyone was waiting patiently and finally after all the speakers sat down it was his turn---all the time with his straight face just like he wanted to finish us all! He went to one of the Elders and grabbed him on both sides and shook him and said, "How are you?" President says you are all great---but you don't look great---only the sisters look great! It surprised me very much--he is very funny--he likes to make jokes! He was so much different than I thought he would be. He talked a lot about not going home. He served his mission in London England, along with Elder Hale. He said he would urge anyone from now on to go on a mission no matter what because now is the time that it will change the young men's life's that are coming up. He talked on getting over challenges and things like that. He even came up to me and found out my name and told me if I ever decided to come home he would be the one to hold me back. He said lots of other things that were very funny--I will try to remember them and write them all down. Now he will forever be stuck in my mind! I always liked him before, a lot. He was very nice.

On Sunday we had a surprise Stake Conference where Elder Snow talked, the one from the Presidency of the Seventy. I did get to see him and President Smith before it all started---that was pretty cool to me! Elder Dickson was there, too---so it was pretty cool.

My time is finishing because the computers are terrible---anyway, no worries. I hope you have a great week. I know I will be having one---we will be exceeding our goal in baptisms this week! We have finished our goal as companions--we did that this week--and now we are going to exceed our district goal by 2! So everything will be great here in Nungua. Transfers are next week and I don't know if I will be going or maybe I will stay here another transfer.

Thanks for everything. Thanks for all the letters and the emails--they really keep me going. I love to hear what is going on at home. Well, I got to go.
Love you tons and tons and miss you. I got some pictures of Elder Southwick.

Love, Elder Jeremy Reid