Holdstock Happenings: Leaving dear friends.....

It is going to be so hard leaving the NOVA (YSA) Branch. There are some really wonderful members here and we have come to love them. This is the Relief Society. The Sister on the front left side is Deedee, an investigator. Janet got to go with the Sister missionaries last night to teach her. We ended up sitting on a park bench overlooking the boardwalk by the lake near her apartment. She does not have a baptism date set yet but we hope it will come soon. The tiny girl on the front row, 2nd from the left, was baptized on Feb 14. Her name is Chrissy. She is going to be a dentist. She has a sweet testimony. She is an only child and her mom is single. She said her mother goes to a church every day and prays for about 3-4 hours. She still hasn't told her mother that she has joined our church. She thinks it will break her heart. She has been dating the counselor in the Bishopric until today. She met a returned missionary before her baptism that was returning from a cruise and happened to come to the branch for church and met Chrissy. They have been corresponding a lot and he flew here to visit her this weekend. They were holding hands in Sunday School. This young man, who is from Alberta, Canada, suits her a lot more than the counselor. The young lady in the back just right of Janet is Alana. She was baptized December 26 and now has a desire to go on a mission. However I think, Jake, a member of our branch has other ideas. They are pretty chummy at church.

This is one of the sweetest young ladies you will ever meet. Her name is Princesse. She is Haitian and a returned missionary. No one else in her family are members. She always gives me a hug and told me one day that she appreciates so much having older Sister missionaries in the branch. That made my day because sometimes we feel like we are chaperones and out of place. I have come to love her so much. She has one of the most beautiful smiles!!