Sorry, I hate writing letters! As yall know I'm in Waycross again, and since I've been here I have been chased by more dogs than my whole mission! Not sure what's the deal! They come out of no where and start to chase us when were biking, almost got bit twice, but the Lord was protecting me for sure because I got away each time! The area is picking up, were starting to teach more and more people, which is good, but at the same time, most of them are, well they are great people, but a little out there. They are good southern people, thats for sure! One has a detached retna in his eye, loves the church, and has known about it, the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith for about 30 years and believes it all to be true, but dosent really believe in joining a church, (really...??) So were trying to help him, but he's coming along pretty well, and made a few comments about joining the church. There are a few other part member familys that were working with, all great people, some are more active than other members, but just arent baptized.. (again really?? some people...) Then we have a few people that we meet on the side of the street that invite us over and then ask us to break some bread and have fish with them. (I HATE fish...) that was interesting. I love the Ghetto thats for sure. Even if some are a bit bi-polar / skitzofrenic (heck if i know how to spell that). Then finding, well we didnt find, the other elders found a husky/lab mix that's maybe 6 weeks old just sitting in the middle of the street. I will neither confirm or deny if we are keeping it outiside in the small closet we have to take care of it while we find a member to take it off our hands. And I will also neither confirm or deny that it has been named Penguin cuz its black and white. Or the fact that is very very cute and playful. Well that's about what's going on with me out here! Hope all is going well back home.

Love,
Elder Holcombe

Hello!

Well, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hard to think this last year is gone already! Well I was transferred, and now I'm back up in Waycross, only this time I'm in the Waycross 1st ward. Which means a few things. 1) There must have been someone I was supposed to find last time and I'm back for another chance and they moved to this side of the town. 2) I better not get 2 bikes stolen again... or even 1, I better get no bikes stolen (will need mighty prayer for that one) and 3) I get to see a lot of great people again! Right now, things are going good. We have a few people to teach, but nothing to major at the moment. We're in the process of fixing that tho, trying to find as many people as we can. I'm really excited for this new year and the chance to help even more people in the FL/GA/SC areas make changes and ultimately come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. Last year was so fast it's not even funny! Which only means this year will be faster. If anyone doesn't have the address here, its the same as last time, 823 St Marys Dr, Waycross GA 31501.

Hope all is going good for everyone, and that y'all set some good goals for this new year! After all it is "suppose to end in Dec" haha!

Love,
Elder Holcombe

Update

Hey everyone hows it going!? man its been a while since ive updated yall, well things are going great here, Brenda got baptized a few weeks ago, and we have another bap date set for the 24th of this month. with a kid named lewis, hes a pretty cool kid that has been coming to play basketball with us on saturdays, weve been doing basketball for about 3 months now i think? and in that time, i havent really gotten any better.... guess i can scratch that on off of the lists of talents that i need to develop. But Lewis has talked with us more about how he's been looking for the truth, and wants to do the right thing... well guess he came to the right place haha.. Elder Banner and I have been trying to get the area into the shape its supposed to be in, its close but not fully there. its been a lot of tough work but it will be worth it when its done. we havent really had to many people to teach otherwise so its been a little rough. but all in all things are good, and cant belive this year is basically over, my "black out year" is almost gone. But Hope everyone is doing well, sorry for not writing more lately, i'll try harder, promise!

Merry Christmas everyone,

love,

Elder Holcombe

Crazy Times!

Well this week was a pretty good week. First we set a baptismal date with Delores's daughter in law for the last sunday of this month, she really loves the church and the gospel and is reading like crazy. We have been having trouble finding new people to teach here lately, so nothing to new as for people really. (prayers for finding greatly accepted). So last night. crazy stuff happened, straight out of a movie or something! As we were heading back from dinner, to town, there was a van on the side of the free way that was broken down, so we decided to be nice and pull over to see if they needed any help. it was the one lady who was crying histarically. well "crying" she wasnt really really crying, it seemed like a show. and she recovered from the crazy crying really fast which was also really weird. then she wouldnt let us ask her any questions about her day or recent things that happened to her. she told us that she closed down a walmart, maxed out her Debt card, went 371 miles but you have to add 5 miles to that because she didnt restart her trip log. she was out of gas, lost looking for her bi-polar sister. she didnt know how to get back to her hotel. she tried to get us to take her to the gas station down the street. but we explained that we couldnt give her a ride or anything. but she quickly turned it to she just wanted us to follow her with our hazards on so no one would hit her. then a few min later as were following her, this car comes flying up with its hazards on and cuts us off then they get out of the car and start talking to her, then she comes and tells us that she found 2 other angels to help her. so we waited a few min, and then one of the people come and over to us and told us that they were going to take her to the gas station. The whole thing seemed weird though. the way everything played out, was really weird feeling. almost like the three were all a team and were trying to kidnap people. man who knows what would have happened if they kidnaped me, i woulda been cryin like a baby for my mommy...just kidding i wouldnt cry. haha.. but for real, this thursday is my year mark?! already?! man time has gone by so fast! happy birthday rick!

hope all is going good for you all,

love,

Elder Holcombe

Week 49

Well this week was pretty good. We have been out working pretty hard. Trying to find people to teach, with not too much success so far. We did find one person, but now they aren't too interested any more because females can't hold the priesthood, or become a bishop... but we told her that this was the Lords church and that if she read and prayed she will know the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon for herself. But she told us the next day she wasnt interested. then on saturday we went to a members daughters wedding. Oh man what an adventure that was! We ended up getting put into the bridal party and had to walk down the isle! Only on a mission.... it was crazy stuff. But the Bishop said would be ok. The girl I walked down with wasn't a member and didn't know the unwritten rule us missionaries have and scooped up my arm! Man it was super akward but hey, what can you do! Other than that not too much else has happened this week. We had our "fall festival" with no trunk or treat, they dont do that in this ward for some reason..... feel bad for the kids they are so missing out!

Well love you all,

Elder Holcombe

Williston Ward Harvest Festival!

Week 48

WOW~ basically we are done with October already?! Halloween next Monday? Crazy! This time last year I think I was camping with my friends. My how time flys! So, this week was a lot of driving around again to find people. One of the areas we cover is a town called Bronson - and Bronson has a ton of dirt roads. Well we were driving around one dirt road and turned to another, well we would have if it hadn't been for the fact that in the process of the turn the car decided it was going to get stuck in the sand! The road looked totally fine, just like all the rest of the road we had been driving on. The sand on the turn though underneath was very loose and the sand on top appeared to be solid. We had a member come get us out. With no problems either. Though later on, during the night, I was thinking about it, some call this process "reflecting" who woulda thought, me "reflecting" haha! I realized how much that experience was just like how the devil works, he makes things look good, but then once you're there, and in the situation, you realize that you're stuck in sin. Just as we were stuck in the sand. On top it was ok but the weight of the car and the loose sand underneath, we were stuck. But thanks to the member with the truck, was able to come and pull us out, just as Christ's Atonement can help pull us out of our sins and bring us back to safety. That's just my reflections from the week. Hope everyone is doing good!

Love ya'll

Elder Holcombe