Another Apostle of Jesus Christ!!(Elder Holland)

I can't believe how blessed I've been as a missionary to hear from so many wonderful servants of the Lord. Being able to shake Elder Holland's hand and hear from him in a room with just about 50 other missionaries was so special. He has a spirit and a fire that is unparalleled. He is so passionate about missionary work and making sure that we as missionaries truly get what this is about. He said we don't go back to real life after the mission; "This is as REAL as your LIFE is ever going to get!!", he told us that if we truly understand what bringing the gospel to others means, that we will be missionaries forever, not just for 2 years. He talked about how obedience is what brings every blessing that we have in life, that if we don't understand the formula of obedience leading to blessings, that we will be lost until we do so. Especially as a missionary, I have seen the blessings of obedience so many times. 


At night Elder Holland spoke with us and all the members in Angola. Members from over 600 miles away took tons of buses to come see him speak, they are so wonderful. Elder Holland talked about his childhood friend who didn't grow up in the church (This friend was a member, but his family was inactive and never went to church). After 40 years of not seeing each other, they met again in their 50s. Elder Holland said he saw how much different his friend’s life was, that his friend had missed out on so many blessings and had experienced so many difficult trials in his life. His friend finally went back to church but said that he still feels the pain of all those years and regrets all the things he could have had if he had stayed an active and faithful member. Elder Holland encouraged us to realize the blessings we have as members of the church now, that we shouldn't have to wait 40 or 50 years to realize where the truth is. Elder Holland is such a loving man, I could definitely feel it being in his presence. I don't think I'll ever forget that wonderful experience. 

I know finding the answers to my questions through the gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed me so much in my life. The time spent on my mission has been the happiest time of my life, seeing how this gospel truly changes people and brings a light into their lives. The Book of Mormon has been such a great tool in my life and has brought me such peace and happiness. Elder Holland talked to the missionaries about using the Book of Mormon in teaching. We know the Bible is the word of God, but the Book of Mormon is what makes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints different. The Book of Mormon shows us that God truly loves all his children and wants them all to come unto him and find happiness, in whatever part of the world they may live in. 

With the members, Elder Holland gave an apostolic blessing that the missionary work in Angola would increase and accelerate, and the day after he came to our mission, Elder Lima and I saw some miraculous events. We taught 6 new people in one day! We were also able to set a date for Sarai to be baptized. Sarai went with some members to see Elder Holland, and afterward told us she wanted to be baptized. Serving as a missionary here in Angola has been so amazing. I've already been able to see so many miracles, walking all day in the hot sun is a small price to pay for the great joy that this work brings!

The Elders walking back, note the ocean on the horizon







A 60 second video explaining what the Book of Mormon is



The second short video on the page explains what a visit from Elder Madsen would be like (he likes cookies too!)

 There also are more recent live action videos that tell even more that Elder Madsen wishes he could watch.

 T'chau! Eu amo vocês!

Elder Madsen

fletcher.madsen@missionary.org
https://fletchermadsen.blogspot.com/

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