Week 5

THIS WEEK HAS BEEN SO HARD.  I got transferred to a new branch. My new roommates straight up told me and Elder Basham they don't like us. They are the biggest nerds ever. Also my new district are total tools, one guy chews on a toothpick because he thinks he is tough, another wears a vest (elder cassle he is my roommate).  Luckily i have Elder Basham he is the freaking coolest companion ever. We made friends with other people in our building on the 3rd floor, they were chasing each other with belts when we stumbled upon them. luckily my peacemaker instincts kicked in and I calmed them down. they gave us an offering of Doritos. We still got security called on us for a noise complaint but thats better than violence.  Due to the branch transfer we taught absolutely no one. Its sucked so much. but hey we got 9 hours of infield orientation to make up for it... kill me. just kidding infield was really good. it taught me how important member missionary work is. So now i have to get all missionary on you guys. Will each of you commit to helping the missionaries at least once this month? Then for February fast Sunday share a testimony about what happened! Gracias. I would love to hear about your experiences.Yo se que la iglesia es verdadera. tambien you testifico obra misiona es muy importante. (i no the church is true also i testify that missionary work is super important) that was awful Spanish sorry Sorry I dont have any spiritual experiences to share this week. we have been taking care of logistics so its been slow for the work this week. I Love and miss you all, Elder Hollingsworth (They call me Hawk Eye here) in the pictures i have my old district. Elder brassanini modeling lifesaver rings. Elder Basham being super swaggy and Hermana Stewart smelling a dorito. enjoy Mas Pictures:

Pictures for Week 4:

ok so my pics are me in my mission shirt and mtc sweats. me on the toilet because there isnt a door there ((Note from the editor: The toilet picture will not be enflicted upon the internet. But it is being kept for the mission album)). the other districts left and threw their trash in the hall for us so i got a pic of that. jokes on them the janitor cleaned it up hahaha

Week 4

Dear Family and Friends,

This is my last will and testament. i just drank 48 ounces of MTC orange juice as challenge. i succeeded... those of you who don't know mtc oj gives violent poops. 

We got a new investigator this week. His name is Allen he comes from new york he had a feeling he should move to Utah for school. Now he is going to BYU to be a graphical designer.

I had this awesome experience this week that starts with a terrible day: So last tuesday i didnt get any sleep. I was pissed. i was so grouchy and rude to everyone then i went in to a lesson with emily. and i just wasnt having it. i barley spoke but then i got this feeling i should open my mouth. I dont remember what i said (something about the value of repentance) but I do remember how i felt. i was washed over with peace and i felt so empowered. The spirit was with me. My spanish was perfect and my doctrine was sound. 

That's how it all works. i study everyday, Spanish and the gospel, i work hard. when we work as hard as we can and are worthy to have the spirit in our lives the spirit will give us what we need in the very moment we need it. my spanish is far from perfect and i am one lousy teacher. but the spirit allows me to be a mouth peace. he teaches i just be the best tool i can be. The church is true. Emily committed to be baptized

I got to go through the temple last saturday. The provo temple is so ugly on the outside. the inside is beautiful but it is freaking packed all the time! I was so grateful for the calm spirit there. It was the recharge i needed after a long week of getting reprimanded.

The mtc is a highly corrective environment. they really try to work the flaws out of you, and im a stinker so its been rough. 

Im fine dont worry about me. im happy and safe and having a blast. if you guys know anyone who wants to be on my list tell my mommy. she will put them on it. 

I love you all,

Elder Austin Earl Hollingsworth

Week 3

WHATS GOOD!

my pday got moved to Saturday don't worry i'm still alive!

Let me give a lesson in human anatomy: when a missionary enters the MTC he eats a grossly large amount of food, this elder than gets what i like to call "the Woopsie-Poopsie" Brothers and Sisters i sharted my pants. if you don't know what a shart is, ask your father. Dont worry folks im pulled it off well, no one knows. not even my companions.

Bishop read this to the priests also everyone else read this: Anyone who is thinking about serving a mission here is my advice: work on your 4-square game. mtc 4-square is literally the most serious thing i have ever done in my life. its more challenging than my language study, more intense than gospel study and takes more focus than teaching investigators. stop laughing, 4-square aint a joke.

SOME IDIOT IS HUMMING CHRISTMAS MUSIC IN THE COMPUTER LAB RIGHT NOW.

I just yelled at them. She stopped humming. she looked very scared. oops (this literally just happened)

I got a promotion: starting on sunday i'm the zone leader. that makes me incharge of about 2 dozen missionaries. that's the highest rank i can get at the MTC! i'm a super missionary! its awesome! i get to help all the missionaries with any issues they have: homesickness, breaking up fights, reprimanding them for flirting with the cute hermanas (only i can do that). im really excited for this opportunity to serve!

Spanish is easy peasy perro, mi espanol es basura ahora (but, my spanish is trash right now) ill figure it out. 

i really miss music. i rap myself to sleep and sing basically all the time. im starting to forget lyrics its FREAKING ME OUT! i miss fetty wap

my companions and i rearranged our room and pushed our beds together to convince the Hermanas in our district that we share one giant bed, don't worry we separated them afterwards. the other picture is our new years eve picture! we matched aren't we the cutest! also this is hermana knowlton if any of you know Marissa Paz she is my mtc equivalent of her

love you all,

Elder Hollingsworth!

Week 2

CHRISTMAS WAS AMAZING!!!!!!! David A. Bednar spoke it was a question and answer and he answered my question! how do we receive revelation. the spirit give you what you need when you need it but you have to give it something to work with so study the scriptures and ponder your heart. 

that night David Archuleta came for a concert! all the sister missionaries lost their minds. i stood and shook the missionary rule book and yelled Arrepentiemento! (Repent) sorry my spanish spelling is worse than my speaking hahaha.

The Hermanas (sisters) in my district made us color coordinate for christmas. Emerald and Burgandy! we are totally adorable. i didnt have my camera so ill send you pics next week. unless i can get them today some how.

Spanish is so awesome! im learning so much. our investigator lessons are going better. (mostly because we know more spanish now) I'm teaching 3 investigators. brian, sergio, and emily. they are all so cool and also all fake investigators! teaching is so hard. i need to rely more on the spirit. im too impatient.

paicence pacience (patience patience). its a work in progress. but hey WE ARE ALL WORKS IN PROGRESS! no one is perfect and thats ok. i yelled and swore at one of the sisters yesterday. but through repentance im able to make everything better. i said sorry and we are friends again.

since boys and girls arent alowed to flirt when every we want to compliment eachother we say "you look very handshake" or "your outfit is so handshake" because handshakes are appropriate hugs are not. yesterday Hermana knowlton plucked my eyebrows because im a princess and want to look like a babe! she said "elder Hollingsworth you have a very Handshake profile" WHAT A CULEBRA! (SNAKE) just kidding it totally wasnt flirty. shes a really good friend of mine. I said "thanks i know" haha i need to work on my pride i guess. but like i said we are all works in progress.

anyways i hope this letter made a little sense. its hard to keep your sanity amidst the insanity of mission life. i pray for you all and love hearing from you. Let me know how you are all doing the good and the bad. even if the bad is really bad i wan to hear. i may even have some sagely advice to spit your way. Lo Ciento (im sorry) no pictures this week. double next week i swear!!

Week 1

WE GOT AUSTIN'S FIRST LETTER:

Dear Everyone,

    I AM HERE!!! the MTC is great! I walked in got some bags and my tag (it was kinda anti-climatic) then went to a class where ia sat down and some man who i have never met started talking to me in Spanish! I though oh they are just drilling us because its our first day...NOPE they only speak Spanish to me!

I´m Learning super fast! Puedo testificó, y oró en español (I can testify and pray in Spanish) among other things. thank you all for the letters and food it was so rad!!!! i am in a trio my companions are Elder Brassanini, and Elder Basham. they are from Texas and Arizona. the rest of my district are Sister Missionaries ;) jk Heart on lock. our district has 8 people and we do everything together. our first investigator is named Nereyda we taught our first lesson 3 days in to training. Nereyda only speaks spanish... IT WENT SO WELL!!!!! The spirit is with us and we can learn so fast. All my spanish speaking friends (joseph im looking at you) write or email me in only spanish. i can print out your email and take some time to translate it and respond only in spanish. 

OH my whole district is either going to Costa Rica or Niceragua. i felt so out of place because they all got water filters in their spanish study supplies IM THE ONLY ONE WHO IS STATESIDE!! on Tuesdaythough something amazing happend. We were meeting with our branch Presidency (a branch is a group of like a dozen districts) and the other new district is an all girl district and let me tell you one of those sisters is SUPER CUTE! los siento perro yo es un hombre. (sorry but im a guy)her name is Hermana stewart and you'll never guess what mission she is going to...LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY SPEAKING SPANISH!!!!! ahahaha

Abi and Lexi you guys have jobs on facebook and instagram look up: Samuel Basham and Peter Brassanini also Courtney Stewart while your at it why not.

Everybody had better stop crying about me being gone. that is just nonsense. Im doing great! i hope you are all staying healthy and safe. read el libro de Mormon. If you arent Mormon And dont want to read the book of mormon you should give it a try write me if you dont understand ill try to help clear things up for you. My email is ahollingsworth@myldsmail.net if you need anything im not sure the address to the mtc but my mom has it or you can google it like normal people. I just bought a fat stack of paper to write letters so keep them coming!! 

The MTC is so rad. I dont ever want to leave!!! hahahahaha. They didnt lie about the food its super good. ive been a little sick so ive had a rough time eating but what i get down is great!! I feel the spirit alot. La Iglesia es verdadera (the Church is True) It snowed hard yesterday the snow looks really pretty. tomorrowis christmas so me and my district are just gonna goof around. SPEAKING OF WHICH! yesterday was our one week anniversary so our district and the district with the cute Hermana puedemos un la fiesta!! (we had a party) i set it up aren't i just the cutest little host!!! The provo temple is ugly as hell but on sunday we took a walk and i felt the spirit. I looked up at it and told mis companeros "this temple is ugly as hell" they agreed.  i cant go to the temple this week because my temple day is on christmas so im just out of luck. and next week its closed for somethings else. yo no se (i dont know). 

I Love you ALL!! la iglesia es verdadera!

love,

Elder Austin Earl Hollingsworth

Pictures: The Mountains are beautiful like the materhorn in Disneyland but better! we decorated the hall of our residence for christmas. These are my companions and my district at the ugly provo temple.

Austin's Mission Blog

Hey you guys!

When he got his call

This is Elder Austin Earl Hollingsworth's older sister. I'm going to be using this blog to keep you all up to date on how Austin is doing on his mission. He is called to the Kentucky Louisville Mission, Spanish speaking and he will report to the mission field on February 1st, 2016. He reported to the Provo Missionary Training Center on December 16th. If you would like to email him you can do so at ahollingsworth@myldsmail.net. If you'd like his mailing address or more info about him just contact me. If you'd like to be added to his email list than you can contact me or my mom and we'll add you to the list.
More to come soon!
~Elder Hollingsworth's Sister

Family Picture at the Provo Temple