What Happened to the time... It's a New Year and a new area.

All I can do is apologize for the lack of updates. If you follow this blog as a way to keep up with our son Connor, just know all is well. Many changes, endless experiences, but one thing stays the same, his smile. His positive attitude shines through no matter what comes his direction. His testimony of Jesus Christ grows stronger everyday and he has been able to build relationships wherever he goes. Eternal families are a true treasure and Connor will forever be a part of the essential steps as he has been able to baptize many new members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

We asked Connor what he wanted for Christmas. His reply, "I don't need anything". We sent him and his companion each a stocking with some essentials, a few treats, and I drew each of them a hat with the temple on it. When the package came to them prior to Christmas this message came home via email. "Sorry Mom and Dad, you sent presents to the two biggest kids in the mission, we couldn't wait"

Elder Chauke was so happy to have a stocking.

So humble, so grateful, melts my heart.

Connor had some eye allergies, but he stayed positive the whole time. People would call him the Red Eyed Soldier. Something about their smiles is so similar. Elder Chauke will forever be part of our family.

  We received this special note and a few pictures from a Senior couple serving in the same area...

Dear Mothers,
My husband and I are senior couple missionaries serving in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi.  We live in Harare, Zimbabwe, but traveled to Malawi to train some public affairs councils here.  We were walking up the street from our hotel this evening, looking for a different place to eat other than the hotel.  We looked up and saw two young men walking towards us wearing the same type of badge we wear, and said hello to them.  After visiting for a few minutes and inquiring about eating places, we invited them to join us for dinner.  What a delightful evening!  Behind most every good missionary is a faithful, nurturing mother and father who have taught their children well. You can be very proud of Elders Hollingsworth and Chauke.  They are fine young men who are taking their mission serious and one can feel their commitment to their mission.  They both ordered sizzling steak, and then left with a "take away" with rice and chicken from our meal because we couldn't eat it all.  It made our evening, as it was almost as good as taking out some of our own grandchildren who are currently serving missions in Wisconsin (Spanish-speaking) and South Korea.

Love in the Gospel,


Elder and Sister Davis

His emails home are precious. Here is a sample...

This week was really good. We have been enjoying a lot together, Chauke and I. I love my companion a lot and I love how good we are together. 

This week went by fast though. To be honest somethings are a little hard for me to remember since the days are beginning to blur as time goes quickly. I feel like everyday is Monday as the days go by. I love the people we teach though. I love their big heats and their charity. People give us mangos, spaghetti, and whatever else they can get together. They all want to share the little they have and it warms my heart. My favorite is cooked mango. It is delicious.

Lychee

Mango

The tender connection Connor has with the children in Africa melts me. We are all children of God and with all the separation the media delivers here in the United States, it is so refreshing to see and hear the experiences our son will remember forever. Yes Elder Hollingsworth has white skin on the outside, that is due to his DNA, but his heart is filled with Love. Everyone understands that love mends every fence, crosses every boundary, and unites all.

Laundry

She loved Connor's backpack so much she had to wear it for a while.

Nephi met Elder Hollingsworth and asked him to be the one to baptize him shortly after meeting him. Normally the Elders that teach are the ones to perform the ordinance, but Nephi chose Connor.

A portion of an email...

I have been thinking a lot about what my life would be like without serving a mission. To be honest I would be so lost. I would have no direction. But Elder Ntsekwa taught me something. He said that if you serve your mission and return home a boy, you have wasted 2 years of your life. I feel it is true. He also said that this mission teaches you what is found in 2 Nephi 2:16. This mission will teach you to act for yourself, to become your own person. It is very true. This mission is super hard, it teaches a lot, and it will make you who you ought to be. I am thankful for the experiences that have prepared me for mission. Now mission will prepare me for life. My greatest hope is that my little siblings will serve missions as well. No matter where they go, they will be blessed.

I was contacted by an amazing woman through Facebook. Dawn Bollard sent me this message...


You have a great son! We just spent dinner with him and the rest of his zone.


Followed with this picture.

Dawn was on a trip visiting a Senior Couple serving in the same area as our son. She also has a son serving a mission in Chile.


Hey there! The area is much like the pictures I posted. There is a city with bank building and businesses. Nothing is chain store. They are tailor shops, pharmacies, outdated electric shops. Everything the people do here is manual labor. Most people don't have running water, toilets inside, cement floors. The people are humble. The women work hard. They cook outside, do wash by hand and sell whatever the grow or make. It is a hard mission for anyone serving here. These young people, missionaries are amazing! I'm in awe of them. They have compassion, grit and determination. They work long days in townships that don't have the same or any conveniences as we do in the states. They love these beautiful African people and will be forever changed!! I leave today and wish so much I would have taken more pictures of the missionaries. 

Dawn has humbling pictures she has shared on Facebook. The images are so beautiful. She said she is forever changed from her short visit. She wishes she was able to bring more items to share. Enjoy a few pictures from her trip.

After one year Connor had his shoes re-soled with tire tread. He said they were perfect. He also said the area he was in didn't really have a store to purchase replacements and he was doing great. I asked him to send a picture of where he shops.

Local Shopping Mall, those are shoes on the tarp to pick from.

Elder Connor Hollingsworth gets transferred... final housekeeping with Elder Chauke.

Hanging Mosquito nets

Time to adjust to a new area, new companion, and change. The end of January Connor moved to a new area. Kitwe.

The branch is kind of small though but every branch is small. Only place in the mission with a stake and wards is Lusaka. I left for Lusaka Sunday on a 6-7 hour bus and came back to Kitwe on the same bus Monday. My companion had to do some immigration stuff and almost got thrown in jail. Pretty much awesome. I was able to see Elder Mpofu though!!! So happy to chill with him. 

I am in Kawama branch but the extra area they gave us attends the same branch.

I feel good. Ankle is much better. I still have vitamins and if I need some I will get some. Be sure to not send anything to Blantyre anymore since I am not there haha

President comes in a week I think. I like Kitwe, but I love Blantyre. Kitwe is more developed but Blantyre you see other missionaries a lot since you are closer to one another. Here you hardly see others except for those in Kitwe. Our zone covers Kitwe, Luanshya, and Ndola.

See below map. He was in Blantyre for a whole year.

His new companion is Elder Lewis, unfortunately they don't get along... can you imagine Connor not getting along with someone? Me either. Just kidding, they have quickly become great friends and talk of attending BYU Hawaii together.

They work out using interesting weights... and interesting form.

People ask us all the time about our son, how often we talk, how we handle the separation, are we worried, why did he go...
The answers haven't changed. We email one day each week and talk using skype on Mother's Day and Christmas. He will be gone for two years but he has already been serving for 14 months!!! He is where he should be at this time in his life. Yes, we are always concerned, but our faith keeps him safe. There is real power in faith and prayer. We have a strong belief he is on the Lord's errand and he is protected. He is sharing the Saviors Love in Africa, helping others, sacrificing so much, asking for so little, what else would a parent want? I won't make any promises that the blog will be updated on a regular time frame but I do hope the time spent reading and looking at pictures brought smiles to your face and a warm peace to your heart. May your days be filled with the same Love Connor is sharing in Africa as we all are brothers and sisters of a loving Father in Heaven. Until next time, please consider a prayer for all missionaries out in the field, and maybe a prayer of peace for the Mothers at home.
Thanks for reading,
Chris Hollingsworth