Welcome to New Zealand

Hey the flight was very good,  I met up with several sisters and elders in salt lake about an hour before the flight took off so I was alone most of the time, the elders were Elder Ith and Elder Saurey and there were like 3 sisters whose names I can't remember right now.  Umm the sim card in the box is my old one I'm pretty sure so it doesn't work.  So big news is they asked me to be one of two zone leaders, and the MTC is packed the most it has ever been we have a total of like 80 people here and the president told me that I will be in charge of 77 elders! and boy do we have some work to do!!!  I am doing great the flight here was well awful because it was so long and uncomfortable, It seems like a dream right now still and this day has been so long, I have been up since about 5 san fransicso time and it is only 10:33 a.m right now! this day is never going to end!  I am doing really well though I know this is where I am supposed to be and  I have alredy become very good friends with lots of the other elders.  Its pretty hot here and so I took my suit coat off and one of the ladies here reminded me that Elders don't take their suit coats off... haha what do yah do I guess.  So cool story on the plane to san fran I sat by a lady who is from NZ her name was Sila she came to salt lake to see her half brother and sisters and I guess her half brother is a member and his family also she said he was in leadership in the church but she didn't know what cause she isn't a member, but anyways she told me about NZ and we talked for like the entire flight and she started asking me some questions and I answered it was pretty cool!  then when boarding the plane for Auckland some guys asked me and Elder Ith and Elder Saurey why we were dressed so nice so we told him we were missionaries and then Elder Ith tried to give him a pass along card and totally got rejected haha. it was kinda funny.  Here at the MTC we met an elder from Australia going to Australia his name is Elder spark, and we are pretty sure that he doesn't know that swearing is a sin... haha once again kinda funny.  We get to go to Hamilton next week on Thursday and go to the Temple! so we are all super excited for that! Well there is like a countdown clock on my browser and I don't want to know what happens when the time runs out so that will be all for now!  I love you guys and thanks for the book you are all in my prayers. I will try to send some pictures next time!  Love you all!!!

No Looking Back

We dropped Elder Holmes off at the airport this morning. It was a bitter sweet moment, and we are looking forward to the e-mail that says he has arrived in New Zealand safely! We know this is the best thing he could be doing right now. We got some good pictures of him last night and this morning.

Dax with Grandma and Grandpa Anderson

Dax with Grandma Holmes, we know Grandpa was there too.

Daxon with Dave and Jello

He had to get a shot with his trusty Antoinette

I was really proud of this candid shot

Mom and Dax

Dad and Dax

Dax with Grandma Pink

Dax: "You know you're my best friend right?"

Glad I married someone that loves my family as much as I do.

Dax with the parents

He loves his mom

No looking back

We just got a call from Dax at the Salt Lake Airport! He will be there until 3:30 then fly to San Francisco, have a short layover there, and will then fly for 13 hours to Auckland. I know he would appreciate some prayers as he travels. He sounds great, a little nervous, but that's okay! He hasn't seen any other missionaries yet, but we are hoping some will arrive soon so he will have someone to be with on his flight to San Fran.

New Zealand Hamilton Mission

Hello my name is Elder Daxon Holmes, I have been called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. For the next two years I will be serving in the New Zealand Hamilton mission.  I report to the New Zealand Missionary Training Center on January 29th.  I opened my call almost five months ago, and now the time has finally come!  It has been a long wait, but it was totally worth it. I made the decision a long time ago that I would not go on a mission just because that's what all my friends were doing and people wanted me to. I made the decision that I would go when I was ready to go for me and when I knew I needed to go. As it turns out that is almost six months after most of my friends, but now I know that it's what I need to do and it is where I'm supposed to be.  I am so excited for the opportunity I am getting to serve the people of New Zealand, and I can't wait for what the next two years have in store for me.