Staying in Turnhout!!

We had a roller coaster of a morning, due to several people thinking our phone number was that of the Antwerpen Zone Leaders and calling us while we waited for transfer calls, but we are glad to know that we're staying here in lovely little Turnhout! There is much to be done here, and we've found some really incredible people this week!

We found the most wonderful couple last Sunday, and got to teach them twice this week! They're not married yet, but we hope to help change that. She is Flemish and is pregnant with their child. She's due in January, and is Agnostic. He is Moroccan and is technically Muslim but is "op zoek" for the truth. They have been so prepared for the gospel! They're so open to learning, and are so willing to try things! It's definitely not going to be easy, but goodness, they are so worth it.

I'm a little bummed to move on from Charity, but I'm thinking I may just have it as something I specifically strive for this upcoming transfer. I'm definitely still excited to study patience!

LOVE

Zuster Anjewierden

Quickly...

LIST!!!!!!

-WELCOME HOME OMA AND OPA! I wanted to call you but then I didn't know when you were leaving on Thursday and then it didn't happen and I was super sad... But I love you!

-I ate an entire can of whipped cream on Saturday. Don't ever try it, even if it's a competition with other people and it seems like it'll be fun. I didn't sleep that night due to sugar coursing through my veins.

-We had Stake conference and it was AWESOME. Elder Adler of the Seventy was there and he was super cool. I'll have to write more details about it in my letter but the one thing you should know is that he challenged the members to find someone to share the gospel with in the next WEEK. Then he told us missionaries to follow up. WOOO no pressure members! I am so excited - I know he is inspired of God and that we will see miracles through this if the members listen to him!

-We visited an inactive lady, Zuster K, and now she's coming to church this coming Sunday!! :)

-I bought a really awesome warm coat!

-I'm continuing my study on charity this week because it was AWESOME. Also, read Alma 26. It's my favorite!!

We contacted a referral from the elders to Geel on Thursday. She's from Sri Lanka and she's Catholic, but she knows almost nothing about prophets, or the bible, or even Christ. It is so interesting to me to meet people like that. They've grown up religious, but they don't learn much. I'm so excited to teach her about it all, and give her a Tamil Book of Mormon!

Love,

Zuster Anjewierden

Fwd:

That awkward moment when I didn't ever send my draft from last week.... DARN IT. But. I have a little time to write so I shall do that now, and the end is from last week.

So as you may have noticed, we changed our P-Day this week! It was a holiday on Monday so a lot of people were home. We were able to have some great lessons on Monday that would not have worked out if we'd not been able to switch things around. Actually, I would really like to talk about Monday - it was a great learning day.

We were worried in the morning because we had two appointments that we had still not been able to find joint teaches for, what with it being a holiday and all - one that night, which occurred due to a lack of forethought on our part - family night! We prayed that we'd somehow be able to find a joint teach at least for the one in the morning. After our companionship study prayer, we both felt that we should call a sister who lives a block away from the potential investigator who was our first appointment. We called her and she said yes! The second appointment was still going to be a problem, until Sister Clement remembered that there was a sister who puts her children to bed early every night, so she thought maybe they would be finished with FHE. We called her and sure enough, the timing was perfect for her! We were so grateful! I am so glad that we held hope, even though we couldn't originally think of how it would work out. 

The story doesn't end there - our appointments didn't go the way we expected (one potential didn't show up for his appointment, and in the other appointment we had a hard time keeping our potential focused, and helping him understand our purpose as missionaries). But it was a testimony builder for me that even though things don't always go as planned, Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers! :)

I had a wonderful study of hope this week, in which I decided that worry is the opposite of hope. Hope should be just as sure as worry usually is. I'm so excited for my study on charity - I feel like it's something I can really work on! Study it with me, eh? :)

Last week -

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!! Helaas, due to the fact that I got a ton of emails, I ran out of time to email much here.... SORRY! 

Have a super awkward picture of us at Isaac's baptism!

Baptism!!!!

It was incredible to see I get baptized on Saturday, and then receive the Holy Ghost on Sunday! In his blessing he was told that he will have a great influence in bringing friends and family to the light of the Gospel - so neat! It was all very humbling for me because really, all I did was come in, make friends with him, and watch him get baptized. The more I think about it though, the more I realize that's pretty much what every situation is. We're not the teachers, we just have to bring the Spirit into the equation, help them in whatever ways they need help, and then watch them do the changing themselves, through the Holy Ghost. It's the LORD'S work, not ours!

I studied a bit about obedience this week, but honestly, I didn't study it nearly as much as I learned about it from experience. I took Ether 12:27 to heart and asked the Lord to show me my weaknesses... He did, and let me just say, it was very humbling. I keep realizing how prideful I can really be, and how changing that can and will help me to give up my will to the Lord, which I have been commanded to do! I'm looking forward to studying Faith this next week. I feel a lot like the father of the child with palsy - I will definitely be asking for the Lord to help my unbelief so that I can truly have the faith I need to be the best missionary I can be!

Okay I really ran out of time this time. Uhhhhhh pictures next week.

LOVE

Zuster Anjewierden

(from Oct. 28)