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)

Belgian keyboards make me cry

This is gonna be short, probably, because I have a pretty decent amount of time, but this keyboard is AZERTY. Hereùs q sentence typed zithout fixing things. Really annoying, right? Ah well. I'll deal with it!

Belgium is pretty cool! I do have to say that it kinda stinks here (in some places more than kinda), but so far my least favorite thing is that the keyboards are different, so I'm fine. :) Vlaams is pretty much ridiculous though. Haha. Think... Irish people in English. It's still Dutch, but barely, and so accented! I'm getting used to it slowly. :) I'm excited to see Oma and Opa on Wednesday[they are still in Deventer], and to go to the temple! It's been SOOOO LONG.

We have a baptism on Saturday! His name is I and he is marvelous. He is from Kyrgmenistan... Did I spell that right? He's super neat and I'm so excited for him :) We saw some super cool miracles this week,

Hey! Gruppman! I still have not met them but hope to. I'm glad the concert zas good! [Parents went to a concert conducted by Igor Gruppman who also lives in Rotterdam part of the time.]

Sister Clement is fantastic! 

Thank you for all of your support and prayers - I have been feeling them lately. Especially with this transfer... I didn't really feel ready to leave Deventer, but there's a reason I need to be here, I know!

I love you so much!

Zuster Anjewierden

T-t-t-t-transfers!

Last P-day in Deventer - 

I'm sure going to miss this place. I love these members and the missionaries who serve here (like my grandparents!). I've made some incredible friends here (like my JoVos... :( ) and my goodness, I've learned so much. I'm excited for the change, but it may not be an easy transition.

Wish I could write more, but I've got no time...

Turnhout, Belgium... Sister Clement... Here I come!

Miracles and Confereeeence!

Oh my goodness I hope you all loved conference as much as I did. I still haven't been able to hear the last session. Bah! It's driving me nuts. I may be able to in just a little bit here... We'll see.

As I've been out on my mission, I've realized that phrases like "That was lucky" and "how ironic" and "what a coincidence" are just a lie! Nothing is chance; nothing is coincidence. The Lord is so aware of all of his children, and he has a plan for EACH of us, not just everyone as a general whole!

Sister Townsend always told me that General Conference was a time of miracles, and I was able to see that these past few days! On Saturday we visited a referral - a man named L , who is a refugee from Afghanistan. He converted to Christianity about a year and a half ago here in the Netherlands! We invited him to come to General Conference that night. He loved it and asked to come the next day. He spent the entire day with us yesterday at the church! We haven't even had an official lesson with him yet and he's already said he'd like to prepare to be baptized. Very neat, very faithful man. We have an appointment with him tomorrow - I'll let you know what happens!

We also found J! Turns out she was here the whole time! There was some weird thing that happened where she was sent to Amsterdam because they wanted to deport her, but then, after being kept there for 3 days, she was sent back. The government said there was no reason for her to be deported... Go figure. We just happened to see her as we went to visit L on Saturday - she lives in the same camp that he does. It was absolutely not any coincidence. We have a lesson with her tomorrow as well!

Another neat thing about this week is that we have 3 dinner appointments that are with inactive members of our ward! We've really started to see the fruits of our efforts with the inactive and less-active members of this ward. Super cool! We're looking forward to keeping that up.

I was so inspired by conference. I am so excited to apply it in my work! This week I'm studying diligence, but I am also taking a leaf out of Elder Soares' book and studying the Christlike attribute of meekness along with that. I had a great study today and am excited to continue it this week. :) STUDY WITH MEEEE :)

We have temple conf in two weeks and I'm PSYCHED but I don't get to see the new movie because it won't be translated for like a year. :(

Amersfoort for church starts next week! (Moms side note: She will be traveling there to church, an hour away, while current building is being worked on.) Transfers are also next week so we'll see... Most trainers and trainees only stay together for two transfers...

Love you all -

Zuster Kira Anjewierden