*tromgeroffel* tranfers yes or no??????

Maandag 27 Oktober 2014

WELLLLL.....

Het nieuws waarop jullie allemaal hebben zitten wachten!!! TRANSFERS!!!! 

 

Geloof het of niet, maar Sister Guy en ik blijven hier samen voor another transfer!!! WHAAAA!!!! :D :D :D
We are sooooooooooo happy and so excited!!!

We've had an amazing weekend!!! Saturday we had two baptisms!!! :D The Spirit was sooo strong! I think this is what Heaven must be like! It's sooo amazing to be a missionary and to help other find their way back to our Heavenly Father and receive the blessings of eternity and exaltation! teh young boy of 12 one time after we taught him the Plan of Salvation he asked us why we couldn't stay with him forever! It was sooo cute!!! So we promised him that if he would continue to make the right choices and if we would do the same, that one day we will be able to live in the Celestial Kingdom together and we will be neighbors :) I love that boy SO much and I know y'all will love him too!!!

 

Our other dear friend was baptized too. It was a superspiritual baptism! Together with the Elders we sang I Know That My Redeemer Lives! Sister Guy and I were able to teach the message of the Restoration while he got changed after his baptism. President Eberhardt has asked us to teach the Restoration while our converts get changed so that investigators, nonmembers or less-actives that attend will gain a (stronger) testimony and will feel the Spirit. I really love it, because it's always superpowerful. And it's great for the members too, because hopefully it will motivate them to share the message of the Restoration with those around them :)

 

 

This upcoming Saturday we will have another baptism! Again a dear friend of us is getting baptized! He is sooo cute!!!! ahahha, Last Friday when we went over the baptismal interview questions we asked him if he remembered what the Law of Chastity was. He didn't. So his dad explained it to him again and Ethan responded with: JUUUUUUUUUUUCCCKKKK!!!! -_- Anyways, it was really funny, but I guess it's not as funny when you just read it....

So yeah...the work is amazing in Emigration Stake and I can't wait for this new transfer to see new miracles, to work hard, diligently, to be obedient and learn the lessons that I need to learn :)

As Isaiah in 2 Nephi 7:8 says: 'Let us stand together'. Reach out to each other in love and unity, because we need each other in these crazy times (at least, I know they're crazy. as a missionary you don't really notice that ;) )

I love each and every one of you sooo much and I send all of you a big hug and a big kiss :)

                                   *** HAPPY HALLOWEEN ***

Lots and Lots of Love

Your Missionary
Sister Spijkerman <3

 

Tieralalalie Tieralalala

Maandag 20 Oktober 2014

Een hele goede avond allemaal!!!! :D

Last week we had soooo much fun! It's been a great, great week!!! First of all,  our dear friend had his baptismal interview and he passed! Well, I didn't expect anything else, since he is an innocent 12 year old, but still! :D So he is getting baptized this Saturday!!!! Wooohoooo!!! We're sooo excited! Then our other investigator had an interview with president Eberhardt last week and he passed as well! :D And he is also getting baptized this Saturday!!!!!!!!! I am SOOOO happy!!!! And it's right before transfers, so I'll still be here! :D

As you know Halloween is coming up, so all the houses here are decorated like crazy! Some of them are really cute with a lot of pumpkins, others are superfreaky! So we decided that we, as missionaries in the Emigration Stake, needed to do something. So we all dressed up (Sister Bryner has a zillion costumes) and took pictures. what we want to do is leave this pictures with members and say: 'you've been boo'd by the missionaries' with an invitation for the members to invite their friends to the Halloween functions :) So the pictures turned out pretty great! I wanted to be a princess of course :3 hahaha, I mean, seriously, what else could I be ;)


Sister Guy was this Indian snake lady or something. Elder Mohlman was George Washington and Elder Lins was Mark (or Marc O.o) Anthony :) And sister Bryner had this HUGE fake spider and it scared the heck out of me, so when she pulled it out I screamed like crazy and that caused Elder Lins to scream, hahaha. I kind of scared him.... :)

Last week we also had interviews with president and it was wonderful! He asked me in which area I felt like I learned the most and I told him that I learned different lessons in both of 'my' areas, so I couldn't really tell him where I've learned the most.

But what I've learned so far on my mission is that patience will be rewarded, that Jesus Christ TRULY IS our Savior, that we need to be diligent at all times, even when nothing seems to be happening, that love is the key, that God IS our loving Heavenly Father and that miracles do happen EVERY day :) Obedience is the most important lesson that we need to learn on 'our' mission :)

I can't believe transfers is coming up again! Finally when things are starting to get going is when transfers hit! Whaaaaa! And we have a baptism 5 days after transfers! I just loooove this area!

Yesterday when I realized that it could be my second to last Sunday in these wards I just started crying... But I'll go where the Lord wants me to go :) but I think thats about all the highlights I can think of!

We're just soooo blessed with so much work to do and sooo many people to teach! :D And of course baptisms!!! It's soooo exciting to see when people get it! :) I LOVE my mission here in Salt Lake City SO much! I am sooo happy that I got to serve in the Utah Salt Lake City East Mission! :) I know many of you will disagree with me, but it is truly the BEST mission in the world! :) Sorry :P

I love you all! I'm soo grateful for all you do and for the beautiful individuals you are! God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be. This is how He shares His love for the family is of God. (it's a new primary song that I just absolutely LOVE) :) Raise your voice and testify, that the world may see the light. Anyone can make a difference! you can make a difference! Light your candle, hold the light high, that the world may see your light!


Lots and Lots of Love
Sister Spijkerman

Miracles and blessings

Maandag 13 oktober 2014

Haaaaai iedereen!!!! 

Happy Columbus Day!!!! (In my opinion Americans have too many holidays hahahaha, I can't keep tracj of all of them). 

 

This has by far been one of the greatest weeks on my mission! Don't get me wrong: I LOVE and cherish every moment, minute and second that I've had in the last couple of 10 months :) Oh my goodness...I can't believe I'm even able to say that I've had experiences in TEN months! Weeh, that makes me sooo sad! It went by too quickly! :O

 

Anyways, last week we were able to put a new investigator on date for the 25th! :D woohooo!!! His daughter got baptized last April and just got married to a LDS returned missionary! But he looooves coming to Church and feeling the Spirit and he loves the principle of repentance (and so do I :D)! So we'll keep praying that he'll stay on date! :) 

Then on Saturday we found another investigator :D She was a referral from a member. She told us that this lady wants to come to Church, more for like the social aspect of it. So we stopped by, got in and talked about Church and did how to begin teaching and it was super awesome! She wants to be happy and learn how to make the right choices! Well, let me tell you, the Gospel is THE answer! :D She was supposed to come to Church the next day, but when we called her (haha, can you believe that! I CALL people! ALL the time actually) she told us that she got food poisoning the night before because of eating crab salade (I'm telling ya, Satan is using EVERYTHING to keep people away from the Gospel. Even a dead crab! That's why we shouldn't be eating Sebastians) :-)But anyways, we have another appointment with her again this week, so we're excited! :D

Tonight our other investigator is going to have an interview with President after that we can put him on date (hopefully!!!) too. Most likely he'll get baptized on October 25th as well!! So if everything turns out as planned, we will have THREE baptisms that day! And one the week after that!

 

Salt Lake Zone 14 October 2014

Miracles are happening in the Emigration stake ! We are soooo grateful to be part of it! We texted our district leader (who serves in this stake as well) about all these miracles. He said that we were being blessed because of our diligence, obedience and patience. Then he said: Heavenly Father must really love both of you, or something'. hahaha, I just love the 'or something'-part :) This was also the first week on my mission that we taught more than 20 lessons that count in our key indicators!!!! :D Oh wait, well, I just can't remember the last time we had that many lessons!!! So the size of our area is about the size of half of Holtenbroek I would say.... It's sooo amazing to see how the Lord blesses us with so many people to teach in this tiny area! The power of the Lord is soooo real!!! It's sooo amazing! :D  

I would like to encourage all of you to start reading the Book of Mormon again. There are amazing promises that have been given to us as we do so. I had a couple of amazing quotes that I didn't bring with me... So you'll have to trust me that I know the prophets have promised blessings of peace, harmony and love as we read the Book of Mormon every day as a family and as an individual.

 

Elder Bednar encouraged us to focus your study of the Book of Mormon on a specific topic every time when you start over again. He encouraged us to get a new, plain copy every time and highlight the different topics. He promised we would be blessed with inspiration and answers. I just finished my study of the Book of Mormon last week and I started over again today. So I read the Title Page, the introduction (they are like the BEST thing EVER!), the Testimony of the Witnesses and Joseph Smith and A Brief Explanation. I decided that I would focus my study this time on Jesus Christ and His different titles and names. So everytime when I for example read 'Jesus Christ' or 'the Son' or 'the Messiah' I highlight those titles and name, so that I can restrengthen my testimony of the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ over and over again. This morning I already found 25! In just a couple of pages!

 

I know with all my heart that the Book of Mormon is true. I LOOOVE it sooo much and I have seen the power of the Book of Mormon in people's lives. Don't underestimate it's power even when you've read it so many different times. I know that our homes and families will be blessed abundantly as we have that power and Spirit in our home :) Follow Moroni's invitation and just try it! :)

Well, I think that's all for this week! I can't really think of anything else.... OH! this week we had a tarantula in our front yard!!!! O______________________O

Brother Young caught it and put it in a cup. So when we came home that night he was like: Sister Spijkerman, I have a surprise for you! So he got the cup and told me he had a tarantula in it! WHAAAAAAAAAA O____O So I ran away and he decided not to tease me that much, so he took it up the mountain and let it go. Yuk.... They showed us pictures though.... so even though I'm not serving in Australia, I still have to deal with my fear of spiders. which is kind of ironic, because everybody calls me Spiderman...

I love you all so very VERY much and I hope you will have a wonderful rest of the week! When do yo have Herfstvakantie? :) Halloween is coming up here and people have some really scary, creepy decorations in their front yards..... O.O Anyways.... Love Y'all!!!

Lots and Lots of Love

Sister Spijkerman <3

ps. Sorry about my email in English. I have to admit that this didn't take as long as usual, because my brain just can't think in proper Dutch anymore, hahaha


 

  

tarantula spider (redactie) en Debby is echt heel bang voor spinnen. Zelfs die kleine baby dingetjes dus dit is echt een hele grote!!!

 

GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! :D

Maandag 6 oktober 2014.

Halloooooooo!!!!!!

We hebben echt een SUPER week gehad!!!! Last Friday we put an investigator on date to be baptized for October 25th! :D WOOHOOOO!!! So, nu hebben we twee vrienden die binnenkort worden gedoopt en 1 andere vriend met een latere doopdatum! :D October 25th! :D November 1st! :D And January 19th! :D Wooohooooo!!! Go Salt Lake Emigration Stake! :D We voelen ons rijkelijk gezegend en we zijn zooo dankbaar voor een liefhebbende hemelse Vader!

 

Dan was het afgelopen weekend natuurlijk ook nog eens de mooiste tijd van het jaar! GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! :D Maaaan, I LOOOVED it SO much!!! :D I LOVED Elder Klebingkat's talk! I just needed to hear that Heavenly Father is pleased with what we're doing despite our weaknesses :) and I also loooved Elder Scott's talk! I loved how everybody talked about keeping our testimonies burning within us and working on our spiritual strength! We were able to attend the Sunday morning session at the conference center with my beloved member, a less-active member (who is almost active now), that we've been teaching! It was the BEST!

 

We were able to attend Music & The Spoken Word, because we were in the Conference Center SUPER early we were able to listen to their rehearsals as well! Tender mercies of the Lord! Guess who I saw at the Conference Center! :D BAS EN EVELIEN HOFSTEE!!!!!

 

We gaven elkaar een dikke knuffel en we praatten wat met elkaar (in mijn gebroken Nederlands met een Amerikaans accent uiteraard, haha). So, another tender mercy! :)

 

I LOVE being on my mission! I am SO grateful that I'm serving in the Utah Salt Lake City East Mission! I couldn't have served anywhere else! This mission isn't easy for sure, but oh my, how much I love it! Alma 26 is so beautiful! :) I KNOW the Church is true! I KNOW the Church is being led by a prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I KNOW the things they talked about is inspiration, that we will be blessed if we listen to their counsel and exhortation. They are not talking about these things to merely entertain us. These are literally the words from our Heavenly Father to richly bless our lives :)  I love y'all! :) Never doubt your testimony! 'Look unto me in every thought. Doubt not, fear not.' D&C 6:36 (one of my favorites) 

I pray for you and think about you! :) May the Lord bless you abundantly! And thanks for the package (I think I told you that, we're all getting older, so we are forgetting some more things too, haha :) )

Lots and Lots of Love

Sister Spijkerman <3

Hiep Hiep Hoera!

Maandag 29 september 2014

Hey allemaal,

Well, zoals ik al zei, ik heb niet veel tijd meer om te emailen. Hopelijk vinden jullie de foto's enigszins ok :) Ik heb de meest geweldige verjaardag OOIT gehad! Ik heb de rest van mijn pakketje opengemaakt en dankjewel voor alle lieve en mooie cadeautjes! :) Ons appartement had definitely een beetje decoratie nodig, dus JIPPIE! :D

 

Sister Winn (onze Duitse zuster van het zendingskantoor, secretaresse van president Eberhardt) belde ons tijdens onze studies en ze zong happy birthday! Sooooo CUTE! :3 daarna hadden we lunch met de Bryner's en de elders! :D De elders hadden zich in en hoekje verstopt om me met een happy birthday song te verrassen. Daarna was het tijd voor weekly planning (woohooo! :D) en daarna hadden we dinner met enkele leden. Het was tijd voor onze stake correlation (een meeting met alle ward mission leaders in de ring en de high counselor over zendingswerk) daarna gingen we bij een lid langs! We gaan regelmatig bij haar langs om de Schriften met haar te lezen. Ze wil graag het Boek van Mormon helemaal lezen (voor het eerst). Toen we binnenkwamen zette ze een Spaans verjaardagslied op. Ze vertaalde het voor ons en ze gaf me een tasje vol met cadeautjes met daarbij een ontzettend lief kaartje. Het was zooo bijzonder om mijn verjaardag met mijn familie hier te vieren! Echt supergeweldige herinneringen! :D

 

Daarna gingen we naar een echtpaar toen ze de deur opende hadden ze een cake met 20 kaarsjes en zongen ze happy birthday. We kregen allemaal een verjaardagskroontje (inclusief Dave! :D Ze gaven me allemaal cadeautjes! Man, it was the best and sweetest birthday ever! I love these people sooo incredibly much and I'm so grateful that we have found each other, to help each other find our way back to Heavenly Father :) 

Another miracle happened last week! I was able to go back home, to Canyon Rim, to be there for a baptism! Oh, how sweet the joy! I'm so deeply grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ who made repentance and this change possible, who made this baptism possible! O, sweet the joy this sentence gives! I know that my Redeemer lives! I know with all my heart that He lives, that He is our Savior and that by coming unto Him we will find the most peace and happiness that cannot be found anywhere else! I'm so grateful for all the wonderful lessons that I've learned on my mission! I'm so grateful how much I've grown and how much I've come closer unto my Savior. I'm so grateful for the hope of a brighter future and for the hope and knowledge of eternal life.

 

My mission has shown me a glimpse of that promise and I can't wait to see all the people that I've met throughout my life in that place! :) I know that I've been callled to the Utah Salt Lake City East mission for a reason and I've seen that reason many, many times on my mission. I'm grateful for the priesthood and worthy men who hold the priesthood to bless mankind. To walk as the Savior walked. I know the power of prayer and fasting is real and I know that God is a God of miracles and that we're able to witness miracles EVERY day. As long as we have the eyes to see them. I love my Savior. I love my Father in Heaven. I love you, my family. I love you, my friends. I love all of my brothers and sisters and I pray that I will keep finding those that I promised to find.

 

Friday I found a scripture that I shared during our district's testimony meeting:  And now, behold, my joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea, and even the Father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generatio; for none of them are lost (see 3 Nephi 27:30)

 

I know our Heavenly Father and our Savior loves us. I know they are smiling upon us:) 

I love you all. :) 

Heel Veel Liefs,

Jullie 20-jarige dochter, vriendin, zus, etc <3
Sister Spijkerman

 

 

STOKOUD O.O

Maandag 22 september 2014,

Halloooootjes allemaal!!!

Poeh, poeh! Wat een week! :D Allereerst moesten we verhuizen, wat een ontzettende chaos was! Maar we hebben het overleefd en we zijn nu fijn genesteld in ons nieuwe appartement :) Daarnaast 'vonden' 'we' (natuurlijk is het niet ons die nieuwe onderzoekers vinden. Het is onze hemelse Vader die mensen op ons pad brengt :) ) twee nieuwe onderzoekers! De een is een eternigator (een eeuwige onderzoeker) die niet door de elders onderwezen wilde worden (ik weet het, arme elders....), maar ze wil wel door de zusters onderwezen worden! jippie! :D

Daarnaast kwam er een nieuw gezin vanuit California in een van onze wijken komen wonen. Wij werden gevraagd om hun zoon te onderwijzen :D Jippie!!! :D Dus afgelopen zaterdag hadden we een afspraak met hen en de jongen zei niet zoveel, maar we konden merken dat hij ons wel mocht :) Hij maakte voor ons een Mii op zijn Nintendo DS en toen we weggingen, sprong hij op, omdat hij niet wilde dat we weggingen en hij gaf ons een hele dikke knuffel :) zooooo schattig!!!! :3 We hadden de gelegenheid om 2 Nederlanders op Temple Square rond te leiden. Mijn Nederlands is gewoon verschrikkelijk, hahahahah XD Ik probeerde in het Nederlands te spreken, maar ze zeiden wel dat ze konden merken dat ik er heel erg veel moeite mee had. Het was zoooo cool om als zendelinge in mijn eigen taal te mogen onderwijzen en vertalen! :D Ze vonden de tempel heel erg interessant!

 Het zou zoooo geweldig zijn als we in Nederland ook een bezoekerscentrum zouden hebben! Dat zou een geweldig missionary tool zijn! Wanneer ik weer eens een algemene autoriteit tegen kom, zal ik het hem wel vragen, hahaha. Nee, echt even serieus, dat zou geweldig zijn! :D Toen we vertrokken zeiden ze dat ik een Amerikaans accent had, whahahahahha XD oh my gosh! I'm the wooooorrrrst!!!! nu spreek ik geen enkele taal meer! Geen Engels EN geen Nederlands! :( 

Maar goed, mijn verjaardag! Hemeltjelief! TWINTIG!!! WHAAAAAA!!!!! Op mijn verjaardag hebben we niet zoveel bijzonders te doen. Well, dat is niet waar. We gaan oefenen voor de doopdienst op zaterdag (de elders hebben een doopdienst en we gaan met hun zingen), Daarna hebben we een lunch, weekly planning (geen idee hoe dat in het Nederlands heet) en daarna hebben we dinner bij een gezin. Daarna gaan we onze vrienden bezoeken (yup, de mensen die we onderwijzen zijn zeker weten onze vrienden :)) Dus eigenlijk heb ik een geweldige verjaardag! :D

 

Dankjewel voor het GEWELDIGE pakketje! Iedereen vindt mijn blauwe jurk helemaal geweldig en mijn cruesli is gewoon helemaal het einde! :3 ik heb nog niet alle cadeautjes opengemaakt, maar degene die ik heb opengemaakt waren geweldig :) dankjulliewel voor al jullie liefde!

 

gratitude wall in my apartment

Ik houd zo ontzettend veel van jullie! Er zijn geen woorden in de taal van de natuurlijke mens die kunnen beschrijven hoeveel ik van jullie houd :) Ik ben zo dankbaar dat ik een zendelinge mag zijn en dat ik de Geest elke dag mag voelen. Ik ben zo immens dankbaar dat ik mijn vrienden vanuit het vooraardse leven weer heb gevonden en dat we hen kunnen helpen om weer in het koninkrijk van onze hemelse Vader terug te keren. Zoals we elkaar hiervoor hadden beloofd. Ik ben ZO dankbaar voor de verzoening van Jezus Christus, dat Hij ons begrijpt en dat we dankzij Hem in Zijn tegenwoordigheid terug kunnen keren.

 

Ik ben zo ontzettend dankbaar voor de tempel en dat gezinnen voor eeuwig kunnen zijn door de macht van het Priesterschap. Gisteren was de Ogden Temple dedication en het was zooooo mooi om het te mogen zien! Ik kan niet wachten om weer naar de tempel in Nederland te gaan en weer tempelwerk te kunnen doen! Maar voor nu, het zendingswerk voor de levenden is zoooo geweldig! Ik kan niet geloven dat de helft er al op zit! :( I want to return with no regrets and serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength! :) 

I Love Y'all!
Heel Veel Liefs


Sister Spijkerman <3