Count your blessings

Maandag 10 november 2014

Lieve Lieve Allemaal!!!
Afgelopen week hadden we een moeilijke week.

It seems like after having baptisms Satan is trying so hard to keep people away from the truth and to get us discouraged. As Sister Guy and I always say: 'There is no rest for the weary'. So last week we worked..., we worked....and we worked...President Eberhardt asked us to set higher goals to stretch ourselves. So we tried sooo hard to find people, to teach people, to put people on date...But without any great results... And it seems like the harder we try the less effective it gets... So, that's been hard on us.

I know we were just so incredibly blessed in the last couple of months with so much work. But I feel like it's time for us to learn another lesson again. A lesson of patience, hope and faith. The other day during personal study I read Enos, and Enos 1:12 stood out to me that day:

'And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith.'

The Lord will eventually bless us, but we need to show our faith and diligence first. After all we have done that we could have done, He will bless us (in His own time) :) Another quote that we read in this mission every morning at the beginning of our companionship study is by Elder Holland and I just loooove this quote!!!

 

He said: 'Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn't it go better? Why can't our success be more rapid? Why aren't there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don't people just flock to the font? Why isn't the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font? You will have occasion to ask those questions.

 

I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?'

Don't you just love that? :)

Anyways, besides downs, we also had some ups! We will start teaching a part member family onder het mom van 'practicing the lessons on them, since we don't have enough opportunities to teach' (we use that one aaaaall the time :) The new converts were ordained as a deacon and as a priest! :D wooohooo!!!

 

Then a less-active couple that the Lord helped us find came to church for all three hours for the first time, and they're getting married soon as well! yeeeeeeey!!! :D The elders in the other half of the stake had a convert baptism on Saturday :D This stake is on fiiiiiireeeee!!! :D At least, it was... We're working on it :) The first snow is starting to fall!!!! yeeeeey!!!

 

A little bit scary though, because the mountains are very steep, so that will be interesting with our little car. I'm so excited that Christmas is coming up again!!! You won;t believe the amount of Christmas stuff they sell over here!!!! O.O It's crazy!!! :D But it makes me happy :3

 

I'm driving Sister Guy crazy with my Christmas music probably. She's not quite ready for the Christmas hymns yet, hahaha :) 

I love you all. I hope you will have a great week! Send my love to the rest of my family! :) And vergeet niet....Wie zoet is, krijgt lekkers ;)

Lots and Lots of Love

Your Loving Missionary in the field
Sister Spijkermanm <3