Gratitude and Winter

Maandag, 17 november 2014

Heeeey iedereen!!!

It's wintertime!!!! :D wooohooooo!!! The first snow has fallen and we made our first little snowman! :D

This week we were calling the elders about something and we asked if there was something we could do for them. Elder Lins (from Brazil) asked if we could build him a snowman. Well, at that time there was definitely not enough snow to build a snowman. But Saturday we had about 1.5 inch of snow!!! :D So we decided to drive to their apartment. Make a little tiny snowman. It was about the size of a hand, so it was very little, but it was very cute! We knocked on their door and give it to him :) hahaha, the look on his face! It totally made our day! :) He put it in the freezer so he could keep it as a reminder, hahaha :)

 

This story is part of the things that I learned the most this week. I think lately I've been allowing myself to get a little bit disappointed and discouraged, because we don't have a lot of things going on anymore. Which was a very strange feeling, because I've never felt like this before. I've always been optimistic, cheerful, happy and nothing seemed to be able to get me down. So just feeling the opposite felt so strange and so not like me. So rather than focusing on myself and pushing for our numbers and goals I decided that I really wanted to serve the individuals.

 

The biggest miracle that I definitely saw was a miracle in me. When I started focusing on others. On small and simple things that would make them happy, I felt a change in me. Did it change our numbers? Not really. But it changed me. Charity, the pure love of Christ, has the power to change people, both the receiver, but even so more the giver.

 

Since Thanksgiving is coming up we shared a lot of messages with people on gratitude. I realized that I been focusing too much on the things that are not happening rather than the amazing things that have happened in the last couple of months to us.

 

In D&C 18 it says: 'And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!' 

 
Just the fact that we have been able to be part of bringing one soul into the kingdom of our Father should be a great reason to rejoice rather than a reason to complain because 'it was only one'. So I  humbled myself before the Lord, ask Him for forgiveness and start reflecting on the amazing and wonderful experiences that I've had with people on my mission so far.
The work is still hard, as President Uchtdorf said: 'Attitude determines altitude'. Remember the blessings that our Heavenly Father has bestowed on you before. And if He has done it before, He will continue to do so, because that is His nature and His solemn promise. 

I love all of you very much! I'm so grateful for your prayers, thoughts and love :) I need it :)

Lots and Lots of Love

Sister Spijkerman <3

ps. yesterday morning, at 8 am, it was 16 degrees Fahrenheit, so that like -9 degrees celsius... it was soooo

coooooooold!!!