Helloooo everyone. I never know how to start my emails. I feel like I always start with the same things every week. Haha I suppose because they are true. I do love you all so much and I am so grateful for your support, letters, emails, prayers, and all that. Zuster Fritz and I carry pictures of our families around and we show them to people all the time during contacting. Mom and Dad, I also tell people all the time about how you joined the Church and your reasons and everything. Belgium is a very Catholic country and so people find it interesting to hear stories like yours Mom. So thanks for the awesome pioneers you were/are. So baby Rhett is the cutest baby ever! I love the pictures. I pray for him all the time. Did my card come? That's so crazy Daniel Hall is home! I remember when he left. Tell him I said hola.
So I don't have a ton of time to write because today we are leaving Antwerpen to do an exciting P-Day in Brugge. We're going with Zuster Van Wauwe, a member in the ward who's picture is all over the mission blog. She is like our Belgian mother, I love her! I'm excited to go, I'll make sure to buy some pretty lace to bring home. Zuster Van Wauwe's non-member friend is also coming which is super awesome! I'm pretty sure he speaks French, but we brought a French Book of Mormon and she can translate for us. I'll take lots of pictures and send some home next week.
It's been an amazing week! The weather here has turned cooold (apparently not even close to how cold it will get though) and it's been raining a lot. Almost everyday actually. I prefer the cold weather though so I don't mind. I'm all about scarves. :) Zuster Fritz was actually sick 2 days this week and we had to stay inside. She got food poisoning from eating African Fufu at a member’s house. I guess sometimes we need to be careful. She's much better now though and we were still able to get a lot down this week.
So miracle of this week -- we set two more baptismal dates! Wahoo! An old Belgian couple named Juliette and Hendrik. They are a member referral from Br Schiltz. Really, member missionary is the way to do it!!! They're in their 70s but so oprecht and they love the gospel already. They live in a really prominent Jewish neighborhood so we never would've met them if it hadn't have been for Br Schiltz as that isn't an area we would go contacting in. Juliette loves reading everything we give her and is amazed she doesn't have to pay us -- haha. Hendrik is hilarious and goes on the LDS website all the time to look up more information. They really do their homework! The only English Hendrik knows is "How are you?" which he says every time he sees us. The funny thing is I don't think he knows what it means because when we say "We are fine, how are you?" He just laughs awkwardly and goes off in Dutch about something else. I love these people! Really, I didn't know it was possible to care for people so much. This is what makes it all worth it. Their date is for October 10th and I am so happy for them.
We've also met with a lot of interesting people this week. Zuster Fritz and I frequently joke that we teach the CRAZY children of God. We met with a man this week who we gave a Book of Mormon to and though he loves the Book of Mormon and reads from it, he claimed that he is on a special mission from Christ to destroy the world and that he is out to punish God. And he claims to be the original Joseph... yeah, I don't know. He said he wants to come to church, which he is of course welcome to do, but I don't think we'll be meeting with him again. Haha those are the times you just have to put them back in God's hands.
Time's up! I love you all with all my heart. Oh, other quick exciting news -- Elder Ballard comes next week! And it's almost September! Crazy awesome. The work is going on!
Met Liefde,
Zuster Holbein
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wat ben ik blij
It was so great to get letters from you all this week! Thank you so much for your support and love and prayers. I'm so happy to hear that all with Rhett is going well. He is absolutely adorable! I sent him a card this past week, so hopefully it will be coming soon. I also bought him a my first words book in Dutch and I can't decide if I want to send it home or just bring it with me when I come back. I can't wait to see pictures from the blessing. You should send pictures of the nursery and stuff too. Julia I am sure you are an amazing mother! And Jake that you are a great father of course. It's crazy that when I get back there will be a baby! Haha weird.
This week has been amazing! We've seen so many people make so much progress and it's wonderful. It's hard to believe that Joseph was only baptized a week ago. He came on joint teach with us this week! Now that was awesome! And also slightly hilarious because he was using all the same questions and scriptures that WE used on HIM. Like, "So according to this scripture, why is baptism important?" It was so great to see; Zuster Fritz and I couldn't stop smiling. He also had us and a member Zuster Van Wauwe over for a Gambian dinner. A lot of times eating African food means fish, but thank goodness this time it was just beef. Haha though I am building up tolerance for it! It was a lot of fun and we also got to see our old investigator who he lives with. Turns out he is Muslim, but is still so friendly and open to hear things. He told us that he's never seen Joseph happier. We taught Joseph about the temple and he is going next month to do baptisms for the dead. Yeah!
All the rest of our investigators are doing great. We've had some really sad disappointments with a few people dropping us, but I really do know that they are in the Lord's hands and their time will come even if it's not now. And we definitely keep on praying for them. We have found so many new wonderful people! Last night we had a wonderful second appointment with twins Sarah and Stella and committed them to being baptized October 9th. They are super positive and are very excited about the Book of Mormon and seeing how it works with the Bible. Lilian is also doing really well. Her date is for the 19th of September and she has made so much progress with things like the Word of Wisdom. She now calls us and asks for more reading from the Book of Mormon -- who does that? She is golden!
One of our tender mercies/miracles for the week came in the mail this past Tuesday. We went to the church for district meeting and Brother Nuyens told us that a letter had come to the church for Zuster Fritz and me. That was a total surprise and we had no idea who would have sent us a note to the church. We asked him who it was from and he said that he didn't know, just someone from the Netherlands. He gave us the letter and it turns out to be from a man named Nico who we met in a consecrated hour a few weeks ago. We met him on a bench when he had just sat down and prayed that God would lead him to truth. We taught him a whole lesson on the plan of salvation, and prayed with him. It was a beautiful lesson. Anyway, he sent us a postcard. I wish I had it with me, but on the back at the end of the letter he wrote "It made my day to talk with you about the love of God and to pray. I read the beautiful book you gave me. It was nothing new or strange but like something I've always known in my heart. I am so grateful that God sent two wonderful young women to our little countries by the sea to spread his word. Thank you." It seriously made me cry. He gave us his correct info; we had the wrong number before, and we gave it to the elders in Amsterdam where he lives and they are going to start teaching him! What a blessing. Every little moment really does count. Every person you talk to, you really never know the effect you have. That's only one of the million reasons why I love this work.
Well that's about all I have time for. Ik hou van jullie. The Church has been restored. We have a prophet on the earth today. Christ lives. Wat ben ik blij!
Met Liefde,
Zuster Holbein
This week has been amazing! We've seen so many people make so much progress and it's wonderful. It's hard to believe that Joseph was only baptized a week ago. He came on joint teach with us this week! Now that was awesome! And also slightly hilarious because he was using all the same questions and scriptures that WE used on HIM. Like, "So according to this scripture, why is baptism important?" It was so great to see; Zuster Fritz and I couldn't stop smiling. He also had us and a member Zuster Van Wauwe over for a Gambian dinner. A lot of times eating African food means fish, but thank goodness this time it was just beef. Haha though I am building up tolerance for it! It was a lot of fun and we also got to see our old investigator who he lives with. Turns out he is Muslim, but is still so friendly and open to hear things. He told us that he's never seen Joseph happier. We taught Joseph about the temple and he is going next month to do baptisms for the dead. Yeah!
All the rest of our investigators are doing great. We've had some really sad disappointments with a few people dropping us, but I really do know that they are in the Lord's hands and their time will come even if it's not now. And we definitely keep on praying for them. We have found so many new wonderful people! Last night we had a wonderful second appointment with twins Sarah and Stella and committed them to being baptized October 9th. They are super positive and are very excited about the Book of Mormon and seeing how it works with the Bible. Lilian is also doing really well. Her date is for the 19th of September and she has made so much progress with things like the Word of Wisdom. She now calls us and asks for more reading from the Book of Mormon -- who does that? She is golden!
One of our tender mercies/miracles for the week came in the mail this past Tuesday. We went to the church for district meeting and Brother Nuyens told us that a letter had come to the church for Zuster Fritz and me. That was a total surprise and we had no idea who would have sent us a note to the church. We asked him who it was from and he said that he didn't know, just someone from the Netherlands. He gave us the letter and it turns out to be from a man named Nico who we met in a consecrated hour a few weeks ago. We met him on a bench when he had just sat down and prayed that God would lead him to truth. We taught him a whole lesson on the plan of salvation, and prayed with him. It was a beautiful lesson. Anyway, he sent us a postcard. I wish I had it with me, but on the back at the end of the letter he wrote "It made my day to talk with you about the love of God and to pray. I read the beautiful book you gave me. It was nothing new or strange but like something I've always known in my heart. I am so grateful that God sent two wonderful young women to our little countries by the sea to spread his word. Thank you." It seriously made me cry. He gave us his correct info; we had the wrong number before, and we gave it to the elders in Amsterdam where he lives and they are going to start teaching him! What a blessing. Every little moment really does count. Every person you talk to, you really never know the effect you have. That's only one of the million reasons why I love this work.
Well that's about all I have time for. Ik hou van jullie. The Church has been restored. We have a prophet on the earth today. Christ lives. Wat ben ik blij!
Met Liefde,
Zuster Holbein
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Smiling Coast of Africa
Tjonge Jonge. What an amazing week. Really, no email I could ever write could describe the wonderful, blessed week this has been. We truly have been blessed by the Lord is so many ways. I can't remember a time thus far on my mission that I have been so happy or felt so much love from those I serve and those I serve with.
Thank you so much for your prayers. I feel them. I received a blessing this week and was told that the prayers of those at home would be a great benefit to me. I believe that.
I am so happy to hear that all is going well with baby Rhett! He is so cute. I talk about him all the time, it's a great way to start a contact with people.
So there is so much to tell you all. First of all, we found out about transfers last night and... Zuster Fritz and I are both staying right here in Antwerpen! Yeah! I am so so so so happy to be staying. I wasn't worried to leave, but things are getting on a roll here and there are so many people I want to stay and help. So yes, another 6 weeks here in this blessed city. I have a feeling the best is yet to come. :)
Other random news, we found out at zone conference that the dress code for sisters has been changed. All over the world now we are no longer required to wear tights, and the skirts just have to cover the knee. And they want us to wear more color and pattern. Haha wahoo! :)
Monday night was spent in Amsterdam and was an answer to prayers. Zuster Cranford, who was actually in my younger group in the MTC, and I got to go out and do finding together. It was awesome! It was my first experience being the senior companion which was crazy but so fun. It helped me feel a lot more confidence in my Dutch and my abilities as a missionary. We had a blast talking to all kinds of amazing people and I rode my first bike since I've been on my mission. Crazy but true. We just walk everywhere here. I have come to realize that contacting people is the best medicine ever. If I'm ever feeling sad or thinking too much about myself, all I have to do is go contact someone and immediately I feel better.
Tuesday we had mission-wide sister exchanges. Zuster Sharp, Zuster Fritz’s MTC companion, came down to Antwerpen with me for two days and we saw so many miracles. Zuster Brubaker actually came with us on Tuesday and we found a new investigator, taught several powerful lessons, and got soaking wet while running to catch a tram in the rain. Haha Zuster Brubaker certainly got a real missionary experience! Wednesday night we traveled back up to Den Haag and stayed the night in the apartment there with 5 other sisters which was a lot of fun. And then Thursday was zone conference in Leiden. President Brubaker actually wasn't able to be there, which was crazy, because he hurt his toe and was in the hospital! No worries, he's fine now. The assistants did a wonderful job teaching us. The theme was “What is the doctrine of Christ?” We're studying 3 Nephi 11 and 27 and it's been really cool. Oh, and my flute came that day, and I played it at the last minute for a musical number at zone conference. It felt so good to play again, but I definitely need to practice before Elder Ballard comes. Elder Reltiz who plays piano, Elder Wood who plays violin, and myself are playing a really pretty arrangement of Beautiful Savior.
Friday night we had a movie night at the church and watched The Testaments. It was seriously so powerful and we had a lot of investigators come. It was the perfect pump up for Saturday morning and the baptism of Joseph Mendy!!! Oh my goodness words can not do justice to the beauty of that day. Everything was perfect. Joseph was so prepared and so happy. He was glowing. We had a wonderful turnout from the ward, and a bunch of the African sisters brought food to eat. Joseph is truly a different person now. We didn't take anything from his faith, but we really did just add so much. We got him a quad as a surprise for his baptism and he loves it. He brought it to church on Sunday and was already marking it up. I am so happy for him and am excited to help him progress and make his way to the temple. On Sunday after receiving the Holy Ghost he was telling everyone that this was the happiest day of his life. I think I've told you before, but he comes from Gambia, or as he likes to call it "the smiling coast of Africa." Gambia is actually 95 percent Muslim, so it is a miracle that he has such faith in Jesus Christ. Seeing his progression in this gospel has been a miracle. You'll have to look on the blog for his full story. Zuster Fritz and I are sending it in today.
I love you all so much. Thank you for everything you do for me. I know this gospel is true. It's everything, people HAVE to have it. I'm grateful for my chance to serve the Lord. It's the best thing ever. Echt waar. :)
Met liefde,
Zuster Holbein
Thank you so much for your prayers. I feel them. I received a blessing this week and was told that the prayers of those at home would be a great benefit to me. I believe that.
I am so happy to hear that all is going well with baby Rhett! He is so cute. I talk about him all the time, it's a great way to start a contact with people.
So there is so much to tell you all. First of all, we found out about transfers last night and... Zuster Fritz and I are both staying right here in Antwerpen! Yeah! I am so so so so happy to be staying. I wasn't worried to leave, but things are getting on a roll here and there are so many people I want to stay and help. So yes, another 6 weeks here in this blessed city. I have a feeling the best is yet to come. :)
Other random news, we found out at zone conference that the dress code for sisters has been changed. All over the world now we are no longer required to wear tights, and the skirts just have to cover the knee. And they want us to wear more color and pattern. Haha wahoo! :)
Monday night was spent in Amsterdam and was an answer to prayers. Zuster Cranford, who was actually in my younger group in the MTC, and I got to go out and do finding together. It was awesome! It was my first experience being the senior companion which was crazy but so fun. It helped me feel a lot more confidence in my Dutch and my abilities as a missionary. We had a blast talking to all kinds of amazing people and I rode my first bike since I've been on my mission. Crazy but true. We just walk everywhere here. I have come to realize that contacting people is the best medicine ever. If I'm ever feeling sad or thinking too much about myself, all I have to do is go contact someone and immediately I feel better.
Tuesday we had mission-wide sister exchanges. Zuster Sharp, Zuster Fritz’s MTC companion, came down to Antwerpen with me for two days and we saw so many miracles. Zuster Brubaker actually came with us on Tuesday and we found a new investigator, taught several powerful lessons, and got soaking wet while running to catch a tram in the rain. Haha Zuster Brubaker certainly got a real missionary experience! Wednesday night we traveled back up to Den Haag and stayed the night in the apartment there with 5 other sisters which was a lot of fun. And then Thursday was zone conference in Leiden. President Brubaker actually wasn't able to be there, which was crazy, because he hurt his toe and was in the hospital! No worries, he's fine now. The assistants did a wonderful job teaching us. The theme was “What is the doctrine of Christ?” We're studying 3 Nephi 11 and 27 and it's been really cool. Oh, and my flute came that day, and I played it at the last minute for a musical number at zone conference. It felt so good to play again, but I definitely need to practice before Elder Ballard comes. Elder Reltiz who plays piano, Elder Wood who plays violin, and myself are playing a really pretty arrangement of Beautiful Savior.
Friday night we had a movie night at the church and watched The Testaments. It was seriously so powerful and we had a lot of investigators come. It was the perfect pump up for Saturday morning and the baptism of Joseph Mendy!!! Oh my goodness words can not do justice to the beauty of that day. Everything was perfect. Joseph was so prepared and so happy. He was glowing. We had a wonderful turnout from the ward, and a bunch of the African sisters brought food to eat. Joseph is truly a different person now. We didn't take anything from his faith, but we really did just add so much. We got him a quad as a surprise for his baptism and he loves it. He brought it to church on Sunday and was already marking it up. I am so happy for him and am excited to help him progress and make his way to the temple. On Sunday after receiving the Holy Ghost he was telling everyone that this was the happiest day of his life. I think I've told you before, but he comes from Gambia, or as he likes to call it "the smiling coast of Africa." Gambia is actually 95 percent Muslim, so it is a miracle that he has such faith in Jesus Christ. Seeing his progression in this gospel has been a miracle. You'll have to look on the blog for his full story. Zuster Fritz and I are sending it in today.
I love you all so much. Thank you for everything you do for me. I know this gospel is true. It's everything, people HAVE to have it. I'm grateful for my chance to serve the Lord. It's the best thing ever. Echt waar. :)
Met liefde,
Zuster Holbein
Monday, August 9, 2010
Yea for Baby Rhett!!!
Hoi family! Greetings from Amsterdam!
We are doing exchanges tomorrow and so Zuster Fritz and I came up early to spend the night with the sisters here. So we ended up getting on the local train by mistake and are now super late so we don't really have time to email. Oh and in the Netherlands they have American keyboards which now seem totally foreign to me, I'm having a really hard time typing! Haha.
Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures of baby Rhett! They made me cry, though really everything has been making me cry lately, it's been a very emotional week. I am so happy for you Jake and Julia. What a wonderful blessing to our family. I have a card I want to send but I don't have your address, so if you could send it that would be great!
So a quick run down -- this week has been inspiring! So many blessings and tender mercies. Joseph is 100 klaar for his doop and the ward is already really taking him in. He'll be baptized this Saturday at 11. Oh man it's going to be so good!
We have also found a lot of beautiful new investigators and they are making a lot of progress. Ethel and her son Steven who we have been teaching English to came to our football match with the other missionaries and played along. We also had an awesome FHE with them and they are reading from the BOM and praying together daily. The gospel really helps families so much, it’s awesome.
I'm sorry but that's all the time I have for now! There will be lots more to tell next week this week is going to be crazy awesome including exchanges, zone conference, testament movie night at church, and Joseph’s baptism.
I love you all and will be praying extra hard for Julia and Jake and baby Rhett.
Met veel liefde,
Zuster Holbein
We are doing exchanges tomorrow and so Zuster Fritz and I came up early to spend the night with the sisters here. So we ended up getting on the local train by mistake and are now super late so we don't really have time to email. Oh and in the Netherlands they have American keyboards which now seem totally foreign to me, I'm having a really hard time typing! Haha.
Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures of baby Rhett! They made me cry, though really everything has been making me cry lately, it's been a very emotional week. I am so happy for you Jake and Julia. What a wonderful blessing to our family. I have a card I want to send but I don't have your address, so if you could send it that would be great!
So a quick run down -- this week has been inspiring! So many blessings and tender mercies. Joseph is 100 klaar for his doop and the ward is already really taking him in. He'll be baptized this Saturday at 11. Oh man it's going to be so good!
We have also found a lot of beautiful new investigators and they are making a lot of progress. Ethel and her son Steven who we have been teaching English to came to our football match with the other missionaries and played along. We also had an awesome FHE with them and they are reading from the BOM and praying together daily. The gospel really helps families so much, it’s awesome.
I'm sorry but that's all the time I have for now! There will be lots more to tell next week this week is going to be crazy awesome including exchanges, zone conference, testament movie night at church, and Joseph’s baptism.
I love you all and will be praying extra hard for Julia and Jake and baby Rhett.
Met veel liefde,
Zuster Holbein
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Happiness
Dearest family,
No baby yet? Crazy stuff, I've been praying for baby Rhett and Julia and Jake and all of you all week. I really have felt a special spirit this week and we've been seeing miracles like crazy. I think Rhett's been helping us out! I'm so excited for you Julia! I bought a baby book for Rhett this week and I'm either going to send it to you or just give it to you when I come back cause I'm poor haha. I did write him a card today though so that should be coming soon. Oh, except for the fact that I don't have your new address. Haha so if you could send that that would be great! Congrats on your Eagle Scout project William it sounds like it went great -- way to be a good example! Thank you Mom and Dad for your words of wisdom, they mean a lot.
This week has been too good to be true. Honestly, so many times this week I have just had to stop and ask myself, “Is this kind of happiness really possible? Like, can things really go so well?” The Lord is blessing us. Every day I become more aware of how aware HE is of US. It's incredible -- absolutely blows my mind.
I'm a little tired today to be honest, but my spirits are high. A lot of the missionaries have been sick here lately, it's weird. The weather has been rainy and cold the past week and I think that has something to do with it. I was feeling fluish for a while but luckily it's mostly all gone now. And the work goes on. :)
This week has been a blast. We've been running around like crazy trying to teach everyone and help those with baptismal dates make progress. Satan is really working on these people. Opposition really does come when we try and do what's right. Luckily these are some of the most amazing, faithful people I've met. I have full confidence they'll all endure and pull through. I know they would appreciate your prayers.
So let's see, some highlights. On Wednesday we went with the elders to a recent convert's house for dinner. His name is Rene and he is amazing! He reminds me of Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast actually. He made us his "world famous spaghetti" and even invited a non-member friend. It was a lot of fun and his friend was really interested! The funniest part of the evening was the end though. We decided to all sing for them before we went, but one of the poor elders, who's name I will not mention haha, who was there on exchanges couldn't really sing too well. Haha so when we started singing Rene just made this crazy face, and so Zuster Fritz and I busted up laughing. That always seems to happen to us. We managed to stop but it was really funny.
So our miracle of the week is Joseph Mendy. I know I've mentioned him before but he is 27, from Gambia, and will be baptized August 14th. He is absolutely amazing! Really, his faith in God and in his Savior is beautiful. We had a power-packed week teaching him obedience, the Word of Wisdom, the 10 commandments, and the law of chastity, all of which he already keeps and feels very passionately about. When we taught him the law of chastity he said he was so upset with the way the world has been living and wants to go on national TV to stop pornography. Can we say “next general authority” anyone? I think so.
The real miracle came on Sunday. It was fast and testimony meeting so before church we explained to him how everything was going to work. During the meeting I sat next to him and then Zuster Fritz sat with Grace, a convert of about a year, right behind us. Grace really wanted to bear her testimony but she'd never done it before and was super nervous so she asked Zuster Fritz to go up with her. So they started walking up and then all of a sudden Joseph turned to me and said, "So are we going next?" Haha I was so surprised! I asked him if he wanted to go up and he said yes he had something to say. So we went up and he bore the most powerful testimony! Ahhh it was amazing. He talked about how happy he was to have found this church and how he loved how much more it teaches him about the word of God and Jesus Christ. He talked about the importance of all working together as saints of God to build up the church. It was wonderful! Zuster Fritz started crying and I could not stop smiling. It was a moment of happiness I will never forget.
THIS is what t is all about. We teach these people and then to be able to hear them get up and testify that they have a testimony is just wonderful. I feel so honored to be able to be a part of this great work. Tonight we are going to a member's home with Joseph to teach about following the prophet and we're going to watch Special Witnesses of Christ. I'm so excited! Zuster Fritz and I even made fried rice for the occasion which was quite the adventure, including Zuster Fritz catching the oven mitt on fire, me grabbing the pan with my hand (bad idea), and spilling rice all over the floor. Oh how I love my life.
Met liefde,
Zuster Holbein
No baby yet? Crazy stuff, I've been praying for baby Rhett and Julia and Jake and all of you all week. I really have felt a special spirit this week and we've been seeing miracles like crazy. I think Rhett's been helping us out! I'm so excited for you Julia! I bought a baby book for Rhett this week and I'm either going to send it to you or just give it to you when I come back cause I'm poor haha. I did write him a card today though so that should be coming soon. Oh, except for the fact that I don't have your new address. Haha so if you could send that that would be great! Congrats on your Eagle Scout project William it sounds like it went great -- way to be a good example! Thank you Mom and Dad for your words of wisdom, they mean a lot.
This week has been too good to be true. Honestly, so many times this week I have just had to stop and ask myself, “Is this kind of happiness really possible? Like, can things really go so well?” The Lord is blessing us. Every day I become more aware of how aware HE is of US. It's incredible -- absolutely blows my mind.
I'm a little tired today to be honest, but my spirits are high. A lot of the missionaries have been sick here lately, it's weird. The weather has been rainy and cold the past week and I think that has something to do with it. I was feeling fluish for a while but luckily it's mostly all gone now. And the work goes on. :)
This week has been a blast. We've been running around like crazy trying to teach everyone and help those with baptismal dates make progress. Satan is really working on these people. Opposition really does come when we try and do what's right. Luckily these are some of the most amazing, faithful people I've met. I have full confidence they'll all endure and pull through. I know they would appreciate your prayers.
So let's see, some highlights. On Wednesday we went with the elders to a recent convert's house for dinner. His name is Rene and he is amazing! He reminds me of Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast actually. He made us his "world famous spaghetti" and even invited a non-member friend. It was a lot of fun and his friend was really interested! The funniest part of the evening was the end though. We decided to all sing for them before we went, but one of the poor elders, who's name I will not mention haha, who was there on exchanges couldn't really sing too well. Haha so when we started singing Rene just made this crazy face, and so Zuster Fritz and I busted up laughing. That always seems to happen to us. We managed to stop but it was really funny.
So our miracle of the week is Joseph Mendy. I know I've mentioned him before but he is 27, from Gambia, and will be baptized August 14th. He is absolutely amazing! Really, his faith in God and in his Savior is beautiful. We had a power-packed week teaching him obedience, the Word of Wisdom, the 10 commandments, and the law of chastity, all of which he already keeps and feels very passionately about. When we taught him the law of chastity he said he was so upset with the way the world has been living and wants to go on national TV to stop pornography. Can we say “next general authority” anyone? I think so.
The real miracle came on Sunday. It was fast and testimony meeting so before church we explained to him how everything was going to work. During the meeting I sat next to him and then Zuster Fritz sat with Grace, a convert of about a year, right behind us. Grace really wanted to bear her testimony but she'd never done it before and was super nervous so she asked Zuster Fritz to go up with her. So they started walking up and then all of a sudden Joseph turned to me and said, "So are we going next?" Haha I was so surprised! I asked him if he wanted to go up and he said yes he had something to say. So we went up and he bore the most powerful testimony! Ahhh it was amazing. He talked about how happy he was to have found this church and how he loved how much more it teaches him about the word of God and Jesus Christ. He talked about the importance of all working together as saints of God to build up the church. It was wonderful! Zuster Fritz started crying and I could not stop smiling. It was a moment of happiness I will never forget.
THIS is what t is all about. We teach these people and then to be able to hear them get up and testify that they have a testimony is just wonderful. I feel so honored to be able to be a part of this great work. Tonight we are going to a member's home with Joseph to teach about following the prophet and we're going to watch Special Witnesses of Christ. I'm so excited! Zuster Fritz and I even made fried rice for the occasion which was quite the adventure, including Zuster Fritz catching the oven mitt on fire, me grabbing the pan with my hand (bad idea), and spilling rice all over the floor. Oh how I love my life.
Met liefde,
Zuster Holbein
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