Conference & More

Dear Family,

Hey hey hey. :) Happy April -- finally warm weather! This week has been warmer! We've had a few cold days and today seems a little bi-polar, but for the most part it has been beautiful. The weather was perfect for conference! It was funny, last night when we were watching the Sunday morning session I saw snow in Utah! Haha it made me a lot more grateful for the weather here. We haven't seen snow in a while (fingers crossed).

And yes, I did see Sister Bradford and I told everyone -- hey I know her! And she always smells really nice. Haha, funny but true, I always remember her perfume. Oh and congrats to President Hymas! I jumped when I heard them say that, and I turned to Zuster Kremer and said, "My stake president is Robert W. Hymas... I wonder if that's him!!" I love the Hymas family, please send them my love.

Anyway, it's been a glorious week! Conference was amazing. I'm looking forward to the talks going online or to getting a conference issue so that I can read the Sunday afternoon session. We got to see both Saturday sessions and then the Sunday morning one. So many inspired talks were given. A few of our investigators were able to come, but a lot couldn't. Satan seemed to be going crazy pulling at these people this past week. Zuster Kremer and I took notes on each talk though as if we were listening as our investigators and we're going to go to their homes and listen to them with them as soon as they go online.

I loved being able to watch conference here in Amsterdam. I remember last conference I was also here, but it was at the beginning of my time, and I didn't know as many people, and I remember missing Antwerpen a lot. But this time I really felt so at home. I love it here in Amsterdam. I love the ward, I love the investigators, I love my companion. I love how no matter where in the world we are from, we have the gospel that can unite us.

Oh, other random exciting news -- Zuster Kremer taught me/is in the process of teaching me how to pray in Hungarian! I can say a very simple, short prayer. Let's just say I am SO happy I didn't have to learn Hungarian. I think I would've cried in the MTC... haha more than I already did with Dutch.

We were blessed with many miracles this week. The story or theme of the past little while with everyone has seemed to be "why is life so hard?" That's why I was so grateful for many of the conference talks, especially the one by that one Seventy... I can't remember his name. It's been great though because it's really given me the chance to look at my own life and how I react to adversity. I have been studying lately the difference between "acting” and "reacting." I think in life it is so much easier to "react" to everything that goes on around us. When the weather isn't good, or when people slam doors, or try to hit you with a bike chain (true story this past week), or when investigators don't progress, or when you're tired. It's so easy to think, dang it, that stinks, now I can't be happy. But no, happiness is a choice. Just like faith. We get to choose every day how we are going to feel. And why not choose to be happy? Not only does it make your life so much better, but also the lives of those around you. Everyone likes to be around a happy person. It really does make all the difference. I've been trying a lot harder this past week to make the conscious effort to just be happy, no matter what. It's been making a big difference and it's cool to be able to testify to people that it works.

My other big personal miracle happened this past Tuesday. In preparation for a lesson with someone on the restoration, I was studying, well yeah, the restoration. I was reading the Joseph Smith story and scriptures about the apostasy, and all of a sudden in hit me, really big, and really strong... IT'S ALL TRUE. Like really, really. The restoration happened! Joseph Smith DID see God and Jesus Christ and they DID call him as a prophet to restore the true, full gospel of Jesus Christ back on the earth. Incredible! I've known it my whole life but it just hit me at once. My insides felt like they were going to burst and I felt so warm! I couldn't hold it in and I turned to Zuster Kremer and said, “It’s true!!!" Haha poor dear, probably thought I was crazy. But it really hit me, and I started to cry and I just felt so full. I know it's true. The Holy Spirit confirmed it to me in such a powerful way, I'll never forget it. It was wonderful.

I love being a missionary with all my heart. I frequently tell Zuster Kremer I hope my mission loves me as much as I love it.

Thank you all for everything! I love love love love you all and pray for you all the time. :)

Met liefde,
Zuster Holbein