Mission Life #38 work, work, work

Maandag 20 november 2017

Hi everyone!

This is gonna be a short email because nothing happened. Everyone kept cancelling. Our recent convert is doing crazy stuff, so it's been a really interesting week. I feel like I didn't do anything. 

We had a really good lesson with an investigator. We brought a member, our mission leader, told us about a member and that she spoke Dutch! He's an angel, because we had no idea she could speak Dutch 

People always speak Spanish here. And it turned out that she knew one of our investigators! We were planning on teaching the atonement, but we just talked about miracles and how God is a God of miracles. And it was so awesome to talk about that, that was really spiritual! And this sister shared an experience as well. It was perfect.

Oh and we did service! We helped a member who's burned out making guave jam. It was really fun! Let me explain actually. So we were done with weekly planning pretty early. So we didn't know what to do. We were about to call some people when zuster Noij called and asked us to help her. It was 4.30. She needed to leave at 5.15. So we asked president if we could use the car and we could. So we helped her out for like 30 minutes. She really appreciated the help. I love helping people out.

Oh before I forget. I will go back to Suriname next week! I'm excited, but also sad to leave this beautiful island of Bonaire. Well that was it. 

Love you all! Mi stima bo! Mi lobi yu!

Zuster Spijkerman

Mission Life # 37 Curacao

Maandag 13 november 2017.

Okay crazy week! 

Hi everyone!

So last monday we found out that we needed to take bikes from Bonaire to Curacao, but we needed to bring them to a firm Rocargo to get them packed. So we called them at like 11. They told us they closed at 12. We needed to be there before 12. We were grocery shopping, so we finished shopping we dropped off the other sisters. We got home at like 11.30. We looked for the bikes that were in the shed somewhere. It was hard to get out. We put them on the bike rack thing on the car. We left at like 11:45. We got ther at 11:55. Went to the front desk, but we needed to be somewhere else. Finally we found it. They took the bikes. We drove away at 12:03. Sweet! It was funny because sister Jordan wanted to drive faster, but I said 'Sister Jordan, we have God's promise if we keep his commandments.' And God really helped us out!

Tuesday

We were a little bit late, because we needed to pick up the bikes at 8. We were there at 8:15. We needed to be at the airport at 8.30. SNEL! The package was HUGE. It didn't fit in the car. So the firm had a truck and they brought the bike to the airport for us. We checked in, but we couldn't take the bikes. So we went t Swiss port (they can send packages) but it was too big for them too. So we didn't know what to do and we forgot the PHONE. We had the phone number of the senior couple in Curacao, so we called them. Eventually we could arrange that the Rocargo firm picked up the bikes again. So it was 9:10. We drove home to grab the phone (we needed to be at immigration at 9:25, yeah I know crazy). So we grabbed the phone drove back to the airport. We prayed that our flight would be delayed. So we tried to run to immigration. But we had no strength at all. So we just walked fast. We were at immigration at 9:30. I was ready to hear that we were too late. But no. Everything was fine. And actually the plane left earlier! So God hears our prayers, but He gives us what we need! The plane had no delay, but we made it anyway and we were even earlier. It was a big big miracle. And we arrived safely in Curacao where we spent the day with the sisters. We had interviews and we talked to sister Egbert and watched videos for Light the World  https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/light-the-world-25-days-of-service?lang=eng 

Wednesday

ZONE CONFERENCE: about the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was just soo soo strong! We had to do the roleplay (because sister Jordan is STL). And president said we did an excellent job. I messed up a lot I think, but the Spirit took over. The Spirit taught. We read 3 Nephi 11:5-15. While we were reading verse 15 elder Lindley (senior couple who pretended that they were investigators) teared up. The Spirit was so strong. It was amazing. 

Thursday

We had exchanges with the Curacao sisters. In the night we flew back to Bonaire. 

Friday 

During weekly planning we almost dropped someone who was just in the area book but we weren't teaching him. But we decided to call him and he said he was home that day. So we met him. He is awesome. He doesn't believe in religion, but if he finds the true church he will follow that. He is really cool! His name is Andrew.

weekend

Contacting in the morning was so good! We taught Andrew again! It was a really good day! Sunday was good too. We had a really good lesson about the Book of Mormon with one of our investigators. At the end we asked her to pray with us and ask God if this Book is true. So she did (in Papiamentu, but we were able to understand!). Afterwards we asked her how she felt. She said 'it is time for me to read this book'. It was really amazing. I felt the Spirit and I feel the Spirit now I'm writing this as well,  that was a really spiritual experience. After her lesson we had another lesson. The man from Trinidad, that was a really good lesson about the restoration. At the end he read something about the Book of Mormon but we didn't tell him about it becasue we teach that next time. He was like what is this book i want to know more of this. Really cool Then we biked home and a creeper followed us so we bike super fast. It was scary! But God protected us.

 

I feel like I have to testify of the Book of Mormon this week. We've been teaching the Book of Mormon a lot lately. Zone Conference helped me understand how precious the Book of Mormon is. It's truly a treasure, a gift! 

The Book of Mormon helps me understand who my Savior is. The Bible teaches me the stories of Jesus. But the Book of Mormon gives meaning to the stories. I understand why we need a Savior. The Book of Mormon makes me so happy. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, because it testifies of Christ. I learned to love the Book of Mormon, the Spirit I feel while reading it. It is amazing. It is a blessing. I am grateful for all the knowledge God can give me through the Book of Mormon. At the beginning of my mission I didn't really understand why the Book of Mormon was the keystone of our religion. I knew it was important. I knew it was supposed to be the keystone of my testimony. But it wasn't. But I'm on my mission for almost 9 months and I can say that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of my testimony. Without it I have none. I testify of the power of the Book of Mormon in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Zuster Spijkerman en zuster Jordan Bonaire november 2017

Mi stima bo! Mi lobi yu!

Zuster Spijkerman

Mission Life #36 Do you want to hear the gospel?

Maandag, 6 november 2017

Bon tardi! Or nochi depends on where you are! Alles goed?? Met mij wel. Ik zal vertellen waarom.

Last week was amazing. The first two weeks of this transfer were kinda rough, but this last week was amazing. Especially the last two days. So I will tell you all about the spiritualness of Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday

onkruid voor de hulp

We started the day with service! it was international day of service, so we cleaned the church. We weeded the weed. So good to help people! We do a lot of service lately! We also helped the branch president out by weeding his garden and we helped people, that are not interested at all, moving there stuff, because they just moved here from the Netherlands. But Saturday. sorry. We had a powerful lesson with two kids we are teaching. We talked about CPR: Church, Prayer, Read. At the end we invited them to come to church, to pray and to read. And they were so excited to read the Book of Mormon! So sweet. 

onkruid geheel verwijderd na onze hulp

After the lesson we had time to go contacting. So we were standing in front of a house, waiting for someone to come out, when a guy in the car stopped and asked us if we were selling something. Yes? The gospel? (we didn't say that) So we started talking to him. He is from Trinidad! So he said that he sees us biking all the time and he wondered who we were and what we were doing. I think he knew that we were from the church, because he also said that he never knew what our doctrine was. so we asked if he was interested in learning about our doctrine. He said yes, because knowledge is power. So we got his information and made a return appointment for the next day. Then we continued contacting and we were able to talk to a lot of people! It was really amazing.

Sunday

So we were fasting for the white Christmas (did I tell you about that? Baptisms in December). Fasting is so good! Especially because we have testimony meeting then. It was so powerful! I cried a lot. There was also a visitor from Colorado, who served his mission in Croatia. His testimony was really awesome. We wanted to thank him for sharing his testimony afterwards, but he was gone! He disappeared. So sister Jordan and I think it was one of the 3 Nephites. Then the third hour was really good to. We talked about gratitude. I was able to bear my testimony of hoe important it is and how it changed my way of thinking. Someone thanked me for that, because that was exactly what she needed to hear. 

That night we saw the guy we met the day before. It's always hard to find houses haha. Especially when the street is not on the map. So we found his street, but not his house haha. The houses here don't always have the housenumber on it. SO ANNOYING. But oh well, we just ask people, contact people, which is good. So we asked this girl. Turns out she met with missionaries before and that she likes the Book of Mormon. So we got her information and we will schedule an appointment with her when we come back from Curacao, because we have zone conference! Anyway, she didn't really know. Eventually after biking around we called him and we were in front of his house. Perfect! It was an awesome lesson! The Spirit was so strong! When we mentioned the Holy Ghost, he asked if we believed in that too and then he asked what it is and how you and how you can feel it. So we told him that we could feel it at that very moment. We asked him how he felt and he said comfortable. And it is really comfortable to feel the Spirit. It was amazing! 

I know that God puts us there where He needs us. When we first started the new contacting area I was kind of negative, because people told us that other missionaries were already working in that area. So I wondered why God would put us in this specific place. BUT, I know it is His plan. It truly is divine design. I know that people will recognize us! And seriously biking around is so important, because people indeed see us, recognize us. So biking is inspired. Truly inspired. 

I know God lives! He has a body of flesh and bones. The whole purpose is to become like Him. With a perfected body. I know He is helping us in His work. This is His work and His glory. I thank God for giving me the chance to share His perfect plan with people. His plan is a plan of happiness. Jesus Christ is the center. Without Him, the plan would not be perfect. I know these things are true and I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Mi stima bo!

Zuster Spijkerman

pics

- vogel

- before and after weeding

- skulls in front of a house SCARY. Probably don't like missionaries or something...

Mission Life #35

Maandag 30 oktober 2017

Bon tardi! Kon bai?

I really don't know what happened this week. It's been rough scheduling appointments and contacting is a struggle too. But we had some appointments. One was with our recent convert Renzo. He is doing okay. He has a piercing now and he threw a chair at his girlfriend or something who is also a member in this branch. So we were really worried about him. But they are still fine. We are not sure what happened exactly, but we prayed a lot for him. We finally helped him understand why reading the Book of Mormon everyday is so important. We shared 1 Nephi 15:23-24, but 25 is really good too.

23 And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of ironwhich our father saw, that led to the tree?

24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversaryoverpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

25 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.

You have God's promise that if you read the Book of Mormon, you will be able to resist temptation, through the Atonement of Christ. 

We also had a lesson with an investigator. She has a lot of questions and the gospel has literally all the answers. We had a lesson with her last Friday. She asked why she is here and how we know who has the priesthood and all these questions. It just makes me happy, because I know this gospel will help her so so much. 

Funny story. Wednesday we needed to take the car in, because the oil needed to get changed. But then we had no car to drive back. So we needed to walk for like 30 minutes haha. But it was good. Getting to know my companion. We talked about deep questions that one of our investigators has. A lot about why does it matter that God has a body? And how is it possible that we can be healed through the Atonement. So it was a really good talk. My companion is awesome. 

I'm on my mission for 8 months already it's crazy! Time is such a crazy thing don't you think?? 

Well I don't have a lot to say! I just want to say I love you all! I love hearing from you! It's almost Sinterklaas en Kerst. I'm excited. I hope I will be here in Bonaire still. I love it here. It rains a lot lately! Which is nice, because then it's not that hot. 

Oh we saw flamingo's last week!! It's crazy how pink they are. It looks weird when they fly haha. Oh well, all creatures of God. I love the gospel so so much! I know it is true. It can and it will help you a lot when you live it. HAve a great week! Pasa bon tardi!

Mi stima bo! Te amo! Doei doei! Ayo!

Zuster Spijkerman

a kid put this in our shoes and a really green lizzard!

Mission Life #34 Patience. Good things come to those who wait

Maandag 23 oktober 2017

What a week. Anyway. Hello from the other side! Oh sorry apostate.

This week was awesome, but kinda hard. Let me tell you why. We had to prepare a fireside, so we stayed in A LOT. I don't know if it's because I'm a perfectionist and I want it to be nice and perfect or because it actually is a lot of work. The topic was Charity. 

We used the talk of Thomas S. Monson 'Charity that never faileth'. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/charity-never-faileth?lang=eng  

There are some quotes we used from that.  

"I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient." 

So we talked about the charity that doesn't judge, forgives and the kind of charity that is patient. I feel like Heavenly Father tested us a lot, because we were studying and preparing for these things. Our patience was definitely tested. I won't go into detail, because complaining isn't good. Let's just say that we lost our key to the house, got the spare key from the landlord, then we lost it again. BUT WE FOUND IT. 

But I just want to tell you that praying for patience is really hard. Because things will happen that will test your patience, but it is soo good! I want to invite you to pray for patience, because if you are patient, you have more charity, because you are patient with the weaknesses of others, afflictions of others, so you have more understanding and more love. 

Last Friday we went to the airport to pickup the new sister (well she was in Curacao), but she wasn't there. So we drove back and sister Montenegro said that we could stop by one of her investigators. So we did. She wasn't home, but her daughter was. We started talking to her. It was one of the most powerful and spiritual contacts I've had on my mission so far. She told us that her brother got killed. And she almost started crying. She told us that she talked to missionaries before, and that they really helped her. So we testified to her that our message can really help her. We testified that she will see her brother again. We said a prayer with her too. 

I know that God wanted us to meet her, so that's why sister Woodbury wasn't there. God's plan is perfect. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Mi ta stima bo!

Zuster Spijkerman

ps: I will send pictures, because we finally took some of ourselves, because we were matching, because we had the fireside, because I don't know. Just Because. #becauseofHim