U Wil Ik Volgen, Heer (Lord, I Would Follow Thee)

Hallo!

So this is something I've been thinking about and thought I´d share with you all:

Doctrine and Covenants 3:1-3, the most important part being verse 3, "Remember, remember, that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men." Recently I read another talk where a little girl, after suffering a disappointment, says something to the effect of "Heavenly Father, I don´t want you to be my servant anymore. I just want to be yours." Sometimes I get frustrated or disappointed with myself or how the work in my area is progressing. It is easy to feel discouraged. But really, these kinds of thoughts are self-centered. If there is a work that can be and is being frustrated, than it is that of mortal people. So if the work I am doing is being frustrated, it is because I´m trying to do my work and not His. There are times that we experience different trials and heartache because He is out to purify us. There are often things in missionary work that just break our hearts: people not willing to just read and pray about the Book of Mormon, investigators that struggle with addictions or with specific commitments, new members who are having a hard time, inactive members who don´t realize what they are missing by staying away from the Church. This is eternal life! This is all of the happiness we can receive in the entire world. This is everything to me and can mean so much for these people. And it´s hard. But it´s supposed to be. It´s also worth it. No matter what the opposition is, it is the work of the Lord and He is doing it. And it is always, always worth it. I have been so happy on my mission. I am so happy right now. The Lord has blessed me so much. There are of course things that I need to change to make myself a more effective servant of the Lord. But we need never fear or grow discouraged. This work is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true. And I´m so grateful for that.

Probably one of the biggest miracles we've been seeing this week is how much our investigator has been progressing. We actually loaned him an extra copy of Preach My Gospel that we had in our apartment and during some of the lessons we have him prepare to teach us the lesson. It´s been working really well. He´s finally making a lot more progress with quitting coffee and he has a baptismal date again. It is truly remarkable to see the change in him. He is a different person than he was 3 months ago, and it´s not just the knowledge that he has gained. He has become someone who feels spiritual things. It is a miracle.

Life is good. I love the gospel, I love my Heavenly Father and Savior, and I love all of you. Have a great week!

Sunshine in the Soul

Some of our biggest miracles came in the form of new investigators. We met a lady on Koningsdag who we had a lesson with this week. She is really interested in learning more and is very open. She also seems pretty committed to doing things to find her answers, which is cool. She has gone to lots of churches in the past and already has a lot of faith. Also this week we had a first lesson with a former investigator who was super positive and then just ended up getting really busy with work and then confused by things he heard from other people and other religions. But he´s also really open and committed to learning more.

Then we also had a few miracles with progressing investigators. One of the women we´ve been teaching is Russian, and so there is a tricky language barrier. But this week one of our members (who is also Russian) was able to come with us and that helped a lot. And another lady we started teaching last week, is turning out to be pretty positive. When we first met her she didn´t seem very interested, but during our last appointment she had already started reading the Book of Mormon and seems to understand that this is important. 

Also, our investigator closest to baptism is finally making progress stopping drinking coffee!

Rainy week in terms of weather, but there is always sunshine in the soul.

One of the things that I´ve been thinking about lately is about how Heavenly Father calls us to certain things or gives us certain trials or experiences in life to help us in our quest to become more like Him. Knowing is important. Doing is important. But becoming is the most important of all. That´s what the gospel and the Atonement are all about. The gospel changes us into something better. When we have faith in Jesus Christ, then we repent and change. We make covenants and start over fresh with baptism and by partaking of the sacrament. And we receive the Holy Ghost to sanctify us and help us on our journey home. Everything in life is made better through the gospel of Jesus Christ and through His Atonement. Some people think that they can do without, that faith isn´t that important. But it´s not true. This is everything. This is eternal life. This is enduring peace, happiness, and hope. This is answers to all the questions we have about life, both this one and the next one. I have found more joy in this than in anything else in the world, and it adds to all the joy I find in other things. I just want other people to be able to find that joy too. People ask us why we emphasize the Book of Mormon so much. It´s because reading it and praying about it have opened so much happiness to me. Why wouldn´t I want to share that with other people? Shall we not go on in so great a cause?

Love,

Zuster Stevens

Worth It

By far the highlight of this week was going to the temple. I love going to the temple so much, it is unbelievable how much I missed that the last 6 months. It always gives me such a new perspective on life and everything. One of our biggest goals for all these people is that they eventually be able to go to the temple as well. There is so much peace and joy there. I want everyone to be able to experience that.
We had a couple other cool miracles this week too. We had two unexpected lessons--one was with a potential who had not seemed very positive but who said we could come back. So we went back this week and she just let us in! At first she seemed sort of hesitant, but by the end of the lesson she was interested in learning more. The next evening we were just finding in a neighborhood after another potential wasn't home, and someone just let us up. The people living in the apartment turned out to not be too interested, but they had a neighbor over and he asked us good questions that led into the Restoration, and wants to meet with us again. It was neat because he said that he´d been living in that apartment for awhile and no one had ever come by to talk about religion before us. And then we belled his neighbor while he was there. He said that he doesn't believe in coincidence. Me neither--toeval bestaat niet! [there are no coincidences]

One of the things that I learned this week is that what we do and accomplish is not as important as what we become. Sometimes we wish that we had all the answers before we started a job or a calling (or a mission). Then we would have been the whole time the person that we wanted to be at the beginning, instead of learning it and becoming it and then only having a bit of time at the end to be that before it´s time for us to move on. But that defeats the purpose! If Heavenly Father wanted us to do everything right the first time, then we would have come with more experience. But He wants us to learn and grow from it.

Love,

Zuster Stevens

Picture is worth a thousand words: Keukenhof

[Keukenhof, in Lisse, also known as the Garden of Europe, is the world's second largest flower garden.]

Oranje!

Happy Koningsdag! 

Well, of course one of the greatest miracles about this week was Koningsdag [which is the King's birthday; he was the Prince of Orange]. We were in market in Dordrecht with the Sliedrecht Elders and the Gouda Sisters having a booth to give stuff away and it was a lot of fun. We were able to give away probably at least 30 Books of Mormon, probably more, and we gave away tons of cards. Also plenty of pamphlets and DVDs. We also had a lot of really good conversations with people and several of them were genuinely interested in learning more. Also, one of our investigators that Sister A and I found who was really positive but then got busy/sort of disappeared showed up too and we got to talk to him! We'd already made an appointment with him on the phone, but it was cool to see him and get to talk to him a little bit. And he had another friend with him that might be interested too, so that was a great miracle. And one of the greatest miracles of all that day: it didn't rain a drop the whole day, even though we were supposed to get at least a bit of a storm.

Best part of Koningsdag? Lots of orange.

Sometimes it's difficult to watch members or investigators really struggling with certain trials--either those they caused for themselves or those that just happened in their lives. But it's important to remember that first of all those trials exist for all of us. It's all part of the plan! We accepted it when we chose to come here. And second, great trials make great people. There has never been a great man or woman without a great effort against a great problem. The one thing ALL successful people have in common is that they endured a difficult situation. We can't wish away our difficulties. They are what refine us.

Also, I love Alma 26:2-3, 11-12. (And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell? Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. ... I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.) One of the greatest gifts of a mission is the privilege to be an instrument in the hands of God.

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Zuster Stevens

Easter!

It´s Easter! And for those of you that think it´s not still Easter, welcome to Nederland. We are enjoying a very quiet second Easter here. There is literally no one on the streets.

We had a super cool lesson this week with a family here. She is a member from Costa Rica and he is very religious but not a member. Before they got married, so 10 years ago, he came to a sacrament meeting here and just didn't really like it that much. Then when he was in Costa Rica he met with the missionaries once and basically had a bad experience with it. Then they got married and moved here and they would only go to church in Costa Rica when they went on vacation. My first week in Dordrecht they came to church, apparently because he felt like they should. They were gone for the rest of that transfer on vacation, but last Sunday they came to church again and we set up an appointment. We had a really good talk with them and were able to answer one of his big questions, about why a restoration was necessary. His wife told us later that that was one of his big concerns. They are a wonderfully nice couple and it was really nice to be there with them and see how the Lord has been working with him in particular to prepare him.

Also, last night we had a stake Easter concert, and it was beautiful. Our investigator came too and seemed to really enjoy it. And one of our members brought a friend and she seemed to have a really good time.

I think that one of my favorite things to remember and try to internalize during the Easter season is hope. No matter how dark the Friday, Sunday will come. We run into difficult trials and frustrating things on nearly a daily basis--not just in missionary work, but also in life. But it doesn´t matter, actually, what happens during these trials--there is always hope, because the tomb was empty. Jesus Christ atoned and died for us. But then he rose again, that we may all live again. I know that this is true.

Life is good! Hope all is well for all of you!

Referral Miracles!

Referral miracle week! So we ended up getting 3 referrals from the Facebook project this week, (our mission has a Facebook page and they´re doing an Easter campaign) which is just super exciting. One of the ladies was super nice and said that we could come back! That was cool. But better yet was our headquarters referral, who we went to see yesterday. He's a young man who saw an "I am a Mormon" video online and wanted to learn more and get a copy of the Book of Mormon. So he's already been reading the Book of Mormon (from an app) and is up through 2 Nephi 9. Say what?! He´s studying history and really likes the Book of Mormon so far. And he said that there are some things that we believe that he also believes but hadn't heard from other people before. And we've got an appointment set up for this week and we're really excited!

Also, our other investigator has been making some amazing progress. A couple days ago he made a major breakthrough in feeling the Spirit in a very rational way testify to him that God exists. He really feels like this is enriching his life and he´s just doing really well. He's also getting excited all on his own to share it with other people. He is giving a Book of Mormon to a friend and has a list of people that he wants to invite to his baptism! So we're finalizing our plans for his baptism!

I really liked this quote from President Eyring from his Conference address last October conference, especially when it comes to difficult or discouraging times in missionary work, "There is joy guaranteed for the faithful. From before the world was, a loving Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son loved and worked with those who They knew would wander. God will love them forever."

As I said in my sacrament meeting talk yesterday, faith precedes the miracle. The miracles will come as we trust in Him. One of my favorite talks, "But If Not" by Elder Dennis E. Simmons, talks about this. We will be obedient no matter what. Even if the blessings that we want don´t come, we will be faithful. And we do this because we can have a perfect hope that no matter what happens in this life, we will receive far greater blessings in the eternal world.

Hope all is well! I love being a missionary!

And When Everyone's Super...

Of course, one of the highlights of this week was conference. I loved ALL the talks and really can´t pick a favorite, so hold your questions on that one. I have to admit, I was a really big fan of Elder Ballard´s talk, mainly because it´s about missionary work! I love it! Conference seriously is the best.

We had a good week. One of our miracles is that our investigator came to all the broadcasted sessions of General Conference and seemed to really like it!  We also had a lesson with a former investigator who seemed  pretty closed off when we first contacted him. But during our lesson he had lots of really good questions. He still has a lot of his own views, but it was a cool lesson.

One of the things I learned this week comes from a false statement made on the Incredibles. The bad guy on the show says, "And when everyone´s super...no one will be." I realized that this is absolutely false in the context of the gospel. I think a lot of people go on their missions or go about their lives secretly hoping to be a hero, to be a legend. Even if it´s a desire they would never vocalize, most people want that at least to some extent. We want to be remembered, and we want to be special. But then we come into the field or make a few mistakes in life or just aren´t what we originally envisioned at this point in our lives. Then we realize that we actually have a really long ways to go, and it seems impossible that we´ll become that hero that we want to be--partly because we´re carrying a false idea with us that if everyone´s super, that makes us less super. The solution to this false doctrine is realizing that just because there are many heroes doesn´t mean that we can´t also be heroes. One of the beautiful things about a mission is that there are enough problems, trials, struggles, and tests to go around. No one has a monopoly on a difficult mission or life or on all of the trials. We all have the opportunity to experience those trials at the same time--and everyone also has the chance to be a leader. It might not always be in a visible position. It might not be to all of the missionaries or to all of our colleagues or friends. We might not end up as a legend to anyone besides one companion, one investigator, one little branch, one friend, or even just our family. But there are enough chances for us to ALL be super. Because we are literally children of God, we are all super. We are divine. And if nothing else, we can be a legend to our Heavenly Father, because He knows what we´ve gone through, even if no one else ever does. And His opinion is the only one that ever really matters.

We are never too old to learn. We are never too old to change. I love General Conference because it is a 6 month reminder of that fact. There is always room for improvement, but there is always time and hope as long as the Master says there is.

Sister Thorley and I are doing fantastic! We will have a very good transfer.

I hope you´re all doing well!

Love,

Zuster Stevens