Cows & Testimony Builders

Hallo! Just another eventful week over here! First I hope you all had a glorious week and had the chance to watch or listen to General Conference. General Conference was outstanding..but I'll get to that later. Can you believe that it is April already? Yeah I can't! Still really cold.. we have teaser days where it is warm and sunny but then the next day it is right back to being cold and rainy. Spring is coming and it will stay soon. Fingers crossed. Alright so about this week: 1- last Monday we went to Gent, Belgium. It was absolutely gorgeous! We visited the Cathedrals and the Castle. Simply beautiful. I feel so lucky to be here and see this part of the world. 2-Zoetermeer! Spent the night in Zoetermeer Thursday and then got to work all day Friday with Zr. Faa while our companions were at Mission Leader Council. Which was just a blast. Friday morning we went to a recent convert's farm and worked. Got to work with the cows and lambs. Shoveling hay, cleaning out stalls, got the back of my pants bit by a sheep while trying to feed them...just living the farm life. I really enjoyed it. Plus I got to wear jeans! That afternoon Zr. Faa took me to the temple. As we rode around the corner the temple just appeared.. it was beautiful and breathtaking. I was may or may not have shed a tear or two.There is a park bench directly across the street from the temple so we went and sat down. We get to go to the temple this Wednesday for Temple Conference, but it was very nice to just sit, admire and soak in the spirit. We talked for a bit, it was much needed and very comforting. Our missions have not been anything like what we expected. They are hard and full of challenges. Yet, it has been far greater than what I could have ever imagined. As we sat and talked about everything, I felt the Savior with us...in between us with His arms around me and giving comfort because I am doing everything I can. All my worries and fears were hushed. On that park bench. Across the Temple. In Nederland. Ah! I can't wait to go in the temple this week! 3- Susan Tuffins- This is a less active in the ward who randomly called us, asked to meet with us, and of course we agreed. I have heard a lot about this woman, been asked about her, never met her, and she has been to church a few times but no one points her out to me and she always has left after sacrament if she comes. So I was anxious to meet with her. So Thursday afternoon we get to this janky apartment building, almost get stuck in the elevator. Susan answers the door and all I see is a VERY PINK house and she is drinking from a juice box. Immediately I knew that we were walking into an appointment that I will never forget. We started by getting to know each other and it was awkward. We said a prayer and as soon as that was done she went on to inform us that she does not consider herself a "Mormon". Went on about her own beliefs and problems with the church. Says she loves Christ, but feels like Christ is missing in our Church. Which kind of confused me... but anyway she told us to go ahead and share whatever spiritual message we came prepared to share. We shared 3 Nephi 11 when Christ comes to the Americas and invites the people to come up one by one. Afterwards she just threw what we said out the window and went back to complaining and expressing her problems. I straight up asked her why she called us to meet, and her response was "I don't know". I sat across from a woman who was denying all that she once knew, denying the church, the gospel, denying the Book of Mormon and telling us we were wrong, and that hurt. I was incredibly hurt. I will be honest, I was in tears. In that moment I knew that we had to defend Jesus the Christ. Zr. Thomas bore a beautiful and powerful testimony, and then I followed. I didn't know what to say but the spirit was the strongest I have ever felt it and I simply opened my mouth and said, "I know that Jesus is the Christ, he is my Saviour, my Redeemer and my Friend. He lives." There wasn't much I could say to "change" her feelings, she has closed herself off but I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I am to defend and testify of Him. She continued to throw all we had to say back against us and to the side, and I can't even describe how much that hurt. Yet, at the same time I was full of the spirit. I know that this is the true church, I can NOT deny that. I can not deny my Savior and I never will. 4- General Conference- Okay I don't know about you but this is by far my favorite General Conference. It is like the Superbowl for missionaries. All of the talks were incredible, so very inspired. There was something different, I don't know if it is because I am a missionary and so I am watching with different eyes and hearing with different ears. But it was so very powerful. I received answers to prayers and their words brought comfort. I love how personal general conference can be and as you tune into the spirit the Lord will tell you everything you need to know and what he wants you to know. From conference I was reassured that, I am not my past. "I do not shame to tell you who I was, because so sweet is my conversion." Once you have repented, the Lord remembers them no more. A scar will remain, but that is to remind you of the lesson you learned and the love of the Savior becuase he has healed you. The Savior knows me and loves me. I am enough and give everything I have to this work. All I want in this life is to make my fathers proud of me. My Earthly Father-The Yeti- and my Heavenly Father. I have not fallen because my own father loves and supports me. Just like the Savior, my dad holds on to me that I may not fall. I have not fallen because of their love and steady arms. I thought a lot about you dad, and the hymn "He lives to silence all of my fears, He lives to wipe away my tears" I thought of you. I love and admire my father, my Savior and my Heavenly Father. Also, there was A LOT of talk about marriage and it was powerful and inspiring.. I look forward to that but oh my lanta i am not ready for that. haha I hope you all enjoyed it just as much as I did. Well there ya go. Transfer calls are next Sunday and I have a feeling I will be getting transferred. So we will see what happens. I miss you and love you all dearly. Have a beautiful week! -- Zuster Young

**The following was taken from Zuster Faa's blog: https://zusterfaa.wordpress.com "POOPER SCOOPERS– Wouter’s with Zr Young!! Zr Riley and Zr Thomas went to the Mission Home for a leadership training, so Zr Young and I spent the whole day in Zoetermeer! What a blessing that sister is to me:) We woke up and went straight to Wouter’s farm and helped with the cows! But, instead of working directly with the cows, we were the designated pooper scoopers! Bahahaha! Zr Young got a photo of us standing in ankle-deep cow poop, so you’ll have to find it on her blog haha. Man, so much fun. I bought a small loud speaker and turned on my ipod and we were serenaded with hymns while shoveling poop and poop-covered straw into a wheel burrow. Lovely day. Then we went back to the apartment and showered and studied and went to Bagels & Beans for lunch, then finished our lunch break on a bench across from the Temple:) We contacted people, almost taught a lesson, and went to the cutest most dangerous children’s book store in Holland. I spent some money…:) haha. It was a much needed, very good day."