Reflections

Goed Morgen! It is already 2016... unbelievable! I hope you all had a fun and safe New Years. Things here were pretty loud and explosive. We had the opportunity to stay in side from 4pm. Fireworks were going off since noon and went on until 3 am. But it was absolutely beautiful to see at midnight. Look out our window and see a constant stream of fireworks along the horizon. 65 million Euros were spent on personal fireworks! This place is crazy! Wonderen van de week: Sophia- She is a 43 year old woman from Nigeria who has been living here for 10 years and is married to a Dutchman. Her nephew just moved in with them. He is already member of the church, was baptized back in 2003. So on the 20th of December, it was our Christmas service and the three of them just showed up! They came the following Sunday and Sophia informed us that she wanted to be baptized! Say what? On Tuesday we had an appointment with her and her nephew, Harrixon. We taught the first lesson. Harrixon had already shown them the Joseph Smith Movie and she loved it. She told us of how she cried and she told us in her own words the restoration of the church. The spirit was very strong! Harrixon is very passionate... so he gets a little excited and it is hard to get a word in when he starts. But She agreed to be baptized and we set a date for the 23rd of January!! We went back on New Years Eve and she made us this huge African Feast. Her husband was there and he has a lot of questions and so we did the first lesson again. I hope and pray and she can stay strong and follow her own feelings and not get caught in her husbands doubt. That happens so often here. I went on exchanges with Sister Rameriez in Amsterdam this week. They are teaching a 8 year old girl and helping to reactivate her mom. They are originally from Brazil. We were there for a couple hours. Sister Rameriez talked to Sandra (the mom) and I got to sit and talk to Nicole (the daughter). First of all she reminded me of my sister Mylie. Nicole just stole my heart away. We sat and talked about gymnastics and how much she loves the missionaries. The warm feeling she has when they come over. We taught her the 3rd lesson, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Half way through the lesson, Nicole stopped us and said she had 3 things to say, she asked us simple questions and then lastly she told us that "I love God and Jesus Christ with all my heart. I know they know me." Tear-jerker! Nicole's simple but profound testimony touched my heart. Listening to Sandra and her story, how she wants to come back to church and how badly she wants to be a good example for her daughter. To be all that she needs to help Nicole. I just thought of my own mom, and then the spirit came and words came out my mouth. What those words were I have no idea. But we were in tears. She then asked us to stay for dinner! Score! But that night in Amsterdam I will never forget. I would love to serve in Amsterdam just for them. That place is crazy... a cloud of weed smoke hovering in the air so thick you can practically see it. So man tourists and then crazy people wandering. Amsterdam the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. Lastly, we shared a Mormon message at a dinner appointment. Maybe you have seen it, I have seen it a number of times. But Friday night after a long and kind of tension filled dinner appointment, we watched the Reflections video. And at the end of the video you hear the voice of the father: "Michael, are you still there?"...."I have always thought you were a good man." And suddenly I realized what he was saying, and this warm punch in the gut hit me. I never really notices those words before. I realized that that voice in my life is my Heavenly Father. If you know me this is when the tears started coming... but as I sat there it was like in the movies and my life flashed through my life in high speed and i realized how often my Heavenly Father has been there asking me that, telling me that he still loves me and has always thought of me as a good woman, his precious daughter. It was a powerful moment, and even Christian put his phone down, it might have been because he saw me crying. But anywho. Nothing, absolutely nothing can come in between the fact that you are his child. He knows your potential and who you can become. Strive to move forward, he is always there, with open arms ready to accept you. Make the changes you need to hear his voice, to follow the guidance he sends. SO you don't look back in regret one day. I know the Savior lives and because of him we CAN move forward. That there is always clean slates and new beginnings. His love is endless. Look in the mirror and see your reflection, the reflection of a child of God. ww.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/reflections -- Zuster Young