I am not going to lie and say that this week was an amazing week of miracles. I won't say that I know why things happen the way they do. This week has probably been one of the most difficult, stretching weeks of my entire mission. We had interviews with President and Sister Bunnell on Tuesday...and I found out I was leaving Amsterdam in 2 days (keep in mind transfer day wasn't for another 2 weeks) because a sister there needed to be emergency transfered. So I was the one they thought of that needed to be sent to Apeldoorn to replace her. Funny thing is that I am with the same companion I had when I was in Assen, Sister Jensen. I feel like I am in this weird dream that I'm back in a city that is struggling to have any investigators at all and the work is very slow. I literally went from having 7-8 semi-progressing investigators in Amsterdam, one with a baptismal date, to a city that has 1 investigator whose mind is not even all there. This city honestly has so much potential. and I know I am here for a reason. I want to share with you something I read during personal study my first day in Apeldoorn. Man, I was struggling that morning...all I wanted was to be in Amsterdam, going to the appointments with the investigators and people I came to LOVE, rather than be in a city with a week full of knocking :/ after feeling sorry for myself and not being able to concentrate on the chapter I was reading in the Book of Mormon because my emotions were very close to the surface, the line of a verse in D&C came to me...."for I am wont to swim in deep waters" and at the time I couldn't remember where exactly that was so I flipped back to my Doctrine and Covenants and instead of finding that scripture, my book opened to a page that had some highlighted verses and I felt prompted to read it so I did...it's in D and C section 100 and it said:
"5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;
6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.
7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.
8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say." later that day was when we RADed (taught someone the first lesson and extended the baptism invitation) someone on the street and he was pretty positive.
Well I was curious as the what the rest of the chapter read and felt like I needed to read it so I did. If that wasn't an answer that I was sent here for a reason, then I don't know what would be. I won't include it all in this email because this email is already long enough. But just before that it says:
" 3 Behold, and lo, I have much people in this place, in the regions round about; and an effectual door shall be opened in the regions round about in this eastern land (Apeldoorn is east of Amsterdam...)
4 Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls."
To be honest, I thought I was only sent here to save the sister from a could-be-sketchy-situation (not sure how big of a deal it really was...) aywho, I know things happen for a reason. I know the work will still go forth in the wonderful city of Amsterdam. I know there is work to be done here in Apeldoorn.
I am grateful for hard, trying times. I can honestly say that I can feel God molding me in His hands, into the person HE wants and needs me to be.
I love you all. I know the Lord's will will be brought to pass in His work. I am excited to give it my all here, no matter what the circumstances are. I know there are people here waiting to hear this glorious message; we just have to find them. It's a never ending search of Hide and go seek ;)
I saw many miracles in Amsterdam, and we will see many miracles here in Apeldoorn.
Much love,
Sister Harris.
No comments:
Post a Comment