Nicks boven GRONINGEN

"27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

28 And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world--not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.

29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.

30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some." Alma 26: 27-39

Guess what

That's the life of a missionary and I LOVE IT.

This past week in Groningen has been amazing. It has been exhausting (we bike OVERAL and contact everyone on the way and we have to bike fast to get on the other side of the city on time for our next appointment but it's so great.) This past week we got our investigator Nasu on baptismal date for December 19. She is awesome. Lately every time I have gotten someone on baptismal date I GET TRANSFERED SO ha, luckily we got her on date at the beginning of the transfer so I won't be leaving for a while at least. She is so solid. She is afraid of water but after testifying of the happiness and the blessings it will bring by making that promise with Heavenly Father she was set on getting baptized.

This past week we've also been able to teach 2 people on the street the first lesson with the baptismal invitation, and both were super positive. We are also teaching a man named Jonathan who is Scottish, hilarious, and 32. The senior couple here in Groningen know him because he lives in their same apartment complex and he wanted to learn more about what we believe so we get to teach him! And it's been so great to have the senior couple at the lessons too, they really bring a special spirit to the lessons. He has been coming to institute and FHE and tonight we have FHE game night so hopefully he'll be coming.

It's been raining cats and dogs here but honestly what else is new. My umbrella got eaten alive last night by the crazy rain/wind storm. It's so great. I love being on my bike with my dorky helmet with the wind blowing at me 30 miles an hour while singing "moedig doen wij mee totdat voorbij is de strijd, 'tis onze vreugd! 'tis onze vreugd!" (We are all enlisted till the conflict is over, happy are we! Happy are we!) because what greater cause do we honestly have than spreading the gospel to people who have NO IDEA the kind of happiness it brings?! I absolutely love this work. There are people WAITING. If you have not yet tasted of the sweetness the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings, I invite you to. Listen to the missionaries; they are called to your area literally FOR YOU. you have nothing to lose by just listening. But you have everything to gain by listening. I know with every fiber of my body's that this is the church of Jesus Christ; He stands at the head of it and His apostles and prophets are at the watch towers, watching for things to warn us about and to guide us to the path that brings us the most happiness, and that comes by living the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I can't believe I come home in 6.5 months. I want to stay here forever haha but I know all good things come to an end and luckily when I take my name badge off for the last time when I am home, that doesn't mean I can't still do missionary work for the rest of my life. I will not stop pleading the cause of Jesus Christ. I will never stop defending my faith. I will never stop testifying of Jesus Christ as our Savior, Redeemer, Brother, and Best Friend. This is my life. He is always there. And luckily I still have a while:)

We had other cool lessons this week. Being in my fifth city is kinda crazy, sometimes I feel like that's the amount of boyfriends I've had and they all ended the relationship hahaha because in every city I've served in, I've never wanted to leave but I get transfered sooner than I thought I would (I hope you understand that analogy, not sure that I myself completely understand it lol. Luckily I haven't actually been through 5 boyfriends) anyways, I have already fallen in love with Groningen so don't worry guys, I move on quickly ;) 🇱🇺🇱🇺🇱🇺🇱🇺 I love it here. Ik hou van mijn zending. Ik hou van de Heer. Ik hou van dit werk. Ik ben erg blij mee dat ik mag dit doen!!!!!!!! Hurrah for Israel!!!!!!!!

Ik hou van jullie,

Veel liefs,

Zuster Harris :)

 

 

haha PSYCH

dear people,

Well we got the call yesterday and I am not staying here in Apeldoorn, I will be transfered to Groningen! I am going to serve there with Sister Stewart-Chester. In one transfer I will have 4 different companions and 3 different cities. 

Well, last week was super good. We have an investigator on baptismal date, Anja! We were teaching her the first lesson and she said she really wanted to get baptized so we explained to her we could set a goal for a date of her being baptized and she was down. She's got a way to go but through Christ, all things all possible. 

We have an investigator, Nathaniel, who is like 21 or so and last week he came to institute at the senior couple's house where the ysa centrum is. it was super cool and we talked about Jesus and it was awesome. The spirit was there.

Well, we had a couple other lessons with people and it was good. I came here and we had no investigators but we prayed hard and worked hard and we saw miracles in the past 2 weeks we've been together. The sisters here will have a great week of lessons with people we were able to make appointments with. I went crazy one day and called all the potentials and former investigators and we got some appointments set up with people who still have interest....for some reason the missionaries stopped teaching them. So that will be good for them. I am bumbed I am leaving after having such a great week, but I know God's plan is greater than mine. There are always people to hear the gospel, wherever you go. I know that. 

I want you guys to know I have a firm testimony of this gospel. I know it is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know He is the head of this church. I know Heavenly Father has a plan for us all. He sent His son to the earth to make all things possible. Walk with Him. He knows. 

I love you all. Have a great week. Turn an ordinary day into a day full of miracles.

Every destination is just a NEW BEGINNING.

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.

 

 

 

yay

Dear wonderful family and friends, 

This week has been a great week for us here in Amsterdam. I love this trio of mine!!!!!! We love working together and it gets better and better every day. We love the work and are working hard everyday to the point of exhaustion. I love it. Last week was so good. We met a member and his girlfriend last week at church. His girlfriend, Kelsey wants to get baptized! So we are teaching her and she is so great :) He is a great member present, Stephen. She is studying out here and he was visiting for a few weeks. Both are from America. Lovely people. 

This ward here in Amsterdam has some amazing people. I am absolutely in love with these people and this city. There is always work to be done and it's so great! sometimes it's easy to feel inadequate and Satan will make you think you're not doing anything and that you're useless but then I remember that THAT'S NOT TRUE! If we just open our eyes and look around, there are miracles  from missionary work. I love being a missionary.

Last night we got one of our investigators, Michael, on baptismal date! we set it for January 10th. He said he wants to do just as Joseph Smith did and investigate and pray and we were like OK! We will be your guides :) it was too good. God loves His children. I love my Heavenly Father! 

Last week 2 people we were teaching dropped us but they just weren't ready to accept the gospel and change. and that's ok. We gave them our testimonies and our love and they will eventually accept it. I trust God has a plan for them. Now we will just find people who are ready. We have been praying to find people who are ready, and we found that with Kelsey. God just dropped her on our paths! We love her so much and we're excited to see her baptized. 

Last Saturday we went deep sea fishing with our ward mission leader, Bronno. It was fun and very cold :) also the saturday before that we went mini golfing with all the missionaries in Amsterdam and we brought a girl we found while street contacting who is from Germany! she is an intern here and we met her on the first day she was here and invited her to go mini golfing. and she went! it was super fun. sorry about not emailing last week! we switched our p-day to use the mini golfing vouchers that a member had given us that could only be used on Saturday. 

well I hope you have a great week, everyone! remember this: "The Lord needs us to be brave, steadfast, and immovable warriors who will defend His plan". Go out and be BRAVE. Stand for what you believe in. Stand for the truth. You never know who is taking courage from your bravery and strength. Be strong. and remember 3 Nephi 12:8 "8 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

I love this work. I love being a missionary. This is my life. 

p.s. SHOUT OUT TO PAPA HARRIS!!!!! HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT BIRTHDAY!!! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO FOR ME!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL

Love, 

Zuster Harris :)

 

Temple!!!

Goede Morgen! :)

This past week has been so great. Seriously so happy to be able to testify of Christ and be His missionary in this day. 

To start off, Monday we had a pretty chill p-day. We went to the Stedelijk Museum, which is a very modern artsy museum...a little bit too abstract and hipster for me but nonetheless it was chill. Then we went and walked around at a HUGE park called Vondell Park. It was so pretty. The leaves on trees are starting to turn red and orange and I love it. I love being in Amsterdam during the fall season! Because I love fall and I love Amsterdam. Ha!

Tuesday, we did service at the Hermelijn in Haarlem again where we paint the brick walls of  a mentally challenged school for little kids. They are really so cute. I love serving there. we then went back to Diemen and looked up a few potentials and gave a book of mormon to one american lady who loves family history...we talked a lot about the importance of doing our family history. it was cool. Later that night, 4 belgium sisters came and slept at our apartment for Temple Conference the next day. and one of the sisters was the lovely Sister Johanson!!!! It was so great to catch up with her and reminisce on the ole' Assen days. Love her. We practiced a last minute musical arrangement of The Army of Helaman medley that we sang with the Amsterdam elders. It went pretty well for being put together last minute... :) Then, THE TEMPLE!!!!! I can't believe that the last time I went was 6 months ago. I loved it and cherished every moment I was there. This temple trip really gave me a bigger perspective of how much the Atonement of Jesus Christ is totally the center of every thing we do in the temple and of the Gospel. I really felt close to Him there and the veil was thin. It's been a while since I've had an experience like that. 

Later that night we came home and had dinner then looked up a man we gave the first lesson to a few weeks ago that we lost contact with for a while. We showed him the restoration video and testified of the book of mormon and the truth therein. We talked about baptism with him and he told us he was already baptized but we taught him more about the priesthood and he seemed to understand a little bit more about the authority needed to perform baptism. We invited him to pray about it. I have really come to love the story of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. each time we testify of it or watch the Restoration, my conviction becomes stronger and stronger of the truthfulness of it. It feels so good. 

Thursday we had a lesson with our investigator, Gerard. We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the steps that are needed to be taken in this life which are faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. We talked more about baptism and he mentioned he'd already been baptized and explained the importance of the right authority and again, he seemed to understand but was still not fully willing to say yes. I realized how much more bold we needed to be. I asked him, "Gerard, is this something you want? I mean we come and teach you and you came to church and you're a good man, how much do you want this or do you even want it?" and he said "yes. but there is so much I need to change about my own life. I don't know how I can do it." and at that moment I realized how releasing and freeing the Atonement is. I had never testified so boldly that through repentance and prayer and faith and living the gospel, that Christ would free him of his problems and provide a way for him to do it. we committed him to praying about it and he said yes. we are excited about him and we are believing and having faith that Christ will help him. 

Yesterday, Friday, we weekly planned and set a lot of goals that are pretty high, but reachable. The mission has a new standard of reaching 23 hours of proselyting a week...sounds easy, but it's hard. It requires talking with people about the gospel 4 hours every day...so we are contacting on trains, buses, trams, metros, stopping people while biking, and always on the way to lessons. We set a goal of reaching 30 hours this week. we have faith that the Lord will provide miracles for our hard work. 

Pray for the success of us in Amsterdam! 

Bye

Sister Harris

love you guys :)

Believe in Miracles

Last week was great. Started out with our P-day visiting the Rijksmuseum! That was really cool. Later that night we taught the first lesson to a man we met on the street. It went really well and he responded positively to the Book of Mormong and having us over again to teach him more. We also visited a few less active members and watched the womens conference. That was so cool; the spirit was so strong in their house! I love that. also, I got pooped on my a bird hahahaha it landed on my face and went down my shirt...#awkward. lol. we were biking to a less active's house. Also we got a member to give one of our investigators, Gerard, a ride to church! I think he liked it. It was a great week of miracles. That's something that hit me this week: Believe in Miracles. I realized that when I was a newer, younger missionary that I totally believed in miracles happening and that God would provide a way for something to be done. Well, now that I'm further into my mission, I started to become numb to that idea and thought "Well, people have their free agency so how could a miracle happen here" and I, unknowingly, stopped believing in miracles!! Well the thought hit me the other night sitting on a tram ride home that I can still believe in miracles. God's hand is in everything. I know His plan is far greater than my plan. I know He still performs miracles. 

My birthday was great, though still stressful (whoever thought missionary work wasn't stressful was terribly wrong) (I can't think of anyone who's every thought that though haha) but it was good. we worked with the zone leaders and did some finding (of course we had no lessons) but we ate at a chinese restaurant for my birthday for lunch then did more work then later that night we had the amsterdam elders who live across our street and the Zaandam elders come to our backyard to have mexican burritos and deliciousness. it was fun. I still am not a fan of birthdays however haha. it's weird to be 20...I still feel 15. where does time go?!?!? 

I am loving working in this threesome. The past week has just been so fun. We are working until we are exhausted each day...and loving it. I love this work. I love being a missionary. It's who i am and I want to be one for the rest of my life...good thing every member a missionary right??? ;) 

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!! Remember Mosiah 4:9 and Luke 1:37. 

Believe in Miracles. 

Veel Liefs, 

Zuster Brigette Harris

 

 

Who we are is not who we can become :)

Lovelies <3

 

This week has definitely been an adjustment and probably will be for the rest of the transfer lol but it has been good. Transfers were last week and I received 2 new companions of which are fantastic missionaries. We are all polar opposites, but it works. I love them. 

Last week we visited a member sister who has 3 adorable kids and she doesn't come to church very often. we visit them every week with the elders. most of time I am trying to get Chi Chi (her son of age 6) off my lap hahah but they're so cute. we love going over there and doing fun gospel games or reading out of the children book of mormon together. and this past week the two boys actually listened and read along! it was wonderful. I love that family. The kids warmed right up to the new sisters. 

We also had a cool appointment with an old lady who was a referral from her member sister who is living in California. Her caretaker showed up and we got talkin with her and ended up teaching her the whole first lesson and dropped the baptism question. she was super cool and so sweet. she was pretty interested. we are hoping to meet with her again. 

We also had a lovely lesson with our investigator Ike at centraal station. it was a beautiful day so we sat outisde of the station which was pretty busy, but it was quieter than inside because people are playing the piano and singing and it echoes. so outside it was. so we are sitting on this bench, and this guy sitting next to me starts mumbling something to me. I couldn't understand him and tried to speak dutch to him and english but he wasn't understanding me and I couldn't understand him....I finally understood that he was speaking russian and was like...dude, I don't speak russian...like I can't help you and we're having a conversation with this guy (while trying to teach about tithing and fasting) but the guy keeps talking to me and I tried to understand him but couldn't so I tried to get more into our conversation with Ike the the Russian guy kept knudging me haha I felt so bad. Turns out he was trying to sell drugs to me, and then asked if I has a lighter (we understood him through his hand signals) and then eventually the police came up and escorted him away. He also tried to give me one of his knives...or we was motioning at cutting me hahah ohhhh Amsterdam, how I love you. But the lesson with Ike ended up being really good and he understood the law of tithing and the law of the fast. 

well, wasn't General Conference wonderful?!? I still have yet to watch the last session and hopefully we can do that with some of our investigators who weren't able to make it to the church to watch it. Last night for the Sunday morning session we went to a half-member house to watch it. They are a newly married couple, both from Great Britain, and both wonderfully hilarious. I love them hahaha. The wife is a member and her husband is an atheist. but they are so great, and he watched the beginning part with us. They fed us a delicious lasagna dinner with other lekker things. The spirit was strong. The wife has been becoming more and more activated just this year and I think she realizes just how important the gospel is. I can see it in her eyes. hopefully they will be at church this week. 

Well, I hope you all remember the things that stuck out to you during conference and apply it to your lives. read through your notes and read the conference talks and mark them up and make small goals for each day to apply the things you learned! I know I will be doing that :) Elder Holland's talk was amazing. Mom, I love you. Thank you for being so strong and courageous in your faith. I have definitely leaned on your faith to help me during hard times. I do not doubt, because I know you know this gospel is true and I have gained a testimony of my own that it is true. I love this gospel,  I love my mom, I love my Savior, and I love you all!!!! Dad, you have also helped me so much as well. Keep on keepin' on!!! 

IK HOU VAN JULLIE HEEL VEEL

Zuster Harris :)