Halfway Point

Dear everyone

this week was great (don´t I say that every week?) we did the usual contacting, knocking doors and teaching lessons. We also had a member of the 70 come speak to us at a zone conference with 3 zones! His name is Elder Dyches and it was such a good conference! He expounded on how important members are in the work and how we need to use them and help strengthen and support them. He taught about a lot of stuff and it was cool. I learned a lot and there are some things I want to change about myself and the way I do missionary work so that means it was a good conference! haha. change is always good :) 

This week we had a total of 10 other sisters sleep over at our house throughout the week so that was fun, haha. Let´s just say we stocked up on our food last week and we are all out now haha so luckily it´s pday :) 

Last week we had a cool experience looking up this guy that has been a potential for a while now. He let us right in and we taught him the restoration on the spot and it was a cool lesson. he said he would definitely be baptized if he knew it was true. I think my favorite part about missionary work is 

1. being able to see the atonement take place in people´s lives and

2. testifying of what I know to be true. 

being able to testify without any doubt that something is true is such a cool feeling and I love it. That is when the spirit speaks to people. So don´t be afraid to testify of the truthfulness of the gospel! it doesn´t have to be just in sacrament or just in sunday school. you can share your testimony in the most simplest of ways. just by saying that a prayer was answered in some way is sharing your tesimony. SHARE it if you have it. 

well, this is short but I have to go. Just know that I love you people and pray for you! Thank you for your examples of love and kindness. Have a lovely week. 

Love, 

Zuster Brig

 

Poem

here is a poem my mission president emailed us this week that is one of my favorite poems. Hope y'all enjoy it

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
-Kenneth M Keith 

Amsterdam here I come!!!!!!!

Well, you read it folks. I am being transfered to AMSTERDAM. Excited, yes. nervous for such a big city (I've only served in small cities)....check. Maar in ieder geval......Ik ben heel super STOKED!!!!!!!!!!

Last week my comp and I became really sick with the flu which was not fun but now we are both better and Thursday we weren't feeling great but we decided to go out and work anyway. Well, we went to a potential investigators house and she was home and we talked with her on the doorstep. We ended up having a cool, spiritual conversationg with her. we talked about God and how having a relationship with Him first is most important. But she didn't know how to do that....So we taught her how to pray right then. Sister Jo said a powerful prayer on the doorstep and after the lady siad I think I need to read more of the Book (book of Mormon) and we were like...probably haha. so we asked if we could come back another time to give the background info on the Book of Mormon and she said yes so tonight we are going there to RAD her!!! she is so cool. a young mother.

Well some other news, Assen is now getting Elders and my Companion is going to Belgium. So....yeah. we were really shocked when we found that out but after thinking about it we figured that elders would be able to do things that we as women can't do. There are some men and boys in the ward we just can't get to and the elders will hopefully be able to change that. Not gonna lie, it's defintely a bittersweet feeling. But, the President Bunnell is definitely inspired from the Lord so we are trusting that all will be great!

Not much left to say...we had a few other lessons with poeple that went well and visited a lot of members. I am going to miss this branch for sure but I plan on seeing them again someday. I love them so much!!!!!! I have gotten so close to them. Sure going to miss them. But the work goes on. I love being a missionary.  pictures to come after

Love, Sister Harris

 

Familie Loorbachs and me and Sis. Johanson

at Marjon's at a lunch after church. yay

Br. Philips and I...

Me and the de Jonges kids...Wieteke and Friso :)

wartan kiddos

 

 

geluk en vreugde :)

Hey everyone :)

this was a wonderful week. Vol van mooie weer and...the flu :)

Let's see...where to begin. Last week seems to have been the record for most times hit on by creepy guys. We contacted this father looking figure, innocently walking a child in a stroller. He hit on us and walked away. We just wanted to make you and your family a forever family...Geez.

Last week I met a Brazilian popstar while on exchanges in Leeuwarden! cool.

Jeffrey is smoking less and less. He couldn't come to church yesterday but he is making proress. Hopefully we'll meet with him as soon as I get over this stupid sickness...

Last week we worked with the district leaders. We were on a bus on the way to our dinner appointment and we saw Marcel again!!! Marcel is a guy who is Always on that bus ride. He REALLY enjoys talking with us. He lives in Emmen, and coincidently enough, we had the Emmen elders with us! He is so cool. He was talking to the lady he was sitting nex to wh ohe doesn't even know all about us and how nice it is to talk about Jesus with us. we are wanting to get his info next week to give to the elders so they can look him up and start teaching him because he seems pretty solid! Also while we were on that same bus ride, I noticed a lady sitting behind us holidng what looked like a really fresh, new baby. I told her how cute he was and asked how old he was. She said "net geboren, vandaag. 4 uren geleden om 12 uur" which means "just born today, 4 hours ago at 12 pm." It was 4:30 and the mother was on a bus with her brand new child!!! The mother of the child's mother was there and she was the one holding the baby. She are from somewhere in Africa. super crazy, Marcel and everyone started talking to them and it was just a really cool, fun busride...sometimes the miracles you see are unplanned!!!

Last week we went to this couples house that Zr. Jo and Zr. Manning found while on exchanges. They are from Brazil and are athiest because they are scientists but were sooo sweet. They let us in again and we gave them a Book of  Mormon in Portuguese and talked for a long long time. Dutch people don't do that. It was a nice break of the dutch culture to be let in without having to make an appointment and they actually let you talk! goodness, I love those people. Sadly theya re going out of town this week for a long time and in October they are moving back to Brazil. But it's ok because I got her info and will add her as a friend on Facebook when I get home in almost 9.5 months. #longlivefacebook

Well, you heard it, folks. I got myself da INFLUENZA

I am sad. I want to do missionary stuffs but we are stuck inside all day everyday and the toilet has become my bestfriend but I want to end that relationship now (TMI? Sorry not sorry..haha)

But all is well. we went to church yesterday despite that I didn't not feel well at all because Zr. Jo had to give a talk and we had 2 investigators coming. They came! it was cool. I just wish I didn't feel so icky so I could have been myself but I did not look good or feel good. Whatevs. I got a priesthood blessing and in the blessing it mentioned that Heavenly Father wanted me to take a break for a few days. Which is funny because we have been so pumped lately to do missionary work and get things done, especially if I am leaving this area next week. But Heavenly Father knows what's up. Being sick as a missionary is so hard though....the last thing you want to do is BE IN YOUR APARTMENT ALL DAY but it's ok. I am learning more patience which is Always good :)

welp, that is all folks.

I love you and hope you have a great week!  And remember Moses 6:31-32 when feeling inadequate or not good enough. You ARE good enough. The Lord doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. He loves you and knows you perfectly.

Sister Brig:)

pics:

last week for p-day we sat along a canal and watched clouds. It was a beautiful day

Good to be alive.

Hey lovelies

not much to write, and not much time....

but this week was amazing. I am loving this area more and more and the sad thing is is that there is a chance I could be transfered out in a few weeks. But! the work goes on and life goes on. 

Jeffrey came to church again yesterday. He is really improving. we have been teaching him a lot. He is just eating it up! The only thing is he needs to quit smoking...pray for him! he is trying hard but it's a hard thing. He could really use as many prayers as possible. 

I want to thank you all for your support in everything!!! I know you are praying for our success out here. I really appreciate it and I know it helps. I have a firm testimony of prayer! I know Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. 

 We started teaching Sanaya and her family. We are going to have to take it pretty slow because her son doesn't know pretty much anything about God or the basics of the bible so...! we will be focusing on that with them which is wonderful; we are just grateful we get to teach them now :)

I love you all! Have a great week and remember that Heavenly Father knows and loves YOU personally. 

Love, Sister Brig:)

p.s. last week we went to Groningen to Pannekoekschip (pancake ship) and ate delicious panenkoeken with the Sisters there , one of them being my lovely trainer :) we had fun. it's literally a restraunt on a ship.

 

 

Yo yo yo

Hey family,

Man this week was great. It went by so incredibly fast! 

We had our first investigator (Jeffrey, with the baptismal date) in sacrament meeting for a LONG TIME. It was great!!! we also met with him 3 times this week. He is going solid and we are excited for him. Going really well with him.

We met with a part member family who we LOVE. The parents are from Iraq and the dad is a member. The mother made a delicious huge breakfast for us then we taught them the restoration and it went so very smooth. The spirit was strong and we could tell they felt it. We also sang some childrens hymns which invited the spirit even more strongly. I love this family and we are praying the rest of them will make the decision to be baptized. 

We had a good week of teaching. I think we have taught more this week than any other week here in Assen. We are teaching some cool people. Some cool Jesus-loving people.  

I am realizing that I am probably coming upon my last few weeks here in Assen (there are only 3.5 weeks left of this transfer) and I have been here for 3 transfers, and will have 2 with the same comp so any more is not usually normal. But I am really starting to just love this city. My first transfer here we worked really hard, finding and teaching and our second transfer we kept finding and teaching and working our butts off and this transfer we are still finding and teaching, but we are able to see the miracles and blessings come from our hard work. I always tol dmyself I would leave this city better than I found it. The people here deserve it, the branch deserves it, and it's just such an amazing place. I will be sad when I leave, I have learned SO MUCH here. It's been kind of a refiners fire but I have learned to just forget myself and love the work. I love the Lord. I love my companion. I love the people here. I love being soaking wet going from house to house knocking doors. I love biking in stormy/scorching/windy/humid weather. I love the challenges. I am excited for what I have left to learn in my mission. Luckily I still have 10 months left to learn everything I need to learn :) The Lord loves us so much. He knows what we need. I believe that. I believe if we pray and work our hardest, good results will come. I believe in miracles. 

I love this work.

Liefs, Zuster Harris 

here are some pics for pioneer day...tried to keep y'all in my thoughts. hope you had a great 24th of July!!

#murica

 

Helmets.

Dearest Schats, 

Another week has come and gone. I swear every Monday always sneaks up so quickly. It has been a pretty good, normal week here, with simple little miracles that we are happy about :)

First off, Jeffrey. We had 2 lessons with him last week. Both went really well! And guess what! After 13 weeks of being here in Assen and not having one investigator show up to church once, Jeffrey came yesterday. But bless his wet little heart, he showed up right when church had ended. He had came all the way from Antwerpen (in Belgium, about a 3 hour train ride) because he was working there the night before. And he got up early and tried to make it to church but barely missed it. He walked in the pouring rain all the way to the church which is about a 30 minute walk from the station and he was just soaked :( so we decided we'd give him a tour of our "church building" (a small office buiding) and he was able to meet a few of the members who were still around and we showed him a video on lds.org. We then walked him home and all was well. But we were so happy he came!!!!!!!! It's been quite a struggle not having one investigator in church the whole time I've been here (4 months) so that was good. Next week he's coming for sure. We are excited about Jeffrey. He is still smoking less and less. He is pumped about getting baptized, even though we are going to have to move it back a few weeks now because he hasn't actually been in sacrament meeting...but he is getting there :) we are excited about him.

Also. Sanaya and family. man, we are excited and so grateful for the opportunity we will have to start teaching them. They finally agreed to hearing the lessons. They are such amazing people and we love going to their home every week to help out. they care so much about the missionaries! Such loving poeple. the Lord really opened the windows of heaven on that family. Miracles are going to happen with them. 

Well, to be honest, we've literally tried everything to find more progressing investigators, but it's just door slam after door slam. we ask referals from everyone but get none. so we kinda started this new thing...we were inspired (we think) to sing hymns in the city along with me strumming the guitar. so we borrowed a guitar from a member and have been practicing during lunch, dinner, night time, p-days...we are hoping it will help people become interested. we will go onto the streets and play hymns and have copies of the Book of Mormon on hand and hand them out with cards and talk with whoever. We'll see if it works. If not, we won't waste our time on it. But experiencing the singing elders concert really opened our eyes to the miracels that can happen through music. So we'll see :)

 It's so easy to get down on ourselves when we see absolutely no results from our work, not gonna lie. prayer helps. I pray a lot. This week I was able to experience for myself having hope only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That is where our hope comes from. We know we will be saved and that we always have a 2nd chance! alma 7:11-14 and Ether 12:4 says a lot about that. read it and pray to have your hope anchored in Christ!

Also, last thing, this past week we had zone conference in Rotterdam. Where we learned we will now be recquired to wear helmets while biking. Let's just say we hope our obedience brings forth blessings because it's gonna be hard to get used to this new rule, haha. We will take lots of lovely action shots of us in our new helmets this week and send them next week ;) pray for us. 

 

 

my reaction when we found out the new helmet rule #yay