HALLO MIJN GEWELDIGE FAMILIE!!!!!
Ik hou van jullie zo veel en ik ben zo enthusiast om jullie elke week te schrijven!!! Het is een van de beste momenten ven mijn hele week!!! Ik hoop dat jullie een goede week hadden en dat alles loopt goed!!!
This week has been super crazy!!! There were way too many adventures that occured, some of which we wish hadn't have happened. But you know....that is missionary work!!! It is always on the move, whether or not you want it to be!!
This week, we had a district P-Day in Antwerpen!!! Can I just say that that is one of the coolest cities that I have ever seen!!!! It was so much fun to be able to walk through the streets of Antwerpen, to see all of the cool old buildings and hang out with the district!!! We went under this janky tunnel that goes underneath the river to the other side....It was kind of scary....if you have ever been the Belgium, you know that everything here works, it's just....how do you put it....it's just Janky. It scares you sometimes because it doesn't look safe....but you have to just go for it anyway!!! It was a super fun day!!! We got to see the cathedral, a lot of old statues, the city center, a palace and we also got to play soccer!!! It was a good day!!! .JPG)
I realized though that day, that sometimes I forget to have fun and just go with the flow!!! I had so much fun on Monday that I decided that I needed to also do that every other day that I am here. It is important for me to be diligent, obedient and do the work but there is also a big factor called everyone's free agency. Most of missionary work is dependant on the free agency of others. I can sit around and be mad and stressed out because someone doesn't show up for an appointment or because your investigator that you know has a testimony decides that he doesn't want to investigate anymore. But I can only control so much. i have to be able to control also how much fun I am able to have. So here come 9 months full of fun and adventure!!!
In district meeting this week we got to make our own title of liberty. Something that would help us to remind ourselves why we came here and to help us even though there are hard times. Moroni and the Nephites did not have an easy time when they had to make their title of liberty, nor did they have an easy time afterward but they were able to remember the Lord and everything that he has asked them to do. They were able to remember the Lord and everything that He had done for them. They were able to remember their purpose and their goal. I chose to put down a saying that Dad says all of the time....but I translated it into Dutch. "Onthou wie je bent, en waarvoor je staat!!" "Remember who you are and what you stand for" I have thought a lot about that saying this week. I also wrote the names of everyone in the family on there. I realized that right now in my life that I am a child, I am a sister, I am a missionary. And that I am here proclaiming a gospel that brings us happiness and my happiness comes mostly from the fact that i know that I can continue to be a child of my parents, a sister to my siblings and a missionary to the world for eternity. It doesn't end here!!!
So, on Saturday, we woke up and got a very weird text on our phone telling us that our service was no longer going to work and that we needed a new sim card......uhhhhhhh.....we didn't have a new sim card.....and ten minutes later....we had no service. Let's just say it was an interesting day.....Apparently the mission was switching providers in preparation of the whole new movement on the missionary technology movement(which we have no idea when it is coming here) but the company ended our service too early. It was ridiculous and the poor Zone Leaders had to drive all night long all over Belgium to be able to deliever the new sim cards that had to travel from the office....crazyness, but now we have a phone again!!
Church was one huge miracle this week. We had 3 investigators in sacrament meeting. I know that doesn't sound like a lot....but it is for us in our mission. Three people choose to come and to be able to feel the Spirit in church!!! It was amazing!!! One of which just looked up our church online and just showed up. I have heard of those kinds of stories but have never witnessesed one until yesterday!!! It was beautiful. The baptism that we had planned for this upcoming Saturday has been postponed. I have never had coffee in my life, but apparently it is really addicting!!! I am super grateful for the Word of Wisdom!!! And we are working on helping K to be able to quit!!!! He always tells us," I will do it!!! small small" So we know that eventually it will happen. He was able to receive a blessing from a member in the Branch yesterday and I have faith that the Lord will help him!!!! K is a fantastic man and he is so converted to the gospel, he just has one more small hill to climb!!
Has everyone seen the Missionary Broadcast called :Hastening the Work? If not, you need to get online right now and watch it!!! You especially Jake. This is going to be in place when you are called out on a mission and you are going to be able to touch people in so many different ways than you ever imagined!!! Missionary work is hastening and it is not just the work of the missionaries that needs to be done. The work cannot be done without the entire team, the entire body of Christ working together for the same goal. There are no longer 'missionaries' and 'members' but gewoon Sons and Daughters of Christ working together to help people come unto Christ!!! My testimony of this principle was strengthened as I was able to listen to the Prophet and Apostles help us to learn and understand our role, each individually in the work of salvation.
Mom, I just had the thought....I have AP Bio credits that should cover that Bio class....I know...random.
This week looks like it is going to be crazy as usual!!! I hope that everyone had a great time at the reunion and that there wasn't too many crazy things going on without me!!! I love you all and I only ask that you make sure to take care of each other so that i can come home and give you all a huge hug!!!
Don't have too much fun at work and at Mathinasium you crazy siblings of mine that for some reason I don't hear from :D That's not true, Jake is pretty good at writing me.....come on sistuhs!!!!
I love being a missionary!!! I am grateful for the opportunity that the Lord has given me to serve Him in this very special part of the vineyard!!!! I love it here in Belgium and the Netherlands!!
Tot volgende week!!!
Ik hou van jullie allemaal!!!
Liefte,
Zuster Israelsen
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