We're gonna Paint this City

The companionship rap has been completed. And the city is being PAINTED.

 

As a mission, (I dont know if I already said this or not, ah. I am forgetting everything.) but we are reading the Book of Mormon together. Six pages a day for about 90 days (two transfers). Every week, we have a different Christlike attribute that we get to focus on in our reading. This week, the attribute was hope. I was able to give a talk yesterday in church (in dutch. and it was AWESOME. someone even came up to me afterward telling me that they actually thought I was dutch for a good amount of that talk. it was probably up until the part where I started trying to talk about something that I hadn't planned on talking about and realized I didn't know some of the words I wanted to use.) Anyway, in that talk, I was given the topic "vreugde in het evangelie." Joy in the gospel. I thought a lot about it and I realized that joy in the gospel comes through, obviously  following the 5 points/steps of the gospel--faith, repentance, baptism, gift of holy ghost, enduring to the end--but that it starts with faith. And faith without hope is hallow. And hope is a word that the world uses in two different ways. The most common is "I wish." Usually when we say I hope, it is about something that is realistic (so I guess, more concrete than a wish) but it is still not expected. There isn't a lot of confidence behind it-- it is looking at a situation that could have two different outcomes and both could be expected, but we wish for the one. There is generally no faith behind it. BUT the other way we could use the word hope is by intending it to mean "I trust" or "I am confident that..." That is the hope that Jesus Christ gives us. With Him, we never have to wonder what the outcome will be. Our hope can be sure. We can be confident in our outcomes. We can expect the expected. Jesus Christ is the unfailing source of our hope--with him as our foundation. we can turn all of our "I wish" -es into "I trust"s.

 

Missionary work is wonderful. I enjoy the opportunity that I have to take part in it. I, being blessed with hope, can help others find it. And I have had a very special experience with that, here in Leeuwarden, but also in my former cities. And there is nothing that could replace these sweet experiences that I have had to give me even more hope for the eternities.

 

I love you all and I hope the coming week is great! Congratulations Colorado! Win that Superbowl, Broncos!

 

Liefs en veel sterkte!

 

xoxo

Zuster Hoff

: Zuster Garden in Leeuwarden

Well. That was a crazy transfer. Leeuwarden isn't actually that far from Assen and I've been here on exchanges a few times so it doesn't really feel like I got transfered. But hey, tender mercy. Atleast it doesn't hurt so bad.

 

We live in this really nice apartment building (actually, we're like the only people who live there who are younger than 60. I think.) and it's fun stuff. There's a canal behind the house and big boats sail through it a lot. I saw one this morning. It was actually really exciting.

 

My companion is dying soon (have I already mentioned that? probably.) She goes home at the end of the transfer. I keep killing missionaries, what is this? But it's been a solid week. A loooonnnnngggg week, but quality. My comp and I already wrote our companionship rap. So, that's a good sign. That was really important. Actually.

 

Uhm. Yeah. So there's not a TON going on here...but we been talking to a lot of people If miracles can happen in Assen, then there is no doubt that this place is crawling with potential. It's wonderful. It's beautiful. And it's also the first city I've been to that is actually busy with a ton of people out. It's definately a change. But a good one, indeed!

 

We're teachin this lady from Africa who speaks french and I cannot for the life of me remember my french and it is probably one of the most frustrating things I've ever been through. But she's been coming to church and trying to understand dutch and it seems like she may indeed be getting it. I hope so, I mean the spirit is the same in every language.

 

It was really cool, actually. We talked to this guy on his doorstep for about 15 minutes about faith vs. science and it was quite a discussion and we left him with a card and he said he definately wouldn't look. Well, what do you know, he called us up the next day and made an appointment. We went over and talked to him. had a pleasant conversation. He wasn't interested in meeting more but it was neat--and we walked into the library today and came over to email and who do we see? Yep. A lot of random faces. But his, too! and coincidence--het bestaat niet.

 

I know that the spirit is real and it testifies of truth. It touches our hearts and our spirits, and that spirit to spirit relationship is one unlike any other--it cannot be forgotten. "...The scriptures are laid before thee, yes, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and it's motions, yea, and also all the planets which do move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

 

There is no science/God debate. God IS the scientist. And all things bear witness of him and his supremecy.

 

I love this work!

I'm off to PAINT THIS CITY!

 

xoxo

All you have to do to win...

..is rise each time you fall.

 

My mother always told me in my swim or track type races or whatever, that the only thing that mattered, was finishing the race. Not what my time was or how quality my stroke was or what I looked like, just the fact that I finished at all.

 

Last friday, (the day after second Christmas. Yeah, we had a second Christmas. It was probably better than real Christmas...) I was on an exchange in Apeldoorn. It was raining the ENTIRE day and there were no appointments. We biked about an hour and a half out to this small town to contact a referral and check on some potentials/invetigators. Of all the doors we knocked, maybe two people were home. And to add to that, I was riding this other zuster's bike, and it was heavy. I ended up crashing. Once on the way back from the little town, and once later on that night, right before we went home. I ended up ripping my skirt AND tights all the way down to my skin where i got a nice old scrape on my knee. I had pounded the pavement for the second time. I was bruised. In pain. And I cried like I was a five year old who just stubbed my toe. Even after that, however, I got right back up, picked up the bike, and got back on it and rode it on home. I probably would've gone to do some last minute work before the time came to go in, but I thought that it would be a little unprofessional to show up on someone's doorstep with a ripped skirt and a bleeding knee.

 

As I got ready for bed that night, I reflected on that day. We didn't run into a lot of people to talk to. Nobody we visited was really home. I just spent a lot of time biking. In the rain. and falling down. that was really painful... But I realized that I still felt successful after that day. Even though we hadn't really even done anything. All I had done was endured and continued to go about doing good despite my best efforts not doing much. But even though they didn't do much, they stil made a difference.

 

I learned that we are going to have days like that. When we just keep falling. But success isn't in the not falling in the first place, it's about getting back up and trying again. It's about enduring. And it's about having hope. Hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He already gave His life--He's not going to give up on you now.

 

I like Jeffrey R. Holland. Here is a quote. "however many chances youthink you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talent syou think you dont have or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's atonement shines."

 

I know I started with endurance and awkwardly moved into repenatance but they're really good principles, guys.

 

have a good week. happy new year! Goeie jaar whisseling!

 

xoxo

 

zuster hoff

Of Verjaardags, funerals, and Feestdagen

It's the holidays! I'm 20 years old! There are two Christmases in the Netherlands. Like legit. There is Christmas. and then there's Second Christmas.

I think I'm a big fan.

And it's gonna be off the hook!

One of the sweestest old men in the branch passed away this past week. His funeral was the sweetest thing. His twin brother, who was also in our branch, gave a talk. And right afterwards, we had a lesson with a man and aught him the plan of salvation. It's little things like that that are just evidences of God's involvement in the tiny details of our lives.

My birthday was wonderful. My district sang to me. The tuesday night dinner appointment sang to me. And the birthday night dinner appointment gave me just about the warmest gloves that have ever been made.

It was a a birthday to remember.

Well, welcome to another new year (because obviously we measure time in MY years).

And I don't know about YOU, but I'm feeling twenty, too. ;) (I hope atleast SOMETONE who reads this is 20)

 

and with that I end because I have 1 minute left.

 

xoxo

ZusterHoff

There's no place like Holland for the Holidays

And by Holland I mean Drenthe. And by Drenthe I mean Assen. Because it's AWESOME.

 

Okay. So I must now express my embarassment for quoting Ezra Taft Benson in my last weeks blog post and crediting Joseph B Wirthlin. Sorry, they are just two dazzlingly brilliant men I just couldn't remember which one said that. Don't worry, I have taken up a more intense study of Preach My Gospel since then.

 

Anyway--this week was SO GOOD. So I don't know about other missions, but in this mission, I've never had 12 lessons in a week before. And we just did that. WHAT. UP. We have been working our litle tails off, and the Lord has been delivering MIRACLES.

 

A year ago today, I stood up in my singles ward and bore my testimony about how I was so excited to get my mission call. A year ago friday, I recieved my call. TO THE BELGIUM NETHERLANDS MISSION. Friends--that is where I am. And it is an incredible place to be. I can not believe it's already been a year since then. Yesterday marked seven days from the day I entered into the MTC. In the MTC, I remember people saying "when it gets tough, just remember the day you recieved your call" and all I could think was "pfft, more like the day I replied to my call."

 

In my acceptance of my call letter, I quoted the fabulous Sheri Dew. "Do you want to be happy? And I mean really and truly happy? Then nurture someone along the path that leads to the temple, and ultimately to Jesus Christ." That's the truth. I am not out here to baptize. I am out here to ETERNALIZE. And That can only be done with Jesus Christ. So it's a good thing got him on my side. And that was all just one big rhyme wow I am such a rap star.

 

Speaking of rap star, I told the branch president and his family about my Joseph Smith rap. I'm now the coolest missionary that's ever served in this place.

 

Word.

 

This week is going to be SINTERKLAAS. I think that's how you spell it. And I am so excited to have my first (and only) Sinterklaas here in Assen. I'm gonna leave my shoes out. Hopefully I'll get somethin good.

 

Speaking of shoes, the soles on my boots are falling off. Shucks. But that's okay because "there will be days like this--when your boots will fill with rain, and you'll be up to your knees in disappointment--but those are the days you have all the more reason to say 'thank you' because nothing is more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shore no matter how many times it's pushed away." --Sarah Kay

 

It's gonna be a good week. So smile and decorate! It's DECEMBER!!!!

 

Liefs xoxo

 

Zuster Hoff