Week 70: Exhaustion

October 13, 2014

Geliefde Familie: Exhaustion

So yes, first order of business: Ilyza was baptized, the girl we accidentally re-found in Den Haag! We were sooooo happy to hear that. She started coming to activities while we were still there and so we were so happy to hear that she was finally baptized. She's so cool. It's good to know that Heavenly Father is so aware of us. This week was crazy, but so good. Also weird. I shall explain.

Monday: P-day. Normal. Watched Gen Conference! So great. Then we were invited to the singles FHE. It was so fun. They're basically all about 50-80, so it was just so funny. Elder DW, the greenie, accidentally said that he needed to pee instead of saying he wanted to share a little spiritual message. Hehe.

Tuesday: busy. Had a GREAT lesson with U, the investigator that was basically a golden egg dropped at our feet. She really wants a temple marriage. She just accepts everything we say and is always smiling. I love it.

Wednesday: Exchange. I was here in Lelystad with Zr Hoff--she is so funny. We just laughed and did yard work and had fun. And had some AMAZING contacts in the evening. I really felt the Spirit while we stopped some people--we even got a new investigator out of one of them--he gave us the address of his ex-wife, and we had a little lesson with her and she invited us back, so we will do that tomorrow! Also, while we were doing yard work, we got a call from the APs. Elder Alston was being really friendly on the phone, and I was wondering why--my first thought was that I would be getting emergency transferred -- and then he told me we're getting a mini-missionary. I was skeptical at first, just cause I know how hard tripanionships are, but then I thought, "Heavenly Father answers prayers in mysterious ways" and I realized that this is an answer to prayers. So I've been saying a lot of gratitude prayers. SO this means I won't have P-day next Monday. It's on Saturday though. This coming Saturday.

Thursday: Interviews. I just love talking to Zr Robinson. She Always says what I need to hear. My interview with her was really short though. Then I talked to president for like 20 minutes. Just about what I'm learning and stuff. He's so aware of us.

Friday: Made a coffin out of cardboard boxes for the Halloween Party at the end of the month, had an EXCELLENT lesson with C about Fasting and tithing. She also got a blessing from the Elders, and once they left, she started freaking out about how amazing it was that she had a message from Heavenly Father. One of my favorite things on my mission is to see people realize how much their Father in Heaven loves them. I think just knowing that there is an all-powerful being that LOVES us and is aware of us gives us so much peace. Then, the sisters from Turnhout slept over. I got to talk to Zr A the whole night. It was amazing. I love her.

Saturday: SISTERS CONFERENCE! It was...weird. It was in the mission home and I've never seen so many females in the mission home. It was loud and crazy. Ethlyn was there!!! She sat right in front of me and Zr Aston. We talked about working in councils, which is something everybody needs to hear. We are ALWAYS in councils. There needs to be a Mutual agreement that it doesn't matter if our own ideas are chosen, as long as it's what Heavenly Father wants. Then we talked about the House of Israel and how once we're baptized, we are adopted into it. It helped me remember that I love missionary work. We bring so much hope to people. Then we talked about how soo many of us are leaving soon and how the other sisters are going to keep the culture of the mission the way it is--hard-working, professional, and loving.

Sunday: Church was good. We are working with this lady M, who actually doesn't live in our area, but she comes to Lelystad for church. I Always translate for her. She loved Church. She's from New Zealand. Then we had a GREAT lesson with Allister. His questions are fantastic. He is searching and he wants to know. He will, as long as he keeps praying

As I was cleaning this morning, I was thinking about how some things on a mission are just hard. They just ARE. Then I was thinking about how some of the situations we're in....I never want to find myself in them again. I was sort of panicked thinking that I would have to do all of these same hard things all over again, and then a really peaceful thought came to me that said that if I learn whatever I need to here, maybe I won't have to have this same thing again. Maybe I'll just be able to help somebody else later in life that's facing similar challenges. One of the things that was said at sisters conference that I really liked was this: Satan's plan was presented because he was scared. He feared that he wouldn't make it back to Heavenly Father if left to his own devices. Heavenly Father and Christ trust us. They do enough to let us come here and have hard times and they know that we CAN still make it back.

We got this. It’s tiring and hard and frustrating sometimes, but then when I'm in lessons with people like C or U or A, everything is put into perspective. These people are learning about something that will change their eternity. This message I bring is amazing, and I love being a part of it.

IK HOU VAN JULLIE!!!

Have a great week.

Liefs,

Zr Katherine Heilner