My Dearest Family,
Well, this is it- my last letter home. I will be leaving my beautiful Belgium in three short days, and when I think about it, my heart breaks. Thank you for your loving words- they meant a lot to me today. It is really the first day that the reality of the time has sunk in and I have realized that this really is it. I have been in a bit of an oblivion- one which I sought for- for the last few weeks, which has blessed me with a focus that has made the last few weeks some of the best of my mission. All unrealities, however, must come to an end, and as I started packing this morning, I began to realize that this really is it. Luckily, the pain is accompanied with a whole lot of joy that I feel at the idea of seeing you all again. I have missed you all so much, and it will be fun to get to know you all again and hear about all of the exciting things you all are up to. That is so cute that Cozy can't understand when I'm actually coming home- I'm sure it'll still take some time for her to get to know me, but it'll be fun. Thinking of her being so excited reminds me that there is a life back home where I have responsiblities and people to love!
It was a great week- truly wonderful. The word for miracle in dutch is wonder- very fitting. Yesterday was a very special day at church. Heidi and Marie Therese were confirmed as members of the church, and the Spirit was so strong. They were just glowing as they told me of the warm, calm feelings that came over them as they received the Holy Ghost. Marie said that the warmth came from the hands of the men who confirmed her and went all the way to her heart- a beautiful description from a woman so prepared to truly RECEIVE the Holy Ghost into her heart. I was privileged to translate the sacrament meeting into English for all of the English speakers present, which I love to do, and the bishopric asked me to say a few words during the meeting- an emotional, but very special experience. I love these people. We then went and found the sweetest new investigator- her name is Adella, and se is so prepared to hear the gospel. The sisters will mean a whole lot to her as they continue to help her make the necessary changes in her life to come unto Christ. My goal for this next 2 days is to invite everyone possible to come unto Christ. It truly is the best work we can do.
Thank you so much for your love and support as I have been here on my mission. Your love, letters, and support have meant so much to me. I will miss giving weekly written updates, but talking will be great, I'm sure!
I know that my Savior lives. That is a testimony that has come to burn inside me and will hopefully grow every day as I continue to be enlisted in this great cause. This time next week, I won't have a nametag, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that Christ's name stays etched on my soul forever. I love this work. I don't know how I'll leave it behind, but I pray that the Lord will help me through it just like He has helped me through every trial, every joy, and every moment of this wonderful journey of my mission. May God guide me through these last few days of my mission is my prayer and desire.
Ik hou van jullie!
Tot Donderdag!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
2nd to Last Letter
5/16/2010
It has been a great week. One of those weeks that I will never forget- ever. It began with a wonderful zone conference. We learned some great things that will help me a lot in the work; especially here in Antwerpen. There was also a very special moment for me when I was able to give my departing testimony. As I prayed for guidance of what I should share,
I was clearly guided to bear the testimony I have developed of our Savior as a Redeemer. I talked about how I have learned and seen that because the Savior overcame physical Death, the biggest weakness we as humans possess, He overcame the biggest fault we inherited with the fall. If he overcame that fault, then His atoning, redeeming sacrifice is surely great enough to help us overcome the other faults and weaknesses that we inherited when we began our journey here on earth with our natural man, and also those we have gained along the way. There is nothing that stands between us and perfection now that Christ overcame the weaknesses of the flesh. It is one of the biggest lessons I have learned and learned to understand on my mission, and I felt so good sharing it. It was a bit difficult to give the testimony, but I didn't even cry really. It just felt right.
The highlight of the week; however; was the baptism of Heidi and Marie Therese yesterday. IT was the best baptismal service I have ever seen! The ward had organized everything so wonderfully and cared for the refreshments and lots of them stayed after the block for the service. Heidi and Marie Therese were beaming, and I was too! After missing the baptisms of the last 3 investigators that I set baptismal dates with, I was adjusted to the idea of missing this one, but I am so grateful that I was able to be here to witness it. I felt so much joy, seeing the fruits of the labor we perform here on the mission. Heidi and Marie Therese are two of my eternal friends, and I love them so much. Heidi even said that she'll come visit me in America! It was a neat experience. One I will definitely never forget. There are two new amazing members now in the Antwerpen, Belgie ward, and I am honored to be able to witness the beginning of their journey on the Gospel path. It made me want to do a little better and be a bit more proactive in honoring my own baptismal covenants. There will be another baptism next week of a young man who is prepared for baptism, and Heidi and Marie Therese will be confirmed. What a wonderful way to end my mission.
Well, its crunch time, and we've got a great week planned! I have just enough time to tackle a few more of those weaknesses and consecrate myself a little more to the work. I had a special experience yesterday where I prayed and told the Lord that I just couldn't end my mission without his help and comfort; and He blessed me with such a wonderful feeling of peace and helped me forget about the changes coming while I was working. Heavenly Father is so powerful! He really can do ANYTHING necessary to help us out. My comp is doing great. I have full confidence in her ability to take over the city and take the work even further here. While I was on exchanges this week, she even set a baptismal date with one of our investigators. She's doing great, and growing in confidence daily. I love her!
Mission life is great. I laugh, cry, feel overwhelming joy, and mostly just rejoice in this great opportunity! Everyone should go on a mission!
I love you all! Give each other hugs for me. Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
It has been a great week. One of those weeks that I will never forget- ever. It began with a wonderful zone conference. We learned some great things that will help me a lot in the work; especially here in Antwerpen. There was also a very special moment for me when I was able to give my departing testimony. As I prayed for guidance of what I should share,
I was clearly guided to bear the testimony I have developed of our Savior as a Redeemer. I talked about how I have learned and seen that because the Savior overcame physical Death, the biggest weakness we as humans possess, He overcame the biggest fault we inherited with the fall. If he overcame that fault, then His atoning, redeeming sacrifice is surely great enough to help us overcome the other faults and weaknesses that we inherited when we began our journey here on earth with our natural man, and also those we have gained along the way. There is nothing that stands between us and perfection now that Christ overcame the weaknesses of the flesh. It is one of the biggest lessons I have learned and learned to understand on my mission, and I felt so good sharing it. It was a bit difficult to give the testimony, but I didn't even cry really. It just felt right.
The highlight of the week; however; was the baptism of Heidi and Marie Therese yesterday. IT was the best baptismal service I have ever seen! The ward had organized everything so wonderfully and cared for the refreshments and lots of them stayed after the block for the service. Heidi and Marie Therese were beaming, and I was too! After missing the baptisms of the last 3 investigators that I set baptismal dates with, I was adjusted to the idea of missing this one, but I am so grateful that I was able to be here to witness it. I felt so much joy, seeing the fruits of the labor we perform here on the mission. Heidi and Marie Therese are two of my eternal friends, and I love them so much. Heidi even said that she'll come visit me in America! It was a neat experience. One I will definitely never forget. There are two new amazing members now in the Antwerpen, Belgie ward, and I am honored to be able to witness the beginning of their journey on the Gospel path. It made me want to do a little better and be a bit more proactive in honoring my own baptismal covenants. There will be another baptism next week of a young man who is prepared for baptism, and Heidi and Marie Therese will be confirmed. What a wonderful way to end my mission.
Well, its crunch time, and we've got a great week planned! I have just enough time to tackle a few more of those weaknesses and consecrate myself a little more to the work. I had a special experience yesterday where I prayed and told the Lord that I just couldn't end my mission without his help and comfort; and He blessed me with such a wonderful feeling of peace and helped me forget about the changes coming while I was working. Heavenly Father is so powerful! He really can do ANYTHING necessary to help us out. My comp is doing great. I have full confidence in her ability to take over the city and take the work even further here. While I was on exchanges this week, she even set a baptismal date with one of our investigators. She's doing great, and growing in confidence daily. I love her!
Mission life is great. I laugh, cry, feel overwhelming joy, and mostly just rejoice in this great opportunity! Everyone should go on a mission!
I love you all! Give each other hugs for me. Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
A Busy Week to Come!
Hello Family!
It was fun to talk to you all Sunday. It reminded me that there are some fun things at home to look forward to- so now I'm excited to see you all soon! The work continues to be awesome here, and we are really excited about this next week. We will have zone conference, and then I will be heading to Rotterdam for a day to go on exchanges there. Then we will have interviews with the President on Friday- so it'll be a busy, fun week. The weeks have just been speeding along lately! It really is odd to think that tomorrow I will have to give my "departing testimony" at zone conference. I really hate "lasts"- last conferences; last p-days, last transfers- bleck! I just try to imagine that everything will stay the same- then it’s not so bad.
A cruise to Alaska sounds good- why not; you know? I don't really mind what goes on- who knows what I'll be doing with my life anyway. I just take comfort in the fact that I will be blessed by the Lord with the ability to figure out my life after my mission. In most situations, I would call that irresponsible, but I feel that everything will work itself out when I get home. I just want to focus and enjoy the work to its fullest, and let the future take care of itself. It is so wonderful to have the opportunity of losing myself in the work of the Lord. It is truly a unique time in my life when I can dedicate everything I have to the Lord and trust that He will care for everything else for me. I don't know what I will do when I have to think about worldly things again- what a burden! Of course I know that God will help me figure all of that out anyways, but I am so excited to make sure that my service to the Lord, in and out of the church, stays the focus of my life forever! It brings soo much joy to feel that you are truly accomplishing something that the Lord desires for you. I hope that I never lose sight of where that true joy and happiness comes from.
I appreciate your words of encouragement and motivation for the last few weeks of my mission. I have been praying to be able to focus and not think too much about the coming changes. Most of the time I am pretty successful. When I e-mail you it all seems to come above again and I seem to write a lot about it, but I don't struggle with it too much. There's just too much to do here!
We had another appointment last night with Heidi and Marie Therese. They are doing so well and are truly demonstrating the faith necessary to make and keep covenants with the Lord. They are both nervous and excited, but I know that they are ready, and they feel ready as well. They have asked me to speak at their baptism, which I am honored to do. They are just such bright lights! They truly shine out the light of Christ, and just keep getting shinier as they learn more and more and make sacrifices to follow the Savior! I love the Gospel!
I love you all so much and can't imagine having a better family to support me! Stay safe and know that i love you!!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
It was fun to talk to you all Sunday. It reminded me that there are some fun things at home to look forward to- so now I'm excited to see you all soon! The work continues to be awesome here, and we are really excited about this next week. We will have zone conference, and then I will be heading to Rotterdam for a day to go on exchanges there. Then we will have interviews with the President on Friday- so it'll be a busy, fun week. The weeks have just been speeding along lately! It really is odd to think that tomorrow I will have to give my "departing testimony" at zone conference. I really hate "lasts"- last conferences; last p-days, last transfers- bleck! I just try to imagine that everything will stay the same- then it’s not so bad.
A cruise to Alaska sounds good- why not; you know? I don't really mind what goes on- who knows what I'll be doing with my life anyway. I just take comfort in the fact that I will be blessed by the Lord with the ability to figure out my life after my mission. In most situations, I would call that irresponsible, but I feel that everything will work itself out when I get home. I just want to focus and enjoy the work to its fullest, and let the future take care of itself. It is so wonderful to have the opportunity of losing myself in the work of the Lord. It is truly a unique time in my life when I can dedicate everything I have to the Lord and trust that He will care for everything else for me. I don't know what I will do when I have to think about worldly things again- what a burden! Of course I know that God will help me figure all of that out anyways, but I am so excited to make sure that my service to the Lord, in and out of the church, stays the focus of my life forever! It brings soo much joy to feel that you are truly accomplishing something that the Lord desires for you. I hope that I never lose sight of where that true joy and happiness comes from.
I appreciate your words of encouragement and motivation for the last few weeks of my mission. I have been praying to be able to focus and not think too much about the coming changes. Most of the time I am pretty successful. When I e-mail you it all seems to come above again and I seem to write a lot about it, but I don't struggle with it too much. There's just too much to do here!
We had another appointment last night with Heidi and Marie Therese. They are doing so well and are truly demonstrating the faith necessary to make and keep covenants with the Lord. They are both nervous and excited, but I know that they are ready, and they feel ready as well. They have asked me to speak at their baptism, which I am honored to do. They are just such bright lights! They truly shine out the light of Christ, and just keep getting shinier as they learn more and more and make sacrifices to follow the Savior! I love the Gospel!
I love you all so much and can't imagine having a better family to support me! Stay safe and know that i love you!!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Monday, May 3, 2010
Time Rolls On!
Hello family!
It was a treat as always to hear from you. Thank you so much for keeping me updated on the happenings of the family! It makes me feel somewhat a part. Jamie, the dress looks great! It looks like the perfect one for you.
I don't have much time today- I had to look up the phone number, but I am just loving the work right now. I found out yesterday that we have a mini-missionary from the ward in Den Bosch (the Netherlands) who is going to be working with us this week. She is a great girl who is a convert of one year, and she will be here to get a little bit of a mission experience. It'll be quite an adventure trying to show my greenie and a member at the same time how to do missionary work! My greenie however, is doing so good- she barely needs any training anyways! She reminds me so much of me when I was her "age" in the mission. She underestimates so much her ability to speak the language and has a hard time not being perfect- all too familiar. I read a lot of my journal to her from the beginning of my mission and she says that it could be her own journal- it’s so similar. It’s amazing how Heavenly Father uses our times of trial to bless us, and later the lives of others with wisdom and blessings. I love the Gospel!!!
Sorry to cut it short, but my times up. I love you all!
Love;
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
It was a treat as always to hear from you. Thank you so much for keeping me updated on the happenings of the family! It makes me feel somewhat a part. Jamie, the dress looks great! It looks like the perfect one for you.
I don't have much time today- I had to look up the phone number, but I am just loving the work right now. I found out yesterday that we have a mini-missionary from the ward in Den Bosch (the Netherlands) who is going to be working with us this week. She is a great girl who is a convert of one year, and she will be here to get a little bit of a mission experience. It'll be quite an adventure trying to show my greenie and a member at the same time how to do missionary work! My greenie however, is doing so good- she barely needs any training anyways! She reminds me so much of me when I was her "age" in the mission. She underestimates so much her ability to speak the language and has a hard time not being perfect- all too familiar. I read a lot of my journal to her from the beginning of my mission and she says that it could be her own journal- it’s so similar. It’s amazing how Heavenly Father uses our times of trial to bless us, and later the lives of others with wisdom and blessings. I love the Gospel!!!
Sorry to cut it short, but my times up. I love you all!
Love;
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Monday, April 26, 2010
Cherie's Letter
Hello Family! It is getting harder and harder to enjoy p-days these days. It seems the ability to relax a little brings lots of thoughts about the inevitable end of my mission, which makes me grumpy, tired, and most of all sad. Don't get me wrong, I am excited to come and see you all, it’s just I really don't like thinking about it when I don't absolutely have to. I have been praying to just forget about it during the week, and as a result, my weeks are blissfully ignorant until p-day comes around. Oh well, I guess at the end of your mission, p-day just has to be endured. We'll go get some frites and ice cream, and I'll be fine ;)
Anyways, it’s so great to hear from you all. I have been enjoying getting to be a part of all the excitement and fun stuff surrounding the wedding plans and all. I am excited to help a little when I get back! As for dress shopping, if Jamie still hasn't found a dress when I get home, I'd be happy to drive up and help her :) Can I borrow the car?? HeHe! Oh, and I'm so sorry I didn't thank you for the Easter package! It was great! We even used the eggs you sent to do a fun little Easter egg lesson on Easter- kind of a mini version of what we do every year with the eggs. It was a huge success!
This week has been great! We are seeing so many rewards from our efforts to find new people to teach. We are finding so many people who are truly prepared to investigate and gain testimonies of the Gospel, and as we begin working with them, it is such a testimony builder to see them grasp these wonderful truths and find the joy that is contained in the pure doctrines of the Gospel. Or rather, the application of the pure doctrines of the Gospel. My companion and I are doing great! Zr. Holbein is SUCH a great missionary. She is doing so great jumping into missionary work and doing her best to talk with these Flemish speakers. I read aloud the journal entries I had written at the beginning of my mission, and we realized that she and I are very similar, and the things I struggled with and felt inadequate in are the exact things that she struggles with and feels inadequate in. It has been so wonderful to work with her and know that even if I am a super old missionary, I can still teach her a lot. She still needs me to work my hardest to show her by my example how to be an effective missionary- which means that I still need to keep improving and becoming that kind of missionary :) If I were ever struggling with working my hardest, that thought is enough to keep me energized and working hard!
Our investigators Heidi and her mother Marie are doing great! They are set to be baptized on May 30th, even though their lessons will be done by the end of the week. They are so wonderful and committed to living all of the principles that they have learned. Heidi is a very special friend of mine now. She got stuck in Madrid, Spain this last week with the problems with flying, and she wasn't there for one of our lessons. We arrived, and her mom said "Heidi isn't here, but she wanted to talk to you for a minute;" we called, and I chatted with her for about 30 minutes while my comp did a great job carrying on a conversation in Flemish with Marie. It was so fun, and reminded me of what a miracle it is that we can get to know such wonderful people and communicate with them in their own languages. It is so great! I love my mission more and more each day and love the people we get to work with.
Oh, before I forget, I was thinking about mistakes I've made in my life the other day, and I need to confess something- Mom, one time in like 11th grade, I took one of Gramsie's broaches to use for the renaissance thing at school (with permission, of course) and I was not really very responsible with it, and someone stole it! I don't think I ever told you because I was scared you'd be mad at me. I'm sorry. Ok, I feel much better8
Love you all! I hou van jullie!
Zr: Beebs
Anyways, it’s so great to hear from you all. I have been enjoying getting to be a part of all the excitement and fun stuff surrounding the wedding plans and all. I am excited to help a little when I get back! As for dress shopping, if Jamie still hasn't found a dress when I get home, I'd be happy to drive up and help her :) Can I borrow the car?? HeHe! Oh, and I'm so sorry I didn't thank you for the Easter package! It was great! We even used the eggs you sent to do a fun little Easter egg lesson on Easter- kind of a mini version of what we do every year with the eggs. It was a huge success!
This week has been great! We are seeing so many rewards from our efforts to find new people to teach. We are finding so many people who are truly prepared to investigate and gain testimonies of the Gospel, and as we begin working with them, it is such a testimony builder to see them grasp these wonderful truths and find the joy that is contained in the pure doctrines of the Gospel. Or rather, the application of the pure doctrines of the Gospel. My companion and I are doing great! Zr. Holbein is SUCH a great missionary. She is doing so great jumping into missionary work and doing her best to talk with these Flemish speakers. I read aloud the journal entries I had written at the beginning of my mission, and we realized that she and I are very similar, and the things I struggled with and felt inadequate in are the exact things that she struggles with and feels inadequate in. It has been so wonderful to work with her and know that even if I am a super old missionary, I can still teach her a lot. She still needs me to work my hardest to show her by my example how to be an effective missionary- which means that I still need to keep improving and becoming that kind of missionary :) If I were ever struggling with working my hardest, that thought is enough to keep me energized and working hard!
Our investigators Heidi and her mother Marie are doing great! They are set to be baptized on May 30th, even though their lessons will be done by the end of the week. They are so wonderful and committed to living all of the principles that they have learned. Heidi is a very special friend of mine now. She got stuck in Madrid, Spain this last week with the problems with flying, and she wasn't there for one of our lessons. We arrived, and her mom said "Heidi isn't here, but she wanted to talk to you for a minute;" we called, and I chatted with her for about 30 minutes while my comp did a great job carrying on a conversation in Flemish with Marie. It was so fun, and reminded me of what a miracle it is that we can get to know such wonderful people and communicate with them in their own languages. It is so great! I love my mission more and more each day and love the people we get to work with.
Oh, before I forget, I was thinking about mistakes I've made in my life the other day, and I need to confess something- Mom, one time in like 11th grade, I took one of Gramsie's broaches to use for the renaissance thing at school (with permission, of course) and I was not really very responsible with it, and someone stole it! I don't think I ever told you because I was scared you'd be mad at me. I'm sorry. Ok, I feel much better8
Love you all! I hou van jullie!
Zr: Beebs
Monday, April 19, 2010
Exciting News!
Dearest Jamie and Family-
AAHHH!!!!! I am so excited for you Jamie! What a wonderful proposal, and centered on the temple- couldn't have been more perfect. So, was it expected? Did you already pick out the ring ahead of time? I wish I could have been there to see the excitement and emotions and all- I probably would have been crying right along with Jamie :)
So, putting aside the weird realization that my little sis is getting married before me ( ;) ) I am very excited that I will be home for the wedding! I just love wedding planning!! We're going to have to arrange that I meet Spence as soon as possible so I can get to know him a little before the wedding. Oh hey... that means that you get to go through the temple soon!! Yay! I'm so excited!!
So Mom and Dad- how’s the coping? Don't worry; I'll soon be coming home to fill that vacant spot in the home with a whole lot of ME. Actually, if I keep eating Belgian waffles, there will be too much of me coming home, but I think we’ll be ok on that one.
Anyways, it has been a great week. My companion's name is Zuster Holbein, and she is from Kentucky (mom, I thought of you). You can see pictures of her on the mission blog, and some of me I think. She is a wonderful missionary and her faith is AMAZING! We have seen soo many miracles since she has come- we have found new investigators almost every day. Her Dutch is quite good as well, and as soon as she recovers from the jet-lag, she's going to run circles around me with her energy level, I'm sure.
I have learned in the past few days what people mean when they talk about how the last transfer is a fight to endure to the end. I have been working the hardest I have on my mission this last week, and my tired body is just not cooperating very well. I have been tired, but sooooo happy!! The joy that comes from missionary work is really incredible, and, in my opinion, best enjoyed while resting VERY weary feet at the end of the day with a box of Belgian chocolates. Being tired, although a trial, has taught me to rely on the Lord for physical as well as spiritual strength to do the work He has called me to do. When we rely on Him for EVERYTHING, that is when we see the miracles. It is a total realization of our dependence on God, and produces an amazing humility when we give everything to the Lord and realize how much we need Him to make our offering enough.
Love you all so much!
Liefs;
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
AAHHH!!!!! I am so excited for you Jamie! What a wonderful proposal, and centered on the temple- couldn't have been more perfect. So, was it expected? Did you already pick out the ring ahead of time? I wish I could have been there to see the excitement and emotions and all- I probably would have been crying right along with Jamie :)
So, putting aside the weird realization that my little sis is getting married before me ( ;) ) I am very excited that I will be home for the wedding! I just love wedding planning!! We're going to have to arrange that I meet Spence as soon as possible so I can get to know him a little before the wedding. Oh hey... that means that you get to go through the temple soon!! Yay! I'm so excited!!
So Mom and Dad- how’s the coping? Don't worry; I'll soon be coming home to fill that vacant spot in the home with a whole lot of ME. Actually, if I keep eating Belgian waffles, there will be too much of me coming home, but I think we’ll be ok on that one.
Anyways, it has been a great week. My companion's name is Zuster Holbein, and she is from Kentucky (mom, I thought of you). You can see pictures of her on the mission blog, and some of me I think. She is a wonderful missionary and her faith is AMAZING! We have seen soo many miracles since she has come- we have found new investigators almost every day. Her Dutch is quite good as well, and as soon as she recovers from the jet-lag, she's going to run circles around me with her energy level, I'm sure.
I have learned in the past few days what people mean when they talk about how the last transfer is a fight to endure to the end. I have been working the hardest I have on my mission this last week, and my tired body is just not cooperating very well. I have been tired, but sooooo happy!! The joy that comes from missionary work is really incredible, and, in my opinion, best enjoyed while resting VERY weary feet at the end of the day with a box of Belgian chocolates. Being tired, although a trial, has taught me to rely on the Lord for physical as well as spiritual strength to do the work He has called me to do. When we rely on Him for EVERYTHING, that is when we see the miracles. It is a total realization of our dependence on God, and produces an amazing humility when we give everything to the Lord and realize how much we need Him to make our offering enough.
Love you all so much!
Liefs;
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Monday, April 12, 2010
What a Week!
Hello wonderful family!
Anyways, this week has been a crazy one. Zr. Bennett’s Dad came into town on Tuesday night to surprise Zr. Bennett for her birthday, so we had to find a way to convince her to go to a certain restaurant and be there at a certain time (which proved rather difficult) to meet her dad. It was a tearful reunion, but I think she was ready to go home, and she went off smiling to enjoy some travel with her dad. It is weird sending my MTC comp home- not only am I the oldest one in the mission, but I'm in the "super old" stage of a sister missionary's mission. One of the assistants yesterday told me that I'm pretty much a 70 year old grandma as far as the mission is concerned. I hope that doesn't have any reflection in my wardrobe :)
I was blessed this week to go to Zone conference twice- once with my own zone, and then again with the Rotterdam Zr.s zone because I am working with them for this week. The best part is that this transfer, zone conference was at the temple, so I was blessed to go through the temple two times this week. As I talked with the matron of the temple this week, I was taught a valuable lesson by the Spirit that I shared with her and would love to share with you. Last time zone conference was at the temple, I wasn't able to go through because I was sick. I was very disappointed, as we had been preparing for months, but I just made the best of the situation, and went on. Little did I know that this transfer, I would be able to go to the temple 3 times in just one transfer- once with Lenneke, and twice with the zones. It was so special to realize that I have been blessed with a two-fold increase in my temple experiences that totally make up for my lost temple trip. The Lord truly does bless us if we endure our trials well. Of course, a temple trip is not a life or death situation, and the trial was not so taxing as other trials in life, but I learned in a very real way that the Lord will make up for any losses that we experience through trials in this life if we keep going and endure well, knowing that everything will turn out for the best. The Lord truly is aware of us and honors our righteous desires.
My temple trip was an emotional one. I broke down in the celestial room on the second day as it finally hit me that I will have to leave my mission soon. I've been tearing up ever since whenever I think about it. One very sweet experience I had was talking with Zr. Fritz, who was Zr. Ekstrom's (my comp from Groningen) companion last transfer. She was talking to me and said that she learned from Zr. Ekstrom how to really enjoy her mission and truly love it. I remembered a moment at the end of my time serving with Zr. Ekstrom when she told me that I had been the one who taught her to truly love and enjoy her mission. I was humbled to realize that the effect we have on others is so far reaching. When we touch someone's life, we never know whose life they will touch in return. It was a rewarding moment for me as an old-lady missionary. I had so many wonderful experiences this week, and there just isn't time to write them all here unfortunately. Now, however, I am enjoying being back in Rotterdam and checking up on quite a few investigators and new members who have fallen through the cracks over the past year. The sisters here are having a liberty jail-style transfer, and one is suffering from ankle problems, and the other from some depression, and its fun to work with them and hopefully lift their spirits a little. The coolest part is that they have a car because of the ankle problem, and I get to drive to help them relax while we travel :D Watch our Europe!
I am a little worried about Antwerpen, but I know that Heavenly Father is watching over the city while I am away. We are going back tonight to teach a lesson, and it will be great to be back. President expects that I will get my new companion before the end of the week. My assignment will remain training, so I'll get my little one hopefully Wednesday and start working again in Antwerpen.
I love my mission, it is so wonderful! I am just so grateful to be here. One of the impressions I got this week is that all of the things happening right now are "right". It is right that I am here on a mission, right that I stay an extra transfer, and, as hard as it is, right that I go back home in 6 weeks. I just can't wait to start the next transfer and have the best transfer of my mission!!
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gullvier
PS- Dad, the flowers look amazing!
Anyways, this week has been a crazy one. Zr. Bennett’s Dad came into town on Tuesday night to surprise Zr. Bennett for her birthday, so we had to find a way to convince her to go to a certain restaurant and be there at a certain time (which proved rather difficult) to meet her dad. It was a tearful reunion, but I think she was ready to go home, and she went off smiling to enjoy some travel with her dad. It is weird sending my MTC comp home- not only am I the oldest one in the mission, but I'm in the "super old" stage of a sister missionary's mission. One of the assistants yesterday told me that I'm pretty much a 70 year old grandma as far as the mission is concerned. I hope that doesn't have any reflection in my wardrobe :)
I was blessed this week to go to Zone conference twice- once with my own zone, and then again with the Rotterdam Zr.s zone because I am working with them for this week. The best part is that this transfer, zone conference was at the temple, so I was blessed to go through the temple two times this week. As I talked with the matron of the temple this week, I was taught a valuable lesson by the Spirit that I shared with her and would love to share with you. Last time zone conference was at the temple, I wasn't able to go through because I was sick. I was very disappointed, as we had been preparing for months, but I just made the best of the situation, and went on. Little did I know that this transfer, I would be able to go to the temple 3 times in just one transfer- once with Lenneke, and twice with the zones. It was so special to realize that I have been blessed with a two-fold increase in my temple experiences that totally make up for my lost temple trip. The Lord truly does bless us if we endure our trials well. Of course, a temple trip is not a life or death situation, and the trial was not so taxing as other trials in life, but I learned in a very real way that the Lord will make up for any losses that we experience through trials in this life if we keep going and endure well, knowing that everything will turn out for the best. The Lord truly is aware of us and honors our righteous desires.
My temple trip was an emotional one. I broke down in the celestial room on the second day as it finally hit me that I will have to leave my mission soon. I've been tearing up ever since whenever I think about it. One very sweet experience I had was talking with Zr. Fritz, who was Zr. Ekstrom's (my comp from Groningen) companion last transfer. She was talking to me and said that she learned from Zr. Ekstrom how to really enjoy her mission and truly love it. I remembered a moment at the end of my time serving with Zr. Ekstrom when she told me that I had been the one who taught her to truly love and enjoy her mission. I was humbled to realize that the effect we have on others is so far reaching. When we touch someone's life, we never know whose life they will touch in return. It was a rewarding moment for me as an old-lady missionary. I had so many wonderful experiences this week, and there just isn't time to write them all here unfortunately. Now, however, I am enjoying being back in Rotterdam and checking up on quite a few investigators and new members who have fallen through the cracks over the past year. The sisters here are having a liberty jail-style transfer, and one is suffering from ankle problems, and the other from some depression, and its fun to work with them and hopefully lift their spirits a little. The coolest part is that they have a car because of the ankle problem, and I get to drive to help them relax while we travel :D Watch our Europe!
I am a little worried about Antwerpen, but I know that Heavenly Father is watching over the city while I am away. We are going back tonight to teach a lesson, and it will be great to be back. President expects that I will get my new companion before the end of the week. My assignment will remain training, so I'll get my little one hopefully Wednesday and start working again in Antwerpen.
I love my mission, it is so wonderful! I am just so grateful to be here. One of the impressions I got this week is that all of the things happening right now are "right". It is right that I am here on a mission, right that I stay an extra transfer, and, as hard as it is, right that I go back home in 6 weeks. I just can't wait to start the next transfer and have the best transfer of my mission!!
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gullvier
PS- Dad, the flowers look amazing!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Happy Easter from Antwerpen!
Dearest of families, 4/5/2010
Well, this week has been good- a little bit difficult at times as we prepare Zr. Bennett to go home. It has been really weird preparing her to go, and not go myself. I have had to check myself a few times when I seem to fall into the same mindset she is in, which is kind of a "I´m going home anyways..." mindset. I really don’t like it, and I have avoided it pretty good, but it will be much easier with my new comp to avoid those distracting feelings. Mom, you are the best- the classes you signed me up for are great- I’ll work with the scheduling and everything when I get back, but I think that should be sufficient for now as far as preparing for school before I get home. With the way my life is looking, I have no idea how things will play out this summer, but I feel better knowing that BYU is somewhat taken care of.
As for what will happen this week, Zr. Bennett is being picked up on Wednesday, and will take me up to Rotterdam, and since my new comp still hasn´t gotten her visa, I will be working in the blessed city of Rotterdam for another whole week waiting for transfers a week from Wednesday, when 2 new greenies will come in, and hopefully mine as well- then we´ll be able to come back to Antwerpen to work full-time. There is no guarantee that I will keep my calling as a trainer next transfer- the Lord might have other ideas, and there are so many wonderful sisters in the mission who are completely qualified to train the new ones. We´ll see what the Lord has in mind- as for me, I´m excited to see what the next transfer brings, and excited to help Heidi and her mother move toward baptism next transfer. They are so wonderfully integrated into the ward and Heidi has just come alive as she has learned about the gospel and associated with the young adults here. As we say in the mission "her light has turned on". The Light that the Spirit brings has just taken over her countenance, and has brought a ton of confidence and happiness to her. I love the gospel!!!!
Conference was just wonderful wasn´t it? It was wonderful to sit at the feet of living prophets and listen to the words the Lord has to tell us today, in our time. I was especially touched with the focus on the role of women in the family and society. It made me realize and appreciate so much more what mom, and all mothers for that matter, do to raise their kids right. i am so grateful that I get to be a missionary before taking on that responsibility. I definitely needed this time to learn to teach the gospel before I teach my kids the gospel.
I love you all so much. Thank you for your loving notes and support. I couldn´t ask for better family! My next e-mail will come from Rotterdam- I´m so excited to get to serve there again, even if its just for a week. We´re going to go look up a lot of my old investigators and see how they´re doing. It´ll be great.
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
Well, this week has been good- a little bit difficult at times as we prepare Zr. Bennett to go home. It has been really weird preparing her to go, and not go myself. I have had to check myself a few times when I seem to fall into the same mindset she is in, which is kind of a "I´m going home anyways..." mindset. I really don’t like it, and I have avoided it pretty good, but it will be much easier with my new comp to avoid those distracting feelings. Mom, you are the best- the classes you signed me up for are great- I’ll work with the scheduling and everything when I get back, but I think that should be sufficient for now as far as preparing for school before I get home. With the way my life is looking, I have no idea how things will play out this summer, but I feel better knowing that BYU is somewhat taken care of.
As for what will happen this week, Zr. Bennett is being picked up on Wednesday, and will take me up to Rotterdam, and since my new comp still hasn´t gotten her visa, I will be working in the blessed city of Rotterdam for another whole week waiting for transfers a week from Wednesday, when 2 new greenies will come in, and hopefully mine as well- then we´ll be able to come back to Antwerpen to work full-time. There is no guarantee that I will keep my calling as a trainer next transfer- the Lord might have other ideas, and there are so many wonderful sisters in the mission who are completely qualified to train the new ones. We´ll see what the Lord has in mind- as for me, I´m excited to see what the next transfer brings, and excited to help Heidi and her mother move toward baptism next transfer. They are so wonderfully integrated into the ward and Heidi has just come alive as she has learned about the gospel and associated with the young adults here. As we say in the mission "her light has turned on". The Light that the Spirit brings has just taken over her countenance, and has brought a ton of confidence and happiness to her. I love the gospel!!!!
Conference was just wonderful wasn´t it? It was wonderful to sit at the feet of living prophets and listen to the words the Lord has to tell us today, in our time. I was especially touched with the focus on the role of women in the family and society. It made me realize and appreciate so much more what mom, and all mothers for that matter, do to raise their kids right. i am so grateful that I get to be a missionary before taking on that responsibility. I definitely needed this time to learn to teach the gospel before I teach my kids the gospel.
I love you all so much. Thank you for your loving notes and support. I couldn´t ask for better family! My next e-mail will come from Rotterdam- I´m so excited to get to serve there again, even if its just for a week. We´re going to go look up a lot of my old investigators and see how they´re doing. It´ll be great.
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
Monday, March 29, 2010
Cherie's Letter
My heart is completely filled with joy at the news of Lillian’s birth. I love the name! We truly are a blessed family . In the words of the movie Legacy, "the Lord has blessed us"!
I am so happy to hear that all went smoothly. It sounds like it was the perfect labor process, and it’s so good to hear that mommy and baby are doing well. I can't wait to meet her! It will be a full house when I get home, but that will be great- I wouldn't want it any other way :)
I must applaud the family for the amazing response to my requests for pictures. Mom, I must say your smile is looking great! Oh, and Jamie, the boyfriend looks nice - very handsome. And of course baby Lillian and Cozette are looking completely gorgeous!! What beautiful nieces I have! How is Cozette reacting to the competition?
Well, while you all were having an adventure Friday night, we were setting a baptismal date with Heide (our 19 year old investigator) AND her mother! They both committed to being baptized on the 16th of May- so exciting!! It looks like teaching girls in my own "life-time range" (however you say that in English) has highlighted almost every city I’ve served in. These Dutch/Belge young women are just so exemplary! I am so proud of Heidi and her mother as well. She is totally solid in the Gospel, and is a wonderful addition to the young adult group in the ward. She is the ray of sunshine for us!!
Serving with Zr. Bennett is great. We get along wonderfully, and have seen plenty of success. As her time in the mission wraps up, I am starting to get this panicky feeling in my stomach that reminds me that my own release is around the corner. That and I just received a letter from the office informing me formally that I will be released in 2 months. I'll just have to make the most of the time I had I guess. I think serving with Zr. Bennett has been a good preparation to help me ease a little into my release. Either way, I can't help but look forward to next transfer, when I can forget all about being released again. This little mission world we live in is so much fun to get lost in!
I love you all very much!
Liefs;
Zuster Gulliver
I am so happy to hear that all went smoothly. It sounds like it was the perfect labor process, and it’s so good to hear that mommy and baby are doing well. I can't wait to meet her! It will be a full house when I get home, but that will be great- I wouldn't want it any other way :)
I must applaud the family for the amazing response to my requests for pictures. Mom, I must say your smile is looking great! Oh, and Jamie, the boyfriend looks nice - very handsome. And of course baby Lillian and Cozette are looking completely gorgeous!! What beautiful nieces I have! How is Cozette reacting to the competition?
Well, while you all were having an adventure Friday night, we were setting a baptismal date with Heide (our 19 year old investigator) AND her mother! They both committed to being baptized on the 16th of May- so exciting!! It looks like teaching girls in my own "life-time range" (however you say that in English) has highlighted almost every city I’ve served in. These Dutch/Belge young women are just so exemplary! I am so proud of Heidi and her mother as well. She is totally solid in the Gospel, and is a wonderful addition to the young adult group in the ward. She is the ray of sunshine for us!!
Serving with Zr. Bennett is great. We get along wonderfully, and have seen plenty of success. As her time in the mission wraps up, I am starting to get this panicky feeling in my stomach that reminds me that my own release is around the corner. That and I just received a letter from the office informing me formally that I will be released in 2 months. I'll just have to make the most of the time I had I guess. I think serving with Zr. Bennett has been a good preparation to help me ease a little into my release. Either way, I can't help but look forward to next transfer, when I can forget all about being released again. This little mission world we live in is so much fun to get lost in!
I love you all very much!
Liefs;
Zuster Gulliver
Monday, March 22, 2010
Progressing with Flemish...Sort Of!
Hello family!!
What a wonderful week! I was blessed this week with one of the most special experiences of my mission. I was able to go to the Den Haag Temple with Zr. Bennett and be present when Lenneke (my first baptismal candidate from Rotterdam) went through the temple for her own endowment. All of the new members from Rotterdam were there, and it was truly a privilege to be there. I was filled with joy as I watched her enjoy the experience and was reminded of why we do what we do as missionaries. After not attending a session in so long, it was so wonderful to be in the temple. I was once again in awe at the beauty of the temple and the blessing it is to enjoy the truths we have in the restored gospel. I have set a goal to make the temple a priority and go as often as possible for the rest of my life. I want this year to be the largest gap that I will ever have in temple attendance. It was an opportunity I will never forget.
Joanne is baptized as far as I know- she was baptized the same day I spent in the temple with Lenneke- truly a payday for Zuster Gulliver! Heidi, our investigator here, is doing great. She and her mother love the church and we will try to help them set goals for baptism this week. They will truly love the blessings of baptism in the Lord's church. Then again- everyone would enjoy those blessings :)
As far as the Flemish is coming, the old people can't seem to understand me, but I can't understand them either, so I call it a fair trade ;) Other than the old Flemish men, I am doing pretty good with Flemish. People still think I'm from the Netherlands, so I obviously don't quite fit in, but I'm getting there. It kind of feels like I've digressed to my 4th transfer or so with the accent and comprehension, but I figure I could use a little humbling after all of the blessings I have received with my Dutch. It’s keeping me relying on the Lord for help, which is always a good thing. The Belgian people are actually a little nicer than the Dutch, which is making contacting a little more pleasant. There are a lot of devout Jews and Muslims here in Antwerpen, which add an interesting dimension to proselyting.
Zr. Bennett and I are enjoying working together. She leaves on the 7th of April, leaving me stranded without a companion. My greenie was delayed longer than expected, so I'm not sure when we'll see her. I guess I'll just go to one of the other cities to help out the sisters during the gap without a companion.
Well, I love you all and hope all is going well. I hope to hear how life is for everyone. I pray for you all nightly and hope you are all happy.
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs;
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
P.S. I can still receive pictures... ;)
What a wonderful week! I was blessed this week with one of the most special experiences of my mission. I was able to go to the Den Haag Temple with Zr. Bennett and be present when Lenneke (my first baptismal candidate from Rotterdam) went through the temple for her own endowment. All of the new members from Rotterdam were there, and it was truly a privilege to be there. I was filled with joy as I watched her enjoy the experience and was reminded of why we do what we do as missionaries. After not attending a session in so long, it was so wonderful to be in the temple. I was once again in awe at the beauty of the temple and the blessing it is to enjoy the truths we have in the restored gospel. I have set a goal to make the temple a priority and go as often as possible for the rest of my life. I want this year to be the largest gap that I will ever have in temple attendance. It was an opportunity I will never forget.
Joanne is baptized as far as I know- she was baptized the same day I spent in the temple with Lenneke- truly a payday for Zuster Gulliver! Heidi, our investigator here, is doing great. She and her mother love the church and we will try to help them set goals for baptism this week. They will truly love the blessings of baptism in the Lord's church. Then again- everyone would enjoy those blessings :)
As far as the Flemish is coming, the old people can't seem to understand me, but I can't understand them either, so I call it a fair trade ;) Other than the old Flemish men, I am doing pretty good with Flemish. People still think I'm from the Netherlands, so I obviously don't quite fit in, but I'm getting there. It kind of feels like I've digressed to my 4th transfer or so with the accent and comprehension, but I figure I could use a little humbling after all of the blessings I have received with my Dutch. It’s keeping me relying on the Lord for help, which is always a good thing. The Belgian people are actually a little nicer than the Dutch, which is making contacting a little more pleasant. There are a lot of devout Jews and Muslims here in Antwerpen, which add an interesting dimension to proselyting.
Zr. Bennett and I are enjoying working together. She leaves on the 7th of April, leaving me stranded without a companion. My greenie was delayed longer than expected, so I'm not sure when we'll see her. I guess I'll just go to one of the other cities to help out the sisters during the gap without a companion.
Well, I love you all and hope all is going well. I hope to hear how life is for everyone. I pray for you all nightly and hope you are all happy.
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs;
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
P.S. I can still receive pictures... ;)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Cherie's Letter
Hello family!
Well, Belgium is quite the place- a lot dirtier than the Netherlands, but such a wonderful place! I am falling in love with it already. That is so neat that I have an ancestor from this city. It is neat to think that I have some roots here- it is becoming such a part of me here on my mission.
Still no word from my new little greenie- I guess we'll just have to be patient and see when she comes. Until then, Zr Bennett and I are having a BLAST serving together again. It’s really a lot of fun serving together here in the field. We are life-long friends, and are already planning trips to see each other after the mission (on p-day only, of course!).
The Belgian chocolate is DELICIOUS!!! I am tempted to eat WAY too much whenever I have the chance. I'll be sure to bring lots home to share :) In many ways Zr Bennett has been very good for me- she has reminded me of the reality of going home and that I should probably start planning some things- yikes!
Anyways, we are teaching the cutest little Flemish girl, Heidi, who has committed to being baptized, and we are going to teach here mom this week as well!!! The work goes forward in the most spectacular way! I am now able to understand Flemish, which helps a lot- French, however, is another story :) I hear it a lot, but speaking is just not a reality.
Oh and here's my address-
Alfons Schneiderlaan 172
Bus 2
2100 Deurne
Belgium
I love you all soooo much!
Oh, and you can e-mail me pictures now.
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
Well, Belgium is quite the place- a lot dirtier than the Netherlands, but such a wonderful place! I am falling in love with it already. That is so neat that I have an ancestor from this city. It is neat to think that I have some roots here- it is becoming such a part of me here on my mission.
Still no word from my new little greenie- I guess we'll just have to be patient and see when she comes. Until then, Zr Bennett and I are having a BLAST serving together again. It’s really a lot of fun serving together here in the field. We are life-long friends, and are already planning trips to see each other after the mission (on p-day only, of course!).
The Belgian chocolate is DELICIOUS!!! I am tempted to eat WAY too much whenever I have the chance. I'll be sure to bring lots home to share :) In many ways Zr Bennett has been very good for me- she has reminded me of the reality of going home and that I should probably start planning some things- yikes!
Anyways, we are teaching the cutest little Flemish girl, Heidi, who has committed to being baptized, and we are going to teach here mom this week as well!!! The work goes forward in the most spectacular way! I am now able to understand Flemish, which helps a lot- French, however, is another story :) I hear it a lot, but speaking is just not a reality.
Oh and here's my address-
Alfons Schneiderlaan 172
Bus 2
2100 Deurne
Belgium
I love you all soooo much!
Oh, and you can e-mail me pictures now.
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
Monday, March 8, 2010
Hello Belgium!
Hello Family!
Well, there are problems with the new e-mail system, so I was not able to read your e-mails this week. Mission life has taught me to not sweat the small stuff, so I hope there was nothing too urgent in the letters :) They should be there waiting for me next week.
Also, my letters will probably be a little short these coming weeks, as I have to get used to French keyboards here in Belgium. The letters are all in the wrong place. So if there are a few qs where there should be a's, sorry- it adds new meaning to the phrase watch your p's and q's (haha- get it?)
Life in Belgium couldn't be more different than the £Netherlands. It is taking some getting used to, and I must say, I miss he Netherlands terribly, but I am already finding a place in my heart for the Belgian people: They are really quite friendly, even more so than the Dutch, and being in such a big city is very fun- there are so many different kinds of people here! I am still getting my bearings; but I am grateful to serve here. Leaving Groningen was super hard; but I feel great about my new assignment.
It is great to be back with Zr: Bennett- we are quite the team as far as friendship and unity go. It is nice to start the transfer with a unified companionship, but I can't wait to get our new comp- she will add an extra dimension that will be great I’m sure. Until then; its just us two old ladies having a blast in Antwerpen!
I love you all so much! Take care!
Liefs;
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Well, there are problems with the new e-mail system, so I was not able to read your e-mails this week. Mission life has taught me to not sweat the small stuff, so I hope there was nothing too urgent in the letters :) They should be there waiting for me next week.
Also, my letters will probably be a little short these coming weeks, as I have to get used to French keyboards here in Belgium. The letters are all in the wrong place. So if there are a few qs where there should be a's, sorry- it adds new meaning to the phrase watch your p's and q's (haha- get it?)
Life in Belgium couldn't be more different than the £Netherlands. It is taking some getting used to, and I must say, I miss he Netherlands terribly, but I am already finding a place in my heart for the Belgian people: They are really quite friendly, even more so than the Dutch, and being in such a big city is very fun- there are so many different kinds of people here! I am still getting my bearings; but I am grateful to serve here. Leaving Groningen was super hard; but I feel great about my new assignment.
It is great to be back with Zr: Bennett- we are quite the team as far as friendship and unity go. It is nice to start the transfer with a unified companionship, but I can't wait to get our new comp- she will add an extra dimension that will be great I’m sure. Until then; its just us two old ladies having a blast in Antwerpen!
I love you all so much! Take care!
Liefs;
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Tot Ziens Nederland
Dearest of families, 3/1/2010
What a week of ups and downs! We had an amazing zone conference, and I was also able to work a day in Zwolle with Zr. Sharp on exchanges, which was a lot of fun. While I was gone, Zr. Stapleton and Zr. Wieland were supposed to have a really bold lesson with Joanne and committ her to baptism within 4-6 weeks, which I felt strongly needed to be done. She has stopped progressing and was just waiting for her answer- still studying and learning, but she was ready to take the next step, which is, of course, baptism. She didn't end up accepting a date, but we had a lesson the day after I got back, and before we started speaking, she pulled out her agenda and said "sisters, I would like to be baptized on the 20th of march". I was so shocked! It was all i could do to not cry, I was so happy! Even more importantly, she was happier than I had ever seen her. She said that she had received her answer, but wanted to wait until I was there to set her baptismal date. It was so sweet! After the appointment, I had the most wonderful feeling that everything I could do for Joanne was completed- that I had accomplished with her what I was sent here to do. Of course, that is a dangerous feeling for a missionary to have, and sure enough, the next day (Sunday night) I received a call from President Brubaker informing me that I will be transfered on Wednesday.
My destination, however, was a total suprise. I am being sent to Antwerpen, Belgium! It has had sisters for 3 transfers now, but the weird part is, I will be serving with Zr. Bennett- my MTC companion! She is going home at the end of this transfer (she opted for the 11 transfer plan isntead of teh 12 transfers like me), so I will be sending home the companion that I started my mission with-- so funny! I will also be training again, but my trainee is waiting for her visa, so will serve in an american mission for a few weeks, so we'll wait for her as just the 2 of us and then she'll join us as soon as she can to make a three-sister companionship. I am so excited!! The most stressful part is that Zr. Bennett is actually leaving a week before the transfer ends, so I will have 5 weeks to get to know a really large city and ward, not to mention learning flemish (its dutch, but really, REALLY different), and then it will be left to my greenie and I to take over... oh boy...this is another one of those moments where I just put my trust in the Lord and trust that all will be well :)
I really am excited, and I feel like this will be a wonderful transfer. I am a little sad, becuase the chance of me serving again in the Netherlands is very slim, and I just love the culture of the Netherlands so much! I haven't even seen the tulips yet :( But hey, thats not what is really important- the reason I'm leaving is that the Lord needs it to be so, and that is good enough for me, even if I won't really have a chance to bring home any dutch stuff or pictures of tulips. I haven't really done any souvenier shopping yet. Oh well, I'll just have to come back on vacation soon!!!! I'm sure I will learn to love Belgium as much as I love here.
I love you all tons! Thank you soooooo much for the acne meds and candy (mmmm!) I have developed a love of candy on my mission- yikes! But Butterfingers taste so good after a year and a half. It was a fun treat.
Wish me luck as I head for the deep south!
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
What a week of ups and downs! We had an amazing zone conference, and I was also able to work a day in Zwolle with Zr. Sharp on exchanges, which was a lot of fun. While I was gone, Zr. Stapleton and Zr. Wieland were supposed to have a really bold lesson with Joanne and committ her to baptism within 4-6 weeks, which I felt strongly needed to be done. She has stopped progressing and was just waiting for her answer- still studying and learning, but she was ready to take the next step, which is, of course, baptism. She didn't end up accepting a date, but we had a lesson the day after I got back, and before we started speaking, she pulled out her agenda and said "sisters, I would like to be baptized on the 20th of march". I was so shocked! It was all i could do to not cry, I was so happy! Even more importantly, she was happier than I had ever seen her. She said that she had received her answer, but wanted to wait until I was there to set her baptismal date. It was so sweet! After the appointment, I had the most wonderful feeling that everything I could do for Joanne was completed- that I had accomplished with her what I was sent here to do. Of course, that is a dangerous feeling for a missionary to have, and sure enough, the next day (Sunday night) I received a call from President Brubaker informing me that I will be transfered on Wednesday.
My destination, however, was a total suprise. I am being sent to Antwerpen, Belgium! It has had sisters for 3 transfers now, but the weird part is, I will be serving with Zr. Bennett- my MTC companion! She is going home at the end of this transfer (she opted for the 11 transfer plan isntead of teh 12 transfers like me), so I will be sending home the companion that I started my mission with-- so funny! I will also be training again, but my trainee is waiting for her visa, so will serve in an american mission for a few weeks, so we'll wait for her as just the 2 of us and then she'll join us as soon as she can to make a three-sister companionship. I am so excited!! The most stressful part is that Zr. Bennett is actually leaving a week before the transfer ends, so I will have 5 weeks to get to know a really large city and ward, not to mention learning flemish (its dutch, but really, REALLY different), and then it will be left to my greenie and I to take over... oh boy...this is another one of those moments where I just put my trust in the Lord and trust that all will be well :)
I really am excited, and I feel like this will be a wonderful transfer. I am a little sad, becuase the chance of me serving again in the Netherlands is very slim, and I just love the culture of the Netherlands so much! I haven't even seen the tulips yet :( But hey, thats not what is really important- the reason I'm leaving is that the Lord needs it to be so, and that is good enough for me, even if I won't really have a chance to bring home any dutch stuff or pictures of tulips. I haven't really done any souvenier shopping yet. Oh well, I'll just have to come back on vacation soon!!!! I'm sure I will learn to love Belgium as much as I love here.
I love you all tons! Thank you soooooo much for the acne meds and candy (mmmm!) I have developed a love of candy on my mission- yikes! But Butterfingers taste so good after a year and a half. It was a fun treat.
Wish me luck as I head for the deep south!
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
Monday, February 22, 2010
Letter for the Week
Dearest of families,
It was great to hear from you! I am so blessed with such supportive family! The visits from Grandparents sound like they´ll be a ton of fun. You´ll have to give hugs and kisses to Grandma and Grandpa Koch and Grandma Gulliver for me. I sure do miss them.
Well, changes are coming to the mission- as of March 1st, the Belgium Brussels/Netherlands mission will be dissolved and replaced with the Belgium/Netherlands mission, which will consist of the Dutch speaking half of Belgium and the Netherlands. The French speaking half of the mission will be combined with the Paris mission. It is really crazy, but probably good for the mission to become a single language mission- it’s much less of a hassle for the mission president. It won´t affect me at all, but will change the dynamics of the mission quite a bit.
We have seen success here in Groningen as we have taught quite a few new people this week. We´re still keeping our eyes peeled for those that are open and waiting for the Gospel, as our teaching pool is a bit small still. I have seen a lot of progress in having the courage to open my mouth and be bolder in speaking to everyone possible as we go about. I have always struggled to speak with absolutely everyone possible, but it is improving a lot- no one gets by this sister! :)
As this transfer wraps up this week, I am stuck with this gut feeling that I will be leaving the area shortly- a thought that is not so pleasant, but we´ll hope for the best, and let the Lord figure out whether I´ll stay in Groningen or not. I have had a great time getting to know Zuster Stapleton over the past few weeks, and really am enjoying the Caribbean dynamic she brings into the work. I just love the missionaries I serve with!
Well, it’s been another blessed week, and I can´t complain about much- its even starting to warm up. I am just so happy to be serving a mission here, at this time in my life. It’s hard to imagine doing anything else actually.
Dad, hang in there with work- if there´s anyone who can handle such a crazy situation, it’s you daddy-o! I´ll be praying for ya! Carpe Diem :)
Could someone try to get in contact with Amber for me and ask if she changed her address, and send me her address, I have a letter I want to send her. Thanks!
I love you all so much!
Ik hou van jullie zo veel!
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
It was great to hear from you! I am so blessed with such supportive family! The visits from Grandparents sound like they´ll be a ton of fun. You´ll have to give hugs and kisses to Grandma and Grandpa Koch and Grandma Gulliver for me. I sure do miss them.
Well, changes are coming to the mission- as of March 1st, the Belgium Brussels/Netherlands mission will be dissolved and replaced with the Belgium/Netherlands mission, which will consist of the Dutch speaking half of Belgium and the Netherlands. The French speaking half of the mission will be combined with the Paris mission. It is really crazy, but probably good for the mission to become a single language mission- it’s much less of a hassle for the mission president. It won´t affect me at all, but will change the dynamics of the mission quite a bit.
We have seen success here in Groningen as we have taught quite a few new people this week. We´re still keeping our eyes peeled for those that are open and waiting for the Gospel, as our teaching pool is a bit small still. I have seen a lot of progress in having the courage to open my mouth and be bolder in speaking to everyone possible as we go about. I have always struggled to speak with absolutely everyone possible, but it is improving a lot- no one gets by this sister! :)
As this transfer wraps up this week, I am stuck with this gut feeling that I will be leaving the area shortly- a thought that is not so pleasant, but we´ll hope for the best, and let the Lord figure out whether I´ll stay in Groningen or not. I have had a great time getting to know Zuster Stapleton over the past few weeks, and really am enjoying the Caribbean dynamic she brings into the work. I just love the missionaries I serve with!
Well, it’s been another blessed week, and I can´t complain about much- its even starting to warm up. I am just so happy to be serving a mission here, at this time in my life. It’s hard to imagine doing anything else actually.
Dad, hang in there with work- if there´s anyone who can handle such a crazy situation, it’s you daddy-o! I´ll be praying for ya! Carpe Diem :)
Could someone try to get in contact with Amber for me and ask if she changed her address, and send me her address, I have a letter I want to send her. Thanks!
I love you all so much!
Ik hou van jullie zo veel!
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
Monday, February 15, 2010
A Hard Week
HEllo family!
I was inspired and comforted by your words and thoughts. Thank you so much for being the most awesome parents (and sisters) ever! One of the things I miss the most is being able to ask advice and receive council from my parents on a daily basis. I better get a cell phone really fast when I get home, cause I´m going to be making good use of you two! Oh, and of course I would love to share some stories in seminary- I´ll probably still have jetlag anyways, so the hour won´t bother me at all!
It is so great to hear that the pregnancy is going well. I was just wondering today how everything was going, and it was great to get an update- thanks! I would love to see a pic some day of the growing belly :)
It has been a great week. Zr. Stapleton has been my little angel to help keep me going as I seem to be hitting a bit of a mid-mission crisis. It is going much better- some very special personal study sessions have made a big difference, and I feel energized and ready to begin another week.
We had a hard week in the ward this week. We heard that a sister in the ward, who is good friends with our investigator Joanne, was in a car accident on Wednesday night, and is still in a coma with severe damage to the brain. The coma is still too deep to really know if she will live, or what the damage really is. It is so sad. It happened because of the slippery roads- apparently the country has run out of salt, so they haven´t been able to treat the roads in the last week or so. She is only about 28 and has 3 small kids under the age of 8. Her husband is not a member, but her family is, and is showing incredible faith through the situation. She has 3 married siblings in the ward, and they have been so strong through the whole thing. It has been neat to see the ward pulling together to fast and pray for her. The church is so beautiful in the way it allows us to care for each other when needs arise. We are ready to help the family- who we are very close to- but the members keep beating us to it, which is really great. It has made me think of how fragile life is. I think of how important it is to live a life without regret. As grim as it seems, we never know when we will be called back to our Heavenly Father. Luckily, with the Gospel, we know we will be ready if we live accordingly.
I love you all and am so grateful for all that you write. Your words are a special part of my week. Ik hou van jullie!!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
P.S. If you want to send me a butterfinger with that acne med, that would be AMAZING!!! Thanks again for sending that :)
I was inspired and comforted by your words and thoughts. Thank you so much for being the most awesome parents (and sisters) ever! One of the things I miss the most is being able to ask advice and receive council from my parents on a daily basis. I better get a cell phone really fast when I get home, cause I´m going to be making good use of you two! Oh, and of course I would love to share some stories in seminary- I´ll probably still have jetlag anyways, so the hour won´t bother me at all!
It is so great to hear that the pregnancy is going well. I was just wondering today how everything was going, and it was great to get an update- thanks! I would love to see a pic some day of the growing belly :)
It has been a great week. Zr. Stapleton has been my little angel to help keep me going as I seem to be hitting a bit of a mid-mission crisis. It is going much better- some very special personal study sessions have made a big difference, and I feel energized and ready to begin another week.
We had a hard week in the ward this week. We heard that a sister in the ward, who is good friends with our investigator Joanne, was in a car accident on Wednesday night, and is still in a coma with severe damage to the brain. The coma is still too deep to really know if she will live, or what the damage really is. It is so sad. It happened because of the slippery roads- apparently the country has run out of salt, so they haven´t been able to treat the roads in the last week or so. She is only about 28 and has 3 small kids under the age of 8. Her husband is not a member, but her family is, and is showing incredible faith through the situation. She has 3 married siblings in the ward, and they have been so strong through the whole thing. It has been neat to see the ward pulling together to fast and pray for her. The church is so beautiful in the way it allows us to care for each other when needs arise. We are ready to help the family- who we are very close to- but the members keep beating us to it, which is really great. It has made me think of how fragile life is. I think of how important it is to live a life without regret. As grim as it seems, we never know when we will be called back to our Heavenly Father. Luckily, with the Gospel, we know we will be ready if we live accordingly.
I love you all and am so grateful for all that you write. Your words are a special part of my week. Ik hou van jullie!!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
P.S. If you want to send me a butterfinger with that acne med, that would be AMAZING!!! Thanks again for sending that :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Hello Family!
I figured you had written last week- weird that my letter took so long to get to you. Oh well, I know you love me despite technical difficulties :)
This week has been a difficult one for me. We have had some great experiences, but we seem to have hit a hard spot with a lot of our investigators, and coupled with the adjustment of a new companion, it has been a bit of a struggle. I am trying very hard to figure out what it means to "do your best" and be satisfied with that. It seems like my best can always be better, more focused, or more hard working. What is a "best" anyways? Everyone says that your best is enough, but it’s so hard to figure out where that is. Anyways, until I figure out what that means, I´ll just work harder to improve!
We got your package a few days ago for valentines. Thank you so much! It was so sweet of you to send those rings to me. I was so happy to have mine back this week. My companion was so happy to get something also- that toffee was really tasty. Its so great to know that I am loved by all of you!!
Dad, I am so excited that you went to a lesson with the missionaries! It is such a great example to see leaders go and teach with the missionaries. I´m sure the Elders considered it such a blessing. In fact, I know that they did :) Thanks for supporting the missionaries so much- I know they appreciate it.
IT is cold still. The temperature is 0- -4 with wind, and light snow usually. We´re staying pretty warm though, which is good. I decided this week that I really feel at home here in ward Groningen. I love it a lot. The members are so wonderful and there are a few investigators that I am really close to. I just love it!!
Well, I love you all. Take care! Oh, and how´s Heather´s pregnancy going? Is Lillian the chosen name?
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
This week has been a difficult one for me. We have had some great experiences, but we seem to have hit a hard spot with a lot of our investigators, and coupled with the adjustment of a new companion, it has been a bit of a struggle. I am trying very hard to figure out what it means to "do your best" and be satisfied with that. It seems like my best can always be better, more focused, or more hard working. What is a "best" anyways? Everyone says that your best is enough, but it’s so hard to figure out where that is. Anyways, until I figure out what that means, I´ll just work harder to improve!
We got your package a few days ago for valentines. Thank you so much! It was so sweet of you to send those rings to me. I was so happy to have mine back this week. My companion was so happy to get something also- that toffee was really tasty. Its so great to know that I am loved by all of you!!
Dad, I am so excited that you went to a lesson with the missionaries! It is such a great example to see leaders go and teach with the missionaries. I´m sure the Elders considered it such a blessing. In fact, I know that they did :) Thanks for supporting the missionaries so much- I know they appreciate it.
IT is cold still. The temperature is 0- -4 with wind, and light snow usually. We´re staying pretty warm though, which is good. I decided this week that I really feel at home here in ward Groningen. I love it a lot. The members are so wonderful and there are a few investigators that I am really close to. I just love it!!
Well, I love you all. Take care! Oh, and how´s Heather´s pregnancy going? Is Lillian the chosen name?
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A Great Week!
Hello family!
Well, for the first time in my mission, I didn´t get an e-mail from you guys. Either the technical world had a glitch, or things really are crazy over there. Maybe both :)
It was a great week. I have loved these first two weeks serving with Zuster Stapleton. It is the beginning of another great companionship, I know it. I am inspired to work harder, and her simple, convert-faith is incredible to watch in action! I am learning every day from her, and its really great.
Guess what? A less-active member found my ring at her house!! It was a special little miracle for me this week when she texted us to let us know.
We have been working hard this week and have seen a LOT of opposition, but we are pushing through and have seen a ton of miracles. We had 4 investigators come to church with us, which was just great. Joanne, Elder Matthews and I performed our song this week in ward conference. It was really fun, and I think it was really nice. It was just great to see her fitting in so well with the ward. I am almost positive that she is right around the corner from getting baptized, and it is very exciting! We have invested so much into preparing and teaching her, and it is just so great to see how our efforts, coupled with her amazing faith and effort bring progress. She even brought her best friend to church with her. It is so fun!
The work is great, and I couldn´t be happier! I love you all and hope that all is going well with you. Remember how much our Heavenly Father loves you all!
Love,
Zuster Cherie GUlliver
Ik hou van jullie!
Well, for the first time in my mission, I didn´t get an e-mail from you guys. Either the technical world had a glitch, or things really are crazy over there. Maybe both :)
It was a great week. I have loved these first two weeks serving with Zuster Stapleton. It is the beginning of another great companionship, I know it. I am inspired to work harder, and her simple, convert-faith is incredible to watch in action! I am learning every day from her, and its really great.
Guess what? A less-active member found my ring at her house!! It was a special little miracle for me this week when she texted us to let us know.
We have been working hard this week and have seen a LOT of opposition, but we are pushing through and have seen a ton of miracles. We had 4 investigators come to church with us, which was just great. Joanne, Elder Matthews and I performed our song this week in ward conference. It was really fun, and I think it was really nice. It was just great to see her fitting in so well with the ward. I am almost positive that she is right around the corner from getting baptized, and it is very exciting! We have invested so much into preparing and teaching her, and it is just so great to see how our efforts, coupled with her amazing faith and effort bring progress. She even brought her best friend to church with her. It is so fun!
The work is great, and I couldn´t be happier! I love you all and hope that all is going well with you. Remember how much our Heavenly Father loves you all!
Love,
Zuster Cherie GUlliver
Ik hou van jullie!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunshine, Blessed Sunshine!
Hello family!
Today is such a sunshiny day- something that is a little rare in this season, but the weather matches beautifully with the sunshine in my soul!!! I love my mission!
It has been quite the up and down week. Saying goodbye to Zr. Ekstrom was sad- I miss her, but I am so excited for this transfer with Zr. Stapleton. She is a character- her personality is very sweet, and she's got quite the sense of humor. Her Caribbean culture gives her some amusing characteristics, which are taking a little getting used to, but how fun! It is great to get to know the culture of the islanders better- we teach quite a few, and it is great to see their "ïnside life".
As far as the Dutch responding to black people, some have a problem, but if they have a problem with Zr. Stapleton (which is rarely the case), then they're probably not open to the gospel anyways, so we just move on. She had visa problems in the beginning of her mission and served in Washington DC for a while, and didn't get any Dutch practice for 3 months, so she is still playing catch-up with her language, which makes things a little trickier for her, but her faith is HUGE, and we have already seen so many miracles. Plus, anyone who comes from the islands is automatically her best friend, so it makes contacting anyone from Curacao, Suriname, St. Martin, or Aruba a breeze- they're probably related to Zr. STapleton, or they know each other's relatives :)
I saw my first bunch of tulips in the store today- spring is slowly creeping in, but I'm afraid we've still got at least 8 weeks or so of winter weather ahead of us. Zr. Stapleton is totally freezing, poor thing. President Brubaker instructed us to use some donated money from a few of his "business associates" to go buy her some heavy winter boots today, because this northern weather is really difficult for her to handle. She is such a trooper!
I am so grateful to be on a mission at this time in my life. I am still learning so much every day, and I am inspired to work now with Zr. Stapleton and learn even more. Joanne, my favorite investigator, is still doing well and progressing beautifully. She opened up this week about her biggest concerns with baptism, and we were able to address them a bit and she'll be just fine. It is so fun to watch her latch onto the Gospel and let it enlighten her mind and soul. She is a musician, and was invited to write a song to be sung/played next week in ward conference. I was informed that I will be the soloist... yikes! It'll be fun. I love the Gospel so much! I am so grateful for the plan of our Heavenly Father that allows us to teach and help each other on our journey back home to our Heavenly Father, and I am so grateful that I am able to focus all of my time here on doing just that. I love you all so much, and pray for you nightly. Take care of yourselves and each other!
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
Today is such a sunshiny day- something that is a little rare in this season, but the weather matches beautifully with the sunshine in my soul!!! I love my mission!
It has been quite the up and down week. Saying goodbye to Zr. Ekstrom was sad- I miss her, but I am so excited for this transfer with Zr. Stapleton. She is a character- her personality is very sweet, and she's got quite the sense of humor. Her Caribbean culture gives her some amusing characteristics, which are taking a little getting used to, but how fun! It is great to get to know the culture of the islanders better- we teach quite a few, and it is great to see their "ïnside life".
As far as the Dutch responding to black people, some have a problem, but if they have a problem with Zr. Stapleton (which is rarely the case), then they're probably not open to the gospel anyways, so we just move on. She had visa problems in the beginning of her mission and served in Washington DC for a while, and didn't get any Dutch practice for 3 months, so she is still playing catch-up with her language, which makes things a little trickier for her, but her faith is HUGE, and we have already seen so many miracles. Plus, anyone who comes from the islands is automatically her best friend, so it makes contacting anyone from Curacao, Suriname, St. Martin, or Aruba a breeze- they're probably related to Zr. STapleton, or they know each other's relatives :)
I saw my first bunch of tulips in the store today- spring is slowly creeping in, but I'm afraid we've still got at least 8 weeks or so of winter weather ahead of us. Zr. Stapleton is totally freezing, poor thing. President Brubaker instructed us to use some donated money from a few of his "business associates" to go buy her some heavy winter boots today, because this northern weather is really difficult for her to handle. She is such a trooper!
I am so grateful to be on a mission at this time in my life. I am still learning so much every day, and I am inspired to work now with Zr. Stapleton and learn even more. Joanne, my favorite investigator, is still doing well and progressing beautifully. She opened up this week about her biggest concerns with baptism, and we were able to address them a bit and she'll be just fine. It is so fun to watch her latch onto the Gospel and let it enlighten her mind and soul. She is a musician, and was invited to write a song to be sung/played next week in ward conference. I was informed that I will be the soloist... yikes! It'll be fun. I love the Gospel so much! I am so grateful for the plan of our Heavenly Father that allows us to teach and help each other on our journey back home to our Heavenly Father, and I am so grateful that I am able to focus all of my time here on doing just that. I love you all so much, and pray for you nightly. Take care of yourselves and each other!
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Gulliver
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sad Day, Happy Future!
Hello family!
Well, to day is a sad day- we found out that Zr. Ekstrom will be leaving to go to Amsterdam tomorrow, and we´re both a little mopey about the whole thing. We just got along so well! Its ok though, I get to stay here in Groningen for another blessed transfer, and I will be joined by Zr. Stapleton, the Zr. from St. Kits who was in the MTC 6 weeks behind me. It´ll be a fun challenge to combine her Caribbean personality with my good old-fashioned American work ethic. It´ll be fun :)
We had an amazing zone conference this week in Amsterdam. I was truly inspired by the messages from the assistants and President Brubaker. He spoke about optimism and how we can develop a spirit of optimism in our work. It sounds a lot like the coaching workshop dad´s going to. Anyways, he talked about how helplessness and despair are the opposites of hope and optimism. He emphasized how they are all learned responses to our situations and we can control and reprogram ourselves to respond to our situations with optimism. He talked about how the Gospel is the gate that leads to optimism, Christ being the only person who has truly overcome the world and the cares that it brings. It was very inspiring and a great reminder to keep our expectations and optimism high.
We saw an amazing miracle this week. We went tracting on Monday night and were let into a door of a young Indian woman. She led us upstairs and had us sit down and said "I´ll go call everyone". It turns out there are 13 nurses who had immigrated about a week before for a work program from India, and we were able to teach a first lesson to 11 of them and made a return appointment to bring them all copies of the Book of Mormon. It was so cool!! We got 11 new investigators in just one hour of tracting. A total miracle!
Our other investigators are doing well too. Joanne, our favorite, is doing great and is working to recognize her answer to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. She says that she´s pretty sure she has her answer, she just has to wait a little while to be sure ;). She will miss Zr. Ekstrom a lot, but we are convinced that she will be ready soon to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. It is so exciting!
I spent a day after Zone conference working in Zwolle, and was able to work with Zr. Wieland, my comp from Rotterdam, again for a day. It was fun to get back together and see how we have grown and changed in the 7 months since we served together. She goes home in 6 weeks, along with the group of sisters that was just ahead of me in the MTC. That will leave zr. Bennett and I as the oldest... yikes!
Life is just fabulous here on my mission. I am just so full of joy as I get to work here in Groningen. The Lord has taught me so much, and has so much in store for this area. It is probably a blessing that Zr. Ekstrom and I are being separated- we were just so comfortable together, it was hard to progress like we do in other companionships. It will be great for us. I have been feeling lately that I need to do some serious pondering and figure out what kind of missionary the Lord needs me to become to accomplish His work in the best way possible. Our potential when we work with the Lord is so large- and I don´t want to just work at the comfortable level and never achieve the kind of missionary that He knows I can become. It is a daunting task, but I want to do everything possible to be the best that I can.
I love you all and hope that you all stay happy and safe.
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Well, to day is a sad day- we found out that Zr. Ekstrom will be leaving to go to Amsterdam tomorrow, and we´re both a little mopey about the whole thing. We just got along so well! Its ok though, I get to stay here in Groningen for another blessed transfer, and I will be joined by Zr. Stapleton, the Zr. from St. Kits who was in the MTC 6 weeks behind me. It´ll be a fun challenge to combine her Caribbean personality with my good old-fashioned American work ethic. It´ll be fun :)
We had an amazing zone conference this week in Amsterdam. I was truly inspired by the messages from the assistants and President Brubaker. He spoke about optimism and how we can develop a spirit of optimism in our work. It sounds a lot like the coaching workshop dad´s going to. Anyways, he talked about how helplessness and despair are the opposites of hope and optimism. He emphasized how they are all learned responses to our situations and we can control and reprogram ourselves to respond to our situations with optimism. He talked about how the Gospel is the gate that leads to optimism, Christ being the only person who has truly overcome the world and the cares that it brings. It was very inspiring and a great reminder to keep our expectations and optimism high.
We saw an amazing miracle this week. We went tracting on Monday night and were let into a door of a young Indian woman. She led us upstairs and had us sit down and said "I´ll go call everyone". It turns out there are 13 nurses who had immigrated about a week before for a work program from India, and we were able to teach a first lesson to 11 of them and made a return appointment to bring them all copies of the Book of Mormon. It was so cool!! We got 11 new investigators in just one hour of tracting. A total miracle!
Our other investigators are doing well too. Joanne, our favorite, is doing great and is working to recognize her answer to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. She says that she´s pretty sure she has her answer, she just has to wait a little while to be sure ;). She will miss Zr. Ekstrom a lot, but we are convinced that she will be ready soon to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. It is so exciting!
I spent a day after Zone conference working in Zwolle, and was able to work with Zr. Wieland, my comp from Rotterdam, again for a day. It was fun to get back together and see how we have grown and changed in the 7 months since we served together. She goes home in 6 weeks, along with the group of sisters that was just ahead of me in the MTC. That will leave zr. Bennett and I as the oldest... yikes!
Life is just fabulous here on my mission. I am just so full of joy as I get to work here in Groningen. The Lord has taught me so much, and has so much in store for this area. It is probably a blessing that Zr. Ekstrom and I are being separated- we were just so comfortable together, it was hard to progress like we do in other companionships. It will be great for us. I have been feeling lately that I need to do some serious pondering and figure out what kind of missionary the Lord needs me to become to accomplish His work in the best way possible. Our potential when we work with the Lord is so large- and I don´t want to just work at the comfortable level and never achieve the kind of missionary that He knows I can become. It is a daunting task, but I want to do everything possible to be the best that I can.
I love you all and hope that you all stay happy and safe.
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs,
Zuster Cherie Gulliver
Monday, January 11, 2010
A Letter Finally!
Hello familie!
Sorry about the short letters the last few weeks. We went down to Zwolle for a zone p-day and didn´t have much time to write, with all of the travel, but today I have my full 30 minutes, so here goes:
The snow here is still insane! It is snowing more this year than it has in about 15 years, supposedly, which is throwing all of society into quite a panic as snow plows, shovels, and salt is in very short supply. The roads are pretty bad, and church was even cancelled yesterday because they couldn´t clean the freeways fast enough to keep it safe to drive. The temperatures are around the same last year, there´s just a bunch of pretty powder everywhere that makes missionary work all the more interesting :)
One good thing is that I am now an expert in staying warm out in the snow for hours at a time. My snow gear generally consists of a wool sweater, my wool coat, a thick scarf (the Dutch people have the cutest scarves ever!), either a wool hat (bought with my Christmas money from Grandma G- Thanks Grandma!!) or these cute little ear-muffs that Ryan sent me, two pairs of gloves, 3 pairs of tights-leggings, two pairs of socks, my boots, and some awesome wool insoles. Geared up like this, we could stay out all day and be just fine. The only thing that stays tricky is biking in the snow- I haven´t fallen yet, but I´ve peeled Zr. Ekstrom off the ground a few times. When its actually snowing, we have these totally dorky-looking hats that resemble riding helmets (as in a horse-riding helmet) and match each other. They have a brim on them, so when you wear that with an ear-band, it keeps the snow from flying into your eyes. Without it, its possible to ride, you just end up with mascara ALL over your face... lovely!
We are still extremely low on investigators right now in Groningen. We are still working with Joanne, however, the young girl who´s like our best friend. She is progressing so wonderfully in the Gospel and we are sure she will receive a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith soon and decide to be baptized. She is the most sincere person I have ever taught as far as her investigation of the church goes. It is such an honor to work with her.
Hey daddy-o, thanks for the talk about planting seeds that you sent. I felt like we should share the story in it about Tunutu with a sister in the ward when we went to teach her a lesson, and as I was reading it, she began to cry. At the end, she expressed how the description of a young man with long, unkempt hair and tattoos described perfectly her non-member son, who had strayed very far from the Gospel path. She said that hearing a story from someone who had watched such a man embrace the Gospel and be changed through it gave her so much hope for her son. It was a very tender moment for the three of us. Who knew that your mission would help people I work with here on my mission? The blessings of the Gospel and our service to the Lord are truly eternal. The things we do now in our lives have such an impact to bless or hinder ourselves, and our families in the future. I love the Gospel!!!!!
Another transfer is winding to a close, and Zr. Ekstrom and I are sure our time as companions in limited. Who knows what next week will bring, but I´m excited to see what the next big adventure will be. Since Belgium is open for sisters, I´d love to serve there at some point. Only time will tell. As far as when I am flying home, whatever works best for you all is great. LAX will be fine- I'm not too big on small planes anyways. It´ll be fun to drive home and possibly go to the temple. Plan away!
Enough about that stuff... I am so grateful to be here. It is such a great time to be serving the Lord. I love you all and pray for you every night.
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs, Zuster Cherie Gulliver
P.S. I´m printing pictures to send this week. Keep a look out!
Sorry about the short letters the last few weeks. We went down to Zwolle for a zone p-day and didn´t have much time to write, with all of the travel, but today I have my full 30 minutes, so here goes:
The snow here is still insane! It is snowing more this year than it has in about 15 years, supposedly, which is throwing all of society into quite a panic as snow plows, shovels, and salt is in very short supply. The roads are pretty bad, and church was even cancelled yesterday because they couldn´t clean the freeways fast enough to keep it safe to drive. The temperatures are around the same last year, there´s just a bunch of pretty powder everywhere that makes missionary work all the more interesting :)
One good thing is that I am now an expert in staying warm out in the snow for hours at a time. My snow gear generally consists of a wool sweater, my wool coat, a thick scarf (the Dutch people have the cutest scarves ever!), either a wool hat (bought with my Christmas money from Grandma G- Thanks Grandma!!) or these cute little ear-muffs that Ryan sent me, two pairs of gloves, 3 pairs of tights-leggings, two pairs of socks, my boots, and some awesome wool insoles. Geared up like this, we could stay out all day and be just fine. The only thing that stays tricky is biking in the snow- I haven´t fallen yet, but I´ve peeled Zr. Ekstrom off the ground a few times. When its actually snowing, we have these totally dorky-looking hats that resemble riding helmets (as in a horse-riding helmet) and match each other. They have a brim on them, so when you wear that with an ear-band, it keeps the snow from flying into your eyes. Without it, its possible to ride, you just end up with mascara ALL over your face... lovely!
We are still extremely low on investigators right now in Groningen. We are still working with Joanne, however, the young girl who´s like our best friend. She is progressing so wonderfully in the Gospel and we are sure she will receive a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith soon and decide to be baptized. She is the most sincere person I have ever taught as far as her investigation of the church goes. It is such an honor to work with her.
Hey daddy-o, thanks for the talk about planting seeds that you sent. I felt like we should share the story in it about Tunutu with a sister in the ward when we went to teach her a lesson, and as I was reading it, she began to cry. At the end, she expressed how the description of a young man with long, unkempt hair and tattoos described perfectly her non-member son, who had strayed very far from the Gospel path. She said that hearing a story from someone who had watched such a man embrace the Gospel and be changed through it gave her so much hope for her son. It was a very tender moment for the three of us. Who knew that your mission would help people I work with here on my mission? The blessings of the Gospel and our service to the Lord are truly eternal. The things we do now in our lives have such an impact to bless or hinder ourselves, and our families in the future. I love the Gospel!!!!!
Another transfer is winding to a close, and Zr. Ekstrom and I are sure our time as companions in limited. Who knows what next week will bring, but I´m excited to see what the next big adventure will be. Since Belgium is open for sisters, I´d love to serve there at some point. Only time will tell. As far as when I am flying home, whatever works best for you all is great. LAX will be fine- I'm not too big on small planes anyways. It´ll be fun to drive home and possibly go to the temple. Plan away!
Enough about that stuff... I am so grateful to be here. It is such a great time to be serving the Lord. I love you all and pray for you every night.
Ik hou van jullie!
Liefs, Zuster Cherie Gulliver
P.S. I´m printing pictures to send this week. Keep a look out!
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