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
Monday, March 8, 2010
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!
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