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| Zuster Voss at the barb wire front line (Ypres) |
On Monday, and awesome family in our branch took us to Ypres/Ieper, the famous WWI front line of trenches here in Belgium. It was an incredible experience to walk on fields I had only read about in history classes. We visited the place where the poem "In Flanders Fields"See Poem Here was composed, and I live in Flanders (Vlaanderen) now, so it was another level of mind blowing. The poppies are a symbol of WWI memorial, and they were blooming everywhere. We climbed in and around old German bunkers, visited memorials and walked through trenches. It was an amazing cultural/historical experience, and what made it cooler was that we were with an awesome Belgian family (the Janssens!) getting the tour so to speak from someone to whom it all that occurred there was personally relevant. It was a bit sobering- why did the world let all those atrocities there occur? Sister Janssen said something I found really poignant- "they spent four years fighting over this little stretch of land, and now it's a graveyard, and no one wants it." I am grateful that there is more to the world than war and hope that we can as societies focus on the things that are truly important!
Tuesday was back to regular missionary work, and it was a great day! We taught five lessons in one day- two planned, three just to random people we found and talked to! The work is going forward! Teaching lessons isn't about numbers, but rather about people opening their hearts and homes to us and to the message of the restored gospel, their great potential for peace and happiness. It is a pleasure to share it!
On Wednesday the Maastricht sisters came to sleep over, which was SO fun, because that means Sister Dobler and Sister Twiggs! We all went to zone conference the next day, which was a blast. It was combined Antwerpen and Eindhoven zones, so a lot of people- including eight out of the original twelve missionaries from my MTC group! Reunited and it feels so good :) We missed Sisters Thomas and Whittington and Elders Cook and Dewitt, but everyone else was there!
Other big news we received at zone conference will make my grandparents happy, but a lot of missionaries grumpy... For several years this mission has been exempt from the policy of wearing helmets that applies to every other missionary in the world, because that is so alien to the constantly-biking Dutch and Belgian cultures. However, due to some injuries, HQ at Salt Lake has requested that we start being obedient, and our mission president agrees so, jammer. We were not super thrilled to hear it, I'll admit, but I will wear one with a good attitude. It really is a good idea for safety, and exact obedience brings blessings!
Friday was such a cool day. We started out with a full day of appointments planned, and then in the morning as we were studying, one by one they started falling through. So we were looking at a big empty day of knocking on doors! But we figured God had a plan, so with faith we just went to work, and looked up a couple of potential investigators- and miracles happened. We taught two Restorations, found three new investigators, all super prepared people, but they were just potentials and we wouldn't have visited them if we had had our other appointments. God cancelled our other plans to send us where HE needed us to go. I have a testimony that God is directing His work! And then all of our appointments did go through on Saturday. So it works out :)
One of the super prepared people was an amazing Belgian lady who was given a Book of Mormon by some elders on the street 8 years ago, but never knew it's story, only that it helped her understand some things better than the Bible. She is so amazing! We are excited to be teaching her. And those original elders have no idea the seed they planted- it reminds me of the mormon message, "you never know how much good you do" You Never Know...
An amazing investigator family invited us over for dinner, and it was so fun! Their 12 year old daughter prayed for the first time and thanked God that their lives were changing thanks to the Gospel. Then the nine year old came to church alone because the rest of her family was sick, but she still wanted to come, so we walked with her, and she loved it!. I love teaching families! the gospel is meant to improve our family lives.
On Saturday morning I was asked to play my violin at the funeral of a member of this branch who had just passed away. it was difficult, and sad, but also uplifting. Every single person who spoke testified of Jesus Christ, the miracle of the resurrection, and that they would see her again. Sister Goodman and I watched "Because of Him" (do link here too dad) to cheer ourselves up, and it is so inspiring; There is no such thing as an end! WE are made of the stuff of eternities.
That's all I wanted to share this week. I am so grateful for my mission and what and enriching experience it has been. I love and miss you all! Have an incredible week!
Love, Sister Voss
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| The view from a German bunker |
Tuesday was back to regular missionary work, and it was a great day! We taught five lessons in one day- two planned, three just to random people we found and talked to! The work is going forward! Teaching lessons isn't about numbers, but rather about people opening their hearts and homes to us and to the message of the restored gospel, their great potential for peace and happiness. It is a pleasure to share it!
On Wednesday the Maastricht sisters came to sleep over, which was SO fun, because that means Sister Dobler and Sister Twiggs! We all went to zone conference the next day, which was a blast. It was combined Antwerpen and Eindhoven zones, so a lot of people- including eight out of the original twelve missionaries from my MTC group! Reunited and it feels so good :) We missed Sisters Thomas and Whittington and Elders Cook and Dewitt, but everyone else was there!
Other big news we received at zone conference will make my grandparents happy, but a lot of missionaries grumpy... For several years this mission has been exempt from the policy of wearing helmets that applies to every other missionary in the world, because that is so alien to the constantly-biking Dutch and Belgian cultures. However, due to some injuries, HQ at Salt Lake has requested that we start being obedient, and our mission president agrees so, jammer. We were not super thrilled to hear it, I'll admit, but I will wear one with a good attitude. It really is a good idea for safety, and exact obedience brings blessings!
Friday was such a cool day. We started out with a full day of appointments planned, and then in the morning as we were studying, one by one they started falling through. So we were looking at a big empty day of knocking on doors! But we figured God had a plan, so with faith we just went to work, and looked up a couple of potential investigators- and miracles happened. We taught two Restorations, found three new investigators, all super prepared people, but they were just potentials and we wouldn't have visited them if we had had our other appointments. God cancelled our other plans to send us where HE needed us to go. I have a testimony that God is directing His work! And then all of our appointments did go through on Saturday. So it works out :)
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| Selfie w Sister Maughn and Sister Faa |
One of the super prepared people was an amazing Belgian lady who was given a Book of Mormon by some elders on the street 8 years ago, but never knew it's story, only that it helped her understand some things better than the Bible. She is so amazing! We are excited to be teaching her. And those original elders have no idea the seed they planted- it reminds me of the mormon message, "you never know how much good you do" You Never Know...
An amazing investigator family invited us over for dinner, and it was so fun! Their 12 year old daughter prayed for the first time and thanked God that their lives were changing thanks to the Gospel. Then the nine year old came to church alone because the rest of her family was sick, but she still wanted to come, so we walked with her, and she loved it!. I love teaching families! the gospel is meant to improve our family lives.
On Saturday morning I was asked to play my violin at the funeral of a member of this branch who had just passed away. it was difficult, and sad, but also uplifting. Every single person who spoke testified of Jesus Christ, the miracle of the resurrection, and that they would see her again. Sister Goodman and I watched "Because of Him" (do link here too dad) to cheer ourselves up, and it is so inspiring; There is no such thing as an end! WE are made of the stuff of eternities.
That's all I wanted to share this week. I am so grateful for my mission and what and enriching experience it has been. I love and miss you all! Have an incredible week!
Love, Sister Voss
Here's a link to "Because of Him" https://www.lds.org/youth/video/because-of-him?lang=eng
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