Going Forth Boldly!

This was a busy week full of traveling as we went on our first two out of six exchanges this transfer! An exchange is simply where we switch with another companionship or sister for 24 hours for the purpose of training and supporting them- I work with one sister and her companion goes with sister Young, either in their city or ours. It's a really exciting experience and I have already learned a lot. It's such a special opportunity to work with these different sisters!

Sister Huber and I have matching bike skirts, so we purposefully planned on wearing them when we were on exchanges together and some nice girls took this picture for us in front of Antwerpen Centraal!

Monday was pretty chill, but we had a great FHE activity at the church. One of our investigators came, one other member of the ward, and the elders... so we had fun playing a silly game and eating popsicles just with our little group!

We had a normal day in our own city on Tuesday after district meeting. Hilariously the weather changed overnight. I kid you not- Monday was still warm and sunny. Then on September first, schools started all over Belgium, and it immediately became fall- cool, windy and rainy, and that's how it has been the whole week since. It was quite sudden and I think that is how it will stay. We have been blessed with a really mild summer here!

This sign is for my Mom because it's basically her philosophy: "It tastes even better when it's cheap!"

Little Maria shrines are all over Belgium in random little nooks, crannies, neighborhoods... Sister Huber and I discovered this one. It's a Catholic country for sure!

Oh yeah. Tuesday was great though, we checked up on a couple investigators we hadn't seen in a couple of weeks and one of them reads every night in her Book of Mormon and had some great questions for us about it! That was cool. We also found a new potential through our contacting.

On Wednesday I went to work with Sister Stewart-Chester in Gent. It was cool to see her enthusiasim and dedication, and we had a lot of fun working there together! We ended up talking to multiple people about the Gospel while riding on trains as well. Super awesome!

Exchanges selfie with awesome Sister Stewart-Chester!

Thursday found Sister Young and I back together again in Turnhout for the day, which was nice. We had a couple of good lessons, and then an awesome dinner appointment. I misread the bus schedule so we missed the bus, but it was actually only a 20 minute bike ride and it was beautiful, so... hidden blessings? We definitely earned our dinner that night!

Friday was another day on exchanges! Sister Huber came to work with me here in Turnhout. She is the only other sister we know of in this mission with the same bike skirt. so we made sure to coordinate haha. We had a couple of good teaching appointments, and I am really grateful and humbled to see the progress of some of our investigators who take the Gospel so seriously and treat it as something truly important in their lives. That's what it is! Sister Huber and I also knocked on a lot of doors. It's good time to get to know each other if we are chatting as we do it though!

On Saturday morning we switched back in Antwerpen Centraal. Then Sister Young and I went to District Leader Council- to coordinate with the district leaders about the progress of the missionaries. I love being so involved with helping the missionaries themselves grow and progress!

That evening, Sister Young and I visited a food truck festival that was here in Turnhout this weekend. It was super awesome just to walk around and see the variety of cuisine being presented, I felt like I was in a food network dream... Ultimately we choose for a couple of kangaroo sandwiches from the Australian truck and I got a Speculaas cupcake (kind of like cookie butter in America). Anyway, that was really fun!

Food Truck Festival!!! Excellent kangaroo sanwiches and exquisite little cupcakes!

Sunday was a great day of fasting, prayer, and spiritual rejuvenation! Church was very uplifting, and afterwards we were able to do some planning and figure out this next week.

During my personal studies this week I learned a little bit about prophets- that in the general sense, a prophet is anyone who has a received a testimony of Christ through the Holy Spirit. A Hebrew prophet traditionally functioned as one who proclaimed righteousness. helped others restore their faith in God and condemned wickedness. In that sense then, I think all those things apply to us as well! Let us go forth as boldly as they did, building up the faith of others and proclaiming righteousness, relying on a constant stream of personal revelation from the Lord!

I am so grateful to be on my mission. I love this work and these people!

Love,  Zuster McKinney Voss

Lekker sandwiches with the Antwerpen sisters after District Leader Council. 

Happy Birthday SIster Faasavalu!