Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Be Joyful in All Circumstances!

March 30, 2015



Well this week was quite a roller coaster ride! But I want to give a shout out to my brother for getting his mission call to the South Africa Durban mission! I am so proud of him and excited for him! We won't see each other for 3.5 years but it doesn't matter because we are in the service of Heavenly Father. 

Funnies:
1. We taught a lesson to this guy from Ghana this week and during the lesson he wanted to preach to us. He told us probably over ten times, "Let me tell you something" It was pretty funny! 
2. Because of a freaky power problem in Diemen(where we live)...almost all of North Holland(province in the Netherlands) had no power. It was crazy! None of the trains, planes, trams, or metros could run! It was a nightmare. 
3. It has been crazy windy. I was wearing a hat and my hat flew right off my head and all the way down a street. 


Well lots happened this week. Lots of things happen every week. It is so hard to try and summarize it all into a few paragraphs. I started out the week by giving a Zone Training to about 25 missionaries. The Zone Leaders and I did a good job. We talked all about receiving revelation and acting upon it. It was really good. I learned a lot. I am learning how to present well and how to teach to a large number of people. It has been really an awesome experience. We had all the missionaries do an Easter egg hunt in symbolism of seeking revelation. They seemed to like it! We had some really good appointments this week too. After 8 weeks of working in Amsterdam, we are finally starting to see a progression in the work. We got 4 new investigators this week!! They are all pretty positive and I can see some of them getting baptized! It was amazing! We also met with some inactives and were able to really connect with them. It was awesome! We did have some struggles with being late to appointments. An older lady in the ward was so mad at us for being late for dinner. I have learned on my mission you are never late to a Dutch person's home. They are very punctual. I really appreciate it unless...I am late :) We had an amazing first lesson in the Central Station in Amsterdam. We met this man Michael on a tram the other day and he is amazing. He kept asking us about keys and where people get their authority. We were able to explain the priesthood and he seemed to understand it. He also is taking the next 2 days to fast for God to help him to know the way. It is amazing! He is so cool! Yesterday, I was able to finally after about 8 months see the Elders that I was in the MTC with. I have missed them. They really are like my brothers and it was so good to see them. Elder Heinricks is going to be in my district now! He just got called to be an office elder! I am so excited! Our mission is doing really cool things with music. Last general conference there was an elder that sang a solo in priesthood session. Well he is in my mission. He is amazingly musically talented. There are 4 elders, him included, that have been called to just do music. They are traveling the mission doing music firesides. It is amazing and is bring so much success! I am so excited for them to come to Amsterdam. Elder Conatti, who was in the mtc with me, is one of the singing elders. We saw them at a concert last night! They are amazing! This week was a trial of my faith. It is amazing how when trials come, they don't ever come in a trickle...they usually come in a downpour. Tuesday, I woke up with really bad pain in my hip. I have been walking with a limp ever since. It has been so annoying because I can't run or walk really. I am just in pain. I am working through the pain but it is frustrating. I also got a pretty bad cold. Anyways, Friday rolls around and I am not doing so good. I am just beat down and kind of frustrated. When come home from our dinner appointment with the metro. We go to get our bikes and mine is gone. I just burst into tears. I was at my wits end. My bike was stolen. I have had that bike my whole mission. I was pretty upset. I looked at my companion and said "what more could the Lord take from me?" We went home and I had time to think about everything that has been happening. All I have wanted to do was give the Lord my all and then all these things keep happening to keep me from doing that. I have learned some pretty incredible lessons from having my bike stolen and my physical problems. I want so much to give the Lord everything. I want to sacrifice everything to serve him. I have told the Lord many times to take more from me so that the work could progress. What I have realized is that I don't need to do that. I need to give my will to the Lord but he doesn't require everything because I can't give everything. Only the Savior can give everything. I have learned that I have the Savior because he can give everything when I can only give a widow's mite. My bike got stolen and honestly I don't even care. It is a bike! I will get another one! My hip and back are getting better. They aren't great but I can work! We must face all trials with an attitude of learning rather than frustration. I have learned how to do that and it makes coming out of trials a lot easier. I feel a lot more peace and comfort. It is amazing! I love my Savior and am so grateful for what he did for me and that I don't need to do everything myself! We have so many appointments this week! It is so exciting! Satan can not stop me or dampen my spirits!! I have the Savior of the World on my side and nothing can get me down!! 

De Heiland Leeft! Hij is met ons! 

Zuster Adams 

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