Missionary Work

Let me tell you about a day in the life of a Sister Missionary!!

Monday, July 16, 2012, I spent my first day working with the Sister Missionaries in Den Haag.  It was a downpour rainy kind of day and cold.  It was 13 degrees     Celsius.  I got to their apartment at about 8:30 am.  We had our personal study time, we had companion study time, and then we had a hour taal study time.  What a great experience.  After prayer we took off.

First, I worked with Sister Davies, in the yellow sweater.  We did 'look ups'.  From the Area Book we went to find a sister that had once had some lessons--when we arrived someone else was living there.  So we asked if she was interested in our message.  No, she wasn't.  Did she know anyone who would be interested? No, she didn't.  So, what does a good missionary do?  We knocked doors (2-2-5) all the way down the stairwell.  Nope.  Nothing.

We next tried to find an address that didn't exist.  Check that tomorrow and get the right one.  Then we drove over to a lady that Sister Davies had contacted a few days ago.  She was home and we made an appointment to come back next Monday at 2:00 pm.  So, I have an appointment next Monday!!  

Sister Davies and I were able to teach an investigator the lesson of the Restoration.  It was a really great experience for me.  As Sister Davies was talking and Rafael was asking questions I just silently prayed for her and for a heart to really hear what his concerns were.  It was so easy to teach and bear testimony because the Spirit just allows the answers to come into your mind. It was really wonderful.  As we bore testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, it was easy to ask for a commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.  Rafael said he would read and pray about the Book of Mormon and would wait to pray about Joseph Smith.  Hey, I'll take one out of two.

 We got back to the apartment at 3:30 pm for a quick smoothie--compliments of Sister Gardner--and we were off again.

 Sister Gardner, (in the white shirt), and I went to visit a member who lives quite a ways out from the apartment.  It was easier to get there by car than by bike---well, not really.  The GPS doesn't always give the best directions.  We stopped to ask directions and ended up in the right place.  I was able to say the closing prayer in Dutch.  Speaking, in conversations, well, that is still a real stretch!!

They took me back to the apartment to make me a wonderful vegetable stir fry for supper.  It was delicious. 

Sister Larsen (in the red sweater) and I had an appointment to teach the first discussion.  After we did some backtracking in the car and making a few wrong turns we got there---but no one was home.  Same old story as every missionary will tell you.  It just happens.

These sisters are BEAUTIFUL inside and out.  They have been outdoors in the rain all day, it has been cold, they have had disappointments and look at their smiles.  This is what they look like at 9:00 pm at night after a really long day. 

 They will get up again at 6:30 AM to do it all again--gladly. 

The rest of the Den Haag Zone has PDay on Monday.  So, when we got to the church in Den Haag, we ran into the Den Haag and Amsterdam Elders cleaning the Cultural Hall in the church.  Mom's I took this picture to prove they can clean walls and floors!  :)  Actually, they had spent time playing indoor soccer to burn off some energy and have a little fun on PDay. But they ended with a service project.

Elder Thueson, Elder Hansen, Elder Van Koman, Elder Maughan, Elder Bickham, Elder Mohrman, Elder Wait

A mother would be proud!