Monday, May 31, 2010

Challenging but rewarding.

From e-mail date May 31, 2010.


Wow. This transfer is definitely going to be one of the most challenging I think, but also one of the most rewarding. Training in a threesome is an experience unlike I've had in any other companionship and it's hard-- but it's good. Zr. Cranford is an AMAZING missionary! It's just difficult making sure we give her all the opportunities she can have because Zr. Reber and I are so used to teaching together. So, to help her be able to have more opportunities, we've been trying to go on splits—but that is also difficult because the companionship sometimes feels like it is two different companionships instead of that we are all unified. I'm really trying to figure out how we find that balance. Do you have any insights?
Isatu and Mary are doing great. They are ready to be baptized, but they want to wait for Isatu's uncle to be ready. They set a new official date this last week. Their baptismal date is currently set for 26 June. We are hoping to get them really connected with the ward before that comes—we are taking leaders in the ward on Joint Teach and the whole family has friends in the ward.
Brigitte is doing well. She's so involved in the ward--it's wonderful! We went to her lesson this week and she had a couple of friends there. It was interesting because one of them was a little contentious-- but when we talked with Brigitte she said she knew it was true and it didn't matter what her friend said. At the end of the lesson we testified that we knew that what we had taught was true (the plan of salvation) and testified of the importance of it in their lives. After we had testified, the female friend (Bisou) turned to me and said, "When can you come over to my house? I want to talk with you more about this." She really felt the spirit--I'm excited to meet with her again.
I went with a member to an appointment with Quincy this week and we talked about faith, repentance, baptism, the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. He told us how he had received a spiritual confirmation this week that being baptized was the right thing and we committed him to pray about a date. Well, yesterday after Sunday School Quincy walked up to me and said,"June 26--I want to be baptized on June 26." He is SO excited! He has been telling the whole ward about it and everyone is talking about how they are going to be coming to his baptism. He's even making a facebook event so that he can invite all of his friends. He's calling it "Zwemmen in de naam van de Vader, de Zoon, en de Heilige Geest." (Swimming in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost). Oh, brother. He's quite the character. He's doing wonderfully.
Yesterday, a Sister came home from her mission in England, so she gave her homecoming talk. I was basically bawling the whole time-- It's just becoming way too real-- Being in such a complicated threesome is helping me keep my mind focused on the work--but in moments like that it just hits me that a full time mission comes to an end. I'm excited to take her on splits though--she and I have A LOT in common. We both have broken a foot on our missions and she had the same companion situation her last transfer as I do now--I'm interested to see what her experience was.
Oh, something else funny that happened yesterday-- a group of BYU students came to our ward. They are on study abroad for art history-- and one of them just happened to be one of my old co-workers from Freshman Academy--Lorianne Frodsham. It was crazy to see her again and to hear about all of the changes that have happened at FA since I left. Wow. Life is going to be different when I come back.
If you get the chance to go to Abree's reception, give her a big hug for me. And yes, I think I would like to go to my reunion-- wow, that's going to be weird. I'm not sure if you've planned any vacations or anything, and if you have going to the reunion isn't that big of a deal, but it could be cool to see people again (or it may just make me wish even more that I was back in the Netherlands). You can go ahead and RSVP if you don't have anything already planned for me to be doing that day.
I have no idea what Kim's plans are. Sorry. Just email her and you can arrange things that way.
And no, I haven't gotten the package yet--but we are having Zone Conference next week (I'll be doing the musical number and I think I already will be giving my goodbye testimony) and I should get it then.
Tell the kids congratulations for all of their awards this year--it shows how much hard work they have been doing. Keep it up!
I'll leave you with a short thought from the scriptures that I have made as my transfer theme:
It is in Alma 23:6
And As sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them--yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.
I know that this is a marvelous work I have the opportunity to do. And as we all work on it together, we will be able to help these people so that they never fall away. The role of the member in missionary work is so important! I love you all so much!
Zuster Fowler


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