this is so important, please read carefully!
Date
June 21, 2018
Area
Provo, Utah
Companion
this is so important, please read carefully!
Dear all,
It's been another great week at the MTC! And my last one at the MTC! The next time you'll hear from me is the Monday after next and I'll be in the NETHERLANDS!! I legit cannot believe that I will be on a plane there in just 4 days!
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
1. We said goodbye to our teacher Zuster Anderson. It was so sad but I am so grateful to have had her as a teacher!
2. Got a changed perspective of life from Elder Heslop: "If you see the world for what it is, you will never see it for what it can become."
3. Since I don't have a companion to teach with in Dutch, I got to teach Hugo with Zuster Jennings a couple times!! The Spirit was so so powerful! (and it wasn't half bad to have someone who speaks Dutch really well with me)
4. We are the female custodians. 'nuf said
5. When I was really disappointed after a lesson and started to cry, Elder Puertas and Elder Jones followed me to the ponder area and just sat by me. BEST ELDERS EVER. Gonna miss them like heck.
6. Zuster Jennings plays an investigator by the name of Mariah. When I was teaching her about the gospel of Jesus Christ, it just seemed like a normal lesson! After I shared my testimony and we said the closing prayer, she broke character and told me that that was what she needed to hear today and that I was able to help her! Fake investigator, real impact.
7. I have seen so many Cedar City people while I've been here!! Just to name a few: Jace Einfeldt, Camille Grant, Clara Whittaker, Bailey Gray, Lindsey Wilson, Ame Plummer, Kassidy Ashdown, Josh Dickison, and more!! And I got to sit by Camille during choir and devotional!
8. We played such a fun game outside to learn narrative and conversational past tense in Dutch! Never thought I could love a 3 hour language class so much.
9. So...embarrassing thing...I've been pronouncing Tagalog wrong my entire life.
10. I got to be a new missionary host! I got to be one of the people helping sisters unload their stuff from the car and then help them with that incredibly emotional walk away from their families for 18 months! It's an emotional ride, but I loved it so so much.
11. One of the biggest miracles of the week: AME PLUMMER IS HERE!! AND SHE'S IN MY ZONE!! Now we have two Cedar City people in the zone!! (me, Kassidy, and Ame)
The most amazing thing of the week: the opportunity to sing a musical number in devotional (video down below). Everything that led up to the audition working out finally were miracles. And how well it went and how strong the Spirit felt was a miracle. It was so special when, after I sat down, President and Sister Martino were just beaming at me from the stand. But one of the most amazing things that has happened as a result of me sharing just one song with the missionaries here is the impact it has had on others. I have counted the number of instances in which people came to up to me saying things to the effect of: they were speechless, they felt the Spirit, the message radiated from me, and most importantly, they heard what they needed to. The tally is 58 as of right now. I don't say this out of pride, but out of gratitude for how the Spirit helped me have an impact on the missionaries. Because I know for certain that that song would have been worth nothing to anyone if the Spirit wasn't with me.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MQiErDtb4hjK8kosy93fzAJYap67Hh_v/view?usp=sharing
In another devotional that week, we got to hear from Sister Eubanks (a member of the Relief Society general presidency). It was exactly what I needed to hear. She spoke of Moses and how he developed from someone who had absolutely no confidence in their ability to carry out the work of the Lord to someone who parted the Red Sea and rescued the people of Israel. There are two lessons from Moses' story that really stood out to me. I invite you to study and seek how Moses exemplifies these lessons and how you can apply them to your life:
1) We grow in skill little by little, but we also grow in confidence little by little.
2) We should always improve upon who we are but never change who we are.
I've found that one of the biggest things I struggle with in life is seeing myself how the Lord sees me. It all goes back to Elder Heslop's wisdom: If we see ourselves for who we are, we will never see what the Lord sees: who we can become.
In the temple this morning, I was pondering over the story of Adam and Eve. Eve was the first to partake of the fruit. In that moment, if she saw herself for who she was, the first person to ever sin and the first one to fall, she would probably be in the depths of despair. But she wasn't! She saw what the Lord had in store for her as the mother of all living and both her and Adam saw what they could become through the sacrifice of the Savior and the gift of His Atonement! Moses eventually saw this too. When God showed him all of creation and the marvelous purpose of everything, he was naturally a little overwhelmed (give him a break, he just saw the whole universe), but he saw what the Lord had in store for him and then walked forward with faith.
I have struggled with walking forward with faith at certain points in the MTC because of the trials I have faced here. When I talked to one of the district presidents, he suggested that I call my parents and let them know what's going on. So I got to talk to them for a whole 20 minutes! Now a lot of people would probably expect a phone call home to be difficult and that it would make someone really homesick. But as I listened to my parents voices and told them what is going on and what I'm doing, I didn't feel that at all. In fact, I felt a heightened sense that this is where I am supposed to be right now.
I have had many testaments to that fact in my time at the MTC. Like I said earlier about Zuster Jennings, even though we are teaching fake investigators, the impact we are having is real. In my last lesson with Hugo, I asked him how he feels about his faith. He told me that he feels like he just can't stop the words from coming out that he believes God is real and that these things he is learning are true. When he said that, I was so incredibly happy. I told him that I didn't have enough Dutch to tell him how happy that made me. And then I told him that I feel the exact same way. I really do! I just can't stop from sharing this message with people and testifying because it is all so very true! It just is! There's no way of legitimately refuting it! IT'S SO TRUE!!
I know that a lot of people have the view that European missions are really hard and that they just don't baptize. I'll admit it myself, that was my thought process before my mission. But we should not have that idea because it's simply not true! Who cares that people say Europe doesn't baptize! That shouldn't change your calling!! Everywhere should baptize and does baptize because that is what God wants and because everyone needs this message! Just because some of us have been called to Europe does not mean that we are just there to plant seeds.
MISSIONARIES ARE CALLED TO SOW.
This principle is greatly exemplified in D&C 3:3-4.
"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; for behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that [they] perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to [many souls]."
WE ALL ARE CALLED TO SOW.
So let's do this.
Ever onward,
Zuster Klassen
PS I love you all so much and love hearing from you! Let me know all that's going on in your life, anything I can help you with, or even some random stories! :)
Pictures:
1. Zuster Anderson and the district!
2. We just cannot take a coordinated picture.
3. Our last night with Soster Kinder and Syster Lundevall!
4. The sisters in our newly combined zone!
It's been another great week at the MTC! And my last one at the MTC! The next time you'll hear from me is the Monday after next and I'll be in the NETHERLANDS!! I legit cannot believe that I will be on a plane there in just 4 days!
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
1. We said goodbye to our teacher Zuster Anderson. It was so sad but I am so grateful to have had her as a teacher!
2. Got a changed perspective of life from Elder Heslop: "If you see the world for what it is, you will never see it for what it can become."
3. Since I don't have a companion to teach with in Dutch, I got to teach Hugo with Zuster Jennings a couple times!! The Spirit was so so powerful! (and it wasn't half bad to have someone who speaks Dutch really well with me)
4. We are the female custodians. 'nuf said
5. When I was really disappointed after a lesson and started to cry, Elder Puertas and Elder Jones followed me to the ponder area and just sat by me. BEST ELDERS EVER. Gonna miss them like heck.
6. Zuster Jennings plays an investigator by the name of Mariah. When I was teaching her about the gospel of Jesus Christ, it just seemed like a normal lesson! After I shared my testimony and we said the closing prayer, she broke character and told me that that was what she needed to hear today and that I was able to help her! Fake investigator, real impact.
7. I have seen so many Cedar City people while I've been here!! Just to name a few: Jace Einfeldt, Camille Grant, Clara Whittaker, Bailey Gray, Lindsey Wilson, Ame Plummer, Kassidy Ashdown, Josh Dickison, and more!! And I got to sit by Camille during choir and devotional!
8. We played such a fun game outside to learn narrative and conversational past tense in Dutch! Never thought I could love a 3 hour language class so much.
9. So...embarrassing thing...I've been pronouncing Tagalog wrong my entire life.
10. I got to be a new missionary host! I got to be one of the people helping sisters unload their stuff from the car and then help them with that incredibly emotional walk away from their families for 18 months! It's an emotional ride, but I loved it so so much.
11. One of the biggest miracles of the week: AME PLUMMER IS HERE!! AND SHE'S IN MY ZONE!! Now we have two Cedar City people in the zone!! (me, Kassidy, and Ame)
The most amazing thing of the week: the opportunity to sing a musical number in devotional (video down below). Everything that led up to the audition working out finally were miracles. And how well it went and how strong the Spirit felt was a miracle. It was so special when, after I sat down, President and Sister Martino were just beaming at me from the stand. But one of the most amazing things that has happened as a result of me sharing just one song with the missionaries here is the impact it has had on others. I have counted the number of instances in which people came to up to me saying things to the effect of: they were speechless, they felt the Spirit, the message radiated from me, and most importantly, they heard what they needed to. The tally is 58 as of right now. I don't say this out of pride, but out of gratitude for how the Spirit helped me have an impact on the missionaries. Because I know for certain that that song would have been worth nothing to anyone if the Spirit wasn't with me.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MQiErDtb4hjK8kosy93fzAJYap67Hh_v/view?usp=sharing
In another devotional that week, we got to hear from Sister Eubanks (a member of the Relief Society general presidency). It was exactly what I needed to hear. She spoke of Moses and how he developed from someone who had absolutely no confidence in their ability to carry out the work of the Lord to someone who parted the Red Sea and rescued the people of Israel. There are two lessons from Moses' story that really stood out to me. I invite you to study and seek how Moses exemplifies these lessons and how you can apply them to your life:
1) We grow in skill little by little, but we also grow in confidence little by little.
2) We should always improve upon who we are but never change who we are.
I've found that one of the biggest things I struggle with in life is seeing myself how the Lord sees me. It all goes back to Elder Heslop's wisdom: If we see ourselves for who we are, we will never see what the Lord sees: who we can become.
In the temple this morning, I was pondering over the story of Adam and Eve. Eve was the first to partake of the fruit. In that moment, if she saw herself for who she was, the first person to ever sin and the first one to fall, she would probably be in the depths of despair. But she wasn't! She saw what the Lord had in store for her as the mother of all living and both her and Adam saw what they could become through the sacrifice of the Savior and the gift of His Atonement! Moses eventually saw this too. When God showed him all of creation and the marvelous purpose of everything, he was naturally a little overwhelmed (give him a break, he just saw the whole universe), but he saw what the Lord had in store for him and then walked forward with faith.
I have struggled with walking forward with faith at certain points in the MTC because of the trials I have faced here. When I talked to one of the district presidents, he suggested that I call my parents and let them know what's going on. So I got to talk to them for a whole 20 minutes! Now a lot of people would probably expect a phone call home to be difficult and that it would make someone really homesick. But as I listened to my parents voices and told them what is going on and what I'm doing, I didn't feel that at all. In fact, I felt a heightened sense that this is where I am supposed to be right now.
I have had many testaments to that fact in my time at the MTC. Like I said earlier about Zuster Jennings, even though we are teaching fake investigators, the impact we are having is real. In my last lesson with Hugo, I asked him how he feels about his faith. He told me that he feels like he just can't stop the words from coming out that he believes God is real and that these things he is learning are true. When he said that, I was so incredibly happy. I told him that I didn't have enough Dutch to tell him how happy that made me. And then I told him that I feel the exact same way. I really do! I just can't stop from sharing this message with people and testifying because it is all so very true! It just is! There's no way of legitimately refuting it! IT'S SO TRUE!!
I know that a lot of people have the view that European missions are really hard and that they just don't baptize. I'll admit it myself, that was my thought process before my mission. But we should not have that idea because it's simply not true! Who cares that people say Europe doesn't baptize! That shouldn't change your calling!! Everywhere should baptize and does baptize because that is what God wants and because everyone needs this message! Just because some of us have been called to Europe does not mean that we are just there to plant seeds.
MISSIONARIES ARE CALLED TO SOW.
This principle is greatly exemplified in D&C 3:3-4.
"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; for behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that [they] perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to [many souls]."
WE ALL ARE CALLED TO SOW.
So let's do this.
Ever onward,
Zuster Klassen
PS I love you all so much and love hearing from you! Let me know all that's going on in your life, anything I can help you with, or even some random stories! :)
Pictures:
1. Zuster Anderson and the district!
2. We just cannot take a coordinated picture.
3. Our last night with Soster Kinder and Syster Lundevall!
4. The sisters in our newly combined zone!
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