soeur bitter: Pondering the Great Work

Hi family, please include all the pics I sent home in the blog. I heard a rumor that you like to skimp on the pics you put online. Pas cool.

So first off, sorry that this letter is getting to you on a Thursday. We had to go to Brussels this last Monday (our normal pday) to do Soeur MacKay's Belgium legality. So we moved our pday to today. :) This allowed us to go to the photography museum!! (which is normally closed on Mondays). So it all worked out for our benefit.

Elder Christofferson came to Brussels this last week. I don't know what I have done to be so lucky but I have been able to see Elder Oaks, Ballard and now Christofferson. The whole mission wasn't able to come; it was just the zones around Brussels. He said so many amazing and inspired things but the most impressing for me was his great love for this missionaries. He then ended the conference by admonishing all of us to push as hard as we can. That we carry salvation to these people and that we have a personal responsibility to our areas and the people in them. He then ended the conference by bearing his testimony of Jesus Christ. The spirit filled the room so strongly. As hot tears rolled down my cheeks he proclaimed "you are all witnesses this day. You heard if from my lips. He Lives".

We went and visited the Rusu family this last week with Soeur Cockx. Soeur Cockx is actually from Romania so obviously she speaks Romanian :) This is perfect for us when we’re teaching the Rusu’s! We decided to take advantage of this opportunity to clarify quickly any questions they had about the Book of Mormon or the Restoration. Soeur Cockx was a rock star and even though she was speaking in Romanian, we could tell what she was saying and her testimony of this Gospel was undeniable. We then went in to teaching the Plan of Salvation. When we started the lesson, it was just Moise, Mano, Petro and us. By the end there were over 12 of us. It was such an amazing feeling as we testified of eternal families while 3 or 4 families sat around with their kids in arms listening to this beautiful message.

Old story becomes new: During Christmas, Soeur Mangum and I went and did "Christmas Contacting". This entailed us going from door to door asking people if we could sing them a Christmas hymn and pray with them. We decided to porte an area towards where Alain lives. As we were walking there, we noticed a few houses on our way and decided to knock on a few of them. We knock on a door and a woman opens and looks skeptically down at us. We explain while we are there and then we asked her the golden question. Can we or can't we come in. Her eyes filled with tears as she told us that she had just come back from the funeral of her son. She wasn't in much of a Christmas carol mood. I was so caught off guard. But in a moment, I felt my mouth open and just say one phrase. "I know that God loves you". To which Soeur Mangum immediately followed "...and that Christ understands what you're feeling". Between tears she told us politely thank you and bid us goodnight. We had planned on passing by her again a few weeks after to see how she was doing but every time we did, no one was home. Well this last week, while I was on exchanges with Sr. Lai, we passed that same house--except this time, a light was on. I immediately walked up to it and knocked. At first no one came. But I was determined -- so I just stood there on the door step. Eventually the same old woman came to the door.

"Hi. I don't know if you remember us-"

"I know you!" she said and stared straight back at me. "I have told everyone about you. I tell everyone that God sent me two angels that night -- a night when I needed it most – one blonde and one with curly brown hair. Please. You must promise me. Tell the other angel 'thank you'".

As I walked away that night with Soeur Lai's arm around my shoulders, I pondered this great work. The Lord really does lead us. So many around us are just waiting and needing to be reminded of their loving and caring Heavenly Father. He loves us. He accepts us. "[His] love is there for [us] whether or not [we] feel [we] deserve love. It is simply always there."

Honestly, it's hard to remember a lot of our week - so I'll just leave it there :)

Love you all

Soeur Bitter