July 28,2015

Hello Family!

I just wanted to say thank you for your super sweet letters and pictures. Most importantly your prayers! I could definitely feel them this week which is something I definitely needed, your amazing! Okay exciting news! Well the good news is that our area in Puerto Plata is still up and running, which means I must be  doing something right haha just kidding. Two of our investigators went to SOY it´s like EFY and had a wonderful experience. They even got up on Sunday with the other youth to share their testimony! Then before they left they came up to me with the other youth and were asking that we move up their date for baptism. I had to get permission from my District Leader because yeah they need so many lessons before baptism, but its a go! It´s exciting to see that they want to push up their date. So if things go as planned we will be having our next baptism the 15 of August! Yoohoo!

More news! Okay here´s your little funny, but it comes with a tip to learn.

So I would like to call it the Parable of the Pamphlets

Once upon a time Hermana Bradford and I were at a zone meeting, and while we were waiting for the meeting to start we were talking about all the interesting situations we´ve been in when we´ve had, well, lets call them ¨intestinal problems¨. One elder, we won´t mention names haha, but an elder in our zone told us of an experience of how handy pamphlets can be when there´s no toilet paper to use lol. Gross I know, only and Elder would think of this. I then told him that´s not what their used for, and he says that he always asks for forgiveness when he has to use them in emergencies haha. Well about two weeks before Hermana Bradford left, we were headed to an appointment. As we crossed the street a heavier set guy was with a group of other men playing Domino´s, a very very common thing to see here in the DR. As we walked by he asked if we had a pamphlet that he could have. So I gave him a Restauration Pamphlet and we kept heading on our way. The next week we were headed to the same place and passed by this guy yet again, and he asked if we had anymore pamphlets. So I gave him The Plan of Salvation and kept walking. My companion then told me how weird it was that he wanted a pamphlet. Normally people neither want a pamphlet or us talking to them. And normally they don´t read the pamphlet when we give it to them. So I said well maybe he´s out of toilet paper haha. So yeah as you all know, Hermana Bradford left, I was walking with my mini last week to the same appointment, saw the man, said hi  and started to walk past him, stopped, and then asked him ¨hey do you want another pamphlet¨. He told me he would love another one. Of course I didn´t have the third one on hand so I asked if we could come by to see him sometime that week. That was last week and we´ve taught them their second lesson yesterday. Whats even better is that we are teaching them AS A FAMILY! They are just soo sweet and already know our names and are so welcoming. INSANE. So just like a parable you can take a lot from it. I´ve learned not to judge, don´t be afraid to share more with people, SET APPOINTMENTS DON´T JUST GIVE THEM PAMPHLETS, and not to judge yet again, that people actually do read the pamphlets. 

So live up that boy scout motto and always be prepared to share the gospel, you never know whose ready! 

Love you guys,

Hermana Van Woerkom